Null- Harringrove

11

Hopper dropped Max, Billy, and Steve at the yard, where the Camaro sat. Billy grinned, pulling the keys from his pocket. Max climbed into the backseat, laying down. "Wake me when we're home," she muttered.

Billy pulled away from the lot, remembering how he felt mere hours ago. Before shifting into drive, he followed his headlights, landing on the old car. Underneath the car, the gun waited, resting. Neil would notice it was gone, but Billy didn't care.

Steve sat wordlessly in the passenger seat as they drove on. Eventually, they pulled up in front of the Hargrove-Mayfield house. Billy climbed out and woke Max up, helping her to the door. After she got inside, he didn't follow her. He got back into the car with Steve, "I'm gonna sleep in my car tonight."

Steve furrowed his brows, "What? You'll freeze."

Billy chuckled, "I'm prepared, Harrington. I've got a blanket."

Steve stared at him for a moment longer, "One blanket's not gonna keep 30 degree weather out." Billy pulled out of the driveway and neither said anything for a moment. "Stay with me tonight."

"What? I can't do that-"

"I'm not asking, I'm saying. My parents are outta town, they won't give a fuck. A nice warm house is better than some car," Steve said.

"Hey! It's not just some car," Billy said, defending his car.

"But you're stayin' the night, right?"

Billy rolled his eyes and cocked his eyebrow, "I guess I have to."

Steve directed him through the wealthy side of town. The house were huge, all 2,000 square feet or more. In the back, Billy spotted some pools behind the tall trees.

Eventually, they pulled up in front of a big house. Steve opened the garage and let Billy park his car beside his own. "My neighbors might come to some unwanted conclusions," he explained.

They walked inside slowly, the front hall growing familiar once again. Steve took off his shoes, lining them up nicely. Billy did the same, the toes of his boots pointed squarely at the wall. Billy asked, "Have you ever...done this with a guy?"

Steve froze up and turned to Billy. He tried to find his words, before he concisely shook his head. "I always knew I liked guys...I just never worked up the courage to act on it."

Billy nodded. He followed Steve into a connecting room, where Steve flipped on the TV. "I'm gonna go change. You want any clothes?"

"Uh...how about some shorts," Billy said, sitting on the same couch he'd slept on before. Steve nodded and went upstairs. An older episode of MASH played. Billy took the time to look at the room with a sober set of eyes. The ceilings were tall, and a grand fireplace sat at the center of the room. Billy got up, stepping towards the fireplace. On the mantle, pictures sat in frames. One in the middle showed a young Steve, posing between a man and a woman. The man smiled slightly, while the woman didn't at all. Little Steve had a wide toothy smile, showing his gaps.

Billy walked past the other photos, looking at the bookshelves bordering the brick fireplace. Billy wasn't exactly an expert on genre, but he didn't spot a single fiction book. Plenty of biographies of successful business figures.

Billy moved on, looking out the sliding glass door. The pool outside steamed in the dark night. The backyard was big, but not giant. "Wanna go for a swim?" Steve asked from behind Billy.

Billy jumped in surprise, muttering an expletive as he realized it was Steve. "Isn't it too cold?"

Steve cocked an eyebrow playfully, "Heated."

Billy grinned, "Alright, rich boy."

Steve looked down at the basketball shorts he'd grabbed for Billy. "I'll go grab swim trunks," he said, already going back upstairs.

Billy moved into the dining room, spotting expensive liquor behind the bar. "Hello, beautiful," he said, holding a bottle.

He grabbed a crystal glass from beneath the bar and poured 3 fingers inside. He swished the room temperature liquid around before taking a sip. It burned phenomenally.

Billy heard footsteps again as Steve came back downstairs. His chest was exposed as he wore a pair of blue swim shorts. He threw an older pair to Billy. "The bathroom's through there," he said, pointing down a hall.

The cream colored walls of the small bathroom swallowed Billy up. He put on the shorts, which were a bit too small. He stared at himself in the mirror, "What the fuck was today?"

A few moments later, he walked outside. Steve had brought beach towels, setting them on a lounge chair. Cold nipped at Billy's tan skin. Steve was already in the water, everything below his shoulders submerged. "I promise the water's warmer."

Billy sighed and lowered himself into the pool. The tension in his muscles instantly melted away. "More of a hot tub than a pool, huh?" Billy remarked.

Steve didn't answer. He was floating on his back, with his eyes shut. Billy's eyes fell on him, drifting down his lean body. Steve watched the other boy through slivered eyes. "Something you wanna say, Hargrove?" Steve asked with a smirk.

The boy usually guarded by a tough shell became flustered. He looked away into the trees. He swam gently to the shallow end of the pool, near a set of stairs. "I got nothin'," Billy said.

Steve righted himself and followed. "Well I want to say," Steve said, leaning into Billy's ear, "you're pretty nice to look at too."

Billy grinned at the awkward wording, "Didn't want to call me hot?"

"Don't get too excited."

Billy's smile faltered slightly, and his eyes drifted down to Steve's lips. They were slightly parted, and wet with pool water.

Billy was sick of playing around. He embraced Steve, their lips crashing together. Billy's hands found Steve's lower back, as Steve's were plastered against Billy's broad chest.

They fought in passion, eventually making their way inside at the insistence of Steve. Steve's back was pressed against the living room wall, his hands roaming Billy's back. "Billy," Steve quietly said. He repeated, and Billy stopped.

"What?" Billy asked, frustrated.

Steve looked Billy in the eyes for a moment, "I don't know if I'm ready for this."

Billy was disappointed, but he wouldn't let it show. "That's okay. We don't have to do anything you don't want to do."

Steve sighed and kissed Billy again. "Thanks."

—

The TV droned on as Steve slept. His head was on Billy's arm, his body curled into Billy's. Eventually, sleep took Billy as well. They breathed together, their shoulders rising and falling accordingly.

When sunlight filtered into the house the next morning, their embrace tightened. Billy's  hair tickled Steve's chin as he woke. Steve looked up at the boy he'd slept in the arms of. A small smile graced his lips, and he shut his eyes again.

—

A.N: I don't know how I feel about this chapter. I rewrote it 3 or 4 times, and I'm still not completely happy.