Unexpectedly Enough

Three

Steve was practically asleep as the Hawkins sun beat down on him where he sat at the community pool. He had been there all day with the kids, and he couldn't wait to go home and sleep, because he still couldn't sleep at night. Every time he closed his eyes he saw every battle he's had with the upside down and demagorgons, and most recently the mind flayer. But the vision that haunted him the most was the memory of the mind flayer reaching out and injecting its arms into Billy, black blood spilling from his body and his mouth as he screamed. It made Steve wake up in a sweat every night.

It was hard on him, seeing it all over again. He wishes he didn't have to. He would be lying if he said it didn't break his heart, but he couldn't ever say anything about to anyone. Most people didn't even know about the upside down, and the ones who did, certainly didn't know that Steve was even slightly thinking the way he was. Steve didn't even know if he was really thinking that way, or what it even meant.

Steve could hear kids splashing in the pool, people talking, and laughing. But somehow, he was still on the verge of sleep. He decided he would take the kids home soon so he could rest for the first time in days. A shadow cowers over him, blocking the warm sunlight.

"I hope you aren't falling asleep on us Harrington", Billy's voice breaks through the chaos. Steve peels one of his eyes open, looking at Billy standing over him, hands on his hips, sunlight bouncing off his tan, a sheen of sweat covering his body.
"Might be, haven't been sleeping at night", Steve says sitting up slowly.

"Why not? Chicks keeping you awake?", Billy smiles, sitting down next to him.

Steve shakes his head. "Nah, just well, other things."

Billy nodded like he knew, and maybe he did understand what Steve meant, because there was no way Billy had gone through almost being killed by a monster and not have bad memories of it.
"Don't you have work today, pretty boy?"

"I have off until Monday."

Billy nods in understanding, before his eyes catch something and he blows his whistle loudly, making everyone in the pool freeze.

"Hey shithead! No running!" He hollered.

He blows his whistle again and everyone resumes what they were doing.
"Well, I've gotta get the kids home", Steve speaks up, before standing and heading towards the kids, very aware of Billy's eyes watching him as he goes.
"Come on dickheads, it's time to go." All the kids groan and spend the next half hour trying to delay Steve before he practically threatens to drop them all off for Hopper to deal with.

The whole ride the kids were begging not to go home, and Steve finally had enough and resorted to dropping them off at Joyce's. After that he drove home in silence, and plopped down on his bed as soon as he was home. Even though the nightmares still continued, Steve got some sleep. Steve was tossing and turning, a sheen of sweat across his body as his face twisted, little whimpers coming from his lips.

Billy was on the ground below him in the mall, the mind flayer hanging onto him, before dropping him hard to the ground. He laid there lifeless as Steve heard Max scream Billy's name, watching her run towards him. Steve wanted to run to him to, but he knew that was out of the question because he barely knew the boy, but something inside of him was yelling at him to go to Billy. But he didn't. Steve's eyes widened as Billy stopped moving, and became completely limp. That's when Steve knew he was gone, and he remembered his stomach tightened, and his throat went dry, and he remembered he ran to get sick for the second time that day. But that didn't matter. Steve's dreams were haunted with visions of Billy's cold, dead body, soaked in black blood.

Steve screamed, waking himself up as he looked around panicked. Then he remembered he was alone, and Billy was ok. But something in Steve's gut told him he wasn't. Then a knock came from the front door, startling Steve again. He slowly got up, grabbing his nail bat and sneaking slowly towards the front door, leaning it against that wall in case he needed it. But when he opened the door, he realized he wouldn't, and his stomach dropped.

"Billy...holy shit, what happened?", Steve rushed out. His gut had been right, Billy wasn't ok. He was sweating, and his shirt was torn, his curls a mess. His lip was busted open, his eyes black and his cheek purple. Blood was running down from his nose and cheeks, but Steve was relieved to see it was red.
"Oh my god you're bleeding."

"Yeah no shit, Harrington."

Billy winced as Steve set him on the couch after dragging him inside.
"I'm gonna get you cleaned up, I'll be right back", Steve promised. Billy didn't say anything, he just looked up at Steve as he left. He was quickly in the guest bathroom, grabbing the first-aid kit from underneath the sink. He then realized who was downstairs as if the adrenaline had worn off. He took a moment to try and recompose himself before returning downstairs.

When he was kneeling in front of Billy, cleaning one of his wounds, Billy grabbed Steve's wrist, but it was hard or harsh, it was soft and gentle.
"I'm sorry", Billy spoke, his eyes looking directly into Steve's
"What?"
"About before. I didn't mean to be such a jerk about me bleeding when you said it, I know you're just trying to help. It's just been a rough night."

Steve's heart swelled and his face softened at this. Billy was apologizing, not only for tonight, but he kept going.
"And I'm sorry for all the shit I put you and the kids through, especially that night at the Byers' place. I hope I didn't cause too much damage."

"Billy, don't worry about it. We all make mistakes, trust me. It's ok", Steve reassured him.

Billy just nodded silently as Steve finished up on his cuts, offering him some ice for his eye.
"Who did this to you?", Steve finally worked up the courage to ask, but regretted it when he saw Billy stiffen.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, I know it's none of my business, I'm so-"
"My dad", Billy spoke, cutting him off.

And this time, Steve swore he really did feel his heart fall out of his ass, because what the hell.

"Are you shitting me?", Steve blurted out.

Billy scoffed.

"I wish I was Harrington."

Steve was so confused, he was heartbroken, he was sad, he was beyond angry, he was fuming; because who the hell does this to their own son?
"...Why?", Steve asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Because, I'm not good enough for him. I never have been. I'm a disappointment. I'm a queer, a fag, a prissy. If I don't do exactly what Neil says, exactly how he wants it done, I get hit. It's just how it is", Billy explains.

"You have to leave, get out of there, you can come stay with me, my folks are barely ever home."

"Thanks, pretty boy. I appreciate it, I really do. But I can't leave. I can't leave Max there, I'm afraid if I leave, Neil will start hitting her. I can't let that happen."

Steve understands that. Yeah, he's an only child, but he has these six fourteen year olds that he looks after and is protective of, and he seems them as younger siblings and would never want anything bad to happen to them, so yeah, he understands what Billy means.

"I'm so sorry", Steve breaths.

"Don't be", Billy says, looking up at him, tears glistening his eyes. "I'll get through it."

A few minutes of silence go by as Steve sits and thinks, he's still beyond pissed off yeah, but there's nothing he can do. Even if there was, Billy wouldn't want him to.

Finally, Billy puts his hand on Steve's leg, patting it gently.
"Do you got a place I can sleep?" He asks.
"Yeah of course", Steve says, and he leads him up to the guest room. He shows him where the bathroom is, and where his room is if Billy needs anything; and with that Billy settles into bed, leaving Steve to go too.
"Thanks for letting me stay, I didn't know where else to go", Billy says.
"Anytime, Billy. You don't even have to ask, my parents are almost never home, drop by whenever you need, even if I'm not here", Steve tells him.

Billy smiles at this, because it's the first time in a long time that someone has been this nice to him, and looked out for him.
"Goodnight, pretty boy", Billy smiles.

"Goodnight, Billy."

And for the first time in a long time, it was a good night; because Steve slept better than he had in a long time. Nightmare free, and all it took was knowing the boy that had him worried, and made his heart skip beats, was in the next room.