Someone Like Him (Harringrove)

eight

Steve and Robin were at work, giggling at the jokes they've made. The door opened, revealing none other than Billy Hargrove. "Hey guys." He said as he stood in front of the counter. "Hey" Robin chuckled, mumbled something about work and walked in another room. 

"Hey, what can I help you with?" Steve asked Billy, who was staring at him with a small smile. "Max is having El for a sleepover tonight and I thought I'd get them a movie to watch" Billy smiled. It was true what he said, but he also wanted to see Steve. 

"Okay, what movie do you want to get?" Steve asked. "That's why I came to you, pretty boy. I've been in a coma for a year, I don't know what movies are popular and shit, plus you know these girls well and I was hoping you'd know what they like"

"Okay, let me see." Steve said and started to go through some movies, finally, he found one and said "What about this? I think they'd like this" 

"If you think so, then I'll take it" Billy smile at him. "So Max said you've started working. " Steve said. "Yeah, I work at the pet store. " Billy said. "Oh my god, that's so cute. " Steve said and looked at Billy with his doe eyes. Billy chuckled "Yeah the pets kind of help me cope with stuff" Billy smiled and handed the cash to Steve. "Aren't you working today?" Steve asked and Billy shook his head "I'm working tomorrow" 

"Do you want to ... hang out? I mean you don't have to cope with stuff alone. I...I'm here if you need anything" Steve stuttered. "Thank you Steve" Billy winked at him and left.

"I get the feeling Billy's the only person you don't suck with" Steve heard Robin's voice and when he turned around she was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed around her chest and she had a big smirk on her face. 

***

El got out of Hopper's car and waved him goodbye as she walked to the door and knocked. El hasn't had a sleepover at Max's since last year. What she saw in Billy's memories were... horrible. She hasn't talked about it with anyone but now, since Billy was back home, she was scared he'd get hurt again by his father. 

The door was opened by Billy and he let her inside with a big smile. They had a small talk until El went inside Max's room.
While Billy was in a coma, Max liked to sleep in his room. She missed him, but she somehow felt safe in there. One day El told her that in Billy's memories, she saw a red journal... A journal with drawings in it, and how one of the drawings looked a lot like Steve. Max got curios and she went through Billy's stuff. She found the red journal and the first drawing was of a woman with a huge grin, she had a blonde hair and when Max showed the drawing to El, El quickly said she was his mother. They together went through his drawings, there were few versions of a very familiar skull, which was a tattoo on Billy's arm. Then they saw a drawing of Max, she looked very happy. And then, they saw Steve.

"Why would Billy draw Steve so many times? He hates Steve.."El said, confused. 

"Maybe he doesn't hate Steve... I mean.. look at those drawings, El...They look different than the others, they look intimate.." Max said

Max and El were sitting on the floor, they were halfway into the movie when they heard yells from the other side of the room. El got up walking to the door. "El don't. " Max said and El threw her questioned look. "He'll hurt him if we don't stop them. " El said. "We'll do something tomorrow, but not now. " Max said and put her face in her hands. 

"Tomorrow we'll tell my dad everything. " El said, Max looked up at her and nodded her head. Then they heard Billy's car starting, and him driving away. 

Steve was in his room when he heard the knocking or banging even, on the door. 'Who would be at this hour?' Steve thought, quickly grabbed his bat and walked downstairs. He raised his bat and opened the door when he said scared look on Billy's face. "Oh hey. " Steve said and hid the bat behind him. "What the hell Harrington" 

"Sorry I thought... I wasn't expecting anyone" Steve said and let Billy inside. "Sorry for coming unannounced.."Billy said. "It's fine, man. I mean I told you to come whenever you'd want to and I meant it" Steve smiled at him and put the bat away. 

"I remember that bat" Billy chuckled at the memory at Byers' from two years ago.

"Um.. do you want to drink anything?" Steve asked and Billy shook his head. "Did you get into a fight? You've got blood on your shirt" Steve asked, concerned. 

"It's...it's fine..I..I punched my dad" Billy sighed. "OH okay..."Steve sat on the couch next to him, a bit surprised. "I've never raised a hand against him before... It was always him punching me, insulting me, making me feel worthless, calling me a faggot..." Billy looked down at his shoes. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't know he was doing such things..." Steve said and put his hand on Billy's shoulder, comforting him. "You don't have to apologize for anything, Steve. If only I'd known you guys were going through some shit like this... I swear I'd help you guys..."

"That day, at Byers' I shouldn't have started the fight. I should've explained what was going on. Maybe if you knew about it all... things that happened to you wouldn't have happened..." Steve said and looked at Billy in the eyes.

"It's not your fault, Steve. If I weren't trying to run away from myself and not trying to get into Mrs.Wheeler's pants, none of it would've happened to me" Billy said.

"What do you mean by that?" Steve asked him. "That night I was on my way to the hotel to meet with Mrs.Wheeler. " Billy said and looked at Steve in the eyes. "Oh.. Is there something between you two?" Steve asked and Billy shook his head. "Never was, never will be, because I'm not who everybody thinks I am. I'm not who my father wants me to be..." Billy said and looked down at Steve's lips. "What do you mean?" Steve asked. Billy looked up at him and asked, "Can I kiss you?" Steve gulped, his heart was racing, he didn't know what to say. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Billy chuckled "That was... very wrong thing to ask, I'm sorry. "  Billy stood up but Steve quickly grabbed his hand. He got up on his feet and leaned closer to Billy. "Steve you don't have to do that if you don't want to. " Billy said. "I want to. I want it so badly. "Steve said, almost moaning the last part as Billy's hot breath hit his face. They stared each other in the eyes before Steve connected their lips. Billy gasped in surprise, but he kissed Steve back. They started kissing slowly, at first. But then, the soft, passionate kiss quickly turned rough and Billy pushed Steve on the couch, getting on top of him and straddling his hips. A loud grunt escaped Steve's lips as Billy started grinding against Steve.

Max was pacing back and forth in her room. It was 3 a.m and Billy wasn't home. "I'm scared, what if something happened to him? Oh god, what if..what if it's back... Oh my god, he-" El cut her off "Do you want me to find him?" 

"Would you do that?" Max asked and El nodded her head. The girls turned the radio on, El wrapped the black cloth around her eyes and concentrated on the sound of the radio. 

"I..." El said as the blood started to drip from her nose. She quickly took off her blindfold and looked at Max with a huge grin. "I finally know what happy screams are like..." 

Max stared at her with wide eyes. "Is he..Is he with...?" Max said as El nodded her head, giggling.