Unexpectedly Enough

Sixteen

"Baby, can you give me five minutes to clean up?", Steve asks, wiping off the ice cream counter, his 'ahoy' hat sliding slightly down his head, causing him to readjust it.

"Yeah, no rush babe", Billy says, smiling at him. He didn't care how long it took Steve, truth is, he thought Steve looked adorable in his sailor outfit.

Robin had to leave earlier today so she couldn't stay and close up, leaving Steve to finish cleaning the counters and shut down the store for the night. It didn't take very long, but Steve was always worried about making Billy wait too long.

But when he did finish, Billy saw him grab a bag he didn't usually bring with him. "What's that for, pretty boy?"

"Extra clothes."

"Why do you wanna change? I like your sailor outfit", Billy says, pulling Steve closer to him by the waist.

Steve can't contain his laugh that comes out as more of a scoff, and gently hits Billy on the chest. "No way in hell am I going out in public besides work in this."

Billy fake pouts, but it disappears when Steve pokes his side, leaning closer into him. And then Steve quickly changes in the bathroom, before they head out of the mall and into Billy's camaro.
"What time did you tell them we'll be there?", Steve asks.
"I told Hopper around 7, it's 6:30 now."

They reach the diner exactly at seven, Joyce and Hopper are already there, sitting next each other in one of the booths. The diner is basically empty except for one of two tables in the back; it usually is at this hour. Billy walks in behind Steve, his hand lightly grazing Steve's lower back, a touch that Steve loved, but wasn't really noticeable to wandering eyes.

"Geez Hargrove, did you make him walk here?", Hopper jokes when they sit down across from them.

"Give them a break Hop, they've got jobs", Joyce buts in, smacking Hopper lightly.

"I'm only joking."

When the waiter comes over, Billy orders his usually burger and fries, Steve his usual shake. It's been like that since they started dating, every Friday night; and now Hopper and Joyce joined them occasionally because they were the only other 'couple' that knew about them.

"So how have you guys been?", Joyce asks.

Steve kind of zones out as Billy talks to her about life at the pool, and adjusting to Hopper's cabin. He just watches Billy's facial expressions and how his lips move when he talks, and he's mesmerized. His blue eyes always seemed to sparkle when he talked about things he was passionate about, and the end of his nose moves slightly when he talks. His cheeks had the faintest dimples when he smiles, and his ears lifted slightly when he did, blonde curls tucked behind them. Steve was only ripped from his thoughts when a new figure stood by the table;

"Billy?", the person asked, shock evident in his voice.

"Oh my god, Kyle?", Billy said, and he stood up, hugging the boy who was now standing in front of him.

He had blue eyes, light brown hair, a muscular build, and a California varsity football jacket on. And when Steve laid his eyes on him, his heart sank deep into his stomach. It was the boy from Billy's pictures. The pictures he kept hidden away in a secret shoebox, one that Billy didn't know Steve had found. It was by accident, it fell out of his closet when they were moving Billy into Hopper's place. He had heard stories about Kyle, and he never really felt threatened, until he saw pictures of him. But he was also far away in California, but now he was here, in Hawkins, and Steve couldn't help the twinge of pain that struck his heart.