Unexpectedly Enough

Twenty Three

Footsteps came from through the living room, Max quickly appearing with Billy standing behind her. Billy's eyes were sunken in deeper than usual, black circles underneath his eyes. Deep lines traced the underneath of his eyes as he looked around, his glance landing on Steve. Steve smiled widely from where he was standing in the kitchen with his Aunt.
"Oh, hello!", His aunt beamed, walking over to where the two stood.

"Guys, this is my Aunt Viv", Steve introduced them.

Vivian stuck her hand out to Max first, who quietly shook it;
"You must be Maxine. I've heard so much about you from Steve!", Vivian says, recognizing the description of her red hair.

"It's Max, not Maxine. Nobody calls me Maxine", Max spoke.

Vivian was visibly slightly shocked at the sudden correction, but Steve stepped in before it could escalate.

"Sorry she's a little...fiery", He says, shooing her away to go wash up for dinner.

"It's alright", Vivian smiles.

Then Steve's looking at Billy, and Vivian recognizes him completely from all the stories Steve had told her about the blonde boy who had his heart. She was the only family member of his that knew, the one he trusted the most.

"You must be Billy", She says, and Billy sticks out his hand, only to be surprised when she pulls him into a hug. Steve laughs lightly, his smile staying as he wraps his arm around Billy's waist after he's released from the hug.

"Steve has told me so much about you, so so much. I'm so glad I finally get to meet you."

Billy is taken aback, partly from Steve displaying affection in front of another adult, but also that the lady was happy to meet him. It didn't happen often.
"Thank you ma'am, it's a pleasure to meet you too."

And then Vivian's back to cooking at the stove, and Steve slips in front of Billy.
"I missed you", he breathes.
Billy laughs; "I was only gone for a few hours to get Max."
"And that's a few hours too many."

Billy's eyes are deep in Steve's, breathing in each other's scents as Steve pulls Billy closer, his hands sliding down into his back pockets, hands gripping his ass; squeezing lightly. Billy blushes pink and giggles; yes giggles.
"I love you", Steve whispers.
"And I you", Billy says back, before Steve's lips are on his. It takes Billy a few seconds, he's too busy enjoying Steve's lips, but then it hits him and his eyes go wide as he pulls back.

"What?", Steve laughs, but he follows Billy's eyes to where his Aunt is standing in the kitchen, and he quickly catches on.
"Oh baby, don't worry about her. Aunt Viv is completely fine with us, happy about us really. When she said she was glad to meet you and she's heard so much about you, she really has. I tell her so much about you. She's very accepting babe."

And Billy breathes a breath of relief out, pressing his lips against Steve's again without fear, and just enjoys the familiar taste of Steve; his home.

It's short lived though, because Max's feet come bounding down the stairs, and they are quickly apart because well, Max still doesn't know.

"Dinner's ready!", Vivian called, and Billy winked softly at Steve before the three of them hurried into the kitchen.

A few nights later, Billy had been out of town and had yet to return home, and Steve was babysitting his cousins, as he had promised Aunt Vivian.

"No Joyce, I promise I'm fine. I'll be ok, I've got them. But thank you", Steve said, his cheek holding the phone up against his shoulder as he balanced his baby cousin, Lila on his hip.