Chapter Text
“I don’t want you around that Harrington boy anymore.”
Mike blinked. He didn’t know when his mom stopped referring to him as Steve with that disgusting fucking dreamy quality to her voice, and switched it out for practically spitting his last name.
Maybe it was around the same time he and Billy got outed by Billy’s shitty dad.
Basically, Neil had come home to find Billy and Steve messing around. He had slapped Billy around, and kicked him out. Steve’s parents did the same when Neil got a hold of Mr. Harrington’s secretary to track them down on vacation somewhere in Europe. Apparently they had come home as soon as possible and Steve was crying in the Hendersons’ spare room, his cheek bruised.
Billy had been taken in by Joyce and Hop, in the new, slightly larger house they had bought for their combined family, had insisted he was fine on his own, until Joyce put her foot down, said she would not take no for an answer, it was either move in, or she lived on the streets with him. He moved in that same afternoon.
“And we know he’s at the Hendersons’. We don’t want you going over there.”
“Why not? You think he’s gonna turn me gay or something?”
“Well, Michael, we just don’t want you in a situation with someone like that. We’re trying to keep you safe.” Mike made a face.
“If he was gonna do something gross to me, he would’ve done it by now. You know how many times he’s driven me home? Alone?”
“And it makes my skin crawl just thinking about what could’ve happened, Mike! Your father and I are just trying to protect you. Claudia practically threw a fit when I told her it wasn’t safe to have that boy in the house with Dustin. Don’t you think their relationship is, odd? I think he’s, well I think he’s already gotten to poor Dustin, and that boy is just, he’s too scared to say anything.”
“Are you serious? Steve’s a nice guy! Kind of a dumbass, but he’s nice. He wouldn’t do that.” She raised an eyebrow at him.
“You can never be sure with these people. They can’t control themselves. And it’s more than that! We don’t know if he has that, that disease. Nobody knows how it’s spreading!”
“Aren’t you forgetting that he dated Nancy for like, a year? Wouldn’t she have gotten it?” Mrs. Wheeler literally shivered. Acted as though a fucking ghost passed through her.
“Oh, believe me, I’ll be taking Nancy to the doctor myself. And while we’re discussing it, I don’t want you at the Byers’ either. That Hargrove boy is with them and that’s who Steve was caught with.” Mike’s eyes bugged out.
“But, El lives with them! Are you seriously saying I can’t go over to any of my friends’ houses, or see my girlfriend?”
“No, you can go see Lucas. He’s not contaminated.” He just scoffed at her, stomping up to his room, passing Nancy on the way.
“Can you fucking believe her? She said we can’t go to the Byers’ anymore because Billy is there, and I’m not allowed to see Will or Dustin or El, let alone Steve.”
“She’s just trying to keep us safe.” He gawked at her.
“Not you too, Jesus Nancy!” He made sure to slam his door behind him.
The next day he told his mom he and Lucas were going to The Hawke. They rode their bikes over to the Byers’ instead.
Mrs. Henderson’s car was out front behind where the Camaro sat under a tarp. Billy hadn’t been taking his car anywhere, it was too recognizable for this town. Steve’s car was still in the drive in front of his parents’ house, scratches in the side from keys, an F-word of choice spray painted over the hood. Steve was told not to touch anything his parents had provided for him when he had to pack his shit and leave. Jonathan had had to pick him up and drive him to Dustin’s.
They left their bikes out front. Max’s skateboard was on the porch. The two boys raised their eyebrows at one another. Max was forbidden to see Billy, was really playing with fire.
“Hey boys!” Mrs. Byers greeted as they slammed their way inside, “Everyone is in Will’s room.” Will had a nice setup at their new place. Jonathan and Billy were sharing the largest room, and had been getting along well, much to everyone’s surprise. El had taken the small room, said she wouldn’t know what to do with herself in too much space, so Will was able to squeeze a table in his room, used it for his art and DnD games. When they went inside, El and Max shot up to hug their boys. Billy was sitting the squashy chair by the open window, smoking with Steve perched in his lap. Will and El had been lounged on the bed, Jonathan sitting against the wall on the floor, on music duty. Everyone waved lazily at them.
“My mom’s officially cracked. She told me I wasn’t allowed to be here anymore. Or your house.” He nodded to Dustin from where he was sitting at the little table, going through Will’s sketches.
“Yeah, she came over to our place and yelled about how Steve has obviously been molesting me and has AIDS and stuff.” He said it lazily.
“Yep and it was really funny and I love reliving it.” Steve huffed, taking the cigarette from Billy’s hand, taking a drag and blowing it out the window.
“She told me she’s gonna take Nancy to the doctor to get tested for it.” Steve stood up, storming out of the room, the door slamming behind him.
“She wasn’t so nervous about this shit when she was trying to fuck me last summer.” Billy flicked the butt out the window, following Steve yelling Princess, slow down, would ya?
“What did Nancy say?” Jonathan had stopped flicking through tapes. Mike shrugged, stealing Billy and Steve’s spot in the good chair.
“She just said Mom was trying to keep us safe.” He furrowed his brows.
“She really, she said that?” He stood up. “I have to make a call.” He swept out of the room, no doubt going to confront his girlfriend.
“This whole thing is really hurting Steve. I can hear him crying most nights. He thinks he’s quiet about it, but he’s never quiet.” Dustin shuddered. “The things I’ve heard.”
“Happy screams?” El laughed as Dustin mimed throwing up.
“I’d like to clarify that I don’t think it’s gross because they’re both guys, but hearing your brother have sex is not ideal in any situation.”
“Don’t let Steve hear you call him your brother, he’ll probably cry over it.” Max laughed dryly from the floor. “I didn’t know someone could cry so damn much.” Dustin rolled his eyes.
“He’s a sensitive soul! And he’s going through a lot. Don’t make fun of Steve.” She stuck her tongue out at him.
“Stevie?” Billy found Steve outside, sitting on the back porch. He sat down next to him, lighting two cigarettes, passing one to Steve.
“I just, just can’t believe she would, would say that.” His hands were shaking. “About, about Nancy.”
“She’s a bitch, Baby.” He tucked Steve under his arm. “But she shouldn’t have, shouldn't have said that.”
“It just makes me feel like shit that the kids have been pulled into this now.”
“I know, Baby. Me too.” He kissed the top of his head. “But we’ll figure this out. Once I graduate, we’ll get the fuck outta here. Take the kids with us if we gotta.” Steve chuckled
“I think we could all do with at least four fresh starts, each.” Billy laughed into his hair.
“You boys doing okay?” Joyce had poked her head out. “I heard some banging around.
“Sorry, Joyce. Steve was being dramatic.” Steve slapped Billy on the chest as he pulled away.
“Sorry, Joyce. Just got mad.” She came and sat down with them.
“Anything I can help with?”
“Not unless you want to slash Karen Wheeler’s tires with me.” Steve slapped Billy’s chest again.
“What? What did she do?”
“She just said some stuff to Nancy and Mike.” She raised an eyebrow at Steve. He sighed. “About, about how she doesn’t, doesn’t want Mike over here, or at Dustin’s. She said, said it’s not safe or something.” He couldn’t look her in the eye.
She was immediately, righteously, furious.
“She said it’s not safe? You know, I was wondering why she would never come down my line at Melvald’s anymore. That awful woman! She doesn’t even know you two! It’s been wonderful having you around. Both of you.” She was looking at them, eyes wide and sharp.
“We just, we feel bad bringing all this onto you, your families.” Billy offered.
“Well don’t. You two are our family. No question about it.” Steve’s eyes were welling up. “And in this family, we care about each other, protect each other, and don’t listen when the Karen Wheelers of the world are saying stupid, stupid things.” Steve launched himself at her, hugging her tightly. Billy joined in, both boys smothering her with their combined weight.
She patted both their cheeks when they pulled back.
“Plus, I’ve always gotten this feeling about Will. I think you two are good for him. Show him he can be happy.”
“Hello?”
“Nancy? Hey, it’s Jonathan.”
“Oh, Jon! Hi! What are you up to?”
“Well, nothing much. I was just informed that your mom may have said some shit to Mike about Billy and Steve?”
“Wait, is he there? He’s not supposed to be-”
“You don’t, you don’t agree with her? Do you?” Nancy sighed down the line. Jonathan’s heart sank.
“Well, I don’t quite know what to think anymore, Jon.”
“So accusing Steve of being a child molester is what you’re going with?”
“No! I mean, I don’t think he would, but, it just, it makes you think. He was always, kind of, I don’t know, obsessed with the kids.” Jonathan nearly slammed the phone back onto the receiver.
“Are you fucking kidding? You’re serious? He likes the kids because they like him! He likes taking care of people! The kids need him!”
“Well, and maybe, maybe a part of me feels kind of, hurt. I mean, he dated me for a whole year Jon, and then, acted all hurt when I broke it off like, like that’s not what he wanted the whole time!”
“Some people like both, Nancy! He loved you and was hurt when you broke it off! Now he loves Billy, and that has nothing to do with you!”
“But he lied to me! For that whole time we were together!”
“What would’ve happened if he had told you? What if I said I like guys too, what would you do?”
“Jon, don’t be gross.”
“See! He couldn’t have told you. It’s not safe for people like them!” He laughed coldly. “How many times has Steve saved our fucking lives, Nancy? The kids' lives? I can’t believe, after everything, you would just, just do this.”
“What? Worry about the safety of my little brother? You think I don’t worry about you sharing a room with Billy every night?”
“You know what we do in that room, Nancy? We talk about our shitty dads, and get high, and listen to music. We don’t, he doesn’t make moves on me. Gay people aren’t inherently rapists.”
“I never said they were!”
“No, you just implied it heavily. Look, Nancy. Why don’t we take some time? You can make up your mind about your friends, and we’ll talk when you decide if you’re going to be a decent person or not.”
“Wait, are you, are you breaking up with me? Over this?”
“This is a serious issue, Nancy! I can’t be with someone who thinks that way!”
“Is this, are you trying to tell me you’re like them?”
“No, Nancy. I’m not trying to tell you anything. What I am telling you, is that I don’t want to date a bigot. Call me if you ever decide not to be one.” He slammed down the phone, chest heaving.
“Did you just dump her?” Will’s eyes were wide in the doorway.
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
“She said some really shitty stuff about Steve and Billy. And by extension, all gay men.” He could see Will swallow.
“And you, you dumped her for that?”
“I can’t date someone who hates people for who they love. I don’t need that in my life.” Will was blinking hard as he stumbled toward Jonathan. he hugged him tightly. “Hey, you okay?”
“Yeah, I, I’m good.” He smiled at him before walking back towards his room.