Chapter Text
Billy was an angry guy, everybody knew that, hell, even the grownups were a little afraid of him (and that was an understatement). And while his destructive anger has simmered down to weekly explosion after the whole Star court incident, he was still a thing to be terrified of.
Steve, of course, didn’t think there will be any more interaction with Hargrove, even if was behaving fine after a few months of being in the hospital and dealing with the aftermath. But Max was the one who came to him, and Steve didn't know what to do about her request, she seemed so small and on the verge of a breakdown when she asked him, he really couldn't have declined... he just couldn't. And he was a big softie for these gremlins in his life, so he decided to come up with something- at least to start the whole 'let’s befriend Hargrove' committee, and who would be better than Robin to do something troublesome? Even Jonathan agreed, albeit reluctantly, Steve made sure to add some sad story about how Max needed her family. Surprisingly Hargrove took some initiatives too, genuinely apologizing for how he treated Lucas- now they have that silent acknowledgment thing going on, instead of punches he just glares with the meanest look possible, he looked out for Max, Steve could see the attempt for redemption- he was at the end of that rope once too, it wasn’t enough but it was a start.
After going through some hellish experiences (one word: Dustin), the party reluctantly accepted Hargrove, though surprisingly he didn’t get along with Steve at all- or, well, Hargrove really avoided him. Aside from that, Robin and him have formed a very weird friendship- apparently ‘HE’ has better song and movie preferences- Steve calls bullshit. After a week of Hargrove hanging out at the corner of the room, each time Max came over, Hargrove once again apologized to Jonathan, offering him something which Jonathan seemed to have accepted tentatively- he wouldn’t tell Steve but whatever it was, but the older Byers seemed to like it. While Lucas’s distant acknowledgment remained the same, Eleven managed to form a very peculiar alliance with Hargrove, he actually listens to her and… wait for it… helps her out whenever she asks. Even Max has jokingly commented she couldn’t point out who was the real sister.
Not to say that it was all sunshine and roses, Hargrove was known for his mean temper, and while he tried his best to control it- at some point he seemed to just explode, luckily, he and Max were the usual victims. Though his irritation was clear to everyone, they all were working on it. Steve was just glad Hargrove was able to settle into their little abnormal family, and that the others were trying too, for Max’s sake at the least. He was still trying to steer clear of Nancy, avoiding her most of the time- she probably got the message as she stopped seeking him out much. She doesn’t know the whole extent of Hargrove hanging out with them, Jonathan only told her that Max wanted to include her brother- but how much? That was supposed to be a mystery.
So yeah. It was going… as well as it could, Steve supposes.
“Robin, we have talked about this- Hargrove hates me, or something. So just drop-”
“But my darling, my dingus, he doesn’t. You need to turn on that Harrington charm and talk to him, approach him”
“Robs, I don’t know if you remember? But I was the one who initiated everything before you all board the Hargrove train, I asked him to come, I asked him to stay, I explained the whole ‘Max needs this’ theory-” He ignores ‘Ooooh theory~’ and continues “Yet, he cannot even bring himself to say anything? After he said sorry to me for almost killing me, we barely had a proper conversation. And if he doesn’t want to, I am not gonna force him. I am doing it for Max, anyway” He knows he said the last part a bit more aggressively, but he was angry. It was a little close to closing time, Steve took the basket where all the tapes have been thrown to keep all of them in place. Robin stayed silent for a while, Steve was upset about how Hargrove treated everyone better than him- though it was more about how he didn’t even talk or look in his direction for more than the needed duration- it was just- he couldn’t understand why.
“So you want to be friends with him?”
“I mean, that would be preferable, seeing as he is in my house more often than not, plus I did forgive him. Now, go back to work, we need to finish up quickly”
“Aye, aye captain”
While Steve has mostly forgotten about that talk, Robin didn’t. Which explains why Hargrove was sitting in his living room with no gremlins in sight, awkwardly if he might add. It was Friday night, so he was expecting all of them to barge into his home as always, he had even picked up helluva snacks on the way to fill their unending appetite. He tried to rake his brain for any change in plans as he hurriedly dumped the bags in the kitchen and went to his room to change out of the sweaty clothes.
They haven’t been alone since the time Steve asked him to come with Max whenever he could.
“Hey, uh, where is everybody? Something happened?”
“…No”
“Alright?” Steve wondered if he should just go back to his room, he was a little tired anyway, and if those idiots weren’t coming, Steve should count himself lucky and have a good sleep- if he was actually lucky. “Well, there is stuff in the kitchen if you want, I will ju-”
“So” Hargrove cuts him off, looking like he would be anywhere but here, “we should talk” He grits. Steve waits for a few more seconds for context- what did he want to talk about? But Hargrove seemed to stay quiet, body rigid and thundering expression- Steve was part afraid and found him a little hot. Very little. Steve managed to walk towards him, sitting at a slight distance from him.
“Okay, did something happen with Max?”
“You-”
“…me?”
“I am sorry” Okay that was not what Steve was expecting “I didn’t- I don’t hate you” Fuck. Robin. He’s gonna kill her. Murder her mercilessly. Fuck. “I didn’t think you’d want to be- ugh, want to be friends with me. Or talk to me. I thought tolerating me in your house would be the limit, I mean- I did hurt you. And as much as I want to take back all the stupid dumb things I did, I can’t. But I can make your life easier by not being in it. I know you’re doing it for Max, and she definitely deserves better, I don’t even know why she bothers with me, letting me rot away would have served me right. But that’s not what she wants, and you have to deal with her baggage and with me for her sake. Then Buckley told me you were upset about it- and- okay, I can get why now. So- if- if you want, can we start over?”
“That’s the most you’ve spoken to me, you know? After the whole debacle.”
“… I hate talking”
“Talking about feelings, you mean”
“Whatever” Steve smiles, Hargrove does look sincere, and seconds away from jumping from the nearest window (even if they were still on the ground floor). Hmm. Was he too forgiving? Probably.
“Yeah, why not. It’s better to be friends than you looming around the house like a creep” Hargrove seems taken aback at the quick acceptance, still eying him with hesitancy, but Steve keeps his smile, assuring him that he wasn't taking a piss at him.
“Hey, I don’t loom. I smolder. Not something you’d know, pretty boy” Hargrove says after a few seconds, with a very familiar smirk back on his face.
“Creep”
“Hey!” And just like that, they were on their way to becoming friends. Of course, it took time, and a lot more to be completely fine with each other, but Steve knew they would get there. And Steve also wanted to clear out all the things Hargrove thought about himself, he knew dissecting his small speech would simply push him away as the man would rather listen to ABBA than be vulnerable but Steve won’t forget it. He may be an asshole, but he was trying to be good, and Steve has a little experience with that. Everybody deserved more chances at life.
The changes weren’t abrupt in his opinion but the party differed. Steve didn’t realize how easily he and Billy conversed now, they had their banters, their fake rivalry (Billy was really competitive and Steve can’t help joining in- if only just to annoy the blonde), the fact that he truly liked Billy’s company was surprising too. Dustin for some reason started disliking Billy the more Steve hung out with the said culprit. They were taken aback by how just a week before they didn’t even talk and now they were dissing each other like no tomorrow. While smiling. He outright ignored Robin’s knowing grin, and also ignored her for a while but her insistent whining won at last, but he wasn’t forgiving her anytime soon for spilling their conversation to Billy. Even if the outcome was… nice. Max was somehow much happier at their budding friendship than any other, he has never seen the redhead smiling so much before- and it was a good look on her.
No. The main issue at this moment was, Steve couldn’t stop thinking about Billy. It was nothing at first. But soon, they sought each other’s company even without realizing it, Billy was a grade-A jerk but he was fun when he wasn't being a bully, he had a twisted sense of humor Steve enjoyed, and he was extremely intelligent too- which was... not what Steve was expecting but it was weirdly hot.
~*~
He honestly doesn't remember well enough how or why it started, him and Billy were spending a lot of time together now that Billy practically lived at his place. Billy would usually come straight to his place after his shift, and make something for dinner (read: attempt, then Steve takes over and try to salvage whatever he can) and they'd eat while watching the worst movie possible for the other person. It wasn't bad. Steve didn't think he'd ever see the day when he actually enjoyed Billy Hargrove's company.
So yeah, they were good friends.
Yet, he had no antidote for Billy's anger, even if it's rare nowadays, but his rage can truly drive people out. And for Max's sake and for some weird reason, Steve wants to make sure Billy doesn't go overboard. Which he does. Every time.
At this point, he was sick of it, not because Billy was frustrating to deal with (which he was) but because he screamed things Steve knows weren't true, he was purposefully choosing to drive them away these days. He can get why, sometimes it's hard to forgive oneself, and wonder why would anyone forgive him? Why would they tolerate? Why do they care? It's easy to lose composure, to want something to stick, to hurt. So yes he gets it. But it’s not easy.
He doesn't lose his cool, usually, as he is mostly the one at the end of Billy’s outbursts so he's almost used to it, almost, but he'd been having nightmares continuously and he was so exhausted, adding that with Billy's snippy mood, Steve was done. He didn't even realize he was speaking before the words slipped out without his consent.
"Billy, shut up. I can't do this today"
"I can leave if you don't want me around, Harrington" Steve can barely remember what Billy was angry about, or what were they even fighting about, all he knows is- he wants to sleep. He really needs to sleep.
"Oh, for fuck's sake! Why can't you just-"
"Just what? Shut up? Disappear? Leave? That’d be better for ev-"
Steve's brain switched to survival mode, he didn't have the energy to fight, to argue, or to stop Billy before he goes out on a rampage. So, he did something entirely stupid, hoping it'd appease Billy as it calms him down because he really needed to have a proper sleep. Just a few hours. Just a few. That's all he was asking.
"Come here. And don't argue, I cannot move a foot and I am tired as fuck so just come here" He grounds, and he thinks he saw some sort of concern on Billy's face at his comment before it disappeared under all that gritting and clenching.
Billy takes angry strides as he makes his way toward Steve, looking like he was ready to throw a punch, but Steve knew he wouldn't. At least not at the party. But Steve knew how Billy got, striding right into the personal space, thundering eyes staring right at him, chest touching chest, so Steve was ready- and as soon as Billy was in his close vicinity, he put his hands over Billy's cheeks, who froze mid steps, stumbling at the action making both of then fall over the couch. Before Billy could get anything out, Steve leans in not wasting any time, pressing his lips almost too delicately on Billy's who had stopped breathing, looking at him with wide eyes.
"Just shut up, okay? We can do this tomorrow" He remembers saying before his vision fades as sleep pulls him in.
Billy didn’t know how to react, he kept staring at the sleeping figure below him, snoring lightly, blissfully unconscious as Billy was left to deal with the aftermath. He was frozen for a whole two minutes, his hand holding him up so he wouldn't crush Steve under his weight, not even moving a muscle- just- just staring. He almost thinks he imagined it, that he was so gone into his fantasies, he hallucinated Steve kissing him like that… but the burning sensation still buzzed on his lips, the ghost of Steve’s touch on his cheeks still lingered. He didn’t even remember what he was so angry about, and all he wanted to do was sleep right here, besides Steve, listening to his steady breathing and steady heartbeats.
He fell asleep, adjusting them in a way that they’d both fit without suffocating the other on the couch. He almost thought about carrying Steve back to his room but that’d mean Billy couldn’t give any excuses to sleep beside him. And he really wanted to.
Luckily it was Saturday and nobody came to his house until noon, so when Steve woke up, seeing Billy beside him was a surprise. And not an unpleasant one. He didn’t think Billy would stay, let alone snuggle. But he got up soon, much to his dismay, Billy would definitely freak out if he saw him when he woke up, so he simply put the blanket on top of Billy and went to his room to freshen up.
Once Billy got up too, and helped Steve with breakfast, they acted normally, and in a way Steve was grateful, he was in no position to talk about what the hell was that. He acted on instinct and went ahead, maybe Billy didn’t like it, but he wasn’t swinging any punches nor was he angry, shockingly, he was very… calm. Which wasn’t the word Steve would ever use to describe him. Even Robin noticed when everybody crowded into his house, again, something like why is Billy being so creepy- that translates to why was he so chill.
So, Billy thought Steve must have forgotten he kissed him, and Steve wasn’t ready for the conversation because he wants to do it again- awake this time- and he doesn’t know how he feels about that. But they knew it wouldn’t be happening next time, obviously. Even if that thought made Billy feel miserable and saddened Steve.