If you think about it, Billy’s whole deal with Steve in s2 is so funny because most of the time he is just showering him with praise and attention, and I don’t know how any of that could be passed down as a simple rivalry, like 😭😭
His first interaction with him is a 10-second stare down while he was drunk as FUCK, and then the next day at practice he STILL remembers his name despite having been wasted the night before, and says things like: “king Steve, king Steve, everyone!!” To people who basically had known Steve literally their entire fucking lives lmaoooo, continuing with shit such as “I like it. You are playing tough today.”, all of this while acting like a fucking peacock and turning to him the SECOND he does his trick with the leg like “you saw that babe?? “
And then, of course, he roughs him up a bit on the court, only to give Steve solid advice that will actually save his life against the demo dogs in the long run.
“He was just trying to prove to Steve that he was better than him.” So, give Steve advice that might actually make him capable of beating Billy at the game is useful to him in what way, exactly? Except finally give him a challenge with Someone that he considers to be at his level?
AND THEN, of course, there is the shower scene. AND OF COURSE, he picks the shower closer to Steve, and at this point you’d expect some typical bullying tactics, like Billy taunting him about the shitty game he played and ‘really, how could you ever be captain with a stance like that, Harrington?’
But no. Billy literally tells him: “don’t sweat it, Harrington. Today is just not your day, man.” LIKE WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH HIM. trying to cheer him up??? Really?? While u are butt naked in the showers? Okay. You are kinda failing at this rivalry thing, buddy…
You know who is not, though? Tommy! who swoops in and HE is the one trying to piss Steve off with the comment about Nancy and Billy - who usually cannot shut his mouth - just listens and even appears annoyed at the fact that Tommy (who is not Steve’s equal, not really, not like he is) had dared to tease him about his ex girlfriend. LIKE, wouldn’t someone who is simply trying to assert his dominance on the former king take the opportunity to tease him the fuck off everything?? ESPECIALLY a fresh break up??
Instead, oh my god, what does billy do?? “Don’t take it too hard man, a pretty boy like you has nothing to worry about.”
Trying to cheer him up in his weird fucking way. And he is the only character EVER in the show to tell Steve he is beautiful and could basically have everyone he wanted.
“Oh, he called him pretty to emasculate him” you know, if he Hadn’t acted like he did in the previous scenes I would have been inclined to believe you. But also the bedroom eyes and the leaning towards Steve when he calls him pretty and the act shutting his faucet off in order to MAKE HIM LOOK AT HIM AFTER IMMEDIATELY SAYING that ‘there are many bitches in the sea’ doesn’t help your case that much.
And DON’T get me started on the ‘am I dreaming or is that you, Harrington?’ Or the ‘so you got some fire in you after all!’ Because there is not ONE time where billy doesn’t say something flirty to that poor man’s face.
And, honestly, I think Steve clocked him with that ‘don’t cream your pants’ line. Yeah. He was that obvious.
But, of course, the sloppy make outs happened off screen.