#hwb2025

Steve has been told he’s an idiot more times than he can count at this point, but he’s really gone and earned the title this time. Shit, Billy is going to kill him. Steve’s dead, deader than dead, there isn’t a word in the English language for how dead he’s going to be.

“Oh my god, you call him baby?” Max groans in disgust, her cheeks glowing as red as her hair, “You guys are so fucking gross.”

Steve can barely hear her over the sound of the blood rushing through his ears. It was an accident; Jesus Christ he forgot the kids were even here. In his defence, Steve was barely awake, the kids put freaking Star Wars on for the hundredth time this month and he’s yet to make it through one of those movies awake. And the little shits were so quiet for once, all draped out of sight on the floor and Steve was comfy and sleepy and just… shit it was an accident, Billy can’t kill him over an accident!

Swallowing nervously Steve hazards a glance in Billy’s direction hating what he finds there, Billy looks more terrified now than he ever looked facing down the Mindflayer. Steve feels a little sick at the look on his boyfriend’s face and a lot sick that he’s the one that put it there. A year, a whole damn year of being so careful and he’s blown it with one stupid accidental kiss.

Nobody knows about them besides Robin – who is also wide eyed on Billy’s left and gripping his arm so tight that Steve can see the white marks blooming around her fingertips – and that’s only because she was the one who finally got tired of their “gay yearning bullshit” and told them to make a move before she dies of old age. It’s not that Steve doesn’t trust the kids, he knows they can keep a secret but they both thought it wise to keep a lid on it until they finally got out of Hawkins at least. But now. Well the lids blown right off.

It's coming on to just over two minutes of silence (Steve’s secretly impressed the shitheads lasted this long) when he realises he’s not said anything, Billy hasn’t said anything, nobody has said anything.

His hand has all but seized up around the glass he’s still holding and the silence is stifling, Steve isn’t quite sure how to play this off. Could he get away with hauling Billy off the sofa, into his car and fleeing the country? Maybe…he and Billy are faster than the kids after all. Or perhaps he could convince all six of them they had some kind of shared hallucination, tell them he’s heard whispers there is some psycho going around Melvald’s putting psychedelics into the soda. It wouldn’t be terribly out of left field but… shit no. Joyce works there doesn’t she, Will would know if that was true.

Steve is forcibly drawn out of his increasingly wild thoughts by an odd, spluttering sound from down on the carpet. Are one of the kids choking? Shit, he’s killed one of his kids, kids who faced down monsters from another dimension, killed by the image of Steve kissing his boyfriend. How is he going to explain this to Hopper or fuck, in court?!

Suddenly the sound filters its way into his brain and Steve realises someone isn’t choking, El is giggling.

The sound has Steve finally lifting his gaze from where it’s been burning a hole into his mom’s pristine carpet. El has set off a chain reaction it seems, now all six of the little shits are laughing, Dustin is crying as he cackles like a loon.

“The fuck is so fuckin’ funny?” Billy grunts.

Dustin has to catch his breath, wheezing through another howling laugh, “You guys are sooo bad at this, oh my god!”

Lucas snorts so loudly that Steve’s neighbours probably heard which dissolves the group into another bout of hysterical laughter. Steve turns to Billy and Robin for help and while Billy’s glare has only turned more murderous, Robin is laughing right along with them, only laughs louder when she catches Steve’s frown.

“They know Steve.” Robin chuckles.

“W- wait, what. You guys... you guys know about me and Billy. How?”

“Don’t you mean your baby?” Max chokes out setting off another ripple of hysterical giggles, “We’ve known for like forever, the heart eyes when you’re around each other are less than subtle.”

Steve feels himself flushing with embarrassment and when Billy leans in to get a closer look at the kids his cheeks are also painted a pretty pink.

While Billy still looks cautious, he’s smirking now as he reaches to clasp Steve’s hand in his own. Steve slumps against him dazed and still confused but he can’t help but smile back at Billy in relief. People found out and it’s fine, the world is still turning, and the kids are just making fun of them as usual.

Will, always the peacemaker grins at them both in turn, “We were waiting for you to tell us, we’re all fine with it obviously, but we didn’t want to make you guys uncomfortable. You hadn’t told us for a reason I guess.”

“I mean you could have just said something instead of starting to basically make out in front of us.” Mike shudders pointing an accusatory finger in Steve’s direction.

Scowling down at the kid in faux outrage Steve whines, “It was an ACCIDENT!”

He feels a tug at his side and all of a sudden Steve is hauled onto Billy’s lap. Billy is grinning wolfishly now; all teeth and tongue, Steve is so beyond relieved to see the familiar expression replace the mask of terror it was before.

“You haven’t seen making out yet Wheeler, try and stop me now I know I don’t gotta hold back.” Billy teases. “C’mere Bambi.”

Steve ducks down to meet Billy’s lips and to the sound of the party screaming in horror as the background, Steve kisses his boyfriend.

Steve knew it was most likely going to be a one-time thing. He'd never seen this guy before, so he probably didn't live around here. Every once in a while his mind would drift to the sight of that ass in those jeans, but otherwise he mostly forgot about him. Until he came back in.

Robin was working with him this time. She was at the register while Steve was stocking shelves, in the soap aisle. He heard voices from the front of the store and peeked down the aisle to make sure Robin didn't need him to come man the second register.

It was the guy again. He was talking to Robin. Steve couldn't hear what he was saying, but Robin gestured vaguely toward the area of the store Steve was working in. The guy caught sight of him and headed toward Steve's aisle. But as he walked down the aisle, he just looked at the shelves and ignored Steve.

"Um. Can I help you find something?" Steve asked when it seemed the man was going to keep browsing aimlessly.

He looked over at Steve with an overblown surprised expression, like he hadn't seen Steve there. "Oh, hi there, Steve. I didn't see you."

Steve suppressed the overwhelming urge to roll his eyes. "Looking for something in particular?" he asked.

"What's your favorite soap?" the man asked. "Which one smells best to you?"

Weird fucking question. "Uh." Steve scanned the shelves, then pointed to a section. "Those are good."

The man grinned, and grabbed a bar of the soap. "Thanks." He walked up to the register, swaying his hips in a very obviously contrived way.

Once he was gone, Robin immediately waylaid Steve in the soap aisle. "What the hell was that?" she hissed. "Do you know that guy?"

Steve shook his head. "No. I mean, he came in a few days ago, but that was the first time I ever saw him."

"I think he's got the hots for you."

Steve blushed. "I doubt it." The guy exuded bad boy vibes. Steve may be into that type, but they didn't usually see his appeal.

Robin crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the shelf. "He took one look at me at the register, frowned, and asked if there was anyone else working today. He was looking for you."

Steve shrugged. "Seems unlikely."

Robin rolled her eyes. "What'd he say to you?"

"He just asked what my favorite soap was, which one smelled best to me."

She poked a finger into his chest. "So he could use it, and smell good to you!" she crowed triumphantly. "He's into you, dingus."

"Doesn't really matter," Steve insisted. "I don't even know his name. I'll probably never see him again."

But Steve did see him again. He came in every evening for the next few days - for hairspray, gum, and shampoo. Each time, he asked Steve what his favorite was. Robin was having a field day with the whole situation. Steve was starting to think she might be right about the man being into him, as weird as that seemed.

Friday was Steve's day off. He wondered if the guy was gonna go to the store, and if he did, what he'd think when Steve wasn't there. Robin was off, too, and Steve could only imagine how confused Dave would be by the guy.

He went in for his shift on Saturday wondering if the guy would still come, or if he would be put off by Steve's absence the day before. Every time the doors swooshed open Steve felt a little rush of anticipation, only to have it crushed when someone who wasn't the guy walked through the door.

Finally, toward the end of his shift, Steve caught sight of the blond man walking through the doors. He grinned when he saw Steve at the register, going straight over to him.

"Missed you yesterday, Steve. That other guy wasn't nearly as… helpful." He said the last word like he wanted to put a different adjective there.

"What can I help you find today?" Steve asked.

The man looked thoughtful for a moment, like he was deliberating something. "Condoms," he finally said.

Steve felt a little thrill run through his belly. "We keep them behind the counter here," Steve explained, turning away. "Do you have a brand preference?"

"Whatever's on the lowest shelf." That meant Steve had to bend all the way over, giving the guy a real eyeful of his ass.

Steve turned when he was done, placing the condoms on the counter. The man looked at them then glanced up with a wicked grin on his face. "You have those in extra large?"

Steve couldn't resist the urge to roll his eyes this time. "Really?" he asked.

"Really," the guy insisted. "Sometimes even the extra large doesn't fit."

Steve snorted a laugh, and screwed up his courage. "Look, man. Do you want my number?"

The man grinned even wider. "Absolutely."

Steve scrawled his number on the back of an old receipt. The man grabbed for it but Steve held it back. "Wait. What's your name?"

"Billy," he replied.

Steve relinquished the receipt. Billy turned to leave. "Aren't you gonna buy the condoms?" Steve asked, perplexed.