#shv2026

Steve closed the lid. “Oh?” And you’re telling me this because… Steve wanted to add. Didn’t.

“Uh huh.” The guy looked around, trying to avoid Steve, as he dug smokes and a lighter from his pocket. He fumbled with the lighter before it came to life.

Steve watched as he finally successfully lit the cigarette with shaking hands and took the first drag of it. “I, uh…haven’t been to one in a while,” Steve said. “All of my friends are already married and the round for second marriages is still in the works.”

The guy barked a laugh. Then he raised his gaze at Steve. “So, um…wanna go?” he asked, a hopeful look in his eyes.

Steve’s brain hit blank for a while. “Uh…Don’t you have a friend or someone who—”

The guy cut in. “It’s a friend’s wedding. I can’t ask any of my friends.”

“So…you can’t ask any of your other friends because…they’re all there?”

The look on the guy’s face turned sour. “Look. I just need someone to go with me, okay? But I get if you don’t want to go.”

It took a moment for the words to sink in for Steve, and when they did, the guy was already heading towards the door.

“Hey! Wait!” Steve yelped and took a few quick steps to follow him. “I’m not saying no, I just don’t understand…why me?”

The guy stopped at the door and turned to Steve. His expression was no longer annoyed but…tired. “’Cos I got no one else.”

“Right.” Steve was quiet for a beat, still not quite getting it. “A guy like you must have a line around the block waiting.”

“Yeah, there is. All wrong kind.” He was quiet for a moment. “Not the kind I could take to a wedding as a…” He paused, then he wrinkled his nose in a pained expression. “…a boyfriend.”

Something warm took flight in Steve’s chest. I’m the kind though? “Boyfriend?”

“Yeah. I might’ve…” He shrugged and shook his head, taking another nervous drag of the smoke. “I told someone I have one to make the fucking endless questions about it end. Now they actually expect me to bring the guy with me.”

“You could always say you broke up?”

The guy looked back at Steve. “And look like a total failure? They already think that.” On his last pull, the cigarette turned to ash all the way to the end, and he flung it onto the alley. It landed in a puddle from last night’s rain.

Steve’s dad had constantly reminded Steve of his failures, there was no one who understood being a failure better than him. He crossed his arms and looked at the ground, at the cracks in the asphalt. “Sure, I’ll go with you.”

“Yeah?”

Steve nodded and looked back up at the guy. Beams of the setting sun, sneaking their way between the branches of the trees behind the building, were playing on his face that was all lit up. “Yeah. Do I need to wear a suit?”

The guy shook his head and shoved his hands into his pockets. “There’s no code. Whatever you’d wear to a wedding ‘s fine.”

Steve nodded with a small smile. “Alright then. Consider it a date.”

“It’s not a date.” The tone was flat and final.

Steve snorted .“Okay, a fake one then.”

“It’s on Saturday at four,” the guy said, rubbing the back of his neck. “We can take my car, the blue Camaro.”

“Um, yeah, I know.”

The guy raised an eyebrow, amused.

“I mean, it’s kinda hard to miss,” Steve stated the obvious.

A slow grin spread across the guy’s face. “That’s what it’s for,” he said with a grin. “Say, at three sharp then?”

A smile tugged at the corner of Steve’s lips. “Sure, that works.”

“Great! See ya then.”

The guy rushed away just as quickly as he’d appeared, leaving Steve standing by the door and wondering what the hell had just happened.

Then he realized that he still didn’t know the guy’s name. Well, shit. This was starting well.

***

On Saturday, Steve, wearing his best suit and the burgundy tie his mom had given him for Christmas, was waiting on the parking lot, next to the hot neighbor’s car. It was dark blue, from somewhere in the past century but in perfect condition. Steve didn’t know cars that well, but he knew this one was loud. Especially obnoxious whenever the guy came home at night, Steve was sure it woke up the entire building.

He’d been standing there now for ten minutes, still five minutes early for what they had agreed upon. But now the guy would come out any moment, and it was pointless for him to go back in just to come out a minute later.

What would he even do? Check the mail—again?

At that thought, the door opened, and the guy walked out.

Steve’s brain short-circuited and he forgot how to breathe. Sharp Dressed Men by ZZ Top started playing in his head.

The blonde’s hair was loose, a curl hanging over his right eye, the rest cascading over his shoulders, moving with the breeze as he strutted towards Steve. The black, shining shirt he wore was open way too much for a wedding, but his half-length burgundy, embroidered jacket was something for a party for sure. Tailored to fit him like a glove.

The slow reel of Steve’s brain snapped into reality as the guy reached the car and spoke, “Hey, pretty boy. Nice suit. You can now close the mouth.”

Steve hadn’t realized he’d stared at the guy like an idiot, and heat rushed up his neck. He cleared his throat. “Sorry,” he muttered as he sat in the passenger seat.

The car was hot from standing in the direct sunshine all day, and Steve had expected it to smell old, but it didn’t. You could tell the guy took good care of his car, there was no dust or stains anywhere, just little signs of use as one could expect.

“This is a beauty,” Steve said, genuinely impressed.

The guy grinned and patted the steering wheel. “Occupational hazard.” He turned the key and the car roared to life. “The name’s Billy, by the way. But you can call me Hargrove,” he introduced himself he reversed it from the parking spot.

Steve instinctively grabbed the handle on the door as the car leaped forward. “St-Steve. I’m Steve. Harrington.”

“Nice to meet you, Harrington,” Billy grinned. “Hey, could you give me the gum from the glove box?”

Steve reached into the compartment and saw a pack of Nicorette there. “Trying to quit?”

“Emphasis on trying.”

They sat in awkward silence until the got to the freeway.

“So, who’s getting married?” Steve asked.

“Friend from high school.”

“A good friend? I mean, I guess I should know something if I’m about to pretend that I’m your…” It was still incredible to have not dated the guy before and yet say the word, “…boyfriend.”

“’s just someone I used to know.”

Steve frowned. “Used to?”

Billy was quiet for a beat, his grip tightening on the wheel. “None of your concern, princess. Just look pretty, I’ll do the talking.” The words came out clipped and sharp.

Steve blinked, his stomach tightening. Suddenly he didn’t know if this was as great an idea as he’d thought it was. He had to remind him that this was a fake date, afterall, not a real one.

Billy glanced at him and grimaced. “I was just invited. Not out of the blue, but…”

Steve nodded, trying to stop the unease from growing inside him. “No, it’s cool. I don’t mind.”

The rest of the drive was quiet, a tense silence filling the car.

***

When they got out of the car at the Hilton Hotel by the beach, Steve took it all in. “I’ve never been here before.”

Billy hesitantly gave the keys to the valet as if he wasn’t willing to part with his car. “Yeah, well, not one of my normal places either.”

Steve was so preoccupied by the opulence of the hotel that when Billy was suddenly in front of him, he almost jumped a little. “Oh!”

“You tied your tie wrong,” Billy muttered as he tugged the tie open and started to tie it again.

Steve felt his cheeks heating as Billy worked on the tie with an experienced touch. “Did I?”

Billy rolled his eyes. “Didn’t expect you to be someone who doesn’t wear ties daily,” he drawled.

A small smile tugged at the corner of Steve’s mouth. “I didn’t expect you to know how to tie one.” The moment the words were out, Steve wished he could reel them back in.

Billy glared at him as he worked on the tie. “I’m full of surprises,” he deadpanned.

Ok, that so didn’t land well.

Steve still reveled in the fact that Billy was just a lean away, tugging at the lapels of Steve’s shirt. “You look good,” he murmured, trying to fix his blunder.

Billy scoffed. “Yeah, it’s a fucking wedding, I ought to.” He patted Steve’s chest with his hand a bit harder than necessary. “You’re done. Let’s go.”

As they walked through the hotel lobby, a view to the backyard that slowly opened before them.

The trimmed lawn of the backyard was divided in half to separate the altar and the party area from each other. With the Pacific Ocean as the backdrop of it all, the sun shining from a cloudless sky, and seagulls screeching in the distance, it was as if they’d stepped into the perfect wedding from a movie.

Someone must’ve had wealthy parents paying all this.

It reminded Steve of his past: the stiff, posturing parties he’d been dragged to by his parents. Ones where he knew no one and was bored out of his mind after the first fifteen minutes.

As they made their way to the seats, through the sea of men and women in their finest, Steve kept glancing at Billy, who seemed to have a permanent frown on his face, as if this whole thing was giving him constipation. He’d kept tugging the jacket sleeves ever since they left the car, pulling them to cover the tattoos that poured over his hands.

“You good?” Steve asked as they seated to the back row.

Billy glanced at him. “Never better,” he huffed.

“Not happy to be here?”

The glare Billy gave Steve was icy. “Would’ve I needed you if I wanted to be here?”

Steve raised his hands in a placative gesture. “Okay, point taken.”

***

After the couple was successfully married and the first toasts had been raised, Billy and Steve went to congratulate them.

“So, when are you going to tie the knot?” the groom asked when Billy shook his hand.

Billy smiled widely, glanced at Steve and wrapped his hand around Steve’s shoulder, pulling him close tight. “Depends on this guy, doesn’t it, babe?”

Steve’s brain went blank because of all the things Billy just casually threw at him in all five seconds.

The frown on Billy’s face was freshly ironed out, replaced by a toothy smile and winning charm. Confidently pulling Steve to his side like they’d truly been dating for a long time. Like this whole thing wasn’t as fake as it was meant to be.

Blush rose from Steve’s neck, making its way up to the tips of his ears, and he let out a nervous laugh. “Um…”

Billy leaned in, moving his arm around Steve’s waist. “Don’t sweat it, baby,” he whispered straight into Steve’s ear.

That in itself was one thing, but the soft peck on Steve’s cheek that followed was totally unexpected. He had to hold himself back from touching the spot with his fingers to make sure it actually happened.

Instead, he curled his arm around Billy’s shoulders to return the gesture.

For a moment Billy resisted, then probably remembered that this was the role he was supposed to play, and melted into Steve’s side.

The warmth that had bloomed in Steve’s chest ever since Billy fixed his tie was now let loose, making him all giddy. He knew he shouldn’t read too much into any of this—nothing if he was smart—but it had always been too easy for him to fall. It didn’t seem to be any different this time.

When the couple was whisked away to be congratulated yet again, Billy pointed at the bar with his finger. “That way.”

“So, are we leaving your car here?” Steve asked as they made their way towards it.

Billy looked at him with a lopsided grin. “What? Can’t handle a glass of champagne?”

“Well, if it’s any more than that, it might be a problem,” Steve shrugged. “Not a fan of driving while intoxicated.”

Billy patted Steve on the back. “You know, I like a man who has standards. I’m one myself too. But with an open bar? I’m gonna have a few beers at least.”

“Right.”

Billy shook his head and chuckled. “You’ll pay the cab.”

Steve couldn’t help smiling. “Deal.”

A few beers and too much awkward small talk about the building they lived in later, a freckled faced man put his hand on Billy’s shoulder. “Hey Hargrove! I didn’t expect to see you here!”

Billy looked at Steve and rolled his eyes, signing here we go again. Then he smiled—wide but not genuine—and turned to the man. “Well, I was invited, Hagan. So, here I am.”

“Oh, I didn’t know you and Carver were such good friends.”

“We were, can you imagine?” Billy replied sarcastically.

The guy smirked. “So, did you hear? I just got promoted to head of marketing. Sweet job, even sweeter pay. What about you?”

Billy’s jaw clenched ever so slightly, only enough for Steve to notice. “Working at Wilkinson’s,” he replied.

“At the garage?” The man laughed, then smirked evilly. “So, still cars, huh? Never got out of that phase?” A poke, lowly one at that.

Billy looked down at his glass, working his jaw and tapping the table with his fingers.

Steve hated to see Billy uncomfortable like that—and the freckled guy was a dick. He couldn’t hold himself back. “Hey, it’s a respectable job! Pays the bills.”

From the corner of his eye, Steve saw Billy looking at him, his eyes wide, lips parted—utterly surprised.

Freckles looked at Steve properly for the first time and narrowed his eyes. “And you are…?”

Billy cleared his throat. “Uh…this is Harrington. Steve.” He wrapped his arm around Steve’s waist, but not as confidently as he’d done earlier. “My…boyfriend.”

Steve turned on his widest smile and returned the gesture calmly, even though everything in him was burning in a good way when Billy allowed him to hold his waist without a flinch. “Yeah, boyfriend.” He glanced at Billy, putting on his smuggest grin. “Who knows how soon that’ll turn into husband,” he continued and gave a kiss on Billy’s cheek.

God, had he wanted to do that for a long time.

Freckles cleared his throat, the smugness faltering for the sudden change in balance, for being shot down from the pedestal he’d put himself on. He sniffed. “Well, good to have someone standing in your corner.”

“Yeah, isn’t it?” Steve stated. He glanced at Billy and lifted his empty glass, nodding towards the bar. “C’mon, babe, I need a refill.”

Billy hesitated for a beat, then followed Steve’s lead. “Yeah, I think I need one, too.”

***

They walked outside with their refilled glasses and stopped by one of the huge rose arrangements that lined the whole wedding party area.

Billy shoved his beer to Steve to hold, digging out his cigarettes and a lighter from his pocket, and lit one, inhaling deeply, hollowing his cheeks.

The cigarette smoke dampened down the heady smell of roses that surrounded them, grounding Steve. He studied Billy as he let the smoke out from the corner of his mouth in a heavy sigh and took another drag.

Billy noticed Steve looking, and a smug smile spread across his face. “Like what you see?”

Steve glanced down at his feet, the heat creeping up his neck again for getting caught. “Maybe,” he confessed.

Billy huffed a laugh. It wasn’t smug, but a more genuine one, and there was a faint blush on his cheeks.

Maybe Steve was finally getting through. “So, how am I doing so far?” he finally asked. “As a fake boyfriend?”

Billy chuckled softly. “You’re doing just fine.”

“Just fine? Not great? Or excellent?” Steve pushed with a small smile.

“We barely got a few drinks in.” Billy grinned and licked his lower lip. “Don’t know if you check all the boxes yet.”

Steve looked at him, acting stunned. “Didn’t know there was a list,” he replied, mock-annoyed. “Would’ve wanted a look at it before signing up for the gig.”

The genuine smile on Billy’s lip that trapped his tongue between his teeth made Steve speechless. He’d never seen Billy smile so widely.

Billy took another drag of his cigarette. “Thanks,” he said after a while.

“For…?”

Billy made a vague gesture with his hand towards the tent. “For…that.”

A faint smile curled Steve’s lips. “No problem.” He took a sip of his beer. “How did you end up hanging out with these people anyway?”

Billy shrugged. “I was a Californian import in Hicktown, Indiana. Everyone wanted to be pals.”

“So, no deep emotional links?”

Billy shook his head. “Honestly, I miss nothing from that time. I’m just glad that I’m here now.”

It sounded like Billy didn’t mean the wedding, but probably something Steve had no business prodding about. “So, why are we here? I mean, if these people mean nothing to you, then…” He shrugged. “Why bother?”

The smoke billowed from Billy’s nostrils. “Thought we were best friends with the groom,” he started. “Then he found the lady we’re here for, and well, other people than me became more important to him. I was invited ’s all. Thought to come for the old time’s sake.”

“And how’s that working for you?” Steve deadpanned.

Billy huffed a laugh. “Poorly.”

They were quiet for a while. Steve tried to come up with something to ask, but nothing was coming up. Well, nothing smart at least.

Billy beat him to it. “So…what do you do for a living?”

Steve sighed. The only subject he would’ve wanted to avoid. “I’m kinda in between jobs right now.”

“Oh. Well, what would you wanna do?”

Steve had to think about it because it had been so long when someone had asked him that. Everyone was always asking what’s next. “I’d really like to own a small business. I’ve been doing some odd jobs and turned out that I’m pretty good at organizing stuff. Don’t give me any invoices to take care of, but everything else—” He spread his hands. “I’m your man. What about you?”

“I, uh…would like to own a garage. Nothing big or fancy, just restoring old cars.”

“Really? I hope you get that someday.”

Billy rubbed his chin with his thumb before taking another pull of the smoke. “Nah, dunno, it’s stupid. Not like they’ll give a loan for someone like me.”

“Hey, it’s not stupid to dream. It’s good to have something to aim at.”

Billy rolled his eyes. “Don’t get all sappy on me, Harrington. Work ’s just a means to get by.” The blush on his cheeks suddenly deepened, and he looked away, back at the tent, towards the music and laughter.

Steve studied Billy’s profile, his nose, the depth of his cupid’s bow, thinking how it would be to kiss him—and realized he had taken the plunge. He’d fallen for Billy.

***

In the tent a song came on, Steve didn’t remember whose it was, but he’d always liked it. A few couples drifted towards the dance floor, and Steve bit his lip.

“Wanna dance?”

“Yeah, uh, no,” Billy deadpanned.

A smile tugged at Steve’s lips. “Couples dance at least one song in things like these, you know.”

Billy looked at him, unconvinced, clicking his tongue.

“And,” Steve continued, leaning closer, “if you want us to look real…”

“I don’t dance, okay?” Billy tried weakly.

Steve didn’t let him off the hook. “That makes two of us, then.”

Billy rolled his eyes, but his cheeks were blushing again. He pursed his lips together, fidgeting with his smoke. After a beat, he stubbed the smoke in the dirt on the rose planter and huffed, “Fuck it,” and grabbed Steve’s hand.

Steve couldn’t help grinning as Billy pulled him towards the floor. He’d thought he would’ve had to drag Billy.

This was way better.

“I could spend my life in this sweet surrender”

They both looked down nervously as they finally made it to the floor. Billy wrapped his arms around Steve’s waist and Steve on Billy’s shoulders.

Steve’s palms were sweating, just like at the prom. Tiffany had been lovely, and he’d gotten on second base afterwards. And the dance—god, it had been just as awkward as this.

But she’d been nothing compared to Billy. He looked gorgeous in the soft light of the tent, lit by the LED strings hanging from the ceiling.

Gold spun hair, freckles peppered all over his nose, lashes dark and long like Steve had never seen on anyone.

“I could stay lost in this moment forever”

Steve decided it was now or never. He moved his left hand to Billy’s waist, making Billy look at him surprised.

“Just go with it,” Steve whispered as he took Billy’s left hand from his waist and twined their fingers together. He pulled Billy flush against him. “I got you.”

Billy blinked quickly a few times, unsure, but let Steve lead.

“You’re stiff like a plank,” Steve grinned. “Put some of that suave into it you’ve sprinkled around all night.”

Billy laughed, a small, bright, and airy thing that escaped him, his nose wrinkling adorably—and Steve was on top of the world.

“Where every moment spent with you

Is a moment I treasure”

Billy relaxed in Steve’s embrace, keeping his eyes on Steve’s. “You’re not at all bad as a fake boyfriend,” he finally drawled.

“Oh, a high praise! So…I tick all the boxes on the list?”

Billy grinned—and yet again his cheeks dusted with pink. “Not all the boxes can be ticked off the list here, y’know,” he whispered.

Steve read the implication between the lines. He licked his lips and leaned closer. “Would you like to see if I can tick them all?”

“There’s one we can check right now,” Billy replied huskily. He carded his fingers into the curls at the back of Steve’s head and pulled him into a kiss.

There, in the middle of the dance floor of a wedding he wasn’t even invited to, Steve’s world halted. His lips locked together with Billy the only thing existing. Inhaling Billy’s scent, tasting him, keeping them in the kiss.

And when Billy parted his lips and let Steve dip his tongue in, Steve knew there was no going back for him now.

“And I just wanna stay with you

In this moment forever

Forever and ever”

When Billy finally pulled back, he grinned wide. Then the look turned skeptical and unimpressed—but his eyes were sparkling. “Guess that’ll do.”

Steve snorted. “I can give another as a freebie.”

“Wanna get out of here?” Billy asked with a laugh. “Just that I can, y‘know, get more samples.”

Steve smiled victoriously. “I’ll pay for the cab.”

***

Billy opened the door to his apartment and pulled Steve in behind him.

Steve closed to door and leaned against it, taking it all in. The apartment was a mirror image of his own: the living room to the left where his was on the right, the kitchen on the right where his was on the left, but the bedroom was in the end of the corridor just like in his.

He watched Billy setting his keys and jewelry on the table in the hallway. It was still unbelievable that it was happening. He smiled. “You’re pretty.”

Billy looked at him, exasperated, as he took off his boots. “You only got that one line?”

“Oh, I got plenty,” Steve grinned. “You’re hot. Sexy as hell.”

Billy walked over, taking Steve in. Running his gaze from Steve’s tiepin up to his face. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

“I never imagined being here,” Steve whispered, pulling Billy close.

Billy set his arms around Steve’s neck. “Yeah?”

“Thought I had no chance with you,” he admitted, making Billy laugh.

“I thought I had a zero chance with you!”

“We were idiots, weren’t we?”

“Massive,” Billy murmured, and kissed Steve again, crashing their lips together.

“It was the first time you spoke to me,” Steve rushed the words out when he broke the kiss to breathe. “By the dumpster,” he continued before he dived back in.

“Yeah?” Billy murmured against his lips.

“Uh huh.”

Billy ran his fingers through the hair in Steve’s neck. “Maybe I,” he breathed, “kept an eye on you.” He let out a small whimper as Steve moved to place kisses on his neck. “Knew when you took out your trash.”

Steve chortled against Billy’s skin and looked up at him, incredulous. “You spied on me?”

Billy looked like the cat that got the cream. “You’re a creature of habit. Every third day before your evening jog.”

“You,” Steve said, pecking Billy’s lips, “could’ve just talked to me in the hallway.”

Billy snorted. “You’re telling me the end result isn’t pleasing you?”