The Whistleblower 1/? | Stranger Things 4.5

THE WHISTLEBLOWER
Part 1

STRANGER THINGS 4.5   //   1986

PLEASE DO NOT PUSH YOUR LIFEGUARD INTO THE POOL WITHOUT WARNING

POOL NOTICE

SUMMER IS SHORT. MAKE IT COUNT!

The pool is open, the sun is out, and for once Hawkins feels almost normal. Almost.

The pool party is everything Steve and Billy could have hoped for — sun, drinks, laughter, and a little too much chemistry. But with Robin watching from the sidelines and refusing to let Steve drown in his own overthinking about his relationship with Billy, their conversation might just bring a few things to the surface.

BILLY HARGROVE

REPLY 01   //   POOL DECK

The Indiana summer was never going to compare to the sweltering heat of San Diego, but that didn't mean Billy was about to let a heat wave — or what passed for one in Hawkins, Indiana — go to waste. And boy, had he been riding Steve's ass about the pool lately. Every time the weatherman promised a few warm days ahead, the only thing Billy would talk about was the damn pool.

And a potential party.

After all, what better way to celebrate the cancellation of Billy's monthly appointment with Dr. Kay than by throwing a damn good party?

So he'd unleashed the full force of his pretty puppy eyes on Steve and whined, "Come ooon, pretty boy... Nothin' sounds better right now! Sunbathing, music, the smell of sunscreen, fresh BBQ, water polo... It's gonna be fun!"

Steve had kept his arms crossed, doing his absolute best to maintain a stern expression while Billy relentlessly fluttered his eyelashes at him. But the moment Billy spotted that tiny twitch at the corner of Steve's lips, he knew he'd won.

In the end, though, Billy had to be the one to clean the pool. Maybe it was punishment, because it had taken three days to get it done, but it was damn worth it.

Billy wasn't entirely sure why Steve didn't seem particularly enthusiastic about finally getting the pool up and running, but... well, maybe that was a conversation for later.

"There you are," he cheered when the guy finally emerged to join him in the backyard.

No one else had shown up yet, but Billy was already dressed for the occasion in red swimming trunks, sunglasses, and a white tank top. The sun was hot enough that he could have gone shirtless already, but Billy wasn't quite ready to show off his scars just yet.

As soon as Steve stepped closer, Billy promptly turned up the music, even if ABBA wasn't really his thing. He still danced along to the rhythm, his curls swaying in the breeze with every beat of the song. 

"Have you put sunscreen on yet? You're as pale as my ass. Gotta protect yourself, even if you're still too chicken to get out of your shirt," he announced with a wink, tossing Steve a bottle.

Of course, it wasn't going to be a particularly big party or anything. Hop and El shouldn't show themselves out in the open like that, and Billy had a feeling that Jonathan and the Wheelers were still avoiding him. But at least Robin had announced her participation, along with Will and Lucas. Maybe even Dustin was coming. They had crates of beer, despite technically being underage, though Billy had made sure to stock up on plenty of soda, too. The BBQ was all set and ready to go for later — but there were no snacks in sight. Not yet.

Because there was not going to be any swimming for thirty minutes after eating anything, and the lifeguard on duty would make sure of that. No matter the cost. 

STEVE HARRINGTON

REPLY 02   //   POOL DECK

There was one thing Billy had probably already picked up on and learned: Steve would do anything for him… and if he went to great lengths to convince him, then maybe even more so. The pool hadn’t been used in a long time. His parents were no longer there… and Steve had a very ambivalent relationship with that place. Barb had died there, and on that particular evening, many other life-changing things had happened. The pool was a memorial, something Steve didn’t associate with joy or parties anymore. 

This time, it had actually taken a little longer to convince him, but eventually he’d given in.. for Billy… but also, in a way, for himself. Maybe it wasn’t a bad idea to come to terms with one thing or another, to exorcise those demons. It had become unbearably hot, and the heat had now lingered for days on end. Steve had let Billy fix up the pool on his own… that had been his only condition for giving in. Even though a few fragments of memories kept popping into his mind, he’d actually enjoyed watching Billy, who was now back in pretty good shape, clean everything up and get the pool back in working order. 

Then the time had come, and there was no turning back. It was supposed to be a day that would bring back a little peace and joy, a day when neither Kay nor Vecna would have a say. The fact that Billy didn’t have to spend this moment with Kay was actually a very good reason to celebrate, because it gave them a full four weeks of peace, and Steve didn’t want to question why the militant woman had allowed it… because if one thing was clear, it was that nothing happened without a reason. Kay certainly wouldn’t just go on vacation and drink cocktails on the beach… she would surely use the time for something important.. something that would harm Hawkins.

Steve had secretly stocked up on drinks and snacks, only now did he take everything out of his hiding spot and place it in the kitchen alongside the items Billy had already gathered. He attached a note to the alcoholic beverages with a legal text he’d copied down, and he’d even crafted a sort of stop sign to make it clear to the kids that they should keep their hands off those bottles. He’d even tampered with a few of Billy’s bottles to tease him, he’d removed the alcohol and filled them with a similar-looking soda. Ha! 

It had taken him about 30 minutes to find a pair of swim shorts he liked, not one of those tight ones… the new trend was slightly looser swim trunks where you had to be careful to keep pulling them down when they got wet, and you weren’t supposed to sit with your legs spread wide, but they were super comfortable and looked cool, too. Over them, he wore a Back to the Future T-shirt. . He wasn’t ready to walk around shirtless just yet. 

“Yeah… I put on sunscreen, silly. I don’t feel like getting sunburned,” he muttered quietly to himself as he joined Billy outside. “The pool looks good… the water’s great.. good job, handsome!”

he finally said, even smiling a little. “But I’ve got something else for you.” Grinning widely, he walked over to a shed. There was a clatter, and then Steve dragged one of those lifeguard chairs behind him and placed it by the pool. He’d just stolen it and dragged it all the way to his house by hand. Finally, he put a whistle around Billy’s neck and handed him a slightly worn red lifebuoy. “If we’re going to do this, let’s do it right,” he said with a wink, already grinning very, very broadly and cheekily. “When are the others coming? I hope Dustin comes too and that he’s feeling a little… better. I don’t know what’s going on, but I kind of have a feeling he’s hiding something… but… we’ll see.”

BILLY HARGROVE

REPLY 03   //   POOL DECK

Billy heard that, despite Steve's attempt to mutter it under his breath.

"Yeees, but could you actually reach your whole back?" he asked, a little grin tugging at the corner of his mouth, "I can help you with that. If you want, I mean."

He emphasized his offer with a wink. Then, his grin widened into something downright wicked when Steve not only complimented his work, but also called him handsome in the same breath.

He tried (and failed) not to let it get to his head. Not that he could help it. Any compliment from Steve, no matter how casual or offhand, had a way of lifting his mood almost instantly. It was ridiculous, really. And he fucking loved it. 

But when Steve suddenly changed the subject, announcing that he had something else for him, Billy's grin disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by an expression of complete confusion. And maybe a little suspicion. 

What the hell was he talking about?

Billy pushed his sunglasses up onto his head and squinted at him from across the yard, lips pursed as he tried to figure out what Steve was up to. And then, Steve emerged from the shed, dragging a huge-ass chair behind him. Billy stared at it... It was not just any chair. He recognized its structure immediately. Long, ladder-like legs, short backrest, a slot for a sunshade at the top... 

His eyebrows shot up.

A god damn lifeguard chair. 

Billy just gawped at it before his entire face lit up, bright as the summer sun overhead. A huge grin spread from ear to ear.

"You've gotta be fuckin' kidding me, Steve— Where the hell did you even get that thing?!" he laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. Before he could get an answer, Steve was suddenly standing right in front of him, slipping a whistle over his head. 

Billy blinked... looked down at it... then at Steve. And he was pretty sure he was about to combust. Whatever that tiny gesture had just set off inside his chest hit him harder than he was prepared for. He grabbed hold of the lifebuoy, partly because he needed something to do with his hands and partly because it gave him something solid to hold onto while he tried to keep his face from splitting apart.

And that smile on Steve's face? Oh, god... Billy's gaze stayed fixed on it for a second or two. This might've been the first time Steve actually looked genuinely happy about the whole thing. And even though the whistle and lifebuoy felt heavier than he remembered, Billy forgot about that pretty quickly when Steve winked at him.

"You're impossible, d'you know that?" he uttered. Jesus, it was getting harder and harder to climb back down from whatever high fucking horse Steve kept putting him on. But Billy didn't really want to.

It felt too good. 

And he could only hope that the softness in his smile was enough to show him just how much this stupid shit actually meant.

"Exactly," he finally said, clearing his throat as he glanced down at the lifebuoy. "Let's do it right..."

Billy promptly put the whistle between his lips and—

TWEET!

"Yup. Works," he announced, absolutely pleased with himself.

"Robin should be here any minute, not sure about Byers and Sinclair. I think they're comin' together. And Dustin? I dunno, he didn't really gimme an answer. I guess we'll see... Don't worry about it, man."

Billy caught the concern lingering on Steve's face. Then, gently, he reached out and gave his shoulder a squeeze in an attempt to get him to loosen up. "Who knows what's going on in his head. Doesn't mean he's hiding anything. Now..."

He looked down for a second, sporting the most charming grin he was capable of making when he looked back up at him. Leaning in just slightly, Billy lowered his voice and said: "Should we be the first ones to test the water?"

AI GENERATED BY ME

STEVE HARRINGTON

REPLY 04   //   POOL DECK

Steve had expected a lot of things as he dragged that damn chair all the way across Hawkins. He’d definitely expected Billy to laugh at him.. maybe even some comment about how Steve Harrington had apparently lost his mind for good, but he hadn’t expected this reaction. For a brief moment, he just stood there and watched as Billy first stared at the chair, then at the whistle, and finally held that completely ridiculous life preserver in his hands, as if Steve had just given him something far more valuable than a few scavenged scraps from some outdoor pool. That wide grin alone was worth the pain in his arms he was almost certain to have tomorrow.

“I have my sources,” he replied, completely serious, when asked where the chair had come from, lifting his chin slightly. “And before you ask: No, you don’t want to know how far I carried that thing. I think my right arm’s been longer than my left for about an hour now.”

The loud whistle right in front of him made Steve flinch and grimace for a moment. “Daaaayuuum,.” His hand briefly went to his ear as he shot Billy a look that was somewhere between annoyed and amused. “Okay. It works.... great. That settles that scientific question... maybe next we’ll test whether we can use it to call regular people instead of every dog within a five-mile radius.”

Still, the grin lingered on his face. Mainly because Billy actually looked like he was happy about it right now. Not that fake, wide Hargrove grin he usually paraded around with as soon as people were watching, but something else that Steve now knew well enough to at least notice the difference. He didn’t say anything about it. Billy would probably have thrown a life preserver around his neck if he’d gotten sentimental right then, and Steve had no intention of being murdered by the newly appointed lifeguard at his first pool party in years. When Billy patted him on the shoulder, Steve’s gaze still drifted briefly toward the house. Dustin would show up eventually... probably. And Billy was right, maybe Steve was just reading too much into every little change these days, because the last few years had conditioned him to immediately suspect the next supernatural disaster behind every strange behavior. After all, in Hawkins, that wasn’t exactly an irrational habit.

“Ya, yaaaa... I’m not worried,” he insisted anyway, looking at Billy with exactly the expression that made it pretty clear that was a lie. “I’m just observing... totally relaxed... absolutely normal Steve Harrington observation. No reason to make a big deal out of it.” Then came that look, Steve knew that look. His eyes narrowed slightly as Billy leaned closer to him and suddenly adopted that tone of voice that usually meant a very bad idea was waiting for Steve somewhere in the immediate future. His gaze drifted briefly to the pool and then back to Billy. “Oh, I don’t know.” He crossed his arms over his chest and pretended for about two seconds that he had to think about it seriously. “I’ve heard the lifeguard here is pretty strict. Maybe I should sign some form first. Medical history, emergency contact, confirmation that I haven’t eaten anything in the last thirty minutes…”

The corner of his mouth twitched. “Besides, you’re officially on duty, Hargrove.” Steve waited just long enough for Billy to probably think some silly comment was coming, instead, he suddenly grabbed the lifebuoy, pulled Billy a step closer with it, and at the same moment placed his other hand on Billy’s chest. “So you’d better watch out.” Then he shoved him backward into the pool with a powerful shove. Steve immediately took two steps back, raised both hands innocently, and was already grinning so widely that any attempt to play dumb was completely pointless.

“The water looks great.”

BILLY HARGROVE

REPLY 05   //   POOL DECK

When Steve complained about the pain in his arm from carrying the chair, Billy's eyes traced the line of his elbow, but his hand caressed the painful spot only in his imagination.Just another one of those countless instincts he had to force himself to ignore every single day he spent with him. The kind that came naturally, effortlessly, and could never quite be taken back once they surfaced.

Billy would take any opportunity to touch him casually, to stand a little closer than necessary, to let their shoulders brush or their hands linger for a second too long. But he never crossed any lines. 

Not that they'd actually established any. Out loud. With words. Maybe that was a good thing.

Just meant that the closeness, the occasional touches, the quiet little moments they shared when neither of them thought too hard about it weren't too much for Steve yet. It had been weeks since they'd made their deal, and god, it had been fucking hard for Billy to pull himself together. Every day felt like an exercise in restraint. Every instinct had to be examined, measured, and shoved back down before it could become something Steve wasn't ready for.

But every scrap of Steve's attention made up for it in no time. Even surprises like this. Especially surprises like this.

No one had ever gone to such lengths for him while looking this fucking pleased with themselves before. Steve had gone out of his way to haul this stupid chair all the way home from god knew where, either because he wanted to fuck with Billy or because he genuinely wanted to make him happy.

And maybe Billy needed that kind of affection so much more than he needed Steve to kiss him.

Not that he didn't need that, too. Need him. His lips. His skin. His body. The familiar smell of his hair. The warmth of him pressed close. Jesus Christ... Billy needed all of it so badly sometimes it bordered on ridiculous.

And yet... This was okay. This was more than okay.

For now.

Billy laughed about the dog joke. He wouldn't have minded the appearance of some actual dogs this afternoon. Hell, it probably would've made this day even better, but seeing as he already had a Golden Retriever in the form of Steve Harrington, he paid no mind to it. 

Then, Steve's response about Dustin only had him arch his eyebrows, yet he patiently listened to his barely convincing rambling about "not being worried at all". 

Right. Yeah. Sure, Harrington.

Leaning in closer, his grin everlasting, Billy played along.

"The lifeguard's not strict so much as he's a professional, Harrington..." he murmured lowly. "Your nose is all healed, your emergency contact is basically me at this point, and I know for a fact that you haven't eaten too much in the last half hour because I was biting your ear off about it all god damn morning, sooo... that's all fine with me."

He smirked and winked at him. Then, his heart practically launched itself out of his chest when Steve pulled him closer, his already bright eyes widening before getting hopelessly lost in Steve's. He could've sworn the guy's hand was burning hot against his clothed chest, and for one dangerous, fleeting second, Billy was convinced Steve was about to say something either totally sweet or completely stupid.

And then — only then — his brain finally clocked the fact that he was standing approximately three inches away from disaster.

"You're officially on duty, Hargrove. So you better watch out."

Oh, fuck.

Billy's grin fell off his face so fast it practically hit the floor. The horrified look that followed lasted for no longer than half a second.

"No! No no no, don't you fucking dare—!"

Too late. With a startled yelp, Billy went tumbling backwards into the pool, taking his dignity with him. The lifebuoy went flying in one direction, one of his flip-flops launched into another, and for one glorious second he looked like a cartoon character who'd just discovered gravity.

He hit the water with an enormous SPLASH.

When he resurfaced, wet curls clinging to his face, the missing flip-flop descended from the heavens. 

Flap.

Right onto his head.

Billy froze. He dragged one hand over his face to clear his eyes while the flip-flop remained stuck to his hair like the world's saddest hat. 

"HEY!"

He snatched the whistle from around his neck and shoved it between his lips to blow it. But the only sound that came out was a pathetic, waterlogged gurgle.

"NO PUSHING THE LIFEGUARD INTO THE WATER!" Billy shouted, voice cracking with outrage. "IT'S FUCKING DANGEROUS!"

He yanked the flip-flop off his head and hurled it at Steve. It sailed through the air with all the aerodynamic grace of a dead fish and landed several feet away from him. And then, he laughed so hard he nearly went under again, the cool water doing absolutely nothing to settle the adrenaline rushing through his body. His face hurt. His sides hurt. His dignity had been murdered in broad daylight. And somehow, he couldn't have been happier about it.

"You goddamn traitor! You'll regret that! Get over here!"

STEVE HARRINGTON

REPLY 06   //   POOL DECK

Steve really should have known that Billy wouldn’t just let that slide… but for that one moment, he didn’t care at all, because that sight alone had been worth it. Billy resurfaced, his wet curls plastered to his face, and then that damn flip-flop landed right on his head. Steve really tried not to laugh...maybe for two seconds. “Oh my God…” Then it was over, and he laughed so hard he had to cover his mouth with one hand, while Billy was apparently still trying to salvage some dignity. Which had become completely impossible, at the very latest, with that pitiful sound from the wet whistle. “So that’s him… the professional lifeguard. I feel incredibly safe.”

When the flip-flop finally flew in his direction and landed somewhere far away from him, Steve just raised both eyebrows. “Wow.” He glanced briefly at where the thing had landed and then back at Billy. “Okay… we still need to work on that aim.” Still, he couldn’t wipe the broad grin off his face. Actually, he hadn’t laughed like that in a long time, and more importantly, Billy was laughing too. For real. Without all that crap that usually hung between them… without Kay, without Vecna, and hopefully, for a few hours, without any new disaster that Hawkins churned out with pretty impressive reliability. Maybe that was exactly why Steve had agreed in the end. Maybe they needed all this stupid pool party stuff way more urgently than they’d thought. When Billy told him to come over, though, the grin didn’t fade one bit. Steve knew that tone of voice well enough by now and was definitely not stupid enough to step closer to the edge of the pool of his own free will, instead, he took a step back.

“Nope.”

One more.

“Absolutely not.”

He crossed his arms over his chest and looked at Billy with exactly that smug expression he usually couldn’t keep up for even five minutes before something came back at him. “I know exactly what you’re up to, Hargrove. You’re dragging me into this, and then that’s it for my hair.” Of course, the hair was the problem... definitely not the shirt he was still wearing, and had no intention of taking off anytime soon. “Besides, you’ve only got yourself to blame. Rule number one as a lifeguard:.. never trust Steve Harrington.” Steve paused briefly and frowned thoughtfully. “Okay… maybe that’s not an official rule... but it should be.”

At the next get over here, he just lifted his chin defiantly. “Yeah, sure... because that doesn’t sound at all like you’re about to drown me right now.” He stood there for another moment before that typical, slightly cocky grin flashed across his face again. “Come on over, Hargrove.”

BILLY HARGROVE

REPLY 07   //   POOL DECK

Billy simultaneously wanted to murder him and grab him, twirl him around like a fucking rag doll while laughing his heart out. He decided against both and instead stayed right where he was, letting the cool water soothe his skin.

He'd almost forgotten what it felt like to be surrounded by it. The absence of gravity. The way the waves carried him. The resistance of the water as he moved his arms and legs, making his muscles tense beneath its weight. It had felt so strange at first. So unfamiliar. Apparently, that was what happened when your body hadn't moved properly for nine months — when you had to fight to regain your mobility and claw your way back to even a fraction of the strength you'd once taken for granted.

It wasn't the same anymore. Maybe it never would be.

And yet, somehow, being in the water took him back to a time when he felt normal. Capable. Free. Except this time, that freedom felt real. And Steve was to blame.

Screw the implications. Billy was exactly where he belonged: surrounded by the smell of chlorine, weightless in cool water, a whistle hanging around his neck, and laughing with Steve Harrington like there was no tomorrow.

"Fuck you!" he yelled over Steve's comment about his aim, chuckling as he shook his head in disbelief. "Oh, so we're just making up rules now, huh? Guess what! New rule: revenge is inevitable."

Billy swam toward the edge of the pool, leaving the remaining flip-flop and lifebuoy floating behind him.

"Oh, I'm gonna come over right now."

He planted both palms firmly on the edge and pushed himself out of the water. It was strenuous as hell. Normally, he would've hauled himself out without even breaking a sweat. But that had been before the coma, before nearly getting killed by a thirty-foot-tall monstrosity.

His white tank top clung to his wet body, the bumpy scars and hard-earned muscle visible beneath the now-sheer fabric. Still, it concealed enough that it wasn't revealing anything he wasn't ready to show. His arms, however, had already regained a noticeable amount of strength.

That, Billy had no problem showing off. Especially to Harrington.

Grinning, he hasted toward him, though he kept at least two feet between them.

"I was just kidding. I'm not gonna throw you in. That's dangerous. You could split your head open," he said.

He didn't mention that he also wouldn't do anything to Steve that he knew he wasn't comfortable with yet. Why else would Steve have kept his shirt on despite the swimming trunks underneath? Instead, Billy leaned in and shook the water out of his wet curls like a dog, deliberately sending a spray of droplets all over Steve.

Then he straightened, hands settling on his hips, his lower lip caught between his teeth as a wicked grin spread across his face.

"You and your hair are gonna get wet one way or another tonight. That's a promise, Harrington."

The words were barely out before Billy realized exactly how they'd sounded. His grin faltered. He shook his head, and the heat creeping into his cheeks may or may not have been from the exertion.

"Sorry. I meant..." He cleared his throat, suddenly very interested in absolutely anything that wasn't Steve's face. "In the pool. Obviously."

STEVE HARRINGTON

REPLY 08   //   POOL DECK

Steve actually had to laugh, not that short snort he usually let out when Billy came out with yet another one of his one-liners, but a real laugh, because it was just way too good. Especially that brief moment afterward, when Billy apparently realized for himself what he’d just said. Steve slowly raised both eyebrows, and his grin only grew wider. “Oh, no, no… don’t you dare take that back now.” He pointed a finger at him, still chuckling quietly to himself. “You said it... toooooooo late. Can’t you just blurt out a that’s a promise, Hargrove, and then act like it sounded completely innocent?” Of course, Steve could have left it at that, he probably should have, too. Instead, he tilted his head slightly and let his gaze wander pointedly over Billy before settling back on his face. “And just for the record… I didn’t complain.. so if you’re determined to make sure I get wet tonight…” A short pause, just long enough that it definitely didn’t sound like the pool anymore. “…I certainly won’t stop you.”

HA..... Billy was on his own now. Steve looked pretty pleased with himself,  at least for about three seconds, until Billy suddenly shook himself like a damn dog and the cold drops of water hit him right in the face. “Billy!” He flinched back, raised an arm to shield his face far too late, and actually wanted to say something about how Hargrove had apparently decided once and for all to act like a Golden Retriever. But when he let his arm drop again, Billy was closer than before, and somehow the next line just got stuck in his throat.

Damn it.

His gaze fell on Billy’s mouth. Just for a moment… at least that’s what Steve told himself. On that damn lower lip, where Billy’s teeth had just been resting, before his eyes wandered lower. The white shirt was practically clinging to his body by now, outlining the muscles and scars beneath, and Steve knew full well that he shouldn’t be staring. So he looked back at Billy’s lips.

Great solution, Harrington.

The grin on his face had softened without Steve even noticing.. and maybe that was exactly what made these moments so dangerous. There were quite a few of them by now ..Billy in the morning, Billy in the evening, Billy somewhere on his couch, Billy getting on his nerves, Billy making him laugh. It had become surprisingly normal to have him around all the time. So normal that Steve caught himself letting his gaze wander toward the house for a moment and almost wishing that Dustin and the others would just… be damn late today. A whole afternoon out here. Just the two of them, no problems, no team that needed either of them, Billy in the pool and Steve right next to him until it got dark.. that sounded way too good to be true, and that was probably exactly why it wasn’t going to happen. He’d had Billy to himself often enough lately, and the others were just as much a part of it. The team only worked if it actually stayed a team, Steve knew that... still, he looked over at Billy again and couldn’t quite shake that slight feeling of disappointment.

“You know…,” he began, tapping Billy on the arm with two fingers as if what he was about to say was completely trivial, “you’ve actually gotten pretty bad at getting on my nerves lately. You used to be really good at it... these days… I don’t know... these days, a day without you would probably feel pretty damn empty.” Before his brain could even think to analyze the sentence he’d just spoken more closely, he grabbed Billy’s hand, interlaced his fingers with Billy’s, and suddenly grinned so innocently again that it really should have been warning enough. “But you’re right about one thing.” One step back. “My hair’s getting wet.” Another one. “It’s your fault.” And then he just pulled Billy along with him. The jump into the pool was neither particularly elegant nor in any way well thought out. After all, Steve still had his damn shirt on, but in that moment, he didn’t even care about that. The water crashed over his head, cold enough that he let go of Billy’s hand somewhere beneath the surface, and when he resurfaced, he gasped for air way too soon.

“Fuck.” he coughed, wiped his face with both hands, and it took him a few seconds before the coughing turned into a completely ridiculous laugh. “Okay… shit... maybe I should’ve filled out that form after all.” He fell back, spread his arms and legs, and floated on his back, his wet shirt heavy against his body, while his hair had finally lost any chance of looking presentable. Steve squinted up at the sky, still grinning, and finally turned his head just a little toward Billy. “Hargrove?” His voice suddenly sounded suspiciously serious. “I think I’m drowning... you have to save me.” The grin returned. “After all, you’re the pro here…”

BILLY HARGROVE

REPLY 09   //   POOL DECK

Billy's reaction startled even himself. Usually, he wasn't one to freak out over hidden meanings like that, and even less so to blush over them. If anything, he thrived on catching other people off guard with suggestive little comments — especially Steve. But Billy's top priority had been making sure Steve never felt uncomfortable if things ever went too far. And the fact that today, Steve was the one actually insisting on it...

Goddammit. The guy who usually always knew exactly what to say suddenly fucking didn't.

Billy's chuckle was uncharacteristically sheepish this time. He didn't even know where to look until Steve continued, casually promising that he wasn't complaining... and that he certainly wasn't going to stop Billy from getting him wet tonight.

Holy shit.
What the hell was happening?!

Billy stared into Steve's eyes as though they'd just answered his most desperate prayers. As though they held the key to his salvation. He could feel Steve's gaze travelling over him, taking in every line of his soaked shirt clinging to his skin, and for the first time since waking up, Billy didn't even mind. In fact, he welcomed it.

Steve's eyes weren't cold and clinical like Kay's. They were careful. Hesitant, even. Not merely observant, but appreciative. There was something else there, too — something that looked almost apologetic. Guilty, perhaps.

Billy's heart skipped at least two beats. He drew in a sudden, shaky breath.

"You might wanna be careful with what you say," he murmured, voice dropping low as he leaned closer. Another quiet chuckle escaped him. But that was pretty much all he managed, because apparently Steve had woken up today and decided, 'I'm going to make Hargrove fucking speechless.'

"You’ve actually gotten pretty bad at getting on my nerves lately. You used to be really good at it... these days… I don’t know... these days, a day without you would probably feel pretty damn empty."

Billy stared at him. His brain helpfully replayed those words once. Then once more. And apparently, it decided that was enough processing for one lifetime, because everything else promptly short-circuited.

"Jesus fucking Christ, Harrington."

It came out quieter than intended. Billy exhaled, his fingers casually lacing around Steve's when their hands found each other. The gesture felt so natural, so ridiculously easy and yet it had the potential to just... completely sweep him off his feet. It was honestly stupid how giddy a simple touch like that could make him feel.

But it wasn't simple, was it?

"You try'na give a guy a fucking heart attack or somethin'?" Billy breathed, another chuckle lingering on his lips. "Looks like I gotta work harder to get on your nerves from now on, hm?"

Before he had any chance to process what had just happened, Steve was already pulling him towards the pool again, making Billy grin so wide his cheeks almost hurt.

"Don't do that," he whispered. "It's dangerous to jump off the edge together..." But the attempt was weak. Almost laughable. The moment they surrendered themselves to gravity, Billy visibly relaxed. He closed his eyes and simply let it happen, arms instinctively wrapping around Steve's waist to make sure they don't crash into each other on the way down. Then, the cold water swallowed them both.

For a moment, there was nothing but water. Their bodies were weightless, suspended together in the pool, and Billy felt even freer than he had before.

Almost without thinking, he pulled Steve back towards the surface with him, releasing him the second Steve broke through the water and immediately started coughing like an idiot.

"Shit, are you okay?!" he barked while patting him hard on the back, but laughed with him. His other hand mindlessly brushed some of Steve's dripping wet hair out of his face. Billy just couldn't help it. He looked gorgeous like this. Even with his perfect locks completely out of control. It was cute. Too cute.

"Fucking idiot. You know you're not supposed to get water into your damn lungs, right?" he teased. 

Then Billy grinned again, swimming around him before slipping his arms beneath Steve's armpits from behind. He clasped his hands together over Steve's chest for better stability and control... and most definitely because it gave him an excuse to get even closer. He settled his head beside Steve's, their temples almost touching, and lowered his voice until it was barely more than a murmur against Steve's ear.

"No worries, I'm gonna save you... Just relax, okay? Don't move. I've got you."

It was stupid. Totally, utterly stupid. But he liked that little game. He liked holding him like this, their bodies free, weightless, with nothing between them. Slowly, he swam backward toward the edge of the pool, taking Steve with him.

Any other lifeguard would've gotten their patient out of the water as soon as possible, but not Billy. He remained perfectly still once they reached the edge, just holding him there. Hidden from the world beneath the cover of the pool's edge. Resting his chin on Steve's shoulder, trying to catch his breath.

"Phew... That's more difficult than I remember... And it's harder than it looks. Don't you laugh. Are you okay?"

His arms may or may not have tightened around him a little more. Billy sighed deeply, but with far more contentment than exhaustion at this point.

"Y'know... All this talk about getting on each other's nerves and shit..."

He laughed softly in an attempt to shake off his nervousness.

"You're always gonna get on my nerves, no matter what. In fact, it gets worse every day. You're a fucking nightmare, Harrington."

Billy smiled softly. He turned his head to look at him, and he held his breath for a moment. Steve was so close, he could see every pore on his pretty face. Every hint of stubble. Every little detail in his warm brown eyes. His heart raced inside his chest like the engine of a Camaro. Powerful... Relentless.

And then Billy whispered as quietly as he could: "But you're even more annoying when you're not there, so..."

Fuck. Steve's lips were so close, he could almost taste them on his own. Before he knew it, Billy had released one of his hands from the other, his thumb now brushing Steve's chin and guiding his face toward his own. 

"What should we do about that...?" he murmured, barely above a whisper. For one moment, Billy forgot there was a world outside this pool. Forgot everything except Steve... the warmth of his body against his own... the way those brown eyes were looking at him.

But then—

Shrill voices shattered the silence.

"GUUUUUUUUUUUUYS!" 

Robin. Of course... No one in the entire fucking world was capable of obliterating a moment quite like Robin Buckley.

"STEVE?!"
"WHERE THE HECK ARE YOU TWO?"

And that had to be Sinclair and Will.

Billy rolled his eyes.

You've gotta be fucking kidding me.

STEVE HARRINGTON

REPLY 10   //   POOL DECK

“Yeah… yeah, I’m fine.” Steve coughed again anyway and raised a hand when Billy gave him a pretty hard pat on the back. “You don’t have to go and kill me now.. I just swallowed a little water.” He was grinning again, at least until Billy brushed his wet hair out of his face and, for that brief moment, his hand was way too close to Steve’s face., he blinked at him. “They’re… ruined anyway.” Very important… his hair.. that was something worth talking about. “So you might as well save yourself the trouble.” That worked for about three seconds, because suddenly Billy was behind him, sliding his arms under Steve’s to hold him tight. He tensed briefly, more out of surprise than anything else, and… damn, Billy was close, his back was almost completely pressed against Billy’s chest and when Billy spoke right next to his ear, Steve opened his mouth. “I… yea.”

Great… 

He cleared his throat. “I already know how to save people, Hargrove.” Still, he made no move to free himself from Billy’s arms; instead, he let the blonde pull him through the water and found himself grinning again. “You do realize I was just pretending to drown, right? So if this is tiring right now, it’s only because you’re taking your rescue a little too seriously.” When they finally reached the edge and Billy complained, Steve placed his hands loosely on Billy’s arms. “But hey… good job. ..patient’s alive, hairstyle’s dead... fifty percent success rate.” Then Billy’s grip tightened slightly, Steve noticed, of course. Lately, he’d been noticing far too much when it came to Billy. Every hand that lingered on him a little longer, every time their shoulders touched, when Billy sat closer than necessary on the couch, or bumped into him half-asleep somewhere in the house in the morning. It wasn’t unpleasant, not even close… it just made him nervous every damn time, and Steve still didn’t really know what to make of it. “A fucking nightmare?” He turned his head slightly toward Billy and raised an eyebrow. “Wow… and that after I got you a lifeguard chair... some people would say thanks for that… maybe buy a card… flowers.” The corner of his mouth twitched. “You’re insulting me… veeeery charming.” 

But then the rest came, and Steve didn’t say anything else for the moment. His gaze lingered on Billy, and somehow that was pretty much exactly what he himself had meant earlier. Maybe in different words, maybe a little less… Billy, but that was exactly it, he’d gotten so used to this guy being there that he now missed him when he wasn’t. “Well…” he twisted his mouth slightly. “Then I guess we’ve got a problem.” He’d actually wanted to throw in some kind of line, something to make this moment a little easier again, but then Billy slipped one hand free and his thumb traced Steve’s chin. And suddenly, there was nothing cool about it at all. He fell silent, his gaze drifting briefly to Billy’s hand and then back up, as he let himself be turned toward him without resistance. His heart was beating faster, and Billy could probably even feel it, which definitely didn’t make things any better. “What are we supposed to do about it?” he repeated, swallowing briefly. “I… um…”

Shit.

His eyes wandered to Billy’s lips and lingered there. Maybe Steve was just overthinking everything. He did that all the time anyway, thinking about what was right, what was too soon, what Billy needed, what he himself actually wanted, and whether they were in the process of ruining something that had become pretty damn important over the last few weeks. But in that moment, he didn’t really care about any of that. He liked Billy…pretty damn much, actually, and Billy was right in front of him, still holding him tight, and Steve wanted to kiss him…just like that. So he moved a little closer to him. “I might have an idea…” But then Steve froze; his gaze drifted into space for about two seconds, then back to Billy, and you could tell pretty clearly that he was seriously considering never inviting Robin Buckley to any party ever again.. he rolled his eyes, but still couldn’t help grinning a little. “YES!” he called back. “I’M IN THE GARDEN! THE BIG BLUE POOL IS ACTUALLY HARD TO MISS!” He looked at Billy once more, still with that slightly resigned expression, then slowly pulled away from him. “That was close...” The corners of his mouth turned up again. “You almost managed to save me.” With that, he climbed out of the water and gave Robin, Lucas, and Will a quick wave. “Hey!” His wet shirt was now completely stuck to him, and he briefly pulled it away from his body at the front. “I’m going to put on something dry...and if Hargrove claims I almost drowned… he’s lying... that’s obviously part of his new lifeguard ego.” 

Then he disappeared into the house pretty quickly. Upstairs, Steve took off the wet shirt and tossed it somewhere on the floor, grabbed a dry one, and briefly got his head stuck in it while putting it on, because his thoughts were obviously still out there in the pool. He  finally pulled the shirt all the way down and just stood there for a moment. “Shit...” He ran both hands through his still-damp hair, which couldn’t save it anyway and went back downstairs. By the time he reached the others, he already looked pretty normal again... at least he hoped so, relaxed and with that typical grin on his face as he lightly bumped Robin with his shoulder as he walked past. “Buckley.” Then he briefly raised his hand to Lucas and Will across the room. “Hey, guys… drinks are in the kitchen, food’s coming later, and before anyone asks: No, you’re not allowed to touch Billy’s beer.” Steve grabbed himself a drink and glanced briefly toward the pool. “And don’t let that jerk fool you. He’s not really qualified.” 

Lucas raised his hand when Steve greeted them, but then watched him go with a slightly confused look as Steve practically immediately disappeared back into the house. “...Hey.”

Okay.

His gaze wandered over to the pool and finally settled on Billy. And there it was again, that one question that had already crossed his mind about ten times on the way here.

What am I actually doing here?

He hadn’t suddenly forgotten about Billy since their last meeting or decided that everything was fine now, just because everyone else seemed to have come to terms with it in the meantime. He was still skeptical… probably even more than he’d care to admit. However, he had just as little desire to be the one to ruin the mood today. Will was here, Robin was here, Steve obviously was anyway, and if everyone else could pretend that Billy Hargrove was now a completely normal part of their rather abnormal little group, then so could Lucas. So he looked at Billy, gave him a quick nod, and even managed a small smile that almost seemed genuine. “Hey.” That would have to do., he then went straight into the house, opened the fridge, and pulled out a cold Coke. “By the way, I’m sticking to the no-beer rule of my own free will.” He glanced briefly at Steve as he opened the can. “Just so you don’t have to pull your ‘mom’ act again later.” A soft Pffft, and Lucas took a long sip before heading back outside with the can. As normal as possible, as relaxed as possible… just go with the flow a little and see what happened, still, his gaze lingered on Billy, he watched... just a little., surely that was still allowed.

BILLY HARGROVE

REPLY 11   //   POOL DECK

Billy really wished he could just... stop the world from turning right now. Not that he gave a crap about the planet spinning in the first place. For all he cared, Steve Harrington was lying in his arms, both of their bodies weightless in the water, and Billy was well on his way to getting everything he'd ever wanted. He'd wanted to hold him like this every time they sat on the couch together, but that had always been off limits. Too far, too daring. Too much potential for overwhelming Steve or making him uncomfortable. But this was... nice. Billy couldn't remember the last time he'd been holding someone close to himself like this, if he'd ever held anyone this close at all.

And when Steve looked into his eyes like that, all coyness and playful mischief, leaning toward him for a kiss... Billy just melted. 

His lips tingled with anticipation. Finally, he'd managed to get Steve to relax a little. Finally, he'd managed to distract that overworking brain of his from running a million miles an hour. Finally, he'd convinced Steve that he was ready to actually kiss him...

Only for Buckley to yell across the entire fucking property.

Billy wanted to fucking scream. He wanted to get out of the damn pool, grab these good-for-nothings by the collars, kick them out the door and slam it in their faces before jumping right back into the water and finally kissing Steve stupid. 

He had been waiting for this moment for weeks!

Fucking bullshit!

For a moment, Billy was sure he was going to be in the worst mood for the rest of the party. But then, Steve gave him this silly little smile and said the most outrageous thing.

"That was close. You almost managed to save me."

Billy stared at him. Couldn't believe his ears. A laugh escaped him, surprisingly soft, and he shook his head as Steve started moving away. He didn't even watch him climb out of the pool. He was too genuinely fucking dumbfounded to do anything but stare at the rippling water in front of him. Kind of like a lost otter that didn't know what the hell it was supposed to be doing in the water.

He deserved that for ragebaiting Steve every chance he got, right? Still, Billy laughed again. For all he knew, this just made him fall in love even harder.

He closed his eyes and pinched his nostrils shut, and sank beneath the surface.. When he emerged after retrieving his sunglasses and both flip-flops, he was already grinning at Steve's comment about his lifeguard ego.

Fuck you. I'll show you ego.

... As soon as these assholes are gone later.

Billy gave the others a quick wave before hauling himself back out of the pool. He grabbed one of the towels he'd brought out earlier and quickly draped it around his shoulders, using one end to towel-dry his hair. He also wrung out his shirt as best he could, not wanting the soaked fabric to cling too tightly to his scars.

Next thing he knew, Sinclair observed him from the distance and even greeted him before disappearing into the house and returning a minute later with something to drink.

"You got sunscreen on?" Billy called. He reached into the bag he'd left behind the BBQ grill, pulled out a bottle of sunscreen, and tossed it toward him.

"I'm black!" Lucas retorted, catching it effortlessly. "I don't need sunscreen."

Billy arched his eyebrows at him. "Put the fucking sunscreen on, or there's no goin' in the pool for you, Sinclair. You too, Byers!" he lectured, making sure Will caught the message as he joined them with a drink of his own.

Will obeyed wordlessly. Billy watched Lucas with crossed arms.

"I'm waiting."

Will grinned while he started rubbing sunscreen over his shoulders and arms. "Steve said we shouldn't even listen to you because you're not really qualified."

Billy grinned back. "Oh really? Guess I'll just have to revoke Steve's pool privileges."


Back in the house, Robin waited for Will and Lucas to disappear outside before dropping her facade and staring at Steve with the biggest eyes.

"What the hell was that, Steve?!" she complained, a mixture of outrage and genuine excitement. "Why were you in the pool with clothes on? Both of you? Oh god... Oh no... Did I just— Did we just totally interrupt you guys' first ever smooching session?! Unless it wasn't be the first smooching session because you two finally pulled yourselves the hell together! And did I actually see a tall lifeguard chair out there? How— When— Where did you even get it? I thought you were joking! What was his reaction? Oh my god, tell me everything!"

Robin supported her elbows on the counter, leaned her chin on both hands, and just stared at Steve expectantly.

"Give me aaaall the details. Or do you want me to go ask Billy?"

STEVE HARRINGTON

REPLY 12   //   POOL DECK / KITCHEN

Steve had just taken his first sip when Billy’s voice drifted in through the open door, asking Lucas for putting on sunscreen. He wasn’t even really asking… it sounded more like he was already prepared to personally throw the boy back into the house if he didn’t like the answer. Steve slowly lowered the can and looked outside with a raised eyebrow. He really should have seen this coming... give Billy Hargrove a lifeguard chair and five minutes near a pool, and he’d start acting like the damn pool police. Lucas caught the bottle, but his answer made Steve close his eyes for a moment. “Oh man…,” he muttered, because he already knew how well that argument would go over with Billy.
Lucas glared at Billy across the yard and then looked down at the sunscreen in his hand as if someone had just thrown something deeply offensive at him. “I know how skin works,” he explained, but his expression shifted slightly when Billy simply crossed his arms and waited. Wonderful… apparently there were two of them now… one Steve was already more than enough. “Seriously?” He glanced at Will, who was already slathering on sunscreen without any argument, then back at Billy. “You’ve been a lifeguard for what… fifteen minutes? And you’re already laying down the law?” Still, Lucas opened the bottle. He wasn’t going to admit that Billy was right, because that would have made the whole situation even more unsettling than it already was. Instead, he squeezed way too much sunscreen into his hand and began spreading it on his arm with the expression of someone who’d just been ordered to clean the entire house.

“There... happy?” Once he was done, he held both arms out wide, even though the lotion was nowhere near fully absorbed and had left distinct white streaks. “And if I drown, I want Steve to save me... at least he doesn’t look like he’s going to yell at me for doing it wrong.”
Steve leaned out from inside far enough through the open door to see the two of them. “If you drown after ignoring every warning, I’ll let Hargrove lecture you first… then I’ll save you.”

Lucas stared at him. “That’s sick.” “Well, I guess I’m a mom again.” Steve took another sip and pointed the can in Billy’s direction as Will helpfully mentioned what Steve had said earlier about his lack of qualifications. The threat to revoke his pool privileges elicited a brief, incredulous laugh from him. “Excuse me?” He moved a little closer to the door but wisely stayed inside the house, where Billy couldn’t reach him quite so easily. “This is my pool, Hargrove… you can’t take anything away from me.” He paused briefly and narrowed his eyes slightly as his gaze rested on Billy... the grin on his face, however, made it pretty hard to take him seriously. “And if anyone’s going to lose their privileges here, it’s the lifeguard who holds his victim underwater for ten minutes instead of pulling him out.” Steve tilted his head slightly. “Pretty suspicious rescue method, by the way...maybe I should report you.” He probably shouldn’t have looked at Billy that way. 


At least not while Robin was still standing somewhere behind him and possessed that decidedly annoying ability to notice absolutely everything. He didn’t even have to look at Robin to know what expression awaited him. There was a very special kind of silence that only arose when Robin Buckley had seen something she absolutely shouldn’t have seen, and was taking just enough of a breath to make it a problem for everyone present. Steve stared intently at his can.
“What was what?” The answer came far too quickly, as he was already moving toward the fridge as if there were something incredibly important inside. “We were in the pool… that’s what people usually do with pools, Robin… they go in.” He opened the door and stared inside without actually looking for anything. “Sometimes your clothes get wet… and I like to go in the pool with my clothes on… it really isn’t that complicated.” Then the questions began...one after another, without even giving him enough time to figure out where one ended and the next began.He slowly closed the refrigerator door and leaned against it, his arms crossed over his chest, while Robin got more and more carried away with her increasingly enthusiastic theories about kissing, the lifeguard chair, and the question of how long the two of them had been hiding something from her. “We haven’t been hiding anything at all,” he tried to object, which was technically true. After all, there had to be something to hide in the first place. And whatever was going on between him and Billy had so far mainly consisted of them staring at each other, saying things neither of them finished, and getting interrupted every time they finally got close. When she asked if she’d just interrupted their first kiss, Steve pursed his lips slightly. “No.” He shook his head, but then hesitate,  his gaze wandered briefly toward the garden, where Billy was still standing with Will and Lucas. “Well…....... yes.” A small nod followed, immediately contradicted by another shake of the head. “Sort of… no... we didn’t really...”

He trailed off because Robin’s eyes had somehow grown even wider, and Steve knew she’d already figured it out anyway. Of course she had... she’d probably figured it out before he did, which really wasn’t much of an achievement, considering that Steve still had no idea what the hell he was actually doing. “Don’t look at me like that...nothing happened.” Steve rubbed the back of his neck with one hand and glanced back at the door. He didn’t want Robin to ask Billy... not necessarily because Billy would tell her everything, but because Steve had no idea what he could say. Worse yet, he didn’t know how much Billy had read on his face just before the interruption. When Robin threatened to get her answers from him herself, Steve’s head snapped toward her instantly. “No.” That also had come out way too fast, and, above all, way too clearly. “I mean…there’s nothing you could ask him...that’s why you don’t have to ask him.. because there wasn’t any… smoooccch session.” His face twisted. “And can you please stop calling it that.. we’re not twelve.” Steve reached for another can on the countertop, even though he was still holding the first one in his hand. He looked down at both of them and quietly put one back.

“The chair was a gift, I found it… brought it here, and he liked it. " He nodded as if that settled the matter once and for all. He pushed off the fridge and tried to squeeze past her, but stopped after just one step. Robin was still staring at him. Steve held her gaze for about two seconds, then sighed. “Okay, fine... we talked... and maybe teased eachother a bit."  Even though Billy was standing outside and couldn’t possibly hear him, he lowered his voice. “And he was close.... I was close... we were both…” His hand moved vaguely back and forth between him and the yard, as if that explained something. “There was a moment.” Steve swallowed briefly, gave another half-hearted nod, and shook his head almost at the same time. “But I don’t know yet what that means, okay? So don’t go out there and ask him, don’t look at him like that, and under no circumstances tell him that I claimed there was a moment… but also don’t tell him that I said… that there wasn’t a moment… that might disappoint him or something… so if he thinks I feel like there wasn’t a moment… even though there clearly was one.” His eyes narrowed. “Actually, you’d better just forget the whole last minute.” Without waiting for her answer, he grabbed a bag of chips and held it up between them “Do you want these in a bowl, or should we just forget about being civilized?”

BILLY HARGROVE

REPLY 13   //   POOL DECK / KITCHEN

Billy rolled his eyes. "This ain't about laying down the law, Sinclair. But someone has to make sure you don't drown today or get skin cancer twenty years from now. And I really don't wanna be the one taking the blame for either of those things, alright?"

He kept his expression stern, but he was already fighting a satisfied grin when Lucas finally obeyed and started putting on sunscreen. He was using way too much of it, and the coverage was questionable at best, but at least he was doing it.

"Don't forget your shoulders and the back of your neck," Billy added, his grin widening far more than necessary. Meanwhile, Will dutifully followed the advice — or order — and made sure to cover those areas, too. He was giggling the entire time Lucas and Billy bickered.

"Also, you're not getting in the pool until all that shit is absorbed. So think twice about smartassing me."

Honestly, Billy was having fun. His threats were only kind of serious. He just happened to be physically incapable of expressing concern without shit-talking at the same time. It was practically a reflex.

And Steve siding with him only made this even more entertaining, even when he threatened to take away Billy's pool privileges. A wicked grin spread across Billy's face again. Oh, he loved this.

"Oh, really? Can't remember you complaining about it while it was happening," he shot back at Steve with a wink, flashing him his most charming smile. Then he turned back toward Lucas and Will, planting his hands on his hips.

"Byers, you gonna help him out here? There's no sunscreen on his back."
"U-uh..."

Will promptly flushed, his eyes darting awkwardly between Lucas and Billy.

"I—I don't know if Lucas is... okay with that, I mean—"

Billy rolled his eyes, though there was an unmistakably amused edge to his expression as he walked over.

"I'm not asking you to get all up in his business. Get over here, both of you."


Robin couldn't decide whether she should laugh hysterically or burst into tears.

"You're driving me crazy!" she exclaimed, a laugh catching in her throat out of pure frustration. She didn't even know where the hell to start! And Steve's minute-long monologue? Jesus Christ. Robin went from sighing exasperatedly, slapping both palms against her temples as if to keep her head from exploding, and wiping a hand down her face, to staring at her best friend with absolute impatience and outraged disbelief. Every time he slipped into his usual 'nothing's going on, what are you even talking about?' routine, she wanted to shake him. Possibly strangle him. Lovingly, of course.

And when he admitted to Robin having interrupted their first kiss, her jaw dropped and her eyes got bigger than anyone thought was anatomically possible.

"WHAT?!"
"Shhh!" Steve hushed her.
"Sorry, but... What the hell? Stop backtracking!"

The way Steve kept claiming one thing only to contradict himself right afterwards wasn't making this any better. This entire conversation — which consisted mainly of Steve's helpless rambling — had the potential to make her dizzy. He was saying — and not saying — so many things at once. Add the fact that she had just ruined their first kiss, and Robin was downright spiralling.

"Okay, okay. Hold on. Wait... I'm so confused... Let me see if I got this right," she said, stopping Steve from pushing past her. Oh, she was absolutely not done here. 

She held out one finger. "There's a lifeguard chair in your yard because you found it — which... let's be honest here... you stole it! — and you brought it home. Which is a completely normal thing to do with a lifeguard chair you randomly encounter in the wild."

She added a second finger. "You and Billy were in the pool, fully clothed, because apparently that's just a thing you do now."

A third finger joined the others. "You literally just talked about how he'd been holding you in the water for ten minutes. I heard that, Steve."

The fourth finger came up, practically accusing him. "And then you were together in the pool, being all weird and intense and approximately three inches from each other's faces, and you almost kissed? And I interrupted you... Oh god..."

Defeated, Robin sighed, wiping her eyes. This was a complete mess, and she decided to take on the mission to fix this. She rolled her eyes when Steve still insisted that nothing happend.

"Right... Nothing happened. Nothing except the part where you just spent the last three minutes describing the exact sequence of events that led to nothing happening. And you know what? I'm actually less concerned about the kiss than I am about the fact that you just said 'there was a moment' like you're the lead actor in some tragic romance movie. Steve... Sweetheart..."

Again, she sighed, resting her hand on his shoulder.

"You've officially talked yourself into a situation where I am now legally required to know everything. And don't worry, I'm not gonna interrogate Billy... As long as you're being honest with me here. So."

She reached for the second can Steve had clumsily grabbed for himself somewhere during his rambling rampage and cracked it open for herself. Then, she grabbed Steve's wrist and pulled him toward one of the chairs, forcing him to sit down before taking her own seat next to him. 

"Forget about the bowl. Let's talk," she said, ripping the bag of chips open and immediately munching on one.

"Steve... You both know you like each other. I know it, too. You've told me how you feel about him the second I found him making soup in your kitchen. You were holding hands in your car after that. I mean, technically, you were holding pinkies, but... same thing! And I know about that deal you guys made. He's totally waiting for you! Come on... What are you scared of? I mean, I... I know it's scary since he's a guy and everything, but... You know, I thought you guys would've figured it out by now. Is it because of, y'know... town gossip? Or... did something happen I don't know about? Please don't push me away here. If you do, I'll have no choice but to set you guys up, and it's gonna be so obnoxious that you'd wished you hadn't forced me to."

Her expression remained tense, but the frustration in it had softened into worry. She wasn't angry with him. Not really. She just wanted him to be happy already.

For once, she wanted Steve to stop finding reasons why he couldn't be happy and actually let himself have something good. And if that meant dragging the truth out of him one painfully awkward conversation at a time, well... Robin was prepared to make that everybody's problem.

STEVE HARRINGTON

REPLY 14   //   POOL DECK / KITCHEN

Lucas looked back and forth between the two of them before finally raising his hands. “Okay… fine. Then my back, too.. but after that, hopefully I can get into the water on my own.” He gave in, let them rub the lotion on him, and even waited until the white streaks had disappeared. Any more arguments with Hargrove would probably just get him a swim cap. A little while later, he swam a bit away from the others… finally, some peace and quiet. At least he would have had it if his mind hadn’t kept racing. What if Harrington and Hargrove really were seeing each other? Would Billy have to tag along everywhere? To every get-together, every movie night… and would Lucas eventually have to hear that he should just get used to it? Maybe Nancy would understand him. After all, she was Steve’s ex… she couldn’t possibly have nothing to say about it. He dove underwater before he could see the house again.


Steve let himself be pulled into the chair and held onto the bag of chips for a moment longer, even though Robin had opened it ages ago. “I didn’t steal it… it was just sitting there.” A pretty weak excuse, especially since nobody really cared about that right now. Then he fell silent. Robin listed things he hadn’t forgotten himself… the soup, their hands in the car, that lousy deal that was now mostly just getting in his own way. He rubbed his thumb along the rim of his can. “I know he’s waiting.” His voice had grown quieter. “That doesn’t exactly make it any easier… he’s waiting, and I’m sitting right next to him, thinking about how I could mess this up.” Steve glanced briefly at the door. “And then, for once, he’s not there, and after ten minutes I’m wondering when he’ll be back… pretty stupid, right?”

He tried to grin, but somehow it didn’t quite work.

“It’s not just because he’s a guy… of course I think about that. And about what would happen if someone found out. But I…” Steve exhaled and shook his head. “I want to kiss him, Robin. I really want to, and then I start thinking again that I’ve overlooked something… that maybe he still needs more time, or that I’m promising him something I won’t be able to deliver on later.” Damn… his eyes were burning. He looked down, blinked, and quickly wiped his cheek with the palm of his hand as the first tear slipped out anyway. “Oh, come on…” This time, he was talking to himself. A brief, rather helpless laugh followed. “Can I talk about this guy for once without making a complete fool of myself?” For a few seconds, he said nothing. He had to swallow first, pull himself together… after all, they were sitting here in his kitchen and not at the end of some sad movie. “I think I’m pretty much in love with him.” Steve finally looked at her again, his eyes still a little moist. “And I have no idea what to do about it… except maybe stop making him wait all the time.” He reached for a chip. “But you’re not arranging anything, Buckley… and if you lock us up somewhere, I’ll eat him before we even kiss.”

ROBIN BUCKLEY

REPLY 15   //   KITCHEN
written by Billy Hargrove

All Robin did was arch her eyebrows at Steve's declaration that the lifeguard chair had just been "sitting there". She trusted that they both knew that no more needed to be said about that. Still, she listened carefully, a hint of frustration and impatience until slowly, eventually, it drifted into calmer waves of understanding.

And guilt. Definitely guilt.

It dawned upon her that she may have accidentally put him under pressure with her frustrated questioning. That everything about this had been putting him under pressure. Steve's struggles with his sexuality, the deal, the proximity to Billy, their undeniable-but-also-kind-of-gross chemistry... 

Robin had been halfway through reaching for another chip when Steve's voice cracked, and her hand stopped midair. 

Oh.

Oh, Steve... 

She frowned deeply at him, quickly reaching out and wiping his tears.

For all the times she'd wished he'd just do something about the giant, neon-sign-sized feelings he had for Billy Hargrove, she'd never quite gotten used to seeing him with tears in his eyes and that utterly miserable expression that made her want to punch something on his behalf. Preferably something that deserved it. Like the entire heterosexual dating culture. Maybe Nancy. Or whoever had decided that two people who clearly wanted to kiss each other should be allowed to suffer through this emotional mess first.

"Shit... I'm sorry," she said, heaving a sigh. "First of all, no. It's not stupid." Her voice drifted into something quieter. "Missing him after ten minutes isn't stupid. Wanting him when he's right there isn't stupid. Being scared that you'll screw it up is..." 

She made a face, searching for the right word. 

"Well, it's extremely you, actually. Annoyingly so. But it's not stupid."

Another sigh. God, what a mess. 

"Second of all, I promise I won't do anything, but if you two ever do get locked in a room together, I'm putting a chair under the doorknob. Not because I'm arranging anything! Just because I don't want to hear you come back and tell me that you spent three hours discussing the weather while Billy sat there looking kissable! I think you're giving Billy a little too little credit here... I mean, have you met him? The guy looks at you like you're the last decent thing left in this godforsaken town. He makes you soup. He lets you touch him. He touches you back. He keeps waiting, even though he has... probably approximately seventeen million reasons to be impatient with you by now." 

She tilted her head. 

"Does that sound like someone who's being tricked into something he doesn't want? You don't have to promise him forever tonight. You don't have to know what you're doing, or how you're gonna handle it all. You just have to be honest with him about what you want. And, from what you've just told me, what you want is to kiss the guy so badly that you're practically crying into my chips."

Robin took another breath and leaned forward a little, putting her hand on his wrist.

"You're allowed to want him, dingus. You're allowed to be scared and want him anyway. Those two things can exist at the same time. And if Billy's been waiting this long, I promise you that one honest conversation isn't going to scare him off. And also...!"

She clutched the bag of chips to her chest.

"You are not eating him! I have spent an ungodly amount of time listening to you talk about this man, and I refuse to have all that emotional investment end in a cannibalism scandal. Do you know how much paperwork that would involve? I'd have to lie to the police, Steve! I'd have to look them in the eye and tell them that you didn't eat your boyfriend. I can't do that! I have a terrible poker face!"

STEVE HARRINGTON

REPLY 16   //   KITCHEN

Steve let Robin wipe the tear from his cheek and sniffled quietly. He was about to tell her she didn’t need to apologize, but she was already talking again. So he leaned back a little and listened… at least until she mentioned the way Billy looked at him. “He doesn’t look at me like I’m the last decent thing in Hawkins.” Steve paused and pulled a face. “Okay… maybe sometimes. But you’ve also seen him when I’ve told him not to leave his shoes in the middle of the hallway.” Still, he couldn’t help smiling. Robin was right… Billy wasn’t just waiting around for Steve to make up his mind. He was there, making him soup, letting Steve get close to him without ever making him feel like he owed him anything. Steve knew all of that... he just didn’t always know how to stop worrying about every next step. “I don’t think I’m talking him into anything he doesn’t want. I’m just scared that one day I won’t know what I want anymore… or that I’ll know and still back out because someone might see us.” He shrugged slightly. “He’s had enough people make him feel like there’s something wrong with him. I don’t want to be another one of them.”

For a moment, he looked toward the door. He could hear voices outside and water splashing against the edge of the pool. Billy was still out there… probably busy explaining some rules to the others that he’d made up in the last five minutes. “But I know what I want right now,” Steve finally murmured, looking back at Robin. “I want him here... and I want to kiss him… without pretending afterward that I only did it by accident because I tripped or something.” He snorted softly. “Although you’d probably believe I could do that.” He reached for a chip, but Robin was still holding the bag against her chest. Steve looked at the bag, then at her. “Your chips? Those were in my kitchen cabinet ten minutes ago.”

When she started talking about the police and all the paperwork, he stared at her for a moment. Then he shook his head and actually laughed again. “You’d give me away immediately. All they’d have to do is ask why nobody’s seen Billy in three days, and you’d start telling them something about a chair under the door handle.” He leaned forward and finally managed to steal a chip from the bag. “Besides, I didn’t say I’d actually eat him.... I just meant we might get hungry if you lock us in for three hours.” He popped the chip into his mouth and glanced at her. “Thanks, Robin.” He said it a little more quietly this time. “I’ll talk to him… sometime today. And please leave the chairs where they are.”

BILLY HARGROVE

REPLY 17   //   KITCHEN / POOL DECK

"Steve... I think you might be the first person who's ever treated him like an actual person. And knowing you, you're the last person who would ever make him feel like there's something wrong with him. At least, not anytime soon. Just... stop overthinking so much! You two are made for each other, I can feel it! And if I'm right — which I am most of the time, let's be real — Billy really likes you for who you are! He already knows you're clumsy and silly and funny and an idiot — affectionately — so there's absolutely nothing you could possibly do to ruin anything. Plus, no one even needs to see you two, right? If you're together, that's all that matters. Just... be yourself and let things happen the way they're supposed to. And. Stop. Overthinking!"

With each of those last three words, Robin gently flicked Steve's nose. His confession afterward brought the biggest smile to her face.

"I one-hundred percent believe you're capable of that."

Then, Robin reluctantly allowed him access to the chips with an exaggerated roll of her eyes. She'd been munching on them throughout the entire conversation, and her hand had to dig deeper and deeper into the bag just to find any chips at all.

"Doesn't really matter if it's almost empty... Oops..."

She shrugged innocently before laughing at Steve's words.

"Well, well, well... Depending on what kind of hunger you're talking about, I could keep you locked up for a few more hours," she teased with a wink.

As their little crisis discussion finally reached its conclusion, Robin felt much lighter than before and hoped Steve felt the same way.

"Anytime, okay? You're my best friend. Don't you forget that. And fiiiine... I'll leave the chairs where they are..."

Robin followed him outside, tilting her face towards the sun with a smile. Seconds later, she pulled off her clothes, revealing the blue-and-white striped bathing suit underneath, and without wasting another moment, sprinted towards the pool.

"CANNONBAAAAAAAAAAAAAALL!!!!!"

Robin finally reached the edge of the pool and put all her strength into her legs, preparing to launch herself into the water. What she hadn't anticipated, however, was a pair of strong arms suddenly wrapping around her frame and twirling her around, effectively stopping her in her tracks. She flailed and let out a startled scream.

"What the hell, Billy!"
"No running at the pool, Buckley!"
"Let me goooooooooo!" she complained, her legs kicking wildly in the air as Billy continued to hold her.

"Only if you promise to put on sunscreen first," he said.

Robin let out a deep sigh, her limbs falling limp at her sides like a dead fish.

"Okaaaaay... I promise... Can you let me down now?"

"Magic word?" Billy demanded, a shit-eating grin spreading across his face, only for Robin to start wiggling again. Apparently, the fish had decided it wasn't going down without a fight after all. Billy laughed and finally, graciously, set her back down on the ground. Despite her initial frustration, Robin couldn't help but laugh along with him.

"You're really taking this way too seriously," she teased.

Steve approached them, and another grin slowly crept across Billy's sun-kissed face as he watched him.

"You're saying I should loosen up a little bit, huh?"
"Oh, definitely."
"Well, in that case... Hey, Harrington! I wanna show you something sweet."

He grabbed a fistful of Steve's shirt, pulled him closer, and promptly shoved him into the pool without a hint of mercy.

Robin shrieked yet again, clapping a hand over her mouth as she stared at the poor, soaking-wet dog that was her best friend. Will and Lucas were watching the scene unfold, too, though one of them seemed considerably more amused than the other.

"REVENGE!" Billy shouted, bursting into laughter as Steve finally resurfaced. "Have a taste of it!"

And with that...

Let's get this party started!

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