Hello!! I just read Flowers for Yikes and I love this idea that the two of you are doing! If you're feeling up to it, I'd love to request a general modern au with situation 1: standing outside in the rain and lines: 15. “If letting you go is the only choice I have, I will. Because I love you.” + 18. “I… I want to be happy with you. Now and in the future….” Amazing work on the fic!
Eeek! I’m sorry this took AGES! But…I’m SO happy with how this turned out xD It’s just such a cutie and angsty little something I mustered up for you xPThank you for the FABULOUS prompt choices! :D They REALLY set the entire plot and mood forward :’) I LOVE RAIN!
Ok, here it is for youuu, under the cut :D I hope you like it! <3
“Steve, I want to be with you.”
“…no”
“No?”
“No, Billy. Please don’t do this.” Steve’s voice begins to break.
“What do you mean? I-I don’t understand…” Billy raises an eyebrow, and Steve keeps walking swiftly…thunder rumbling behind them.
The boys had gone out to see Robin’s roller derby game that night, and it was Billy’s turn to drive them around in his car. After the game and dropping off Robin, Billy made way to Steve’s house. On the road, Billy’s Camaro began to feel funny under the steering wheel; his classic car unfortunately began to finally feel some pressure from usage. Tonight’s problem was something Billy wouldn’t be able to fix at the moment, so he phoned Max about the issue and mentioned that Steve would give him a lift home tonight. They were only a block or so away from Steve’s house, so Billy decided to be a gentleman and walk Steve home. That’s when Billy found the courage to confess his feelings for Steve, but it didn’t seem like he was taking the news so well.
Steve was silent, and Billy ever so worried. They had been hanging out a lot more often after Steve graduated from High School, and seeing Steve almost everyday was making Billy DESPERATE to let all those feelings out. Perhaps he was moving things too fast for Steve to process? What if he was scaring him?
“Please Steve, say something…”
“I-It’s complicated, Billy. I don’t know how to explain this to you…” A beat. “There are things you wouldn’t believe.”
“Try me.” Billy attempts a smug smile to lighten the mood, but Steve only felt more defeated.
“Just…don’t worry about it.” Steve crosses his arms in front of him to help with the sudden cold winds. They turn the corner and his house comes into sight.
“Don’t tell me your parents have a problem with you dating men.” In response, Billy puts his hands in his pockets. Maybe to radiate assertiveness, or maybe he was also cold.“It’s not because of that-”
“Steve, it’s alright…my dad is the same way, but I swear to you…if anybody in your family is hurting you because of that I will break their faces.” He tries to keep a brisk mood amongst the brooding clouds in the sky. Steve stops a little to look at Billy and he sighs.
“I just don’t want feelings to get hurt…okay?”
“Yours, or mine?” Billy gives him a playful punch to the elbow with a light chuckle.
“Billy, stop!”
“I’m just playing, Bambi.” He says disheartened. “I would never intend to hurt your feelings at all and-” Billy realises Steve’s eyes look watery and they both come to a stop. “Oh no….now you’re making me look like a liar. Stevie no! I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to make you cry!”
Loud thunder hushes Billy…and as if Steve were controlling the weather, it begins to rain as the first tear rolls down his cheek. Billy was mesmerised. The light droplets hit Steve’s face like mist on a vast meadow in the morning; his tears becoming part of the rainwater running down his face.
Billy looks glumly at Steve and begins to uselessly wipe his face with the sleeves of his hoodie. He brings his left hand down to hold Steve’s arm and leaves the other hand on his face, embracing it.
“Steve…look. If letting you go is the only choice I have, I will. Because I love you. Okay…I’m sorry about all this mess.” But Steve just shakes his head. He looks closely at Billy’s eyes and lashes. Those darn eyelashes that make Steve melt, were now making dreamlike shapes as they clumped together with the rain. The water droplets, like the purest of crystals, hung to his lashes, flickered under the moonlight and dropped from his eyes with every blink he took. Steve brought his left hand up to wrap around Billy’s wrist.
“B-but Billy…it’s raining and you can’t just leave like this…” he sniffles the whole way through and takes a few raspy breaths. Billy wants to kiss his wet lips so badly. The moonlight perfectly shining onto them and making his doe eyes gleam so beautifully; it just…
And then Billy was kissing Steve’s lips.
Time froze, but just as quickly as Billy had put his lips to Steve’s, the moment briefly ended; Steve pushes him back a little and his sneaker slips over the edge of the sidewalk. Billy hangs on to Steve’s arms in an attempt to break the fall by pulling up, and Steve falls on his bum with a small splash.
“Oh my gosh, sweetie, are you okay?” Billy asks softly, filled with worry.
“Billy!” Steve angrily takes his hands away from him. “I said no! Why did you have to fucking kiss me?” He curls on himself atop the sidewalk, grabbing his knees and burying his face in his arms. His sweatshirt completely soaked and heavy, clinging delicately to his skin.
“I’m sorry Steve…” He starts to sit next to Steve. “I couldn’t help myself, you’re just so endearing and I love you and I-”
“I don’t want you to love me!” He yells, muffled through his arms. “I want you safe…”
Billy looks down to the rainwater forming rivers down the street. He puts one leg down to make an obstacle for the stream with his combat boot “Wow, pretty boy…that’s a little harsh.”
Steve looks up and sniffles into his right sleeve. “Billy…I’m not trying to tell you who you can and can’t love! I’m just so scared…I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“Steve, please just tell me what you mean by that.” They look at each other. “I can tell that you like me back…so please just, help me understand.” Another beat. “Please?”
So Steve takes a few deep breaths, and Billy tells him to calm down and take his time. He offers Steve his hand, and Steve actually takes it, so Billy smiles warmly despite the cold rain.
Steve talks to Billy about one and many of his insecurities; how he sometimes feels doubtful about his future, or that people don’t think he’s a cool kid anymore…how he’s lost some friendships and is constantly paranoid of fucking up with his current friends and loosing them too. Billy rubs his back every now and again…Steve finally uncurling from his sitting position and taking another trembling breath before he talks about Barbara. He begins sobbing again as he tells Billy about this. Steve is very afraid that if Billy gets too close to him, his life could be in jeopardy because of Demogorgons and government casualties. Steve doesn’t tell Billy about the Upside Down…even though he really wants to. He only mentions how Barbara disappeared, and how he feels just as guilty as Nancy for not being around his pool when “that thing…that person?” took her away. It haunts him now and again…making him feel hesitant and afraid that it might happen again. What if this time it happens to someone he brings really close into his life? What if that someone is Billy? He doesn’t want to lose him. Not Billy. He wants to keep him close…even though he believes he shouldn’t do that.
“I’m sorry Steve…I had no idea you lost a friend in your own house.” He moves Steve’s wet hair from his face and kisses him on the forehead; rain dripping from both of their faces.
“I’m sorry Billy. I just really don’t want the same thing to happen to you!” he wipes his face with his wet, floppy sleeves. “I would really hate to lose you, Bill.”
“But Princess…no one’s going to take me.” Billy smiles, taking Steve’s face into his hands; the rain only a drizzle now. “I won’t allow it. I won’t let anything come near me or you, and no ones’ feelings will get hurt.” He then holds him in a tight, damp hug. “I promise.” And Steve smiles in the comfort. He hugs back and it makes him feel tender and bright, like how a home is supposed to feel. Steve just wants to stay enveloped in this hug forever.
“Thank you, Billy. Thank you for listening.” They begin to break the hug but Steve hesitates a little, and Billy takes his hands. “I’m also sorry for telling you all of this outside in the rain. Jeez…we’re going to catch a cold or something…”
“Don’t worry kitten. We were already soaked…what were a few more drops going to do?” Billy starts to get up.
Steve chuckles (mostly at the pet name) and holds onto Billy’s hands as he helps him get up. They walk towards Steve’s house, still enveloped in a side hug and giggling all the way inside.
Steve asks Billy if he wants to shower. He says sure, and Steve takes him to the guest bathroom, explaining every fancy handle from the shower and telling him where they keep the towels. He goes upstairs to the other bathroom so he may shower as well and to look for some clothes or whatever.
When he comes back downstairs, the smell of delicious coffee brewing hits him like a wave of soft petals. Finding Billy making the coffee wasn’t surprising; he’d been to his house before and knows how to operate his coffee machine…what slap Steve across the face is the fact that Billy was standing in the kitchen, waiting for the coffee to be ready in his fucking boxer briefs - towel around his hair.
“Oh my goodness, Billy. Why?” Steve jokingly shields his eyes.
“I have no clothes lying around in your house. What did you want me to do?”
“I told you I was going to leave a change of clothes for you on the side table of the hallway!” He takes his hands off his face and Billy is a mere inches from his face. He blushes madder red.
“Guess I couldn’t hear you over the shower…and my loud music, huh?” And then Billy brushes past Steve. His heart thumping against his chest hard and he just stays there breathing; his chest rising and falling deeply. He snaps out of it and walks into the kitchen to bring down a set of mugs, the sugar, half & half and some milk.
When Billy comes back he’s only wearing a fluffy green sweater and the dry boxer briefs Steve had lent him.
“That’s not the shirt I left out for you…” Steve says as he looks back to serve the coffee.
“It was too tight. I went up to your room for something more comfy.” He smiles confidently at Steve and sits in the high chairs of the kitchen bar table.
“Oh Billy…what am I going to do with you?” Steve says as he places the coffee mugs on the table.
“Become my boyfriend, duh.” He takes the coffee mug with a smirk and takes a sip.
Steve’s eyes are dazzling. He’s overjoyed and just smiles from ear to ear; shyly. Hiding his smile as he looks down to put some sugar and half & half in his coffee, as well as some milk onto Billy’s. All he manages to muster after his melting frenzy is “Ok!” and Billy shoots him a glowing wink back.
“D’you think I can spend the night instead of you driving me home, pretty boy?” Billy asks, blushing a little.
“Oh…sure thing, Bill. I would really like that.” Steve flushes as hot as his coffee mug, and he’s tired of hiding it. “Just make sure to phone Max about the new plan, okay?” His smile as sweet as his coffee.
Billy nods his head, “Sure thing, peaches.” and sips more milky coffee. “Hey, wanna go to the living room? Maybe there’s a cool movie on the telly.”
“Ok, Bills. Let me go get a blanket!”
After phoning Max, Billy takes the coffee mugs to the living room and Steve returns with the cosiest blanket he owns. As they sit on the couch, Steve catches a glimpse of the rain falling heavily again onto his pool. He shivers a little and Billy wraps him in a hug, kissing his shoulder.
“I’ll keep you and myself safe, Stevie. I promise.”
“Oh, Billy. I… I want to be happy with you. Now and in the future….” Steve faces Billy and hugs him back.
“I do too, sweetie. I really do.” And they both share a kiss before Billy gets up to close the blinds facing the pool. He sits back down and envelops them both in the blanket before Steve turns on the television.
They snuggle on the couch with their plaid blanket and watch the 1950s House of Wax movie for about the 5th time. Halfway through the movie, both boys fell asleep, a tangled mess of legs, a toasty blanket, cashmere & mohair sweater sleeves on one another, and messy hair in their faces. Good thing Steve’s parents were out of town for the weekend.