"What were you all doing in my car earlier anyways?" Billy asked as they walked outside. Max had said goodbye to all the kids and Dustin promised that he'd be stopping by the next day to give him something he needed, whatever that meant. Steve wasn't even sure the kid knew where he lived, but he wasn't going to worry about that now.

"Um-"

"I don't like people touching my car. In fact, I've given people a beatdown just for looking at it the wrong way."

"Right," Steve chuckled, trying to figure out if he'd made a terrible mistake. Maybe he should send Max back into the house. "So-"

"But I guess I'll let it slide this time. Since you're being so hospitable," Billy smirked, opening the driver's door and jerking his chin toward the passenger's side.

"You're so nice," Steve snorted, nodding for Max to go ahead and get in. He definitely wasn't squeezing into the back again. And if Billy tried anything crazy, he needed to be close enough to stop him.

"Which direction are we headed in?" Billy asked, slamming the car into reverse as soon as Steve closed his door.

"Left," Steve mumbled as he held on for dear life, pressing his lips together as the motion made him sick.

"To the nice part of town. Why did I even ask?" Billy snickered, flipping on the radio and putting it on full blast. Steve groaned and cradled his head in his hands as Billy vaulted down the road. Was it bad that Steve wanted the slightly depressed version of Billy back, instead of this cocky one? Not forever, just until they were no longer at his mercy.

"Steve, are you okay?" Max asked, leaning over the seat.

"Buckle up," Steve directed, waving her back. He didn't save her from falling into a pit of fire just for her to be launched through the windshield like a javelin.

"Throwing up in my car is not something I'd easily forgive," Billy warned, sending them over a bump in the road that bounced them a few inches off the ground.

"Then I'd suggest you stop driving like a maniac! I only have the one cop friend, so getting pulled over wouldn't be the best idea," Steve grunted, not mentioning the fact that something like that would probably go very badly for Billy at home.

"Do you ever have any fun, Harrington?" Billy groaned, thankfully slowing down to single digits above the speed limit. That was probably as good as it was going to get. Once upon a time, Steve probably would've acted up right alongside Billy. They wouldn't have truly been friends, since they would've been vying for the top spot in the school, but Steve wouldn't have blinked at some of his antics. Steve liked to think he'd matured beyond that now. And maybe Billy would be able to as well.

"I'm sure I'll be much more fun in the morning, after a good night's sleep," Steve muttered, pointing ahead on the road. "Turn right here. We're close."

"Ah yes, the houses are getting a lot bigger," Billy commented, raising his eyebrows at the manicured lawns. "You ever throw any parties?" Steve felt his stomach clench as he thought of Barb. That had been the last time he'd invited people to his house like that. He'd even had the pool emptied and covered, since he couldn't stand the sight of it. His parents hadn't even noticed it in the one time they'd been back since everything happened.

"No."

"Oh, come on! What's the point of having a giant house and absentee parents if you aren't going to take advantage of it?" Billy pressed, shaking his head. "This town is so lame. Back where I used to live, there was something going on every night. I barely spent any nights at home." Everyone might assume, rightfully, that Steve wasn't the smartest. But he could read between the lines on this one. Billy always used to have a place to escape to, when times got tough at home. It was probably a lot harder to do in a town like Hawkins, where everyone was in each other's business. Somehow monsters and government conspiracies were able to be kept quiet, but all the busybodies knew who was getting a divorce and whose kid had been busted for drinking behind the bleachers. They turned a blind eye to the important stuff though.

"That's me on the right," Steve said, guiding Billy into the driveway. He was going to have to figure out the best way to pick up his car tomorrow, but for now it was fine where it was. He probably wasn't at the point where he could ask Billy for a ride to it, even though he was welcoming the guy into his house.

"I bet this place has a name. Like Harrington Manor," Billy snickered as he climbed out of the car. Steve did the same on his side, pushing his seat forward so Max could get out as well. She'd been quiet the whole ride, which wasn't surprising. Steve really didn't know her and this was the first time he was around her without the buffer of the other kids.

"You alright?" Steve asked, looking her over. He remembered what it was like when he found out about all the craziness and it wasn't fun. And he didn't have all the other crap she was dealing with on top of it. Steve at least still had Nancy at that point. Not that he could really open up to her about how he was feeling. He didn't feel like he had the right to, after he was such an asshole and she was dealing with losing Barb. So Steve sucked it all up and tried to be there for Nancy, while shoving all of his feelings aside. He didn't want Max to feel like she had to do the same.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Max shot back, crossing her arms. Steve held up his hands in surrender, backing up a few steps before turning and walking toward his front door. He'd talk to her when things settled down.

Steve unlocked his front door and ushered them in, taking a moment to breathe a sigh of relief. It felt good to be home. Even if there was never anyone waiting for him and it occasionally felt like he would be lost in the open space, it was nice right now. Maybe he'd start thinking about inviting people over more often, to try to combat the loneliness.

"Make yourselves at home. We've got a guest room upstairs and I guess I can take my parents room if one of you wants my bed. Or the couch is comfortable if that's too weird," Steve offered, flipping on a few of the lights. The brightness hurt his eyes, but tripping and falling would hurt worse.

"Trying to get me in bed already? I didn't think you were the type to move so fast," Billy smirked, running his finger along one of the couches. Steve ignored him and turned to Max.

"I've got some clothes you can borrow to sleep in, if you want. And I can throw the stuff you're wearing now into the wash for tomorrow."

"Yeah, thanks," Max mumbled, staring down at her feet.

"What's up?"

"I need to call my mom to let her know where I'm at," Max said quietly, looking up at Billy before cutting her eyes away quickly.

"Yeah, sure," Steve replied, leading her to the phone in the kitchen. "Are you guys hungry? I can't tell if my stomach hurts because I'm hungry or nauseous."

"But what do I say?" Max asked.

"That you're at a sleepover? That's not really a lie," Steve shrugged, rummaging through the freezer. "I knew I had a frozen pizza."

"Alright," Max sighed, picking up the phone and dialing the number. Steve turned on the oven and opened up the pizza box, glancing over the instructions to give himself something to do. He'd been making these things for himself for over a decade, but he didn't want to stand there awkwardly while Max was on her call. Billy didn't seem like the type to make small talk. "Hey Mom."

For the first time, Billy was looking a little nervous. It was a bit jarring, since Steve was used to the cocky attitude. It just solidified Steve's assumption that things weren't the best at home for Billy. He'd told Nancy after Barb that his dad would come down hard on him if she called the police, but that wasn't exactly true. That's just what he told people. It was easy for people to understand strict parents over ones who didn't care at all.

"I'm sorry I was out so late without calling. I was just hanging out with my new friends. Is it okay if I spend the night?" Max asked, twirling the cord of the phone around her finger. She stiffened suddenly and turned toward him, staring with wide eyes. "You want to speak to a parent?"

"Give me the phone," Steve whispered, holding out his hand.

"What are you gonna do?" Max hissed, covering the mouthpiece so her mom couldn't hear what they were saying. Steve just kept his hand out, nodding at it until Max reluctantly handed him the phone. He cleared his throat and threw his shoulders back, easing into his role.

"Mrs. Hargrove? Grant Harrington here, how are you tonight?" Steve asked, lowering his voice a few octaves.

"I'm fine. And you can call me Susan. My daughter Max asked to spend the night?"

"I'm so sorry about not talking to you about this earlier, Susan. Max has just fit into the kids group so well it's easy to forget you all are new in town. I should've cleared this with you and that's my mistake."

"Well, I guess that's alright. We were just worried."

"Of course! A couple times a month I take the gang to a movie and dinner, then they spend the night. Then I send them back the next morning after breakfast. We've been doing it for years now."

"That's very nice of you. I'm not used to this sort of thing where we used to live."

"It's my pleasure. Gives the other parents a night off now and then, which we all could use," Steve chuckled, using that bland tone of voice adults always seemed to use when they were stuck talking to each other in public. "Your kids are welcome over anytime."

"Kids? Billy's there?" Susan asked, sounding surprised.

"He is. He showed up looking for his sister and I invited him to stick around. He's a great kid." Billy snorted, rolling his eyes. Steve flipped him off. "He and my son Steve have become fast friends."

"Really?"

"Oh yes. They have so much in common. Like basketball." And terrible parents. "They get along very well."

"That's great."

"It is," Steve agreed, just as his oven beeped to say that it was time to throw in the pizza. "So sorry, but I've got to grab my cookies before they burn. Don't worry, I won't let the kids have too many!"

"Well, tell Max that she can call if she needs anything."

"I will, Susan. It was great meeting you. Have a nice night," Steve said politely, waiting until Max's mom said her goodbye and hung up. He set the phone down then went back to what he'd been doing before, sliding the pizza into the hot oven. When he turned back around, both of his guests were staring at him. "What?"

"What was that? Why were you so good at that?" Max asked.

"I've been pretending to be my dad on the phone for years now. Whenever the school or someone else called but I couldn't let them know that I was always alone," Steve shrugged, smiling ruefully. "The puberty years were a challenge, let me tell you."

"And my mom didn't sound suspicious?"

"Of course not. Parents love me. Well, other people's parents, at least," Steve chuckled, before grimacing as his flippant statement registered. "Anyone thirsty? Help yourself to anything in the fridge. Be careful of the milk, since I haven't been able to get to the store in a few days and it might've turned. I'm gonna go freshen up the guest room and grab some clothes for you guys. Be back in a minute." Steve darted out of the room as fast as his wobbly legs could take him, wanting to escape before anyone could call him out on what he said. They probably wouldn't say anything, but he didn't want to give them a chance to either.

It wasn't like he hadn't said as much about his parents before, but those times had been to help. Throwing his sad story out there for no reason would just muddy the waters. This wasn't about him, it was about Billy and Max, who were currently alone in the kitchen together. With the knives. Steve picked up his pace, getting everything he needed done before Billy gave Max a reason to finish what she started with that bat.

He walked back into the kitchen a few minutes after he left, carrying a basket of clothes on his hip. There was no bloodshed, thank goodness. Max was sitting on a stool and Billy was leaning against the counter, looking annoyed at his surroundings, but not in the mood to do anything about it. Better than what it could've been.

"I've got some clothes here, if you want to go change into something more comfortable to sleep in. I know I'm planning on crashing after this pizza," Steve said, wishing he was already asleep. But he had to be a good host. Max nodded and hopped down, accepting the basket from him. "There's a bathroom up the stairs to the right that you can use." Max walked out of the room, leaving Billy and him alone together for the first time in a while. Maybe it was just his mind playing tricks on him, but it didn't seem as awkward as before. Perhaps they were turning a corner.

"Fast friends? And I'm a great kid?" Billy smirked.

"Shut up," Steve grumbled, checking the pizza. "It worked, didn't it?"

"You're just lucky it was Susan on the phone."

"Should I have said you weren't here? I don't know, it felt like the right thing to do. I didn't want to make things worse," Steve said worriedly, wringing a dish towel in his hands.

"Jesus, calm down, Harrington. You're stressing me out with all this mother-henning."

"I'm not doing that," Steve scoffed, pulling the finished pizza out of the oven. Billy walked over and reached out to grab it, but Steve smacked his hand away. "It's too hot! You'll burn yourself."

"See?"

"That doesn't prove anything. Anyone would've done the same," Steve defended.

"The fact that you're feeding us at all?"

"I don't know the last time Max ate."

"And that matters because? She's old enough to get her own food if she's hungry." Steve couldn't exactly say she hadn't had the time, after dealing with monsters all day.

"I'm just being a good host!" Steve exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. Screw Billy for teasing him for being polite. "Leave me alone while I cut this stupid pizza."

"Of course, Mrs. Harrington," Billy said mockingly, sitting down on one of the stools. Steve rolled his eyes, carefully cutting the hot pizza into slices. His stomach rumbled at the smell of it, but he should probably try to choke something down. It had been a while since he ate as well. Max came in just as he was finishing up, wearing one of his oversized shirts and pajama pants that hung over her feet.

"Dinner is served," Steve announced, plating a couple slices for each of them. He handed Max hers, but tossed Billy's plate on the counter in front of him. It was petty, but slightly satisfying. The step siblings ate in silence, staying on opposite sides of the counter from one another. Steve was in the middle, trying to hide how big of a mistake it was to try eating something like this. Plain toast would've been a better idea, instead of this greasy pizza, but he didn't want to call attention to just how shitty he was feeling. It was different when he joked about it, but he honestly wanted to curl up in a ball alone and pass out through the worst of it. As soon as he got through this meal, they could all go to bed. Steve could hold out for a little while longer.

"Steve, you don't look so good," Max commented warily, looking up at him from her seat. Steve tried to make a joke about being offended by her statement, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he knew he'd made a mistake. He darted over to the sink, making it just in time for his pizza to make a reappearance. Steve groaned as his stomach cramped and his head pounded. This was terrible.

"Shit," Steve moaned between gags. He felt his face heat up in embarrassment as tears of exertion rolled down his cheeks. The last thing he needed to do was cry in front of someone. And this wasn't exactly crying due to emotions, but it didn't make him feel much better. Steve felt a hand on his back and he leaned into it, accepting any comfort he could get. He was about to nod his thanks to Max for being so nice, when he saw that she was standing a bit away from him, holding some napkins and a glass of water. "Billy?"

"Just let it out. Like a hangover, right?" Billy grunted, patting him more gently than Steve thought he was capable of. He didn't know why that made him feel like crying even more.

"I'm sorry," Steve choked out, swiping his hair back as it tried to flop into his mess.

"Why are you apologizing?"

"I don't know."

"Then cut it out."

"Okay," Steve coughed, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. It felt like his stomach was finally finished rebelling against him, so he carefully pulled away from the sink. Max moved forward, offering the things she's gotten for him. Steve took it gratefully, swishing some of the water in his mouth and spitting it into the sink. He took a few sips, letting out a sigh of relief when it didn't come back up. "I'm okay." But he wasn't okay when he tried to step away from the support of the counter and his knees buckled. Once again he was falling into the arms of Billy Hargrove.

"This is getting ridiculous."

"Sorry."

"Next time I'm letting you fall."

"Fine."

"Maybe we should go to bed?" Max suggested.

"I like your idea," Steve agreed, gearing himself up for the trek up the stairs. He could make it, with the promise of being in his bed soon so enticing. The trip up felt insanely long, with each step harder than the last. About halfway through, Billy got frustrated and practically dragged him the rest of the way. Steve wasn't complaining. He pointed Max to her room for the night, telling her to yell for him if she needed anything. Billy dragged him to his room, dropping him roughly on his bed. It was amazing.

"I'm going to crash on the couch."

"Okay," Steve mumbled, barely able to lift his head up before Billy left the room. Billy could figure out this next part on his own. Steve could finally relax and get the rest he desperately needed. But when he closed his eyes, his brain kept whirring. He told Max that he would wash her stuff for her. And Billy didn't have any blankets or pillows.

Steve groaned as he forced himself back up into a seated position. He wasn't going to be able to fall asleep if he was worried about their comfort. Billy was right about his mother-henning. Steve crept out of his room, keeping one hand along the wall to help keep his balance. He gathered up the clothes Max left in the basket in the bathroom and grabbed a couple things from the hall closet for Billy. He would just take everything down, throw the stuff at Billy, then put the clothes in the wash. Then he would be done and this night could finally be over.

Steve miraculously made it down in one piece, dropping the stuff in the laundry room first. He should've asked Billy again if he wanted his things cleaned, but he didn't want to deal with a joke about trying to get him naked. Once that was done, he quietly walked toward the living room. He didn't know if Billy was already asleep, so he didn't want to wake him up.

But Billy wasn't asleep. In fact, he was wide awake with a bottle of his dad's bourbon clutched in his fist. Steve really should've just said screw the clothes and dealt with it in the morning. But he couldn't leave Billy like this. Not when he was dealing with so much. Steve knew what it was like to struggle alone and he couldn't stand by when someone else was doing the same. He was never going to get any sleep, was he?