Chapter II:
The Fourth of July
Billy
Due to a disagreement between the owner and contractor, Billy had not been back to the house in Samantha's neighborhood for nearly a week. Surprisingly, he had not run into Harrington in town either. Billy could not stop thinking about their last interaction. He felt a connection to Harrington. It started out as a competition, Billy had reigned supreme at his school back in San Francisco and "King" Steve had obviously been the top dog at Hawkins. The competition eventually progressed into an animosity that led to their fight. After the fight, Billy at first felt guilty and now he couldn't quite put his feelings about Harrington into words.
Billy never disliked Steve, even when he had been in a weird situation with Max and had initiated the fight. Billy could not blame Harrington for both because he had overreacted and started the hostility by bullying Lucas. As much as Billy hated to admit it, Harrington was a likable guy. He was good looking but seemed to not notice just how attractive he was. It was easy to see why Steve had been so popular. Billy could not determine how Harrington felt about him now, though he desperately hoped that Steve might grow to like him. Steve smiling and laughing the other day was a good sign that it could be possible for them to be friends.
However, Billy did not just want to be friends with Harrington. Back in San Francisco, it was not too out of the ordinary to be gay. Here and in his father's opinion, it was a death sentence. Luckily, he had kept his secret hidden from his father and from everyone in Hawkins, at least almost everyone. He had heard the rumors about himself and Carol, half of which were true. Billy didn't know why Tommy and Carol had broken up but one day he had seen Tommy slamming and punching his locker in the locker room.
Billy sat on the bench drying his hair with a towel and asked what was wrong. Tommy plopped down next to Billy and said that he and Carol broke up and then put his head in his hands. Billy attempted to comfort him by patting him on the back and telling him something similar to what he'd said to Harrington, "That blows, man. There are plenty of bitches in the sea though. You've been missing out, screwing the same chick for so long." Tommy looked up, "I don't think I'll ever be able to get over her."
"Sure you will. It will just take time," Billy had told him before placing a hand on Tommy's leg. He must have lingered a second too long because Tommy had suddenly jumped up, "What the fuck man? Are you gay or something?" Billy had stood and glared at him, trying to hide his racing pulse, "No, just trying to make you feel better." Tommy looked him over for a while before smirking, "No, you are totally queer. It makes sense." Billy had been seething with anger and punched Tommy in the nose before walking away.
Billy had acted without thinking when he saw Carol hanging out in the parking lot. "Hey beautiful, I heard you are single now. Do you wanna go out sometime?" She blushed, "I just got rid of a boyfriend so I'm not looking for another and aren't you and Tommy friends?" Billy flashed her a seductive grin, "I'm not looking for a girlfriend either, just a good time. And who cares what Tommy thinks." Her pale skin reddened and she smiled, "I'm free tonight. Pick me up at 8?" "See you tonight at 8 then."
Billy had picked Carol up from her house and they went straight to Lover's Lake. They made out for a while and then Carol gave him a sloppy yet effective blowjob. Billy made sure to brag about it in detail to the entire basketball team so that Tommy would eventually hear about it. Billy had assumed by Tommy's unusual quietness and seemingly bruised ego that he did know what happened between Billy and Carol. Hopefully it had changed Tommy's mind about Billy's sexual orientation. Billy had to keep up the charade by dating several other girls until the end of the school year.
Billy had known he was gay for a few years and in San Francisco he was not completely out of the closet but he was not in it either. However, San Francisco had a more supportive community for gay men. Of course, that did not mean everyone there was tolerant. His father was one example and there were several kids at school who were homophobic assholes. When Billy had told Max about the fight back in California, he had left out some important details.
The black "friend" had actually been someone Billy was sleeping with. His name was Charles and Billy had been seeing him in secret for a couple of weeks before the fight. One day, Billy and Charles had been whispering sweet nothings to each other in the hallway. A few of the blatant homophobes witnessed their intimacy and shoved them apart. They surrounded Charles and starting shouting racist and homophobic slurs at him.
Two of them had grabbed Charles and the other was about to start hitting him when Billy jumped in. He began fighting all three of them. He had knocked two of them unconscious and had slammed the third against the wall when two teachers intervened. The administration had refused to listen to his side of the story, telling Billy that it didn't matter and he would be expelled regardless of the situation. The school called his father and when they arrived home, Neil Hargrove dealt out a punishment of his own. God only knows what his father would have done if he'd known the entire truth.
After they had moved to Hawkins, Billy made sure his father witnessed him dating girls. At one point, his father and Susan had interrupted Billy getting to second base with a girl in the house. After sending the girl home, Neil dragged Billy to his room and smacked him across the face. "Don't ever bring another whore into this house you disrespectful little shit!" he had yelled before reminding Billy to pick up Max from the arcade. Following that incident, Billy figured he had gotten away with making his father believe he was straight.
When Max had been missing and his father had gotten violent, the worst of it was that his father had called him a "faggot". Billy feared that his father had found him out but had came to the conclusion that his father was being an asshole like usual and called him names to tear down his self-esteem. He continued dating girls to try to prevent any suggestion that he could be gay, not only to his father but also to Tommy and the rest of Hawkins High. However, there was one major problem: Steve Harrington.
Billy had immediately been attracted to Steve from the first moment he met him at that Halloween party. Their introduction was awkward, Harrington was obviously on bad terms with Tommy and too concerned with his drunken girlfriend. Billy couldn't help but laugh when he saw Harrington accidentally spill Nancy's drink on her. She was wasted and too stupid to listen to Steve, she deserved it. Billy didn't know what Steve had ever seen in her. For someone so smart, Nancy was an idiot. She'd have to be to let someone like Steve go.
At first, Billy had based his attraction to Harrington on his appearance alone. But it was apparent early on in his infatuation that there was something else that attracted him to Steve. Because Billy had his own secret, he could usually tell when someone else was hiding something. He did not know what Harrington was concealing but he knew that it was eating away at him just the same. Unlike Steve, Billy was good at burying his feelings, masking them with a smile and a big ego. Harrington wore his heart on sleeve, which Billy saw as a weakness but it also made him admire Steve.
Billy's infatuation with Harrington had begun to develop into something more after their fight. In the moment, Billy had been blind with rage. When he recalled Steve's determination to defend those kids, Billy realized that he liked more than just Harrington's looks. Steve attempted to disguise how much he cared but it was not hard to see the truth, even before the fight. Before and during the fight, Harrington really let his guard down. Though Steve had thrown the first punch, Billy could tell that he was holding back. It was as though Harrington was worried about hurting Billy.
In the moment, Billy had taken advantage of Steve's weakness and had beaten him senseless. Now, Billy found Harrington's weaknesses endearing along with everything else about him. Billy had admired Steve from afar during the remainder of the semester. The most contact he had with Harrington had been apologizing, which was not only difficult because he felt so terrible but also because he had a crush on Steve. Billy wished that it was possible for Harrington to feel the same but he had a feeling his infatuation would be unrequited.
Billy had noticed and heard from Max that Steve was interested in him. Billy shrugged it off as simply curiosity about the new asshole in town. Billy had been very good at reading gay vibes in San Francisco. Even there and even in the 1980's, mistaking those signals could cost you your life. Billy was uncertain if he was picking something from Steve or if it was just his own desire for Steve to be gay. He was head over heels for Nancy and Billy had heard about the numerous sexual conquests of "King" Steve. In fact, most of the girls Billy had gone out with had dated Harrington.
Billy would just have to silently suffer with his secret crush on Harrington or find someone to help him get over it. However, he was beginning to think that it would be impossible to do either. His desires and feelings towards Steve were so strong that he was unsure if he could contain them. Even he did manage to conceal his feelings, Billy doubted that he would ever get over Harrington. Besides, there was only one openly gay kid at Hawkins and he was definitely not Billy's type.
On July 1st, Billy decided to celebrate his birthday by getting a six-pack at the convenience store. A girl worked there who he always flirted with and she let him buy beer. He wished that he could afford something stronger though. He was just about to walk through the door when he nearly ran right into Harrington. Steve nearly jumped out of his skin at the sight of Billy. "Harrington you look like you've seen a ghost." He was paler than usual and had deep dark hollows under his eyes.
Harrington stared into Billy's eyes with that familiar look of contempt. Suddenly something in Steve's eyes changed, Billy thought it was a look of fear. Without warning, Harrington shoved Billy. "Fuck you. How insecure do you have to be to constantly pick on everyone? Do you ever shut the fuck up?" Steve shoved him again. Billy was unsure of the situation but started laughing, "Are you on your period Harrington? You are much more moody than usual." Steve grabbed Billy by his t-shirt, "You think you are hilarious, don't you?"
Steve let go of his shirt and took a step back before smacking Billy. He smacked him again on his other cheek, "Still laughing?" Billy wasn't laughing but he was grinning at Harrington. This was ridiculous. Steve smacked Billy again but much harder, "Is this funny?" He hit him again, harder, "Why don't you hit back?" Billy was still grinning but started to get quite irritated, he couldn't figure out what Steve was playing at. Harrington then punched Billy square in the jaw. Billy didn't want to do it but enough was enough so he threw a punch back, knocking Steve to the ground. "You just cannot get it through that thick skull of yours, Harrington. Plant. Your. Feet," Billy quipped as he walked into the store.
Steve
Billy's words were still ringing in Steve's ears. What was wrong with him? When he bumped into Billy, he had been thinking about him, wondering what he was doing. That was what had startled him so much. Billy had made a comment, asking if he'd seen a ghost. Steve hadn't slept for days, he'd been lying awake in bed thinking about Billy and hating himself. When Billy made that comment, Steve thought about how correct Billy's statement had been. Billy was haunting him in his thoughts and dreams. Steve had suddenly got angry, more with himself, but he was angry with Billy too.
Billy loved being an asshole and was always wearing that stupid grin. Steve couldn't take it anymore so he had shoved Billy. Then Steve had thought that perhaps if Billy beat him senseless again, he would hate Billy. He tried smacking him at first but he just smiled. Finally, Steve punched Billy and he responded. However, he did not respond exactly how Steve had wanted. Billy punched him, not very hard, but it was enough to knock him off his feet. Instead of beating him to a pulp, Billy had simply walked away but not before telling him for the third time to plant his feet. Steve should really take that advice.
A few days later on July 4th, Steve was over at Samantha's listening to music and feeling terrible about himself when the doorbell rang. Samantha returned upstairs from answering the door with Jonathon and Nancy in tow. "What are you two doing here?" Steve questioned them. "Looking for you," Nancy cheerily answered. "Why?" Steve already assumed he wouldn't like her response. "Well…" Nancy looked at Jonathan and back to Steve, "In case you forgot, it is the 4th of July and if you haven't heard there is going to be a huge party at Laurie's lake house. I think we should all go, it will be fun."
Steve laughed, "I'm pretty sure everyone in this room hates parties, so can you explain how we are going to have fun?" Nancy rolled her eyes, "Oh, this coming from King Steve, party animal? The irony." Her words stung a little and Steve had to bite his tongue, though he wanted to ask her why her opinion of partying being bullshit had changed. He knew the answer to that question anyway – Jonathon. Nancy had noticed Steve's reaction and changed her tone, "Please? I think we could all use a night out." Steve sighed and gave in, "Okay." If he was being honest, he really did need a night out.
Steve went home and showered, Jonathon was picking everyone up in a few hours. He was looking through his closet when he had a sudden thought – what if Billy is there? Steve didn't know why he didn't think about it before. After running every possible situation and outcome through his mind, he decided that the best option would be to stay home. There was a chance that Billy wouldn't be there but Steve didn't want to take that chance. He pulled on a pair of basketball shorts and sat on his bed.
He had almost forgotten that Jonathon was supposed to pick him up when the door rang. "Shit," he said in dismay. He thought that he could perhaps ignore the doorbell and they'd go without him. It was silent for a couple minutes but then someone started ringing the door repeatedly – Nancy. Sighing, he stood up and made his way downstairs. He opened the door, "Oh hi Nance, I didn't know anyone was here. You should have rung the doorbell a hundred times." She rolled her eyes at his sarcastic remark before looking him over, "I hope you are not wearing that. I figured you were going to try to get out of going but that's not happening." She pushed her way past him and walked into the house.
Nancy looked around the empty house, "You know, I'm surprised you haven't hosted any parties this summer." Steve's parents had been traveling around Europe the entire summer. "I haven't had a party here since…" he trailed off, knowing that Nancy would remember. He could tell by the look in her eyes that she knew, "Oh, right." He immediately changed the subject, knowing that the current topic caused Nancy a great deal of pain. "I think I should probably go change. I'll be back in a minute," Steve said, as he made his way upstairs.
He hastily looked through his dresser for something to wear. Steve did not want to show up wearing the typical patriotic attire, though at one time that would have been his go-to. He thought about pulling a Samantha, wearing all black. Finally, Steve settled on a plain white polo and a pair of jeans. Maybe if he didn't stand out, Billy wouldn't even know he was there. At least that's what he hoped would happen.
Nancy was still waiting downstairs and smiled as she asked him, "Ready?" Steve nodded and grabbed his keys before following Nancy out the door. Jonathon was waiting out in his car. Though they tolerated each other, Steve couldn't exactly say that he and Jonathon were friends. Jonathon did not look too happy as Steve and Nancy approached the car, "What took so long?" Steve thought about taking the opportunity to tease him but thought otherwise, Jonathon had a temper. Nancy answered instead, "Steve was trying to get out of going with us."
They picked up Samantha and as Steve had predicted, she was wearing all black. As she slid into the back seat next to him, he joked, "You know we are going to a party and not a funeral, right?" "What? I had no idea," she feigned bewilderment. No matter the weather or the occasion, Samantha always wore black. Steve looked around the car, "Nancy, you are the only one of us wearing anything remotely patriotic." She was wearing a red and white striped shirt with denim shorts. Jonathon had on a grey shirt, dark jeans, and his black leather jacket he was always wearing. Surely he was sweating.
As they pulled up to the party, Steve could feel his heart pounding. He really hoped Billy would not be at the party. For the first hour or so, luckily there was no sign of him. Steve was not sure how much alcohol he had consumed but he was starting to feel the effects. He was becoming much more relaxed and was even dancing. If Steve was dancing, especially by himself, he was definitely drunk. He was laughing and having a good time when someone tapped him on the shoulder. It was Billy.
His words were caught in his throat and Steve did not know how to react. Billy spoke first, "Harrington, can I talk to you for a minute?" Steve could barely hear him over the music. He knew what Billy wanted to discuss and though he dreaded the conversation, Steve couldn't help himself. "Okay, but it's too loud. Can we go outside or something?" Steve yelled over the music. It was loud but Steve was also concerned with Samantha, Nancy, or Jonathon hearing the conversation. Steve didn't want them to know because he was embarrassed about picking a fight for no reason with Billy.
"Sure," Billy agreed but before they could head outside, the music was turned off and an announcement was made. "Hey everyone! We are going to set off the fireworks in five minutes so get your asses outside!" Steve was about to head out with the rest of the crowd when Billy grabbed his arm, "Let's go upstairs instead." "Don't you want to see the fireworks?" Steve inquired. "Nah, that's okay. Once you've seen one firework, you've pretty much seen them all. Right?" Steve nodded in agreement and headed upstairs with Billy.
Billy knocked on one of the bedrooms before entering the empty room. Steve walked in and then Billy closed the door behind him, which made Steve a little nervous. He cleared his throat before asking, "So what did you want to talk about?" Billy glared at him and raised an eyebrow, "Seriously? Surely you are not that stupid." Steve looked at the ground, not bearing to look Billy in the eyes. "I assume you want to discuss our run in the other day." Billy scoffed, "Yeah, you think? What was that all about?"
Steve sat down on the bed and tried to gather his thoughts, which was even more difficult in his drunken state. He could still feel the traces of Billy's touch on his arm when he had grabbed Steve earlier. "I'm sorry about being such a dick. It really wasn't about you, I was having a bad day," Steve attempted to bluff his way through the conversation. Billy sat down next to him, "It was my birthday so I could probably say I was having a worse day than you. First you start a fight and now you are lying to me. I'm a good liar, great actually, and I can easily tell when someone else is being dishonest. Tell me the truth Harrington."
Steve's throat became dry and he could feel himself starting to sweat. Billy must have noticed how much distress he was in; he put a hand on Steve's shoulder. "I know we aren't anywhere close to being friends and we've both been complete assholes to each other but Harrington…" He squeezed Steve's shoulder and looked away, "… Steve, you seem like a really great guy and I would like us to be friends. I know you may not want anything to do with me but I just want you to know, you can talk to me. What's wrong?"
He could not believe what Billy was saying; he'd never in a million years think that Billy would want to be friends with him. Steve could tell that Billy was being sincere and seeing Billy show concern at all, let alone for him, caused Steve to get emotional. He couldn't contain it any longer and tears began to fall. He tried to turn away but Billy still had his hand on Steve's shoulder and pulled Steve into a hug. "It will be okay," Billy said to comfort him. Steve looked up into Billy's blue eyes and he smiled, not that horrible menacing grin but a sweet and soft smile.
Steve could not stop himself; he impulsively kissed Billy on the lips. He quickly pulled away but to his astonishment, Billy grabbed Steve by the back of the neck and kissed him back. Steve ran his hand over Billy's chest as Billy grabbed onto his hair. The kiss seemed to last forever until there was a sudden BOOM from the fireworks. Steve quickly jumped up in a panic. Billy stood slowly and put a hand out, as if he was calming a wild animal. "That shouldn't have happened. It didn't mean anything. I'm just really really drunk. I'm sure you are too. I should go find my friends. Sorry," Steve blurted as quickly as he could before running out of the room.
What the fuck? Steve asked himself as he made his way to the lakefront. What the fuck did I do? What is wrong with me? Terrible thoughts ran through his mind, he feared that Billy would tell everyone. He could just imagine what people would say and do to him if people found out that he had kissed a guy, and not just any guy but Billy fucking Hargrove. It was a great kiss though and Billy had kissed him back. Perhaps that meant that he wouldn't tell anyone. Steve cringed at what Billy might think of him now. He took some deep calming breaths as he saw Nancy, Jonathon, and Samantha.
He wanted to leave, run home and hide, but he was nearly 10 miles from his house. Also he didn't want to ask Jonathon to take him home, which would only prompt questions that Steve didn't want to answer. He instead stood silently next to the others and watched the fireworks. He could still feel his pulse racing and he jumped every time a firework went off. The fireworks didn't last much longer and everyone started to head back inside. Steve lingered and Nancy noticed, she said something to Jonathon and he and Samantha followed the crowd.
She waited until they were nearly alone before asking, "Are you okay Steve? What happened with Billy?" He sighed as he ran his hand through his hair, avoiding Nancy's gaze. "I don't really want to talk about it Nance," Steve told her. He tried to walk past her but she grabbed his arm. "Steve, come on. We used to talk." Steve pulled his arm out of her grasp, "Yeah 'used to', past tense. You have Jonathon to talk to now. Leave me alone." He left her standing speechless as he walked towards the house. Though he was terrified of seeing Billy in the house, he couldn't handle anymore of Nancy's questions.
Inside, Steve downed beer after beer. Nancy kept giving him concerned glances but kept her mouth shut. He didn't see Billy for a while and figured he might have left. Steve began to get extremely drunk. He was slurring his words and unstable on his feet. He asked Jonathon, "Do I… do I look as drunk as I feel." Jonathon laughed, "Definitely, but that's okay." "Well damn." Someone was passing around a joint and he took a few hits. Soon, Steve was sitting on the couch feeling great. Then he saw Billy across the room.
Billy
While everyone was out watching the fireworks over Lake Jordan, including Steve, Billy grabbed a bottle of scotch from the liquor cabinet and headed out to his car. He was still in disbelief that Steve had kissed him. He smiled at the thought and had butterflies in his stomach. The feeling dissipated when Billy remembered how Steve had reacted afterwards. Billy hoped that he was just scared and didn't mean what he had said, because it sure as hell didn't feel like nothing.
When Steve had kissed him, Billy had been in shock. By the time he was aware that was going on, Steve had pulled away. Without thinking and desiring more, Billy had grabbed Steve and kissed him back. His lips were so soft and inviting. When Steve had put his hand on Billy's chest, his body had tingled all over. Thinking about it again nearly made Billy hard. He took a swig of the scotch before letting out a long sigh. He knew that it was impossible for him and Steve to be together, even if Steve wanted it. Hawkins was a dangerous place if you were gay.
Billy took another swig of the alcohol but decided against drinking anymore, he needed to have a straight head if he was going back in to the party. Even if he couldn't talk to Steve, he wanted to be near him. After sitting and thinking for a while, Billy left his car and went back inside. He immediately spotted Steve. He was sitting on a couch, between Samantha and Jonathon, who had Nancy on his lap. Suddenly, Steve met Billy's gaze. Billy quickly looked down but when he looked back up, Steve was still staring at him. Billy smiled shyly, not knowing what Steve was thinking yet amused that Steve was looking at him.
Steve didn't return the smile but continued to watch Billy. He was unsure how Steve would react, but Billy started to make his way towards Steve. He approached slowly but Steve looked alarmed and attempted to stand up. He fell back on the couch, his intoxicated state making him lose his balance. Jonathon tried to help him up but Steve pulled away and fell backwards over the coffee table. Some people laughed and Steve's friends tried to help him up. Billy quickly made his way over to see if he was all right.
"I'm fine, leave me alone!" Steve angrily shouted at his friends. "Steve…" Nancy began but stopped short of what she was going to say when Steve gave her a pointed glare. He tried to get up by himself but fell again. "I think we should probably get you home," Samantha told him. Nancy had finally took notice of Billy and crossed her arms, it appeared she believed that Billy was the cause of all this. And she is probably right, Billy thought to himself. "No, I don't want to go home! You guys are having a good time, I don't wanna spoil it. Can you help me Samantha?" Steve surely knew that Billy was there but was doing a good job of ignoring him, regardless of his blood alcohol level.
Samantha helped Steve to his feet but he sat back down on the couch. "What if I took you home and came back?" Jonathon suggested. "No, you… you should stay with Nance." Billy chimed in, "I could take him home." All four of them looked at Billy, with Samantha and Jonathon just now realizing he'd been standing there. Nancy narrowed her eyes, "Why? So you can try to kill him again?" "That was a simple misunderstanding. I just want to help." Nancy scoffed, "A misunderstanding? What about tonight?" Billy was about to come up with an answer when Steve announced, "I don't feel good. I think I'm going to be sick."
Jonathon quickly grabbed a nearby trash bin and put it in front of Steve. A few seconds later, he vomited into the bin. Nancy looked from the sick Steve to Billy and then to Jonathon before asking Billy, "You'll take him straight home?" Billy quickly nodded in response. "Jonathon, is it? Could you help me get him out to my car? And one of you girls grab the trash can, if he pukes in my car I will kill him." Steve popped his head up and weakly laughed.
Jonathon and Billy flanked Steve's sides, with his arms braced on their shoulders as they made their way out to the car. Samantha had a hold of the trash bin containing Steve's vomit. They sat Steve in the passenger seat with the bin in his lap. "Are you sure you can manage him by yourself?" Jonathon asked Billy. "Yeah I can manage. Where does he live?" Jonathon gave him directions before thanking him. When Samantha went back inside he added, "Not that I care, but for Nancy's sake, if anything happens to him you will pay for it. Okay?" Billy was now absolutely convinced Jonathon was a major douchebag, "Yeah okay." Billy got in the car and drove off.
Steve was still hunched over the trashcan but wasn't puking, "Are you doing okay over there?" Steve laughed bitterly, "I'm fantastic." They did speak for the remainder of the car ride. When they pulled up to Steve's house, Billy asked for the keys. After not getting a coherent answer, Billy hopped out of the car and made his way over to the passenger side, opened the door, and searched Steve's pockets. "Hey, hey man! Wha-what do you think you're doing?" "Relax, I'm just looking for your keys. I'm not trying to blow you." Steve stared at Billy with his mouth agape, causing Billy to burst into a fit of laughter.
Finally finding his keys, Billy unlocked and opened the front door before returning to the car to fetch Steve. He grabbed Steve with one arm and used the other to protect Steve's head from hitting the car. Slowly and carefully, Billy led Steve into his house. He helped him onto the couch in the living room; he didn't dare try to get him up the stairs on his own. Billy put Steve's feet up for him and then pulled the blanket that was on the back of the couch over him. Steve eyes were unfocused but he looked at Billy, "Thank you." In a few moments, he was sound asleep.
Billy was afraid to leave him alone, not being sure how much alcohol Steve had consumed. Billy watched Steve sleep for several hours before succumbing to exhaustion himself. He awoke at dawn with the morning sunlight blinding him. He quickly checked on Steve and made sure he was still breathing before getting up to get a glass of water and some aspirin. Billy placed them on the table closest to Steve and then went to find a bathroom. He was unzipping his pants when Steve burst in. "Look out," he barely got out before diving for the toilet. He started to throw up, prompting Billy to kneel down next to him before holding Steve's hair out of his face and rubbing his back with his free hand.
Steve threw up for several minutes. Finally he lifted his head, "Thanks, but I'll be okay. You can leave if you want." "What if I don't want to leave?" Steve looked into Billy's eyes for a long time before answering, "I'd want you to stay." Billy smiled, "You think you will get sick again?" "Maybe, why?" Billy looked him over, "You should probably take a shower." He had vomit on his shirt and his hair was plastered with sweat. "Yeah, I need one. Can you help me up?" Steve reached his hand out and Billy grabbed it, helping him to his feet. He turned the shower on and tried to remove his shirt unsuccessfully. "Here, let me…" Billy assisted him in pulling off the soiled shirt.
Billy had seen Steve shirtless many times but not in such an intimate setting. He longed to touch him but resisted the urge, "Can you manage your pants by yourself?" Steve nodded and took off his pants, leaving him in his underwear. Billy stood motionless, staring. Steve looked into Billy's eyes as he pulled off his briefs. Billy made an effort to not break eye contact with him, though he wanted to allow his gaze to travel downwards. Steve turned away and entered the shower, giving Billy a quick glimpse of his ass. Though he would have liked nothing more than to shower with Steve, Billy thought against it and gave Steve his privacy.
He looked around the house for another bathroom; he still had to take a piss. He found one upstairs in the hallway. After using the bathroom, Billy could still hear Steve in the shower so he went to explore the room adjacent to the bathroom. He immediately knew that it was Steve's room. Billy looked around for a bit and nearly crawled into Steve's bed but was concerned that the shower was still running. He went back downstairs and knocked on the door, "Hey princess, are you okay in there?" There wasn't a response so Billy shouted, "Steve! Don't make me come in there!" He finally answered, "Yeah, I'm fine I'll be out in a minute!" A few moments later, Steve emerged from the steam-filled bathroom.
Steve had a towel around his waist with both his hands in front of him. He looked like he was trying to hide something but was unsuccessful. Billy couldn't help himself and smiled, "Now I see what was taking you so long." Steve blushed from the chest up. "Looks like you didn't quite finish," Billy cautiously reached towards Steve's hands and the towel. Steve turned to the side but Billy stepped towards him and whispered in his ear, "Show me." Steve looked apprehensive but slowly moved back towards Billy and released the towel. Billy looked down at Steve's hard cock for a moment. He then looked up at Steve who was bright red and avoiding meeting his eyes.