Breakfast was a subdued affair. None of them knew what to say after everything that had gone down. Casual conversation seemed too casual and Steve wanted to save the more serious stuff for when Max wasn't in the room. He served them toast and random cereal, since that was all he had. Steve never kept much food at home, unless he knew that Nancy was coming over. It was easier to go out and grab something. And somehow, eating in his car felt a lot less lonely.

Steve sent Max upstairs to shower and change back into her now clean and dried clothes after they were finished. This was the chance he'd been waiting for, but now that he had it, he didn't know what to say. Talking to Billy was sort of like walking across a minefield. He hoped they were past Billy lashing out physically, but he couldn't be sure.

"So, um-"

"Here we go," Billy interrupted, leaning against the counter with an annoyed look on his face. "I could tell you were just itching to say something."

"No. I mean, kind of. But-"

"Just come out with it then."

"Are you gonna let me say it or are you gonna keep interrupting me?"

"Go ahead," Billy said with a wave of his hand.

"I-"

"Don't let me stop you."

"Really?"

"This is too easy."

"I want us to be friends!" Steve exclaimed, before Billy could say anything else. Although now he was questioning his decision.

"You don't want to be friends with me, Harrington. I'm not a good person to be friends with," Billy smirked.

"Well, how would we know if we don't try?"

"Don't bother."

"Billy-"

"I'm serious. Don't bother," Billy said again, staring at him with a tired look on his face. "Look, I get what you're trying to do here, but you shouldn't waste your time. People have a habit of giving up on me, so why don't we skip all the bullshit? I'm doing you a favor."

"But-"

"But nothing. You don't become friends with the guy who smashed your face in."

"That's not true. Jonathan and I had a bit of a go and we're friends now," Steve argued. That might've been stretching it.

"You're friends with the guy who's sniffing around your girl?" Billy questioned with a raised eyebrow. "No wonder you don't have enough sense to cut your losses with me."

"Whatever," Steve grunted, crossing his arms.

"There it is. Told you I wasn't worth it." Steve was just about to argue with Billy some more, but Max walked back into the room. He didn't want to ruin any chances they had building their sibling relationship while Billy was so hell-bent on tanking their possible friendship. Steve could understand that it was easier to reject than be rejected, but he still wished that Billy would be more open to him. If Steve was putting in this much effort after everything they'd been through, it should've been clear that he was serious.

Billy and Max grabbed the few things they came with and headed out, taking Steve with them after Max insisted that taking him back to where his car was parked was the least they could do. Steve appreciated it, even though he got squished into the backseat again. He was going to have nightmares about waking up back there, although at least Max wasn't driving this time. Billy's driving wasn't much better, but at least Steve didn't feel like he was going to be sick with every bump and turn.

No one really talked besides Steve giving Billy directions on where to go. It felt like forever since he was out there with Dustin, laying out a trail for a monster. He should've refused and called a real adult, but at least it all had worked out for them. Telling Hopper about the fire they set in the tunnels was not going to be a fun conversation, but the town hadn't burned down with it, so it wasn't too big of a deal. The night was generally a win for most of them, so he wanted to keep the trend going. And Billy may not have been involved with the supernatural stuff, but he wanted him to get a win too.

"The princess has officially been escorted to her chariot," Billy quipped as he pulled alongside Steve's car. Why was he trying so hard for this guy again? Steve had to keep reminding himself that Billy's attitude had been bred from survival and there was still a chance for redemption, but it was hard. Billy was probably going to do whatever he could to push him away, but Steve could be stubborn when he wanted to be.

"Thanks, I guess," Steve huffed, squeezing himself out of the passenger's side of the car after Max had gotten out and folded her seat down. Billy's car might look cool, but at least Steve's had four doors.

"Thanks for, you know," Max mumbled, scuffing her toe into the dirt.

"Don't mention it," Steve waved off. Someone actually appreciating him for something he did that mattered felt weird. It was usually something dumb, like making a basket or having rich parents. He didn't want to get used to it, in case it was a temporary thing. "Radio me if you need anything, I guess."

"Yeah, I'm sure I'll do that," Max laughed, rolling her eyes. She really didn't seem like the type to ask for help, but Steve still had to offer. Sometimes it was the people who acted like they had it all figured out that needed a boost, even though they were loath to admit it. Steve could relate.

"Right," Steve chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. Max's eyes flicked to the other side of the car, where Billy was, but his view of them was mostly blocked. She pulled something out of her pocket and shoved it into Steve's chest, barely giving him a chance to grab it before she ducked back into the car and closed the door. Billy took off immediately as Steve looked down to see what he'd been given. It was a slip of paper with a phone number and address on it.

Steve drove home with a single goal in mind: get some good sleep. He'd done all he could for everyone and now it was time to take care of himself. The thought of crawling into his bed and sleeping for the next twelve hours almost made him drool in anticipation. After some appropriate rest, it would be much easier to figure out the next steps to take when it came to Billy. The solution was probably super easy for someone who wasn't dealing with a head injury and exhaustion. So Steve would get his sleep, then come up with a plan.

But after tossing and turning for twenty minutes, Steve was still awake. His body was bone tired, but his mind wouldn't stop whirring. What if Billy took his self sabotage too far and undid all the progress he'd made since last night? What if Billy was sitting in his room, convincing himself that Steve really was going to give up on him and lost any spark of hope he had left? What if Steve was coming up with ridiculous scenarios in his head and driving himself crazy?

Steve pressed a pillow into his face and yelled. Why was he like this right now? Why couldn't his brain let his body get the rest it so desperately deserved? Maybe it would've been easier, if Max hadn't given him their address. Now he didn't even have the excuse that he didn't know where Billy lived, so he couldn't do anything. Steve knew exactly where they were now and he was aching to be there too.

It would've been easier if Steve had a crush on the guy, so it would explain why his mind couldn't stray far from Billy. But he definitely didn't. And he wasn't even the type of guy Steve would hang out with. Tommy was a bully in that posturing sort of way. Billy would be considered a bully too, but he was a lot more intense. And even if Billy matured out of the bullying, Steve was pretty sure the intensity would stay.

Steve kind of felt like he was at a point in his life where he needed something more down to earth. Maybe that was why he'd fallen for Nancy. She was soft and normal. Of course she had a fire that came out when necessary, especially when monsters were around, but she was typically calm. Billy was the opposite, with more fire than calm.

Would Steve's influence on Billy be stronger than Billy's influence on him? Would Steve fall back into old habits if he hung around Billy too much? He'd pointedly kept himself away from his old friends partially because he didn't trust himself around them. It would be so easy to fall back into old habits, especially now that he didn't have Nancy. He genuinely didn't like them, but sometimes anyone was better than being alone.

So why would he ever think that leaving Billy alone was an option? Billy had Max, but it wasn't the same. And who was to say that they would have an easy go of it, if they truly tried to make their relationship work? Maybe they needed him just as much as Steve needed them.

Steve made up his mind, rolling out of bed and marching to the bathroom. He could sleep any other time. This was more important. He scrubbed all the tunnel muck and dried blood off his body, feeling a lot fresher after the fact. The shower probably would've helped last night, but knowing him, he would've fallen and Billy would've had to pick up his naked body. That was a step way further than just catching him.

Steve breezed through his hair routine, fluffing it up just so. Then he put on his best "respectable young man" outfit that was pretty good at winning over parents. Mrs. Wheeler always cooed over his smooth collars and smart jackets. The last step was in his mother's vanity.

One of the rare times his parents had been back recently was after his fight with Jonathan. The bruises were still visible on his face and when his mom saw him, he had the fleeting hope that she'd show him concern. When she gasped and covered her mouth with her hand, his heart had fluttered a bit, thinking he was going to be shown at least a scrap of affection. But his hopes had been quickly dashed.

He'd found out that they were only home to take an updated family picture. Not because they cared about the family, but so his dad could have something to show clients. People trusted a family man. And having a son with bruises just wouldn't do. So she'd taken him into her bedroom and carefully applied concealer to his face, covering up any evidence of imperfections. Steve was ashamed to admit that he'd sort of enjoyed the moment, since neither of his parents had bothered to touch him in ages. Even his mom tipping his chin this way and that felt like a reward.

But that didn't matter right now. The point was, he knew how to cover up his mangled face, so he got to work. Luckily a lot of the swelling had gone down, since there wouldn't be a way to hide that. Steve didn't want to show up at the Hargrove house and look like a person who got into trouble. He wanted to make a good impression on Max's mom, so she would trust her daughter around him. Steve didn't have hopes that he could do anything well in front of Billy's dad, but avoiding any negatives was key.

When he was finally finished, he gave himself a once over. He compared himself to his parents' standards and was satisfied by what he saw. Not quite ready for a corporate luncheon, but good enough to meet a friend's parents. Steve swallowed down a few more painkillers and grabbed a jacket on his way out the door, ignoring all of his aches and pains. Powering through was what he did.

The drive to Billy's house didn't take long, thanks to the size of Hawkins. It was a typical neighborhood, which kind of surprised Steve. It wasn't like there was going to be a sign pointed at his front door saying something bad was going on inside. Steve wished there would've been, so it would've been harder for abusers to hide what they did. But Steve knew the truth, so that had to be enough for now.

He parked next to the curb and gave himself another check in the mirror, blending a smudge of concealer into his skin. Steve hoped the makeup wasn't too obvious, but it was better than the alternative. No one should be looking that closely at his skin either way, but if he had to, he'd claim he was hiding acne or something. He grabbed his jacket and walked up to the front door, plastering a friendly smile on along the way. This was the part he knew how to do. He knew how to be charming and draw people in. Steve knocked on the door and waited.

"Harrington?" Billy said in surprise as soon as he opened the door. "What are you doing here?" Steve could see Max and who he assumed was her mom standing further in the house, watching the front door curiously. Steve tipped forward, talking low enough that only Billy could hear him.

"This is me not giving up."