The week had been quiet. Too quiet, in Steve's opinion. That's how it always was after the monster stuff ended. It was so abrupt that Steve couldn't help but feel on edge for a while after. He'd been mostly distracted this time, dealing with Billy and Max and all that, but now there was calm. Steve was waiting for the storm. He was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

It wasn't like he hadn't seen either of them since that night. Steve had seen them every day. They just didn't talk about it. No matter how many times Steve tried to broach the subject with Billy, he wouldn't say a word. He hadn't been as direct with Max, since it didn't seem right to push someone so young. And both of them had seemed happy enough to not acknowledge anything. But that could only last for so long.

Steve was grabbing his jacket to go meet Billy and Max when his phone started ringing. He groaned as he trotted to answer it, since he didn't want to deal with whoever was on the other line. It was usually Hopper or someone else from the station wanting him to come down to answer more questions. It had taken hours to recount everything that had been happening the last few weeks the first time and the follow up questions were annoying. Steve appreciated that Hopper wanted all the information he could get to send Neil away for a long time, but he hated talking about it. Obviously it was worse for Billy and Max, but it affected Steve too.

"Yeah?" Steve said into the phone.

"Hey Steve."

"Max? What's wrong? I was just on my way over," Steve asked quickly, feeling dread immediately pool in his stomach. Max didn't call him. And he didn't want to think about when she radioed. Steve still couldn't stand to look at the thing.

"It's Billy."

"What happened?" Steve whispered. He imagined Neil getting out of jail and attacking them. Max's voice didn't really sound like something that bad had happened, but Steve couldn't keep his brain from going to the worst case scenario.

"My mom kicked him out."

"What! Why?" Steve shouted incredulously, before gritting his teeth. "Sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you."

"I didn't hear what they said and they wouldn't tell me. Billy took off right after and I don't know where he went."

"Shit," Steve muttered, running his hand through his hair. Billy obviously hadn't come to his house, so he could be pretty much anywhere.

"Can you look for him?"

"Yeah, of course," Steve agreed. He'd stay out all day and night if he had to. "I'll take my radio with me. If he comes back, let me know. And I'll do the same if I find him."

"Thanks Steve." He could hear the relief in her voice. It wasn't fair that she was having to worry about anything like this. Neil being dealt with was supposed to make things better, but when one problem ended, a new one took its place.

Steve grabbed the radio and started driving around, checking any place he thought Billy might be. He didn't really know where the other boy had gone before they started hanging out, but luckily there weren't too many places to go in Hawkins. Hopefully he wasn't shacked up with some girl, although Steve wouldn't be surprised. He drove past the school, the arcade, even the alley where Billy said he liked to buy weed occasionally. Steve was just considering how much Billy would kill him if he asked Hopper to keep an eye out for him when he spotted his car parked by the lake. He pulled up beside it, watching as Billy tossed a rock into the water. That was fine, but the half empty bottle in his hand was another story.

"I found him," Steve said into the radio. It was only a few seconds before Max responded.

"Is he okay?" Max asked.

"He will be. I've got him." Steve really hoped he was telling the truth. He set the radio to the side after promising that he would give Max an update before too long, then climbed out of the car. Steve made enough noise that Billy would hear him coming, since he didn't want to startle his obviously drunk friend. Billy didn't acknowledge him at first when he stopped beside him, taking another long pull from his bottle. It looked like whiskey, but Steve wasn't sure.

"Max send you?" Billy asked finally, staring out over the water.

"She was worried," Steve confirmed, keeping his voice casual.

"So you must've heard," Billy smirked, raising his bottle to toast himself. "I'm officially homeless."

"I'm sorry," Steve said sincerely. Billy didn't deserve this, on top of everything else. "Did Susan tell you why?"

"She tried to tell me that without dad's money, she couldn't afford me. Then some stuff about custody. But I could tell it was bullshit," Billy scoffed, shaking his head. "Eventually, she fessed up. Said it was because I scared her. Funny that her husband smacking me around was never too scary for her."

"Shit," Steve muttered. Susan was finally taking a long overdue stand, but against the wrong person.

"I shouldn't be surprised. People like me don't get happy endings. I'll probably end up in a cell right next to Pops."

"That's not true," Steve insisted.

"Hate to break it to you, Stevie Boy, but that's life," Billy said, laughing bitterly. "I'm a lost cause."

"That's not true," Steve said again. "Life is what you make it. No one else gets to decide who you are or what you become."

"See, you're still thinking like someone who has options. Not everyone gets to live in a big house with all the money they could need at their fingertips. Just because mommy and daddy aren't tucking you in at night, doesn't mean you don't still have it easy," Billy snapped. Steve tamped down on his urge to rise to the bait. If Billy needed to let this out, he was the safest target.

"Maybe you should give me the bottle. I think you've had enough," Steve suggested, reaching for it. Billy jerked it away with a snarl.

"Back off, Harrington. I'll decide when I've had enough," Billy spat, taking another drink for good measure.

"Billy-"

"Screw you!" Billy shouted, pointing the bottle at him. "I should've just kept my mouth shut and let my dad do whatever he wanted, but no. You had to come in with your bleeding heart and trick me into thinking that if I was a better person, I'd get a better life. But now everything is even more fucked up. If I'd stayed an asshole, I probably wouldn't have cared as much. So thanks for that."

"I'm never gonna apologize for being your friend," Steve said simply, taking advantage of Billy's anger and swiping the bottle from him. He held it behind his back as Billy seethed.

"Give that back!" Billy demanded.

"No."

"Harrington," Billy growled.

"No." Billy lashed out at him, grabbing him by the front of his shirt and cocking his fist back. But Steve didn't move. They'd played this game before. If Billy was determined to hurt him, he would. But Steve didn't think he wanted to. And when Billy dropped his shaking fist in defeat a few seconds later, Steve knew that Billy really had changed for the better. No matter what the other boy claimed.

"Steve." Steve's heart clenched at the way Billy said his name. There was nothing but pain and defeat in his tone. He'd been wanting to do this since that very first night, but it hadn't felt like the right moment. Now, there was nothing stopping him.

"Come here," Steve whispered, pulling Billy into a crushing hug. The other boy stiffened at first, but soon enough he melted into the embrace, pressing his face into Steve's shoulder. He felt a bit of wetness leak into the fabric, but he wasn't gonna say anything about it. Steve didn't know the last time Billy had been held, so he was going to do it for as long as he could. Billy needed this and maybe Steve did too.

"What am I gonna do?" Billy sniffled after a few minutes. He didn't pull away though. "I'd told myself I'd take off back to California the first chance I got, but now I don't want to. Damn you for giving me a reason to want to stay."

"So stay with me," Steve offered.

"What?" Billy asked incredulously, leaning his head back to look at him.

"I'm serious. Do you know how many times I've wanted to say that to you and Max? But I knew Susan would never go for it and you would never leave Max alone in a house with your dad. Now that he's gone, why not?" Steve explained.

"Harrington, that would never work," Billy insisted, but Steve could see the little gleam of hope in his eyes.

"I've got the space and we get along. What's the problem?"

"Your parents?"

"My parents, who haven't been to town since I met you? They probably won't even notice you, if they ever come back. And if they do, I'll tell them you're a friend staying over. As long as I'm not doing anything to sully their good name around town, they don't care," Steve scoffed. "This way, you can finish school and figure out what you want to do with your future. You can watch Max grow up. You can use my rich boy privilege to your advantage."

"I shouldn't have-"

"But it was true, wasn't it? So let me use what I've got to help you."

"I don't know," Billy sighed, wiping his hand across his face.

"How about we go back to my house so you can sober up, then we can talk about it when you aren't drunk?" Steve suggested.

"I'm not drunk," Billy argued, glaring up at him with red rimmed eyes.

"Sure," Steve snorted, rolling his eyes. "Either way, you aren't driving. We'll come back for your car later." Billy grumbled under his breath but didn't fight as Steve led him to the passenger's side of his car. Once he was safely inside, Steve went to the truck and tucked the bottle of booze inside. He didn't want to explain that to Hopper on the off chance they got pulled over. Steve got behind the driver's seat and glanced at his companion. Billy was asleep with his head resting against the window. Life was about to be very different, but instead of feeling trepidation about it, Steve felt more relaxed than he had in a while. This felt right.

"Let's go home."