Billy wasn't where Steve left him when he got home. He almost had a heart attack until he found him out back by the pool. The thing still gave him the creeps and he was going to have to come up with a reason to tell Billy why he never used it anymore when the weather got better, but that was a problem for another time. Now they had to deal with the current predicament.

"How's your head?" Steve asked casually, walking over to stand next to Billy. "I thought I put you to bed."

"But you didn't give me a goodnight kiss," Billy smirked, eyeing the box Steve was holding. "Is that it?"

"For now. We can get anything else you want later. And anything you need in the meantime, you can use mine," Steve replied.

"My whole life, fitting into one box. Sounds about right," Billy huffed.

"Life isn't about stuff. It's about how you live and the people you care about."

"Says the guy who lives in the mansion."

"Says the guy who's going to be living in there with me," Steve shot back.

"About that," Billy muttered, giving him a sidelong glance. "It's okay if you were just saying that to be nice. It's unrealistic and a terrible idea."

"It wasn't just an idea. It's what's happening," Steve insisted. He told Susan he was going to take care of Billy and he wasn't gonna go back on his word. Not because she deserved to have at least part of her conscience cleared, but because it was the right thing to do. Because everyone should have a home.

"Harrington-"

"Maybe I need you too. Did you ever think about that?" Steve asked quietly. Billy had been vulnerable with him, so Steve owed him the same. "Do you know that these last few weeks with you and the kids around have been the best of my life? That I'd gotten so used to being alone and having fake friendships that now that I have the real thing, I'm not willing to give it up? So maybe I'm being selfish by keeping you here, but so be it. If you decide to leave, it's not going to be because you're doing me a favor or saving me from a bad decision." Billy stared at him seriously for a few minutes, trying to sniff out any sort of lie. But there wasn't one to be found. Steve wasn't sure if he'd ever been more sincere and open in his life. Most people didn't give him the opportunity to be. But somehow, Billy and Steve had become that person for each other. They weren't at the point of spilling all their secrets with reckless abandon, but they were headed in that direction.

"You're a stubborn bastard, you know that?" Billy mumbled, glaring up at him.

"I've heard that a few times. Mostly from you."

"It's true. And you're not normal."

"Okay."

"Normal people don't take strays into their house. Normal people don't have kids over every weekend. Normal people don't befriend the guy who nearly beat the life out of him," Billy ranted, getting more animated as he went along. "Normal people don't come over everyday so an asshole won't beat on his kid! Normal people don't throw themselves in the line of fire and take a beating they don't deserve! Normal people don't stand up for the town bully who is a lost cause!"

"Then I'm not normal," Steve shrugged. He'd been called worse. "But you're not a lost cause. You've got so much potential and you've finally got a chance to show people. So if you won't do it for you, do it to prove to your dad and Susan that you're better than they ever gave you credit for."

"Live a better life out of spite?" Billy snorted.

"If that's the way you need to look at it for now, yes."

"You're ridiculous," Billy chuckled, shaking his head. "I guess it's my best offer. But if a girl invites me into her bed, I'm gonna take her up on it."

"Of course."

"And this is temporary. Once I'm done with school, I'll get my own place."

"Okay." Steve might have something to say about that when the time came, but it could wait.

"This doesn't mean I owe you. I'm practically doing you a favor."

"Sure," Steve grinned, letting Billy say as much as he wanted. Whatever it took to get him to stay. "Now do me a favor and take your box of stuff. I'm not your butler."

"He only comes on weekdays, right?" Billy snickered, snatching the box from him.

"Even the help gets a few days off," Steve sighed, rolling his eyes. "Good thing I've got you now."

"Yeah right," Billy snorted, turning to walk back to the house. He paused before he got too far, facing away from Steve. "Hey Harrington?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"Thank you, too."