woohoo fuck yeah, chapter fourteen!!! :*)
"Um, we're spaghetti. It'll be done by seven-thirty and the most of the kids are probably gonna show up," Steve fumbled out hoping he left before he said something he couldn't dig himself out of. "I'm gonna . . .go now."
He didn't want Billy to know how much he freaked him the hell out and made him feel like a twelve year old girl whenever he did this type of shit to him; so, he calmly walked out of the room, without running, as much as he wanted to; just calm and collected. (That's what he wished he was perceived as.)
All of the worry seeped out of him and onto the floor, soaking into the carpet for him to clean once the big bad finally happened, only for him to clean. Although, he was sweating due to the worry he felt, leaving him anxiety filled for the entire afternoon. He was fine with having to deal with that emotion rollercoaster to hear the exciting news, for both him and Billy, more Billy than he.
Billy was right: Steve would never push Billy out when he became unbearable to deal with. Steve saw too much of himself in him, how he was when he was younger, before everything with whole spray painting of 'Nancy the Slut Wheeler', everything. When his parents first started leaving for more than a couple days at a time, he was around thirteen. Instead of spending his days chatting up his mothers friends who frequented the house or studying under his fathers command, he began trying to find a place to belong.
Not that he and Tommy H. weren't friends at that point, they just got a good deal closer, even if all they talked about was girls and the parties they were going to go to when high school started. Even though his parents didn't give him the attention he wanted, he still got a little something. Like they say, negative attention is still attention and he would take anything he could get. But now, he had to make sure that the people he considered friends would never leave him. So, buying things for them or drinking alcohol his father wouldn't notice missing became a reoccurring activity. (Well, until he wanted it to stop.)
Steve was just a mad kid, not in the way of violence, but in the way of words. King Steve could either make you or break you, he was the center of all the parties and not getting invited to one was life crushing, for a high schooler perspective. Not that Steve would tell anybody about this since most people don't know and he's honestly ashamed of this fact. He's really good at guessing people's insecurities like something they probably don't realize until he says.
He can't count the number of people he has made cry by doing that over the years. It's not like he was a total monster, as much as it seems that way. Most of the people it happened to totally deserved it; so, he won't apologize for doing the right thing. If someone is being a creep, and not on accident, at one of his parties, he'll usually tell them 'hey get the fuck out' or tell them he needs to show them something outside and just lock them out. He's done worse, but we're not getting into this. He just wanted Billy happy.
~
The smells of freshly cut tomatoes with noodles and cooked basil wafted through the house, filling the kitchen with a home cooked smell. He cleaned as he made dinner, if not he would have to deal with a bigger mess, the obvious mess that the kids would leave behind after they left and then the initial mess from cooking up dinner in the first place.
Steve hoped that this wouldn't be an awkward kind meeting tonight since the kids were coming to, maybe Jonathan and Nancy if Will invited them along, who could say no to that kid? Although Billy was rough and stubborn, never backing down when he believed he was right, even when he was obviously wrong, the kids would be able to go head and head with him. They were the most headstrong middle schoolers Steve had ever met.
Dinner might be a mess if everything gets a little too challenging, questions that are hard to answer get asked. If they knew the whole situation that was happening with Billy, Steve's sure they would be fine with it, but it's not up to him whether or not they know. As much as he wants to tell someone, anyone, just so people would see that he's not as bad of a person as people think, just adapting to a hard life so that he'll be able to survive, he knows that what Billy says goes and it'd be quite asshole-ish of him to make that decision for himself.
Billy had been through the kitchen a couple of times, after following the pleasant aroma that had wafted into the living room. He hadn't said much, only leaning against the counter and watching Steve as he cooked and prepared the seasonings. He was still shirtless from his shower, not fully dry, with little droplets of water dripping down onto him from his damp head, getting the floor wet, but Steve didn't stop him. At least he dried the rest of him before he went downstairs, he usually 'air dries' meaning he lets anything he sits on take his wetness.
The gang had been called half an hour or so ago, he planned on them coming any minute now, Dustin first, like previous times had proven. He always tried to arrive earlier than the rest of the group, he enjoyed his time alone with Steve all to himself. Dustin would always make the excuse of "manners Steve, don't blame you unculturedness on me" or "I wasn't doing anything anyway, shut up".
Steve really didn't have a problem with Dustin being attached to his hi when he found the opportunity to. Since the whole Dart and tunnel business, Dustin was one hundred percent his little brother and anyone who didn't take it seriously could fight him, not that he would win, but still.
Everyone else had someone to confide in whether if it was in a romantical, friend, or sibling way, some had both. In the younger group, Dustin always seemed like the odd one out, not saying that the kids ignored or even hated him, they just had select people to call their problems to no matter the scene, and Steve in the older group, seeing as Billy hadn't counted in their affairs.
Dustin and Steve were an awkward match made in friend heaven, they had each others back in the long run for even the smallest of problems. Steve had, and still does, sometimes hidden the problems he had deemed too 'adult' to give to Dustin; although, he would probably understand, just wouldn't know how to react. He liked seeming like he knew the answer to any question he would ever hear, but as young as he was, Dustin wasn't ready to hear such scandalous ways, not that it was bad whatsoever, he just didn't want to overwhelm him, as much as Dustin wanted to be seen as an adult.
These kids had already gone through so much shit in the last couple year, enough for a lifetime. They deserve a break for all the rough shit they have been through. Steve never wanted to put Dustin, or any of the kids, in a position for them to have to choose, something life altering, for him at least. Steve is a big boy, who can make big boy decisions.
"I'm just gonna come out and say it, not to be a dick or anything, but honest. This is most likely gonna turn to shit very quickly. Let's lay down the facts: they don't like me and I'm not very "fond" of them either. I'll be civil as long as they are, I won't be the one to start the fire, this time. Promise." Billy speaks from behind him, causing Steve to jump and spill some of the sauce, he was mixing, onto the stove. It seems like Billy had been standing behind him for a prolonged amount of time while he had festered in his head while cooking.
"I know," Steve replies without turning to face him busying himself with cleaning the spill, "I'm not expecting you guys to suddenly start getting along; it's just a start. Tonight won't change all hurt feelings, but will hopefully make people realize you aren't all bad and, maybe, vis versa. The more your all around each other in a not so shit sort of setting, the more, I'm sure, you'll get use to each other."
"That sounds a lot like conditioning to me, Harrington, which is very unhealthy. But in all seriousness, if this all goes south, very one hundred it's going to be, don't force us together. It'll make it worse. Right now, for tonight, I'm fine with all your little schemes to make us one big happy fucking family, but cool down with all this grouping stuff. I'm not use to it, they're not use to it. Seriously, Steve." Billy says grabbing the plates, not Mrs. Harrington's special china, but the ordinary dark teal plates, and putting them down around the table.
"Pretending to like people I don't is very hard on me, to make it look passible as the truth and very noticeable that I'm talking out of my ass. I'll act civil if they act civil is all I'm saying. I'm not, and won't ever, let those little fuckers run wild and take the piss out me just because they're yours. I'll keep myself in check for dinner and won't be as ruthless, but this only applies for tonight. Since I know how much this means to you, Bambi, I'll keep things . . .nice."
Steve didn't say anything for a moment. Billy is right: forcing them together isn't a good idea, but this isn't really forcing them though. He invited them over. They came over at their own will and if Billy didn't like it when he told him, he could've said. Steve would of cancelled the whole thing if it made him that uncomfortable. That's what he wanted to say, but starting an argument before they came would unleash a shit storm, possibly dragging the kids into it and leading to worse feeling about each other.
"I won't." he tells him and continues to finish up the food while Billy makes the table.
This better not be an utter fucking train wreck.
Steve has had enough shit going sideways lately. Even though most stuff was super awesome. Billy living with him = kickass. No more upside down fuckery = ecstatic. Getting over Nancy = very very amazing.
Still things could be better, and this counted of his list of better. How could both side of his friends, he cares very much about, not like each other? They don't have to become best friends, talking about the people they think are fit, braiding each others hair, having sleepovers, none of that shit. All he wants is them being on good terms; good enough terms that every encounter doesn't end with awkward staring and arguments.
He is so sick and goddamn tired of the weird feeling in the air whenever their around each other. Change isn't so bad. He was an asshole, now he's not. Good change.
Forcing Billy to do stuff he doesn't want to do, ends in two ways. He either bullshits his way through the situation, showing his sharp, white teethed smile and flirts to make the whole thing go by faster. Or, he shits on everything, and everything means everything. Exactly zero effort; he doesn't try whatsoever. It's like dealing with a rowdy toddler and trying to them dressed for the morning, but their ass is glued to the floor watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, crying every time you try to move them. (The first and last time he ever babysitted, never again.)
For the next twenty or so minutes, Steve spent his time ''presenting'' the food. Even though he would, and will, argue up and down that Etiquette and Cotillion lessons are bullshit, but if he sees a table out of order he fucking starts steaming. Like if the family has the right dishes and number of silverware, they better fucking use it.
Letting four years of spending his weekends memorizing what spoon goes where and how many forks use, it just letting those years and shit lessons going to waste. Might as well make it have a use, and it sure as hell makes a difference.
~
While Steve did all his "rich boy fancy order shit'', Billy made the side dishes since 'what fucking meal only has a entree, what the hell is this a fucking barn, not having sides or any goddamn desert, what the hell!' (Who knew Bambi cared so much about something as rando, as dining bullshit.)
He busies making the side course, which was basically looking over the recipes and then asking Steve what to do every five minutes, and getting out the dessert. Cooking and all this apron shit isn't really something that he's use to. Stuff like cooking and cleaning, unless it was punishment, was Susan's job. Neil considers those ''women's'' jobs, and even making a "fag" like Billy would be too unhuman.
Billy voiced his opinion to Neil multiple times, espically to Susan, that what he thought was bullshit, earning his a hit or two. Even if Susan was never someone he would personally respect ever, giving her all those responsiblities to keep up with every day sounds fucking terrible.
For the last few years he's been doing his own laundry and cleaning, having her come in and out of his room whenever she felt like it was dirty was not something he needed and honestly would make him stressed as hell. Certain . . .materials didn't need to be revealed to the world; although, seeing her expression when she found them would definetly make his whole week, no matter the punishment.
To help lighten the load, he would clean up after himself like a responsible human fucking being, what was he an animal. (In some concepts yes, but not in this one.) Doing these little things for her played out well in his favor. Being caught sneaking out or not doing punishments was overlooked when Susan was the only one there.
Her sneaking around and helping him made up for some of the shit she could of stopped and improved their not really relationship, not as many awkward silences and direct aggressive comments. (Billy doesn't do passive aggressiveness, either say what you mean or shut the yell up.)
As boring as it is, listening to the record player Steve owned while cooking was actually pretty soothing and something he didn't know he would of wanted. His house, fuck his old house, was full of high tension like something bad could happen at any moment and eventually it would. He knew families weren't suppose to be like his and most weren't, he just didn't know anything else but his this kind of life.
Hanging around Bambi opened him up how families were suppose to act, even if they were a different type of family. With family you suppose to be able to talk about important things without the fear of being hurt for them, not having to walk on egg shells, can be yourself. It was an odd couple of months at first, but he slowly got into the push and pull of things.
Billy didn't think anything this good would be able to happen to him, for a while he didn't he deserved it, but Bambi opened his eyes over time. Now that he thinks about it, getting along with those little fuc- kids wouldn't be that hard. Sure Little Wheeler, Dustin (he had to know his name after Steve talks about twenty-four seven), and Max have fucking mouths on them, the others doesn't even try to speak to him, which he's perfectly okay with.
If biting his tongue and holding hismelf back meant making Bambi happy, he would totally do it. After all he had done for him especially let him live in his damn house after that admittably fucked up shit he had done to him, he deserved it and if having to put him pride on the line meant that, Billy would just buck up and . . .push throught it.
Ring. Ring. Ring-Ring-Ring.
"Steve! We're here! Let us in! Never mind I'm just gonna unlock the door! Before you ask, I found the spare key a couple weeks ago and really Steve, I'm honestly disappointed! Do you wanna be robbed and then murder? Under the fucking mat? What the hell!" came the voice of the curly hedgehog muffled by the door.
"Quit fucking yelling, Dustin! I'll be there in a goddamn minute! Stop with the fucking doorbell!" Steve yells while walking to the kitchen, walking faster when the doorbell doesn't stop.
"sigh . . .it hasn't even started yet and I'm already annoyed."
i'm gonna try to update every week or so, maybe twice a week, but this proably won't be happening until the start of February, when my extra curriculars end. by the way, SUPER FLUFFY HARRINGROVE FLUFF WILL BE HAPPENING IN UPCOMING CHAPTERS //o,o// this is gonna be fun :'3