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Billy wasn’t sure what to do. He’d promised the kids he’d keep an eye on Harrington for the night, make sure his stitches didn’t reopen in his sleep or anything, but now, faced with the reality of being dubbed the caretaker, Billy was at a loss.
Under normal circumstances, it was Billy who needed looking after, when he showed up on Harrington’s doorstep a couple nights a week, sporting any number of injuries inflicted by his old man. Steve always knew what to do. He offered soothing words when he knew Billy needed them, and silence when he could tell one word out of his mouth would make Billy burst into tears.
Steve was curled up on his couch, not really watching whatever shitty show was playing on the TV. Billy has smushed himself onto the couch as well, as far away from Steve as possible. Of course Steve was apparently clingy as fuck when he felt like crap, so he shifted closer until his head was resting in Billy’s lap.
Billy tried not to tense up. Steve needed comfort and Billy wanted to offer it. God, he wanted to offer it so badly. But he’d always been shit at it. One time when Max was little, she’s come crying to him with a scraped up knee and Billy had panicked and told her to walk it off. She never came to him with an injury again.
Hesitantly, Billy started carding his fingers through Steve’s hair, letting out a slow breath when Steve sighed and nuzzled into the touch. Okay, he hadn’t overstepped. Good.
“You getting sleepy, pretty boy?” Billy asked, noticing the way Steve’s eyelids kept drooping.
“You always call me that,” Steve said, poking at Billy’s knee through the hole in his jeans.
“I can stop if you want,” Billy offered.
Steve shook his head.
“I don’t want you to stop. I…I want you to mean it,” he admitted quietly.
Billy’s fingers froze in Steve’s hair. They’d had moments like this. Done this dance before. But never taken the plunge. But there Steve was, laying it all out there and Billy knew he was a goner.
Using his grip on Steve’s hair, he gently turned the other boy until they were face to face.
“I mean it,” Billy said seriously.
Steve’s eyes widened, a soft smile spreading across his face.
“Tell me you want me,” Steve said, reaching up to cup Billy’s cheek.
Billy hummed, leaning into the touch as he brought his face closer to Steve’s. letting their noses brush.
“I want you,” he whispered, kissing Steve slow and deep and perfect, despite the awkward angle they were at.
Steve whined against his lips, pulling away long enough to murmur a soft, “tell me you need me.”
“I need you,” Billy answered without even having to think about it because dammit he did need Steve, and he was done trying to hide it.