Chapter Text
"Maxine, I swear to god, if your ass isn’t in the car in the next three minutes, you’re walking to the goddamn arcade!” Billy shouts as he pounds on the door of the tiny hall bathroom they share. When the door flies open, he’s met by a cloud of hairspray scented steam and a pissed off redhead.
“I’m almost ready and you promised you would take me this time! I don’t want to keep having to ask Steve to do it” She bitches, pushing past him into her bedroom to sit on her bed and put on her shoes.
“I’m know what I promised you Max. Are you aware that you’re going to make me late for work, again, if you don’t get your ass in gear?" “I get it jerk and I’ve already said sorry for the other day. I woke up late, get over it already!"
He almost shouts at her again “respect and responsibility Max” but thinks better of it at the last second, not helping yourself man. Channeling Neil this early in the morning definitely won’t help. In fact, that’s what got him into this whole mess in the first place. Instead, he takes a deep breath through his nose and says “You’re...you’re right but seriously we have to go now if you want me to drop you off before I have to be at the shop."
Surprise and suspicion show clearly on her face, he knows it’s because he doesn’t normally give in like that. “Ok, I’m sorry, I’m ready to go now.” Once they’re on the road, Max goes back to messing with her hair and asks “Why are you working yourself to death this summer anyways?” He knew she’d ask eventually so he’s already worked out exactly what he wants to say. “I want to get out of that hell hole Max, so I’ve got to work all I can this summer to save money if there’s any chance of me getting my own place.” What he doesn’t say is that once he has his own place, she’d be welcome to live there too. like she's gonna want to live in whatever shithole you find. He’ll be lucky if he can afford a cockroach infested one bedroom with a pull out couch at the end of the summer but god knows it's better than living under his dad’s roof, just waiting around for whatever thing will piss him off next. Neil has been even more of an asshole lately and not just where Billy is concerned. Neil and Susan have been going at it more and more often and if Neil messes up and takes a swing at Susan, she’s likely to leave his ass and move in with her sister a few states over. Which leaves Max with limited options. She can either go with Susan and leave all the friends she’s made this past year behind, again, just like she had to do when they left California, or she could move in with Billy. He doesn’t want to say anything now and get her hopes up, she probably wouldn’t believe him at this point anyway, she spends more time pissed at him than anything else.
He’s apologized for the fight at the Byers’ house that night all those weeks ago but only to her. He knows he’ll have to make it right with all of those little shitheads before she starts putting any kind of trust in him. He knows he deserves her suspicion and her anger. Billy knows a lot about anger, he’s been on the receiving end of his dad’s more times than he cares to remember. His anger that night had been misplaced at Steve Harrington, anger that was really meant for Neil and for himself, anger at his own weakness and helplessness. When he thinks back to how he’d taken all that anger out on Steve, remembers how badly he hurt Steve, he feels burning shame and an overwhelming urge to vomit. And sadness. Sadness at the idea that he won’t be able to make it right and that Steve will never know how he really feels. That the hatred he treated Steve with that night is actually so far from how Billy feels about him, that it’s almost laughable. Almost.
They pull into the lot for the arcade just as all of Max’s little friends are climbing out of Steve’s BMW. They’re all yelling and laughing in that easy way they all have with each other. Sinclair, little Byers, Wheeler, the curly haired kid, a girl he doesn’t recognize and Steve. He’s seen Steve a few times since school let out and none of them have gone particularly well. Like when he fucked up a whole tables’ order because he felt Steve glaring at him all the way across the diner or when Steve almost caught Billy staring at his ass while leaving the grocery store.
He hears the curly haired one, darren? david?, yell out “Max is here!” just before the rest of them all turn around. Everyone’s faces stay the same as Max runs up to join them, except Steve. As soon as he and Billy lock eyes through the windshield, Billy sees Steve’s smile slowly flatten into a grim line as his laughing eyes narrow. Like he’s gearing up, like he expects Billy to go batshit crazy on him again right in the middle of the parking lot. Billy doesn’t blame him, he was a psycho that night. You've got nowhere to go but up Billy thinks to himself as he climbs from the car and makes his way across the lot towards the group.
“How many seatbelts you got in that clown car Harrington?” what the ever loving fuck why can't you just say hi?
“Enough, Hargrove.”
“Guess it pays to be friendly with the Chief of Hawkins Police” Billy snarks, jesus no wonder he wishes you'd drop dead.
"Something you want Hargrove? Not that I’m not enjoying this conversation, wait, actually I’m not, I’m really really not.
god, he's cute when he's pissy. Billy coughs, trying to clear his mind before he responds, “Yeah, do you think you could give Maxine a lift home when the shitheads are done? I’m working tonight.”
Steve looks startled, Billy’s never asked anything of him before, “Yeah man, anything for Max. Also, don’t call them that.”
“Right. Thanks King Steve, I owe you one.”
The look on Steve’s face says he’d rather gouge his own eyes out than ever need to ask Billy Hargrove for a favor. Even so, Billy can’t help but hope that he will, hopes he can show Steve that he can depend on Billy for more than his fists and cruel words.
•••
"Alright shitheads, it’s getting late, time to head out” Steve calls out to the kids scattered around the arcade.
“Awww come on Steve, it’s summer! There’s no school tomorrow!
“I’m aware, Dustin” Steve snarks, “I need to get El home before Hop has a heart attack and just because there’s no school tomorrow, doesn’t mean that people don’t have things to do. Some of us have jobs if you recall.”
“The mall opens at ten and you scoop ice cream for a living.” he hears from a surly sounding Mike.
“Wheeler, I’m gonna let that slide only because I know you’re just pissy because your girl has to go home early. AIS in thirty seconds or you’re walking, lemme see some hustle!"
They get settled in record time and he’s dropped El off first before he asks “Max, how many jobs does your brother have this summer?” From behind him in the backseat, Max lists them on her fingers, “uhhhh, three. No, four. Lifeguarding at the pool, the autobody shop, the grocery store and he just started waiting tables at the diner. Why?"
“Because I feel like he’s fucking haunting me.” She answers with an indelicate snort. “I’m serious. Every time I turn around there he is. Taking my order at the diner, checking me out at the grocery store, I’m gonna need my oil changed soon--
“Steve, I know that like objectively, you’re good-looking, but I doubt Billy Hargrove is checking you out.” says Dustin fondly.
Steve feels his cheeks flush. He doesn't know why the thought of Billy actually checking him out doesn't set him on edge, he should hate Billy and he mostly does. “Shut it or you're walking home, brat.”
Dustin closes his mouth so fast there's an audible clacking of teeth. “Also, don't you know how to change your own oil Steve?”
“Gender stereotype much Max?”
"Whatever” she shrugs and laughs, “Billy showed me how last summer, I figured guys your age all knew how."
“Billy taught you? Your asshole brother with the god awful mullet who beat the shit outta me, that Billy?” He asks, stunned. “Yup. I know that night at Will's was fucked up, uh, sorry! Sorry. Messed up. But I can tell he's actually trying lately. Don't forgive him unless he apologizes though Steve.”
“Forgive him?! Yeah right. Steve's not giving your shithead brother a friendship bracelet anytime soon Max.
“Dustin man, seriously I am never wearing that bracelet you gave me, give it up.” Steve says distractedly. Distracted by thoughts of Billy Hargrove and what it would be like to be his friend. Billy might be trying but it was going to take a lot more than one semi-tolerable parking lot encounter to prove it.