Chapter Text
The soft hum of a male’s voice filled the small house with a melody that was nothing less than angelic. It was the most pleasant sound to wake up to. Steve couldn’t ask for more.
With a faint yawn, he pulled himself out of bed. He was only wearing his boxers, but he knew his husband wouldn’t mind. After running his fingers through his messy chestnut hair, he made his way out of the bedroom and down a small hallway before turning the corner to find a pretty blond standing in the kitchen by the stove, humming a faint melody as the sizzle of bacon added to the tune.
“When did you get in?” Steve asked softly as he moved to lean against the refrigerator, tilting his head a little while gazing over at his beautiful husband. He had to cut his hair… It was such a disappointment at first… but Steve soon found that he looked just as breathtaking with his shorter cut. Which was to be expected, he was breathtaking no matter what. Billy thought the same regarding Steve.
After high school, Billy decided to go into welding. It made decent money and he wanted to provide for himself as well as his boyfriend. That put him working out of town quite often, so sometimes he’d be gone for weeks… even months. This time he was away for six weeks. Every day without him felt like torture, but he was back now… That was all that mattered.
“You don’t know what you put me through…” Steve managed to murmur before Billy could respond, his gaze appearing distant as his eyes shifted to the side. Sunlight bled through the thin curtains hanging up over the small kitchen window. It cast a yellowish-orange hue upon the brunette’s face, although he didn’t seem to mind it. “When you leave. It's just… So hard sometimes.”
A faint laugh broke from Billy’s lips, which quickly earned him a glare from his husband. He always looked so cute when his eyebrows furrowed like that. Billy couldn’t help but glance back at him with a slight smirk on his face. “You’ve said that before, remember?” His question seemed to puzzle Steve, as he tilted his head a little. “Our first fight after I started working… You said the same thing.”
Quickly, Steve's expression shifted to show a look of recognition on his face as he nodded, his cheeks flushing faintly. That first argument had been so heated… and so pointless. They didn’t talk for the rest of the night.
That was mostly Steve’s fault. He was so frustrated, he shut himself in his room. That next morning, he woke up with a deep sense of remorse and regret. He should have spent what little time they had left together with his boyfriend. He rushed out to see Billy off but he’d already left. Before leaving Billy left a note, apologizing for everything as if he were the one in the wrong. In the note, he stated that he would take some time off when he returned. They would go somewhere together. Anywhere…
What made them choose a place like Wicklow, Ireland was anyone’s guess… Steve remembered Billy mentioning that he knew some people who traveled out there and that they seemed to enjoy the peaceful environment. For some reason… It just felt right.
Somewhere as far away from the constant stress they couldn’t quite escape while still living in Hawkins, Indiana.
They both had passports. Billy had to get his for work and Steve decided to get one as well, just for the hell of it. Turns out his decision was for the best.
Once Billy returned from his long contract away from home, Steve greeted him with open arms. Of course, their fight had been forgotten at that point. He was just… So relieved to see his boyfriend once more.
They discussed their traveling arrangements. It wasn’t long before they were boarding a plane that would take them out to their distant destination. Other than some minor traveling for work, Billy didn’t leave Hawkins often. Steve hadn’t left at all, after the events that took place the night Starcourt mall burned down. Nothing else happened after that, but there was always an eerie feeling that something might. That the world could crumble away, as it had in the past. As it felt like it had the moment he saw Billy bleeding out on the floor.
He managed to survive… Just barely. If the emergency workers had taken just a little longer to get there… If that creature had dug in just a little deeper… He wouldn’t be here now. Steve couldn’t imagine his life without Billy. Not anymore. So much time had been wasted on their childish rivalry. After the events that took place that night at the mall, Billy seemed apologetic for all that had occurred both before and during his possession. Steve was apologetic as well, wanting to show Billy that he wished for them to start over. That wasn’t what they did though. After all, it wouldn’t help either of them to forget all the experiences they had together. The positive ones were pleasant to look back on and the negative ones offered them the opportunity to grow. Which is what they did. Over time, they grew closer and closer until… They were dating. Just like that… Almost like that was how they were meant to be from the very beginning.
A soft smile slowly pulled on Steve’s lips as he shook his head a little. “I remember…” He murmured faintly before moving in to wrap his arms around his husband’s waist, allowing his hand to tuck into the other’s front pocket. He felt something small and round on the tip of his fingers. With a curious hum, he pulled the object out. It was a little pebble. He would not have had a clue why Billy had this, had the other not just brought up the trip they took. “Wicklow…” He murmured faintly, his eyes staring fondly down at the small stone.
“We should take another trip,” Billy suggested as he finished up with the bacon and then turned the stove off. His hands moved to massage, Steve’s lower arms gently. He then shifted to turn so he could face the other. His gentle blue eyes gazed down at those soft brown irises belonging to his husband.
Before Steve could agree, Billy leaned in to kiss his lips gently. “I love you…” He murmured faintly, his fingers moving to dance along the ends of the other’s hair.
A faint laugh broke from the brunette’s lips as he nodded his head just slightly. “I agree. To both statements.” He said with a sly smile, “But I feel the need to stay it too, so I love you… I love you so much, Billy.” With the smile still pulled at his lips, he pressed them against the blond’s, sinking into another deep kiss. They remained like this for a few minutes before finally separating so they could sit down at the table together and eat.
With the small pebble sitting in between the two of them, Steve gazed over at it. His thoughts drifted back to that trip they took together. It wasn’t that the trip was necessarily all that eventful, but it had been a vital moment in time for the both of them. A faint smile pulled at his lips, thinking back to the moment they arrived in the city of Wicklow.