4th July, 1986.

One whole damn year.

Exactly one year ago, Billy Hargrove's life should've ended.

But here he was. Infront of Brimborn Steel Works, the steel mill where he crashed his car, where that monster got him and the whole nightmare started.

*Billy wasn't dumb nor delusional. He knew that the doctors could patch him up head to toes, close all the wounds the Mind Flayer opened in his body, they wouldn't take away all the damage he caused when he was possessed. But nothing, nothing could've prepared him for all the nightmares every single time he closed his eyes, the guilt that ran through his vains everytime he breathed."

Steve closed the door of the backseat from his car and walked to the hood where his boyfriend was laying down, a cig on his hand as those blue eyes never left the building infront of them. The brunette laid down at the free space next to Billy and covered the two of them with the blank he took from the backseat, taking the blonde's hand in his in a silent way of saying "i'm here for you", just like he has been in the past year.

If anyone ever doubted that a near death experience could change the worst person they ever met, they had to see Billy as soon he left the operation that saved his life. Steve himself took way too long to believe Billy's beg for help to redeem himself, that he didn't wanted to be an asshole anymore and all that - Steve was sure it was all bullshit.

But time passed, and the evidences against it became clearer each day and Steve witnessed it all. Billy begged The Party for forgiveness for every time he was an asshole, he thanked El for risking her life to saving even though he was the last person who deserved being saved; he became the stepbrother Max deserved, even offering to give her - and even the other kids - a ride whenever they needed... Hell, even Billy's father seemed to want to make amends with his own son after almost losing him. It was like Steve was witnessing a miracle in every aspect surrounding Billy Hargrove.

And if Billy's redemption wasn't a unbeliavable thing itself, the sparks that appeared between the two of them somewhere along the path definetly took everyone by surprise. Steve couldn't say exactly when it was the shifting point - maybe when he became the first person whom Billy became confortable to show his scars to since the whole incident; maybe when he witnessed and conforted Hargrove when he had one of the many violents nightmares with the whole Mind Flayer deal -, but it was his honer being the anchor that this new, changed, better version of Billy Hargrove needed after going through the terrors that himself couldn't even imagine going through.

So that's why when Billy thought that spend the night on the exactly same place where he got possessed on the 4th of July, exactly one year later since he survived would ease his mind's fear of being caught again by the Mind Flayer, Steve didn't think twice about going along with his boyfriend.

He wanted to be the first that Billy would write the first page that he was about to turn with.