hulkling

ooc

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 10:12:00 +0000

i am leaving the rp. i decided to leave properly instead of go on hiatus, because it isn’t fair to hold onto the character within theavengersrp group when i don’t know if/when i’ll start rping again. this blog will not be deleted though, just in case i decide to give it another shot in the future.

feel free to unfollow. i had a great time here, thank you for having me ♥

musicoftheday: 840.Dream A Little Dream Of Me by Ella...

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 19:07:00 +0000

musicoftheday:

840.
Dream A Little Dream Of Me by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong

therealmagicboy: Billy waited with a concerned tilt to his head as Teddy gathered his thoughts,...

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 18:48:00 +0000

therealmagicboy:

Billy waited with a concerned tilt to his head as Teddy gathered his thoughts, probably unaware of how completely terrified he looked as he did so. And then Teddy began to speak, and Billy forgot how because Teddy, beautiful, powerful, brilliant Teddy, was crying - and this time it wasn’t from a near death experience.

This was more than Billy was ready for and he didn’t know what to say, so he reached over and grabbed Teddy’s hand from where it was clenched on the tabletop and squeezed, wary of the people around them but ultimately more worried about Teddy than who was watching them.

“Teddy…” Billy swallowed, frowning as he tried to voice what he needed to say. “I don’t- It’s okay, I understand… And, I mean, I’m nothing special. I’ve never been anything special until I found out I was magic, and even now no one but you, Eli and Nate know I’m magic.” He shook his head and made sure that Teddy was looking at him before he continued. “Teddy, being scared? It’s okay. I’m still scared, every day I’m scared, but there’s not much I can do about the people at school anymore, all I can do now is let them know that I don’t care what they think. Just, I got sick of being someone I’m not, y’know? And I like who I am, and that freaks people out I think.”

Billy looked past Teddy’s shoulder and swallowed hard, “I don’t know what I’m doing, Teddy, any more than you do. I just kind of make it up as I go and hope for the best.” Smiling a little, Billy ignored the warmth that flooded his cheeks in favour of watching Teddy’s face to see if he was even making any sense. “And the kiss? Well, I kind of liked that if you couldn’t tell. Just like I kind of like you.”

Teddy relaxed his fist under the gentle pressure, letting Billy link their fingers. He brought his free hand up to scrub at his face, sniffing pathetically.

“That’s exactly what I meant,” Teddy said, eyes fixed on the table. “You don’t care what people think. I just — I don’t know how to not care. I fit in, I keep my head down, I don’t stand out. No one in my year isn’t straight. So I act straight too, because that’s normal. Everything I do is based on other peoples’ perception of me. Half the time I don’t know who I really am, because it’s easier to be who they want.

“I’ve liked guys before, but never really confronted it. They were all straight, so it wasn’t like I’d ever have a chance anyway, right? When I thought you were straight and I just had a harmless crush, it didn’t matter. But then you told me, y’know. And I realised how wrong I’ve been. God, I’ve been rationalising this for years, I never even thought about it all before last week.

“Maybe you’re scared, but at least you face it. I just run away.” He laughed shakily. “Every single one of my instincts is telling me to run away right now. That there’s no return from this.”

Teddy looked up, suddenly determined. He grabbed Billy’s hand. “But — that’s what I want. I can’t do this anymore. I want to change. I want to be more like you.

“You are special, Billy Kaplan. I’ve only known you a few weeks but I can see it. You’re clever and witty and talented and-” he almost stopped and backtracked, but he’d well and truly gone over the edge now. Might as well enjoy the freefall.

“And,” he continued, resolute, “you’re gorgeous. I like you. I really, really like you.”

therealmagicboy: Billy laughed a little and nodded, quickly getting over his embarrassment at being...

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 12:41:00 +0000

therealmagicboy:

Billy laughed a little and nodded, quickly getting over his embarrassment at being caught by Eli and Nate as he slid his hand into Teddy’s and felt himself being pulled up and directly into Teddy’s personal space. Only this time, instead of worrying what Teddy would think over the lack of personal space between them, Billy smiled shyly and stepped back, leading the way to their stuff at the warehouse with Teddy trailing behind him - their hands still linked.

“An explanation would be nice, but I think you owe me McDonalds more.” Teddy didn’t owe him anything in reality, but he wouldn’t mind an explanation or McDonalds one bit. The hardest thing now would be not screwing this up by going too fast. Billy thought to himself. No matter how much I want to jump Teddy.

It wasn’t far to the closest McDonalds. Billy let go of Teddy’s hand when they neared the street, for which he was silently grateful. The warehouse was a safe space, but Teddy wasn’t sure he was ready to walk around in public holding hands with a guy. Not yet.

As they walked, Teddy practiced in his head what he was going to say.

Sorry I had a big gay panic and ignored you for a week after you took me into your confidence. No.

Sorry I almost killed you because I was distracted by your eyelashes. Oh god, double no.

When they arrived, he bought a little extra time to think by saying, “What do you want? I’ll go and order.”

“Just chips, please.” Billy smiled at him, sitting down in a red plastic chair.

When Teddy returned to their table with a tray of food, he still hadn’t decided how to begin. The silence stretched on, Billy picking at his chips and waiting graciously for Teddy to speak.

Show time. It was now or, well, not never, but no matter what Billy had said earlier, he deserved a medal for putting up with Teddy’s bullshit. An explanation was the very least Teddy owed him. He pushed his burger to the side.

“I’m sorry,” he said suddenly.”I’ve been so awful. When I dropped you earlier, when — when I ran away last week,” he babbled, before stopping abruptly, not knowing quite how to continue. He glanced at Billy, who was watching him patiently. Bright red, Teddy squeezed his eyes shut and bowed his head in shame. “And… I kissed you.” he forced out in a whisper.

He sighed defeatedly, and a few tears slipped down his cheeks. “How do you do it? I’ve never met anyone like you. You’re so strong. You don’t hide who you are, no matter the consequences. I can’t — I’m so scared, Billy.” He looked up at Billy, begging him to understand.

therealmagicboy: Billy’s eyes were wide at Teddy’s apology, but they widened further as any reply...

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 20:38:00 +0000

therealmagicboy:

Billy’s eyes were wide at Teddy’s apology, but they widened further as any reply he may have had was cut off by Teddy’s lips. His hands slipped from Teddy’s face to his neck and he made a startled noise at the contact, before teenage hormones and the fact that it was Teddy made him realise that yeah, kissing back was definitely a good idea.

Hands clenched in Teddy’s shirt, Billy relaxed into it and kissed back for all he was worth because he’d wanted this so badly and he’d thought… well, he’d thought nothing would happen after Teddy had basically shunned him after he came out but christ, he didn’t care why Teddy had avoided him because all that mattered was that they were alive and this was actually happening.

Breaking away from the kiss was harder than Billy had expected, and he darted in for an apologetic peck before leaning back a little and taking in Teddy’s flushed face and bright eyes, and completely ignoring the approaching footsteps and arguing voices of Eli and Nate. “So, uh, magic, huh?” The smile on Billy’s face was pleased, and he could probably guess why Teddy had ignored him with this revelation, but Teddy would talk to him on his own time and for now all he wanted to do was dance around at the fact that Teddy returned his feelings. Okay, that might take some getting used to.

Teddy faltered and almost pulled away when Billy didn’t respond, but then his mouth turned soft and pliant, and oh god, this was a thing that was actually happening. He slid one hand round the back of Billy’s neck, fingers brushing through the short hairs at the base of his scalp.

Billy pulled away, leaving Teddy blinking and slightly dazed. He looked up, and was snapped back to reality his teammates’ very immediate presence. Standing over them, Nate wore a satisfied smirk and Eli rolled his eyes, trying not to smile.

Teddy scrambled to his feet, mumbling apologies.

“Can it, Hulking,” Eli said good-naturedly. He turned to Nate. “We done here?”

Nate winked conspiratorially. “Mission accomplished,” he grinned.

They walked away together, leaving Teddy and Billy almost frozen in place with embarrassment.

Teddy cleared his throat loudly, and automatically went to shift his blush away before catching himself. No, he decided. No more lies. He offered a hand to Billy, who was still kneeling on the ground.

“Still up for that McDonalds?” He smiled weakly. “I guess I owe you an explanation.”

How are you 'sort of' a superhero?

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 20:12:00 +0000

Our team is pretty low-key, and very much unrecognised (the Avengers don’t know about us). We don’t even have a name yet!

To be honest, half the time we’re still trying to work out how to be a team.

Maybe a more accurate description of myself would be ‘some guy with a few powers and a lot of aspirations’.

therealmagicboy: He was shaking, and smiling and they were alive. It took him a minute to compose...

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:03:00 +0000

therealmagicboy:

He was shaking, and smiling and they were alive.

It took him a minute to compose himself enough to speak, the smile never leaving his face and his eyes never leaving Teddy’s. “Um,” Billy paused, not really sure how to respond because the thing was, he didn’t exactly know, “magic?”

Billy shook his head and brought his trembling hands up to touch Teddy’s chest, just to make sure this was actually happening, because oh god, he’d done that, he’d stopped them mid-fall (and, admittedly dropped them a little way as well but it was the not killing them that Billy was utterly perplexed by).

And, holy shit, he couldn’t get over the fact that it was him wasn’t it? That was all him, he could feel his magic humming and jittering across his skin like it wanted to come play some more. Billy honestly couldn’t believe it, how had he done it? Did it matter right now? Blinking hard, Billy raised his hand to Teddy’s face and wiped at his tears with his thumb, lip caught between his teeth and heart beating so hard he felt like he was going to explode, yet totally uncaring of the consequences and the fact that he could hear Nate and Eli getting closer, because you only got to live once, didn’t you?

Relief and shock warred inside Teddy, his heart racing, until Billy touched his chest and everything slid into sharp focus. Teddy couldn’t help but beam down at him. “Magic,” he repeated thickly, shaking his head in disbelief.

Billy brushed his thumb against Teddy’s cheek, and he was smiling at him like the past week of awkward tension hadn’t even happened.

It was a revelation, Teddy’s fear suddenly seeming so trivial in the face of their mortality: Fuck the repercussions, fuck Eli and Nate watching, fuck everything. Teddy had been so awful and then he’d almost killed them,and Billy had turned around and saved them both.

“Oh, Billy,” he gasped, cradling Billy’s face in both hands. “I’m sorry. I’msorryI’msorryI’msorry.” Teddy’s voice cracked, breath hitching. He pressed his forehead to Billy’s, trying to communicate how strongly he meant it.

And then he moved forward the last few inches and did what he’d been wanting to do since the first day he’d met Billy but had been too scared to face. Hesitantly, giving him time to pull back, Teddy finally, finally kissed Billy.

therealmagicboy: Forcing himself to place his arm around Teddy’s wide shoulders took a lot more...

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:40:00 +0000

therealmagicboy:

Forcing himself to place his arm around Teddy’s wide shoulders took a lot more effort than the action warranted, he stretched up and willed his heart to steady as he felt Teddy cradle him in his impossibly stong arms and take off. And it was so different to Nate’s steady hover; he could feel the wind pull his hair in all directions and sharing this with Teddy was exhilarating - and Teddy hadn’t protested so he couldn’t hate him that much, right?

And then - Oh, Billy thought almost as soon as he felt the shift in Teddy, we’re falling. And Teddy was clearly panicking, arms locked tight and hunched over Billy’s body, and if they were to go, at least he’d been held like this at least once in his life, safe in Teddy’s arms, his face the last thing Billy would ever see… But - No, he could stop this, he could, he had to because Teddy was going to die if he didn’t and no, no, no, I want to stop falling, I want to stop falling, I want to stop falling.

Billy reached and reached and pulled at his power with all he had because in the instant he’d looked to Teddy and glimpsed at his face, he’d been wracked with the knowledge that they were actually going to die if he didn’t do something, so he let his power swell and prickle along their skin and focused so hard it hurt and he couldn’t do anything except try and steady them. I want to stop falling, I want to stop falling, I want to stop falling.

And Billy was focusing so hard on what was happening inside himself that he didn’t notice that on the outside they’d slowed down and were paused mid-fall. At least, not until Teddy started shifting.

The trees rushed up to meet them as the ground got closer and closer. Billy’s lips were moving but the words were lost in the roar of the wind. His eyes started glowing blue and he felt energy thrumming across his skin. This wasn’t like Billy’s usual lightning, this was something else, and Teddy didn’t recognise it.

Billy’s brows were furrowed as he mouthed the words, and Teddy was so caught up in his panic that he barely noticed their descent slowing. But slow it did, and then it stopped, and they were hovering in mid-air at head height. Billy was still mumbling, and Teddy could finally hear him.

I want to stop falling, he repeated over and over, eyes still filled with blue. Had Billy done this?

Suddenly realising that Billy now was the one holding him up, Teddy quickly shifted back to his normal, lighter form. The change broke Billy’s trance, distracting him from his chanting. His eyes returned to their normal brown, and they fell the last few feet, landing in an unceremonious heap on the grass.

He could hear Eli and Nate shouting and running over to them, but it was muffled compared to his focus on Billy, who was sprawled across Teddy’s chest. He carefully sat up, and Billy looked up at him, grinning wildly, a far-off look in his eyes. Teddy felt the same, the huge amount of adrenaline his body had produced in response to such peril making him shake. Almost detached, he felt tears tracking down his cheeks.

“What the hell,” Teddy took a huge, shuddering breath, “was that?”

therealmagicboy: Flying was awesome, Billy thought to himself and let out a whoop as he was set...

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:13:00 +0000

therealmagicboy:

Flying was awesome, Billy thought to himself and let out a whoop as he was set down, and then leaned against Nate slightly for a second as he calmed down and watched as Teddy sprouted wings. Teddy sprouted wings, he didn’t think he’d ever get over that.

And oh, they were magnificent and he could see the sun light them from behind, and suddenly Billy was feeling a little unsteady again because Teddy was beautiful. Teddy was beautiful and unattainable. Why was his life a cliche.

Billy watched as Teddy took off with Eli, and his breath caught in his throat at the sight of Teddy who was so clearly powerful in this form. He stood mesmerised as they did a small loop around where him and Nate were standing and then began lowering towards the ground again, and Billy found himself smiling at Teddy and Eli. At least, until he caught himself smiling at Teddy and Eli. Smiling at Teddy, good job, Kaplan, he thought to himself, at least it was better than running over and jumping into Teddy’s arms, I guess.

Nate clapped to draw their attention, “Right, well that worked pretty well, didn’t it?” What’s Nate thinking this time? “Time to switch partners.” This was so planned, Billy could just tell by the way Eli and Nate were pointedly not looking at each other with smirks on their faces. They were going down, Teddy and him could totally be mature about… whatever was happening here. At least, he hoped they could.

Eli had clung like a limpet to Teddy for the entire time, and just before they landed he forced his head away from Teddy’s shoulder and hissed, “Breathe a word to Nate and I will kill you.”

Teddy grinned as his feet touched the ground. Nate and Eli’s rivalry was lessening in intensity with time, but they were still both very stubborn and headstrong. “Your secret’s safe with me,” he assured Eli under his breath as he got back on his feet.

Oh god, and Billy was smiling at Teddy like he hadn’t just spend a week practically ignoring the boy — like Billy was happy to see him. And then he seemed to remember himself, schooling his expression and looking down. Teddy sighed. Billy hadn’t smiled much since Teddy had run away from him last week (your fault, it’s your fault, you’re the reason he looks so sad).

“Switch partners,” Nate had ordered, and well, Teddy could deal with that. Probably.

He was a hundred times more nervous than he had been about carrying Eli, and as Billy walked over to him it got even worse. He could hear his heartbeat rushing in his ears, and forced himself to stay calm as Billy looped an arm around his shoulders. Oh god, just that brush of contact was almost too much. He shook his head, resolutely not looking at anyone, then picked Billy up gently and took off.

His body felt so small and fragile in Teddy’s arms. Billy’s eyes were bright and wide as he looked over the trees, his cheeks pink from the wind chill, his smile delighted, half-disbelieving. He looked beautiful.

Distracted by the close proximity, by Billy’s expression of joy, by his own self-loathing, he didn’t adjust for the stray gust of wind buffeted against him. One of his wings folded under the air pressure, and suddenly they were falling. Teddy gripped Billy tightly and tried valiantly to stretch out his wings again, but it they were falling too fast and it was too late and they were going to die. Even worse, his healing factor would allow him to survive but Billy would die, and it would all be Teddy’s fault.

He hadn’t even had the chance to apologise.

therealmagicboy: Billy ducked his head and nodded at Eli and Nate’s decision, and thanked some...

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:11:00 +0000

therealmagicboy:

Billy ducked his head and nodded at Eli and Nate’s decision, and thanked some higher power that he wasn’t paired with Teddy- being so close but so far from him would have hurt more than it was worth.

“Yeah, so, how does this work then?” Billy stepped up closer to Nate and chewed on his lip, pondering the many ways this could go fantastically wrong before pushing them aside because how often was he going to get a chance to fly without the aid of a plane? “Bridal style, fireman’s lift or what?”

Eli snorted at the question, but it was Nate who answered with a shrug, “Bridal style would probably be easiest, right? As long as you’re comfortable with it, Billy.”

A small smile lifted Billy’s lips at Nate’s concern, and he shifted so he could be picked up, rolling his eyes and purposefully not looking at Teddy because who knew what he might find if he did; disgust was something he never wanted to see on Teddy’s face. But maybe Billy being so close to another guy when he was gay would pull it from him. Maybe he was being irrational, but Billy really didn’t want to find out if he was right or not anyhow.

“As long as you don’t bloody drop me-“, and then Nate was lifting him into the air as if he weighed nothing, and that was so not a squeal that just left his mouth.

When Nate touched back down safely Teddy let out a relieved breath he didn’t realise he’d been holding. Billy stumbled, wobbly from the adrenaline rush. He was flushed and bright-eyed, grinning with nervous energy as if he could’t quite believe he’d just been flying.

And then it was Teddy’s turn. He closed his eyes for a moment and imagined himself with wings — huge, green batlike structures, each one wider than he was tall. He leant forwards a little to balance the weight as they grew.

When he looked around for approval, he was met with three matching espressions of wide-eyed awe. He cleared his throat, suddenly uncomfortable at the centre of attention.

“Okay, um, Eli?” He gestured to Eli, who shook himself and stepped forward. Teddy scooped him up into a bridal-style lift, then crouched, steadying himself, and took off. Eli didn’t make any noise like Billy had, but his usual stoic demeanour all but disappeared as he clung on for dear life and pressed his face into Teddy’s shoulder.

therealmagicboy: The past week-and-a-half felt considerably longer to Billy than all the previous...

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:55:39 +0000

therealmagicboy:

The past week-and-a-half felt considerably longer to Billy than all the previous weeks gone by; and it probably had something to do with the fact that he hadn’t really spoken to Teddy beyond what was needed for practice. Not that they’d been best buddies beforehand, but they’d been friendly enough to each other and now…

Something had changed the day he outed himself to Teddy, something he’d honestly believed that he could fix with his text message. But maybe sorry didn’t cut it, and though Teddy wasn’t blatantly homophobic like the kids at school, he kept sneaking glances at Billy like he was a ticking time bomb.

He shook his head, shifted his backpack to a more comfortable position and steeled himself for another long training session filled with covert glances at and from Teddy, and bickering from Eli and Nate. Because even if his powers were frazzled, his concentration shot to hell, and Teddy was ignoring him, he still owed it to Nate and Eli to at least try; or at least, that’s what he tried to convince himself.

The last few days had been nerve-wracking. Every glance at Billy was a reminder of Teddy’s cowardice, and yet he couldn’t stop looking. His eyes would stray to the curve of Billy’s jaw, the point of his nose, the arch of his eyebrows. The way Billy’s hair feathered over his forehead as he bent his neck in concentration. The way he would bite his lip when he was worried or nervous or confused, that he probably didn’t even realise he was doing.

Sorry, Billy’s last text read. Teddy had fallen asleep the first couple of nights with his phone in his hand, open to that text, trying to work out how to reply (and then it was too late and it would look stupid, texting Billy out of the blue).

Teddy’s shifting had been substandard due to his distraction, his Hulk form almost always blonde and blue-eyed instead of Dr Banner’s dark greens until someone reminded him. Billy wasn’t faring much better, giving off static energy, his lightning even more directionless than usual. Eli and Nate had definitely noticed the discord, and as a result were getting even more frustrated themselves.

“Guys,” Eli growled, finally. “I don’t know what provoked this tension but it has to stop.”

“He’s right,” said Nate (shit, Teddy thought, they’re agreeing on something. This is more serious than I realised). “We need to trust each other, and since Eli vetoed my idea about trust-building games I thought instead we could take the opportunity to try something we haven’t done yet: Flying.”

“I can shift some wings,” Teddy offered.

Nate nodded at him. “And my suit allows me to fly, which means we have enough people to try it. Now, I don’t want to tempt fate too much,” he glanced between Billy and Teddy, “so I’ll take Billy up first, then Teddy can carry Eli. Okay?”

Teddy nodded gratefully. He couldn’t even get up the courage to talk to Billy. He didn’t know how he’d keep in control if they were in the close proximity that was required to carry someone.

therealmagicboy: Turning his head to the sky again, Billy’s eyes cut to Teddy and his fingers left...

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 10:30:00 +0000

therealmagicboy:

Turning his head to the sky again, Billy’s eyes cut to Teddy and his fingers left his pockets in order to tug the sleeves of his jumper more securely over his arms- like he was resettling some sort of worn armour against the memories.

He hummed at Teddy and gave a slight nod, because he really did want to tell someone, but Teddy cared and while it was a nice thought it also meant that he’d probably coddle Billy like he was a small child who couldn’t defend themselves or something. Which they both knew he probably could, but hurting someone with magic wasn’t exactly the answer to people who only had their fists to defend themselves.

“Apart from being jealous of my beautiful face, it’s probably because I’m the geek everyone loves to make fun of.” He bit his cheek and steeled himself against what Teddy would think as he let the rest of the truth slip from him. “And them being homophobic assholes might have something to do with it too. I mean it’s not like a flaunt it or anything, right? But whatever, I got all the awesome perks of being both a total geek and gay. At least I’m not afraid of being me.” Nervous laughter, then silence, and Billy didn’t dare look to Teddy just yet.

Billy’s shoulders were hunched again, and Teddy knew he was on dangerous ground. He wouldn’t let Billy go through whatever this was alone though, so he waited until he was ready to speak.

He smiled at Billy’s sarcasm, and then let it drop when he admitted to being a geek. Teddy opened his mouth to proclaim his own geekiness, but Billy wasn’t finished.

He stopped walking, Billy’s averted eyes meaning that he got a few steps ahead before realising that Teddy had come to a standstill. Teddy knew his lips had parted in surprise, his eyes wide and mouth dry. His heartbeat roared in his ears. Billy was gay. Billy was gay. He gripped the handlebars of his bike hard to ground himself.

Teddy swallowed convulsively, and said, “I didn’t know you were—” His voice sounded very far away.

He hadn’t realised until this moment, that this was what he had feared. Teddy had never met another out gay person before, so he’d never had to face up to his sexuality. All his little fantasies and crushes stayed locked up in his head, with no possibility of ever coming true. But Billy was kind and funny and attractive and brave, not hiding that he was gay even in the face of a beating from his bullies, to which he couldn’t even retaliate without abusing his powers. Teddy felt a fierce rush of admiration for him, and then one of guilt for knowing that he should be like that too. He ran away from his sexuality, he always had, and now it had caught up to him.

“I’ve got to, er, I have to get home,” he mumbled, shamefaced, unable to even look at Billy. Why am I such a coward? Teddy thought, hating himself. He got on his bike and quickly pedalled away.

therealmagicboy: Watching Teddy think was both amusing and interesting; his face showing new...

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:20:22 +0000

therealmagicboy:

Watching Teddy think was both amusing and interesting; his face showing new emotion at every thought- even if Billy didn’t exactly know what each emotion was or what it meant.

Billy shrugged, kicking a rock along the sidewalk and drumming his fingers against where they were pressed to his thigh in his pockets. “Yeah, sure, if you want.” His smile was easy, if a little hesitant, because it felt like there was something he was missing- like a gap between them whenever they spoke or moved together and wasn’t that the most ridiculous thing? I’m probably just projecting what I feel, Mum has told me I do that.

Billy sighed, sometimes he thought his life would be easier if he could just read minds, but then that was a violation that he wouldn’t want to use against Teddy anyway, so moot point.

McDonalds, ugh, Teddy berated himself. Oh well, at least he hadn’t blurted out one of his stupid date ideas. Keep dreaming, Altman.

He turned to Billy, who was walking beside him. The split in his lip was visible from this side, and Teddy’s grip tightened around the handles of his bike. He’d learnt a lot about Billy that afternoon — before, he’d been that quiet, cute kid who created lightning. Now he was a boy who’d tackle someone off their bike to make sure they didn’t leave upset, who was prepared to give up being on a superhero team because he’d accidentally hurt one of its members. If Teddy had been thrown off by Billy’s busted lip earlier, now he was downright mad that someone would feel the need to intentionally hurt him.

“So, hey,” he began, with forced lightness, “I reckon that almost burning down the warehouse and, y’know, everything else, made for a pretty epic bonding experience. So… You want to tell me about why someone decided to your face for target practice?”

Photo

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 09:45:08 +0000

therealmagicboy: Humming his assent, Billy uncurled himself and reached up to grab Teddy’s hand. He...

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 20:04:00 +0000

therealmagicboy:

Humming his assent, Billy uncurled himself and reached up to grab Teddy’s hand. He allowed himself to be pulled up, only to find himself definitely somewhere in Teddy’s personal space and still holding his warm hand. Mumbling an apology, Billy stepped back and smiled at the sky, ignoring the voices in his head; both the that told him to stop trying to get closer, and the one telling him to lean up and kiss Teddy and damn the consequences.

They both had valid points, but life was easier if he tried walking the line somewhere in between- or so he told himself.

Billy flapped his hand in the general direction of food, and watched as Teddy picked up his bike and walked alongside it towards where Billy had already started ambling along on the pavement. Tucking his hands into his jean’s pockets, he tilted his head at Teddy and raised an eyebrow, “Have anywhere in mind to replenish youself after healing such great wounds, O Mighty One? Or are we hitting the first place we find? Because my stomach doesn’t really care right now, but it is holding me ransom until it gets food, just so you know.”

The little Italian restaurant round the corner, owned by the same family since the 1800s, where they remember everyone who comes in, Teddy thought. The fifties-style diner two streets over that smells like candyfloss and coffee, where we can order huge milkshakes and steal each other’s chips. The pretzel stand in the park that does the most amazing fast food I’ve ever tasted, and we can walk through the trees and laugh at the dog walkers and joggers, and hold hands, and maybe I can kiss you.

“McDonalds?” he said.

therealmagicboy: Chuckling at Teddy’s little speech, Billy thought that maybe it wasn’t that far...

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:31:26 +0000

therealmagicboy:

Chuckling at Teddy’s little speech, Billy thought that maybe it wasn’t that far from the truth- but who knew with those two, right? And wasn’t love a little more complicated?

Billy blew at his fringe and decided that it was enitely too long to be sitting like this, so he raised his hand to swipe it out of his eyes. And froze, because Teddy’s smile was so gorgeous it hurt, and he looked like he was glowing in the sun- hair a halo around his head and- woah, Billy, that way leads to madness.

But still he wondered just what would make Teddy smile so beautifully; maybe the sun, maybe something else, but there was the smallest chance it was the thought of Billy that gave that smile brilliance. And how Billy wished it was him that made Teddy smile like that, he really did, but what were the chances, right?

“How come you’re smiling so much? Getting tackled off your bike isn’t really that much fun, is it?” He was so glad for this chance at friendship, he just hoped he wouldn’t have another repeat of today any time soon- being that close to losing Teddy had hurt more than he wanted to think about- and friendship was better than nothing, Billy told himself. Better than being alone.

Billy’s smile was small and restrained, although it looked genuine. For now it was enough that Billy had forgiven him for what happened earlier, although Teddy wondered if Billy would ever be comfortable around him enough to smile properly.

“Hey, it’s better than you might think!” Teddy parried, laughing. Especially if it gets the guy you like all up in your space, he added mentally.

He brushed aside the thought and knocked his shoulder against Billy’s, saying, “I think we’ve practised for enough today, don’t you?” He leant over to grab his school bag from where it had fallen and stood, offering Billy a hand up. “You want to get food or something? Healing always makes me hungry.”

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Sun, 12 Feb 2012 14:28:39 +0000

therealmagicboy: Billy’s eyes sought out Teddy’s lips and he watched them as Teddy spoke, biting...

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 14:26:00 +0000

therealmagicboy:

Billy’s eyes sought out Teddy’s lips and he watched them as Teddy spoke, biting his own lip because if only. Shaking his head to clear it, he moved off Teddy at his cleared throat and raised his knees to hide his heated cheeks as he made himself comfortable, arms looped around his legs.

Smiling at the sounds of the others arguing, Billy moved his head so he could see Teddy, just barely, through his own fringe. “They’re kind of ridiculous, right?” Exhaustion crept up on Billy and he closed his eyes, smile still on his face, revelling in the sun and Teddy’s presence as he spoke. “Makes me wonder if there’s any sexual tension underneath it all.”

“Totally ridiculous,” Teddy agreed, a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. “They should just get over themselves and admit their feelings. I bet anything goes in the 30th century, and if Eli can accept Nate then I reckon there’s not much that he couldn’t accept. I just feel sorry for them, so blinded to the truth!” He gave a dramatic sigh.

Oh, it was so easy to be friends with Billy. Teddy had learnt to keep quiet around Greg and his friends, knowing that any jokes he cracked would likely be met with blank stares before being brushed off. He had often felt like he was the only one making an effort in the conversation, and eventually he’d stopped trying. But Billy was actually listening, smiling at Teddy.

He felt his own grin shape into something softer and slightly wistful. Even though his crush on Billy would never come to fruition, he was unutterably thankful that they had the chance to be friends.

therealmagicboy: His smile turned soft as Teddy spoke, heart still thudding in his chest but not...

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 23:26:20 +0000

therealmagicboy:

His smile turned soft as Teddy spoke, heart still thudding in his chest but not from fear anymore- his nervousness had returned, oh boy. And when Billy spoke again his face clearly showed his struggle between being reverent in the face of someone other than his parents caring about him, irritated that Teddy would be so blase about his own well-being and just plain happy that he hadn’t damaged Teddy or their friendship beyond repair.

“You can heal, but it still hurts, right? So just shut up about that okay?” Billy’s hands found the sides of Teddy’s face for the second time today and he made sure that Teddy was looking at him when he continued talking. “And I was scared, I know, but you were too, weren’t you? I mean, obviously we both didn’t like that at all but that’s why we gotta practice. I just… Don’t hurt yourself for me again. Please. You’re not disposable or replacable Teddy and I don’t want to be the cause of anything happening to you. Ever”

Closing his eyes, Billy centered himself after shoving away the thought of ever hurting Teddy; he couldn’t think that way, it hurt too much to contemplate. “And, Teddy? You didn’t cause it, but you did help me when I told you I couldn’t control it and just… thank you.” He stared down his thanks at Teddy, pushing the hair off Teddy’s forehead and smiling because if this was a rom-com they’d be kissing by now- but then Teddy was straight wasn’t he and oh did that thought hurt.

“Okay,” said Teddy quietly, “okay. If you’re sure you want to, maybe we could try again.” He spoke slowly, because he was concentrating very hard on keeping his blush from showing. Billy was touching him, one hand on his cheek and the other in his hair, and it was such an intimate pose that Teddy’s heart suddenly hurt for wishing it was real.

Their faces were very close together, and Teddy would have only had to raise his head a few inches to kiss Billy. No, he reminded himself sternly, he’s straight. And even if he wasn’t, you can’t do anything that might threaten him or take advantage. It is his choice, always.

He shifted, clearing his throat to diffuse the tension, and that seemed to be enough for Billy to remember that he was still sitting on Teddy’s abdomen. He quickly removed himself, Teddy sat up properly, and they settled side by side. The faint sounds of Nate and Eli having a vehement discussion-not-argument round the back of the warehouse filled the air.

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Sat, 11 Feb 2012 10:58:59 +0000