Chapter Text
Saturday, April 16th
12:45 A.M.
Billy looked at Teddy through heavy eyelids, hardly able to stay awake. His body was crying for more physical activity with said boy, but his mental state commanded a complete shut down. The blonde watched the dark haired teenager, half in interest and half in worry. If this was the most Billy had ever drank in one sitting, he would certainly pay for it in the morning. For Teddy? He’d like to think his flirting with Billy wouldn’t immediately highlight him at school as the center of attention. The school paper header after spring break would read: Revered Star Athlete Reveals Homosexual Tendencies (see page 3 for more details).
It wasn’t as if Teddy wouldn’t be prepared for the eventual coming out process. His mother knew now, and she had taken it like a champion. She understood her son well and wanted was best for him. What would the rest of the student populace think? In his half-drunken stupor his response would be, “Who the hell cares?” However, the sober side of Teddy wondered if that it would be that easy to own. Billy wasn’t even officially recognized as gay in school. What would people think of Billy? Would his harassment get any worse than it was if he was a confirmed gay student?
“You must have a lot on your mind, Altman,” Billy interrupted, his words slightly slurring as if his lips were going through a phase of being numb. Those lips, they felt so nice. Teddy’s first kiss, ever, and it was a drunken one. It felt right though; mindset and physical intoxication aside.
Teddy smiled shyly at the other boy, who still was draped over the athlete. “How can you tell?”
“You stopped kissing me and have been staring at me for a few minutes,” Billy replied easily, as if the answer had been obvious. Teddy hadn’t realized he spaced out. “Anything bothering you?”
“Nope, I’m perfectly happy,” Teddy said, not wanting to bother Billy with his emotional ambivalence.
Billy sighed and allowed his head to drop to the muscled chest below. “Your heart is so strong and steady,” Billy noted absentmindedly. “It’s calming.” A large yawn followed.
Teddy allowed himself to stroke his hand along the other boy’s back comfortingly. Billy emitted another contented noise, adjusting his arms so that they were tucked under Teddy’s arms. A smile formed on the blonde’s lips.
“You were saying you have a hard time before,” Teddy broached in remembrance.
“You don’t want me spilling my innermost emotions in my current state, do you?”
“You can tell me,” Teddy assured the runner, locking eyes with Billy as the boy looked up. “What is said between us will stay between us.”
Billy bit his lower lip, unsure of how to proceed.
“I feel trapped because of John Kessler constantly harrying me for no reason,” Billy sighed, his eyes wandering the walls. “I always wonder when it will stop.”
“He’s just one guy, Billy,” Teddy remarked. “Stand up to him. You know you can.”
“He’s one guy with two fists, and he’s huge may I add!”
“I think he continues to harass you because you’re making yourself a target,” Teddy said, though hoping it didn’t come off too harshly. He didn’t want to upset the boy.
Billy let out a resigned, small noise, “I guess you’re right. He makes the whole coming out process so much more difficult. How can I be comfortable in my own skin if I’m ill received already when I’m not officially gay?”
“People like you, Billy, you’re forgetting that. Don’t ever feel like no one will like you, because they will,” Teddy offered, his hearting constricting with pain at the other boy’s deeper emotions. “I like you, and that’s like having gold.”
Billy moved his head to face Teddy, his brown eyes narrowing playfully. “You’re ruining this heart-to-heart with your ego.”
The blonde winked and Billy let out a huff of air before lying his head back over Teddy’s heart. Billy listened to the steady heartbeat, felt Teddy’s strong chest rise and fall with each breath of air, and felt each breath breeze through his air. Tired, so tired. Billy’s lids slowly met in the middle over his honey eyes, and soon the boy was fast asleep.
Teddy remained as he was for a while longer, lying on the couch with Billy comfortably sleeping on top of him. When he was sure his friend was sufficiently asleep, Teddy gently shifted the boy so that Teddy could extricate himself. He decided it would be better this way, allowing Billy to wake up without wondering what the hell had happened that night if he blacked out. Teddy grabbed the blanket and carefully covered the boy, before taking a spare pillow from the couch and putting it on the floor for himself. Once his head hit the pillow, it hadn’t taken long for Teddy to fall asleep with a smile on his face.
* * *
9:43 A.M.
Kate woke groggily, sitting up in her bed. Looking down, she noticed she still donned the previous nights costume and hadn’t bothered getting under her silky purple comforter. Running a hand through her long raven locks, lightly untangling any knots, she let out a breath and moved to sit on the edge. As she maneuvered, she noticed a long form lying on her bedroom floor. Below her was Eli, sleeping away in his Captain America getup.
Kate smiled to herself and carefully stepped around the boy to her dresser, plucking out comfortable clothing for the day and stepping into her bathroom. Kate brushed her teeth, ran the brush through her hair, and replaced her wardrobe. The girl fisted her hair as she walked toward her door, pulling a hair tie off her wrist and secured the locks in place. Padding down the stairs, she traversed her way to the kitchen. At the island she splayed her palms against the cool granite countertop, head down and eyes closed, taking a moment to breathe. If she had a hangover, it wasn’t showing its face yet. She would have to start cleaning the house. She carefully made a mental checklist of her tasks, and then opened her eyes and stood straight.
She turned her head, gazing into the living room, noticing two bodies. One was sprawled out on the couch, the other on the floor directly next to it, a pillow under the blonde-haired head. When Eli and Kate had walked into the house not eight hours earlier, they had both noticed a passed out Billy Kaplan on top of a lightly sleeping Teddy Altman. Kate smiled wide, shaking her head.
Kate turned, heading to the fridge to retrieve some creamer for coffee. She quietly filled up the water tank, and set up the machine. Within a minute there was a cup of steaming caffeinated goodness awaiting her satisfaction. She took a seat at the counter, trying to decide how best to tackle her cleaning duties. Clean the patio, scrub the bathrooms, vacuum up food debris, take down the DJ table, and the list continued. Vacuuming was out of the question with the boys still slumbering peacefully.
She took a few sips of her coffee, gazing out the windows above the sink. The weather looked nice, sun shining brightly with minimal clouds in the sky. Kate retrieved a trash bag from underneath the sink, deciding that starting outside would be a positive start to the day. Kate grabbed her mug, clutching the bag in the opposite hand, and made her way as quietly possible to the backdoor. As she tugged the sliding barrier open, she stopped when she heard the sound of movement. Turning to face the living room, her blue eyes took in the sight of Billy Kaplan stretching out as he sat up. Billy swiveled on the Italian leather and saw Kate. When he got up to walk over to her, his right foot hit something dense but incredibly giving. Looking down he found Teddy Altman peacefully sleeping on his side, Billy’s toe just touching the young man’s back.
Billy’s eyes popped open wide. Teddy Altman, asleep on the floor! In Kate’s mansion! Next to the couch he had slept on!
What had happened last night anyway? He remembered the dancing, the drinking, and the shot that did him in…and then there was blankness. It was as if someone had taken his film reel and snipped a chunk out between taking shots with his friends and waking up on the couch, with Teddy Altman mere feet away.
Billy and Kate locked eyes as Billy carefully maneuvered around the gorgeous boy slumbering on the floor. Billy padded into the kitchen, the tiles zapping his bare feet with a stinging coldness that made his mind jolt more alertly. Kate pointed to her mug, and then to Billy, who nodded in understanding. Kate brewed him a cup, prepared it, got a second garbage bag, and then handed them to the dark-haired boy. Together they stepped outside onto the patio, morning sunlight gracing them with diluted warmth through the clouds. A small breeze picked up, the smell of spring flowers and rejuvenation wafting through the backyard.
They sat at the table to drink their coffee. Billy gripped his mug between both hands, eyes staring down at the beige liquid with apparent interest. The true reason was because he was afraid. He had never gotten drunk before, and never in his life would he have imagined blacking out the first time he had. Billy chewed his lip worriedly. He knew Kate would not judge him, but he felt disappointed in himself. He had failed to be responsible. What if something bad had happened last night and he could never remember what that was?
Kate reached over the table and rested her hand over one of his.
“What’s bothering you, B?” Kate’s voice was filled with warmth and her tone was soothing.
“Was I making a face?” Billy inquired, bringing his eyes up from the mug to meet Kate’s own.
“You were biting your lip and your eyebrows were pulling in,” Kate said. “You looked like you were feeling guilty about something.”
“I’m that readable, aren’t I?” Billy scoffed. Kate offered him a kind smile, one that was encouraging him to divulge to his best friend what was on his mind.
Billy hesitated for a moment, then: “What happened last night after we all took shots?”
Kate’s eyes widened and Billy had to look away for a moment to hide his dismay. “Billy, what do you mean what happened?” Billy sighed, wishing she wasn’t trying to pretend to not understand his question crystal clearly.
Billy turned to look her in the eye, trying to keep himself steady as he spoke, “There’s a bit of a, uh, time lapse in my memory. I remember taking the shots with everyone, sort of remember the goodbye from Nathaniel, and then…waking up.”
Kate folded her hands in front of her mug. She glanced briefly down, unsure of what really happened in the living room while she and Eli were talking, but she did remember seeing Billy on top of Teddy when they retreated into the mansion for the night. She did not know if it was her place to say what happened with Teddy, since she could not account for the hour or so she was not present.
“You went inside to lie down because you didn’t feel well,” she replied honestly. “Teddy followed you inside to give you water, but other than that you were pretty much couch ridden with the spins.”
“Oh, and nothing happened between Teddy and I?”
“I couldn’t say, I wasn’t inside,” Kate said, steeling herself. “Teddy is a good guy. He would never have done anything to you.”
Billy bit the inside of his bottom lip, studying Kate’s face. She did have a point though. There was an empty glass on the side table when he had awoken.
“He was sleeping on the floor, right next to couch,” Billy noted.
“Yes, he was,” Kate replied, eyeing her friend while trying not to smirk.
“I mean, right there,” Billy said with disbelief.
“What am I to tell you, B? Where else would he have slept?”
Billy sighed, realizing he was being annoying. He certainly wouldn’t have expected Teddy Altman to sleep on the couch with him, that’s for sure. Billy let out a small laugh with a brief smile. “You’re right,” he conceded, “It was nothing. I’m being paranoid.”
I wouldn’t think it was nothing, Kate mused to herself.
Billy continued, “I’m just most upset that I was irresponsible last night. I didn’t know my own limits and I pushed myself, and now I have this…”
“Billy,” Kate said, reaching out her hand again to cover his. “Life is about making mistakes, and learning from them. Last night was in no way an indication of anything other than figuring out how much alcohol you can handle. We’re young. We’re reckless. It happens to most everyone, so don’t beat yourself up, B. You’ll just waste time and energy worrying about something that isn’t that big in the grand scheme of things. Better it was here at my house, with Teddy Altman guarding you like treasure. I would be thankful, and not worried. It’s going to be okay; you’re going to be okay. Think of it as college preparation.”
Billy let himself smile, thankful for the comfort Kate provided.
“Thanks, Kate, I feel much better.”
“Comes with the role of best friend,” she replied with a wink.
“Let’s get some cleaning done,” Billy declared, a fresh attitude in his mind.
Billy and Kate spent fifteen minutes picking up cups, dropped food, emptied ashtrays, and hosed off the patio. The backyard was restored to its former glory, the party the night before a memory. Kate and Billy took their garbage bags to the cans before heading inside, where they were surprised to find a very awake Teddy. The kitchen was cleaned, the living room devoid of the DJ table and cling wrap, and two garbage bags full of used party supplies.
“Morning,” the blonde athlete greeted cheerily. “Thought I would lend a hand in the clean up.”
Kate and Billy looked at one another, and then turned to look at the police uniform-clad Teddy.
“Thanks so much, Teddy! You really didn’t have to,” Kate said. She pointed to Billy, “That’s what I have this one for.”
Teddy gave a pearly white smile before saying, “It’s really nothing. Just wanted to free up your time a little sooner. You want to help me get the cling off the other floors, Billy?”
Billy blushed profusely despite the simple request. He could feel his cheeks and ears burn. “Yeah, no problem.”
“Giddy’up,” Kate encouraged with a slap to his butt.
While Kate took to busying herself by removing the liquor, Billy found himself alone with Teddy in the sitting room in the front of the mansion.
“How’re you feeling this morning?” Teddy asked.
“I’m feeling okay, I think,” Billy replied, but then faltered in his resolution. “Not really. Beside the headache I bear, I also bear the guilt of blacking out.”
“Really?” Teddy asked without revealing his interest in this sudden revelation.
“Yeah, I don’t remember what happened between downing shots and waking up this morning.” Billy’s fingers busied themselves with prying up cling, Billy desperately trying to focus on looking away from Teddy as he spoke.
At least I can start things off in a fresh manner, he thought with positivity.
“It’s okay, Billy. It happens to the best of us.”
“That’s what Kate said too.”
“Well, I agree with Kate. I’ve seen people much worse, and they hadn’t blacked out. They did things they had to deal with the morning after.”
“How do you know I didn’t do anything stupid?”
Teddy bit his lip, keeping his eyes on the cling on the rug. “I, uh, followed you inside when you asked me to help you. You went to the bathroom and then you settled in on the couch. I brought you a glass of water so you could hydrate and try to sober up.”
“That’s all that happened?” Billy inquired, continuing to ball up half-removed wrapping.
“What?”
“Nathaniel didn’t like, molest me or anything, did he?”
Teddy let out a chuckle, “No, I was next to you the entire time. He left before you were on the couch.”
Billy breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks for having my back last night,” he said shyly. “I, uh, wouldn’t really have expected it.”
“Oh, come on, Billy! We were great friends last night!”
Billy sat up on his knees. His honey orbs fixed on the large blonde boy, who was alerted to the stare and gave a look over his shoulder.
Teddy froze, his ears burned with embarrassment. He doesn’t want a friendship I take it.
Billy finally smiled and Teddy released a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “Yeah, you were a better friend than I was though.”
Teddy laughed, Billy watching with earnest interest. Teddy’s sandy locks shifted as his head dipped back, his blue eyes sparkling with amusement, and exposing the tan skin of his neck passing the collar on his costume. Billy hoped he wasn’t watching too intently, but Teddy was just so damn gorgeous.
“Friends take turns getting shitty,” Teddy promised. “I’m a vomiter though, so be prepared.”
“You just have so much to offer in this relationship. I’m definitely on the winning end,” Billy poked, watching Teddy laugh even more. Then the dark-haired teen found himself laughing too, unable to contain it.
Together Billy and Teddy finished stripping Kate’s mansion of the party protector and wound up in the kitchen. Teddy’s stomach rumbled and his eyes widened with embarrassment. “Sorry ‘bout that,” he apologized quickly. “I think I need to eat soon.”
“You think?” Billy teased again. Teddy quirked an eyebrow, but inwardly smiled at Billy’s flirting he sensed the other boy was oblivious to.
“I think I’m going to take off now,” Teddy said, approaching Billy.
“Thanks for all your help today, Kate would thank you right now if she wasn’t figuring out why Eli seems to be comatose,” Billy replied. He noticed Teddy getting closer, now only a few inches away. Teddy came to a halt, and Billy made himself shake the nervousness as he looked up at the taller boy.
Suddenly Teddy was leaning forward, causing Billy’s ribcage to pound with an erratic heartbeat. Teddy’s arm wrapped around behind Billy, and his large hand suddenly dipped into the back pocket of his jeans. Billy prayed he wouldn’t spring an erection at that exact moment. How embarrassing would that be?
Teddy withdrew his hand, smiling at Billy all the while (keeping the mage’s heartbeat wild and painful in his chest), and revealed a white iPhone. Teddy swiped it unlocked, and then began to type into the phone. A moment later Teddy’s own phone beeped.
Teddy handed the cell phone back to Billy. Their hands brushed in the exchange, causing Billy to inhale his next breathe a little too audibly. He wanted to slap himself across the face.
How obvious can you be, you dolt! He reprimanded himself sternly, still looking up at Teddy.
“Now you have my number and I have your’s. Don’t be a stranger,” Teddy said with a smile. He typed something on his own phone, while Billy just stood, honey orbs wide and brain completely fried.
Billy’s phone beeped, shaking him out of his stunned state. He swiped his unlock and then a text message popped up.
Teddy Altman: Lunch at my house in an hour? Great. See you then!
Billy stared his phone in awe, but when he looked up from reading, Teddy was gone. All that remained in the kitchen was a bewildered Billy and the reverberating noise of a motorcycle taking off down the road.
Billy sank onto a kitchen stool, mouth agape, mind racing, and his body undergoing an adrenaline reaction so horrible, he thought he was going to have a heart attack.
* * *