faesphere | [Random RP Post

[Well. How is he supposed to leave now? From Rebecca's hug to Jeff agreeing with his wife and clasping his shoulder, from the way the brothers hold his sides and legs too to...

To Billy looking at him like that, with a plea in his eyes and still holding his sleeve.

There's still a huge hole in his heart where his mother - his only family - used to be, and Teddy knows it could never really be filled. But moments like this... it's not so bad. He even feels a little bit like the family Rebecca's talking about, even though he hasn't known them for long.

So he ducks his head with a somewhat shy and very humbled smile, and the tension that'd previously filled his shoulders relaxes out of him. He still feels like some kind of intruder, like he shouldn't be here. But they want him here, they want him to be part of their family, and... he kind of wants it, too.]

Yeah... okay. Sorry about that...

[And now that that's settled, it's about time for them to stop lingering in the hallway. Soon enough, the boys are bullied back inside by the parents, where they're smothered with affection and worry and, in the brothers' case, annoying questions. But it's home. As much as Teddy can call it a home, at least. He mostly stays quiet with his hands on his knees, as Billy is the one who'd been missing, locked up at a prison this whole time. Yet there are times where he'll reach out to take Billy's hand, or rest his own against the small of Billy's back. He's here, and he'll be here to stay.]

[What a relief. With Teddy at his side, Billy feels less like he's about to fall to pieces; he's still tense, and refuses to say much- something he knows is going to earn him even more family therapy sessions with Dr. Mom later, but screw it, he doesn't feel like talking. Right now he just wants to sit quietly and soak in the presence of his family. When Teddy takes his hand he holds it tight, his breath evening out a little more each time. The mantra is perpetual and hushed at the back of his mind, home, home, home, home. It's incredible. It's like a dream, and if he hadn't walked right out of a nightmare that day he'd have wondered if it was even real. But no- he's seen enough dreams and illusions to recognize it, now.

Eventually he grows too weary of it- the awkward silences, the urgent, fretful gaze of his parents, the questions from his brothers. Half an hour or so into poking disinterestedly at his dinner, he murmurs about feeling tired and not the slightest bit hungry, and his mother immediately rises and brushes a hand through his hair, over his forehead.]

Of course, sweetheart, you must be exhausted. Why don't you go to bed, and we'll talk in the morning?

[Normally such a comment would be halfway a threat, but right now it's all care and concern, and he loves her all the more for it. He nods, leaning in automatically as she kisses his forehead and steps away to let him rise.

Before he moves, though, he glances at Teddy, to see what he'll do. He doesn't want to ask, but...]

[Teddy himself had shared in those gazes of concern, though he also shared in that weary exhaustion that Billy was feeling. It's like jumping from a nightmare and straight into a warm and comforting atmosphere; it's good, it's so good, but it's... weird as well. And he's already been under a high amount of stress, and he's just so tired.

When Billy starts to leave, Teddy looks up at him, and so he doesn't miss the glance Billy gives him. He's not sure exactly what he wants, but he can take a good enough guess. So he shares that glance, then gives a polite smile as he pushes his chair out as well.]

Actually, I'm really tired, too. Thanks for the meal, Mr. and Mrs. Kaplan. Do you mind if I hit the hay early?

[Mrs. Kaplan gives much the same reply, though she'd also given a raised eyebrow as well. Teddy's part of the family, yes, but they do still have some rules about what the boys can and can't do behind closed doors. Yet they did just get out of such an awful scenario, so she's sure that shenanigans is the last thing they're thinking of.

... Even still - ]

Doors open, boys.

["Yeah, BILLY." the brothers call out, all harmless teasing. Teddy, in response, gives the boys a grin and a semi-rough ruffling of their hair before he follows Billy to his room.]

Edited 2015-07-10 06:03 (UTC)

[He knows the rules. Of course he does. Years away from home can't take those memories away. Open doors, no locks, no shenanigans, no crime fighting after midnight-

He doesn't care. As soon as they're inside the room, he quietly shuts the door behind them, leaning back against it and exhaling deeply. Tonight is the only night he might be able to get away with this; after everything, his mother isn't going to barge in to yell at him for this. And he really, really needs the door to be shut tonight.

Like he could even wrap his head around doing anything like that tonight.

Opening his eyes, he offers Teddy a weak smile and heads to his closet to get a couple pairs of fresh pajamas. He knows he has a baggy set that might fit Teddy.]

[Teddy isn't sure what Billy has in mind, but he figures he can be there for him until it's time to sleep for real. So he sits on the bed, elbows on his knees and bent forward in a way that would probably make Mrs. Kaplan tap his back to get him to straighten up, if she were here. He watches Billy, expecting him to just get a pair of pajamas for himself.]

That was a nice bail back there. [And softer:] Did you still want to talk, or did you want to wait a little on that?

[Want to talk? He'd never wanted that. It's an inevitable thing that he'll have to face eventually, but the thought of doing so right now...

He shivers, then shakes his head, dragging his shirt up over his head. It only takes a minute to change, and then he turns back to face Teddy, the extra pajamas in hand, and stops hesitantly in front of the blond, twisting the cloth nervously in his hands. His voice is faint when he speaks up, the words stilted and laced with worry.]

Will... you stay with me?

[He'll talk if he has to, if that's the condition for Teddy's continuing presence. He just... doesn't want to be alone right now.]

[Teddy's eyes widen a bit at that, and he feels like he shouldn't be surprised by the request, but he is. They've never slept in the same bed before; took a nap, sure, and rested up after the shenanigans that they got away with (teenaged boys riddled with hormones and all). But they've never spent a whole night in each other's room, and that's... something usually done later down the road, right?]

Uh... [He looks at the cloth in Billy's hands, then back up at his face.] Are you sure your parents won't mind?

[They won't... probably. This night is probably an exception to that rule. But Teddy can't help feeling a little nervous, a little shy, and still like he's barging in where he doesn't belong. That's a feeling that hasn't faded for a while.

But that look in Billy's eyes... and the fact that Teddy missed him so fucking much, tossing and turning and hardly getting any sleep at the thought of Billy in the prison, not knowing what they were doing to him. Teddy wants nothing more than to be by Billy's side as much as he can, and that's what makes him slowly hold his hand out to take the pajamas, should Billy still offer it.]

[The relief on Billy's face when Teddy agrees is probably a pretty obvious sign that all is not well in his head, and- okay, it's not like he's trying to set a precedent here. He knows this is their one and only chance to do this without getting into trouble, and he'll have a big long talk with his mother in the morning or something, and from then on it'll be back to separate beds or whatever.

But he remembers more. He'd gotten used to spending his nights curled up against Teddy, to waking up an hour or so into his sleep when another body climbed into bed with him, to untangling himself from arms, legs, and sheets and leaving a kiss on Teddy's cheek and a fun little note for when he wakes up. Stupid silly domestic memories that he can't share and desperately wants to cling to.

After all that, and then after waiting alone, lost and frightened in that prison, he just... no. He just needs one night to feel that way again, one night where he's safe and warm in the arms of the one he loves.

In the morning, he'll be stronger.]

It's fine. I'll deal with it, if they get mad. But if... if you don't mind, I...

[He offers the pajamas to Teddy's waiting hand, and steps around to the other side of the bed, giving Teddy room to change - if he chooses - and to subtly sneak the chain from around his neck. Much as it pains him to remove it, he doesn't have an answer to the questions it would inspire if he was caught with it.]

Edited 2015-07-10 07:22 (UTC)

I don't mind.

[It just makes him kind of nervous, but Billy doesn't need to know that. It'd make Teddy look bad, for one, if he up and said something like that, and he doesn't want to deny his boyfriend this either. Especially when it seems like Billy desperately needs it, with the relief he showed upon agreement...

Still, Teddy can't help thinking it's a little weird that Billy would immediately suggest sleeping in the same bed without any hint of embarrassment or nerves similar to Teddy's. But just like Billy's behavior before this, Teddy blames it on his time in prison, and possibly even the events of the Cube, and it makes him hate what happened all the more.

So as Billy walks to the other side of the bed, Teddy takes off his shirt and pants and deliberately keeps his eyes up to avoid looking at the numerous scars on his stomach. It's why he slides on the pajama top first before going for the bottoms; he hates seeing them, hates what they remind him of, hates the thought that his healing might not ever fix them, even though they already look better than they did days ago.]

So, um. [He turns to slide his feet under the covers, noticing Billy putting something away, but not thinking enough about it to look.] I'm... I missed you. So much. [He offers a smile, though he still feels nerves hammering around in his chest.] And I'm really, really glad you're back with me. That it's all over...

[God, he's so bad at talking sometimes. How can he put into words how much he really missed him, how out of his mind he was with worry? How much he... he loves him, even after just a few months?]

[Billy pauses at that, swallowing back the lump in his throat, and quietly slides the drawer shut, trying desperately to think back to what was normal for them at this point. Teddy's nervous, and he knows they haven't really shared a bed like this unless it was really bad, like when they'd first gone on the run in Cap's hideout, and after the Cube experience. They were close, but not especially intimate. So... okay. Talk normally. Don't get too touchy.

....

Yeah, fuck that. He climbs up on the bed, hesitates only a moment, and then slumps against Teddy, winding his arms around him from behind and hugging tightly.]

Missed you, too... I didn't know when I'd see you again, I was...

[Scared, angry, worried about you, lost. Powerless.]

[Teddy shuts his eyes and curls his fingers into the sheets below him at those words, the helplessness behind them and the images they bring to him. Of Billy locked up in that chair, the way he'd fallen when they tranquilized him, how the world slowed down at that point and...

Fuck. He takes his fingers away from the sheets to hold Billy's hands instead, holding them closer to his body. He needs that contact, and he knows, knows that Billy needs it just as badly, maybe even more.]

I know. [He lets out a sigh, and his fingers move to find the spaces between Billy's, letting them entwine together.] I know...

[Billy shivers and burrows his face against Teddy's neck, fingers clenching tightly around the blond's. He knows he should settle down, force himself to relax and smile so Teddy won't worry so much. He'd had years to get over this already, he'd done all the talking he'd ever thought he would have to do for it, and most of all, he'd faced that fear before coming back here in the first place. The worst part of it, after all that, had been the waiting. Not knowing when - but not if - he'd be free. Missing Teddy like air, knowing they both felt that same ache of separation. Wishing desperately that his powers were strong enough to break himself out.

Teddy wants him to talk, but... god, he wishes he could just pretend. He just wants Teddy with him, now.

Maybe... maybe I can...]

So... hah... what did I miss? I knew- I knew you'd come, but... how?

[It's an honest question he can ask, at least. This is one part he'd never tried to find out in Luceti, to avoid screwing up the future or something.]

[This question is one Teddy's more comfortable answering. He doesn't want to say anything that might upset Billy too much, nor does he himself want to be too upset. He's always guarded his more solemn emotions as best as he could, because he doesn't want anyone to see how vulnerable - even how broken it makes him. Even Billy - What would he think if his boyfriend just started to cry or something in front of him, even with Billy safe and here, solid and warm and real?

So this, yes, this is a better topic. Carefully, so as not to jostle Billy too much, Teddy turns onto his back, one hand moving up to rest his wrist against his forehead while the other stays entwined in one of Billy's, his gaze on the ceiling for the moment.]

Well... I kind of spent a while stomping around and wanting everyone to hurry up and get on with all their plans and strategies and stuff. I could barely keep myself still, you know? After one those meetings, Cap - Yeah, Cap, he pulled me aside and told me he had a special assignment for me.

[He turns his head then, looking over at Billy with a light smile.]

He sent me to Arizona to find Hank Pym, knock him out, shift myself to look and sound just like him, and break into the prison. While I was there, I heard about the passwords they were using - which were really dumb and old school, by the way, and what I had to do to get past all the doors and everything.

[The smile fades with another sigh, and he looks back up at the ceiling again. He hesitates, because he hates, hates presenting this side of himself. But...]

You know... how hard it was to keep acting like that guy? To keep passing by your cell because I didn't know how to get you out of there yet?

Edited 2015-07-16 10:35 (UTC)

[Billy's eyes widen, hearing that, equal parts surprised and impressed. Sounds like Teddy reacted much the same way he expected - and how he himself would, if their roles had been reversed. It's kind of reassuring, actually, though he's not glad that Teddy had to experience it.

Still...]

My boyfriend is so cool.

[...Oh god, he hadn't meant to say that out loud. But- okay, even as his face goes red in the dark, and he ducks his head, he totally means it. Teddy's being serious, he's expressing how difficult it was, but- seriously!]

I-I mean! You took out Hank Pym. You took out a veteran Avenger. And then fooled everyone from Arizona to the prison, and you freed everyone, and... you're just amazing, you know that?

[That... really wasn't what he was expecting to hear. He looks at Billy, surprised at first, and then he just has to look away as he feels his face warm, and the blush reaches all the way to the tips of his ears. Is this what it feels like to be fanboyed? He covers his face with one hand and turns his head away fully, trying to hide the blush without cheating by shifting.]

- wasn't that amazing, I mean - Ms. Hill was still really suspicious of me, but... heh. Yeah. Yeah, I did knock him out. And did all that stuff. I'm - actually really surprised it all worked? That I didn't screw it up somehow?

[The difference was the high stakes, really; Billy was in there, people were unfairly imprisoned. Teddy couldn't fail, he couldn't.]

[Well. If Teddy's embarrassed too, that's a little different. A brief, muffled cough of a laugh escapes Billy's lips, and he sneaks in closer, resting his head on Teddy's chest like a pillow. It's so instinctive that as an afterthought he hopes Teddy won't mind. This must be so new to him, here.]

You didn't. You saved us all. Cap had a good plan, and he chose the right person for the job.

[It's definitely pretty new to him. It's so... so intimate that it makes that blush stay on his face, for a different reason this time, and slowly bring his arm down to wrap around Billy's shoulders. It feels like Billy's done things like this practically all his life, while Teddy's a bit behind on it. Wow... talk about a role reversal.]

Well... you know. I couldn't just... Ha. I still can't believe Captain America chose me. Like, actually specifically picked me to do it.

[... And he still can't believe Cap gave up, too. He can't help wondering what'll happen to him, now...]

No way. You were a perfect fit, and he knew it.

[Teddy's arm around him is extra-reassuring - it's good to feel it there, to know that not only is he safe, but also welcome. Teddy's not pulling away or too uncomfortable with this to ask him to stop.

He wasn't sure, so... yeah. It's good.]

Mmmm...

[Billy you are going to make him die from blushing so hard at this rate, and Teddy figures if he just shuts up, they can stop with all the praise. He's such a Captain America fanboy that hearing all that is like receiving a standing ovation with him in the spotlight. It's flattering, but wow is he ever flustered.

But... there is one thing. He squeezes Billy's shoulder, feeling the urge to lean down and kiss the top of his head, but really unsure if he should follow through. Billy's been awfully affectionate, and yet...]

I'm just glad I got you out of there.

[Finally, he does follow through; he leans his head down to press a gentle kiss against Billy's hair, then pulls back, head against the pillow and a blush across his cheeks once more.]

...Mm.

[Billy doesn't respond negatively to the kiss - hell, he's barely surprised. He shifts his head a little to find just the right spot, and slides his hand up between them to drag a blanket over them both, palm to Teddy's chest once he's done. God, but he's going to miss this again, after tonight. He knows his parents would never allow it to be a regular thing. Maybe he can sneak into Teddy's room sometimes, or catch little naps at the base here and there, but... not openly. Not until they have their own place, and that's years away.

I've never wanted to grow up so fast before.]

I'm glad... that it was you. Anyone else...

[They wouldn't understand, he figures. Teddy'd been with him at the Cube, Teddy knew what this war had already done to them. Teddy's seen him at his most frightened.

Teddy knows how to take care of him.]

Yeah... I know.

[Anyone else wouldn't have really understood. Teddy and Billy have been side by side through all those horrors they had to face, came out of it together... Only they really know what they went through.

Still, Billy might feel Teddy's heart beating a bit faster, if only because he's nervous. Sleeping in the same bed together like this, Billy curled around him with his hand on his chest; how is he ever going to get any sleep?

But... it's good, too. Teddy draws comfort in physical touch, and Billy being so open towards it when he hadn't been before is confusing, yes, but also so... relaxing? Safe? It's a good feeling to have, even if it makes him flustered.]

Well... we should try to get some sleep. We might be able to not go to school tomorrow, but... [You know, just in case.]

[Billy makes a quiet noise of acknowledgement, fingers gently curling and uncurling against Teddy, a subtle, uneasy stroking motion. He isn't sure if he'll be able to sleep, either- tired as he is, he can't help wanting to just lay awake for a while, listening to Teddy's heart and how he breathes, letting the fact that they're both here and alive soothe his lingering nerves. He knows he's much better than he would have been without the experience of Luceti behind him; he'd probably be a wreck, hiding alone in his room because he's too nervous to rebel against his parents like this. Teddy would certainly have his work cut out for him.

This way... maybe I can make it easier on him. Help him instead. He's done so much, even if he doesn't remember it yet.

Tomorrow will bring him one step closer to that reality, though. Maybe sleep would be good for them.]

Yeah... okay. I'll try.

[He won't make any promises, but he can at least keep his eyes closed.

Not before he lifts his head to kiss the corner of Teddy's lips, however. He can't not. When they're sharing a bed, when it's the two of them... kissing Teddy goodnight when he comes to bed is practically his lullabye.]

[Now. That was a very intimate gesture right there, and Teddy feels the butterflies in his stomach kick it up a notch. He can't help the smile on his face, a bit dorky and ridiculous, because god. Despite everything, he's so in love with this boy.

The smile does fade, however, as he shuts his eyes to try to get some sleep himself. It does take him longer than usual to fall asleep, but after a while, it's the exhaustion of all the stress they went through, it's Billy by his side and against his chest. It's all of that that makes him drift off and finally get the sleep that he needed.]

[True to Billy's assumption, one night was all they got; in the morning his parents were quiet, supportive, but there were certain glances he noticed out of the corner of his eyes that spoke volumes to how much trouble he'd be in if he pulled that stunt again. His prison trauma could only stretch their limits so far. It didn't help that he was so much more adjusted than he probably ought to be. It's a complicated dance of how much is too much? because whether he's upset or not, someone's bound to be worrying about him.

He does talk to Teddy, like he'd promised, and he talks to a colleague of his mother's to give her some peace of mind. In a way, it does actually help.

They return to school, but he finds it more difficult to return to a bustling New York high school after years of Luceti's strange, makeshift little town version of one. He sorely misses discussing magic and alternate worlds under the pretense of learning, instead yawning his way through algebra and US history. He does indulge his imagination in writing class, though. There are a hundred stories he could tell, now.

The biggest problem, truth be told... is that he's so damn horny all the time.

He can't help it. The further away from the war he gets, the more he remembers how free his life was with Teddy in Luceti. They came and went as they pleased, they cuddled and kissed and god did they ever make love without having to worry about anyone else's schedule. Now it's difficult to even get a good makeout session going without the risk of someone walking in on them. He doesn't know how many more of his mother's knowing (and slightly disapproving) looks he can handle.

So, distractions. Those become very important. And in the middle of one such distraction - that is, reorganizing his room - he discovers his camera. On a whim, he checks it, not even daring to hope.

But there they are, laid out in a file browser as soon as he plugs in the SD card. Hundreds, no, thousands of photos of the world he remembers so vividly, in dreams and in his memories. Lush forests, cozy old buildings, the most gorgeous scenery he'd ever seen in his life. All the friends he and Teddy had left behind. Their wings. Their home. Optimus and Misty, oh god.

He cries a little, browsing through them. Can't help it. It's a whole other life, and it's hard to witness it alone. How long until Teddy remembers? It can't be long now, but it feels like it's been forever already.

There's so many photos it'll take him hours to sort through them all. But he starts anyway, knowing he'll regret it later if he doesn't. If someone checked the card, saw all the people he'd photographed there... he has no idea how he'd explain.]

[For his part, Teddy sometimes felt like he wasn't sure what to do with Billy. The other boy had gone from blushing when he kissed his cheek, stammering when he got flustered by something he did, and not seeking out his touch so much... to something calmer. Cheek kisses were met with a smile, he didn't stammer so much, and he sought his touch much more than he ever did before. And when he did, he wasn't nervous, he didn't shrug away before long; it was like he'd been with Teddy for years, like how Mr. and Mrs. Kaplan are with each other, than the newly developing relationship that they actually have.

Teddy kind of feels like there's a lot of pressure on him to not act as ridiculous as he usually does, so he tries to suck up all those feelings and act calmer like Billy does. He can't help it a lot of the time; he's in a teenage boy, and this relationship he has is still new, his first real one. He can't help the blushing, the giggles, the butterflies, the gazing, and sometimes he has to be the one who shrugs out of a touch because it just makes him feel like he's going to explode or something. It's been a little stressful, on top of the trauma of the war that he'd been left with that seemed to affect Teddy more than Billy.

He goes to his mother's grave more often, just to talk about some things that he's not sure he can talk about with anyone else. And the heroics, god, Teddy lives to be a superhero. Nothing has been on the scale that the war was, and after Captain America's... passing, crime had escalated, as if the bad guys thought it meant they could do more harm without consequences. Well, they thought wrong. As long as he wasn't in school, of course, where he notices Billy struggle but also flourish in areas that he hadn't done so before.

His life. What was it now?

Still, the latest issue of a comic book series he'd been following is out, and he knows he can share plenty of geeky moments with Billy. He doesn't even have to knock; he heads to his room, price held carefully around the bag, and opens the door with a big grin on his face.]

Guess who got the latest issue of -

[Only to trail off when he sees the pictures that Billy's going through. Luckily, it's of some of the buildings and not of any of the people there, or the boys themselves for that matter. But it's still enough to make Teddy pause and frown a little, head tilted slightly to get a better look.]

What're those?

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