Entry tags:

hulkling, kid flash ii, wiccan

Who: Teddy Altman, Billy Kaplan, and Bart Allen later on.
NPCs: Teddy's mother.
Where: Teddy's house first, then Manhattan Mall.
When: Tuesday, May 22nd - Afternoon (Backdated).
What: Important events: Billy meets Teddy's mom and Bart meets Teddy. The three of them hang out at the mall.
Rating: Safe for Work.
Status: Gdoc, but may be continued in comments.


Mrs. Altman had papers spread out on the table when she heard the doorbell ringing. The blond looked up, a suspicious look over her features as she looked at the door. They really didn’t have much company...

She looked through the dining area’s bay window seat to the backyard. Teddy was still busy getting the garden area sorted. Well enough. Her high heels clicked on the wood floor before she peered through the peephole built into the door.

Surprising. She planted on her best, business greeting smile and opened the door. “Hello. May I help you?”

==

“Uh... hi.”

Billy had expected Teddy to answer the door when he’d invited him over after school. So when a woman he had to guess would be Teddy’s mother answered the door, he froze momentarily like a deer in headlights. What had Teddy told his mother, if anything, about the night before? Granted, it had just been a movie, but it hadn’t been just a movie at the same time.

“I’m... Billy. Teddy’s... friend. He invited me over.” Billy’s hands clutched to the strap of his messenger bag as he nervously dragged the toe of his right foot along the porch of the Altman’s house.

==

Mrs. Altman studied him for an intense, brief two seconds before beaming. “Billy Kaplan? He told me about you. Please, come in.” She swept to the side with experienced ease of welcoming people into houses.

“Teddy’s in the backyard.” She pointed a polished nail toward the glass back door that led out onto the expansive deck. She didn’t wait for the guest to answer, just giving a motion with her palm to invite him along while heading to the back and clicking onto the porch.

She leaned against the porch rail. “Teddy! Your friend’s here.”

Teddy had been fighting with a bunch of invasive vines that were sneaking their way across the back fence. And he was winning, tearing several up by their roots and over his head. The shirtless teen looked inquisitively up at the porch and dropped the weeds with some dismay.

“Hey! You’re early!” Not that he was complaining, but... He bat at his jeans, looking down at his dirt-smudged torso. Aw, man! Nothing for it. He put on a cheerful, if slightly lopsided smile while hurrying up the porch steps.

“Hey! I... “ He stopped short of Billy suddenly. “Let me go wash up!” He couldn’t even shake hands with him like this! He had sap and dirt all over them! And would that even be right, trying to shake hands? He didn’t know! “Just gimme a few.”

He smiled apologetically, stepping backward, bumping into the door, then hurrying up the stairs... with obvious, hurried, loud steps.

Mrs. Altman shook her head in amusement. “Well. Something to drink while we wait?”

==

Billy stared, slack-jawed and silent, at the image that Teddy cut, all dirt smudged and shirtless and... hot. A wide, dopey grin crossed his lips unconsciously at the sight. He was gorgeous, and he was interested in him. Billy almost wondered, once again, if the last couple days had been a dream.

“Uh... yeah. Got here quickly. The subway was running right on time for once.” Which was entirely untrue. Truth be told, the moment that Billy had been released from school, he’d found the nearest empty alley and flew toward Teddy’s, wanting to get there as fast as possible. The whole day, since he’d gotten the text invitation, had been maddening enough and he didn’t want to prolong it any more than necessary.

Billy’s big brown eyes tracked Teddy back into the house and all the way up the stairs, completely oblivious to Mrs. Altman standing behind him. When she spoke, he just about jumped out of his skin and spun around attempting to look like he hadn’t just been checking out her son’s extremely cute butt.

“Y-I-uh... yeah... that’d be nice.” His cheeks had to be the brightest shade of red ever.

==

And she had a highly amused smile on her face. She led him back inside, rattling off a list of drinks, as well as several healthy snack choices, ending up just scooting her paperwork to the side and putting plates and drinks out. (She obviously was used to a teenager who ate a lot.) She sat down again, a loud thump sounding overhead briefly from Teddy’s scrambling around.

“So, Billy, do you go to Midtown?”

“Tell me about yourself.” She watched him closely, all while smiling, but even Billy would have no doubts. As friendly as Mrs. Altman seemed, she was taking an opportunity to question him.

==

Billy tugged at the hair at the nape of his neck. Was this the parental interrogation? It would make sense, but it also scared the hell out of him. What had Teddy told his mother?

“Yeah,” he said quietly as he stood there, hands pushed into his front pockets. “I go there... I’ll be a senior next year.” Billy always got a bit verbose when questioned while nervous. “I... My mom and dad are doctors in the city. Well, my mom’s a psychiatrist, but it’s like being a doctor. I... have two brothers, and ‘the sound of music’ is one of my favorite movies. Oh, and I’m a Gemini and don’t really play sports or anything and I like to read...”

He paused for a moment, wondering what else she might even want to know, chewing his bottom lip as he thought.

==

She looked super amused. And endeared all at once. Yes, he did seem nice enough. She was about to interrogate him more when Teddy thumped down the stairs, leaping the last three. He was now washed and with a clean T-shirt on.

“Theodore,” she warned.

“I know! No running.” But it didn’t slow him much as he hurried up to the table and grabbed a handful of crackers and a soda. “Did you wanna hang out here or elsewhere?” he asked, blue eyes ablaze with energy as he looked to Billy.

==

Billy chuckled instinctively as Teddy was scolded by his mom. It was almost like his brothers getting chided back home. His stupid grin returned the moment Teddy sat down next him. His cheeks were burning, so he took a drink of his soda to try to distract himself.

He blinked once or twice as he looked around. “Uh... I was thinking... I mean. We could go hang out at the mall or something... but whatever you want to do.” Billy’s will to really resist was rapidly drowning in those bright blue eyes.

==

“That all right by you?” He looked quickly at his mom. “I know you got work.”

“Hm. Sure, why not?”

Teddy stood from his chair quickly.

“But take the phone and you have to check in with me.” She was standing as well.

“What time I gotta be home?”

“School night.”

“... Soooo, 11?”

“Ten.”

Teddy wrinkled his nose. He had tried.

“But if you’re going to be later, you have to let me know.”

Ha! Victory! He started for the door with Billy, eager to be on his way to have his company to himself. Mrs. Altman gave an expert motion to have Billy go out the door first. “It was very good to meet you, Billy.”

Then she handed Teddy something. Teddy’s brows bent stubbornly. Hers bent just as stubbornly back. She lifted an index finger, ending the silent argument, and his lips twisted, accepting the money. “Something healthy,” she prescribed.

“Fine. Love ya.”

“Love ya, too. You boys have fun.” She beamed at the doorway, waving them on.

==

Billy fiddled around on his phone, oblivious to the nonverbal contest of wills that was going on behind him. He punched a quick status update to his facebook page, indicating that he was heading to the mall. Then he turned as the door shut behind them and smiled at Teddy.

“Thank you,” he said with a grin. “Your mother’s... nice...” and inquisitive “She a reporter or something?”

He glanced back toward the door, half expecting Mrs. Altman to be still there.

==

“Nah, she sells houses. Which sometimes requires about the same skills, I suppose.” He held up a hand, looking skyward. Then he smiled at Billy. “But she’s cool. Are yours... more strict? Less strict?” He had a feeling more so, what with all the kosher practices.

“... You know. I don’t think I’ve ever hung out at the mall with anyone before. I mean, I’ve been. But.” He smiled dopily and gave a shrug. If Billy was there, the mall would be awesome.

==

Billy laughed. “They’re not bad. Disturbingly supportive, actually. Except for the whole jewish thing. They’re kind of strict on that, but it’s at least manageable.” As they walked, Billy slid closer and intertwined his fingers with Teddy’s, grinning like an idiot as he did so. He didn’t even care that they were outside, where people could see them. What would they do? He’d already heard the worst he could possibly hear from people at his school.

“Oh, before I forget,” he mused as his thumb traced along the back of Teddy’s hand, “I have a thing that I have to do tomorrow... so I won’t be able to hang out with you again until Thursday. I’ll text you though... promise.”

==

Teddy’s nerves were lanced with little shocks at the touch on his hand. He tilted his chin down, entirely bashful feeling, belly fluttering happily. He was glad Billy had made the first move toward the touch. He was still too timid of such things.

And of course he’d never had anything close to dating before.

Which brought a disturbing thought. What if Billy had? The question nagged him slightly.

“Sorry, what?” He looked at him, startled that he had not been listening, so wrapped up in the sensation of Billy’s hand and his inner thoughts. “Oh! That’s fine. I got something on Wednesday, too.” He could feel the heat steal all the way across the bridge of his nose. “And yeah. I should be able to text you no problem.” He hoped! Just what did one do at such a meet-up?

==

“Cool.” Billy felt like he was on cloud nine as he walked, hand in hand, with Teddy. They navigated the bus and subway system until they finally arrived at the mall. Like Teddy, Billy wasn’t exactly one of those people that camped out at the mall, but it was a place to go and look at things and get something to eat, and be around Teddy. As they had traveled, Billy had made small talk about school, his home, and other stuff. Talking to Teddy was very comfortable... well, most of the time. There were those times when the awkwardness would set in and he would think about how all this was different and exciting, since he’d never done it before.

==

Once he’d seen the facebook posting, Bart was all over it. He was bored after school (even though he’d only been out of school for about ten minutes) and hanging out with Billy sounded awesome.

Without bothering to change into his Kid Flash costume, Bart took off at high speed to the mentioned mall and began speeding around looking for Billy. When he finally spotted him, Bart stopped behind a corner then popped out walking in the other direction, trying to pretend that he hadn’t just used superspeed to get from Metropolis to this mall in New York.

He waved at Billy, jogging up to him and his friend. His friend who was holding his hand. “Hi guys! I saw your status on facebook! Hi I’m Bart!” He said to Teddy, then immediately went to stand on the other side of Billy and took his other hand as casually as could be. Bart didn’t know he’d interrupted something. Bart didn’t even realize that he wasn’t invited into the hand-holding-fest. He just did it.

“So where are we going first?”

==

Teddy looked in bewilderment at the other kid jogging up. “Hi...” He watched Bart snatch up Billy’s other hand. “...Bart.” His voice was much more deadpan at that point.

He looked at Billy questioningly, the unsure emotion lurching in his blue eyes, as though asking
You-know-this-guy? Please-tell-me-this-is-not-common.

==

Oh God! Billy was mortified. If he had a hand free, he would have had his head in it, hiding from the train wreck that was this current situation. He looked at Teddy, then Bart, then back at Teddy.

“Uh... Hi Bart.” Billy’s smile was strained and really awkward. Like the whole situation. “Teddy, this is my friend Bart.” He placed extra emphasis on the friend part. Gently pulling his hand from Bart’s, he placed it on the redhead’s shoulder. “Bart, this is Teddy, my...” What was Teddy though? They hadn’t even known each other a full week yet. Was that too soon to think of him as his boyfriend? Probably. Besides, it would be awkward to say that, and it not be on the same wavelength as Teddy.

“Uh... Bart.” Billy tried to be as gentle with this as he could. He didn’t want to hurt Bart’s feelings, because he liked him... as a friend... only a friend. “I... like guys. Particularly this guy.” He moved his hand from Bart’s shoulder to Teddy’s chest as he spoke.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I just didn’t know how to bring it up. I hope it’s cool.”

==

“Yeah, he seems nice.” Bart said, cocking his head slightly when Billy started apologizing. He didn’t like the funny looks he was getting from Billy and his friend and frowned a little when Billy extracted his hand.

Maybe he’d misread this situation. Bart backed away to look at it again. (Bart felt like Batman with all this deduction and investigative logic-ness!) Okay, time to examine the evidence:

1. Billy and this guy were at the mall.
2. Billy and this guy were holding hands.
3. Billy didn’t want to hold hands with Bart.
4. Billy said he liked this guy (whoever this guy was)
5. The Guy seemed concerned about Bart.

Quirking his head to one side, Bart snapped when the light bulb finally came on, “Oohhhhhh! He’s your boyfriend! Got it! Sorry.” Bart held out his hand to Teddy, “Hi, Billy’s boyfriend! I’m Bart! Um... so you guys come here often?”

==

Teddy blinked at Bart with some bewilderment, then looked to Billy as he spoke. The apprehension disappeared as swiftly as it had come, his wobbly, shy smile returning.

Wait. Boyfriend? Teddy’s head whipped to Bart then to Billy.

“Are we?”

“I mean, I’d totally be okay with that!”

==

“Uh...” Crap. Thank you Bart for grabbing that perfectly salvaged situation and throwing it right back into the fire. But, he did like Teddy... alot. The blond was practically all he thought about during his waking hours... and sometimes while he was sleeping also. And he wouldn’t mind thinking of himself as Teddy’s boyfriend, but wasn’t all this a little fast? Even for highschool where relationships began and ended in the space of a week.

Billy looked at Teddy and squeezed his hand gently. “I think... it’s a little soon for that.” He looked back at Bart. “But yes, we’re dating.” Dating was a good word. It was like the bridge between friends and a couple, which was safe at this point.

“And this is our first time here. Is there an arcade?” Oh god please... subject change.

==

“Cool!” Bart said, only gawking for a minute. This was his first time spending any time with a couple who were dating ( the idea that Billy and Teddy were also his first gay couple never came to mind; in fact, Bart may not have even noticed that they were gay yet).

“Yeah it’s okay. They’ve got like... Street Fighter and DDR and Tekken and stuff.” He shrugged a little, looking around. “Uh, can we get something to eat first? I came straight from school.”

==

No judging looks from Bart. That was good. Though Teddy was much more focused on Billy. At first his face fell, the uncertainty piercing through his eyes once more, but then they relaxed and warmed once more.

“Dating,” he agreed. That was a good term for it. Not too scary, but not pretending nothing was there.

Because something was. It made him feel alive and scared to death all in one breath.

He grinned toward Bart. “Food! Yes! To the court.”

He kept his hand in Billy’s as he started that way, looking his direction apologetically. “I’m sorry if I’m so awkward. I’ve never done this before,” he said sincerely.

==

Billy was hungry as well, and at least the situation seemed to smooth itself out. Bart was spastic and hyper and Teddy seemed really reserved and zen, but Billy was pretty sure that they’d hit it off... if only because they could compete to see who could eat the most. He chuckled as he walked, quieting at Teddy’s admission.

“Me either,” he said honestly. “But I’ve watched enough movies to have a vague idea of how it works. Besides, it can’t be that difficult, right?” Right. Nothing difficult about him being a magic user and Bart being a speedster and both of them keeping it from him. Weren’t people that were dating supposed to be honest about themselves? Billy vowed that he’d tell Teddy about his powers. Just... not today. Today, he was going to be the guy with the awesome friend and the cutest guy in the mall on his arm. Perfectly, blissfully normal.

==

Bart trotted out in front, leaving the two love birds in his wake as he pursued food single-mindedly. Pointing to the greasy, probably more than a little unsanitary, but oh-so-delicious food court pizza shop, Bart turned back to the other two boys, “Pizza?!”

==

Turned out Bart was odd, but decent. He reminded Teddy of a very ADHD kid. Conversation went easily enough.

“...Honey nut cheerios on a ham sandwich with unsalted butter. It’s actually good.” He took another big bite of pizza. He glanced at the salad he had gotten on the side, as token to the parent’s warning to eat healthy. He’d get to it. Few more slices, first. He looked from Bart to Billy with a smile. “Well, not that you eat a lot of ham...”

What am I going to do? he wondered to himself. I’ll have to tell him eventually. But then he dismissed the worry in his mind. It did little good, and he could wait a while. If they were still dating after a few months and he thought it was a sure thing, he could tell Billy then. No hurry.

No hurry at all...

==

Pizza was starting to seems like a regular theme. Not that it was a bad thing, it just wasn’t something Billy was used to. He listened to Teddy and Bart talking while lazily scooting a slice around on his plate. He was already stuffed. How did those two have so much room to eat? Well, he thought he knew how Bart could do it. Perhaps speedsters could process food really fast also. Hmm... something to ask Bart at a later time.

When Teddy described his sandwich, Billy’s face contorted in disgust. “That, singlehandedly, has to be the most revolting thing I’ve heard of... really?” He shrugged and drank some more of his soda. “To each their own, I guess.”

==

“Ewwwwwww.” Bart said with his nose all wrinkled up, mouth still full. He agreed with Billy. That sounded beyond gross. And Bart would eat just about anything. Come to think of it, he’d probably eat that sandwich too-- but it sure wouldn’t be his first choice!

Continuing to munch on his pizza, Bart looked between the other two curiously.

==