Billy glanced over, startled, as the window slid open and Teddy poked his head in. He wasn't his typical green or flesh color, which initially threw Billy off, but it was obviously Teddy.
From his viewpoint on the bed, he could see Teddy mouth something, but couldn't quite make it out over the music on his phone. Reaching for it, he pressed pause and pulled the headphones out of his ears.
"Get in here before someone sees you." Yes, the MHMRA had been repealed, but that didn't mean that Billy wanted his nosy neighbors seeing Teddy in all his 'glory' outside his window. That was still something, like his own abilities, he wanted to keep from his parents.
When the smile faded, Billy braced himself. "We need to talk." The words cut through the air like knives. They were so familiar and foreign at the same time... but Teddy wouldn't remember the last time they needed to talk, or what resulted from it.
"I guess," he offered noncommittally as he turned off the white noise of the TV. He was still in bed clothes and mussed hair, as he had barely even ventured out of the room save to use the restroom and grab a bowl of cereal. There were certain advantages to having parents that were both at work during the summer, the ability to mope in peace being high on that list.