magical_geek (magical_geek) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2015-02-18 08:51:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, billy kaplan (wiccan), teddy altman (hulkling) |
Who: Billy Kaplan and Teddy Altman
What: An offer, an announcement, and an alliance.
When: After this text exchange
Where: Teddy’s beach house
Rating: Low - flirty innuendo
Status: Complete
Teddy hadn’t meant to offer Billy a job via text message. Really. But the idea that the studio would take Billy away from him and assign him to some other actor had made him Hulk out a little.
Literally.
He’d shifted without thinking into his battle form and had nearly crushed his phone. It had taken several deep breaths and a strong desire to text Billy back (which he couldn’t when his thumbs were the size of his phone) before he’d gotten enough control to shift back.
So. The job offer had happened.
And now Billy was coming over. Which.
Teddy hadn’t been joking when he’d told Billy he hadn’t left the house in days. He’d neglected to mention he also hadn’t showered, and he’d given housekeeping the week off, because he still felt weird about them working when he was home. He missed Maria, the housekeeper who’d worked for his parents and had helped raise him growing up. She was also, he’d realized thanks to the dreams, his adopted mother in his universe. And she was just as dead here, although this time it hadn’t been his fault.
It was weird, the way the universe here paralleled his life before in so many ways. He was the child of famous parents who had died tragically there too, although maybe not so famous, nor so tragic.
And then, of course, there was the fact that he and Billy weren’t together here. That Billy, actually, had a different boyfriend (who slightly resembled Teddy, if you squinted). The very fact that Billy hadn’t mentioned Justin at all in his texts didn’t bode well, in Teddy’s view. If Billy was still feeling conflicted about Justin he probably would have mentioned it, right? Instead of letting Teddy babble on about pizza delivery guys?
Right.
When Billy had texted Teddy he’d meant to tell him about being reassigned and about the ‘break’ he was on with Justin but he’d somehow ended up being offered a job, a secure job, and pretty much saying yes. That wasn’t exactly his plan especially since he knew Justin was worried about Billy spending too much time with Teddy. But it would look so good on his employment record and he was sure Teddy would go far. And, he had to admit, part of him wanted to do it so he could be close to Teddy. It seemed the confusion he’d felt before was still there, though he felt the pressure less now. He was single, at least for now and could enjoy being around both Teddy and Justin without too many pressures.
He’d been surprised when Teddy had said he hadn’t left the house in over a week. It really wasn’t healthy, obviously he did need somebody to look out for him. However nothing could prepare him for the sight that greeted him when he got to the house, “You look awful,” he said, “When exactly was the last time you showered and changed clothes?” he asked as he entered.
“Um,” Teddy said, intelligently. “Not entirely sure?” he admitted, his expression sheepish. He’d dropped pizza on his shirt the other day (yesterday?) but instead of putting on a new one he’d just pulled it off and gone shirtless. It was just him, after all. Who was he trying to impress? The pizza guy? Psh.
Billy rolled his eyes, “You really are hopeless,” he said, though there was affection in his tone. “I’m going to put these...” he held up the bags of groceries he was carrying, “in the kitchen. Why don’t you shower and put a shirt on while I put everything away?” he suggested.
"You seriously brought groceries?" Teddy was delighted. "You're amazing. Also underpaid, I'm guessing, so while I go shower, how about you write down your salary and job requirements?"
What were PAs even paid these days? He had no idea. He wished he could remember what he'd set up for his PA in Vancouver, but that was years ago. Also in Canadian money, so that probably wouldn't help.
“Of course I did,” Billy said, blushing a little under the praise. “Um right okay I can do that” he said, with a nod. He figured he’d just put down what he was currently paid. And as for job requirements he’d list the usual kind of stuff.
Letting Teddy go shower he took everything into the kitchen and once it was put away he went about making a quick sandwich lunch for them.
When Teddy wandered back awhile later he was freshly showered, freshly shaved, and wearing clean sweatpants and a t-shirt.
"So..." He trailed off, standing a little away from Billy. "...do I meet with your approval now?"
Billy grinned, “Much better” he nodded, “You’re approved especially because you removed that horrible stubble that was growing on your face,” he added before pushing a plate towards him, “I made us lunch.”
Teddy took a seat at the breakfast bar, sliding onto the stool and accepting the plate--he knew from experience that Billy made excellent sandwiches, but he still gave him a baleful glance. “I only recently found out I’m an alien hybrid so my feelings on masculinity are a little complicated--but I still feel like you’re insulting my manhood when you insult my beard.”
Billy did indeed make excellent sandwiches, it was a handy skill to have. In fact he wasn’t a bad cook at all. He couldn’t help laughing a little at that, “I promise you I’m not. You’re very manly even without the beard.”
That didn’t exactly mollify Teddy, and he pouted a little as he chewed his sandwich. “You at least owe me a lengthy description of your week in New York,” he grumbled. “How are the Kaplans? Still psychologists?”
Billy smiled, “No pouting,” he scolded with a smirk, “New York was cold, really cold actually. They’re good and nope, they’re lawyers here. Makes it easier to get away with things,” he grinned.
“Aww...I liked your parents,” Teddy smiled, fond. “They were so concerned about making sure they were being supportive. Remember when you were trying to tell them you were Wiccan and they thought you were coming out as gay and I was your boyfriend? They adored me.”
Blushing Billy nodded, “I remember,” he said smiling, “It was a little different here, they knew I was gay when I left New York and they knew about Justin too. They haven’t had any dreams but dad was kind of fascinated about it all.”
And his parents would never know about them. But the memories he had of them here--fake though they might--at least they were more than what he’d had with them before. He hesitated between bites, but tried to sound casual when he asked: “Do they know about me? I mean, your parents here? Do they know about me?”
“They do now,” Billy said, “I told them about you, about everything, when I went over to stay with them.” Because he’d needed their help and he was very close to his parents, he’d never once been interested in finding his real ones. Not even since the dreams.
There was a pause, as Teddy chewed. “...and what do they think?” Because he didn’t think a universe could exist where he didn’t want the Kaplans’ approval.
“My mom said I need to just be on my own for a while, carry on with my life and she thinks things will work out how they are supposed to. Dad agreed.” Which had been part of the reason he’d told Justin they needed a break. His parents understood him better than most and he usually followed their advice.
“So...what does that mean?” Teddy frowned. “They think you should break up with Justin?”
“It means we’re on a break,” Billy said, “I’m just taking some time to be myself.” He spoke as casually as he could.
“A break,” Teddy repeated, having difficulty wrapping his head around it. “You’re on a break. Meaning you’re still together?”
Billy shook his head, “No. We aren’t together, not now. Like I said I’m just taking a break and being me for a while.”
“So...you broke up?” Teddy knew he sounded like an idiot, but he wanted to be clear on this point before anything else.
“We’re just calling it a break,” Billy said sighing and pushing a hand through his hair. “We aren’t together okay? Can we just leave it at that?” It still kind of hurt even if he had been the one to initiate the break.
“I’m sorry.” Teddy looked sheepish, chastised, even though internally he was celebrating. Billy was still sad, and so Teddy was sad for him. “...do you need a place to stay? This place has like...eight bedrooms….”
Billy waved off the apology, “No. Thank you but I’m staying with a friend for a while.” And it worked out better for everybody that way. He didn’t want to give Justin or Teddy the wrong impression.
Teddy fidgeted with his napkin. “...okay.” He’d thought that he and Billy were friends, but apparently not. “...is this going to make things weird? I’m not...I mean, I wouldn’t presume that just because you and Justin are...taking a break...that that meant anything changed between you and me.”
That hadn’t been what Billy meant at all and Teddy should have known that. Of course they were friends, Billy had said as much. “It’s not going to be weird, we won’t let it be weird. But obviously it won’t look good if I start living with you which is why Clary agreed to let me stay with her. Better the friend you aren’t dating in your dreams right?” he tried to lighten the mood though it fell a little flat.
“If that’s what you want,” Teddy replied, noncommittally. It was probably best to just ignore the awkward and move on. He picked up Billy’s list of requirements, scanning them. “If you wanted to work for someone else...that could be arranged too. The Altman name still opens some doors, and people are always looking for good PAs. I could recommend you.”
“If you’ve changed your mind you can just say so,” Billy said, “I don’t mind honestly. It was spur of the moment right? I mean you haven’t left the house in a week, you probably didn’t know what you were saying.” he tried to smile casually before looking down at his food. He hadn’t expected this, he didn’t want things to be awkward.
“What? No!” Teddy protested and then bit his lip. This was coming out wrong. “I just...I thought if you thought it would look bad, you working for me. You could still be a real PA for someone. You don’t have to be mine, even though I want you to be. My PA.”
“What?” Billy looked confused for a moment, “No, look” he sighed, “I’ve just told my boyfriend I need a break because I can’t reconcile my dream feelings for my dream boyfriend in reality. It would be pretty shitty of me to move in with you but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to work for you. You’ve offered me my dream job Teddy, and I won’t turn that down. I love working with you, it’s like working with someone I’ve known my whole life. That’s how I feel around you.”
Theodore wasn’t sure Billy meant to admit that the breakup--break was because of him, so he chose to focus on that last part. At least for right now.
He smiled, shy, tentative.
“It feels that way to me too,” he confessed. “We make a good team, no matter what we’re doing. Although organizing towncars and airplane tickets is probably easier than being superheroes.”
Billy smiled too, “Maybe but...” and now he grinned, “You know we could do both. Have you met Kate yet?” he asked curiously.
“Like...our Kate?” Teddy smiled. “I don’t think so. Why?”
"Because I think you should," he grinned, "Because with a little teamwork we can be those superheroes."
Teddy gave Billy a suspicious look, but he was excited, too. Anything that got Billy wanting to embrace their real lives was something to support. “What do you mean? Even if my Hulkling costume showed up, or your Wiccan costume. Superheroes don’t exist in this universe. Not really. Not like they did before.”
“I have my costume,” Billy told him, “And I know it isn’t exactly the same but Kate and I have been out, we’ve helped people. Saved them.” Okay it was only once purposefully but there had been a rush from it.
“Really?” Teddy looked interested, curious. “What did you do? Why didn’t you tell me?” He didn’t mean to sound reproachful, but he was a little hurt that Billy had kept this from him.
“It was only recently,” Billy said, “I was going to tell you but then...well everything happened so I’m only getting the chance now. I didn’t leave you out purposefully, I promise.”
Teddy looked unconvinced, nearly pouting again, but he sighed and nodded. “Okay.” He moved past Billy to the fridge and got out a bottle of water. “You should probably call Kate. Invite her over. I want to hear all about it. And we have one advantage that other us didn’t have.”
“Okay, I can do that,” he said, moving them on. He was pretty sure they didn’t share everything, not yet at least. “What’s the advantage?” he asked curiously.
“We don’t have to sneak around your parents,” Teddy joked, closing the fridge door. Jokes aside, not being underage was probably going to help them, if they were seriously going to do this. “And does your costume from when you were sixteen still fit?” He looked Billy up and down. “Never did get that final growth spurt you wanted, did you?” he teased.
Billy laughed before Teddy carried on talking, “Hey, I am plenty big enough,” he said before blushing, “I mean the costume is stretchy and anyway it’s fine,” he finished lamely still rather embarrassed.
“Yeah, you are,” Teddy murmured, amused at Billy’s blush. Was there a rule you couldn’t flirt with someone who was on a break with their boyfriend? Maybe. But Teddy didn’t particularly care. “But if you wanted a new one, or something different--you know we’ve got money for that, right?”
Billy’s blush deepened but he couldn’t stop himself from giving Teddy a little smile. Which may have been a little flirty itself. “You gonna be the Tony Stark of the Young Avengers, Teddy?” he asked with a small chuckle.
It was a memory, and maybe it was a cheesy shapeshifter pun, but that didn’t stop Teddy from shifting into Tony Stark--goatee and all--in front of Billy with a smirk. “Wouldn’t be the first time,” he replied, in Tony’s voice.
The memory of playing around with Teddy’s power and hanging together swept over him and he laughed, “Oh my god,” he breathed, “That is brilliant. Totally the right amount of self confidence and swagger too,” he teased.
Tony/Teddy’s eyebrows did a complicated dance. “Acting,” he pronounced imperiously, mouth still curled in a smirk, his fingers tapping lightly on the water bottle, restless, before he shifted back to himself. “I’ve been wondering why my parents were actors in this reality,” he mused. “But it’s a kind of shapeshifting, I guess.”
Billy smiled, "That actually makes a lot of sense," he acknowledged, "You're doing so well with controlling it now, it's great, really great," he said proudly.
“I’ve been practicing,” Teddy demurred, ducking his head slightly. Apparently it was his turn to be embarrassed. In his defense, it wasn’t like he had a whole lot of other things to do now that the show was on hiatus. “But um. Yeah. You should call Kate. And I’ll call my agent and get this all finalized.” He waved Billy’s job requirements. “You should have an official job offer by the end of this week, and you can put in your two weeks notice at the studio.”
“It shows” Billy said, rather liking making Teddy blush for once. “I’ll call Kate and we’ll set up a meeting. Thanks Teddy, I do appreciate the opportunity you know?” he said honestly, because despite everything Teddy didn’t need to do it.
Teddy nodded and raised his eyes to meet Billy’s. “It’s not pity, you know. It’s incredibly selfish of me to steal the studio’s best PA--and you are the best PA I’ve ever had. The fact that it’s you, and we have...history...that’s separate.”
Billy smiled at that, “Thanks. It really is the job I’ve always wanted, here anyway,” he clarified. “It’s exciting and I’m pretty good at organisation too. Who knew I’d be so good with spreadsheets,” he chuckled.
“Please, I remember you and the superhero wiki,” Teddy replied, and rolled his eyes. “You love anal stuff like that.”
There was a beat, and then Teddy turned red. “...and I can’t believe I just said that.”
Billy chuckled because it was true, his geeky self had been very geeky in the dreams and then he turned red when Teddy continued talking before he properly burst out laughing. “You’re ridiculous,” he managed to get out between bouts of laughter.