Billy Kaplan (actualwizard_bk) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2020-08-02 16:27:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, alex, billy kaplan (wiccan) |
Who: Billy Kaplan & Alex
What: Animaniacs & Breakfast
When: June 6th [Backdated]
Where: Billy’s apartment
Rating: PG
Status: Complete
Billy had done a last-minute clean of his apartment on Friday night because panic was an excellent motivator when it came getting things done. Thankfully, because he’d had the ever patient help of Wanda and Blossom, he was getting better at the self-care part of keeping his apartment in something resembling decent shape but he still never had enough food in and remembering to clean everything without the impetus of an inspection was difficult. Sometimes he just didn’t have the energy. But Friday night came by and Billy went on a spree that had him sleeping soundly - at least until the dreams work him early on Saturday morning with the vivid imagery of someone (not just someone, Teddy’s mom, the mother of his dream boyfriend which made him feel all kinds of confused at the best of times, how could you be attracted to someone you’d never met?) being burned alive again which wasn’t something he needed repeating but his dreams were determined to repeat the Skrull invasion over and over. Which was a pain, but he couldn’t do much about them except note it down and hope that things passed quickly enough and he’d have something good to dream about.
So by the time Alex was due to arrive, Billy was awake and showered, hair still slightly damp. He was in fresh clothes - that weren’t sweatpants which was a huge win - and pretty much ready to face the day - and a visitor. His apartment was tidy and the curtains were open, which flooded the small open-plan living-kitchen area with light. Animaniacs had been sourced and was pretty much ready to go at the touch of a button.
He knew he’d given Alex the code to let himself into the building, so when he heard a knock at the door, he lifted his hand and waved it, the door opening on its own and swinging open even while he was fishing around in the fridge for the soda he knew he’d put in there the night before.
“Hey Alex,” he called, emerging around the corner a moment later. “You- uh- hi.” He cleared his throat. “Uh- c’mon in. It- yeah, morning.”
Smooth, Kaplan. So freaking smooth.
****
Getting close to anyone again who wasn’t Damon or Thomas wasn’t exactly on Alex’s radar, but he’d hit it off with this guy so well that Alex had let down his guard. It wasn’t wise, they all left him sooner or later, no matter what. Leon hadn’t left town, but Leon had left him and, after a few more close friends had fucked off, Alex had started to learn he couldn’t trust many people. At the very least, he couldn’t trust this place. He stayed because he loved his work, and he loved Damon and Thomas. He stayed because he’d promised Leon and, despite everything that had unfolded, he wanted to stay good with that promise.
Now, as the door opened on its own (something he was sure Lily Evans could do so he decided not to be too afraid), Alex stepped almost tentatively through it and into Billy’s apartment. When he saw Billy, Alex relaxed and smiled handsomely. Billy was beautiful. Young and sweet looking with something under the surface that wasn’t to be underestimated. Alex had one of his CDs and a bouquet of flowers in his hands because this sort of felt like a date so why not?
“Yes, it’s morning,” he agreed with a laugh. He shifted the flowers to one hand and went to Billy. He wasn’t sure he should hug, but it felt like the right thing to do, so he pulled Billy in with one arm and hugged him hello. “Good to meet you,” he said against the boy’s hair.
****
Billy - despite having complained to Grizz and Blossom on many occasions about it - still wasn’t quite prepared for just how attractive everyone that lived here was. Alex was certainly no exception, a warmth in his light green eyes that lit up his face as he smiled and he realised at that moment that this was a terrible idea. There was no way he wasn’t going to make a fool of himself or mess this up.
There was a hot guy in his apartment now and the world hated him.
Alex hugged him and Billy managed to lift an arm to hug him back in greeting, something he wasn’t used to with people that weren’t Wanda but he was getting better - slowly - at the whole physical contact thing.
“You too,” he said, only stumbling over the first syllable once.
Leaning back and glancing at the coffee pot- he’d had one already this morning but he didn’t know if Alex was a soda or coffee drinker or if he was one of these people who only drank three-fruit smoothies first thing in the morning mixed with kale and wheatgrass or something. He had no idea. He hoped not. He didn’t have any kale. Should he have gotten in kale? What was kale, even?
“D’you- drink? Want one, I mean, coffee or soda or- I have fruit juice somewhere if you’d rather. And I should- are those for me?” he asked, weirdly touched by the fact that flowers had arrived along with his handsome visitor.
****
Billy’s stammering only charmed Alex more. It was adorable and simultaneously stroked Alex’s ego to have a cute boy become a little unhinged around him. Then again, it could have just been a stutter that Billy couldn’t help, and then Alex would feel like a prize idiot.
“They’re for you,” he confirmed, offering the small bouquet over. A single flower felt too intimate. Too many was desperate. A small bouquet of yellow flowers from a grocery store felt just right and that was what Alex had for Billy. Along with them, he offered over his CD.
“I like whatever you’re having,” he said to the offer of a drink. He hadn’t thought about bringing over breakfast and was suddenly kicking himself for not stopping for donuts.
***
Billy took the flowers with a little, pleased smile and resisted the urge he had to bury his face in them. At least he didn’t have allergies. “Thanks,” he said, genuinely. “No one’s ever bought me flowers before.”
He didn’t hate it, that was for sure.
He moved away after taking the CD and looking at the back for a track listing, placing it down on the counter as he started fussing to look for something big enough to place flowers in as he didn’t have a vase. He settled for fishing a large, empty soda bottle from the recycling and using his powers to remove the top. It was an impromptu vase but it worked and it was environmentally friendly: reduce, reuse, recycle and all that.
“I mean, I was gonna have a soda to offset the three coffees I used to bring me to life this morning,” he admitted with a grin. “I guess being in a band you’re probably used to late nights and early mornings and stuff. Have you had something to eat yet? Not that I’m a great cook or anything but we can definitely get UberEats or something to deliver breakfast.”
He didn’t want to frighten away a new person in his life (he had so few friends, he always needed more) through his terrible attempts at feeding himself. In fact, Wanda hadn’t been by for shopping yet so his cupboards were full of cereal and snack food, perfect for watching a TV show with.
“Do you- uh- help yourself to a soda from the fri- wait, actually, I’ll grab it.”
A regular and a cherry coke appeared a moment later, one in each hand. “Preference?”
***
It was a good thing that Billy didn’t actually sing the Recycle Rex song out loud or it would have been stuck in Alex’s head all day and singing Recycle, reduce, reuse, and close the loop… as he was putting in IVs wouldn’t have gone over well with patients.
Billy was all over the place, so much that Alex couldn’t really keep up. He was in agreement that they should order something and was already opening the app on his phone, chuckling that Billy thought it was his band that kept him up all night. Really, it was his night hours at work, but Alex liked it that way. It meant his days were his own to do whatever he needed to with and he knew that soon he’d have to choose moonlighting as a local band leader on the weekends or being a doctor, but that was still a few years away.
Alex adjusted his glasses as he pulled up a list of restaurants to order breakfast from, his attention only being pulled upwards by the cans of cold soda that Billy held. Was there anything cuter than that boy holding up soda cans like a vintage ad? God damn.
“Uh,” he said intelligently, as if this decision required some deep consideration. “Let’s go with Cherry, living on the edge and all of that.” He turned his phone for Billy to see. “Since I chose the drinks, you choose the place and before we get into who’s paying, I am.”
***
Billy chuckled as Alex picked the cherry coke and put them both down on the counter, weighing up the benefits of using his powers to summon two glasses over to them or just drink out of the cans when the phone was turned towards him and he was distracted from that thought. He just needed to try and calm down, and not freak out about what this was - or wasn’t. And definitely not freak out about the fact that Alex was far more handsome than he had any right to be. How could he not have counted himself in the ‘hot guys’ in his apartment? How was it fair that literally everyone in OC was attractive? It wasn’t. He blinked, glancing up at Alex. “Are you sure?” he asked, “‘cause you’re at mine and I kinda-”
He got the feeling, though, this was an argument he wasn’t to win so cut himself off and just scrolled through the options, picking place that did a really decent variety of healthy - and not so - breakfasts. Their waffles were literally to die for.
“That place is good,” he said, selecting it. “Their pancake stack is pretty much the closest thing to perfection there is, and I’d let someone murder me if they let me eat the strawberry waffles first.”
He looked mock serious, “They’re just that good.”
***
“So then you pay next time,” Alex compromised. There was no argument here. Billy didn’t strike Alex as someone who had much trouble making decisions on his own, but he thought Billy might be nervous.
A laugh sprang from Alex’s mouth at the statement and the very serious expression on Billy’s face. Billy was not only beautiful, he was fucking adorable.
After placing a few things for himself in the cart, Alex handed his phone over to Billy so he could pick pancakes or waffles with strawberries, or both if he wanted to. No judgments here.
“Where are you from, Billy?” he asked.
***
Billy nodded, more than happy to pay next time for their breakfast. Or lunch. Or dinner. Whatever time of day it might be when they get together again. If, he was quick to correct his mental narrative, if he didn't scare Alex away. He took the phone with another little nod and added strawberry waffles to the cart, handing it back.
He leaned against the counter that separated his lounge area from the kitchen. "Uh- New York," he answered. "I transferred out here to do the college thing away from home. I've been here for about two years now."
He picked up his own soda and gestured that they should move towards the couch, "You? I mean- where are you from?"
***
Moving toward the couch. That sounded like a damned decent plan to Alex. For himself, he ordered a dutch baby with a side of warm cinnamon apples. After a minute of ordering that included some orange juice and a side of home fries, pay and a tip,, Alex finally sat on the sofa, lounging fairly easily. He tucked his phone in his pocket and pushed his shoes off.
“Depends on if you mean here or in the Dreams,” he answered with a shrug. “Here, this is where I’m from. Orange County, some in Vegas.” Alex smiled again at Billy and gestured for him to come sit directly next to him. For Alex, it was easy to see Billy might like him and, well, he felt comfortable with Billy and it didn’t hurt that Billy was fucking gorgeous. And sweet.
***
Billy padded over and sat himself down on the couch, it wasn’t huge: calling a three-seater was a generous lie at the store he’d grabbed it from but since he lived alone now it was more than big enough to feel empty. He settled at first on the other side, but that wasn’t really where he sat anyway, so shifted to the side slightly and onto the middle cushion which was where he tended to spend his time, if he wasn’t lying on the couch like a lazy person.
“So the weird stuff that’s here shouldn’t phase you as much as it does some of us?” he asked, “If you’ve been living here for most of your life? I thought New York was weird, but it doesn’t even compare to OC and the type of weird that radiates off this place. Though, I guess, since I got powers when I moved out here it’s not all bad?”
He leaned forward to pick up the remote. “Do you make a habit of inviting yourself over to people’s houses to watch cartoons or am I just lucky?” he added, lips twitched up into an almost impish smile. “Not that I’m complaining.”
***
As Billy leaned forward, Alex reclined back, linking his fingers behind his neck. Here, he could make out the lines of Billy’s neck which he was much more interested in than cartoons. But cartoons was what he was here for so he didn’t make any moves.
“You’re just going to gloss over the ‘I have powers’ part, aren’t you?” he half teased. Most people here had powers. It made Alex feel a bit like the odd man out if he were being honest. There were times he wanted so badly to let Damon sink those fangs into his neck, but what came with it scared him enough not to allow it. Yet.
He gave a shrug. “No, just you,” he answered easily. The inviting himself over part was pretty normal for him, but the cartoons part had been more of a whim.
***
“I don’ t have to gloss over the ‘I have powers’ bit,” Billy said, having not picked up the remote, just leaned forward to get it. “You can ask me about them if you want but I don’t know that much, since I’m still learning about them.”
He could feel Alex sitting next to him and he flushed again, clearing his throat and leaning back in the chair, conscious that it once again brought him pretty close to Alex and he held his hand out, the remote lifting and floating towards him and landing in his waiting hand.
“Telekinesis is one of them,” he offered, turning the TV on and flicking to the right channel. “Which is more helpful than I ever thought it would be.”
He cleared his throat, clearly feeling flattered by Alex’s honesty. “I-oh- really? Well, I feel special then.”
***
The display would have surprised Alex more than it already was if Alex weren’t accustomed to people having powers now. Still, he stirred a little and jumped slightly, but he couldn’t really be blamed; PTSD was real and all that, at least according to his work therapist.
“Okay so if I want a sandwich later, I don’t have to get up,” he deduced from that, even though they were still waiting for their waffles.
Billy’s next comment made him smile again and he reached over lazily to comb fingers through Billy’s thick and inviting tuft of hair. It was maybe even more impressive than his own.
***
Billy snorted, “No, if you want a sandwich you don’t gotta get up partly ‘cause I’m the host and I’d make you one.” Or he’d order something in and get it from the door. Honestly, he’d never tried to make a sandwich with telekinesis before, it might go well or it might be a disaster, but it’d be something to try, he supposed. Right before Grizz had left, he’d mastered the art of unbuttoning shirts with his powers, so he knew he could do fine-motor things without too much trouble.
He’d seen Alex start slightly with the use of his powers and was about to apologise when fingers slid into his hair and the sensation made his eyes close for a moment. It had been ages since anyone had done this, honestly he’d only recently figured out that he even liked that feeling in the first place and unbidden a tiny hum of pleasure escaped him as he tilted his head into the touch, even if it was far more forward than he was expecting.
He did press play on the remote, watching the opening credits start.
“Dunno if you’re curious about the other powers I have, not all of them are as easy to show as the telekinesis, though.”
***
Since it seemed to feel so good, Alex kept his fingers there, letting them card through silky, dark strands.
“Tell me,” he said. Yes, he was curious. It didn’t even register how bizarre it was to talk about Dream acquired powers while watching Animaniacs and running his fingers through Billy’s hair. So it wouldn’t snag Billy’s hair, Alex pulled a ring from one of his fingers before he continued, letting the smoother rings stay where they were.
***
“About my powers?” Billy wrinkled his nose a little, tipping his head slightly into the touch to his hair. “I- uh, I can fly, and move things with my mind. Fly.” Teleport, but he didn’t know if that was a fluke just yet, “and I can shoot lightning out of my fingers… Blew up the toaster when I found that out for the first time. I can do other things in the dreams but they’ve not come through yet. If they will at all.”
His shoulder lifted and he watched the opening credits roll, fingers tapping on his thigh in time with the upbeat music, sitting forward a little and picking up a pillow, hugging it to his chest as he settled into the couch.
“It’s nothing special, not where I come from anyway. We’ve got literal gods that run around on earth so a guy that can fly and shoot lightning seems kinda silly in comparison.”
***
“I’m about to do my impression of you,” Alex said, then cleared his throat. “I can fly and shoot lightning out of my fingertips, but it’s no big deal or anything.” It wasn’t even a mocking tone. To Alex, it was absurd to think it wasn’t a big deal to be able to do those things.
“I can make fart noises with my armpits,” he offered, more teasingly this time.
***
Billy snorted, throwing the pillow he was hugging at Alex before he shook his head. “Look when there’s literal gods running around it’s definitely a bit different,” he argued. “And when you’re on a team of people who are literal perfection it just- Well, you know how it goes. My powers are the least impressive compared to some of my team, who can shape shift and are super strong and look like supermodels and-” He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his head. Not time to talk about the dream boyfriend. “C’mon, let’s at least watch an episode before food arrives.”
And with that, he settled himself on the couch, another pillow hugged against his chest.