ᴛᴇᴅ ᴋᴏʀᴅ / ʙʟᴜᴇ ʙᴇᴇᴛʟᴇ (bluebeetle) wrote in wtnvgame, @ 2020-12-29 01:57:00 |
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Entry tags: | !action/thread/log, ₴inactive player: rae, ₴inactive player: tish, ₴inactive: booster gold, ₴inactive: ted kord |
LOG: teddy + booster
Ted slipped inside the elevator and pressed the button for their floor with his free hand, watching Booster as he did so. His other hand was currently cradling his stomach as if he were harboring a child. “That’s it,” he said in defeat. “I can’t take it anymore,” the shorter man admitted.
Unable to take the constricted feeling against a full belly any longer, Ted hastily undid his belt buckle, as well as the top button of his pants - and leaned against the back wall of the elevator in relief with a sigh. The unofficial sign of an otherwise successful holiday meal. “Who the hell needs everyday belts, any way? Suspenders should make a comeback,” he chuckled. Utility belts were the obvious exception, of course.
“I think we could probably get away with the same thing for New Year’s, yeah?” Ted asked, unable to keep himself from thinking ahead. And well, he hoped he was still able to be around for the remaining Winter holidays. And for the foreseeable future, if he was being honest.
“Maybe…” Booster laughed. “I’m actually hoping we make more friends and have parties to crash. People to kiss.” Not that the last one was a big deal, really. He couldn’t actually remember the last time he’d wanted to kiss someone. He’d flirted a lot but relationships had always been few and far between, especially after Ted’s death. He didn’t know if there was any sort of significance to that or not. It was something he hadn’t really unpacked or examined. He’d just tossed himself back into screwing up (or unscrewing up) time and relied almost entirely on his sister, his kids, and Jaime.
Deciding not to unpack any of that now Booster moved towards Ted and threw an arm around the shorter man’s shoulder. “That’s a great look for you.” He teased, nodding towards the undone belt and popped pants button. “If Diana could only see you now… or Barbara Gordon.” He grinned as he reached up with his free hand to fully take advantage of Ted’s boyish and entirely too pinchable cheeks. He was actually pretty stuffed himself but his vanity kept his pants buttoned and belt buckled. Not that it would matter. The only person he wanted to impress or look good for had seen him at his best and worst. He doubted Ted would mind. He stayed close to the other until the elevator came to a stop and the doors slid open.
“So…” He said as he slowly pulled away from Ted and began the walk towards their shared apartment. “What do you think? Is the night over or are you still up for, like, an hour or two on the couch with me?” He asked, turning to flash Ted his most charming smile in the hopes that his formerly deceased best friend would be swayed. He told himself that it would be fine if Ted wasn’t up to it. He was there, alive and well. They had time to spend together. There would be other nights.
Ted’s eyebrows shot up with intrigue at the people to kiss comment. Were he not feeling so over-capacity with their multiple Thanksgiving dinners, he would have insisted to know Booster’s Top 3 New Year’s kisses list - and would have made a game of it. But instead he chuckled and allowed himself to lean against the other man - a faint light-hearted grin spreading across his lips. “I’ll be sure to rock it at the next League meeting,” he snort-laughed.
Nevermind that he didn’t know when, or if, that’d ever be - or if he was even still technically a member, having been dead so long.
Momentarily distracted, he swatted at Michael’s hand as it went in for the kill; only adding to the rosy hue on his cheeks that came with the mention of his favorite Bird of Prey. Ted held a very special place in his heart for the redhead - part of him hoped to see her again, though he could honestly survive without seeing Grayson. When the elevator doors opened and Booster moved, he straightened his posture (as best as his posture got, at least) and headed out after him.
“Oh c’mon, what kind of question is that?” Ted countered teasingly, more than happy to oblige his best friend - though dialing up the charm certainly helped. “Couch time is the best time,” he added in a heartfelt tone of voice, for good measure. Ted hurried a little, catching up to Michael’s longer stride, and fished for the room key in his pocket. “We’ll crack open a few beers, watch some tv…” he insisted as he slid the card across to unlock their room, letting Michael go in first. He had almost put a just like old times at the end of that, but honestly - Ted didn’t want to jinx any of it.
“Trashy reality shows or Golden Girls reruns?”
Booster laughed at the idea of Ted attending a League meeting with his pants and belt undone. He doubted there would ever be another League meeting for the two of them (unless everyone ended up in Night Vale). They weren’t going to leave this place together. Ted was dead back home and had to remain that way for the sake of the timeline. There was nothing Booster could do about it no matter how hard he tried. Thinking about that, however, would only end in tears. It was better to imagine that it was a possibility and laugh than cry. He’d done entirely too much crying about this cruel fact for one lifetime.
He also wasn’t thinking about whether or not he was being selfish by hoping to stay here with Ted for as long as possible. The timeline would be fine without him.
He made a face as Ted slapped at his hand, feigning actual pain as he rubbed at it. “Hey, if I remember correctly, you said I’d be able to pinch your cheeks. I didn’t spend all night running interference on those grannies for nothing.” He teased, hoping to change the subject a little from Barbara Gordon. Sure, he was the one who brought her up and was more than aware of Ted’s little crush. There would be other opportunities to tease him for that and, maybe, he’d even hope that she showed up and the two of them could hit it off or something. Ted was pretty great. He deserved happiness. At the moment, however, Booster wasn’t all that willing to share the shorter man’s attention.
Whether or not the charming smile sealed the deal didn’t matter. He lit up as soon as Ted agreed to couch time, turning to give Ted his brightest smile. “Just like old times, huh?” He asked, voicing the very phrase Ted had decided against using without realizing it. Booster wasn’t too worried about jinxing anything at the moment. There would be time for him to worry about losing Ted all over again. For now, however, that’s not where his mind went.
The minute the door to their shared apartment was open Booster was rushing in and pulling off his tie. “I’m going to change.” He announced as he moved towards the door to his own bedroom. “This isn’t exactly the kind of clothing you want to wear to couch time.” He was thinking of something a little more comfortable. A t-shirt and probably sweatpants. He could grab a few beers on his way back to the couch and… he froze at the question, really needing to think about what he wanted to watch. “That’s not a fair question. How am I supposed to decide between my love of the Golden Girls and my love of trashy reality tv? Nope. No. Not going to do it.” He said, crossing his arms over his chest and shaking his head. “You can figure this one out on your own, Teddy.”
“Just like old times,” he replied with a warm smile, hesitating as if he were mentally filing the moment away for safekeeping. To see the happiness return to Michael’s face, knowing one day they might have to say goodbye, again, was bittersweet. It was a damn good look on him, though.
“I—” the shorter man had begin to protest but stopped, chuckling softly. “It could be fancy couch time!” he called out after Michael. He was right though, there was no way pants were staying on much longer. He managed to get to the hallway before Michael refused to make the decision of what to watch. Honestly, he wasn’t even sure how long they’d both be up for - hibernation sounded pretty good right about now.
Ted stood there with shoulders sulking and head lulling back, letting out a faint groan as if he’d just been asked to wash the dishes or fold laundry. “That is a harsh decision you’ve put back on me, Boost,” he replied. A pause at the realization. “I guess it’s my turn to make one, though,” Ted laughed. “Give me a minute,” he added as he headed for his own room to get out of the slacks and into something with an elastic band. And it did only take a minute to change into a pair of jogging pants and a t-shirt, pulling the latter down over his abdomen as he walked back down the short hallway.
“Alright, you know what? It’s been too long, I need to hear Sophia’s raunchy Sicily stories,” Ted finally decided, diverting to the living room area and plopping down at the one corner of the couch - one arm resting along the back of the couch as he settled in and got comfortable. Reality tv was entertaining to poke fun at, but he wanted to laugh and, well, to really dive into the whole ‘like old times’ aesthetic.
“Computer,” he spoke up once more, waking up the integrated AI system he’d been tinkering with all week. A little rewiring, and a lot of programming, and their apartment’s AI was more advanced than the average. “Find Golden Girls on tv.” He could’ve asked Skeets, who now had access to everything, but he didn’t want to offend the robot with such menial tasks.
It felt good to be happy again. Sure, he had his moments back home and things were slowly starting to get better but this was different. Rani had been good for him. It was nice to come home and realize there was someone around who didn’t look at him and just see a screw up. He’d been missing that kind of unwavering love and support since losing Ted. He should, probably, feel a little worst that he was here contemplating a new life without her but all he could really focus on was Ted. There would be time for him to silently lament the fact that he had to trade one for the other. Rani would’ve loved Ted.
Brushing aside any other negative thoughts with a practiced sort of ease, Booster let out a soft laugh. “Fancy couch time flew out the window back in the elevator.” He teased. “Maybe we’ll try it out for New Year’s.” Just as long as they didn’t overeat or drink too much… which was likely going to happen. Maybe they could add ‘fancy up couch time’ to their list of New Year’s resolutions and never think about it again.
While Ted was feeling the effects of eating too much turkey, Booster was wide awake. It would likely change the moment he was dressed a little more comfortably and curled up on the couch next to his best friend. At the moment, however, he felt like he could marathon an entire season or two of whatever Ted chose. If Ted chose something. The sound of the other man’s groaning had Booster chuckling under his breath. He’d missed this and he couldn’t wait for the two of them to start arguing over who had to do what domestic chore. Skeets should probably keep a schedule of their broken down duties. He didn’t trust Ted or himself not to try and get out of laundry. “It really is a tough decision but I know you’re the right man for the job, Teddy.” He teased. “I trust you.” He slipped into his room to change before Ted could reply.
He did his best to ignore Skeets as he stepped into the room and began to change. While the small robot didn’t have a face or, really, any defining features that could even begin to convey emotion Booster swore there was something judgmental about the way Skeets was watching him. After the silence had lasted for a little too long Booster let out a sigh. “Alright! Alright! I’m sorry I left you behind. Ted and I were going for something and I wasn’t so sure we could sell it with you there.” He said, placing his hands on his hips. Skeets moved, tilting to the side a little as it observed him. “I didn’t say anything, sir.” It replied, earning another sigh and a look from Booster. “Yeah, yeah… you didn’t have to. Come on. Just.. I don’t know. Just come out and watch trash TV or Golden Girls with us.” He didn’t wait for Skeets to reply before rushing out the door and towards the couch.
Skeets didn’t blame him for what had happened. It knew that this was something out of Booster’s control entirely. It also knew how broken up he’d been after Ted’s death the second time. Skeets had witnessed just how low Booster could get. It knew he wouldn’t try saving Ted again, that Booster couldn’t take losing him for a third time. While Skeets didn’t blame him for their current predicament it had taken the opportunity to tell him that he should’ve been trying to figure out how to get out of here. They should’ve been looking for a way to fix whatever was wrong here and go home. He knew that Skeets wasn’t surprised by his priorities. It was just disappointed.
None of that meant that Skeets wasn’t as excited to see Ted as Booster had been or that it would pass up an opportunity to be around the two.
Heading to the fridge, Booster grabbed a few beers before moving towards the couch. “I knew you were the right one for the job.” He said, offering Ted a grin and a beer. He made himself comfortable on the opposite end of the couch, deciding to find a reason to curl up closer to the other man a little later. For the moment, this was nice. It really did feel like old times.
"Black-tie only couch time for New Year's," Ted replied, letting his laugh echo through the living room; his trademark Bwahaha. That is if this place didn't implode on itself in the meantime. Honestly, Ted was still trying to wrap his head around just how this Night Vale could be stable enough with so many anomalies. It didn't necessarily keep him up at night -honestly, very little did, he loved sleep- but he didn't like not having answers.
"Whoa!" Ted ducked as Skeets came out of Michael's room and whizzed by. "Get comfy, Skeets, we're gonna rot our brains for a few hours," he said in a fond tone, glad to have the AI hanging around. And... alright he felt a little bad about not bringing it along. But Ted had at least made sure that Skeets had Alexa to talk to if it got lonely. In his mind that made it alright - never mind that he basically tried to play AI matchmaker.
Ted grabbed one of the throw pillows and propped it against his side without much of a second thought, the television flicking on and scrolling through channels. However, his attention was on his best friend who'd finished getting changed and detoured to the kitchen for drinks. Unable to help himself, Ted let his mind wander a little ahead of himself - thinking forward to Christmas which would be right around the corner. And how easy it was to fall right back into step with Michael. He expected a stumble here and there; this place wasn't, by any means, normal and possibly a ticking time bomb. But they deserved to be somewhat selfish and have these moments, and to stubbornly ignore how much harder it would make things later.
When Booster finally joined him, Ted gladly took the beer and tried not to get distracted by the rush of memories that came flooding back into his mind. Seeing the blonde sitting on the couch beside him made him think of the many times they'd finished JLI missions or patrols - both exhausted yet wired at the same time when they got home. Couch time with some beers and a few good laughs was usually the remedy.
In a spur of the moment thing, and since he had taken the previous opportunities at their multiple dinners to make jokes during their ‘thankful speeches’ - Ted held his beer out toward Michael in a sort of toast. “To more unsupervised or uninterrupted shenanigans,” he began to say, unable to help grinning at the fact that no one was really around to stop them or judgingly roll their eyes.
“Also I’m definitely not on dish washing duty first, I call laundry,” he added in quickly.
It was good to hear Ted’s laugh again. It was good to hear him talk to Skeets or to chuckle while he watched the shorter man try to set Skeets up with Alexa. He’d missed all of this. The detour to the kitchen was a necessary one. Yes, he needed to grab a few beers but he also needed a moment to himself to get his emotions under control.
These stolen moments would make everything so much harder later on down the line but Booster had a habit of doing that anyway. Ted was dead and gone back home but Booster was a time traveller. He couldn’t save his best friend and he couldn’t warn him about what was coming but he could go back and watch as Ted and his past self ran around together. He could approach Ted while he was alone and have a conversation with him. Living in the past just made it harder to face the present. He knew that. He also knew how much it hurt when that younger Ted smiled at him and told him to go tell whatever it was he wanted to say to his Ted. Things were going to need to be set right again eventually and it was going to break Booster’s heart all over again. For the moment, however, none of that mattered. He’d take this time with Ted and deal with the aftermath later.
“Here, here!” He laughed as he clinked his beer bottle against Ted’s. He liked the idea that no one was around to judge them or stop them. They had always worked well together. Problems only began to crop up when someone (Batman) decided to stick their nose in and make one of them (Ted) question their decisions. Now that they’d toasted their unsupervised shenanigans, however, Booster was sure the universe would see fit to drop Batman on them. Or Rip. “If you just jinxed us I’ll probably never forgive you.” He teased before taking a drink of his beer. They both knew that threat was a lie. “And where was that toasting prowess earlier? The jokes were good but one of our new uncles would’ve preferred that toast.” If he could remember which house it was he’d make a note not to attend Christmas dinner there.
He settled back against the couch and gave Ted an incredulous look. “What? You’re going to make me do the dishes? What if I’m the one attempting to cook? Do I still have to do dishes then?” Could the two of them just live off of take out so the cooking and dish situation was avoided? He doubted it. He was also pretty sure they’d need to find jobs at some point. It seemed like something that might be easy for Ted but harder for him… unless he wanted to go back to mopping floors somewhere. That was something else he could worry about another day. There was no sense in bringing up jobs and whether or not he should just volunteer to play homemaker when there was nothing they could do about it at the moment. Instead, he let out a sigh and slumped against his side of the couch in defeat. “Okay. I’ll do the dishes while you handle our laundry. Maybe we should make, like, a chore wheel or a chart. Put Skeets in charge of making sure we actually follow through.” Again, because he didn’t trust either of them not to try and trick the other into taking on a chore they didn’t want. Sure, they were best friends and they cared about each other but laundry was both never ending and boring.
Ted let out a faint snort. “C’mon, Batman isn’t like Beetlejuice,” he insisted with a confidence that was almost completely faked. Because Batman was a fucking ninja first and foremost. And honestly, he absolutely had Beetlejuice tendencies of just popping up out of nowhere. It definitely contributed to his heart problems.
“I thought my jokes about the cranberries turning red because they saw the turkey dressing were fucking timeless and appropriate,” he said quickly before taking another drink of his beer - if only to hide the smirk that threatened his lips. They definitely needed to not go back to that house again. Ever.
For now the prospect of chores were a lot easier to handle than an actual job. But he knew the time would come soon enough. He only hoped that Night Vale had a decent tech company. If not, though, well, Ted wasn’t above starting one. Or at least doing repairs for petty cash. And he was more than willing to go up to bat for Michael, either helping him find a job or hell, just creating one for him if he actually did start up a company. “And I didn’t even have to pout to win that one.. Nice. That could work,” he agreed, casting a glance to Skeets and wondering how much he could push off chores before the robot started using electric shocks to get him to work. Ted couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought.
They would likely end up overlapping chores. And he couldn’t deny the fact that he was looking forward to Michael’s cooking again. And being able to interrupt it.
“Did we just responsibly domesticate?” he asked, shooting Booster a look and face of confused disgust. “Bleh,” Ted added, sticking his tongue out and carefully brushing his hands down his chest as if trying to wipe the responsibility away. He grabbed the pillow he’d shoved against his side and, for good measure, lightly hauled it over at his best friend, careful to aim for his legs so he didn’t knock the beer out of his hands. “Enough of the serious stuff,” he snickered.
“He’s a little like Beetlejuice.” Booster countered, making a face as he thought about the other man. “And we’ve already said his name twice so, you know, let’s not risk anything by saying it a third time.” It didn’t work that way and Booster knew it. Batman was a ninja and that was part of the reason he was able to sneak up on them so easily. He was also pretty sure that the other man had a sixth sense that told him when anyone was having anything even remotely resembling fun so that he could ruin it.
Booster rolled his eyes as Ted repeated the joke, letting out a soft chuckle. “Maybe. If you were, like, someone’s dad.” He teased. It really was a dad joke. Booster should know. He was the one with two kids… even if one was an adult. “Oh man. I hope the version of me Rip knows doesn’t sound like that.” And, really, he was going to stop thinking about the fact that Rip was his son from some future or that he had fairly recently adopted a little girl from an alien world because it was becoming a lot to wrap his head around now that he wasn’t rushing off to fix one crisis or another. Chores, on the other hand, seemed a lot more doable and just the right level of adult for him.
Skeets perked up at the mention of some sort of responsibility. The small AI, floating a little higher about the section of couch it had been hovering over as if they had just managed to get its attention. ”Happy to assist!” Skeets said, sounding almost cheerful in spite of the judgmental looks it had been leveling Booster’s way earlier. He was pretty sure Skeets was just looking forward to having an excuse to shock them. What better way to deal with the frustration the pair had to cause? Booster shook his head at the thought before taking another drink of his beer.
“I think we did! Look at us, all responsible. Batman would be proud.” He immediately mirrored Ted’s expression. “Bleh. We haven’t even been here that long and we’re acting like adults.” He said, feigning a disgusted shiver at the thought. “I blame you.” As soon as the words were out of his mouth a pillow came sailing from the opposite side of the couch and landed in his lap. It missed his beer but Booster still stared at it in shock. “Oh. Big mistake, Teddy. I’m keeping this now. It’s my pillow.” He said before snatching it up so he could hug it against his chest. “You’re just going to have to sit through this marathon without it.” With that, he turned his attention away from Ted and back to whatever was on the screen.
Ted gave a nod in agreement and mimed zipping his lips shut and throwing away the key - which was probably the most pointless mime that he could ever do because there was no possible way he would actually shut up. It just, physically was not possible to stop him from talking.
But he did manage to not mention the Caped Crusader any more, so, there was that.
Maybe if you were someone’s dad, made Ted nearly choke on his beer - lowering the bottle and giving a cough as the liquid had almost gone down the wrong pipe. “No one in their right mind would trust me with raising a human.” It was an odd to think about but, Booster seemed like he’d be the better father of the two. Even if it was strange to think he had an adult son out there in time and space. A strangely serious son, mind you. “I bet you do, and I bet it’s even worse,” he snorted faintly at the idea, able to take it from surface-level meaning and not let his mind wander into what exactly it meant about the future and their friendship, specifically. Of course, Ted had to actually catch and remind himself that in the future he is very much still dead. Part of him was glad that Booster could find someone to be happy with.
Ted’s jaw dropped and he pointed at Booster as he said Batman again. “You said it a third time!” he accused. “If Bats shows up it’s you’re doing, not mine! Bwhaha!” he laughed, his hand dropping to rest on his abdomen that sort of hurt from all the laughing and the fact that they spent the better half of the day feasting on turkey and mashed potatoes. Though, rightfully, Booster was blaming him for jumpstarting the responsibility thing. He didn’t know when, exactly, that it happened but.. somehow Ted had taken on the role of only slightly more responsible. And really, it was by a hair.
“Excuse me?” he countered when the other man took possession of his pillow, lowering his beer. “Is your name on it?” Ted’s name was, in fact, NOT on it - but he wanted to see if he could get Boost to actually look. So he could laugh. And then snatch it back.
Booster gave the other man a look, clearly but silently judging him. They both knew there was no way that Ted was actually keeping his mouth shut.
The idea that somehow Booster (any version of Booster) had been trusted with a child of any age was odd. Between the two of them Ted had always been the responsible one. He was the guy people seemed to prefer between the two of them while Booster was seen as the troublemaker constantly dragging Ted down. It was hard, even for him, to imagine that he could actually be the better father out of the two of them. “I mean… someone trusted me with a kid.” He said, offering Ted a shrug. “Twice, actually. I guess I can sort of understand with Rip. That’s an older different me. He might be more responsible but… Rani?” He frowned a little and shook his head. Michelle and Rip had trusted him with the girl. They had demanded he step up and act like a father. “Anyway, if I can do it then you can totally do it.”
Okay, he had acknowledged that he had children but he was still avoiding a lot of what that meant for him. He was trying not to think about the fact that there was some nameless, faceless woman in his future that he was going to fall in love with and have a son with. He wasn’t sure if the knowledge that he was still with her during Rip’s time was supposed to be comforting but it wasn’t. It felt a lot like being trapped and it made him wonder if Rip or some other younger version of himself might end up having to travel into time and encourage him back on track for the sake of the timeline no matter what he did or didn’t feel. Nevermind the fact that the only person Booster was sure he was in love with was gone. He was dead and buried and not coming back so, maybe, he wouldn’t care too much about feeling trapped.
He was going to blame those heavier thoughts for his slip up. Mentally. He wasn’t about to actually mention any of that to Ted. He hadn’t even noticed that he’d said the name until Ted was pointing at him with his mouth hanging open. Booster’s hands immediately flew to cover his own mouth as if that could fix anything. The damage was done. He’d said Batman’s name a third time and had put the idea of him appearing out into the universe. If he showed up it would be Booster’s fault. He hated the thought already.
He didn’t hate the amount of attention stealing Ted’s pillow had brought him. Booster tried to pretend to ignore the other man. He kept his eyes forward on the screen and tried not to acknowledge the eyes on him. It didn’t work for long. Curiosity eventually got the better of him but he did try to be as discreet as possible as he moved the pillow to try and check for a name. Ted was enough of a nerd that he just might write his name on it.
Ted let out a quiet chuckle; quieter only because he was picturing Michael as a father, which was heartwarming, and he truly wanted to see that in action - but also because he was actually considering Booster’s words, however unlikely they might be, that he could do it. He’d be lying if he said he’d never thought about it for himself. He was obsessed with being like Bruce Wayne, sure, but not so much that he practically ignored his dating life. “Well unless something crazy happens here in Night Vale, I don’t think either of us have to worry,” he snickered with a more mischievous smirk on his face.
He wouldn’t mind too much if Bats showed up, Ted was still ~a fan~ but he would have wanted to see others first. Like Barbara. Or Dinah. Diana - definitely. All in all, though, he was perfectly content if none of them showed up, because he had Michael, and they had time.
The other man set his beer bottle between his legs and waited for Booster to eye the pillow suspiciously before he launched his attack - lunging over to snag the pillow and drag it back over to his side of the couch. “It’s mine!” Like some kind of couch-dwelling Gollum. And whether it had Michael attached or not.
This place was weird. There didn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason as to who it pulled in or why. For all they knew there was a timeline out there where Ted had a kid and that kid might end up pulled into this place. Booster wasn’t sure how he’d feel about it but he’d deal with it if it ever happened. If this place happened to dump a kid on them Booster could only hope it would be Rani. He’d love to see Rip again, sure, but he couldn’t really parent his fully grown, incredibly serious son. There was no way having him around would help him prove to Ted that he, too, would probably make a pretty good father. “This place is weird. Something could happen. Maybe whatever dragged us here will drag Rani or some alternate mini Kord from some other future.” As much as he hated to think about that too much in depth, he’d take a whole army of mini future Kords over Batman.
It wasn’t that Booster didn’t like the caped crusader. He did. He was kind of a fan. It was just difficult to feel excited about seeing Batman or look forward to the idea when he knew just how little the other man thought of him. Whether or not Batman showed up, however, was a problem for another day. At the moment Booster was all too happy to ignore all of that in order to enjoy the newfound time he had with Ted.
Having known Ted for as long as he had, Booster probably should’ve realized something was up. Sure, his best friend was a nerd but he wasn’t ridiculous enough to actually write his name on anything. Of course it was some sort of scheme to steal back the pillow Booster was holding on to. He was surprised but not enough to loosen his grip. Instead he did the opposite and clung to the pillow as Ted hauled both pillow and Booster over to his side of the couch. For a moment all he could do was stare at Ted from where he’d been pulled almost into the other man’s lap. It took a moment but he recovered. He even sat up a little straighter before leaning against Ted, allowing himself to go boneless against the other’s side. “I mean… if you wanted me closer you just had to ask, Teddy.” He teased, smiling as he playfully crowded the other against his side of the couch.
“Could say that again,” Ted agreed quickly. Though in all the weirdness, he felt as though he could honestly stay… If that was even a choice for him. He hoped it was a choice. God, did he hope. And honestly his vote was on getting to meet this Rani girl - the Infamous Rani, as she would now be known as to Ted - having called Max Lord’s mother on him. Besides, the idea of “mini-Kords” was a truly terrifying one, and made the darker haired man pull a bit of a face. “No electronic device would be safe…” he muttered in a dazed sort of voice - humoring the idea for maybe just a second or two more.
Ted might not have been to the gym in… well, since he got here, but he didn’t exactly struggle to pull the other man to his side of the couch. Honestly the only struggle was whether or not the pillow would make it with both of them clutching respective ends.
For a moment, Ted’s gaze caught Booster’s and a small, tiny half-smirk curled at the corner of his lips before he let the moment pass and let out a triumphant laugh. Though, he did take the rightfully won pillow and placed it over his lap. He told himself it was because he knew they’d end up falling asleep on the couch, and not because of the way Booster had looked at him and how he’d only fanned the fire that already burned inside.
He wrapped his arm around Booster’s shoulders, his free hand leaving the pillow to finally pick his beer back up. “Aw c’mon, you gotta play a little hard to get,” he replied in a similar fashion as he put his feet back up onto the coffee table. “Don’t be a Blanche,” Ted added with a faint grin.
This. This was how it was supposed to be. Booster, a beer, and Bea Arthur - always, and how dare any universe try and keep them apart.