2013.09.13 - The Circle: Aftermath

It is Friday, the end of August and the sun has just set. It is supper time for most people, or just after or before depending on just when they tend to eat. Things are quite in the Altman home, Sarah Altman is away for the weekend on a job related retreat having left enough food and extra money for her son to make sure that he will be ok for the time she is away. The night is still, and the home as quite as Teddy Altman would have it when there is a change, something that feels...different. Not bad, but different. And from somewhere a strip of photos of the kind that come from boardwalk photo booths finds its self somewhere it was not before to end up directly in Teddy's line of sight. The pictures, a series of them taken of him while hanging out with Billy Kaplan.
Teddy sighs, taking the strip of pictures in hand as he sits down on his bed. He frowns, and shakes his head because his thoughts keep going to the boy shown on the pictures. Billy, who had been taken from them by evil. Who had become evil.
The thought was almost too enormous to fit in his head. The young man sets the strip down by his desk and stares at the strip without really looking at the pictures. He didn't accept Billy's corruption, it was inconcievable
There is a sound behind Teddy, it is a soft noise of the kind being made by a woman seeing something that is both unbearably cute and makes her just the slightest bit sad at the same time. 
Behind Teddy is...for a second it is almost certainly Sarah Altman but it is not her. Her hair is dark black and long enough to nearly reach her knees and she is dressed in a flowing loose cut gown in colors of brown and green. When Teddy does look at her there is something, calming and kind about the woman who given she suddenly appeared in his room with no warning should in some way be the farthest thing from comforting. 
"There is real love there. I am sorry, had I realized..." The woman shakes her head a little. "Proof even Gods make mistakes, an idea my brothers will never accept and thus always fail." 
The woman steps forwards and smiles comfortingly at Teddy while she reaches out to try and run her fingers along his jaw line if he lets her. "You were not mine so I failed to see where you should have been involved. Allow me to correct this mistake, and remember from now on you will always have a place where you are welcomed." After that is said she waits to see Teddy's reaction.
The blond teen immediately gets on the defensive. As the woman's fingers barely brush along his jawline, he takes several steps back, his back to the window and his skin already taking on that greenish tint, accompanied by his broadening shoulders and incresing bulk.
"Who are you... what are you talking about?"
You shall know, in time. 
There is a flash of light, the warm smell of the coming fall all cinnamon and pumpkin, and then things are different. Teddy is no longer in his room, but another one. This room obviously belonging to a teenager. Clean and neat there is a computer in the corner, a series of bookshelves crammed with books and action figures, the walls covered in posters of Superheroes, a few up and coming musicians, and one of a shirtless skater all of them some variation on a theme of broad shouldered and blond. Laying on the floor of the room is Axiom, AKA Eddie, wearing his full costume only with a soft red shawl like cape around his shoulders like the one that Billy normally wears as Wiccan just starting to wake up. Next to him is an unconscious Billy Kaplan curled up on his side and showing no sign of any injury on any of his exposed flesh...of which there is a lot as he is apparently naked. 
The door to the room is cracked open and the smell of fresh foods and the sound of a friendly family argument can be heard. 
"Am not!"
"Are Too!" 
"MOM! Make him stop touching me!" 
"Aaron! Leave your little brother alone and eat!" 
"ok, ok."
"Mom? When is Billy coming home?" 
"Duh! You remember what Teddy said. As soon as he, Axiom and Hulkling are finished beating up the bad guys and saving the world."
Teddy is floored for a second by what he sees, but then he remembers the kinds of illusions he has seen so far, and he is too worldly in the matter of deceit to believe what is being presented before his eyes right away. He does blush, though (and in his state, that means his cheeks turn a deeper shade of green), and quickly yanks the covers from the bed and tosses them on Billy (it can't be the real Billy, there's no way) so that he at least isn't naked. With all of his self-restraint, he refrains from following his first impulse, which is to kneel by Billy and check on him.
This all seemed like a trap set to snare him at his weakest. He had to check.
With one shoe, he nudges Axiom gently. He had no way of knowing if it was the real Axiom or not, of course...
He eyes the posters and pictures on the wall, slightly uneasy.
With a soft groan, Axiom sits up slowly. Shielding his eyes against the light, the armored and masked teen looks around. It doesn't take him long to recognize the room. Especially not with familiar voices. Jumping, he looks around quickly. "Wh-what? Where?" he pauses when he sees Hulkling. "Teddy?" another pause for a jump. He looks around again and lets out a sigh of relief when he finds Billy next to him. "Oh man...uh...m-maybe you should close the door, Teddy," he suggests softly. He's pretty sure being bum rushed by worried family wouldn't be helpful right now.
Billy Kaplan will certainly be grateful not to be bum rushed by his family right now, or at least till he can find some pants. The room does seem very real, and the action figures are certainly authentic even the mint condition Japanese Final Fantasy Red Wizard Billy has still in the original box hanging from a push pin in one of the walls. Of course dreams and illusions are notorious for being very real feeling till they are not any longer. 
Under the blankets suddenly used to cover him Billy moves, rolling over a little and curling up some as if to avoid the light and hide under the blanket. Very faintly he can be heard, "Not again. No, I won't believe it. You can't trick me and I won't say yes."
Teddy Altman frowns. It sounded like Eddie... and it sounded like Billy. Cautiously he goes over to the door and shuts it before turning around, back to the door, and looking at the two other teenagers.
Finally, he says "If this is a trick... it's not gonna end well."
Eddie reaches up and peels his mask off, stuffing it in his belt as he kneels next to Billy. He checks his friend over for injuries, frowning with concern. "Trick?" he asks, distracted. "What? No," he says, turning to flash a smile Teddy's way. "There's no trick, we did it," he says. Taking a breath, Eddie applies his boosting powers to Billy more to let him feel that faith and hope than to give any power. "Billy, it's not a trick. You're s-s-safe here, c'mon and wake up?" he requests. "Help me get him on the bed?" he asks Teddy.
Billy Kaplan is already curling up more completely under the blankets to escape whatever demented scenario that Chthon has planned for him this time to try and break him and make him accept him and his power when he feels the boost from Eddie. That is one thing that Chthon can't fake, or do. Billy knows that much, felt that much when Eddie managed to use just a little bit of that to hurt him when he invaded Eddie's dreams. 
When the boost hits him Billy instantly springs up in a sudden mix of surprise and adrenaline. The memories flood back to him in an instant as he bounces to his feet. "Eddie! You did it I..." At which point he looks down realizing something and turns as red as his cape normally is before diving for that blanket again. "eeep."
Teddy Altman takes a deep breath, and then slowly exhales, letting go of something he didn't know he was holding. The teen walks over to Billy, not seeming to care that he is completely naked, because the next moment there are two big, green arms wrapped tightly around him as he gives him the closest thing to a bear hug he can give someone without fracturing them "...Billy..." there is a slight tremor in his voice, barely perceptible.
Eddie jumps and lets out a little squeak when Billy springs up. Blinking a few times, he blushes a little and shakes his head. "N-not me. You. You d-d-did it, Billy. I just helped," he says. He can't help but snicker a little as Billy dives for the blanket and looks away. The hug makes him give a soft little 'aww' and make a mental note to call Vic later. He falls otherwise quiet, letting his friends have their moment.
Billy Kaplan meeps a little as he is hugged before he can get to the blanket. He does end up melting into the hug his own arms going around Teddy and his face buried in the crook of the blonds neck. "Teddy...I...your...I..." He really has no words for this. He is also, after a few seconds, starting to turn red again as he thinks about just how this will look if anyone at all opens the door to his room. 
After a second or three he turns his head so he can look at Eddie. "No, you did it. I fought, I ..I refused to give in but without you...your power. It hurt him, a lot. I think...I think it was the only thing that could. Faith and love..."
"...I'm sorry I wasn't there..." Teddy says quietly, hugging Billy to him and, after a few seconds, he closes his eyes as if to blink tears away, before leaning over to kiss his forehead. "Eddie... thank you."
When he sees Billy turning red, Eddie blushes a bit as well. "My p-power isn't anything without someone strong like you to focus it on though," he says. "Oh, um...this is f-for you," he says, taking the cape off carefully. "It's a g-gift from Gaea," he explains, holding the cape out to Billy. He's pretty sure he's supposed to give it to him anyway. The kiss to the forehead from Teddy just gets him blushing a bit worse. "You d-d-don't have to thank me," he says awkwardly, moving to get Billy some clothes to put on.
Billy Kaplan is not blinking tears away, there are just a few too many for that. At least though he has kept it from going full out snotty nosed bawling instead of keeping it to just a few tears. "..Don't...I'm glad you...didn't see me like that..." He has the mental image of himself in the cloak and hood, eyes black, dark power around him and petting nightmare like demons the way real Billy might a nice dog, or a kitten. Knowing that Eddie has seen him like that is bad enough. 
It is a real dilemma for Billy when Eddie goes to offer him the cape. One, it means he has to let go of Teddy but two, it means he has something he can at least cover himself with. He takes a second to make the decision before doing his best to extricate himself from Teddy's arms and grab the cloth so that he can at least not be as exposed. "I...um...any idea what happened to my clothes? I mean, I know he used my powers to alter them but...that was my favorite version of my costume so far.."
"Can't you... you know, make yourself another?" Teddy asks quietly, almost apprehensively.
"S-sorry. I think you're going to have t-to make a new one. I j-just know that after we won, Gaea t-t-teleported us and I woke up here," he explains. After a few moments he comes back over to Billy with some of his clothes, having picked out the most comfortable looking things he could. Once Billy takes the clothes, Eddie goes over to where he's got a small stash of emergency civilian clothes of his own just like Billy's got at his place.
Billy Kaplan shudders a little at the thought of using his magic just that moment. "I...I can just...will have to later." Right now, he is totally not interested in using his powers at all. 
Billy takes the clothes once offered and then looks to the others for a second. "Umm...would you mind..." He gestures turning around a second blushing. Sure, they may have seen everything but he is embarrassed at getting dressed in front of other people.
"...what? oh. Oh. Yes." Teddy turns around obediently, only now beginning to blush again. "S-sorry."
"G-got it," Eddie chimes. He's going to be getting changed out of his costume too. Once Teddy turns around, Eddie offers Billy a supportive smile beforing turning around himself and starting to get out of his armor and costume and into the civvies.
Billy Kaplan nods and smiles jsut a little. "D-don't worry I..." He does not fisnish the thought that he would be standing there watching had Teddy ever ended up in a similer state. He does blush however as much as if he said it. As soon as backs are turned he is getting into the clothes grabbed as quick as possible, making a little noise at one point as he has to fight to get into the pair of skinny jeans that happened to be the top thing in the drawer.
Teddy Altman , in order not to look, says to Eddie "... so what exactly happened, Eddie? Why didn't you call me?" He assumed that things had probably happened too quickly for anyone to summon him. But he wanted to place a little conversation to give Billy time to dress. And to work up the courage to say something to him when he was decent.
"Well um," Eddie pauses to fold up his costume. "...I was j-just in the tunnels and Grandma Gaea opened this...door. I stepped through and I was on this mountain with Rain and some others and we had t-t-to stop that Chthon jerk. I would have c-c-called you if there was time, Teddy. I'm s-sorry," he offers, getting dressed as quickly as he can. Once he's in more civillian clothes, Eddie turns back around. When Billy's dressed, Eddie gives him a tight hug. "So glad you're b-back," he murmurs. Letting go, he looks to Teddy. "Umm...I'm g-going to go talk to Mr. and Mrs. Kaplan and let the others know what happened," he offers, letting Teddy and Billy have some time alone.
Billy Kaplan hugs Eddie back good and hard once they are all dressed and then finds himself sitting down on his bed nodding. "I...I can't really say more than what Eddie says happened. I know Chthon managed to break into our world through...a kind of sideways direction from elsewhere in the 9 realms with..." It as at that point he spots something laying on top of his desk. It is a jagged shard of something that looks like it is an almost living rainbow. "I think that...Eddie..is that what I think it is?" He has never seen one of the pieces of the Rainbow bridge in person so he can only guess. "I remember him being really anger when he showed up and found a bunch of heroes already there and he tried to kill them till...Eddie blasted him with his power."
Teddy nods, hearing Billy and Eddie's descriptions, but doesn't add anything until after Eddie has gone down to talk to Mrs and Mr Kaplan. The teen rubs the back of his neck and looks at Billy for a few seconds, breathing deeply.
"... I thought... Billy, I know it's not a good time, but... can we talk. Just for a little?"
When it's pointed out to him, Eddie turns his attention to the shard on the desk. His eyes go wide and he scurries over to it. "Y-yeah it's...I'll get this out of here," he says, carefully picking it up. Once he's sure it's not going anywhere, he heads for the exit and pats Teddy's shoulder as he passes him. "I'll ask them n-not to come in for a bit," he assures the blond before disappearing out of the room and closing the door quietly behind him.
Billy Kaplan blinks and nods at Teddy, a slight scared look passing over his face for a second. Most people that have known Billy more than a few days can probably hear his thoughts without need of telepathy. //Here it comes, he finaly figured it out and knows he is way better than I deserve.//
Down stairs once Eddie makes his existence known there are sounds of surprise, a bit of quite, yells and the sound of Eddie having to be fast to keep a pair of small boys from running into the room.
"I...ok. Sure we can talk, it...might help before the hoard descends?"
Thankfully Eddie is a quick one. He's quick to grab the twins and pick them right up so he can continue talking and not worry about Billy getting rushed.
Teddy breathes for a second, and then walks up to the dark-haired teen. If he perceived the scared look, he doesn't show it. He puts his hands on Billy's shoulders and fixes him with a penerating look. "I know this is a stupid question but first... how do you feel?"
Billy Kaplan looks up into Teddy's face, taking a secodn before he can look him in the eyes when he fixes him with that penetrating stare. "I...I don't know. Happy, scared, sad, joyful...just...everything all at once?"
The teenage superhero nods slowly and reaches up with a large hand to stroke Billy's cheek. 
"I understand being scared. I was scared too." The larger teen looks into Billy's eyes. 
"After this... I had to think about things. About us."
Billy Kaplan blinks and then starts to blink back a few tears because he can just see where this is going. He is not going to cry, damnit he will not go all snotty teary mess right now. Nope, he will be stoic up until Teddy leaves, then he will fall apart. "I...I understand." He says dropping his eyes and then pulling his knees up to chi chest to wrap his arms around. "You don't wantto be around me anymore after...after I...I understand."
A frown, and the sometimes-green boy shakes his head.
"We're going to have to work on your negativity..." he says quietly.
"Billy, this was bad. This was dangerous, and I thought I was going to lose you." He must ask, only because he knows that he would feel bad if he didn't put it objectively to Billy. Even if he knows the answer the teen is going to give. And, he had to hear him say it. "Do you still want to be a hero?"
Billy Kaplan's face goes hard. Here he is sure that Teddy is leading up to breaking it off with him and then he asks that question. One of the three that Chthon had kept asking him when not busy using his body to terrorize people. One of the questions that the Demonic God tried to use to make him give in and let him win. When he looks back up at Teddy there is something there that was not there a moment ago, a fire behind his eyes. "Of course I do. I don't care where my powers come from, what I really am, but the one thing that kept me from giving into Chthon other than the thought of you and Eddie and everyone I call family was that I /Am/ a hero and would never be anything else.
Teddy nods slowly, taking this answer in. "There's only one thing I can say to that, Billy."
Billy Kaplan steels himself for whatever Teddy's reaction is. At least if he dumps him now he can be mad, angry enough at the whole thing to fight off the dark yawning maw he sees opening up under him for a while.
Two strong, muscular arms encircle Billy as Ted pulls him to his broad chest. The gentle giant looks down at Billy.
"And... how do you feel about me?"
"Urk!" Billy can only make a noise in surprise when he is suddenly pulled off the bed into the two strong way too nice feeling arms of his boyfriend. Soon to be ex-boyfriend he corrects himself. 
Still convinced of the worst of all possible outcome happening to him Billy pulls his hands in to place them on Teddy's chest to try and push him back some. "This is cruel, if you're going to break up with me do it just...just don't make me tell you that I love you first. You're handsome and kind and smart and everything I have always wanted and I know there is no way I would ever be good enough but...just...make it quick."
Teddy frowns. 
"Billy... I'm not here to break up with you," He says, holding Billy where he is. "I want to be serious with you. I mean, I know we've just started dating, but we've shared a lot more than regular people usually do... and... and I'm sure not interested in dating anyone else. How about you?"
Billy Kaplan blinks, then blinks again, then blinks a third time. He has been geared up for things being the worst possible so he can't have heard that right. Can he? "I...you're not?" He says blankly. 
Billy's head immediately thumps down into Teddy's shoulder once, and then a second time. He gives a small sigh and then a muffled. "I'm an idiot. Are you sure you don't want to take that back before I have a chance to say that you're the only person I have been able to see myself with since the moment you asked me out the first time?"
Teddy smiles and lets out a little chuckle. "... Billy? Shut up." he says good-naturedly and tilts his head by the chin as he bends down to give him a deep, tender kiss.
Billy Kaplan just ends up laughing into Teddy's shoulder as he is told to shut up. "That still does not change that I am an idiot and a..murph murph murph murph." Billy keeps trying to talk for a second when he is kissed, but given how he babbles when he really gets on a roll that should not be any surprise.
Teddy Altman kisses Billy... really kisses him for the fist time in a long time, and for the first time at this intensity. Having almost lost the guy you loved to an evil force of darkness gave you a new perspective, after all. Teddy holds Billy tightly, running a hand through his hair as he finally comes up for air only very, very reluctantly.
"...I take it this is a yes?" he asks, his voie a little husky.
"A yes to what exactly?" Comes a voice directly behind Teddy from the door to the bedroom. Rebecca Kaplan was more than willing to let Edward distract the family for a while so that Billy could pull himself together figuring whatever he had been through was going to have been tough considering the way Theodore had come to explain part of it, but enough was enough. She was ready to see her son and be damned sure that he was ok or there would be Hell to pay. her voice was perhaps a little harsher than she meant it to be, but that can be forgiven considering circumstances, and was also tinted with a certain amount of amusement she was doing her damndest to hold back. 
"I would not mind knowing that myself." Came a second voice, this one male and certainly less strict and far more bemused than that of his wife. Just as he is speaking there is a sudden impact of two boys, around the ages of 10 and 12 respectively, as they glom onto Billy and Teddy for their own hug welcoming Billy home. Although, the older of the two will never admit it later if it is brought up. 
For his part, Billy melts into the kiss and gives back as good as he receives. When the question is asked he just looks at Teddy not sure he could even remember what was asked of him. "I...yes?" He asks before his Mother makes her presence known. "Mom!?!" He squeaks out before his brothers impact him leading to him letting go of Teddy so that he can lean down a little and give them hugs.
"S-sorry," Eddie offers softly as he comes up behind Mr. Kaplan. He kept them occupied as long as he could but Mrs. Kaplan still intimidated him more than Chthon ever did. He stays out of the Kaplans' way as they head to Billy, smiling a little at the display.
Teddy blushes brightly and steps aside so that the tackling brothers can give Billy a welcome. He knows he should answer the question Mrs. Kaplan left hanging in the air...
He had to do it, too.
"I..er... was asking Billy if he was ok with us dating ... er... seriously." His shyness comes to the surface now. ANd he secretly wonders why is it that they neve thought of throwing Mrs. Kaplan at Chthon.
As much as he is a jerk, Geae loves her brother. Thats why Mrs Kaplan did not get thrown at Chthon. That or maybe her tricks would not work so well against an Elder Evil. Either way, she was there now giving Teddy the kind of appraising look that would make anyone short of Superman, and possibly even him, nervous before grinning and giving him a nod. 
"Good, it is nice to know my son has fine taste in men. And from now on I will expect you all three to follow the rule, no teleporting directly to this room, using windows, or having the door closed even if you are really studying." 
"Mooom..." Billy hisses at his mother while glaring a little and blushing a bright red.
Teddy thought he couldn't blush brighter, but he was wrong. 
"Y-Yes, Mrs. Kaplan!..."
That's all he could say, because--- well. Anyone would understand. But he does flash a smile at Billy.
Eddie blinks a few times, blushing as well. He's not sure why he's being included in that little grouping that seems pretty 'boyfriend rules' to him. He rubs the back of his neck and shifts a little.
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