I don't own YA.
A/N: I'm not sure what they'll do. They might just each keep their own. But I do think this might've gone through Teddy's mind at least in some point.
Based on two friends of mine. Posted with their permission.
A Rose By Any Other Name
"So who takes whose name?"
It was an innocent question, really, one that was the all-too-natural response to the news about Billy and Teddy's engagement. How did his younger brothers catch wind of the news, Billy didn't know, but they still present him and his fiance with this question just the same.
What followed was an exchange of shocked looks, after which Billy could only shift uneasily.
"We… haven't really thought about it yet." Billy admitted and scratched his nape.
Teddy on his part kept quiet and tightened his hold around Billy's shoulders.
–
The question kept haunting Billy for a while, and it was obviously distracting him more than he liked to admit. He tried to bring it up with Teddy several times, but every single time he drew back, unable to bring himself to talk about it. It kept on like this for weeks, months, even, and as adorable as it was, seeing Billy all flustered like this, Teddy was beginning to realize the pattern. Finally, he confronted him about it.
"Out with it." Teddy practically barked after yet another time Billy tried ignoring the fact he brought something up.
That time, Teddy decided he wasn't letting him off the hook; it's been going on for far too long.
In response to being confronted, Billy squirmed and shook his head.
"Nah, forget it, it's nothing-"
"Then tell me-"
"No, it's really, it's stupid, I mean-"
Teddy growled and held a hand up to hush any further attempts to dodge the subject. More than this, what got Billy to finally fall silent was the stern but worried look in Teddy's eyes.
"Billy, you've been trying to talk to me about something for weeks, and correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it's the same thing every time. Isn't it time you just talkedto me about it?"
Billy stared at Teddy with pursed lips before he ran a hand through his hair.
"Well, I-"
"Out with it." Teddy demanded in a low, almost dangerous voice.
Finally, Billy let out a sigh. He slumped further over the desk they were both sitting next to, in the process half hugging his shoulders.
"It's just- remember when the runts found out we were engaged?"
To tell the truth, Teddy suspected he hadn't heard the last of that, so he wasn't surprised to hear that was the source of Billy's unrest.
"Yeah, I do." Teddy replied easily enough. "That came out of nowhere, didn't it?"
Billy snickered lightly, mostly because Teddy did, but he seemed thoughtful again the next moment.
"Well, what dowe do about it?" He asked, and the look he gave Teddy was a bit lost and helpless.
It wasn't surprising, Teddy thought, seeing how Billy has been struggling with it on his own for so long.
That idiot.
"What do we do about- what, being engaged?"
Billy gapped for a moment, only to facepalm at Teddy's smug grin.
"Well, I washoping to get married, but-"
The facepalm upgraded into a double one, but Teddy didn't mind. It meant that when Billy showed his face again, he'd be too flustered to hold anything back and they could finallytalk about it.
"Did I pick myself a winner." Billy muttered and looked almost tiredly at Teddy, who seemed all too pleased with himself.
"No, dummy, I meant-"
The playful mood held on for a moment more, but when next Billy spoke, he deflated slightly.
Ah, there we go, Teddy thought and snickered fondly; now they were going to finally get it out.
"I meant- what are we going to do about surnames?"
Teddy nodded slowly. That was something they needed to think about - together, he wanted to add, seeing how Billy angsted over it alone - but before Teddy managed to even comment about anything-
"I know, I know-" Billy interjected and rested his chin on his hand. "We have a while to think about it, but-"
"But I prefer you didn't die, over-thinking it on your own in the meanwhile." Teddy berated lightly and ran his hand through Billy's hair before letting it rest over the back of the mage's head.
Billy looked back at him before finally nodding.
"That ispreferable." He relented, and Teddy nodded back with a grin.
"So glad we agree on this."
"Then-"
Teddy knew what was coming next - Billy would no doubt list all the possibilities - which they both already knew. He'd continue to list the pros and cons for each possibility - also, things they both knew. He was then likely to proceed and over-think himself into a minor stupor, as he occasionally did when dealing with such personal issues.
Now, Teddy didn't mind going through all these motions, especially since he could only imagine how much Billy needed to say all those things to someone other than his reflection. Teddy just didn't see a need for it, seeing how he knew the answer before Billy's brothers ever approached them.
"Yours." Teddy declared simply, confidently, in a tone of voice that was neither loud nor quiet. He stated something that for him might as well have been a fact, and met Billy's bewildered look with a calm one.
For a while they just stared at each other, before Billy nodded slowly, and Teddy could almost see the wheels turning in Billy's mind as the mage tried to come to terms with this.
"Ok, that… was a quick response."
Teddy laughed softly before he shook his head.
"You're not the only one thinking about those things, you know."
Billy pursed his lips and seemed a bit ashamed.
"I know, it's just-" He waved a hand as though that could let him physically hold onto something to say; it didn't, and he lowered his hand back to the desk. Next he let out a breath before looking at Teddy questioningly.
"Why?"
Teddy stared down at the notebook that was open before him, eyes unseeingly going over the lines. He took a moment to put his thoughts in order and finally let out a sigh.
"Billy, if I tracked back your surname, how far will I go?"
The obvious response was a blink.
Understanding that his question lacked context, Teddy didn't lose his patience and simply tried to explain himself.
"Your family tree - biological one-" He added, because in Billy's case, it wasn't a given- "How far back up the tree can I go if I looked it up?"
A short moment of thought later had Billy shrugging.
"I don't know, quite a few, I think."
"Billy, your great-grandmother's still alive, and she's talking about hergreat-grandfather."
"I did say quitea few." Billy half excused, to which Teddy replied with a small smile.
"Exactly. Your last name has a history to it. It means something, even if just to the people in the family. Now… me, on the other hand-"
"You and your mom." Billy counted, both his voice and his expression indicating that to him, that was more than enough.
Teddy did appreciate the sentiment, but still he shook his head.
"Yes, and already my mom's gone, Billy. It's just me, holding onto a name that she picked because of… reasons. For all I know, she flipped through a yellow-pages book and that's the name that came up. It's meaningless-"
"It's not meaningless." Billy whispered. He didn't continue pursuing that train of logic, simply stating that it did hold some significance, to him if not the rest of the world.
Teddy's smile softened further at that, right before Billy spoke again.
"Won't you keep it at least as a memento?"
"Because I need my surname to remember my mom, right."
"Fuck." Billy hissed and palmed his face. "That's notwhat I meant, I-"
Teddy's hand ran through Billy's hair again, effectively silencing him. The blond's smile held steady, and there was only warmth in his eyes.
"I know." He reassured and leaned a bit closer to Billy. He bade his time, waiting until Billy calmed down enough, gave up on enough self-inflicted stupid guilt to listen. Teddy then kissed the corner of Billy's eye before he continued, his voice soft, meant for only Billy to hear.
"Remember when we accidentally outed ourselves to your folks?"
A tiny smile that was both amused and embarrassed rose to Billy's lips, and he nodded.
"Talk about shocking."
Teddy nodded with a smile to match Billy's own as he recalled the experience.
"Remember what your dad told me?"
Billy got that look in his eyes then, the one he usually got when he was about to say a snide remark about something important, and Teddy braced himself.
"That he needed mom to tell him?"
Teddy knew Billy wouldn't disappoint, and he snorted at the somewhat bashful attempt at humor.
"No, I meant… the otherthing. After your mom grabbed us both in head-locks."
A chuckle left Billy, but his demeanor softened the next moment as he remembered. He appreciated the words at the time, but right then they served another purpose, and he began seeing where Teddy was going with this.
"He welcomed you into the family."
Teddy nodded and for a moment, closed his eyes.
"He welcomed me to the family. For no better reason that his son liked me."
He paused in favor of appreciating the faint blush that painted Billy's cheeks.
"And then, after they were done rebuilding, and you moved back home?"
There was a shift then, and Teddy pulled his chair closer to Billy's so he could better rest his arm around the other's shoulders.
"They took me in, in the blink of an eye, no hesitation, no limitations, no strings attached. They opened their home and took me in. Billy, I already am a part of the Kaplan family, not to mention when we're actually married. I figure the least I can do to repay what your parents - and you - have done for me is to bear your name."
His words died out, leaving the room mostly quiet. For a while the only sounds heard were the computer's consistent buzz and the fan, but then Billy sniffled, and reached to scratch his nose.
"You really… thought this through."
"I had time."
"You… still have time to change your mind.
Despite his words, Billy looked flattered and profoundly happy.
Teddy leaned closer still.
"I know-" He said and kissed Billy's forehead. "But I won't."
Another kiss followed, this time on Billy's nose before Teddy rubbed their noses together.
"Besides - 'Teddy Kaplan'. Don't you like the sound of that?"
Billy closed his eyes and blushed a bit more deeply if only due to sheer glee. Finally, when he looked at Teddy again, there was that spark in his eyes once more.
"I guess it beats 'Billy Altman'."
"By a bit. Or 'Kaplan-Altman'."
"Well we could always go with Altman-Kaplan'."
"Say thatfive times fast."
Billy tried, only to wince and purse his lips.
"…I bit my tongue."
Teddy leaned back, his free hand covering his eyes while he laughed.
Smiling sheepishly, Billy followed and watched Teddy laugh at his expense.
"Now youtry it." Billy demanded, only to quirk a brow when Teddy shook his head.
"Nah, pass." Teddy hummed and pulled Billy closer.
"Not when there's a tongue I need to kiss better." He cooed and cupped Billy's chin with a hand. Billy didn't object and he willingly met Teddy's lips with his own. He let out a content sigh then as they settled the matter with a kiss, at least for the foreseeable future.
"I still get to go 'Dammit, Altman' if you piss me off, though."
"Oh that'll reallyconfuse the kids."
"Eh, they'll live."