In Retrospect

by GeishaGirl93

They are the luckiest men alive.

Disclaimer: I don't own Young Avengers or Teen Titans.
A/N: Time for an official crossover. Billy and Teddy MIGHT be OOC because I've only recently gotten into the Young Avengers series, but they're growing on me.

Title: In Retrospect
Summary: They are the luckiest men alive.

Xxxx

Jealousy

"You wanna know what I think?" Billy asks and his smile is all teeth and mischief.

"What do you think?" Teddy responds, eyes trained on the flickering game in front of him.

Billy crawls across the couch; it's all play—meant to tease. He crawls into Teddy's lap, nuzzles against his neck and strokes his hair. His fingertips play with the hairs at the base of Teddy's neck, an absent gesture that's more of a habit than anything. He sighs and his shirt expands with the breath.

"I think you're jealous."

Teddy wants to laugh, and maybe he does because Billy pulls away slightly to sit on his knees and give Teddy an incredulous look.

"C'mon, Tee, you're jealous."

"And just what do I have to be jealous of?"

Billy gives a slight shrug to his shoulders, his fingers dancing like faeries around Teddy's collarbone—they perform a waltz around the hem of his gray hoodie. Billy leans in and gives a brief nip to Teddy's neck, laves at the stinging skin even though it disappears as quickly as it appears.

"I think," Billy says, his voice laced with laughter, "you're jealous of Connor Kent."

This time Teddy knows he laughs; he feels it shoot up from his lungs and explode from his mouth in a brief bark. "Why the hell would I be jealous of Kon?"

"Because," Billy's smile is white moonlight on a dark lake, "you tend to become jealous when someone else besides you puts his hands around my waist."

As if to emphasize his point, Billy caught Teddy's wrists in a loose grip but guided them to his hips. "You get jealous if someone other than you clings to me."

And yeah, maybe he does. Maybe he didn't like the way that Kon had snatched a falling Billy out of the air like a Venus Flytrap snatches a fly out of the air. And yeah, maybe he didn't like the way that Billy's arms had wrapped around Kon's neck. And yeah, maybe it really made that muscle in his jaw twitch when he saw Kon's hands linger around Billy's hips for a little longer than they should have, but he wasn't jealous. No way.

"I'm not jealous." Teddy says. "Why would I be jealous? I get to hold you all the time; have you be near me every single morning and next to me every single night; smell the scent of you all the time; make love to you as often as we damn well please. Why would I be jealous of Superboy? He only got to hold you for two minutes."

Billy smiles again but there's no second nature behind it. He leans in and steals Billy's lips

This and That

"You're not that different, you know."

"Who?"

"You and Teddy; you're not that different you."

There's a non-descript movie playing on the big screen, a ridiculous comedy that isn't really that funny to watch but a joy to tear it apart piece by piece. Tim's curled against him, his bird-pulse fluttering in his throat, limbs folded against his lithe body. His black hair is wet from the shower and clings to Tim's brow and slightly curls as it dries—not enough to be noticeable at a once over glance, but Kon loves the way he knows those strands curl around his fingers.

"You and Teddy;" Tim repeats and his voice is soft from too many sleepless nights. "You're that different."

Kon quirks an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

Tim's smile is the curve of a crescent moon, and he kisses Kon's neck. "You're both so beautiful because you care so much. You'd kill for me; he'd kill for Teddy; you both know how to make us laugh, even when laughter is the farthest thing from our minds; you know just what to say and what to do; you both know all the things we love and hate."

Tim kisses arm, and his lips feel rough against Kon's skin. "That being said, you're different too."

Another eyebrow raise, "How so?"

Tim laughs and it's the most beautiful sound in the world. "Easy; you know just where to touch, and I'm in love with you."

Socializing

Teddy doesn't particularly hate going to clubs, but he doesn't enjoy them either. Everything's too loud, and there are too many bodies packed together in one small space for his liking. The air stinks, too—like stale alcohol, sex and too much perfume.

But Billy had wanted to go, and before Teddy could say "no", he pulled "the face"—the one that made Teddy think of a small dog that had been left out in the rain—and a "yes" had tripped off of Teddy's tongue before he could stop himself.

"Besides," Billy had said, "Tim and Kon are going to be there, too."

And they were there, as promised, but Kon looked as much out of place as Teddy did—arms folded over his chest, eyes surveying the shifting bodies with a look of mild disdain, back erect with no sign of mobility. He was dressed in a form-fitting black tank top with tight jeans and boots. He wore his glasses, and his eyes were like steel behind the frames.

"Tim drag you out here, too."

Connor nodded, "I love him too damn much to tell him no."

Teddy smiled and parroted Connor's posture. "Well at least there's something we have in common: we both can't tell our boyfriends no."

Connor gives a slight laugh and together, they trace Billy and Tim through the throng of people. Tim is old beyond his years—life carving him out from hardship and pain, and then there's Billy—full of life and energy but still afraid of his power, of himself. It breaks Teddy's heart.

Billy laughs at Tim, and it's the most beautiful sound in the world.

"I can't remember the last time I heard him really laugh like that."

Kon looks at him and there's something familiar in his eyes. "Tim, he—he works really hard. I've seen him run himself into the ground, work for hours on end. I can't remember the last he took a nap or, y'know, slept. He tries so hard, and it burns him down. I don't want to see his light go out."

Billy calls out his name, and when Teddy eyes find his form, Billy has his hand extended.

"C'mon, Tee, dance with me! You, too, Kon!"

And they are both more than happy to comply.

Double Dog Dare

There were a few similarities between Bart and Tommy Shepherd. They both had big mouths and bigger heads. They both loved to poke and pry, and they both loved to tease. So when Tommy and freakin' Bart dared him to kiss Teddy for a solid minute, he couldn't say no.

Kon had turned to Tim for support, but Tim had merely collapsed into a chair and said, "I think that's a great idea."

Teddy had extended his open hands to Billy like he was begging for help, but Billy had merely settled next to Tim, their bodies fitting together in a way that wasn't completely unattractive, and had said with a slight smile, "C'mon, Tee, I wanna see a show."

And so, here they were: Kon flat on his back with Teddy between his legs, his hands fading holding on tightly to Teddy's arms (the muscles feeling pleasantly warm against Kon's hands). Teddy's looking down at him with something akin to fear and curiosity. Tim and Billy watch from left while Tommy and Bart look on from the right, a stopwatch in Bart's hands.

Bart gave a sharp nod of his head and the stopwatch gave a sharp click that announced that timer had begun.

Teddy looked down at Kon gave a shaky smile and gently touched the side of his face. He leaned in and pressed his lips against Kon's. Kon returned slight and Teddy flattened himself against Kon. His hand moved from Kon's cheek down his neck to toy with Kon's nipples through the fabric of his tight shirt. Kon sighed and hooked a leg around Teddy's waist, arched up so that their groins could touch, and Teddy made a noise that sounded like a growl, but Kon couldn't be sure.

He can hear Tim and Billy whispering too each other, but the words sound more like autumn leaves scratching on concrete, and he should probably try and focus on what their saying, but Teddy's tongue is doing wonderful things to his own, and the rubbing that their doing feels really nice so he just pushes their voices aside and teases Teddy's tongue with his own, works at the muscle and gently bites it.

This time, Kon knows that Teddy growls, and the hand that working at his nipple snakes down to the hem of his shirt, hike up the fabric and Kon groans when Teddy's warm fingers pinch and roll his nipple between slightly calloused hands. His hips rocks against Kon's, and Kon groans low in his throat and tries not to whimper because his pants are starting to feel really tight and he really wants some kind of relief.

"No," Teddy says against his mouth, "time's not up yet, and we don't want to let out boyfriends down, do we?"

Kon shakes his head and works at Teddy's jaw, licking and biting at the skin. Teddy smiles against him and his mouth is wet with Kon's tongue as his mouth trails down the slope of Kon's jaw and down the expanse of his neck to nip at Kon's pounding pulse.

Tim makes a soft noise, and Billy hums low in his throat.

Teddy's hands slide away from Kon's nipples, over his stomach and down between their bodies. The hand envelops the bulge in Kon's pants and gives a rough squeeze. Just as a moan racks through Kon's body, Bart calls time.

Wedding Day

It's a tender ceremony, nothing too big or extravagant. Teddy's dressed in a pressed suit with a red tie, and Billy's wearing something that's all flow and grace, just like him. It's not white (oh what an irony that would be) but rather a soft red with a black sash threaded through the belt loops. The ceremony's held at Bruce Wayne's mansion, members of the Young Avengers and Titans gathering to give heart-felt wishes of good-luck.

Later on in the night, Kon pulls Teddy aside, takes him into the quiet living room of the manor and hands him a drink that's ripe with the scent of alcohol.

"Thanks," Teddy sighs and Kon groans as he settles next to him.

"I can't age; I'm half-Kryptonian; I'm the son of one of the most well-known and powerful heroes in the League, and I've been run into the ground because of a freakin' wedding party."

Teddy nods his head in agreement and allows his body to sink into the chair. He swallows the drink in a lung gulp and relishes in the burn of the alcohol as it settles into his system. He feels more exhausted now than he has ever been in any battle, and that's saying something.

"So," there's amusement in Kon's voice, "Billy's marrying a real prince, huh?"

Teddy laughs and runs a hand over his face, trying to wipe away any trace of exhaustion. "Isn't it great how the world works?"

"So I guess he found his happily-ever-after."

Billy's laughter floats into the dark room and a soft smile works its way onto Terry's face.

"No," Teddy says, "I found mine."

And Billy emerges into the dimly lighted area like something out of a dream.

"There you are!" Billy practically floats over to him and pulls him into a kiss that's slightly sloppy and tastes like red wine. "C'mon, I want one more dance before we go. Oh, and Tim's looking for you, Kon."

Kon nods and heaves himself to his feet. He disappears into the golden light of the reception room and Billy slides into Teddy's lap. He wraps his arms around Teddy's neck and kisses the corner of his mouth.

"I want you to carry me," Billy whispers, his breath warm against Teddy's ear, "like Aragorn carries Arwen."

And Teddy is more than happy to obey. He kisses the arch of Billy's cheekbone and whispers softly in Elvish:

"We're going to be together forever you and me. We'll take the world on together. I'll give you the world and make it so that you can kiss the sky. I love you."

Billy smiles softly at him as they greet a crowd of heroes.

Poetry

When Tim gets mad, it's like dealing with a hurricane. Tim's anger is a quiet fury, one that brews and bubbles like a witch's cauldron, and when he explodes, no one can stop him. He doesn't scream, but there is enough malice in his voice to turn Kon's blood to pure ice. He cries, but his tears are silent, and it hurts Kon to watch his shoulders jerk with each contained sob. Sometimes he'll beat the ground and curse the sky when it's just become too much. That's when Kon appears and makes everything go away.

Tonight is another one of those nights.

Billy and Tim return from a mission, and both Kon and Teddy are already moving into autopilot. Their faces are etched in guilt, and there's ash and dried blood on their hands (and Kon prays that the blood belongs to someone else other than Tim). Billy almost collapses against Teddy's broad chest, and Kon gathers Tim up in his arms.

They move as life has taught them. Kon takes Tim into the darkness of their bedroom and him down on the bed. He cradles him against his chest and Tim buries his face in the darkness of Kon's neck.

"You want to know what the most disturbing thing in the world is?" Tim asks and his voice is so full of hurt that Kon's heart breaks. "It's seeing a little girl being carried away in a body bag. Billie and I tried to save her, but there was a fire, and Billie couldn't concentrate because of the smoke, and there was a beam that fell and I couldn't—I just couldn't . . . get to her."

"Shh," Kon hushes and he cards his fingers through Tim's hair. "You're human, Tim, not God."

"But I'm a hero," Tim chokes on tears and his body convulses against Kon's. "I'm a hero, Kon. I'm supposed to save people, not watch them die."

Kon shakes his head and hushes Tim again. "Listen to me, Tim. Yes, we're supposed to save people, but if they die, then we have to know there's nothing we could have done because, as heroes, we always do everything we can to save them. We don't do anything more or less."

Tim doesn't respond but he shakes against Kon's chest, and Kon's neck is wet and warm with tears.

Kon leans in and presses his lips against Tim's ear. He speaks softly, his father's native language rolling off his tongue:

Little bird,
why do you
no longer sing?

My sweet little songbird,
what must I do to give you
back your voice?

My dear little friend,
what would I give
to see you fly again!

Little bird,
give me one more song,
one more note
meant for my ears alone
so when I go to sleep at night
I will only dream of you.

My sweet little bird
I would gladly
make you a pair of
Icarus wings and
send you to the sky
if I could hear you sing,
if I could watch you fly.

My songbird,
I will set you free
and hopefully,
you will sing
one more sweet song
just for me.

Tim pulled back and his eyes were stained pink, his cheeks marred with tear trails, a single drop dangling from his chin like a translucent pearl. Kon wiped it away and kissed Tim's damp mouth.

"I love it when you speak Kryptonian to me," Tim says, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "It makes me special."

Kon gently rolls Tim onto his back and covers him like a blanket. He kisses his ears, cheeks and lips over and over, each brief yet sweet like the signing of a contract.

"My Tim," The Kryptonian slides off of Kon's tongue and into Tim's ear, "you are special. You are my everything."

Happily-Ever-After

It's not a children's myth; happily-ever-after. Teddy and Kon know that it is true, but happily is not easy to get. There's no evil villain that sings a catchy tune; there are no cute sidekicks that spout helpful advice (although Bart and Tommy could technically qualify); there's no overbearing father to impress (even though Bruce would feel that category), and there's no fairy godmother to wave a wand and make all the hurt go away.

Happily-ever-after is a lot of hard work, and there are a lot of blood, sweat and tears that come with it. There's will be heartbreak, and there will be regret. There will be doubt and there will be pain. There will be times when you want to quit, and maybe you will, but you have to start again because the one you're fighting to obtain happily-ever-after is worth all the hurt that you're going to have to go through.

There's an unimportant movie playing on the big screen, and Tim, Kon, Teddy and Billy sit on the couch—Billy in Teddy's lap, and Kon has an arm wrapped around Tim's shoulders. Tim kisses Kon's wrists and Billy nuzzles Teddy's chest. They don't care who sees and who knows, right now, they are happy and they are content.

So yea, happily-ever-after is a hard thing to obtain, but when you finally do get it, it's well-worth the wait.