Hi guys and I wish you all a really happy X-mas this year. Since the rest of my stuff's still in the works and I've nothing better to do at, quite literally, 1 in the morning, I decided to whip up a good ol' holiday one-shot to add to our measly five pages of fanfics. So read on and enjoy this wonderful little thing I made just for you guys. Not to mention it's what I get for listening to 'Blue Moon' by The Platters one time too many. And for those who're wondering, this is meant to be a sequel to Cednova11's fic 'Wherever You Are Is Where I'm At'. …. Well I thought it was appropriate!! Sheesh. Enjoy!!
"Iii" = speech
Iii = thought
Blue Moon Christmas
William 'Billy' Kaplan barely noticed the fine white mist coming from his barely opened lips or his nostrils. It was a cold winter's night in New York City, the starry sky barely letting down its frozen rain of snow since the clouds were sparse enough to reveal the never-ending abyss high above the atmosphere. Billy knew he couldn't leave to go see Teddy. His parents would go crazy with worry and he'd be leaving his friends behind to fend for themselves against the constant dangers that the city provided. Not to mention that Tommy would talk his ear off about how bored he was without him being there to annoy. So Billy sat, atop a skyscraper in full hero attire with no regard for the weather. No, his hazel brown eyes would be watching the skies tonight.
"You're up here again huh?" a familiar voice stated coolly from his left. A sound he wasn't too surprised to hear by this point.
"Hi Tommy. Need something?" he asked simply, not turning or looking away to look his almost identical twin in the face.
Said twin just sighed, casually coming to sit next to him, lazily swinging his legs over the side of the building. He leaned back just as lazily as he spoke. "Just wonderin' where my brother's at. He's been a little scarce these days. You seen him?"
Billy pursed his lips in thought, his eyes unwavering in their constant stare at the sky above. "If you mean up here, literally staring at nothing, hoping with every fiber of his being that things could go back to the way they were? Then yeah, I've seen him. Right where he's been the past year, just watching and waiting. Why? Where were you?"
"That's not funny Billy." Tommy scoffed, clearly annoyed as he glared at the boy, his misty breath floated up between them. "Everybody's worried. You haven't been acting like yourself lately."
"You say that as though you know me." Billy stated calmly, not at all bothered by his twin's angry tone.
"It's not like I haven't been trying." Tommy muttered, pouting a little as he joined his double in looking skyward. "Besides, Teddy doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would lie to your face."
This was enough to make Billy look away from the sky and at his sibling. "You make that sound like he's not coming back."
Tommy scowled. "I didn't say that."
"You didn't say he was going to come back either." Billy deadpanned, this pain and annoyance showing in his voice.
"Somehow I can't deny that." His twin said with a mild shrug. "I'm just saying you can't spend your time, four hours a night freezing your ass off on top of some random building every goddamn night. Even I know it ain't healthy."
"Says the guy who didn't grow up with a pair of psychologists for parents." Billy may as well have snarled under his breath, his hazel brown eyes back to the sky again.
Tommy sighed, knowing now he wasn't taking this conversation in the direction he was hoping for. "I'm just saying ease up a little. You could just be hurting yourself by doing this all the time."
Billy tore his gaze away from the sky again, his face twisted now in confusion and curiosity. "Is that concern I hear in your voice? Is concern even possible for you?"
"Quit being a wise ass and wake up. You're my brother and believe it or not I actually give a damn about what happens to you." It wasn't hard to catch Billy's skeptical expression, making him throw up his hands hoping it would prove his honesty. "What? I do!"
"Are you done?" Billy inquired, an eyebrow raised at his twin's odd behavior.
Exasperated now, Tommy stood up, dusting himself off. "Fine, I'll remove myself from thy Highness' presence upon his mighty throne of stone."
This was enough to make Billy chuckle. "And here I thought you skipped school too much to even think like that."
Tommy simply shrugged. "Hey, I got what I got. The books sucked but the films where okay. Besides, I considered 'Romeo and Juliet' to be the closest things to porn as those people had."
Billy wrinkled his nose at this concept. Sometimes he wondered if his brother was civilized at all. "That's just gross."
"Whatever." Tommy said with finality. "Oh yeah, before I go. Here." He tossed a large lump of… something at Billy. The raven haired teen quickly caught it, confused by both this object and his brother's sudden show of human kindness.
"What's this?"
"The closest thing to common sense as I can give ya. Bye." The speedster said quickly before vanishing like he always did, leaving Billy alone and confused.
Looking down at the object in his grip, he knew now thanks to the lights of the city that it was a rather thick blanket with not a stain or broken thread on it. And by the smell of it, it was either well cleaned, or brand new. Great, a blanket. Where the hell did he lift this from? He thought as he sat on the cold concrete that was the edge of the tall building's rooftop.
With Tommy now long gone and he didn't feel like heading home just yet, Billy resided in wrapping himself in the blanket anyway. He could only admit now that some of the things that Tommy had said had made sense. He had been acting a little more withdrawn than usual the past year or so. Hell he was sure even his classmates had noticed. Even the bullies who usually came round to beat him up had ease up a little. The constant whispers he sensed at his back that were likely about him he either ignored or just got up to go sit someplace else. Needless to say, even girls were acting a little nicer when they finally noticed the depressed fog he was trapped in. All the same, he made no effort to confirm or deny their suspicions, much less make any attempts to move on or make friends. The most he could do was hope. And hope he did. He'd been hoping with everything he had that soon, very soon, Teddy would come back and refill the void he'd been feeling ever since he left.
Turning his eyes back to the skies again, he finally noticed something a little phenomenal about the scene before him. Like always, the moon had risen high to shine its crater-made face down on the bustling creature below. But tonight was a little different, for instead of being its traditional pristine white or golden yellow, it'd turned its ever-rare wondrous blue. A beautiful hue that was pushing itself dangerously close to being the color of Teddy's eyes. The sight of it nearly left him gaping is surprise, the image of the blonde's handsome face flooding his mind only to make him choke on a sob. Remembering Teddy's bright and kind smile only made Billy sob even harder, his cries of emotional agony and misery muffled by the blanket's thick folds. The rest was silenced by the cold night wind, the sounds carried away with the small pieces of loose snow that still had yet to settle. Billy didn't care about the scene or the sky anymore. He just wanted the one person back who could mend his breaking heart.
--Elsewhere—
The night skies had been surprisingly clear and the luckily light weather as he traveled through both cloud and open air alike. It was good to smell the fresh air of Earth again. He'd awaited this day, or night rather, for a long time. Now that he was here, there was only one goal left on his mind and he'd yet to complete it. So far, all the people he'd asked had yet to help him find what he was searching desperately now for. He could only hope now that the next person he asked would be able to give him the answer he was in great need of. His enhanced vision scanning the ground below, had yet to produce the familiar faces he was so used to seeing. He would've called them, but he didn't exactly have any pocket change and his phone had died months ago. Not that he'd have been able to get any service where he'd been anyway.
"Hey! HEY!!"
Brought out of his thoughts by a familiar voice, he tore his focus away from the ground to the buildings he was passing as easily as a bird. Sure enough, waving his arms like a little kid on sugar was Tommy Shepherd. Even now, he could only wonder where the teen got his energy from or if it was even legal. Nonetheless, it was nice to know that he didn't have to search anymore for the speedster. The last thing he wanted to do was spend the rest of the night playing 'Cat and Mouse' with the guy. Mostly because he was sure he'd lose. Wasting no time at all, Theodore 'Teddy' Altman altered his course to steer his bulky form to the rooftop where Tommy stood waiting, his face fairly flush from the night's chill. Once on solid ground and his wings away, Teddy greeted Tommy with a smile.
"Hi Tommy. Long time no see. How you been?" he said calmly, despite the one question hounding his mind and on the edge of his tongue was 'Where's Billy?'
"Better late than never I guess." Tommy muttered in a bored voice, making Teddy scowl in sudden concern.
"Something I should know about? Is Billy okay?"
"Physically? Yes. Emotionally, no." the white haired teen stated calmly, not at all bothered at Teddy's growing concern. "He's been a real wreck since you left."
"Do you know where I can find him? I've been trying to find him but everybody I've asked doesn't have a clue."
Shrugged coolly despite Teddy's anxiety, the speedster continued in his apathetic reaction to the blonde. "Yeah I guess he's been really been quiet since you left."
"What does that mean? Tell me right now. No games Tommy." Teddy demanded, his stern voice making Tommy scowl in turn.
"Keep your shirt on there Muscles. Don't get into such a hype." The teen growled, calmly rubbing his chin in thought. "I guess it's why he made me promise not to tell…."
"Tommy!"
"Alright, alright! Sheesh! Don't you know it's bad luck to break a pinky swear?" he inquired rather informatively. This was enough to try Teddy's patience.
"Tommy I'm warning you--!"
"Chill out! Damn! So goddamn serious." Tommy growled under his breath, thumbing at the horizon of lights behind him. "He's over on the Seagram building, facing the southeastern corner. Facing the moon now that I think about it."
A relieved smile came back to his face, the blonde teen wasting no time to bring his wings out once more. "Thanks Tommy. This means a lot to me."
"Yeah, yeah. Just go already. I've had enough sentimentality for one night." Tommy grumbled in annoyance as he watched the larger teen move away from him.
"Just remind me that I owe you a gift this year." Teddy called as he started to jog away, his mind creating a mental map as he went.
"You'll regret it." He called out as the blonde practically ran towards the roof's edge, his bat-like wings stretching to greet the winds that were starting to pick up again.
Like I'm not regretting it already. Teddy thought as he took to the skies once again, this time with a much better idea of where to go. He hadn't purposefully been flying around for nothing you know. Next stop, midtown Manhattan.
--With Billy—
He'd finally stopped crying after stopping and starting up again for close to fifteen minutes though it felt much longer to him. The blanket Tommy had given him had soaked up his tears while the winds had swallowed his cries without so much as a complaint. His face still wet from his moment of mental weakness and the feel of the cold wind on it made his skin sting. The wet spot where his tears had gone was already drying up and becoming a frozen patch of moisture. But like before, the blue moon hung high and strong in the sky, its position and coloring unchanged. So much as glancing at it, or the stars, made Billy want to start his miserable crying all over again. He couldn't bring himself to think about Teddy now. He could almost swear the large orb in the sky was trying to torture him. Instead he resolved himself to warming his nose in the blanket's folds, his eyes likely red and puffy from his river of tears at his own agony. As much as he wanted to go home and spend his Christmas Eve with his family, he couldn't bring himself to move from where he sat. It was his hope that held him there.
Letting out another depressed sigh, Billy finally decided it was high time he got off the cold concrete to the cool gravel that shielded the building's top from the worst of weather. Cuddled now in the blanket his only real sibling had given him, Billy did his best to remain awake only to find his eyelids drooping. By now, months of less sleep and lots of stress were catching up with him, coming forth now in the form of fatigue. The warmth of his own body heat and the blanket were adding to the lull of sleep that was coming over him. As the minutes passed, Billy found that he finally couldn't fight it off anymore, allowing himself to shut his eyes properly. And possibly for the first time in months. His only hope now was that he dreamed sweet dreams, preferably of the one person he'd been hoping to see the most.
Teddy fought against strong gusts of wind and flurries of snow as he flew as fast as his Skrull made wings would take him. Tommy had been right. The Seagram building was indeed facing the moon, its unusual color making him wonder what Billy might be thinking about. The hue of it did remind him a little of his eyes whenever he saw them in the mirror. His thoughts wandered as he flew, of the number of nights where Billy may've gone without sleep, watching the moon rise and fall. As well as the days where he wandered the streets, alone and without him there to walk beside him. With the rest of their team for sure, but not quite to actually be there entirely. Just thinking about it made his heart yearn to see his love again. They'd been apart for far too long. With this in mind, Teddy urged his wings to beat a little faster. So much so he nearly passed his destination completely.
Using his enhanced vision once more, Teddy scanned the building's rooftop in search of his beloved boyfriend. On the first go he saw nothing, which worried him a little. Surely the boy's twin had spoken truthfully about his brother's whereabouts. Biting his lip anxiously, he weighed the option of going back and asking Tommy if he'd been wrong or staying to see if the boy would appear. Knowing that both would take too long or was impossible, Teddy slowed his circling as he switched gears, night vision changing to infrared. As if by some miracle, a human shaped form sprang into existence, its barely visible heat a beacon amidst the cold of the night and the surrounding roof. He wasted no time in swooping down to land on the snow frosted gravel as he practically sprinted towards where he was sure his boyfriend was.
Looking down at him as he was, Teddy almost fainted at the thought that maybe the teen was actually dead. It was the sound of his calm heartbeat and even breathing the convinced him otherwise of this sudden negative thought. Either way, the boy looked like a peaceful angel in the blue light of the Christmas moon. A sight he'd never soon forget. Pale cheeks turned pinkish red by the cold, features made strong by training and time. Just looking at him now made Teddy think he was falling in love all over again. He didn't know he was staring until Billy finally let out a sigh and shifted, his head coming to rest on its side, bringing something to Teddy's rather intense attention. His face was streaked with lines of drying moisture, clear telltale signs that the teen had been crying. The thought of seeing Billy cry pulled at his heart strings. Upon closer observation, it was clear that the blanket he'd wrapped himself up in was big enough to fit them both. A slight shiver passed through him, making his idea even more reasonable now than ever. He didn't want to stand there in the cold all night while his boyfriend slept in comfort.
Carefully and quietly, Teddy was soon wrapped in the entanglement of cloth along with the other teen, his blue eyes watching the other boy with clear fascination. He just couldn't bring himself to look at anything else at this point. Smiling at the thought of just how Billy would react to him being there, Teddy finally tore his eyes away to look at the moon once again. He didn't know if it was fate or just downright coincidence that the large glowing orb was colored as it was, but he didn't really care. Coincidence or not, he was home where he belonged. Wrapping his arms around the smaller teen to where they were literally brushing cheeks. Even if the boy didn't wake up, he was glad to just be there on such a special night of the year.
Billy was sure he was dreaming. He hoped to high heaven and back that he wasn't. Even though he was sure he was alone, everything about the person he was sure was now next to him smelled and felt just like Teddy did. The person was certainly big enough to be him without a doubt in his mind. When the warmth spread throughout him, he was sure he wasn't dreaming at all. The only thing he could do to confirm his suspicions was to open his eyes and see for himself if his mind was playing tricks on him or not. If not for the fear that he might be wrong he would have. Berating himself for being afraid of reality, he chose then to finally face it. Encased in blue moonlight, mostly hidden by shadow, Billy was sure as the sun shined that it truly was Teddy. His face had become fairly chiseled by time and possibly experience from his endeavors abroad and beyond any boundaries he'd probably ever know. Regardless of this minor change, his kind eyes had remained the same as ever.
"You're here."
Blinking at the sound of his voice, the blonde turned to face him, proving to the raven haired teen that his smile was no different than it'd been a year before. "Hey. Merry Christmas to you sleepy head."
"H-how did you--?" Billy began to say, his sleep filled mind trying to wrap itself around why Teddy was there.
He didn't get to say more as to how Teddy's lips had come to cover his in a mind-blowing kiss. It was so sudden and sweet that he almost couldn't breathe, his eyes fluttering closed as he fell into it. The intimacy and warmth of it brought back memories of the year before, all the way down to how their first date had played out. After a few moments of bliss, they both had to pull away to breathe, both boys practically gasping for air. Their close proximity with each other and their ragged breathing only made the moment hotter.
"When did you get back?"
"A few hours ago. I've been trying to find you ever since. You made yourself pretty hard to find."
Billy could only stare into the sky blue eyes that he loved so dear to his heart in confusion. "Then how did you find me?"
Teddy simply shrugged, smiling knowingly. "Tommy told me. Needless to say everybody's been really worried about you. Did anything happen to you while I was gone?"
"Only that I missed you." The raven haired teen whispered, the lonliness in his voice making Teddy's heart ache, their lips barely touching as he smiled a little wider.
"Hm. I can change that."
"I'm sure you can. Did you get me anything from out there this year?" Billy inquired innocently, nodding at the sky high above them.
"Not really."
Billy scowled. The blonde's statement definitely didn't make sense. "What? Why?"
"Well... I already gave it to you." The blonde whispered lightly, their noses practically rubbing against each other.
"Wha?"
Another kiss, possibly more passionate than the first, once again made Billy feel winded and on cloud nine. Nothing in the world or the universe could possibly destroy this moment. Teddy pulled back again, his kind smile of pearly whites being enough to bring Billy back to reality. The blonde's bright grin was so infectious he couldn't help but smile himself.
"Was that my other present?" he asked, fairly certain he knew the answer.
Teddy shrugged, his grin stretched across his face. "It could be. Or it could be the one you get once we find some mistletoe."
Billy thought this over for a moment. The night was pretty cold to where being indoors was a good idea. But that would mean, however, that the magical moment between them that he'd been waiting so long for would be broken. And for right now, that was the last thing he wanted at the moment. His own smile growing in size and confidence, the raven haired teen simply shook his head at the thought of getting up and leaving. "I think being like this is just fine."
A deep chuckle erupted from deep in Teddy's chest, a sound Billy missed more than he could even say. "I couldn't agree more."
Practically grabbing the blonde by the back of the head Billy pulled the other teen closer for another kiss, the chill of the night long forgotten. Hanging above them the moon sat silently over the bustling city, its phenomenal color unwavering as the night went on. Quiet and patient as ever, the moon watched unblinking even as the clouds came forth in unison, blocking its rare luminosity in favor of snow. Regardless of the change of events, whether he knew it or not, the moon had performed a job superb in reuniting a pair of lovers many. And tonight, another pair more, hopefully to spend eternity in unending embrace.
That's all from me, and from me to you on this awesome holiday. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year (and come next month) Happy Birthday To Me!! Have a great holiday everybody!!