Billy had been reluctant to leave Teddy last night, and still couldn't quite remember how they had manged to leave each other when, by the end of it, Billy had been unsure of where he ended and Teddy began. A few minutes after he had got home his cell had started ringing, the caller ID coming up as: Teddy Altman. Billy's heart had skipped so many beats he didn't think it would start again. He had picked up the cell had managed a breathy "hello" down the line.
They had talked through Billy getting ready for bed, getting into bed, talked past three in the morning until Billy had fallen asleep with Teddy softly humming a tune into his ear. Billy had felt like something was missing as soon as he woke up to find his cell sitting on his pillow.
Billy had never felt this way before about anyone. Sure, he had had crushes like every teenage boy but there was something about Teddy that was different. It was as if they just fit, like a jigsaw – for lack of a better analogy. Billy's heart soared as he remembered Teddy confessing that it was the same for him. He had said that what they had meant more to him that two teenage boys fooling around, that he cared for Billy, and had cared since they had met.
Nothing could bring him down today.
"Billy!" came a shout from downstairs.
"Mom?" he replied. "I thought you weren't due back until tomorrow?"
"Meeting was cut short," replied his mother, bursting into his room without knocking. "How have you been honey? I know the boys were at auntie Sarah's but did you eat those vegetables I put in the refrigerator? I hope you didn't go to sleep too late, and dear Lord Billy – it looks like a bomb's just gone off in here..."
Billy waited until his mother had finished her neurotic tirade, knowing she only did it out of worry.
"Mom," he said, grin still plastered over his face. "I've got to get to school. See you later, okay?"
"Okay honey. You got enough money for lunch?"
"Yes mom."
"Okay, then have a good day at school sweetheart."
Billy kissed his mother goodbye on the cheek, bounded down the stairs, grabbed a piece of toast off the kitchen table and ran out of the house, jumping on his bike parked in the driveway and pedaling as fast as he could to school. He was late – as usual.
He streaked through the school gates and padlocked his bike to some railings, just making it in time for first period.
The first part of the day passed in a blur, Billy only answering direct questions. The afternoon was supposed to be a 'sports day' of sorts, with the whole school partaking in track and field competitions, Billy shuddered. Athlete he was not.
The lunch bell rang and Billy hastily handed in his work to the teacher. He walked fast across the entrance courtyard where his bike was tied to the building on the opposite side of it where the lunch hall was. If he didn't get there fast he wouldn't get to eat, just because he'd changed schools after the Kesler incident didn't mean there weren't other bullies to take his place. The only difference now was that he didn't have an excuse for electrocuting them.
"Hey! Kaplan!" Fuck. Today's pizza day and everything.
Billy turned to find one Jason Winter and various dupes a few feet from him. He mentally prepared himself for a possible beating. At lunch the teachers all went to the lounge, and that was all the way on the other side of the school.
"Yeah?"
"What did you say, Kaplan? Did you just answer back to me?"
Billy remained silent. He would at least try and get a few hits in, but the truth was that without his powers he couldn't compete against Winter's sheer size. He was even bigger than Teddy was when he wasn't green.
"I said – did you just answer back to me?" Winter fisted his hand in the front of Billy's shirt and lifted him a little off the ground.
Fuck this.
Billy drew back his right leg and rammed his knee into Winter's crotch, causing him to be dropped flat on his ass. Billy sprang up, fists raised at Winter and his two dupes. They were starting to attract quite a crowd.
The dupe with black hair charged at Billy, knocking his face first onto the cement. Billy felt his chin bleeding.
Then, without warning he heard the sound of punches and moans. It took a while for him to register that he wasn't being pummeled and his mouth was definitely shut.
"Not cool dude," Billy heard a familiar voice saying. He scrambled to his feet in time to witness Teddy disposing of all three of them at once. His heart burst at the sight at the same time as the thought fuck, now Teddy's gonna think I cant defend myself. He wont be interested in a weakling.
All three bullies now on the ground, Billy stared dumbfounded at Teddy, his mouth slightly open. Teddy reached over and gently shut his mouth, concern deepening his eyes as he saw the bleeding cut on Billy's chin from the fall. He fished around in his jeans and came out with a crumpled, but clean, Kleenex. Gently, he wiped Billy's chin clean, occasionally licking the tissue to wet it for better cleaning.
"All better," he said softly.
Billy just smiled up at his boyfriend. Boyfriend? Yeah, I guess he is. Teddy Altman is my boyfriend. Dude! ...Calm yourself down Billy.
"That your boyfriend then, faggot?" came the angry voice of Winter from behind Billy.
Billy's brow furrowed, not wanting to bring Teddy into this unwillingly. He looked up as his boyfriend, questioning him with his eyes.
"Yeah," said Teddy, eyes glued on Billy's, and with no warning he put a hand under Billy's chin and tilted it up so he could press their lips together in a tender kiss.
It was then that Billy knew, knew that Teddy meant more to him than he could ever put into words. Teddy broke the kiss, but before he pulled away fully Billy darted up and stole another, breathing in as if he wanted to inhale him. Teddy took Billy's hand and faced Winter, adopting a pose that blatantly said 'problem?'.
"Gross," muttered Winter. "'Cmon guys..." they walked away.
"Let's go," whispered Teddy in his ear, tugging on his hand. Billy smiled up at his boyfriend.
"Let me just get my stuff."
They walked to Billy's locker together hand in hand, ignoring the loud whispers and weird looks they got.
Billy opened his locker and dumped half a dozen books into his bag, along with a few sheets of paper covered in his untidy scrawl; Teddy took the bag from his hands.
"What're you doing?"
"I'm carrying your books, what does it look like?" Billy couldn't help but grin, reclaiming Teddy's hand and walking out of the school with him.
"Where are we going?" asked Billy, nudging Teddy's shoulder with his head.
"I want to do this properly," said Teddy. "So, I'm taking you on a date."
Billy squeezed Teddy's hand tightly and chuckled.
"Hey," Teddy retorted. "I take this seriously, being your boyfriend. I wanna treat you right."
Billy found that so cute he had to stop himself from pouncing on him and kissing him blind, instead he said, "Teddy, I don't think you could be a bad boyfriend if you tried; and anyway, keep this up and I'm gonna feel guilty."
Billy didn't expect the reaction coming.
Teddy picked Billy up in his arms like men did in those old fashioned films, except Billy definitely wasn't a woman and he squirmed in his arms with embarrassment.
"Teddy!" he squealed in an embarrassingly high-pitched voice.
"Billy," was the reply before Teddy lent forward and ravished his mouth.
"Teddy!" said Billy, coming up for air. "People are staring!"
"I don't care, do you? Hell, I'm proud" with no reply he continued, shouting. "I'm going out with Billy Kaplan!" and then quieter so only Billy could hear. "The most amazing boy i have ever known."
"Teddy," Billy murmured, reaching up to stroke and thread his fingers through Teddy's hair. "Teddy I -" but he stopped before he got the last word out. Too fast, Kaplan, too fast. There was a hint of recognition in the other boy's eyes but neither pursued it.
Teddy insisted on keeping Billy in his arms until they had reached their destination, an ice cream parlour by the par k where he sat Billy down in one of the wicker chairs. They ordered and sat back to bask in the midday sun.
Their knees knocked together and eventually stayed pressed together. The ice cream came and they ended up eating with one hand with the other under the table, fingers entwined and Teddy's thumb stroking over Billy's knuckles.
It can't get better than this.
