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The announcement of a school dance set the school ablaze, to the surprise of no one. Teenagers, despite their apathetic vasages, were excitable creatures, and all it took was a spark to get them going. Already there was talk of outfits, dates, photoshoots, themes. Notes were passed during class and phones kept ringing, much to the teachers' chagrin. And yet in the midst of it all, Teddy Altman found himself unable to care.
It had been several short weeks since Teddy lost his mother and discovered he had lived a lie. Trying to get his life back on track, he hoped mundane events such as this would help, but instead he found himself exhausted by the commotion. All he wanted was to go home and get some peace and quiet.
There wasn't much of that to be found at the Lair, where he stayed those days. School also meant homework, as well as a long to-do list the Young Avengers still bothered with - even superheroes still had a day life, after all. Well, some of them. Right then it was him and Billy occupying the designated study corner, with the rest of the team either still out and about or busy elsewhere like Jonas. They had their books and refreshments and a laptop at the ready, yet despite Teddy's best efforts, he couldn't concentrate. In his defense, Billy was tapping his foot and drumming his pen in that particular way--
"Is--" as soon as Teddy made that lone sound, Billy froze, mildly staring. "--everything ok?"
"Yeah, no, just--" Billy stuttered, a bashful look on his face, one that confused Teddy. Eventually Billy deflated, shrugging. "I was just wondering if you were going to, or should I?"
Teddy glanced sideway before tilting his head forward, eyes squinted. "Should... what?"
Was Billy blushing? Adorable as that was, it only confused Teddy more.
"You know, ask each other to the dance?"
"...oh," was Teddy's sober reply that made Billy shrink.
"Oh...?"
"You wanna go? Really?"
"Yeah?"
"Why?"
Billy moved uneasily in his seat. "I mean, it's the first dance I have a proper date for? It could be, I don't know, fun or something." There was hesitation but also excitement that made Teddy feel bad about it all. And yet--
"Are you sure it's a good idea? Going together, in our school?"
He could see it so plainly, all the expressions that crossed Billy's face, and the emotions that birthed them. At first, an awkward smile, half a chuckle, like he was only joking. But he wasn't, so it shifted to searching, eyes darting around looking for... something he couldn't find, then finally, grim resignation.
"Yeah, that... yeah. Bad idea."
Neither said anything after that, Billy staring at and playing with his pen while Teddy simply stared into nothingness.
"Besides--" he suddenly heard himself say. "It's barely been a couple of weeks since..." Teddy trailed off, and had Billy grimacing in response.
"I know, that's why-- I mean, I thought we could--"
Teddy looked up with a bit of curiosity, but Billy simply shook his head and smiled, that smile Teddy had come to know well by then, telling him Billy wanted to make it all better but didn't know how. It was only fair - neither did Teddy.
"Other date night, then? We'll know where most people we dislike will be!"
Teddy chuckled weakly, letting Billy let out that breath he's been holding. "Yeah, only with our luck we'll have to go there to save them from the Shocker or something."
"Yeah, I'll try not to set the place on fire this time."
"This time?"
"Well excuse me for having unstable energy-based powers I just recently discovered, Mr. Been Shapeshifting Since Birth!"
"It's pretty."
The statement was made for the sake of it, because the air was light and warm, because he felt like it, because it was true, and thinking about it beat all the other thoughts worming around Teddy's head. It made Billy squirm a bit but that only made it even more worthwhile, and was enough to let Teddy get back to his notes. Only--
"Hey," Billy called out, pointing at Teddy with his pen. "That's still a date."
Teddy stared, blinked, then chuckled. "Fine, if I must."
"You must! ...I mean, if you want to, I won't--"
"Billy," Teddy huffed, amused if a bit weary. "I'd love to." The word left both reeling pleasantly for a while.
"Yeah. Totally a date."
–
Somewhere along the way, Kate and Cassie caught wind of the dance. They did their best not to meddle, but they meddled, especially Kate. Who didn't care about that spellcaster and shapeshifter nonsense, she was getting them suits. Because dressing the team up was nice and all, but helping her friends was better. Bless her, Teddy thought, but was still grateful when Billy broke her the news they weren't going.
"...they didn't deserve you as dance kings, anyway."
–
For a mercy, few other incidents took place until the day itself, and Teddy found himself actually looking forward to it, and his date with Billy. The guy insisted on keeping his plans secret, and held on despite Teddy's best efforts and torture methods ("tickle me all you want, Altman, I'll never-- four?! Hands?! Cheating, that-- that's cheating!"). Still, whatever it was couldn't be too horrible, as by then they were largely aware of each other's preferences and most of their boundaries. Whatever Billy had planned was bound to be, at the very least, interesting.
He was proven right a short while before the appointed hour when he got a text from Billy asking him to meet on the roof of the Lair. Equally suspicious and curious, Teddy climbed the stairs, absently admiring the fact they even had a roof to climb to. He remembered it from the tour of the place Kate gave them at the time, but never got to use it, until now - now, when he found Billy there, all dressed up in a suit, hair trim and proper, phone mounted to a small speaker and was that a picnic basket? Good lord...
"Is this the part where you teleport me to the dance?"
Billy scrunched his nose. "What kind of teen romance B movie do you think this is?"
"I mean, you do seem to like them--"
"And I also like to keep my escapist fantasies apart from my reality, thank you very much!"
Teddy chuckled fondly, then took his time appreciating the sight that was before him. To think it was all for him...
"You look good in that," he finally said, making Billy shift, bashful.
"Thanks. It's a tighter fit than I remembered, but-- anyway," he shook his head and took a step closer, looking at Teddy with some hesitation. "I'll understand if you don't want any of this at all, if this just isn't your thing. Say the word, I'll blink into my jeans and t-shirt, and we'll go through whatever dad put in the basket. But, I figured? The people we dislike are all the way over there, hardly anyone comes up to the roof? So, if by chance you feel like it..." He held out a flower Teddy would later find out was a Viscaria.
"Would you dance with me?"
There wasn't much Teddy could say to that off the top of his head, thoughts tugging and pulling in too many directions at once. Finally he reached for the flower, fingers poking at the petals before he rested his hand over Billy's own.
"I can't."
"...well then," Billy replied in a steady voice. He pulled away, and in a dim flash his clothes were simpler. "That's that. Picnic basket surprise?"
The idea had merit, that much was true, but that wasn't what Teddy meant. "Wait, that's not--"
"No, no, I get it," Billy interjected, hand waved lightly in dismissal, flower still held. "You said no, I still pulled this off, went on my own, it's--"
Whatever came after was muffled when Teddy covered Billy's mouth with his hand.
"I can't because I don't know how."
It took Billy a moment to process, but then his brows climbed up his forehead.
"Oh... wait, really?"
Teddy shoved his hands into his pockets, shrugging awkwardly. "Never learned, never had a reason to. Closest I came was stepping on mom's feet."
The memory was a fond one and brought a bittersweet smile to his lips. Billy gave him that moment, then asked in a soft voice-
"Well, maybe I can teach you?"
"I don't know, can you?" But before Billy could finish that groan- "Where did you learn?"
"Mom and dad, obviously. Big family, lots of get-togethers..."
"Lots of aunts to bust out moves for?"
"Something like that," Billy confirmed with a nod, then placed the flower behind Teddy's ear. "It brings out your eyes," he added softly as he offered Teddy his hand. "Shall we?"
"On one condition." Teddy paused for dramatic effect, even when Billy quirked a brow at him. "...zap back the suit."
Billy snorted in surprise, and with a snap of his fingers, the suit was back, further earning him Teddy's approval. "Not an unreasonable demand." He held his hand out again, this time holding his other to his chest and bowing slightly. "My good sir, may I have this dance?"
Teddy smiled and accepted the offer, then fell silent as he let Billy do his thing. He explained the basics, demonstrated a bit on his lonesome, and then positioned them, hands going here and there and fronts close.
"I think I see what people find in this," Teddy admitted in an awed whisper, earning a chuckle from Billy before Billy pulled him along and led him around. Teddy did his best to follow, eyes darting constantly between their feet and up at Billy's face and eyes, so warm and welcome and close. It was in the middle of one such exchange that Teddy not only stepped on Billy's feet, but somehow made them trip so badly, it was only thanks to Billy's powers that they didn't end up both splat on the hard concrete floor of the roof. Instead they were awkwardly floating, Teddy half sprawled over Billy.
"Sorry..."
"Eh. A for effort," Billy reassured and floated them up back to standing positions. "Not bad for your first time!"
"I blame the teacher."
"You would, you prick," Billy countered and undid a button. Teddy filed that pleasant shiver for later consideration. Right then there were more important things to focus on, like that lovely smile on Billy's lips, or the way his hair finally got tussled and fell over his eyes when he turned to Teddy. "Picnic basket?"
Teddy nodded. "Picnic basket."
The food was consumed, light chatter was had, and they enjoyed the sunset, Teddy leaning against Billy, head against his shoulder. At the end of a particularly comfortable silence, Billy yawned, and Teddy took that chance to speak again.
"Thanks."
"Hm?"
"For today. For this. It was a good idea."
He could see Billy grinning from the corner of his eyes.
"I have those once in a while."
"More often than you think," Teddy teased and stood up, relinquishing Billy's shoulder-pillow and offering him his hand instead. "Ask me to dance again? Not to a dance, I make no promises about that, but..."
Billy pulled himself up and poked at the flower still behind Teddy's ear. "I'll keep that in mind."
"How is that thing still there? We fell, like, three times."
"Must be a magical flower."
"That's not incriminating at all!"
"I have no idea what you're on about," Billy deflected and cleaned up, giving Teddy the chance to reach for his phone and open the search engine.
"Speaking of, what flower is that, anyway?"
"Oh, that's a Viscaria--" Billy paused when he realized what was doing, and pointedly turned his painting face away. "It- it's getting dark and chilly, let's go inside?"
"Sure," Teddy replied absentmindedly as his attention was set on the flower language definition for the flower behind his ear. Feeling his heart skip a beat, he took the moment to type in another inquiry, this one asking how to properly press flowers for safekeeping.