Four-Color Love Story

It was late on a Friday night, late enough so the street lights were glowing in blaring whites and ambient ambers amidst the darkening sky. Despite how exhausting the week had been, Teddy was looking forward to his spontaneous date with Billy. He could never really focus on algebra last thing at the end of the day so of course, he restlessly started texting Billy about the uncanny resemblance between his teacher and Beast (if he weren't blue - the missing similarity actually took a lot away from the experience). The exchanging of commentary and remarks resulted in a date to the comic book store, Teddy had to disguise his excitement under how 'riveting' and 'ingenuitive' he found the collaboration of letters and numbers to his teacher, resulting in the twitch of an eye and a disgruntled look.

He walked down the familiar path (a tad quicker than usual) in worn converse that were vaguely hidden under the scruffy cuff of his jeans. Manhattan was busy as always, the arrival of nightlife had made itself apparent and there were groups of friends making their way to dance clubs. He felt the slight jingle of change in his pocket and wondered if he'd have enough to buy an ice-cream later. Even if he didn't it wouldn't be much of a loss.

After he turned a corner, he found the location he was looking for, bright posters plastered on the windows, accompanied by cardboard cut-outs of heroes and villains. The small bell rung as he pushed the door open and his tall height aided in his search for a dark-haired, lanky teen that would either be digging through boxes or flicking mercilessly through shelves. Teddy meandered through a few isles until he found who he'd been waiting to see. He smiled affectionately, stopping in his tracks, hands carelessly in his pockets.

"What's quakin', cowboy?"

Happy couldn't even begin to explain how Billy Kaplan was feeling. He had a date with Teddy-freakin'-Altman and he was engaged to Teddy-freakin'-Altman. Yeah, life was good. While the engagement had cheered him up as well as becoming an official Avenger, he had still been a bit mopey a lot lately. He figured Teddy noticed, after all they did live together. Each time he went to Avengers Mansion, he stopped by the statue of Cassie and Vision. He blamed himself for their deaths and while he wasn't as depressed as he had been, it wasn't the easiest thing to get over.

So when his texts with his awesome fiance had turned into a date, he had jumped at the opportunity to just forget all of his worries and spend even more time with the shape-shifter. He was dressed in denim jeans, a white t-shirt with a black jacket unzipped on top and a red scarf around his neck. He made sure to tell his parents he was heading out and since it was Friday, he didn't have to promise them he wouldn't be out late. Yes, he lived with his boyfriend and his parents because he was awesome like that.

The walk to the comic book store wasn't long, considering he had taken it several times before and practically knew it by heart. He figured he was a bit early, considering it was still slightly light out when he arrived at the store. The familiar jingle of the small bell rung through his ears as he entered the store. He had left school early that day after having not felt very well-- a migraine and upset stomach. He was feeling better now and couldn't wait to see Teddy.

Standing in an aisle, he flipped through the comics on the shelf. Pulling out a Batman and Robin one, he opened it and started skimming it. He frowned to himself and put it back. It was one Tommy had needlessly spoiled for him just for fun. He continued looking through the shelf, trying to find the latest Stormwatch comic. Typical. It wasn't there. The young mage found his way over to the aisle over by the wall where the action figures were. He grabbed a Hulk action figure, grinning to himself and thinking that Teddy needed his own action figure.

Wiccan paused when he heard the familiar sound of the bell by the door. He put the action figure back and glanced over to see who it was, but his eyes only fell onto the cashier. If it was Teddy, perhaps he should have stood closer to the end of the aisle, so the changeling could find him easier. He turned his attention back to the action figures, eyes skimming them over for any he didn't have. He reached up and grabbed a large Nightwing one, looking at the price on the box and grimacing as it made his wallet ache in his back pocket.

At the sound of Teddy's voice, William looked over and grinned from ear to ear at him. "Nothin' much, stranger." He replied, setting the action figure back on the shelf and moving to step closer to the blonde.

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Met with the familiar image of his boyfriend browsing through the figurines, he couldn't help but stifle a chuckle as Billy made a face at a packaged Nightwing. He also couldn't help but think how Billy's outfit was similarly fashioned on his Wiccan gear, the red scarf stood out boldly compared to the other lurkers in the store who aimed for a more muted, 'I don't care as long as it's two sizes too big' look. His attention would've been stolen by the mage even if he wasn't wearing a scarf, anyway.

Teddy glanced at the action figure being put back on the shelf before he heard Billy's response and his smile grew, dimples forming on his cheeks. "Doesn't look like nothin' much," He casually reached for the Nightwing figure, leaning into Billy more than was necessary then scanned over the object. "They don't even let you see his butt, dealbreaker." He spoke in a mockingly outraged tone then quirked an eyebrow, animatedly holding the box above his head so he could investigate the contents as close as possible. "Eh. What a rip-off,"Shrugging, he returned the figurine to it's place then set his gaze on his fiancé.

A warm look laced his features as he took in Billy's appearance for a few seconds, the sun was doing that thing where it seamlessly rested on his features, making his brown eyes glisten with highlights of topaz and copper. Without thinking, he brushed his fingertips against Billy's palm, waiting for his consent to hold it. "So how's Mister Kaplan's so-called life going at the moment?" The question was asked more out of curiosity than politeness.

As he watched Teddy smile, his own grew as well. Billy certainly felt like the luckiest guy in the world. He had a one-hundred percent hot and adorable boyfriend-- er fiance. While being engaged thrilled him, he still wasn't used to calling the blonde his fiance rather than boyfriend, though he still loved the sound of it. He lightly and playfully pushed against Teddy with his shoulder when he felt him leaning on him; he didn't mind it, however. He lightly laughed as Teddy joked, resting his head against the blonde's shoulder ever-so-slightly. "They hide the best part." He joked with him, grinning.

The mage lifted his head up and moved his eyes to meet the shifter's. He loved the way the teen looked at him and in return, he loved looking at Teddy. There was no doubt in his mind that he loved Teddy and that Teddy returned his love. Of course, if he were to say that out loud, he was certain it would come off as some cheesy line from a movie. Not that he would have minded, especially if it was from a musical-- which reminded him that he still needed to make Tommy site down and watch The Sound of Music sometime soon.

At the touch of Teddy's fingers, the raven-haired teen looked over at him again, having glanced away as his mind had wandered off. He lightly smiled and moved to grasp his fiance's hand, playfullying rolling his eyes at him. "I don't even think I have a life at the moment." He replied half-jokingly. "Besides you, of course. Then again, not sure if I should count you..." He allowed his voice to trail off as he gave Teddy a smirk to let him know he was messing around. He didn't plan on mentioning that he had been feeling sick earlier, not wanting the changeling to worry. After all, he was currently feeling a lot better.

"What about you?" Wiccan asked, stepping closer to the fellow Avenger and lightly nuzzling his cheek. No one else was in the aisle so he figured he didn't have to worry about someone seeing and telling them to 'break it up'. He didn't care if someone saw them, but getting interrupted wasn't very fun at all.

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Teddy was elated to know he could cheer Billy up with only a few words; he'd never get used to the way his boyfriend smiled and laughed with him, even though he had experienced it countless times. It was obvious that Billy had been reclusive over the past few weeks, not as bad as before the happy couple got engaged but enough to keep Teddy aware of any melancholy behaviour that he gave off. He knew why, after Cassie and Vision's death the team grieved together so the hurt reduced to a dull ache now and again. But Billy was still hurting because he still blamed himself, Teddy would catch the mage lingering around the statues of their team mates and try to convince him that it wasn't his fault. There was no way any of them could predict the chaos that came out of the teen trying to find his mother, conflict was expected but for the death of two friends to be the result of that conflict was unimaginable... until it happened.

Teddy had to overcome the mourning stage mainly by himself, Kate, Eli and even Tommy were there to talk to but what he really needed was Billy - who was too broken for the shapeshifter to confide in. He had to stay optimistic, always reminding him that no matter how dark he felt, there was still good left in the world and they were a part of that. But even the weight of his friends' death and the part of Billy that died when they had was a burden too heavy to overcome sometimes. So once he'd had enough of it, he brought his boyfriend back to life the only way possible.

At Billy's comment, Teddy couldn't help the mischievous hint in his smile as he gave into his fiancé's touch, his cheek lightly brushing his skewed, dark hair. "Honestly, I've seen better." He felt the urge to wink but figured it would be too obvious, instead he settled for subtly suggestive tone.

Teddy held Billy's gaze for a few seconds, still revelling in the fact that the two were happy just being in eachother's presence. He had to admit, at times like these he was selfish, he didn't seem to care about the world spinning wildly around them and surrendered to the feeling of separation from everyone else but being wholly separated to just Billy.

His heart skipped a beat when Billy took his hand, instinctively he clasped his fingers around his boyfriend's, listening to his reply. "Ooo, you wound me with your ruthless words," He retorted sarcastically, "but really, compared to - I don't know - almost every other human being on the planet I'm pretty sure you have a life. There's the usual crap like school, worrying about college, the new Legend of Zelda coming out and something else I'm probably forgetting." He counted the list off his fingers, the fourth faltering in thought for a second, "Oh! Avenging stuff, there's that too." He whispered surreptitiously, serving as comedic effect as well as preventing any potential eavesdroppers in the store (although that was highly unlikely).

"Me? Usual stuff, playing Mario Kart with Spider-man, hanging out with you, school, hanging out with you, sacrificing myself to save the city, hanging out with you. Nothing new." Teddy would have shrugged if it weren't for the close proximity Billy had taken to indulging in, it wasn't long before Teddy was yielding to his contact. His head inclined towards Billy's so their noses were barely touching. As his thumb idly stroked over one of Billy's knuckles, a thought crossed him. "Hey, I was thinking... Do you want a ring? I mean, it doesn't have to be fancy or anything, just enough that you like it. If you do then I'll probably - well, definitely wear one as well but it's not like I mind if you don't want one." His tone transitioned from joking to earnest as he confidently brought the subject up.

Despite being used to the flirting that went on between him and the blonde, Billy still felt his face light up with a faint blush at Teddy's comment, knowing what-- or who he was referring to. He lightly laughed at his fiance's comments. "Hey Zelda was a fun game, for about a minute or two. I eventually gave it to one of my little brothers... I forget which one though." He tried to remember which one, but shrugged it off. It wasn't important who he gave the game to. He grinned. "I'd have to say the latter is my favorite."

He paused as if to think about what the blonde had said. "Guess you're right. I have a life." Though it revolves around you he figured was implied in his tone and the way he looked at Teddy as he spoke. He smiled, enjoying how often the changeling mentioned hanging out with him. They hung out a lot, but it still wasn't enough for him. To him, there was no such thing as too much time with Teddy. He wanted to spend the rest of eternity with him. "Does Spider-man's spider sense work with a video game too?" he asked curiously, having never played against the wall-crawler. He typically played video games with Teddy, and Teddy only. After all, none of the other Young Avengers had seemed into video games.

The mage's smile widened and his blush returned as he felt Hulkling's nose rub against his and his thumb rub his hand. He enjoyed his lover's soft touch. It was sweet and gentle, always telling him that they didn't need to rush anything in their relationship. That was what he liked a lot about his relationship with Teddy. One day, they wanted to make out, the next, all they wanted to do was cuddle. And they both seemed fine with that.

Wiccan pulled his head back a little so he could look at his fiance's face as he spoke. He blinked in slight confusion, having not been expecting that topic. His confusion quickly faded, however. They were engaged; he should have expected to talk about this some time. He tilted his head to the side ever-so-slightly as he thought. He wouldn't mind having a ring to show off. He was proud about his engagement. He didn't want anything fancy, however. He wasn't a diamond type of guy. "I don't mind." He replied, releasing his grip on Teddy's hand and wrapping his arms around his fiance's waist, resting his chin on his chest and looking up at him. No one was watching. He could flirt all he wanted. And he hadn't seen Teddy since the morning when they had woken up to go to school. He needed his cuddle-time.

He was only human (technically), and there was only so long he could go without cuddling with his adorable shape-shifter.

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Teddy noticed as Billy blushed the the same colour as his scarf, the dimples forming on Teddy's cheeks yet again as mirth took on the form of fluttering butterflies in his tummy. Usually he'd jump at any chance to pester the mage with hordes of compliments; either out of good humour, to raise his confidence or simply as an act of pure honesty, although there was always an element of the latter in the first two.

"The only reason why you thought Zelda was only fun for a minute or two is because you couldn't navigate without a map, I warned you that without my exquisitely detailed, self-drawn maps you wouldn't be able get anywhere but you were too damn stubborn to accept any help, like...at all." Teddy's tone was mockingly defensive of the game but whimsical all the while, when he continued it seamlessly turned conversational, "Yeah, I have to admit I'm more lenient towards crashing a bank robber's party compared to filling out pretend job applications."

Teddy couldn't help but roll his eyes affectionately at what Billy was very expertly getting across, an almost bashful grin lined his lips while he glanced down but it wasn't long before his eyes returned to their original gaze. Often he found himself pondering on how lucky he was to have met Billy but 'lucky' never seemed to cut it. Whenever he tried to apply the term to their relationship all he could imagine was a duet of Britney Spears and Kylie Minogue serenading the obscure image of a tacky 90's pop music video who's leading actor was William Kaplan himself (it was a dream he had once - borderline Dalí surreal).

The truth was; no term, phrase or wording was sufficient enough. If someone asked him to explain the surge of stability and reassurance he was graced with whenever they held hands - he would be left speechless. Or even to elaborate on the tangle of pride, anxiety and just being completely enamored in the idea of spending the rest of his life with Billy Kaplan - he wouldn't even utter a syllable. He didn't feel the need to justify or define his love for Billy, it was justified and defined in his name itself, it was a term in itself, a phrase in itself that Teddy would think of and could never be matched in equal measure to any other. Billy Kaplan.

At his fiance's inquiry, he pursed his lips in thought, "No... I don't think so, at least. I mean, I won so if his spidey senses did work then they didn't do a very good job." He shrugged, nonchalantly.

Teddy was lost in the solace of Billy's contact for a few seconds, a smile as warm as a crackling fire tugging at his lips. That was until his boyfriend pulled back, breaking him out of his revelry. The look was priceless though, Billy was obviously bewildered but it wasn't long before he heard a reply. He had to admit he was fairly unsatisfied with the worded response but the physical reaction was much better. Teddy echoed Billy's action, snugly wrapping his arms around his fiance's back and looking at him through heavy-lidded, affectionate eyes. "Are you sure you don't mind?" He strengthened his hold on Billy, bracing him for the bold action he'd committed to in his head, "because I'm pretty sure that in that handsome head of yours-" he cut off, sliding his hold down to support Billy's lower back, a mere moment later he was making a move to effortlessly lift Billy off the ground - enough so his tiptoes were an inch from the floor, " - you've got at least one idea kicking around."

He loved him. Billy simply loved Teddy more than words could ever begin to describe. He grinned when he felt himself lifted up, leaning forward slightly against Teddy. He slipped his arms up so that they were around the blonde's neck. "Oh I'm always full of ideas, mostly stupid ones albeit, but still ideas nonetheless." Everyone had their stupid moments -- like sneaking away in the middle of the night to sneak into Doctor Doom's home -- but his stupid moments added to his cuteness, he was sure of it.

He leaned his head in a bit more, planting a small, quick kiss on his fiance's lips. Typically he did have an idea, but at the moment, he was trying to think of one. His eyes glanced around the shop as his left pointer finger played with Teddy's hair. Then his eyes landed on something... "Can I get one of those?" he asked, pointing with his finger. However, he would tell the shape-shifter what he was looking at if it meant avoiding being put down. He wanted to stay in Teddy's arms as long as he could. He felt safe. He felt warm. He felt loved.

The display he was pointing to was one show casing rings of different colors from the Green Lantern comic book series. And he wasn't joking. He wanted one. After all, who else could say their fiance got them a Green Lantern ring as a proposal ring? No one that he knew of. And he wanted a green one, because his favorite person in the whole wide world was green. And to be a Green Lantern one needed to be without fear. He had fears, but when he was with Teddy, he knew he could conquer them.

"I can have a green one and you..." the mage rested his head on his fiance's shoulder, eyes looking over the rings. He grinned and lifted his head. "You can have the pink one." Yes, he had said it. He would be a Green Lantern and Teddy would be his freakin' Star Sapphire. Like Hal Jordan and Carol Ferris. Made for each other. Besides, Teddy was just full of so much love. Pink was perfect! He'd say red because it was his color, but red was rage... He didn't want to encourage that in his fiance.

He rubbed his nose against Teddy's, grinning at him like a kid. "I mean I know they're not traditional rings or anything... But can we get them? I think they're perfect. Unique... like us."

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Teddy snorted at Billy's confession; he had to admit, despite Billy's uncanny intelligence for all things hero-related and his quick thinking, he could overlook simple common sense once in a while. It never bothered Teddy, unless Billy's carelessness lead to him getting hurt.

When his boyfriend's lips ghosted over his, Teddy blushed and his fingers instinctively clutched onto Billy's jacket. He would have closed his eyes if it weren't for the kiss being only a second long and despite what little willpower Teddy harbored when in the arms of the mage, it was nothing compared to the need for contact (yeah, they were as close as close could be at the moment but Billy was doing that thing where he idly twirled a piece of hair around his finger - which not only made Teddy's scalp tingle but also conjured sparks and flickers of electricity in his chest).

Taking advantage of Billy's thoughtful state, Teddy left a kiss on the corner of his lips. Giddy with elation, he placed another just under his eye that lasted for a second longer and held a semblance of a grin behind it. He was on the verge of relinquishing another until Billy spoke. Alert, he responded with a simple, "Hmm?" and followed his indication by swiftly spinning around. It had taken him a very short period of time to get used to meandering around in the air with Wiccan in his arms but this was an entirely different scenario that required some form of civilized behaviour but Teddy could barely bring himself to lower Billy onto the ground.

"You know, Bee, you can be pretty damn cute when you get all sentimental,"he returned his gaze to the brown eyes in front of him then listened to Billy's proposal. His eyebrow quirked at the mentioning of green for his fiance and a knowing smirk tugged at his lips. It grew into a grin when Billy presented the colour for him, "Pink, huh? I guess that means I'll have to wear the whole unitard - complete with mask - at the wedding," He remarked, jokingly but still understood what Billy was implying, a glint of admiration in his blue eyes.

Teddy's smile turned vaguely dazed as Billy brushed his nose against his, "If we were being 'traditional' we wouldn't be allowed to get married in the first place and if we were it would be for a dowry of twenty cows or something," Even though it seemed like a light-hearted joke, there was was a hint of sincerity behind it that resonated when he continued. "I'm more than happy with the idea and you're right. It's not gold and diamonds but it's us." His gaze was warm, enamoured, even.

It took what little self-control buried in himself to lower Billy onto the ground and clasp one of his hands. The excitement that laced Teddy's features was painstakingly obvious and he encouragingly murmured a, "Come on," with a nod of his head. There was still a faint pink flush in his cheeks as he lead his fiance to the display, he could almost hear his heart beat drown out every other shuffle and mumble in the store under Billy's hold.

Billy watched Teddy, waiting for his reaction to his idea. His eyebrows arched upward at the thought of Teddy in a unitard… He’d have to save that mental image. He snickered to himself, hiding his face in the crook of his fiancé’s neck. Yep, it was an image he wasn’t afraid to say he liked. “I’m pretty sure Kate can find you one. She’s the fashionable one, after all.” He looked at Teddy with a smirk. Of course a unitard to a wedding wasn’t appropriate, but that didn’t mean his love couldn’t own one.

The teenager pouted as his feet touched the ground, but it soon grew to a smile. His hand was in Teddy’s. The warmth of his touch laced from his arms and jolted his heart to skip a beat. He could see the excitement on the shape-shifter’s face and he grinned at it. He liked to see Teddy happy. If his fiancé was happy, then he was happy.

When they reached the display case, he grabbed a pink ring and held it up to Teddy, a thoughtful look on his face. While he preferred the teen in green, he could see him in pink. “It’s a good color on your.” He placed it back on the display and leaned sideways against Teddy. This was perfect. At times, he found himself thinking it was too perfect, that something was bound to go wrong.

He thought the part of him thinking that was a complete idiot. When he was with Teddy, nothing could go wrong. And if something did, they’d endear it. They had gotten through Cassie and Vision’s death… though truth be told, it still rested heavily on his shoulders. He wouldn’t voice that. He probably didn’t have to. Teddy knew him so well, he could probably see through every wall the mage put up. However, like a couple of times before, he wasn’t thinking about all, in his mind, he had caused. He was thinking about right now with Teddy.

Everything felt perfect.

Teddy couldn't help but laugh as Billy buried his face in the blonde's neck. It was lucky that many of the store's customers had left, leaving a sparse few with their backs turned towards the couple, otherwise there would be a fair few cringing onlookers at the public display of affection. “I'll have to ask her if hot pink unitards are 'in' right now then, won't I?” His tone rung with a dry humour. Teddy wondered whether it was funny or pathetic that he'd be more than happy to wed the mage in such an outfit if Billy so desired.

They reached the small display of merchandise, passing other fleeting attractions such as a bucket of posters and a generous collection of manga. Suddenly a blurred, unfocused piece of jewellery was held in front of Teddy's face and he went cross-eyed as he identified what it was. Billy's comment made him smirk. “Maybe I should be taking fashion tips from you instead of Kate, at this rate.” He glanced at the range of rings as Billy returned it to the box of haphazard heroic knick-knacks then copied his boyfriend in finding a suitable ring.

“Obviously you can't have red, even if it's your thing.” He retrieved two rings; one blue and the other green then scrutinized both of them with a deep concentration. There were certain elements of Billy's personality that fit with being a Green Lantern, after all he had the willpower to seek out his own mother and ensure she survived – whatever the cost may have been. On the other hand, the blue was rather symbolic of how much he meant to Teddy. With everything he had endured; the main existential crisis' being the passing of his mother and discovering his alien heritage, throughout these and all that came afterwards Billy had constantly remained at his side, replacing the hollowness of loss with a sense of sanctified hope.

Disguising his true train of thought, he announced his decision with a somewhat artificial grin, “Looks like green – it's glow in the dark. This way we won't have to use your iPhone torch every time we get lost in an abandoned warehouse.” Even so, he hesitantly returned the rings to their original place (not holding the money required) and looked at Billy with what he hoped was a perfectly content disposition.

Billy looked at Teddy with his head slightly tilted to the side. He didn’t care what color he got. Green had just been a suggestion. From what he could tell, his fiancé was eyeing a blue ring. He wasn’t sure if the blue color of hope fit him, considering how much he lacked hope after Cassie’s death. But Teddy seemed to like it, even if he suggested the green one. “The blue one glows in the dark too,” he announced, grabbing it and looking over the packaging.

Thankfully the rings weren’t that expensive, at least compared to a diamond ring. They’d still put a dent in his wallet, but he probably had the money. And if not, he’d get more by upping on his chores. Maybe get a job? He inwardly cringed. Yeah a job didn’t sound like much fun. He looked over the blue ring, glancing at Teddy out of the corner of his eye. He picked up the green ring, wondering which one the shape-shifter wanted to get for him. He had said the green, but had been eyeing the blue.

The mage set both rings down and looked at Theodore with an eyebrow raised. He sent a playful poke into his side. “You sure about green?” He wouldn’t say he could see right through Teddy, though he liked to think he could. He just knew him well. After all, they had been dating for a while. He would hope he knew him better than most others.

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Teddy considered Billy's suggestion, averting his gaze to the floor then back to the blue ring he was holding. All he could respond with was an awkward shrug, attempting to avoid the subject with at least an ounce of subtlety.

He felt a sense of guilt rush over him; having not made a decision – or rather refusing to on the basis that they'd have to pay for the rings. Teddy had always known the value of money as a necessity from a young age, him and his mother sidled by with her monthly pay and benefits. Only if she worked overtime would they be able to afford privileges; visiting the movie theatre or a day out to shop for clothes he'd grown out of (despite his attempts at shifting into a smaller frame, he still needed to uphold the appearance of a growing adolescent.) He even vowed to get a job as soon as he was able, however low the pay may be at least it was something. But then he was approached by Iron Lad and before he knew it, the majority of his free time was taken up by beating down simulated dummies and rescuing babies from burning buildings.

Once Teddy had moved in with the Kaplans, financial issues were approached easily. He no longer had to squeeze his mother's shoulder comfortingly as she stressed over bank statements at the kitchen table, for the weight was no longer his to empathise with and he no longer had a mother to share the weight with. Teddy avoided Billy's look, only spotting the inquisitive raise of the brunette's eyebrow out of his peripheral vision and barely chuckling at the prod in his side. “It's not a big deal, honestly. We can always decide later.” He shrugged – yet again – forcing on a careless smile. “Come on, I'm sure there's some mugged purses out there that are begging to be returned to their rightful owners.” His hand stroked past Billy's back as he enclosed his arm around the mage's waist. Teddy's lips ghosted over Billy's temple, barely an echo of a feather-soft kiss.

It was a big deal, somewhat, to Billy and he wanted to point that out but he didn’t want to push Teddy. Even he knew Teddy put up with a lot because of him. He didn’t want to push too much and find out his fiancé had a limit. As if Teddy would explode on him when he knew he wouldn’t. They had their arguments but they could usually kiss and make up – or make-out. Either way their relationship endured and so did they.

The mage hesitated at the mention of stopping muggers. He didn’t feel like he was ready to get back in some spandex and be Wiccan again. But Teddy still seemed one-hundred percent into being a hero, saving the day, and probably the Young Avengers, though they were technically disbanded. He was like Tommy in that way, the brunette guessed. They both loved saving people, being a hero, and it was hard for them to stop.

And Billy felt terrible. He felt like he was holding both of them back, though he wouldn’t have been surprised if he found out Tommy had been sneaking out of the house and rescuing some cats. He was pulled back to reality as he felt Teddy’s arm around him and he looked at the shape-shifter, having not realized he had glanced away. His eyes closed and he smiled at the touch of his love’s lips. For a second or two he just stood there like that, Teddy’s arm around him and a dreamy smile on his face.

He opened his eyes and gave the blonde a grin. “Sure, why not?” He eventually replied and he cursed himself for taking long to get the words out. He could think of a few reasons why not, all of them linking back to what had happened with Cassie and Vision. He didn’t think he’d ever get past that, no matter how happy he was. They haunted him and the guilt still weighed him down at times.

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