milliways_bar | (no subject)

"Umm, yes? I'm not sure what it was, exactly... but it was pretty potent. Also, hangover."

It wasn't exactly like Larxene was in the mood for telling what her poison of choice was.

Billy does not hit him over the head. It's a near thing. "I worry. About something that could give you a hangover. What if it were poison?"

"I don't think that it was. I... I'm fine."

He goes for another kiss to avoid telling Billy who, exactly, he got the drink from. See how fine he is?

Billy kisses him back.

"So apparently you impressed Xaldin."

He's a little taken aback by that. It shows.

"I did? How? All we did was exchange sticky notes."

Billy points upward. There's a huge Dragoon -- much larger than Eowyn -- in the clouds.

"He assigned you a guard."

Teddy looks up, and sure enough, there's a Dragoon.

"Oh, wow. That's--I'm honored." Pause. "I guess I have to give it a name, too?"

"Her," Billy corrects gently. "It's not like a puppy, Teddy."

"Right. I keep forgetting they're all girls." He pauses, and turns to the Dragoon, who's floating down. "I'm very sorry; I'm thankful you're here to protect me. Would you like a name?" She nods, inclining her dragon-head.

Then he turns back to Billy. "What should I name her?"

Billy wraps his arm around Teddy's waist. "I don't know. These three are all named after Lord of the Rings characters. Don't tell anyone."

"Yeah, I'd kind of figured that out by now, silly boy." He wraps his around Billy's in return. "Hmm. I could name her after Alia, but she went batshit-crazy after the second book... maybe Jessica? Not Chani, because that would be weird, and Irulan is a bitch..."

"You are so obsessed. And she's not a Jessica. Jessica is Jessica Jones."

"Shh. But I'll concede you that last point. Maybe... what was that dog's name... Ananda! 'That joy in existance without which the world would fall apart and collapse.'That sound alright?" he asks both Billy and the Dragoon.

"Ananda," Billy repeats, testing the sound. "It's pretty."

"It's from... did you ever read A Wrinkle In Time? It's from one of the sequels to that, A Swiftly Tilting Planet. I thought it was appropriate, consider what she's been through."

The Dragoon just nods as best it can, accepting the name.

"Yeah, I read them in middle school," Billy agrees. He kisses Teddy on the cheek. "You didn't manage to distract me, you know."

"...Frommm...?"

Playinnocentplayinnocentplayinnocent.

Damn, if only Billy's spells worked in reverse.

"The alcohol. What it was and why you were drinking it. Who gave it to you, too."

"Um. It was Atlantean, and... the person who gave it to me was Twelve. In roman numerals. One of the people with Xaldin? I'm sorry, Billy, but she said she had things to discuss, and that stickies wouldn't cut it, and I'm sorry and it won't happen again and--"

"Teddy. Teddy, shh," He wraps his arms around Teddy's shoulders. "Larxene. She said she talked to you. She didn't mention this."

"Yeah, it was just... something to help me talk. Which was good, because... it was good. Helped."

He's not going to try not to think about it now. That's not something he can afford anymore. He is, however, going to take Billy in his arms, needing that hug worse than anything.

"I'm fine, really. Better than. It helped."

"I'm glad. That it helped. You can talk to me about it, too, you know."

Part of him thinks that it would have been more helpful if Teddy hadn't needed liquid courage to talk about it. It might set a worrying precedent.

"Could I? I'd like that, if you wouldn't mind. I just hate feeling like I'm always dumping shit in your lap. You're welcome to talk to me about whatever, too."

He puts his hand in Billy's hair, brushing it back slowly.

"Teddy. Teddy, teddy, teddy," He's whispering the name like a chant into Teddy's ear. "What's important to you is important to me. I want to here anything you think about. I love you, okay, and that's what that means."

"Alright," he says, the repeating of his name over and over again putting a rather dazed grin on his face. "Well. I told you that I was conscious? For all of it, almost. As soon as he put me up like I was being crucified, almost... then I woke up, and... well, I could recall every blade well enough to describe them to Larxene.

"And, the worst part, was that they had you. I couldn't open my eyes, I couldn't react, but I was conscious, and there was nothing I could do to make it better for you, at all. I don't want to say one of us had it worse than the other, because we didn't. I had to suffer, and watch you suffer for me, and you had to be taunted into becoming what you hated. And... oh, Billy, sometimes it makes me doubt this whole war. Not to the point of going to the Initiative, but... oh, god, things shouldn't be this way. I can handle anything as long as I can know you're safe, but..." he sighs.