milliways_bar | (no subject)

There is a somewhat perky Billy who slips under the table with coffee and chocolate and pillows. He peers at the Rachel and smiles a little.

"hiyas."

The way Rachel tucks the book away and almost rolls away is probably a bad sign. A quick psi-scan and a a moment to force herself back and she's looking him in the eye. "Again you're up late..." she said quietly.

"Coffee?"

he blinks at her reaction.

"Up late? yeah I guess so. Not tired is all."

he holds out the cup.

"S'for you."

he eyes her and smiles softly, tentatively.

"What's wrong?"

Coffee. She'd love coffee. She honestly would. It would keep her awake, keep her...awake.

But...

Somehow she just can't accept it. Paranoia, self-doubt, questioning reality. Yep. She didn't see all the stops the coffee made on the way to her. Not that she doesn't trust Billy...she doesn't trust the coffee.

"I'm just not sleeping well is all" she shrugged, leaning her chin on her fist. "Like you it seems"

He cocks his head at her, and sighs, his eyes searching hers for a moment.

"Well, truth is, I dont need sleep anymore. I like to, cause it's nice not to think sometimes, but I dont have to."

He reaches out and gently taps her arm.

"I'm sorry you arent sleeping well."

She actually jerks back from the simple touch, then nerves herself to hold still "You should get sleep while you can Billy. It gets harder as you age. Trust me on that"

He blinks. His gaze and probably his surface thoughts will tell her he knows there is something deeper wrong.

He rubs his fingers slowly.

"I have heard it is so. I can only do what I can do. Besides, I missed you."

Hell, she knows there's something deeper wrong. Knows it very well. But, unfortunately, its all in head isn't it? So she has to deal with it. After all, if he was somehow alive...

...and coming back...

...anyone she spoke to would be a target.

If he was real.

If he wasn't, anyone she talked to would know she was nuts. And self destructive.

"It's true. Especially the future path you're to follow. No hero sleeps well at night Billy."

He quirks a grin, still looking worried at her.

"I know. When I sleep, sometimes it isnt so great. Less reason to do so then, most days. I mostly read, practice music, or ..." his voice sinks to a whisper."...or I fly."

She's equally worried, but hey, she's got centuries practice in hiding it."Nightmares early as well as a super body. Poor you kid. Poor you."

She glanced at her book then shook her head softly "At least you seem to handle it better than I. I'm wading through a predicatble pulp mysteru when I could be learning piano or somethig..."

"I drink lots of milkshakes and annoy hapless telepathic superheroines!"

he grins at her a little.

"And eh... I get by. I hide a lot..."

She makes a point of peeking out from under the table, looking for more telepathic super heriones, as he's yet to annoy her. "Hiding isn't always a good thing either" she pointed out.

"Nights are just generally long. Sucks when sleep isn't an option"

"Ah, but then you can creep about and poeer all kinds of places. Got to be careful of that though."

He blushes some as he says that last and hurries on.

"And fly all over and discover the odd looking underside of this asteroid and .... all kinds of things!"

He trails off.

"And... yeah. hiding isnt always good, I know, but soemtimes, i dont feel like sleeping... and I dont feel like being around people. So I hide."

"Ah, Billy Batson, bars youngest voyuer..." she teased gently. "I've seen enough asteroids to last any lifetime dear, seen enough of most things. Haunting" she shrugged.

"Myself...people are a comfort. Just knowing that there's more than one or two nearby...that's comforting. Of course, doesn't mean she doesn't hide at the same time too...

he nods a little.

"Well you are welcome in my room anytime. to talk or just to hang out, or even just be. I have a really big couch, too, and you're welcome to that as well."

His eyes are bright for a moment.

"I'm glad you're here."

"Bar seems to like me here to" she noted softly. "Can't say I regret my visits." no, she regrets going back afterwards.

"That's kind of you Billy, but I have a place to stay here when I do. Room 214 hasn't been denied me yet, and I feel..." wanted, safe, secure "...comfortable there. I'll pop in just to bug you sometime though. Promise." Ah, the adult promise, the one when the adult isn't sure they're ever coming back or what the future is...but they're trying.

"Someday I want to take you to visit my world...as long as we dont have to fight one another.*"

He smiles at her.

"Good."

*Cardinal rule of team-ups. The heroes almost always fight each other.

"I'm not exactly the type of person people bring home to show around Billy" she cautioned gently. "I'm just...not."

"And I won't fight you." that's alot more soberly spoken than she intended. More a dire promise than anything else.

he doesnt poke her but he threatened poke hangs in the air.

"I'd be honored to have you by my side or at my back anywhere and anytime, Rachel."

His words are quiet but firm, and for a moment echoing with something deeper and more powerful than a thirteen year old boy.

"Good. I hate those kinds of team-ups. First one I had with Superman was like that. Took me weeks to live it down."

"It's not you I"m truly worried about" she sighed. And for a moment, a brief moment, there's an almost endless depth of pain in her voice. Eons perhpas, held in check from rage through sheer will.

Having almost everything you've ever known and loved turn on you will do that.

"Superman? Someone in your reality actually calls themselves Superman?!"

"Ah..he is Superman, Rachel. the original. The one who inspires the stories and the books and the movies. The one who inspired most oft he heroes on my world, including me. He is cool and amazing and a very nice man."

he grins at her.

"Well, at least let me cook for you sometime."

She blinked a moment "And he calls himself superman" she sighed softly, a little in shock. "That takes a very secure man, or avery large ego" she admitted at last. "At least he's a good guy."

And then teh second bit hit. "Cook? You can cook?"

"It was a name given him by the media, but it fits. he is the best of us on that world."

he smiles.

"I can caook a few things... hot dogs, hamburgers, potatoes in a microwave... um... ra-men."

He grins at her.

"Weird" that describes it. Describes anyone willingly keeping a media name, describes anyone having a media who actually creates such names. Weird.

"I can cook pancakes. And make sandwiches." sad from a girl alive so many years huh?

he smiles, beaming.

"We should have a cooking time together. we can make pigs in blankets!"

He bounces a little, then ouches as his head thumps the underside of the table.

Quick as thought there's a brief mental touch along pain centers, even if it's just a bump she doesn't liek people hurting. Ever. It's a simple reaction for her, only betrayed by a brief flicker of flame that's gone in a moment.

"I never really had time to learn cooking really...but yeah. Maybe" she agree.

He blinks as pain fades and glances at her with curiosity and gratitude mixed.

He smiles at her answer.

"Whenever and if-ever you want to."

he pulls out a small box and reveals a rtow of chocolate covered cherries. He holds it out.

"Have one?"

My, he's a regular magician isn't he? She blinks in suprise then shakes her head softly "No thanks kiddo. I'm sorry." there's a brief flicker of darkness, cold and pure, then a sigh. "You'd be suprised what you lose taste for as you age to"

Or for other reasons.

"Seems Bar spoils you"

Nah, he just carries emergency supplies around with him.

"I go these for a particularly bad case of homework."

He shrugs and puts them away.

"I'm sorry. Wish I could help you."

"Sometimes Billy, one can only help themselves. I think this is one of those times." ah, how those words simply seem to hang in the air like a poisoned promise.

Someone, somewhere, is laughing gleefully.

"Keep them for your rainy day kiddo. Since Bar give syou homework, you'll need them more than I ever could"

Billy eyes her.

"I'm not sure I believe that, but I will respect your wishes."

he nods and smiles, a little.

"Do you sing?"

Her? Sing? A girl who lifted voice during teh hunt, howlingto fear the souls of man and mutant alike with terror?

Her?

"No"

"okay."

His voice is quiet.

"I play a guitar. Not well, but I like it. The music is... fun, a little."

"I do enjoy music" she sighed. "I have a friend who is a bard,and he..." I failed him to.

"It's simply your nature girl"

"...he's not himself recently, but I like dto listen to him. I know...starsong" she admitetd at last, reaching out with a single finger tip to tap his lips, silent, mental music swelling in that brief contact.

Glorious singing destructiona nd joy in rebirth. That boundless music in teh void between stars as it etches through eternity.

Starsong.

He blinks, awed.

"Wow! That was totally, like, cool!"

he looks at her and grins.

"Definitely music."

"Something to remember" she drew her hand away.

She'd always remembered it, even when she was locked away and couldn't hear it."It comes in handy"

"Thank you."

he considers her and then smiles.

"Can you get as well as give?"

She arched an eyebrow at his question and a small smile traced over her lips "Yes" simple answers are best given the type of question.

he nods and extends a hand.

In his mind he remembers as best he can the feel of magic as it flows through his veins, the power of it's flowing like music or blood or something else deeper and more profound. The flow of magic and light and life and aliveness runs through his mind.

She doesn't have to touch him for that, in fact, she carefully refrains, simply riding his thoughts. After a time she withdraws gently and smiles softly, filing the memory away. She has felt much the same at times, butit was the trust inherent that she will truly remember. After all, it helps.

"Slaves aren't given trust, they're given orders."

He smiles back, hen flashes her a questioning glance.

"Have you eaten recently?"

His stomach grumbles.

"Recently enough" truth told, she rarely has appetite recently. "Go eat kiddo. You're a growing boy, and honestly, you've got some weightto put on as you get older, best start on that monster body now"

He hesitates, then sighs.

"Okay. But take care of yourself, Rachel. I'm not ready to lose another sister."

Then he is gone, slipping out withiout looking back at her, carefully shuttering his missing of Mary and his worry about Rachel as he heads for the Bar.

It's a sign of her mental state that she, for a moment, believes it may be better for him to forget her...

But, she hasn't lived so long by giving up on herself. So, it's only a brief thought.

But still, he rthoughts turn inward as he leaves, and she curls up once more and opens teh bookd. Happy facade back in place, and no more meaning to it than a window display.