selfhelp | [action / voice] backdated to the 16th

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[action / voice] backdated to the 16th

[Billy wakes up for the first time since the portal drama feeling nauseous, exhausted, and heartsick: sort of like waking from a long nightmare, only he can't recall dreaming at all. Instead of being at home in his own world and his own bed, he's still in Luceti, and what's worse is that he's alone. His magic doesn't seem to be working, either. Panic sets in, and... well...

After a bit of trouble-at-home, and a resolution that leaves him feeling even more weary, the reality of his (or rather, their) situation really sinks in: the portal didn't work. And while none of the people involved in the execution of said plan are in any great state of being today, he seems to be the only one who's up and talking and available to explain the situation to the general public (at least, to those who didn't witness what a spectacular disaster it was), and that leaves announcing it up to him.

Unfortunately.

He delays it as much as he feels that he can, perusing the journal in the desperate hope that someone else has done it for him, then wondering if it would be better to wait for someone more in-the-know to do it, until finally he steps up to the plate. Now or never.]

...Hey everyone. I'm sure a lot of you already heard, but for those that haven't, Tony and Jane's big escape portal didn't work. It kind of backfired yesterday, and...

[His voice trails off in the beginnings of a more distraught tone, so he pauses to compose himself.]

Nobody died? I mean, we've got that going for us. For what it's worth. But no one went home, either. The whole thing was a bust. No point in even keeping it a secret anymore.

One last thank you to everybody who gave up their mission points to get parts for it, though. I don't think it was a waste or anything - I mean, trying's better than sitting around and doing nothing, and something definitely happened, so we at least pushed a few of their buttons - but...

[Ugh, why did he think this was a good idea?]

...sorry it wasn't what we thought it would be. That's all.

[After that he really just wants to curl up in bed and pretend to be unconscious for the next several days, but that's not particularly responsible, so he'll have to settle for making it a few hours instead. It's the little things in life.]

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[Billy stares as Teddy disappears into the kitchen, blinking blearily and reaching out to grip the door frame that Teddy had just cracked, as if the freshly-splintered wood can snap him out of his stupor. He doesn't move until the alarm stops shrieking, since it's really doing nothing for the pounding in his head, and as soon as there's silence he hesitantly follows after his boyfriend.

What greets him first as he enters the kitchen is the stench of burnt food, which is unfortunate enough, but what he focuses on is Teddy who is working away to salvage it. That's when it hits him, what Teddy had said before- about cooking breakfast. To surprise him. To help with what happened.

God, he's such a jerk.

He doesn't move, simply leans against the wall with his arms at his side, hands pressed to the drywall, watching his boyfriend and feeling kind of terrible, physically, mentally, emotionally, the whole spectrum. He feels like crawling back into bed and sleeping off the shame, but he knows that after flipping out like that he can't just slink off.

Dammit. How'd he manage to take a shitty situation and make it even worse?]

[It takes Teddy a long moment to actually let himself take a breather. There was turning off the heat while turning on cold water, then taking the pan and letting the bottom of it soak in the water, making him wince from the loud sizzling sound it created, and just. Accessing the damage once everything had calmed down a little.

Goddammit. The eggs were so scorched - omelettes were one of those dishes that you had to keep an eye on, and even with him lowering the heat a little...

He grabs a spatula and tries to pry the mess off of the bottom of the pan, but it seems to be stuck firmly for now. With a loud sigh, Teddy lets the pan clatter onto an unused burner, his hands raising up as if telling the world that he's given up before he puts them against his hips and lets his shoulders droop. Ugh. He can see why Billy gets so stressed when food gets burned.

Speaking of Billy, though... Teddy turns his head towards the door, and he's honestly a little surprised to see Billy leaning against the wall there. There's a small moment of silence in which Teddy's expression doesn't change, before he gives a strained, helpless smile, and holds his hand out towards his boyfriend with his pointer touching his thumb.]

These are not the omelettes you are looking for?

[Somehow the smile just makes him feel worse - that Teddy can still smile at him like that after getting yelled at, god - and Billy ducks his head, hands closing into fists against the wall.]

It's my fault they burned... sorry.

[Idiot. That's not what he's supposed to be apologizing for.]

[The smile is soon gone, more out of frustration for his cooking failure and his still pounding heart than anything. Teddy looks at the burned food again, arms moving to cross in front of him now.]

No, [He says around a sigh,] that was my bad. I should've actually turned the burner off before going...

[Billy just shakes his head, not trusting his voice for a long moment. That isn't it at all.

Come on, Kaplan. Just...]

...I'm sorry. For yelling at you like that. It was seriously over the top.

[No excuses this time, no justification. Teddy knows his reasons, now, but that doesn't make it okay.]

[Teddy looks at him again, lips slightly pursed as he studies his boyfriend's posture and tone. An apology can just be something to placate the situation, after all, and not entirely be true. It's not that he doesn't trust Billy to be honest with things like this; it's just a habit that's lasted for years.

And though Teddy can clearly see Billy's truthful and really does feel like crap, he still isn't quite sure what to say for a moment. He can't say it's okay, because Teddy feels like crap too, so it's not okay, and he's not fine either. Maybe in the past he'd brush it under the carpet, say he's fine and get on with it, but...

Well, he's been evolving along with their relationship.

Finally, he lowers his own head, his own posture relaxing.]

I'm sorry, too. I really should've left something, especially after yesterday. You always do it for me, I just... didn't think about it.

...Mm.

[Billy fidgets, lips pursing. He hates fighting with Teddy even when one of them has really screwed up, and this is just a stupid misunderstanding, so it's even worse.]

I shouldn't have expected you to know. I wasn't thinking. I should've noticed your stuff, or...

[Teddy shakes his head at that, a wry smile slowly coming up.]

Yeah, we should've done all that stuff. But we didn't, we both yelled a lot, and here we are now.

[He uncrosses his arms and finally leaves his spot to go to his boyfriend, his smile turning more genuine as he reaches out to take both of Billy's hands in his own, fists and all.]

We're not exactly time lords here. So instead of thinking about what we should've done, why don't we focus on what's going on now? [He raises an eyebrow and tilts his head a little.] Like maybe helping me remake breakfast?

[Billy keeps his head bowed as Teddy approaches, so for a long moment all he sees is the floor, Teddy's feet, and hands reaching out to take his. The moment passes and he finally uncurls his fists to twine his fingers through his boyfriend's, chin lifting to meet Teddy's eyes.

He feels forgiven, and that's step one.]

...Can I do it sitting down? I think I'm about to fall over.

You look like you're about to fall over.

[He leads Billy to one of the chairs at the table - Honestly, he kind of wants to carry him there, spoil him silly. Though Tony and Jane were much worse off, seeing Billy collapse and pass out after such a huge spell was...

Yeah. Teddy knows that both he and Billy are lucky that he wasn't hit as hard as the rest of them.

Once Billy's sitting, Teddy lets go of his hands and straightens up, a hand to his chin as if in thought.]

You can... be a cheerleader from there, or something.

Gee, thanks.

[He lets Teddy guide him to a seat anyway, taking advantage of their closeness to press up against the blond. Physical contact is his best form of comfort, so it's one more way of apologizing for the fight.

Once he's seated and Teddy makes that comment, though, he lifts a brow, feeling a little bit more like himself. Complete with sass.]

Instead of pom-poms, how about handing me a mixing bowl, jerk.

[He can't help chuckling at that - that's his boyfriend, sarcastic as always. It's actually really good to hear it. Teddy's always loved his sarcasm, of course, but it's also a sign that he's feeling a bit more like himself.]

Right, right. Mixing bowl. [He reaches out to slide his thumb along Billy's cheek, gently wiping at the now dry tear tracks, before he looks away and gets the bowl, plus new eggs from the fridge.]

By the way, how do you like your omelettes? Did you want anything in them? Meat or whatever?

[Teddy gets a weak smile for that gesture, lifting a hand to trail his fingers over Teddy's in thanks before he pulls away.]

Do we have bacon? I'm feeling sinfully unkosher this morning. Though I think we've earned it.

[After yesterday...

...ugh, yesterday. He'd probably missed a lot, hadn't he? He wants to ask, but at the same time he wants to hold on to the lightheartedness they'd finally regained after their argument. Still, he's worried enough that this can't wait. Maybe he can at least make it brief.]

...Tony and Jane... are they okay...?

[Teddy pauses, just for a second, before he completes his motion of grabbing three eggs and placing them gently in the bowl.]

They'll be okay. They're in the clear, at least. Still unconscious, but okay.

[He grabs a whisk, then heads back to Billy.] I was with Pepper for a while at the clinic, actually. You were still out like a light.

[Truth be told, he really wanted to be there with him, even with Billy's assurances. But he practically promised Pepper, and he couldn't even imagine her state of mind.]

...Okay. Good. That's good.

[He relaxes a little, smiling again. As long as he knows that they're alive and safe, he can rest easy for the moment.]

I'm glad you were there. She probably needed the company.

We can give them a visit later, if you want to. After you've slept a bit.

[Because Billy looks like he could use another full day of sleep, and Teddy kind of needs it too, what with waking up way earlier than he's used to to do this. Right now, he sets the bowl and the whisk down in front of Billy, and once his hands are free, leans in to run his hand through his boyfriend's hair and bump his forehead against his own.]

Right now, just get to mixing. [He leans back after that, heading to the stove again.] While I cook up the most unkosher bacon.

[Billy lets the touch linger as long as he can get it, watching Teddy head back to the stove for a long moment before he looks to the bwl he'd been given, getting to work with the mixing as instructed.

But not before one last quiet comment:]

You really are the best boyfriend in the world.

[He really, really needed this.]

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[action / voice] backdated to the 16th

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