stiles stilinski ♘ teen wolf (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
hyperactive) wrote2020-02-09 02:50 pm
hyperactive) wrote2020-02-09 02:50 pm
ic contact || deerington.
( video / text / voice / action )
( video / text / voice / action )
[ stiles' awkwardness is palpable, but fortunately for him, billy has a lot of experience with feeling awkward or embarrassed in front of people, and he knows how he wishes people would act in situations where he doesn't know how to transition back into something less uncomfortable. he brings just enough attention to it so it doesn't seem like he's uncomfortable or trying to ignore whatever just happened out of secondhand embarrassment (because he's not embarrassed, really, just relieved stiles didn't drop through a glass countertop), but not enough to make things worse. or so he hopes. ]
I'm impressed. Truly.
[ and he laughs quietly, mostly under his breath, just to show that he's unbothered by whatever stiles is getting flustered over.
billy's not expecting the t-rex to come equipped with a little squeaking mechanism, but as soon as stiles gives him a little squeeze and he lets out a sad little squawk of a sound for a dinosaur, billy looks... immensely pleased. frogger's boyfriend just got so much better. and also so much stupider, but as he looks at the little bowling ball of a toy, he just... laughs at it. god, he loves it already.
as stiles moonwalks away, billy gives the little dinosaur an affectionate pat on the head, reassuring it that he and stiles will come back for him, and then he grabs frogger up so he isn't accidentally given away to someone else as a prize. not that there's anyone else in the entire arcade, but billy doesn't want to risk it. he jogs a couple steps to catch up to stiles, falling in beside him with a stuffed alpaca tucked under one arm and a quiet, unexplained excitement starting to buzz in his veins.
billy eyes the air hockey table as they start to pass and opens his mouth to say something, probably suggest that they play, but he quickly closes his mouth, seeming to share stiles' thoughts about the potential for something gross. billy still hasn't forgotten about the teeth he found in the coin return of two different machines he tried to get his coins back from the first time. it's a no for him - of course, if stiles said he wanted to play, billy would probably just suck it up and play and hope to god or whoever that the machine didn't dispense like - a cutaway of someone's skull, poorly shaped into something resembling a puck, or something equally messed up.
stiles keeps going though, so billy keeps following, content to let stiles lead him wherever, to play whatever. he wanders closer at stiles' nod, already starting to take off his backpack to put frogger away as stiles drops a quarter in (he refuses to put him down on the floor, where it's probably sticky and gritty). billy hooks one of the bag straps over the yellow steering wheel, frogger facing toward stiles, and steps up behind the red wheel. ]
No, this is good. I think I've played this maybe... once? Not here. [ back home. it seems vaguely familiar, anyway. billy taps one of two buttons on either side of the wheel, progressing to a screen that prompts him to add a name, and enters 'BTK'. he enters a random date for his birthday, and then waits for the game to start, his hands on the wheel at ten and two, just like everyone says they're supposed to be. when the race starts, billy... floors it. which doesn't make him go any faster than everyone else, but he's here to win, not to play.
he's here to lose, apparently, because the first turn absolutely takes him out. his little red car takes a nosedive straight into a wall, bounces back, stalls for a second before he can get it turned around, and by then, three cars including stiles' have pulled ahead of his. how embarrassing.
billy tries to distract from this by asking something he meant to ask the last time he hung out at stiles' place. ] Uh, hey, so...
[ he trails off for a second, distracted and digging his teeth into his lower lip as the yellow car, played by a computer, wipes out. billy tries to pull ahead, and only continues once he's overtaken the computer. ]
Sorry. What was the, uh. The grizzly bear thing about? You have a dog I completely missed or something?
I'm impressed. Truly.
[ and he laughs quietly, mostly under his breath, just to show that he's unbothered by whatever stiles is getting flustered over.
billy's not expecting the t-rex to come equipped with a little squeaking mechanism, but as soon as stiles gives him a little squeeze and he lets out a sad little squawk of a sound for a dinosaur, billy looks... immensely pleased. frogger's boyfriend just got so much better. and also so much stupider, but as he looks at the little bowling ball of a toy, he just... laughs at it. god, he loves it already.
as stiles moonwalks away, billy gives the little dinosaur an affectionate pat on the head, reassuring it that he and stiles will come back for him, and then he grabs frogger up so he isn't accidentally given away to someone else as a prize. not that there's anyone else in the entire arcade, but billy doesn't want to risk it. he jogs a couple steps to catch up to stiles, falling in beside him with a stuffed alpaca tucked under one arm and a quiet, unexplained excitement starting to buzz in his veins.
billy eyes the air hockey table as they start to pass and opens his mouth to say something, probably suggest that they play, but he quickly closes his mouth, seeming to share stiles' thoughts about the potential for something gross. billy still hasn't forgotten about the teeth he found in the coin return of two different machines he tried to get his coins back from the first time. it's a no for him - of course, if stiles said he wanted to play, billy would probably just suck it up and play and hope to god or whoever that the machine didn't dispense like - a cutaway of someone's skull, poorly shaped into something resembling a puck, or something equally messed up.
stiles keeps going though, so billy keeps following, content to let stiles lead him wherever, to play whatever. he wanders closer at stiles' nod, already starting to take off his backpack to put frogger away as stiles drops a quarter in (he refuses to put him down on the floor, where it's probably sticky and gritty). billy hooks one of the bag straps over the yellow steering wheel, frogger facing toward stiles, and steps up behind the red wheel. ]
No, this is good. I think I've played this maybe... once? Not here. [ back home. it seems vaguely familiar, anyway. billy taps one of two buttons on either side of the wheel, progressing to a screen that prompts him to add a name, and enters 'BTK'. he enters a random date for his birthday, and then waits for the game to start, his hands on the wheel at ten and two, just like everyone says they're supposed to be. when the race starts, billy... floors it. which doesn't make him go any faster than everyone else, but he's here to win, not to play.
he's here to lose, apparently, because the first turn absolutely takes him out. his little red car takes a nosedive straight into a wall, bounces back, stalls for a second before he can get it turned around, and by then, three cars including stiles' have pulled ahead of his. how embarrassing.
billy tries to distract from this by asking something he meant to ask the last time he hung out at stiles' place. ] Uh, hey, so...
[ he trails off for a second, distracted and digging his teeth into his lower lip as the yellow car, played by a computer, wipes out. billy tries to pull ahead, and only continues once he's overtaken the computer. ]
Sorry. What was the, uh. The grizzly bear thing about? You have a dog I completely missed or something?
[ between the dizzy spells, the hard hitting impact of losing his second or third winds and the laundry list of symptoms always ready and waiting to rear their ugly heads in the back of his mind, stiles is often brought out of his good, easy moods when a reminder of his condition takes him by surprise. that happens here and now, too, once they're staring down a screen prompting them to enter their names - stiles can read it all just fine, none of the letters are falling out of sight or blurring into each other in incomprehensible shapes, but when he stares at the first row of letters and feels a panicked jolt in his chest as he runs his eyes over them to make sure they're right, it's...
well, it's kind of depressing, and that display back at the prize wall doesn't really mean all that much anymore. stiles darts his tongue between his lips and curls his fingers around ten and two, watching billy input his name before following suit. he's tempted to just write AAA and be done with it, but clearing his throat, he goes for the far more engaging ASS instead. any connection that might have to the first high score billy set here is completely coincidental.
the game gets started and stiles handles himself pretty well, avoiding the pitfalls billy drives headfirst into whenever the poor kid ends up smashing his car into the wall. he's played this game before, so the reflexive muscle memory comes in handy when he's battling the incomprehensibly slippery steering controls all racing games from the 80s seem to have, but even if he was new, roscoe's seen better days. knowing how to drive an old car despite all of its imperfections is just part of being a man. ]
Oh - uh.
[ billy distracts him once he strips that first lap, asking about a grizzly bear that stiles only has vague recollections of mentioning. stiles is gaining enough traction on the competition that he'll probably be on billy's ass in a matter of minutes, and if he feels guilty enough to slow down and take it easy on the poor guy, well. hopefully that won't be obvious. ]
So there's this guy I know from home - Derek. He showed up here around the same time I did, I think? He's been crashing on my couch for the past, uh...
[ stiles slows down a little too much, and the yellow AI-controlled car starts shadowing him a touch too closely for stiles' liking. stiles frowns, mumbling a distracted oh no you don't as he steps down on the pedal beneath the machine, followed by another mumbled come on, baby as he picks up speed. ]
I don't really know how long? He just kind of showed up one day. But, uh, yeah... he's kind of a hardass. Big, beefy. All body hair and teeth. I've told him to be nice to my guests, but. You never know how it's gonna go with that guy.
[ stiles wets his lips, chancing a few seconds away from the screen to look at billy, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. he's just teasing, it's obvious in his tone of voice, but - ]
Did you... maybe think that I had a real grizzly bear in my living room?
well, it's kind of depressing, and that display back at the prize wall doesn't really mean all that much anymore. stiles darts his tongue between his lips and curls his fingers around ten and two, watching billy input his name before following suit. he's tempted to just write AAA and be done with it, but clearing his throat, he goes for the far more engaging ASS instead. any connection that might have to the first high score billy set here is completely coincidental.
the game gets started and stiles handles himself pretty well, avoiding the pitfalls billy drives headfirst into whenever the poor kid ends up smashing his car into the wall. he's played this game before, so the reflexive muscle memory comes in handy when he's battling the incomprehensibly slippery steering controls all racing games from the 80s seem to have, but even if he was new, roscoe's seen better days. knowing how to drive an old car despite all of its imperfections is just part of being a man. ]
Oh - uh.
[ billy distracts him once he strips that first lap, asking about a grizzly bear that stiles only has vague recollections of mentioning. stiles is gaining enough traction on the competition that he'll probably be on billy's ass in a matter of minutes, and if he feels guilty enough to slow down and take it easy on the poor guy, well. hopefully that won't be obvious. ]
So there's this guy I know from home - Derek. He showed up here around the same time I did, I think? He's been crashing on my couch for the past, uh...
[ stiles slows down a little too much, and the yellow AI-controlled car starts shadowing him a touch too closely for stiles' liking. stiles frowns, mumbling a distracted oh no you don't as he steps down on the pedal beneath the machine, followed by another mumbled come on, baby as he picks up speed. ]
I don't really know how long? He just kind of showed up one day. But, uh, yeah... he's kind of a hardass. Big, beefy. All body hair and teeth. I've told him to be nice to my guests, but. You never know how it's gonna go with that guy.
[ stiles wets his lips, chancing a few seconds away from the screen to look at billy, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. he's just teasing, it's obvious in his tone of voice, but - ]
Did you... maybe think that I had a real grizzly bear in my living room?
[ ASS might just be coincidence, but billy still squints a little and cuts a sideways glance toward stiles anyway, his mouth pinching a little near the corners. when they first met, stiles had the decency not to point out his grave spelling error and spare him his dignity, but this obviously has to be a callback to his ten seconds of panicked embarrassment. billy isn't particularly bothered, though. if anything, he finds it kind of funny in a self-deprecating way and huffs a quiet breath out of his nose.
the game is a mess, though - or rather, billy is garbage at it, which is hugely disappointing and definitely embarrassing for someone who prides themselves on being good at video games, among other things. to go from a high score to crashing into walls and falling an entire lap behind because he can't quite get a grasp on the lag in the controls is just... a bad look. terrible for his reputation. he leans on the pedal under the machine a little harder, as if he can somehow push it past its limits, and splits his attention between trying to navigate around potholes and listening to stiles, lips pressed together into a thin line as he stares at his little pixelated car zooming around the track.
he doesn't know why he's a little surprised to learn that stiles has a friend from home here, but he is. his eyebrows lift slightly, and he almost looks away from the screen to pay closer attention to stiles, but he can't afford to fall anymore behind than he already is, so he just tilts his head toward him a bit instead to indicate that he's listening. intrigued.
billy's got someone from home here, too. plenty of someone's, actually, though he's more familiar with loki than all the rest. that being said, loki isn't exactly his favorite person, considering all the lying and manipulating he did, the things he told teddy, the things he didn't tell any of them. they're certainly not close enough for loki to just crash on his couch whenever he pleases.
it sounds like stiles is at least pretty decent friends with this derek guy, if he's able to just come and go as he pleases. billy's glad for him, happy that he's not entirely alone in this messed up town, even if derek does sound like he has the potential to be a little bit of a jerk. what does billy know, though? not derek, so maybe he's wrong.
billy hasn't touched any of the buttons near his wheel since he stepped up to the game, but he presses one now while stiles is mildly distracted, unsure what to expect. it says 'nitro' right above the button, but seeing his little car launch forward leaving a little pixelized dust cloud behind is enough to kind of amp him up. his eyes light up and he murmurs a confident come on, come on, you're so close under his breath. only half a lap behind stiles now, but only by pure luck.
it's maybe a stupid move to look away from the screen when he's only just managing to make up the distance he fell behind, but billy lifts his hands off the wheel like he's part of a stick up shoulders rising up in a shrug as he looks at stiles. ]
Look, I— [ he immediately realizes what he's going and clamps his hands back around the wheel, whipping his head back around to the screen. the yellow car has overtaken him again. he considers using nitro again, but somehow that feels like cheating. ] I don't know! Craaap.
[ he laughs at his own stupidity though, both at having let go of the controls, and also for even entertaining the fact that stiles could have had a wild bear for a pet. kitty pride's got a dragon, so. ]
... Maybe? Or maybe just a big dog, like a chow chow? Or... one of those rugs. With the head still on it. I have no idea! 'Yeah, sure, come over, but just watch out for the bear downstairs'. Like I was supposed to know you were talking about your - big, beefy friend.
the game is a mess, though - or rather, billy is garbage at it, which is hugely disappointing and definitely embarrassing for someone who prides themselves on being good at video games, among other things. to go from a high score to crashing into walls and falling an entire lap behind because he can't quite get a grasp on the lag in the controls is just... a bad look. terrible for his reputation. he leans on the pedal under the machine a little harder, as if he can somehow push it past its limits, and splits his attention between trying to navigate around potholes and listening to stiles, lips pressed together into a thin line as he stares at his little pixelated car zooming around the track.
he doesn't know why he's a little surprised to learn that stiles has a friend from home here, but he is. his eyebrows lift slightly, and he almost looks away from the screen to pay closer attention to stiles, but he can't afford to fall anymore behind than he already is, so he just tilts his head toward him a bit instead to indicate that he's listening. intrigued.
billy's got someone from home here, too. plenty of someone's, actually, though he's more familiar with loki than all the rest. that being said, loki isn't exactly his favorite person, considering all the lying and manipulating he did, the things he told teddy, the things he didn't tell any of them. they're certainly not close enough for loki to just crash on his couch whenever he pleases.
it sounds like stiles is at least pretty decent friends with this derek guy, if he's able to just come and go as he pleases. billy's glad for him, happy that he's not entirely alone in this messed up town, even if derek does sound like he has the potential to be a little bit of a jerk. what does billy know, though? not derek, so maybe he's wrong.
billy hasn't touched any of the buttons near his wheel since he stepped up to the game, but he presses one now while stiles is mildly distracted, unsure what to expect. it says 'nitro' right above the button, but seeing his little car launch forward leaving a little pixelized dust cloud behind is enough to kind of amp him up. his eyes light up and he murmurs a confident come on, come on, you're so close under his breath. only half a lap behind stiles now, but only by pure luck.
it's maybe a stupid move to look away from the screen when he's only just managing to make up the distance he fell behind, but billy lifts his hands off the wheel like he's part of a stick up shoulders rising up in a shrug as he looks at stiles. ]
Look, I— [ he immediately realizes what he's going and clamps his hands back around the wheel, whipping his head back around to the screen. the yellow car has overtaken him again. he considers using nitro again, but somehow that feels like cheating. ] I don't know! Craaap.
[ he laughs at his own stupidity though, both at having let go of the controls, and also for even entertaining the fact that stiles could have had a wild bear for a pet. kitty pride's got a dragon, so. ]
... Maybe? Or maybe just a big dog, like a chow chow? Or... one of those rugs. With the head still on it. I have no idea! 'Yeah, sure, come over, but just watch out for the bear downstairs'. Like I was supposed to know you were talking about your - big, beefy friend.
[ early in the evening, a small, white cardboard box is left on stiles' doorstep, placed somewhere where there's very little risk of it getting soggy if it starts to rain again. the edges are all sealed with tape, too, which might be frustrating to get off later, but will ultimately protect it from ants or any other curious bugs if it's left outside for too long.
taped to the outside of the box is a small envelope, maybe half the size of a standard postcard, and inside that is a short, handwritten note that simply reads, hope you're not allergic! in mostly-neat handwriting. there's no signature. inside the box - is a cupcake. ]
taped to the outside of the box is a small envelope, maybe half the size of a standard postcard, and inside that is a short, handwritten note that simply reads, hope you're not allergic! in mostly-neat handwriting. there's no signature. inside the box - is a cupcake. ]
[ the following evening, another package appears, much later than the first. same white box, same sealed edges, same envelope with an unsigned note inside. this one, in the same handwriting, just says, by grabthar's hammer, it's another one! inside, is another cupcake. ]
Edited 2020-04-06 05:17 (UTC)
[ the fourth and final box appears in the evening again, placed discreetly on the doorstep on billy's way home from a shift at the arcade. just like all the boxes previous to this one, it's small, white, and it comes with a note, though this one's a tad bit longer than all the rest. it reads: hey! you're probably sick of these by now, so this is the last one, i promise. just thought i'd try to cover my bases. hopefully i got it right. happy birthday! -B. the cupcake inside is topped with a mini oreo. billy may or may not have bought a second one for himself. ]
Edited 2020-04-06 05:34 (UTC)
[ it's the tenth, when billy finally gets any kind of acknowledgment from stiles about his cupcakes - or maybe it's the eleventh, by the time billy reads the following text, given that stiles sends it out a few minutes shy of midnight. he spent tonight with logan and billy, awkward moments all evening punctured by stupid commentary from stiles that probably hurt the atmosphere more than helped it. he tried his best to make things-- casual and easy, once he realized that something was up between billy and logan, but maybe things didn't work out that way in the end. stiles is always just a little bit too hard on himself to know when he's enough instead of too much.
and stiles hasn't known what to think about the cupcakes, either. it's been a bit of a rollercoaster. between being unable to read the cards, at first, and getting paranoid that the cultists around town had moved on from pies to more sugary confections, he'll admit that he got off on the wrong foot with them - but he came good. once the rain hit him this morning that everything started feeling lighter. he was being paranoid over fucking cupcakes. he didn't need to be. ]
Hey.
[ stiles is texting. not a big deal, for most people, but for him - it's been a while since he's been able to put his thumbs to his phone and tap out a message, rather than just dictate what he wants to say to deerington's siri equivalent. he's been having a good day - the best day he's had since he arrived. billy's a huge part of why. ]
I really enjoyed seeing you tonight.
[ there's a pause. billy gets to see stiles typing, backspacing, and typing again. he keeps deleting what he wants to say and starting over. it lasts for... minutes. ]
My birthday's on the eighth! You overshot by a day, sucker. Thanks for the extra cake.
You really didn't need to send me these.
You didn't even need to remember my birthday was coming up, let alone, like - take a wild stab at when.
This was really sweet, though.
It's been a pretty great week because of you.
and stiles hasn't known what to think about the cupcakes, either. it's been a bit of a rollercoaster. between being unable to read the cards, at first, and getting paranoid that the cultists around town had moved on from pies to more sugary confections, he'll admit that he got off on the wrong foot with them - but he came good. once the rain hit him this morning that everything started feeling lighter. he was being paranoid over fucking cupcakes. he didn't need to be. ]
Hey.
[ stiles is texting. not a big deal, for most people, but for him - it's been a while since he's been able to put his thumbs to his phone and tap out a message, rather than just dictate what he wants to say to deerington's siri equivalent. he's been having a good day - the best day he's had since he arrived. billy's a huge part of why. ]
I really enjoyed seeing you tonight.
[ there's a pause. billy gets to see stiles typing, backspacing, and typing again. he keeps deleting what he wants to say and starting over. it lasts for... minutes. ]
My birthday's on the eighth! You overshot by a day, sucker. Thanks for the extra cake.
You really didn't need to send me these.
You didn't even need to remember my birthday was coming up, let alone, like - take a wild stab at when.
This was really sweet, though.
It's been a pretty great week because of you.
[ billy's lazily combing his fingers through his hair with one hand and brushing his teeth with the other when his phone chimes at him from the bathroom counter. it's late, and though he's a chronic texter, there aren't very many people he texts often enough to warrant being messaged this close to midnight. he's not bothered, though, and reaches to pick up his phone, unlocking the screen with a swipe of his thumb while he works at his back molars.
it's stiles - probably one of the only people he'd expect to still be up this late (does he ever sleep). billy finds himself smiling a little around his toothbrush without even having read the content of the message yet. it's just a simple 'hey', but the typing bubble bumps up underneath it, so billy doesn't interrupt, continuing to brush his teeth, rinse, swish some mouthwash around as he waits.
the second message comes through, makes his phone vibrate in his hand. billy turns off the bathroom light and wanders down the stairs, hand on the railing. he enjoyed seeing stiles too - his presence actually turned out to be a huge relief after a monumental fuck-up of an embarrassing situation, and he likes hanging out with stiles in general, even with a grumpy old man around, making things mildly uncomfortable.
billy double-checks that the front door is locked and then heads back upstairs, stiles' remaining texts coming through just as he's hiking a knee up onto his bed and twisting so he can fall back with a bounce. he reads through them, finding himself smiling to himself again, and quickly starts to reply. if billy doesn't reply within two minutes of getting a text, he's either sleeping, dying, or dead. ]
hey!
i still technically got it right, though :)
i know you said you weren't interested in like a huge celebration or a party or anything which is totally cool, you know, it's your day
but i just figured it should be acknowledged in some way.
if you don't mark the occasion, did it even really happen?
joke's on you though, because now next time you only get one ;)
anyway, i'm really glad you enjoyed them.
and i'm glad we got to hang out!
sorry if it was kind of... weird.
which one was your favorite?
it's stiles - probably one of the only people he'd expect to still be up this late (does he ever sleep). billy finds himself smiling a little around his toothbrush without even having read the content of the message yet. it's just a simple 'hey', but the typing bubble bumps up underneath it, so billy doesn't interrupt, continuing to brush his teeth, rinse, swish some mouthwash around as he waits.
the second message comes through, makes his phone vibrate in his hand. billy turns off the bathroom light and wanders down the stairs, hand on the railing. he enjoyed seeing stiles too - his presence actually turned out to be a huge relief after a monumental fuck-up of an embarrassing situation, and he likes hanging out with stiles in general, even with a grumpy old man around, making things mildly uncomfortable.
billy double-checks that the front door is locked and then heads back upstairs, stiles' remaining texts coming through just as he's hiking a knee up onto his bed and twisting so he can fall back with a bounce. he reads through them, finding himself smiling to himself again, and quickly starts to reply. if billy doesn't reply within two minutes of getting a text, he's either sleeping, dying, or dead. ]
hey!
i still technically got it right, though :)
i know you said you weren't interested in like a huge celebration or a party or anything which is totally cool, you know, it's your day
but i just figured it should be acknowledged in some way.
if you don't mark the occasion, did it even really happen?
joke's on you though, because now next time you only get one ;)
anyway, i'm really glad you enjoyed them.
and i'm glad we got to hang out!
sorry if it was kind of... weird.
which one was your favorite?
Oh, man, don't make me choose!!
[ it's been a while since stiles has gotten any sleep, that's true, but for the first time in weeks, he feels like he might actually be able to pass out tonight. the aches and pains in his body haven't exactly sent him to bed just yet, but a hot shower and a mouthful of milk chugged straight from the bottle was enough to make him feel relaxed and sleepy. normally, he's just exhausted and alert, but right now? right now, he just feels warm, ready to curl up and get through the night. he's not even worried about night terrors, or sleepwalking, or - or anything.
the possibility that tonight might suck is still in the back of his mind, but talking to billy like this, sprawled out on his couch in his pjs, is enough to distract him from the fear. stiles is grinning to himself when he writes his reply back, one leg swung over the arm of the couch and swinging a little in the air. ]
I can't turn my back on a Galaxy Quest reference. The flavor? The decoration? The sentimentality? Ten out of ten. Très bon. Knocked it out of the park with that one.
[ there's a pause, but not for long. ]
Weird's okay. I like weird.
Well, no, I like normal, steady stability, but weird's a decent runner up if stability can't make it to the party.
I think eating my weight in grease-soaked, flash fried carbohydrates was more than enough to even out anything that needed to be evened out, anyway.
Definitely thought you two were hooking up for a second there, though.
The flustered look when you got caught together? The sweat on your brow? The fear in your eyes? The incoherent story about why you were there?
Felt like the kind of storyline that would fuel three or four Real Housewives episodes.
[ it's been a while since stiles has gotten any sleep, that's true, but for the first time in weeks, he feels like he might actually be able to pass out tonight. the aches and pains in his body haven't exactly sent him to bed just yet, but a hot shower and a mouthful of milk chugged straight from the bottle was enough to make him feel relaxed and sleepy. normally, he's just exhausted and alert, but right now? right now, he just feels warm, ready to curl up and get through the night. he's not even worried about night terrors, or sleepwalking, or - or anything.
the possibility that tonight might suck is still in the back of his mind, but talking to billy like this, sprawled out on his couch in his pjs, is enough to distract him from the fear. stiles is grinning to himself when he writes his reply back, one leg swung over the arm of the couch and swinging a little in the air. ]
I can't turn my back on a Galaxy Quest reference. The flavor? The decoration? The sentimentality? Ten out of ten. Très bon. Knocked it out of the park with that one.
[ there's a pause, but not for long. ]
Weird's okay. I like weird.
Well, no, I like normal, steady stability, but weird's a decent runner up if stability can't make it to the party.
I think eating my weight in grease-soaked, flash fried carbohydrates was more than enough to even out anything that needed to be evened out, anyway.
Definitely thought you two were hooking up for a second there, though.
The flustered look when you got caught together? The sweat on your brow? The fear in your eyes? The incoherent story about why you were there?
Felt like the kind of storyline that would fuel three or four Real Housewives episodes.
Edited 2020-04-09 10:35 (UTC)
[ if billy had to guess, he'd have pegged stiles as an oreo guy, but even he has to admit at the risk of sounding like he's patting himself on the back, that the galaxy cupcake was pretty neat. very pretty, too, but he's always liked a space aesthetic.
it's probably kind of dumb to feel relieved over stiles' reassurance that he likes weird - not that he plans to be in the middle of any more incredibly uncomfortable and embarrassing situations or atmospheres, but it's nice to know that stiles won't be so easily chased away by billy's weirdness. they may have only known each other for a short time now, but billy already values stiles' friendship a lot.
or he did, until he suggests the idea of billy and logan hooking up. billy makes a weird, mostly-disgusted sound in the back of his throat, his face going through an array of different expressions, very similar to... kombucha girl. subjectively, he'd never sleep with logan. logan's way too old, and kind of a dick no matter what universe he comes from, and definitely wanted to kill him and his mom, once (not that billy's opposed to a good enemies-to-lovers). objectively - objectively, logan isn't exactly hard on the eyes, even with some grey peppered through his hair and his beard. he'll give him that.
he's also never gonna be able to look at logan again, so. thanks, stiles. ]
what!!
he's like 300! and mean!
oh my god? oh my god, okay.
is that really what it seemed like?
i'm gonna go walk into the forest and never look back.
okay. okay, okay.
listen. what i'm about to tell you is super embarrassing so i'm going to need you to pretend like it's not and definitely not point out how i'm a monumental idiot.
i was there because he invited me to dinner.
only not really? i guess he was trying to text someone else
you, i'm assuming? idk
anyway, he was trying to text Not Me but somehow he ended up getting me instead (i think something might have like messed up the cell signals for a minute or something because i got a couple weird, random texts from strangers, too, now that i think about it), and i just.
the grocery store thing is true. that's where we met, and it was kind of awkward and stupid, and i thought maybe he was like reaching out to kind of smooth that whole thing over and make it water under the bridge or something
so i didn't even question why he'd invite me, someone he doesn't actually know, or even how he managed to look me up since he never asked for my name at the supermarket - which is fine, you know, whatever.
anyway. he told me to get there first (??? idk) and that i could just let myself in, so that's what i did even though it felt kind of weird
surprise. strange kid hanging out in your living room, uninvited.
and, well, i'm sure you can figure out the rest.
i was just leaving to go lay face down in my bed and try not to die of embarrassment and humiliation and super secret rejection when you showed up.
so.
now you know.
totally crashed your dinner party.
it's probably kind of dumb to feel relieved over stiles' reassurance that he likes weird - not that he plans to be in the middle of any more incredibly uncomfortable and embarrassing situations or atmospheres, but it's nice to know that stiles won't be so easily chased away by billy's weirdness. they may have only known each other for a short time now, but billy already values stiles' friendship a lot.
or he did, until he suggests the idea of billy and logan hooking up. billy makes a weird, mostly-disgusted sound in the back of his throat, his face going through an array of different expressions, very similar to... kombucha girl. subjectively, he'd never sleep with logan. logan's way too old, and kind of a dick no matter what universe he comes from, and definitely wanted to kill him and his mom, once (not that billy's opposed to a good enemies-to-lovers). objectively - objectively, logan isn't exactly hard on the eyes, even with some grey peppered through his hair and his beard. he'll give him that.
he's also never gonna be able to look at logan again, so. thanks, stiles. ]
what!!
he's like 300! and mean!
oh my god? oh my god, okay.
is that really what it seemed like?
i'm gonna go walk into the forest and never look back.
okay. okay, okay.
listen. what i'm about to tell you is super embarrassing so i'm going to need you to pretend like it's not and definitely not point out how i'm a monumental idiot.
i was there because he invited me to dinner.
only not really? i guess he was trying to text someone else
you, i'm assuming? idk
anyway, he was trying to text Not Me but somehow he ended up getting me instead (i think something might have like messed up the cell signals for a minute or something because i got a couple weird, random texts from strangers, too, now that i think about it), and i just.
the grocery store thing is true. that's where we met, and it was kind of awkward and stupid, and i thought maybe he was like reaching out to kind of smooth that whole thing over and make it water under the bridge or something
so i didn't even question why he'd invite me, someone he doesn't actually know, or even how he managed to look me up since he never asked for my name at the supermarket - which is fine, you know, whatever.
anyway. he told me to get there first (??? idk) and that i could just let myself in, so that's what i did even though it felt kind of weird
surprise. strange kid hanging out in your living room, uninvited.
and, well, i'm sure you can figure out the rest.
i was just leaving to go lay face down in my bed and try not to die of embarrassment and humiliation and super secret rejection when you showed up.
so.
now you know.
totally crashed your dinner party.
Edited 2020-04-09 19:12 (UTC)
[ truth be told, the oreo cupcake did taste better - but that pales in comparison to the lightness he felt in his chest when he finally got to read the note attached to the space cupcake. knowing that billy remembered the movie they watched together, referenced it for his birthday and paired it with a present stiles never even asked for - it just means a lot to stiles, who values gifts as an expression of affection. this isn't the first time he's thought this, and it won't be the last - but billy is very, very sweet. ]
Kind of funny how "mean" was secondary to "like 300".
Like, the age thing? Total dealbreaker for you. The namecalling? Hey, some people like it rough.
[ there's a joke here to make about logan breaking his hip while he and billy go at it, but honestly, stiles' relationship with billy is probably a little too early for it to get into the vague, omnipresent horniness he tends to have with scott. in a lot of ways billy has proven to be slightly more considerate of a buddy than scott has been in the past, but man - that's even more of a reason to protect him from the hideous slurry of dick jokes, american pie references and stacy's mom renditions just ready to jump from stiles at any given moment.
besides, billy just keeps talking and... suddenly the thought stiles was having in the back of his mind about apologizing for dropping the dementia-bomb on billy in an ice cream parking lot feels a little less pressing. suddenly all he cares about is this. ]
Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god.
Oh my god, this is so good. Oh my god. Okay.
Okay.
How did yshjdsfkjdgfjhgf
[ hold on, he needs a second. oh my god. okay. ]
How did you feel when he told you to get there first?
Just. You were just. You just accepted that?
You just allowed that to make sense in the interests of making amends?
Kind of funny how "mean" was secondary to "like 300".
Like, the age thing? Total dealbreaker for you. The namecalling? Hey, some people like it rough.
[ there's a joke here to make about logan breaking his hip while he and billy go at it, but honestly, stiles' relationship with billy is probably a little too early for it to get into the vague, omnipresent horniness he tends to have with scott. in a lot of ways billy has proven to be slightly more considerate of a buddy than scott has been in the past, but man - that's even more of a reason to protect him from the hideous slurry of dick jokes, american pie references and stacy's mom renditions just ready to jump from stiles at any given moment.
besides, billy just keeps talking and... suddenly the thought stiles was having in the back of his mind about apologizing for dropping the dementia-bomb on billy in an ice cream parking lot feels a little less pressing. suddenly all he cares about is this. ]
Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god.
Oh my god, this is so good. Oh my god. Okay.
Okay.
How did yshjdsfkjdgfjhgf
[ hold on, he needs a second. oh my god. okay. ]
How did you feel when he told you to get there first?
Just. You were just. You just accepted that?
You just allowed that to make sense in the interests of making amends?
i want you to know that you're literally the worst and i'm considering dropping my phone out of a second story window just so i don't have to have this conversation with you.
i know you haven't like directly called me an idiot so you haven't, technically, broken my rules yet but
this is definitely you calling me an idiot!!
i don't know, okay? i guess i thought maybe he'd need a hand bringing stuff in?
he said 'dinner for six' which at the time i thought meant six people
which i guess should have been a red flag because six people is a lot for him to put up with much less at a dinner setting
but also i'm realizing now that might have meant 'dinner for 6 o'clock'
anyway. no.
no, i did not question it
BUT HE ALSO DIDN'T QUESTION WHY I DIDN'T KNOW HIS ADDRESS???
i feel like this can't all be put on me
i know you haven't like directly called me an idiot so you haven't, technically, broken my rules yet but
this is definitely you calling me an idiot!!
i don't know, okay? i guess i thought maybe he'd need a hand bringing stuff in?
he said 'dinner for six' which at the time i thought meant six people
which i guess should have been a red flag because six people is a lot for him to put up with much less at a dinner setting
but also i'm realizing now that might have meant 'dinner for 6 o'clock'
anyway. no.
no, i did not question it
BUT HE ALSO DIDN'T QUESTION WHY I DIDN'T KNOW HIS ADDRESS???
i feel like this can't all be put on me
Edited 2020-04-13 08:48 (UTC)
I would never call you an idiot.
Didn't know you thought so little of me.
I'm actually, like.
Offended.
That you think I would do that.
[ so, wow. ok. wow. don't read the first letter of each line he just sent, billy. moving on. ]
Anyway, wow, you're definitely an idiot.
[ just gotta double down. ]
Really. Super embarrassing. You're lucky you're cute. Makes this whole thing kind of endearing instead of just humiliating. For you. Tragically, horribly humiliating.
Pretty sure if I came over when James didn't want me there he'd, like, full on Hansel and Gretel me. Throw me on the fire and serve me up when I'm done.
He must like you.
Didn't know you thought so little of me.
I'm actually, like.
Offended.
That you think I would do that.
[ so, wow. ok. wow. don't read the first letter of each line he just sent, billy. moving on. ]
Anyway, wow, you're definitely an idiot.
[ just gotta double down. ]
Really. Super embarrassing. You're lucky you're cute. Makes this whole thing kind of endearing instead of just humiliating. For you. Tragically, horribly humiliating.
Pretty sure if I came over when James didn't want me there he'd, like, full on Hansel and Gretel me. Throw me on the fire and serve me up when I'm done.
He must like you.
[ fortunately for billy, he doesn't have that detective eye like stiles, so he misses that first 'idiot'. feelings spared! ]
💔💔💔
i can't believe i trusted you to not be so judgmental of my naive optimism.
anyway, he doesn't like me.
i'm a stranger who let himself into his house, uninvited
(though to be fair i definitely had an invitation on my phone from him)
and then stuck around for dinner anyway.
i'm pretty sure he was like ten seconds away from gutting me like a fish before you showed up, hence why i was leaving.
so thanks for the save, i guess?
and the ice cream and the shake. you seriously didn't have to pay for that!
i have a job now. and we were even!
you have to let me get next time.
💔💔💔
i can't believe i trusted you to not be so judgmental of my naive optimism.
anyway, he doesn't like me.
i'm a stranger who let himself into his house, uninvited
(though to be fair i definitely had an invitation on my phone from him)
and then stuck around for dinner anyway.
i'm pretty sure he was like ten seconds away from gutting me like a fish before you showed up, hence why i was leaving.
so thanks for the save, i guess?
and the ice cream and the shake. you seriously didn't have to pay for that!
i have a job now. and we were even!
you have to let me get next time.
Oh. Well. You're welcome.
Both for the ice cream and the save. And the shake! Wow, you're welcome three times over. I'm such a generous friend. Handsome, too. Good at everything. All around impressive.
I could say we should duke out who's gonna pay for next time next time, but.
I mean.
Let's not. I'm kinda out of money. I don't think being a student pays half as well as having actual work.
Feel free to lavish expensive chicken tenders and pretzel dips on me whenever we hang out at the arcade. Permission granted.
[ this is where he would segue the conversation into... digging a little deeper into billy, finding out things about him he might want to know. hey, can i ask you something, followed by... well, just a couple of questions he's got on his mind. it's hard to do that, though - the bomb he dropped at the ice cream store is still weighing on him pretty hard, and try as he might to avoid it, stiles thinks he has to address it, just long enough to apologize. he won't dwell, but - ugh, he's not going to be able to settle down until he does. ]
Hey, real quick - I just wanted to say thanks for listening to me about everything. The, uh - you know. Cool ticking time bomb I let you in on without warning.
If you've got any questions about it, I guess I just want to say feel free to ask? Don't force yourself to come up with anything if you don't, though. Just, you know. Open door policy.
And, uh, I guess I also just wanted to apologize for bringing it up at all. I kind of regret telling you.
Not because I don't trust you? It's just a lot to drop on the really sweet dude who brings you cupcakes for your birthday.
Both for the ice cream and the save. And the shake! Wow, you're welcome three times over. I'm such a generous friend. Handsome, too. Good at everything. All around impressive.
I could say we should duke out who's gonna pay for next time next time, but.
I mean.
Let's not. I'm kinda out of money. I don't think being a student pays half as well as having actual work.
Feel free to lavish expensive chicken tenders and pretzel dips on me whenever we hang out at the arcade. Permission granted.
[ this is where he would segue the conversation into... digging a little deeper into billy, finding out things about him he might want to know. hey, can i ask you something, followed by... well, just a couple of questions he's got on his mind. it's hard to do that, though - the bomb he dropped at the ice cream store is still weighing on him pretty hard, and try as he might to avoid it, stiles thinks he has to address it, just long enough to apologize. he won't dwell, but - ugh, he's not going to be able to settle down until he does. ]
Hey, real quick - I just wanted to say thanks for listening to me about everything. The, uh - you know. Cool ticking time bomb I let you in on without warning.
If you've got any questions about it, I guess I just want to say feel free to ask? Don't force yourself to come up with anything if you don't, though. Just, you know. Open door policy.
And, uh, I guess I also just wanted to apologize for bringing it up at all. I kind of regret telling you.
Not because I don't trust you? It's just a lot to drop on the really sweet dude who brings you cupcakes for your birthday.
yeah yeah yeah.
all i said was thanks.
don't let it go to your head
even though i'm pretty sure it's already too late for that.
but hey.
there's seriously no need to apologize for any of that, okay?
i'm honestly kind of glad you told me so like
if god forbid something happens to you, i won't be unprepared.
i mean, okay, i'll probably be unprepared because i don't know a lot about your condition, but i'll know what to tell an actual medical professional if you need help that i can't give you (i'm super good at the heimlich and chest compressions/cpr so if you choke on a chicken tender i got you covered).
i guess my only question is what should i expect?
like i know the general symptoms of dementia, i think.
but like, what made you and your dad suspect you might have it in the first place?
all i said was thanks.
don't let it go to your head
even though i'm pretty sure it's already too late for that.
but hey.
there's seriously no need to apologize for any of that, okay?
i'm honestly kind of glad you told me so like
if god forbid something happens to you, i won't be unprepared.
i mean, okay, i'll probably be unprepared because i don't know a lot about your condition, but i'll know what to tell an actual medical professional if you need help that i can't give you (i'm super good at the heimlich and chest compressions/cpr so if you choke on a chicken tender i got you covered).
i guess my only question is what should i expect?
like i know the general symptoms of dementia, i think.
but like, what made you and your dad suspect you might have it in the first place?
I've got eating chicken tenders down to a fine art, so first of all, I resent the implication that I'd choke on one. I'm not a freaking philistine.
Second, uh.
We saw the signs for what they were.
Behavioral changes. Night terrors, insomnia. Sleepwalking. Um.
Hallucinations? Irritability. Confusion, disassociation. Impulsiveness. Nausea? Haven't barfed because of this thing yet, but it's only a matter of time.
Things got pretty bad for a while. I got out of the house in the middle of the night, disappeared, had a ton of people looking for me. Woke up screaming when they found me. That's kind of been happening a lot? The screaming. Well, the disappearing acts, too. Not super fun.
My friend's mom, she's a nurse - she had to knock me out for a while so I could get some uninterrupted sleep. Loaded me up with midazolam. If I'd had some cocaine to snort and a hooker next to me, it could've been a very '80s rock star moment, but. Not that lucky, sadly.
Uh.
[ dot dot dot. ]
I kind of have trouble reading? It comes and goes. I usually use speech-to-text for... texting.
Totally wet myself in second grade. That wasn't a dementia thing, I just figured, you know.
I'm already oversharing. Might as well round it off with an embarrassing secret or two.
In for a penny.
Second, uh.
We saw the signs for what they were.
Behavioral changes. Night terrors, insomnia. Sleepwalking. Um.
Hallucinations? Irritability. Confusion, disassociation. Impulsiveness. Nausea? Haven't barfed because of this thing yet, but it's only a matter of time.
Things got pretty bad for a while. I got out of the house in the middle of the night, disappeared, had a ton of people looking for me. Woke up screaming when they found me. That's kind of been happening a lot? The screaming. Well, the disappearing acts, too. Not super fun.
My friend's mom, she's a nurse - she had to knock me out for a while so I could get some uninterrupted sleep. Loaded me up with midazolam. If I'd had some cocaine to snort and a hooker next to me, it could've been a very '80s rock star moment, but. Not that lucky, sadly.
Uh.
[ dot dot dot. ]
I kind of have trouble reading? It comes and goes. I usually use speech-to-text for... texting.
Totally wet myself in second grade. That wasn't a dementia thing, I just figured, you know.
I'm already oversharing. Might as well round it off with an embarrassing secret or two.
In for a penny.
Edited 2020-04-14 03:44 (UTC)
[ that is... quite a laundry list of symptoms. billy reads over them slowly, already starting to try to commit them to memory, just in case any of these things come up when he's around stiles. the last thing he wants to do is associate every little thing stiles does to a symptom of his illness, but it's just... it feels better to know the signs than to not know them.
anyway. the next reply that comes through is in the form of an audio file. ]
0:00 -⚫️———————————— 0:48
Wait, so. Siri or... whatever, reads all my texts to you? Everything I type is read off to you in a robot voice. Please tell me you picked a cool accent at least. —And excuse me, Your Chicken Tenderness, I'll never make that mistake again.
[ ... ]
... Anyway. [ there's a soft rustle of material as billy adjusts a pillow behind his head and stretches out his legs. ] So... You said your friend has been staying with you. Right? Because I mean - I don't mean to sound like I'm like... babying you or coddling you or anything or like you can't handle things by yourself, but — sleepwalking can be kind of dangerous. Especially if you're leaving the house? ... Especially here.
[ ... ]
Don't take this the wrong way, but - have you even been sleeping enough? You always look kinda tired, I just didn't want to do the - jerk thing and point it out.
anyway. the next reply that comes through is in the form of an audio file. ]
0:00 -⚫️———————————— 0:48
Wait, so. Siri or... whatever, reads all my texts to you? Everything I type is read off to you in a robot voice. Please tell me you picked a cool accent at least. —And excuse me, Your Chicken Tenderness, I'll never make that mistake again.
[ ... ]
... Anyway. [ there's a soft rustle of material as billy adjusts a pillow behind his head and stretches out his legs. ] So... You said your friend has been staying with you. Right? Because I mean - I don't mean to sound like I'm like... babying you or coddling you or anything or like you can't handle things by yourself, but — sleepwalking can be kind of dangerous. Especially if you're leaving the house? ... Especially here.
[ ... ]
Don't take this the wrong way, but - have you even been sleeping enough? You always look kinda tired, I just didn't want to do the - jerk thing and point it out.
[ it's hard for stiles to feel like he's not imposing at the best of times, so even though this is actually kind of a helpful switch, he can't deny the soft stirring of dread in his stomach when billy sends him an audio file. he's touched, but also kind of embarrassed, and rather than reply with a clip of his own, stiles just - calls billy directly. ring ring.
hi, he says, when billy picks up. there's a second or two before he continues. ]
So, uh - first of all, yes, your robot voice is beyond reproach. I made you a british gentleman. I already kind of miss him? He's way cooler than you.
[ ha ha. stiles stretches out, blinking up at the ceiling fan spinning in slow, gradual circles above him, moving too slowly to really blow any air down. he takes a breath. maybe this was a bad idea. it's easier to talk about harder shit over text. over audio clips. ]
Anyway - look, yeah, between James and my friend from home, I've got my bases covered. I didn't tell you this so you'd... feel like you need to take care of me, I just...
[ how does he word this? he won't say "don't worry about me", because he knows he kind of popped that can of worms open when he first brought this up, and he can't tell billy that he told him all of this because he's become a rather large cornerstone of his life here, because that'll add a layer of guilt into their friendship that he really isn't willing to pile on. it takes stiles another beat of hesitation before he settles on something (hopefully) neutral enough and cavalier enough to get his point across while keeping billy at relative ease. ]
We've been hanging out a lot, lately. I wanted to give you a heads up about this thing I'm dealing with in case something did go bad while we were together, or - I don't know, maybe this is a dealbreaker! Maybe you wanna run screaming to the hills now. That's fine! Better you know sooner rather than later, or. Whatever.
[ stiles sits up, mildly annoyed. he's screwing this up. he sounds kind of impatient when he keeps talking. frustrated. he could be handling this better. ]
Look, I've been having a pretty good month, so with any luck, we'll actually never have to talk about this again. We're in a magic freaking fairyland - this could come good on its own. Who knows.
hi, he says, when billy picks up. there's a second or two before he continues. ]
So, uh - first of all, yes, your robot voice is beyond reproach. I made you a british gentleman. I already kind of miss him? He's way cooler than you.
[ ha ha. stiles stretches out, blinking up at the ceiling fan spinning in slow, gradual circles above him, moving too slowly to really blow any air down. he takes a breath. maybe this was a bad idea. it's easier to talk about harder shit over text. over audio clips. ]
Anyway - look, yeah, between James and my friend from home, I've got my bases covered. I didn't tell you this so you'd... feel like you need to take care of me, I just...
[ how does he word this? he won't say "don't worry about me", because he knows he kind of popped that can of worms open when he first brought this up, and he can't tell billy that he told him all of this because he's become a rather large cornerstone of his life here, because that'll add a layer of guilt into their friendship that he really isn't willing to pile on. it takes stiles another beat of hesitation before he settles on something (hopefully) neutral enough and cavalier enough to get his point across while keeping billy at relative ease. ]
We've been hanging out a lot, lately. I wanted to give you a heads up about this thing I'm dealing with in case something did go bad while we were together, or - I don't know, maybe this is a dealbreaker! Maybe you wanna run screaming to the hills now. That's fine! Better you know sooner rather than later, or. Whatever.
[ stiles sits up, mildly annoyed. he's screwing this up. he sounds kind of impatient when he keeps talking. frustrated. he could be handling this better. ]
Look, I've been having a pretty good month, so with any luck, we'll actually never have to talk about this again. We're in a magic freaking fairyland - this could come good on its own. Who knows.
Edited 2020-04-14 04:43 (UTC)
[ idly, billy wonders if a british accent is something he could pull of. he's never really tried before, not seriously, but he's also not about to make an attempt over the phone to stiles, either. he listens to stiles, lightly drumming his fingertips against the center of his chest, beating out a quiet, unsteady rhythm.
there are couple instances where billy almost interjects - he doesn't feel like he needs to take care of stiles, and that's not necessarily what he meant to imply if it came off that way, he just... wants to make sure stiles is safe, and that he does have people to take care of him if he needs it. that's all.
unaware that stiles has sat up, billy sits up too one leg kind of folded, the other outstretched, a little bent. he reaches out and grabs around his calf, slides his hand down to his ankle, stretching out his back while holding the phone to his ear with his other hand. stiles' tone is a little sharp - billy feels bad, like maybe he shouldn't have asked questions even though stiles said he could.
once stiles tapers off and billy finally figure out what to say, he's a little quieter than he was before, though not by much. ]
... Yeah. Yeah, maybe it'll... work out. [ there's a significant pause here, a quiet inhale that suggests he's going to continue, though he may not want to. ] And— and if it doesn't - it's not a dealbreaker, Stiles. I'm not going to stop being your friend just because things might get a little - complicated sometimes.
[ but - all stiles had to do was mention magic, and billy is already thinking, again, about what could do to help stiles. not because he feels he needs to, but because he wants to, if he can. billy sighs, tilting his head back to stare up at his ceiling. ... would it be childish of him to put glow in the dark stars up there? ]
Anyway... sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. My fault - I shouldn't have asked.
there are couple instances where billy almost interjects - he doesn't feel like he needs to take care of stiles, and that's not necessarily what he meant to imply if it came off that way, he just... wants to make sure stiles is safe, and that he does have people to take care of him if he needs it. that's all.
unaware that stiles has sat up, billy sits up too one leg kind of folded, the other outstretched, a little bent. he reaches out and grabs around his calf, slides his hand down to his ankle, stretching out his back while holding the phone to his ear with his other hand. stiles' tone is a little sharp - billy feels bad, like maybe he shouldn't have asked questions even though stiles said he could.
once stiles tapers off and billy finally figure out what to say, he's a little quieter than he was before, though not by much. ]
... Yeah. Yeah, maybe it'll... work out. [ there's a significant pause here, a quiet inhale that suggests he's going to continue, though he may not want to. ] And— and if it doesn't - it's not a dealbreaker, Stiles. I'm not going to stop being your friend just because things might get a little - complicated sometimes.
[ but - all stiles had to do was mention magic, and billy is already thinking, again, about what could do to help stiles. not because he feels he needs to, but because he wants to, if he can. billy sighs, tilting his head back to stare up at his ceiling. ... would it be childish of him to put glow in the dark stars up there? ]
Anyway... sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. My fault - I shouldn't have asked.
[ billy didn't imply that he needs to help him, no, he made it pretty clear that he was just checking in and being kind - but responding to negative conclusions and hyperbole in an attempt to play down what you're really thinking is just a part of being defensive, when you're stiles stilinski. he doesn't like that billy has to worry about him at all - he doesn't like that he's fucked up a conversation about cupcakes and thank yous with more depressing talk about his condition and his mom and their being stuck here in deer-hell together. he just... ]
You didn't upset me. I just feel like an asshole.
[ he just doesn't feel good about any of this. he doesn't feel good about making billy feel as if he shouldn't have asked, too, and stiles' tone is still sharp, he can't help that, but he's trying very hard to soften it. he pinches the bridge of his nose and closes his eyes, making a quiet, frustrated noise beneath his breath. he's not sure if he can explain what he's feeling, he's not sure if he has that self-awareness. right now everything begins and ends with him feeling bad, whatever that means. ]
I'm sorry. Okay?
[ still sharp, still frustrated, but stiles hears it and bites the inside of his cheek, opening and closing his mouth like he's trying to think of something better to say to smooth this all out. he should be good at finding the right words, he usually is - but right now, nothing comes. ]
You didn't upset me. I just feel like an asshole.
[ he just doesn't feel good about any of this. he doesn't feel good about making billy feel as if he shouldn't have asked, too, and stiles' tone is still sharp, he can't help that, but he's trying very hard to soften it. he pinches the bridge of his nose and closes his eyes, making a quiet, frustrated noise beneath his breath. he's not sure if he can explain what he's feeling, he's not sure if he has that self-awareness. right now everything begins and ends with him feeling bad, whatever that means. ]
I'm sorry. Okay?
[ still sharp, still frustrated, but stiles hears it and bites the inside of his cheek, opening and closing his mouth like he's trying to think of something better to say to smooth this all out. he should be good at finding the right words, he usually is - but right now, nothing comes. ]
[ well. this isn't exactly where he pictured this conversation headed at the start of it. how they went from talking about how hanging out was cool, to cupcakes, to both of them being sorry (one of them unnecessarily, stiles) and feeling awkward is a little bit of a blur, but billy is determined to try and get things back on track, or at least a little less... blue.
not that billy minds heavy conversation, because he doesn't, but he can tell just by stiles' tone that maybe he just doesn't want to talk about this anymore - and that's fair. billy doesn't blame him for that at all.
billy drags his foot up so he's sitting butterfly style with one hand gripping his socked feet, fingers pinching at a loose thread near the seam across his toes, eyes watching his own hand kind of distantly. his hair is flopped over his forehead, sort of falling into his eye with his chin tilted down. ]
You're not an asshole. [ ... ] I mean, you're kind of an asshole for not telling me you had a car before tonight and making me walk to the arcade in the middle of the night... in the middle of the day. That one time.
[ it might be able to tell just from his tone that he's smiling, or at least trying not to laugh. ]
... But otherwise? You're pretty cool - even if you did wet yourself in the second grade.
not that billy minds heavy conversation, because he doesn't, but he can tell just by stiles' tone that maybe he just doesn't want to talk about this anymore - and that's fair. billy doesn't blame him for that at all.
billy drags his foot up so he's sitting butterfly style with one hand gripping his socked feet, fingers pinching at a loose thread near the seam across his toes, eyes watching his own hand kind of distantly. his hair is flopped over his forehead, sort of falling into his eye with his chin tilted down. ]
You're not an asshole. [ ... ] I mean, you're kind of an asshole for not telling me you had a car before tonight and making me walk to the arcade in the middle of the night... in the middle of the day. That one time.
[ it might be able to tell just from his tone that he's smiling, or at least trying not to laugh. ]
... But otherwise? You're pretty cool - even if you did wet yourself in the second grade.
[ it's kind of hard to shake off the anxiety and the bad mood that he put himself in, but stiles knows it's not billy's fault he feels this way, and he's not going to let the guilt of not magically being able to talk about his brain rotting as clearly and as concisely as possible ruin the rest of their night. he laughs, kind of forced, but the more he talks, the better he starts to feel. ]
I wanted to come and pick you up! I distinctly remember offering! The only reason I didn't double down and tell you about Roscoe is because you blew me off and I didn't want to be, like, "hey, no, I wanna show you my car, maybe score a couple of points out of it, let me come get you". Seemed like a particularly pathetic needle to try and thread.
[ a pause. ]
She used to be my mom's. I think she's supposed to be a guy? Like, her name is "Roscoe", but. C'mon, she's a car, she's gotta be a girl.
I wanted to come and pick you up! I distinctly remember offering! The only reason I didn't double down and tell you about Roscoe is because you blew me off and I didn't want to be, like, "hey, no, I wanna show you my car, maybe score a couple of points out of it, let me come get you". Seemed like a particularly pathetic needle to try and thread.
[ a pause. ]
She used to be my mom's. I think she's supposed to be a guy? Like, her name is "Roscoe", but. C'mon, she's a car, she's gotta be a girl.
[ billy flings his hand up to the ceiling and then just- flops backwards with a soft huff as some of the air's knocked out of his lungs. ]
I thought you were asking to like - walk to my place to come get me and then walk all the way back! I was trying to be nice and not make you walk all that way when you live, like, ten feet from the arcade. I'm pretty sure I said that, too. You should have just told me you had a car. [ ... ] Walking was still nice though.
[ billy pauses for a moment, squirming to get more comfortable, eyes on the ceiling. ]
... I think— I'm only like, seventy-five percent sure, so don't quote me on this or anything, but I'm pretty sure "Roscoe" comes from the Old Norse words for "doe wood"? And doe is female, so...
I mean, that also doesn't really matter. If you say she's a girl then she's a girl.
I thought you were asking to like - walk to my place to come get me and then walk all the way back! I was trying to be nice and not make you walk all that way when you live, like, ten feet from the arcade. I'm pretty sure I said that, too. You should have just told me you had a car. [ ... ] Walking was still nice though.
[ billy pauses for a moment, squirming to get more comfortable, eyes on the ceiling. ]
... I think— I'm only like, seventy-five percent sure, so don't quote me on this or anything, but I'm pretty sure "Roscoe" comes from the Old Norse words for "doe wood"? And doe is female, so...
I mean, that also doesn't really matter. If you say she's a girl then she's a girl.
Edited 2020-04-14 07:16 (UTC)
Page 7 of 10