Chess [Opening Move]

[wasafreak]

Teddy feels like something out of a Sir Arthur Conan Doyle novel. The townhouse is huge and the fireplaces keep it warm, and the kitchen's stocked and there's tea and aperitifs and so many books. The fact that they're entertaining, sort of, is pleasing in a silly domestic way. The fact that Teddy is wearing riding boots, rather fitted black trousers, and an overly romanticized white blouse while they entertain is silly in a pleasing historical way. All in all, it's not a bad time.

He sets down a bottle of cassis and a carafe of water before taking his own seat again.

"So it was like... the big bad wolf?"

Comments

[wasafreak.livejournal.com]

"Hey, Jess," Teddy says, looking up and smiling, and then immediately looks at Billy continuing, much more quietly, "sssica Drew. Right. Got it."

[apoorupbringing.livejournal.com]

Of all the fucking moments. Chase straightened a little, most notably in his shoulders, eyes going straight to Jess. His face, if not blank, near enough, and after a moment his jaw worked a little and his eyes dropped away.

"Thanks for the drink, guys," he said, standing, grabbing up the warm old-fashioned cap he'd been reflexively crushing in one hand and slinging it over his hair.

[halfscarlet]

Billy, for his part, manages to keep a mostly straight face when Jess walks in, as if a cloud of teenage awkardness hasn't suddenly sprung up around them. He widens his eyes at Teddy, then gives Chase a smile and realizes he can't force him to stick around.

"Any time," he says, standing up to show him out.

[notaparker]

See, that the slightest bit awkward.

It was a very large bit awkward, that's what it was.

I step aside as Billy shows Chase out. As soon as he turns back, I look between him and Teddy and just throw my hands up in the universal symbol for 'what the hey!' and gape at them, inviting them to also gape at whatever the hey that was.

[wasafreak.livejournal.com]

"Wow," Teddy says, wincing, having caught the look that Chase shot Jess as he passed her. He knew that look, had flashed it more than once at Billy when they were just super powered friends who happened to be on the same team. Before Billy had had the courage to make them something more.

"That was brutal."

[halfscarlet]

There's a part of Billy that, when he comes back into the room, wants to walk over and shakes Jess and ask her what the hell's going on. But it doesn't seem right to butt into Chase's business like that, so he keeps his mouth shut.

It pains him to do so, but he manages it.

"Yeah...so...hi?"

[notaparker]

"Right?" I say, ignoring Billy in the face of finally having absolute evidence that someone else noticed Chase being totally weird. "Right?! He's been doing that for ages, I don't know what his problem is. Uh, but, hi."

[wasafreak.livejournal.com]

"...Wait, seriously?" Teddy says, eyebrows raising. He gestures for Jess to grab a seat wherever- they have a fainting sofa, if the need arises- and glances at Billy.

"You have no clue why he's acting that way?"

[halfscarlet]

Billy shares Teddy's surprise and confusion, managing to hide it well only because Jess isn't actually looking at him when he shares a look with Teddy.

It's like they're playing musical chairs except with feelings and hormones.

[notaparker]

"Because he ate some bad mangoes and now he has the mango-crazies?" I say, walking up and down the parlour before taking a non-fainting seat on the fainting couch.

It's probably technically more of a perch, since I'm sitting on the raised end with my feet tucked in beneath me on the actual couch portion. "No, I have no clue."

[wasafreak.livejournal.com]

He's not about to get into everything Chase just divulged to them, but it can't hurt to comment on things that are readily observable by an outsider, right? Teddy glances at Billy again before sitting forward and focusing his attention on Jess.

"Jess, he likes you."

[halfscarlet]

"What he said," Billy agrees, walking over to sit on the far end of the fainting couch, in case Jess did any fainting of her own. "I didn't know you and Chase were that close in the first place."

[notaparker]

"Um, I thought he did, what with us being friends, but clearly he doesn't," I say, again flailing my arm at the direction he exited in.

Wait.

"Wait, when you say likes..."

Oh, no. That can't be right.

[wasafreak.livejournal.com]

"Likes like," Teddy clarifies, "as in, would like to kiss and date you, likes."

He watches Jessica, waiting for that to sink in.

[halfscarlet]

Billy's glad Teddy's the one breaking it down for Jessica, because he honestly kinda just wants to go chase...Chase, bring him back and make them have a cute, happily ever after moment right there in the room.

"He likes you," he says, voice dipping in and out of a sing-song rhythm.

[notaparker]

I drop down from my perch on the side of the fainting couch, so that I'm actually sitting in the fainting couch.

"Oh my god," I say. "That can't be- are you serious? Aagh!"

I let myself fall back into a fainting position and grab a cushion to hold over my face.

"Why does this keep happening?! How am I supposed to deal with this?!"

[wasafreak.livejournal.com]

"Uh oh," Teddy murmurs, utterly serious, "sounds like someone's milkshake is bringing all the boys to the yard."

[halfscarlet]

Billy leans forward, one elbow on his knees as he covers his smile with a hand. He clears his throat and gives Teddy a warning look. "What do you mean it keeps happening?"

[notaparker]

"There's no milkshake!" I protest, through the cushion. "There's no yard! There's no-" I pause, and lift the cushion, slightly, fixing Billy with a look I hope is convincing but probably isn't. "I don't mean anything, it's just a thing I said. Sometimes I say things."

[wasafreak.livejournal.com]

"This has happened before?" Teddy surmises, taking it as read, really.

"On the island, or back home?"

[halfscarlet]

Billy shakes his head a little when Jess looks at him, letting her know he doesn't exactly believe her. "And they're like, it's better than yours," he sings under his breath.

[notaparker]

I throw the cushion at Billy, lightly, and then regret it. Not the lightly part, the throwing. Now I don't have it to cover my face with. I sit up again, curling my legs up instead.

"There might have been a Johnny Storm Situation," I say. "At one point. Briefly. It's really not important."

[wasafreak.livejournal.com]

"So you're into older guys," Teddy observes, completely without judgement.

[halfscarlet]

Billy hugs the pillow to himself, biting back a smile at Teddy's assessment. "You do seem to have a pattern here, Jess."

[notaparker]

"...Johnny Storm is, like, seventeen, max," I say, frowning at them, "he is not out of high school, don't judge me because you're from some weird dimension where everyone is middle-aged."

I pause. "Also who said anything about being into, there's no into!"