Work Text:
Billy knew Teddy was a nice guy, really he did, he saw the big, buff, blond as his friend and assumed the shape shifter saw him the same based of their shared interest in geek culture and superheroes. That didn’t make him any more comfortable with the idea of coming out to the new group of semi-superheroes, especially Teddy.
He had a bit of a sick feeling that Nate knew, he was a time traveler after all, he probably knew Billy was gay before Billy was born. Eli would always give him sideways stares, and clear his throat when Billy stared too long at Teddy as he shifted back down to his smaller more humanoid form. As the team gained and lost members, everyone seemed to realize at some point, be way too aware of Billy and his frustratingly poorly hidden attraction to the hunk on their team.
Teddy seemed mostly oblivious though, never gave Billy a hard time when a remark, a bit too appreciative, about Captain America slipped out. He didnt asks questions and Billy was happy with their don't ask, don’t tell rule because well... Teddy is a jock. A handsome, smart, charming, athlete who probably had girls hanging off of him at school. Straight boys usually did seem to be the last to notice Billy's preference, the thought so far from their mind, strange behavior slipped under the radar and Billy was fine with that. As long as Teddy never found out his best friend was queer and had a raging crush on him then everything would be fine.
Tommy gave him mad shit almost every night once he moved in with the Kaplan’s. Talking about how Teddy wasn’t the world's biggest "douchrag" and Billy should trust his teammate more than that seeing as almost everyone on the team knew already anyway but he always kept his opinions to himself when around Teddy.
Noh Var had come the closest to outing Billy, thankfully stopped by his timely, speedster boyfriend who had a long talk with the alien about the differences in how human's and Kree handled the 'I'm attracted to the same gender' topic. Noh Var apparently didn’t get it, but Noh Var didn't get a lot of unnecessary human behavior.
Again though, despite the slip up and odd cover up by the team Teddy was dense enough that he didn't second guess why the Kree was being dragged away.
Teddy, did however, have his eyes on the two white haired Avengers for a while after that. Any time pizza night happened he would stare, too hard, at Tommy offering a greesy slice to the taller man with a bump to his shoulder, stare harder when they didn’t pull back to replace the distance that had been there at first. He would get a furrowed brow when Noh Var payed a little more attention to Tommy after a fight with some otherworldly force. He would ask questions about when they got so close, and when Tommy stared apparently learning Kree, and so many other prying queries that left Billy in particular at a loss.
This was his biggest fear, Teddy had seen someone acting less than heterosexual and had started taking note, had started talking about it. What if he started asking about Billy, what if he did some of those same things subconsciously. He’d always been overly worried for Teddy after a fight, and his sense of personal space was smaller around the larger boy. If Teddy started directing those questions toward Billy the brunette didn’t know what he'd do.
Sometimes he considered wishing away Teddy's possibly homophobia, Tommy and Billy both thought that was a shit idea.
He thought to himself that if Teddy had maybe instead notice America and Kate's more than friendly relationship first. Guys like Teddy tended to find girls in a same sex relationship less offensive and depending on how deep the homophobia ran, it could open him up to the site of boys having the same kinds of romantic relationships...him and Billy having the same kind of romantic relationship.
"How do human's develop these strange biases? To my knowledge Skrull do not believe in gender, let alone sexual orientation, so his mother figure would not have made Dorrek believe such things." Noh Var observed, mostly directing the question at Tommy, like he usually did because he's weird and sees Tommy as some knower of all truths since they put a name on their relationship.
"It doesn't have to be the parents. If his mom never corrected the idea of it being wrong than his friends could have convinced him it was freaky, tv, wherever." Tommy grumbles. He never really believed Teddy was that kind of guy but the recent attention on him and Noh Var was giving him little to fight with Billy on in the way of evidence.
"And you are afraid because you think he would hurt you? You are a reality bending wizard William." He states as if Billy somehow forgot. "No matter how superior his genetic make-up you-" Tommy gives Noh Var's hard a hard squeeze and Noh Var interprets this rightfully as a sign to shut up.
"I'm not worried he'll hurt me. I'm worried he'll hate me." Billy groans and flops back into the sofa.
"Do you think he hates Tommy and I?" His voice dropped a bit, clearly not liking the idea and his arm wrapped around Tommy, pulling him halfway into his lap.
"Uh...hey guys." Three heads turn toward the door, Teddy staring at them for an awkward moment while everyone refuses to move.
"Thomas and I have a love that is no different from any feelings of love that you have ever felt. We are not ashamed and I am not comfortable with you making my mate feel inadequate. Apologize." Noh Var demands and there are mixed reactions across the room. Billy lets out a squeek of surprise, Teddy's mouth falls open and Tommy has taken to smothering himself with a pillow.
"I’m...sorry?" Teddy says with an awkward hand scratching his neck. Noh Var turns to Tommy for approval and his horrified partner gives him a reluctant thumbs up before dragging him off to clear the room.
Teddy sits across the sofa from Billy, his elbows resting on his knees as he silently considers what happened.
"So, they were dating. I wasn’t crazy." He finally speaks and Billy lets out a single quiet chuckle. "You knew right? Everyone seemed to be ignoring it. I thought i was losing it dude." He laughs a bit more good naturedly. "I’m glad they told me though, it must be nice to be honest about your feelings in front of your friends. Im guessing Noh Var's alien tact came into play but still, if America and Kate can be a couple-" His words drifted off to Billy's ears, he heard nothing else, he was pretty sure he was having a panic attack and was working very hard not to start hyperventilating.
"Billy? Yo Billy, you okay?" He asks, concern lacing his voice and Billy suddenly looks up at him with a strange desperation in his eyes.
"Teddy I'm gay." He finally says, letting the weight lift off of his shoulders with those 3 words and watches Teddy stumble back violently in surprise.
"Seriously? There’s no way. Wait, really?" He scrambles with his reply and his head falls into his hands while the brunette is regretting his decision thoroughly. Just because Teddy is okay with Tommy and Noh Var, and Kate and America, doesn't mean he'd be as okay with his best friend dropping that bombshell. He's probably rethinking their entire friendship in this moment, reconsidering every touch he had considered innocent until this point. Billy sighs.
"I’m sorry I kept it from you, guess I'd had my ass kicked by one too many jocks and thought better of it. I would have told you sooner if I knew that it wasn't a big deal or...at least I don't think it is?" He asks nervously, his disappointment, taking over instead of panic as he puts a few more inches of space between them.
"No Billy, of course not. I would never. I'm so sorry you thought I'd be some homophobic prick, I swear this doesn't change anything. I just...I didn't ever see you, you know looking at anyone. Tommy and Noh Var weren't as obvious as Kate and America but you always seemed...I mean, there are good looking guys on the team. I'm sure here or at your school, anyone would be happy to date you. Ah maybe you're not looking I shouldn't assume." He had been rambling but looks like he's holding himself back from saying even more and it gives a little bit more relief to Billy's chest when it's still his best friend as his awkward goofiness.
"Not everyone is gay Altman, remember?" He tries to keep his voice light, even tho he's being rejected in not so many words.
His best friend isn't a homophobe, and that's great, but his best friend also doesn't like boys and Billy doesn't think it a particularly good idea to confess his feelings to Teddy who is already trying to recalibrate his brain as they speak to put Billy over in the 'gay' category.
"I find it hard to believe you like someone that wouldn't go gay for you Kaplan, I think even my old buddy Greg wouldn't have to close his eyes if it was you. And he's a total prick." He laughs, it's still a bit forced. Billy is staring, he doesn't say anything and eventually Teddy looks back.
"I mean I know I would feel pretty fucking lucky if you had a thing for me. Doubt big, dumb, and green is your style though." He smiles, clearing his throat at the same time and Billy freezes.
"What?" He asks, shocked.
"I mean, I don't know your type, but I am a shape shifter and all. Could totally be the boyfriend of your dreams if you gave me a list or something." He is fiddling with his fingers and not making eye contact anymore. "If you show me the guy I could do a better job of it though, this is all hypothetical of course." He flashes a dopey smile and rubs his clammy hands against his jeans.
"Teddy, holy shit Teddy. No way, no fucking way you just said that. You did not just offer to shape shift yourself into my ideal boyfriend." He squawks and Teddy cringes, immediately standing up.
"It was just a thought, didn't think you'd be so blunt to a guy just trying to take a shot." He whispers and Billy immediately grabs onto him.
"It's you, it's you. I swear this isn't a joke, it's you and I’ve had the biggest gayest crush on you since we were 16 and I was never gonna tell you cause I'm a fucking coward and apparently an asshole too, because I totally didn't mean to make you feel shitty just now, I just couldn't believe you would like-" Teddy kisses him.
Billy isn't horrible at being put on the spot but he still struggles for a moment before returning the kiss, fingers in blonde hair and bodies pressed together.
"I like you too, god I’ve liked you for so long and I never thought for a second you'd ever be into me." Teddy says before dipping in for another kiss before Billy can mock him for being the biggest idiot ever and instead just shows him, all night.