The Perk, Monday Morning

[selfhelphero]

After the last few crazy weekends, Billy had thought he'd be prepared for anything that might get thrown at him. But when he woke up this morning and all the memories of this past weekend came flooding back - the eyeliner, the things he'd said to Topher, the things he'd done with Natalie - he realized how woefully unprepared he'd been. For the moment, he was seeking solace in a giant mug of hot chocolate and a muffin the size of his fist, and wondering if he could fix the things he'd done without having to actually look anyone in the eyes.

[Open if you're okay with daytime SP!]

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[dollpocalypse]

Upon waking up, Topher had realized two things. One: his blankets were starting to smell kind of gross, so he should maybe move at some point. And two: he should probably start attempting some damage control regarding what had happened with Billy if he ever wanted to hang out again.

So he'd almost stopped by Billy's room, but then abruptly realized that maybe he should bring coffee, you know, just in case Billy was mad at him or something and the coffee might help. So he headed over to the Perk to get some and then... okay, he hadn't been expecting that.

"Hi," he said, freezing.

[selfhelphero]

Billy had glanced up when he heard the door open, and nearly froze as well. "Um. Hey," he said, peering up and trying to read Topher's expression. Surely he knew this weekend was all kinds of wrong, right?

[dollpocalypse]

Well... not exactly. Sure, there had been a lot of weirdos running around, but somehow -- blame the twitchiness associated with asking him out in the first place -- he remained pretty convinced that the Billy-looking guy he'd spoken to on Saturday was, you know, Billy.

Which left him with one thing to do.

"I'm sorry," he blurted out.

[selfhelphero]

"You're--you're sorry?" He wasn't trying to be Topher's echo but he couldn't help it. "Sorry for what? I'm the one who's sorry."

[dollpocalypse]

"I. Um. Shouldn't have said that," Topher blurted out. "You don't have to, um." He wrung his hands a little. "You know. It doesn't have to be weird. I won't mention it anymore, or anything. I just. Yeah."

[selfhelphero]

The only redeeming thing that had come out of the weekend was the knowledge that Topher wanted to go out on a date with him. Now it seemed like, because he'd been a jerk, Topher didn't want to anymore, and Billy couldn't hide his disappointment about that. "Does that mean you changed your mind? I mean, you can mention it if--if you'd asked me while I was, you know, me I wouldn't have--I never would have laughed at you. That was so mean, and I'm so sorry."

[dollpocalypse]

Topher opened his mouth, then shut it. Several times, actually.

"What?"

Eloquent, Topher.

[selfhelphero]

Billy tilted his head a little, trying to figure out where to start. "You do know I wasn't me this weekend, right? I thought I was some guy named Nikolai." The eyeliner, as hot as it had been, should have been a big clue as far as he was concerned.

[dollpocalypse]

That? That would be comprehension dawning, blurry at first and then startlingly clear, on Topher's face.

"Oh."

[selfhelphero]

And that would be a different kind of comprehension dawning on Billy. "Wait, you really thought I was me?" he asked. "I would never be that mean to you, even if I really didn't want to go on a date with you. I was cruel, and you're my friend. I'd never treat you like that."

[dollpocalypse]

"Oh," Topher said again, ducking his head slightly before realizing, nope, he'd really rather look at Billy. "Um. Even if you... didn't?"

Yes, Topher, that was what to take away from that.

[selfhelphero]

"Because I do. I did. I mean, if I'd been okay when you asked me, I would have said yes," Billy said, sighing softly. "I actually tried to ask you the same kind of thing once, but it was when you were Warren and Warren was you so I ended up asking Warren, and I figured maybe it was a sign that I shouldn't have said anything. I thought you just wanted to be friends."

[dollpocalypse]

"...oh."

It was possible that Topher didn't know any other words.

"You. Um. You... wanna, then?" Hopeful, even though he hadn't expected this and wouldn't know what to do with a yes.

[selfhelphero]

It was okay if Topher didn't know other words, because Billy had plenty to spare. "Really? You still want to? Because I do. Want to, I mean. I--I like you and--yes, yes, I want to. If you do too."

[dollpocalypse]

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

"'Kay," Topher managed, giving a decisive little nod. "Um. So. We should, then."

[selfhelphero]

This was way, way better than Billy thought this conversation would go. "Yes, definitely. It'll be awesome. And fun." And terrifying and flaily but shhh he was trying not to think about that part.

[dollpocalypse]

"Definitely," Topher agreed, half-grinning now because fine, he was still a little overwhelmed just from the effort of all of that talking. "Um. Definitely. Fun. And. Yeah. And I should really tell Ben." Yes, Topher, thank you.

[selfhelphero]

"He should know that he was right. About how I feel about you," Billy said with a laugh. "Everyone likes being told that they were right."

[dollpocalypse]

"He thought it was weird when I mentioned the whole other thing from yesterday," Topher explained. "'Cause it didn't sound like you. So he'll. You know. Probably like this better."

[selfhelphero]

"It so wasn't me. Other me was a terrible person," Billy said, shaking his head.

[dollpocalypse]

"Also," Topher added, "he had weird stuff on his eyes."

Yes, Topher. Very helpful.

[selfhelphero]

"Yeah, I'm not really an eyeliner kind of guy," Billy said. "I leave all the makeup to the girls."

[dollpocalypse]

"Kenzi wears enough for, like, the whole rest of the island," Topher decided. "Or I'm pretty sure she does. It looks like she wears a lot."

[selfhelphero]

"She totally wears a lot," Billy said, sighing. "Oh man, I flirted with her too. Rehearsal's going to be awkward this week."

[dollpocalypse]

Topher hesitated. "I could -- go with you?" he offered tentatively. "As, like, support? If you want?"

Topher, that was very sweet, but it was Petey Sci-Fi. And such a visit was likely to result in an aneurysm.

[selfhelphero]

"No, no, that's okay," Billy said quickly. He needed Topher's brain working if they were going to go on a date. "I'm sure I'll be fine, and rehearsal can be a little crazy. You wouldn't want to go."

[dollpocalypse]

"'Kay," Topher said, a little relieved. "Anyway, Kenzi wanted me to build a motorcycle for that play, like, way back, and I never did, so I probably shouldn't go." Because that made so much sense. "So yeah."

[selfhelphero]

"Are you going to build one eventually? Or let her do it?" Billy asked. "We kind of need one, but it might also be a big hassle." Being the stage manager was hard sometimes.

[dollpocalypse]

"I... don't actually know how?" Topher tried, shrugging a little. "I don't really do mechanic-y stuff. That's more, like, Tony's thing." And he was currently a pony, so...

[selfhelphero]

"Hmm, maybe I could ask Tony," Billy said, perking up a little. "He's one person I didn't embarrass myself in front of this weekend. Will you come and see the show when it's all done?"

[dollpocalypse]

"He might still be a potato," Topher said thoughtfully, thinking back to what he'd heard on the radio. "But, um. Yeah, sure!" Big mistake, Topher. Biiiig mistake. "What's it about?"

[selfhelphero]

"Um. Well. It's a musical," Billy said innocently. "There's a movie too, and Kenzi said we should watch that first before you see the show." At least then, if Topher was terrified, it'd just be the two of them.

[dollpocalypse]

Topher paused. "Okaaaaay," he said slowly after a minute.

Beat.

"Why?"

[selfhelphero]

"It's, um, kind of weird. And a little dirty," Billy said, leaning in and lowering his voice.

[dollpocalypse]

Topher's eyes went huge.

"Not like -- not like that movie, right?" he asked in a hushed tone. Ratman, why?

[selfhelphero]

"Nooo, not that bad, or they probably wouldn't let anyone from the school be involved, you know?" He could just cover Topher's eyes during the sex parts, or something.

[dollpocalypse]

"Okay, whew," Topher said quickly. "Then um, yeah, I can go. Sure."

[selfhelphero]

"Great! And, um, we can figure out what we want to do together. For a date." If he was grinning again, he couldn't help it.

[dollpocalypse]

"Now, or after?" Topher checked, just in case the show was some weird test he had to go through first or something.

[selfhelphero]

"Now? I think Fandom's made us wait long enough already for this," Billy said. Stupid weirdnesses.

[dollpocalypse]

"Okay, cool," Topher said, grinning a little in relief. "Um. What do you wanna do?"

[selfhelphero]

"Maybe we could do something on the mainland?" Billy suggested. "I mean, considering the trouble we've had asking each other out, maybe we should try to keep the island from interfering with the actual date."

[dollpocalypse]

"Sounds good," Topher said, nodding easily enough. And still grinning. He couldn't quite get the grin to go away. "Ben said we could go bowling, maybe. Or. Like. An activity. That I don't suck at. But I suck at bowling. So probably not that."

[selfhelphero]

"Maybe not bowling. Maybe dinner, or something?" Billy said. That seemed like a safe idea.

[dollpocalypse]

Well, that wasn't really an activity, but...

"'Kay," Topher said. "Food's good. There have to be, you know, places for that. On the mainland."

Clearly, the genius title was well-deserved with this one.

[selfhelphero]

"We could do something afterwards too. If you want. Maybe decide after dinner, or something?" He was open to just about anything if it involved Topher.

[dollpocalypse]

"Sure! That'll be cool." Topher nodded a few times as proof. This wasn't awkward at all, see? He was nodding and everything! And grinning! Like an idiot, but still grinning! See? Zero awkward.

[selfhelphero]

"I'm, uh, I'm really glad we got this cleared up," Billy said, grinning bashfully. "And that we finally got to talk to each other about it."

[dollpocalypse]

"Definitely," Topher agreed, grinning. "And. Um. Now Ben and Ender'll be happy. And stuff."

Peter too, Topher! Don't forget Peter!