“Help me make a TikTok!”
“Tommy, it’s one am,” Billy grumbles, dragging a hand over his face, like he’s trying to rub away the exhaustion. His eyeliner is smudged, he just knows it, but his brother is dragging him down the hallway and knocking on Teddy’s door, rocking back and forth on his heels like his body is full of so much movement that if he stops, he might simply explode right there on the crusty hotel carpet.
Teddy answers, and Eli tells him to shut it from somewhere in the room, so Teddy steps into the hallway, closing the door behind him.
“I’m sorry to bother you-“ Billy starts, but Teddy just grins.
“It’s fine. I wasn’t ready for bed yet, anyway. Eli is, though,” he laughs, throwing a glance back towards the door. “He isn’t up for shenanigans past midnight.”
“Unlike Eli, I am a twenty four hour shenanigan enjoyer,” is Billy’s reply, which makes Tommy grin.
“Good! Both of you are gonna help me make a TikTok then!” Without waiting for Teddy’s okay, Billy’s brother grabs their wrists and proceeds to drag the two of them toward the stairs. “I was thinking you could drop me in the pool.”
“I don’t want to drop you in the pool,” is Teddy’s — quite logical — reply.
“Don’t care,” Tommy says, simply. He darts down the stairs, taking them two at a time, and thankfully lets Billy walk at his own pace, which is much slower. Teddy waits for him, hair still damp from a post-gig shower, hands in his sweatshirt pockets.
“You did really well tonight, by the way. I always love your solo,” Teddy says, and Billy’s face gets hot. He and Teddy have been… different, lately. Like something shifted. He likes it.
“Thanks. I, uh, like playing with you. It’s nice to split harmonies with someone as good as you.” Teddy beams at him, but they reach the bottom of the stairs and Tommy’s still moving, jogging in place and then running out into the pool courtyard when Billy and Teddy arrive.
“Hurry up! We don’t have all night, and I want to be tossed into the pool!” he shouts, even as Billy’s breath turns into a frosty cloud in front of him the second they join Tommy outside.
Billy’s teeth are chattering, and he shoves his hands in his jean pockets as he says, “it has to be below freezing out here.”
Teddy’s eyebrows scrunch, like he’s debating a solution, and Billy’s halfway through telling him not to worry when Teddy wraps him in a hug.
“Warmer?”
He’s grinning like an idiot, and Billy’s certain he’s blushing bright as the stoplight across the way. Teddy smells lemony, like hotel soap, and his arms are firmly around Billy’s waist, and Billy manages a nod.
Then Tommy shouts, “you know I hate to interrupt snuggle time, but I’m pretty sure the pool’s closed and I don’t want security to come before I’ve taken my video.”
“What do you want us to do?” Teddy asks. Without moving, which makes Billy feel warmer than the hug does.
“Toss me in the pool! I said that!” Tommy runs back over. “I can’t communicate with the squirrels in the park forever, people on TikTok will get bored!”
“Does your TikTok audience really require you to get soaked to the skin in the twenty degree weather?” Billy asks.
“Do your tumblr follows really require you to reblog eighteen pieces of Iliad analysis per hour?” Tommy shoots back.
“Touché.”
“Alright, I’m ready to watch Tommy get hypothermia,” Teddy says, and Tommy shoves his phone into his hand.
“You film! Billy, you gotta shove me after I finish talking, okay?”
Billy sighs. Of all of Tommy’s ideas, this really isn’t the worst, and he’s learned to pick his battles. Besides, they have a bathtub upstairs, so as long as he can convince Tommy to take a warm bath after this, it really won’t be the end of the world.
Tommy starts rambling to the camera — and starts over at least twice, once because Teddy “isn’t shaking the camera enough, you’re losing retention” — before actually glancing at Billy, and Billy has to admit, it’s slightly satisfying to shove his older brother, fully clothed, into a freezing swimming pool.
“IT WORKED!” Tommy cries, splashing wildly to stay afloat with his clothes dragging him down. Billy grabs his hands, hauling him towards the side, assisted by Teddy. Tommy hasn’t stopped talking. “Kate’s gonna think this is so funny! I can’t wait to see the look on her face- oh crap, it’s cold! Teddy, will you snuggle me for warmth too?”
The last sentence is said while lying flat on the concrete, drenched and seeping pool water from his hoodie.
Teddy laughs. “Not while you’re soaked.” He glances sidelong at Billy, and then says, “besides, I have to reserve my snuggles.”
Tommy snorts.
He looks at Billy. “As your brother, I’m legally obligated to tell you watching the two of you flirt is gross.”
“We’re not flirting!” Billy protests. But Teddy doesn’t reply. Which… sorta says enough, and Billy’s face heats up again, to the point where he’s quite glad it’s so dark out here.
(Teddy’s flirting with him Teddy as well as SAID he was flirting-)
“While you contemplate that, dear brother of mine, will you help me up?”
Billy does, trying to shove the thought out of his mind, though Tommy’s continued chattering makes it pretty easy, as they reenter the hotel staircase.
“You both are a pretty good camera crew, you know. I think we should go get some crappy hotel coffee, warm us up from the inside out.” He shoves open the door to the lobby, and though it’s deserted, the coffee machine blinks its little red light and Tommy hands Billy the first cup. He chugs his own.
Teddy stared at them. “How do you both sleep?”
“I don’t.”
“ADHD.”
Teddy sighs, which is interrupted by a yawn. “Alright, as unneeding of human rest as you are, unfortunately I am still- what is it? Bound to this mortal coil?”
Billy laughs. “Are you quoting Hamlet for me?”
“I’m quoting Hamlet to sound smart, not everything’s about you, Kaplan.” Teddy gently shoves him, and Billy bites back another smile.
“Billy’s the youngest, of course he thinks it’s about him.” Tommy gives a long suffering sigh, and Billy glares at him.
“Birth order doesn’t matter-“
“But your witchy tumblr astrology signs do?”
“They’re not astrology they’re TAROT-“
“Same difference.”
“They are not!”
Their argument has carried them all the way to Teddy’s hotel room, where it stops abruptly for Tommy to say, “g’night Theodore.”
Teddy nudges Tommy’s shoulder, as a way of goodnight, and Tommy stiffens, slightly, before darting down the hallway and calling, “it’s frickin cold out here!”
“Whose fault is that?”
Tommy doesn’t reply, but Teddy laughs. Billy can still smell the lemon soap in his hair. Somewhere, in the very distant parts of his mind, Billy’s half sure he should kiss him, just do it right now. While he isn’t thinking too hard about it.
“‘Night, Billy,” Teddy says, softly.
Billy feels rooted to the spot. He can’t kiss him, that’s insane, what’s he thinking? Teddy didn’t even confirm he was flirting. He’s just overanalyzing, and he’s just staring at the way Teddy’s hair falls across his cheek-
“Goodnight, Teddy.” The words come out of his mouth without his permission. It’s probably better though. Then whatever else he would have said.
Teddy gives him another soft smile before disappearing into his room. Billy tries not to feel disappointed.
He opens his hotel room with a click. Tommy’s sprawled across their bed. Soaking wet.
“Tommy-“