Billy Batson's Big Birthday Bash

[sayshazam]

If it had been anyone else Billy totally would have begged off hanging out with them after work that night. He had school the next day and was a little tired but he'd have to be mostly dead before he cancelled on his girlfriend. Even then he'd probably do his best to make it to her, especially with everything she was going through right now. She'd told him to just let himself into her place, which gave him a good idea of how she was feeling.

Sliding off Naga as he arrived at her apartment building he sent the polar bear dog off to do whatever it did when not hanging around with Billy. Eat fish and bother Ellie, probably. Izzy had a lot of black clothes and it turned out polar bear dog fur was kind of a pain to get off of fabric so he figured .

Heading up to her apartment he fought back a yawn as he adjusted his backpack. It wasn't even that late but maybe he could just crash at Izzy's place tonight and head straight to school from here. It would definitely save him some time.

Testing the door he found it unlocked and pushed it open. Anyone else he would have definitely said something about how dangerous it was but if someone broke into Izzy's apartment to rob her then they were totally the ones in danger.

"Babe, you in?" he called out, frowning when the lights weren't on. That didn't seem like a great thing, if she was here with the lights off. "I brought some food from work if you're hungry..."

[ooc: Tag Billy by shouting "surprise" at him or hit him up after that while he's wandering around the party. Feel free to tag each other too.]

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[deflectere]

Alec had gone back and forth on going to Billy's birthday party. He still wasn't in the best of moods and he didn't really want to be around tons of people. But, Billy was one of his friends that wouldn't ask and he wanted to support his sister if this was something she'd organized and was going to make her happy.

So, he was here. He stayed quiet while the shouting and surprise had happened but he'd managed a smile in Billy's direction, at least. He looked surprised which meant Isabelle had done her job well.

Now that the party was moving along, he'd tucked himself against a wall, turning a water glass around in his fingers and trying desperately not to think too much about anything but this party.

[sayshazam]

"If you left I'd cover for you," Billy said. He was glad that Alec was here but he was pretty sure his friend didn't want to be. Even without knowing his brother was dead Alec probably wouldn't really want to be at the party.

"I mean, I'm totally happy you came but I won't be upset if you left. I'll just tell Izzy there was a monster attack or something."

[deflectere]

"I'm fine," he said, straightening up once Billy got closer. "It's fine. No need to cover for me on your birthday. I'm really okay. And if you tell Iz there was a monster attack, she'll want to come along."

He couldn't quite muster a smile but he nodded to try and reassure Billy.

"How's it feel being older? Any different?"

[sayshazam]

"It feels weird," Billy said, frowning a bit. It was weird to think of himself as old or older. When he'd gone through his growth spurt he totally felt bigger but he didn't think he'd really felt older.

"Like... when do I start feeling like an adult? Because I totally don't feel like an adult."

[deflectere]

Alec didn't really have an answer for that. He'd felt like an adult for years now. Between taking care of his siblings and his duties, his childhood had been pretty much nonexistent.

"I don't even know what an adult really feels like," Alec said with a shrug. "More responsible? More boring? If that's the case, then I've been an adult since birth."

It was the best attempt he'd made at a joke since the news about Max and Alec was surprised he'd managed even that.

[sayshazam]

"You're not enough of a hypocritical asshole to be an adult," Billy said, although he wasn't even sure if he believed that's what being an adult was anymore. It had definitely seemed like it a few year ago but, you know, kids were dumb. Now that he was older and wiser he had some different ideas about being an adult.

"I mean... feeling like I know the answers to important stuff. Because I feel pretty clueless about things like that."

[deflectere]

Alec almost cracked a smile at that. He did nod his head in acceptance of Billy's observation. Alec knew he was a lot of things, most of them negative, but he tried not to lie and he tried to walk the talk, so to speak. If he said he was going to do something, he did it. He didn't want to not do something and criticize someone else for not doing the same thing.

"What do you consider the important stuff?" Alec asked him curiously. "What questions do you want to know the answers to?"

[sayshazam]

"Ummm, what should I do with the rest of my life? The answer to that question would be super useful," he said, only sort of kidding. It would totally be nice to know but he didn't expect Alec to have the answer to that question. His friend knew from the moment he was born what he was going to spend his life doing.

"Also maybe how come there's a double-u sound in 'one' but no double-u but a double-u in 'two' but we don't make the sound? That totally bothers me."

[deflectere]

Alec found himself staring at Billy before slowly shaking his head. He probably would have cracked a smile on a regular day but this was no regular day. He still felt a little lighter for a second or two.

"That's quite the thing to spend your time thinking about," Alec remarked mildly. "I don't know the answers to either of your questions. The first because that's something you have to decide. The second because I leave the pronunciation of words up to dictionaries. If it bothers you, maybe you should try changing the rules."

[sayshazam]

"I remember teachers back home said it was something about how English was made up of a bunch of different languages so the rules aren't messed up, they work for the language they're from," Billy said. It had really annoyed him at the time because he'd been trying to catch his teachers in some sort of lie, like there was no point in learning the rules.

"Man, I can't believe I totally just repeated something one of my teachers said," he added, making a face.

[deflectere]

"At least you paid attention in school," Alec said, sounding very lightly amused. School was one of those mundane (or so he'd thought) things that he'd never really understood or cared about. There was no need to go to school to learn about ridiculous topics that focused on the mundane world when he'd never be a part of it.

"We had tutors. Or a tutor," he said with a shrug. "He didn't say things like that."

Hodge was more to the point and brusque when it came to lessons and his statements tended to involve more mention of demons and death.

[sayshazam]

"Right, you guys were all memorizing names that could make your swords all... glowing and stuff," he said. Billy had almost said "bedazzled" but didn't want to offend Alec since they used names of angels or something to give their weapons lightsaber powers. Billy was pretty sure it was okay if he called it "bedazzling" since his magic just shortened the names of actual gods to one letter but still. Not a disagreement he wanted to have with Alec right now.

"And I mean, most of my teacher said stuff like 'Billy Batson you'll never amount to anything'. At least that's the stuff I really remember."

[deflectere]

"They said that to you?" Alec was surprised only because he thought public schools and public education were supposed to be encouraging in a positive way. He'd heard sentiments like that thrown at him before but he'd thought mundanes (and he knew Billy wasn't a mundane but he'd lived in the midst of them) weren't like that.

"I bet it was satisfying to show them up," Alec said, nodding. "I'd say you've amounted to something."

[high_warlock]

Magnus had been genuinely surprised when Alec had agreed to attend the party, and then genuinely grateful when he had actually walked in the door to Izzy's apartment. A part of him screamed to take this at face value, not get his hopes up, but the quieter, stronger voice filled him with hope. Maybe this was the beginning of the end of his grieving.

That Alec ended up holding up a wall with a glass of water didn't faze Magnus. It was reassuring. But he approached with caution all the same, careful of whatever mood Alec currently found himself in.

"Whenever you feel like leaving, we can." It was an offer he would have made at any party, really.

[deflectere]

"I'm fine," Alec told him with a shake of his head. He glanced around the party, eyes falling on the various smiles and laughter that were happening and wondered if he'd ever be able to get back there. He'd never been a huge on smiling or laughing but they happened.

Now, he didn't think he could have smiled if even Magnus asked him. He licked his lips and looked down at the water in his glass.

"I don't need to go anywhere." He planned to stay right where he was, keeping an eye on Isabelle and attempting civility with anyone who approached. "Thank you, though. It's all right, we can stay."

[high_warlock]

"As long as you're fine," was Magnus' only response. He smiled though, warm to encourage Alec, but tentative. The words were exactly the kind of thing that Magnus would hear at any other party. (His asking, in fact, was more habit than honest inquiry. They did the same thing at every party, Magnus making the offer to leave or escape and Alec politely waving him off.) But the tone was wrong. It was too strained.

But it could simply be the sound of someone trying, and Magnus appreciated that.

"The look on Billy's face was pretty well worth it," he remarked, settling into the space beside Alec, leaning against the wall. "I think he crapped himself a little. In a good way."

[deflectere]

"I am," Alec confirmed again, nodding. He'd forced himself into the closest semblance of fine he could manage. He'd shoved most of his emotions to the back burner and was getting through each day by sheer will.

Alec's gaze found Isabelle and Billy from across the room, looking for any signs of stress or tension between them. Isabelle didn't look like her normal self but she was pretty on a good front. Alec was glad she had Billy to help.

"It's probably been nearly as long for him as it was for me in between birthday celebrations," Alec replied, glancing over at Magnus. "Thank you for not doing a surprise for mine. I can deal with surprises in small doses."

[high_warlock]

"Only surprises you deal well with are demon-related." If there was any bite to his words, which he did not intend, he softened it with a fond, slight smile. As much as he disliked how often Alec went out, how much he put himself into danger, he was what he was. Shadowhunters had to be on their toes.

"We need to get you both back into the habit of birthday parties," he sighed. "And Isabelle. At least she's amenable to the idea." This, of course, coming from the man who hadn't had a birthday party for himself in several centuries.

[deflectere]

"Those are unpleasant surprises, though," Alec said even if, sometimes, he loved the thrill of an unexpected demon battle. It was adrenaline and ability combining to make him forget all of his issues and just to do what he'd been trained for.

"I'm not having a birthday party next year," Alec told him and, before he could object, added, "unless you do too."

He wasn't blind to the fact that Magnus hadn't had one this year and hadn't even mentioned it either. If he was having a party, so was Magnus.

[high_warlock]

"You only deal well with unpleasant surprises. Fuck pleasant surprises. Got it," he chuckled dryly. Sometimes he wondered how Alec had chosen Magnus of all people to be with, but Magnus was practically made of unpleasant surprises. Maybe that's why it worked.

When Alec brought up his own lack of birthday parties, Magnus suddenly found his drink utterly fascinating and stared down at it.

"I have enough parties," he pointed out. "There could never be a party grand enough to celebrate just me."

[deflectere]

"Then, I'm not having a birthday party at all," Alec said simply. He leaned back against the wall and let his eyes flick over the people assembled, never staying on one person for too long.

He glanced back over at Magnus, eyeing him for a second or two before closing his eyes and taking a few slow breaths.

"I don't need one."

[high_warlock]

"We've gone over this." He sighed, but it wasn't the sort of sigh one made before revving up for an argument. It was a resigned sigh, soft and discreet. He couldn't help it, but that didn't mean he wanted it heard and made into a big deal.

"It's different for me, Alexander," Magnus said quietly. "For a vast variety of reasons."

[deflectere]

"I'm not having a birthday party again," Alec told him, shaking his head. He wasn't going to bend on this especially not with the general mood he'd been in the past few weeks. Maybe before Max, there'd been the possibility of Magnus being able to persuade him but he wasn't having that right now.

"It's not necessary or needed. I don't want one," he said, staring down at the clear surface the water made in his glass. "There's no difference."

[high_warlock]

Why had he thought that attendance at a birthday party was progress? Why had he deluded himself? Wishful thinking was a powerful thing.

"No difference? It doesn't matter that I'm centuries old and every birthday reminds me that I'm one year closer to watching my friends age and move on and die, leaving me behind? That all it is is marking time until I lose you?" Magnus swallowed past a sudden lump in his throat, anger and sadness competing inside of him until, he realized, he was gripping his glass tight enough that it might crack.

"You liked your birthday party. You enjoyed yourself. Don't be a dick and throw it back in my face like it was a chore for you." He pushed himself away from the wall, away from Alec. "No matter how much you might wish it, Alexander, you don't get to stop living just because Max isn't," he snapped quietly.

[deflectere]

The mention of his mortality would have been enough to sour him on a regular day. The mention of his mortality plus the callous (at least that was how Alec heard it) mention of Max's death nearly made him come undone. He couldn't stop the full body flinch, pain and anguish clear in the lines of his body until he pulled himself back together.

There was a shout right on the tip of his tongue, something aggressive and mean, something he wouldn't have been able to take back if he hadn't gotten a hold of himself at the last second and, instead, glared at Magnus.

"I changed my mind. I'm leaving," he said, tone like steel. Magnus had already moved away but that didn't stop Alec from moving himself.