For Valkyrie

[sayshazam]

Billy knew all too well how much it hurt to have someone close to you, someone you cared about so much, suddenly disappear. What he didn't know (even after all this time) was how to deal with it. He didn't know how to deal with it himself and he definitely had no clue how to help someone else through it other than to be there, if they wanted. So Billy just offered to be there for Valkyrie if she wanted. He'd tossed out a few suggestions of things they could maybe do and they both settled on some sparring. Billy was pretty sure he was going to end up hurting after this.

They met at the beach, something about the sand making footing more difficult and more of a challenge. Billy was dressed just in a pair of shorts, not wanting to give Valkyrie anything like a loose shirt to grab on to. While Billy hadn't been training with anyone in particular the last year or so he had kept up with what he did know and was at least enough of a slouch that he didn't think he would be boring for Valkyrie to fight so long as she didn't use magic.

But if she needed an outlet for some aggression he was fine letting it be him. He wouldn't take it personally and if that's what he needed to do to help a friend? Well then he was happy to take a few bumps and bruise to make that happen.

"Come on," he said, giving her a smile as he slowly circled her in the sand. She'd just landed a solid kick to his side and it stung badly but he wasn't about to let her know. "Is that all you've got?"

Comments

[sayshazam]

"If I'm going to wear a bow tie and a monocle I should just wear a tuxedo," he said. The only problem was that he didn't have a tuxedo and there was no way he could afford one right now. So maybe just a bow tie then like she suggested.

"Uhhh, I believe we've already agreed that you are the best pillow. But yeah, I think ordering in and a mountain of pillows while we watch some movies sound perfect," he said with a nod. Hopefully that would help take her mind off of her friend leaving too. "I should probably shower before I lay on any pillows though."

[scion_of_ancients]

"A tuxedo's not a bad idea, actually. We'd have to get it tailored, of course," she says, looking at him again. "You know how it is with fancy clothes: they've got to show off in all the right ways." Not that her wardrobe is replete with that sort of thing, but still.

"No, we didn't agree, you just keep saying that," she says, and pokes him to emphasise the point, "and then not letting me say anything against it. I won't disagree with the shower, though. You're not allowed to get sand on my couch."

[sayshazam]

Billy and Valkyrie bantered the entire way back to her place. It was a nice, comfortable thing that meant they were able to say a lot without necessarily saying a lot. He hoped that he sparring had helped her get some of her anger out of her system, or at least see how destructive it was, for a little while. Now they could just hang out at her place for the evening and relax. They could just be two people hanging out and having a good time.

Once they were at her place Billy hopped in the shower, eager to get clean and to assess the level of bruising he had received. As the hot water ran over him he rated it all somewhere between "ouchie" and "that's already leaving a mark".

After he cleaned himself off Billy realized that he'd totally forgot to grab a towel. It was stupid and cliche but there was no way he was going to put his only pair of clothes on while they were wet.

"Uh, Valkyrie!" he shouted, sticking his head out of the shower. "Towel? I forgot to get a towel!"

[scion_of_ancients]

Seeing that Billy continued to be in a good mood and wasn't actually mad at her was just about the best thing that Val could've asked for at this point. The guilt was already eating her up, but slowly, that turned into just a small nibble. Then, as he went to get cleaned up, she sat down and waited for the cat she'd adopted months ago to curl up in her lap. It didn't take long for that to happen, nor did it take much longer for her mind to calm down. There was no way she wouldn't continue to feel a bit bad about what she'd done, but...maybe self-flagellation wasn't the way to go.

When he called out, she nearly leapt up, and it was only the cat's presence that made her get up carefully. At some point, she'd actually have to name it, she realised.

"Towels are easy," she shouted back, "they're just around the corner, in the...oh, right. Yea." Indeed, they were just around the corner from the bathroom. Right where she could see if he were to step out. Whoops. "Hang on, hang on. I'll find one for you."

If only she had a big, pink, fluffy thing that she could hand him. That would be grand. Not only were those things usually an eyesore, but they were pretty bad at being towels - which is why she didn't have any around. Instead, she grabbed a normal, light grey one, and knocked on the door, very deliberately facing the other way as she held it out.

"Here you go. Next time, remember the towel before you're dripping wet, will you?"

Okay, so maybe she could see a little, out of the corner of her eye. But she had to, she told herself. Otherwise she wouldn't know when to let go of the towel.

[sayshazam]

Billy had to awkwardly hold his hands to cover any area that he didn't want Valkyrie to see. Not that he would have thought that she would try to see, Valkyrie wasn't like that, it was just how you did that sort of thing. One person covered and the other person didn't look.

Billy had to cover less of himself when he reached out to get the towel though. Turning a bit to grab it and then wrap it around his waist as fast as he could.

"There, all decent!" he said, posing with his hands on his hips like he'd seen Superman do, like putting a towel on was some heroic feat. It wasn't a heroic a feat though, especially if you didn't wrap it tightly like Billy hadn't and it fell off your waist onto the ground.

[scion_of_ancients]

She turned when he made his grand announcement, laughed when she saw the incredibly ridiculous pose that he was pulling, and almost twisted an ankle with the speed at which she turned as the so-called garment fell to the floor.

"You know, I bet that's the reason that Superman's got his pants on the outside. Makes sure that his towel doesn't fall down. Either that, or, y'know. You should try turning it into a cape," she said, and she slowly walked away from the bathroom, nearly collapsing into a giggling fit a few steps later. "But remember to get dressed before you do!" she shouted over her shoulder. Then she let herself fall onto the couch, laughing out loud. My god, he'd been bruised. But that pose!

[sayshazam]

Somehow the fact that Valkyrie was laughing so much made Billy feel less embarrassed. Sure having someone laugh at seeing you naked wasn't ideal but he had to admit that it was a pretty ridiculous situation and he'd brought it on himself. Drying himself quickly Billy pulled his shorts back as well as his hoodie before he stepped out of the bathroom.

Even if he'd been pretty embarrassed about what had happened if she was having a complete giggling fit then it wasn't all bad. If she could still laugh like that even just for a little bit then it was worth it. He'd make a fool of himself if that's what it took for her to be happy for a bit.

"Just shut up," he said when he saw her, but he couldn't hide the blush on his face or the smile that threatened to tug at the corner of his mouth. It was kind of funny.

[scion_of_ancients]

"Shutting up," she said, and then, in an astounding display of being Valkyrie Cain, proceeded to do the exact opposite. "Only, you were posing. I'd give anything to frame that moment. If you'd been wearing clothes, of course. Instead of a towel. A towel that fell," she said. The words were barely out when the giggles started again, but she got herself under control relatively quickly.

"Okay, I'm better now. I'll be fine. I think I can order food. What do you want?"

[sayshazam]

"You so did not shut up," Billy said, even though he was grinning as he said it. The entire situation was ridiculous and as embarrassing as it was for him he didn't want her to stop laughing either, she looked like she was actually enjoying herself and that was much too important to stop doing at the moment. So he'd continue to let her laugh at him. Besides, it was pretty funny.

"I want you to have to pay the price. In tickles," he said, wiggling his fingers menacingly at her as he started to move toward her.

[scion_of_ancients]

"Ohhh, no no no. I am not paying that toll. I've already ordered food, and there's a film ready to go, and I will even let you have my purple fuzzy robe, but I have to draw the line somewhere," she said, edging away from his sinister approach. Sure, she wasn't an actor, but she was good enough to look terrified.

[sayshazam]

"See, you're over playing it. I know you're not afraid because you can easily have me on my back if it comes to that," he said, timing his lunge until just the right moment. Unfortunately the timing was right it was just the distance that was completely off and he landed face down, outstretched on the couch and still not quite touching Valkyrie. With a loud "eeeuuugghhhhh" he stretched his finger out and poked her leg.

"Gotcha," he gasped. "Let that be a lesson to you."

[scion_of_ancients]

"Oh, I can, can I? Well maybe I should just - HEY, NO FAIR!" she half-yelled, and scrabbled backwards quickly. Poor Billy really wasn't having the best day, but at least he managed to reach her. The moment his finger made contact with her skin, she made a long gasping noise, a faked rattle, and flopped backwards, stretching out both legs in her death pose.

[sayshazam]

"In light of your tragic death I admit I may have misjudged just how terrified you were of tickles," Billy said, grinning at her overly dramatic death scene. He liked that she didn't mind playing around with his ridiculousness. Billy hadn't even realized how badly he needed this until now, being able to just laugh and have fun and not think much.

"It's okay, I know how CPR," he said, sitting up and hovering over her for a moment before... quickly pulling up her shirt to expose her stomach and then leaned in to blow a raspberry on it.