I don't own YA.

A/N: Pre-Series.

WARNING: Gender-bender.

Feel Good in Your Skin

It hasn't been that long since the four youths came together to form a rag-tag team of would-be heroes to try and make up for the Avengers' absence. They had their uniforms and codenames, at least, but still didn't have a proper group name.
Oh well, they thought; they could decide on that later. Like - after they each got a hang of their powers, which was what they were desperately trying to do.

"Nice black-out." Patriot debatably praised, debatably mocked as Asgardian's latest attempt at using his powers rendered the nearby district without electricity.

"They'll be thankful once they get the power bill." Hulkling tried to reassure, and put a hand on Asgardian's shoulder. That made the spellcaster-in-training smile, only to snicker next.

"You think? I could've sworn I heard someone crying out over an interrupted download-"

"I take it back; you're a villain."

The culprit managed to let out a growl in protest before a different tune was sung.

"That was amazing, Asgardian!" Iron Lad exclaimed, an awed expression on his armor's mask. "I didn't think you were capable of that already!"

The mage-to-be shifted in discomfort, obviously uncertain as to how to accept the odd praise.
Hulkling thought the somewhat flushed blush on his face was adorable, but forced himself not to dwell on that too much.

–

As far as using his powers went, Teddy didn't really need the practice. Unlike Eli who underwent the blood transfusion not too long ago, or Billy who only recently discovered his powers, Teddy's been familiar with both his super-strength and shapeshifting abilities from a young age. He found he had little to do during the times Nate had them training on their lonesome, to better get comfortable with their powers before they worked as a team.

"What am I supposed to do in the meanwhile?" Teddy asked, feeling a bit left-out.

"You can help me train." Billy suggested almost too quickly, and had an explanation at the ready all too conveniently. "It helps when I train with someone."

For a moment their eyes met, and Teddy let himself melt at the sweet smile Billy directed at him. But alas, like most moments between them, this wasn't to last, either.

"You said I was being a pain." Eli objected and crossed his arms.
Teddy could've sworn Billy puffed his cheeks for a moment there.

"It's different with you-"

"How?!"

"Teddy-" Nate interjected, drawing Teddy's attention away before he could hear exactly what Billy thought the difference between Eli and him was.
"I respect your abilities, but simply changing into something isn't enough. You need to feel comfortable regardless of what you change into, otherwise you might not be able to use that form well."

Teddy chewed on his lower lip for a moment.

Done with Eli, Billy was back to giving him this look and oh, did Teddy want to accept Billy's offer to, er, let Teddy help him. But Nate did have a point, Teddy concluded finally and ruffled his hair in frustration.

"Right, ok, fine. I'll… change into a couple of random things, I guess."

"Change into me again and I'll punch you." Eli huffed. "It was too weird the last time, too."

"Yeah, seeing you be actually nice was kind of tripping, Eli."

"Shut up, Billy."

Shapeshifter and aspiring mage both exchanged looks and smiles before each turned to his own training.

–

As far as changing into people went, Teddy had an unlimited amount of possibilities. Friends, schoolmates, celebrities, even made-up appearances - Teddy could change into whoever he wanted. Eli was an experiment at the time, an example of his abilities, but even without Eli's request (it wasn't much of a threat, as Teddy was stronger) Teddy had no intention of changing into him. He wasn't about to change into Nate, either.
But Billy… Billy was a different story.

No, Teddy was not about to change into Asgardian in front of the others, but if he was to be honest with himself, that was one of the forms he took most often lately. Not in public, of course, that would be from weird to freaky. But at home, alone, with no one there to see or hear him? Then he all too easily found excuses to practice with that specific form.
For instance, how he liked the complex details of the Asgardian's outfit, or that he wanted to "try on" that body type, or how it was funner to pretend he had other powers like that.

But Teddy knew well that was all those reasons were - excuses. He didn't change into Eli or Nate or Steve Rogers or Tony Stark. He kept changing time and again into Billy Kaplan, and he knew well why.
Teddy just wanted to see Billy more often. Yes, he saw him during training, and yes, they hung out outside of that, but Teddy wanted more and he had no idea how to achieve that without being a stalker.
He wanted to hear Billy's voice, but eventually they both ran out of things to say on the phone, and admitting that even hearing Billy's breathing was enough just… didn't seem like such a good idea.
So there Teddy was, all alone in his home, and not looking like himself, but rather like the subject of the crush he long since knew escalated into an obsession.
But he could do it, then, all those things he wanted to see and hear, whenever he wanted to - a smile; a laugh; the texture of his hands, of his lips. Of-

But that could only work for so long, he knew, as not only did he feel worse after every time he did that, he knew it didn't feel half as good as it could - as it should - with the real thing.

Unfortunately, the reality of the matter was that Billy - most likely - didn't return Teddy's feelings. As nice as the guy was, as good a time as they had together, Billy was still that - a guy, as was Teddy. Guys didn't like other guys that often, which was why Teddy got the craziest idea one time Nate pulled his usual 'try new things' speech.

If Billy didn't like him the way he was, Teddy'll just change that. He did it before, right? For all the pain that was involved. He just had to make sure that this time, he wouldn't mess it up.

–

Training not surprisingly had Eli and Nate at each other's throats again. It was a chance, and Billy was only too happy to run away into a different part of the mansion. It was quieter there, with no one to get on his case for wanting to sit down for five goddamn minutes.
A sigh left him as he sat down heavily and pulled his forehead plate off. The thing weighed a ton when he was tired…

"And here I thought you'd never get away."

The voice startled him, but the next moment he relaxed as he found Teddy was there with him, not even in his Hulkling form.

"Nah, they have eyes for none but each other~" Billy declared dramatically and held a hand to his chest.
Teddy snorted as he sat down as well, though he kept some distance between them.
Had he looked, he'd have seen the disappointed look on Billy's face at that - but he didn't.

"They never get tired of it, huh." Teddy commented idly and glanced at Billy from the corner of his eye.
The teen looked at ease enough; maybe Teddy should give it a try? Then again, Teddy enjoyed the relaxed times between Billy and himself. To push it…

Oblivious to Teddy's inner dilemma, Billy kept up the idle conversation
"So long as they get it on when I'm yes-tired and I can escape for a bit, I could care less."

Teddy nodded in agreement and gave Billy a once-over. He really did look exhausted, and Teddy couldn't blame him.
"You're really making progress, though, you know."

The look Billy gave him was quite harsh, and Teddy wasn't sure what he's done wrong.

"Seriously, Altman? You're the last person I expected to get the pity-talk from."

Teddy blinked before holding his hands up in a defensive position.
"Wha- no! No pity about it, I mean it! You improved so much, it's uncanny!"

Billy raised his hand; Teddy fell silent. Next, Billy sighed before smiling apologetically.

"Heh… I didn't really mean that. Thanks, though."

Teddy relaxed visibly, only to tense up again when Billy turned his full attention to him.

"It's different for you, though, right? I mean, you found out about your powers a good while ago?"

Teddy shifted a bit uneasily and had a hard time meeting Billy's eyes.
"I guess…"

"Do Nate's little mind-games do anything for you, at all? The whole 'become what you look like' shebang? Feeling good in someone else's skin?"

Teddy pursed his lips.
"I'm… getting the hang of it, I guess."

"Oh? That's good to hear." Billy hummed, though he had a hard time seeing why Teddy didn't seem any enthusiastic about it.
"You, uh-" He tried to keep the conversation going, even if he found it hard to look at Teddy right then.
Teddy actually appreciated that, though.

"Did you come up with any new 'arch-types' to, you know… cosplay as?"

"A few." Teddy finally said, in a voice that was all wrong.
It was enough of a giveaway for Billy to brace himself, but when he turned back to Teddy, he found instead 'Theodora'. It was all he could do, not to fall back from the broken pillar he was sitting on.

"That… is different from regular-you, I suppose." Billy said eventually and looked Teddy over.

The form he assumed was rather petite, especially in comparison to the regular Teddy, with short spiky hair and what was an aptly sized bosom for his assumed height and figure.
Breasts; now there was something Billy never knew how to respond to.
Of course, even if his eyes didn't show much interest, he did turn to look, a fact Teddy took to heart.

"Do you like it?" The blonde asked and leaned a bit towards the other.
Billy blinked at the question at first before smiling a bit awkwardly.

"It's… a bit more you than other 'designs', I guess." He offered finally and pointed at his own ears.
"Even kept the earrings."

Teddy huffed.
"Of course I did!" He concluded quite proudly, at which Billy snorted.

"Well, they are pretty cool, I suppose."

A pang ran through Teddy. Billy never said anything like that to him as a guy… but he did now, right? So Teddy decided to go on with it for a while longer.

"They're amazing, and I'll get you to admit it yet!" He huffed, only to regret it the next moment. Was that lady-like at all?
Still, it got Billy laughing, and that was a good thing, wasn't it?

"Ha ha, good luck with that, but I can imagine there are more worthy things to strive for than my approval of your earrings."

"My amazing earrings."

"So I've been told."

Teddy smiled. The air between them was mostly the way it usually was. Now, if only Eli and Nate would keep each other busy for a while longer…

"So, what- are you considering a She-Hulk routine?" Billy asked in quite the light tone.
Teddy rolled his eyes.

"It would make explaining why I don't have anger-issues easier, at least."

This was easy. This, he could do. But even if Billy was still as fun to be with as always, something was different, Teddy noted. Billy seemed to keep a bit of a distance between them, and Teddy realized the guy's eyes were always, always on his face which just should not have happened.
True, he wasn't sure how he'd have felt if Billy gawked at his chest right then, but this was weirder.
Then again, Billy did seem somewhat more… self-conscious? There was a touch of awkwardness between them. That made sense, Teddy thought, as he could imagine Billy to be the type to go tense around the girl he was attracted to.
Well; in that case…

The sound of a zipper coming undone drew Billy's attention, but he looked away immediately.

"It's hot in here, isn't it?" Teddy asked, leaving the shirt's zipper a bit too undone.

"That's the guy in you talking." Billy replied with a chuckle.
He seemed highly uncomfortable in light of Teddy's advances, but as Teddy could only see one reason behind it, he continued, thinking Billy only needed some coaxing before he made a move.
Some more initiative on Teddy's part, some more skin showing, some more-

Teddy's eyes snapped open when Billy's hand rested over his own. There we go, Teddy thought with mixed feelings. Even a nice kid like Billy just needed to be taunted enough before he reached for a girl's chest.
A girl - something Teddy definitely wasn't.
He was halfway to coping with that when he realized Billy wasn't intently undressing him. In fact - he was pulling the zipper up, fully covering Teddy before Billy withdrew his hand.
Teddy stared at Billy, who was looking back with quite the sealed expression before he looked away.
Baffled and quite lost, Teddy kept gawking, mind trying to come up with anything to say to break the heavy air he stupidly brought down on them.

"Billy, I-" He managed.
Billy offered him a side-glance, but Teddy was spared admitting he had nothing more to say. Nate and Eli were done arguing, and were calling out to their teammates.

Billy rose to his feet. He managed three steps, a fourth, before he held the hand gripping onto his forehead plate to his forehead.

"You know, you don't look comfortable like that at all. In fact, you look about as uncomfortable as I feel."
He glanced over his shoulder for a brief moment, only to shake his head.
"I really don't like the form you're in right now."

Teddy stared after Billy as he stalked off, and struggled to wrap his mind around what just happened. His own agreement with Billy's words aside, Billy was either - one - the world's greatest gentleman, two - too aware of Teddy's actual gender to get into it, or three - as opposed to Teddy's belief, Billy just wasn't all that into girls.
Whatever it was, Teddy knew he'd have to face Billy sooner or later, and decided to stall for only as long as he could until someone came to drag him back.

–

Teddy didn't get to talk to Billy again until after the training session was over. He did, however, notice the relief that washed over Billy when Teddy rejoined the team as his real self, and so he realized he was actually looking forward to their next conversation.
He still felt quite awful about the uneasiness between them, but all Billy had to offer was a smile that was as welcoming and distantly bashful as he usually did.

"This form-" He started, making Teddy turn to him. "It looks a lot better on you." Billy admitted, and didn't stop talking even in light of Teddy's awed stare.
"In fact, it- it looks great." Billy added and scratched the back of his neck.
It was all Teddy could do to keep from gapping, and when Billy looked at him next, uncertainty written over his features, Teddy decided to accept it for what it was - a compliment.

"So. Guess I'll see you and your amazing earrings tomorrow?" The spellcaster asked and leaned on his staff.
Teddy could do only one thing in response to that question - he laughed. He then took half a step towards Billy and leaned a bit closer.

"Myself, as well as my dashing earrings-"

"Oh they upgraded-"

"Will be here tomorrow as well, yes."

Billy smiled back, and then - finally - Teddy could've sworn Billy snuck a glance down at Teddy's chest. Then, of all times.

"It's a date, then."

"Double date with Nate and Eli, oh joy."

Billy snorted, seeing as relieved as Teddy was to have put that stupid incident mostly behind them.

"See you tomorrow, then."

"See ya."

Behind them as it was, it still happened, and both learned their lessons from it.

They kissed for the first time several days later, and began officially dating the following week.