Toy Soldiers: Celebrations (PG)
Summary: In which Billy is grown up, to his own mild surprise.
Notes: Fanon puts Billy's birthday at March 23rd, so this is for prompt 91, "birthday," and happy birthday, Billy! Set several years post-canon. AU: Joey didn't die. Also, mild Billy/Joey content.
CELEBRATIONS
*
Around one, Dave leaned over the cubicle wall and said, "So, you want to go out for drinks?"
Billy looked up from his monitor. "Tonight?"
"Your birthday's today, right?"
"Yeah." Like he could've denied it. Karen had everyone's birthday up on the main bulletin board, with a special poster for people born each month.
"You didn't mention any plans," Dave said, propping his chin on the wall. "So hey, 25 has to be worth something, right? We can go out for drinks to the Phoenix Landing."
"Phoenix Landing is in Central," Billy pointed out, looking back at the half-finished email on his monitor. Do we have any plans for tonight? he typed.
"So someplace else, then. Unless you have plans."
"I'm checking," Billy told him, and sent the email.
Dave lingered a minute or so longer. "They have good Guinness at Phoenix Landing," he said wistfully.
"Yeah, but I don't think they'd like it if we all came in hungover tomorrow," Billy said.
"Oh, sure, rain on my parade." But he took the hint and went back to his own cubicle.
Fifteen minutes later, Billy's email pinged at him. Not unless you set something up and didn't tell me. Is someone experimenting with the web page again? It looks like shit.
"Billy?"
"Hang on a second," Billy said, and hit reply. One of the guys here wants to go out for drinks after work, sort of an office party. I don't think anyone's messing with the web page: what kind of shit? Then he looked up. "Liz! What's up?"
"Well, you know," Liz said, smiling at him. She was wearing bright red today, like she was trying to be festive. Then again, this was Liz. Billy wasn't sure she owned a pair of jeans. "I hear you turn 25 today. Happy birthday."
"Uh, yeah. Thanks." Billy found a grin somewhere.
"Any plans tonight?"
Billy shrugged. "Dave's talking about going out for drinks."
Pause, while Liz stood there and watched him, as if she were waiting for him to say something else. Billy glanced at his monitor, but no, there wasn't any reply email, and it wasn't like he could just turn his back and start working again while she was standing right there. Finally she shook her head a little, and said, "And your friends outside work?"
"We're doing stuff this weekend," Billy said. "I gotta work tomorrow, so I don't want to get stinking drunk, you know?"
Liz giggled at that. "Wow, all practical at 25!"
Billy opened his mouth to say yeah, Parker must be laughing his head off, then shut it again. Liz didn't know who Parker was, and he didn't feel like explaining. Besides, she was right. His email pinged again, and Liz left as he turned to look at it.
Table size is all off: I don't know if it's set too large or if it's a font problem. If the webmaster handed it over to an intern, I'll come kick his ass myself.
Office party? We have better drinks at home.
Billy wrote back, I know, I know, and went upstairs to ask the webmaster what the fuck crack he was on.
He came back to find his phone ringing and another email waiting. He picked up the phone as he sat down. "Tepper."
"Just got out of a meeting?"
Billy relaxed back into his seat, stretching out his legs. "Just got back from yelling at the web intern, genius."
"Aw, shit," Joey said dryly. "It worked, so you can delete my email -- it was just more details about what was wrong."
Billy grinned up at the ceiling. "And here I was hoping for drink suggestions."
"Hey, you're the bartender, not me. I'm just the wine guy." Billy could hear the smile in Joey's voice to match his.
"You're not just anything, Joey."
Moment of silence, then Joey sighed into the phone and said, "Love you too. See you in a few hours."
"Will do." Billy sat up and reached for his mouse.
"Oh, Billy?"
"Mmm?"
"Happy birthday." And Joey hung up.
Billy shook his head and hung up the phone before attacking his work again. He'd have to tell Dave he had plans after all. Maybe not exciting plans -- Joey had a bad cold, which was why he was working from home in the first place. But hey, he was 25. Had to grow up sometime.
-end-
Notes: Fanon puts Billy's birthday at March 23rd, so this is for prompt 91, "birthday," and happy birthday, Billy! Set several years post-canon. AU: Joey didn't die. Also, mild Billy/Joey content.
CELEBRATIONS
*
Around one, Dave leaned over the cubicle wall and said, "So, you want to go out for drinks?"
Billy looked up from his monitor. "Tonight?"
"Your birthday's today, right?"
"Yeah." Like he could've denied it. Karen had everyone's birthday up on the main bulletin board, with a special poster for people born each month.
"You didn't mention any plans," Dave said, propping his chin on the wall. "So hey, 25 has to be worth something, right? We can go out for drinks to the Phoenix Landing."
"Phoenix Landing is in Central," Billy pointed out, looking back at the half-finished email on his monitor. Do we have any plans for tonight? he typed.
"So someplace else, then. Unless you have plans."
"I'm checking," Billy told him, and sent the email.
Dave lingered a minute or so longer. "They have good Guinness at Phoenix Landing," he said wistfully.
"Yeah, but I don't think they'd like it if we all came in hungover tomorrow," Billy said.
"Oh, sure, rain on my parade." But he took the hint and went back to his own cubicle.
Fifteen minutes later, Billy's email pinged at him. Not unless you set something up and didn't tell me. Is someone experimenting with the web page again? It looks like shit.
"Billy?"
"Hang on a second," Billy said, and hit reply. One of the guys here wants to go out for drinks after work, sort of an office party. I don't think anyone's messing with the web page: what kind of shit? Then he looked up. "Liz! What's up?"
"Well, you know," Liz said, smiling at him. She was wearing bright red today, like she was trying to be festive. Then again, this was Liz. Billy wasn't sure she owned a pair of jeans. "I hear you turn 25 today. Happy birthday."
"Uh, yeah. Thanks." Billy found a grin somewhere.
"Any plans tonight?"
Billy shrugged. "Dave's talking about going out for drinks."
Pause, while Liz stood there and watched him, as if she were waiting for him to say something else. Billy glanced at his monitor, but no, there wasn't any reply email, and it wasn't like he could just turn his back and start working again while she was standing right there. Finally she shook her head a little, and said, "And your friends outside work?"
"We're doing stuff this weekend," Billy said. "I gotta work tomorrow, so I don't want to get stinking drunk, you know?"
Liz giggled at that. "Wow, all practical at 25!"
Billy opened his mouth to say yeah, Parker must be laughing his head off, then shut it again. Liz didn't know who Parker was, and he didn't feel like explaining. Besides, she was right. His email pinged again, and Liz left as he turned to look at it.
Table size is all off: I don't know if it's set too large or if it's a font problem. If the webmaster handed it over to an intern, I'll come kick his ass myself.
Office party? We have better drinks at home.
Billy wrote back, I know, I know, and went upstairs to ask the webmaster what the fuck crack he was on.
He came back to find his phone ringing and another email waiting. He picked up the phone as he sat down. "Tepper."
"Just got out of a meeting?"
Billy relaxed back into his seat, stretching out his legs. "Just got back from yelling at the web intern, genius."
"Aw, shit," Joey said dryly. "It worked, so you can delete my email -- it was just more details about what was wrong."
Billy grinned up at the ceiling. "And here I was hoping for drink suggestions."
"Hey, you're the bartender, not me. I'm just the wine guy." Billy could hear the smile in Joey's voice to match his.
"You're not just anything, Joey."
Moment of silence, then Joey sighed into the phone and said, "Love you too. See you in a few hours."
"Will do." Billy sat up and reached for his mouse.
"Oh, Billy?"
"Mmm?"
"Happy birthday." And Joey hung up.
Billy shook his head and hung up the phone before attacking his work again. He'd have to tell Dave he had plans after all. Maybe not exciting plans -- Joey had a bad cold, which was why he was working from home in the first place. But hey, he was 25. Had to grow up sometime.
-end-