For Wearingthestars

[doubled_speed]

I wish I wasn't alone.

The words were whispered from inside the relative safety of the tiny closet in Tommy Shepherd's bedroom in Springfield, New Jersey. Whispered because there was no way that he wanted Frank or Mary, fighting in the living room, shouting and screaming, to hear them.

I wish I wasn't alone.

Repeated as Tommy held his hands out before him in the darkness palms up. He put as much conviction behind them as he put into anything he said starting with those two words. He had found rather quickly that whatever this power of his was, it came more readily when he framed it as a wish.

I wish I wasn't alone.

He repeated a third time. Three times always seemed to be the right amount when it came to willfully using his power. Even now he could see the faint green glow of energy radiating from his hands, trying to catch his words and shape them into whate he was asking for. At school he didn't always need it three times. He could feel the energy building in his gut like a tidal wave and crashing over him when he wished the bullies would leave him alone, or that he'd actually gotten a good grade so Mary wouldn't yell at him, or that the shirt that got torn up and bloody was clean so Frank wouldn't hit him for wasting good clothes.

Now, though, the words didn't seem to catch, and after a moment of held breath, the energy faded back, leaving behind only the briefest flash of sparks and static that he had to shake out of his hands. Apparently even magic, or whatever this was, couldn't help him.

It was a stupid wish, anyway, Tommy realized as he pulled his legs up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. And then, of course, he flinched at the sound of a breaking plate. They were getting bad tonight. He didn't want to be alone, not with them shouting like that. Sometimes it turned into Frank driving off to drink. Sometimes Mary stormed to their room and locked the door, leaving Frank on the couch. The former tended to mean Frank not coming home at all that night, and when he did the next day he smelled like booze and some other woman's perfume. The latter tended to mean Tommy couldn't sneak some breakfast in the kitchen before school, or being caught if he tried and he really didn't want to be on the receiving end of Frank's belt.

“Dammit. All I wanted was someone to talk to.”

He feels the rush of power even as he feels his body go limp and the world go dark around him. It’s a strange mix between a sneeze and passing out. When the sensation passes things are weird. For one thing, he can’t feel his body. There isn’t the cold of his room or the rough drag of his scratchy wool sweater that is too small for him or even the gnawing in his belly. No, there is just the swelling feeling of his magic, a prickly energy across his skin, and this place.

This new place is nicer than his room. There is more space. There are nerdy decorations on the wall. There are no cracks anywhere or dents from fists or broken furniture. He hates seeing how much nicer this place is than his home. But he is more interested in why his magic brought him here. And in the soft green light everything around him seems bathed in. Tommy raises his hand, or maybe just the concept of a hand, and is faced with the scary truth. His whole body is green and transparent. Okay. That is a bit weirder than normal.

Welcome, Tommy Shepherd, to the world of astral projection. And Billy Kaplan? Meet the strange, glowing ghostly boy in your room.

Comments

[doubled_speed]

Staying sounds good. And Tommy shifts to lie down. He needs to rest.

[wearingthestars]

While Tommy shifts Billy takes the opportunity to retrieve the pillows from the air mattress as well, though the movement is so quick it's hardly noticeable, arranging the pillows and blankets so they'll be comfy.

[doubled_speed]

Oh, that's... that's good. Tommy shifts onto the pillows to get comfortable, still holding the rabbit close.

"What now? Just sleep?"

[wearingthestars]

"Yeah, if you're sleepy," Billy agrees with a fond smile, "I can get the lights."

[doubled_speed]

Sleepy? He's already asleep. Which he never managed so fast before. This is absolutely good. Too easy to sleep here, knowing he'll be safe.

[wearingthestars]

The silence surprises him, and Billy carefully extracts himself to shut the light off, settling as quietly as possible, close to Tommy. It feels right. Like they've always been together. And Billy's not going to let anyone take him away again.

[doubled_speed]

There's only so much a sleeping person an do, and that includes snuggling up another person. Which means cuddling in close to Billy, desperate to be right there.

[wearingthestars]

The cuddling is accepted easily, and Billy lets himself relax. He knows he won't need as much sleep as Tommy does. He rarely sleeps as long as a typical person any more, but after everything they've been through, he's pretty exhausted.

So long as Mom doesn't come in and split them up, it should be safe to sleep. Only, when he closes his eyes he sees Mrs. Altman's face, and suddenly sleep doesn't seem so possible.

It's a while before he manages to actually drift off.

[doubled_speed]

It's probably a miracle, of no small degree, that Tommy doesn't wake up screaming at any point in the night. It's also unsurprising that throughout the night Rebecca, clearly unable to sleep herself, peeks into the room. Does she see the boys together? Yes. Does her face speak of concern? Yes. Does she move them?

Given the fact that about an hour in Tommy's clinging to Billy about as bad as the twins get after a nightmare...

No, no she doesn't.

And when morning finally comes, Tommy comes awake with all that suddenness of a person too broken to risk being vulnerable. Not that he says anything or moves. Just tries to fight back the panicked breathing that comes with knowing he doesn't know where he is. Sure, his body is awake, but his brain is definitely panicking.

[wearingthestars]

Billy wakes a few times, particularly when he finds Tommy clinging to him, and he sleepily tries to soothe him, though he forgets most all of it by the time he wakes for good.

He shifts, blinking a little in confusion, unsure why he's slept so long, and why he's awake now, offering a bleary sort of smile to Tommy, head tilting as he takes in that too quick breathing.

"...Hey-" he says softly, decidedly slow and quiet in his approach. "...Morning."

[doubled_speed]

Well, like anyone as going to wake them for school today.

"Billy?" Tommy asks, confused, and then briefly hopeful. "IT wasn't a dream?"

[wearingthestars]

"Mmm, no, not a dream," Billy confirms with a small laugh, sitting up and stretching.

"You're really here." He reaches a hand to lay briefly over Tommy's to confirm it. "You sleep okay?"

[doubled_speed]

No, He didn't sleep okay. But he slept better now than he had before. He reaches out and touches the tip of Billy's nose. Yeah. Okay. He's okay. He's alive.

"We were promised crepes, right?"

[wearingthestars]

The touch prompts another laugh, cheeks flush, and Billy nods, passing a hand through his hair to try and tame it from the sleepy mess it's become.

"Man, Dad is going to love you. You are so into whatever he makes."

[doubled_speed]

"Dude, I don't even know if what he makes is any good yet."

What, he's never had crepes. But he wants to.

[wearingthestars]

"...You're going to love it," Billy concludes with a smirk, checking his phone to see if there's been any activity while he's slept, making a show of mussing up the blankets on the air mattress to make it look slept in, unaware they were caught in the act last night.

[doubled_speed]

Tommy smirks at the mussing and, after some consideration, leaves the new rabbit on the air mattress.

"So, uh, do we wash up before breakfast or something?"

[wearingthestars]

Glancing back at him, Billy gives a surprised sort of smile, and gives a shrug.

"...It's encouraged, but rarely observed," he offers with a smirk. With three sons there's some battles they don't bother fighting. Still, he thinks Tommy's going to earn himself some serious brownie points, he's like the perfect son.

[doubled_speed]

He’s a horrid son. He’s the worst. His parents told him that a LOT. To the point where he honestly believes it.  And he so desperately wants the Kaplans to like him. 

“Well let’s do it then. Don’t want them throwing me out for not observing rules.”

[wearingthestars]

"Right?" Billy snorts, starting to nod, and then he realizes that Tommy means it. There's a short pause, where Billy frowns, before adding, "I break the rules all the time and they've never tossed me out. You should be good. Don't worry about it so much, 'kay?"

[doubled_speed]

“You’re their son,” Tommy counters. But his tone says ‘that doesn’t really count for anything.’

[wearingthestars]

Well, in a few days they'll know whether that's true for Tommy as well, but clearly the Shepherd's must have given him the impression this was a real possibility, so maybe that wouldn't be quite the assurance he thought it would.

"So bask in this short time where you are their son's friend and have even fewer expectations on you," he tries, "We can cover our bases though, if you wanna wash up."

[doubled_speed]

Well, that's not a bad idea. Tommy offers a brief nod and gestures for Billy to lead. Still doesn't know that he'd be welcomed on his own.

"They... your brothers going to be home today?"

More people. He might not be cool with that yet.

[wearingthestars]

Taking the lead, Billy has to think, not really sure how long his brothers will be away for. "...Probably latter?" he guesses uncertainly, "They're not so horrible. They'll probably like you."

[doubled_speed]

Tommy's having a hard enough time dealing with Billy's parents, which probably isn't fair to them. They'd nice people, they really truly are. But that doesn't mean he knew how to handle them or other kids. Sure, he tried his best, but that was what it was. Which wasn't enough.

"We should, you know, go get food."