doubled_speed | For Wearingthestars

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For Wearingthestars

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.

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Tommy drops Billy's hand and moves away, frowning. Right. The boyfriend. That Tommy got out so he could save. His replacement in Billy's life. Frustrating.

Teddy, meanwhile hugs Billy to him, arms firmly around him, strong and trying to be warm.

"I should have gone home with you last night. It was so... it's so quiet here."

Smiling easily, Billy feels a sense of relief being back in Teddy's presence, and he combs his fingers through Teddy's hair, lifting his head to press a chaste but reassuring kiss to his lips.

"I'm sorry," he murmurs, "I missed you."

And then he pulls back with a bashful look to Tommy.

"...I don't know if you two got to properly meet with everything that was happening."

Teddy clearly doesn't want to let the hug end, but he does when his boyfriend pulls back, and looks past Billy toward Tommy. And, after a moment, offers his hand out to Tommy. Who hesitates for a moment before shaking it.

"We sorta met with the whole Super Skrull?"

"Yeah," Tommy agrees. "I'm... I don't know how to explain it. They picked me up to save you."

"Yeah," Teddy says awkwardly. "The..."

"It's a long story," Tommy dismisses, looking awkward. "I need to meet with Cap."

Right. Cap. Billy nods, and catching Teddy's fingers to apologize for pulling away so soon. He's still not sure how to balance things with the two of them.

"Do you know where we might find him right now?" he asks.

There probably won't be balance for a good long time. And for Tommy, at least, that's going to cause tension. Teddy's too happy and kind to care.

"Last I saw, they were in the kitchen," Teddy admits. "I was supposed to wait here to see if you guys showed up."

As it had been one of the few rooms Tommy had seen before he boys had left.

Billy can't help but share a grin with Teddy. Despite what's brought him here, he knows some part of Teddy must be geeking out about having such free access to the Avengers.

"We should probably check in with him before he thinks we're skipping out on him completely and storms the house."

"Alright. Let me find thtem. You guys stay here?" Teddy suggests.

"Not like I have anywhere to go," Tommy mumbles, taking a seat.

"Thanks, Teddy," Billy smiles, and steals a quick kiss, brushing Teddy's hair back from his face reflexively, before his attention finally return to Tommy. There's a pink flush on his cheeks, and he's positively beaming after just a few minutes in Teddy's presence. He hasn't quite clued in yet as to how that might make Tommy feel, sharing a smile with him that he hopes is reassuring.

"Don't worry. We're gonna get through this."

There is no reason at all that he should be concerned for Tommy. At all. Why should Tommy feel anything but glad for Billy while watching Billy be so sweet and smiling at a guy so important to him? A guy that was so good that Tommy got busted out of jail to save. He doesn’t even mope.

“Get through?” teddy asks. He gets what he has to get through. And he frowns at it.

“New plan,” Tommy suggests. “Cap wants my head on a silver platter, right? I’ll deal with him nd you two love birds bond or whatever.”

He isn’t jealous. At all.

Looking between Tommy and Teddy, Billy doesn't feel right sharing Tommy's story for him, and falters slightly, "It's...a complicated," he offers Teddy, look saying he would explain more later.

Tommy's upset becomes more apparent, and Billy's features give a guilty twist. "You don't even know where he is-" he starts to argue.

"Doesn't fucking matter," Tommy grumbles, heading for the door. "Not like it's your problem anyway."

And he heads out without letting Teddy comment. Which leaves Teddy frowning.

"I don't get what's going on, B."

"Tommy-" Billy winces, and while he could be at his side in a second to stop him, Billy's learned by now that's usually not the best way to de-escalate things.

He sighs, and looks to Teddy. "...I think he's...both not used to having someone, and...kind of...jealous?" he tries to explain, gesturing between the two of them.

"Life's been pretty unfair to him, and...and some how we found each other, and...now he's having to share and..." Yeah...Billy's not sure what to do. And not sure he's explaining it that well.

Oh. Teddy doesn't look like he knows what to do with that. He, after all, sort of needs Billy right now, after all he lost. But...

"If you need to be with him, I won't stop you. Not right now."

Brow softening, Billy shakes his head, hating this feeling of having to choose one over the other. They're both important. They both need him.

"That's not fair to you-" he argued, but he's touched by how sweet and selfless Teddy is to even offer, moving to hug him, giving them both a moment of stillness.

Oh, Teddy definitely hugs him back. Holds him close, and tight. Lovely.

"You said he didn't have anyone who had you before, right?"

Moments like this Billy's happy to let time stretch out, grateful each second feels like so much more, and he thinks he could stay like this forever.

He nods, finger stroking absently up and down Teddy's spine, just breathing him in. "...Right."

For Billy, he can do it forever, or near enough. And that matters. Teddy shivers under the touch and then kisses his boyfriend's head.

"Go on. He's, like, your brother. Or near enough."

"...I love you so much, T," Billy mumbles, looking up at him gratefully, and he rocks up to steal a final kiss.

"And he might just be for real. I'll be back soon. I promise. Thank you, Teddy."

And before he can change his mind Billy tears himself away and after Tommy. Catching up to him isn't difficult, even with the delay, but finding him still takes a bit, given how neither of them know their way around this place.

Tommy, as it is, gets lost in the living room, and he looks Frustrated with that. Where the FUCK is Captain America?

He does, though, turn and throw up a barrier when he feels something approaching. Sorry, Billy, you disturb wind currents.

Unused to anything really being fast enough to stop him, Billy is definitely not expecting the barrier, skidding and them slamming into it with a groan as he attempts to pick himself up like nothing had happened. Those red hot cheeks? They were always like that, what are you talking about?

"...Hey," he greets sheepishly, "...no luck yet, huh? You been that way yet?" he asks, picking a path at random.

Okay, even Tommy's surprised that works. He stares at Billy in shock, and waves the barrier down.

"Sorry. I... apparently you generate a lot</> of static when you're moving. I sensed it."

Rubbing at the back of neck, Billy tries to shrug it off, though he still looks surprised when Tommy says he sensed him. "...People can't usually do that," he notes finally, looking impressed.

"...You okay?"

"Yeah, most people aren't electrokinetics who were trained to handle it as an assassin," Tommy shrugs. He didn't... he's shocked himself, but he's also a good bit scared. Right? SCary is a thing that can be.

"I'm fine."

"You sure?" Billy presses, because...well, he hadn't seemed fine when he left, and Billy's brows twist apologetically. "...Come on, I'll help you find Cap. This place can't be that big. And hopefully they have some kind of security or something for people just magicking in. They probably know we're here all ready."

"Yeah, probably," Tommy says, but he doesn't... seem pleased.

"Doesn't your boyfriend need you? Like, his family died or something."

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