Blood In My Sight

[doubled_speed]

WHO: Tommy & Kyle
WHERE:
WHAT: Tommy needs to calm down
WHEN: 6/26, After yelling at Billy and threatening Riley
WARNINGS: CW: discussions of torture and experimentation on children

This was too much. His anger was still roaring, his blood pounding in his ears, his thoughts running too fast for even him to catch up to. And Tommy just had to do what he could to calm down. He'd tried his island and stopped that when he's knocked into a tree with too much force. It fell over and he knew he was going to bruise badly from it. Then dove into the water to cool off.

Even that wasn't enough so he did the next best thing he could. He took off to find the only person he could talk to right now.

Which was showing up at Kyle's room at the hotel. Doesn't even bother to knock, or even open the door. Just vibes through.

"Kyle," he called, shocked by how raw his voice was from his distress.

Comments

[doubled_speed]

"You're free to lecture Katie and Eli if they ever show up. Promise," Tommy shrugged.

He is a bit shocked by the revelation though.

"Why?"

[kyley_b]

"It was an accident," Kyle says. "I was angry. About one thing, at first. Thought I was doing a good thing. But then it was really just me doubling down because I was actually angry about something else." He swallows hard.

"I got the wrong person riled up, and a bunch of innocent people died."

[doubled_speed]

That's not great. Not great at all.

"No one ever told me how many people, if any, died when I blew up part of my school. And then there were the Skrull. I thought I was doing the right thing. I didn't... I didn't understand at all."

Those Skrull could have had families. He wondered if Teddy would let them demand reparations against him.

[kyley_b]

"It's scary how easy it is to do bad shit when you think you're right," Kyle says quietly. He smooths a hand through Tommy's hair.

"It doesn't make you a bad person though. I don't think so, anyway. And I don't think Billy would, either."

[doubled_speed]

"If it didn't make me bad, then why put me in jail?" Tommy countered. Why weaponize him?

They already knew he was bad. It took work to be good. Bad? Maybe that was just his nature.

[kyley_b]

"Because they didn't care to understand the circumstances, or had ulterior motives. Look." He shifts to be able to see Tommy's face. "If anything, what you did would be constituted as like... involuntary manslaughter. The deaths were your fault, but it was completely accidental. So you could be held accountable, sure, but they didn't put you in jail, Tommy, they forced you into an experimental torture program. That's not justice, that's inhumane."

[doubled_speed]

"It's human though."

They do it because they can. Because mutants don't have rights. It's frustrating.

"They told me I got what I'd deserved."

[kyley_b]

"Yes. I'm afraid it is. We do it to each other all the time."

Kyle shakes his head. "You did NOT get what you deserved. At all. They were using you because they saw you as less-than, and that's not true. You didn't deserve that any more than POWs deserve to be tortured and humiliated, or immigrants detained in horrible conditions, or black people used as medical experiments without their knowledge or consent. People are shitty, and its not the victims' fault."

[doubled_speed]

It is. But Tommy hates it a lot. A hell of a lot.

"Stop being smart. IT's fucking hot," Tommy grumbles. "Next thing you know you'll be bossing me around and correcting my spelling."

[kyley_b]

Kyle snickers. "I dunno about bossing you around."

[doubled_speed]

"Ah, that'd be hot," Tommy answered, chuckling as he lets a hand settle on Kyle's hip. But the jokes don't actually get his hand exploring. He's too upset over all of this right now.

"Oh well."

[kyley_b]

"Like you wouldn't sass back. Which is also pretty hot."

He kisses Tommy softly. "We'll look out for your brother. Promise."

[doubled_speed]

Damn, they're just idiots enjoying the idiot things about each other.

"He doesn't want me looking out for him. How do you protect an idiot that won't let you do it?
"

[kyley_b]

"Sneakily. And by maybe being honest with him." Another kiss.

[doubled_speed]

Okay, no, shut up.

"I'm honest as fuck."

[kyley_b]

"We just established he doesn't know the extent of what happened to you."

[doubled_speed]

Yes, that's a thing.

"Honesty and privacy aren't contradictory man."

[kyley_b]

Kyle sighs. "You don't have to tell him. I'm just saying he'd be more likely to understand your concern and listen to you if you did."

[doubled_speed]

Was it really like that, though? Tommy didn't know. And he definitely didn't know how to bring it up. So maybe for now he can ignore the perfectly good advice.

"This is Billy. He does what he wants."

[kyley_b]

Kyle rolls his eyes a little. "Oh wow, so you're BOTH like that, huh?"

[doubled_speed]

Wait, what? Tommy gives Kyle the dirtiest look for that.

"Excuse you, I'm very much agreeable and I listen to people."

[kyley_b]

Kyle lifts both of his eyebrows and smirks.

[doubled_speed]

"Shut the fuck up," Tommy insisted, his voice soft. "I hate that I'm terrible at this, so let's pretend i'm not."

[kyley_b]

Kyle shakes his head and kisses him again.

[doubled_speed]

A kiss is good. Enough to let him close his eyes and try and let the stress pass.

It's the best he can give himself at the moment.