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

[kyley_b]

Kyle isn't exactly in a super calm frame of mind himself - he has a rotten temper, especially if his ego is bruised - but every emotion save shock is slapped from his mind when Tommy appears.

"Dude," he says, scrambling to his feet. He opens his arms, brows knitting together in concern.

[doubled_speed]

In a way, being here made perfect sense. Tommy had gone to Kyle after arguments with Billy since they had started dating in that other world. Hell, even before then. Didn't matter that it was fake, he knew that Kyle got it. Either as Kyle the boyfriend or his Human Lite beat friend Tommy had trusted Kyle because Tommy knew Kyle had a brother and was experienced in sibling conflict.

Coming here made sense.

That didn't make Tommy feel less self conscious the second he realized that those arms were immediately open to comfort him. It was almost enough to send him running again. But the rage was still there, still boiling.

"I didn't kill the sanctimonious asshat."

[kyley_b]

Kyle's face cracked into a half smile.

"I'm legit proud," he said, sounding both sympathetic and amused. "It wouldn't be much of a fight, dude."

He dropped his arms and instead took a seat on the bed. "Talk to me."

[doubled_speed]

The arms dropping is frustrating and he wants to step forward and take the hug now but he can't. It's too late. That's lost.

Instead of going to sit on the bed he sits on the floor and leans his head against Kyle's knee.

"My brother is letting someone experiment on him."

[kyley_b]

Kyle's hand comes up at once to gently card through Tommy's hair.

"Well," he says slowly. "That's his right, as an adult, I guess. Can't say I'm stoked about it. What KIND of experimenting are we talking, here?"

[doubled_speed]

His right. Tommy makes a displeased noise. He clearly doesn't agree.

"On him, on his powers. That's never good."

[kyley_b]

"Has that happened to him before?"

Fingers still gently moving through Tommy's hair, soothing. Kyle has years of practice doting on loved ones.

[doubled_speed]

"Both of us," Tommy said. Billy's experiences with it hadn't been very pleasant, but Tommy's had definitely been longer lasting. Though one could argue it had happened to Billy twice now. "He won't listen when I tell him he can't do this.

[kyley_b]

"That's frustrating. Did he at least tell you why he's consenting to this? Because I can understand wanting to protect people, but I don't want him doing it solely out of guilt."

He was quiet a while before he said softly, "What if someone you trust was with him? While he volunteered."

[doubled_speed]

"He says to make sure he can't be used like that again. Which means he's actually doing it solely out of guilt," Tommy offered, immediately translating from 'stupid twin' to 'plain talk'.

Tommy just closed his eyes and wanted to scream.

"IT doesn't matter why he consents, his powers have a weakness, and if that guy wants he can take advantage of Billy."

[kyley_b]

"Shit. And he won't listen to anyone else, huh?"

Kyle coats considers and then immediately rejects the idea of kidnapping Billy.

"Don't you think that's less likely if one of us is present at all times?"

[doubled_speed]

"No," Tommy grumbled. He got tortured over this shit because people claimed they just wanted 'to know' and 'to understand' and 'help him control'. Too bad Billy refuses to listen to experience.

"The big dog is going to keep an eyes on him. I saw that briefly. She was angry too.

[kyley_b]

"Hm." Kyle wondered if maybe he shouldn't try anyway.

"At least there's that. Lauri-Ell can snap most people in half." He sighed and leans down to kiss the top of Tommy's head. "I'm sorry," he said. "I know it's scary. For him, and you."

[doubled_speed]

"After what happened to me, I can't imagine why he'd agree to this? Except fear."

[kyley_b]

"I guess he thinks the circumstances are different enough."

Then, carefully and gently as can be, "Did you wanna talk about it?"

[doubled_speed]

"What, you wanna hear about the time I got signed over to be tortured because my parents are assholes?"

That sounds like the least sexy conversation someone could have. Ever.

[kyley_b]

"If you want to talk about it, yes."

It's not really about sexy, Tommy.

[doubled_speed]

This is a horrible idea and Kyle will judge him and not love him and there are so many things he could say and will say and doesn't know what to do about the saying of it, but Kyle wants to know, and Tommy hasn't spoken of it much except with Wanda and...

His mind circled like d dog chasing it's tail until he finally sighed.

"After I accidentally blew up part of my school, well, everyone got that my powers meant I couldn't go into a normal jail. Turned out there was an organization that kept powered teens off the streets. Except they weren't all nice people."

[kyley_b]

"So basically a maximum security prison for a children, no doubt free from any of the already dubious protections prisoners usually get," Kyle said. He sounded pissed.

"Which means that they were allowed to do whatever they wanted to you. Oh, Tommy, I'm so sorry."

[doubled_speed]

"Worse than just a max security prison for kids," Tommy answered, his voice soft. "Mary and Frank signed their parental rights over to them, Kyle. I belonged to that place and they could do what they wanted. And they wanted weapons."

He was supposed to be one. Had come out just short of it.

[kyley_b]

Kyle slid down to the ground to pull Tommy into a hug.

"They made you do really bad stuff, huh?"

[doubled_speed]

"I know what force it takes to make a heart explode," Tommy whispered. "I know exactly how much food I need to still tap my powers, but feel like I'm starving. I can't stand dogs because of them."

[kyley_b]

Kyle hugged him tighter. The implications were horrifying, and his heart ached for Tommy then, going through so much terror and pain, and Tommy now still dealing with the trauma.

Hurt doesn't go away, Kyle thought. It burrows deeper.

"I can understand why you're so worried."

[doubled_speed]

Everything he knew and had ever known about people looking closely at mutant powers was pain and suffering. So of course he didn't trust it.

"If it wasn't for Billy and his team showing up, they would have won."

[kyley_b]

"I'm so sorry, dude." He rubbed Tommy's back in slow circles.

"It's not okay that that happened. And it's okay you're scared. It's a little different this time, but... I understand why you're freaked out."