revivalproject | [Backdated] Storm: Our Lives On Display

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[Backdated] Storm: Our Lives On Display

WHO: Tommy Shepherd, Open
WHERE: Temba
WHAT: Two Stormy Memories
WHEN: During Storm Week
WARNINGS: CW: Child Abuse in starter 2

I. A Memory of Delight

Storms. Tommy hates the storms. In fact, if he could just have 100% less storms, he'd be very happy. The happiest a man can be. With the storms he's just... He's lesser. It's always upset him. Always hurt him. Always left him frayed around the edges. But hey, this time they were supposed to be spotty? So he tries to go about his life.

Problem is, this one hits when he's alone, and man if Tommy wasn't on his way back from the new Avengers manor or whatever Tony was calling it. Turned out he didn't like being in his room there, still a work in progress, when the storms and world felt so draining. So walking back was a thing.

And of course, that's when a storm rolled in over him. The second the rain started he felt his powers go and Tommy just cursed. Because, well, what the fuck was going on here? Why did the rain hate him in particular? Cursing one more time, this time in Polish just for good measure, he finds a bit of stone overhang and sits his ass down. If he doesn't move, logically he shouldn't have troubles, right?

Except there's something different today. Of course there is. The rain is getting thick enough that it's hard to see beyond his hand and for some reason... it almost looks like he's in his room above the diner, which makes no sense at all.

II. A Memory of Pain | CW: Child Abuse will be depicted in threads from this starter

That was an experience that was shaking, and for a while, Tommy just stays back in his room at the diner, cuddled up by the fire even though it made him too hot because it just reminded him of what was happening in the moment. It was safer. It was better.

It wasn't enough because anxiety was prone to driving Tommy out of comfortable situations. Which was why he was outside again, heading for the greenhouse. His other safe place. The one that made him feel like he was useful and had a place where he fit in. Even if he had no powers, he could help the plants, right?

What a mistake that was, going outside. Because while it was clear when he stepped out, by the time he made it across the square and was nearing the greenhouse, the rain started. And this time, well, the change comes quickly.

Too quickly.

Comes in the form of his feet stepping not on the road but on familiar worn down wood. He knows the creak his foot produces almost instantly. And there's the sound of a truck door closing.

Sure it's Tommy there, but it also isn't Tommy there, because to another person's eyes it's Tommy but younger. Tommy but with hair as dark as his brother's, not a hint of white in it. A younger, childhood Tommy who is flinching at the sound of booted footsteps nearing in the rain...

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Are you fucking kidding me? That's nasty." Even if it was just Eddie's table. Finally, he straightens up and lets one of those hands stroke down Tommy's arm to take his hand. "Yeah, c'mon. I wanna get in as much as I can before you run off to get a break from my amazingness."

Which they both knew it wasn't that, but it helps Billy feel better. Tommy promised to come back and Billy knew he'd keep to it. He kept to giving Billy all those chances and believing in him, so the guy wouldn't slip up now.

He leads them up to the top level, into a room that's decorated with green and purple stuff. Not his taste, but it was a place to live while the winter raged on outside. His bundle of stuff is by the door where he put it after getting the tape player, and he undoes it now. Blanket and pillow, his medication, the precious vase of shells, all get put back in their winter spots. The matching earring from Tommy's birthday gift catches what little light streams in through the window as he sets the vase down. "Not the beach house, but this place did well for me during the winter."

"Yep."

Which Tommy has/will deal with by telling Eddie he's responsible for cleaning it.

When they enter the room, though, Tommy has to stop. To chuckle. Because of course.

"You found her room," Tommy observes. "Explains why you're so far up. Bet she chose this space because the stairs were part of her exercise routine. Geez. Building a gym and obstacle course wasn't good enough for the Accuser I guess."

He moves right to the bed, drops his damp shoes that he hasn't bothered putting back on by the wall, and sits.

"At least she had taste. And you were smart. Higher up means warmer. Good plan. Plus possible emergency egress by getting to the roof and calling me or one of the fliers. Smart boy."

A brow raises at the chuckle. There's about to be a protest about the colors when Tommy explains that it was someone else's room at some point. He had no idea who this person was that Tommy was referring to, but she had to be some kind of badass to use the stairs as part of her routine.

"Yeah, warmer up here, even if it takes longer to get to the showers downstairs. Figured if someone came after me here, they'd trip on the stairs and I'd hear them to give me a headstart out." Billy sits down next to Tommy. Reaching behind where he threw it, he pulls the blanket over their shoulders and leans his head to Tommy's. "I'm your smart boy, and you're my pretty boy."

"You're my pretty boy too," Tommy points out. Then he leans against his boyfriend more fully.

"Lauri-Ell developed some personality, but apparently couldn't separate it from the Empire. Uh... You got here after she left. Kree woman, Billy and Teddy's bodyguard when Teddy becomes Emperor and Billy is the Prince-Consort. She was so protective of Billy. It was nice having another set of eyes on him. And now he's got Soldier."

"Handsome boy," he corrects instinctively, then frowns. Because if 'pretty' was too feminine for him, then what did that mean when he used it for Tommy? "Well, okay. Only you get to call me a pretty boy." One hand makes it way up and around to hold onto Tommy's shoulder."

And he listens. "Yeah? No idea what a Kree is. Er, who. Who a Kree is. But I guess I just took her place but as your bodyguard. Bodyguard with boyfriend benefits. And Soldier's cool. He's training me sometimes."

"Pretty and handsome," Tommy counters. "You're both, babe. And that's okay."

But really, Tommy would happily wear a dress or date someone who did even if they were a guy, so he's definitely more free with shit like that than other people.

"What is fair. They're another species. She was almost seven feet tall, a wall of muscle. Blue skin, white hair. Wielded a giant, scientifically magic hammer that was bonded to her on a genetic level. And she cared about people. She... threw Billy and me a birthday party one year."

It was weird to think she would do that for him as well. Really weird.

"Soldier's training me a little too. Not many people here fast enough to teach me how to do things."

Damn. Sounds like someone who could train Billy, too. "Wow, that's tall. Good thing she's not here otherwise I might have competition." He gives a very slight pinch to tease, on Tommy's arm. "She sounds like someone who'd be good at training a lot of people. Like Gladio and Soldier."

"I'm guessing you're what they call a fast learner. Literally. Glad Soldier's teaching you. Maybe one day I'll spar with you."

"Competition for what?"

Because Billy's not the tallest, strongest, or buffest here. Just the prettiest.

"She tried. She was a soldier, and cared about people I guess. But she's gone home now. To protect the Emperor and the Prince-Consort."

As for Tommy, he snorts.

"Speed-reading definitely helps me learn things that I don't always retain. But muscle memory is a whole other thing. And being confident with how much speed or force I'm putting into something. I'm starting with Soldier so I can even learn how to fight someone without speed and not shatter their bones."

"Well she's tall and I bet she was pretty. And strong. Sounds like but as a chick with blue skin and white hair." There's a pull at the corner of his lips at the mention of the woman going home. "I guess that happens a lot here. Aliens realizing maybe some people aren't cut out to be the heroes they want us to be."

Maybe that said something about Billy since he was still here. Something about Tommy for certain.

"You seem pretty pacifist in fighting. Which is funny because the shit I hear about superheroes is a lot of collateral damage and stuff. I guess you're trying to offset that kind of stuff."

Now he starts scooting back on the bed, intending to get the cuddling started.

"I don't know if she was pretty," Tommy rolls his eyes. "But she was cut out to be that sort of hero. A soldier for her people, the Accuser for the Throne, she's got nobility seeping out of her pores or some shit."

But Tommy thinks Billy has potential. A lot of it. Which makes him feel good too.

"I try not to hurt people more than I have to, Billy. I've killed on accident. I would prefer not to do it unless I mean it, and I only mean it if someone I love is threatened or there is no other choice."

So yeah, collateral damage happens, but he tries to avoid it. That's not his duty. Then, with his boyfriend moving away, he lays down as well and rolls to cuddle up against Billy.

The title of Accuser didn't sound good in Billy's book, but he doesn't linger on it. Whoever Lauri-El was didn't matter right now because this was his bed now, and he was gonna cuddle on it. "I know. You wouldn't have this whole thing about the moon and stuff if you didn't want to avoid it. You're a superhero after all, not a supervillain."

"I know you wanna be the big spoon, but humor me, and let me be the big spoon first. Then we can switch, okay?" Because he's already pulling gently at Tommy to do just that. Even moves the blanket to try and cover them both.

"I could have been. A supervillain."

It would have been so easy. "But my brother and them, they believed in me. Gave me a chance. Like I believed in you and gave you a chance the best I could."

He could protest, he wants to protest. But the way Billy just moves him, well... He allows it. Because he's still shaken. Still sad. Still scared.

"Okay, but not for too long, alright?"

"But you're not. I'm glad they gave you a chance like you gave me one." What kind of person would he be right now if he had never had someone believe in him to be better? He'd probably be only a few steps further from who he was at the start than the progress he had made by now.

Once Tommy shifts to rest in his arms, Billy tucks his head between Tommy's neck and the pillow. "Not for too long," he echoes in promise. "Just wanna hold you for a bit. Then we can switch. If I fall asleep, just turn us over." Because if he did fall asleep, Billy knew he'd push in his sleep until he was on top of Tommy to keep him there.

Yeah, Tommy is too. Desperately happy that he got a chance to be more than his worst impulses. more than his fear and anger.

"I just... I'll be careful. Just hold me, okay? Shut up and hold me."

Billy shifts his face out from under Tommy's cheek and presses a kiss to his neck. "I am holding you, Tomothy. Just relax. I've got you."

But he does shut up as asked, or demanded of really, then gently pats around until he finds Tommy's hands. Links their fingers together to hold his partner. Then Billy regulates his breathing into an easy pattern to hopefully have Tommy mimic.

"You keep calling me that and I'm going to have to call you Silly Billy or something," Tommy warns him, though he's definitely pressing into that kiss. It's a comfort.

As much of a comfort as having someone else guide his breathing. That? That's a wonder.

Billy keeps it up for five minutes, holding still and just... taking in the moment. Sure, the sound of the storm is still outside, but it's more like ambience now. It's just him and Tommy in the dark room and twined around each other like nothing else mattered.

Because nothing else did in this moment.

Tommy said he loved Billy, a phrase that rocked him to his core and while he couldn't say it back, Billy's sure Tommy knows. He has to get it.

"You could call me a Billy Goat," he finally murmurs, shifting a little to keep himself from falling asleep.

"What, because you're going to headbutt and climb your way to the top?" he asks, half amused.

And of course he's thinking of goat simulator. God that's hilarious.

"What?" Well that gets him awake an attentive again. Billy props himself up on an arm and uses one hand to sweep some of Tommy's hair away. "Billy goat gruff or some shit like that. A kid's book I think, isn't it?"

He's not thinking of Goat Simulator. Billy's thinking of actual goats.

"Means I've got horns and a mean headbutt when I want to." Maybe that's what he should've tried against Kaplan. A good old-fashioned headbutt.

"Babe, I never had kids books read to me," Tommy points out, his voice soft and sad.

Frank and Mary had lost interest in him as a kid pretty quickly. Almost to much so. Enough for it to have hurt when he thought about it in the past. So he doesn't have that reference.

"You definitely don't have horns, babe. I would have noticed."

"Maybe we'll fix that one day. Maybe we can ask the aliens for some and see what they give us for 'kids books'." He grins at the thought of it. That free hand pushes gently at Tommy with the intention to try and get his partner to lay on his back, and frowns when the guy doesn't move. Fine.

He lays back down to hug his partner again with a sigh. "I bet I do have horns. They're just hidden in my hair so no one knows I'm a devil outright."

"I think I'm fine with what I already read, babe."

Because he does. Quite a bit, when he can get his hands on stuff. For now, he just lets himself think. And refuse the pushing. He told Billy he needs to be able to get away.

"I've messed with your hair enough not to buy it.

Billy would push more, to try and test the boundary... but he doesn't. Mostly because he's tired, but also because that was Tommy saying no. No was a boundary. "Dashing my hopes and dreams. First about reading shitty kids books to you, then about finding horns in my hair."

He presses his face to Tommy's shoulder so he can feel that playful pout. Then it just turns into a little kiss.

"I like cuddling you. I know I can't, but... but it makes me feel like I can shield you against the stupid shit out there."

"Well, I guess if you are reading them to me, I can approve. Just a bit."

But the horns he can't help with.

"When I'm sure that there won't be any sudden power surges, you can do exactly what you want. I'm okay with that. Promise. I like... Feeling supported. Desired. Anchored."

"I know. I'm trying to be patient n' stuff about it. I know you promised to come back if the power stuff happens, but-" 'I'm still scared you won't' teeters on the tip of his tongue before he bites it back. Rubs his face a little against Tommy's back.

He makes an amused noise. "Heh. Yeah? I like doing that for you. I guess I figured it'd be obvious with how I went out to that storm looking for you and let you borrow my clothes..." He holds onto the speedster just a little tighter, not wanting to let go like this. Even if he did agree that they could flip over so his boyfriend could have a quick escape.

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