This Is How We Get Along

[doubled_speed]

WHO: Tommy Shepherd, Tony Stark, Billy Hargrove
WHERE: Tony's Workshop, Tommy's Room in Avengers HQ
WHAT: Trying to figure out a gift; emotional vulnerability
WHEN: Late September, Early October
WARNINGS: To Be Added in the Billy Hargrove Thread

I. What Do You Get For A Surfer Dude? | Closed to Tony

The thing about Tommy was that he was kind of shit about asking for help when he needed it for himself. Things that would benefit him, or make his life better, or help him deal with his shit. It wasn't something he did. Which always made him showing up to ask for it harder.

So yeah, his showing up (after a good bit of searching) at Tony's workshop door, knocking lightly as he did so, was odd. Him looking nervous was probably less so. He was, after all, trying to heal what he thought was some damage between them due to his own actions. But this wasn't about any of that. This was about asking for help. And fuck if he wasn't shit at that.

II. The Terror of Being Known | Closed to Billy Hargrove

Between them they have so many places to withdraw to. The shack on the beach, the apartment above the diner, the rooms taken up by Billy for his winter in the Civics Center. And here. The place Billy is getting to see for the first time while he comes help Tommy make the place more homey.

A room in the established Avengers HQ. A place shared with Steve Rogers and Janet Van Dyne and probably others. A place that was more plain than the efforts he had taken with the diner's space. Which was supposed to change today. That was absolutely the plan.

A plan that was being foiled by the frustrated noise as Tommy tried, once again, to get a table to sit level. He'd been trying to shim this thing for ten minutes now. Ten minutes for someone like Billy. A lot more than that for Tommy. It was a frustration so deep that he finally did something stupid. He kicked a leg of it in frustration. And with speed. Too much speed. The metal leg bent from the force, dumping the table and the box of tools and decorations that had been sitting on it to the floor.

Which in turn only amped Tommy's bad mood up further, leaving him fuming in particular down at a small, potted plant that clearly had a damaged pot now. Something that was going to take repotting.

"Fucking hell."

Comments

[doubled_speed]

Tenderness. Something neither of them are probably too familiar with. And it just makes his heart beat faster. Doesn't stop the tears, just wipes them away.

"People leave. Liking me doesn't promise anything."

[playingtough]

No, it wasn't a norm for either them with where they were from. Billy had to tap in deep to his childhood to remember how his mom would try to comfort him, though the memories were faint, barely wisps to hold onto.

"You're right, it doesn't. Pretty sure dating does. That we're willing to accept the good and the shitty." He keeps wiping those tears away, his thumbs acting like windshield wipers for his partner's face.

[doubled_speed]

Willing to accept the good and the shitty, huh?

"I guess," he agrees, trying to smile. "Guess I'm so used to the fleeting romance drama of heroes that I don't hold out the greatest hope."

[playingtough]

"Well you're not in a romance drama of heroes. You're in Temba. I'm sure we'll have actual drama at some point, probably revolving around me having the best hair in the city." He swings his arm around Tommy's shoulder to let his hand dangle off towards his chest.

"I got you, Daisy Dukes. All those times you had me, I got you this time."

[doubled_speed]

As if they aren't already having drama here and now. AS if this whole thing wasn't dramatic in its own way.

"I did vote for you," Tommy notes. He is calming down a little now, so hopefully that helps.

"Thank you."

[playingtough]

"Of course you did! You've got an eye for handsome men." Billy sticks his tongue out arrogantly. "And then you even got me to start typing on the silly little device, which I still hate using by the way."

But he'd use it for Tommy. To add to the bit when needed. He reaches for the bundle he brought and pulls it into his lap to open. Various other shells fill it, all collected by the two of them over the times they spent together down at the beach. "Figured these would look super nice in here. Give you a taste of the beach when I'm not around because I'm training or harassing Wesker or someone."

[doubled_speed]

"I appreciate properly tended curls," Tommy counters. "Which is why Eddie isn't higher up. He has hair like Mom, but he lets it get so bad."

He looks at the shells and smiles. Softly. Almost like there's happiness finding his heart again.

"Don't make Wesker hurt you. Like you too much."

[playingtough]

"You appreciate a lot of things about me I think. Might be showing your bias." He leans down to steal a kiss on the cheek. "Don't worry, I'll only harass him. I know better than to fight him. Bitch wouldn't let me drink and we fought in the bar. I didn't win."

And it hurt his pride more than anything else.

"I promise I'll only fight when needed. Or I gotta defend your honor or some bullshit like that."

[doubled_speed]

"I'll bring you alcohol when you want it. He can't stop me."

Probably.

"My honor? What? Who says I have any of that."

[playingtough]

"Because he can't keep up with greatness. Maybe after we finish up your room we can get a drink or two." He had to be the legal age somewhere for drinking.

He smirks at Tommy's joke. "I think you might've given it to me. Maybe we'll just have to share that shit."

[doubled_speed]

He was legal age for here, given the Agrii.

"Yeah," Tommy says, his voice soft. "Yeah that sounds like a plan. Help me find places for the shells, okay?"

But honestly, he didn't know that he had honor int he way the guy was talking about.

[playingtough]

Even if he wasn't, Wesker could go do terrible things to himself in Billy's opinion. "Well then get up, I can't do it alone." A pause. "Okay, I can, but I don't want to."

His blue eyes look around the room and they seem to settle on a space. "Though I think I've got an idea where to put some. Pick out some shiny ones, babe."

[doubled_speed]

Shiny? Tommy takes his time, handling the things delicately. He's too scared that if he moves fast he'll break these like so many other things. So he moves with such extreme delicacy as builds a small pile of shells.

"These ones work?"

[playingtough]

While Tommy takes his time, Billy seems to hunt for places around the room. There's not a lot of surfaces to work with, mostly the top of a dresser. Billy could make this work.

When Tommy makes his pile and calls out, the blond goes over and observes them. "Perfect." Then he's carefully scooping some up, he goes over to the window. Sunlight streams in through the panes of glass where the curtains aren't pulled shut, and there's a soft clink of each shell being put down.

Then he steps back, letting the light bounce from the glittering, shiny shells to cast fragments of light on the upper wall and ceiling. "Yeah, those are pretty perfect, Daisy Dukes."

[doubled_speed]

Maybe one day there will be more places. But for now they only have so much to work with and Tommy just watches Billy as he works.

"They make me think of you. Shining and good and lighting things up around me."

[playingtough]

There will be. Like their other two places, this one will be a home. The shells gleam from their spot and he twists to look at Tommy with mock offense.

"What? I can’t have shells outshining me. Sounds like I’ll have to sit on the windowsill instead for you to gaze on!" He seems to puff up a little like a peacock, head turned to the side and tilted up like he’s posing.

[doubled_speed]

Oh god, that draws the truest smile yet from Tommy.

"You would look pretty nice there. You could have been a model, you know that?"

[playingtough]

"I will look nice up there," and Billy scooches the shells aside so he can plop up on the sill. He shakes his hair back, letting the sunlight stream through it.

"Maybe we can start Temba‘s first modeling agency. Let me be a hair model; it’ll get under Harrington‘s skin and you’ll be able to put up my pictures on the wall."

[doubled_speed]

He plops down and in spite of all the pain and grief and fury of earlier, Tommy giggles. It just bursts right out of him. Yeah, his boyfriend was a surprisingly good influence.

"So I'm buying pictures of you and driving Harrington wild? Sounds fair."

[playingtough]

The giggling that fills the room makes Billy laugh as well, committing the sound of those giggles to memory. It’s so nice, making someone laugh and smile like this. To not have a negative reputation like he had to grow and pretty much claw his way out of with others.


He lifts one leg to keep a foot on the sill. A nice pose for his boyfriend. "I can see the cover now. 'Voted best hair in Temba, get the inside scoop!' With me modeling in some saucy pose. You can put it on the wall right next to your bed."

[doubled_speed]

"God you're so vain," Tommy laughs, holding a hand out toward his boyfriend. "Come here. Lay down with me. Just hold me?"

[playingtough]

Billy grins and hops down to take Tommy's hand. Follows the movement through by laying down next to him. His arms go to encircle around the guy, pulling him close. "Yeah, but you're not denying what I said. I'll walk in here and see pictures of me up on that wall one day I bet."

That grin can be heard in his voice.

[doubled_speed]

"I wouldn't mind it, if there was a way to do it. Almost makes me wish I stole some from the one ship."

But that wasn't something he'd done, and he doesn't know how to make real pictures, so he's going to have to live with what he's got. Which is the real guy, in his bed, holding him.

He feels so safe in this moment. So supported.

"I won't deny the desire, though."

[playingtough]

He pulls in a deep breath and sighs it out, then shimmies around until he can tuck his chin on top of Tommy's head to really wrap him in like he was a Billy-blanket of some kind. Or just a Barnacle Billy. "Maybe the aliens will give you a stack of them for that new year thing they like."

This close, Billy can smell the greenery of Tommy being in the greenhouse, and then lingering scents from the diner, but also just fresh linen. Another soft sign, and he rubs his face into that hair and holds him a little tighter. "Gonna have to take this blanket home with me. Wrap myself up in it while I sleep so I can give it back and that's what you smell when you go to sleep."

wrap this?

[doubled_speed]

"That sounds like a good plan. When I'm not here you can just use this at the cabin if you want."

Because then whenever TOmmy needed it he could have something that smelled of Billy. or, you know, just come over with the blanket as an excuse.