revivalproject | Guess who's back?

Entry tags:

Guess who's back?

WHO: Billy Kaplan, Soldier, Tommy Shepherd, Tony Stark
WHERE: The Cabin, TBD, The University
WHAT: Billy's back
WHEN: Early April
WARNINGS: TBD

Soldier

To Billy it felt as though no time had passed, brow scrunched like he was trying to recall a strange dream that was all ready escaping him. He wasn't on the ship. The air didn't have the same chill they'd left behind. It's not all together new for him. He's had these gaps before, and so has Soldier, but something about this one feels strange for a reason he can't parse.

He sits up, and when he calls out his voice is hoarse from disuse.

"Soldier?" he tries tentatively, pushing to climb out of bed. His legs feel unused to supporting his weight, and he tries not to listen to that voice of fear that lives in his mind and wonders what may have happened here in his absence.

Tommy

He knows he could message Tommy and a fraction of a second later he would be bowled over by his brother, but he thinks it may be less jarring if he finds him in person. He has a mental checklist- the Diner, the Greenhouses, where ever Hargrove is. And once he spies him he braces for the impact he's sure to follow, offering an apologetic smile.

Tony

His room in the University seemed to have been cleared out, Billy sitting on the bed after his brief inspection. There was little doubt Tony would have seen him come on one or more of the cameras, and Billy waited, an impish smile curling on his lips when he was proved right.

"So, which one of you stole all my stuff?" he teased fondly, head ducking in bashful apology for making them all worry so long.

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The thing was that Tommy had been wearing himself thin since his brother's disappearance. It had been a whole thing. When Tommy got into a funk he got into one to rival the worst of Billy's. So yeah, it's not shocking that he looks tired when his brother comes upon him in the greenhouse.

At first he doesn't notice Billy. He's busy working on filling what looks like a large ass pot, perhaps enough of a large one for him to curl up in, with soil and layers of fertilizer. Nearby there is a young tree lush with leaves with a bag wrapped around the roots, keeping it secure until Tommy can get it settled. He's so focused on the task that it takes Billy actually getting closer before he notices anyone is there.

"Not in the mood for company today, unless that's you, Sunshine."

Yes, he has been a grouch lately, who's asking.

It didn't seem like Tony was going to let Billy get away with that playfulness, stopping in the doorway with an arm braced over his head, working his jaw with annoyance like he had just come home to a failing report card, scanning the room that did look a lot like the day after final exams. The closet still stood open to show only a few garments left hanging inside, and the bed had been stripped, the blankets bundled away to pack onto the ship for the coming journey. That really was Billy sitting there on the bare mattress, though, not some trick or spectre on the cameras, and Tony couldn't decide if he was relieved or frustrated. Or if that was just guilt over how relieved he did feel.

He couldn't maintain the disappointed dad affect for too long before he was sniffing and announcing, "It was Cayde. You should probably kick his ass. He was saying something about a bonfire..."

The days without Billy felt long. They weren't in reality, and the Soldier can't quite parse what it is about his partner's absence that causes the feeling.

Perhaps it is merely that he forced himself to remain busy, to tackle as much physical work in their shared shelter as possible. It looks much more like a cabin than even a year ago; between Billy's magic and the Soldier's strength walls outline the space and furniture defines it. Several rooms exist where once there was barely the shell of a building; though not large the space is both practical and comfortable.

The Soldier is in the main living space when Billy comes to; his ears seem to process the sound of Billy's voice and send the message to his feet to move before he even realizes it. He appears in the door, pausing there for a moment before crossing the room to Billy's side.

"Billy," he breathes, reaching out to put his hand over Billy's, holding his breath until he feels warm flesh and blood. "You're back."

Billy's nose wrinkles, and there's a hushed laugh, very much not wanting to mistaken for Tommy's guy.

"I can come back," he teases, magic shimmering round the tree if there was any more question of who he was, and it appears even more lush, practically shining with life.

"Seems like something he would do. Always making trouble, that guy." Billy laughed, and rose from the bed, insistent on claiming the hug he was due.

"I miss anything else, or was that the highlight of my absence?" he asked, hugging the man tight.

Relief seizes Billy, even if it's been far longer for Soldier. Maybe it's a shared sensation, knowing the ache that comes when one of them is missing and hating to be the cause of that for Soldier.

His face breaks into a grin, and he presses into to hug his partner. "I'm back," he promises. They both know neither of them can really stop the comings and goings, but it feels comforting in the moment. "How long was it?"

While Tony tensed, looking guarded as Billy made his weightless approach, and kept his arm braced where he could stay grounded, he couldn't stop himself from leaning in to meet the hug, wrapping his free arm around Billy's shoulders where he could squeeze him in return and keep him there where Tony could safely mumble an answer. "You know, the usual," he said. "We all just wait for you when you're not around, it wasn't much different." After a beat, while patting Billy's hair down fussily, he did admit, "The Agrii are moving in, they're coming to the city, and the ship got some much needed maintenance done, we've got more access to information and navigation to get you out of this place. You weren't supposed to come back."

"Heh, yeah, that sounds about right. Center of the universe and all that," he quipped with an amused hum.

His brows creased momentarily with the news, not sure how he felt about all that, but he dismissed Tony's worry. "And miss all the fun? Nah, I need to see how it all ends, I'm not going anywhere. Not for long anyways. Promise."

That wasn't exactly the right answer, getting people home was the goal even if that meant one at a time, but it was still the one that made Tony give a wan smile, then take his opportunity to kiss Billy's temple before encouraging him back to a safe distance that wouldn't get Tony killed should someone else come along the hall. "You've seen your brother?" he had to ask, tipping his head to encourage Billy to go do that immediately if he hadn't.

"Long enough." It's not like Billy stayed deliberately away, and the Soldier doesn't want him to feel guilt at the passage of time. But he knows too that it's never that simple, and that guilt doesn't always feel the need to root itself in logic.

He holds Billy close, allowing the hug and even going so far as to rub his back gently. "How do you feel?"

Before the word 'can' is even finished Tommy has turned around. Sure it means in the process he's accidentally flinging out a trowel full of dirt. But he's staring at Billy with huge eyes. Then his glance flickers up, like he expects there to be a storm. He moves his hands in front of his face, still super high speed, check. Hell, he's moving before 'come' is finished. Just like that he's got his brother in his arms, holding him and trying not to cry.

There he is. Billy holds him tight, brow creasing apologetically.
"You know I'm always gonna come back. Softie," he accuses gently. "I'm sorry it was so long."

"Yeah," he assured, bowing his head and smoothing his hair back. "It didn't mess him up too much, did it?" he asked with a wince, well aware of how emotional his brother had been at his return. "Hoped with that guy he's got and the friends and stuff he might be okay if I...ya know." Disappeared without warning.

It's comforting, and helps ground Billy back into the world, letting out a slow breath and rocking up to press a soft kiss to Soldier's jaw.

"Little weird, but okay." Soldier knows the feeling- they've been in each other's shoes enough times. "Kinda disoriented?" He lifts his head to offer a gentle smile. "I'm glad you're here."

"Of course not," Tony promised, and flicked a wrist with a roll of his eyes in a searching gesture, "Gave him time to get to know himself a little. Meditate. You should try it, maybe he'll give you some tips, if that doesn't, maybe, ruin the point."

No, there was never a promise about all of that. He frowns and squeezes just a bit harder to hide it.

"You couldn't help it."

Well, there is now. Billy just smiles and gives a soft nod.
"Pretty sure I couldn't. You haven't been this moody the whole time I was gone, have you? Your boyfriend's going to have even more reasons to hate me."

The idea of Tommy meditating made Billy snort, though maybe that wasn't giving him credit enough. He probably could manage, just not in typical speed.

"So, hey- did Cayde find everything in here?" he asked, gaze flicking to the mattress where his hidden comics were missing.

With a grimace, Tony sucked a breath through his teeth, following Billy's gaze then raising his eyebrows meaningfully. "You know how he is," he said, "Made a beeline for the most embarrassing stuff. Couldn't be stopped. Honestly, that one's kind of on you, keeping it under the bed is asking for it to be found."

"Of course I haven't," Tommy lies easily and through his damn teeth. Even though Tony and Soldier and probably Hargrove will all out him. If not more people. "And he doesn't hate you."

"I tried to kill him, he's allowed to. More reason than most people had," Billy reminds with a grin, not too serious, and not believing Tommy for a minute that he hasn't been a grump this whole time if this is how hard he's hugging him.

"How long have we been back here? I miss anything fun?"

"Could've been worse. I keep the real embarrassing stuff in a pocket dimension," Billy teased with shy grin,

"You looked after everyone, right? No big news while I was gone?"

Billy wasn't going to be allowed to start that then play at coy, making Tony raise a hand in defense like he had never heard such language and insist, "I don't need to know what you call it, that's between you and the gals at the bar." Then he used the hand to make a sweeping gesture of invitation, for Billy to head back in and maybe start taking account of what he thought was missing, because Tony certainly hadn't, and he wasn't about to volunteer what Tommy or the Soldier had ended up with in case they wanted to say otherwise. That could be between them and Billy.

"No flesh-eating spiders fell out of the sky or anything, if that's what your asking," he reported. "The storm problem might genuinely have been solved, after a fashion. I couldn't empirically tell you if it's because of what we found underground, or because someone wants us convinced that the Agrii moving to the surface is a fine idea." He tossed a shoulder, like it wasn't a terribly pressing distinction, and promised, "I'll find out when you guys go."

"Maybe he's a bigger guy than you think in that regard," Tommy says with a shrug. But hey, he's finally letting his brother out of the hug.

"Uh, we came back down in, like... I don't know, January? February? Yeah, February. Because it was the Agrii breeding season. Um, Ny Ak got stabbed. Were you here for that? Things were so hectic that I didn't place exactly when you left. Now people are preparing to move the Agrii down here in a few days. Some of them. It's annoying. I don't think they should be here. But of course no one listens to me."

Maybe, but either way, Billy wasn't going to hold it against the guy if he was. He still felt a certain kind of way about Wolverine, and he hadn't actually gotten his claws on him.

"Oh...wow. That's kind of weird. I figured with all the stuff we learned-"

There was a snort of laughter and Billy rolled his eyes, passing back into the room.

"There's always time," he said, glancing at the ceiling like he half expected them to start tumbling down now that the idea had been spoken into the universe. But luckily only one of them possessed that power.

"And where are we supposed to be going without you?"

One of them should have possessed that power. Billy's look up made Tony's heart drop anxiously, his focus going vacant while he tried to plan for the flesh-eating spider invasion that he had just willed into existence. The moon hadn't ever screamed before he said it, either.

It took him a second to realized Billy had asked him a question, and he had to clear his throat before he started, "Well, uh--The ships. Since we can navigate, we're going to--well, the party line is, you're going to find the Agrii home world. I'm assuming you're just getting out of dodge."

"I didn't vote for it," Tommy repeats. It seems wrong to steal this place from the little guys. "But there were negotiations with the plantkin which I'm told went well. And the ship is trying to be a good influence. And it's letting us keep Mu Ly and most of his people away from the other Agrii, so that's good."

Because stabbing was bad.

Billy might even feel the Soldier's jaw tighten a little, a smile pulling three muscles away from his usual stoic expression. What a novelty.

"Not weird injured or sick?" Disorientation they've both dealt with; it's annoying, but it passes. Injury or illness would be more concerning. But if it's simply the return after absence and the stress on the body that causes, then the Soldier knows it should pass soon. "I have been here since you were taken. I didn't want you to return and wonder at where I was."

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Guess who's back?

Greenhouse

me :)

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