revivalproject | Richie's Not Group Therapy Session

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Richie's Not Group Therapy Session

WHO: Richie and his band of depressed Losers(OTA)
WHERE: Cayde's Bar
WHAT: NOT therapy. Not therapy and not an AA meeting. Just hanging out.
WHEN: Few days after the Town Hall
WARNINGS: Probably some substance abuse/addiction talk.

Richie sent off a message to the whole network just a few hours ago:

It was for his Not Therapy session that he had proposed at the town hall meeting. Just a way for people to get together and to talk about shit happening here. Maybe get a support network that will keep some people sane. Richie knew how effective that was; his own Loser's Club had stopped him from being stupid after Eddie's death more times than they even knew about. It was important and, after learning that things around here could be just as randomly cruel, necessary, he thought. His mind kept returning to Tony at the bar with his sealed bottle of liquor. The talk of loss and all of that...

Yeah. People around here seemed like they could use a social get-together that allowed them to talk about lost friends or loves. People came here and people left without warning. It was a hard way to live, being that powerless. But really, was it any different from where they came from? Really?

Richie sighs as he gets to the bar early and grabs himself a drink of something strong and foul-tasting. He wants to make sure he sips it instead of slugging the whole thing down in one go. No chance of that with this. He sits down at a chair and drums his fingers on the table. Part of his brain is telling him this is stupid and pointless and that he looks stupid for even trying. He buries the thought under another sip and an off-tune humming rendition of 'I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts'.

If no one shows up he's still got his drink. That'll be just fine.

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"Mm?" Billy lifted his head with a bashful look of recognition when he caught Tony's eye, clearing those final coughs from his lungs with a grateful, if very embarrassed smile.

"Did you -kkk- did you build that?" he asked, crossing the bar to join him, apparently having not quite cleared the last of his coughs. "I swear, that wasn't an awkward first drink thing, I think someone served me gasoline by mistake. That should not be ingested."

The wheezing made Tony chuckle again, only giving the barest nod, of course he built it, and giving Billy a light, trickling melody to make his way closer to. "Sure, definitely," he absolutely did not accept Billy's claim with a lingering smirk, eyes narrowed like he hardly believed Billy drank anything much harder than Sprite. "And who are we trying to impress this evening?" he wondered for no awkward drink related reason at all, glancing around the bar and trying a new chord that was much smoother than anything Billy had done yet. He had seen that same move more than enough times at college to know what Billy was trying to do. That was why you had to start drinking early, obviously.

"No one," Billy countered almost immediately, before finding a place to sit by Tony. He rested his cheek in his palm, wishing he could just...build stuff like that. He could barely follow IKEA instructions, and here Tony was building something that made actual music.

And okay- maybe he wanted to try and branch out a little. Teddy was gone. Tommy was always there for him, but- it was probably good to make some connections in this place, right? "You think everyone noticed?"

Tony took his time like he was considering, scanning the other bodies in the room before he repeated just as easily, "Sure, definitely." It was ultimately for the best. Anyone who didn't already know Billy was an awkward nerd deserved to be informed early, before they were led astray by his magic tricks or tight pants and never brought up their D&D campaign or comic collection with him. "So if you're planning on being carried out of here tonight, don't worry. I might leave you behind, I've got shit to do, but there are a few bleeding hearts in here, they're ready for you now."

"Oh shut up, like you're not a bleeding heart," Billy teased fondly, "You're not going to stay?" He looked a little disappointed, not only was Tony a familiar face to latch on to, but he could definitely use some not therapy along with the rest of them.

As though this was an uncalled for insult, Tony recoiled, frowning and shaking his head, absolutely not. Billy should have known perfectly well that he didn't have a heart to bleed; that was what the Young Avengers were even for. He even scoffed at the idea of sticking around to hear anyone being vulnerable, insisting, "Please, I didn't even plan to be here, I was just trying to finish this up, you all came to me." He plucked a gentle, idle tune, head tilted like he was listening closely for some discrepancy to tool, but penetrative gaze on Billy. It was only with the smallest smirk that he said, "I'm a terrible rebound, anyway. You'll get too attached, it'll get messy, we'll both regret it."

He laughed again, ducking his head, though it was tinged with some grief he tried to push down.

"You know I'm into blondes. It would never work," he countered easily enough.

Looking affronted once again that his dashing good looks couldn't surmount this inconsequential requirement, Tony even played a discordant note like Billy had said something wildly out of key. Then he nodded, no, it was fine, he got it, this awkward nerd who couldn't handle a shot was trying to let him down easy, he definitely wasn't going to internalize that.

"Are you, though? You've been dating since you were an infant, didn't exactly give yourself the time to experiment," he pointed out, and dropped his focus to the guitar so it didn't sound so much like he was trying to talk Billy into experimenting with him. All he had meant to do was encourage Billy to stick around, because he thought he might have known a little bit of what it was like to suddenly be stranded here without your big, blonde rock.

"I mean, obviously you were right up in top crush category before I met Teddy, but-"

That teasing grin faded, and Billy shrugged a shoulder, not able to commit to the quip.

"...It's weird. Being alone again."

That was a much better answer, earning Billy an appreciative nod and smile of pride in return that followed Billy's diminishing conviction, slightly slower and with the hope they maybe Tony could convince him not to get too dark if he could keep Billy distracted with the lingering smirk. It didn't survive much longer.

"We're close," Tony said, with a tilt of his head to indicate the whole space around them, the whole situation, "We've got to be. We know more now than we ever have, that has its own momentum." That was the logical solution to this particular problem to Tony, anyway; as soon as Billy got to go home, he'd be back at Teddy's side, like they hadn't lost a second. Or so the theory went.

"..." Billy nodded, not looking quite sure, but he knew it was stupid to keep being so torn up about it when he was one of the few people here who knew he would eventually wind up right back with Teddy.

"Yeah. Yeah, you're right. A lot's changed."

Billy didn't look particularly comforted by Tony's practical solution, leaving them in an awkward silence for a moment in which Tony tried his tune in a new key, still plucking gently and quiet enough to meander under the voices in the bar. "On the bright side," Tony said abruptly, and immediately regretted it but now it was happening, he was talking, "I'm less inclined to believe this is all your fault. It's all pretty big, for you, listen, I wasn't totally sold on the theory, but aliens just happening to randomly pick you, and your brother, and Wanda, and Lorna, and your boyfriend...So, anyway--Unless you have something to tell me about your feelings on Cap and Teddy, if that's what's changed, then you're off the hook. For now."

"...Cap?" Billy repeated, realization spreading over his face, the rest of what he'd been going to say melting away with that sudden obvious revelation. He'd been so caught up with Teddy, he hadn't-

"Cap's gone?" And fuck, why did that bring that lump to his throat? It wasn't even his Cap. But just having him around made the world feel that much safer. His absence only seemed to highlight the hole that had been left in this place.

That was not at all the kind of heartbreak Tony expected to get back from Billy after telling him that he was Tony's prime suspect in this whole shitshow, but it was very much a heartbreak that Tony recognized like it was a mirror and his eyebrows quickly knit in guilty concern, the tune he was strumming dying slowly in the air between them. Gently, he said, "Yeah, kid," mouth open to say more and managing to just get ahead of it this time, knowing intimately how much more awful it felt to not have realized immediately, and how impossible it seemed to not have felt the sun leave the sky, and snapping that information back between his teeth. He finally dropped a hand from the guitar instead to offer to Billy, gaze downcast but head tilted in understanding.

It took Billy half a second to really acknowledge that hand, but his features softened gratefully as he took it and gave it a squeeze.

"...You okay?" he chanced, knowing it must be that much worse for Tony.

"Always," Tony replied promptly, brow furrowed to challenge Billy, of all people, even questioning his invincibility, but he was quickly looking down at the guitar like he had to very closely consider the next chords he was going to produce. "It's like Teddy, you know..." he tried, because that should have been a good argument and exactly how he had tried to reassure Billy ten seconds ago, only Tony had never relied on Hulkling to do his best work and solve a difficult problem, and this Steve never wanted to go back to his Earth. If that was where he ended up. "We'll see him again soon," didn't sound terrible convincing to his own ears, either.

Tony's mask fooled a lot of people. Sometimes it fooled Billy, but today it felt far too easy to see through. It was a familiar feeling. They went about it in different ways, but the both of them tried to put on a good front.

And Billy knew that when his mask was faltering, the last thing he wanted was to be called out on it, so he nodded, giving a slow nod and bringing up that smile. "...Yeah. We'll see them both soon," he agreed, knowing it wasn't quite true.

He gave a final squeeze before releasing Tony's hand again, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth and he nodding towards the guitar to act as a buffer for the both of them. "So...is it hard? I played piano a bit, but I never tried anything with strings."

Grateful that they weren't lingering on it and to have his hand back before they did, Tony gave his own sharp nod in return, worrying his lip as he abruptly but very fussily drew the guitar up out of his lap and stretched up onto his feet from the amp. "Same principle," he promised, sweeping behind Billy to assemble him with the guitar instead, where he could incidentally bow over Billy's shoulder and tip his head briefly against Billy's temple in the time it took him to arrange the kid's hands to strum something harmonious. He didn't quite stand up straight after that, keeping one hand close to Billy's on the neck to show him where to hold, and leaned on the other arm on the back of the chair with his hand dangling over Billy's chest where it could continued to gesture emphatically as Tony walked him through an easy tune. That had a pattern, and a reliable outcome, and Tony already knew what would make Billy anxious or laugh and make it much harder to think about Teddy or Cap until his fingers started to feel raw.

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Richie's Not Group Therapy Session

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