mechanized vengeance, 2
Wanda rocketed through the air, dedicating only the necessary portion of her attention to carrying Daisy along with her. Her mind was consumed with equal parts rage and worry; she had been tricked into leaving her sons vulnerable, and Agatha had taken her chance to try to kill them. Supposedly Daisy had received a message some thirty minutes ago claiming that Agatha had been taken care of permanently, but Wanda wouldn’t believe it until she got back home and made sure that her boys were unharmed.
“Wanda, I know you’re scared,” Daisy said as they hurtled across the Boston skyline, tone soothing enough to ebb off some of Wanda’s fury, “and you have every right to be. They’re gonna be fine. Peter of all people would never lie to you when it came to your boys’ wellbeing - especially Billy’s.”
Wanda let out a heavy breath. She could see the apartment building now, so she started to slow down - but only a tiny bit. “I… I know. I just have to see them. Make sure. Agatha could have stolen Billy’s chaos magic and spun an intricate lie, but I’ll be able to see through it.”
“Terrifying concept,” said Daisy as they got close enough to see three figures standing on the building’s rooftop. “Do you sense anything off?”
Closing her eyes for just a moment, Wanda focused on her magical sense and sent out a pulse of energy. “No. Not here, at least.”
“Then lets go down to the rooftop first, I can see Peter, and Harley, and… someone else?”
Wanda saw them, too. The third person looked to have some red hair - especially as they got closer to the rooftop - and for just a brief moment, her mind tried to convince her that Agatha had created some kind of clone or mimicry of Wanda herself. Not that the reality of the situation was any more plausible, once the two of them landed; the third person looked exactly like Natasha Romanoff, who was supposed to be dead.
But that didn’t matter right now. What mattered to Wanda was her boys. “Where are they?” she demanded, needing to know of their safety first and foremost.
“Downstairs, and safe,” Peter assured her quickly, holding his hands up in a way that Wanda knew was to try and pacify her. To verify the claim, she sent out another weak pulse of sensing magic and felt no chaos magic at play whatsoever. If they were in fact downstairs, that meant it was all true; Agatha had been defeated. “The worst of their injuries is some minor bruising.”
“And Agatha?” Wanda questioned, already beginning to make her way to the door inside. “Is she truly dead?”
“She is,” Harley answered simply.
Wanda opened the door. “How can you be sure?”
“Harry said something about her soul being claimed by Mephisto,” Harley further supplied.
Wanda took a breath, and then proceeded straight down the stairs to the building’s upper floor. She made a beeline for Peter, Harley and Billy’s apartment first; seeing Billy would prove to the last shreds of doubt in her mind that all was well. After opening the front door of the apartment and taking just a few steps inside, Wanda could see her younger son embracing Teddy on the sofa. A quick, final pulse proved that it truly was him, so Wanda turned to leave. She didn’t want to interrupt whatever intimate moment those two were having.
Next, Wanda made quick movements back to her own apartment, where she expected to find Tommy - except he wasn’t there. Before she let herself panic, she reminded herself that her older son had a close siblingly relationship with Gwen, much like Billy and Peter did, and that Tommy may in fact be in the last of the three apartments.
He was - the boy sat by Gwen’s dining table with his shirt off. He was holding an ice pack to the left side of his ribs while Gwen worked with some kind of antiseptic to clean off a few cuts on his shoulders and arms. Slowly, a true trust that the threat was now gone washed over her body. Deep stores of tension vanished, and Wanda fell to her knees. The soft thud of her knees colliding with the floor earned both Gwen and Tommy’s attention.
“Mo- Wanda?” Tommy called out, his face flushing at the slip of his tongue. “Are you okay?”
Wanda took in a deep breath, and then exhaled slowly. “I am now, Tommy. I am now.”
“So…” Teddy started, sitting across from Billy. He was still very green, but the powerful wings he’d been sporting on his back earlier were now gone.
“So,” Billy echoed. His walls were finally starting to crumble after the events of the day; a small voice in the back of his mind said he needed to stay strong in front of the boy he liked but that was bullshit. After what Billy had just been through - being targeted by an incredibly powerful witch who wanted to kill him and then protecting the city from literal demons from hell - he deserved to be able to crumble.
It was almost eerily quiet, now. If not for the fact that the wrongness Billy had somehow sensed earlier was all gone, he might have worried that there was still more danger to come today. Peter, Harley and Nat had gone up to the roof to wait for Wanda and Daisy to return, which just left Billy with Teddy, who wanted to stay and keep him company.
“…today was kind of insane,” Billy finally said, wanting to break the silence between the two of them.
“Only kind of?” Teddy questioned, cracking a small smile. “I think today was the most terrifying day of my entire life, except maybe when I got blipped back and everything was so different. Are you… are you okay?”
“No,” Billy answered simply. Magic crackled a little at his fingertips as his nervous worry began to build. “I’m definitely not okay. I… uh… I know Tommy probably has it worse, but… that woman actually wanted to kill me.”
“Hey,” Teddy reached out a hand. Billy took it. “She’s gone now, she can’t hurt you any more. Did… did those demons hurt you much?”
Billy shook his head. “A couple scratches, I think, but that’s it. Peter and, uh… Nat kept me safe.”
Teddy raised an eyebrow. “Nat?”
“Hah,” Billy laughed weakly. “Natasha Romanoff. You know, the Black Widow. The Avenger.”
“Isn’t she dead?” Teddy asked, eyes wide with surprise. Nat had slipped out to the rooftop before he’d gotten here, after all. Given how famous the Black Widow was, it was extremely well known that she had died in the process of reversing the Blip, and was someone who couldn’t be brought back. Or so the world had thought.
“Apparently not. She and Peter were catching up a bit before, apparently they were- are close,” Billy explained as he began to draw gentle circles in the palm of Teddy’s hand. “She trained him, and stuff. She seems really cool.”
“Woah, that’s… well, good for Peter. Hey, think she’d help train me?” Teddy asked excitedly, driving a laugh to burst out from Billy’s throat. “What?”
“It’s just that- I mean, you and your training make me feel like a bit of a third wheel,” Billy teased, and then the feelings from today’s events hit him full force, out of nowhere. Tears started to stream down his face, and Billy let out a sob.
“Shit, uh-“ Teddy panicked, took a breath, and then seemed to pull himself together. “Come here, I’ve got you.”
Billy let himself be pulled into Teddy’s arms, appreciating that he could just be held when he needed comfort. That wasn’t really as much of a thing with the Kaplans. It wasn’t that they wouldn’t hug him, but more like it never felt like the true comfort he needed. Billy thought it might have something to do with the fact that they never really saw him, just looked at him and saw who they wanted him to be. But here and now, Teddy saw him, and just held him while he cried.
A few minutes later, the tears began to dry up. Billy lifted his head, and… realised that he had gotten snot all over Teddy’s shirt. “Oh god, I’m so sorry. Your shirt-“
Teddy couldn’t quite get a good angle to look at the shoulder of his shirt, but when he saw the dribbling snot coming from Billy’s nose that the latter was quickly wiping up with a tissue, he put it together. “You think I’m gonna be upset about that? So you’re a snotty crier, so what?”
Billy let his head drop back onto Teddy’s shoulder, but this time it was to hide the deep blush that was building up. How was this boy so perfect? And what did Billy do to deserve his affections? He’d had a conversation with Teddy about that already, and on a surface level he knew there was nothing he needed to do to ‘deserve’ this, but it was hard to really feel it. “I’m out here trying to feel overwhelmed and upset and you’re just gonna interrupt that by making me gayer?”
“Well sorry,” Teddy said with a very exaggerated fake sort of frustration. “Look, today wasn’t just kind of insane. It was extremely insane, and I’m just really glad we all came out of this alive and mostly unharmed.”
“And I really want to ask you to be my boyfriend when things have calmed down,” Teddy’s voice said again, but something about it sounded different.
“You do?” Billy excitedly asked, pulling himself away from Teddy’s shoulder to look at him quickly.
Teddy, however, just looked confused. “I do what?”
“You just said- you said you wanted to ask me to be your boyfriend!” Billy exclaimed, both confused and elated.
Teddy blinked a few times. “Uh… I didn’t say that. Not out loud. Did you just-“
“Did he just read my mind?”
“Holy shit,” Billy gasped. “I think I did. This is, um, new. I… am definitely going to need to learn how to control this.”
Teddy nodded slowly, staring at him. “Are you going to be okay with all of this on your plate?”
Billy didn’t really need to stop to think about the question. Thanks to the care and support of all the cool people in his life now, he knew that he could take things one step at a time and he’d get through this experience, hopefully without remaining all too traumatised by it. Billy leaned forward, and planted a quick kiss on Teddy’s lips. “It’ll definitely be easier with my hot and caring boyfriend helping me through it all.”
“I’m never going to have a private thought again in my life,” Teddy said jokingly, letting out an exaggerated sigh just for the extra emphasis. “You seem like you’re starting to feel better, though. Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Billy confirmed. The kiss had sent a wave of warmth through his body, and the ‘boyfriends’ declaration, as unconventionally as it had happened, helped too. He was going to be okay, he had no doubt about it.
“Darlin’, come sit,” Harley pleaded, and Peter… didn’t want to. After seeing to it that Wanda was looked over and then finally returning home to supposedly rest, he just had all this restless energy and worry coursing through him, and it felt like he had to keep moving. Had to keep moving or he’d explode. “Let me hold you.”
It was those extra few words that did it for him. Logically, Peter knew that Harley holding him tightly would calm down his nervous system which would roll on to his thoughts and calm them down too. Emotionally, he was beginning to trust that being held by Harley could give him what he needed. So Peter let out a heavy sigh, dropped onto the bed and shuffled over so that his boyfriend could spoon him properly.
“Today’s been ridiculous,” Peter vented. “If I were alone right now I’d probably be perched on some tall building just trying to get some perspective or calm, whichever came first.”
Harley wrapped his arms around Peter, providing all the comfort in the world. “It has been, and I think everyone’s debriefing in some way or another right now. Scandalous as it may be to say, never mind the city. Your little brother had a threat against his life. I don’t think anybody’s expecting you to be okay after that. We’ve made sure that everyone’s okay and being looked after, so let me look after you now.”
“Yeah,” Peter agreed, trying not to worry about Billy’s safety and burst into his room just to see him breathing and alive. He’d been putting on a strong face all day, and now his walls were really starting to crumble - just like everyone else’s, probably. “I need… I need this. Being held, talking.”
“I’ve got you, darlin’,” Harley assured him, giving him another squeeze. “I’ll always have you. Can’t imagine not havin’ you in my life ever, anymore, if I’m bein’ honest.”
“Sap,” Peter teased, noticing his breathing begin to slow and level out. “Right back at you, though. Harls?”
“Yeah Pete, what’s up?” Harley asked, and Peter just had to roll over to look at him fully, and take him in.
“Don’t take this the wrong way because we’re way too young to be getting engaged or anything like that,” Peter began, letting the thoughts blurt straight out from his mind. He saw the way Harley’s breath caught when the word ‘engaged’ came loose, and almost stopped to chuckle. “I just… I wanna get married to you someday and grow old together.”
“Oh damn,” Harley breathed, face beginning to flush pink. “I- yeah, me too. You’re it for me, Pete. This isn’t just a stress response, is it?”
Peter shook his head. “It’s not a new thought. Maybe I’m saying it now because of all the stress, but… I really do mean it. I just… I really, really love you. I was just losing my mind from all of everything that happened today and you managed to get me back to a grounded state so fast. You know what I need and you really see me.”
“I do my best, darlin’, and I really really love you too,” Harley responded, leaning forward to press his head against Peter’s. “I’m madly in love with you, and I’m so glad you came to Tony’s statue that first night.”
“Gay,” Peter said flatly.
“No you,” Harley immediately countered.
“Yeah,” Peter agreed. “I really am very gay. So while we’re out here being sappy and soft to deflect from how traumatic today has been, I’m curious what your thoughts are on having kids someday.”
“Yes,” Harley answered immediately. “I’d really like to have kids, some day. You know, when we’re a bit more healed and at a place in life where it makes sense. Do you mean adopting? Or…”
Peter shrugged. “Either or. I don’t exactly think it’d be fun to be pregnant but I do think it would be worth it. And yeah, some day when it makes more sense.”
“We could make a baby someday,” Harley whispered, his face telling a story of wonder and amazement. A few seconds later, his expression returned to one of seriousness. “No more deflecting, though. How are you feeling now?”
“Better,” Peter smiled, and leaned in to give Harley a brief kiss. “All thanks to you. I think I just need to… spend some time over the next few days making sure that everyone’s recovering okay, and resting so that I recover okay. My back’s feeling loads better thanks to the stuff Nat put on it, but emotionally I think it’ll take me some time.”
“I still can’t believe that she’s alive,” said Harley.
“You and all the rest of us,” Peter chuckled in response. “I’m gonna try convince her to stick around a few days, see if she’ll agree to let me introduce her to everyone. She’s staying at Daisy and Wanda’s tonight, at least. Then, though, I need to kick her ass all the way to Clint’s place.”
“That would be cool,” Harley agreed. He then yawned, stretching his whole body out as he did so. “I think I’m close to passing out at this point, as early as it is. You still look a little tense, though. Do you want to go check on Billy before you turn in?”
“…yeah,” Peter admitted. He’d already spoken with Billy about everything earlier, but his restlessly protective side wanted to just see that he and Teddy were okay and didn’t need anything. Given that, he got up and quietly slipped out into the hallway before knocking on Billy’s bedroom door.
“Hey Billy, can I come in?” Peter called through the door.
“Yeah, okay,” Billy called back, so Peter twisted the unlocked door and pushed it open. The sight he was greeted with already did wonders to calm his worries - Billy was lying sideways on his bed with his head in Teddy’s lap, the latter giving him a gentle head massage. “What’s up?”
“Just checking in,” Peter said, wishing he had his phone or camera and the boys’ consent to capture this picturesque moment. “Making sure you guys are okay. Need anything?”
Billy hummed for a second or two, and then sat up. “A hug, maybe?”
“You can absolutely have that,” Peter responded gladly, his whole body awash with an easy sort of warmth. Billy got up, padded over to Peter and practically fell into him. Peter caught his brother, and held him close. “Doing okay?”
“Better,” Billy said, the sound a little muffled from speaking into Peter’s shirt. “Thanks for saving me.”
“Like I said earlier today, I will always protect you, so long as I’m around to do so,” Peter assured him, and gently kissed the top of his head. “You, Billy, are one of my two favourite people in the world. I’m here for you, and it’s not just me.”
“Mmm,” Billy hummed, and then flopped back onto the bed behind him, before crawling back into Teddy’s lap. “I feel so lucky.”
“You do have the best boyfriend ever,” Teddy said with a cheeky grin.
Peter turned his attention to Teddy, next. “You doing okay, Teddy?”
Teddy nodded. “Just a bit exhausted. I just need some sleep, and then Dad’s coming to pick me up in the morning. Hey Billy, do you want to share your news with Peter?”
Billy blinked, visibly processing. “The mind reading thing or the boyfriends thing?”
“Both, I guess,” Teddy suggested as though it was the most normal thing in the world.
“Billy, you look exhausted,” Peter said, noting the way his brother had moved sluggishly across the bed earlier. “I’ll stay and listen if you wanna talk now, but we can also chat in the morning if you’d prefer.”
“Morning, then,” Billy answered sleepily, and threw his arm up into a tired thumbs up. “G’night.”
“Night, you two. Sleep well!”
With that taken care of, Peter returned to his room for some well earned, well needed sleep.