Pushing the Limit"
The awkwardness in the room lingered as Speed sat there, trying to hide his face from the intense gazes of his teammates. Wiccan, however, was not so easily distracted. His initial shock was quickly giving way to something more volatile. His brother and Franklin Richards? Of all people?
Wiccan’s hands sparked with magic, his eyes narrowing. “You mean to tell me... you and Franklin...?” His voice trailed off as he processed the implications.
Speed, still red in the face, stammered. “Billy, it’s not like that! We—uh, it wasn’t—”
Hulkling, sensing his husband’s growing frustration, placed a calming hand on Wiccan’s shoulder. “Billy, let’s not jump to conclusions. We don’t know the whole story.”
“I don’t need the whole story. It’s obvious something happened,” Wiccan shot back, his magic crackling around him like a live wire.
But before the tension could reach a boiling point, Wiccan paused, frowning as something occurred to him. “Wait... Franklin has reality-warping powers. Couldn’t he just fix any injuries he has?”
There was a beat of silence. The Young Avengers exchanged uncertain glances, but Speed didn’t answer. He looked like he was about to bolt again, his heart racing faster than his powers could keep up with. The embarrassment was overwhelming.
That’s when the team received an unexpected video call from Franklin.
Franklin's image appeared on the screen, lying in bed, propped up against a pile of pillows with a somewhat smug, but tired look on his face. His hair was disheveled, and he looked far too comfortable despite the situation.
“Hey, guys,” Franklin greeted nonchalantly, like nothing unusual was happening.
Kate was the first to respond, arms crossed. “Seriously, Franklin? You’re gonna leave us hanging after all that?”
Cassie added, still smirking. “Yeah, we’ve got a lot of questions. Like, what exactly happened between you and Speed?”
Franklin chuckled softly but didn’t directly answer. Instead, he stretched slightly, wincing as he did. “Look, Cassie, I’ll explain everything in detail later. But long story short? Let’s just say that when you push the ‘speed limit’ in every position... things get a little out of control.”
The innuendo in his voice was clear, and Speed, watching through the screen, could feel his face practically burning with embarrassment. He wanted to crawl under a rock and disappear forever.
Franklin continued, not even remotely embarrassed. “My powers could fix this, sure, but they’re kind of... on the fritz at the moment. Something about having my body pushed to its limit.” He shot a look at Speed through the screen, an amused glint in his eye. “You try handling superspeed in that context. Trust me, your body isn’t meant for that.”
Speed looked down, avoiding eye contact with anyone. The weight of the implication hung in the air, and he felt completely exposed.
Wiccan, however, was still fuming. “So your powers are out of control... because you decided to—” He cut himself off, clearly trying to hold back from saying something too harsh. The disbelief in his voice was thick, and his eyes darted between Speed and Franklin on the screen.
Franklin, ever the calm one, simply shrugged. “Yep. I’ll be fine in a few days. Just need some time to recover, that’s all.”
The entire team stood in stunned silence for a moment, processing everything. Speed, still not looking at anyone, felt like the ground could swallow him up.
Finally, Wiccan let out an exasperated sigh, his magic swirling around him. “This is insane. I’m leaving.” With a flick of his wrist, a portal opened up behind him. He glanced at Hulkling, who was already moving to follow him. “I need some time to cool off.”
As Wiccan stepped through the portal, Hulkling shot Speed a sympathetic look before following his husband into the shimmering gateway.
Once the portal closed, the room was left in an awkward silence. Speed felt the weight of everyone’s eyes on him, each one wearing a different expression. Kate had her arms crossed, a mix of disbelief and amusement in her gaze. Cassie was still grinning, clearly trying not to laugh. Iron Lad raised an eyebrow, waiting for Speed to say something.
Finally, it was Miles who broke the silence. “So… you and Franklin, huh?”
Speed looked up, face still bright red. “Can we not talk about this?”
Cassie couldn’t hold back anymore and burst out laughing. “Oh my god, you two actually—!”
“Cassie!” Speed groaned, burying his face in his hands. “It’s not like that, I swear! It just… happened.”
Kate let out a sigh, shaking her head with a smirk. “Speed, you are a mess.”
“I know,” Speed muttered miserably.
Miles chuckled softly. “Hey, no judgment. Just... maybe don’t race around so much next time?”
Iron Lad chimed in, grinning. “Yeah, take it slow, man.”
The teasing didn’t stop, but Speed could only sit there, trying to mentally brace himself for the inevitable fallout once Wiccan cooled down. For now, though, he had to deal with the looks and the laughter from his teammates, all while Franklin lounged comfortably on the screen, looking far too pleased with himself.
Later
It had been a few days since the whole embarrassing situation had unfolded. For Speed, or Tommy Shepherd, it felt like the longest few days of his life. He was lying in his bed, staring at the ceiling, still reeling from what he considered to be the most humiliating experience ever. It wasn't just that the entire Young Avengers team knew about what had happened between him and Franklin Richards—it was the fact that he still couldn’t fully wrap his head around it.
Sure, he had hooked up with Franklin. And yeah, it had been... intense. But the more he thought about it, the more something nagged at him. The embarrassment started to wear off, replaced by curiosity. Franklin wasn’t just some normal guy—he was Franklin Richards. A literal cosmic entity in the making, with powers that could rewrite reality.
Speed’s mind raced, trying to piece things together. The way Franklin had talked about their night, about how he was recovering from the “speed limit in every position,” it clicked. Franklin had used his powers. He must have. How else could Speed have lasted that long? He was fast—insanely fast—but he knew his limits. What happened that night had been something beyond those limits.
He sat up in bed, the embarrassment fading into something else—excitement. A smile crept onto his face as he realized that Franklin had probably manipulated time or reality in some subtle way, allowing them to... well, extend the experience.
"That sneaky bastard," Speed muttered, a mix of awe and amusement bubbling up in his chest. The more he thought about it, the less he felt humiliated. If anything, it made him feel... good. He wasn’t just some quick, one-and-done speedster. He’d gone the distance, literally.
As if on cue, his phone buzzed. He glanced over and saw a new message from Franklin. Opening it, Speed’s heart skipped a beat. It wasn’t just any message—it was a picture. And not just any picture, either. It was Franklin, in his bed, shirtless, with that same confident, lazy smirk on his face. The angle was perfect, teasing just enough without giving everything away, but still more than enough to send Speed’s mind spiraling.
Speed felt a rush of heat, his face flushing red again. But this time, it wasn’t embarrassment. His breath hitched as he stared at the picture for longer than he probably should have.
Before he could even think of what to say or do, his phone started ringing. It was Franklin.
Speed hesitated for a moment, then answered, trying to sound casual. “Hey.”
“Hey, Tommy,” Franklin’s voice came through, smooth and relaxed, like he had all the time in the world. “Got the picture?”
Speed swallowed, his voice a little hoarse. “Yeah... I got it.”
Franklin chuckled softly. “Good. Because I’ve been thinking.”
“About what?” Speed asked, his heart pounding a little faster.
“About how we didn’t really finish the last time,” Franklin said, his tone low and suggestive. “And this time, I want my mind and soul to feel like my body did that night.”
Speed blinked, feeling his pulse quicken. “Wait... what?”
“I opened a portal, Tommy,” Franklin said, his voice like silk. “It’s in your room. Right now.”
Speed’s eyes darted around the room in a panic until he spotted it—a shimmering, faintly glowing tear in the air, hovering in the corner of his room. His heart raced even faster, the thrill of it all sending adrenaline through his veins.
“You’re crazy, Franklin,” Speed muttered, though there was no denying the excitement in his voice.
Franklin’s voice lowered into something more intimate. “Maybe. But I know you like that. So, what’s it going to be, Tommy? You gonna run... or come see how far we can really go?”
Speed stared at the portal for a moment, his mind spinning with possibilities. His fingers tightened around his phone, and his grin grew wider, heart pounding with anticipation. Without another word, he ended the call and stood up, stepping toward the portal.
Maybe Franklin was crazy—but right now, Tommy Shepherd was more than ready to follow him into whatever came next.
And this time, he wasn’t holding anything back