avengers? no thanks, he'd rather not die
Kate takes the in-depth explanation of his death and subsequent resurrection surprisingly well. Which is to say, she does not throw him out of her car and instead steals a sip of his Monster, which is fine because he thinks his metabolism burns through the caffeine too quickly for it to do much. “Huh,” she says.
He shrugs, tossing a fry in the air and catching it in his mouth- after he told her about how his body needs a ton of food to keep up with his speed she’d insisted they stop at McDonalds, hence the fries. Surprise surprise, it did actually help. Not that he’s telling her that- she’d be way too smug. “Yeah. It’s a very “huh” situation.”
“Don’t spill those,” she warns, and he sticks his tongue out, balancing his feet on the dashboard and the fries on his knee in a way that is absolutely going to fall.
“So, uh, any questions?”
“I literally don’t even know what to ask,” Kate answers, shaking her head in disbelief. “Dude. What like, the fuck.”
“Mood,” he says sagely. “Hey, can we stop for ice cream?”
“We just stopped fifteen minutes ago for McDonalds.”
He groans, loudly, slumping in his seat and catching the box of fries when it falls. “Ugh. It’s felt like a million years.”
“You quite literally experience time faster,” she reminds him dryly. He flips her off, which is another great little trick he picked up from Fietro. Dude, that guy really was a bad influence. It’s a wonder Mom didn’t kick him out earlier, seriously. Not that Tommy’s complaining much, ha.
Kate steals his Monster again, pressing her lips together in a hard line. “So, you think your brother is out there somewhere?”
“I know he is,” Tommy corrects quickly, snatching the can out of her hand. “I can feel it. Like- I can feel his magic. Sorta like, uh, in my blood, I guess? It’s there, in me, and I know that if I can feel his magic here with me then he’s out there, somewhere, too.” His mood slips, and suddenly there is a press of pain from somewhere deep inside him.
He shoves it away. Gotta find Billy. No time for ache-y, depressing feelings when his brother is waiting for him.
“You okay?” Kate asks suddenly, and he blinks once, twice to keep back the tears before he looks at her, grin plastered on his face.
“Um, duh.”
“Are you sure?” she presses. “Because you went quiet for a second, and-”
“I’m fine.”
“I mean, it’s okay if you’re not, ’cause-”
“Kate, I’m fine.”
“See, when you use that voice it really doesn’t seem like-”
“I said I was fine!” he snaps, surprising both of them with the anger in his outburst. She freezes, looking at him, and he looks away, hunching his shoulders.
“I mean- I...”
Kate stares at the road, expression unreadable.
“Sorry,” he mumbles. He drums his fingers on the console, then glances at her. “I didn’t, uh.”
“It’s cool,” she says.
“I didn't mean to-”
“I said we’re fine, Tommy.” Her voice is firm, no room for argument. He worries his nail between his teeth, biting at his cuticles. Not looking her in the eyes.
“I’m sorry,” he repeats. “Sometimes, I just- my emotions and reactions, they just aren’t- just-”
“Tommy,” Kate says, gentler this time. “It’s okay. I’m not mad.” She glances at him, smiling slightly. “We’re chill.”
He drums his finger fast, faster, faster. “M’kay.”
A too-long pause, or maybe his head is just going too fast, before Kate asks, “So what’s your plan?”
His legs ache. He needs to run- how long have they been in this car? It feels like forever. Like everything is closing in on him, and he just needs Billy, and- “Plan for what?”
Kate pops her gum, adjusting the mirror. “For once we get to Westview.”
Deeeeaaaaapppppp breath. He’s fine. He is. “We?”
Kate reaches across the console, punching his shoulder lightly. “Yeah. We’re in this together, aren’t we?”
He frowns at her, balancing his chin on his knuckles. “Yeah, I don’t know why we’re “in this together” though. You don’t have any stake in this.”
“I told you,” she says simply. “I’m not just leaving you alone in Westview.”
“Because you’d feel guilty about ditching a teenager in the middle of nowhere, New Jersey?”
“Because I want you to find your brother.” The words are... too honest. Too much. His chest is tight again, tears stinging his eyes.
“Why?”
Kate looks over at him, them smiles. “Because I think you deserve to be happy, Tommy.”
He sits up abruptly, scrubbing at his eyes with his fist and staring out the window at the fields passing by. “You just met me. Why would you care?”
“I dunno,” she murmurs. “I guess I just... feel it.”
“You’re a weirdo, Kate Bishop.”
There’s a stupid grin on her face when he looks back at her. “Yeah. So are you, Tommy Maximoff. So are you.”
“You look like an idiot right now,” he informs her. “And ridiculously smug, too.”
“Why thank you, I try.” She pauses, then tilts her head. “Tommy? When we find your brother, I... I have an offer. That I’d like you to consider.”
Oh, and that’s suspicious. “What?” he asks, bouncing his knee.
Kate looks a bit sheepish, tucking her bangs back as she says, “Well- okay, the Avengers disbanded, y’know-”
“Obviously.”
“-but the world still needs heroes-”
“Is this a recruitment add?” he interrupts, narrowing his eyes. She starles, whipping her head around to him.
“What? How did you-”
“Let me guess,” he drawls, “You’re creating a new team of Avengers? Avengers Junior?”
“No!” Her face is red, and she adds awkwardly, “It’s the Young Avengers.”
“Oh my god.”
“Look, Clint’s training me-”
“Kate.”
“-and there’s this girl, Ms. Marvel-”
“Kate!”
“-and you have superpowers, your parents were literally Avengers, and-”
“Kate!” he snaps, slamming his hand against the console. “I don’t want to be a hero!”
“But-”
“No.”
“Come on, Tommy, I just-”
“I said no!” He glowers at her, drawing his knees up to his chest. “I don’t want to be a hero. I don’t want to be an Avenger. Yeah, my parents were- and now my dad is dead and my mom went so mad with grief that she trapped an entire town in her nightmares. Drop it. I am not some hero.”
Kate looks, for a long moment, like she’s going to protest, but her jaw tightens and her knuckles are white around the wheel. “Okay.”
“Okay,” he snaps back, crossing his arms. “Good.”
“But I’m going to ask again,” Kate insists, sharply, and he laughs.
It sounds bitter, now.
“Be my guest. My answer isn’t changing.”