The Day After - For WearingtheStars

[helpdesk_hero]

He knows it the second he wakes up. Because there's this void in his head. Can't explain it, can only say it's wrong. As deeply wrong as anything has ever been in his life. Of course the only reason he even woke up was because of all of the shouting. The fear and the pain. And David swallows hard because he's reaching and there's nothing.

Which is what gets him grabbing at his jeans and a t-shirt, throwing himself out of the room, barely even acknowledging Josh as the gold-skinned idiot wakes up. No, his concern is the room across the hall. Is pushing past people so he can pound on it. Billy.

"Billy!" he shouts through the door. He should have fought harder when Emma found out they were dating. He shouldn't have let people change their rooms. He should be in there, knowing if Billy is feeling this same emptiness too.

An emptiness that can't just be David, because he thinks he just saw a girl that used to have purple skin and horns walk by. Without either of those.

"Billy, open up! Dammit, Jay, if you're in there, open the door, I need to see Billy."

Comments

[wearingthestars]

[The light drops, Billy releasing it in fear of it hurting David, but he tentatively attempt to bring it out again. Whatever it is, if David does does touch it, doesn't seem to hurt, though there's a definite aura to it that's hard to explain.]

In the middle of all this? You think they wanna deal with one student having too many powers when most of them have none?

[helpdesk_hero]

Actually... Yes, Billy. Come on, you have to see it, right? Blue light at the hands? Your features? There's something going on here.

[wearingthestars]

...My features? [Billy looks uncertain, whether he genuinely doesn't know what David's getting at, or whether he won't let himself is hard to say.]

[helpdesk_hero]

You haven't seen it?

[David's a bit shocked at that. But he gets up and goes to his laptop, quickly opening a photo-editor program. Soon he's very busy, pulling up old, old images of the Maximoff twins. And soon he's displaying a skill he'd developed before he ever became a mutant. With some work he's got Pietro isolated and has changed its hair to black, made it flop some in front of his face, and then brings up another picture, this time of Billy. Whitens his hair, changes the eye color, and puts it up next to another picture of Pietro Maximoff, this time with Wanda, young and not in hero costumes.]

Look Billy. You look like a Maximoff. Or maybe a Lehnsherr. I guess Erik could have a kid we don't know about in you, or maybe another kid.

[wearingthestars]

[That's...kind of uncanny. And it awakens a kind of anxiety in him he can't quite place, frowning and shaking his head faintly.]

I- I mean...yeah, I...I guess I see it. But...I'm a Kaplan. We're not...I'm related to either of them. I'm pretty sure I'd know if I was.

[helpdesk_hero]

Yeah, there is a chance you'd know if you were, but...

[David shrugs.]

That isn't to say that your parents aren't somehow related to Erik Lehnsherr. Probably him more likely than the Maximoffs, he's actually Jewish after all, they're half Romani, and you don't have the skin tone for that. But if you are related to Magneto somehow, then there's a history of magic and weird power in the family. And Billy... That glow is a lot like the Scarlet Witch's.

Or, other option? Wanda Maximoff went missing months ago, when the Avengers were attacked and disbanded, and Vision and Hawkeye and Ant-Man all died. What if she died too? Or lost her magic. What if it moved to a relative?

[wearingthestars]

[The glow ignites on his fingertips again, and Billy looks it over, seeing what felt so oddly familiar about it now. Wrong colour, but definitely similar look. And it's hard to say that's just 'magic' because, well, he's seen other magic users, and their magic doesn't look like that.]

...I-

[He flounders for any sort of argument, but David's made his point far too well.]

Why now?

[helpdesk_hero]

Something that happened to her? The stress of what was going on triggering something else? Some adventure you had in your sleep? I don't know.

[wearingthestars]

[It seems so unfair that David, and so many of their friends should be stripped of their powers the same day Billy seems to find new ones, and he gives a guilty look, letting the glow fade.]

...I'll let someone know tonight, give them some more time to figure what's going on without more weirdness to worry about.

[helpdesk_hero]

If only Majik was still alive. She could help.

[wearingthestars]

[If only a whole lot of things. Billy nods, and moves to properly rejoin David.]

It just feels so unfair. Is everyone going to hate me? Everyone loses their powers and I get a whole new one??

[helpdesk_hero]

No one has to know. Not right now.

The bigger question is how to help you safe when learning a new power.

[wearingthestars]

[Billy tries to think back to when he was learning to control his original power, brow furrowing softly.]

Well for starters maybe I tie myself to the bed tonight so I don't go floating away?

[helpdesk_hero]

Actually...

[Who is going to care tonight.]

Stay in here, with me.

[wearingthestars]

Oh sure, now that I mention tying me up-- [Billy tries to tease, but his gaze softens and he nods easily.]

Josh isn't going to like that.

[helpdesk_hero]

Josh can bite me.

[Someone has to observe Billy. For his own sake.]

[wearingthestars]

[Laughing softly, Billy steals a kiss.]

I'll stay.

[Besides, he wants to keep an eye on David as much as he wants to keep an eye on him.]

[helpdesk_hero]

Good.

[The stolen kiss definitely earns a returned one from David. Just wants to kiss him and kiss him and ignore the way the world hurts.]

[wearingthestars]

[It's the best distraction Billy's got for him right now, and he presses closer to try and shield him from that hurt for just a little while, deepening the kiss.]

[helpdesk_hero]

[Okay, this is a thing that they're doing now. David welcomes the distraction actually, and he pulls Billy firmly against him, fingers curling into his boyfriend's hair.]

[wearingthestars]

[All the worries of the day fade into the background, and soon there's nothing but David. Billy smiles against his lips, hands skimming up along his ribs with a needy hum.]

[helpdesk_hero]

[A good needy hum. David loves it. Those sorts of noises were what got them in trouble with Emma before. He smirks and lays back, pulling Billy with him.]

[wearingthestars]

[He gives a hushed laugh, wary of being too loud. He doesn't want them to get caught again. Which really would be better served by locking the door, or something sensible, but what teenage boy thinks sensibly once a make out session has started?]

I love you. [He mumbles the phrase against David's throat and smiles. Now that they've said he wants to say it all the time.]

[helpdesk_hero]

Love you too.

[David's fingers curl into his boyfriend's hair, happy to stroke that while Billy's attention is on his neck. Yeah, this is a good thing. He should be thinking about other stuff, but this is better. Much better.]

[wearingthestars]

[Billy kisses and bites gently at that exposed skin, mindful enough at least to try not to leave marks that might get them in trouble. It's been a while since they've really had the opportunity to be alone together like this, and he can feel a warmth settle over him, eager and shy as his fingers tease up under the hem of David's shirt.]