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]

[That earns a sympathetic look, and Billy goes to give him a quick, reassuring kiss, hair still damp, ends curling.]

...We'll be okay. We just have to get through today. Then we can worry about what comes next.

[helpdesk_hero]

Each day. One step at a time.

[David smiles through the kiss and then gestures for Billy to dress.]

Give me a few minutes to take a quick shower. Then we need to go talk to someone about what is happening to you.

[wearingthestars]

[Right. He nods with a flush. Not that it probably still won't be obvious what they've been up to, but being properly dressed will definitely give them the best shot of avoiding suspicion.]

Take your time.

[And Billy at least is comfortable enough in David's room to amuse himself while he's gone, flipping through his phone. He opts for games over browsing the internet, avoiding whatever news might be out there.]

[helpdesk_hero]

[David isn't even ten minutes before he's back, wrapped in a towel and heading right for his dresser.]

I think Emma might not be a good place to start. She's going to be SUPER busy. I'd want Beast but he's going to have it bad too. I'm thinking... Kitty?

[wearingthestars]

Kitty seems like a good bet.

[Billy still looks a little anxious about bothering any of them with this, but it gives David something to focus on that's less...terrifying. And he's not wrong, it needs to be told.]

[helpdesk_hero]

[And Kitty never directly fought Wanda, so if there was a connection... Maybe she wouldn't take that as immediately bad. So David finishes up dressing and once he's all tidied up he offers his arms to Billy.]

Hey, this will be okay.

[wearingthestars]

[Accepting it with a soft smile, Billy tries to feel as sure as David sounds. It can't end that badly, even in the worst case scenario, right?]

I know. I just wish if I was going to develop some kind of secondary mutation I could have had better timing.

[helpdesk_hero]

Come on, hun. Something about this timing? It's right. I believe that.

[Something about this is going to be a blessing. He hopes.]

[wearingthestars]

[David inspires a surprising amount of confidence, and Billy really wants to believe him. Especially now. Maybe this is something he can use to help in the end.]

...Maybe.

[And for now he lets himself really believe it, smiling and giving a more sure nod.]

[helpdesk_hero]

Come on. We'll see what we can figure out together.

[He offers his hand and smiles. Because what else was he going to do?]

I'll be here for you. Promise.

[wearingthestars]

Same.

[Whether that means David never gets his powers back, or wakes up tomorrow as some kind of genius wolf-man...Billy's here for him. They've got each other's backs, no matter what happens.

He takes David's hand and gives it a squeeze as they head out.]

[helpdesk_hero]

[Hopefully not the whole wolf-man thing. The school has enough of those.]

Come on then. Time to find out what secrets you have.

[wearingthestars]

[More than enough, but David would definitely be the cutest, so he has that going for him.]

If I really am a secret Magneto love child, my mom's going to have a lot of explaining to do.

[helpdesk_hero]

I can only imagine. But I'm sure it will be a good story.

[wearingthestars]

[He laughs. Though it's not...completely impossible. There's Polaris. If not for how certain he is that his mother would never...but David's still right, if he's related even distantly, it could explain a lot.

He leans into David's side as they make their way to find Kitty.]

...Do I just straight up tell her?

[helpdesk_hero]

I think so. I mean, there isn't many other people that will listen to us right now, right? And she was friends with Majik, Which means he gets something about magic and mutants. Right? Surely it means that.

[He can't get Billy to the people who he needs, so he's going to try the next best thing.]

[wearingthestars]

...Right. Yeah.

[Billy nods, and feels sure enough in the moment, though soon enough he's sat before Kitty and the words don't want to come. Cheeks hot, he runs several practices attempts through his head before finally managing-]

So...um...we think I have a new power...a magic one. And...also David thinks I might be related to Magneto, but that's whole other...thing.

[Very smooth.]

[helpdesk_hero]

[Kitty hadn't really been too excited to sit down with the boys given how much of a mess everything was. But the serious look from David had stilled her. Not like that kid to be frivolous. But what he said? That was... hard to believe.]

Magic? Not a lot of mutants have magic. Even Majik only had it because of what happened to her.

[David sighs and shakes his head.]

Really? I think you should listen, Kitty. He was glowing, and flying apparently.

[wearingthestars]

Floating. [Billy corrects sheepishly, not that it makes much of a difference.] I don't know for sure if it is, but...it feels different. And...with the timing of everything... [He gives an uncertain shrug, and after a moment he lifts his hands to try and show her.]

Like this. [And after a bit of focus that glow returns, getting a little easier each time he does it. And then David's chair starts to lift off the ground and Billy panics, immediately dropping the glow, and subsequently, the chair.]

Sorry.

[helpdesk_hero]

[Well, that's an abrupt fall, and David winces as he hits the ground.]

Okay, that seems a bit more like telekinesis than anything. And secondary powers aren't completely unheard of...

[David sighs and shakes his head as Kitty tries to explain it away.]

Telekinesis doesn't present with visual components.

[wearingthestars]

I always wanted telekinesis.

[Billy notes it almost absently, frowning curiously at his fingertips.]

I don't know for sure what it is, I just...it just seems weird that it would happen today. And also I don't want to hurt anyone with it and/or float away in the night.

[helpdesk_hero]

[Well, David's not going to comment on that because he hardly feels like wanting telekinesis is something that matters here.]

It is a bit strange, I'll give you guys that. But I don't think he's going to hurt anyone with it. Still, I'll take this to Beast. I know he's a bit busy, but it might not be a bad idea, and it's not like you guys can get to him easily.

Yeah, that was about what I figured. What should I do with Billy in the mean time?

[Kitty bites her lip as she considers that question. Then shakes her head.]

Stay around Noriko and Jay? So if he starts discharging electricity unexpectedly Noriko can absorb it, and if he starts to float away, Jay can fetch him back down?

[wearingthestars]

I don't think the electrokensis is acting up any. [Billy notes, knowing it's not much of a concession, but it's something at least. He doesn't have the first idea of what he's actually capable of just yet, but despite the lingering flush and guilt, he does feel better for having told someone, David's right.]

...Thanks Kitty.

[helpdesk_hero]

Of course, Billy. How about, for now, you just stay in your room. I'll hunt down someone we can talk to about this. David, would you keep an eye on him?

What else am I going to do? [No bitterness there. Though he does miss his powers.]

[wearingthestars]

I'll try. [Maybe not his room, but he'll keep hunkered down until they know what they're dealing with.

He looks to David with a smile, and his hand shifts, wanting to reach for his boyfriends, but he stops himself with a flush.]

Don't worry, David'll make sure I'm fine.