( kirk dragged him out of the cage, had his collar removed, but among all the power suppressants billy's own magic could only take him so far. he--tried to get to as many people as he could, whispering soft spells to clear up wounds despite the fact he's covered in them himself: blood caked to his lower lip, the left side of his face absolutely covered in bruises, the beginning of a black eye--
but even if he's shaking and falling apart, there are others out here who had it so much worse. broken bones and torn skin, there's so much fighting and he--billy can pull himself together enough to help, at least.
with his forehead pressed to a young girl's, fingers cupped around her face, he murmurs under his breath, a soft iwanttohealher as her wounds stitch back together and presses hands to his own knees once he's done, to stand himself back up. )
[ The remaining power-suppressors are the business of one of the Starks to take down, while Loki forges ahead with the wave of regular fighters with only his daggers, Asgardian strength and icy touch to call to arm himself with. He doesn't waste time hacking his way through the kidnappers that pour out of the temple to meet them, spending what feels like an hour scouring the place to make sure he isn't missing anywhere, fury keeping him going whenever he fears Billy may be injured or worse. Thor tells him he saw Billy much earlier, Jim says he got him out of the cells, but the temple with all its traps has a wearying effect the deeper Loki gets, tricking his way past this fatal tripwire and that, only for whoever is behind him to shortly set it off. Then the crowd overtakes his progress altogether in a brawl and it looks like all the world is made up of an underground battle no matter which way he looks.
It's only by pushing on, following the thin thread of their damaged bond, that his attention zones sideways to a trio moving slower than any other, creeping up on the distracted figure of a healer with new collars in their hands; Loki recognises Billy and it's as if his mind blanks, white-hot with rage; all the hours of fear and desperation, the guilt of losing him ...
The first kidnapper becomes the new owner of a dagger sprouting from his throat, dropping like a wet sack as he chokes on his own blood. The second is wrenched aside by his head as he turns to look over a shoulder and the crack of it twisting too far echoes as he too falls. The third, Loki picks up by the throat and holds overhead, slowly turning the struggling cultist to ice from the feet and hands up so his heart and head are the last areas to turn translucent, staring down into the green pools that become the furious god's eyes in the dark, the shadows of horns lengthening against the rocky walls. ]
( the ringing in his ears distracts him from the sound of loki behind, up until bodies start collapsing and the girl in front of him stares wide-eyed at the violence, turns around on her heels and runs in the opposite direction. billy's a little slower to turn his attention, angling his body to the side for a moment so e can see what he's missing, what's going on, except--
that's definitely loki committing murders. exhausted and tired as he is, billy still doesn't hesitate to open his mouth, starts screaming at loki: ) Stop! Put him down, stop freezing him! We're not murderers!
( he isn't. the avengers aren't. taming loki down to. not ending lives is another step entirely and billy's pissed at these guys, too. pissed at the damage they did, pissed they--hurt people, people who never did anything to deserve it, but he wouldn't kill them for it. and he's scrambling over on unsteady legs, eyes a brightbright blue as he rushes over to the body of the man loki had left a dagger inside of, lips moving quickly as he whispers more spells, pulls the dagger out of the man's neck and wills him back into one piece. )
[ "Put him down" results in Loki dropping the man in his clutches and a body shattering into a million icy fragments, so. That guy is definitely 300% dead. When the persuasive impulse of Billy's words can be shrugged off a moment later, the anger seeps from his face and Loki stumbles forward in less than perfect shape himself, banged up by the battle. ]
Billy.
[ Never mind these cowards, they deserve worse than death. He reaches out for Billy, relief weakening his limbs. ]
I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound like I was doubting like you loved me, and I really didn't mean to make it seem as if everything you were doing for me was an inconvenience. You've tried really hard to look out for me and make sure I was okay. You were there for me when no one else was. When I was depressed, you tried to fix it. You kept the nightmares from hurting me, and kept me from hurting myself more than once.
I didn't expect you to be okay with Teddy just like that, which is why I wanted to talk to you about it. I wasn't going to hold his hand or be close to him like that until we figured everything out but then you said everything felt like a dream to you, like it wasn't real, and it hurt. I was really happy during our time together, and having it brushed off like that broke my heart.
What happened wasn't your fault. I do love you a lot. I thought about you every day down there, when we were stuck. I knew you'd come for me even if we fought, because I trusted you to always help me when I needed it.
Please don't hate me for forever. I'm really sorry. All of this was on me. I should have been better, and I'm sorry I wasn't.
( knees curled up to his chest on the (now) massive hospital bed and billy kaplan hasn't done jack shit in the last several days, eyes focused out of window of his room. he did refocus in on this dimensional plane long enough to pull out his phone and remember he--forgot something rather important.
it's easy to send off his room number to tommy, tell him he's still (physically) in one piece, he hopes tommy's fine, too. billy's barely slept more than catnaps for the last several days, he can't imagine tommy's doing much better.
they both have massive fucking issues over the whole being depowered and collared thing, nobody likes that shit. )
[Tommy's issues with being depowered go beyond the obvious, that it's invasive as fuck and makes him feel helpless and useless and worthless - it's also a sharp reminder of being locked away and subjected to experiments designed to turn him into a living weapon. Sure, it's been a few years since Billy and the other Young Avengers broke him out, but has Tommy actually dealt with that chapter of his life? No. No, he has not.
So maybe he lost his shit a little when he was captured (again) and depowered (again). Maybe he took off running the second he got his powers back and hasn't stopped since, barely slowed down enough to pay attention to his phone. Maybe he didn't check in with Billy because he figured Billy could take care of himself, powerful reality-warping mage that he is, and because he still isn't used to anyone giving a shit about him. He's been functionally alone for most of his life, after all.
But Tommy can read between the lines of what Billy's text message says to what it doesn't say. He doesn't waste time texting back, just zooms his way into Billy's room with a gust of wind trailing behind him - cleaned up, patched himself up and let his natural mutant physiology do the rest as far as healing, still a little bruised up but outwardly no worse for the wear.]
( unfortunately, billy's talents didn't come with accelerated healing. half his face is still covered in bruises, his ribs are still a little sore, the split lip has mostly healed by now, and the bags under his eyes are definitely. noticeable. but tommy actually came which says a lot right there, doesn't it? and god, he's glad to see tommy's doing okay. is still in one piece, at least.
he doesn't know what he would do if tommy fell apart. )
Happens, I guess.
( his tone's lackluster, dry, but billy turns eyes over to tommy regardless. raises a hand to coax him in a little closer. )
[Ha. Except he's not really kidding. Tommy shrugs, then zips over to pull up a chair to the side of the bed, folding himself into it haphazardly - not relaxed, ready to spring back to his feet at a second's notice, if necessary. Erratically, he taps the tip of his finger along the chair's arm, giving Billy a closer visual inspection.]
[ Four days after radio silence is broken by Billy, Loki reads the message in his inbox and decides to take a six-pack to Teddy's front door. It's a lot easier to face him than Loki's ex-boyfriend (still hurts thinking about Billy that way, will for a long time) and Loki owes him for standing up on Loki's behalf in the hospital. Honestly, Loki should probably stop avoiding people in general.
So, there he stands mid-afternoon on Teddy's porch, unsure whether he'll be allowed in. ]
[Teddy has been doing his best to pretty much... stay as busy as possible. Not to sleep all that much. It means spending a lot of time outside of his home, all hours. Today though, he'd actually dragged himself out to run some proper errands, and he's got a bag of groceries tucked under one arm...
And apparently, he's got a god of mischief waiting for him with drinks. He's a little relieved that it looks like he just arrived -- or at least hasn't been waiting too long, hopefully. He honestly hadn't thought he'd see Loki or Billy again, but he offers up a brief, welcoming smile anyway.]
Is everything okay? I hope you weren't waiting that long...
[There's really no reason to turn Loki away, he figures. Especially after how everything went at the hospital... He should see how he's doing at least.
[ Surprised to find Teddy coming up behind with an armful of groceries, he rubs the back of his neck and finds his momentum. ]
Er, sure. Yes. I found a six-pack and thought you might be in a mood to partake of it ... maybe with take-out. [ It's a nice apartment, compact but cute and boyish in a way the Sanctum definitely isn't (mouldy old sorcerer, mostly). Loki eyes the food Teddy just went out to buy. ] Unless you have plans, in which case it's no bother if you keep the drinks and we can, ah, do this another time.
What-- [He's still a little bit surprised honestly, but--] No, no, it's fine. Trust me. My big plans were to sit in front of the TV and play some games all night.
[Or go out and find something real to punch, but... he could probably use some actual interaction that's not-- that. Loki could probably use some company too.] Sorry-- my place isn't big but, feel free to make yourself at home.
[He drops the bag in the kitchen... honestly, it's mostly just frozen things he can pop in the microwave. Probably not guest-suitable food... He pauses, looking over his shoulder at Loki, thoughtfully.] Do you want pizza? Chinese? My treat, since you brought the drinks.
[ He's been there three minutes, leaning against the wall covered in shadows just outside Billy's peripheral vision. Watching him. Wondering if he ought to leave ...
No. It's been a week since he all but gave Teddy permission to start coddling their mutual lover, a week of lonesome nights spent trying in vain to sleep in a bed too big, a week of missing the simple heat of Billy's lips. Their bond has been suppressed to nothing, a muted bird that has forgotten how to sing. Loki wears his hoodie and jeans, arms folded where he slumps in an long line against the wall, only the green of his eyes reflecting the light of the musical playing on the TV. ]
( the new apartment itself is still fairly bare bones; living room equipped with a television and gaming station still on the ground instead of a stand but that's just fine with billy; he's curled up on the bean bag chair that used to be in his room in the sanctum, fluffy blanket wrapped around shoulders and a pot of cold coffee sitting nearby to refill his mug whenever he empties it.
loki's voice--catches him off guard, shoulders tensing in response before he turns his head, rubs bloodshot eyes. voice weak when he whispers, as if he's not quite sure if it's just--all in his head: )
[ He's spent his time rebuilding his sense of self without Billy, a little anxious over how codependent he became and a little annoyed at himself, but seeing Billy so vulnerably cosied up on a beanbag crumbles his resistance in moments. His heart bleeds for him, waves of sympathy, and he straightens to pace forward with only a little pride left in not reaching for him. Yet. ]
No, there's--a bed in my room. ( a hand raises to gesture off in the direction of it (though the "spean friend and enter" sign makes it obvious, tommy wouldn't) but billy drops it quick after, opening his mouth to speak but quickly closing it--he can't find the words. )
( they haven't figured out--90% of everything, but no one's fighting anymore so that's. something. no bitchwars and billy hasn't screamed at loki in the last couple days that he's actually been talking to him again. it's progress.
but that's not why he's called teddy and loki into his new apartment, sitting on the beanbag chair with the tech canister settled on the ground in front of him, chin resting on top of his palms. )
So I know this is really bad timing and we still have like a lot of things to figure out but I don't know what to do with this thing, either.
[ He knows well enough what that is that he decides it's much easier to make jokes about it instead of facing the truth. A reality, new and different, which could hold anything for Billy's future. Just when things were starting to settle down, of course Billy is gifted a canister. ]
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@LOKI
but even if he's shaking and falling apart, there are others out here who had it so much worse. broken bones and torn skin, there's so much fighting and he--billy can pull himself together enough to help, at least.
with his forehead pressed to a young girl's, fingers cupped around her face, he murmurs under his breath, a soft iwanttohealher as her wounds stitch back together and presses hands to his own knees once he's done, to stand himself back up. )
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It's only by pushing on, following the thin thread of their damaged bond, that his attention zones sideways to a trio moving slower than any other, creeping up on the distracted figure of a healer with new collars in their hands; Loki recognises Billy and it's as if his mind blanks, white-hot with rage; all the hours of fear and desperation, the guilt of losing him ...
The first kidnapper becomes the new owner of a dagger sprouting from his throat, dropping like a wet sack as he chokes on his own blood. The second is wrenched aside by his head as he turns to look over a shoulder and the crack of it twisting too far echoes as he too falls. The third, Loki picks up by the throat and holds overhead, slowly turning the struggling cultist to ice from the feet and hands up so his heart and head are the last areas to turn translucent, staring down into the green pools that become the furious god's eyes in the dark, the shadows of horns lengthening against the rocky walls. ]
Get away from my boyfriend.
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that's definitely loki committing murders. exhausted and tired as he is, billy still doesn't hesitate to open his mouth, starts screaming at loki: ) Stop! Put him down, stop freezing him! We're not murderers!
( he isn't. the avengers aren't. taming loki down to. not ending lives is another step entirely and billy's pissed at these guys, too. pissed at the damage they did, pissed they--hurt people, people who never did anything to deserve it, but he wouldn't kill them for it. and he's scrambling over on unsteady legs, eyes a brightbright blue as he rushes over to the body of the man loki had left a dagger inside of, lips moving quickly as he whispers more spells, pulls the dagger out of the man's neck and wills him back into one piece. )
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Billy.
[ Never mind these cowards, they deserve worse than death. He reaches out for Billy, relief weakening his limbs. ]
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@loki ~4 days post kidnap rescuings | text;
I didn't expect you to be okay with Teddy just like that, which is why I wanted to talk to you about it. I wasn't going to hold his hand or be close to him like that until we figured everything out but then you said everything felt like a dream to you, like it wasn't real, and it hurt. I was really happy during our time together, and having it brushed off like that broke my heart.
What happened wasn't your fault. I do love you a lot. I thought about you every day down there, when we were stuck. I knew you'd come for me even if we fought, because I trusted you to always help me when I needed it.
Please don't hate me for forever. I'm really sorry. All of this was on me. I should have been better, and I'm sorry I wasn't.
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@tommy ~4 days post rescues (preloki)
it's easy to send off his room number to tommy, tell him he's still (physically) in one piece, he hopes tommy's fine, too. billy's barely slept more than catnaps for the last several days, he can't imagine tommy's doing much better.
they both have massive fucking issues over the whole being depowered and collared thing, nobody likes that shit. )
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So maybe he lost his shit a little when he was captured (again) and depowered (again). Maybe he took off running the second he got his powers back and hasn't stopped since, barely slowed down enough to pay attention to his phone. Maybe he didn't check in with Billy because he figured Billy could take care of himself, powerful reality-warping mage that he is, and because he still isn't used to anyone giving a shit about him. He's been functionally alone for most of his life, after all.
But Tommy can read between the lines of what Billy's text message says to what it doesn't say. He doesn't waste time texting back, just zooms his way into Billy's room with a gust of wind trailing behind him - cleaned up, patched himself up and let his natural mutant physiology do the rest as far as healing, still a little bruised up but outwardly no worse for the wear.]
You look like shit.
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he doesn't know what he would do if tommy fell apart. )
Happens, I guess.
( his tone's lackluster, dry, but billy turns eyes over to tommy regardless. raises a hand to coax him in a little closer. )
You look a little less like shit.
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[Ha. Except he's not really kidding. Tommy shrugs, then zips over to pull up a chair to the side of the bed, folding himself into it haphazardly - not relaxed, ready to spring back to his feet at a second's notice, if necessary. Erratically, he taps the tip of his finger along the chair's arm, giving Billy a closer visual inspection.]
How long are you stuck here for?
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@teddy ~5 days post rescues
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[Nothing is okay at the moment, no.]
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( of course not. no one's okay. nothing is going okay right now. everything is bad. )
I'm sorry for making it worse.
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[So, no, it's not just on Billy.
It's just-- he can't really help showing up. He couldn't help not suddenly being okay being the ex and seeing everyone had moved on.
But he also can't keep trying to wedge himself in, or let Billy try to fit him in if it's going to keep ending in tears.]
You probably shouldn't be texting me, you know. Kind of goes against forgetting I'm here.
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( teddy; 4 days post-fight )
So, there he stands mid-afternoon on Teddy's porch, unsure whether he'll be allowed in. ]
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[Teddy has been doing his best to pretty much... stay as busy as possible. Not to sleep all that much. It means spending a lot of time outside of his home, all hours. Today though, he'd actually dragged himself out to run some proper errands, and he's got a bag of groceries tucked under one arm...
And apparently, he's got a god of mischief waiting for him with drinks. He's a little relieved that it looks like he just arrived -- or at least hasn't been waiting too long, hopefully. He honestly hadn't thought he'd see Loki or Billy again, but he offers up a brief, welcoming smile anyway.]
Is everything okay? I hope you weren't waiting that long...
[There's really no reason to turn Loki away, he figures. Especially after how everything went at the hospital... He should see how he's doing at least.
He moves to get the door for them both.]
Come in.
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Er, sure. Yes. I found a six-pack and thought you might be in a mood to partake of it ... maybe with take-out. [ It's a nice apartment, compact but cute and boyish in a way the Sanctum definitely isn't (mouldy old sorcerer, mostly). Loki eyes the food Teddy just went out to buy. ] Unless you have plans, in which case it's no bother if you keep the drinks and we can, ah, do this another time.
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[Or go out and find something real to punch, but... he could probably use some actual interaction that's not-- that. Loki could probably use some company too.] Sorry-- my place isn't big but, feel free to make yourself at home.
[He drops the bag in the kitchen... honestly, it's mostly just frozen things he can pop in the microwave. Probably not guest-suitable food... He pauses, looking over his shoulder at Loki, thoughtfully.] Do you want pizza? Chinese? My treat, since you brought the drinks.
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( billy; a week after loki and teddy talk )
No. It's been a week since he all but gave Teddy permission to start coddling their mutual lover, a week of lonesome nights spent trying in vain to sleep in a bed too big, a week of missing the simple heat of Billy's lips. Their bond has been suppressed to nothing, a muted bird that has forgotten how to sing. Loki wears his hoodie and jeans, arms folded where he slumps in an long line against the wall, only the green of his eyes reflecting the light of the musical playing on the TV. ]
Hey.
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loki's voice--catches him off guard, shoulders tensing in response before he turns his head, rubs bloodshot eyes. voice weak when he whispers, as if he's not quite sure if it's just--all in his head: )
Loki?
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You haven't been sleeping in that, I hope.
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I'm--sorry, Loki, really. I didn't mean to--
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( teddy & loki ~like two weeks later. )
but that's not why he's called teddy and loki into his new apartment, sitting on the beanbag chair with the tech canister settled on the ground in front of him, chin resting on top of his palms. )
So I know this is really bad timing and we still have like a lot of things to figure out but I don't know what to do with this thing, either.
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It looks like it could use some lube, honestly.
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[He wrinkles his nose at that joke, but his attention is drawn to that canister and then back to Billy.]
I'm not sure how we're supposed to help you figure out what to do with it though...
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