[Mem Share] Graduation

[doubled_speed]

Everything is so very, very colorful today. The bright blue sky filled with puffy white clouds. The rich green of tree leaves in the shaded grove filled with too many less than comfortable folding chairs. Orange and brown garlands festooned a stage decked out in black and with large containers of flowers (thankfully not orange and brown) in blues and golds and scarlets. And above it all, a table. A table with a stand with a hundred, give or take, rolled up pieces of paper sealed with orange and brown ribbons. All in all, it's a colorful mess, and Tommy's been cataloging every color since he sat down which felt like an ETERNITY ago because WOW his powers and sitting still for the ceremony did not go together well.

"Hey," a voice more familiar than his own said at his side, even as a hand just like his only softer, moved to rest on his arm. "Look at me."

Tommy tore his eyes from the stage where Principal Vanderbluff-Bouchard read off the next name, Thadwick, Bartholemew, and instead let them linger on his mirror image. Well, no, not mirror image, because Billy looked just like him except for the colors and the fact that Tommy had a bit more muscle mass on him. But it was close enough. They'd even chosen matching clothes today, the same tan slacks but with Billy wearing a scarlet shirt, and Tommy wearing a gold one. Meant, they had both decided, to be a nod to their parents. Billy, he thought, had come out looking better. Given it didn't happen often, Tommy didn't begrudge him it. Just something about the black cap and gown, the orange and brown tassel beside his face, that just made his twin look right.

"Looking," Tommy whispered back, and ignored the people around them as they started clapping for another person marching across the stage.

"It's almost over," Billy said, smiling. "There's no speeches after this. Not really. Just names, announcing we graduated, and people throwing hats. You can survive. And then some pictures with the fam, and of course Grandma Pepper and Grandpa Bruce want to take us to lunch."

Yeah, that would be cool, wouldn't it? It wasn't very often that the whole family got together. And even then it wasn't the whole whole family because they were never going to know their whole family. But Morgan would be there, and Cassie and Kate, and if he was in town Bucky, and so many other people. Their whole Avengers family before a smaller group of them went to go see a drive in movie because frankly, Kate had wanted to go clubbing but Cassie had said it was WAY more important that their time together as friends be theirs and not belong to a mass of other people.

A whole day of fun and energy, and all he had to do was wait. Just... a few more minutes. It felt like an eternity.

"Yeah, but... I put smoke bombs in Principal Vanderbluff-Bouchard's rose garden on a dare last week." A dare from Billy at that. "What if he doesn't let me..."

"He'll let you graduate. Because if he didn't, he'd have to deal with Mom."

Tommy smiles at that, and both of the twins turn in their seats to look back to the assembled parents and friends and family. It's so easy to find her back there, Wanda's hand joined with Vision's, and their parents beaming. Wait, was Mom tearing up? Oh man, this was going to be SO emotional. Before he can even say it, though, their row is standing up. Oh hell, it's time.

He laces his fingers together with Billy's. It's something neither of them have done when they weren't really upset for a long time. It's not something older twins should do. Tommy? He doesn't give a fuck. Not today. He pulls Billy to his feet and out into the line, and still they hold hands. It's easier, like this, his brother at his side. From how tight Billy's hand grips his, Tommy has to believe the same is true for his twin as the line moves slowly forward.

Then, and it feels like only a second later, he's at the bottom of the stairs, dropping Billy's hand just in time to hear what he's been waiting for.

"Vision, Thomas," the principal reads into the microphone and Tommy heads up the steps, two at a time. His black down swirls around him as he moves faster than any human alive, and he can hear the crowds chuckling. Everyone knows that the twins have powers. No one ever dared pick on them because of that. Tommy moves brisky to the podium, shaking the Principal's hand. Then to center stage, where the Dean of the School, some little old man named Dean Featherstonehaugh (the haugh was apparently silent), offered both his hand and Tommy's diploma. Another shake and Tommy was across the stage just in time to hear the next name.

"Vision, William."

Tommy doesn't go down from the stage, despite people trying to shoo him. No, he waits and applauds and watches his brother cross to him. Tommy, the class clown, and Billy, the class 'weird kid'. People were whispering. Was something going to happen? Tommy waited for Billy to get into arm's length and grins at his twin. Even catches the look of shock in Billy's eyes which briefly went from their normal hazel to the blue and glowing with power only Billy could manage.

Oh yeah, they were going out with style. Which in this case meant Tommy moving like a blur to scoop his brother into his arms bridal style. Billy started to protest, but Tommy just laughed.

"What, bro? You didn't see that coming?"

A nod to the one family member they wouldn't have around tonight. And Billy just nodded in response to the whispered words. Approval and consent. Which just earned a wider grin before Tommy nodded to the gathered class. Technically, by his books, he'd already graduated.

"Later, nerds!" he shouts to the gathered parents and students and everyone else. There's laughter from their their classmates, but Tommy barely has time to hear it before he's off the stage and in a nearby parking lot, Tommy putting his brother down. And just like he thought, it's the best place to catch sight of what he knew was coming, what his speedy exit had been a signal for. Two arrows streak up through the air over the distant assemblage, trailing blue and red and green and gold smoke before going off with bright flashes.

"Looks like those distraction arrows Kate and Clint were working on turned out well," Billy observes, laughing as he watches the display.

"Wanna add to it?" Tommy asks, and when he grins, his twin grins back. That bright blue light is back in his brother's eyes and now around a hand as Billy waves it at the sky and intones the words.

Bet you didn't see that coming.

The words were lit in brilliant blue light in the sky over where the arrows had exploded.

"That's for you, Uncle Pietro," Tommy grinned, and moved to hug his brother.

"Think Mom's going to ground us for that?"

"Nah," Tommy agreed. "Not a chance in hell."

Comments

audio: marshes

[gristle]

[Bev just laughs.]

Of course you had to do it.

Audio

[doubled_speed]

[He HATES this being out there.]

No, Bev.

He had to. That Tommy. Not me.

Re: Audio

[gristle]

Shit. I’m so sorry Tommy. Are you okay? Where are you?

[doubled_speed]

I'm fine.

[It's just... frustrating to see how happy he is. How happy HE gets to be being the son of the Wanda that takes care of Tommy here and now. Now she gets to have her happy ending with a wonderful son, but he... doesn't get that.]

[gristle]

You’re full of shit.

[doubled_speed]

Yep. I hate a large lunch

[gristle]

Don’t make me punch you.

[doubled_speed]

Yeah, I know. It hurts when you do.

[New topic, but he knows it won't last.]

I didn't get to graduate.

[gristle]

Maybe we should like. Do a graduation thing here for you.

audio un:pnwsalex

[11calls]

That is actually really cute, you know. I'm sure your mom was just super proud of you.

Audio

[doubled_speed]

That's...

[Tommy's Very not pleased with this memory, okay?]

Yeah, Wanda made chicken paprikash for dinner that night. Immediate family only. Aunt Pepper gave them both really great computers for college.

But that's not me. I've never graduated from high school. Got kicked out for blowing it up. And didn't get raised with B.

[Fuck, he HATES being jealous of other hims.]

Re: Audio

[11calls]

Oh fuck. Someone else’s memory?

[doubled_speed]

Remember when there were other us here instead? Like, last month or two or something?

That was one of them. The Tommy who is the son of the Wanda here. Her real son.

[11calls]

Tommy, do you know I’m adopted?

[doubled_speed]

I...

No. I didn't.

[11calls]

I am. I never knew my biological family. I don’t even know my biological father’s name. Apparently my mother didn’t even know it. But my family is the one who adopted me.

I’m they’re real kid. They’re my real parents. Just because Wanda adopted you doesn’t make you any less of her real son.

And I’m sure she feels the same way.

[doubled_speed]

[This is slightly aggravating.]

She hasn't adopted me. That's her real kids. That's her real Billy and Tommy. I'm a stand in!

Audio; un - witch

[minus1twin]

[Wanda is tearing up, her face set in a grin, and as happy as she is, she doesn't want Tommy to see how the memory affected her.]

That was wonderful Tommy.

I am happy I got to see it.

Audio

[doubled_speed]

[He wishes she hadn't. But he guesses there's something good about her brother in there.]

She didn't ground them. Just told them that she expected better at their College graduation.

Audio

[minus1twin]

[Her tone relaxes slightly.]

I can understand that. It's a very important day but you did well being patient until then.

I can imagine that your mother was still very proud of you and Billy.

[doubled_speed]

I... don't know. Are you?

[Because he needs to know. Is she proud of her boy?]

[minus1twin]

I am.

I am very proud of you Tommy.

[doubled_speed]

[But are you proud of him for him? Or because of what this other Tommy did?]

I only have a GED. I picked it up a few months before I got kidnapped back home. Billy's parents made me do it.

[minus1twin]

That's good.

I was still getting my GED but I never finished.

[She had become a fugitive before she could take all the required tests.]

[doubled_speed]

[Yeah, he gets the feel. Still... What if...?]

There's supposedly school stuff here. You could finish, if you wanted.