capeandcowllogs | I had it with your antics, your childish games

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I had it with your antics, your childish games

WHO: Kate & Tommy
WHERE: Kate's room at the MAC
WHEN: Sunday night
WARNINGS: Um.
SUMMARY: Young Avengers reassembling in a platonic fashion
FORMAT: Starting para, but if you like we can do quick

Kate was glad to have Tommy back in the City, selfish as it seemed. It seemed wrong to be so happy about a friend being kidnapped and trapped in this world, but what could she say? She reallyed needed the distraction from the awkwardness with Bucky and everything else that was hideous in her life. More than anything though, she needed a friend. Billy and Teddy had each other, and she hated feeling like the third wheel all the time.

Tommy had his moments of chivalry, too. He could be good for a pep talk or a night out adventuring. That was what she was counting on when she she texted him with the following message:

hey it's kate can u come over?

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This time, Tommy didn't just burst through the door and appear in front of Kate, actually stopping to knock and wait like a normal person. For Kate, he'd slow down like the rest of the world and go at her pace, and that was what she needed most, it seemed. Contrary to popular belief, he could be thoughtful. Some times.

He knocked in rapid succession, and shoved his hands in his pockets to keep from fidgeting.

She'd been waiting for him this time, expecting him, and she opened the door quickly when she heard the knocking. Her face lit up, just a little, and she stepped aside to let him in, closing the door firmly behind him.

"What took you so long?" She asked him, though her heart wasn't entirely in the jibe. "I've been waiting all night."

"Had to make sure I was good and ready for you."

Tommy sauntered into the room, though for once, his swagger was turned down, just a little. Even if he felt he was shut out most of the time, Tommy wasn't ignorant to his teammate's feelings, and he knew something was up when he arrived her. His brother fine since the alien boyfriend showed back up, but Kate was still troubled.

He was genuinely concerned about her, and didn't show up just to win her favor.

"So, what's the plan?" He asked as he turned back to her, spreading his hands. "Up for a night on the town, or maybe you were thinking of staying in?"

Kate's brows were knit into a concerned little line, whole face awash with one of those expressions that said she was agitated. She didn't answer him at first, seemingly caught in her own thoughts, though really her mind was more or less blank. It had seemed so important to see her friend, to have someone familiar be near to her. Now that he was here, she almost didn't want to ruin everything by opening her big mouth and saying something inappropriately dumb.

"Can we go for a walk or something?" She asked lamely, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Yeah, sure," he said quietly, with a nod. Part of him was tempted to ask why she bothered inviting him over when they could have met up, but this was no time to be an ass, and it seemed Kate seemed just as unsure about this as Tommy suddenly was.

He even fidgeted a little, shifting from one foot to the other. It was easy to distract Kate with drinks and bending or flat out breaking the law, when she needed it. This time was different, and not even Tommy could plan something on the fly. If he had to be honest with himself, he'd say she was even scaring him a bit.

Having to suppress a disconcerted snort, he rubbed his neck. It was hard to keep himself from walking over to Kate, pull her over to the couch, and just ask her what was wrong. This situation was calling for much restraint.

"Whenever you're ready."

She seemed relieved, giving him a smile as she fetched a sweater and her keys. She didn't want to over think any of this or make waves or cause a fuss. She just wanted to clear her mind, have some fun, and forget how insane the City could be. If that meant getting into some trouble with Tommy, then that's what she was going to do.

"There's this ice cream place, in St. Marks," she suggested, holding the door for Tommy to follow her. "And there's a bar nearby that never cards..."

"I'm proud, you've been learning," he gently teased as he exited the apartment. Tommy wasn't sure if she really wanted to go to unwind, or if she was suggesting it for his sake, or what. He would rather Kate just did what she felt comfortable with, but all of this was probably new for her, given how nervous she was. Or she was just that bothered by whatever was eating her.

Oh, well. He could wait, keep quiet, and just listen.

"Next thing you know, you'll be suggesting we rob a bank."

"Only if we give all the money too the poor. You know, Robin Hood style."

Kate grabbed Tommy's arm as they walked down the hall. It wasn't something she put a lot of thought into, it just seemed like a good idea. Hopefully he wouldn't question it or make her justify the action. She wasn't in the mood to hear any of it, she just wanted some support.

"I've been really down lately," she said finally as they made it to the street. "I don't know what's wrong with me, Tommy. I just feel so... depressed."

"Heh, sure."

And he doesn't make any quip when she takes his arms, being a gentleman tonight; and more importantly, a friend. He possessed the tact to know being a jerk wouldn't get him anywhere, and he was truly concerned.

"I know," he breathed after a small hesitation, a hand coming up to cover Kate's own. Truth be told, the whole thing freaked him out some. This was nothing like the Kate who had thrown him to the ground, their leader, who could be vulnerable, yes, but... not like this.

It didn't mean he would bail on her, or the whole 'team' thing. It was impossible to leave it like this.

"Is there - " Anything I can do? "I mean, I know the whole kidnapping thing is bad, and us being from different times. And what happens when we go back... but we're okay here. Almost too okay." Sighing, he paused to glance at their surroundings, wondering if he was making this better or worse. "Is there anything in particular bothering you? Did something happen here?"

Kate shook her head, waving her free hand dismissively. "Nothing's happened. Nothing serious, anyway."

That was mostly the truth, at least. She was in good health, she was trauma-free. It wasn't like she has any real reason to feel depressed or sad, or any more reason than any of the other imPorts anyway. Except for one big glaring problem.

"I feel like I never see Billy and Teddy anymore. I can't tell you the last time I really talked to either of them. They've moved away to Brooklyn, and they go on these vacations to Hawaii and I go out on patrol by myself. The team... our team is falling apart, and I have no idea how to fix it."

"What?" Tommy found it so hard to believe he actually stopped, turning to face Kate instead, gently grasping her arms. "What do you mean you don't talk?"

Call it sentimental, but he had been under the impression that the Young Avengers were like a family. It was more of an observation for him, since he didn't quite feel like he belonged - or maybe he was the adopted problematic child. Still, it was out in the open, and kind of touching in that fluffy, fell-good way he'd never admit that he wanted in on. So seeing Kate like this, and Teddy and Billy being the apparent cause, was hard to believe.

"What's going on, are these like, alternate Billy and Teddy? How long has this been going on? How - shit, sorry." Tommy hadn't realized he was gripping her arms a bit too tightly, and promptly let go, stepping away and raking fingers through his hair, taking a deep breath through his nose to try and compose himself.

Who would imagine that it would bother him that much?

"I'm sorry, Kate. I... hell. I'll knock their heads together if you want. It'll be awesome."

She hadn't expected so much of a reaction from Tommy. True, she'd always considered the Young Avengers to be like a family, but she was observant enough to recognize that within their little family, Tommy was something of an outsider. It wasn't intentional, not on her part at least. She liked him, she considered him a friend. Sometimes she wondered if they could ever be more than that. But she knew the others all had different feelings for each other, and she knew that she was closer to Teddy and Billy than Tommy was.

"Ever since I got back, all summer long, I've been by myself." Maybe it was her. She wasn't the type to sit around and mope about anything, but the thought had certainly crossed her mind. "I just keep thinking, if I called for us to assemble, they might not even show up."

And that really tore at her. It was like someone had grabbed hold of her guts and was twisting them. She'd fought so hard to keep the team together, she'd done everything she could. And now... well, now none of that seemed to matter.

"I still want to be an Avenger, Tommy. I want to live up to the legacy I've been given. I don't want to give up. But I can't keep everything together by myself."

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I had it with your antics, your childish games

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