Work Text:
While not all of the Young Avengers had a The Forum account, they were all undoubtedly aware of it. Of the members of the team, America, Billy, and David had accounts, though Billy was the only one that consistently went on. He and Kamala, fellow superhero fan and superhero herself, were good friends. If it weren’t for the fact she was part of the Avengers, Billy would have asked Kamala to join the Young Avengers.
Which would explain how they got into this mess in the first place.
It all started with one message from an excited Kamala. See, while Billy was a fanboy, he didn’t exactly read or participate in fanfiction. Anymore. He used to read a lot of self-insert fanfics back before his powers came in, and he became a hero, but Billy had stopped reading those stories after the Young Avengers formed.
Looks like you guys are finally popular enough to have fanfiction! -MM
Wait for what???? -W
[link to fanfiction site] check it! Three thousand one hundred seventy-five works on this site alone! I gotta check other sites, but wow! -MM
-
“So, why are we doing this again?” Teddy, Billy’s amazing fiancé, and the amazing Hulkling asked.
“Because it’s fun? And we have fans?” Billy said beaming.
“Don’t question him,” Tommy said, scrolling through the works on the site. “Besides, it makes him happy." David gave a noncommittal hum at Tommy's words.
“Ms. M messaged America and I too,” he said, looking over Tommy’s shoulder. The two were sitting next to each other on the couch in what David knew to be the fourth living room in Avengers Mansion. “I still can't believe there’s this much.”
“Mm, si, I didn’t even know people knew I was affiliated with you locos and locas," America said. Cassie Lang, aka Stature, had somehow come back to life, and a newly re-suited Patriot, aka Eli Bradley, had rejoined the team. No one thought about the one member that couldn't come back or about a particular white-haired alien member.
“I figured people would find out eventually, since I’m always annoying you,” Loki hummed, on his phone. While technically kicked out of the Young Avengers for… For obvious reasons, he still hung around and counted himself as part of the group. “Wow, this explicit stuff is creative, and I thought my fans were weird with my shapeshifting powers.” Teddy seemed to choke on his spit, and Billy blushed a deep scarlet.
“L-let’s just skip those,” the reality warper decided. “Let’s see if we can find a couple to look through and read for our fans.” The group all looked at each other warily. Surely though, it couldn't be that back if they were skipping the explicit ones?
-
“I regret ever knowing you,” Tommy groaned. “Why did you make us read those?”
“Tommy, you angsty speedster sometimes you need to laugh and smile,” Billy snorted. The white-haired boy just rolled his eyes. That wasn't the problem. The problem was what he thought was his not-obvious crush on fellow bi boy David wouldn't be easily noticed if noticed at all. Apparently though, it was obvious enough that people wrote about them. This was bad. Tommy had been so careful with mister ‘I can absorb knowledge.’
Further investigation is required.
Tommy ran home after everything, aka his and David’s apartment, and quickly got to work, making an account on the site and reading through the stories, frowning. As was expected, no one knew his true origins or name, but they did correctly guess his connection to his twin and past incarnation-mom (well, for Tommy, Scarlet Witch was definitely his real mom), so there was that. His looks were semi obvious-white hair, pale skin, though they seemed to give him blue eyes like his uncle Pietro. Fair enough, Tommy supposed.
Thanks to Charles being amazing, he managed to make sure no one knew David’s name. Well, no one not part of the hero community or at the school, where David was now a teacher. However, that did mean Tommy had to do some mental gymnastics since the fandom had assigned him a name: Liam Black.
Tommy also got a new name, and honestly, he had been nervous the first few fics because he had to do a double-take. It was Tom Maximoff. People use Maximoff for ‘Derek’ (the name the fandom gave his twin),, but the first part was way too close for comfort to his actual name. Still, much less mental gymnastics. Most of the fics were pretty good also. Sure, some were… Questionable, but Tommy could tell pretty much right away.
It was great, pretending.
Eventually, Tommy started writing fanfics. It was an accident, really, like most things. One second he was fantasizing about confessing, the next Tommy was publishing it onto his account. His account name was ‘SpeedyLearner’ because the white-haired teen thought he was funny.
What wasn’t funny was how quickly his story became popular.
A well-known fan artist loved the story and did a comic of it. Cool. The art was cool too, and Tommy even linked to it in the notes of his story. The artist and he chatted back and forth, and Tommy had his first online friend.
Tommy then got a Tumblr, and a twitter account, all under the dummy email he made for the fanfiction site because the speedster was paranoid. He and that artist, WickedWiccan, became good friends, and soon, he was ranting to him (they had told each other their pronouns) about his stupid crush and his day, omitting details about the hero stuff. In turn, Wicked ranted about his own life and school and assholes who didn’t realize commissions needed to be paid ; you. It was nice.
Tommy ended up writing another story after a particularly lousy mission. It was cathartic, easy, and it felt nice to get it on paper. Everyone knew Prodigy got hurt, so it seemed like a perfect scene.
-
EpicKiya722: OMG! So sad!
SlothBaby: Poor Speed! I just want to hug him
supersoldierskywalker: Think you’ll ever do anyone’s pov besides Speed?
SpeedyLeaner: Naw, I like being in Speed’s head too much lol
Isimile: Prodigy got hurt recently and I’ve been eating up the angst fics. You really seem to be able to get in Speed’s head, are you a telepath?
SpeedyLearner: All I will say is I’m a mutant
-
Tommy preened at the praise of his work and carefully logged out before leaving his room and zipping off to the Avengers Mansion. The wounds weren’t nearly as severe as he wrote in the story, the damage having looked worse than it was, but the general populace wouldn't have known that. Still, Tommy had, reasonably in his opinion, freaked out.
“Hey, how are ya feeling?” Tommy asked David as he came into his room in the medical wing.
“Good, doc said I can leave today, you won't be alone at the apartment anymore,” he joked. The white-haired teen laughed and plopped a bag on his lap.
“I figured you’d miss some home comforts,” Tommy hummed as an explanation. David nodded, and the two chatted before Tommy eventually left. He was never around when the others were, but he had no doubt they knew he visited David frequently. Mostly because Vision is a traitorous father.
Tommy was so distracted by leaving; he didn’t see the soft smile on David’s face.
-
Zeef: Man this latest story is so good! I love hurt/comfort! The argument felt so real too.
Tommy took a shuddering breath and logged out and closed out of the tab. At least his fans liked it. Tommy felt like he fucked up. He was currently at Teddy and Billy’s apartment because he and David had a huge fight. Tommy didn’t even remember what the argument was about, but it just escalated and escalated until it got out of hand, and Tommy stormed out. Writing about it had helped, as well as writing out his and Billy’s sibling talk when he came over, changing the words, actions, and of course, the apartment into Avengers Manor, where people assume Wiccan and Hulkling live. He also wrote that he left the X-mansion and not his and David's apartment, keeping in mind the fandom’s assumptions.
Was it even still their apartment?
Tommy shook his head and groaned, plopping down on the guest bed. Tommy had spent the last three nights with Billy and Teddy, superspeed did wonders for getting writing done, but editing was still torture.
“Tommy?” Billy knocked on the door frame, Tommy having left the door open. “David called. Again.”
“If he wants to talk, he can come here in person.” Tommy said this everytime David called. He just… Wasn’t ready for the rejection of David telling him to get his stuff and move out. He needed time and needed to finish that breakup fic. Speaking of said breakup fic, Tommy was pretty sure his fans figured out his stories were based on some sort of life experience and had been hounding him about possibly knowing them. The white-haired teen really shouldn't have admitted to being a mutant.
“If you’re sure,” Billy sighed. “Wanna talk about it again?”
“I don’t even know what it was about anymore,” Tommy admitted. “It just kept going and going and we got angrier…” Billy nodded and came in, sitting on the bed.
“Fights happen, the Lord know Ted and I have fought, but it’s been three days. I’m sure he’s cooled down enough to talk to you about it.”
“Or he’ll just decide I’m too much and kick me out,” Tommy grumbled. “Then I’ll have to move into the X mansion, except I can’t do that because he works there.”
“Tommy…” Billy murmured gently and stroked his hair. “He won’t do that. He values you too much to stay mad. He cares about you, Tommy.”
“Like anyone actually cares,” Tommy said quietly. Billy froze.
“Tommy… You’ve been going to therapy, right?” Silence. “Thomas Shepard! You promised!”
“It doesn’t help!” Tommy exclaimed. “Sorry, I’m not you! I’ve tried it! Whatever the fuck is out there knows I tried! Ask David! It doesn't help me, so why should I bother?” Billy sighed and nodded.
“Right, I’m sorry, Tommy. I shouldn't have implied you didn’t try.” Tomy relaxed and sat up, hugging Billy.
“I don’t trust people; you know that. I was too flighty and fidgety. I couldn't open up to them. I tried, I really did but…” Tommy trembled. “I hate this, hate that that place still has a grip on me.” Billy nodded and hugged him back.
“It’s okay, Tommy. I get it.” Tommy nodded and swallowed. “I do think you should talk to David, though.”
“Tomorrow,” Tommy said quietly. Billy nodded.
“Tomorrow.”
-
Mutant_Enthusiast616: This is such a good fic! And a great sequel to the argument fic. Just what I needed after your last one actually.
EpicKiya722: Aw! Speed is so sweet!
asexualartemis: Poor Speed. He does come off as the type who doesn’t really know how to show what they’re feeling.
Tommy smiled at the comments. There were about a dozen more comments, but Tommy didn’t really answer them.
MutantWriter @speedylearner
[link to the latest fic] The awaited sequel, hope you all love it! A lot of people have already read it because I forgot to put on twitter, but I linked it on Tumblr lol.
Tommy carefully logged out and got back into his other, official Speed account and checked stuff. He froze when he realized someone @ed him. With his latest fic. Crap.
“People have been @ting you as well?” David asked. After they talked and made up and Tommy came home, it was like the argument never happened.
“As well?” Tommy squeaked, only to realize he had several of his fics @ed at him. Oh, oh Lord. David frowned in confusion.
“Uh, yeah, we all have, they even @ed the official Young Avengers twitter account, and people had been sending them to Billy on Tumblr.”
“O-oh.” Tommy swallowed. His heart was pounding. They find out they'll know it’s him and- Tommy blinked and he was suddenly pulled close by David. Without hesitating, Tommy nuzzled close, trembling.
“Hey, it’s okay,” David mumbled softly. “It’s fine, okay?” Tommy nodded and relaxed. He couldn't help it, David’s heartbeat was soothing, and he always needed to be pulled close by someone and feel protected and held close. Tommy knew Billy needed people to stay away, to not touch him, and give him space, but Tommy was the exact opposite. After a few minutes, David spoke up, “You okay now?”
“Yeah, thanks…” Tommy mumbled and reluctantly pulled away. “Thanks, David.”
“Of course,” David smiled warmly. “What trigger-” he was cut off by Tommy’s phone going off. The white-haired teen froze as he read the text from Billy.
“Looks like we’re doing a SpeedyLearner fic reading special…”
“We don't have to if you don’t want to. I’ve read a couple of their fics. Not the shippy ones.” Tommy blinked at how flustered David looked. “Well, uh, not many of them, but they seem to really be able to get in your head.”
“That’s why I don’t want to do this,” Tommy said. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “But come on, let’s get going.”
-
“So you’re playing narrator, huh?” Tommy asked, looking to Teddy. The blonde nodded, shifting to his Hulkling form.
“Yep, you’ll be reading yourself, and David will be reading himself. You sure you’re up for this?” Tommy nodded, rubbing his hands together.
“Yeah, David talked me through it.” Teddy nodded and smiled softly, the three sitting on a couch in one of the Avengers Mansion living room. Tommy took a deep breath, and once the camera was on, it was go time.
“First off, yes, we saw you were tweeting and sending the fics on Tumblr, this is all your faults,” Tommy joked. “Let’s do this, Hulkling will be your lovely narrator, I’ll be reading my written lines, and Prodigy will be reading his.”
“Yep!” David chuckled and smiled at the camera. Why was he so amazing?
“Wiccan picked out the fic, as it is one of SpeedyLearner’s most popular fics.”
“What’s the title?” Tommy asked, trying to mask his nervousness.
“Confessions and Coffee.” Tommy groaned and rubbed a hand over his face. No. Not his first fic. Why? It’s not even his best-written story! David and Teddy gave him a concerned look.
“I’ve read it,” Tommy explained. It wasn’t a lie, he actually did. He just also wrote it. “Can we not use a more recent fic?”
“This is what Wiccan chose,” Teddy shrugged. The speedster sighed dramatically but nodded. Here goes nothing.
-
Tommy as dying. There was no way around it. His SpeedyLearner accounts have been spammed and thank whatever is out there for WickedWiccan, keeping him grounded and drawing out a scene from his latest fic. WickedWiccan also suggested advertising his Patreon, which wow an honest to God Patreon for him and his writing, while the iron is hot.
Well, Tommy doesn’t disappoint.
Speed @speedingbi
Yo found out the person we read the fanfic of has a Patreon! Go and support them [link to pPatreon]
-
“Tommy, I’m home!” David called out, frowning when he realized there was no sign of the other male. He placed the takeout down and looked around, finding Tommy in his room, completely passed out at his desk with his laptop open. David knew Tommy wrote, he had read some of his stuff, and his world building was phenomenal. It also seemed to be helping him way more than his attempts to go to therapy, which was always a plus.
This wasn’t one of his original works, though.
Oh. Oh, this was… David recognized the writing style, the word choice… David quickly pulled up SpeedyLeaner’s page, where they were writing their first multi-chapter story.
It matched.
This… David swallowed and looked down at a sleeping Tommy. Okay. Okay… The darker-skinned male gently picked Tommy up, making sure to save the document and turn off Tommy’s laptop after putting him to bed. David then went to eat and overthink everything about their relationship. No big deal. He got this.
No, he didn’t.
David decided, while he was eating, to text the one person who knew Tommy better than even David did.
Prodigy: Wiccan! Wiccan I need your help!
Wiccan: did you accidentally adsorb one of your student’s knowledge again?
Wiccan: I told you you need to sleep more, Tommy complains about it all the time?
Prodigy: He's the problem!!!
Wiccan: Boi, you better not have upset my brother again.
Prodigy: It’s more bringing something up while trying not to upset him.
Prodigy: so you know how your bro took up writing?
Wiccan: Yeah he’s shown me some of his WIPs why?
Prodigy: he doesn’t only write original works, and now his behavior when we read SpeedyLearner’s fics makes sense.
[delayed] Wiccan: Oh shit.
“Who ya texting?” Tommy mumbled tiredly as he blindly grabbed for the food. David sputtered out an answer and got Tommy’s plate made up, glad him blushing wasn’t even close to as apparent as when Tommy blushed. The white-haired male blinked and tilted his head.
“Okay…? Also, our wifi is shit; you paid it this month, right?”
“We really need to move into a better apartment,” David sighed. He realaxed at the familiar conversation.
“Amen to that,” Tommy said as he started to eat. “Lease Is up in three months at least, and we can take that time to start looking.”
“True.” David was distracted, though, and Tommy’s slowly waking up brain frowned.
“You okay?” Tommy asked, worried for his crush/friend/teammate. “You seem… Distracted.”
“Oh, uh… Yeah. I’m fine.”
“You’re not,” Tommy deadpanned. “I’m not an idiot. Talk to me, David.” instead, David stared at the male he had been pining for after that one really disastrous kiss with Teddy that both he and the blonde have an agreement never to college or speak about. The male stared and stared and stared before deciding fuck it ad just kissed a shocked Tommy. The white-haired speedster froze, before quickly starting to kiss him back.
“You’re SpeedyLearner.”
“Yeah.”
“I knew I should have recognized your writing style.” Tommy gave a startled laugh and kissed him again. Talking and working whatever this was out would come later. Right now, Tommy was going to kiss the male he's had a crush on before being made into nothingness by Patrinot.
-
“Annnd… that’s the last box, “Tommy hummed as he brought the last box into their new apartment. It was, technically, two bedrooms, though one of the bedrooms was turned into a study/guest room. The two didn’t really have a need for separate bedrooms anymore.
“That’s the last box,” David agreed and kissed Tommy. “You know you’re going to have to tell your brother eventually, right?” Tommy still wrote fanfiction set in his pov. It was therapeutic, sue him, and was still friends with WickedWiccan and a few others online. However, Tommy was also more seriously writing his original works and was starting to research publishing and advertising and all that other fun stuff that came after writing and getting the book edited.
“Eh, I’ll leave him to squirm a bit,” Tommy snicked. “He’s freaking out, thinking it’s one of your students who ship up.” David laughed and shook his head. No one really understood the twin’s relationship, but maybe that’s for the best. Billy and Tommy were beyond comprehension to even their partners.
“Fair enough, you still coming with the rest of the Young Avengers to talk to the students.”
“Duh, though to be fair, they’re so used to seeing me they’ll more than likely be little shits.”
“They’re my little shits," David countered but laughed. He knew Tommy was right.
Tommy smiled softly and kissed him again before unpacking everything as super speed. This may not last forever, hell it may not even last until next week, but for the first time in his life, Tommy had something to fight for. It was scary, but he also loved that fact He also had security in knowing David was willing to fight for them too.
Tommy couldn't ask for anything more.