Work Text:
It was an odd thing, Vision thought, suddenly becoming a parent to two teenagers.. especially when said teenagers were so different.
Billy had settled well into his new home. He was happy to talk, help with chores, and spend time with Wanda and Vision. He didn’t mind Vision ruffling his hair, or Wanda kissing his cheek, and was open to the occasional hug.
Tommy, on the other hand, was quiet, sullen, and seemed rather withdrawn. He spent a good deal of time shut up in the bedroom Wanda had magiced up shortly after his arrival, emerging briefly for meals, snacks, or the bathroom. Anyone who tried to talk to him during these periods would receive grunts in reply or awkward, clipped responses.
If he wasn’t in his room, Tommy would be out running, speeding about. He could be out for hours on end, but he never left the boundaries of the property, and always came back in when night fell.
Wanda was trying to be hopeful about the situation, suspecting that he was running off the extra energy that came from his speed powers, that he simply needed more time to adjust to his new living situation.
Vision believed that these suspicions were true. But he also couldn’t help feeling concerned.
–
One afternoon, while Wanda was out tending to her trees, Vision pulled Billy aside.
“Is your brother alright?” Vision asked him.
“I think so” Billy replied, “Why?”
“I just couldn’t help noticing that Tommy hasn’t settled in here quite as well as you have” said Vision, “And I was wondering if we had done something wrong..”
“Oh no, it’s not you, Dad” said Billy quickly, and Vision couldn’t help the pleasant little thrill that went through him every time he heard that last word. “You and Mom are great, it’s not about you at all. It’s just.. I think he might be.. Well..”
“Yes?”
“Scared, I guess? Of being sent away..”
“What?” Vision gasped. “That’s ridiculous. Your Mother and I would never send either of you boys..”
“I know” said Billy, “But even I can only really believe that because I read minds..”
“What do you mean?” Vision frowned, sitting on the sofa, and gesturing for Billy to sit with him.
Neither noticed Tommy slipping out the door for his run.
“As foster kids, you get used to moving around a lot” Billy explained. “Families aren’t forever, homes are never permanent.”
“That’s horrible..” Vision instinctively moved closer, draping an arm around his son.
“It was..” Billy leaned into him, a child embracing the affection he had long been denied. “But I think it was worse for Tommy, especially after he got his powers. He has to run, it’s part of him now.. But he told me that sometimes, when he’s going top speed, he can’t always stop easily. He’s crashed a few times, broken things, pissed off the latest parents and been shuffled off to the next place. And because he was afraid to show anyone his powers and tell them how the damage happened, he got labelled as a ‘problem’ kid. That’s how he eventually ended up in the group home I was in.”
“You were considered a problem child too?” Vision was surprised.
“In a different way” Billy shrugged. “They said I struggled to make meaningful connections with my Foster Families.. which was probably partly because I was never with any for long enough, and partly because I knew none of them were really where I belonged. Anyway, Tommy broke a door one day, by accident of course, and I heard whispers about him possibly being sent to some disciplinary camp, which obviously wouldn’t have helped at all..”
“Definitely not..”
“I’d already worked out who I thought we were by then. He didn’t believe me, but I managed to convince him that running away with me to find you and Mom was better than whatever else was planned for him. And this place is good for him. There’s plenty of clear space for him to run, and..”
Suddenly, a crash was heard from outside, with a cry of panic, splintering wood, and squawking chickens. Billy and Vision shared a look, jumped up, and rushed outside.
–
Once outside, they found the Chicken Coop in pieces, and Tommy amongst the wreckage of it, slowly picking himself up. The chickens had been startled, but were otherwise unharmed.
“Billy, go get your Mother” Vision instructed. “She should still be somewhere in the orchard.”
Billy nodded, rushing off, while Vision ran to help Tommy up.
“I’m sorry..”
Vision hardly heard the boy’s apology, as he was too busy inspecting his injuries. A few cuts, some bruises forming, but nothing serious.
“Nothing we can’t patch up..” He breathed a sigh of relief. “Where does it hurt? Did you hit your head?”
“I’m sorry” Tommy repeated, tears beginning to fill his eyes. “I-I couldn’t stop..”
“Tommy, it’s alright..”
“I’ll be more careful, I p-promise. I like it here, with you and Wanda and Billy, even though he’s a dork. P-Please don’t send me back..”
“You are not going anywhere” Vision frowned, pulling Tommy into a tight hug. “This is your home.”
“B-But..” Tommy stiffened a little in Vision’s arms, not used to hugs, “I b-broke.. I broke..”
“The Coop? Your Mother can fix that with a wave of her hand. And even if she couldn’t, it wouldn’t matter.”
“It wouldn’t?”
“No” Vision shook his head. “You know, your Mother almost tore the universe apart when she lost you and Billy. Having the two of you with us is her dream come true, and mine. No material thing you could break is worth more than you.”
“Y-You mean that?”
“I do.”
Slowly, shyly, Tommy hugged Vision back.
A few moments later, Wanda and Billy appeared in a flash of Scarlet light.
“Oh my god, what happened?” Wanda cried. Tommy tensed, prepared to be scolded over the broken Coop. Instead, Wanda began inspecting Tommy’s injuries as Vision had, healing whatever she found. “Are you alright? Does anything else hurt? How’s your head?”
“I.. I, um..”
“You’ve been crying” Wanda frowned, wiping his face. “What’s wrong?”
“Tommy was afraid that we would be mad about the broken Chicken Coop” Vision told her.
“Oh, that? That’s easily fixed” Wanda waved her hand, reassembling the coop.
“So.. you’re not going to kick me out?” Tommy sniffled.
“What? No, you are not going anywhere” Wanda’s eyes widened, repeating Vision’s sentiment from earlier. “This is your home, we are a family. And a family..”
“A family is forever” Said Billy, remembering, though he had no idea how. “A-And we could never truly leave each other, even if we tried.”
“Exactly” Wanda smiled softly. “Come here, everyone.. we need a family hug.”
Billy rushed over to join the hug, and Vision did too, strong arms wrapping protectively around everyone.
And Tommy, now at the centre of it all, felt himself relax for the first time in a very long while, a smile spreading over his face. He was truly home.