The Thing With Tommy Is He’s Never Really One For Sentimentality. He Knows Too Easy What It’s Like

The thing with Tommy is he’s never really one for sentimentality. He knows too easy what it’s like to lose faith in the people you trusted or watch a friend fall in battle. Tommy lives life in the now because never knowing what’s around the corner makes every moment worth it.

Tommy knows when he first meets David, when Tommy looks him up and down and sees the possibility, when David agrees to go on a noodle date and when David has his back for an all night stake out, Tommy knows it means something. For a moment, Tommy’s fast pace life style takes a break and Tommy stops to appreciate that David goes from not being in his life to being in his life in the blink of an eye.

Like he turned a corner and ran smack dab into him and for Tommy it’s a big deal. Especially when he comes back from PatriNot’s clutches and finds himself lip to lip and face to face with a very determined to bring him back David Alleyne.

Even as he breaks the kiss, Tommy can feel his heart thudding against his chest. He knows this feeling. He had it the first time he ever met Kate, her body warm under his and her eyebrow lifted even as he grinned leeringly at her. And he had it the first time he showed up at Eli’s house, after the Young Avengers disbanded and there were a few months out of the Kaplan home and into the Bradley family. 

David Alleyne means something to him and it’s scary and it’s something he needs to run from. Straight into a party because Tommy Shepherd is always Tommy Shepherd. 

Even when he’s probably a little head over heels in love.

The thing with David is that it’s only very recently that boys ever showed up On His Radar. It was something he dealt with for a long time, something he agonized over until he realized that just because his eyes linger on guys doesn’t make his feelings for Nori any less than what they are.

And then he’s single and he’s meeting a Speedster in a job that no one would recommend and somehow he’s suddenly on a team with other young superheroes and it’s a lot to happen to him in a week. 

And then there’s Teddy and this is a lot to happen to him in a lifetime.

Teddy who is sweet and kind and funny and cute, Teddy who David knows has a boyfriend but the small selfish part of him can’t quite understand why, David who thinks he might die and wants to know, just once, just what it’s like.

David Alleyne who presses his lips to Teddy Altman and David Alleyne who immediately regrets it.

Time doesn’t stop. It continues to go and Teddy and Billy stay stronger than ever and it only kind of stings. Then David is kissing a ghost and suddenly there’s Tommy, warm and alive in front of him and for the first time in a long time, David feels he can breathe.

Tommy doesn’t stay on his radar. David moves on with life. He leaves the Young Avengers as a team, finds himself paired up with Noh Var and Teddy on the rare occasion as team mates and then the more common occasion as friends. 

He likes having Teddy for a friend for many reasons but one is definitely the steadily growing lack of awkward following the wake of Kiss Gate and he likes Noh because Noh’s funny and good to a fault. 

But then there’s Tommy again. Tommy who speeds into his life with purpose, Tommy who David finds on his couch just about every other night, a warm container of some kind of carry out usually by his side and David’s remote control in his hand.

Tommy who David sees more than anyone else, who is David’s roommate in all but official living quarters in David’s standard level apartment.Tommy who makes David laugh, who gets David to do stuff like go out at 3 am on a taco run.

Tommy who turns to look at David one day, his mouth up in a half grin and David’s entire body goes warm and he thinks oh my god.

They’ve kissed once but David doesn’t really count it since he didn’t know it would be Tommy’s lips on his and it’s not nearly as romantic as David would actually have liked his first kiss with a guy to be.

(he’s refusing to count Teddy because that wasn’t a kiss that was a question)

The thing with Tommy is that David can’t tell if his feelings are requited. He’s seen the way Tommy flirts with Kate and assumed that Tommy swung one way but then he’s met Eli and there were stories with long looks and hidden smiles and David starts to wonder if Tommy isn’t as straight as he originally thought.

Tommy is also very flirty but this is how Tommy is with everyone. Still, David reasons, it’s not just anyone Tommy willingly watches an entire season of How It Works with. It’s David’s couch that Tommy sleeps on and it’s David’s hand Tommy brushes even he goes to reach for a pillow.

It means something, doesn’t it?

Tommy doesn’t think David is ever going to make a move. Which is fine. Really. David’s already shown his type of guy is Teddy. Handsome, well built, funny, smart, loyal and just adorably Teddy.

Tommy knows Teddy’s a great guy. Seen first and second hand which is easy when you live with the guy for two years and he’s dating your twin brother the whole time.

Tommy also has pretty good knowledge that he is nothing like Teddy.

Tommy is sharp edges where Teddy is soft curves; Tommy is snippy where Teddy is accommodating; Tommy is terrified to get his heart broken while Teddy isn’t afraid to put himself out there.

Tommy is Tommy and Teddy is Teddy and that is David’s type. 

Which is fine.

Really.

David’s not planning on doing it here. There’s a bunch of superheroes around, bidding on dates and the whole team is scattered around the room even as Tommy clung to David all the way into their corner. 

They watch as Squirrel Girl wins her date with Thor and Tommy cheers and nudges David.

“You jealous?”

David claps along with the rest of the crowd and raises an eyebrow at Tommy.

“Thor. He’s like your perfect male specimen right? Blonde, muscles, a giant massive man. Teddy-ish. Kind of.”

“I-” David starts and he falters, “I mean he’s nice to look at but-”

Tommy shrugs. “Yeah, if you like that sort of thing.”

David blinks. “What do you like, Tommy?” 

Tommy’s eyes meet his and there’s just a spot of red on his cheek, David can see if, if David reached out to touch he knows Tommy’s face would be warm. He watches Tommy watch him, eye him up and down and he wonders if Tommy really thinks he’s being subtle.

Then he remembers that Tommy has never been subtle, Tommy basically hit on him the moment they met.

“What do you like, Tommy?” David asks again, his voice sure and his purpose (hopefully) clear.

Tommy sweeps his tongue over his bottom lip and David watches and Tommy knows it.

“You,” he says even though he doesn’t have to, but because he wants to.

David nods. Then he ignores the crowd and reaches for Tommy. His face is warm, even through David’s gloves and his lips are wet and ready and their mouths slide together so easily that David wonders why they haven’t been doing this all along.

Tommy kisses him like he means it, cups the back of David’s head and plows on and it’s messy and wet and this, this is the kind of kiss David wants to remember as his first. 

Tommy pulls back wary. It’s one thing to kiss in the heat of a moment and Tommy’s always, always waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Like David shoving him away and telling him what just happened meant nothing.

But David doesn’t.

David’s hands slide down Tommy’s body to his waist and he pulls Tommy closer and he says, “There’s not really a superhero I’m willing to bid on, you want to get out of here?”

Tommy swallows down his panic and asks, “Your place? I’ll grab some noodles?”

David’s hands squeezes and he’s grin is the brightest thing in the whole damn room. “Sounds great.”

Tommy exhales and the panic goes with it.