Chapter 2
Dr. Strange listens intently as Billy tells him of the events in his nightmare. Before Stephen could tell Billy what his thoughts on the matter were, Tommy and Teddy walked into the sanctum.
"Billy, you're awake!" Teddy said relieved.
He quickly rushes over to the couch where his fiancé sat and sat next to him. Gently, Teddy hugs Billy and presses several kisses to the side of his face and neck.
"I was so worried about you, baby." Teddy mumbled, burying his nose into the crook of Billy's neck.
"Ted, I'm okay. I just need some rest." Billy assured him, running his fingers through Teddy's short blonde hair.
"But how? We just got here with the ingredients for the cure you need." Teddy replied confused.
"Actually I just told you to get that stuff to get rid of you, you were being very distracting." Stephen told Teddy and Tommy.
"Are you kidding me!? So you don't actually need rosemary, thyme, garlic powder, and cinnamon?" Tommy asked exasperated.
"No, I really did need those things...for my spice rack, not my potions." Stephen answered taking the grocery bag from Tommy.
Tommy glares at the sorcerer, flipping him the bird and sticking his tongue out at him.
"Real mature, Tommy." Billy said rolling his eyes.
"Well, excuse us for being reasonably afraid for the health and well-being of someone we love." Tommy bit out, still glaring at Stephen.
"Tommy, chill out, it's done and over with and I'm feeling better now, so just let it go." Billy told his brother.
The twins have always been protective of each other, so Billy understood Tommy's irritation about Stephen's little ruse.
"You alright enough to go home, bro?" Tommy asked Billy.
Nodding, Billy stands up from the couch along with Teddy. He was still a bit wobbly on his feet, so he leans on Teddy for support.
"Oh wait a minute, Stephen, you were about to tell me your thoughts on the nightmare I had." Billy said, turning towards Stephen.
"It can wait. For now just focus on resting and have a fun weekend at your mother's." Stephen replied, opening a portal straight into Billy, Teddy, and Tommy's apartment.
"Besides, I need to look into some things before I make any concrete conclusions about it." he added.
The three young men step through the portal into their apartment, Tommy immediately heading towards the kitchen for something to eat.
"Oh, and by the way, congratulations on the engagement!" Stephen called out before closing the portal.
"Dude, why'd you tell him you and Teddy were engaged? I thought you were gonna tell Mom first?" Tommy asked through a mouthful of potato chips and a turkey sandwich.
"I didn't tell him, he figured it out on his own when he saw my engagement ring." Billy replied as Teddy sets him on the living room couch.
"You should probably have something to eat. What do you want?" Teddy said, caressing Billy's cheek.
"Some of that leftover veggie soup you made yesterday sounds good." Billy decided.
"Okay, baby, coming right up." Teddy said before pressing a loving kiss to Billy's lips.
After everyone ate, Tommy and Teddy played some videogames while Billy laid asleep with his head in Teddy's lap. While sleeping, Billy had another strange dream about the dark figure shrouded in red.
A slightly younger version of Stephen and Christine are running through a series of underground tunnels with a teenage girl wearing a jean jacket with a star on the back. They were all running from the figure, who was tearing through each barrier the other Christine put up like it was paper. The other Stephen, the other Christine, and the girl were terrified of the figure...especially the girl.
She is what the figure wants, the figure wants the girl, but why!?
The three that the figure is pursuing huddle together in a tunnel with some water leaking through, staring at the thick steel barrier. They were watching, waiting for the figure to inevitably burst through...but they didn't. Instead, the figure appears suddenly from the side with their glowing red eyes striking fear into the hearts of anyone who looks. The suddenness of the figures appearance causes the girl to scream in fear.
Billy shoots up into a sitting up position, almost knocking his head into Teddy's. He's panting and sweating, his heart beating as if he too had been running for his life.
"Billy, baby? What's wrong? Are you okay?" Teddy asked worriedly, placing his hands on Billy's shoulders from behind.
"I-I think I'm okay...it was just a nightmare, I'm fine." Billy said catching his breath.
"Are you talking about the kind of nightmare you talking to Dr. Strange about?" Tommy asked, showing his concern a little more subtly.
Seeing no point in keeping it from them, Billy nods. When he was a teenager, Billy used to bottle things up and push people away, determined to deal with whatever issue he faced on his own. Although, doing things like that only resulted in a lot of depression and anxiety, and it nearly destroyed his and Teddy's relationship. But now with therapy, Billy is a lot better with opening up to those he loves.
"He said he was gonna look into it, so I just have to wait." Billy said, leaning back against Teddy's chest, resting his head on Teddy's shoulder.
"What are the nightmares about, sweetheart?" Teddy asked, wrapping his arms around Billy's midsection.
Billy then relays the first and second nightmare to his brother and fiancé, not leaving out any details.
"Holy sh*t, dude, that's creepy as h*ll." Tommy shuddered.
"Yeah, I know." Billy sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"I mean, seriously...that sounds like some Sam Raimi horror movie sh*t right there." Tommy said, not getting the hint that Billy wanted to stop talking about this.
"I know, Tommy!" Billy snapped.
"Sorry, Billy. All of this must be really freaking you out, not knowing the identity of the mysterious figure, not knowing if these visions are real or not." Tommy said calmly, so he doesn't agitate his brother any further.
"That's just it, Tommy...the more I think about it the more I'm coming to realize that the visions are real. They're real and they're happening now or they're going to happen soon, but not in this universe, in a different one." Billy said standing up and pacing around the living room.
"And before you ask, "how do you know it's in a different universe?", I know because there's things and people in these visions that just aren't here. For example, our Captain Marvel is Carol Danvers, not Maria Rambeau; and our universe doesn't have a british lady version of Captain America...." he continued, beginning to ramble and spiral.
Judging by how now some of the smaller objects in the room were starting to float, Tommy and Teddy knew Billy was on the verge of a panic attack. They knew if they didn't calm him down soon that his powers will eventually break something...like, last time, he shattered the TV screen when he was first told he'd be the next Sorcerer Supreme.
"Come on, Billy, you need to calm down." Tommy said standing up from his favorite recliner and walking over to his brother.
He doesn't go straight into a hug, because that would just startle his younger brother. First, he establishes contact by gently, yet firmly, grabbing Billy's shoulders, grounding him in reality and out of his head. Next, he makes Billy look him in the eye as he guides him through a few calming breaths. Then when Billy gives a very small nod, Tommy pulls him into his arms and hugs him. Teddy wants to comfort Billy as well, but also wants to give the brothers their space, so he settles with laying a comforting hand on the small of Billy's back. Tommy assures his brother that things will be okay because he's, "the most bad-a** sorcerer dude in the world and can kick anyone's or anything's a**.".
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