Turned Away

Summary: Companion piece to Idiot Boyfriend. Billy finds Nathaniel
Warning(s): Spanking; spoilers for the Marvel comics up to and including The Children's Crusade; AU

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It didn't matter what he did. He couldn't save her.

Nathaniel tried again. He'd crossed his own time stream so many times, he wasn't just seeing himself as Kang. He was seeing several copies of Iron Lad, all with one goal in mind.

To save her.

Eventually, Nathaniel had to step out of the time stream, just to take stock of the situation. Just to figure out what he had tried... and what he still needed to try.

Nathaniel recognised the planet he was on, even though Kang and the other Young Avengers (now grown) were gone. He'd changed the time stream and saved Billy's life, so maybe he had put in enough of a dent to change his own fate.

But the cost was too high.

"You can't keep doing this."

Nathaniel flinched at the voice that sounded behind him. Turning, his gaze locked on Billy... but it was the Billy of his present time; not the Billy as an adult who might still have been friends with Kang. "I have to make it all right."

"I know you're grieving." Billy stepped closer to him. "And I understand wanting to change things when you have the power to. I saw how happy you made Cassie when you saved her dad... but just because you can do something doesn't mean you should."

"You sound like one of the Avengers." Nathaniel couldn't hide his suspicion. Was this really Billy? Or was it another trick of his future self?

"I just had my own mistakes explained to me very well." Billy winced visibly. "I'm sure the other Young Avengers will have something to say... hopefully not as painfully as my boyfriend, but Teddy was right. I made some big mistakes in how I handled things and I shouldn't have tried to do it all on my own. I should have trusted my friends." He stepped closer. "That includes you."

Nathaniel was wearing his iron suit, but it felt like Billy could see through that. He didn't like feeling this vulnerable, even with someone who was supposed to be his friend.

Especially since he knew they weren't going to stay friends.

"Why are you backing away?" Billy paused. "I'm your friend. You know that."

"You're going to try and stop me."

"Have you thought that maybe you should stop?"

"I can't." The words escaped him almost as a moan. How could he get Billy to understand that? If he just made the right choice... took the right path...

"Then I suppose I'll have to make you."

When Nathaniel would have questioned Billy, he shivered in the sudden cold. Looking down at himself, he realised his armour lay on the ground all around him... leaving him wearing his thin shirt and trousers.

"I can't force you to do anything... but I'd like you to walk over to me." Billy's voice was calm, but held an almost hypnotic note to it.

Nathaniel stood still. The loss of his armour frightened him more than anything could have done. Had Billy had enough? Did stop him really mean kill him? Before his whole world had been turned upside down, a part of him would have fought his own death. Now? His only concern was Billy making himself into what they'd fought.

He was tired. Ever since discovering time travel, his whole being had been focused on preventing himself turning into Kang. Billy was probably the person Nathaniel trusted the most. He wasn't going to run again.

As Nathaniel walked over to the person he'd do anything to save, each step seemed to force a weight to leave him. By the time he stood in front of his friend, it was as if the terrible burden of his own fate was lifted.

Billy looked into his eyes. "I'm not going to kill you."

"Maybe you should."

"There are other ways to halt the path you're on." Billy's voice was quiet as a large rock appeared behind him. He reached out and grasped hold of Nathaniel's arm.

Almost as fast as if Billy had used magic, Nathaniel found himself sprawled across his friend's lap. His thin trousers didn't offer his backside much protection and it didn't take long for him to start squirming as Billy quickly settled into a pattern of smacks, working over every available inch of his bottom and thighs until they felt like Billy had used his power to set them alight.

Could Nathaniel force Billy to stop? It was possible. The swats were painful, but Nathaniel could still gather himself. They'd both had similar training and he could struggle against submitting.

But... this was Billy. Not just Billy spanking him, but Billy taking him in hand. For the first time, he felt like he wasn't alone. His friends had known his fate, but they'd accepted it was his own duty to avert it.

And the loneliness had been crippling.

Nathaniel didn't realise he'd started crying until the sobs were choking him. Some dim part of him became aware of Billy drawing him into a tight embrace, but all he could do was cry into his friend's shoulder... as if his heart had been broken.

Which it had been... repeatedly.

Billy hugged him, hard and tight. "You told Cassie you could stay indefinitely... I'm asking you the same thing."

Nathaniel was crying too hard to talk. All he could do... was nod.

The End