it's Wiccan, actually

All of a sudden, Tomas Shepard had a family. An awkward, sort of complicated, abstract family, but sure as hell better then the one he was born into. The one that sent him away the minute he started ‘excelling in Track-and-Field’ so to speak. Or any of the foster families that smacked him around and eventually riled him up enough that he wound up in Juvenal Hall being experimented on every day.

No, these were the people he was supposed to belong to. Sure its a little laughable that 'Tommy-the-Freak’ from the ugliest mobile home in the park was standing here being held tight against the chest of Wanda Maximoff, Worlds Most Dangerous Mutant. And yet, all Tommy could think of when her hand gripped his shoulder and pulled him closer, was that the Scarlet Witch was such a small woman. So much power and so much fear she instilled in others, and yet her arms couldn’t reach completely around her two sons for as much as she seemed to be trying.

He responded the same way he always does when he gets a hug from someone – his arms stay awkwardly at his sides, occasionally moving to pat them on the back once or twice – and stepped back when Billy let him go. “I-” He started to respond, before stopping himself. It was still hard for him to say those three words. Even through they had known each other for years now, Tommy still envied how easily Billy could admit that he loved someone. “Yeah, you too.”

Billy was used to brothers - he had two, as annoying as they were, both adopted like he was and both just as well-adjusted (which was to say, comfortable enough for rebellion and misbehavior) - but he'd had to re-learn some things when it came to Tommy. Once he would get offended when Tommy wasn't as forthcoming with affection, but he knew better now. Understood Tommy better now, at least he hoped. 'You, too' was about as good as it got, and it made him smile just as brightly as if it'd been the words themselves.

"I'll bring the coffee and pie."

Clearly, Billy had been away too long, he could feel the irritation rising at Tommy's antics -- but whereas years ago, he might have chastised him for it, or at least bitten back with some cutting remark, instead Billy let out a slow breath and allowed a smile to cross his face. At least some things hadn't changed in his absence. At least Tommy was still Tommy, no matter what. Despite how the world always seemed to have it out for his (supposedly) elder brother, he remained, frustratingly, himself.