Threads (4)
Asgard made Anthony uncomfortable. Not the people so much, Anthony is good with people. And not the atmosphere, exactly, though it was much louder and looser than he preferred. No, it was Asgard itself. He felt untethered. But he hid it well. If Liv noticed she ignored it and he was sure none of the other Asgardians were aware. Because he was good with people. Jamie appreciated his effort. She and Vincent made a point of staying nearby without crowding. He appreciated their efforts, too.
"It's almost time to go home. And immediately leave for school."
"Are you excited?"
"Sure." Jamie turned from the view of Asgard's open skies. She could get lost in them. He probably knew that and it was probably why he asked her if she was excited for school instead of sad to leave. Focus on other skies, Jamie. "I can't wait to fly non-Stark vehicles."
Anthony chuckled at her smirk. "I bet your classmates will be very envious of your history with Stark vehicles."
"Well, sure." She shrugged. "But people are jealous of Ginny's life and look at Ginny." Anthony raised an eyebrow. She shrugged again and turned back to look at the view off the balcony. It occurred that Ginny's life was tame compared to Liv's and looking at the royal palace was a lot less comforting than the sky.
"What are Liv's plans?" Anthony asked, proving his twin powers of perception.
Jamie frowned. She knew he meant after summer and she knew those were the only plans Liv wanted her to share. But she hated hiding things from her brother. "She's coming back to New York with us. She's going to be doing some modeling and PR work. I don't know."
"At least she'll be on the same plane of existence," he joked.
Jamie made a face. "What a weird thing to say."
Anthony pouted. "It was supposed to be funny." He'd seen the frown and assumed she was worried about impending separation.
"Oh, it was funny!" Jamie swatted him. "But what a weird thing to say! I mean, for any other brother in the universe -- but your boyfriend goes to Hogwarts so it all works."
Anthony sighed the way he always did whenever she -- or anyone -- brought up his boyfriend's connection to Hogwarts. The wizarding school, and its existence, made him just as uncomfortable as Asgard did. Jamie stuck her tongue out. He shook his head, but a smile played on his lips. "We live extraordinary lives."
"I wouldn't want an ordinary life!"
He nodded. It was a very Jamie thing to say. "I'm not sure I can know if I'd want one. I've never experienced anything like it... Who do we know who has an 'ordinary life'?"
Jamie grinned. "Jenna Keck! And look how into our life she is!"
Anthony looked thoughtful. "I'm not. . . complaining. I'm proud of our life and our family."
"I know!" She swatted him again. "I'm proud of you. I can't wait for the Inaugural Balls."
He smiled. "I am looking forward to meeting new people at school."
"You should join a frat." She nodded at his questioning glance. "It'd be good for you."
"Are you being serious?" His twin powers of perception could be cloudy in the face of his own insecurity.
She winked. "I am ninety percent serious."
"Well, I'm considering it. Fraternities are a uniquely college experience and I want to engage in that kind of thing. And meet people."
Jamie nodded. She got it. "I trust you to join the non-jerky frat."
Anthony's expression was affectionate. "It will be strange to be away from everyone, though."
Jamie's eyes turned to the sky again. "I'm going farthest."
"Only in distance."
Jamie glanced at him. He'd spoken so quietly, maybe she didn't understand. "What do you mean?" Anthony shook his head. "Hey." She knocked his arm. "What do you mean?"
He shrugged. "I think I'll still see you more than I see anyone else."
"Why do you think you'll see me so often?"
"I don't." She frowned. "Never mind. I only mean we're family and twins and we'll obviously keep up and see each other whenever we can."
Jamie's expression expressed her disbelief that that was only what he meant. "Well, obviously!"
"I'm sorry." He turned to look at her directly. But not to explain. "I'm sure all your friends will keep up with you, and you'll make lots of new friends. And technically Ginny is farthest away anyway."
"Yeah, but Ginny will end up back home in a year."
Anthony pursed his lips. "What are you afraid of?"
"I'm not afraid."
"Okay." They shared a look. "What are you?"
Jamie scrunched her face up. "Ready? Impatient?"
Anthony shook his head. "You're very confusing."
"What do you expect? I'm a teenager!"
He rolled his eyes, but with affection. "Well, to be honest, I'm impatient, too."
"What are you impatient for?"
Anthony stared.
"What?"
"You are exasperating. For college!"
"Oh! Well okay!" She looked like she wanted to laugh but didn't want to upset him any more than he was.
"Isn't that what we're talking about?!"
"Sure! Yes! Okay!"
Anthony closed his eyes and muttered, "I want to go home."
"Awww." Jamie pouted. "You're not having fun?"
"No. Yes. Of course, I'm having fun." His look said it all. "I didn't mean it. You're driving me crazy."
Jamie giggled. "Well, are you looking forward to the wedding? Your first real Asgardian party?" The twinkle in her eyes said it would be unlike the other parties.
"I am absolutely looking to the experience."
She giggled more. "Uh huh."
"I am. I wouldn't miss it." She was shaking with laughter. He sighed. "The Asgardians are not my people. But I'm happy they're yours."
She nodded that she understood. "It's weird they're mine."
"Why?"
Her face scrunched up in thought again. "I just. . . wouldn't have expected to fit in so well."
"Expectations only get you so far. You also have to expect surprises."
Jamie smiled. It was such an Anthony thing to say. "But I hope you're still my people, too."
"Of course I am." He dropped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed her tight. Anthony wasn't one for open affection. But there were exceptions. "We're each other's people." Jamie returned the hug. "So is there a souvenir store in this place?"
"In the palace?"
"In the . . .capital city?"
She started giggling again. "No? I don't know! I don't think so. Why?"
"I want to bring something back for Jake."
"Nothing says 'I'll miss you' like an Asgardian snowglobe."
"Ha ha." He raised an eyebrow. "It should say 'sorry I missed your birthday for the big gay Asgardian wedding my sister dragged me to'."
"Ohhhhhhh." Jamie snapped her fingers. "In that case I know where the favors are. We can put one in your luggage right now."
She'd run inside before Anthony worked out to ask what the wedding favors were. But it was probably better this way.
"It's almost time to go home. And immediately leave for school."
"Are you excited?"
"Sure." Jamie turned from the view of Asgard's open skies. She could get lost in them. He probably knew that and it was probably why he asked her if she was excited for school instead of sad to leave. Focus on other skies, Jamie. "I can't wait to fly non-Stark vehicles."
Anthony chuckled at her smirk. "I bet your classmates will be very envious of your history with Stark vehicles."
"Well, sure." She shrugged. "But people are jealous of Ginny's life and look at Ginny." Anthony raised an eyebrow. She shrugged again and turned back to look at the view off the balcony. It occurred that Ginny's life was tame compared to Liv's and looking at the royal palace was a lot less comforting than the sky.
"What are Liv's plans?" Anthony asked, proving his twin powers of perception.
Jamie frowned. She knew he meant after summer and she knew those were the only plans Liv wanted her to share. But she hated hiding things from her brother. "She's coming back to New York with us. She's going to be doing some modeling and PR work. I don't know."
"At least she'll be on the same plane of existence," he joked.
Jamie made a face. "What a weird thing to say."
Anthony pouted. "It was supposed to be funny." He'd seen the frown and assumed she was worried about impending separation.
"Oh, it was funny!" Jamie swatted him. "But what a weird thing to say! I mean, for any other brother in the universe -- but your boyfriend goes to Hogwarts so it all works."
Anthony sighed the way he always did whenever she -- or anyone -- brought up his boyfriend's connection to Hogwarts. The wizarding school, and its existence, made him just as uncomfortable as Asgard did. Jamie stuck her tongue out. He shook his head, but a smile played on his lips. "We live extraordinary lives."
"I wouldn't want an ordinary life!"
He nodded. It was a very Jamie thing to say. "I'm not sure I can know if I'd want one. I've never experienced anything like it... Who do we know who has an 'ordinary life'?"
Jamie grinned. "Jenna Keck! And look how into our life she is!"
Anthony looked thoughtful. "I'm not. . . complaining. I'm proud of our life and our family."
"I know!" She swatted him again. "I'm proud of you. I can't wait for the Inaugural Balls."
He smiled. "I am looking forward to meeting new people at school."
"You should join a frat." She nodded at his questioning glance. "It'd be good for you."
"Are you being serious?" His twin powers of perception could be cloudy in the face of his own insecurity.
She winked. "I am ninety percent serious."
"Well, I'm considering it. Fraternities are a uniquely college experience and I want to engage in that kind of thing. And meet people."
Jamie nodded. She got it. "I trust you to join the non-jerky frat."
Anthony's expression was affectionate. "It will be strange to be away from everyone, though."
Jamie's eyes turned to the sky again. "I'm going farthest."
"Only in distance."
Jamie glanced at him. He'd spoken so quietly, maybe she didn't understand. "What do you mean?" Anthony shook his head. "Hey." She knocked his arm. "What do you mean?"
He shrugged. "I think I'll still see you more than I see anyone else."
"Why do you think you'll see me so often?"
"I don't." She frowned. "Never mind. I only mean we're family and twins and we'll obviously keep up and see each other whenever we can."
Jamie's expression expressed her disbelief that that was only what he meant. "Well, obviously!"
"I'm sorry." He turned to look at her directly. But not to explain. "I'm sure all your friends will keep up with you, and you'll make lots of new friends. And technically Ginny is farthest away anyway."
"Yeah, but Ginny will end up back home in a year."
Anthony pursed his lips. "What are you afraid of?"
"I'm not afraid."
"Okay." They shared a look. "What are you?"
Jamie scrunched her face up. "Ready? Impatient?"
Anthony shook his head. "You're very confusing."
"What do you expect? I'm a teenager!"
He rolled his eyes, but with affection. "Well, to be honest, I'm impatient, too."
"What are you impatient for?"
Anthony stared.
"What?"
"You are exasperating. For college!"
"Oh! Well okay!" She looked like she wanted to laugh but didn't want to upset him any more than he was.
"Isn't that what we're talking about?!"
"Sure! Yes! Okay!"
Anthony closed his eyes and muttered, "I want to go home."
"Awww." Jamie pouted. "You're not having fun?"
"No. Yes. Of course, I'm having fun." His look said it all. "I didn't mean it. You're driving me crazy."
Jamie giggled. "Well, are you looking forward to the wedding? Your first real Asgardian party?" The twinkle in her eyes said it would be unlike the other parties.
"I am absolutely looking to the experience."
She giggled more. "Uh huh."
"I am. I wouldn't miss it." She was shaking with laughter. He sighed. "The Asgardians are not my people. But I'm happy they're yours."
She nodded that she understood. "It's weird they're mine."
"Why?"
Her face scrunched up in thought again. "I just. . . wouldn't have expected to fit in so well."
"Expectations only get you so far. You also have to expect surprises."
Jamie smiled. It was such an Anthony thing to say. "But I hope you're still my people, too."
"Of course I am." He dropped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed her tight. Anthony wasn't one for open affection. But there were exceptions. "We're each other's people." Jamie returned the hug. "So is there a souvenir store in this place?"
"In the palace?"
"In the . . .capital city?"
She started giggling again. "No? I don't know! I don't think so. Why?"
"I want to bring something back for Jake."
"Nothing says 'I'll miss you' like an Asgardian snowglobe."
"Ha ha." He raised an eyebrow. "It should say 'sorry I missed your birthday for the big gay Asgardian wedding my sister dragged me to'."
"Ohhhhhhh." Jamie snapped her fingers. "In that case I know where the favors are. We can put one in your luggage right now."
She'd run inside before Anthony worked out to ask what the wedding favors were. But it was probably better this way.