Our Underlying Darkness

Bubbles Fix Trauma?

It's a bit of a struggle to get Peter to take a shower but after threatening to tell Tony that he has an iron man plushie, Kiora was able to get the teen moving.

Peter puts his arms up without thinking to take off his shirt. The bandages on his back and shoulders pull tight against his wounds causing the boy to flinch. His eyes scan over the mirror to the door. Kiora said that if he needed any help, whether it be undressing or washing his wounds, that she was right outside. Peter considers calling her, he doesn't.

The teen gets into the shower and puts the heat up. He begins to move into the water's path when a sudden burning sensation causes him to dart back. The water pressure is high, it's how he normally likes it. But now, it does nothing but aggravate his wounds.

Peter steps away from the water, ready to call Kiora. But something in the back of his mind stops him and soon, his thoughts begin to spiral.

This is laughable, the pain, he's survived so much worse. Maybe he's still the weak little boy he always was. How is he supposed to save people if a little stinging puts him out? Thoughts swarm his head, echoing against his skull. Peter forces himself to put his back under the water. He gasps at the sensation and sits on the floor. The pain flares and his aunt's words come to mind.
"Just take it."

Kiora sits up suddenly from her place on Peters's bed. A spike of darkness flows through her body like how the smell of smoke envelopes one's senses when walking into a house on fire. She closes her eyes and concentrates. As soon as she gets a sense of what's troubling the young boy in the shower, she's on her feet.

Peter flinches as the door swings open, a whooshing sound meets his ears and a soft material lands on his face. The teen struggles for a little, panicked at the loss of his vision. When he gets a grip he pulls the material from his face and examines them.

Shorts?

"Listen closely Peter," the teen looks through the glass shower divider at Kiora, "I am going to take my hands off of my eyes in 5 seconds! I suggest you use that time to put those shorts on."

Peter sits in shock, his eyebrows arch up. Before he even has the chance to respond Kiora's voice picks up again.

"5!"

Peter gets on his feet, nearly slipping in the process.

"4!"

He's tugging at the now-soaked shorts.

"3!"

"I'm going, I'm going!"

"2! 1!"

Kiora opens her eyes and greets the teen with a shit-eating grin. Fully clothed, she strides into the shower and closes the glass-sliding door behind her. Only then does she turn to Peter, pants and the bottom of her shirt starting to get soaked, and say:

"Hi."

Peter lets out a startled laugh in disbelief.

"What are you doing here?!"

Instead of answering, Kiora walks around him- in a very unsmooth fashion- and directly under the water. She suppresses a flinch at the temperature.

"Damn, are you trying to burn your skin off?" She adjusts the nob and changes the pressure. "Much better."

Peter grabs Kiora's shoulders and shakes her back and forth as if the motion will dry her off even though she's standing under the shower head.

"Oh my god, you're getting all wet! What..." he sighs, exasperated.

Kiora simply shrugs her shoulders and looks up at the teen's eyes through his wet hair.

"I didn't wanna miss the fight."

"What fight?"

In the blink of an eye, Kiora grabs the closed shampoo bottle and opens fire on Peter. The first squirt hits him right in the face. Struggling to see, he goes forward to get into the water, pushing Kiora back. All the while Kiora is not letting up, noticing this, he grabs a large body wash bottle and begins to fire back.

Shampoo and body wash are getting everywhere and bubbles are beginning to form as the two superhumans run around each other, tripping every time, in the large shower space. Somewhere along the way, breathy laughs start to fill the air, mixed with the occasional squeal when soap got in someone's eyes.

Eventually, the floor is fully coated in slippery bathing products, so it's no wonder that the fight ends when both trip and fall down to the floor.
Kiora leans against the shower wall, Peter against the glass door. Their panting for breath is soon taken away once they make eye contact and a whole new series of estranged laughs begins. It leaves the two doubled over and clutching their stomachs.

"What the hell is going on?"

A very confused Tony is leaning against the sink, staring at the two in amusement. Peter looks mortified while Kiora just grins at the man. 

"Mr. Stark, I'm sorry... I just... Kiora came and the water was really hot and we..."

Tony is quick to interject. "Relax kid, I'm nowhere close to upset, just want to make sure you didn't open up any cuts in the tussle." The boy relaxes and looks himself over, finding all his wounds still sealed up. 

Tony sighs "thanks, kid." Peter blushes, not sure what he is being thanked for.

"Aw, Tony you ruined all the fun!" Kiora feigns annoyance."

The man scoffs, "you? Fun?" 

Kiora dramatically gasps, making Peter snort at the motion, before rising to her feet and stepping out of the shower. "You wanna see fun?"

Tony catches the gist of what's happening and makes a run for the door. Kiora's on him before he gets two steps in. She jumps on his back, wrapping her legs around his stomach to stay in place. Tony lurches forward before steadying, the back of his shirt is already getting soaked. He unconsciously lets out a juvenile chuckle.

"Kiora!" The girl in question begins laughing recklessly as she holds on to Tony, who stumbles around trying to get her off. "You fucking, ugh, spider monkey... let go!" 

This is ridiculous, he realizes with sudden clarity. This is stupid and pointless and immature but shit he's having fun. He can put the weight of the world down for a few seconds, right?

Peter watches the two people with a smile. He laughs, genuinely, wondering how he got here. Tony cares for him, Kiora does too, they both want to help him. Maybe getting better isn't so far out of reach.