The Unassigned Mission

Healing

"Peter?"

The gentleness of the voice melted Peter's heart and actually, the feel of her burning skin felt like it would genuinely melt his flesh. Peter pulled his hand off Sophia's arm and brushed her hair back.

"Relax, you're burning up or charging up, whatever it is considered."

"Don't make it weird," she mumbled and sat up.

Peter inspected her and sighed sadly,
"You've scarred more on your hands. That explosion did some damage to your skin."

"Nothing I'm not used to," Sophia untucked her hair that Peter fixed; suddenly getting self conscious.

"Hey," Peter was about to protest to her obvious distaste for her face and body but she cut him off.

"My face I can't fix but Bruce is finishing up these gloves that soothes my skin. They're thin enough to project my electric current but they keep my hands protected from permanent damage."

Peter hummed and realized he was holding one of her hands, from the second she was laid down here to this second during the conversation, without thinking he brought her hand up to his lips and gently kissed her palm. Sophia stiffened as Peter made this movement; not from being uncomfortable but with the fear that she may shock him.

"Don't fear touching people," Peter pointed out the issue that was bothering her.

"I don't want to hurt you like my dad did to me. I don't know what I'm capable of."

"So, fight it. It only seems powerful when you're mad. I'll try not to upset you much."

Sophia caressed his cheek for a split second and grasped her own hand that retracted from Peter,
"Don't make any lame jokes then."

Peter chuckled at her trying to make light during her internal struggle, so he nodded at her. Sophia looked over Peter's shoulder when there was a movement behind him. Peter followed her eyes and turned to face the noise behind him.

"Oh. My. God," Ned squealed.

"Ned," Peter laughed at his star struck friend "what are you doing here?"

"I...Happy. Happy picked me up. Sophia was hurt. I ran-....ran so fast. Thor knocked me over because I ran into him. It was amazing! Tony didn't want to tell Aunt May because she worries. So, Happy called me to come and help."

Ned stuttered through his shell shock of being in this building that triggers his fantasies and fuels his love for superheroes. Peter watched his best friend with a bemused smile on his face.

"Wait, am I an Avenger now? Do I get a cool ID badge or something?"

"I don't even have one," Peter teased.

"I'm the tech guy, I'm going to need one so they don't confuse me with an IT guy or something. I'm not here to fix computers, I'm here to help my buddy save the world."

"Or the greater metropolitan area..."

"More or less."

"Right now, you're here to take Sophia home," Happy corrected Ned, "hands off the mjol- hammer thing!"

"It's so heavy," Ned cheered from the corner of the room, "if I broke my back trying to pick this up, I'd be honored."

Sophia gave Peter a look after watching Ned and they both started laughing. Happy had a small smirk on his face but it disappeared when he got a call on his Bluetooth.

"Tony says get a move on, May is blowing up his phone."

"Why isn't he taking her back," Peter questioned as he hovered close to Sophia as she started getting up.

"It's not a critical wound and he has to fix the mess she made."

Sophia blushed, while Peter and Ned got in either side of her to escort her down to the Audi. Peter looked at Happy and frowned,
"He's being closed off to her. I'm not okay with that."

"Peter, that's firstly not intimidating for anyone in this building. Secondly, he means well. You know that, it just takes time."

Sophia nodded, "leave it Peter."

Ned started walking again and the pair followed suit. They started down the hallway towards the main doors, when Thor emerged,

"Weak."

The pair looked on shocked as he scooped up Sophia and carried her the rest of the way with ease. Ned's look was far more amazed than Peter's,

"How much do you think I have to pay him to carry me next?"