Affliction (P.P.)

Part 15

(Peter POV)

The timer goes off. Nothing happens. "Is anything changing?!" I call to Bruce out the window. "I'm not sure, my scanners are malfunctioning." He replies. Suddenly, Charlotte gasps in a deep breath, and her eyes shoot open. Speaking of her eyes, they're....glowing purple? She's still laying flat on the makeshift bed. She raises her arms, and everything in the room is pushed away from her, including me. How did she do that? She slowly sits up. I grunt in the slight pain being thrown aside caused. Charlotte turns her head, and as her eyes fall on each Avenger through the glass, one by one they pass out. Her mom, then Steve, then Natasha, and Bruce, Thor, Tony- everyone. Then her eyes flicker to me. But nothing happens. She looks at her hands, then back up to me. "Peter?" She says hoarsely. I stand, and hold my hands out to her cautiously.

"Hey, it's okay. You're okay. We found the cure. You're okay now. But you can't knock out all the other guys. They're gonna help." I say gently. Her glowing eyes look back out the glass, seeing everyone passed out on the floor. "Oh! Oh I-I didn't mean to- I just- I don't know what's happening, everything's so bright- are my eyes.... glowing?" She peers at her reflection. "Yeah. And I'm guessing somethings going on with the curse because they're glowing the same color as the cure." I say. She turns to me, a scared look on her face. "Am I gonna be okay?" She asks, her voice small, as she hugs her arms to herself. "Yes, of course you are." I laugh lightly. "You're okay. But you gotta wake everyone up so we can get you checked out okay?" I explain. She nods. She then looks back at everyone, and as her gaze lands on each person, they startled awake again. Her mother is the last to see. "Bruce! Why are my girl's eyes glowing? What's happening?" She asks. Bruce stands and goes to one of the monitors.

"The scanner is still picking up something in her body- but it's not the curse. Or not exactly." He flips through some thing. Tony gets up and joins him. "The cure- not only flushed out the virus, but it fused with certain pieces of it, and now it's not in Charlotte's body- it is her body." Tony looks up. Lottie's eyes are slowly starting to dim, the glow lessening. "Is that- good or bad?" She furrows her brow. "Actually-it's a great thing. Your vitals have gone completely back to normal, if not better than normal. Everything is going back to the way it should be. The bad traces of the curse are gone- only tiny bits and pieces are strung in with the cure, but those aren't the life threatening parts, so it's all actually great." Bruce says incredulously. A smile starts to make its way onto Charlotte's face. She runs a hand through her hair in thought. "So- I'm okay?" She looks back to me. I grin. "Yeah!" She laughs in relief. "Thank God!" Her mom breathes. Lottie still looks a little shaken, but then she pumps her fists excitedly.

"We did it! It worked!" She squeals. As she pumps her fist, which happened to be facing the direction of the window, a purple wave of-something- shoots from her hand, shattering the glass. Charlotte's jaw drops, and she hugs her hands back to her chest. She smiles sheepishly. "Okay there may be a few side effects." She laughs slightly. "We can work with that." Tony shrugs. I smile and shake my head, holding my arms out to her. "Come here." I say. She jumps into my arms, hugging me tightly. I hug back just as tight. "I missed you." I sigh, breathing in her familiar flowery-smell. "I missed you too. Although I don't remember much of anything to be honest." She pulls out of the hug. "What happened while I was out?" She asks. I laugh. "Boy do I have a story for you...."

~~~~~Timeskip: six months later~~~~~
(Peter POV)

So it turns out, Charlotte has her own sort of, powers, now actually. She recovered 100% from the curse, and shes getting better with handling her capabilities everyday. She can move things with her mind, like Wanda, and has weird photon-type blasts that she can shoot from her fists. Her eyes glow, and she can floor an entire crowd of people, just by using her mind. She's still having some trouble controlling it, but Tony made her a sort of containment suit, that helps her contain all her power. She says it's comfortable, and the sides glow when her powers are in use. Charlotte's mom has also been doing anything she can to help her adjust. They've moved to Avengers Tower now, just to ensure their safety. Lottie is homeschooled for the time being, and I come to the tower to visit all the time.

Me and her picked up right where we left off, being best friends and living life. And I know you're wondering, Peter, haven't you told her you liked her yet? Well the answer is no. Because I'm a chicken. But I'm working on it, it's fine. I have it all planned out. In fact, I was planning on just spitting it out tonight. We're having a hang out night, just me, her, pizza, and endless binging of movies. So, why not spout off you're undying love for someone, while the mood is set with fairy lights, junk food, and Star Wars playing in the back ground? It's a little nerve-racking, not gonna lie. But I went to an alien planet with two demi-gods right? This is a piece of cake. A piece of cake that I want to throw up. I take a deep breath. "Someone looks nervous." Steve teases from the other side of the kitchen counter, where I'm currently sitting. "It couldn't be that, Lottie is hanging out with you today, could it?" Pepper chimes in from her place over the sink, washing up some leftover dishes. My face warms up a little.

"Well- yeah kind of." I give in. No point in denying it. Everyone "ooooo"'s. Even the other Avengers who are all the way in the living room heard. "Guys, come on stop. It's not exactly a secret." I roll my eyes. "You've kept it from her pretty well though." Harley walks in, grabbing a water from the fridge. "Are you all just eavesdropping everywhere?" I ask incredulously. I get a chorus of "yep"'s in return. "Alright, so you've admitted to us that you like her. Now when are you gonna let her in the loop too?" Tony says, taking a swig of coffee. "I was thinking....tonight? Maybe? I don't know. I'm just nervous because I'm not entirely certain she likes me back." I stand, going to the fridge to get a water of my own. "Oh she definitely likes you back." Lottie's mom walks in. I choke on my water. "Y-you think so?" I say, my eyes still watery from the coughing spell I went through. "I know so. I feel it in my gut. So tell her." She says. I nod. Flash forward to tonight, and I'm more of a nervous wreck then before.

I'm setting up a movie, when the door flings open. I drop the stack of disks that I had in my hand, and turn towards my door, wide eyed. It's only Tony. "Well aren't you walking on egg shells. Don't be so nervous kid. It'll be fine." He says. He looks around the room. "Cute set up. Definitely something a girl would like."
"That's what I was going for." I retort, picking up the fallen movie disks. "Well speak of the devil!" Tony looks towards the hallway. Lottie comes in the doorway. "Heyyy. I made it. Not gonna lie, I wasn't sure I would because of homework." She laughs. Tony scoffs. "I'm gonna pretend you didn't just say you would skip eating junk food with your best friend to do homework." He jokes. Lottie tosses a pillow and fuzzy blanket that she brought onto the bed. "Yeah yeah, I couldn't let Petey down, now could I?" She smiles that beautiful smile at me, and my pulse skips a little. "I know you wouldn't have." I laugh. "Well, I'll leave you two love-birds alone. Enjoy the movie." Tony says, then cracks the door behind him as he leaves.

Lottie didn't seem to notice him saying 'love-birds' and I'm not about to point it out. My palms are sweating. For no reason. It's just me, hanging out with my best friend right? My best friend, who I also really like, and makes me nervous, and is really pretty. Oh man.......