The Avengers Weakness

Chapter Forty-Two

"Hey little brother," Pietro announced, greeting Peter, who had still yet to speak a word.

Peter offered him a slight wave, still unable to find his words.

Pietro nodded, "Still not talking, I take it?" he asked, raising a slight eyebrow at the teenager.

Peter nodded, a small frown playing on his lips while he stared blankly at the dark screened t.v.

Peter sighed, plopping himself down next to the smaller boy, "Come on small fry," he announced softly, "Just one word?" he asked, lightly poking the boy in the side.

Peter opened his mouth and closed it abruptly; he released a deep sigh and shrugged.

Pietro nodded, sighing to himself.

The ash-blond missed the younger boy. He missed the teasing attitude of the younger boy; he missed the boy who always had sarcastic remarks when he'd tease him. How he'd use his powers to get when he wanted something or just to tease someone who knew about them, his faked innocence when he did something mischievous. How he was always hungry, out eating most of the team, or how he always planned pranks with him, or watching movies with Kate. The ramblings about some science topic when he got excited about it and how he never really understood him, but enjoyed it nonetheless. But now there was none of that; the boy next to him hadn't spoken anything in over a month. It had been almost five weeks since he'd done any of those things; since princessa had been taken, a voice reminded him. Fortunately for the younger brunet, his grades hadn't slipped, they'd told the school he had laryngitis. It was an effective excuse for why he no longer spoke; Pietro found himself wishing that the younger boy was sick, instead of the unfortunate truth. The story that had been spun for Penny was that she was sick and unable to complete any of the work her teachers had sent home. It helped explain her long absence, as well as why no work was being completed. Peter still spent most of his time patrolling or doing school work. He ate small portions at every meal, but no snacks or multiple servings; he was wasting away. Pietro was worried about him, they all were. The sixteen year old had lost thirty pounds from not following his diet. He was back to wearing his old clothes; the ones from May, who'd had a habit of saving everything of Peter's just in case it was ever needed again. The brunet's sleep was slightly improved, he now slept every night in short bursts, for a few hours each night. The deep blue-purple rings around his eyes were almost highlighted by the paleness of his skin. Pietro sighed and leaned back in his spot next to the brunet, pulling out a smaller bag of gummy bears. He opened it, tilting it towards the younger boy, a half-hearted grin playing on his lips.

"Want some small fry?" he asked, shaking the bag at him.

The brunet didn't spare him a look; he just shrugged and shook his head.

Pietro groaned and popped one in his mouth, "You sure? They're really good," he asked, trying to make himself sound as cheery as possible, "You know you love these." he replied, shaking the bag at him.

Peter cut him a look, one that told him to drop the matter, the mischievous twinkle in his big doe eyes no longer visible.

The eighteen year old sighed, missing when a mere month ago the same teen next to him would shelf him the biggest set of puppy eyes he could muster. He felt something in him snap, a surge of anger burning its way through his bones, "Snap out of it, Peter!" he yelled.

Peter slowly blinked at him, wearing a blank and ungiving expression on his face.

Pietro groaned and ran a stressed hand through his ash-blond locks, "I mean it Peter! Snap out of it! I know you miss her, we all do!" he yelled, jumping up from his position on the couch, "Stop wasting away, can't you see you're killing yourself?! You're dying, you dumbass!" he reached out and started shaking the boy, wanting to shake some common sense into him, "Wake up Pete! Get out of your damn head, I know she's your sister, but she's mine too! I've always felt like she was my little sister, it's suffocating without her here. I know it is! She's not laughing or giggling or sneaking around with Kate. She's not reading in her room or in the training room with me. Sh-she's just gone..." Pietro took a deep breath, "But we didn't stop going. Pete, you can't stop. You have to keep going, for her, because she's not dead. I feel it. I feel it in my gut and in my bones th-that's she's not gone. She's just lost and we're bringing her home, but you gotta stop this. Snap. out. of. it." he replied, his voice hoarse with emotion, he was staring ino the brown-eyed sixteen year old's eyes that were blank and unyielding.