The Avengers Weakness

Chapter Forty-Nine

A/N: Sorry I didn't post this Saturday as planned, I was still feeling pretty bad and my vertigo started acting up this well. But I feel a whole lot better now, here's the next chapter! I'll try my best to get the chapters posted as normal for this week, I'm a little bit behind on my writing due to being sick last week.

Pietro woke up Monday morning feeling Penny's arms wrapped around his waist; he smiled fondly at the sleeping teenager. He kicked off the soft gray fuzzy blanket that he'd been wrapped up with and started the process of trying to sit up. He rubbed the back of his neck, it was sore from sleeping against the headboard of his bed. He looked next to him and saw Penny sleeping, curled up next to him, his silvery-gray covers tightly wound around her while her face was shoved into his shirt. He felt her arms around his waist, tightly holding onto him; she'd had another nightmare last night and the only way she'd go back to sleep is if she was hugging him. He didn't know how Peter did it every night. He moved his hand down to where her arms were and carefully pried her fingers off from around his shirt and moved her arms back to her side of the bed. He pushed himself up to where he was sitting fully upright, continuing to rub the back of his sore neck. He leaned over on his elbow, ignoring the pain that was starting to radiate from his hand; it was starting to bother him again. He pulled the limb out from under himself, trying to shake out the pain he was feeling in it. He pushed himself up again and crossed his legs, leaning over to push the brunette onto her back and not on her face. He moved her hair out of her face and started to gently shake her awake.

"Come on princessa, our siblings return today with Nat." he announced.

The brunette groaned, "Nghh," was the only response he received.

He laughed, "I know princessa, but it's time to wake up, it's eight thirty." he replied, patting her arm softly.

She rolled over, pushing her face into one of his pillows.

He sighed, "Princessa...it's time for breakfast. Wakey wakey." he whispered, his steely eyes twinkling mischievously as ideas on how to wake her up started to push to the forefront of his mind. "Princessa..." he called, making his once gravelly, half asleep voice sound as cheery as possible. He flipped her onto her side, brushing her curls out of her face again, "Wakey wakey Miss Parker-Stark." he called, tickling her face with part of her curls, "Don't make me pull you out of bed by your ankles princessa." he teased, continuing the action of tickling her cheeks with the locks of her hair.

"Pietro..." she groaned, rubbing her face with her hands, trying to get rid of the tickling feeling she had been feeling on her cheeks.

He grinned, "Yes princessa?"

"Stop tickling me." she slurred, her eyes still closed.

He laughed, "Are you going to wake up then princessa, that is the only way I'll stop."

She pushed herself up and brushed her hair out of her face, her bangs had fallen into her eyes when she'd pushed herself up, "Yes." she yawned.

He nodded and reached out to ruffle her hair, "Good morning, princessa." he greeted.

She gave him a half-asleep smile, her eyes still partially closed, "Good morning Pietro....thank you for letting me stay in here again."

He stood up and pressed a gentle kiss against her temple, "What's a big brother for princessa?" he replied, shrugging, "You better go get changed, breakfast is soon and your brother and my sister, plus Nat is returning today. If we aren't downstairs soon, printesa mea is going to come running up here again and jump on the bed."

She nodded and pushed herself up from the bed, "Okay." she replied, remembering how the younger girl had almost landed on her stomach a few days ago and she didn't want to risk that again.