𝙨𝙞𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 ➪ 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘹𝘪𝘮𝘰𝘧𝘧

1.9

"Do you want to call your mom?" Bruce suggested. "I'm sure she'd-"

"Does she know?" Spencer asked. Bruce nodded slowly. "Then there's nothing else to say."

"You can't stay in here forever, Spencer," Brue said seriously, and the tone caught Spencer off guard. "You have to... it's hard, Spencer, but you have to come to terms with the fact-"

Spencer tuned him out. She's getting really good at that - it's almost like a switch now, really.

It took Bruce a few moments to realize he'd lost her attention, and he sighed and stopped speaking. They sat there for a few more minutes.

"Goodnight, Spencer," Bruce said, even though it's only 7 and he knows Spencer isn't sleeping.

And then he's gone. Spencer went back to eating her food and reading her marine articles.

15 minutes later, there was another knock on her door.

Spencer didn't move. She knew it was definitely not Bruce.

"Hello?" a voice called through the door. Spencer knew exactly who it was and was instantly not as terrified. Pietro had seen her... green. Is that what she should call it?

Another knock.

"Do I have to pretend I'm Banner for you to open the door?"

Spencer rolled her eyes in irritation but tumbled off her bed, and inched open the door as carefully as she could manage.

"Can I help you?" she asked, trying to sound serious, and even kind of detached.

Pietro saw right through it. He stared at Spencer, for a moment, assessing the little bit of her he could see.

Then he said, with total confidence, "You look like shit."

You know, like a douche.

Spencer scoffed. She scoffed, but also found it intensely funny that this guy really was so nice to her just a few days before, and now he was back to this?

"Okay," Spencer said shortly, going to close the door.

Pietro's hand against the wood stopped her. He ducked his head a little. "Let me in."

Spencer considered arguing with him but didn't have the energy.

So fine, she opened the door. And Pietro strolled him, calmly, like he owned the place. His eyes fell first to the desk right against the front wall, and Spencer reached for exactly what he was looking for.

But the guy had super speed and noticed the attention, and in seconds, he was taunting her with the notebook above her head.

"Alright, Little Banner," he teased with a grin. "Now you have to talk to me."

"I-Give me that back," Spencer demanded, reaching for it, but Pietro quickly tossed it to his other hand, holding it out of reach. "Seriously, dude? Did we not just acknowledge it's a poor idea to mess with me? I'm Mini Hulk."

She jumped for the notebook, but Pietro swiftly tossed it again, catching it a wink.

"You're wrong," he said, pointing at her with the spine of the notebook. Spencer wanted to punch him. "You did not... turn green," he tested out comfortably, "because you were angry. You were scared - that is very different."

Spencer didn't respond to this. Maybe she should have, but her mind would not go back to the events of that day.

"Are you scared?" he suggested, and Spencer met his eyes. He tapped the cover of the book. "That I will find a confession of love in here?"