If You Need Me

Ch. 4: Stupidity

Peter felt his chest grow heavy and he felt like his body was sagging through his seat.

"She always talked about her boyfriend and the things you'd do together. And she'd always go on about the villains you'd take down. I knew that she was exaggerating because she wanted everything to sound cooler than it was, but seeing you in action and then seeing you with your friends, you're cool."

"I'm cool?" Peter smiled, "Wow."

"I know," Jessica groaned, "I'm bad with words."

"It's okay kid. I am too," Peter chuckled, "Maybe it's part of our powers."

Jessica grew quiet again and Peter immediately could tell it was a different kind of quiet than the ease she'd been in before. She shifted a bit, started picking at her fingernails, and then she huffed, "Powers," she mumbled. 

"What's up?"

"I ... Peter," Jessica pushed her head into the back of her seat and sighed, "Can I be honest with you?"

"About your powers?" Peter cleared his throat, "Uh - I mean, well I mean yeah. Of course. About anything. Yeah."

"You're freaking out."

"I'm not freaking out," Peter shrugged too many times to make it normal.

"You're not good with kids."

"I'm aware," Peter grumbled, "I've been told."

"By Y/N?"

"'By Y/N,'" Peter mimicked, like a child. 

Jessica laughed, "Forget it."

"No. Jessica," Peter reached over the console and grasped Jessica's hand softly, "What's going on?"

Jessica squeezed Peter's hand and whispered, "I don't think I'm like you and Cindy."

"No one's like Cindy. And we're all lucky for that," Peter joked.

Jessica smirked and grasped Peter's hand with her other one, holding both tightly, "You two are so good at what you do and you have such specific powers. I think my powers ... I think they're different."

"That's fine. Cindy's powers are a bit different from mine and mine are a bit different from hers."

"But like, different, different," Jessica mumbled, "Sometimes when I'm swinging around with all of you I have this feeling in me and I don't like it. It's like this electric charge that wants to burst from me whenever we work on combat and I just -"

"What kind of charge? Explain it to me as detailed as you can."

Peter had parked outside the front of the Compound now and Jessica was still holding his hand tightly while the two spoke. He cut off the power and turned to face her. 

"Go through every detail you can. Even if it feels stupid or weird, just tell me. Believe me, I've been there. Nothing is too off or strange to talk about, okay?"

"O-OKay," Jessica whispered as her breath rattled a bit, "I feel it in my wrists first and then it travels up my spine. Sometimes when I'm training on my own I'll punch the punching bag and it's like I've shocked it and it just - I don't know. Like electricity."

"Hmm," Peter nodded, "Electric energy ..."

"Is it weird? It seems weird," Jessica bit her lip.

"No. Not at all. In fact, it's exciting," Peter squeezed her hand, "Come on. Let's get out of this car, get some ice cream, and you're staying up way past your bedtime tonight."