If You Need Me

Ch. 2: This Little Ring

"This little ring may be silver or brass. If it comes from your heart your love has got to last. It may not gleam like rubies, well, it may not glow like gold. But it will shine just like diamonds, diamonds, if it comes from your soul. Mm, they said I'd lear you. They said our love couldn't last. But oh how do they know. Darlin' you're on my mind, all the time. Don't you know that I love you so." - Solomon Burke

* * *

"Can't you give me, like, a hint?" you asked, shoving more cereal in your mouth as Lazlo worked on his homework at the kitchen counter.

"I'm trying to get my work done," he narrowed his eyes at you, "You know, so I can get to work later tonight and actually save lives? And you're trying to distract me by asking questions about a boy who may or may not exist. Are you trying to keep me from saving lives?"

You scoffed, "There's no need to be dramatic. And there's no reason you couldn't tell me! It's not like I'm going to stalk him or something. If he's important to you, then he's important to me and I just want to know who he is and if he's good enough for you."

Lazlo snorted, "Nice try sis, but that's not gonna fly. I can't give away top secret information just because I want to gossip about a boy I'm treating."

"So there is a boy you're treating that you like?" you giggled, "What's his name?"

Lazlo glared at you, "Shouldn't you be used to having information that's top secret kept from you? You're literally dating an Avenger. I bet Peter has missions he can't talk about all the time."

You rolled your eyes, "Actually, he tells me everything."

"Everything?"

"Yeah. I ask when he comes back and he always tells me. It's therapeutic, I think, for him to talk about it. And it's not like there's anyone I'm going to tell."

Lazlo looked stunned as he sat up a bit straighter and fixed you with a look, "You're serious?"

"Yes?"

You felt your body growing hot from slight embarrassment as you wondered if you'd done something wrong by telling Lazlo that Peter didn't keep things from you. You'd always figured that was common understanding amongst everyone that you told your significant other what was going on in their life. And yet Lazlo looked offended and a bit unsure of your answer.

"That's insane," he finally shook his head, "I was sure Peter locked up all his secrets far away from you."

"He has no reason to. It's not like I'm going to judge him or anything. It's his job and just like everyone else who goes off to work for the day, he comes home and tells me about his day. I do the same with my work day."

"Yes, but Peter isn't working with charities out in the open for everyone to see and sitting in cafés. What if he tells you something that could be considered dangerous? And how are you so sure he's not keeping something from you just because he tells you about a few things?"

Thandie burst out of her room and threw her shoe at Lazlo.

"What are you trying to do?" she screeched, "Peter's already on thin ice! He hasn't talked to Y/N for two days since Cindy's return and she's already stressed about it. What are you trying to do now? Imply that Peter keeps shit from her?"

She walked up and whacked Lazlo with her other shoe, causing him to yelp and grasp for it, pulling it from her hands.

"Since when do you even like Peter anyway?" he asked, "You were always throwing shit at him and saying he wasn't good enough for Y/N. So what if he goes back to his dead girlfriend?"