If You Need Me

Ch. 9: Go On Back to Him

"Go on back to him. If you really miss his touch I won't try to stop you. I love you too much. I'll try to act brave and hold my head high. But you better go on back to him. I don't want you to see me cry. Go on back to him. I know he's waiting for you. I won't try to hold you. Tell me what good would it do. I'll just smile, least I'll try. But you better go on back to him. I don't want you to see me cry. Don't stand there sayin' you're sorry. Baby, we've just made a mistake. Now keep your ring." - Solomon Burke

* * *

"You're leaving," Peter said, coming down the stairs of the Sanctum as you stood at the door. 

You bunched up your dress in your arms and nodded, yawning, "Just waiting on Stephen whenever he's ready. He'll take me back."

"To?"

You flushed a bit around your neck and cheeks before mumbling, "Étienne's. Loki is still there, and the police officer we spoke to said to stay where he can find us so -"

"You don't have to explain yourself," Peter said softly, "I'm sure having to come and ask questions of you at the Asgardian Embassy would be a hassle."

"Right," you whispered, slightly and immaturely saddened by the fact that Peter didn't seem too entirely distraught over the fact that you were staying at Étienne's for the night. 

He leaned up against the pillar of the doorway and looked at you while you looked back at him. There was no odd tension, merely slight exhaustion that was coating everything in an out-of-body aura. Peter's skin was flushed from his hot shower, and as he went to cross his arms over his chest, he winced.

"Your arm?" you asked immediately.

"It's stiff," Peter admitted, "I haven't had the time to take it off in a while. If I have a room to myself tonight I'll probably take it off."

You looked around, "No one's here. You could take it off now."

Peter looked slightly uncomfortable and your heart jumped into your throat. What if Peter didn't feel comfortable taking his arm off around you anymore? Was that something he only reserved for his girlfriend? For the person he was in love with?

"Will you help me?" Peter asked guiltily, "It's always so awkwardly when I release it and then have to stumble to catch it before it falls off."

"Of course," you hurriedly agreed and surged forward, dropping your dress into a bunch of the ground without a second thought. You gently placed your one arm around Peter's half robotic bicep and brushed your fingertips over the band, waiting for the digit pad to light up. Peter's arm reacted without him thinking too much and his hand came up to brace your shoulder, softly embracing your arm wrapped around his. You sucked in a breath and your finger shook as Peter's breath seemed to stop as well. Other than the fleeting hug you'd shared upon your arrival at the Sanctum, the two of you hadn't been this physically close in a while. 

"Ready?" you breathed, not daring to look up into Peter's eyes.

"Ready," he whispered back, and you realized his lips were far closer than you'd originally thought. 

You pressed your fingers into the correct pattern of 5474 and the hissing suction noise broke the two of you apart. Peter's arm fell into your grasp and you craddled it as Peter stepped back, breathing a sigh of relief. 

"Thank you," he moaned, closing his eyes and rotating his shoulder now that the weight had been released. "God, so much better."

"Happy to help," you chuckled as Peter looked back to you. You held the arm out and he grasped it, tucking it under his arm with the flick of his wrist and clearing his throat.