IVORY | PETER PARKER!

iv. mathematicians and negative nancies

Pietro steps into the joint bathroom he shares with his twin and stares at the mirror in front of him. It's foggy, stained from the shower Wanda took just minutes ago. He tugs on his sleeve, pushing it past his hands to create a paw, and wipes the mirror so he can see his reflection clearly. The bags under his eyes have disappeared, his shoulders were broader, and muscles more defined. He felt healthier. Happier. Sometimes he feels guilty, as if he shouldn't have been given the chance to get better. Afterall, it was his fault that Wanda and him became like this in the first place. He convinced her to join Strucker. It was his fault the country he had wanted to save burned to the ground. Pietro shook his head. He shouldn't feel like this, not when there were more important things to focus on, such as the boy, Bo.

As much as he tried, Pietro could not relate to the boy. He did not see himself in Bo. He felt that maybe if he could find something in common, comfort him and share his advice, he wouldn't be so afraid anymore. Pietro could feel the fear radiating off of Bo, and even though the other Avengers were to blame for that, himself even, the boy was scared before he stepped into the building. Maybe that was it. Constant fear, something the two shared in common. Pietro had been afraid his whole life. He grew up with normalized bombings and death in his country, how could he not be? Pietro decided he would find the time to talk to Bo.

"Admiring yourself again? You know, you aren't getting any more handsome." Wanda smirked, slipping into the bathroom. She nudged him to the side and grabbed her toothbrush, preparing to brush her teeth.

"So, you admit that I'm handsome?" He nudged her back before following in his sister's steps and began to brush his teeth.

"Don't get used to it." She mumbled around the brush, suds of toothpaste filling her mouth. She spit and rinsed her mouth, drying it with a towel, before slipping out of the door to her room. Pietro rushed to finish brushing his teeth, hurrying after his sister into her room.

"Before you go to sleep, I need to ask you something." Wanda plopped onto her bed and patted the spot next to her.

"You can ask me anything, Pietro." She smiled softly.

Pietro sat heavily beside his sister, tapping his fingers against his knees, "What do you think of Bo?" Wanda froze. The sweet smile dropped from her face, a frown forming in its place. It was then that Pietro realized his sister did not share the same thoughts as him regarding the younger boy.

"Why are you asking about him?" Wanda questioned and scooted against the headboard to make distance between her and her twin, something she always did when she knew she was caught. For someone that could read minds, his sister was not a good liar. He looked down at his fingers which still tapped to a nonexistent beat.

"Earlier, Vision offered the idea to let you into Bo's mind. You didn't say anything about it," Pietro looked up into Wanda's eyes. "You didn't protest."

It was quiet. Wanda did not break eye contact with Pietro, though he saw how tense she was. Pietro hated making her feel this way. But, he wanted to know if his thoughts were true.

"You weren't actually considering using your powers on him, right? You know what that could do to him, a 16-year-old boy. We weren't far from his age when we gained our powers, when we learned how caged animals felt. Wanda, how could you?"

Pietro's heart was beating fast, faster than it usually was. His fingers sped up, tapping inhumanly fast. He didn't like it. He didn't like being fast all the time, he wanted to slow down. He wanted to be okay. Pietro lied earlier. He did see himself in Bo. They were both self conscious of their powers. He overheard Sam talking with Steve after the meeting about how Bo didn't want to tell the man about his powers. About how Bo hid it from Sam and how happy he was when he heard there were others in the world like him. They were both ashamed of themselves. If Pietro was going to keep these stupid powers, he was going to use them for good and he believed Wanda should too.