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I stand in my bathroom at the Avengers tower, poking my belly in disgust. I have been having really bad body image lately, and Peter has been concerned about how little I’m eating.
He walks into my bathroom, startling me. I pull my shirt down.
“Hey, Pete,” I say weakly.
“Lucy… What’s going on?” He says, brow furrowed.
“Nothing. Long week.”
He grabs my hands in his. “Lucille. Talk to me.”
I sigh. “I’m just tired, Peter.”
“Okay. I came up here to tell you that Mr. Stark needs your help with something.”
“What is it?”
He shrugs. “He didn’t tell me. But it’s in lab 42.”
I nod and walk down there after Peter leaves. Tony greets me.
“Hey, kiddo.”
I look around. “Tony, why is this lab empty?”
He sighs. “Look, kid, this isn’t about the lab. I need to talk to you about two things. One: you need some help. You’re depressed again. Two: I want to make you an Avenger, if you want.”
“One: I’ll think about it. Two: Sure.”
“One: I wasn’t asking. Two: Awesome.”
I sigh. “Tony. I don’t want to go to therapy, I’m fine.”
“You don’t eat.”
“I can live on one meal for weeks, Tony. Powers, remember?”
“Sure, but you shouldn’t.”
I clench my jaw. “Tony, I’m fine.”
“Peter says you aren’t.”
“Damn him,” I mutter. “Look, Tony, I could just go home. You don’t want that, right?”
He flinches. “No. No, I don’t. We don’t.”
“Then leave me be.”
“Kid, I can’t. We love you too much to let you suffer, even if that means you never talk to us again.”
My eyes fill with tears that I blink away. “Fine. I’ll do the stupid therapy. But when I’m better, I’m done with it. Deal?”
“Okay, kid.”
He hugs me, and I hug him back.
Peter walks in. “Okay, I eavesdropped, but Lucy? Can I get you some food? I don’t remember the last time I saw you eat a full meal,” He says, sounding scared.
I sigh. “Fine.”
He takes me to a pizza place, with Tony’s money, and buys me a pizza. Sausage, like I asked.
“Why sausage?” He asks, pushing the pizza towards me.
“I’m just craving it, I guess. I usually just go for cheese.”
I don’t touch the pizza. “Lucy, eat,” Peter says warningly, and I pick up a slice. I eat and push the box towards him. He picks up a slice and eats, too. We sit in silence as we both grab a second slice. He eventually goes for a third, and then we pack up to walk back the block to the Avengers tower.
“You okay, Lucy?” Peter asks.
“Yeah, I guess. I just… Peter, I struggle with food sometimes.”
“I know.”
“How? I never told you.”
“I can tell.”
“Yeah, that makes sense. You’re perceptive like that.”
I get up on my tiptoes and kiss him. I’m tall, but he’s taller, so I have to reach to kiss him. He wraps his open arm around me and kisses me back.
We walk back to the tower and part ways for the night.