"ARE YOU REALLY LEAVING?"

It was 7 AM, and poor Peter was drilling Spencer Banner with questions before she had even reached for the coffee pitcher.

She drew a breath - she hadn't expected him to ask. Or even to care, really. It's not like she did anything besides take up space in the lab and give him picked-at pepperoni.

But he deserved a reply because at least he asked.

Shaking her head, Spencer wrapped her fingers around the handle of a mug from the cabinet and placed it on to counter. "My mom can't fly me out till Tuesday," she explained, pouring the coffee. "So-" she dumped a spoon full of sugar, aggressively. "I'm stuck here a little longer."

With that, she raised her eyebrows, and then her drink, before taking a big sip.

Peter was not content with the answer. He looked like it genuinely discomforted him, or something and Spencer started to wonder where Tony was.

Come get your kid, she thought before scolding herself to be nice.

"Dr.Banner feels real bad," Peter said unexpectantly, picking at the frays of his zip-up sweater. His eyes flickered all around Spencer but didn't dare to meet hers. "I mean, he won't tell me what he did, but I heard him talking to Natasha-"

Spencer furrowed her eyebrows, interrupting, "Wait, you heard him talking?"

Peter stopped, like he'd been caught, or something. His eyes locked with Spencer as he nodded, and then, in a slightly pitchy voice, rushed to explain, "Yeah, uh, it's um, the hearing thing is apart of the Spider thing-"

"Oh, okay-"

"And he said he really felt back and like he ruined everything."

Spencer sat on that for a moment. Maybe Bruce really did feel bad. Maybe he honestly felt terrible about what happened.

But he never said it to her. He didn't even try.

So Spencer just shook her head. "Peter, I'm sure you have much more important things to worry about. Me and my dad - this was bound to happen," she promised him, not sure why this mattered so much to him. "Just focus on what Mr.Stark had you working on, alright?"

Peter hesitated, then nodded, going back to his bowl o cereal.

There was a moment of peace before Spencer heard his voice.

"Ahh," Pietro called, and both brunettes' looked over to where he and had entered the kitchen. He clutched his hand to his heart, as he dramatized, "Oh, what a lovely morning -"

"Pietro, be nice," Wanda scolded, smiling to both of the other occupants. "Hello, Peter. Spencer."

Spencer completely ignored Pietro's fraternizing glare and gave Wanda a small wave. "Want coffee?" she offered.

Wanda slipped into the seat beside Peter and nodded. "Yes, if you don't mind."

"What about me?" Pietro demanded, and both Spencer and Wanda pulled the same agitated face.

Wanda looked to Pietro. "Maybe if you were a complete annoyance to Spencer, she'd offer."

Pietro rolled his eyes. Spencer smiled to herself as she placed Wanda's cup in front of her.

Spencer picked at her bowl of carrots - which, conveniently, was one of the only vegetarian-friendly things Tony had in his friend besides BBQ sauce and butter.

Making his way to the fridge, Pietro peered down at Spencer's bowl. He scoffed.

Annoyed, Spencer turned back to look at him.

"You're like a little bunny, you know? Munch, munch," he grabbed some leftover spaghetti and meatballs, reaching right to Spencer's left as he pulled open a drawer, and grabbed a spoon. With a smirk, he added, "Hop hop."

"Hop?" Wanda echoed, turning her head to her brother.

Spencer just gave Wanda an exasperated look, before facing Pietro, and saying, "it's not a hop, it's a run. and it's called a balanced diet - " she eyed his breakfast, and with a passive-aggressive smile, added, "you should try it."

Pietro just laughed, scrunching his nose.

He didn't move to sit down though - no. He had to stand right at Spencer's side.

Wanda stifled a smile.

Spencer gave him a look of irritation.

Pietro peered down at her from where he stood. He had a goofy smile on his face as he remarked, "You know, I can't believe I thought you ever had a secret. You are like an open book."

Spencer resisted rolling her eyes again, and instead, reached for her cup of coffee.But it was missing from the counter.

She looked back up to Pietro. He was drinking from her coffee and then winked.

Wanda was speaking to Peter. "Don't you have practice today? With Steve?"

"No, um, Mr.Stark said I had to stay here and try to get Sp-"

He cut himself off, his eyes widening.

Spencer leaned forward on the counter, her mouth forming an "O" as she stared at the younger boy.

He was bright red.

"Stay here and do what?" she asked, and Peter tried to shrug inconspicuously.

Wanda stared down at the younger boy for a moment and then met eyes with Spencer.

"What?" Spencer demanded, creases forming at her forehead.

Something clicked with Pietro, because he just laughed, and lowered his head to whisper, "Good luck," to Spencer.

Then he was gone, and Spencer was anxiously staring at Wanda for some kind of explanation.

"Go," she told her. "If you don't want to talk to him."

She was referring to Bruce.

Spencer blinked down at Peter, and opened her mouth to say something, but screwed her eyes shut and shook her head.

She was halfway out of the room by the time Peter exclaimed, "I'm sorry!"

✰✰✰

"YOUR DAD SOUNDS LIKE A JERK."

"I know."

There was a moment of silence.

Spencer missed April - her best friend since sixth grade. She could practically see the blonde lounging in her bean bag chair, eating a twizzler, and playing part in Spencer's entire summer switch off with the Avengers and her mom.

"So you're coming home?" April asked. "Your mom said you were."

"You're talking to my mom?" Spencer asked, not annoyed, just concerned. Because things had happened before. There was a crackle over the line. Spencer shifted on her bed. "April, did something happen?"

"Just another fight."

Spencer should have known. She should have never left Kansas. Just another bullet on the "things Spencer Banner is stupid for" list.

"Did they kick you out again?" she pressed, sitting up straighter in the bed. She raked her hand through her hair as she called, "April."

"It's fine, I just - I'm staying with your mom. Just for a couple days."

"April - you didn't say anything," Spencer nearly yelled, but then closed her eyes as she tried to regain her calm. Freaking out would only make things worse for April. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, it's fine. Your mom and I didn't want you to freak out - I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"I wish you'd said something earlier!" Spencer exclaimed. "I wouldn't have been talking about my-"

"Everything's fine.Don't worry. Your mom said I can stay as long as I need -"

There was a knock at the door that made Spencer jump.

Then Bruce's voice, "Spence? Spencer. Just open the door. Please."

She took a breath. It'd been the first time in days since he'd attempted to see her. For a second, her eyes softed.

But then she brought the phone up to her ear, and said loudly, and calmly, "I'm on the first flight back. I promise."

✰✰✰

journal entry #8

things fall apart, and nothing waits its turn for the right moment. it's all at once, or it's nothing at all.