Her mouth twitched, a bent-up smile. “No, it’s not going to end in ping-pong balls. It really is okay. I already know you’re laughing inside, so it’s honestly not going to bother me.”
She rocked back a step. “See, I’m an empath. I know what you’re feeling, and I can know what the people around you are feeling.”
Well. That… wasn’t good.
“Well, so long as you don’t also tell me that you can read minds I think we’re good. I wouldn’t be too happy with someone going about in my mind. I have secrets in there.”
“No, I don’t read minds. I’m not interested in your secrets.”
It hurt, a little, the way his emotions went from amusement to not-quite-fear. She hadn’t realised she’d been hoping for acceptance from Tony Stark, of all people. Stupid. The smile got a little more bent, fading from her green eyes.
“The world needs you. That’s all. Better you don’t die.” Unspoken, the word ‘again’ hung off the end of the sentence.