"You shouldn't," Pepper agreed, sounding both chastising and amused. Helping him sit again, she winced at the pain in his face. "Why don't you not try that again for awhile, okay? You're going to be fine, just... don't push it. You don't want to make it worse."
Pepper smiled. "It is. I thought you might like some comfort food?" To be honest, she felt a little guilty. It was her fault he had stayed in the mall long enough to get hurt. If she hadn't asked him to, he would have safely been out of there.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "It was selfish of me to ask you to stay. I was protected and you weren't, and I should have... I should have thought more about your safety instead of my own insecurities."