There are some days when everything seems good. Today was one such good day for Tony. It was a bright, sunny day. He had no meetings and would spend the whole day with Peter, who also had a day off at school. Tony was waiting outside Peter's apartment with his car. After 5 minutes Peter came rushing out. "I have been waiting for the past five minutes," said Tony. "Uh, I just, you know, got involved in something," said Peter, sitting inside the red Audi. "In what... is the house still alright..." said Tony. Peter laughed nervously. "Umm, I may or may not have broken the cupboard handle," said Peter sheepishly. Tony sighed. "That's why I insist you live in the tower, or one day you will blow up the whole house," said Tony. Peter chuckled. "Well, it's better my house than your house," said Peter. Tony frowned but didn't comment on this. "So what are we doing today?" asked Peter excitedly. "You just wait," said Tony with a smug look. "Mr. Stark, um, can we watch a movie tonight? Today I have taken a day off from work," said Peter hopefully. "Sure, today's your day," said Tony fondly. Peter worked at a coffee shop despite Tony's protests. Peter didn't want to be a bother to Tony. Tony turned on the music, and Linkin Park started playing. "So how's school going?" asked Tony. "As usual, A in every subject," said Peter, a slight brag in his tone, which was a lot like Tony. "Good kid, and how's everything going with Ted?" Peter rolled his eyes. "Everything is going great with Ned, Mr. Stark. You know, yesterday we completed building the Death Star," said Peter childishly. Tony looked at him fondly. "Great," said Tony.
Tony stopped his car in front of a tree. Peter looked around excitedly. "Where are we, Mr. Stark?" asked Peter. "Patience, young man, now come out," said Tony with a fond smirk. Peter came out of the car and looked around. "Come, Spidey," said Tony, gesturing Peter to follow him. Peter ran to Tony's side and clung to his left arm. Tony smiled fondly. This gesture was something very innocent and simple but was still doing weird things to Tony's heart. He coughed to get rid of those emotions. Sometimes he forgets that Peter is still a kid living alone and being Spiderman. It was like they were two different people. Spider-Man was confident and kept people safe, but Peter Parker was just an innocent child who seeks safety. "Wow, Mr. Stark, it's so beautiful," said Peter, looking at the flower garden. "Do you like this place?" asked Tony, smiling at Peter, who was literally jumping from excitement. "Yes, yes, yes, Mr. Stark, it's so beautiful," said Peter. "Good, because this is yours now," said Tony. Peter blinked in surprise. "This is what," asked Peter. "I thought you had the super hearing. I said this is yours; you own this place. Name it whatever: spider garden or something," joked Tony. Peter gasped and looked at Tony as if he was seeing him for the first time. "So you are saying that, oh my god, I mean, it's not like I don't like it, but you know, it's just too much, I mean..." Tony scoffed. He had obviously expected this. "Shut it, kid. It's just a small gift. You know it's not a big deal," said Tony. Peter gave him a strange look. "A small gift... this is literally a garden with a lake. Oh my... I just... you didn't have to do this, Mr. Stark," said Peter with a defeated sigh. He knew for Tony it was not a big deal, but for him it was. "I know, but I wanted to... you helped me so much on that project, and you help me a lot, and I remember you were telling me that you liked flowers," said Tony. Peter chuckled weakly. "You are so extra, Mr. Stark; I just said I liked flowers, and you gifted me a whole flower garden," said Peter. He felt so loved at the moment. His eyes were glassy with tears. He was overwhelmed by emotions. Tony smiled at Peter. This was just a flower garden he would literally give his life for, Peter. "Yeah, well, you are my favourite spider after all," said ony. Before Tony could say something else, Peter launched himself on him. He stumbled backwards from the sudden force but regained balance. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you so, so, so much," said Peter. Tony chuckled. "I got it when you said it once, kid. Now don't you want to go near the lake?" said Tony. Peter separated away from him and nodded excitedly.
They were sitting by the lake with their legs under water. The wind was blowing at a peaceful pace. "This is so beautiful, Mr. Stark; I love this place," said Peter for the hundredth time. "Glad you liked it. You can come here whenever you want; this place is safe," said Tony. Peter nodded happily. He was splashing water by swinging his legs. Tony smiled at this; he couldn't help thinking that Peter was looking so cute while doing this stupid thing. "Hey, Mr. Stark, let's make this our spot, you know, like our place, a memento," said Peter. This kid. "Yeah, whatever," said Tony, but he was smiling. "It would be so cool; you could come here whenever you miss me; it would be like a movie," said Peter. "But why will I miss you, kid?" said Tony. Peter laughed nervously. "Uhh, never mind, just kidding," said Peter. Peter took something out of his pocket. "Uhh, well, I also had brought something for you. I know it is stupid, but I..." Tony cut off his rambling. "It's ok. What is it?" said Tony curiously. It was a bracelet. It was beautiful, and a heart-shaped stone was in the middle of it. Tony just stared at it. "Uhh, I know it's stupid. It's okay if"Tony rolled his eyes. "it's not stupid if it's from you," said Tony. Peter smiled. Peter helped Tony to wear it. Tony smiled to himself. This act was so innocent and childish but was still doing weird things to his heart. If anyone else had told him to wear a bracelet, he would have laughed at them, but this was Peter. He would have given him a dried leaf, and Tony would have still been happy. "Uhh, so this is for always helping me and being there for me," said Peter shyly. "Thank you, kid," said Tony. This means the whole world to me. Tony noticed a similar bracelet on Peter's wrist. "You also have one," said Tony. Peter grinned but was blushing at the same time."Matching bracelets, Mr. Stark. It was a pair, so I thought it would be so cool to have similar bracelets," said Peter excitedly. Tony chuckled. "Yeah, kid, very cool," said Tony. They sat in silence. So this was just a gift exchange session between a mentor and a mentee; nothing much, they both thought at the same time. "Can we please go for ice cream now?" said Peter with his puppy dog eyes. Tony chuckled. "Sure, after you, kid," said Tony.
"I had so much fun today, Mr. Stark. Thank you so much," said Peter. Tony ruffled his hair. "Me too, kid. Why don't you stay at the tower tonight? You can go back tomorrow," suggested Tony. Peter thought for a moment before agreeing. Suddenly Peter's senses went haywire. He looked around for any sign of danger. Tony noticed this. "What's wrong, kid? You seem..." Before he could complete his sentence, the street lamps started flickering and started breaking one by one. Soon all the lights went out, and the only light was from the car's headlight. "What the hell just happened?" said Tony. Peter braced his webshooters and looked around cautiously. The car stopped on its own. Peter and Tony exchanged a look and then stepped out of the car. Tony kept a firm hold on Peter's hand. "Something is wrong; I can sense it," said Peter. Suddenly blue colour flames appeared in the place of lamp bulbs. Peter gasped and moved closer to Tony. "It's okay, kid. I'm here," said Tony, activating his gauntlet. "Okay, so whoever the hell is there, you better come out. I'm not in a mood to play hide and seek," said Tony. Then out of nowhere a black-hooded man appeared in front of them. Peter chuckled. "Are you a Death Eater?" joked Peter. Tony gasped because he knew exactly who this man was. He was shadowing his enemy. The one whom he had defeated in the Chitauri attack. He had magical powers, and he managed to defeat him with Doctor Strange's help. "Long time no see, Stark," said Shadow. Peter looked at Tony in confusion. "Can't say it's a pleasure to meet you, so what are you doing here?" sneered Tony. Shadow laughed. "Well, for sweet revenge, you destroyed me and trapped me in that void with Strange's help, but now I'm back, as you can see, with more powers. I'm so much more powerful that even Strange can't defeat me," said Shadow. "A boring, antagonistic monologue," said Tony. Peter understood the situation. "Is that your kid, Stark?" said Shadow, looking at Peter for the first time. "No, he is just my intern," said Tony. Peter didn't know why, but those words kind of hurt. "Oh really? Because I don't think so," said Shadow. "I don't care what you think, and you are here for me, so leave him out of this," hissed Tony. Shadow chuckled. Tony fired his repulsor at him, which he dodged easily. "You are really underestimating me, Stark," said Shadow. Peter joined Tony and shot his webs at him. Tony and Peter teamed up. Peter managed to web-shoot, and Tony fired his repulsor at him. They high-five each other. Shadow shouted angrily. "Now enough of this," said Shadow, breaking free from the webs. "You destroyed me, and I will do the same... so if he is just your intern, then you won't mind me taking him away from you," said Shadow. Tony froze. "Of course I will mind; he is very helpful, you know," said Tony. "I can just kill you both stark, but what's the fun in that when I can just kill you internally?" said Shadow in a sadistic voice. "Don't you dare touch him," said Tony. "Then I can do the opposite and take you away from him," said Shadow. Peter gasped. Before Tony could say something, Peter shouted, "No, no, no, I will not let you take him anywhere away from me," said Peter fiercely. "Kid..." Tony said, even though he didn't know what he was supposed to say. Peter looked at him earnestly. "No, Mr. Stark, I'm not that strong. I need you, and we are not leaving each other," said Peter, holding Tony's hand. Tony nodded slightly. He knew they cannot defeat Shadow. "What an emotional scene, and you are saying that he is just your intern," said Shadow, smirking at them. "Just tell us what you want," said Peter, but his hands were shaking slightly in Tony's hold. Tony tightened his hold. "I already told you to destroy Stark's life; now it's time for you to say goodbye to your kid, Stark. You will never see him again," said Shadow. Tony sucked in a harsh breath. No, no, he wasn't ready for this, not now, not ever. "No, please don't do this, please don't," said Tony. Damn pride... What will he do with his pride when he is about to lose his kid? Shadow chuckled and was about to aim a curse at Peter. "Mr. Stark, please look at me, Mr. S... Dad, look at me," shouted Peter. In any other situation, Tony would have frozen or reacted to Peter calling him Dad, but now he was about to lose him. "Please don't do this. He is just a kid. You don't need to do this," said Tony, still not looking at Peter, who was crying silently. "I need to, and I am not doing much. You will just have to live in a world without your intern; it can't be that hard," said Shadow, emphasising the word intern. Tony shook his head. No, he can't live in a world without Peter because Peter was his world. "Time's up," said Shadow and fired the curse. A red jinx of light hit Peter directly at his heart. Tony gasped and turned around just in time to see the light hitting his kid. How he stumbled back from the force and started falling backwards. "Noo, Peter!" cried Tony as he held Peter before he could hit the ground. Tony also fell down on his knees with Peter in his arms. "No, no, no, I can't... I... no," muttered Tony. He knew that he was not making any sense, but how could he when his kid was fading away in his arms? Peter was fading away slowly. Tears were flowing down Peter's cheek, which Tony wiped gently. "I'm sorry... just take care of yourself and don't miss me too much," said Peter, holding Tony's hands. "No, no, please, this can't be happening. I can't lose you, kid," said Tony, but there were yet no tears in his eyes because Stark men never cried no matter what. Peter smiled slightly. "Don't do anything stupid. I will miss you. Thank you for everything, and..." Peter was vanishing into nowhere. Tony could feel that his body was now weightless; he could no longer feel the touch of his hands or the scent of his brown curls. Tears began forming in his eyes. "And I love you, Dad," said Peter as he faded away. Tony tried to hold him, but he couldn't; Peter was gone, and his kid was gone. A tear fell from his eyes, then another, and then he started crying. This was the first time in forever that he cried. "I love you too, kid. I love you so much," cried Tony. Oh god, he never told Peter that he loved him. He never told him that he loved him like his own son. Yeah, he did, but now he will never be able to tell him this. "Please bring him back. Please, I need him. I can't... please," cried Tony. Shadow just laughed. "Goodbye, Stark. Enjoy the rest of your life," said Shadow before going. Tony continued crying. "Please come back, kid. I can't do this without you. Come back to me," shouted Tony. But he knew that this was hopeless. Peter will never come back. He is gone. He stood up and entered his car. He stared at the other seat where his kid used to sit and ramble about stupid things. He swallowed back a sob. Maybe this was all just a dream; maybe Peter was at the tower waiting for him. Tony knew he was going mad that he was not thinking logically, but what else was he supposed to do?
He reached the tower and rushed to the lab. "Peter, kid... where are you, kid?" shouted Tony. "Boss, you seem in distress; your heartbeat is elevated," said Friday concerningly. Tony ignored her and searched the whole tower. He fell down on the lab floor. He closed his eyes. Please let this all be just a nightmare that Peter will be standing in front of him looking at him with those chocolate brown eyes and smiling at him just when Tony will open his eyes. But this didn't happen. "Friday, where is Peter?" asked Tony. "There are no records of Peter Boss," said Friday. Tony blinked in confusion. He checked all the records himself, and there was really no record of Peter, as if he never existed. No one will remember him except Tony. This was all real. He will have to live in a world without Peter, without his kid. He broke into a sob. He can't do this; he can't live without his kid.
Tony woke up in the morning to see he was on the couch. He didn't remember sleeping or coming to the couch. Hope kindled in his heart. Maybe all that was really a dream. He jumped out from the couch and rushed towards Peter's room. "Peter, kid..." he shouted as he went towards the room. He opened the door only to find it was a storeroom. He felt like he was crushed. "Boss, are you okay? You seem to be hallucinating. You were muttering Peter's name for the whole night. Should I call a doctor?" asked Friday. "No, no, I'm fine," said Tony. No, I'm far from fine. He got a call from Pepper about some very urgent meeting.
"Are you okay, boss? You seem quite lost," asked Happy when Tony came back after checking Peter's apartment. It was empty. There was no trace that Peter ever lived there. Everything that was related to Peter vanished, even the Spiderman suit. "Yeah, I'm fine," said Tony, sitting back inside the car. Happy looked at him with concern but didn't say anything. Maybe he could do this; he can also just forget about Peter, forget that he ever existed. Tony's attention was drawn by the bracelet on his wrist. He gasped. Peter gave him this in that garden. Tears blurred his vision. No, he can't forget Peter; he could never, no matter how hard he tried. "Is that a bracelet, boss, and that too with a heart?" said Happy jokingly. Tony blinked back the tears. "Yeah, someone gave it to me, and I kinda liked it," said Tony. "Great," said Happy. Tony hadn't noticed this. He squinted at the bracelet. There were words carved there. #1 Dad was on the front side. He smiled slightly. He looked at the backside to see something else was written. Always with you until the end. Tony just stared at those words for a moment. God, this kid, even when he was not here, he was doing weird things to his heart. Peter would have clearly not expected Tony to read those words. His heart clenched.
It had been one week. Everything was still the same except the fact that Peter was not there. Tony missed him every moment. He missed the way Peter rambled about movies and looked at him with his puppy dog eyes for ice cream.
Tony was standing in the flower garden. The day was not sunny like that day, and the wind was blowing violently, perfectly matching his emotions. Tony sat by the lake looking at his reflection. His eyes were red from lack of sleep and crying. He had not smiled once. Everywhere he saw memories of Peter. Tears fell down Tony's eyes. "This is not fair, kid. You can't do this to me. I can't do this anymore. I'm tired of living in a world without you. I miss you," cried Tony, burying his face in his hands. A sudden thought came to his mind. What was the point of living anymore? What was the point of suffering like this when he could simply end this all?
He was standing on the ledge of his tower. Just one step and everything will end. Wind whipped his face. Please don't do anything stupid, Mr. Stark. Well, he was going to, and this didn't seem stupid to him. He was about to step forward, but he felt something stopping him. I wouldn't have wanted you to do this, Dad. He stepped back on the roof. What was he going to do? He was the only person who remembered Peter. He stared at the bracelet. The ruby heart reflecting light. Then he realised something. Everything related to Peter vanished, so why was this bracelet still here? Maybe there's still a chance to bring him back. Tony found a reason to live. Peter. He will live for peter. Maybe he could still bring him back. He has to try; he can't just give up. There was a reason the bracelet didn't vanish. Hope rekindled in his heart.
Mr. Stark, look at me. Mr. Stark, please look at me. Mr. St... Dad, look at me.
Tony woke up with a start. He had heard Peter's voice in his dream.
"So you want me to bring him back," said Strange. Tony nodded. "It's not that easy, and for that we have to defeat Shadow," said Strange. "Yeah, so what are you here for? You have to help me," said Tony. Strange looked at him. "Well, I will help you, of course, but who is this kid to you anyway?" said Strange, though he knew the answer very well. "He is my kid, and I need to bring him back," said Tony without a doubt. Strange smiled at him.
"I found out about that curse, and I know how to break it, and when Shadow finds out that we broke his curse, he will come back, but that's not our concern for now. The..." Stephen was interrupted by Tony. "Just tell me how to break that curse," said Tony impatiently. Stephen sighed. "Well, the curse trapped his soul in another dimension, and to bring him back, you have to give your soul," said Stephen sadly. Tony gasped. Now this was complicated. Even if he brought Peter back, they would still be away from each other. This was so unfair. No, I can't lose you, Mr. Stark. I need you; I'm not that strong. Tony sat down with his head in his hand. He was perplexed. Well, Peter can live without him, right? He will soon forget about me... Yeah, like I did, he thought sarcastically. Peter will forever carry the guilt even though none of this is his fault. But he needed to see his kid. There was not a single picture of him. He missed those brown curls and those chocolate brown eyes that used to disarm Tony... his cute, innocent smile. They were supposed to watch a movie that night, but. Stephen looked at him sympathetically. "Why..." snapped Tony. Stephen looked at him with confusion. "Why this... this is unfair. Can't we just have a normal, happy life? Can't we just be together? There must be another way," said Tony earnestly. Strange sighed."I wish there was. I have seen all the realities, and in every reality there is a constant," said Strange. Tony looked up at him by the sudden change of topic. " A constant..." repeated Tony thoughtfully. "Yes, a constant in every reality, you meet Peter and have that bracelet," said Stephen. Tony looked at his bracelet. So this bracelet was one of the constant things; that's why it didn't vanish. "But in every reality, you two get separated; there will never be a happy ending for your story," said Strange regretfully. What the hell, but why... why can't there be any happy ending for them? "But it's not possible. There must be at least one reality in which..." Tony was confused. This was all too complicated and was definitely not his area. These types of things happen in movies, not in real life. "Do you want to see the other realities so you can believe it yourself?" offered Stephen. Tony was perplexed. Did he really want to see them? No. But will he? Yes, because he was curious. So he nodded. Strange snapped his fingers.
Tony was standing in front of himself. The other him was signing autographs. Something he will do. It was like he couldn't get seen or heard in this place. His attention was drawn by a kid who was around 8 years old, and Tony will recognise that kid anywhere. The same brown eyes looking straight through him. He was in his Ironman t-shirt. Tony smiled for the first time in so many days. He whispered his name. Peter walked past him towards his other self. "Mr. Stark, can I get your autograph? I'm your biggest fan," said Peter with the same starstruck look in his eyes. The other Tony smiled and knelt down to Peter's level. "Of course, my youngest fan, so what is your name?" said the other Tony, signing the book. "Peter, you are really my favourite... I have a gift for you," said Peter, giving a bracelet to his other self. Tony looked at the bracelet. My hero was written in front of it. But the words on the backside were the same. But the bracelet was constant. Then Tony realised something: actually, the bracelet only had words on the back of it. It was Peter who carved the words on the front. He smiled at the words carved on his bracelet: #1 Dad. He smiled as he saw his other self wearing the bracelet. "Thank you, kid," said Tony, standing straight. Peter beamed at this. Then there were voices of people running and screaming. Then realisation hit Tony. It was the stark expo day. His other self called for his suit. Peter ran back towards maybe his family. But his path was blocked as one of the buildings collapsed. "Ben may..." shouted Peter. Tony's heart clenched for his kid. Peter was crying and was scared. Tony's heart stopped when he saw one of the hammer robots standing in front of Peter. What the fuck his other self was doing. Peter wiped his eyes, fiercely glaring at the robot. He dodged the shots, and then in one swift movement he threw a big wooden block at the robot. Tony was impressed. Even without Spider-Man, Peter is still a heroic and brave person. But Peter's bracelet broke while fighting the robot. Tony gasped. This can't be good. This was a constant. Peter picked up the pieces.Peter, honey..." he heard a woman screaming. Peter turned in the direction from where the voice was coming. "May, may!" shouted Peter, running towards the voice. Tony watched in horror as one of the robots shot May right in front of Peter. "Nooo..." shouted Peter, falling on his knees. Peter started crying. "No, maybe no, please, I'm sorry, please wake up," cried Peter. Tony saw his other self falling on the ground next to Peter. Peter rushed towards him. "Are you okay, Mr. Stark?" asked Peter. Tony felt déjà vu. This scene was familiar. "What are you still doing here, kid? You have to get out," said Tony, frantically trying to free his hands from the concrete above him. A robot was about to shoot at them, but Peter raised Tony's gauntlet and fired the robot. "Nice work, kid," said his other self, standing back to his feet. Peter smiled slightly. And then Tony reached it. This really had happened. The brave kid who defeated a robot. Was that kid Peter? Tony's attention was drawn by a robot who was standing behind Peter, aiming straight at him. "No, no, kid, look back," shouted Tony, even though he knew that they could not hear him. Tony watched helplessly as the robot shot Peter. Peter fell on the ground. "No, kid, kid, no, please stay awake. You will be alright; just hang on," the other Tony shouted, and Tony could feel the desperation in the voice. Even though it was just another timeline, this still hurt so much that he couldn't refrain from his tears. Peter smiled slightly. His eyes were drooping. "No, no, no, Peter, please, I'm sorry, it's my fault; just stay awake," shouted other Tony. "It's not your fault. I'm sorry. You are still my favourite." Saying this, Peter closed his eyes. "No, you can't die on me like this, Peter." The shouts became fainter and fainter as Tony was in a different place. "That scene really happened at one point, except the fact that Peter didn't die," said Tony. He was still surprised that the kid was Peter. His aunt and uncle died in the stark expo, but Peter never told him about this. "I know it was meant to happen, but somehow it didn't, and you evaded that reality," said Strange. He looked around to find that he was inside his lab. "So do you really have to go, Dad?" said a voice that Tony recognised immediately. He turned around to see Peter was standing there talking to the other him, who was working on something. Peter was about 13; he still had those brown curls, and his eyes were just like him. And he was calling him dad. "I'm afraid I have to, but I will be back before you know it," said the other Tony. Tony looked at the calendar to see it was 2013. What had happened that year? Peter didn't answer. The other Tony sighed and turned towards Peter. "In this reality he really is your son, Tony," came Strange's voice. Tony blinked in surprise. The other Tony cupped Peter's face in his hands. Peter looked up with glassy eyes. "I'm scared, Dad. What if you... it's dangerous, and I don't want anything to happen to you," said Peter, trying to control his tears. The other Tony wiped away the tears. "Look at me, Petie Pie," said the other Tony gently. Tony smiled at the nickname he was going to call Peter by the name when he would be back. Then he remembered that they were never meant to be together. He tried not to think about that, or he will have another breakdown. "I will be alright, so no more sad faces," said the other Tony. Peter nodded slightly. "I have something for you, Dad," said Peter, taking out the bracelet. Tony found this very fascinating, that such a simple thing like a bracelet can be of so much significance. "It's beautiful. You also have a similar one," said the other Tony, looking at the bracelet on his wrist. "Yeah, we have matching bracelets," said Peter with a smile. Tony's heart clenched. Peter had said those exact words. "Cool, now come on, give me a hug," said the other Tony, stretching his arms. Peter threw himself into the hug. "I love you, Dad. I will be waiting for you," said Peter, his voice muffled against his dad's shirt. Tony saw something like guilt flashing across his other self as he ran his fingers through Peter's brown curls. "Love you too, Pete. I will not keep you waiting for too long, I promise," said the other Tony, kissing Peter's forehead. Tony smiled at this. The day changed to the next day. Tony was standing in his living room in front of the TV. Peter was sitting on the couch. "Peter, you have not eaten anything since the boss left; you should eat something," said Friday. "No, I'm fine, Fred," said Peter, picking up a glass of water. "Ironman stopped the missile, and now he is taking it inside the nukehole," the voice came from the TV. Peter froze, and the glass slipped from his hands. Tony knew what was going to happen; he was going to fall from the space. This had happened to him, but he survived this. Peter stood in front of the TV. Peter gasped when he saw the images of Iron Man falling from space. "Peter, you seem to be in distress; your heart rate is elevated," said Friday. Peter ignored her and ran outside the tower. Two guards stopped him. "You are not supposed to go out, Mr. Stark's orders," said one of the guards. "Get out of my way!" shouted Peter, turning his watch into a gauntlet. Of course he will have that watch he was his kid. He will also give Peter a similar one. The guards shifted reluctantly. Peter ran outside towards the place where Ironman had crashed. "Dad, Dad..." shouted Peter, falling on his knees next to Tony. He pressed a button, and Tony's body came out of his suit. The broken bracelet was in his hands. Peter sucked in a harsh breath. He brought his shaking hand towards his neck. "No, no, you can't do this to me. You promised Dad you can't do this..." cried Peter. Tony's heart clenched. "Take him away," said a man taking Peter away from there. Peter didn't struggle. He just kept crying. Peter came to Tony's room. He was not crying anymore, but his eyes were empty. Tony's heart broke to think that he was going to do the same; he was also going to leave Peter all alone. Peter picked up the vase and threw it across the room. "Peter, your heart rate has increased, and your breathing has quickened. I...said Friday. "Shut up and leave me alone like everybody," snapped Peter. Friday didn't say anything. Peter turned towards Tony's photo. "Why... why did you do that? You knew what you were doing when you went there, but still..." shouted Peter. Tony watched his kid sadly and helplessly. "You promised me you would be alright; you promised that you would come back... You broke your promise, Dad. How can you... how dare you?" shouted Peter with so much anger that Tony was momentarily shocked. Peter picked up the photo and threw it at the wall. "I hate you... You hear that? I hate you, so you better come back so I can tell you this personally," yelled Peter, but tears were flowing down his cheeks. Peter fell on his knees. "Come back, Dad, please come back. I can't do this without you. I can't live without you," said Peter, breaking into a sob. Tony blinked back his own tears. Suddenly the scene changed. He was back with strange. He wiped his tears. "Do you want to see any more examples?" asked Stephen. Tony shook his head. He didn't have the courage to. So this was it: either live without Peter or let Peter live without him. The kid was so pure and innocent and was something Tony could never be. He deserved the whole world. He had so much to live for; he had still not watched the latest movies. And Tony knew he couldn't live without Peter, and Peter was strong; he would deal with it. He glanced at the bracelet. "I'm ready to pay the price," said Tony. "Are you sure?" asked Strange. Tony nodded. Anything to see his kid again. It might be selfish, but he knew that he was selfish. Strange closed his eyes and moved his fingers. Illuminated dust started revolving around the room. Tony never liked magic, but now he was definitely sure of that fact. Tony gasped. Peter was standing in front of him, looking at him with those chocolate doe eyes. They looked at each other for a second before Tony pulled him into a hug. "Mr. Stark, what's happening? I was sleeping, and I had a weird dream about how I came here," said Peter. Tony was overjoyed to hear that sweet voice again. He was too overwhelmed with emotions. This would be the last time he would hug his kid. A tear slipped through his eyes. "Mr. Stark, are you crying? What happened?" asked Peter. Tony separated away and cupped Peter's face in his hands. "Nothing, Pete... I just want to tell you that I love you," said Tony. Peter smiled at him. "I know," he said with a smirk. Tony chuckled. "Always trust you to make a movie reference," said Tony. "I love you too, but why are we doing confessions all of a sudden?" asked Peter. Tony looked away from Peter. "Oh my god, are you Doctor Strange? I didn't see you before. We are at Doctor Strange's house, Mr. Stark. Oh hi, Mr. Strange," said Peter excitedly. Strange smiled at him. "Mr. Strange sounds weird; call me Dr. Strange only," said Stephen. Peter nodded. The cloak of levitation wrapped itself around Peter. "It seems like Levi likes you," said Stephen. Peter smiled. "Mr. Stark, look, Levi likes me," said Peter. Tony smiled slightly. "Take care of yourself, kid; now you even have a new friend," said Tony. Peter's smile vanished immediately. "What... why are you talking like this, Mr. Stark? What happened? What is it you are hiding from me?" said Peter with a slight panic in his voice. "It's time, Tony," said Strange with a forced calm voice. "Time for what, Mr. Stark?" asked Peter, now completely panicking. "Peter, kid, I have to go, and I'm not going to come back, but it's okay; just take care of yourself and..." Peter interrupted Tony. "So that dream was real, or was it all real? You are doing this for me... You want me to live without you... You are going to leave me," said Peter. Tony couldn't look at those tearful eyes that were full of hurt. "I'm sorry, but I wasn't able to live without you... I love you, kid; I love you so much," said Tony. Peter shook his head. "No, you can't do this to me. You can't leave me like this. You are not allowed to. Please don't go," cried Peter. Strange opened the portal. Tony wiped Peter's face and kissed his forehead. "There must be another way. You don't have to do this," said Peter. "There's no other way; it's just that there is not supposed to be a happy ending for us," said Tony with a grimace. "I love you." Saying this, Tony backed away from Peter's crying figure and fell backwards into the portal. "No, Dad!" shouted Peter, jumping towards Tony. "Peter, no!" shouted Stephen. Peter jumped inside the portal and grasped Tony's hand. Tony stopped falling. They stopped in midair. The place was dark. It was like a night sky without the moon and stars. Tony gasped as he saw Peter jumping after him and holding his hand. "Kid, no, you were not supposed to do that. You have to let go; it will be alright," said Tony. "There's no way in hell I'm doing that," shouted Peter. It was like some invisible force was trying to separate them. They were being pulled away in opposite directions. A violent energy force was revolving around them. "Peter, it is of no use; the force will separate you in the end," said Stephen. Peter held Tony's hand more tightly. "Peter, kid, it will be okay. You will get through it; just don't completely forget me," said Tony. A tear slipped through Peter's eyes. "Shut up! I'm not letting you leave me. You can't—not now, not ever. I love you, Dad, and I need you," cried Peter. Tears were stinging in Tony's eyes. "I love you too, kid, more than anything," said Tony. Their bracelet started glowing. The force became stronger, but the bracelets connected with each other. "This is impossible," gasped Stephen. "What the hell is happening? Strange," shouted Tony. "You are tearing apart the dimensions," said Stephen. "We are what," said Peter. The force shattered like glass, and the sky became full of stars. Tony was confused. "You both are changing the fate," said Strange, clearly surprised. Peter pulled Tony closer and dragged him out of the portal. They fell on the ground. Peter was glaring at Tony. Strange was looking at them with surprise. Levi helped Peter to stand up. Strange helped Tony. "What was that?" asked Tony. "You just changed the fate, broke the curse, and ripped a dimension," said Strange. "Sounds cool, but how?" said Tony. "Your love for each other was stronger than the curse, and it was even stronger than fate itself. He was determined to not let you go, and even fate was amazed by this," said Strange with a smile. Tony was overwhelmed. "It sounds so cliché, almost like a fairytale, right, kid?" said Tony, though his heart was just melting at the thought of this. Peter glared at him. "You don't get to talk to me after what you just did," snapped Peter. Stephen smirked at Tony. "Kid, I..." Peter interrupted him. "Do you have any idea what would have happened to me if you were really gone? How can you even think of doing this to me? I hate you," said Peter with tearful eyes. Tony smiled because he knew that Peter didn't mean it. He literally just ripped a dimension for him. "No, you don't," said Tony, ruffling Peter's hair. Peter launched himself on Tony, nearly knocking him flat. Levi supported them. Tony returned the hug wholeheartedly. "I was so scared. Never do that again. You are not allowed to leave me," said Peter. Tony smiled as he ran his fingers through the curls. "And what about me, kid? You literally faded away in my arms, and I had to live in a world where you never existed. Do you have any idea how I felt? I was also scared, so never do that again. You are also not allowed to leave me," said Tony. "I love you, Dad," whispered Peter. "Love you too, kid," said Tony, kissing Peter's forehead. Strange smiled at them. "Thank you, Dr. Strange," said Peter. "You are too polite to be his kid," said Strange, earning a glare from Tony. Peter chuckled. "You can come here anytime; Levi will like that," said Strange. Peter smiled at Levi. "Now this all seems like a dream, doesn't it? What if it really is?" said Strange before snapping his fingers.
Tony opened his eyes to see he was in his bedroom. Was this all a dream? He glanced at his bracelet with a smile. He came outside to see Peter was coming out of his room. "Morning, kid," said Tony. "Um, morning," said Peter distractedly. "Everything alright?" asked Tony. "Yeah, I just had a dream; it seemed so real," said Peter. Tony frowned."Wow, I had a dream too," said Tony. "You really are wearing the bracelet I thought..." Tony rolled his eyes. "You thought what? Of course I'm wearing this because you gave it to me," said Tony matter-of-factly. Peter smiled at him. Tony picked up a cup of coffee. "You want some coffee?" asked Tony. "Sure, Dad," said Peter. Tony's heart fluttered at the title, which never failed to suckerpunch him. But for some reason he didn't feel awkward. It was like he had heard this before. Peter had also realised what he had just said. But the words just slipped out of his mouth like it was so normal. "Oh, I'm sorry. I just don't know. It just slipped so easily, like, I mean..." Tony cut off his rambling. "It's quite okay, kid; I don't mind it, and to be honest, I kinda liked it," said Tony. Peter looked at him in surprise. "Really..." gasped Peter. Tony smiled at him. "Yeah, you can call me whatever you want," said Tony. Peter beamed at this. "Oh, Dad, can we watch a movie tonight?" asked Peter. Damn this kid. "Anything you want, kid," said Tony, passing a cup of coffee to Peter.