"you can't save everyone"
Peter landed softly on the balcony of Avengers Tower, his feet barely making a sound as he touched down. He slowly peeled off his Spider-Man mask, revealing tears streaming down his cheeks. Taking a shaky breath, he slid open the glass door and stepped inside.
"Peter? Is that you?" Natasha's voice rang out from the next room. She entered the living area and immediately noticed his disheveled appearance and reddened eyes. "What happened?" she asked, her voice laced with concern.
Peter opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. His lips trembled as he fought back a sob.
Natasha gently grasped his shoulders. "It's okay, just take a deep breath," she soothed. Looking over her shoulder, she subtly signaled for the other Avengers to join them.
Within moments, the room filled with the rest of Peter's makeshift family. Tony and Pepper hurried in, with little Morgan toddling behind them. Steve, Bucky, Clint, Wanda, and Thor filed into the room, their faces etched with worry.
"I just got an alert that Peter returned from patrol, but something seems off," said Friday, the AI system.
"Yes, thank you Friday," Natasha replied softly. She guided Peter to the couch, where he sat hunched over, staring blankly ahead. Natasha crouched down in front of him, searching his eyes.
"Peter, talk to me. What happened out there?" she asked gently.
Peter sighed shakily, a few more tears slipping down his cheeks. "I...I couldn't save her. She was right there, and I just...I wasn't fast enough." His voice broke as a sob escaped his lips.
The room was silent, the weight of his words sinking in. Natasha rubbed his knee consolingly. "I'm so sorry, Peter," she said, her voice heavy with empathy.
Tony spoke up, his usual bravado gone. "Kid, you do so much good out there. You can't blame yourself for this."
Steve nodded in agreement. "Son, you have the biggest heart of anyone I know. But heroes can't save everyone, no matter how hard we try."
Peter shook his head bitterly. "You don't understand. I was right there, I had her hand, but she just...she slipped away. And now she's gone because of me."
Wanda had been observing quietly from the corner of the room. Sensing Peter's anguish, she slowly approached and crouched down beside Natasha.
"Peter?" she said softly. He turned his head slightly to meet her gaze. "Can I give you a hug?"
Peter paused, then gave a small nod. Wanda wrapped her arms around him tightly. Peter rested his head on her shoulder, taking comfort in her embrace.
After a few moments, Wanda pulled back, giving him a sad smile. Natasha stood, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"Why don't you go get cleaned up, Peter? We'll order some dinner and watch a movie, get your mind off things."
Peter nodded numbly and trudged off towards his bedroom. Natasha let out a worried sigh, running her hands through her hair.
"I've never seen him like this before," Pepper said quietly. "He takes everything so personally."
"The kid has the biggest heart of gold," Tony replied. "But he's still just a kid. He's not ready to handle this kind of guilt."
Steve turned to Natasha. "Maybe you should go talk to him. He sees you as a mother figure. I think he could really use that right now."
Natasha nodded. "I'll give him a few minutes, then go check on him."
In Peter's Room
Peter stood under the hot stream of water, letting it wash over his face. But it did nothing to wash away the guilt and anguish he felt. He kept replaying it all in his head...seeing the woman trapped in the overturned car, the way she had grasped his hand so desperately. And then the terrified look in her eyes as she lost her grip and slipped away, seconds before the car burst into flames.
Peter felt the gut-wrenching pain twist inside him once more. He slid down the shower wall and pulled his knees to his chest, body shaking with sobs.
A soft knock came at the bathroom door. "Peter? It's Natasha. Can I come in?"
Peter didn't respond. He heard the door creak open. "Peter?" Natasha's voice was filled with warmth and care.
"Yeah," Peter finally managed to call out hoarsely.
"I'm coming in, okay?" Natasha entered the bathroom and her heart broke at the sight of Peter's small, dejected form huddled in the shower. She grabbed a towel and turned off the water.
"Come here, sweetie," she murmured, wrapping the towel around his shaking shoulders. She helped him stand up and pulled him into a fierce embrace.
Peter readily collapsed against her, his tears soaking into her shirt. She held him for several minutes, gently running her fingers through his wet curls.
"Shh, just let it all out," she whispered. "I've got you."
When his sobs finally subsided, she led him back into his bedroom. Natasha guided him to sit on the edge of the bed and crouched down to meet his eye level.
"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked gently.
Peter took a shuddering breath. "It was a car accident. This lady, she was trapped upside down in her car. It was starting to catch fire. I got there as fast as I could, but..." His voice trailed off.
Natasha gave his hand a comforting squeeze. "You did everything you could. No one could've asked any more of you."
"But it wasn't enough!" Peter cried. "When she started slipping, I panicked. I should've been faster, should've held on tighter. And now she's gone." He buried his face in his hands.
"Peter, look at me," Natasha urged. Reluctantly, he met her steadfast gaze. "You cannot keep blaming yourself for this. It was an impossible situation, but you still tried your absolute hardest to save her. That courage and determination makes you a true hero."
She gently cupped his cheek. "We've all been where you are now, feeling utterly helpless and blaming ourselves when we can't save someone. It's the most painful part of this job. But we get through it together, as a team...as a family."
Peter's eyes glistened with fresh tears. "But she's dead because of me," he whispered brokenly.
Natasha's heart ached for the sweet, innocent boy who had already endured far too much tragedy in his young life. She wrapped her arms around him again, holding him close.
"Her death is not your fault," she said firmly. "The guilt you feel just shows how deeply you care and how hard you fight for innocent lives. Those are your greatest strengths."
She planted a kiss on top of his head. "We are always here for you, Peter. You are never alone in carrying these burdens. Let us help shoulder the weight."
Peter nodded against her shoulder. "Thanks, Mom," he murmured softly.
Natasha's breath hitched in surprise. Slowly, she pulled back to look Peter in the eyes. His cheeks reddened as he realized what he had said.
"I-I'm sorry, that just came out," he stammered. "I didn't mean to-"
"Peter, it's okay," Natasha said gently, giving him a warm smile. "I know I can never replace your mother. But I care about you so much, and I'll always be here when you need a mother's support."
Peter ducked his head. "It's just...you've done so much for me over the years. You've bandaged my wounds, listened to me vent about school and girls, encouraged me when I was down. No one's been so...so maternal towards me since my aunt passed." He looked back up at Natasha hesitantly.
"Having you here, it feels right to call you that," he admitted. "But I totally understand if it's too much for you or makes you uncomfortable."
Natasha shook her head, squeezing his hand. "It's not too much at all. I'm honored you think of me that way." She smiled warmly at him. "I know I'm not your biological mother, but I love you like a son. If you ever feel the need to call me 'Mom,' don't hold back on my account."
Peter's eyes misted over again, but this time with relief and gratitude. He hugged Natasha tightly. "Thank you...Mom," he whispered.
Natasha had to blink back a few tears of her own. She never imagined a makeshift family could feel so real and so right.
"Anytime, Peter. I'm always here for you," she murmured into his curls.
They stayed like that for a few moments, drawing comfort from the maternal bond between them.
A soft knock at the door interrupted the tender moment. Morgan's little face peeked into the room.
"Petey? Mommy said to see if you wanted hot cocoa," the four-year-old announced.
Natasha waved her inside with a smile. "That's so thoughtful of you, Morgan. I think Peter would love some hot cocoa."
Morgan padded over to the bed and crawled into Peter's lap. "Don't be sad, Petey," she said, patting his cheek clumsily.
Despite his somber mood, Peter couldn't help but smile at the endearing toddler. "Aw, thanks Mo. You always know how to make me feel better."
"I say this to Daddy, but I love you 3000." Morgan says to her big brother.
Peter smiles at the girl who he came to love like a little sister. "I love you 3000 too, Mo."
Morgan beamed up at him proudly then scurried back out the door on her cocoa mission. Natasha and Peter both chuckled at her retreating form.
Natasha stood up from the bed and held out a hand to Peter. "Come on, the others want to see you. We're all here for you tonight."
Peter allowed her to pull him to his feet. Taking a deep breath, he followed Natasha back out towards the living area, bracing himself to face the rest of his family.
The Living Room
The mouthwatering aroma of hot pizza wafted through the air. Tony and Pepper were in the kitchen grabbing plates and napkins while Morgan proudly carried out two steaming mugs of hot cocoa. Steve, Bucky, and Clint were engaged in a heated foosball match while Thor regaled Wanda with an animated story from Asgard.
The room seemed to let out a collective breath when Natasha appeared with Peter in tow. Wanda bounded over immediately to envelop Peter in another hug.
"I'm glad you're joining us," she said with a smile. "We got all your favorites for dinner."
"And plenty of junk food for later," Clint added with a wink.
Tony grabbed Peter in a one-armed hug. "Good to see you out here, kid. Now come get some pizza before Thor eats it all."
Thor let out an indignant "Hey!" which made Peter crack a hint of a smile.
The group settled onto the couches, passing around heaping pizza slices and breadsticks. Peter ended up squished between Natasha and Pepper, while Morgan planted herself firmly in Peter's lap.
Conversation flowed easily as they ate dinner together. No one directly mentioned the night's events; they simply reveled in each other's company, filling the room with a sense of normalcy. Peter gradually felt the dark cloud over him start to lift.
After dinner, they crowded onto the largest sofa and put on Star Wars at Peter's request. Morgan fell asleep thirty minutes in, softly snoring against Peter's chest. He absentmindedly stroked her baby-fine hair as he watched the movie, soaking up the tranquil atmosphere. Natasha's arm stayed wrapped around his shoulders in a gentle, protective hold.
As the end credits rolled, Pepper carefully scooped up her slumbering daughter. "I'm going to put Morgan to bed. Peter, let me know if you need anything at all tonight, okay?" She squeezed his shoulder affectionately before carrying Morgan out.
The others gradually dispersed as well, with murmurs of "Goodnight" and "Sleep well." Natasha gave Peter an extra-long hug.
"I'll come check on you in the morning. But please don't hesitate to come get me if you need me sooner." She kissed his forehead tenderly. "I love you, Peter."
Peter's eyes shined with gratitude. "I love you too...Mom. And thank you, for everything."
Natasha gave him one more smile before retiring to her room, leaving just Peter and Tony in the living area.
Tony tossed a blanket and pillow onto the couch. "You should try and get some sleep, kid. I'll be up working in the lab if you need me."
Peter nodded. "Thanks, Tony. For the pizza and movie night, and just...being here."
Tony clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Of course. Get some rest."
Peter settled onto the couch as Tony headed for the lab. Despite his swirling thoughts, the comfort of his family and the emotional release from earlier left him thoroughly drained. He was asleep within minutes.
The next morning, when Natasha went to check on Peter, she found him still sleeping soundly, looking peaceful for the first time since his difficult patrol. She knew the path of grief was long, but took comfort in the knowledge that he would not walk it alone.
Peter was surrounded by people who loved him dearly and would help bear the heaviest burdens. With his family's steadfast support, he would make it through this.