"you did everything you could to save her."
Peter stumbled into the Avengers Tower, barely able to hold himself upright. He ripped off his Spider-Man mask, not caring where it fell. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he gasped for breath, overwhelmed by grief and anguish.
Natasha was in the living room when she heard the elevator arrive. She turned, ready to greet Peter, but stopped short when she saw his distressed state.
"Peter?" she asked gently. "What happened?"
Peter just shook his head, unable to speak. More tears spilled from his eyes and he looked utterly lost. Natasha had never seen him this way before. Her heart ached for the young hero.
She knew Peter needed support right now, and quickly but discreetly signaled for the other Avengers to join them. Within moments, Wanda, Tony, Steve, Bucky, Clint and Thor filed silently into the room, taking in the scene before them.
Natasha met their eyes and subtly shook her head, warning them not to crowd Peter. But their presence alone spoke volumes - they were here for him, whatever he needed.
Finally, Peter lifted his head and whispered hoarsely, "I couldn't save them."
Natasha nodded in understanding. "Tell us what happened," she said gently.
Peter walked slowly to the couch and sat down, dropping his head into his hands. The others gathered around, careful to keep a bit of distance as Natasha sat beside him.
"There was a fire in an apartment building," Peter began, his voice raw with emotion. "It happened so fast. I managed to get almost everyone out."
He paused, lifting his eyes to meet Natasha's, the pain and guilt written clearly across his face. "Almost everyone," he repeated, his voice breaking.
Natasha's heart fractured at the despair in his words. She longed to wrap her arms around Peter but refrained, letting him speak.
"A little girl...she was trapped in a back bedroom. I tried, I swear I tried so hard to get to her." A sob escaped Peter's lips. "But the smoke...I couldn't see. I couldn't reach her in time."
Peter hunched forward, gripping his hair as he wept. The Avengers exchanged pained looks, while Natasha rubbed Peter's back, wishing she could absorb his hurt.
After a few moments, Peter sat up, wiped his eyes and continued hoarsely. "I could hear her crying for help. But by the time I found her, it was too late." He choked back another sob. "She died because I failed her. I should have been faster, should have known..."
"You did everything you could," Natasha interrupted firmly. "No one could have done more. You saved so many lives today, Peter."
But Peter was beyond consolation as he shook his head violently. "No, it wasn't enough! She needed me and I let her down. I can still hear her screams..."
Peter trailed off with a strangled cry. The Avengers looked on helplessly, their hearts breaking for the young hero they had come to love as family.
Wanda couldn't stop her own tears from falling. Hesitantly she approached Peter's room, wishing to provide some comfort. But as she reached the door, Peter turned and choked out harshly, "Please Wanda, just leave me alone right now."
Wanda froze, stung by his words but knowing he didn't mean them cruelly. She longed to use her powers to ease his turmoil, but simply nodded and returned to the others.
Natasha met Wanda's eyes with understanding. She knew Peter's pain ran deep and he was lashing out in grief. With a reassuring look at Wanda, she stood and approached Peter's room.
"Peter," she said softly through the closed door. "I know you want to be alone right now. But bottling this up won't help."
She leaned her head against the cool door. "We only want to understand so we can support you. Please let us in."
Only the heartbreaking sounds of Peter's sobs answered her. Natasha's motherly instinct took over and she continued gently but firmly. "You're part of this family, Peter. We love you. You're not alone in this."
After a long moment, she heard the door unlock. It opened to reveal Peter with red-rimmed eyes, tears still streaming down his face. Without hesitation, he stepped forward and clung to Natasha, burying his face in her shoulder.
Natasha wrapped her arms around him reassuringly. She met Steve's eyes over Peter's shoulder, seeing the super soldier's own eyes glistening with tears. The Avengers moved closer, echoing Natasha's embrace with their presence.
Natasha held Peter for a minute, letting his tears soak into her shirt. Finally his sobs quieted. She gently guided him to the couch, keeping one arm around his shoulders.
The others gathered around, faces etched with empathy and love - even Thor's usual beaming smile was somber and understanding.
"I'm so sorry, Peter," Natasha murmured, her voice heavy with emotion. "I can't imagine how painful this is for you."
Peter just stared at the floor, his face ravaged by grief and guilt.
"You can't blame yourself for this," Natasha continued. "You risked everything to save those people."
"But I failed," Peter whispered, his voice small and broken. "I failed her."
"You did not fail," Steve spoke up firmly but kindly. "You're a hero, son. Heroes can't save everyone, no matter how hard they try."
Peter finally lifted his eyes, looking directly at Steve. The supersoldier held his gaze steadily. "This wasn't your fault," he said with conviction. "No one here blames you. And that little girl knows you did everything you could to save her."
Peter held Steve's gaze for a moment before dropping his head with a sob. Natasha pulled him close again, wishing she could absorb his pain.
For several minutes, the only sounds were Peter's quiet cries as the Avengers stood vigil over their hurting teammate - their friend, their family.
Finally Thor stepped forward, laying a comforting hand on Peter's shoulder. "Young Peter," he rumbled gently, "Do not torment yourself over what cannot be changed. You have the heart of a warrior and the soul of a hero. This tragedy pains us all, but you cannot carry the weight alone."
Bucky moved closer, metal arm glinting in the dim light. "We've all lost soldiers we tried to save," he said somberly. "But their ghosts ain't your burden to bear."
Clint crouched down, meeting Peter's eyes. "Trust me, blaming yourself only brings more darkness," he said heavily. "Let us be the light to guide you through."
Tony swallowed hard, grief and empathy etched on his face. "Pete, you're the best of us," he managed hoarsely. "We're here for you, kid. Anything you need."
Wanda knelt by Peter, hesitating only a moment before laying her hand over his. A welcoming warmth spread through him at her touch. "We cannot change the past," she said softly, her accent thick with emotion. "But we will stand by you now in this present pain."
Peter's breath hitched as he looked around at the Avengers - this family of heroes that had wrapped him in their embrace when he needed it most.
"Thank you," he whispered, the simple words encompassing a wealth of gratitude.
He knew the grief wasn't gone; the recovery would be long and painful. But with the support of Natasha's gentle strength, Steve's steadfast compassion, Thor's stalwart spirit, Bucky's deep empathy, Clint's hard-won wisdom, Tony's fierce loyalty, and Wanda's warm understanding, the way forward looked a little less dark.
Peter took a shaky breath, then met Natasha's eyes again. "Could we maybe just sit here for a while?" he asked timidly.
Natasha gave a bittersweet smile. "Of course."
She pulled Peter close as the others gathered around, each finding a spot on the couch or floor. They sat in somber yet loving silence, united in their grief and support.
Peter took comfort in their closeness, especially Natasha's maternal embrace. He knew the pain wasn't gone. But here, surrounded by his family, he had hope he could make it through.