A Bliss
POV Peter
Peter never imagined himself, seeing May and Tony alive again. Well, he did but at the time he thought that it would be impossible, but somehow he ended up here, in a different Universe with two people he knew but at the same time he didn't.
Some part of him still didn't believe that any of this was real, that somehow Mysterio played with his brain and in reality he was still on his earth and Beck made it to his job to torture him, making him believe that life could be how he wanted it to be, but he knew that it was just a silly thought, because Beck was dead. He saw him shoot himself, and this seemed too realistic to be fake. His Spider-tingle telling him that he was safe and no current danger insight.
After waking up, still fuzzy from the drugs that had been pumped into him, to minder some of his pain, he had seen Tony. They didn't talk, just hugged each other, which lead to them both crying. Tony didn't press the issue that Peter wasn't really his son, and he also didn't ask Peter about his Universe, which he was grateful for. He wasn't in any state at the time to talk about it, just needing the comfort of the older man. Peter didn't know how long he was cuddled up in the man's chest, but the next time he opened his eyes, the boy was laying in the hospital bed, the room empty. He was embarrassed that he had fallen asleep on his mentor, but his thought had quickly got shut down when Mr. Stark returned with the other.
Now sitting here in the hospital bed in front of 5 people he technically knew but also didn't, felt weird, and he wasn't sure if he should feel happy, relieved or just confused.
Tony, May, Pepper, and Ned had each taken a chair to sit, while MJ had sat down beside him on the bed. At first Peter felt conflicted because yes, Peter was together with MJ but, well, his MJ, but he had shaken that thought away. The warmth she gifted him had given him some strength and now all gathered together, he was glad that she was sitting next to him, holding his hands and making him feel grounded.
He knew that Michelle and him still needed to have a serious talk about everything. Peter could feel her curiosity and anxiety practically spilling out of her. Not just her, everyone.
"This is so awkward." Ned said out loud while playing with his fingers. "Sorry, I didn't mean to say that." he added after everyone turned towards him, with red cheeks, but Peter had to smile a little.
His best friend always knew how to make Peter feel less awkward.
"I mean, it kind of is, Dingus." MJ said with a shrug, but a small smile formed on her lips. "It's not every day that Peter comes back from the dead."
"I didn't actually die-" he stopped, thinking back towards Titan, shaking his head. "Okay, well, I did come back from the dead once, but not this time."
It was something Peter didn't mean to share, but slipped through his lips without much of a thought. Anxiety creeps through him, and slowly he looks up, seeing horrified looks from Tony, May, and Pepper.
"Didn't you guys tell them what happens in my Universe?" he says while playing with the fabric of his hospital gown, but he stopped himself, pulling the thin blanket higher, so that it covered more of his upper body.
MJ and Ned shared a look before turning around to him again. "Well, you didn't tell us much detail either, and we didn't want to spill anything you're not comfortable telling."
They were right, he did give Ned the run down of his story, but he never got the time to talk to them together about it. He just answered their Questions, which were mostly about his Parents.
"Well, there is not much to say, anyway. It's a boring story, so-"
MJ scowled at him. "Your Life is not a boring story, Peter."
Of course, it wasn't a boring story, Peter knew that. It was a sad story he just didn't want to share. He didn't want to see the looks of pity.
"Well, how about we just start at the point where you apparently died and came back from the dead?" May said, in a worried tone.
MJ squeezed his hand, and he could feel her gaze on him, while tears gather in his eyes.
Why was this so hard?
Peter wasn't ready to open up about his life. This Life seemed so perfect, This Peter made the right decisions, he was smart, and brave and bought millions of people back to life and sacrificed himself. What had he to offer? Exactly, nothing. He just fucks everything up and gets the people around him hurt.
Biting the inner side of his cheeks, he shakes his head. Peter wished he could just walk away from this, but he wasn't even able to do that, because of his burn wounds. Taking a deep breath, he looks up at MJ.
She looked so small, pressed to his side, holding his hands and stroking them gently, to calm him. Michelle smiled at him, and a wave of familiarity washed over him.
"Peter, we would never pressure you into saying anything you don't want to tell us," May spoke up, her eyes looking fondly at him. "And I think your Universe, and the people in it, wouldn't either."
The Woman before him looked older, even wiser. Her hair had more gray streaks in it as he remembered, and Peter falters at the sight of seeing May grow old. Seeing her alive and well. He hoped that this May would have a great, peaceful, long life.
"I uhm- I got dusted. I died in my Universe." he finally speaks up, after taking a deep breath. "I got dusted on Titan, and I couldn't do anything about it, my body tried to heal itself, but it didn't work, so yeah. I died."
It was silent after that and Peter didn't have the courage to look up, not wanting to see their reaction, so he focuses on his hands and keeps going, picking on some loose skin.
"But it's fine! Mr. Stark got everyone back! He uh- He figured it out!" the curly-haired boy rumbles, trying to sound enthusiastic. "But, Uhm, Mr. Stark sacrificed himself. He snapped and, well, his body couldn't handle it, so he died." His Voice trembled and his hands were shaking.
"He wasn't-" he begins, but his voice cracks, and he feels himself get hotter.
Embarrassing .
"Mr. Stark wasn't like my Dad or anything. He, uh, was just my Mentor. So it wasn't too bad, I guess. Like, it would have been way worth it if he was my Dad, right? But he wasn't! He was Morgan's Dad, so I wasn't really entitled to feel sad! Like we just hang out sometimes to tinker, you know? And he got me the suit, he was just a mentor really. It wasn't like we bonded or anything-"
His Voice got caught in his throat, and he feels tears prickling in his eyes.
Why was he crying, again?
"Peter." MJ starts, but he just shakes his head, letting some tears spill. He needed to make sure that everyone knew that he wasn't some kid that tried to make Tony's death all about himself.
"No really! It's fine! I had no reason to feel upset! It was silly of me to feel like that, it's not like I ever had the chance to get to know him better!"
"Peter-"
"Like, Pepper had a reason to feel upset, right? I mean, her husband died, the father of her child. She had a reason to be sad...or Happy! Like Happy lost his best friend, I understood that he cried, but me? It was untactful. Mean even!"
"Peter, please-"
"I mean in the end it was really my fault, he bought everyone back because of me. Happy told me. I was supposed to protect him, but I failed. Like I failed you guys. It was stupid of me to think that I could live a normal Teen Life. Like going to college? I must've been out of my mind, really. I couldn't protect you guys, and I couldn't protect May."
And there it was, out in the open. How much of a failure he was. How he failed to protect everyone around him and got them killed. Ashamed, he loses his grip on MJ's hand. He didn't deserve her sympathy or pity. It was his fault entirely, so he should own up to his mistakes.
"I failed all of you, in my Universe. I failed Tony, I couldn't protect May, and I never fulfilled my Promise to MJ and Ned. It was my fault entirely that May-"
He stopped again when he felt an arm wrap around him. May. He knew that smell. It rushed through him and made him tear up again.
Oh , how he wished he could hug his May again, smell her old perfume and just cry into her shoulder. Feel her comfort for just one more time. How she stroked his curls or rub his back to make him feel better. To make him feel loved.
Her grip tightens around him, and she gently strokes his back. "Oh, Peter, nothing was your fault. You are just a kid. It's painful to watch you destroy yourself like that. I can assure you, that May would have never wanted you to burden yourself with her death. She would have wanted you to go one, and be the best version of yourself."
Peter shook his head. Tears spilling. The warmth of her felt so good, but he knew he couldn't have any of it. "I killed her, it's my fault." His vision was blurry and his cheeks were wet. This May knew nothing. She didn't see Peter fail, Peter protected her, and died for her. His eyes wandered to the window, he didn't want to look at anyone right now, which May didn't seem to like.
"Young man! Look at me! Peter Benjamin Parker, you look at me now!" More tears spilled when he heard the stern voice of his Aunt. Peter couldn't deny May anything, so he complied.
May's eyes were stern, but at the same time soft. There was no pity in it, and Peter felt somewhat relieved. "I know that I am not your May. I will never be your May, you guys share all those moments and memories and I could never replace her, Peter. But I also don't want that. But I know that she does not blame you. Your Aunt was a strong woman, and she knew what Spider-Man meant to you. With your Powers comes also a great responsibility, Peter, and she knew that."
His eyes widen at her words and a sob escapes his lips. "How could you know that?" he tries to say, but his shoulder trembles from all the crying, and his lips wobble with every word, but she understands him regardless.
"Because I saw it. I dreamed of it, and dreams are nothing more than memories of a different me."
Peter knows that, better than everybody. "I saw her, and it felt like I was her. And in her last moments with you, the only thought she had, was you. She knew you would stay safe, and she was so proud of you."
Sadness washed over him. He could feel nothing more than this dark liquid running through his vein, making him feel heavier. It was hard to breathe, and his vision darkened on the edges. Everything slowed down suddenly. He could only see May. May her gentle smile. Her eyes are full of love. May’s scrunched-up face when he told her he lost his backpack again. The worry when he came home bruised up, patching him up without a question. The smell of home when they hugged. Her laugh, her cheering when he told her that they won the decathlon. Her proud but also worried eyes when he told her he was Spider-Man. Scared about him getting hurt, but telling him that he was doing the right thing. Relief when she saw that he was doing okay. His birthday with May. Christmas together. May falling to the ground, bleeding. May dying.
Everything comes crashing down on him, and for the first time, he lets it. He stops being strong, letting himself sink into his grief. The Loss he had felt when he was suddenly all alone. No one was there to help him. The Nights he had spent on the cold streets. Finding a few jobs, so he could buy himself some food and then some hope when he could move into the cheap apartment. A new home that never felt like home. He was still cold and lonely every night, but he was strong, for May. He promised her that he would take responsibility, so he went out as Spider-Man, neglecting everyone else. Which lead to losing MJ and Ned all over again. Peter was so scared. Scared of being all alone again. What if he ended up alone again? What if this wasn't even real?
He cries into her shoulder, his whole body shakes and his wounds burn, but he doesn't care, he feels warm and taken care of.
"I'm sorry," he says, sobbing.
This May knows he doesn't mean her, nor does Peter. "I'm so sorry, May. I should've protected you. I'm sorry." he cries out. His Voice sounds rough, and a pained scream leaves his lips when she starts petting his head, going through his locks.
"I know," she answers, kissing the top of his hair.
"I'm sorry."
After calming down, May coaxes him out of her embrace. He is a little embarrassed, but in the end, everyone in this room has already seen him cry like a baby, so he just nods, not meeting anyone’s eyes. He tells them about the rest, what happened after May, and how the curly-haired boy ruined everything even further.
“Why didn’t you tell them?” MJ suddenly asked. She is sitting on one of the chairs, having swapped places with May when he started crying. “You promised them, you would tell them.”
Peter knows what she’s talking about and ashamed, he stares at his hands.
“I wanted to, but I didn’t know any better. Who would have believed some random kid, that he was Spider-Man and that no one remembers his existence because some wizard had to protect the earth so that the multiverse wouldn’t collapse?” he answered her with a bitter voice. “I tried to get closer first, but when I had the chance to reveal everything, I couldn’t do it. You guys were better off without me.”
He can hear something shuffle beside him and sees Ned standing up.
“But that wasn’t really your decision now, was it?”
Peter shakes his head. “I know that now. But it’s too late now anyway.”
His gaze wanders to Tony. The Man seemed conflicted, his eyebrows scrunching together before he opens his mouth to talk.
“I can’t get out of my head, how you attacked the fish bulb. It seemed like you knew exactly what you needed to do.” The boy knew what was about to come, so he answers before Tony can finish his sentence.
“That’s because I know him. He is the real reason May died and everything went to shit. Beck revealed my identity and made it look like I killed him. He betrayed me and took the only thing Mr. Stark left behind for me. Everyone hated Spider-Man after that in my Universe, hated me, Peter Parker. So I tried to let everyone forget that I was Spider-Man, but yeah, it got out of control and now no one knows who Peter Parker is.”
Tony’s Face is unreadable and he shivers.
“How about we take a break from all those questions and get you something to eat?” Pepper suggested and the boy is glad.
“That sounds good, thank you.”
Tony POV
Tony was furious. Who dared to mess with a teenager like this? With his son?
In this Universe, Beck was someone he trusted. From what Peter managed to tell him, while they were eating some well-deserved lunch, Tony had stolen something from Beck in his Universe, which lead to him going crazy, but here?
Beck was a man Tony had trusted. He worked with Tony in his and Pepper’s company, and hearing that Beck is stealing Tony’s technology to become some sort of trusted hero made him see red, and Pepper had to hold him back, from going to Beck personally to whop his ass.
“We don’t know if he really stole from us, we’re going to check that later. Friday alerted me that we got some evidence from the attacks, and we’re going to check his profile.”
Tony nodded, still confused about why Beck would go behind his back.
“Maybe he was jealous that Tony was a big hero, and he wasn’t,” MJ says.
The kids had been discussing the theme for a while now, too. Peter and Ned looked at each other before nodding. “That could actually be a theory. I mean, a lot of villains are jealous and become evil.” Ned says.
Peter seemed rather quiet, only talking about Beck when he is asked a question, and Tony just knows that Beck had messed Peter up a little.
“So what are his powers again? Like illusions made with technology?” MJ asks, full in detective mode.
“Well, yeah it was in my Universe, but it seems that Beck also has some real powers. The green beams are real. It wasn’t in my Universe.”
Ned bites his lips. “Oh man, that means he is stronger here.”
Peter rolls his eyes at him but flashes him a little smile. “Thanks for the Pep talk, dude.”
Tony cleared his throat, making them look at him confused.
“This Time you don’t have to fight him alone, Peter. You got me, and believe me, the Avengers won’t let him hurt you.”
It seems like the right thing to say, and when he sees the grin on his Son’s Face he knew it was the right thing to say.
“Well, then we have some fish to catch.”
Everyone raises an eyebrow at him, which makes him blush and rephrase his statement. “When the wounds are healed, of course.”