Chapter 1
Shouts of excitement and happiness went around as thanos’s troops dust away. Peters spider senses were going haywire, telling him he needs to get as close to Mr.Stark as possible. Peter webbed himself up into the air, spotting tony, and swung himself as fast as he could towards the older man. When he reaches tony he’s clenching his “iron” suit, staring wide eyed at the floor in front of him. Peter lands and immediately reaches out and pulls tony into a hug. “Mr.Stark, Mr.Stark we did it! W-we did it!” Peters anxiety rises when he doesn’t hear any reaction come from tony. “M-mr stark?” Peter says. Dread flows into him as he feels tony lean all his weight onto him and begin to fall onto his knees, Peter falling to his knees beside him. “P-peter, it’s gonna be okay. It’ll all be okay.”
Peters eyes start to blur as his eyelashes start to clump together. Peter weakly whispers “mr stark” as dust seems to sprout out all around them. Peter looks up to tony. Both on their knees now. “ please please, PLE-Please. Mr stark, don’t go, no no no” Peters rambling of begging continues as he crushes tony in a hug, digging his head into the crook of Tony’s neck. Peters nose fills with the familiar smell of death and dust. A chocked sob escapes Peter as he pulls Himself closer to tony, pressing his eyes closed tight. Tony’s soft voice Carries through the shouts of victory and voices of concern that seems to be gathering around. “Peter, look at me. Please” Peters hands move from being clenched at Tony’s back to being clenched at Tony’s chest, as he slowly moves his head from the crook of Tony’s neck. Peter peers up at him through clumped eyelashes, Tony’s hand shakily wiping peters wet cheeks. “Dont go, not now.” Peter whispers. Tony’s chuckles exasperatingly, whispering “I don’t think I really have much of a choice, kid” Tony winces as he feels himself drop a couple inches, his lower half of legs gone. “You’ll be alright, Pete. Don’t worry ‘bout me”
Peter hiccups as he feels Tony’s thumb caress up and down his cheek. Tony loses balance as almost all his legs are gone now, finding himself laying down. Peters quick to scramble to Tony’s side and take the hand that was once caressing his face. “Mr stark, mr-“
“Surely we’re past that yeah? Call me tony, please”. The once joking phrase, having a somewhat desperate and pleading tone now. Peter looks tony in the eyes as he hoarsely whispers “tony”. So close and so quiet, Peter wasn’t even sure that Tony heard it. But the smile tony gave Peter after he said the name shows otherwise.
Tony winces as the dust climbs up his body, slowly but surely. Tony chuckles as he noticed the position their in.
“Spots kinda switched this time, huh” tony says while slightly smirking, eyes filled with barely any mirth. Peter guffaws at Tony’s reference to peters passing, feeling tears flow down his cheeks once again. Peters hands find themselves on the side of Tony’s head feeling the now graying hair. “Yeah, and like last time we-we’ll get you back again. Like you did for me tony- You’ll come- come back.” Tony slightly shakes his head as he holds the hand that’s in his hair. “Not this time. That’s okay though. Your back, everyone’s back, we did it, Peter-“ tony looks around them looking at faces peter didn’t care about in the moment. “- we all did it.”
Peters tears come barreling down, blurring his eyes as he feels Tony’s finger tips turning to dust. Peter has to fight with himself to keep eye contact with tony, instead of shoving his head into the man’s chest. “Tony, tony tony tony…” peter repeats as he feels Tony’s hand that was holding his, completely dust away. Tony smiles at Peter, then seemingly smiling up at the crowd that has gathered round. “Thank you, all.” Tony says to the group all around them, peters focus stays on tony as he brings his eyes back to Peter “you’ll be alright, peter” tony smiles a weak smile towards Peter, Peter wanted to shake his head, wanted to disagree. That he wouldn’t ever be okay without him. But Peter couldn’t find the words. Didn’t want to agree or disagree. All peter could manage to do was bring his hand and wipe Tony’s beading tears. He wanted tony to look strong and say that he’d be back someday. Somehow. Wanted a lot of things from Tony. Unrealistic things. Selfish things.
Peter wants to say don’t go. But he knew he’ll go wether peter asks him to stay or not. Peter smiles back, a tight lipped smile, that made his face look like he was grimacing.
Tonys face disappeared underneath peters touch. Peter desperately reaching and pulling back on the dust tony left behind, as thought it could bring tony back. Peters hands cup together in front of him as he brings the remaining dust to his chest as his forehead meets the space tony once occupied. He sobs uncontrollably into the ground clenching his fists together underneath him, feeling the dust slip through his fingers. The smell of burnt skin fills Peter nose as he hears someone step closer with heavy steps.
“Peter…” a large hand meets Spider-Man’s back, comfortingly moving up and down the spiders back, only having to slightly move up and down because of the massive size of the hand. Peters breath is harsh and labored as he looks up at the hulk, who has a somewhat somber look on his face. Peters eyes studied hulks face for a moment, words coming out of Bruce’s mouth but not being heard. Peter saw the glimpse of purple behind the people gathered round. Peters eyes widened as hulk continued speaking, not a word being heard as rage flowed through peter. Peter instantly jumped up and pushed himself through the wall that has built around him running towards the purple figure. Peter could hear a couple shouts of his name following behind him but paid them no mind. As peter came close enough to see the man who caused all this destruction, peter booked it, Turning his run into a full on sprint. Peter flung himself through the air, to where thanos was sitting, aiming to kick him straight into the head. Inches away from his head before the figure dusted away completely. The dust flowing through the air as peter skidded across the ground, dirt flying behind him. An angry sob escaped his mouth as he lay flat on his back, fists pressed into his eyes as he felt his legs stiffen straight.
Peters thoughts were clouded with hatred and confusion. The one on top of them all being “why?”. peter balled up, sitting upright pulling his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around himself. They wouldn’t stop. The tears wouldn’t stop. The busling eventually made it to peter. Someone patted his shoulder.
”Peter, i know it hurts. But-“ pepper. Pepper Potts, Tony’s soon to be wife. Of course, yes, She must be hurting more than me. He loved HER. He loved her, kissed her, knew her, understood her. And she understood him. The illustrious tony stark. She must be hurting. So much more than me, I’m so selfish, peter thought. He looked up meeting her gaze. Her face soft with concern, tears beading at the corner of her beautiful face. He loved her. Right.
Pepper couldn’t Finish her words. Nothing she could say would help. It was too soon. She was on the edge of a break down herself. She knew that Tony would have to pass someday . But she wasn’t ready, she didn’t think she’d ever be ready. Pepper closed her eyes, taking in a deep shaky breath. Her voice came out gravely as she spoke. “It’ll be alright, peter. Tony- tony missed you, so, so much. When you were gone. He-“ she chocked on her words. She couldn’t say it. Not now. She hated how the words made her feel. For a kid. She was jealous of a kid. Her head fell forward in defeat. She sniffed and pressed a palm against he eyes.
Peter felt the need to comfort the lady tony loved. Even if he’s in no place to. He reached up and brought his hands around the woman’s shoulders. Pulling her right against his head, pepper sniffling away. Peter grimaced from the scent of Tony’s scent lingering on her. Pepper pulled her arms around peters torso, resting her head against peters shoulder. He wished for lots of things at that moment. All of them selfish. All of them something he could never admit to wishing.