The door to the common room in the compound practically flew off its hinges. The Avengers inside moved to tactical stances, ready to face whatever threat was outside the remnants of the door. None of them were prepared to see Deadpool walking through the debris. Since Spider-Man and Deadpool had entered into some sort of strange work partnership, he had become a familiar face when the young avenger was around the compound and someone that could be trusted.
“Wade, what’s going on?” Steve steps forward, reaching to grasp the tall man's shoulder, but Wade brushes him off, stepping around him. Ignoring the questioning looks from the various members of the team scattered around, he picks up the television remote and switches it on.
“FRIDAY.” His usual upbeat and chipper tone was gone. Instead replaced with something dead. “Show them the news.” There was no response from the AI, but the channel changed. A story running on whatever news channel about the shocking public suicide of the hero formerly known as Spider-Man. Wade turns, watching as the members of his friend’s team react to the news of his death. He had seen it when he turned on his own television that morning. And he pushed down his grief, letting it fester and turn his heart cold.
Steve had fallen back onto the couch as Natasha stood up. Her usual impassive demeanor cracked, her eyes glassy. Clint said nothing, stone still where he sat, eyes fixed as a phone video showing Peter's death plays. Wanda sobs into her hand, unable to look at the screen. Bucky stands, storming out of the room, his features twisting with grief, Sam follows him. Calling out for him to slow down, but Wade can see the tears starting to fall. Bruce wasn’t in the common room with his teammates, and Thor wasn’t anywhere on earth as far as Wade knew. When he spoke up, his voice was rough and he ignored the slight tremble that he was sure they heard.
“What. Happened. What made him feel so bad that he would jump off a goddamn building?” Wade was furious. Peter always said that the team was his family. And Wade knew how bad “family” could really be. Family was an F word.
“Why would you assume we did something?” Steve defended, getting to his feet. His eyes shone, but with tears instead of the hope and determination most people who looked into his eyes claimed to see.
“Well, I certainly didn’t do anything-” He cut himself off, freezing as he remembered the way he had dismissed Peter’s feelings so quickly before. “Maybe…Maybe it wasn’t you…” He whispers, eyes shutting behind his mask. “Maybe it was all of us.”
Steve opened his mouth, ready to argue that he’d never done anything to hurt the young hero, but his own cavalier comments about Peter being unneeded on their missions hit him like a bus, knocking him back onto the couch. The consequences of his words, weighing down his shoulders and his conscience as he lets his tears fall.
Somewhere that is not the same earth as we living breathing humans
“Mr. Stark?” The timid voice from behind Tony catches him off guard. Setting off that familiar ache in his chest. He turns, fully expecting to see nothing behind him, and confusion lances through him at the sight of his young protege.
“Peter? What are you doing here? You- you aren’t supposed to be here, you’re supposed to be living. You’re supposed to be saving people and laughing with your friends and making more amazing things than I ever could, what are you doing here?” The words fly out of his mouth as he takes Peter by the shoulders, looking over him.
A hiccuping sob alerts Tony to the tears streaming down Peter’s face and he pulls the young man into a hug without a second thought. He held Peter tightly, burying his face in his hair. “I missed you, Underoos, but what on earth are you doing here?” He leans back, using his sleeve to wipe his son’s protege’s face.
“It was an accident, I swear-” Peter whispers, wrapping his arms around his midsection. “I didn’t mean to, well, I did, I guess. But I didn’t actually want to die, I just wanted it to stop.” He looks up at Tony, his eyes searching his mentor's face, pleading silently for him to understand without him having to say anymore.
Something cold grips Tony’s heart, he pulls the younger man closer, squeezing him tightly. It’s a long moment before he speaks, his eyes shut, unable to look at Peter’s face when he speaks.
“Peter, did you-” Tony has to swallow a lump in his throat before he can continue. “Peter, did you kill yourself?” Peter tenses in his arms and Tony has to rush to reassure him. “I won’t be upset with you, kid. I’m just trying to understand.”
“I’m not a kid!” He bursts out, tears falling faster. “That’s the problem! Everyone always treats me like a child and I’m not. I’m an Avenger. I’m a superhero and I’m smart. But Captain Rodgers brushed me off over and over, he wouldn’t let me go on any missions. And Wade completely brushed off the feelings I have for him. There was no reason for me to live except for helping other people.”
“I don’t want to live for everyone else. But I didn’t want to die. I couldn’t save myself. I fell too fast.” His shoulders slump, and he wipes his cheeks. It was then that Tony saw just how tired Peter looked.
“Well, it’s too late to change what happened now, right? So now you’re stuck with me. Think you can handle that?” Tony asks, trying his best to redirect Peter’s attention to something more positive. While his heart ached to think that Peter felt so low that he turned to suicide, he couldn’t help the little selfish part of him that was glad to see him again.
“And besides,” He hums, leading Peter to a door at the other side of the room, turning the knob and letting the door swing open. “There is someone else who would love to see you.”
Peter looks up, his eyes welling with tears once more, a hopeful whisper leaving his lips.
“Aunt May?”