A Hard Day's Night
It started as an 'Internship'.
Then that 'Internship' turned into the real Internship.
Then the Mentorship.
And finally, as MJ so often comically put it, the 'Custodianship'.
Of course, nothing was official, but Peter couldn't help but realize it. Especially when Ned compared his situation to that of Martha Kings, whose parents divorced in the fourth grade. It had started off innocent, blowing Ned off on the first Wednesday, offhandedly saying it was Mr. Stark's day.
It was after his second weekend at the Compound that MJ had finally butted in.
'It's called coparenting loser'
Peter had blanked. Exe.Parker has stopped working, and all that jazz. And as awkward as it had begun, he and Mr. Stark and May fell into a sort of routine. Every Wednesday, Happy would pick Peter up from school and take him to the tower, where Peter would spend the night and be dropped off at school by Tony the next morning. Then Tony would get him every second weekend and take him to the Compound. Mr. Stark had always said it was basically empty since the Rogues took off after Germany, so he and Peter kind of lit the place back up again.
So yeah. From one 'ship' to the other.
And now this.
Peter swallows it back bitterly, and tries to stand a bit straighter. A bit taller. A bit older.
Tony's hand rests on his shoulder, almost scared to let go; May stands beside Peter, her arm wrapped around his. Ms. Potts stands on Tony's other side. Behind them are Rhodey and Happy. They're standing farther behind from where Natasha, Bucky, Sam, and Wanda occupy the driveway of the Compound. Sam and Wanda move forward to pull on the strings of the tall, robe covered monument. When the fabric falls to the ground, and the monument is revealed, Bucky's head falls. The monument stands proudly, and reads in etched marble; STEVEN GRANT ROGERS.
Below it is '1918-2023', and 'Captain America; a great man, and a great Hero'.
Peter doesn't even know why he's here. Everyone else who fought against Thanos is, everyone who was Snapped and came back. As if by subconscious thought, Tony's hand curls a little tighter around Peters shoulder. Peter swallows again, forcing back the rising wave of nausea. He can't stand to think about it. How he was dead. Dead and slapped on a monument for five years. Peter squeezes his eyes shut.
It's only been five days since Thanos was defeated. Similarly, and mistakenly, only five days since he died and was reborn. Crumbling into Mr. Starks arms, and waking to be immediately shuffled onto another battlefield. Peter opens his eyes with a low exhale. He needs a vacation. So do May, and Tony, and Pepper. To think they all grieved him; to think of how Mr. Stark had to tell May. Peter doesn't even notice that he's crying until May squeezes his hand and wipes away his tear.
The memorial doesn't last much longer. Everyone sort of filters back into the Compound. Peter lingers, so by proxy, so does Tony. Others mill about around them, until eventually, even Bucky Barnes moves to go inside. Peter catches his eye, and he feels a sudden, immense, private guilt. Bucky Barnes looks completely shattered. His eyes are hollow, his cheekbones sunken. Peter still remembers the way he screamed when he realized Steve was dead. He had been inconsolable.
And yet, he stops when he catches Peters eye. And he smiles. It's sad and cracked, and a sliver if anything, but still there.
"Queens." Bucky whispers, seemingly reliving something. Peter can tell because of how glazed and swimming his eyes are as they pass over him. Peter shuffles his feet oddly and swallows.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Barnes." He manages. The sad, cracked smile doesn't leave Bucky's face.
"You remind me of him," He says, then leaves. Somehow, it makes Peter feel worse. He waits until Bucky disappears from his vision to break down. His legs give out and he falls to the grass. Tony is with him in an instant, face parallel to Peters, who cries.
"It doesn't feel real, Mr. Stark." He gasps. "I can't-" He cuts himself off when the wave of nausea returns, and suddenly he's throwing himself forward, vomiting into the grass. Tony's breath hitches. Peter registers Mays perfume before she reaches them, and Pepper follows only a minute later. Tony says something about getting Happy and the car, and Peter cries, because what else can he do. He didn't know Steve Rogers; but he knew the idea, and now - now he's just a kid, dead and reborn, and two of the Earths mightiest heroes are dead.
He feels Tony's arms when they curl around him, and he registers the clicking of a seat belt around his body; and then he sleeps.