As long as I got you
Tony didn’t know what he was expecting to happen.
He wasn’t sure if the snap that almost killed Bruce had worked or not.
He wished so badly with everything that he had that it worked but he was used to disappointments by now. He came onto this not knowing if it would work but he hoped for the best and expected the worst.
The worst being having to go back to his life before. He was happy, he was more than happy but something always felt missing. Someone always felt missing.
Sure he had Pepper and now he had his daughter, but he didn’t have Peter.
The boy who he came to think of as a son in the short short amount of time that the two knew each other and then had to watch his child die in his arms.
Pepper knew Peter’s dusting had hit him hard. Hard was an understatement.
She saw first hand how badly Peter’s death had hit him and he tried so hard to be better. He wanted to be better and move on but it was impossible even for Iron Man. Who couldn’t protect his child. He couldn’t save him.
So they moved to the cabin by the lake and started the simple life.
Tony trashed all his suits but he couldn’t stop himself from going down to the lab and tinkering away like he used to all the time back in the tower.
Tony and Pepper had a baby girl and that helped to take his mind off of what his life used to be like before the snap. Things were good for the most part.
Tony still had bad days but that was expected. He was mourning the loss of his kid for longer than he even knew him.
That’s why, ten years later when Tony had the chance to reverse the snap and bring everyone back, he jumped at it.
There was a lot to risk but all of that was worth it even if it gave him the slightest chance to see his kid again.
Even one last time.
What Tony was not expecting was for it to actually work. He had thought about the chances of it working and him getting to see his kid but it all still felt unreal.
For the past ten years he mourned the loss of a child that he thought he was never going to see again but now here he was, possibly minutes away from seeing his kid.
Tony was only half focused on the battle. All he could think about was the fact that he had a kid out there and Peter could be in danger.
Everything was going to hell and Tony was flying up above most of the battle to try and look for Peter while also killing off some of Thanos’ army in the process.
Tony spotted Sam, the first person to see that got dusted so he got down to him and landed right in front of him, shooting off a Squidward looking creature in the process. “Sam!”
Sam stopped and looked at Tony before pulling him into an uncomfortable hug. “Dude. What the fuck is happening?!”
Tony pulled away and looked at him. He looked different. Younger. A lot younger, as if Sam had a younger brother and Tony was talking to him.
Tony just figured that he hadn’t seen the man in ten years so he was the old one. He knew he looked noticeably older.
They didn’t have time to talk to each other because there were explosions going off all around the two of them so they both went off in separate directions. Tony kept his eyes out for Peter but he still couldn’t see his kid.
It was when Tony spotted Dr Strange that he landed right in front of the man and looked wildly around for Peter. They were together when the snap happened so maybe Peter stayed close to the man.
“Strange! Where’s Peter?” Tony asked, desperately.
Strange was using his magic to keep the explosions away from him and Tony as he answered. “The Spider-Man?”
“Spider-Man, yes. Where is he?” Tony shifted on his feet so he could stand directly in front of Stephen. He also noticed that he looked different and maybe if his mind wasn’t so focused on where Peter was then he would have connected the dots but he didn’t.
“Tony. Something’s wrong.” Stephen looked at him with this look on his that held so much regret.
Tony felt his heart speed up. Bruce’s snap had worked. Why would Stephen say that? Before anyone else could speak, part of Thanos’ army came charging at them so Tony flew above to rain down on them until there was no one left but Stephen standing right under him.
It didn’t look like they were winning but it also didn’t look like they were losing. Tony landed on the ground on some rubble and took a few steps forward.
It had been quite a long time and he’s seen everyone but Peter.
He wouldn’t be so scared if Strange hadn’t told him that something was wrong. Of course something had to go wrong because the universe just had to keep making him suffer.
Just then, Tony heard what he thought he would never hear again.
“Mr. Stark.”
The voice sounded small and scared but Tony knew that voice. That voice belonged to his kid. He turned around so quickly that he was sure he got whiplash but when he turned around, he didn’t see his kid.
“Peter? It’s me.” Tony said and started walking forwards but so much was happening all around them so it was hard to listen to his kids voice.
Tony remembered how scared Peter was back on Titan before he turned to dust so Tony could only imagine how scared Peter would be now and he needed to protect him. “Peter!”
“Mr. Stark! I don- I don’t know what happened to me.” Came Peter’s voice but something was off about it. Tony knew that Peter always had a higher pitched voice but this was… childish.
“Pete, where are you?” Tony rushed over the pile of concrete and rubble and then spotted what he waited ten years to see. Peter.
The kid was standing at the bottle of the pile of rubble and looking up at Tony but as soon as Tony laid his eyes on him, he could see that something was wrong.
He thought back to what Stephen said but pushed that to the back of his mind. He stumbled clumsy down the rubble and stopped just in front of Peter.
Peter was looking up at Tony with his wide brown eyes but this wasn’t his Peter. This was an actual child. Tony kneeled down in his Iron Man suit that Peter barely reached up to his knees when standing in it so he kneeled down and looked at his kid.
“Peter?” Tony said, unbelieving. This couldn’t be his kid, Peter was a fifteen year old that didn’t require Tony to kneel down to be at his height.
Peter nodded his head and Tony saw his bottom lip tremble. “I-I woke up and you were gone but Mr. Dr Strange was there and he said I gotta come with him but-but something's wrong.”
Tony didn’t listen to him anymore. He reached forward and pulled Peter against his chest, wrapping his arms around his delicate frame.
It had been too long. Way too long.
When Tony pulled away, he looked at Peter’s face. He definitely wasn’t fifteen years old. From Tony’s knowledge of children from having one daughter, he would say Peter is anywhere between four and six.
Tony cupped his cheek and it was as if the whole world disappeared around them. They were the only two that mattered in that moment.
Peter leaned against his touch and closed his eyes then Tony looked down at the rest of his body and saw how tiny he was.
His suit had shrunk down with him and Tony could only assume that his spandex suit that he was wearing underneath shrunk down as well and whatever was under that.
He looked back up at Peter’s face and gave him a reassuring smile before he pressed the small button on his mask that only worked for him, and Peter. The mask closed around his face and Tony stood up.
He closed his own mask as well and looked down at Peter who was still looking up at him. “I have to get you out of here.”
Tony started walking just to see where he was going to take Peter. The whole Compound was a battlefield and there was no place safe.
“Mr. Stark? What’s happening?” Peter asked and tried to follow Tony up the rubble pile where he came from but he was having a hard time catching his balance and he felt extremely weak.
Tony didn’t answer him so he got to his side and tapped his suit leg. That was what the problem was. Peter knew he was supposed to be tapping against his arm, not his leg but he couldn’t reach Tony's arms from all the way down there.
Tony didn’t have many choices. The whole Compound was destroyed so it’s not like he could just bring Peter to the Compound and keep him there.
He turned around to look down at Peter and then held his hand out for him. “I’m picking you up and taking you somewhere until this is all over.”
Tony picked Peter up and flew into the air. He couldn’t have Peter die after everything he did to bring him back.
“No, Mr. Stark. Let me help! I can help!” Peter squirmed in his arms but Tony only held him tighter. He knew Peter’s suit would keep him from getting crushed.
“Peter, you barely reach my kneecap. I don’t know what the hell is going on but something isn’t right so until then, you are not staying here.” Tony told him as he flew above everything. He knew he could fly Peter back to the cabin where Morgan and Happy were and stay there, away from everything but he couldn’t do that.
He had to finish what he started.
“Please. Let me help. We’re in this together, remember?” Peter tried to say but his voice sounded wrong. “Mr. Stark. Please. Let me help!”
Tony landed on the other side of the lake, away from the battle. He placed Peter on his feet and kneeled down in front of him again. “Peter, buddy. I need you to stay safe. I-I can’t lose you again, okay? Please.”
Peter reached for him before dropping his arms to his side. “You’re leaving me! We’re supposed to fight together.”
Tony nodded. “I know but not this time.”
“Please. Tony. Please let me help.” Peter’s voice shook and Tony hated hearing that. Especially since he was so small and breakable. He looked at his kid, he couldn’t see his face since it was hidden behind the mask and maybe that was for the better because that was the first time he heard Peter call him Tony.
“I’m sorry.” Tony went to stand up but he paused. “He couldn’t leave without Peter knowing what he failed to say to him so many times. “I love you, kid. I need you to know that.”
Peter froze and then nodded his head. “I-I love you too, Mr. Stark.”
With that, Tony stood up and flew away, leaving Peter alone.
Peter hated that he felt like breaking down and crying.
He opened his face mask and looked in the direction where Tony flew to. He could still make out the Iron Man flying in the air and back into battle.
He hated that because he needed to be there with Tony and fighting by his side but instead he was stranded near the edge of a forest.
Peter sat down on the grass and looked at his hands. They were extremely tiny even underneath the Iron Spider suit. He examined them closely but then he caught sight of his legs and shifted them a bit on the grass, seeing how short they were.
Peter let out a puff of air and looked in front of him at all the smoke and dust. He could see and hear what was going on and it was even more terrifying than being in the middle of the battle since he wasn’t sure what was going on and if Tony was alive or not.
The thought of Tony dying had him letting out a small whimper.
He turned away from the battlefield and looked in the direction of the forest so he didn’t look at it. He felt his thumb travel up to his mouth but he quickly stopped himself. What the hell. He hadn’t sucked his thumb in years.
Not thinking too much of it, Peter focused on other things. The last thing he remembered was that he was on Titan with Tony but then he turned to dust and Tony didn’t.
Peter wondered where his Aunt May was. Did she turn to dust with him? If she did turn to dust then Peter wondered where she was, maybe she was running around and looking for him.
But if she didn’t turn to dust then she was probably worried sick wondering what happened to him. Either way he had to see her.
Peter then thought about Pepper. He hadn’t seen her on the battlefield but he knew that she had to have been there, right? If he was and Tony was then she had to have too.
And Ned? There were so many questions that he had but no one to answer them for him.
Peter heard a lot of gunshots going off so he turned around to see a huge explosion blow up in the sky. It was definitely the big bad guys ship but someone was flying through it.
He hoped that wasn’t Tony. It couldn’t be him because that was way too dangerous. Peter watched on with wide eyes and stood up in the process to try and see more but he couldn’t.
Peter wanted to know what was going on but he couldn’t see anything and all he heard was telling him that he needed to be there so he could do something but instead he was stranded.
All of the sudden, there was a white bright light lighting up the sky, Peter turned away from it because it hurt to look at and as soon as it came, it was gone.
Everything went silent in an instant.
Peter could feel something was wrong, more like an uneasy feeling but he didn’t like it.
Peter wasn’t sure how long he waited for but it felt like way too long before he saw something flying towards him.
He squinted his eyes and watched the figure fly towards him and when he saw that it was Iron Man, he felt tears burn his eyes. He wanted Tony to hold him and just tell him that everything was going to be okay.
Peter found himself reaching up for the man but then stopped himself. He didn’t know why he was doing that.
Tony landed with a thud and immediately stepped out of his suit. Peter stepped towards him and reached his arms out for Tony to pull him into his arms again once he kneeled down to be at his height level.
“Hey, Pete. Everything’s gonna be okay. I’ve got you.” Tony buried his face into Peter’s soft curls, noticing that he had a lot more than he was used to.
“I was so scared.” Peter admitted in a small voice and hugged Tony back.
“I know. I know. It’s okay now.” Tony reassured the child. His child.
They stayed like that for a few more minutes, both of them enjoying each other’s company until Tony was pulling away and cupping Peter’s very chubby cheek.
“I’m gonna pick you back up and we’re gonna go back, okay? I promise you it’s safe now and I’m never gonna let anything bad happen to you ever again.” Tony promised his kid and he knew he could keep that promise.
Peter nodded his head just as Tony pressed his face mask to cover his face then he was stepping into his suit and lifting Peter back into his arms.
Peter clung tightly onto Tony as they flew through the air. He trusted Tony and knew that he wasn’t going to be dropped but he was content to be in the man’s arms even if there were three suits between the two.
Once Tony landed, he placed Peter back on the ground of the battlefield but there weren’t anymore aliens attacking them or gunshots going off.
Peter resisted the urge to grab onto Tony’s leg as he walked but he stopped himself. That was weird.
Tony kept walking towards where everyone had gathered around. Some were hugging, some were cheering and others were talking to each other with a serious look on their faces.
“We did it!” Tony announced but then everyone stopped and turned to look at him with concern on their faces. Tony subconsciously pulled the small child closer to himself but he couldn’t put his arms around his shoulders anymore so he gently grabbed him by the head. “What?”
Pepper rushed towards him. She kept glancing down at Peter but he settled for staring at Tony’s face. Tony felt his heart speed up once again. She was looking at him with so much concern and he hated that.
“Pep? What is it?” He asked, now scared of the answer.
She sighed and cupped his face. “Oh Tony. Your face… you…”
Pepper trailed off and Tony brought a hand up to touch his face. Then Stephen Strange was walking towards him with that same look on his face from before.
“Stark. Everyone that got dusted came back ten years younger,” Strange explained and then glanced down at Peter who was half hiding behind Tony’s legs. “as you know. It’s not noticeable for everyone else because they were already adults but the kid was only fifteen so now… well now he’s five.”
Tony stared at Stephen for a few seconds. He knew that. Obviously but it was really starting to click for him now. First Sam then Stephen and then the fact that Peter is the size of a literal baby.
He could tell there was something else. “What else you not telling me?”
Pepper looked away as the wizard started speaking. “Stark, when you took the infinity stones from Thanos and did the snap, it aged you back ten years as well.”
Tony didn’t understand. He was ten years younger now? Then how come Bruce didn’t age down ten years as well? It made no sense.
He turned to Pepper. “Pep? Am I…”
Pepper nodded her head and gave Tony a weak smile. “Yeah. You are. Now I’m the older one.”
Tony smiled weakly at her. Now she was six years older than him. Not that it mattered or would change anything but it was just… strange.
She glanced down at Peter and then up and Tony. He nodded his head so she kneeled down and looked at him.
Peter removed the face mask so she could look at him and then Pepper smiled and covered her hand over her mouth. “Oh. Look at you.”
“Hi Pepper.” Peter smiled at her.
She removed her own hand from her face to cup his cheek like Tony had done to him and Peter found himself leaning into the touch once again, dying for some physical comfort that wasn’t through suits.
“You’re so young. Oh my god.” Pepper half said to herself.
Peter didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know what he looked like but he knew it was a huge difference. He looked up at Tony, silently asking him to do something and he must have gotten the hint because he started to speak.
“Alright! Listen up! Until we can figure out what to do next, there is another Avengers facility about twenty minutes from here. We’ll all go there and take care of injuries and count casualties while we figure out what the hell to do next.” Tony ordered everyone who could hear him. The rest would pick up on it and meet them there.
They had a lot to take care of but the most important thing in that moment was that he had his kid back and in his arms once again.