They were going on a “family road trip.”
They being Peter and his two dads, Tony and Steve.
Steve had planned the whole thing. First they would load up in the car early Monday morning, the first Monday of Spring Break. They would bring snacks and water and then set off on the long drive to Niagara Falls. Peter had always wanted to go.
Tony would sit in front, Steve in the front passengers seat, and Peter right behind Steve.
Steve, Peter, and Tony woke up at around 7 am on Monday which according to Tony was “way too effing early.” (only he didn’t use “effing”) Eventually the three piled into the car, Peter with a muffin, Steve with a banana, and Tony with a large black coffee and they set off on the long drive.
“Hey Papa? Will we get there soon? I’m really excited!” Peter asked Steve after a couple hours of driving.
Steve chuckled and turned to face Peter in his seat.
“We’re about halfway there, buddy.” He said over the loud music Tony was blaring to help him stay awake.
Peter nodded contently and turned back to his book. It was the third book of a series MJ had recommended to him called Chaos Walking. It was really, really good.
“They should definitely make a movie out of this.” Peter said to himself.
As Peter turned the 89th page of his book, he knew something was wrong. Not something in his book, but something in real life. Something was going to happen. Something bad.
“Um.. D-Dad?” Peter asked rather quietly.
“Hold up, Pete. I’ll talk in a second, there’s a lot of traffic here.” Tony replied calmly before returning all of his focus on the crazy traffic around him.
Peter felt the anxiety building up inside of him, like all the butterflies in his stomach were suddenly flying rapidly around his whole body. Peter felt the hair stand up on his arms, felt the pounding in his neck and his head. His spidey sense was going crazy. It was so disorienting Peter could hardly think straight.
“Dad? Something’s wrong. ” He tried again, louder this time in a desperate attempt to warn his father.
“Peter, I said not now! Can’t you see I’m b-”
That’s when Peter’s world slowed to a screeching halt.
All of that stuff people say about cars moving and flipping in “slow motion” during a car crash is complete bullshit.
Before Tony could finish his sentence, a huge semi truck had come out of nowhere at lightning speed, crashing right into the passenger side of the car.
——————— Tony ———————-
“Where am I?” Tony thought as he rubbed his swollen eyes before prying them open and glancing around at his surroundings.
He was still strapped to the car seat hanging upside down. Tony felt the blood rush to his head.
“Car crash. Fucking hell.” He remembered.
Miraculously he felt relatively fine, except for the sharp sting in his right wrist which was most definitely broken. Plus his head felt a little banged up. He must have a concussion, which is why he was having a little trouble remembering everything.
It was then that Tony remembered he hadn’t been alone in the car.
“STEVE?!?” Tony exclaimed as Tony quickly whipped his head around to his husband in the seat next to him fast enough to get whiplash.
Steve looked like shit. His clothes were ripped all over as he hung upside down in the beat up car. Purplish green bruises littered the right side of his body that Tony could see. Dried blood spilled over the sides of his cheeks and matted in his hair. Worst of all, he wasn’t awake.
“S-Steve? Steve?!?” Tony muttered, his voice lined with shock and concern. He reached his swollen wrist out carefully to shake his husband awake. That was if he was even still alive.
Tony grimaced at the pain that radiated up his arm from his wrist as he gently shook his husband. After a few moments, Steve finally opened his eyes.
Tony felt relief rush through his body. Steve was going to be okay. Hopefully. “Thank God.” He muttered quietly.
Tony realized that at some point he had to get down out of the car and be right side up again.
Tony carefully reached up to the seat belt and unclipped himself before falling to the ground with a grunt.
Next he went to help Steve out of the car. After this task was completed, he gently laid Steve on the concrete beside the car. His husband had fallen unconscious once again but Tony could see that his breathing was steady.
Then Tony remembered something else. Something that made his heart wrench.
They had been on their god dammed family road trip. Peter had been in the car too.
Tony didn’t hesitate before running back to Peter’s car door. Out of every place on the car, Peter’s door looked like it was in the worst condition. It was banged up and beaten to hell, and it had a huge indent in it.
Tony gripped the handle before pausing for a split second.
What was he going to see when he opened the door? Was Peter, his little boy, going to be seriously injured? Was he, Tony dared to think, even still alive?
Tony tried to push the thoughts away before yanking the door open.
If Tony thought that Steve looked bad, Peter looked a million times worse.
Tony could see his arm bent in the wrong direction. The deep gash in Peter’s forehead. He could see bruise on top of bruise. What was worse was all of the blood. It was like a blood drive had exploded in the back seat of the car. He could see the thick red blood matted in his son’s hair. Tony saw the blood covering his baby boy’s face and arms. Covering the seat. Dried in the book that Peter hadn’t stopped ranting about since he started reading it. The blood was everywhere.
“P-peter?” Tony whispered as he brought his hand gently up to Peter’s bruised face.
No response.
Tony let out a loud sob. Peter had gotten hurt as spider man before but not like this. Never like this.
Tony quickly and carefully unbuckled Peter like he had with Steve. Peter’s limp form fell into Tonwasy’s arms before he lowered Peter gently to the ground.
Tony brought two fingers in that were covered in blood- oh god, Peter’s blood- to his son’s neck in search for a pulse. It was there, weak but there. For how long, Tony didn’t know.
Tony let out another strangled sob as he took a look at both of the men he loved laid in front of him. Steve was going to be okay, but he was still pretty injured. And Peter, well Tony didn’t even know if Peter would make it through this day alive.
A series of thought went through Tony’s distraught mind.
Peter wasn’t going to get to graduate. To see his friends ever again. To ever see Niagara Falls. To even finish his god dammed book.
One last memory from before the car crash hit him hard. It was something that Peter had said.
“Dad? Something’s wrong.” Peter’s soft voice flooded his mind.
Holy shit.
Peter was trying to warn him.
Trying to warn his Dad of the eminent car crash.
And he had ignored Peter.
Twice.
None of this would’ve happened if he’d just listened to Peter.
And now, he might not ever get to tell his son that he loved him ever again.
With that, Tony passed out on the road next to his family, his mind overcome with guilt.