Work Text:
Something didn’t feel right.
Tony blinked.
He was standing on a rooftop. New York, or at least somewhere that looked like it. That in itself was a jarring departure from the scorched battlefield he was lying on bare moments ago.
But most bizarre was the sight of Avengers Tower gleaming proud and tall in the summer light, as if not a day had passed since 2012.
Tony clutched at the handrail, disbelieving. This had to be some final trick of manipulation by the Reality Stone. If not by Thanos, then by some other being…
“It's not a trick, Tony.”
Tony spun around. Standing behind him was a guy, an easy smile on his face and hands tucked loosely into the pockets of an worn olive-green hoodie. Something about the twinkle in his eye seemed familiar.
Despite that, Tony readied himself into a fighting stance. There was no telling what kinds of traps a friendly face could conceal.
The guy nodded, unperturbed. “You can check for your arc reactor if you don’t believe me.”
Keeping one eye on the stranger, Tony peeled his shirt away and looked down at his chest. The skin was pristine and unscarred, like it had never known injury. Not just that, the constant ache in his chest that had never quite abated even after the surgery... Gone.
A chill ran down his spine. He really was dead.
Tamping down the tears threatening to spring, Tony looked around wildly to distract him. “I thought there'd be more baby angels.”
The guy chuckled. “Sounds tacky.”
“Who exactly are you again?”
“I'm your welcome wagon. Crossing over is a traumatic event for a lot of souls, so They usually send someone who had a connection to the newcomer to ease them in.”
“Connected? I don't even know who you are!” Tony snapped.
“Ah. Guess I should've introduced myself first.” The guy reached out for a handshake. “Ben Parker.”
Tony blinked, lost for words. “Oh.”
He could see it now, the same easygoing affability that Peter had always exuded. He even recognized the clothes Ben was wearing; the baggy green hoodie that Peter always seemed to be drowning in fit perfectly on Ben’s taller frame. And though Tony had met enough shapeshifting aliens and magical gems to write a thesis about, he knew that Ben was telling the truth about his identity.
“Yeah. That one.” Ben nodded patiently under the scrutiny. “Hey.”
Still reeling, Tony couldn’t help the first response that tumbled out of his mouth. “And all this time I thought your first name was ‘Uncle’.”
With a soft chuckle, Ben stepped up to join him looking at the Avengers Tower. “I cannot tell you how grateful I am for everything you’ve done for my nephew.”
“You watching me all this time on interdimensional Facetime?” Tony glanced at the man inquisitively. They were close to the same age: Tony could catch specklings of grey in Ben’s hair and more than a few lines on his face.
“I caught glimpses. Not as much as I wanted. Enough to get the gist of it.” Ben turned to Tony with a grin. “That was some real tough love you gave him over the Spider-Man stuff.”
“I was never trying to replace you,” Tony said quickly.
“I know,” Ben reassured him. “He had May to teach him how to be human. You taught him how to be a hero.”
Tony shook his head in denial and let out a self-deprecating laugh. “He was already one. All I did was give him a bunch of tools so he didn’t injure himself doing something reckless.” Tony looked down towards the streetlevel. There were no cars and pedestrians on the road, but it all felt so familiar. He could almost imagine Peter about to swing by any second.
“You should give yourself more credit. You were there for him at the time he most needed a Dad.” Ben’s smile turned sad. “Thank you.”
Tony wasn’t sure how to answer that, so he shoved his hands into pockets and looked at the city skyline. “That means a lot, coming from you.” Grudgingly, he spoke again. “Truth be told, I never thought I was cut out for the parent gig. Then I met Peter and it was the first time I realised that maybe. Maybe I could be a good...”
Tony gasped. The memory seared through his mind’s eye like a lightning bolt.
The battle. The infinity stones. His death.
The unspeakable pain radiating from his ruined arm had blotted almost all conscious thought from his mind, but he could remember every person who’d been with him at the end: Rhodey’s heartbreak written in every line of his face; Thor, silent and respectful; Steve weeping, tears carving pale streaks down his cheeks; Pepper, smiling, trying so hard to be strong, trying to let him go in peace, all against the sounds of Peter’s pleading, a child once more, begging him to please, please don't go…
Love you 3000. The last time he'd seen Morgan had been the night before the whole time heist. That last night had been his goodbye.
Panting, Tony staggered back till the guardrail hit his back, and he slid down to sit against it.
“Breathe. It's a lot to take in.” Ben joined him sitting on the ground.
Tony’s hands clenched on his knees. “I never got the chance to tell-”
“She knows.” Ben said kindly. “All of them do.”
Did they really?
Tony sighed, tipping his head back to rest against the concrete. Above him, the blue sky stretched endlessly up. Cloudless, it may as well have been an azure void. Empty and eternal.
Ben gave him a few minutes silence to allow it to fully sink in. Then he spoke again. “When I first got here, I was worried out of my mind for Peter. But then he met you, and you helped him on his way.” Ben put a hand on his shoulder, squeezed it firmly. “Morgan has so many people, all those super uncles, super aunts, and super cousins... she won’t ever be alone. And if Pepper is anything like May, she’s going to be just fine.”
“It’s just… I miss them so much. Everyone,” Tony whispered. The Avengers had been a whole family, and it seemed unfair that they’d all been together for so short a time before losing it.
Rhodey.
Bruce.
Natasha.
Steve. Tony drew in a deep breath. He’d never known another person who could aggravate him so much as the blond supersoldier, but he was glad they’d come to some sort of peace by the end. Still, they’d spent so many years fighting, it put an emptiness in his chest to imagine what might have been.
Ben looked towards the sky too, eyes thoughtful, murmuring, “A day doesn’t go by in this place where I don’t miss May and Peter.”
“I wanted to stay. Tried my best to hang on, but I couldn’t.” Tony dropped his gaze to his hands. He’d never met a problem he could build his way out of, but for once he felt entirely helpless. “I’d give anything to go back to them, but- I don’t have anything left to give.”
He'd once been the man with everything. Now all that had burned to ashes on the battlefield.
“Perhaps you’re not supposed to. None of us can go back. You left them, but you didn’t leave them helpless. You’re not Earth’s only protector, so maybe it’s time to let other people take care of it.” Ben said pragmatically.
“Impossible.” Tony muttered. He ran a hand through his hair agitatedly. “I can't just walk away, that would be-”
“Irresponsible?” Ben smiled to himself, clearly thinking of some private joke. “To hold the greatest power of the universe in your hand and to not be tempted, but do right by it - that's all anyone asks of a hero.”
“Is that what they’re calling it now?”
“Yes.” Ben replied simply. “Nobody can deny that you are, the tales of the final battle will be spoken of in all realms for ages to come.”
“Damn. Dead and still no escaping the paparazzi.” Tony said dryly, before giving himself a shake. “So what now?”
“All we can do now is live. Well-” Ben gestured around him. “Live, in a manner of speaking.”
Tony scoffed. “That is the worst way anyone’s told me to get a life.”
“We've had enough pain in life, why continue it in the after? We’ll all be together, eventually.” Ben got up, dusted himself off, before reaching out a hand “Come on, let's go get something to eat. There’s this place I know does great Thai food.”
“Do you guys have shawarmas in the afterlife?” Tony asked as Ben pulled him to his feet.
“I know just the place, I’ll introduce you to Stan.”
Following Ben’s lead, Tony followed him towards the stairs. In his chest, he could feel the constant tangle of fears that had plagued him for years wrestling with the slowly-growing relief that maybe, just maybe, things would be alright.
Maybe this was how it was supposed to be.
Turning back, Tony looked at the Avengers Tower one last time. The gleaming skyscraper, a golden memory of that peaceful time when they’d all been so perfectly, happily, together.
Tony smiled, a whispered promise on his lips. “Be seeing you soon.”
After all, goodbye wasn’t forever.