Chapter Text
Peter’s small apartment was quiet — the kind of silence that felt like it was pressing in on him from all sides. The city outside buzzed faintly through the cracked window, but here, in this tiny room, it was just him. Alone. Invisible.
No friendly faces, no urgent texts, no one to remind him he existed. Because, to the world, Peter Parker was nothing. Forgotten. Erased.
His thumb hovered over his phone’s screen, the cold glow lighting up his tired face. The contact name stared back at him: Tony Stark.He swallowed the lump in his throat and typed a message, fingers trembling.
"Hey, Mr. Stark... I know you’re not really here, but—" He paused. What could he even say? "I messed up today. Missed a shot. Almost got someone hurt." He stared at the words like they were some kind of lifeline thrown into the void.
"I keep thinking, What would you do?
How do you handle the pressure?"
His chest tightened. "Sometimes it feels like the whole world expects me to be you. And I’m just… me." A beat. Then one last text.
"Wish I could hear one of your snarky comebacks right now. Or just… some advice. I’m trying, Tony. Really trying."
He set the phone down and stared at the wall, waiting for the inevitable silence.But then...
Buzz.
His heart stopped. He grabbed the phone like it was a lifeline and saw the message:
Tony:
"Hey, kid. You’re doing better than you think."
Peter blinked, disbelief crashing through his chest. His fingers shook as he stared at the screen. No way. No way. Tony was dead.
He refreshed the phone, then checked the signal. No glitches. No pranks. 'Maybe I’m losing it.' He texted back, hesitating.
"Tony? Is this some kind of joke?" Seconds felt like hours before the reply came.
Tony:
"No joke. Just... here."
Peter’s breath hitched. “Here” where? How? Why? He tried to convince himself it was a hallucination, a glitch, anything but real. But deep down, a fragile thread of hope began to spark.
For the first time in a long time, he wasn’t completely alone.