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1 month after the death of Spider-Man, it was up to Tony and Harley to plan his public and private funeral, it was relatively easy to plan the public one.
Rent out Central Park, set up a memorial, say a few words, mourn.
But the private funeral, the funeral meant for Peter Parker, was a much more strenuous affair.
Tony needed to reach out to family and friends, find a quiet chapel, a nice cemetery, chose his space, pick a headstone, chose the coffin, choose his final suit, face the corpse.
Harley wouldn’t be much help, he was too beaten by the idea that he had to do any this, that he had to relish in the fact that Peter was gone, after being together consistently for 5 years, he was gone.
When they got married last year, Peter had promised in his vows to love him in sickness and death, and as typical as the saying is, Harley thought back to it months after the ceremony, simply because his anxiety knew death was prominent and almost promised to Peter just for the simple fact he is a public hero.
Harley thought about everything, including what his life would look like if he was left alone, and he just imagined it’d be darkness since he wouldn’t be too far behind Peter, but Tony insisted having him be under constant supervision, so he was unfortunately safe for now.
But now, he was left with the choice of a navy blue or burgundy red vest to bury Peter in, the colors made his stomach churn, the smell of the fresh fabric gagged him, and the idea of Peter being in a uncomfortable suit and tie in death made his head spin
“and of course, we have a combination option with the ‘dearly missed’ package that includes a mix and match of-“ Tony stepped in as he felt Harley’s presence become more distant
“How about we circle back another day, it’s getting late” the salesman looked at his watch and smiled with ease.
“Of course Mr. Stark, there’s never a rush with these type of things, please take your time to decide-“
“Right, thanks, goodbye”
Tony ushered Harley out the gothic yet sleek building, revealing the upcoming storm clouds that were bound to enclose the city with fog and rain, the smell settled his nausea but still made him dizzy.
“Hey, don’t worry, we don’t have to rush anything” Tony slung a arm around Harley’s shoulders, shifting his coat to fall to the sides, but he couldn’t be bothered to fix it.
“I know, I just- why don’t you come back by yourself tomorrow, I don’t think-“ Another wave of fluidity in his stomach made him hunch over into Tony’s side, he might really be getting sick.
“Kid I could, but it would be nice-“ Harley looks up, giving Tony a knowing look.
“It won’t be nice if I puke on the poor guy’s floor, I’m not going back in there, it stinks” he better steadied himself, power walking ahead of Tony to avoid his banter soon to come.
“Harley, seriously, I want you to-“ Tony tried to grab the blonde’s arm, but he slapped him away.
“No, no, it’s up to me, I know I have to make decisions, but I- I can’t, Tony I can’t just-, it’s not-“ His nausea finally stopped, but mainly because he threw up his breakfast in a nearby trash can.
“Oh god kid”
Tony held his back, rubbing circles into it, and using his other hand to push back Harley’s curls, which he left to grow out to his neck in the last month. Once the kid finally lifted his head back up, wiping any excess vomit on the back of his knitted glove, he gave a more irritated look at Tony now.
“I told you, it’s not a good idea, let me go home and you can go finish- anything else.” He slightly pushed Tony away from him and moved through the crowd faster than Tony could reply. He would just have to let Harley go home. Tony knows it’s hardest on him, a newly widower, so he would rather do it all on his own anyways, but Marcy had insisted he at least made sure with the kid that everything was to his favor, Marcy said it was the best way to show he was still important and alive.
Marcy was too come up state with Abby this next week, so it would suck if she came and saw Tony making all the decisions, so he wanted Harley to at least pick out the final outfit, and yet, he only managed to get the kid to decide to throw up in a city trash bin, great. He figured he would just ask questions discreetly and make a choice upon that. Right now he needed to make sure Harley made it home, and he did, he actually made it to the lab today.
He hadn’t been down there in the past months, so nothing was changed post-battle, including any little messages left behind. Tony went around the city, he found a nice caterer, a boutique to do the flower arrangements, and a little something he hoped Harley would like. By the end of the afternoon it had began pouring outside, so it was time for Tony to head back at around 2:56. When he called Happy to pick him up he had asked about the kid.
“Yeah I saw him go down there about an hour ago, but he hasn’t been back up yet, I assumed he just wanted to be alone so I just left him, Friday says he’s just been going through equipment down there.”
Tony hums at this, he wasn’t trying to hurt himself, but he wasn’t really doing anything either. While it had concerned Tony, he didn’t question it.
“Okay, can you offer him food, maybe water, he threw up earlier and then left, couldn’t even ask if he was okay after it all”
“Yikes, it was that bad?” Tony slumped against a park bench, hiding from the rain with multiple shopping bags.
“Yup, I felt pretty great after that too”
“Tones you know it’s not your fault”
“Yeah but I should be doing more for him, and I-, I mean it is kinda my fault, at the end of the day.”
“Hey, don’t say that, I’m down the street right now don’t go jumping into ongoing traffic”
“No promises” Once Tony is picked up, he tries to beeline to Harley. He wants to apologize, give him his gift, and offer a sort of lunch, hopefully to help his stomach. When Tony entered the lab, he did in fact find Harley just sitting there, holding what seems to be a hologram stand, maybe something he found.
Tony pushed a work stool next to Harley and sat “Hey” he’s met with some silence, before Harley looked over with red eyes, a bitter expression resting behind his sadden one.
“Hey” despite being near the basement, you could hear the rain pounding on the compound ceiling “Harley-“
“I blame you”
The interruption made Tony pause, but ask.
“What?”
A beat of silence passed again, rain roaring against the walls surrounding them, Harley didn’t even bother to look back at him, letting his hurting presence speak anything Tony missed in his last sentence.
“I blame you for Peter’s death, I blame you, Tony.”
He told Tony, in hopes he understood what was to come, after causing the death of Peter Parker.