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“No!”
Peter knew the moment Tony let the gauntlet fuse with his arm that it would kill him.
He broke into a sprint, desperation fueling every step, but he was too late.
“I am Iron Man.”
Tony snapped.
The sound echoed through Peter’s chest. He knew instantly what it meant. His mentor, his father…was gone.
So Peter watched.
He watched as Tony struggled to speak his final words to the love of his life. He listened as the rhythm of his heartbeat slowed… and then faded.
𝘽𝙖𝙙𝙪𝙢
𝘽𝙖𝙙𝙪𝙢
𝘽𝙖𝙙𝙪𝙢
…
Peter lowered his gaze as the Avengers began to bow.
He didn’t.
He didn’t need to because his knees had already hit the ground. He stayed there, shaking, cursing Thanos, cursing the world… cursing Tony.
Tony left him.
Medics rushed forward, lifting Tony onto a stretcher. Peter couldn’t bear to look any longer. Those lifeless eyes would haunt him forever.
With one last burst of strength, Peter forced himself to stand. A web shot from his wrist—and then another, and another, and another. He didn’t stop.
Not until his arms went numb.
Not until he reached Queens.
He took himself to the one place that was supposed to feel safe.
But it didn’t.
His mind was blank, yet somehow full, images of Tony staring into nothing, the faint, fading sound of his final heartbeat.
Peter collapsed onto a deserted rooftop, legs dangling over the edge.
And he cried.
~~~~~~~
Tony woke in the Avengers’ medical bay, surrounded by worried faces.
He tried to speak, but his throat burned.
“Don’t talk, honey,” Pepper said gently.
Still, he rasped, “What… happened?”
Steve stepped forward. “You snapped, Tony.”
Clint nodded from the side. “You saved us.”
Tony gave a weak, familiar smirk. “Yeah… someone had to do it.”
Pepper exhaled shakily.
Then Tony turned to her. “Where’s the kid? Is he okay?”
Pepper froze. Her eyes widened.
“Has anyone told Peter that you’re alive?”
The room fell silent. The Avengers shifted uncomfortably.
Bruce cleared his throat. “We… don’t actually know where he is. He left right after you—well… died.”
Tony’s expression darkened instantly.
“You don’t know where he is?” he snapped.
Then, quieter—more dangerous: “And he thinks I’m dead?”
No one answered.
“Find him. Now.”
The Avengers rushed out, some already pulling out their phones.
Tony sagged back against Pepper, exhaustion overtaking him. She gently stroked his hair, waiting.
“Pepper…” he whispered hoarsely. “My kid is out there. Alone.”
“I did all of this for him.”
“I know, Tony,” she murmured softly.
~~~~~~~
Peter wandered through Queens, barely aware of his surroundings. He ignored the people calling out “Spider-Man!”, ignored the cheers, the voices, the world itself.
He was lost in his thoughts.
What was he supposed to do now?
May wouldn’t understand. She had lost someone too..but this was different.
Was Tony ever really his father?
Did Tony see him as a son?
What was he supposed to do without him?
The questions circled endlessly, with no answers.
He walked until night fell.
Unable to face May, unable to admit that he had failed Tony, Peter slipped into a dark alley and sank to the ground.
Exhaustion overtook him quickly.
For once, sleep came easily.
At least in sleep, he didn’t have to feel the crushing weight of guilt pressing down on his chest.
~~~~~~~
May paced the small living room, her phone clutched tightly in her hand.
Something was wrong.
Peter should have been home by now. He always called. Always texted. Always something.
But now there was nothing.
Her hands trembled as she scrolled through her contacts before pressing call.
It rang once.
Twice.
Then,
“May?”
Her breath hitched. “Tony?”
There was a pause on the other end. “…Yeah.”
May’s voice broke. “Tony, where is Peter? He hasn’t come home. He’s not answering his phone. He wouldn’t just disappear like this, not after…” She swallowed hard. “Not after what happened to you.”
Tony’s chest tightened.
“He thinks I’m dead,” he said quietly.
Silence.
“What?” May whispered.
“I need you to come to the compound,” Tony said, his voice steadier now, slipping into control. “Happy will pick you up. We’re going to find him.”
May didn’t hesitate. “I’m coming.”
~~~~~~~
Natasha moved silently through the streets of Queens, her sharp eyes scanning every shadow, every rooftop, every alley.
Peter wasn’t hard to track.
He hadn’t been trying to hide.
That, more than anything, unsettled her.
She turned a corner and stopped.
There he was.
Curled up in a dark alley, half-hidden behind a dumpster, still in his suit. His mask lay loose in his hand. His face was streaked with dried tears, his breathing uneven even in sleep.
For a moment, Natasha simply watched him.
A kid.
Just a kid.
Her expression softened slightly.
She stepped forward carefully. “Hey… kid.”
No response.
She crouched beside him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Peter.”
He flinched.
His eyes snapped open, wide and panicked. For a split second, he looked ready to fight until recognition set in.
“…Nat?”
“Yeah,” she said softly. “It’s me.”
He blinked, disoriented. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep. I just…”
“You don’t have to explain,” she said gently. “Come on. Let’s get you somewhere safe.”
Something in his face cracked.
“I couldn’t stay,” he whispered. “I couldn’t go home.”
Natasha nodded. “I understend”
He didn’t argue when she helped him up.
He didn’t resist when she guided him toward the Quinjet.
~~~
The med bay doors slid open with a soft hiss.
Natasha stepped inside first, Peter just behind her.
Peter kept his gaze low, staring at the floor.
“I found him,” Natasha said simply.
Tony turned.
The room went still.
Peter frowned slightly, confused by the silence. Slowly, hesitantly, he lifted his head.
And froze.
No.
That was not possible.
His breath caught.
Tony stood there. Pale. Exhausted. Alive.
Peter took a step back.
“…No,” he whispered.
No one moved.
“No, that’s not…” His voice shook. “You… you died. I saw you.”
Tony took a step forward. “Kid…”
Peter flinched.
“Don’t,” he said quickly, panic rising. “Don’t do that. I h-heard your heart stop!”
His eyes darted around the room, searching for something that made sense.
“This isn’t real,” he muttered. “This isn’t real. I’m dreaming. Or I hit my head or something.”
“Peter,” Tony said again, softer this time.
Peter shook his head hard. “No. No, you don’t get to…” His voice broke. “You don’t get to sound like him.”
Silence settled over the room.
Tony’s expression cracked.
“I’m here,” he said quietly. “I’m right here, kid.”
Peter stared at him, his vision blurring.
Then Tony closed the distance.
He didn’t rush it. He just stepped forward and pulled Peter into him.
For a second, Peter went completely still.
Like he didn’t know what to do.
Then he broke.
His hands grabbed onto Tony’s shirt, clutching it like it might disappear. He buried his face into Tony’s shoulder, his whole body shaking as the sobs hit him all at once.
“You’re here,” Peter choked out. “You’re actually here.”
“Yeah, kid,” Tony murmured, holding him tighter. “I’m here.”
“I thought…” Peter’s voice cracked. “I thought you left. I thought I was alone.”
Tony shut his eyes, guilt hitting hard. “Hey. No. Not happening. Not on my watch.”
Peter pulled back slightly, just enough to look at him, his eyes red and unfocused.
“I didn’t know what to do,” he admitted. “I couldn’t go home. I couldn’t face May. I couldn’t… I couldn’t think.”
Tony softened, one hand coming up to steady the back of Peter’s head.
“You don’t have to have it all figured out,” he said. “You’re allowed to fall apart a little. Honestly, you’ve earned it.”
Peter let out a shaky breath. “What if I mess everything up? What if I’m not… what if I’m not what you thought I was?”
Tony frowned slightly. “And what exactly do you think I thought you were?”
Peter hesitated, then looked down. “Better. Stronger. Someone who could handle this.”
Tony let out a quiet huff, not quite a laugh. “Kid, I snapped half the universe back and still almost managed to screw everything up. Trust me, there’s no ‘perfect’ here.”
Peter gave a weak, tearful smile.
“I’m serious,” Tony continued. “You being scared? That means you care. You questioning yourself? That means you’re trying to do the right thing. That’s exactly who I thought you were.”
Peter’s grip on him tightened again.
“I just… I didn’t want to lose you,” he whispered.
Tony’s voice softened. “Yeah. Well. Same goes both ways.”
At the doorway, May stood frozen.
Happy rested a hand on her shoulder, but she barely noticed.
Her eyes were locked on Peter.
“Peter?” she said softly.
Peter stiffened, then turned.
“Aunt May…”
The second he said it, she crossed the room and pulled him into a tight hug, one hand cradling the back of his head.
“Don’t you ever do that to me again,” she said, her voice shaking. “I was so worried.”
“I’m sorry,” Peter mumbled against her shoulder. “I didn’t know how to come home.”
May pulled back just enough to look at him, brushing his hair back. “You don’t have to know. You just have to come back.”
Peter nodded, his eyes filling again.
May glanced over at Tony, relief washing over her face. “And you…” she exhaled, almost laughing through the tears. “You really need to stop scaring us like that.”
Tony gave a tired smile. “Working on it.”
Peter looked between them, something in his chest finally settling.
For the first time since the snap, the weight eased.
He wasn’t alone.
Not anymore.