Peter begs Mr. Stark to let him make just one call. It’s a highly unprofessional request considering their current location, but he allows it, assuming that the kid wants to speak to his aunt.
Tony often makes miscalculations, and this assumption is just one more to add to the list.
‘Hey, (Y/N)! I’m actually, uh, pretty relieved you didn’t pick up because I don’t know how I’d be able to talk to you at a time like this. Wherever you are, I hope you’re safe- everything seems to be hectic right now. Especially all the way up here. Oh! Up here, I mean space. I’m kinda in space. Like, right now. I was helping Mr. Stark fight some ugly looking alien guys and they abducted me. But don’t worry! I’m okay. Everyone is...okay. So, yeah, I’m in outer space. And I’m an Avenger. Now you get to brag and say you’re dating an actual, real-life Avenger.’
Peter wants to laugh but his mouth runs dry when his phone emits a sharp noise. The battery is low. He takes it back- he wants to hear your voice; now more than ever.
‘I don’t know what we’re going to do next. I’ll leave that up to Mr. Stark. I’m kind of just...sitting here, waiting for something to happen. And I’m thinking of you. I hope you’re thinking of me too, and that you’re not mad about me skipping our movie date tonight. You know I’d never miss out on spending time with you if I had the choice.’
For just a moment, he falls silent. Peter’s fingers twitch around his phone. There’s nothing he wants more than to be holding your hand, and the cold metal device he’s speaking into could never compare to you. He says the phrase that’s been burning his tongue for weeks.
‘...I love you. I guess that’s why I really wanted to call you. No matter how many bad guys I go up against, I’ll always be scared...and right now, I’m terrified of what’ll happen. So if anything not-so-great happens to me, I just want you to know how much I love you. I’m sorry that the first time I’m saying it is when I’m thousands of miles away from you. I can’t promise I’ll come back,’
Peter cringes. The mere thought of never being able to see your face again sends shivers down his spine and it takes all his strength not to start crying. He doesn’t want to break down in tears during this voicemail to you.
‘but I promise I’ll try to find my way back to you. I always have, and I always will.’
And then it’s too much to handle, and his eyes get watery and he’s knees get weak- despite the fact that he’s already sitting down, slumped against a wall. Peter is reduced to a sniffling mess. He can’t speak. All he can do is tear the phone away from his ear and wait until he finds his voice again.
He’d cry out loud, but that’d ruin his message to (Y/N). The poor girl would already be worrying by the time she gets this voicemail- Peter didn’t want her to hear him cry, too. Sobbing would also alert Tony, and he didn’t want to disappoint Mr. Stark. Spiderman had just been dubbed an Avenger; he didn’t want to be seen as weak.
By the time he’s calmed himself down, Peter utters another ‘I love you’. To be exact, he says the sweet phrase five more times, oblivious to the fact that his phone died long ago.
