CHEMICALS

i know it's all over

Tony Stark knew loneliness.

Sure, he knew a bunch of other feelings too, but he wasn't very good at communicating these emotions. He liked drowning them, instead.

Or rather, drowning himself, preferably in whiskey. He liked vodka too, though.

Most of the time of his life, he was lonely. He was surrounded so many people since childhood, but Tony knew better than anyone: one can feel heartbreakingly alone too when there are people around them.

He also hadn't had many friends.
Rhodes, for one, yeah. Tony often wondered, what kept the man on his side. He genuinely didn't know. Couldn't understand.

There was Pepper, the love of his life. Or, was she? His headache got worse.

Steve. He didn't want to think about the man.

He didn't want to think at all. After all, he knew who was a true friend in that cruel world of his. What was.

He poured himself another glass and took a sip, let the burning spread in his body. Then let his head fell on his desk.

FRIDAY's voice woke him up from his restless slumber.

"Sir. Please, wake up."

"What is it? The house's on fire?" A glance to his watch, he realized, he slept almost an hour.

"There's seems to be a situation at the university Mr. Parker attends."

Tony jerked his head up immediately. But then collapsed onto his desk again.

"Sir?"

"The kid's fucking Spider-Man, he can manage." Tony shrugged.

He hadn't heard a word from Peter since the last – disturbing – phone call he gave him. Which was almost four years ago.

The boy clearly stated he did not want anything to do with the Avengers again. Peter hadn't said why, but he wanted to cut his all ties with Tony and the SI. At first, Tony was angry. Worried. Then disappointed. And sad.

Someone left him, again.
Someone, he cared for deeply.

Sure, it would have been ridiculously easy to investigate, but he wanted to respect the boy's wishes.
The Team eventually moved back the Tower, and he had so many things to do, he let himself forget Peter. Not completely, but the acceptance took over the anger's place. It was the boy's right to do whatever he wanted. Maybe he overestimated Peter, and the fight in Germany had worse impact on the kid, than he had thought initially.

The others hadn't really asked about him, they didn't even know him in the first place. Steve and Bucky were the ones to occasionally joke about the kid, because they both fought him and they had to admit, the spider had potential.

Tony had told them that the kid was just a back-up, they wouldn't see him again. Maybe in the streets, fighting off robbers, but not in the big game. He didn't want it to be true, tough.

But it became true.

They hadn't met Peter, precisely, Spider-Man since the airport-fight in Germany.
They may have seen him jumping from rooftops or swinging skyscraper to skyscraper. They may have heard the boy's funny and sarcastic comments in a fight as they went by.

Tony had surely seen and heard him. He kept an eye on him ever since.

Tony didn't know much, though. He had just secretly opened a bottle of champagne on the day of Peter's graduation last year. He opened another one, when he heard Peter got accepted to the college of his dreams – with flying colours. Tony always knew he would be there, with or without his internship at Stark Industries.