PETER
I stand a few paces away, staring at May's grave. I shuffle from foot to foot. My head aches.
'Hey kid.' I hear from behind me. I turn and see Tony stepping out of his suit, 'you okay?'
'I just assumed she'd be with Ben. I wanted to check.' I say, my voice catching, 'I haven't come here for a while. Someone bought flowers.'
'I come round every now and then.' He says, moving in beside me.
'You left them?' I ask.
'About a week ago. Yeah.'
'Thanks.'
'Course.' He replies, looking to me, 'Are you...you feeling okay?'
'I feel fine.' I say, and realise it's true, 'genuinely. I feel okay.'
'That's good to hear.' He says.
'I wanted to thank you.' I say suddenly, tripping over my words, 'for letting me live with you. And for helping me. For everything. I know this has...been messy. Really...really messy. But. Thank you.'
'You don't need to thank me for anything.' He says with complete sincerity.
'I wouldn't be here if not for you. After May. I...I just really...I thought I'd lost everyone.' I say, blinking the tears out of my eyes.
'It's a harsh world, Kid. And you deserve more than what you've been given. But I'm here, and you've always got a place with me and Pepper. We love having you.' He says, looking to May's grave, 'I know I can't replace May, or your parents, or anyone. But I'm here as long as you want me.'
I look at him, unsure how to react. A while passes as we both stare at May's grave. He puts his arm around me as he notices me crying a little, pulls me in towards him. Just slightly.
'I miss her.' I say, 'so much.'
'I know, Kid. I know.' He says, 'I lost my parents early. It gets hard, but then it gets better. It never stops hurting. Never. But it gets easier every day. I promise you it does.'
'Right now it sucks.' I say, wiping a tear away.
'Yeah. Yeah I guess it does.' He says, and I laugh a little. I'm so used to people comforting me, or trying to give me reasons to be happy. There's something so liberating in him acknowledging that it does suck right now. And that's okay.
We stand as we are for a while, and then he suggests we start to head back. Maybe stop somewhere for pizza. Go the long way home.
The end.
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The Stark Internship
FanfictionPeter Parker is left wondering why his Stark internship can't be what people believe it is. He begins to work alongside Tony as tensions arise in Peter's school - It becomes harder and harder to maintain his secret.
