"Mr. Stark?"
Tony immediately started sobbing, but managed to speak through tears.
"Peter-son, oh my god- Oh MY GOD- I'm so sorry I couldn't- Where are you?"
Peter hesitates, "Uhm.. Mr. Stark, i'm not really sure. Just, please keep talking. Guys, it's Mr. Stark! Everyone come here, quickly!"
Tony can hear a group of familiar voices from outside the mask. Sam, Bucky, Doctor Strange, And others. Tony keeps talking as Peter requested.
"Peter, oh my god I'm so sorry I couldn't get to you sooner. I promise I was trying as hard as I could but nothing I did was working and I thought I had lost you-"
"Mr. Stark, this is kind of not what I meant when I said keep talking. You're freaking yourself out!" The voice is panicked but relieved. "I missed you. I'm just... I'm super happy you found a way to talk to me, Mr. Stark. It.. It was scary without you."
"I know, kid. Can you do me a favour?"
"Of course, Mr. Stark."
"Don't ever call me 'Mr. Stark' again."
"Okay." There is silence. "Can.. Can I call you dad? Nevermind. It was a stupid thing to ask, I'm obviously imposing-"
"Yes. You can call me dad. Just-Peter, do you know if you're safe?"
"Not really, Mr. Stark."
"Tell me your surroundings."
"It's- It's weird. When I look up it's orange, with some purple-ish clouds, I guess. When I look to my left and right, all I see is land. It stretches out like an endless plain, really. It's been that way for a few days. We keep traveling, though."
"Who is we?"
"Well when i first- I don't know, got here? I was alone. Scared and in pain, I'm pretty sure I passed out from anxiety, I don't remember much. When I woke up, Doctor Strange? The wizard guy? Was standing over me and using his green space powers to wake me up, I think."
"Okay," Tony says slowly. "Okay. What happened next?"
"I was too weak to walk. Energized, because I think I slept for a long time, but weak. Doctor Strange's cape.. cloak? wrapped around me and kind of made me float around next to Stephen. That's his name, by the way. Stephen Strange? He has phd's and stuff."
Tony was breathing in every word Peter said. He felt himself slowly becoming whole again. This was Peter in real time. Talking, breathing, and just barely living. He needed to find a way to get him out. "And then?" He asked.
"We walked for days. Weeks, maybe, trying to find other people. We helped some panicking civilians. Eventually we found Bucky, but I didn't get along with him until maybe a few weeks. We're kind of okay now I guess. Then we found Wanda, who might need some help when we get back to earth. She's chronically depressed and can barely move most days." His voice is sad.
"Then we found The Falcon, whose name is Sam. I think he hates me, but I don't know for sure. Then we found T'challa. We're looking for the Guardians next. Hey, Dad?"
"Yes, Peter?" Tony said. It felt so good to have those words pass his tongue again.
"How... How are you going to get us out of here?"
Tony let's a tear stroll down his face.
"I don't know, Peter. I don't know."
XXXX
That night Tony finally got some well-deserved sleep. He slept the closest to Peter he could, whether it be in the sanctuary doesn't matter to him.
He wakes up early in the morning by getting a call. From Peter's suit. He answers right away.
"Kid?"
Peter breathes harshly. "Hey, dad. Could-Could you send-" he takes a shuddering breath.
"Peter? What's wrong?" The voice is stern but it's shaking.
"I-can't-breathe-"
Tony understands now. "Yes you can, Peter. Breathe with me, okay? In, out. In, out."
They do this for a while until Peter is okay again. It's quiet until Peter speaks in a quiet voice.
"It's my birthday today."
Tony's heart breaks.
Why did the world have to be so cruel? Why did the world look at this innocent, intelligent, curly haired nerdy boy and pick him to torture? Why couldn't Tony spend his kid's birthday with him, and give him the latest LEGO set and put birthday cake frosting on his nose?
It was unfair.
"I'm so sorry, Peter. I wish more than anything for you to be here with me and May and Ned, playing MarioKart and eating endless amounts of sugar. You don't deserve this."
"Do you think you could send me a birthday present?"
"Depends on what you'd like, Peter."
"Can you send me audio clips of you, Ned's, and May's heartbeat? Is that weird?"
"Of course not, Peter. I'll try to get them to you as soon as possible, okay?"
"Thank you, dad. Tell them I miss them, will you?" His voice is sad.
"I will."
XXXXX
Two months have gone by. Tony has been working with Strange to find a way out, and they think they've cracked the case.
Tony has learned a lot about Peter in the two months. He's written them all down. Anything he can do to keep him tethered to Peter he has done.
Here's what it looks like:
Facts about Peter Benjamin Parker:
1. He favourite vine is the "you're my dad" vine because it reminds him of us
2. His hair is only curly when he wakes up and when his hair is wet, he hates his curly hair and is self conscious about it even though it's adorable
3. He likes oldies music and alternative, and lately rock because of you
4. He has a crush on this girl named Michelle, who "is super scary". He thinks that she might hate him for ditching a decathlon practice but probably not because who could hate Peter?
5. His favourite soda is Diet Coke
6. His favourite thing to do in the lab is engineering-do more with him when he gets back
7. He cant wait to give May a hug
8. He had to go through panic attacks alone
Alone.
XXXX
The plan worked. People should be rematerializing in exactly 1 minute and 35 seconds.
Tony thinks of everything that lead up to this.
The drinking.
The loss.
The anxiety and depression, all of the stress-
And for what?
To see Peter, of course. The scrawny teenager with brown doe eyes filled with innocence who has only ever done good. The one Tony has claimed as a son. The one who was stolen from him. The one he will and has done everything to get him back.
6
5
4
3
2
1
Tony watches as ex-friends and old friends rematerialize in front of him, but he doesn't care. He looks frantically around the lab, looking for familiar brown curls. Someone taps him on the shoulder. It's light and delicate. Tony freezes and slowly turns around.
Peter stands there, tears streaming down his face as he begins to sobs happily. Tony bites his lip but doesn't hold back sobbing either. They hug tightly, falling into each other and nobody can stop them. Nothing holding them back.
Finally they are together. Father and Son. Peter and Tony. Iron-Dad and Spider-Son. Nothing can tear them apart.
The world can't tear apart Tony Stark. They can curse at him, scream, blame, kick, punch, but it won't faze him.
And even then, somehow, this boy curling onto him like a baby holding a teddy bear can destroy him. But not in the way you'd expect, no. He uses the most dangerous weapon of all.
The love of a father for his son.
Fin