Endgame spoilers:
Do I really need to keep saying that?
Anywho.
Be warned.
Peter is Tony's adopted son.
The pain is everywhere, pulsing in his body, flaring through his blood.
His eyes are glassy, and staring blankly.
He can barely hear the kid- his kid, sobbing brokenly.
"It's me, dad, it's Peter."
As if I could forget you.
"You won, dad."
I wouldn't let you go that easily.
"You did it, dad, you did it-" then Peter's control crumpled, and he fell forward, sobbing openly into Tony's chest.
I want to hold you.
"Please, dad. Please."
Make you feel safe.
"Don't go-"
I'm sorry, Peter.
"Tony?"
He had no idea how he got there, but he was suddenly standing on a rippling surface, with two women in front of him.
One of them was green skinned, and she looked terrifying, the kind of terrifying that Pepper was when she got mad, the cross me and you'll regret it.
And the other-
"Hey Tony." Whispered Natasha Romanoff.
He pulled her into a hug, resting his cheek on her hair. "Nat, I-"
And she cut him off. "If you try to apologize, I will let Gamora strangle you."
A flash of memory shot through his mind.
"Where is Gamora?"
"I'll do you one better, who is Gamora?"
"I'll do you one better. Why is Gamora."
"Okay, got it. No apologies."
---------------
Peter met Morgan only once before the funeral.
Pepper had to go to a meeting, and had no other options, so she asked him to babysit.
He agreed, and that was how he found himself sitting across from an angry, silent child as she very obviously pretended to ignore him.
"Are you okay, Morgan?"
His soft question was met by a fierce glare. "I don't like you."
Peter blinked. "I'm sorry. Did I do something?"
Her hand twisted around her crayons. "My daddy died because of you."
Peter froze. "What?"
"My daddy died because of you," she repeated. "We were happy. He was my daddy, and he loved mommy and me, and now he's gone. Mommy said you're my brother, but you're not. You killed him."
Peter shook his head feverishly. "No, I didn't- Morgan, I-"
"He was happy." Her voice had gone cold, seeming at once too old for her years. "He was happy until he saw the picture. I saw him looking at it, and then he left, and he didn't come back. It's your fault."
His heart pounded in his ears, and he suddenly realized his eyesight was dimming with tears. "I'm sorry, I didn't- I didn't know."
"He left, and you came instead. I don't want you here. I want daddy."
Peter jolted up as he heard the front door opening, forcing his face into some semblance of a smile for Pepper, who tossed her purse on the couch and came to hug Morgan. "Hey sweetie. Did you have fun? Say thank you to Peter for watching you, okay?"
Morgan's eyes were wide and innocent as she chirped a bright 'thanks'.
It made Peter want to vomit.
"Do you need a ride?" Pepper scrutinised his appearance, tilting her head. "Are you okay, Pete? You can stay here, you know. It's your home too."
No it isn't.
"Thanks, Pepper. But I'm staying with a friend tonight."
The funeral was a somber affair.
No one had the heart to talk to each other, each in their own bubble of misery.
It should be raining, Peter thought desperately. How can the sun be shining?
Pepper stood at the dock, holding the hand of her daughter.
As they watched the arc reactor float away, Peter stepped back, moving around May.
The look the gave him showed that she understood, and she moved to let him by.
This is wrong.
I can't- I can't do this.
His eyes met those of a teenager in the back, with dirty-blond hair, and with a nod exchanged, knew that the other- Harley- understood.
Understood the pain that Peter felt crushing his heart.
It was heavier than the warehouse.
And this time, he couldn't lift it.
Just as he turned away, the silence was shattered by music, blasting from nowhere.
"Back in black, I hit the sack-"
The music was familiar.
"I've been too long I'm glad to be back-"
Tony used to blast it in the workshop while he tinkered with his gadgets.
"Yes, I'm let loose, from the noose-"
Tony.
"That's kept me hanging about-"
Everyone was glancing around in confusion.
"I've been looking at the sky, 'Cause it's gettin' me high-"
A familiar figure strode out from the trees, grinning bigger than a Cheshire cat.
"Forget the hearse 'cause I never die-"
And Tony Stark had officially crashed his own funeral.
The music died off, and he stopped in front of his wife.
Her eyes were tearing up, and her hand was over her mouth.
Morgan darted forward, throwing her arms around her dad, with a loud shriek.
He picked her up, eyes never leaving Pepper's, and his smile faded into something a little more real. "Your eyes are red," he said softly. "Few tears for your long-lost husband?"
She gave a quick sob, wiping her eyes. "Tears of joy. I hate dating." Then she was in his arms, crying openly into his shirt.
A light kiss was pressed to the top of her hair, and she leaned into the touch.
Then his eyes scanned over the crowd, taking in the silent spectators.
He hesitated when he saw Steve, older than he should be, and did a double take when he saw Harley, before recognition dawned, and he kept searching.
Peter couldn't move, staring at the happy tableau.
They're happy.
Not when Tony's eyes found his, not when a soft smile touched Tony's face, not even when Tony said his name.
The only emotion he could feel was pain.
She was right she was right she was right
I don't belong here.
They were happy without me.
Ignoring the startled exclamation from behind him, he ran.
"Peter?"
Peter rolled away from the voice, hiding his face.
"Yeah?"
Ned sat gingerly on the side of the bed. "Dude, are you okay? I know you didn't sleep last night. I could hear you crying. Is everything okay?"
Peter rolled over, and Ned ducked in a sharp breath as he saw his best friend's red and swollen eyes. "What happened?"
Peter shook his head wearily, leaning against Ned's leg. "'M fine."
"Obviously not, Peter. You can talk to me, you know? I'm your guy in the chair. You're my best friend. I'm here for you."
"I know. Thanks Ned."
Ned waited several seconds before hesitantly breaking the silence. "Does it have anything to do with why there are 27 missed calls from Pepper?"
He felt Peter's quick intake of air, and his immediate curling in on himself. "What happened?"
Peter inhaled shakily. "They- they were h-happy without me. They were happy, and it's my fault he d-died. Morgan was- was right. It's m-my fault." His words dissolved into sobs again.
Ned stayed there, rubbing soothing circles on his friend's arm until Peter's breath had evened out in sleep, and then he took Peter's phone to the next room, clicking on the contact for Boss mom.
It rang for several seconds, then picked up.
"Peter? Are you okay? Why did you leave? Where are you?"
"Mrs Stark? This is Ned. Ned Leeds."
"Ned? Why do you have Peter's phone? Is he okay? Where is he? Is he okay?"
"I have no idea, but he crashed at my place last night. Didn't get a lick of sleep for crying. Did something happen?"
"He didn't tell you? Tony's alive."
Ned froze. "I'm sorry, he what? But that's-"
"Impossible? That's what I thought. But Peter just ran. He didn't even say hi. Is he okay?"
"No. I just got him to fall asleep. He's been crying hysterically for hours about how it's his fault that Tony died, and how Morgan was right."
"Morgan? What does Morgan have to do with this?"
"I don't know, but I have a feeling that this stems from that. Talk to her, and it might clear things up."
"O-okay. I will. Please have Peter call when he wakes up."
"He's not in very good shape, so I don't think that's a good idea. I'll try to keep him from doing anything stupid."
"Okay. Thank you, Ned."
"It's my job, as official best friend. Just talk to her, yeah?"
"Yeah."
Peter woke up to the smell of pasta emanating from the kitchen.
When he stumbled out, blearily rubbing his eyes, Ned's mom was stirring a pot on the stove.
She sent a soft smile his way. "How are you feeling, dear?"
"'M fine." He couldn't keep up a pretense for long, so he moved to the living room, flopping down beside his best friend, and nestling against his shoulder.
Ned gave a small laugh, reaching over and squeezing Peter's hand. "It's gonna be okay, yeah? We'll figure this out."
Peter didn't reply, closing his eyes again, and falling back into a light doze.
When he woke again, it was to the feeling of arms wrapped around him, holding him close.
He didn't recognize the voices at first.
"Thanks for taking care of him."
"It was the least I could do for my best friend."
"Did you talk to Morgan?"
Is that Ned?
"I did. Pepper did. And we watched Friday's feed. She's in a boatload of trouble. We're both furious with her. I can't understand why she would say that to him. I did what I did to get him back, yes. But also the entire universe. The gauntlet wasn't even planned. I don't want him blaming himself for things he had no control over."
Wait...
Dad?
Peter tensed, eyes shooting open as he scrambled away from the voice.
"Hey, hey- it's just me. Tony. Dad. It's okay, Pete."
The teenager slowed his mad rush, sinking back against the wall, staring blankly at his dad.
"There we go." Tony's voice was worried. "Are you okay?"
"'M sorry," Peter whispered. "'M sorry dad. 'M sorry."
Tony lowered himself to the ground in front of his son, carefully taking Peter's hands.
Peter flinched, but didn't pull away, eyes still on the ground.
"No apologizing," Tony said softly. "No apologies. I've heard enough of those to last me an entire lifetime. You have nothing to apologize for."
"But it's my fault," Peter whispered. "It's my fault."
The father's heart twisted at hearing the broken tone. "What about this could possibly be your fault?"
"You were happy."
Tony waited for the boy to continue.
"You were happy without me. You had Morgan, and Pepper, and you were safe, and happy, and then that stupid picture showed up. Morgan saw you looking at it. And then you went away, and didn't come back. You wouldn't have done it if it wasn't for me. You wouldn't have died." By the end of his spiel, Peter was trembling violently, sobs shaking his voice until the words were nearly unintelligible.
Tony scooted closer, pulling Peter into his arms.
The teen stiffened, but when his dad refused to let go, he buried his face into the soft shirt, crying softly.
"Listen to me, Peter," Tony whispered softly. "And you listen well. I'm only going to say this once. You are not to blame. I'm very much not dead, and even if I was, it wouldn't be because of you. You couldn't have stopped me. You weren't even there. You were gone, like half of the universe, and I wanted you back. I wasn't happy-" here he paused to gain composure. "I could never be happy in a world where you didn't exist. You're my son, and I love you. More than just about anything on earth, or in space. And you know firsthand how big that place is."
If he was hoping for a laugh, he was disappointed.
The only reaction to his words was a half-sob, and Peter curling into his hold.
So they sat there.
Nothing pressing for attention.
The world wasn't in danger anymore.
There would be time for apologies, time for tears, and laughter, at long last.
There would be stories told of the Decimation all around the world, but right now nothing could interrupt their peace.
They were home.