This is sad as shit I am sorry
Trigger warning; implied past sexual abuse, past character death(s), and referenced past child abuse.
Compliant with endgame and spoilers for far from home
Not beta read
—————
One simple mistake led him here.
He forgot to cast a protection spell on himself before falling asleep.
A sick grin made its way onto Nightmares face as he pulled Stephens subconscious into his realm.
—————
There was an uncomfortable tugging at the back of his mind, his already muddled thoughts turning more confusing. When he looked up at the sky it looked far from real, it was splotchy and there was no distinguishable weather pattern. Lightning and rain, what looked to be a snow storm off in the distance, a clear sunny day, an orange sky.
wrongwrongwrong-
The stormy clouds are now over him, and his clothes are soaked by the downpour but it's not the rain that's making him feel cold.
There's an emptiness in his chest that causes him to freeze up, a chill running down his spine.
The feeling of strong hands crawl around his waist and on his face.
When he spins around he finds his late father sitting sitting slouched in a chair a few feet away, glaring.
His eyes aren't the blue grey he was used to seeing, instead the shone a sickly green and glinted unnaturally.
wrongwrong- somethings wrong-
"So noisy, Stephen. I taught you better than that." His father lunges forward and there's a ringing in his ears as he shuts his eyes tight.
Sound resonates around him.
(It's him. He's screaming.)
—————
Nightmare toyed around with the memory of Stephens late father, deathly white fingers running across Stephens waist, mimicking the bruises, the touches.
He laughed.
—————
This time the sky is pitch black, there's a thick layer of dust surrounding him. It's so hard to breathe.
There's a voice.
It's so quiet yet so loud.
"And I...am..." there's a bout of pain filled silence.
nononono- not again not again-
"Ironman."
A snap echos around him and his throat burns from screaming. He runs, desperately trying to find Tony.
Find him find him. Please I have to save him!
He trips, landing painfully on his side. When he looks up he finds- oh god please no.
Tonys half charred body is standing over him, the infinity stones still glowing bright, mocking him. He can smell the burning skin and he bites back a gag.
"You killed me Stephen." He hisses. "You took me away from my family."
He looks into Tonys eyes and something clicks.
"Show yourself!" Stephen shouts, his voice feels distant and foreign to his own ears as he locks eyes with Tonys reanimated corpse.
The eyes are that same sickly green.
"Stop this!"
Tonys body glares down at him before he morphs into a tear stained Peter Parker.
"You killed him!" He sobs.
Stephen pushes out both hands and the illusion shatters.
Nightmare stands tall above him, he hums, seemingly impressed. "I've never had a sorcerer break my illusions so quickly." A quick motion with his hand sends Stephen flying back, back colliding harshly with rubble.
His head hits the rubble and everything fades out.
—————
Peter watches with fear as the white cloth beneath Stephens head slowly begins to turn red, soaking up blood from a wound that appeared seconds ago.
When he turns Stephen onto his front, he looks as bruises begin to develop across his back and yells out for someone to help.
—————
He startles awake with the sound of breaking glass and his body being flung forward.
The black sports car he's in tumbles down the cliff and he can feel his ribs crack and glass pierce his skin.
The car finally settles and he is only partially aware of the water quickly flooding the wrecked vehicle.
oh god- it hurts it hurtsithurts-
He's scrambling to unbuckle himself when he hears a little girl cry out. "Stephen!"
Donna
He looks to his side window and tries to smash the glass with his elbow. When he finally manages, he pulls his body through. Everything hurts- it hurts-
"Stephen!"
He has to get to her. It was his job to keep her safe. Mom you have to believe me I tried-
The rain is so heavy and it's so hard to hear anything, but he keeps looking, standing on shaking legs and using his wreaked car to keep himself upright.
"Stephen."
The voice is directly behind him and turning around reveals a young girl.
'14 years old, Donna Strange. Dead upon arrival. She appears to have had a seizure while swimming.'
Her skin is pale- too pale- lips blue, hair and clothes soaked.
"I thought you were gonna be a doctor." She accuses. "Couldn't even save me."
He's not sure when he started crying.
"Donna," his voice cracks painfully, barely being heard over the loud thunder storm. "Please, I tried."
"Well you didn't try hard enough!" She screams. "I'm still fucking dead! Just like your precious Tony Stark!"
Please this isn't her- it's not her it's not her-
"Stop!"
The sound of her screams and his sobs drowns out the sound of the storm.
It's so loud.
—————
"What's happening?! What's hurting him?" Peter demands, looking as cuts a bruises appeared all over Stephens body.
Wong doesn't answer him but he can see the worry on the librarians face. "We need Wanda."
"Why?"
"She's the only one that can pull Stephens consciousness back into our realm."
Peters spidey senses went haywire as a gash wound appeared on Stephens stomach.
"I'll go get her."
—————
He pressed both hands to his stomach as nightmare looked down on him, his form shifting from Donna, Victor, his parents, Tony, Peter- oh please god make it stop-
"You could've saved them, Stephen." He mocked, his voice continuously shifting as his form changed. "You don't deserve the title "sorcerer supreme"."
Cold wind whipped around him, making his wounds sting. Laughter and burning accusations burned into his skin like a brand.
But then.
It's quiet.
The rain, the crying, the yelling. It all ceases.
Stephen looks up with clouded vision, slightly delirious.
Tony is looking down at him, expression so painfully vague.
"Just end it, my love."
Crimson red is the last thing he sees.
—————
The silence felt deafening.
Peter sat in an old wooden chair next to the bed Stephen lay on. The sorcerer was half covered in bandages, despite most of his major injuries having been dealt with.
Wanda is asleep in another chair a few feet away, after she had pulled Stephens consciousness back she refused to speak for what she saw. The haunted look in her eyes was enough to tell Peter that Stephen wasn't going to be okay when he woke up.
Peter sighed deeply and connected his forehead with the soft sheets, trying to keep his emotions at bay.
"I can't lose you too." He whispered. "I can't. You and May are some of the only people I have left."
He reached out and gently circled his hand around Stephens wrist, feeling his pulse underneath his fingers.
"I know you still blame yourself but it's not your fault."
A small rustle of fabric drew his attention away. Wanda was awake now, looking to Stephen.
Her eyes were filled with unshed tears.
"Wanda," he breathed.
She stared at him, grief in her eyes. "Be there for him, he needs someone he trusts."
Just end it, my love.
She closed her eyes tight and set her head back down, drifting off into a restless sleep.
—————
Stephen doesn't wake till 3 days later. Peter stays with him the entire time since he is unable to be in public. He is trying to work out a case with a few lawyers in Hell's Kitchen to clear his name. It's proving to be a tedious process.
When the sorcerer finally wakes, the moment he sees Peter his expression crumbles.
Peter allows the usually calm and composed man to silently cry into his shoulder.
"What happened?" Peter asked, sitting, legs crossed, on the bed.
Stephens eyes are still slightly red from both exhaustion and crying, but he looks up at Peter.
"An..entity of sorts pulled my consciousness into his realm. I was foolish and forgot to cast a protection spell onto myself before falling asleep." He explains. "And as you know, Wanda pulled me out."
"What was the realm?"
Stephens eyes grow distant, "the nightmare realm."
Peter moves closer and rests his head against Stephens shoulder, hoping to provide comfort."
"You know it's not your fault, right?" He says quietly.
Stephen makes a questioning hum.
"Mr. Stark, I mean."
Stephen stiffens up and rubs at his eyes. "It's not your fault either, kid."
They sit in comfortable silence for a few moments before Stephen runs a trembling had through Peters hair.
"Have you eaten yet?"
Peter laughs quietly, "you're such a mom."
1479 words
Wow Taylor, you posted an actual chapter. Shocking.
I saw that post (picture at the top of the chapter) and the f i r s t thing that came to my head was "I just got a bad idea"
I really gotta stop writing sad Stephen
I will t r y to get something
l i g h t e r out soon enough but people fucking suck and it's hindering my patience.
Anyway
Comments, feedback, headcannons, suggestions, I love em.
-Taylor