#Peter Parker Needs A Hug

[irondadspiderson4evr]

Tony, answering the phone at 3am: hello…?

Kidnapper: we have your son.

Tony: excuse me?

Kidnapper: we have you son Peter.

Tony, laughing: no, he has you. Good luck. Hey, tell the kid to be home for lab day tomorrow, yeah? Thanks.

[ivvyela]

imagine with me, if you will, a nwh potential fix-it involving none other than the multiverse saving duo deadpool and wolverine.

i know, i know - but please, let me cook.

wade and logan now jump across timelines to "fix" things aka travel the multiverse for funsies and deal with the consequences later and somehow end up in a universe where peter parker doesn't exist, but spider-man does. and wade, blessed with the power of "i know this for the plot", immediately knows that is bull. shit. and sure enough, they find one very depressed, very lonely, and very jaded peter parker.

after much annoyance, light stalking, and following spider-man while he's on patrol, they get peter to spill how he ended up in this situation. and after hearing everything, logan breaks the silence with a simple, yet effective: "shit, kid. that... shit."

"yeah, well... now you know, so you can, like, leave me alone."

"nope, not gonna happen." wade shakes his head and tactfully ignores logan's imploring look of what-the-fuck-are-you-getting-us-into-now "i take my job as marvel jesus very, very seriously, so frankly, this is my job to fix your sorry little life, buddy. and if flat-out telling them you exist didn't work, then - "

"oh, i actually... i never told them."

"...come again?"

"i tried to tell them, but i couldn't. so..."

"i'm sorry... your best friend and girlfriend were crying, telling you to come find them and remind them of you, and you chose not to?"

"they're happy and safe without me! i wasn't going to ruin - "

"oh my god. you sweet, self sacrificial, idiot spider-baby. okay! we can fix this! we're no tony stark, but consider us your pseudo daddies for the time being, kid. let's get you your life back."

which is how one very emotional and determined deadpool, followed by a stoic, nonchalant wolverine (who, in all honesty, probably should be completely against this, but once wade commits to something, he can't be talked out of it, and the sooner he gets his fix from this the sooner he can go home, so fuck it we ball), end up in a certain cafe, all up in a poor barista and her friend's face with a cut-out yearbook photo of some kid, yelling "LOOK AT HIM! LOOK AT THIS BOY! HE'S SO LONELY! LIKE A SMALL, FORLORN, VICTORIAN CHILD! REMEMBER HIM, GODDAMMIT!"

(their efforts result in two confused and scared teens, and getting kicked out of said cafe.)

peter practically begs them to just leave him alone, that this was his choice, and he's fine with it, but both wade and logan know a lie when they hear one. they both know what being alone can do to a person, and peter is just a kid who got dealt the shittiest cards in life and at this point, it just feels wrong to leave him here without trying to do something. and maybe they both have a small soft spot for the teen, so what?

and peter knows both men can see through his broody, teenage angst front he's been putting up since the spell, and he's tried so hard to hate the two of them, get them to hate him so they would leave, but they're not budging, so really, there's no point in trying to push them away, right?

and so, he lets them in. he learns that while logan is stoic and intense and kinda terrifying, he's also someone who just wants to do the right thing for the people he cares about. he's also lost people, and he blames himself, but he's come out on the other side. he would tell peter about his daughter, laura, who wouldn't let him wallow in self pity because she is good, better than he has ever been. he never saw himself as a father, but she's still around, so he must be doing alright.

and at first hearing it would result in a pang in his chest, memories of thai food after walking into a smoke-filled kitchen, assurances that things will work out when everything feels hopeless, a tombstone that can never convey everything she was, but now... it's nice to hear that logan still had someone after losing everyone.

so, peter listens to logan's stories. in return, peter tells logan all about his mom.

and wade was brash and loud and conceded and really, really annoying, but he's... no, that's it. he's all of those things, but in a weird way, it's like all those bad qualities merge together to make him a good guy. and yeah, he can walk away at any point, he has absolutely no obligation to help peter, but he does it anyway.

("nonono, don't you dare make me some selfless hero type, kid. i know for a fact that every deadpool has a peter. i'm doing this for the me in your world."

"you're... huh?"

"bottom line, i'm a selfish bastard. i'm doing this for me, 'kay?")

peter didn't fight it. he's had experience with seemingly self-absorbed, deflecting type heroes.

wade doesn't replace him, not even close, but... still.

maybe peter will never get back what he lost. but, for the first time, peter sees a light at the end of the tunnel. that, maybe, he can stop being just spider-man, and he can start being peter parker again, too.

(and if there's a barista talking to her friend about how it's weird that two guys would show up holding a photo of an odd customer from weeks ago, demanding they remember him, and despite not knowing him she felt something, and her friend couldn't help but agree, well... that's neither here nor there.)

[reidingandwriting]

darlin’ i’d wait for you > p.p.

Word Count: ~5,000

Pairing: Peter Parker x Stark!Reader

Warnings: The author entirely makes up how the memory erasing spell would work, mild language throughout, mentions of an attempted mugging

Author’s Note: What watching NWH for the first time in two years does to a mf! Cross posted on my ao3 account. Peter deserves a happy ending and by god I’m giving him one!!

It was a cold night that night. Peter swung through the city, happy things were relatively calm tonight. though he wouldn’t mind a little more action so he could fight and warm up a little. He was about to turn in for the night, anyway, so Peter could cope.

It was on his swing back home that he saw it. Three bulking men cornering one person in an alley. Peter perched on the rooftop, assessing the scene before he jumped in. Two appeared to be unarmed, but Peter froze when he saw the gun the third pulled out. Peter quickly shot a web at the gun, yanking it out of his hands and up towards the roof before he dove in. One direct kick to the face had the first guy out cold.

Peter dodged the punch from one of the others and he narrowly missed another punch from the other. Peter landed a punch of his own to one of the men and webbed him to the wall before doing the same to the remaining guy. Peter webbed the guy who had the gun against the side of the dumpster in case he woke up, and then he turned to face you.

“Holy shit. Thank you so much, Spider-Man.” Peter froze when he heard your voice and he was grateful to the mask for hiding his expression. You. Tony's child, his former partner… all before Doctor Strange’s spell erased all memories of peter parker from the world. Realization flashed in your eyes and Peter felt his heart skip a beat from your smile. Did you remember? “Spidey! I haven't seen you in forever it feels like. It’s been ages, hasn’t it?”

Of course you didn’t remember him. You knew Spider-Man from him working with the Avengers, but you didn’t know him. Most of the time he spent with your family was as Peter. Spider-Man had been a rare visitor to the Stark family; what was the point of hiding behind the Spider-Man persona when you all knew him? Why hide from someone who had been to his and May’s home countless times? From the same someone who had spent hours in the lab with him making improvements to the spider suit.

“Yeah. Yeah, it has been, hasn’t it?” Peter rubbed the back of his neck and you still smiled that bright, warm smile. Peter's eyes began to burn with the feeling of unshed tears; god he had missed you so much. “I'm, uh, surprised you’re out here this late.”

“Wasn’t supposed to be. Happy was running a little late picking me up, and I thought it would be quicker for me to just walk over to his, but then that happened,” you laughed and Peter couldn’t help but smile as well.

“Do- do you want an escort? Or I could wait with you until you’re picked up. My patrol is over anyways, and I don’t. I don't have anywhere else to be.” Peter offered and you nodded.

“Let me just,” your phone ringing cut you off and you smiled apologetically at him. “One second, sorry.” You dug your phone out of your pocket and answered it, holding it to your ear. “Hey, Hap!” Peter could faintly make out happy on the other line and his heart ached. Happy… Peter tuned out the majority of your conversation, not wanting to eavesdrop and violate your privacy, even if he kind of wanted to just to hear Happy’s voice some more. You hung up the phone a moment later and Peter turned to look at you.

“What's the plan?”

“Since I'm not too far from Happy, I think I'll walk over to where he’s waiting. Are you sure you don’t mind walking with me? I'm sure you’re ready to get home by now.” Home. Peter wanted to laugh- home didn’t exist to him anymore. Not one he could have, anyways.

“Wouldn’t be very friendly neighborhood Spider-Man of me to let you walk by yourself, especially after you’ve already been cornered once. At gunpoint,” Peter emphasized and you merely shrugged.

“Unfortunately something I've gotten somewhat immune to. The panic will hit later,” Your tone was joking but Peter knew the weight behind your words. You were like your dad. So good at bottling up emotions and being able to put them to good use. Until the bottle eventually filled and you cracked. You had gotten better about bottling up and your emotions hit faster now- even if you did have delayed reactions to trauma at this point. “I guess we should start walking then, huh?”

Peter followed just a step behind you as you walked to Happy’s. You made small talk with Peter, asking him how patrols were going and how he had been lately. Peter brushed over that question and turned it back on you, and you happily obliged. You had just left your friend Betty’s since it was her birthday, and you were about to go back home to celebrate the holidays with Happy, your mom, and sister. Pepper and Morgan…

It had taken a few visits for Morgan to warm up to Peter, but she had quickly worked her way into his heart and she rather quickly learned that she had Peter (and most everyone who knew her) wrapped around her finger. He had countless movie nights with you and the younger Stark and Peter remembered the first time Morgan chose to cuddle into his side during the movie like it was yesterday.

“What about you, Spidey? Any plans for the holidays?” Your question startled Peter and he shook his head. “Nothing?”

“I.. I don't really have anyone to celebrate with. Will probably just stay in, watch some movies. Maybe do an extra long patrol, gotta make sure everyone else gets to be safe during the holidays.” There goes that look Peter missed- you were thinking about something; your brows furrowed just slightly and your nose scrunched in contemplation.

“Well, if you get lonely. You should reach out to me.” You dug in your bag for a moment before you pulled out a sticky note and pen. You wrote quickly before you handed the note to him- your number. Of course he had it already, had long since memorized it, but you didn’t know that. “No pressure or anything at all but. It can get lonely this time of year, and my dad always spoke highly of you. So if you ever just need someone to talk to or anything,” you sounded a little uncertain. Anxious, even. “I unfortunately adopted my dad’s horrible sleeping patterns so I should just be a text away.”

“Thank you. So much,” When Peter said your name, you blinked in surprise that quickly smoothed out. Right, Spider-Man knew your name, why wouldn’t he? A familiar voice snapped you and Peter back to reality and you waved excitedly.

“Did something happen? Why is Spider-Man walking with you?” You hesitated briefly and Peter stepped in.

“We ran into each other while I was swinging around. My patrol was ending anyways, and it wasn’t out of my way to walk with them.” Peter lied smoothly. It was completely out of his way and he didn’t want to mention the fact that you had almost been mugged, potentially worse. Selfishly, he wanted another chance to see you and he knew he wouldn’t get that opportunity if Happy knew what happened.

“He was great company,” you flashed Peter a grateful smile before you turned back to Happy.

“Thanks, Spider-Man. I've got it from here.” Happy looked at him and Peter nodded.

“I hope I'll hear from you, Spidey.” You said and Peter smiled. Peter said his goodbyes before he swung away, leaving you and Happy outside his apartment complex.

Peter barely locked his door and tore off his mask before tears filled his eyes. God he missed you. Missed Happy, Pepper, Morgan, all his friends. You may not remember him, but he hoped this could be the start of starting over with you. He had to have you in his life again, even if he was just a stranger to you right now.

-

Two weeks had passed since you had run into Spider-Man and you were feeling odd. You had trouble sleeping the night you got home and you assumed it was the stress from having the gun pulled out on you. Every night since then, you’ve had dreams that felt strangely like memories? A few of them included your friends MJ and Ned, but they all had some guy with a blurry face in them. His voice in the memories was a little distorted, but vaguely familiar at the same time.

You were doing some cleaning when you found an old sketchbook and you took a moment to go through a few of the pages, and you tilted your head when again, you saw the faceless guy from your dreams. How could you not remember him? You stopped when you saw a polaroid in the middle of your sketchbook, a picture of you and your father with the faceless guy in the middle. You slammed the book shut and tried to focus on controlling your breathing. You slid down against the wall, hands trembling.

Who was this person? How was he such a prominent part of your life but you couldn’t remember him? You buried your face in your hands and you barely processed the click of your door opening.

“Since MJ is coming over, what do you think about- kid?” Pepper's voice sounded through the room and you looked up. “Hey, what happened?” Pepper rushed over and took a seat beside you. Her hands cupped your face as her thumbs wiped away the tears you hadn’t even noticed beginning to fall.

“Do you ever feel like there’s something you’re just missing?” You nodded towards the sketchbook and Pepper cautiously grabbed it, and she flipped through the pages. She stopped when she saw the polaroid and looked at you. “I feel like I'm going crazy, Mom. I know who this is, I have to know. But I can't remember him. Ever since I ran into Spider-Man, I've been having these dreams. I think they’re memories and they all have him in them. I thought I was just making him up and then I saw this. I don't know what’s wrong with me, why can’t I remember him?”

“I don’t remember this either.” Pepper said and you looked at her, confused. “I remember taking this picture but him?” Pepper tapped the person in the middle. “Not a clue who he is. I can ask Happy if you want? Maybe he remembers?” You nodded before you curled into Pepper’s side. Your mom’s arms wrapped around you, and she leaned her head against yours. “We'll figure it out, somehow.”

You tried to have a normal rest of your night. You helped your mom cook dinner for everyone, you all played a game with Morgan before tucking her into bed with a bedtime story, and you, MJ, and your mom watched some mindless reality show before she went to bed. The night ended the same way, with her kissing your head and telling you not to stay up too late, and you stayed on the couch for a while longer before returning to your room. You and MJ laid on your bed and MJ let out a loud sigh.

“Okay, what’s up?” MJ asked and you turned towards her. “You’ve been acting off all night and you’re guarding your phone. I’m all for some quiet body doubling time, but you seem a little checked out.”

“It’s gonna sound crazy,” you said and MJ shrugged.

“I’m no stranger to crazy.” And so you told her. You told her how you ran into Spider-Man and how you have felt odd ever since. You told her about the weird dreams and how you feel like your memories are incomplete and you’re missing something. You showed her the sketchbook, the photo, and you took a deep breath.

“I reached out to Happy and he doesn’t remember him either, but he says he’ll try to look into things. I, uh, have my own plan if he’ll ever answer me.”

“Who?” MJ asked.

“Have you ever seen that… really strange building in the city?”

-

“Thanks for letting me in,” You said to Doctor Strange, Stephen he insisted, as you took a seat in his… was lair the right term? Office felt too informal but lair felt too menacing. Whatever.

“I must admit I was curious as to why you wanted to see me. I don’t think we’ve spoken since the funeral.” Stephen said and you nodded.

“Never had much of a reason to. We didn’t know each other before, and I was,” you trailed off, “occupied after. Between my sister and helping my mom with the company, and this new thing that’s occurred.” Stephen hummed in response and made a gesture for you to continue speaking. “I think some kind of magic has interfered with my life and altered my memories.” Stephen paused, genuinely looking like he was blue screening, and you began to speak again when he raised his hand.

“What exactly do you think has been altered?” Stephen asked, words coming out slowly, like he was still processing what he had heard.

“I think a person has been removed from my memories. Not just mine. Mine, my family’s, my friends. I have a feeling it’s bigger than that, and.” You trailed off.

“I would be the only one- well, not the only one capable- but I would be the only one to risk a spell of that caliber.” Your lips twitched upwards into a smirk and Stephen rolled his eyes, but there was a hint of amusement on his face as well. “Is it just your memories that have changed?” You shook your head and pulled the photo from your bag and you held it out to him. Stephen took it carefully, studying it.

“I have drawings of him, but the faces are all blank. I can see him in my dreams, I can hear his voice.” Your voice cracked. “I don’t even know who this is, but with each day that passes, the pain of losing whoever he is gets worse.” Stephen’s eyes met yours and you continued. “I can’t sleep without him being involved. I keep getting these deja vu moments but they’re incomplete. Hell, even my camera roll on my phone is messed up. Every picture or video he’s in? His face is blurry and his voice is distorted. Every night it gets worse. Like my brain wants me to remember, but I can’t.” You closed your eyes and took a deep breath. You can’t cry in front of the wizard, that would be so embarrassing.

“Did something specific trigger this? When did you notice your memories had been affected?” Stephen asked and you sighed.

“After I ran into Spider-Man two weeks ago. I was walking to meet Happy, and some guys had cornered me. Spider-Man saved me and from that night on, I feel like my brain has been scrambled.” Stephen’s eyes widened a fraction. “You’re missing something too, aren’t you?” Your question came out more as a statement and Stephen stood. You quickly stood and when Stephen saw you stand, he walked out of the room and down the hall to another room. This room was darker, much more lair-ish, filled with books and other mystical looking items. Stephen’s strangely sentient cape fluttered over, whipping around you in some oddly cute form of greeting? before it flew over to Stephen and settled on his shoulders.

“I’m fuzzy on the details, but I remember seeing Spider-Man recently. We were fighting over some containment box that had a powerful spell in it. Then suddenly I was in the city, near the Statue of Liberty. Something big was happening and I performed some spell to help Spider-Man and I don’t remember anything after. Suddenly I was home and I guess I never looked further into it.” Stephen pulled a book from a shelf and flipped it open, rapidly scanning the pages until he landed on it. “This was the spell I had to contain.” As Stephen told you about the basics of the spell, your heart ached. What could have happened to Spider-Man that made him need a memory erasing spell?

“Then Spider-Man must have asked you to do another memory erasing spell. Hiding his identity?”

“More like erasing it. The universe as we knew it was breaking, the multiverse is real. And it almost became a real threat to our universe. Whatever I did fixed it. The multiverse is safe, but-”

“Now no one remembers who our hero really is,” you said. “I’m guessing there’s no way to counteract the spell.”

“No safe way to do it, even if we discovered who Spider-Man is. If it even could be reversed, the threat would return. These people were after Spider-Man, whoever he is. If the spell was reversed, those same people could very well slip through and become a problem all over again. Likely worse than before.”

“Shit. There’s no winning, is there? He just has to exist for the rest of his life, alone.”

“He may be alone, but it is odd that your memories are seemingly trying to come back. Has anyone else you’ve told experienced anything similar?” You shook your head. “He has you, then.” Stephen made eye contact with you. “Memory altering spells like this are unpredictable at best. For whatever reason, your brain is trying to make the connections. And from what I know about your family, if you are anything like your father, you are the best person to figure this out. I’m happy to assist however I can, but you, kid? You’re Spider-Man’s best chance at having anyone remember him again.”

-

It had been a few days since Peter had last contacted you. He didn’t text you often, scared to bother you. You always responded whenever he did reach out, but Peter hesitated when it came to you. Selfishly, he wanted to be in your life again. But he was terrified he would only hurt you again. That’s what he seemed best at and he couldn’t put you through that pain again. It’s been about three weeks since your first run-in and Peter hadn’t seen you in person again. He was starting to think it was a sign that he didn’t deserve to be in your life anymore.

It was raining as he came home from patrol that night. His apartment complex was in sight and he fumbled when he saw you outside of his building. Peter perched on a lamp post near you and called your name, and you jumped when you heard him.

“Jesus Christ, you scared the shit out of me!” You held a hand to your chest when you saw him, and Peter winced.

“Sorry, sorry! What are you doing out here?” Peter hopped down to stand in front of you. God, you were drenched. Your hair laid flat, soaked from the storm and Peter looked around. “Actually, let’s not have this conversation outside. You’re gonna get sick and your mom would kill me.” Peter opened an arm for you. “I need you to hold onto me.”

“Hold onto you?”

“I can’t exactly walk through the front door,” Peter gestured to himself.

“Right. Sorry.” You walked over to him and Peter wrapped an arm around you, lifting you just enough to support you before he shot a web towards his fire escape. You yelped as you clung to him and Peter carefully set you down once he was steady on the fire escape. Peter slid his window open and carefully helped you in before he climbed through, shutting the window behind him. Peter felt self conscious as you looked around the minimally decorated apartment. Peter didn’t have the money for anything beyond the essentials, and he knew his apartment looked more like a crash pad than a home.

“Do you have, like, towels or anything? I don’t want to,” you trailed off, and Peter sprung into action.

“Right! Sorry. Towels are in the bathroom. I’ll grab you one real quick.” Peter rushed to the bathroom and grabbed a towel. “Here, let me grab you something dry to change into.” Peter left the bathroom and walked towards his closet in the hall. He grabbed a sweatshirt and a pair of sweatpants and handed them to you. You thanked Peter before you disappeared into the bathroom and Peter looked around. He could, shit. He could at least get you a glass of water, right? Peter walked to the kitchen and grabbed two cups, filling them both with ice and water. God, why did he feel so sick? It was you. He knows you, he loves you. You had never judged him before, why would you now?

Peter had just set up the glasses when you came out of the bathroom. He swore his heart skipped a few beats when he saw you in his sweatshirt, and you played with the end of the sleeve.

“I, uh, left my clothes in your shower. Thanks for these,” you said and Peter nodded. God Peter was so glad he had tidied up this morning.

“No problem. It’s not much but make yourself at home. Should’ve dropped by tomorrow, tomorrow is grocery day and I could’ve had more for you,” Peter said and you shook your head as you sat on the edge of his bed. Peter stood by the other edge of the bed and you tilted your head.

“Keeping the suit on? Isn’t it a little wet?” Peter’s eyes widened and he rushed to his closet to change, and he barely heard your faint huff of laughter. Peter stared at himself in the mirror, mask still on his face after he had changed. He didn’t know what to do. Not like revealing his identity would change anything, but he felt safer behind the mask. With a sigh, he left the bathroom and your smile fell to a frown when you saw the mask. “Can we talk, Spidey?” Peter took a seat beside you and you both turned to face each other. Your gaze was determined, hopeful, and anxious all at the same time and Peter couldn’t tell if he wanted to look into your eyes forever or look away from the emotion in them.

“The floor is yours,” Peter said and you let out a breath.

“I may sound batshit insane, so please. Just listen to me until I’m done.” You said and Peter nodded. After a moment, you began to speak. “I know who you are.” Peter swore his heart stopped for a beat or two. “Or I did at least. You knew me, my family, my friends. Our friends, I guess I should say. But something happened and now no one knows you. Doctor Strange did some kind of spell for whatever saving the multiverse reason, and everyone forgot about you. The man behind Spider-Man.” Your eyes began to water and Peter wanted to reach out, to hold you close. But he was frozen.

“Ever since we ran into each other those weeks ago, I’ve been having these dreams. Memories, more like, but there was something missing in them. You. I could see the memories, I could hear your voice and see you. But I couldn’t remember who the voice belonged to. I couldn’t see the face, it was all blurry and distorted. I have a picture of us with my dad, I have countless videos and pictures in my camera roll; all of them having a person with a blurry face and distorted voice. For three weeks, you’ve been on my mind, awake or not. I’ve spent the last five days trying to find you, trying to figure out anything about you. Every file I found, redacted. Eventually, I just tracked your usual patrol route and your response time to local crimes and hoped I would stumble across you. I’d been walking around for at least two hours to find you, because somehow. I just know you’re the person I’m missing.” Your hands reached out and settled on Peter’s shoulders, and it took all of Peter’s restraint not to melt into your touch as he whispered your name. “Can I…?” You tapped the side of Peter’s neck and he nodded.

You moved slowly, as if you’d hurt him, as your hands traveled. You stuck your thumbs under the mask and you looked at Peter. Only when he nodded did you start to pull the mask off. The seconds it took you to pull the mask off felt like hours to Peter, and you let the mask fall beside you as you studied Peter. You reached out towards him, motions careful as you moved, and you rested one of your hands on his cheek. Peter felt the first tear slip and then you blinked.

It was like Peter was seeing an entirely new person again. Your eyes flashed with a million different emotions until they settled on recognition. Your eyes were wide and your own eyes began to fill up with tears.

“Peter?” You whispered and the dam broke. Peter let out a choked sob as he nodded and you threw yourself into his arms, clinging to him just as quickly as he clung to you. “Oh my god, Peter.” One of your hands tangled in his hair, the other hand gripped the material of his shirt like a vice. You moved back just enough to look at him, and Peter let out a teary laugh as his forehead rested against your own.

“I missed you so much.” Tears were falling from Peter’s cheeks and you somehow did the impossible by pulling Peter even closer to you. “How, how do you?”

“I don’t know,” You laughed in between your cries. “I don’t know how but oh my god, Peter.” You pulled back, his brown eyes meeting your own, and you smiled at him. So happy, so familiar, so full of love. Peter cupped your cheeks and pressed a kiss to your lips, which you happily returned.

You remembered him. Peter wasn’t entirely alone anymore. He had you. The love of his life, one of his best friends. When you broke apart, you cupped Peter’s face in your hands and wiped his tears away with your thumbs. “I thought I’d be alone forever. That no one would ever remember me. And I couldn’t, I couldn’t make myself talk to anyone new because all I do is get people hurt and-”

“Shhh, that’s not true. Not true at all.” You raked your fingers through his hair and Peter slumped into you. “I told you, you’d have me forever. Just took a little while for me to find you again.” You kissed Peter’s head and ran one hand up and down his back, the other gently working out the tangles in his hair. Peter’s breathing began to steady and he closed his eyes. For the first time in what felt like ages, he was content.

“What’s gonna happen now?” Peter asked and you hummed.

“First, you’re gonna rest. Your dark circles could rival my own,” you teased and Peter huffed in response, but a smile still lit up his face. “I told my mom I would be out tonight, so tomorrow morning, we’ll decide what our next steps are. I know there’s a few people who would like to meet you again, but if you’re not ready, we’ll wait.”

“I want to see them again. I’ve missed everyone so much, but I don’t know if I’m ready.” Peter trailed off. “I’m really scared.” Peter admitted. “I’m scared when I see them again, they won’t want to get to know me again. I’m scared I’ll wake up and this will all be a fluke; you’ll have forgotten me and I’ll be alone all over again.” Peter’s grip on you tightened and you continued to comb through his hair, hoping to soothe him.

“They’re your best friends, Peter. They’ll love you.” Peter was fully laying against you at this point, and you shifted so you could lean back as well. “I know my mom will too, and Morgan will be so happy to have a big brother again. But you’re in control, okay? You get to choose when we meet, who we meet.” Peter let out a shaky breath as he buried his face in your neck, and you closed your eyes. “Just say the word and I’ll make it happen.”

“I love you.” Peter pressed a soft kiss to your shoulder. “So much.”

“I love you even more.” And for the first time in weeks, you both fell into a dreamless sleep. The next afternoon, you and Peter stood outside your family's cabin. Your hand held Peter's and he squeezed your hand.

You had told your mom you were bringing company over, but you had been vague about the details. Kind of hard to explain everything over a phone call, you rationalized to Peter. You had Peter's bag on your back, with enough clothes to last him a few days, and his suit just in case. Neither of you seemed fond of the idea of separating now that you finally had each other again and if your mom didn't understand, you were willing to stay with Peter at a hotel because 'I love you, Peter, but this apartment is not it. Maybe I can buy you out of your lease,' you had said with a laugh but you were half joking. Whatever your next move ended up being, you'd do it together.

With one final nod, you walked inside with Peter, ready to re-introduce him to your family; ready for him to be a part of your family again.

[lanyakea-universe]

Post battle tragedy

AI generated

[multiverse-peterbparker]

How to be wanted by the police!

Step one: get bitten by a radioactive spider

Step two: become Spider-Man

Step three: try to save people

Step four: property damage!

(Help me.)

[dandelion-blues]

#4 What if...

after the world forgot Peter Parker's existence, Peter moves to Hell's Kitchen, gets a symbiote, and is surrounded by parental vigilantes?

Ever since Peter Parker got bitten by that radioactive spider at 14, everything, from his senses, to his strength, to his durability, has been enhanced. What Peter didn’t know is that his enhanced healing also comes with increased longevity. His cells are aging much more slowly. Thus, a freshly turned 18 year old Peter barely looks 16. Of course, Peter just assumes he has an extreme baby face. Still, when you legally don’t exist, and everyone forgot you even existed, it’s hard to acquire a place of residence for a decent job when he looks nowhere near adulthood.

It turns out the only place even willing to give him a shot and will accept the meager money he has for an apartment is the corrupt Hell's Kitchen.

Sure it’s no Queens, but Peter will do his best to help people out.

All he has now is Spider-man. The world doesn’t need Peter Parker, after all.

So, when an isolated Peter comes across some sentient black goo who gives Peter company. He doesn’t really have it in him to complain. Plus, his new black suit is sick!

Now, if only Daredevil and even the Punisher (and about every other vigilante Peter sees) would just leave him to do his patroling alone and stop trying to be friends (it feels more like parenting, really) with him.

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[irondadfics]

hi (again) i’m trying to find a fic where peter had magical healing hands/touch. hosever, it comes at a price because every time he heals something, it takes time off his life span. it goes through his childhood dealing with this gift, and how he becomes very touched starved because he can’t touch anyone. he heals tony after he snaps, which takes 10 years off, making tony very upset. during an argument, peter calls himself a freak, which makes him and may realize how badly peter sees himself.

this is for you! Enjoy

Our endless, numbered days by bluesweatshirt 

Mr. Stark stared at him in silence for a long moment.  Peter’s heart sank in his chest. The last time he’d seen Mr. Stark awake, Mr. Stark had actually embraced him. He’d seemed so happy that the time travel and Bruce’s snap had worked, and that Peter was back. But now— “How long?” Tony asked coolly.  *** Or, the one where Peter has magic powers that come with a heavy cost.

[yes-i-am-happyaspie]

How about Peter feeling touch-starved and asks Tony for a hug?

These mini fics often turn out super self-indulgently soft. Haha. But hey! We love it, right?? We're here for the fanon?? I know I am! I hope Anon is too because this one is hurt/comfort with a heavy emphasis on the comfort. Peter desperately needs a hug and doesn't know it. Good thing Tony does. :) Super sweet. Very fluff.

Peter Parker Needs a Hug 967 Words

At sixteen-years-old, Peter was eminently capable of spending a week alone in the apartment. May had been begged to take some shifts at a short-staffed hospital a few hours away. She’d tried to decline. She’d told them she had a nephew at home and couldn't uproot him in the middle of the school year.

Peter had argued the compensation was too good to give up. He’d assured her he would be fine. It wasn’t like he spent that much time at home anyway. He’d attend school, patrol, complete his homework and sleep. If he needed anything, he would have the Leeds’, MJ and Mr. Stark.

Reluctantly she had accepted the offer. She’d packed a few bags, hugged him tightly and driven off.

As it were, Peter flourished in the independence. He woke up early to make himself breakfast, watched whatever he wanted on the television and made sure to get to bed at a reasonable hour. It was great. And when the first week went well, May apprehensively agreed to one more.

While Peter missed his aunt, he wasn’t terribly upset that she had decided to stay longer. It was only seven more days and they talked on the phone all the time. However, the intrigue and sense of accomplishment that came with being trusted to care for himself came to a screeching halt in the middle of his eleventh night of solitude.

For no discernible reason, Peter woke up too early in the morning feeling uneasy. He didn’t think he’d had a nightmare. If he had, he certainly didn’t remember it. Sighing, he went to get a glass of milk from the kitchen; something he often did when he simply couldn’t sleep. But as he walked down the hall, he realized something was different. What he ordinarily thought of as a peaceful silence in the apartment, had been replaced with an eerie feeling of emptiness. He rolled his eyes at his own dramatics and flipped the light on.

The rest of his day didn’t go any better. He got to school and went through the usual paces. Really, it would have been a completely ordinary day had it not been for the lingering discontent in the back of his head. It made him irritable and anxious, and he had no idea how to combat.

When lunch came around, Ned put a hand on his shoulder and asked him if he was okay. He shook his head, his eyes stinging with unshed tears as he fought back the overwhelming desire to pull his friend into a bone crushing hug. Being that they were in the middle of the crowded cafeteria, he fought the urge and wrapped his own arms around himself instead. He mumbled he was just in a bad mood, apologized and tried to go back to his suddenly tasteless sandwich.

Patrol was a no-go. He wanted to go out and help, but lacked the motivation. It was odd. He couldn’t think of a time he’d ever not wanted to patrol. He brushed it off as another symptom of a bad day and went straight home. He’d only been there about ten minutes before Mr. Stark texted him.

‘You’re not patrolling today?’

‘Taking a break,’ he replied, not wanting to give too much away.

‘Want to take that break at the tower? the next message read. Followed by, ‘I could use your help.’

Peter read the message over a few times, surprised that going to the tower actually sounded really nice. Hurriedly, he changed into this suit and headed in that direction.

“Hey, Kiddo!” Mr. Stark cheerfully greeted. “How goes your lack of parental supervision? I haven’t gotten any emergency calls, so I assume it’s gone well.”

Dubiously, Peter narrowed his eyes. “May asked you to check on me, didn’t she.”

Mr. Stark smiled sheepishly, his hand moving to the back of his neck. “She did. Said you sounded a little down this morning.”

Peter’s eyes tried to well up again. It was super aggravating. Especially in front of Mr. Stark.“I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” he growled. “I’m antsy and annoyed for no good reason.”

Mr. Stark’s head tilted to the side. “How long has May been gone?”

Peter scrubbed at his face and did a mental tally. “Almost twelve days.”

There were a few beats of silence. Then Mr. Stark beckoned him closer. “Come here, Buddy.”

“Why?” Peter asked, feeling more defensive than he should have.

“Just come here. Trust me.”

Peter did as asked. He closed the distance between them and was met with a tight embrace. He stiffened for a split second before melting into the pressure. He couldn’t restrain the fresh round of tears that sprung to his eyes. Mr. Stark tightened his grasp, swaying gently as he ran a hand up and down his back. He didn’t stop until Peter gathered a breath and pulled back on his own.

“Better?” Mr. Stark asked, one hand still squeezing Peter's bicep.

“Yeah,” he replied, his cheeks pink with mild embarrassment. “Yeah, that’s better.”

“I know you’ve been doing fine on your own, but you know you’re welcome to stay here tonight,” Tony offered. “Pizza and movies. I’ll get you to school in the morning.”

Relief Peter didn’t even know he needed, washed over him. “That actually sounds really awesome,” he sighed, leaning in for another brief hug. “Thanks, Mr. Stark. You always seem to know what I need.”

“That’s my job,” Mr. Stark said softly. “But next time you need a hug, all you have to do is ask, okay, Pete?”

“Okay,” Peter echoed. He bit back a smile and looked up through his lashes. “Can I have a hug?”

Tony barked a pleasant laugh. “Of course, Kiddo! Any time,” he said, arms outstretched for Peter to fall into. “Absolutely anytime.”

[theautisticspoon]

Peter Parker is a small child with anxiety and super strength. So, do you ever think about how weighted blankets probably feel like regular blankets to him? I feel like Tony would think about this and be like "I'm making that kid a blanket"

Like the blanket would be so cool. So when you pick it up it weighs like a normal blanket and then there is this weird setting thing (cuz Tony Stark duh) where you can change the weight if needed.

And for Peter I feel like the weight scale would have such weird names like

Steve hug

Smushed by car

Under whole semi-truck

Quinn jet squishing you

Hulk hug

Under collapsed building

But like back to the picking up part, I think Tony would take in accountability of Peter leaving it on the couch or in a chair; so if it weighs the amount of a say collapsed building it could break something or someone (like him(Tony), Nat, Clint, etc.) So, if no one is using it then it would weigh like a normal blanket but if you're using it then it would weigh whatever setting you chose.

[constellationoverlord]

Looking for podfics to listen to at work any suggestions?

[sicktember]

“Peter sighed, defeated. “You’re both being overreacting, but fine…” Peter dropped down onto the bed, laid down, swore to himself that he’d never confess to feeling like he’d been hit by a cement truck, and dragged the blankets back over himself. “But only because you’re going to argue with me if I don’t.”

Tony smiled sympathetically, “Nope. No arguments. It’s just time to let the grownups figure shit out.” Tony shook his head in disbelief. “I can’t believe you actually thought you didn’t need to tell anyone about this?”

“I was dealing with it just fine.”

Bruce piped in, “Aaaaand I’m making a new rule. No using the word ‘fine’ within the context of Peter’s health. Deal?” He looked between Tony and the boy.

“One hundred percent agree!” Tony exclaimed.

And Peter did, too, though far less enthusiastically. “Fine.”

Tony clutched his chest theatrically, “Kid! You’re killin’ me here!”

Tags: MCU, Overprotective Science Bros, Peter Parker needs a hug, chapter 3 of 3

[irondadspiderson4evr]

Peter: TONY TONY TONY TONY

Tony: No, you cannot borrow my iron man suit for high school hero day.

Peter: NO THAT ISN’T IT!

Tony, turning around: What is it t- is that a knife?

Peter, gesturing at the knife in his side: YEAH! I got stabbed!

Tony, panicking: WELL WHY THE FUCK AREN’T YOU AT THE HOSPITAL-

Peter: Because! I wanted to show you! It’s my first stabbing!

Tony: YOU SHOULD NOT BE EXCITED ABOUT THIS!

[cool-catsnatch]

By CatSnatch Chapters: 1/? Fandom: Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe Rating: Teen And Up Audiences 

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Ned Leeds & Peter Parker, Aunt May Parker & Peter Parker, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark Characters: Peter Parker, Tony Stark, Aunt May Parker (Marvel), Ned Leeds, Natasha Romanov (Marvel), James "Bucky" Barnes, Steve Rogers, Scott Lang, Clint Barton Additional Tags: Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Has an Arc Reactor, Aunt May Parker is a Good Aunt (Marvel), Kidnapping, Non-Consensual Drug Use, My First AO3 Post, My First Fanfic, Angst with a Happy Ending, Arc Reactor, Tony Stark Still Has Arc Reactor, Irondad, Not Beta Read, Kidnapped Peter Parker, Non-Consensual Body Modification, Hurt Peter Parker Summary: Tony pulled down the collar of the gown to get a better look at it, to make sure it's real.

And sure enough, there it sat in all its glory, a round palladium reactor, where Peter’s sternum should be, the skin around it was an angry red and inflamed but it looked better then when Tony got his car battery installed.

____

OR Peter gets an arc reactor. Tony internally freaks out

[reidingandwriting]

when (s)he sees me > p.p.

Word Count: 3.7k

Ship: Peter Parker x Reader

Warnings: Some angst near the end!

Peter Parker is in love with his partner Y/N Y/L/N. One small problem, he hasn't told them yet. But he has a plan, a great plan, and he's going to tell Y/N how he feels.

Link to post on AO3- this version was tweaked a little bit.

✨ Masterlist ✨

Part Two!

-Peter Parker-

“Today’s the day I’m going to do it.” Peter said as he closed his locker. “I’m going to tell Y/N I love them.” Ned eyed his best friend, a look of disbelief in his eyes. 

“That’s what you said last week. And the week before.” Ned said as he took his books out of his locker. “I can’t blame you for chickening out, they’re intimidating. Like MJ."

“MJ’s not intimidating.” Ned scoffed and Peter paused before he spoke again. “Okay, yeah, she’s terrifying. But Y/N isn’t. They’re sweet, and May loves them. Mr. Stark’s been begging me to bring them to the compound so he could meet them, or he would ‘investigate the kid that’s dating his kid.’”

“Wait, he called you his kid?” Ned asked.

“He totally did, even though he changed the subject immediately after he let it slip. And I saw Ms. Black Widow this weekend and I told her about it, and apparently it wasn’t the first time he’s called me ‘his kid.’” Peter noticed the wide-eyed look in his best friend’s eyes and shushed him. “Don’t you dare repeat that.”

“I can’t believe you met her. You better not tell MJ, she’d bully you until you introduced them.” Ned said and then paused before he spoke. “But how do you plan on-”

“Ooh, a plan. I love scheming, what are we doing?” A new voice filled Peter’s ears, and Peter turned around with a smile.

“Hi.”

“Hi.” Peter wrapped his arms around you, and it was your turn to smile when Peter’s lips brushed against yours, and Peter welcomed the familiar taste of your cherry chapstick.

“Ugh, get a room.” MJ said as she walked over, and Peter stepped back from you with his cheeks tinged red.

“Oh, shut up.” The sound of your laughter made Peter’s heart skip a beat and then you turned to face Peter again. “So, what were you and Ned talking about?”

“You know, top secret stuff. Very important… guy stuff?”

“Guy stuff?” Peter’s breath hitched as your eyes studied his face, and he wondered if this is how specimens under a microscope felt. “O..kay. Guy stuff can be a secret.” The first bell rang and you groaned. “Having pre-cal first thing in the morning is the worst. MJ and I will see you in third period. Have fun with your ‘guy stuff.’ I know it’s code for Star Wars.” You kissed Peter’s cheek before you left with MJ, saying bye to Ned as you walked away.

“Is not!” Peter called after you before he turned to Ned.

“Guy stuff?”

“Shut up.”

~Y/N~

“Peter’s planning something.” You said as you sat on top of MJ’s desk. You had a substitute teacher who could not care less about teaching for your second period today, so the entire class was doing their own thing. You chose to sit with MJ and talk while she doodled on your hand.

“Obviously.” MJ chuckled, a hint of a smirk on her lips. “I know he’s a little extra dorky around you regardless, but he seemed on edge today.”

“Right?” You leaned your head back against the wall, grateful for MJ’s corner desk. “You think that would’ve worn off by now.”

“Dude, you intimidate him. Even after, what, three months of dating?”

“How in the hell do I intimidate him? He’s dated me for three months, and I cried in front of him and May when we watched this sad dog movie two weeks ago.”

“Because you’re hot.” You raised a brow as you glanced at MJ.

“I’m hot so I intimidate him?”

“Get rid of all your personal biases towards Peter and think about it. He had a little crush on Liz and could barely even speak to her. And before you and him started dating, he never dated anyone.”

“Neither have I.” Your brows furrowed and MJ groaned, causing a few people to look over for a second before they turned back to their own things.

“But you’ve been asked out by a couple guys and girls since you started last year. That’s not Peter’s experience at all, and he’s probably feeling like you’re out of his league. Waiting for the shoe to drop and waiting for you to realize that.”

“He really thinks that?” You frowned and closed your eyes, and you tried to wrap your mind around what MJ had told you. Note to self- make everyone who ever doubted Peter or made him feel bad about himself regret it. The bell ringing snapped you out of your daze, and MJ patted your arm.

“Come on, let’s go see lover boy.”

-Peter Parker-

“You’re strangely quiet today, kid. It’s kind of creepy, I don’t think there’s been a single day since I’ve met you that you’ve been quiet.” Mr. Stark said and Peter kept his eyes glued on his chemistry homework. Homework always came before lab time, Tony was serious about Peter’s schoolwork. And Peter would never admit it, but it made him really happy how much his mentor cared about him- not just Spider-Man.

“You’re always telling me how important homework and school is, but now I’m too quiet because I’m doing homework? Sounds a bit hypocritical, Mr. Stark.” Tony smiled at Peter’s comeback; that was the kid he knew. Now he just had to push delicately where Peter wouldn’t notice he was pushing.

“Teenagers, FRIDAY. They’re such brats nowadays.” Tony tossed his screwdriver to the side and he walked over to Peter, peering over his shoulder to see what he was working on. “Covalent bonds? You can do this in your sleep, Pete. Something else is racing through that big brain of yours.”

“Covalent bonds can be very complicated.” Peter said. Very subtle, Mr. Stark. “Just so you’ll stop bugging me, it’s Y/N. You know we’ve been dating for a few months.”

“But you won’t even let me do a background check on them.”

“I think I’m ready to tell them I love them.” Peter admitted. “And I don’t know how to do it. It’s my first time telling them, or anyone, that. And it’s too big of a moment to just casually drop in conversation.” Peter let his head drop to the counter with a thud and Tony ignored the curse that he muttered under his breath.

“Shit.” Tony said after a moment.

“Really helpful.” Tony ruffled Peter’s hair as he took a seat beside him.

“You know Y/N better than anyone, kid. It doesn’t have to be some grand extravaganza. The first time I told Pepper I loved her wasn’t intentional, but I meant it.” Tony said and Peter raised his head, his interest now piqued.

“How did you tell her?”

“Pepper and I had to work all night one day back when we were in Malibu, we had a little security breach, so I made breakfast the next morning to thank her for staying when she didn’t have to. I made us omelets, made a pot of coffee, and it was a really domestic moment. We ate in silence, exhausted from working all night. I cleaned up and before Pepper left to get ready for work, I kissed her goodbye and said I love you. I don’t think either of us processed it until we were at work, then we discussed it. A couple of weeks later, she told me she loved me over dinner.” Tony smiled, and Peter noticed a special type of fondness in his eyes, a look he recognized as one reserved for Pepper.

“I like that.” Peter hummed, the wheels in his head churning. “Dinner sounds good.” Tony clapped Peter’s shoulder.

“Speaking of dinner, are you staying for dinner tonight? Sam’s cooking tonight, and he’s honestly the best cook here. And Wanda’s been in a baking mood lately, so there’s cupcakes as well. I’m sure if you ask her, she’ll give you an extra one for Y/N.” Tony winked and Peter groaned.

“I’m going back to my homework. Then we need to work on my suit.” A brief pause. “Someone may have… swiped at me on after school patrols. With a knife.”

“...Someone what?”

~Y/N~

“How do we like this?” You stepped in front of your phone, propped against a stack of books on your desk. You were on a video call with MJ, and this was the third outfit you had tried on.

“Keep the pants, change the top. What about that dark green top from your first outfit?” MJ suggested and you gasped.

“You’re a damn genius, I love you so much. Be right back.” You said as you walked out of the camera’s viewpoint to change.

“Where are you two going?”

“Just dinner at his apartment.” MJ opened her mouth to question you, but you beat her to it. “Him, May, and Tony fucking Stark. The man is a genius, and don’t get me started on Pepper Potts. If I were into business at all, she’d be who I aspired to be.”

“Befriend them enough so you can invite me over to meet Black Widow. She could use her Widow Bites on me, and I’d thank her.” MJ fell back against her bed, and you laughed as you finished getting ready. A couple of minutes later, your phone vibrated and you read the text on your screen.

Peter <3: ‘here when you’re ready x :)’

“While you daydream, I’m gonna head out. Peter’s here.” You grabbed your jacket and your apartment keys, then grabbed your phone. “I’ll text you when I’m back.”

“You better. Be safe.” MJ’s voice went up into a teasing tone, and you raised your middle finger. “Love you, loser.”

“Love you, nerd. Bye!” You ended the video call before you switched to messages and opened your conversation with Peter.

‘on my way down now. see you soon! <3’

-Peter Parker- 

What happens then? If when she holds me My heart is set in motion

“Please don’t embarrass me, Mr. Stark.” Peter pleaded once he got your last text. “I’m already so nervous, I feel sick.”

“Not in the car, kid. Go outside if you need to-”

“Mr. Stark!” Peter whined and Tony chuckled.

“I promise. No embarrassing you, for the car ride. Best I can do.” Peter opened his mouth to protest but Tony cut him off. “Is that them?” Peter looked out the window and saw you, and his heart skipped a beat. You looked amazing, and Peter suddenly became hyper-aware of his own outfit. God, he hoped he looked nice enough. With a gentle shove from Tony, Peter got out of the car and called out your name.

“Wow, nice ride.” You said as you walked over, a bright smile on your lips. “A bit much considering I live within walking distance to your apartment.”

“Yeah, that’s… that’s Mr. Stark for you.” Peter chuckled nervously, and you brought your hand to his chin and lifted it up. Peter swore his heart rate became erratic from the gesture and he was grateful you couldn’t hear it.

“Hey. It’s just me. You don’t have anything to be so nervous about.” As if you were sealing a promise, you pressed a kiss to Peter’s lips. “Now, we should probably get in the car.”

“Yeah, yeah. Here, let me.” Peter was thankful his brain worked enough to open the door to the backseat for you, and you thanked him before you got in. Peter followed after you and he leaned back into the seat with a sigh. God, he was going to struggle to get through the night.

“So, you’re the famous Y/N I’ve heard so much about.” Tony said as he drove, and Peter wished he could web Mr. Stark’s mouth shut.

“Depends on what he told you.” You teased and your knee nudged against Peter’s. Your way of telling him ‘it’s okay.’ “The good things were me, and the bad things were probably me as well.”

“I literally can’t name a single ‘bad thing’ you’ve done, except for not like Star Wars.” Peter said and the two of you began to bicker about the franchise, with Tony occasionally chipping in with his limited knowledge he only had because of Peter. Tony felt honored to be a part of this moment, and the smile on Peter’s face would be in his memory forever. 

~Y/N~

“Dinner was amazing, May. Thank you so much for having me over.” You started to clean up your plates, and May ‘tsked’ at you.

“Of course, Y/N. You know you’re always welcome here. And don’t worry about the plates, Tony and I will take care of it.” Tony looked as if he was going to protest, but May silenced him with a look.

“Go on and skedaddle, the adults have this.” You stood up and Peter did the same. Peter glanced in the direction of his room and you nodded.

“We’ll be in my room if you need anything, May. Thank you.”

“Tony or I will come get you when we need to take Y/N home.” May smiled and you both dismissed yourselves before you left for Peter’s room. Peter shut the door, ignoring Tony’s protests, and you sat in a beanbag on the floor.

“Ugh, whatever May ordered for dinner was fantastic. I feel stuffed.” You said and Peter took a seat in the beanbag beside yours. You smiled as you felt Peter’s hand hesitate to hold yours, so you grabbed his hand and laced your fingers together. “Is everything okay, Peter? You’ve been off the last few days, did I do something to upset you?”

“No, no, no, no, no. You did nothing wrong I promise.” Peter said and he squeezed your hand, but you couldn’t tell if the gesture was supposed to comfort you or him. “I had a whole speech planned, but I would make an even bigger idiot of myself if I tried to say it right now, so I’m just gonna tell you this. I love you, Y/N.”

I'm not prepared for that I'm scared of breaking open

And in that moment, your heart stopped. You always imagined being told ‘I love you’ for the first time would give you butterflies, not what felt like a snake twisting your insides. You knew you would be filled with emotion, but not the complete panic you felt now.

When it came to fight or flight, you had a habit of flight- almost always. And this time, no matter how much you wanted to stay, you couldn’t. I’m so sorry, Peter.

“I have to go.” You stood up and you kept your eyes away from Peter’s face. You had to stay strong, and if you looked at him, your resolve would break and you’d stay. Or you would turn into a cornered animal and lash out until you were free, leaving Peter utterly heartbroken in your path of destruction. You had to get out of here.

“What? You can’t, you can’t just leave.” Your eyes began to water when Peter’s voice cracked, and you could practically see the tears in his beautiful brown eyes.

“I can’t do this, Peter. I need to leave, I have to walk back to my apartment.” You cursed internally when your own voice shook. You can’t do that, Y/N, you’re better than this. You can cry when you’re alone.

“Please… Stay? With me. We, we can talk this through, or-or we can pretend this never happened, but please-”

“Peter!” You cut off his rambling. “I’m leaving, whether I have to go out your fire escape or through your front door. There’s no talking this through, and we sure as hell can’t pretend this never happened. You told me you loved me, Peter.”

“Because I do. And I thought you did, too.”

“Well I don’t.” Liar. “I don’t do love anymore, I can’t. I, I just can’t. And I’m sorry for getting you involved in my mess. You deserve better, and now you can get it.”

“I had the best I could ever want.” A single tear slid down your cheek as you made sure you had all your things.

“Goodbye, Peter.” You walked out of Peter’s room, leaving the one person you could actually love behind in the destruction you caused. You quickly said goodbye to May and Tony, making up a lie about a family emergency, and you shut the door behind you. You ran down the hallway, down the steps of the building, and the cool night air felt like a slap to the face in comparison to the coziness of May’s apartment that you could never feel again. God, you were going to miss her.

You ignored the non-stop vibrating of your phone, knowing it was MJ, Ned, or Peter. You began the walk back to your apartment, and you whipped around when you heard a familiar voice.

“You look like you could use a ride.” Tony Stark had followed you, and he was parked beside you with his window rolled down.

“I’m fine.” You protested and then it thundered loudly.

“Sounds like it’s going to rain soon.” Tony said casually, as if he didn’t care whether you got soaked from the rain or not. But if he didn’t care, he wouldn’t still be here.

“If this is your ruse to abduct me, it’s not very creative for a genius.” You said but turned to walk towards the passenger seat of Tony’s car, and you got in. Perfect timing as the sound of raindrops hit the windshield. One or two taps every few seconds at first, then a steady hum. If you were at home, it would be peaceful. But you were too on edge to enjoy it.

“Trust me, kid. I have former spies on speed dial. If I wanted to abduct you, you’d never even know.” The words from anyone else would be creepy, but Tony had an advantage with his charisma and charm.

“Only if you call the Black Widow. My friend really wants to meet her.” You found yourself joking, regardless of the ache in your heart. You leaned back against the seat in an attempt to relax before you spoke again. “Alright, level with me. Why are you here with me instead of Peter?”

“He wanted his aunt instead of me. Which is fair, I’m not exactly the comforting type.” Tony said and you tilted your head, not believing his last sentence. The way Peter spoke about him, it was like he was completely and utterly perfect.

“That doesn’t explain why you picked me up instead of going back home.”

“Touché.” Tony ran his hand through his hair. “I guess I was just curious about what went down, from your perspective.”

“What’s there to say? Peter told me he loved me, and I freaked out.” You found yourself spilling your guts to the man, something about the energy that surrounded him made him feel safe.

“I figured that. Peter asked me for advice about dropping those three words, and when you bolted, I figured he had told you. But something tells me there’s something deeper than that.”

“Wow, you really are a genius.” Sarcasm dripped from your tongue. “Obviously it’s something deeper, the average person doesn’t exactly run whenever they hear their partner say ‘I love you,’ do they?”

“Because you’re talking to an expert on average people here, right?” Tony matched your sarcasm, and you respected him for it.

“That’s fair.” You jumped when it thundered especially loud, and Tony looked at you.

“We should probably get you home, yeah?” You nodded. Tony put his car into drive and pulled into the road, and he began to drive you home. “I would say I don’t normally do stuff like this, but you’re the first of Peter’s friends I’ve actually met. So there really isn't a baseline of what's normal or not.”

“Ned hasn’t met you yet?”

“Peter and Ned have been trying to convince his mother to let him come to the compound for weeks now, but she hasn’t budged yet.” Tony said and you chuckled. Mrs. Leeds was an amazing woman, but god, she was a stubborn woman as well.

“You should pick them up from school one day. Ned may pass out, but he’ll be fine after that.” Tony laughed and you couldn’t help but laugh as well. “But you didn’t have to give me a ride, so thank you.”

“You’re welcome. And I know my opinion doesn’t matter, it’s your life and all, but I think if you can get past whatever happened in your past, you and Peter seemed to be a good couple. And I definitely never do this,” Tony said. “But you remind me a lot of…” Myself, Tony almost said. “Someone I used to know.” He said instead. “So if you need someone to talk to, about Peter or not, I’m a call away. Pull your phone out.” Tony said as he parked in front of your apartment complex.

“You’re just…” You were speechless.

“Trying to give you my number, yeah. You can talk to me, or I can get someone unbiased to talk to you. Sam has a love-hate relationship with the kid, but he’s surprisingly really good at listening and giving advice. Not really surprising given his background, but.” Tony had a habit of rambling like Peter did, and the resemblance made your heart feel heavy. Tony gave you his number, and you exchanged goodbyes before you got out of his car and ran into your apartment.

When you entered your apartment, you were greeted by silence, which you were grateful for today. You walked into your room, plugged your phone into the charger and laid back in bed. Your eyes burned from the unshed tears you didn’t dare to spill. What right did you have to cry when you broke Peter's heart? Besides, if you started to cry now, you wouldn’t be able to stop, or you’d do something stupid. You’d answer the texts that Peter, MJ, and Ned left you. You’d listen to the voicemails from him and May, and it would worsen the pain you were in right now.

‘I’m sorry, Peter.’ You thought as you closed your eyes. ‘I truly am.’

[themaidenofwords]

Final bit of art for my story Rats and Rogues. https://archiveofourown.org/works/52451017

Final chapter up now!

[multiverse-peterbparker]

Hypothetically, if one drank a bottle of all purpose cleaner, would it kill you? Hypothetically. Not real whatsoever.