Chapter Text
“I don’t know.”
Peter traced a pattern in the water behind him.
“Looks like we’re gonna be stuck here,” Ben said. “Where are we in the first place?”
“It’s a pocket universe,” Peter explained. “We’re in the Soul Stone.”
“The Soul Stone? That’s the orange one, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Then how did we get here? You never really answered my question.”
Peter thought about it for a moment. He knew why he was there but not Ben, at least not entirely. “I think I know why you’re here,” he began. “You’re a projection of your soul. I guess it’s kinda tied to me. There was a girl here before you. Her name’s Gamora. She was a projection of the last person who had the Soul Stone. A projection of her soul. I think that’s what you are.”
Ben considered it and nodded. He paused then looked to Peter. “Then how are you here?” Ben asked. “Are you a projection as well?”
“No,” Peter said. He didn’t say anything else.
Ben must’ve sensed something off. He shifted to give Peter a look. “Pete,” he said patiently, “how are you here? Did something happen?”
Peter didn’t reply for a second. He knew Ben wouldn’t let it go. “I’m here,” he started slowly, “because I… I did what I had to do.”
“And what’s that?” Ben’s voice was tense, strained.
Peter licked his lips, heart racing. “The Avengers and I had to fix something,” he whispered, “and in order to fix it, someone had to take the brunt of a lot of power.”
“So you did?” Ben’s voice was clipped, terse, angry. Ben had never yelled to express his anger, never had to with the way his voice rumbled when he was upset.
Peter took in a deep breath and finally met Ben’s eyes. “Yes,” he said simply.
There was a beat of silence, a second for Ben to take a breath before saying, “Out of all the people you told me about, superhumans, Iron Man, an alien, a goddamned god, it was decided that you, a fifteen-year-old human, would take the brunt of all the power?”
“I’m sixteen,” Peter tried weakly but Ben barreled on.
“They chose you to be, what? The sacrificial lamb? You’re a kid!”
“They didn’t choose--”
“Did they know what would happen to you? What, did they figure that you were a spare? That you could just be given up?”
“Uncle Ben--”
“Did you volunteer? Did you have any say in it? You know what? I don’t care if you did, we’re getting out of here so I can kick their asses--”
“Ben!”
The man stood abruptly, beginning to pace.
“Ben,” Peter repeated more quietly, “I took the brunt of it because I chose to.” He reached up and tapped the front of his suit. It dissolved away to reveal his under armor, a wetsuit-like piece of clothing. The Soul Stone had burnt a hole through the armor. Peter had expected as much. “This is the Soul Stone. It’s kept me alive since it settled with me. We both knew what we needed to do to fix everything. We both knew what could happen. We did it anyway.”
Ben stopped pacing and stared at him. Peter stood up but didn’t move. “I knew this could happen,” Peter continued, “but there was so much at risk. If I hadn’t done this, more people than you can imagine would be sacrificed. I had to do this.”
Ben was shaking his head. “Peter, you’re a kid,” he stressed. “You couldn’t have been expected to do whatever it was.”
“I wasn’t,” Peter said quickly. “It was my decision. I was told that I could die, that no one knew what could happen. It was a gamble. But it was my decision.” He tapped the suit again to cover his chest. “It was my gamble to take. I don’t regret it.”
“Was there a plan afterward?” Ben pushed. “A plan to get out?”
Peter sighed and shook his head. “There wasn’t ever a plan,” he said quietly. “There still isn’t a plan. I didn’t know I was going to wake up here.”
“There’s gotta be a way to send up back,” Ben insisted, growing frantic.
Peter just shrugged his shoulders. The Stone was asleep and he didn’t know if he could wake it up. He didn’t even know if something would happen if he tried. “Maybe,” he muttered, looking down.
“Have you given up?” Ben asked but his voice was free of judgment. It sounded disappointed if anything.
Peter hated the idea of saying yes. He hadn’t given up, he wanted to go back to May and Ned and Tony and MJ. He wanted to go back home. But he was tired. He felt like Altas finally being given a moment of rest. He wanted to sleep. Peter gave a humorless chuckle. “I’m tired, Ben,” he told him honestly, not looking up. “I’m so tired. I haven’t given up but… it’s a close thing.”
The admission tasted bitter.
Peter heard Ben walk closer. “Pete,” the man said heavily, “there’s a world out there that needs you. May needs you, Ned needs you. It sounds like Tony needs you too. There are so many people out there who need you. And you need them. It doesn’t seem like you’re exactly alone in all this, kiddo. You’ve done so much for the world, Pete; much more than I know. I don’t blame you for wanting to rest. But you can rest when you get back.” Ben cupped Peter’s face, encouraging him gently to look up. Peter did so with little resistance. “You have so many people waiting for you out there, Peter. They need you; you need them. The world needs a person like you.”
Ben sighed, an almost mournful look crossing his face. “You can’t stay here, hun,” he whispered. “You have to go home.”
Peter turned his face into Ben’s palm as though he wanted to hide. Peter had always been a mature person, especially for his age. But there were moments when he truly felt his age when he felt like just a kid who was way in over his head. This was a moment like that.
But Peter had always been a fighter too. Not physically, not until Spider-Man, but in other senses. Losing his parents so young, he had been met with many obstacles already. Then school and his intelligence presented problems. Then bullies and the spider bite and losing Ben and what could’ve been the end of the world and dying. He had fought it all. He had been beaten down, forced to the ground and every time, he got back up.
Here he was, beaten down, forced to the ground, tired. All he had to do was get back up.
“I have a connection with the Stone,” he said quietly. “It’s asleep right now but I might be able to wake it up and talk with it.”
“Give it a shot,” Ben encouraged. “I’ll be right here.”
Peter nodded and then closed his eyes. He reached into the right corner of his mind. The connection didn’t respond when he approached it. He closed his eyes tighter, concentrating on nothing but the connection. The feeling of Ben’s hands on his face melted away. They were still there, Peter knew, but he couldn’t feel them anymore. He was too far into his mind, into the connection.
It resisted. It didn’t want to wake up. It was tired, like he was. It didn’t want to move, it didn’t want to talk to its host, it didn’t want to do anything. It wanted to rest for the next millennium and then rest some more.
Peter pushed. Wake up, he prodded, just for a second. Just long enough to send me back.
Peter felt the connection hum. The Stone wasn’t reaching back to him, it was acknowledging him. In his mind, he grabbed onto the connection and poured in his plead. He needed to go home.
The Stone hummed again but did nothing more. Please, he begged, tightening his grip on the connection, I need to go home. I don’t need your powers, I just need you to let me go home.
A part of the connection grew brighter, more aware. The Stone was listening.
I’d still be your host, Peter explained, hope blooming in his chest. I don’t need your powers but you could still stay connected with me. Just send me home.
The Stone’s awareness became groggy like it was falling asleep again. Peter panicked and held on firmly to the connection. However, the Stone sent out a calming response. It was waking up now, there was no need to panic, it told him.
Peter would’ve cried with joy if he hadn’t been so far into the connection.
The Stone pressed a question into the connection. Peter didn’t understand at first, the feeling of it sliding right over him. The Stone continued to ask though, right up until Peter understood.
What will you give me in return?
Peter paused, grip loosening. He didn’t know what it meant. And he was about to think on it, to wonder and question, when it clicked.
The Stone had always required sacrifice. Gamora, the trillions Thanos took, Peter. All sacrifices, for better or for worse. The projection of Gamora had said that the Stone had been alive once. But Peter had no doubt that one could only go so long before losing themselves in power, gain, and loss. Peter had no doubt that the Stone had been the Stone longer than it had been actually alive.
I’ll still be your host, he tried. He couldn’t think of anything else. There were no other souls in the Stone besides Peter and Ben. Surely he would be the sacrifice again. He would bare the Stone for the rest of his life. That seemed fair, he supposed. If that was the price he had to pay for going home, then so be it.
The Stone’s response felt as firm as it felt lazy.
No, the connection glowed.
Then what’s the sacrifice? Peter cried, frustrated and tired and confused. It was just him and Ben, there was no one else. If the Stone didn’t want Peter, then who--
The second Peter realized what the Stone wanted, he ripped away from the connection, violently breaking it off. The Stone flared angrily in his chest, burning all the way to his fingertips. His eyes stung and his head was throbbing painfully. He stumbled back from the sudden force of it all, letting out a small cry. He brought his hands to his head, clutching it as he bit down groans of pain.
“Peter?!”
Ben steadied Peter, hands on his shoulders. “Peter, what’s going on? What happened?” he asked hurriedly.
Peter shook his head, feeling sick. “It wants you,” he choked out, gasping. “It wants a sacrifice and it wants that sacrifice to be you.”
“What… What do you mean?”
Peter sucked in a breath, desperately trying to calm down. He wouldn’t be doing either of them any good by panicking. “In order for someone to gain the Soul Stone, it requires a sacrifice,” Peter began to explain weakly. “When I got the Stone that was because it gave itself up. It was filled with souls, it was more attached to it’s humane side. But now, we’re the only ones here. I want to go home and it wants something in return for letting me go.”
“And I’m the only one here with you,” Ben finished solemnly.
“There’s gotta be another way,” Peter reasoned frantically. “There has to be.”
“Do you know what would happen to me?” Ben asked softly.
Peter gulped and, while taking in a deep breath, said, “You’d probably be pulled into the darkness. You’d fall asleep pretty much.” His eyes found Ben’s.
“That doesn’t sound too bad,” Ben said, trying for a smile.
“You’d be stuck here,” Peter told him, stomach twisting.
“Peter, not to be harsh, but I’m already dead.” Peter flinched anyway. “You need to go home. I’ll do it.”
Peter leaned against Ben, resting his forehead against Ben’s chest. Peter listened and memorized every beat of his heart. “I’m sorry,” Peter whispered, reaching up to hug Ben. He knew that Ben wouldn’t move on this. They were similar in their stubbornness. “I love you, Uncle Ben.”
Ben followed his lead, holding Peter closer. “It’s not your fault,” Ben assured him. “God, I’m so proud of you, Peter. So proud. You’re already so much greater than I could’ve ever imagined. You’re just amazing, Pete. Whatever you do next, it’ll change the world. You’re gonna blow them all away, Pete.”
Peter reached for the connection. It glowed, searching his mind. It knew that they had come to an agreement.
“I love you so much, Peter. I couldn’t be prouder of you. And when you get back, you tell May that I love her too. I love you guys so much. Both of you were my world; still are. I love you both more than anything else.”
The Stone understood. The Stone agreed. The Stone reached through the connection.
Peter felt the Stone breathe with him. The connection slid into place and two became One. It felt familiar and safe. In the connection, Peter wondered if he would ever get to feel this connection again.
As they became One, they reached beyond their connection, to the world around them. Ben was still murmuring to Peter, unaware of the change. They grasped Ben’s soul, gently, respectively, tenderly. Though they were One, Peter independently moved. He held Ben tighter and tighter, feeling his and Ben’s souls begin to shift. He was going home and Ben was staying here. He had let go of Ben a while ago but that old wound had been broken open again. Seeing Ben alive (in a sense) again had opened it. Having to say goodbye was like cutting a new wound right over the old.
But his wound had healed once and it would heal again. And this time, he knew that he had said what he wanted to say to Ben the first time around. Ben would be at rest. Peter would have far more support than he did last time. Ben would be alright. Peter would be alright.
Together, Peter and the Stone breathed and their vision filled with light and it was all they could see, just light, light, light, light--
And then everything was dark.
Pure darkness.
It was familiar.
It was scary.
Peter couldn’t think again.
He could feel though
Everything was cool and thick.
It felt like water.
His body was water.
He was heavy but you could pass your hand right through him.
He wasn’t supposed to be here.
He couldn’t think but he could feel and he felt like he wasn’t supposed to be there.
If he wasn’t supposed to be here, then where was he supposed to be?
There was something warm settled in his chest.
It was familiar.
It was not scary.
It was safety, warmth.
It was… speaking.
Quietly.
Softly.
It whispered to him.
He couldn’t understand it.
He was sure he knew the language but it didn’t make sense to him.
He trusted it though.
It spoke to him in his head even though he could not think.
It knew he wasn’t supposed to be here.
He agreed.
It said something to him, a warping of words that meant nothing to him.
Though he couldn’t understand, his body still responded to the words.
The words meant safety.
It was not the same safety the warmth in his chest provoked.
It was better.
It bloomed within his entire body.
It sat in his nonexistent bones.
He loved the feeling.
He could go to that feeling, something in him realized.
He could go back to that feeling.
Why had he ever left that feeling?
He wanted to go back to that feeling.
Now.
And if not now, then soon.
The warmth in his chest brightened.
The warmth in his chest spread.
He thought he was already asleep but then the warmth began to soothe him.
He had no eyes, could not see but somehow the darkness was no longer just the environment around him but a voluntary submergence.
If he had eyes and did not know it, he still knew he had closed them.
The warmth continued to soothe him.
It was comforting.
It was reassuring.
It was safety.
He would be okay.
He could rest now.
Peter breathed and did not think about the fact that he now had lungs.
He did not think about his body becoming more than water.
He did not think about how the darkness was beginning to brighten.
He did not think at all.
Peter breathed.
The first thing Peter noticed was that his throat was dry.
It was so dry it hurt.
His face hurt too. In fact, his entire body hurt. It felt like he had been hit with a blazing wrecking ball about twenty times over. But there was a dullness to the pain. It didn’t make him feel good, but it wasn’t overwhelming in the way he somehow knew it could be.
He shifted his head, eyes closed. A small groan escaped his lips. Whatever he was lying on wasn’t the most comfortable thing in the world. He’d rather be at home, in his own bed with some music playing--
Why wasn’t he home? He knew he wasn’t. The bed beneath him was too stiff and the covers were itchy. His bed at home was soft, long worn from years of rest. The covers at home were warm and beaten to be permanently fluffy from fabric softener.
But why wasn’t he home? What happened?
“You talkin’, Pete?”
May.
“Tony said that you’ve been doing that lately. I’m oh so wounded that I haven’t witnessed it until now,” she laughed. He heard the sound of a page being turned. “Whatcha talking about? You dreaming about something?”
Peter forced himself to open his eyes. He immediately had to shut them again. The room he was in was so bright. It hurt his eyes. But he wanted to see May. He could take a little more pain.
He opened his eyes again, squinting against the light. “Hope it’s something nice,” May finished.
Peter didn’t know how long he had been asleep. In the Soul Stone, time worked differently. When he first found himself there, a few minutes was nearly a whole month in the real world. Peter hadn’t counted the minutes he had been in the Soul Stone but he knew it was longer than last time. But when he opened his eyes, he thought May hadn’t changed at all.
There seemed to be a few more gray hairs on her head but other than that, she looked just as she always had. Peter wouldn’t be able to tell anyone when she had become synonymous with safety and the pure feeling of home, but that’s all he focused on now. May was here, she was safe so he must be too.
May didn’t seem to notice the uptick in his heart monitor. She didn’t look too engrossed in her book though. Maybe she was just lost in her head. She turned the page again. “You’ll have to tell me what you’re dreaming about when you wake up,” she said lightly. Peter could hear the underlying tension, the underlying hurt.
He didn’t want her to be hurt; he hated it when she was.
“M’y,” he croaked. It sounded like another groan to him but May seemed to pick up on the difference in a heartbeat.
Her head snapped up, eyes flashing from the book to Peter. He didn’t know if she could tell that his eyes were open. “Peter?” she said quietly, timidly. It was apprehensive and nervous.
He shifted, wanting to reach out. His arms felt like lead though. He only managed to tap his finger. “M’y,” he said again, voice raspy.
“Peter?” There was a new urgency in May’s voice. “Baby, are you with me?”
Peter coughed, hoping to clear throat at least a little. “M’ere,” he assured.
“Peter,” she repeated, throwing down the book and rushing to his side, standing up from her seat. “Hey, Peter, I’m here, it’s okay; I’m here.”
She bent over him, clasping his hand tightly in hers. “I’m here, baby, I’m here,” she murmured, using her free hand to brush his hair away from his forehead.
He opened his eyes wider as they adjusted to the lights. He cleared his throat, looking up at May. There were tears in her eyes. He didn’t like that. He tried for a smile. It felt odd, tender as though he had hurt the skin there, but it seemed to work because May smiled back. There were still tears pooling in her eyes. “Hey, May,” he managed to say clearly.
She scoffed a laugh, tears falling onto her glasses. “Hey, baby,” she whispered, bringing her hand down to hold his face, thumb sweeping over his cheek.
“I’m okay,” he told her. He hated seeing her like this.
She laughed again, lip wobbling. “Yes,” she said firmly like she believed every word that came out of her mouth, “yes, you are, babe.”
Peter could see her resolve crumble, the moment she decided to throw caution to the wind. She knelt on the bed and enveloped him in the biggest hug he had ever received. May sobbed into his shoulder, holding him gently. “You’re okay,” she repeated, seeming to savor the words. “You’re okay.”
Peter was able to bring his arms up around her. It hurt but he pushed it aside. “I’m okay, May,” he muttered. “Honor bright.”
May tightened her hold on him. She was completely aware of his pain though, never holding him to the point where it was painful. Peter wondered how badly he was injured. He wondered what had happened. His head was blurry, foggy.
May pulled back briefly, only moving away enough to grab the glass of water at his bedside. She gave it to him, keeping a light hold on the glass as he gulped it down. She pulled it away even though he wanted more. She returned the cup and her position with Peter.
As he continued to hug May, he tried to think back to what he remembered last. There was a field and heat. There had been a lot of heat, heat everywhere but especially in his chest and--
It all came rushing back to him. The Soul Stone, the gauntlet, Thanos, going home, the plan, Tony, Pepper, snapping his fingers, darkness--
He pulled back, trying his best to sit up. “May,” he said urgently. “May, did it work?”
She pulled back too, a confused expression forming on her face. “What?” she asked gently, wiping her tears away with shaking hands.
“Did it work?” he repeated, feeling and hearing his heartbeat pick up. “The-The plan, did it work? Is everyone back? What happened?”
“Slow down,” she soothed, helping him sit up. She kept a hand on his arm as she pressed a button to make his bed rise vertically. It then occurred to him that he must be in a hospital. “It’s okay, Peter. It worked. Everyone is back, it’s okay.”
He trusted her word implicitly.
It had worked. They had fixed it.
They won.
Relief crashed down upon him in waves. It surged in his entire body and hummed in his veins. He smiled brightly, eyes stinging with tears. It had worked, they had won, everyone was back. He closed his eyes, tears falling, leaning back. “It worked,” he gasped. “Thank God, thank God, thank God. ”
When he opened his eyes, May was smiling too, eyes still watery. “You did it,” she said proudly, squeezing his hand.
He squeezed her hand back. “We did it,” he said, sucking in a deep breath. “We did it.”
“You’re still grounded for the rest of your life,” she told him. He had a feeling she was only half joking. “You’re never allowed to do that again, you hear me?”
Peter chuckled, nodding. “Loud and clear,” he replied. He didn’t bother asking what part of what he had done she was referring to. He assumed she meant all of it.
He looked to the clock on the wall. Fifteen past eight at night. May must’ve gotten off from her shift not too long ago. “Where are we?” he asked, looking back to her.
“Special hospital,” she answered, “SHIELD run. Kinda. Apparently, Director Fury had it up and running when SHIELD crashed. You’re safe here.”
He nodded. “Where’s everyone else?” he questioned further. “Are they okay? What happened to them?”
“They’re all okay,” she assured him, nodding along with her words. “They’ve healed and are perfectly fine.”
He noticed the tightness in her eyes. It was tense and perhaps still a little sad. He was missing something here. He sniffed, swallowing then coughing a bit. He thought on it for a moment, squeezing May’s hand nervously. “May,” he started, “how long have I been out?” He almost didn’t want to know the answer.
She rubbed her thumb over his knuckles, looking down at the action. “About sixth months,” she whispered.
His eyes flicked from her to the covers in front of him. He forcibly exhaled, mind buzzing. He had been asleep for six months. Six months. He had left May, Tony, Ned, MJ, Pepper for six months. He closed his mouth, clenching his jaw. “I’m sorry,” he choked out.
May looked up quickly, already shaking her head. “No, baby. This isn’t your fault,” she insisted. “I know you wouldn’t have left us if you had the choice.” Peter shook his head too. He wouldn’t have left her like this in a million years if he had a say. “It’s not your fault, hun.”
He didn’t have it in him to contradict her. He wouldn’t have believed himself anyway.
“Where are the others?” he asked instead. “What’re they doing?”
He didn’t give May enough time to answer before he remembered, rushing to add, “How’s Pepper? She must be, what, seven months in, right?”
May shook her head minutely, an amused smile gracing her lips. “Did she tell you before all this?” she asked.
“Yeah, she was a month in,” he told her. “How is she? How’s Morgan?”
May chuckled softly. “They’re both doing great,” she responded. “Pepper is in perfect health. Morgan’s developing just as she should be.”
Peter smiled. “Morgan Harlow Stark,” he recited from months ago.
“Christ, how much did Pepper tell you?” May wondered, smirking.
“Just about everything,” he admitted sheepishly. “She was venting a bit. I didn’t mind it.”
May just smiled, reaching up again to brush his hair back. Her hand briefly grazed his right cheek, closer to his jaw. Her expression tensed. “What’s wrong?” he asked quietly.
May shook her head, gulping. “You’re so brave, baby,” she told him. “So brave. I’m so proud of you.” She wasn’t looking at him, just stared at his cheek.
He raised his right hand to meet hers and stopped. It was covered in burns and scars. He stared at it for a moment. Slowly, he brought his free hand to meet hers. She pulled hers away to let him feel his cheek. It was rough and bumpy. It was warm too, more so than the rest of his face. It felt tingly from May’s hand. It took him a minute to realize what they were. Burns; burn scars to be more specific. “Be honest,” he said, looking back to May, keeping his hand on his cheek, “how bad are they?”
May rolled her eyes, bemused. “You’re absolutely handsome,” she told him. “Scars aren’t about to change that.”
He only sighed. He brought his hand down from his cheek, dragging it down his neck. There were scars there too. His hand stopped at the collar of his shirt. He touched the front of his shirt, knowing what was there, just wanting to make sure.
The Stone was still there. It was still asleep. Suddenly, he remembered what Ben had asked him to say to May.
“Ben says hi,” he told her abruptly, turning to her.
Her expression fell, shocked. “What?” she breathed.
“Ben,” he repeated throat tightening. “He was there. He told me to tell you that he loves you. Loves both of us. Both of you are my world, that’s what he said.”
“He was there?” she whispered after a moment, tears glistening in her eyes. “You weren’t alone?”
“Not for one second,” he said. “He’s still here technically. He’s asleep with the Stone.”
May let out a gasp, struggling to keep in her sobs. She pressed a hand to her mouth. Peter squeezed her free hand. “He loves us both,” he said quietly.
“So much,” she agreed, smiling through the tears. She straightened and pulled Peter into another hug.
Peter suddenly recognized what that unnamed feeling he had felt in the Stone had been. Home, it had been the feeling of being right at home.
Over the next day, May filled him in on what he had missed.
Everyone had returned safely. Schools had been going for four months. Ned and MJ were fine, just missing him. The Avengers had regrouped after leaving the hospital, spending most of their time in the compound. At the moment, they were all preparing for Pepper’s baby shower in a week from that day.
Peter wanted to leave right then. He wanted to see everyone, to see Tony and Pepper. He wanted to be with them all and see what he had done. For now, though he had to sit and wait.
The doctors ran numerous tests but were astounded to see that Peter had made a quick recovery. His legs and arms had begun to experience muscular atrophy but thanks to his healing factor, it wasn’t nearly as bad as it could’ve been. He would still need physical therapy to help recover. That and the burns seemed to be the worst of it. The burns were going to be permanent. They might dilute in size but it wasn’t likely they’d go away any time soon.
The bright side to it all was the fact that he got to see Ned and MJ again. May wanted to surprise the Avengers the day of Pepper’s baby shower with his awakening but she had no qualms with letting Ned and MJ in.
They had come after school unannounced. They were talking to each other when they walked in, so engrossed in their conversation that they hadn’t noticed Peter, sitting up and awake, eating some not so bad hospital food.
He paused when they came in but immediately brightened. May had stepped out to get a snack from the cafeteria. “I’m telling you, MJ, it’s not--” Ned began to insist before stopping completely. He was staring at Peter. MJ too.
He swallowed his bite of food. “Aw, c’mon,” he tried, taking in the sight of his best friends, “I don’t look that bad, do I?”
“Pete?” Ned whispered, hands beginning to shake.
“Hey guys,” Peter said, putting his plate on his bedside table. “I’m a little late, huh?”
Peter barely got a chance to even blink before both Ned and MJ were barreling into him, hugging the living daylights out of him. “I’m so happy you’re okay! God, you’re okay!” Ned exclaimed at the same time MJ told him, “If you ever do anything like that ever again, I’m gonna come after you and beat the shit out of you, you hear me, Parker?”
Peter bit down a groan but returned the hug wholeheartedly. He didn’t have to say anything about being careful before they pulled back to give him some space. They sat perched at his sides. “When did you wake up?” Ned asked quickly.
“Just yesterday,” Peter responded, leaning back against the raised bed.
“How are you still awake?” MJ questioned. “Shouldn’t the doctors be running a bunch of tests?”
“They did,” Peter told her. “I’m gonna have to do some physical therapy ‘cause of some muscular atrophy in my arms and legs. The burns are permanent but they’re healed. My healing factor has largely healed most of everything. It’s gonna take a while to recover completely but I’m good for the most part. They’re keeping me here just to make sure. I should be home within a week and a little bit.”
“Shit,” MJ muttered.
Peter chuckled and nodded. “What about the Stone?” Ned asked tentatively after a moment of hesitation. “We saw on the news; the Avengers said that they were all destroyed but Tony said that the Stone was still… with you.”
Peter snuck a look towards the door. He hadn’t shown May the Stone. He knew it would just upset her. But with Ned and MJ, it was curiosity. They wanted to know what happened.
Peter hooked a finger on the collar of his shirt and tugged it down, keeping his eyes on the door for a second more. The Stone sat in the center of his chest, surrounded by burns. It was still a distinctive golden but it didn’t glow as it had. Idly, he brushed the connection, feeling comforted by its presence.
Ned and MJ stared, something akin to amazement and horror on their faces. “It doesn’t hurt,” he promised them. “It’s asleep.”
Ned just looked concerned. MJ shook her head and said, exasperated, “Christ, your life is so fucking weird.”
Peter smiled widely. Yes, yes it was. And he wouldn’t trade it for anything, not when it brought him people like them into his life.
Peter didn’t know how May had managed to keep his status a secret. Somehow, she did though and as the day of Pepper’s baby shower came along, no one but she, MJ, Ned, and the doctors knew.
The doctors were reluctant to let Peter go, even if just for the afternoon. Still, they gave him some medicine to wean off the pain and a wheelchair to use before a better, more daily-life-friendly one was bought. May was already looking for one with the help of one of her co-workers.
They were given a van to help make transportation easier. It was just him and May that day, heading to Tony and Pepper’s new lake house. It was a beautiful day really. Bright and sunny, warm with a small breeze. It was a perfect day for the occasion. “It’s a lovely little place,” May commented when they were about ten minutes away. “You’ll love it.”
Peter hummed and stared out the window, playing with the cuff of his shirt. He was dressed in his own clothing, paired with a hoodie that felt like a security blanket. He was glad for the little normalcy. They were far into a little forest. Peter never thought Tony would settle in a place like this. Oddly, it suited him in a way.
“Now, I told Tony that I would be here in about five minutes from now,” she told him when they parked in the driveway. “We’ll just sca-dat on in.”
“Sca-dat?” Peter repeated, smiling. He was excited to see everyone again, to see Tony and Pepper. But if he was being honest, he was nervous too. Who knows how they would all react? Would it be too overwhelming for Tony? For any of them?
“Yes, sca-dat,” May said indignantly. She turned around, still in the driver’s seat. Peter was in the wheelchair in the back. She sobered for a second and asked, “Are you okay? Doing this?”
Peter took in a deep breath, reaching for the connection. It had become his crutch in a sense. It was asleep but it was always there. He wasn’t alone. It was comforting and familiar. He nodded, looking to May. “Nervous,” he said honestly, “but okay.”
May studied him, taking in every feature she could see. Finally, she nodded too and concluded, “Okay.”
She got out of the car and opened the backdoors. She grabbed the gift for Pepper before hitting a button on the inside of the car. A ramp protruded from the car and Peter was pulled out. He grabbed the gift and put it in his lap. Peter didn’t quite like the feeling of being pushed around when he knew he was fully capable but he didn’t say anything. He knew it made May feel better, knowing that he was right there.
They moved into the house quietly. It was lively and small but it was nice. Peter felt something almost fond for the small cabin.
“Baaaabe!”
Peter perked up, back straightening.
Tony.
“Pleeease!” the man whined. “Why can’t I see you right now?”
“It’s bad luck, Tony!” Pepper called from somewhere in the house.
“That’s for weddings!”
“And baby showers; that’s what I was taught.”
“Boooo! I wanna see you!”
“Just wait!”
May chuckled. “I’m gonna go grab him, okay?” she said quietly, leaning down to speak into his ear. “I’ll be right back.” She squeezed his shoulder before moving farther into the house.
Peter wheeled himself around the living room. He picked up a photo of Pepper and Tony on their wedding day. He felt saddened that he missed it but also glad that they had finally tied the knot. He put the photo down and continued to wander. It was homey and soft. Tony and Pepper deserved a life like this. Morgan deserved a life like this too. He was glad he got to be a part of it all.
“May, this is a day for Pepper, I don’t want any surprises,” he heard Tony say. His voice got louder as he got closer to the living room.
Peter turned himself around to face the doorway May had walked through. “This surprise is for everyone,” May told Tony.
Peter’s heart thumped, beating erratically. He had wondered if this would be too overwhelming for Tony but now he was wondering if this would be too overwhelming for him. But it was just Tony. He had no reason to be so nervous. He would be okay, it would all be okay.
Peter grasped at the connection tightly, focusing on its warmth.
“May, I love you, I really do, but I don’t want anything. It’s Pepper and Morgan’s day, we’re celebrating my girls,” Tony insisted, not really sounding upset in the slightest.
“Just trust me, Tony,” May mused.
“I do!” Tony cried. “I’m just saying--”
From the doorway, out walked Tony Stark.
Peter stared at the man, taking in every gray hair, every gesture of his hand, every time his crows' feet came out. Tony looked good, healthy, happy. Peter liked it that way.
Tony hadn’t noticed Peter yet. It took him a moment. He was still trying to convince May that he didn’t want a present when he must’ve noticed something from the corner of his eye. He sighed in a dramatically exasperated fashion before turning and--
Everything stopped.
Tony stared at Peter. Peter stared at Tony. Involuntarily, a smile pulled at Peter’s lips. “Hey, Mr. Stark,” he quipped, turning completely to face the man.
Tony was frozen. May kept a hand on his shoulder, maybe to keep him from falling over if the sway in his stance meant anything. “Peter?” he breathed out.
“I wasn’t aware that I’d be a part of the gift exchange today,” he joked best he could, giving a pretend glare at May.
She chuckled. She nudged Tony and said quietly, kindly, to him, “I told you to trust me.”
That seemed to be what Tony needed. He rushed forward, slowing when he was in front of Peter and pulled him into a hug, May’s present crinkling between them.
It was very similar to the one they had shared when Peter had first returned from the Stone. A hand on the back of his head, one around his shoulders. It was a bit awkward while in the wheelchair but neither cared. Peter brought his arms around Tony and closed his eyes. It was all okay. They’d all be okay. They had won. The Stone was asleep. Peter was awake and healing. Tony and the rest were safe.
It was okay.
“Thank God,” Peter heard Tony mutter. “Thank God.”
“I’m okay, Tony,” he promised.
“I know, Pete. I know. You’re okay.”
They stayed there in silence. Peter heard and felt Tony take in a shuddering breath. “Pepper!” he called, loud enough for her to hear but low enough to not hurt Peter’s sensitive hearing. He appreciated the caution. “Come here!”
“Tony, I told you; it’s bad luck!”
“This is important! I swear. Come here.”
Peter heard the sound of Pepper’s footsteps. Part of his was surprised that there was no sound of the click-clack of high heels, but Pepper was pregnant. Of course, she wouldn’t be wearing high heels.
Tony pulled away, moving to Peter’s side. He kept an arm around Peter’s shoulders. Peter heard Pepper sigh, exasperated, before seeing her turn the corner, in the middle of saying, “Tony, this better be--”
She cut herself off when she saw Peter.
Peter beamed. She looked absolutely gorgeous, wearing a flowy blue sundress. “You’re glowing,” he told her.
“You’re awake,” she exclaimed, rushing towards him. Tony moved to help steady her. She hugged Peter best she could, the mix of her belly and the wheelchair making it a bit difficult. Peter didn’t care at all. “Oh, Peter.”
“Just in time too,” he said as they pulled back. “I wasn’t about to miss out on meeting Morgan.”
Pepper chuckled wetly, holding his face in her hands. He felt her eyes on the burns. “Of course not,” she said. Concern spotted her face when she asked, “When did you wake up?”
She and Tony sat down in nearby chairs as Peter explained. “About a week ago,” he told them as May moved to his side.
“Why weren’t we notified?” Tony demanded, looking sharply to May.
“I wanted to surprise you guys,” May replied. “The doctors had to run tests, Peter had to get heal a little bit before he could be released. It was busy.”
“Christ,” Tony muttered, an incredulous expression falling on his face.
“I’m fine now,” Peter assured. “I’m here, I’m healing. I’ll be just fine, Tony.”
“Can we help with anything?” Tony asked sincerely.
“We’re working out details for insurance and all that,” May said mildly. “I’ll keep you updated.”
“You better,” Tony pouted. Peter chuckled at the expression.
“Pepper?”
They all turned to face the voice. Carol Danvers walked out the doorway. “Everything is set up, we just need the guest of honor,” she said, eyes searching for Pepper. She paused when she saw Peter. “Or guests of honor,” she added quietly.
“Hey, Captain,” Peter greeted, smiling.
Carol smiled back, taking a few steps forward. “We weren’t expecting to see you, kid,” she told him. “How are you feeling?”
“Good,” he said honestly. “A bit sore all over but nothing that won’t heal.”
Carol appeared happy with the news. “Good,” she repeated, nodding. “Shall we move outside?”
“Everyone’s here,” Tony told Peter gently. “You gonna be okay with all that?”
Peter nodded, breathing in deeply. It would be a bit overwhelming, he knew that but May and Tony would be right by him the entire time. It would be all fine. “Yeah, c’mon, I’ll be fine,” Peter insisted, bouncing a little in his wheelchair. “I wanna met everyone without having to worry about saving the world this time.”
Peter saw all four of the adults in the room smile. “Then let’s go,” Pepper said.
Peter began to wheel himself towards the doorway as Pepper and Tony stood up, following. May walked alongside him while Carol led them all outside. Peter looked over the backyard, a spacious area with a big tree close to the shore of the lake. There were tables set up with presents and food on it. There were porch chairs set in a circle in the shade, balloons tied to a few of them.
Peter took note of everyone there. He knew most of them. Steve, Bruce, Natasha, Rhodey, Thor, Nebula, Happy. He recognized Gamora immediately. There were a few he didn’t know. There was a man with a woman and three children. There was a woman who brightened at the sight of Carol and a shorter, younger woman at her side. There was a man with a gap in his front teeth when he smiled, standing next to Steve. There was a man with a metal hand (was it his whole arm?) next to Natasha.
“Important people coming through!” Carol called happily as they descended from the back porch to the ground.
Everyone turned to them, all smiling to a certain degree. Pepper went to sit down in the head chair, the one with many, many balloons tied to it. Peter wheeled himself to the table to put May’s present down. “And for those who don’t know,” Carol continued as she helped Pepper sit, “this is Peter. He’s the one who saved our asses.”
Peter snorted. He clenched his left hand, digging his fingernails into his palm. “Hi,” he greeted lightly.
It was unnerving to have a bunch of people, most of the superheroes, staring at you. Peter had never been the best at reading people but he could see the gratitude in their eyes. It made him want to shrink back.
The man sitting next to the woman and three children stood up and walked over to Peter. “Pleasure to meet you, Pete,” he said, holding out his left hand. It was a purposeful decision. “Clint. I owe you.”
Peter blinked at the bluntness but shook his hand. “Nice to meet you too,” he said, flashing a smile.
The tension dissipated after that. May squeezed his shoulder as those who didn’t know him came up to greet him. The woman with Clint was named Laura and her children’s names were Lila, Cooper, and Nathaniel. The men standing next to Steve and Natasha were Sam and Bucky. Peter briefly remembered fighting them at the airport. They seemed to remember as well but it appeared to be water under the bridge.
The women with Carol came up to him, introducing themselves as Maria and Monica Rambeau. “Told you you’d be here to meet them,” Carol said from behind him, grabbing a cup of water from one of the tables.
“Just took a little while,” he said sheepishly.
“It’s okay,” Maria assured him. “Carol here took six years before she got back to us. I’m used to waiting.”
“I apologized for that!” Carol exclaimed, bumping her hip into Maria’s when she passed, making Maria chuckle.
Everyone was kind and welcoming. They all shook his left hand even if it wasn’t their dominant hand. They all thanked him for his sacrifice, for his struggle. Even Nebula approached him and muttered, “If not for you, I would have lost those I care about. I thank you.”
After this, he never wanted to hear the words ‘thank you’ ever again.
Finally, they all sat down in a circle and began the baby shower. They all ate and chatted before Pepper began to open the presents. Peter smiled knowingly at May when Pepper opened her present. It was a purple, knitted blanket. Peter had a green one when he was a kid.
An hour later, all the presents were opened and most of the food had been eaten. Peter stayed close to May, Tony, and Pepper. The others nice and all but he wasn’t quite comfortable enough with them yet. He was fine with Carol but that was about it. With time, he hoped he would be though.
He wanted to speak with Gamora though. They had shared glances and patient looks but Peter could tell she wanted to talk with him as much as he wanted to with her. It was as the event came to an end and a cleanup began that they finally had the chance.
He hated that he couldn’t help clean up. He wanted to help but with his limited mobility and everyone telling him not to, he sat with Pepper who was in the same boat as him. “We’ll be running circles around them soon enough,” Pepper teased as they watched the rest clean up from their seats.
Peter chuckled. He wondered if Morgan would be like that too, running circles around all of them.
“Peter.”
The boy twisted in his wheelchair before turning it with him. Gamora stood behind them. He perked up. “Hey,” he said lamely.
“May I speak with you for a moment?” she asked kindly.
“Of course,” he said. He added to Pepper, “I’ll be right back.” He wheeled himself over to Gamora, who led him closer to the big tree near the shore.
They said nothing for a while. They both stared out at the lake, at the sunlight reflecting off of it. A breeze blew through the forest, blowing Gamora’s hair to her left. “I remember you,” she said suddenly. “In the Stone. Both before it settled and after.”
“I remember you too,” he told her. “You were very young the first time we met.”
“You were too,” she said. “You are. ”
“Hey,” he pouted. It made Gamora chuckle softly.
“In the end, age doesn’t have much to do with it,” she continued. “I was young when my journey began. Stark tells me that you were too. You are very brave for all that you’ve done.”
Peter looked down at his lap. He didn’t know how to respond to those kinds of compliments. “I did what I had to do,” he told her honestly. That’s how he saw it. It was nothing more than what he had to do. He didn’t want fame or praise, just for everyone to be okay at the end of the day.
“I admire that,” she said. “And I’m grateful that you did what you did. All of us are in your debt, Peter.”
Peter shook his head. No one owed him anything. He did what he had to do. He had the power to do it so he did it. He didn’t want all this gratitude; he didn’t know what to do with it.
Gamora chuckled again and said, “I understand your reluctance.” Peter looked to her, confused. “When I first joined the Guardians of the Galaxy, I was convinced that I would die surrounded by idiots. I had no faith in them, had barely any faith in myself. But when we succeeded, I was met with more than faith. It was faith and hope, gratitude and happiness. It was all foreign to me. I did not know what to do with it, I did not think I deserved it. As I continued with the Guardians, I found that to die with them would be an honor. They became my family in a way I had never experienced before. I learned to accept the faith and hope, gratitude and happiness.” Gamora turned to him. “I hope you never have to experience anything like this again, but I do hope that you learn to accept the gratitude. They do not give it to you because of some obligation. They give it to you because you helped them and that is a powerful thing, Peter.”
Gamora seemed to wait until he understood. The moment it slid into place, the moment Peter decided that he was willing to try, she smiled. Peter returned it, remembering that small girl with the Stone in her hand and tears in her eyes but a smile on her face. This Gamora was different than the one he had met but in the end, her soul was the same.
Peter hoped she would stick around.
“C’mon, you two.” They both spun around to face Tony behind them. “Pepper wants to make parfaits.”
“What’s a parfait?” Gamora asked, looking at Peter.
“It’s yogurt, fruits, and granola,” he said, beginning to wheel himself towards the house. “They’re good!”
The two followed after him. Unbeknownst to Peter, the two shared a look, a connection beginning between the two over the boy. They nodded to each other, an unvoiced agreement to watch over the child that had changed all of their lives.
Peter’s first day of physical therapy was frustrating.
He hated feeling weak, he hated not being able to function on his own.
He asked that it only be his physical therapist and himself in the room during his sessions. He didn’t want to see May’s pained looks or Tony’s desperate ones.
As his first few sessions went on, he had Rhodey come along. If anyone knew it what this was like, it was him.
Rhodey didn’t pity him, didn’t offer any pained or desperate looks. Instead, he was firm, telling Peter to get up the moment he fell from the bars. He was gentle though too. He understood that Peter was going through. He knew how frustrating it was. He tossed out encouragements and praised Peter for every step he managed to take.
Ned and MJ were the next to be allowed in his sessions. Ned was enthusiastic where MJ was cool. Ned was positive, telling him that he would be able to take one step more by tomorrow. MJ was patient, telling him that whatever amount of steps he took, it was progress and that was all that mattered.
The Stone was perhaps the oddest support. It didn’t speak to him, it didn’t use its powers to help him. It sat and slept. But in there, Peter knew Ben was asleep too. Peter wanted to make Ben proud, to make sure Ben’s soul hadn’t been sacrificed in vain. If he fell, Peter would reach into the connection and cover his mind in the warmth the Stone supplied.
He appreciated each of their presences more than he could ever express.
Morgan Harlow Stark was brought into the world kicking and screaming.
She was surrounded by people who were already in love with her and swore to cherish every moment with her.
Morgan Harlow Stark was brought into this world loved.
Peter let Tony, Pepper, and May come to his sessions as long as they brought Morgan.
She would shout every time he fell and squeal when he got back up.
It was the best kind of encouragement.
The topic of school caused tension. Peter wanted to go back but May wanted him to stay resting for a while more.
He knew people would stare and ask questions but it was nothing he hadn’t dealt with before.
“They’re gonna ask and push and be insistent,” Tony told him. “You’re gonna have to tell them something.”
Peter didn’t give it much thought, gave into impulsivity. He decided to take one out of Tony’s book.
A month later, Morgan was growing and thriving. She was the most beautiful baby Peter had ever seen. She always squealed when she saw him.
A month later, he was still in physical therapy, still in a wheelchair.
A month later, he and Tony had discussed the details.
A month later, Spider-Man revealed his identity.
A month later, Peter returned to school, a smirk on his face.
A month later, May and Peter found that they spent most of their time at the lakehouse. Tony and Pepper welcomed the company and it wasn’t like Morgan ever complained unless it was about food.
A month later, the world was safe, its people content.
A month later, Peter knew the warmth in his chest was a pure feeling of safety, of love, of home.
A month later, the end of an era came, the end of a chance, a gamble. With it, came the beginning of a new path, a new story to tell.