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scratch that, reverse it

Summary:

In one universe, Thanos's snap kills off one half of the universe.

In this one, that half survives.

It's five years later, and Peter has the opportunity to do the impossible.

He'll do anything to get Tony back. Even at the cost to himself.

Notes:

i am, once again, back on my irondad bullshit

i actually havent seen many reverse snap fics out there, and i think its honestly pretty interesting so i wrote it lol

i am pretty far removed from endgame so some of this might not make total sense, so just ignore any discontinuities

enjoy <33

Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

It was pure pandemonium.

 

Peter honestly doesn’t remember most of the first few weeks after the snap. Ned says it’s because he disassociated for most of it, and that might be true. 

 

Steve Rogers, gone. Natasha Romanoff, gone. Clint Barton, Thor Odinson, Pepper Potts, aunt May, nearly four million human beings, gone.

 

Tony. Gone. 

 

It took months and months and months for things to go back to some semblance of normal, if it can even be called that. Half of the Earth was gone. Doctors, lawyers, teachers, policemen, business workers, gone. Everybody the world needs to keep it spinning, erased. 

 

The whole planet was in disarray and Peter was just along for the ride. Holding his mentor-possibly-father as he crumbled into dust was an indescribable pain. In Peter’s nightmares, he hears Tony whisper an apology as his body turned to ash in the wind, an agonized look on his face. 

 

He remembers looking around in incredulous disbelief, watching as Black Widow took a step forward towards Hawkeye, before her body was dusted. He remembers hearing Clint cry out in fear before he was subject to the same fate.

 

He remembers watching Bucky Barnes grasp the ground where Steve Rogers once was, his head bowed and face pained. 

 

The Avengers. All the original Avengers, gone . The news broke on Earth and it caused mass panic. Doctor Strange had come up to Peter in the week after they arrived back home, imploring him to restart the Avengers. Peter pushed back at first, still reeling from losing everyone and firmly believing he wouldn’t be right for the job. He told the man to find somebody else.

 

Then Strange told him there was nobody else. And Peter was forced to take on the job. 

 

He gathered together the scrappiest, put-together-by-desperation-and-pure-insanity team this side of the universe had ever seen. Sam Wilson and Bucky were obvious choices and more than willing to take part. MJ and Ned were less willing. Ned chose to remain “the guy in the chair” working on tech and comms. It took months of convincing and a brand new, specialized suit that Peter created to get MJ on his side, but she eventually caved. 

 

Harley Keener was a surprise. Mere days after the snap, someone broke into the tower. Fully prepared to whack someone with a frying pan, Peter nearly knocked him out. After explaining his connection to Tony, Harley quickly joined the team as Ironlad. 

 

That’s all they had. One super soldier. One enhanced spider. Four regular humans- three of them under the age of 18- with highly advanced tech. And occasionally a magical wizard. Great.

 

When things finally settled, or settled as much as they could, Peter began to spiral. His nightmares kept him up, he couldn’t concentrate in school, every day was a reminder of the family he lost and the hope they took with them. 

 

He missed Tony and May like he was missing a limb. Peter chose to live in the tower full time once he got back from the Titan. With May gone, he couldn’t bear the idea of going home to an apartment that smells of jasmine and lilies, and could bear even less the thought of that scent fading. 

 

Peter forgets Tony is gone. He speaks aloud in the lab, expecting to hear a rough chuckle or a witty comment in return, but when he turns, the room is empty. He still gives Karen rundowns of his patrol, sending them off to an inbox that will never open again. On the worst days, he sits on a rooftop, listening to Tony’s voicemails on repeat, pretending like when he goes home, the man will be waiting for him. 

 

Once, Peter creeped into the master bedroom in the penthouse, where Tony and Pepper slept. He pulled out an MIT sweater of Tony’s and pressed it to his face, choking on sobs at the scent of cinnamon and motor oil. 

 

Miraculously, Peter was able to pull himself together enough to finish highschool alongside MJ, Ned, Flash, and the very few others in their grade who managed to slip the snap. That’s what they called it. The snap. 50% of all life, gone. How do you recover from that?

 

Humanity persists. It always has. So does Peter.

 

He takes over Stark Industries a few days after his 18th birthday, mere weeks before beginning his first semester at Columbia. MJ worried he was taking too much on: Owner- in training- of SI, Spider-man, leading the new Avengers, and double majoring in Biochemical Engineering and Business. 

 

She didn’t need to worry, though. It distracted him. The work pulled him out of the mess of grief he was locked into for two years post snap. Bucky and Sam worked with him, taking the brunt of the work for the Avengers. 

 

Sam lost a large chunk of his family, including his sister Sarah. Bucky loves to make jokes about him and Steve “switching roles”. Weirdly enough, they never land. Despite their less than stellar meeting- which both men have teased Peter endlessly about- he’s come to find their presence comforting. On bad days, when Peter holes himself up in the lab, Bucky brings him fruit, squeezing his shoulders. Sam takes him on runs. It helps. 

 

Now, nearly five years post snap, Peter’s mostly gotten his life back together. He’s nearly finished with his junior year of college and he’s preparing to take over the company in full. MJ officially took over Pepper’s position, working as CEO and bearing the brunt of paperwork and the business side of the company. 

 

Harley works as the head of multiple departments, while Ned works in cybersecurity. Peter never would’ve been able to get where he is without his friends. But he’s still so goddamn tired. 

 

There’s homework, exams, lectures, business meetings, superhero meetings, patrols, and the occasional alien invasion. Peter’s been running on practically nothing since Tony died. He misses the man so much . Time has not dulled the grief. He’s just pushing through it. 

 

The hope of everyone coming back was lost years ago. People had left that dream in the past, accepting their new lives as it is. Peter himself did move on. He’s nearly finished with college, he’s about to be the owner of Stark Industries, and he leads the literal Avengers. But it hurts. It always hurts. 

 

Until Scott Lang. 

 

And the hope returned. Scott was run ragged and desperate. He met with Peter at SI, the rest of the new Avengers in the room, and begged Peter to hear him out. He insists quietly that Peter is the only one who could figure it out. Heart pounding and hands shaking, Peter agrees to try

 

There’s a chance. A miniscule, insane, improbable chance. But Peter’s always been good at defying odds. 

 

He nearly stops sleeping entirely. He works during the day and runs models well into the night. His friends try to pull him away. MJ sighs and kisses him lightly before falling asleep on the couch next to him. Bucky sits with him, allowing Peter to rant and speak his ideas out loud, even if he doesn’t understand any of it.

 

10%. 12%. 8%. 23%. 

 

Weeks of trying and failing, ignoring the concerned and hopeful gazes of those who enter the lab. He spends many nights breaking down in tears, head in his hands. Peter nearly gives up multiple times, sometimes throwing tools or punching walls in frustration. 

 

One night, after another failure, Peter sits on the floor with a hitching breath, staring up mournfully at the red 57% on the screen. Bucky, MJ, and Ned walk through the doorway, pausing at the sight before them. 

 

Puffy-eyed, Peter’s face crumples. Immediately, there’s two soft hands on his faces, pulling him into a shoulder. Vanilla and coconuts. MJ. She holds him tightly, pressing firm kisses to his hair as he falls apart. From behind, Ned rubs his back up and down. 

 

When he comes back to himself, he’s so exhausted, it hurts to keep his eyes open. MJ smiles sadly at him, kissing the space between his brows. She shifts aside to make room for Bucky, who crouches in front of Peter, hands going to lay on his shoulders.

 

“If you want to stop, you can stop.” Bucky says softly.

 

Peter shakes his head, more tears pouring out of his eyes. “I- I need, I’m close I know it, I-” He stutters.

 

From his place at Peter’s back, Ned lets out a mournful breath, “Pete, this is killing you. We were never certain this would work. I know we’ve all been hoping, but if it can’t happen, it can’t happen.”

 

Peter sniffs, wiping his cheeks. “I just,” his voice breaks, “I miss him so much. I miss all of them.” 

 

MJ pulls him back into her, the side of his head resting on her chest. Bucky stares at him sadly, his hand moving to brush the stray hairs away from his face.

 

“I do too. But we can’t lose you like this, Peter. You’re so smart and strong and persistent, you’ll die before you stop trying.” Bucky says.

 

Peter doesn’t respond because he knows Bucky is right. He just feels so guilty. The entire universe is banking on his intelligence, even if they don’t know it. He could make everything right again if he just tried a little harder.

 

Bucky takes an anticipatory breath, making eye contact with Ned and MJ before turning back to him, “If this doesn’t work by the end of the month, we’re gonna have to let it go.”

 

Peter reels back, mouth gaping in shock. “ What? No, no, you can’t do that. I’m so close, I promise, please-”

 

“Peter, you’re going to die if you keep going this way. We can’t lose you too.” MJ whispers, knocking her forehead with his.

 

Peter looks at Bucky imploringly, but the man just tilts his head sadly. He runs his hand over Peter’s hair, undoing some of the knots. All at once, Peter loses all the fight in his body, the exhaustion taking over. Ned pulls him into his chest, holding him tightly. 

 

Eventually, he nods. “Okay.” he says.

 

“Okay?” Bucky.

 

“End of the month. Then I’ll stop.” Peter whispers.

 

But of course, on September 29th, the holoscreen turns green. 

 

Peter falls back into the chair heavily, eyes scanning the screen in disbelief. 99.89% match. He did it. He figured out time travel. 

 

Harley sticks his head in the room worriedly, “I heard a bang, what’d you do now, Parker?”

 

Harley takes in Peter’s gaping mouth and wide eyes pointed towards the holoscreen, and everything clicks. He rushes towards it, breathing picking up as he reads the information. 

 

“Holy shit.” He breathes.

 

“I figured it out.” Peter says almost casually.

 

Harley nods. “You figured it out.” He echoes.

 

Harley looks down at an exhausted, incredulous Peter. He’s been looking ill for months, almost worse than the first few weeks after the snap. He’s been working himself to the bone after the ultimatum was given, skipping out on sleeping and eating. When he isn’t in the lab, he’s holed up in his office working for SI. 

 

Peter, gaunt faced and pale, doesn’t take his eyes off the screen, shaking his head in shock, “What the fuck do we do now?”

 

—--

 

It was absolute mayhem . There’s bodies littering the floor, alien and human alike. Peter’s swinging around, tossing web grenades and punching his way through the battlefield. Strange had opened up the portals and hundreds of people came to stand by the Avengers.

 

But even in all this chaos, even with every alien Peter took down, his head was on a swivel for one man. Peter caught a glimpse of Captain America shouting orders and an arrow that could’ve only been shot by Hawkeye. They were back. It really worked. He hadn’t yet heard the sound of repulsors or an ill-timed quip, and this far into the battle, that was worrying.

 

He’d seen Ironlad flying around, as well as the suit made for Pepper Potts, but no signature red and gold.

 

He couldn’t focus all of his attention on Tony, though. Peter was needed everywhere . Thanos was wreaking havoc on all of them, taunting them as they were all but pummeled into the ground. People felt better when they saw red and blue fly above them, giving support and calling orders with the same authority as Steve Rogers.

 

Peter was but a flash of color, swinging so fast around the battlefield he was practically a blur. At one point he was swinging mantis to safety and the next he was back to back with MJ, who was blasting laser beams left and right. 

 

Minutes, maybe hours passed, Peter had no idea. He was already exhausted before the battle began, but now he’s running on fumes. But this is it. They win or lose. No matter what happens, Peter will finally be able to rest.

 

“Peter!” Harley calls from above, and he only gets a second to glance up at the boy before the gauntlet is dropped into his arms, gems gleaming. 

 

His breath hitches as he stares at it. Peter looks around, searching for Captain Marvel, who they designated would use it. Before he has a chance to find her, he’s thrown in the air. 

 

Peter lands on his back, clutching the gauntlet tight in his arms. He looks up, eyes widening at the looming purple alien stalking towards him. Peter scrambles back, webbing the gauntlet to his chest. 

 

“Little spider,” Thanos calls, “this is not your fight. Give me the gauntlet.”

 

Peter scoffs, “You took everything from me. This is absolutely my fight.” 

 

He won’t remember much of the fight later, only feelings of pure fear and adrenaline pushing him forward. Peter webs Thanos in the eyes, going on defense so he can get away. The alien rips off the webbing, eyes alight with fury. 

 

Peter’s thrown around like a rag doll, the gauntlet sticking to his body by pure spite. He practically flies around Thanos’s body, throwing punches and kicks to every body part he could touch. 

 

He begins to slow down, his body shutting down on him. Thanos gets a good hit to his stomach, an echoing crack resounding in his ears. He lays on the ground, wheezing and choking on air. His whole body is one big bruise. There’s sprains and lacerations and blood everywhere, and his lack of nutrition and sleep isn’t doing much to heal him. 

 

Peter tries to sit up, but his chest is on fire. He only lifts his neck before pain laces through his body. Thanos stumbles towards him, looking worse for wear. Peter holds the gauntlet tight, breath heaving. The alien will have to kill him before he can rip Peter off of it, and Thanos knows it. 

 

Just as Thanos is about to deliver the final blow when a bright flash of light passes by. Peter nearly cries out of relief when he catches sight of short, blonde hair. Captain Marvel stares in horror at the sight of Peter, her gaze hardening as it turns to Thanos. 

 

With the last of his strength, he chucks the gauntlet towards Carol, watching as she shoots off. Thanos roars in fury, disregarding Peter completely and going after the woman. He lays there breathing, trying to force the burning feeling from his chest. 

 

He needs to get back up. There’s still aliens scampering around, trying to kill his friends and family. He’s the leader of the Avengers, people are relying on him. 

 

Peter’s able to get to his butt, one hand steadying him on the ground and the other clutching his stomach. His eyes catch on a ragged-looking Sam, who's going hand to hand with an alien twice his size. Peter’s about to force himself to his feet to help when Sam punches thin air. 

 

Nearly tipping over from the force of it, Sam stares bewilderedly at the alien who puffed into dust. Peter’s eyes widen, looking around the battlefield. All across it, the aliens on Thanos’s side turn into ashes one by one.

 

She did it , Peter thinks. He can only hope that Captain Marvel is strong enough to stay alive. Relief fills his body like a wildfire. They did it. Holy shit, they really did it.

 

Peter! ” Harley's distinct voice calls. Peter snaps his head towards the sound, nearly laughing in relief at seeing the boy. 

 

Harley rushes towards him, scanning his body worriedly. He clasps Peter’s forearm, pulling him up slowly. He sucks in a breath at the blood covering the spider-suit. 

 

“Shit, Pete, are you alright?” He asks.

 

Peter nods, gripping Harely’s forearms, his legs trembling with effort. There’s a loud sob to their right and soon after, MJ crashes into them both, pulling away with apologies when Peter hisses in pain. Her fingers curl under his mask and pull it off, allowing Peter to breathe easier. His eyes are wild with panic and pain as he leans on Harley. MJ cups his cheeks, forcing him to look up, “You’re okay, you’re alright, we’re alive. We did it, Peter, we won.” 

 

Peter knows they did, and he couldn’t be happier about it. All of this work, all the pain and suffering and sleepless nights led to this. They beat Thanos and now, everyone’s back. Well, almost everyone. 

 

Peter shakes his head, “No, no, Mr. Stark. Where’s Mr. Stark?”

 

Harley looks up, eyes scanning the field. Steve and Bucky are in a tight embrace, Bucky curling his fingers into Steve’s hair, swaying them side to side. He looks away just in time to see Bucky swipe Steve over the head with a wet laugh.

 

Clint and Natasha are hand in hand, more confused than anything else. They talk urgently and quietly with Bruce, who looks utterly relieved to see them. 

 

Peter Quill sits despondently on the ground, tears rolling down his cheeks. Rocket stands next to him, a paw on his shoulder. 

 

There are people hugging and crying and cheering and laughing. Portals have been opened and Wakandans have begun to carry people through them. There’s a feeling of victory in the air, muddled slightly by grief and confusion, but there nonetheless.

 

But still no Tony. 

 

“I- I don’t-” Harley stutters.

 

Peter’s face crumples, “No, no please, everyone else came back! He should’ve come back too , it should’ve worked! Please, please Harley I can’t do this again.”

 

Harley looks at MJ despairingly, his arms coming to wrap around Peter’s shoulders. MJ folds herself into the hug too, pressing a kiss to Peter’s dirty cheek. He sobs quietly, shaking his head in disbelief.

 

Bucky and Steve make their way over, body’s relaxed and relieved, but eyes concerned. Bucky takes one look at Peter and rushes to his side, pulling him away from Harley.

 

“Kid? Pete, are you hurt?” He asks.

 

Peter, face red and snotty, rests his forehead against Bucky’s chest, “Please, please tell me you’ve seen Mr. Stark.”

 

Bucky looks up, then around at the people gathering, absentmindedly stroking the hairs on Peter’s head. He makes eye contact with Steve, who nods.

 

Peter cries into Bucky’s suit, grief taking over every inch of his being. Bucky is trying to pry Peter off, his urgent voice coming muffled through Peter’s ears. He tried, he tried so hard, for it not to work. All this work, everything he did, and Tony isn’t here. He’s the whole reason Peter even said yes, aside from May. 

 

God, if Tony didn’t make it, what if May didn’t either?

Peter doesn’t think he’ll be able to take it if everyone comes back except his family. Bucky taps his back incessantly, trying to get Peter to listen, but he just can’t. He’s been running on hope and fear for months, he can’t let it be for nothing. He wants a hug from his dad so bad and he’s still not here. 

 

It doesn’t make sense. It’s not fair .

 

“Underoos?” 

 

Peter’s head snaps up from its place on Bucky’s chest, searching desperately. All the panic floods from his body when his gaze lands on the caller. A face he hasn’t seen in five years. Tan skin, graying hair, kind eyes, and the most relieved, worried expression the man’s ever had.

 

Tony.

Notes:

bruce and scott survive like in canon, just to make things clear

do i know if carol couldve taken it? no. does she survive anyway? yes

also shoutout timothee chalamet for the title thanks king

Chapter 2: Chapter 2

Notes:

i really couldn't decide how i wanted this to go, so i hope this is nice lol

short but i like it

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Tony was… confused. 

 

He hates it, really. He knows things, that’s kind of his entire schtick, but now he’s so utterly lost he wants to scream. 

 

He’d woken up to a frantic Stephen Strange hauling him to his feet, racing through an explanation that Tony got about 10% of. Something about five years having passed- which is a can of worms Tony will open when he’s not in imminent danger- and an army awaiting them. The wizard all but pushed him through a sparkling portal alongside Steve and Natasha, who seemed just as confused as him. 

 

Last Tony remembered, Peter was holding him as his body began to turn to ash. He remembered Peter’s teary begging and being unable to even reassure the boy before he lost consciousness. 

 

There hadn’t even been a chance for Tony to digest any of it because Thanos and his army were lined up a hundred meters ahead of them, preparing for war. He scanned the field quickly, looking at the members on their side. 

 

His heart nearly stopped when his ears picked up the thwip of Peter’s webs. He, along with many others around him, looked up to see Spider-man swinging himself to the frontlines, landing in a crouch. In a near perfect imitation of Captain America himself, Peter rallied their side and, with a war cry, sprinted into battle. 

 

Falling back onto instincts, Tony lost himself in the battle. His suit worked as well as it always had as he sent out blasts to incoming aliens. He tried his hardest to keep an eye on Peter, but the kid was a blur of movement as he swung around the field. Tony noticed the suit was different, more metallic and sleek than he last remembered. 

 

Now, Tony isn’t entirely sure of who everyone is on their side. There’s too many people for him to keep track of. He did notice the two extra suits that are extremely similar to his own. There’s one that looks nearly identical to his, red and gold, with some minor changes. The other is smaller, more like body armor, in blue and silver. 

 

There’s an unnatural lull in the battle, and for a moment, Tony thinks they’ve won. He makes eye contact with Natasha, who looks just as confused as him, before her eyes widen. He follows her eyes, heart jolting as he watches Peter stand defiantly in front of Thanos.

 

Time slows as the alien throws the first punch. It seems the entire battlefield has stopped to watch what might as well be a modern day David and Goliath. With the gauntlet stuck to his stomach, Peter takes hit after hit, giving as good as he gets.

 

Tony can imagine the kid’s facial expression, screwed up in determination. Later, he’ll wonder why he hadn’t gone to help, but he’s stuck frozen solid in fear. Tony only begins racing forward when Peter doesn’t get up, his arms struggling to lift himself up. 

 

He nearly cries with relief when Captain Marvel swoops in, a furious look on her face. With the last of his strength, Peter chucks the gauntlet at the woman and she flies away. 

 

There’s a few beats of silence before Thanos roars in anger, following Marvel, and the battle resumes. Tony races faster towards Peter, but he’s thrown sideways by an alien just a few meters away.

 

It’s one alien after another and by the time Tony comes out of it, Peter is long gone. 

 

Time passes in a daze, Tony’s punching and blasting and looking around constantly for red and blue but unable to find it. And then all at once, it’s over. The alien that has him pinned to the ground fades to dust. 

 

There’s an eruption of cheers and Tony flops back onto the ground, chest heaving. There’s heavy footsteps walking up to him and he opens his eyes, squinting at the figure looming over him.

 

“Rogers?” Tony asks. 

 

Steve hauls him up by the arm, patting the iron suit in lieu of a greeting. 

 

“What the hell just happened?” Tony pants.

 

Steve, dirty and sweaty, shrugs, “No idea. Strange said it’s been five years. That- that can’t be right.” 

 

Tony shakes his head, stepping out of the iron suit. He looks around at the people left on the battlefield, cheering and screaming with victory. No sign of Peter. 

 

“Have you seen-” Tony starts.

 

Steve! ” A voice shouts.

 

Tony watches Steve’s head whip around before his body is engulfed by black and silver. Bucky Barnes wraps his arms tightly around Steve, hands shaking as he grips onto the man’s suit. To his credit, Steve returns the hug tenfold, placing a gentle hand on Bucky’s neck. 

 

Tony sighs at the two, knowing he won’t get any answers out of either of them any time soon. He walks off towards a large grouping of people. He nearly starts calling out for Peter when he’s knocked to the side again , but this time by his best friend.

 

Rhodey cups his cheeks tightly, scanning him for injuries. Tony swats him away, “Jesus, honeybear, take me out to dinner first.”

 

His friend sighs in relief, “You’re alright.”

 

“As always,” Tony responds, clapping Rhodey on the shoulder, “do you know what just happened?”

 

Frustratingly, Rhodey shrugs as well, “I came back the same time as you. Strange didn’t say much past ‘it’s been five years, come help save the universe.’”

 

Tony huffs a laugh, surprisingly relieved to be in Rhodey’s presence despite it only having been mere days since he last saw the man. But.. apparently it hasn’t. Apparently it’s been five years.

 

“Have you seen Peter?” Tony asks.

 

Rhodey looks around, but shakes his head, “Not since he went toe to toe with Thanos. That was insane.”

 

“I need to find him.” Tony says. Rhodey just nods and sidles up next to him as they walk.

 

There’s mixed emotions across the battlefield. People are hugging and cheering. The remaining guardians are crouched on the ground, centered around Peter Quill, who looks dejected and tired. 

 

There’s a few portals open, Wakandans walking in and out of them with medical beds. Everyone is exhausted and dirty, but the scent of victory is sweet in the air. Tony has a hard time feeling it himself because he’s still so goddamn confused. 

 

He’s about to start asking around when Rhodey slaps him on the chest. His friend points to their left with a pitying look on his face. With dread building in his stomach, Tony turns. Peter has his face stuffed in Bucky’s chest, surrounded closely by a blond boy and a curly headed girl. 

 

Even hunched over, Tony notices that the kid is taller. The suit is completely different like he thought and Peter’s hair is a bit longer. 

 

Rhodey pushes him forward and Tony stumbles a little. Peter is right there . He has no idea what’s going on or why Peter is crying on Bucky Barnes’ shoulder of all people, but he does know that he needs Peter in front of him as soon as possible.

 

“Underoos?” He calls.

 

Peter’s head snaps up, as do the rest of the group. Tony’s breath is taken away at the sight of his kid. Peter’s baby fat is entirely gone, leaving behind a sharp jaw and defined cheeks. His brows are full and his brown eyes are darker. The kid is muscular and… older. 5 years older. 

 

Because, Tony realizes, Peter Parker is no longer 16. He’s 21. 

 

All the same, Peter’s face scrunches familiarly when he catches sight of Tony. Tears spill over his cheeks the same way they did when Tony was saying goodbye. 

 

Mr. Stark! ” Peter cries, ripping himself away from the small group and booking it towards Tony. 

 

Nothing could’ve prepared him for the absolute brick wall of Peter Parker. Even limping and obviously in quite a bit of pain, the kid slams into him going mach 5, nearly toppling them both over. Tony stays upright only by sheer will. 

 

And, even worse, Peter is curling around him . Tony’s nose is stuffed into the junction of Peter’s neck because the kid is taller than him. His brain reboots quickly and he wraps his arms around Peter just a tight as the kid cries. Tony soothes Peter as he sobs, tears slowly soaking his shirt. 

 

Peter’s suit is covered in dirt and blood. Tony pulls away just far enough to cup the boy’s cheeks, smoothing away the matted and sweaty hair on his forehead. Peter grips onto Tony’s wrists almost painfully, eyes darting over his form.

 

“You’ve…” Tony’s voice cracks with emotion, “You’ve grown up.”

 

Peter lets out another hoarse sob, nodding in between Tony’s hands. It’s incredibly jarring, how much Peter has changed. Just a few days ago, Tony could easily pinch the fat on the kid’s cheeks, but not anymore. Peter looks like a man. 

 

The boy leans forward, resting his forehead against Tony’s shoulder tiredly. He feels the boy breath in deeply, letting out a soft sigh. 

 

“I- I missed you so much.” Peter whispers.

 

Tony’s just about to speak around the lump in his throat when Peter goes limp, nearly collapsing onto the ground if Tony hadn’t already been holding on to him. He lowers them both to the floor slowly, gathering Peter’s gangly limbs into his lap. 

 

He strokes the tears away from the boy’s cheeks, running his fingers through tangled curls. Two new people- kids- walk up to Tony, eyes worried and exhausted. 

 

Tony jolts when he registers the boy’s face. “Keener?” He asks incredulously.

 

Harley rubs the back of his neck embarrassedly, “Mechanic. Glad you’re back.”

 

Closing his gaping mouth, Tony turns to the girl. Her brown eyes are piercing and judgemental, but he can see the relief hiding in her eyes. He remembers a group photo from one of Peter’s decathlon field trips. 

 

“MJ, right? Peter told me about you.” Tony says.

 

MJ nods, crouching down to examine Peter, “You’ve been gone a long time, Stark. Things have changed.” 

 

Understatement of the year, Tony thinks. He watches Harley and MJ fuss over a passed out Peter, whispering urgently to each other and throwing him glances. 

 

Eventually, Steve and Bucky walk up to them. Bucky places a hand on the back of Harley’s neck, smiling gently down at the boy. He turns to Tony, “Strange is gonna open a portal to the tower, Cho’s waiting with medical. Everyone else is already there.” 

 

Tony nods thankfully. He goes to pick Peter up, but finds that the kid is too heavy. Everyone stops for an awkward moment before Steve volunteers to carry him. Bucky claps him on the shoulder, guiding him and the kids towards the portal, “I’ll explain when we get back home.”

 

Still staring in astonishment at his own hands, Tony can only nod.

 

—--

 

It’s too much information and not enough at the same time.

 

If the sight of Peter hadn’t confirmed it before, the date on the calendar in the waiting room confirmed exactly how long it’d been. Bucky explained as much as he could, backed by Sam and occasional comments from Harley and MJ. 

 

Peter moved into the tower full time because May was snapped too (the woman called the moment she could, panicked and crying. Tony couldn’t even explain to her that her nephew had grown five years in their absence). He took over the company at 18. He’s going to graduate college next spring. He reformed the Avengers. 

 

MJ and Harley have their own responsibilities at SI. Tony jolted when he heard that MJ took over Pepper’s role. He really needs to make some phone calls.

 

Tony and his fellow Avengers can only sit in shock. If Steve’s gaping mouth has anything to say, the man is just as gobsmacked as the rest of them. This kid- because that’s what he was when shit hit the fan- fixed everything . It took years, it took time and effort, it took everything Peter had in him and more, but he did it.

 

“How the hell…?” Clint’s voice is reedy with astonishment.

 

“Well,” Harley clears his throat, “Before the idea that y'all could even come back, it was hard. He was barely livin’, distracted himself with school and SI, never let himself sleep or think, y’know?”

 

“Jesus.” Steve mutters into his hands. Bucky rubs his back up and down soothingly.

 

“And it wasn’t much better after.” MJ says vaguely. 

 

Natasha raises an eyebrow at her, “What do you mean?”

 

MJ sighs, “You know he gets when he’s got a goal.”

 

And Tony does. One time, he asked Peter to make a mock up spider-suit, with all the fun upgrades included. It was supposed to be a brainstorming session so the kid could be apart of the designing process, but Peter spent almost 16 hours straight staring at the program, trying to make things perfect.

 

“One track mind. Tunnel vision.” Tony says absently.

 

MJ hums in assent, “You think little lab experiments were bad? I can’t tell you how long he spent in your lab trying to figure out how to bring you guys back.”

 

Sam shakes his head, “I mean, he figured it out, which was great, but he nearly killed himself doing it.”

 

Tony’s heart both jumps and falls at the same time. He leans almost entirely off of his seat, “Peter figured out time travel? ” He asks incredulously. 

 

Almost smug, Harley smirks at him, “Only took him several months, no sleep, and one newly improved rage room.”

 

Jesus. ” Steve says more emphatically, shaking his head.

 

The door to the waiting room swings open, and in races May and a larger boy behind her, Ted or Fred or something.

 

“Holy shit,” Ed says, pulling Harley and MJ into a tight hug. 

 

“Ned.” Harley sighs a breath of relief. Ned , that’s right. He pulls away from the two, wincing at their injuries. Peter was smart enough to put his friends in high tech gear, so they only had some bruising and superficial cuts.

 

May stomps straight up to Tony, eyes hard and fearful. She analyzes him for a quick moment before breaking down. He leads her into the chair next to him, placing a hand on her arm.

 

“Both of us?” She asks softly.

 

Tony can only nod sorrowfully. As much as he hates to think it, he’d rather it’d have been Peter. He knows it might’ve hurt him, especially with his healing, but Tony can’t help but think about how painful it must’ve been for Peter all these years.

 

He’d already lost his parents and his Uncle Ben. To lose Tony and May in quick succession would have only been devastating.

 

May drops her head into the crook of Tony’s shoulder, her body trembling. Tony takes a shaky breath, listening for the steady beeping in the room across from them.

 

“Peter- is he-” Ned asks fearfully.

 

“He’s gonna be fine,” MJ soothes, “he’s just exhausted, took one too many hits.” 

 

“Yes! The spider boy is very brave. A young warrior with enough heart and might to not only defy Thanos to his face, but nearly take him down!” Thor exclaims, speaking for the first time that afternoon. 

 

With stars in his eyes, Ned whips around to the Avengers, “Peter faced Thanos?”

 

“With the gauntlet strapped to his stomach.” MJ comments dryly.

 

“Oh god…” May mumbles, turning a bit pale. 

 

“I just can’t wrap my head around him taking over the company and starting the new avengers.” Clint says. 

 

Tony shrugs, “He’s always been resilient.” 

 

“He shouldn’t have to be. Not anymore,” May says, “Neither should you three, either.”

 

The kids stare at the woman bashfully, not used to the full force of protection that is Aunt May. They sit in relative silence for the next hour or two, waiting for news on Peter.

 

Finally, Cho walks into the waiting room, a gentle smile on her face at the sight of the Avengers. Her hair is graying, Tony notices. 

 

“He’ll be just fine. One of his broken ribs nearly punctured his lung, but we got there before it could. His leg is fractured, along with his wrist, but I imagine his healing will kick in as soon as we get nutrients in him.” She says.

 

“He was bleeding a lot.” MJ comments.

 

Cho nods, “Mostly superficial, a few deeper ones in his legs and back. Head wounds bleed a lot, Ms. Watson, you know that.”

 

MJ smiles a little at that, shaking her head. Tony looks between the two, no doubt they're so familiar because of Peter’s continuous reckless streaks. 

 

“Can we see him?” May asks.

 

“Yes, just don’t overcrowd him,” Cho says, “He’s not sedated, so it shouldn’t be long until he wakes up.”

 

With that, the woman walks away, leaving them to their turmoil. Everyone but him, May, and the kids decide to go back to the penthouse. 

 

“Let us know when he’s up for visitors.” Bucky says, leading a limping Steve out of the med bay. 

 

They enter the room and May gasps. It’s her first time seeing Peter, and Tony can relate. The kid looks incredibly different. 

 

“He’s so… so grown up.” May says quietly, sitting by Peter’s bedside and brushing away a few strands of hair. 

 

Tony nods, choosing a spot next to May, by Peter’s torso. MJ takes up the space on the opposite side of the bed, while Harley and Ned sit on the chairs by the wall. 

 

May turns to the kids, “Was it… bad? While we were gone?”

 

Their silence says it all. May’s face pulls into a sad grimace, her eyes pooling with tears as she rubs Peter’s arms. 

 

“He never really changed,” Ned says, “He always stayed determined and headstrong and confident.”

 

“But…” Tony says.

 

Ned sighs, his eyes tired and body worn, “He lost everything. He had us, but he needed you. It- I think it almost killed him, those first few months.”

 

Tony feels grief and guilt pile in his gut. Peter, despite everything, had always had a positive attitude towards everything. He knows the kid struggled, that grief sometimes got the best of him, but he never succumbed to it.

 

“He dissociated for a long time,” Harley adds, “And then he threw himself into work. He had nightmares a lot, but I only ever saw him cry a few times.”

 

“And then once we learned we could get you back, he got obsessed. It was really bad. Harley wasn’t kidding about the rage room. He nearly destroyed your lab about four times before it got installed.” Ned says. 

 

Peter always had a temper. On his bad days, he’d lash out at Tony or May for seemingly no reason, or go unnecessarily hard on random crooks on patrol. With his tunnel vision, depression, and desperation to save everyone, Tony can only imagine just how bad it got. 

 

“Well,” he says, “We’re here now. We won’t let this happen again.”

 

“It better not. He won’t survive it again.” MJ says. 

 

Tony doesn’t respond to that because it’s true. If Peter loses his parental figures again, there would be no coming back. 

 

Peter remains asleep for about an hour, sniffling lightly and turning in the sheets. It’s nearly eleven at night when he finally wakes. His eyes flutter a bit, doe-brown eyes hazy and sleep-addled. He looks at the ceiling for a moment, eyes scanning until they find MJ, who is leaning over the bed a little.

 

His chapped lips pull into a tired smile at the sight of her. “Hey, pretty.” He mumbles, voice hoarse.

 

MJ smiles fondly at him, grabbing a cup of water from the side table and bringing it to his lips. He gulps it down readily, grinning when MJ wipes the dribble from his chin. 

 

Tony watches, fascinated. He had no idea they were actually together. May seems about ready to explode from either anticipation or excitement so Tony clears his throat loudly. Peter freezes, slowly turning to the other side of the bed. 

 

His gaze bounces between Tony and May, mouth widening at the sight. It seems all the memories from the past day are beginning to return because he launches himself at May, ignoring all of his ailments.

 

May takes Peter’s much stronger body with more grace than Tony did, wrapping her nephew up tightly, stroking his hair. She whispers to him in Italian, but too softly for Tony to hear. Her fingers rub at his cheeks when he pulls away, an echo of Tony’s hands. 

 

Peter’s hand shoots out to grab at his, holding tightly. He thumbs at the skin, trying to soothe the boy. Peter leans heavily against May, turning his head to look at Tony. 

 

“I’m so glad it worked.” He says.

 

Tony smiles, “You’re my kid, of course it worked. It’s in your genes.” 

 

Peter, still sleepy and injured, giggles like he’s thirteen again and it pierces Tony’s heart. He scoots closer, running his hand through Peter’s curls. 

 

“You just rest now, okay?” May says, helping Peter lay back down again. 

 

Ned comes up to the bed, leaning down to hug Peter, who returns it readily. Harley does the same, pressing a small kiss to the boy’s temple. They promise to come back the next morning and leave the room. 

 

The TV plays softly in the background as they talk, catching Tony and May up on their lives and current events. It’s genuinely painful how much he’s missed in the past five years. Oddly enough, it stirs up quite a bit of pity for Rogers and Barnes. He can’t imagine it must’ve been nice for Steve to lose another five years on top of his seventy.

 

MJ curls up on the seat, her head resting on the side of the bed. Peter keeps his hand loosely held in hers as her breaths even out. May eventually follows, her glasses askew until Peter gently removes them, placing them on the side table.

 

Peter turns to him groggily, eyes roving over Tony like he doesn’t believe he’s there. Tony leans over, rubbing soothing circles into Peter’s hair.

 

“All for you.” Peter mumbles.

 

Tony’s brow furrows, “Hm?”

 

“Time travel. Did it for you. ‘Cause I knew you’d do it for me.” Peter elaborates. 

 

A lump forms in Tony’s throat. He scoots closer to the kid, cupping his cheek. Peter leans into the warmth, a soft smile on his face.

 

“Of course I would. I’d go to hell and back to bring you home.” Tony says. 

 

Peter nods, “I missed you. It was hard.” 

 

Tears spill over Tony’s cheeks. He leans in to press a kiss to the boy’s forehead. “I know, I know,” he whispers, “I’m here now, kiddo, I’m never leaving again.”

 

Peter’s eyes open for a moment, big and brown and hardened from trauma, but still kind and curious. There’s still echoes of the Peter Tony left behind.

 

“Promise?” He asks. 

 

Tony strokes Peter’s cheeks, watching as the kid closes his eyes, his face smoothing as he falls deeper into sleep. 

 

He kisses Peter’s hair, leaning his forehead against the kid’s. “I promise, bambino.” He whispers. 

 

He sits by Peter’s bedside, listening to the croon of the TV and the soft breaths of the people around him, and leans back in the chair, closing his eyes.

 

Things aren’t okay, not right now. Peter’s taken on too much and sacrificed enough for several lifetimes. MJ, Harley, and Ned have all taken on roles they shouldn’t have had to. They’re all traumatized beyond belief and Tony can’t help but think about how unprepared he was for a situation like this.

 

There should’ve been adults to handle it- not just Bucky and Sam. Peter shouldn’t have had to deal with the company, the Avengers, and his own life all by himself. 

 

But Tony’s here now. Peter’s safe. His friends are safe. The threat is gone. Now Tony can work on righting those wrongs. 

 

Peter deserves some peace after everything he’s been through, and Tony’s determined to give it to him.

 

Like father like son, he supposes.

Notes:

love them so much my heart

again id like to thank timothee chalamet and mr wonka himself