At the mention of Thor, Tony could have checked if the man wasn't roused by now, but it didn't even occur to him. The man had been sleeping like a rock ever since his visits with Corbie.

It was for the best. The man was having a good holiday season. He didn't need to see Tony the way he was in that moment. His grasp on his composure was slipping, and rapidly. But Peter's presence--even a possible hallucination of it--demanded that Tony keep his cool face. But the words to say? He couldn't find them, even for the person who deserved guidance the most in his life. Tony's teeth grinded as he stilled his throat.

He'd known it, but seeing the confirmation coming from his son himself...

"I'm sorry." Tony reached for him instinctively, but his hand went through Peter's body uselessly. "I'm sorry, Pete."