Ghost of Christmas Future

[st_arkintern]

"Mr. Stark?"

Peter stands at the edge of the bed that Tony shares with Thor. He wears the Iron Spider armor Tony made for him, the faint glint of the moon through the thin slit between either side of the curtain reflecting off the suit's dark colors.

Peter's hair is styled differently from the Peter here at the inn; it's longer, more wild, even floppy. School had grown more and more demanding as the end of his sophomore year approached and balancing school and his time as Spider-Man was difficult. He had promised May he'd maintain his grades as part of the Spider-Man Negotiations of 2017, but criminals didn't stop just because he had two papers to write by Friday, a quiz tomorrow, and a test next Tuesday.

Hair had been less of a priority. Peter couldn't put off his homework if he wanted to continue being Spider-Man; he couldn't put off his evening patrol if he wanted to protect Queens, either. There were no serious long-term consequences to not getting his hair cut (save for perhaps more bullying from Flash, who was prone to bullying him anyway). A haircut could wait until later.

Peter always thought there'd be more time later.

Tony doesn't stir. Peter presses his lips together -- a nervous habit acquired when he was still alive -- and draws a little closer. He resists the natural urge to place a hand on Tony's shoulder to wake him; he knows that his fingers will slip right through. Instead he repeats, this time a little louder:

"Mr. Stark?"

Comments

[st_arkintern]

When the light clears, both Thor and Thanos are staring at the smoldering gauntlet. Thor quickly snaps his attention back to Thanos.

"What'd you do? What'd you do?"

Thanos activates the gauntlet and is sucked into another portal formed by the Space Stone. Stormbreaker falls to the ground with a heavy metal sound.

Thor swallows. Steve emerges from the forest.

"Where'd he go? Thor. Where'd he go?"

Thor looks over at him but says nothing. A moment later, another voice joins Steve's.

"Steve?" When Thor and Steve turn, Bucky is disintegrating. His rifle falls to the ground. Steve reaches down to where Bucky should have fallen, but all there is is ashes.

Half a battlefield dissolves into ash. Half the Avengers do, too. It takes some time for them to find one another, but when they do, none of them speak for a long time, too stunned to find the words.

Steve is the first to vocalize anything.

"Oh, God."

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

One by one, watched his comrades fade to dust. Somewhere out there, his new comrades on Titan were joining the casualties. Across time and space, Tony was mourning right alongside everyone else. His body trembled from the highs of the adrenaline wearing off, and he loosely hugged himself. God, all he felt was cold.

This didn't make sense. Except it did.

They couldn't have all failed. But they had.

Tony looked to Peter, lost. He never allowed himself to look anything but absolutely certain before the boy, and he masked it, summoning his will.

"I'll save you."

[st_arkintern]

Everything pauses again. When Peter turns to look at Tony, his gaze on him is steady and neutral.

"Mr. Stark, you have to understand... it's okay if you don't."

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Tony just shook his head, keeping his eyes away from the devastation that laid before them.

"I will. I promise."

[st_arkintern]

"Thank you," Peter says evenly. "He really can be stopped. We were so close to it already. Just knowing might be enough to tip the scales."

Peter truly believes that.

"I'm going to have to go soon, but I need you to promise me something."

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Tony stood before Peter, gazing at him as if he could will the boy tangible. This Peter—he’d never experienced the inn. For all it’s implicit horror, it’s given Tony time with the boy. His son. Precious time he wouldn’t trade for anything else. He wanted nothing more than to pull this Peter into his arms and make up for all the time they never got.

“Anything.”

[st_arkintern]

"Don't let this consume you," he says. "Don't let this be something you handle alone." Peter looks out at the remaining Avengers, all standing together, but somehow still detached from one another in their grief.

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Peter was still Peter, keen insight and all. Tony smiled for a moment, though it broke his heart.

“I’m not alone. Neither are you.”

[st_arkintern]

"I know," Peter says, smiling back. "Take care of yourself, Mr. Stark."

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

The words caught in his throat, but Tony knew he’d never live with himself if they went unsaid.

“Love you, Pete. ...Few things I’ve loved more.”

[st_arkintern]

"Love you too, Mr. Stark."

Everything suddenly blips into darkness and Tony's returned to his room.

Peter is gone.

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

The beautiful graveyard faded, as did the group. Tony was left standing off to the side of his bed, as though he never left. His cool mask slowly cracked and his face contorted in sheer grief, lowering himself to the bed soundlessly.

[st_ormbreaker]

Quiet as Tony is in his grief, Thor still somehow manages to feel the mattress shift as he sits down. Thor rubs the sleep out of his eyes and pushes himself upright.

"Tony?" he asks, groggily. He reaches out and touches Tony's shoulder.

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Tony didn’t respond, nor did he even react. He was cold—more than cold. He was a void. He sunk forward onto his forearms and merely existed.

[st_ormbreaker]

When Tony doesn't respond, Thor knows something is wrong.

Thor throws off the comforter and pushes himself off the bed. He looks down at Tony, brows knotted with concern and presses the back of his hand to Tony's forehead.

He doesn't feel especially warm.

Thor crouches down in front of him and tries to catch Tony's gaze. "Tony, are you okay?"

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Tony was doll-like in Thor's hands, his dark eyes flitting in his direction but seeing nothing. The word was slow to come to his head, but distantly he registered Thor's presence.

Thor.

Thanos.

Peter.

Peter.

Tony tore out of bed, shoving right past Thor towards the door in a blind panic.

[st_ormbreaker]

Thor grabs Tony by the wrist to stop him. Thor stands and looks at Tony, agitated, panicked --

And now, Thor is more than just worried.

"Tony." His hand snaps up from his wrist to Tony's shoulder; the other one joins it. Thor holds Tony in place.

"Tony," he says quietly. "What's going on? I'm not going to let you leave until you tell me."

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

The sudden touch was a shock to his system. In his frantic state, Tony whirled around and aimed a repulsor readying fire right at Thor's face.

[st_ormbreaker]

Thor holds his hands up in front of him.

"Tony, it's me," he says. "Thor. I'm not going to hurt you. You're awake."

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

The light of recognition flickered in Tony's eyes, though it did little to help his panic. "Peter." He rasped, looking around the room uselessly. "W-Where. Where is--" He made for the door again, gauntlet swinging at his side.

[st_ormbreaker]

Thor feels a momentarily relief at Tony's response. Panicked as it is, it's more than he's gotten out of him so far.

Thor catches Tony's wrist again and maneuvers in front of him, blocking his exit out.

"You can't see Peter while you're like this."

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"Thanos! Here! I just saw--I just--" In Tony's mind, he was firmly but calmly insisting a perfectly logical point, but it came out like a desperate scream. When that argument didn't immediately work, his other arm coated itself in his arm and superheated in Thor's grip. His feet propulsors activated, sending both of them flying back towards the bed.

[st_ormbreaker]

For one moment, a flash of panic washes over Thor at the prospect of a Thanos-ghost wandering the inn. He wills the thought away; he has to stay focused on Tony.

He opens his mouth to say something else, but before he can, Tony sends the both of them flying back.

Thor quickly grabs Tony's hands and knits their fingers together.

"Tony. Thanos isn't here."

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

At some point, Tony ended up pinned by his hands on his back against the blessedly forgiving surface of the bed. His body broke out into shivers, reasoning slow to follow as the adrenaline aftershocks wracked through him.

"I did." He insisted, though it was quieter and questioning. "I did. I saw--I saw...it's not me. I'm--I'm there."

[st_ormbreaker]

Thor can feel Tony trembling against him. Is he going into shock? Thor's not entirely sure what he should do if he is. He had studied many things, but Midgardian physiology wasn't one of them.

"Tony, you're here with me. In our room. You're here. You're not anywhere else."