His Last Message
Because I'm still not over Endgame
Pepper hands him the small box and Peter stares at it with wide eyes. He looks up at her in confusion, wondering why she had called him to the little cabin beside the lake. She simply smiles and points him to a room he had never been in down the hall. He obliges, walking slowly to the door. He stands in front of it for a moment, staring at the blank wooden door that gave no sign of what was hidden behind. Slowly, opening the door with the unoccupied hand, he steps into the room. But what he sees is something that brings tears to his eyes. The room is covered with every item he left in his apartment before he got on the bus to go on the field trip. Every star wars posters are put up, every lego set built and placed lovingly around the room, even the closet is stocked full of his old science pun t-shirts. There's a bunk bed, similar to the one he used to have, but fancier. Both beds have brand new Star Wars bedsheets and pillows. Peter swallows, before carefully shutting the door behind him. He delicately sits on the edge of the bottom bunk and stares at the tiny, black box in his hands. He reaches up a shaky hand to open the small container and nearly dropped it when a voice speaks. The teen looks up to see a holographic image of his mentor sitting on a stool in front of him. The box was a projector, he realizes, tear stained eyes widening even more.
"Hey kid." His mentor's voice floods the room with the same confidence and softness he always spoke with Peter. "If you're watching this, it means we won and I'm gone." Tony pauses, looking at the glasses in his hand. The ones that look like the E.D.I.T.H. glasses. "I knew when I figured out the time travel bit, that there was a low chance I would make it out. But I had to do it, because I can't live any longer without you. I know I never said it before, but I love you. Your my kid. My son. And there's no one I have ever loved more before I met you. I know I have Morgan and Pepper, but you...your the piece that completes me, the piece to finish my puzzle. When you disappeared, I cursed the gods and hated the sun, knowing you were far brighter and shone light more than the burning star ever could. And I thought that I would never be able to tell you I love you. So know that, no matter what, even though i'm gone, I love you. And I have full confidence that you'll be able to be the next ironman. Because I'm always there for you, even when you think your alone, I'm always here, in your heart." At this time, Peter's face is covered in tears and snot as he stares at his mentor with the grief he had been covering up since the funeral. All the sadness and love cascaded out of him in waves of pain and longing. He wanted more than anything to hug the man that's in front of him but not really there. "I love you 3000."
And then the holograph disappeared and whatever self control Peter had left broke away and he lay quivering on the bed, hugging his sides, even if his ribs still hurt from being hit by that train. After what felt like hours, he rolled over and stared at the underside of the top bunk. That was when he realized that there had been a picture in the box. Slowly, he bent down and picked up the container which had fallen from his grasp when he started sobbing. The picture was the same one that Tony had kept above the kitchen sink. It was of him and Tony holding up the Stark internship certificate, both laughing and goofing off without a care in the world. What was most noticeable, though, was the love and joy in Tony's eyes, something Peter hadn't noticed that day. When he thought about it, every picture of him and Tony together held the same look. The same love. Peter hugged the photo like a lifeline, having shed all the tears he could muster that day. His wells were dry, but his heart was full of unsaid happiness, sadness and love.
"But...I never got to tell you I loved you too." That as the last thing on his mind, his grief wore out and he fell asleep on the Star Wars bed, still clutching the photo to his chest.