Febuwhump- Irondad

Day 7: (ALT 4) "I dreamt you were alive"

this one has to be my favorite chapter and the most heartbreaking one. Enjoy ;) 

 Peter loved Mr. Stark in ways only a child could love a parent or relative. Like an uncle but a father, like a friend but a mentor, he was everything all in one. The past two years had been bliss despite all the struggles, all the pain, Mr. Stark had always been there.

Like when Peter was overwhelmed that year. With finals he barely had time to do much. Studying, studying, studying.

"Hey Peter, you wanna hang out for a few hours after school today? It's been two weeks since we last saw each other outside of school and that was a field trip so I don't even think it counts," Neds chattering went through one ear and out the other. Peter had already turned and walked away before Ned could finish.

The halls seemed to scream at him and he could feel himself shrinking smaller and smaller in the neverending halls. His next class seemed suffocating small and everything was dialed to eleven. A sensory overload. Mr. Stark would help him after school today because it was a Wednesday. Peter found warmth in the lab days. He needed that today. He spent the day at school savoring over the idea of going to the tower. Once he exited the school he looked at his phone and saw a calendar alert. He opened it to find a note saying lab day was canceled.

Peter walked home quickly in his stifling disappointment, feeling whatever happiness he had dissipated as he trudged back. He had to finish all his homework, study, go on patrol, sleep, and then repeat. An endless cycle.

That night he fell asleep in the dreams of warm embraces and the smell of oil.

He woke up the next morning feeling just as disgruntled as the days before. Again he followed his schedule step by step, barely putting thought into each action .

"Hey dude.." Ned started hesitantly. Peter looked at him, unfocused. "I think it might be good to find some help. You need to open up. I know it's been hard since.." He trailed off leaving the words unsaid. Peter closed his eyes before taking a large breath. "I'm fine, Ned. I'm used to it," Ned gaped at him as Peter sped away not wanting him to see the stinging tears starting to fall.

Peter found himself at the tower. He found himself at the gelato shop Mr. Stark always took him too. He found himself on the bench staring at the fake internship photo where he held the certificate upside down. He found a photo on the first day of their actual internship. A photo of them in Germany. He found himself in a graveyard. Standing over the one and only grave; Anthony Stark.

"Hey Mr. Stark," Peter said cheerfully as he sat next to the gravestone, leaning his head on it gently. "I'm doing better, don't worry! Finals are killing me though. I know you're laughing in your grave right now," Peter let out a dry laugh.

"Mr. Stark I-I'm seeing you. I know you're there. You're there checking on patrols, texting me random questions, ou-our internships," Peter's voice shook. "I know. I know I'm crazy, I'm freaking hallucinating but it's not fair," Peter laughs wetly. "You have to be here. You left, you left me and I ca- I can't. It hurts too much. I'm pushing away Ned because all he does is pity me. I can't talk to May because she just doesn't get it. I dreamt of you. I still do. Every single night. I know I will in the future. Every night until we can meet again," He could feel his body shaking, the tears pouring out now. "I can't wait,"