Missing Faces In Empty Pictures

Chapter 12

Tony Stark, the man made of iron, is crying-the tears a testament to the teenage boy he's holding in his arms now. This embrace isn't like their last, though. Back then, standing in the middle of a battlefield, the moment had ended just as soon as it began. One second Tony was desperately gripping onto a surprised, and rather perplexed, Peter Parker, and the next he stood aside as the boy swung away to return to the fight. There had been so many words Tony had wanted to say to him. So many long overdue conversations left unspoken. He'd thought he'd have a chance after the fighting was over. Instead, that would be the last time he'd hug Peter Parker for two years.

Now he had his kid back, and all the emotions of that moment returned. Relief that his kid was okay, joy that he'd found him again, and guilt that he'd almost lost him a second time without even knowing it. But unlike the last time, now it is just the two of them-alone and safe, with all the time in the world. So Tony allows the tears to leave tracks along his face. He's lived most of his life with his guard up, but right now, he doesn't even fight as he lets it down.

Peter sobs into his arms, and it breaks Tony's heart. He still doesn't know what happened that night on the Statue of Liberty, but judging by the emotional distress radiating from the kid, he can tell that it left Peter broken. Alone. Gently he rubs his hand up and down Peter's back, trying to do anything he can to calm him. He wants to say something, anything, to make Peter better, but he can't find the words. He won't push him though. If there's one thing Tony has learned throughout his years of bottling up emotions, it's that in order to truly heal, you just have to let them out. So he holds Peter and lets him cry as long as he needs-content with the knowledge that he'd finally got his spider kid back-and this time, he's not going to leave him.

Eventually, Peter's tears subside, the energy drained out of him as his grip on Tony loosens from its desperate grasp.

"Feel better?" Tony asks. He's rewarded with a small, watery laugh as Peter pulls back and stands before him.

"Yeah.. yeah I'm... I'm good," he breathes.

Tony smiles and rolls his eyes slightly at the sight of the kid still fully covered in the suit.

"You know Pete, you can take that mask off. No one is going to see you up here."

Peter tenses for a moment, before hesitantly reaching up to remove the red and blue mask from his head. Tony feels his smile grow at the sight of the kid's face. His kid's face. He's changed since the last time Tony saw him. He looks older, for one, and Tony's heart clenches as he notes the dark bags under his bloodshot eyes. The kid looks like he's been through hell, but, in this moment, all Tony can think about is how much he's missed the sight of his kid's face. Not in a photo, but for real.

"Hey Underoos," Tony says softly and Peter smiles.

"Hey Mr. Stark."

They just stare at each other for a moment, neither one knowing quite what to say. In the end, it's Peter that breaks the silence.

"I can't believe you're here. I... I never thought-" he starts, voice wavering, before dropping his gaze to the concrete floor beneath him.

"You never thought, what?"

"That I'd see you again. Like this I mean. I never thought I'd see you again as Peter Parker," he sniffs.

"Yeah, about that, I think you've got some major explaining to do kiddo."

"You first," he smirks.

Tony shakes his head in amusement as he sits himself down on the concrete rooftop. Once settled, he motions for Peter to join him.

"Alright, me first. Where do you want me to start?" Tony asks.

"I want to know how you remember me? Did it just randomly come back, or did you do something, or did Dr. Strange do something, or-"