|Towards the Endgame|

•Chapter 55• Just the Two of Us

Peter felt his world shattering into a thousand, if not a million, pieces while Nat was still speaking. It was as if he had gone back in time before the spider had bitten him. His whole body felt weak and almost lifeless. Natasha's voice had already become a blur. He placed his hands on the back of his head trying to get the feeling of grasping onto something when all felt so lost. His heart rate was increasing as his eyes darted all over the place. He couldn't process the words that had come out of her mouth before. He felt an arm around his shoulder that guided him somewhere. Though the touch was warm, Peter could only feel cold and empty, as if loneliness was sinking into his skin. After a few seconds, Peter's movements came to a halt when he was standing in front of a wall. The boy blinked his eyes a few times to adjust his eyesight and noticed he was standing in front of a window instead of a blank wall. Y/n's head was covered by a machine with bright lights but the rest of the room darkened. She was alone in there. He could see his reflection in the glass. He swears he could hear both of their heartbeats. Hers was slow... barely beating at all, whilst his was pounding as fast as it possibly could. Why was there no in-between for either of them?

All he could do was watch from afar. He's Spider-Man he should be able to do something, especially for her, he has to do something. Anything. A warm hand is placed on his right shoulder and a mumbling sound of their voice. He couldn't hear what either Nat or May were saying. His senses were focusing on her heart rate and breathing. He listened very closely. Even when May nudged him with her elbow his senses refused to focus on anything other than Y/n. His body physically refused to listen. She was just lying there. He didn't even think about Tony, who must be terrified, just like him. Thump... Thump... Thump... The pace of her heartbeat was tearing Peter apart as he looked through the window. May rubbed his shoulder gently whilst Nat did the same on his other side. Peter only imagined their facial expressions, everyone's facial expressions. Come on, Spider-Man. You can figure something out, he thinks to himself. The littlest gesture, like pulling the duvet over her body so she wouldn't be cold, or kissing her forehead, he couldn't do that. And he couldn't handle it. Peter was already starting to think of all the ways he could smash through the window, the doors, the wall if he had to, just to get to her. He turns away from the window to walk down the hallway. He couldn't look at her like that.

"But do they know what's wrong with her?" Harley questioned. Peter shakes his head silently in response. He didn't know where else to go or who to talk to. Somehow, Harley felt like the best option. "They didn't say. Or- well, I- I couldn't listen." Peter stumbled over his words as they squeaked out of his mouth. Harley looked at the boy sadly. "Did you see Tony?" He asks him. Peter shakes his head again whilst running his hand through his hair. "We'll figure something out." But somehow this time, it felt different, like they wouldn't figure something out. "They said she's dying," Peter repeated Nat's words out loud, although, they killed him on the inside. "Tony's not gonna let her. I know you won't either." Peter lowered his head slightly. "They don't know, Harley, that's the problem. Her mind isn't focusing on her body anymore. It's basically letting go of her." Peter tries to keep his composure, he's really trying. "I had a dream about this." Harley spoke up quietly, "Something like this." Peter's gaze rose up to meet his. "I tried to warn her. I wanted to stop her. The dream made everything worse." He tells Peter. "You knew what would happen?" Spider-Man asks. "I wasn't sure. Have you ever had a dream, that later on, turned out to be the future? And then part of that dream becomes reality, almost like Deja Vu? I believe some people call them Precognitive dreams. I had one, the night before it happened, and I tried to warn her." Harley informs him. But this wasn't his fault.

Peter gently patted the boy's hand assuringly. "It wasn't you." He said. Harley nodded his head slowly. "How are you holding up?" Peter asks him, trying to change the subject. "I'm fine. Nurses take good care of me." Harley answered. "Good, good," Peter felt a little awkward for some reason. "I know we haven't- I haven't-" He tried, "There's been some tension between us ever since you arrived. I want... I just want you to know that I don't hate you or anything." Talking about this with Harley would be something that Y/n would want. She didn't want her old friend and boyfriend to fight or have jealousy or pride standing between them or even a friendship. "Yeah, I've wanted to apologize for that. I've been acting like a real jerk. Y/n's your girlfriend. It's just a little hard, you know, after all these years to see her all lovey-dovey with some guy." Harley replied causing Peter to chuckle at him. "Yeah, I can imagine that." He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "And then you find out that that guy is Spider-Man," Harley added. "Yeah, about that. Could you... maybe not mention that to anyone?" He asks in a friendly tone. "So, I shouldn't have posted it on Instagram?" Harley chuckles.

It seemed like years were passing by as Peter waited in her room. His leg bounced up and down anxiously and he bit down on his fingernails. When the door opened, Peter's head snapped up, and he watched closely as Tony stepped inside first. His eyes were red and puffy from crying. "Kid," He started. Peter got up from his seat and didn't think twice before embracing Tony tightly. Normally, he wasn't much of a hugger, but he allowed it this time. When Tony pulled away, only seconds later, Y/n's bed was pushed inside by Nat and Bruce. Her eyes were open but she looked incredibly tired. "Hey," Peter said to her very softly. Her eyes lit up ever so slightly. "Hi," She squeaked out. Peter looks at Tony as Bruce pushed her bed into place near the wall. Tony rubbed his irritated eyes with his sleeve. "She needs to sleep while we look at the results of the scans and tests." Tony explains, "I trust you with my daughter, kid." He added. Peter nodded his head quickly. "I'm not letting her out of my sight. She's going straight to sleep. I promise." Natasha had some trouble separating from the girl again as well as Tony. They all had work to do. Nat also looked like she'd been crying for hours.

Peter walks over to the bed where Y/n lies very still. Her head moved up slightly to look up at her boyfriend. Peter smiled softly as he cupped her cheek in his hand. "I'm cold." She told him quietly, but he could barely hear her. He kicked off his shoes whilst kissing her forehead. He crawled under the duvet and let her skin touch his. He hissed slightly at the cold temperature of her skin. "I'm sorry." she apologized to him. Why is she apologizing for that? Peter thinks to himself. "No, no. Just give me a second." He replied. He sat up again and pulled off his shirt. Nothing she hadn't seen before, luckily. He then reached out to pull her on top of him and his arms securely around her. "You're warm, Pete." She smiles as she herself shivers slightly. "Just shut your pretty eyes, please? You're exhausted." He mumbles to her. "But I wanna talk." She whines a little under him. Peter kisses the top of her head and starts to stroke her hair very gently. "Okay, then I'll talk and you listen. Saves you the energy." He tells her. She nodded against his chest as she felt her eyelids getting heavier. Peter gently rubbed his hands over her arms to warm her up whilst pressing more kisses on her head to make sure she felt loved.

"I've been thinking about when we go back to New York. We could start working together again." Y/n hummed in response, already drifting off into a sweet and well-deserved slumber. "Remember when we teamed up together with the vulture? We make such a good team. I still can't believe I was focused on Liz back then. You're my dream girl. Do you remember when I told you that? I couldn't stop blushing." He chuckles softly as his hand goes through her soft hair again. "You'll always be my dream girl. Smart, funny, beautiful, good music taste. Plus, we like the same sandwiches from Mister Delmar's. Remember when we had a date and I took you there instead of that restaurant? Never went anywhere else after that. Date night, go to Delmar's." Y/n was fast asleep under him. She couldn't stay awake any longer than she did. He allows her to snuggle into him in her sleep. He holds her head in his head. "Don't do this to me, baby." He whispers, "Don't make me go through this alone. Ned and Mj... I need you. You're all I have, baby, please." He was pleading for her life, for his life. There was no Peter Parker anymore without Y/n, right? "I love you, baby. Whatever happens, I'll always love you. And I need you to hold on. Whatever might happen, alright? We have so much we still need to do. Just the two of us, you know? L-like buying a house... having little Stark-Parker babies. May never stopped talking about them." He talks to her whilst she sleeps. "Don't make me go through this alone." He repeated.

A faint knock sounded on the door. Peter glanced up as the door opened to reveal Yelena's blonde hair as she slipped inside. "I'm sorry, I-" Her gaze fell upon Y/n who was fast asleep in her boyfriend's embrace, "Natasha told me about her." She said. "Get out." Peter snapped at her in a stern voice. "What?" Yelena responded. "Get out. Get out before I choke the life out of you." Peter threatened her. "Peter," The blonde woman was really trying. "I said, get out." Peter's eyes darkened with every word she spoke. Guilt had a tight grip on Yelena. But Peter... Peter could feel anger, and hate, corrupting him from the inside out. Very, very, slowly.