I Can't Live A Lie (Running For My Life)

If you leave me now (You take away the biggest part of me)

Set after Endgame.

Before Thanos, Tony adopted Peter when May died.

Major Character death warning.

It's funny, how people will be there one moment, and gone the next, like they never even existed.

Peter came back from the dead.

After five years.

His dad- Tony, was there before, and then minutes later, he was gone.

Just like that.

And Peter didn't know what to do.

Because he had lost a part of himself on the battlefield.

He lost his mentor, father figure, and only family.

Pepper tried to be there for him, but that was hard when she had a five year old to take care of.

She tried her best, but it wasn't enough.

He had turned off the baby monitor systems in his suit, and stayed out at all hours.

If he couldn't sleep without seeing Tony's ruined face against the rubble, then he just- wouldn't sleep.

So he protected the people he was responsible for.

Never mind that he couldn't protect the father figure he loved.

Crime rates were down eight percent since his increase in patrolling.

The people of Queens sang his praises, while the criminals plotted his death.

Death had always been a foreign concept to Peter.

He was quite familiar with it, so much as to not fear it.

After all, death took his parents.

His uncle Ben.

More recently, May.

And now Tony.

So he contemplated it.

Would it really be that bad?

Surely it couldn't be worse than his life already.

But he would never go so far as to do it himself.

Even if he hated living.

So when he found himself bleeding in an alley from a gunshot wound to the chest, he didn't call for help.

Karen tried to make him, but with the baby monitor protocols being shut down, there was no one to report it to.

His chest heaved as he fought for control.

Icy tendrils of pain radiated from his chest, stealing what little breath he had.

A choked sob ripped its way out, loud in the aftermath of disaster.

Please. 

I want to go home.

"Peter?"

The voice shocked him out of the growing haze, and he fought to turn his head.

Tony was crouched beside him, a sad smile playing over his face. "Why'd you do this, bud?"

The broken boy shook his head weakly. "I can't do this, Tony."

"You need to get up, Pete."

Peter's lip trembled, and the growing tears welled over. "I want to stay with you," he sobbed quietly. "I don't want to go back."

The older man slid his hands under Peter's back, lifting him to a sitting position, then into his arms. "I know. I'm so sorry."

In the back of his mind Peter knew his body was failing.

There wasn't any pain though.

He was warm and safe in Tony's arms. "'M not scared," he whispered.

Tony kissed his hair. "Why's that?"

Peter sighed contentedly, eyes slipping closed. "You're here."