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

I used to believe in forever (But forever's too good to be true)

The minute he saw Peter, fighting down on Earth, he should have sent him back.

He should have sent him back.

Because now they were fighting for their lives- "-right where I didn't want you to be-"- and Tony didn't know what to do.

He had no idea.

He had never just- not known. He always had an idea, a plan, some way, something, to help.

But not this time.

This time, he was stuck on a foreign planet, with two idiots from space, one idiot from Missouri, the Bleecker Street magician, and his wide eyed kid that he had to protect. 

So, sue him, he had no idea what to do.

Whenever he looked at Peter, he saw blind trust.

And that just made it harder, because he couldn't tell the kid that they might not come home, that Tony might not be able to keep him safe this time.

That Tony might not be able to keep his silent promise of it's alright, it'll be okay, and that was what scared him the most.

He couldn't protect the kid.

The one promise he gave to May was that he would keep their kid safe.

And now he couldn't even do that.

He would try- oh he would try- but it wouldn't be enough.

Thanos was coming.

And Thanos always wins.

"Mr Stark?"

The teenager approached him warily, eyes wide, full of badly hidden fear. 

"Hey kid." He just sounded tired, and he could almost see the gears turning in Peter's head.

"We're not going to make it, are we?"

He hated how Peter's voice didn't tremble, didn't shake.

Not that he wanted the kid to be scared, no, but the teenager didn't fully understand.

They were as good as dead.

"I promised May that I would keep you safe, Pete. I'm keeping that promise if it's the last thing I do."

A split second of silence.

Then…

"I don't- I don't want it to be."

Tony glanced up quickly, alarmed at how terrified the teenager sounded now.

Tears were welling in Peter's eyes, and he was hugging himself tightly, as if trying to self-comfort. "I don't want you to protect me if it means you get hurt."

He reached out, grabbing Peter's shoulder, and tugging him into a hug. "I've got to protect you, kid. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't."

Peter's arms came up hesitantly, but then tightened, and he buried his face in Tony's neck. "Please be careful," he mumbled.

Tony sighed. "Okay."

After a lengthy discussion of plans, which the space people were no help with, they were ready.

(In hindsight, no one could be ready for this.)

Thanis appeared in a swirl of blue and purple, standing several feet above Strange, who was sitting casually on an outcrop of rubble.

"Oh, you’re much more of a Thanos," he said conversationally.