Bullets || Peter Parker

Twenty one

When Emil left the Stark household later that afternoon, he did not return to the avengers headquarters.

Instead he returned to his home. The tower in New York. 'The Web' as Peter used to oh so affectionately call it, and 'Lab 2' referred to by Shuri. The complex was just as Emil had left it. That was before infinity war, the snap and the whole four year coma. Since then, he had only returned to pick up stuff to move to the new avengers facility, and to check on Peter's things.

About two years after the snap, May and Peter's landlord had re-let their flat. Luckily, Tony had managed to get their stuff put into Stark industry storage. When Emil had woken up, he'd insisted on having their belongings to the tower. He had placed it in his apartment. Clothes and personal belongings stored in boxes in his spare room. The whole complex, while it had been too big before (Emil owned the whole building. Apart from the offices he rented out to companies on the lowest five floors, the whole rest of the tower belong to him), it was cold and empty now. Before the snap, Shuri had turned one of the empty games rooms into a spare lab. Emil and Peter would use the gym for training and they would organise massive game nights and invite the debate club from school. Now they were all gone.

The lights blinked on, refocusing his signature, as Emil walked in from the helipad. Below, the city flickered, not enough lights to sparkle like it used to. Emil grimaced at the dust on the carpet and looked around the lounge, this circular room had been where the games night had been held. With the bar and massive tv. They had rounds of mario cart and Wii sports. Now it was cold and gloomy.

Continuing on, Emil brushed past and entered the elevator. It sparked to life on command and moved down a floor. The doors dinged open and he stepped out into his apartment. This place was not as dusty as the rest of the complex. Emil's various visiting as meaning that the dust was lighter here. He walked along the familiar corridor and unlocked the front door with a touch of his hand.

His apartment opened up into a large open living space with floor to ceiling windows. The moonlight and the light from the city below meant that the place was not completely dark, Emil's night vision allowing him to see everything clearly. All the furniture was covered in plastic sheets and the paintings Emil had on the walls were covered up. He glanced around for a moment before turning towards the door to the spare room. It opened with a soft creak.

Peter's boxes were all stacked against agains the far wall. May's were in stacks near the door. Each box labelled with their containments. There was one for Peter's Lego, another for his computer parts. Emil felt a small smile lift his lips as he read each one. There was one for Peter's school stuff and one for his Spider-Man gear. There was also a few boxes which were placed between May's and Peter's piles. Those were marked with Ben Parker. They were the remains of a man that Emil had never met, but still had an imprint.

Emil opened one of Peter's boxes marked clothes, and pulled out a grey hoodie. It was one of Peter's favourites. That and his navy jumper. Emil tugged it on over his own jumper. It was too big on the shoulders but fine on the length and arms. Emil wrapped his arms around himself and walked over to the windows staring at the city below.

"I know that it's been five years to you", he muttered out loud to the people below. "But it's only been a year to me". He turned and looked at the boxes around him. "Should I move on?" He asked the room. If he was expecting some divine reply, he did not get one.

Shivering, he buried himself deeper into Peter's hoodie, zipping it up and pulling the hood over his black hair. "I'll move on", he promised. "I'll do better, be better, help people just like you wanted".  The words hung on the empty air.

"Did I tell you that I went to space?" Emil continued. He snorted, imaging the wild reply. "Not like the red planet we went to, titian, but colourful planets with aliens. Would that make me the alien since I visited them and not the other way around? But yeah with aliens. And I brought you back a rock which glows. Cause I know how you and Ned like glowing things. This one won't explode though. Not like the purple one that almost destroyed the Washington monument. I made sure that this one was safe. I gave the other to Morgan and Tony would have killed me if it was dangerous".

Emil sat down on the dusty carpet, crossing his legs and watching the city. The hoodie had the musty smell of long storage, but he could imagine that it still smelled like him. He could imagine that it was warm. That Peter would sit down by his side and smile. What you really went to space! That so cool! Tell me about the aliens, what were they like? He would say. Emil would laugh at his excited voice and explain in detail his experiences, promising to take Peter with him next time. May would knock on the door at some point and remind them to go to bed, or that food was ready. She would ask them about their day and check up on how Emil was doing, that he was eating alright and taking care of himself.

"Did you know", Emil asked the room. "That May was the closet thing I had to a mother? I never told you Pete, but I don't even know my real mother's name. It's rather tragic huh?" He chuckled to himself softly as he curled up onto his side. He felt suddenly tired.

"It been five years now", he yawned. "The anniversary was last month. I should move on. Take better care of myself, May would fuss over me if she saw me like this. You both would. I miss you". He paused for a long moment, eyes wet with tears. They stained the sleeve of Peter's hoodie in dark splotches.

"I'm giving them a chance", he decided. "If this time travel idea does not work then I'm going to move on. I owe it to you, to May and everyone else, my dad, T'challa, Shuri, Ned. I owe it you guys to move on. I need to accept the fact that.. that... that you're not coming back. If this doesn't work then I'm moving on, starting afresh", his voice drifted off sleepily and he yawned again.

"I'm so tired", he murmured as water dipped down his cheeks. Emil rolled up into a ball, arm curled under his head. He fell asleep there, in Peter's hoodie, high above the city below.

Unedited

Guys! Check out the video. I don't know who made it but it's adorable! If you took away Emil's assassin background then this would be exactly how I would imagine him and peter.  It's so freaking cute!

Also, I'm crying. This is such a sad update. why do I do this to you, and myself? This quarantine has made me self destructive. I'm so sorry. Poor Emil. But grief is terrible and long lasting. If anyone has had to deal with grief, they will know.

I feel so sorry to my baby Emil. I keep on making him suffer.

I'll try and make the next update a bit more light hearted for you.

Vote, comment, all that jazz.