The ringing of the house phone shattered the silence of the night. Peter jumped nearly a foot in the air from his place on the couch and fell to the ground in front of the coffee table disoriented. It took him another couple rings for him to get his bearings. He'd been waiting for Aunt May to come back but he must have fallen asleep on the couch.

"Hello?" He answered the phone at the same time he noticed it'd been over an hour since May had left to get ice cream. A small kernel of worry seeded. What was taking her so long?

"Is this Peter Parker?"

"Yes…"

"This is Dr. Nguyen. I'm sorry but your aunt's been in an accident and we're going to need you to come to Queens Memorial as soon as you can."

"Oh my god. What happened? Is she ok?" Peter panicked.

"We can talk in person when you get here. Do you have a way to get here?"

"Um y-yeah. I'm leaving right now."

"Ok we'll talk soon."

"Ok. Bye."

Peter had never webbed anywhere faster in his entire life.


"Is there anyone we can call for you?" Peter knew the doctor was just trying to be nice but it was the completely wrong thing to ask in the moment. His aunt had just died. He knew he was all alone. The man didn't need to rub it in.

"Can I just have a minute alone with her?" Peter's voice was barely above a whisper, not once glancing away from his aunt's body.

"Of course. Take as long as you need." The click of the door reverberated throughout the silent room as the physician left, finally leaving Peter alone with Aunt May.

If Peter didn't know better he could've convinced himself she was just sleeping, except for the milky whiteness of her skin and the complete stillness. It seemed wrong that someone could die so quickly with no visible signs of injury.

Severe internal bleeding they'd said. She'd died almost instantly. She hadn't suffered. Peter wondered if she'd been scared. If she'd been aware in her last brief moments. If she'd known she was dying. What her last thoughts had been. If they'd been of him.

Peter reached out a shaky hand but couldn't bring himself to touch her. He didn't want to feel the coolness of her skin, the certainty of death. He let his hand drop down by his side and a small sob erupted from him.

"Aunt May?" He whispered. "Please?"

No response. Of course. People didn't come back from the dead except in dreams. If anyone should know better it should be him.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He bit his lip and forced himself to finally lay his hand against her cheek. It was cool just like he'd known it would be. No warmth of life. She was gone. He was truly alone now.

"Noo." He whined against the unfairness of the world as the tenuous hold he'd had on his emotions broke. He sobbed brokenly and fell forward to rest his head on his aunt's chest and hold her in his arms.

The unresponsiveness of his usual demonstrative aunt sent a knife straight into his heart. He'd never get to feel her hugs again. Or hear her laugh at his jokes or wake up to the smell of her cooking. He'd never get to talk to her again. His thoughts continued to spiral downward as he cried uncontrollably.

He had no concept of how much time had passed when he heard a quiet knock on the door. Tears still silently fell down his face but at some point he'd lost the energy to cry aloud.

The door opened but he didn't care enough to face whoever had walked in.

"Peter? I'm Ms. Walker. I'm one of the social workers here at the hospital. Can I talk to you?"

Peter didn't respond, unbidden memories surfaced of the last time he'd had to deal with people like this woman - when his parents had died.

The woman cleared her throat awkwardly. "It's been brought to my attention that your aunt was your last living relative. I need to talk to you about where you're going to stay from now on."

"I have a friend I can stay with tonight." Peter croaked. Ned's parents wouldn't mind if he crashed there.

The woman cleared her throat again. Peter wondered blearily if maybe it was a tick.

"I meant where you're going to stay more permanently."

And oh god. How could Peter not have thought of that? He was a genius after all but somehow he hadn't made the connection that these people wouldn't just let him go live home alone since he was technically still a minor. A minor that went out nightly and risked his life to fight crime.

"I'll file for emancipation." Peter mumbled. "I can take care of myself."

The social worker didn't seem to be expecting that if the extended silence was any indication. "So you have a job? A way to support yourself?"

"Just go away." Peter finally snapped, his grief finding a new outlet in anger.

"Peter I'm sorry for your loss but we really need to talk about your future."

His future? Now? While his aunt's body was barely cold? Was this lady nuts?

"There's a nice family I have lined up that you can stay with. They have another foster son about your age."

Foster son? He wasn't going into foster care.

"I'm not staying with some strangers." He said, voice steely as he finally raised his head to look at this woman who wanted to destroy his life.

"Peter I'm afraid you don't have any choice." Funny, she didn't look like she felt bad about saying that.

"Leave me alone. I'm not going anywhere with you." Peter said icily. "Get out!"

She didn't make any move to leave and it was the last straw.

"Get the fuck out!" Peter screamed and grabbed some medical instrument nearby and threw it toward her so it narrowly missed her head. It slammed noisily against the wall and fell to the floor.

Well at least she was leaving, her calm composure finally broken. Peter couldn't help the brief feeling of satisfaction that came over him at the sight.

"And don't you dare come back." He threatened as the door closed behind her.

He took a few deep breaths to try to calm down, emotions rolling. He glanced back down at his aunt and thought of what she'd have to say about his outburst and suddenly the tears were back.

He pulled his phone out from his pocket. The clock on the screen read 2:45AM. He scanned through his contacts to Ned's number and his thumb hovered over the call button for a few long seconds but he didn't push it. There was no doubt in his mind that Ned would let him stay with him. He was a good friend. But the thought of having to actually talk to his friend or watch his friend interact with his parents who were both still alive and there for him made Peter pause.

He was just about to press call anyway when he remembered someone else he could call. He hadn't spoken to Happy since after the Vulture debacle almost 8 months ago and he didn't even know if the call would be welcome, but before he could second guess himself the phone was ringing against his ear.

"Hello?" Happy answered groggily, clearly he'd just woken up.

"Hey Happy." Peter said quietly.

"Peter?"

"Yeah it's me."

"Hey kid what's going on? Are you ok?" There was worry in his voice.

Was he ok? That was a complex question. Was he dying? No. Did he feel like he was? Yes. He was so far from ok it wasn't funny but he wasn't physically injured, which is what Peter knew Happy was actually asking.

"Peter?" Happy's voice was sharper this time.

"I-I need help." Peter croaked.

"Where are you?"

"Queens Memorial Hospital."

"Are you hurt?"

"N-no." He tried to answer but it came out as a half sob instead.

"You're scaring me here kid. What happened?"

"My…my aunt was in a car accident and…" Suddenly he couldn't bring himself to say it. Saying it out loud solidified it. Made it real.

"Is she ok?" Happy prompted when Peter made no move to continue after a long silence.

"No. She didn't. She-" Peter took a deep breath to steady himself and called on all his courage to continue. "She didn't m-make it. And I-. I'm sorry. I just didn't have anyone else to c-call."

I don't have anywhere to stay, remained unspoken.

"I'm sorry kid." Happy responded and Peter was sure he was about to let him down gently. Why did he think Tony Stark's chauffeur or asset manager or whatever he was now would help him in the middle of the night? He wasn't the man's responsibility anymore. He'd turned down Mr. Stark's offer to join the Avengers and hadn't heard a word from the man since.

"That really sucks. Just sit tight ok? We're going figure this out. Don't leave with anyone ok?"

"Ok." Peter rasped.

"It's going to be ok kid. We'll be there soon."

We?

Time passed but Peter had no idea how long it'd been since he'd called Happy. It could've been minutes or hours. Peter was just thankful that stupid social worker hadn't come back. No one had disturbed him. He'd resumed his position lying over his aunt, the cold silence broken only by his intermittent choking sobs.

At least until outside the door some kind of ruckus erupted. There were raised voices and arguing but Peter couldn't bring himself to try to hear what was being said. Maybe someone else was angry they were being taken away to stay with strangers.

Although as the arguing got closer, one of the voices sounded oddly familiar.

"I don't care. If you don't like it you can call my lawyers." The voice said tersely and Peter frowned because it almost sounded like-

Suddenly the door flew open and there stood Tony Stark. Of all the possible scenarios that had played through Peter's mind after calling Happy, this definitely hadn't been one of them.

The billionaire took in the sight before him for a few long seconds before turning to slam the door shut on whoever stood behind him with a curt, "Give us a minute."

Silence reverberated through the room. Tony just stared at Peter, taking in the tears running down his face and his position draped over his aunt's body.

Tony pulled off his sunglasses, because of course he was wearing sunglasses even though it was the middle of the night, and Peter finally saw his eyes. The brief look of anguish that greeted him was something Peter would never forget, but it was quickly replaced by a resolve that was definitely more familiar.

Without a word, Tony crossed the distance between them and before Peter even knew what was happening, Tony's hands were on him and he was being pulled gently away from his aunt and toward the billionaire. Everything seemed to move in slow motion and Peter felt like his brain was a step behind.

"C'mere kiddo." Tony said softly as he turned Peter toward him and encircled him with his arms in a careful hug.

Peter scrunched his eyes shut and buried his face in the man's chest, bringing his own arms around him and clutching the back of his suit in a desperate grip.

"It's ok. I gotcha." Tony mumbled and apparently those were the magic words to make Peter break down again. He wept into Tony's expensive suit as the man just held him.

"I'm sorry." Peter managed to get out at some point between sobs.

Tony just hushed him and held him tighter, behavior Peter never would've imagined from the genius.

Tony just let Peter cry against him, making no move to dislodge him even as Peter cried himself out and his sobs faded to soft sniffling.

"Are you ready to get out of here kid?" Tony asked into his hair.

Peter froze for a second at the thought of leaving Aunt May but then he nodded in agreement.

"Are you sure?" Tony asked, sensing his hesitation. "There's no rush. We can stay as long as you want."

"No. I-I want to go. Please." Peter mumbled into Tony's chest.

"Ok." Tony said but still made no move to leave.

Peter realized Tony was waiting for him to make the first move, so he took a deep breath and forced himself to let go of the man but he didn't get far. Tony roped one arm around his shoulders, keeping him tucked close against his side as he and picked up Peter's backpack on the floor for him, shouldering it himself.

"All right let's get out of here." Tony said and placed the sunglasses back on his face before opening the door to leave, running straight into the previous social worker from hell.

"And just where do you think you're going?" She asked, all uppity.

"Like I said before I'm taking the kid. If you have a problem with it you can call my lawyers." Tony's grip around him tightened and he shouldered past the woman toward the exit.

"Mr. Stark there's a protocol to follow. I don't care how famous you are. You can't just take a child!" She stepped in front of him, trying to halt his escape.

"Well I am so you can move out of the way."

"You have to apply to foster a child. There are safety parameters to think of, responsibility you're taking on."

"He's fifteen not four." Tony growled as he pushed passed her again and continued walking. A surprised expression crossed the woman's face, as if she couldn't quite believe Tony Stark knew Peter Parker's age.

"I'll call security!" She threatened.

Even Peter couldn't hold back a scoff at that.

"Go ahead! I'm sure they'll be a real match against Ironman." Tony yelled back, pushing the exit door open. Finally.

"Well I never!" Crazy lady howled.

"Call my lawyers!" Tony shouted over his shoulder and then they were outside and Tony was leading him to his Audi.

He ushered Peter into the back seat, but surprisingly still didn't relinquish his grip and climbed in beside him instead of going to sit in the front seat next to Happy.

"Back to the compound Happy." Tony ordered as the door shut and the car drove away.

"Not the hotel?" Happy asked from the front seat.

"No I'd rather be somewhere a little more secure in case we run into some legal trouble for this."

"You got it boss."

"I'm sorry for the trouble Mr. Stark" Peter mumbled miserably.

"No trouble." Tony reassured instantly. "Last week when we had to fight that giant seamonster from hell now that was trouble. This? This is not trouble."

Peter sighed, not quite believing him but too tired to argue.

"Are you tired? Do you want to lay down?" Tony asked.

Peter shook his head. The backseat of the Audi wasn't exactly spacious. The only way Peter could see it working was if he laid against the opposite door and he wasn't ready to leave the comfort Tony was oddly enough still offering him.

"You're not tired? It's almost 4am." Tony voiced his skepticism.

Peter just shrugged. Truthfully, he was exhausted deep into his bones but he didn't think there was anyway he could sleep now. His mind wouldn't shut off.

Peter caught Happy eyeing him in the rear view mirror but he couldn't bring himself to engage with the other man. He knew he owed him a thank you but the words wouldn't cross his lips. He was afraid that if he opened his mouth he might start crying again or scream. Because his Aunt was dead and he really was all alone now. He truly was an orphan.

He started shivering which seemed odd since he didn't feel particularly cold.

"Are you cold?" Tony noticed his tremors right away.

"N-no." He forced out between chattering teeth.

"He's probably in shock." Happy offered from the front seat, still watching him in the mirror worriedly.

At that, Tony pulled away and Peter figured this was it. He'd finally reached the limit of the great Ironman's emotional tolerance. But instead of abandoning Peter, Tony shrugged out of the suit coat he was wearing and wrapped it around the shaking kid like a cocoon before pulling him in even closer and rubbing his hands up and down the sides of Peter's back.

Peter found his head buried against Tony's chest again and closed his eyes, trying to think about nothing and willing the shaking to stop.

"Come on kid. Kick your feet up." Tony nudged at his legs and he figured out he wanted him to stretch them out on the seat, so Peter complied. He felt himself being rearranged then but Tony didn't let go of him and eventually they found a comfortable position where Peter was actually lying down now. Huh. It was kind of nice.

Still pressed tight against his hero, finally warm and comfortable, Peter eventually fell asleep.