A Slice Of Life, Death And Everything In-Between

A Trail Of Stars (Turning Into A Sea)

Prompt by @nefariouscyprid: Peter gets fatally wounded by thanos and bleeds out in Tony's arms (love ur work :-))

Disclaimer: I do not own Spider-Man or any related materials.

                              __________

Red.

So much red. It streams out of the small body in his arms, a river of warm and sticky crimson that strains all it touches, soaking into the red soil and bubbling in the heat. Tony feels a scream build in his throat, climb up his wind pipe and sit, watching the barren world through the thin gaps of his clenched teeth.

"It's okay, buddy." He repeats over and over, trying in vain to put pressure on the pulsing wound tearing through his son's side. "It's okay, I'm right here. Just take some breaths for me, Pete. You gotta breathe, you gotta."

Peter lays on his side, the sickening hole exposed to the grimy air around them as Tony presses his hand against the wet and broken skin, feeling his heart break at each gasping sob his baby lets out. Gritting his teeth with even more force, the genius blinks tears out of his eyes as he gently moves Peter's head so it's in his lap, stopping his progress for just a second to cup his boy's face.

"D-Daddy—" Peter whines, squirming when his father presses down with more vigor, hoping and praying with everything in him to stop the inevitable. "Dad it's s-so cold, I'm so c-cold."

Shivering himself as his son tries to curl against his side, the grief stricken billionaire doesn't give up on stopping the bleeding, even as Peter sags against him more and more, the ghosts of his breath ticking his father's skin with each weak exhale.

"Dad. . . " Peter suddenly gasps out after a few minutes, his voice sounding oh so very far away. "Daddy I'm-I'm floating. . . "

And Tony tries, he tries so hard it makes his head pound and his ears pop, but he cannot hold back his cries anymore. They spill from him like water, dripping down his chin to join the pool of red on the ground.

"No Peter," he says, gripping his baby boy tighter, as though he could keep him here and grounded with his own hands alone. "No, sweetheart, stay here okay? Bruce is going to be here soon and he's gonna help y—"

But Peter cuts him off, a gasping sound leaving him as his eyes stare off into the distance, tracing the outline of the nearby stars with his glazed over gaze. "I'm going there, Dad. I'm going to see more stars, m-more than you will ever know. . . "

And now Tony knows, knows what deep down in his chest he had always known as soon as the Titan had shoved that dagger through his son's ribs. Leaning down, the billionaire rests his forehead against his child's, ignoring the blood that still continues to bubble up from between Peter's teeth.

His smile is a sea of red when he finally looks at his father again.

"Yeah baby," Tony says, his voice wobbly and strained with an indescribable pain. "You're gonna go walk among the stars. Leave a trail behind for me, will you?"

Peter nods weakly, reaching up with the last of his strength to grip his Dad's hands, his gaze finally slipping out of focus as he inhales his last breath.

"I'll l-leave you a sea."

Then Peter's soul leaves his body and Tony's light leaves his own.