Marvel/Peter Parker One Shots!

Loss and Grief

A/N Written by @inkinmyheartandonthepage. Plot minorly changed.

Peter's hands shook as he dusted the rubble from the elderly man's jacket.

He had already taken off the bigger pieces and was now working on the stubborn smaller ones that refused to dislodge from the cloth.

"Peter?"

Ignoring the voice that tried to get his attention, Peter focused on the still form of the elderly man. Allen, according to the licence Peter had found in his wallet. Allen who wasn't breathing, his eyes having long turned glassy and vacant.

"Peter," another voice, different and softer but thick with heavy emotion that Peter could feel it creeping along his skin. "Pete, he's gone. You need to move away now."

"No," Peter said firmly. He couldn't just leave Allen on the ground, surrounded by the carnage they had created and all alone just because Wanda told him to. It was his fault that Allen was no longer breathing, because he hadn't been fast enough.

"Kid."

White hot anger flared through Peter, making his hand curl into a fist on the ground where he balanced himself over Allen.

"Kid, we have to go," Tony said quietly.

Peter whirled around, feeling the eyes of the suit narrow along with his as he glared at Tony. "This is all your fault," he hissed.

Tony reared back, face pale and confused. "Kid?"

"He's dead and it's because of me and you want me to go?" Peter snapped.

He glared at the Avengers who were congregating around him. "He's dead! How many more are dead because of us?"

"Kid-" Tony tried to soothe but Peter cut him off.

"I'm not leaving him," Peter yelled. "He died because of me. Because of you. How can you just walk away?"

Tony's jaw clenched and he sucked in a deep breath through his nose. "We aren't walking away, Kid. We have a job to do and yeah, we can't save everyone, and no, it's not easy."

"Leave me alone," Peter said, turning away.

"Peter, we have to go," Natasha said. "This man will be cared for with the respect he deserves."

Peter heard the wail of the sirens and he sniffed. From the lining of his suit he withdrew his sharpie pen and a piece of paper and quickly scribbled a note. He left it on Allen's chest and without looking at the Avengers he webbed away from them as fast as he could.

Tony sighed, hanging his head. The first loss was always the hardest and he wasn't sure how Peter would react.

He had tried to prepare for this moment, feeling sick as he did because this shouldn't have been an eventuality, but he still felt widely out of his depth.

"Tony," Natasha warned.

Tony lifted his head and looked at the note Peter had written.

I'm so sorry – Spiderman.

Tony's heart sunk in his chest and he felt as if he had aged a hundred years in the blink of an eye.