Warning: mentions death

Universe: Homecoming

Peter was sobbing.

Why? He had just watched someone being murdered. And he could've stopped it.

He could have stopped it.

(Although, luckily for him, he had evacuated everyone else, including his Aunt May. She was safe, everyone was safe - all apart from her.)

He remembered exactly what the woman was like. With a pang of guilt, he realised that he hadn't even known if she had a family or not.

("It's okay," she promised. "I know it'll hurt, but I'll be happier than I was down here.")

Maybe she didn't have a family?

She had long, wavy brown hair, Peter recalled, and startling blue eyes. She looks like one of those people who, despite looking initially dumb, was actually very smart. And she had proved it.

("Look, only one of us is getting out of here alive," she said bluntly. "And the whole world needs you more than they need me, so you're getting out.")

Her name was Jane Wells. She had said that she wasn't important to the world, not as much as he is.

He wished he could've told her the truth.

The truth that he was just a scrawny kid in high school. The truth that he didn't really know how to use his powers. The truth that he didn't have anyone left - other than May - and that she would be perfectly fine without him.

("Spidey," Jane said, looking at him in the eye. "I know it's hard to lose someone. I know that you've got to be doing this for a reason. I've noticed that whenever somebody dies, you don't come out for several days. Iron Man comes out instead.")

He hadn't known that Tony took over his job for him. He hadn't known that Tony cared enough to make sure that the entirety of New York was okay while he was gone. He hadn't known that Tony knew how much he cared for the city, that while he was mourning for one person, he would continue to mourn if anybody else died.

("I know you hold this deep inside you, that you blame yourself for anything that happens in New York when you had no way to be there. I know this, Spidey, and I'm guessing it's how you became yourself. It's fine, Spidey.")

Peter sobbed even harder into his pillow, lying down on his bed as the memories plagued him, making him unable to sleep.

"Peter?" Tony whispered as he entered the room. "FRIDAY told me you weren't sleeping. You okay?"

Peter gave a small hiccup and reached out towards Tony, ignoring how childish it was.

"What's up, kiddo?"

"I couldn't save her," Peter mumbled. "I was right there, I could've saved her, but I couldn't."

"... Oh. Oh. Peter, that wasn't your fault," Tony said, ruffling his hair. "If you hadn't gotten out of there in time, the building would've collapsed onto you."

"But I can deal with that. I've done it before!" Peter exclaimed, going red when he realised what he said.

"Okay, we're talking about that tomorrow, but for now, sleep."

And Peter hugged Tony, gradually falling asleep in his mentor's arms.

I think I forgot to do yesterday's - actually, yeah, I definitely forgot, so there's gonna be two (including this) today! Whoo!

See ya!

- WriteCrazyForLife