Spider-Man fic - You Remember Me (mild het)
Title: You Remember Me
Author: Dimity Blue
Rating: All
Genre: Mild het, epilogue, fix it, hurt/comfort
Characters: Peter, Tony, Pepper
Word Count: 1,278 words
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Summary: Some time after No Way Home, Tony spots a face that seems familiar somehow. This is Peter's POV.
On AO3.
You Remember Me
By Dimity Blue
The rain started as Peter rounded the corner of the street and he sighed. The skies had been grey all morning, and Peter would have stayed home, but he'd promised to return Matt's laptop that day. He was gaining a good reputation as a tech guy and he didn't want to lose it. Plus his rent was due soon, and money always came in handy.
But now it was raining, Peter was still far from home, and he was getting wet. He shivered and looked around. The café further up the street was his best bet. He'd been in there once before to fix the register, and it was a fairly cheap place. In any case, it was a place where Peter could shelter and warm up with a hot drink.
Three minutes later, Peter had a drink in his hand and had settled at a table out of the way of the door. It was empty, aside from him and the guy at the counter, and even he'd disappeared into the back where it was probably warmer. Peter put his backpack by his feet and his hands around the hot cup. The rain was getting heavier, but this place was far from anywhere he used to go, so he really wasn't likely to run into anyone he'd known. Not that they'd know him, of course. Not now.
Peter sighed and slumped down in his seat, then wrapped his arms around himself. It was second nature now to avoid everyone he'd ever known. It was far better to avoid any place he might run into any of the people who meant so much to him. It was all such a mess, but he'd had no choice. He just wished knowing that would ease the ache in his chest.
The door opened, and Peter glanced up, then quickly dropped his head and stared into his cup as the café's next customer came in. The woman was graceful, wearing an expensive raincoat, and was completely out of place. She was also Pepper Potts, Tony Stark's wife, and CEO of Stark Industries. Peter waited until she'd reached the counter and was giving her order, then he began to cautiously slide out of his seat. Then the door opened again, this time revealing Mr. Stark himself.
Peter dropped back into his seat and ducked his head. What - how - why were Mr. Stark and Ms. Potts in this random café in Queens (with him!) when they should be in the lake house with Morgan, the tower with the Avengers, or anywhere else in the entire country?
After a few seconds of deep breathing, Peter reminded himself that, to them, he was a random stranger and not worth paying attention to. He forced himself to relax a little. It was okay, it was fine. They'd only come in to hide from the rain, so - as long as Peter didn't have a panic attack or anything - pretty soon they'd be gone and he'd never see them again.
His panic faded and Peter rubbed at his chest. He could hear them teasing each other, their voices quiet and full of affection. His heart ached a bit harder, and he turned his head to see Ms. Potts's profile, see how happy she was. It wasn't any wonder. Mr. Stark looked almost like his old self now, as if those terrifying days when no one expected him to survive were anything but a distant dream. Peter kept on stealing quick glances, soaking up the sight of him. This was all he could have and he'd take it.
Or not.
Peter realised Mr. Stark was looking back at him now, and he felt his face redden.
"Tony?"
"Just a second, Pep."
To Peter's horror, Mr. Stark got up and came over to him.
"Hey, kid, do I know you?"
Peter shook his head and felt his face heat up even more. Mr. Stark had to be thinking how rude Peter was for staring.
Mr. Stark put a hand on the table and leaned down, like he was trying to make eye contact. "Are you sure I don't know you?"
Peter grabbed at his backpack and went to run for the door, but strong arms caught him and there was a deep gasp from behind him. Mr. Stark's grip tightened, and Peter yelped and flailed as he was dragged down to the floor. He knew he could break free with his enhanced strength, but Mr. Stark no longer knew him as Spider-Man and it was impossible for Peter to let that secret get out ever again.
"Tony? What are you doing?" Ms. Potts's voice came from somewhere above them.
"He's Peter. He's our kid." There was a pause, then, "Geeze, kid, why haven't you been eating?"
Peter shook his head; this wasn't possible. "You can't remember me, you - you can't!"
"It's okay, Peter, it's okay. We'll sort this."
Peter felt tears prick at his eyes at the warm reassurance. He'd made such a mess of things; no one could fix it, no matter what. Not even Mr. Stark.
"Our kid?" Ms. Potts echoed.
"It's Under... Under..." Mr. Stark hesitated.
Peter could practically hear the cogs turning. How was Mr. Stark doing this? Dr. Strange had been adamant the spell would lock everyone's memories of him, yet here Peter was, holding his breath and letting hope seep in despite himself.
"Underoos!"
It was loud and triumphant, and Peter bit back a sob at the sound of it.
"What? Tony -"
"How is Pepper not remembering you?" Mr. Stark demanded. "I remember you."
Peter let his head drop. "Doctor Strange," he admitted. "He - he cast a spell so no one would remember me."
"Why? Why stop people from remembering you, from knowing you?" Ms. Potts asked.
"The multiverse was breaking down. I messed up, nearly got Aunt May killed. It was the only way to stop it all." He hadn't meant for any of it to happen, but -
"Strange should have found a loophole! He should have found a way to protect you!"
Mr. Stark sounded furious and Peter wasn't surprised. He knew what Mr. Stark thought of Dr. Strange, but Peter had to defend him. "It wasn't his fault," he said, turning as far as he could. "There was no time!"
Ms. Potts knelt down beside them, and turned Peter's face towards her. Her eyes were wide as she stared at him. "That was what you said in the hospital when we thought Tony was going to die. There'd been no time for someone else to take the gauntlet. Oh, Peter."
Her arms went around him and Peter found himself crying into her shoulder. He felt such a baby as he sniffled, but her arms were warm, and Mr. Stark was rubbing his back, and he'd been alone for so long.
Once he'd calmed down, Ms. Potts let him sit up and began drying his eyes for him.
"We're taking you home. Don't try and argue with me," she said, as Peter opened his mouth to speak. "Tony, you'll get that doctor around once Peter's better. He's going to help sort out this mess."
Peter scrambled to his feet as Mr. Stark helped Ms. Potts up.
"But I don't think Dr. Strange can fix it! He doesn't know who I am now either! He might be mad I let you see me."
Ms. Potts gave Peter one of those looks that even Mr. Stark tried to avoid. "Then he'll have to get over it, won't he?"
"But -"
"Yeah, good luck arguing either of us out of this, kid," Mr. Stark put in. "Look, there's Happy with the car. Let's go."
The end.
27th March 2023
Author: Dimity Blue
Rating: All
Genre: Mild het, epilogue, fix it, hurt/comfort
Characters: Peter, Tony, Pepper
Word Count: 1,278 words
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Summary: Some time after No Way Home, Tony spots a face that seems familiar somehow. This is Peter's POV.
On AO3.
You Remember Me
By Dimity Blue
The rain started as Peter rounded the corner of the street and he sighed. The skies had been grey all morning, and Peter would have stayed home, but he'd promised to return Matt's laptop that day. He was gaining a good reputation as a tech guy and he didn't want to lose it. Plus his rent was due soon, and money always came in handy.
But now it was raining, Peter was still far from home, and he was getting wet. He shivered and looked around. The café further up the street was his best bet. He'd been in there once before to fix the register, and it was a fairly cheap place. In any case, it was a place where Peter could shelter and warm up with a hot drink.
Three minutes later, Peter had a drink in his hand and had settled at a table out of the way of the door. It was empty, aside from him and the guy at the counter, and even he'd disappeared into the back where it was probably warmer. Peter put his backpack by his feet and his hands around the hot cup. The rain was getting heavier, but this place was far from anywhere he used to go, so he really wasn't likely to run into anyone he'd known. Not that they'd know him, of course. Not now.
Peter sighed and slumped down in his seat, then wrapped his arms around himself. It was second nature now to avoid everyone he'd ever known. It was far better to avoid any place he might run into any of the people who meant so much to him. It was all such a mess, but he'd had no choice. He just wished knowing that would ease the ache in his chest.
The door opened, and Peter glanced up, then quickly dropped his head and stared into his cup as the café's next customer came in. The woman was graceful, wearing an expensive raincoat, and was completely out of place. She was also Pepper Potts, Tony Stark's wife, and CEO of Stark Industries. Peter waited until she'd reached the counter and was giving her order, then he began to cautiously slide out of his seat. Then the door opened again, this time revealing Mr. Stark himself.
Peter dropped back into his seat and ducked his head. What - how - why were Mr. Stark and Ms. Potts in this random café in Queens (with him!) when they should be in the lake house with Morgan, the tower with the Avengers, or anywhere else in the entire country?
After a few seconds of deep breathing, Peter reminded himself that, to them, he was a random stranger and not worth paying attention to. He forced himself to relax a little. It was okay, it was fine. They'd only come in to hide from the rain, so - as long as Peter didn't have a panic attack or anything - pretty soon they'd be gone and he'd never see them again.
His panic faded and Peter rubbed at his chest. He could hear them teasing each other, their voices quiet and full of affection. His heart ached a bit harder, and he turned his head to see Ms. Potts's profile, see how happy she was. It wasn't any wonder. Mr. Stark looked almost like his old self now, as if those terrifying days when no one expected him to survive were anything but a distant dream. Peter kept on stealing quick glances, soaking up the sight of him. This was all he could have and he'd take it.
Or not.
Peter realised Mr. Stark was looking back at him now, and he felt his face redden.
"Tony?"
"Just a second, Pep."
To Peter's horror, Mr. Stark got up and came over to him.
"Hey, kid, do I know you?"
Peter shook his head and felt his face heat up even more. Mr. Stark had to be thinking how rude Peter was for staring.
Mr. Stark put a hand on the table and leaned down, like he was trying to make eye contact. "Are you sure I don't know you?"
Peter grabbed at his backpack and went to run for the door, but strong arms caught him and there was a deep gasp from behind him. Mr. Stark's grip tightened, and Peter yelped and flailed as he was dragged down to the floor. He knew he could break free with his enhanced strength, but Mr. Stark no longer knew him as Spider-Man and it was impossible for Peter to let that secret get out ever again.
"Tony? What are you doing?" Ms. Potts's voice came from somewhere above them.
"He's Peter. He's our kid." There was a pause, then, "Geeze, kid, why haven't you been eating?"
Peter shook his head; this wasn't possible. "You can't remember me, you - you can't!"
"It's okay, Peter, it's okay. We'll sort this."
Peter felt tears prick at his eyes at the warm reassurance. He'd made such a mess of things; no one could fix it, no matter what. Not even Mr. Stark.
"Our kid?" Ms. Potts echoed.
"It's Under... Under..." Mr. Stark hesitated.
Peter could practically hear the cogs turning. How was Mr. Stark doing this? Dr. Strange had been adamant the spell would lock everyone's memories of him, yet here Peter was, holding his breath and letting hope seep in despite himself.
"Underoos!"
It was loud and triumphant, and Peter bit back a sob at the sound of it.
"What? Tony -"
"How is Pepper not remembering you?" Mr. Stark demanded. "I remember you."
Peter let his head drop. "Doctor Strange," he admitted. "He - he cast a spell so no one would remember me."
"Why? Why stop people from remembering you, from knowing you?" Ms. Potts asked.
"The multiverse was breaking down. I messed up, nearly got Aunt May killed. It was the only way to stop it all." He hadn't meant for any of it to happen, but -
"Strange should have found a loophole! He should have found a way to protect you!"
Mr. Stark sounded furious and Peter wasn't surprised. He knew what Mr. Stark thought of Dr. Strange, but Peter had to defend him. "It wasn't his fault," he said, turning as far as he could. "There was no time!"
Ms. Potts knelt down beside them, and turned Peter's face towards her. Her eyes were wide as she stared at him. "That was what you said in the hospital when we thought Tony was going to die. There'd been no time for someone else to take the gauntlet. Oh, Peter."
Her arms went around him and Peter found himself crying into her shoulder. He felt such a baby as he sniffled, but her arms were warm, and Mr. Stark was rubbing his back, and he'd been alone for so long.
Once he'd calmed down, Ms. Potts let him sit up and began drying his eyes for him.
"We're taking you home. Don't try and argue with me," she said, as Peter opened his mouth to speak. "Tony, you'll get that doctor around once Peter's better. He's going to help sort out this mess."
Peter scrambled to his feet as Mr. Stark helped Ms. Potts up.
"But I don't think Dr. Strange can fix it! He doesn't know who I am now either! He might be mad I let you see me."
Ms. Potts gave Peter one of those looks that even Mr. Stark tried to avoid. "Then he'll have to get over it, won't he?"
"But -"
"Yeah, good luck arguing either of us out of this, kid," Mr. Stark put in. "Look, there's Happy with the car. Let's go."
The end.
27th March 2023