Irondad Oneshots

Missing You - Spiderson

Potential TW Major Character Death (not that that's really any different than most chapters but yeah)

Ned

School is different.

It's not as though Peter was the most noticeable kid in school. Not to the students or to the faculty, but his absence is noticeable.

He was never one to draw attention to himself if possible, keeping his head down and moving through the motions, but he was smart. And kind. And he was bullied, never fighting back, but standing up for others so he was always the one to get hurt.

He's always the one to be getting hurt.

That's why it happened.

That's why his presence is no longer gracing the school grounds.

That's why instead of grinning and skipping down the halls like he'd normally be, he's buried six feet under.

It's different.

It's somber.

It's quiet.

Not even Flash makes a noise during class.

Everyone had heard the news that morning. They're having an assembly tomorrow.

For Peter's death.

There's consoling words passed around, and Ned wants to scream that none of them cared about Peter while he was alive, so why are they pretending to care now. They either ignored Peter or they'd tease him, so why do they even care that he's not around anymore. That's what they've been saying they've wanted for years.

Ned wanders down the hallway, glaring at Peter's locker as he passes it. He's been angry. He doesn't know why, but he's angry. Pissed. Livid. How dare Peter think it's okay to leave him like this? To just leave without even a word goodbye? How is that fair?

Ned makes it to his locker and forces a sad smile to the freshman who gives him a soft 'I'm sorry for your loss.'

He doesn't feel like it's just his loss. It's everyone's loss. They just lost the best hero they've got and they don't even know it. He hates it. Hates having to push his way through school pretending that he didn't go to his best friend's funeral just the weekend before.

Someone smiles and pats his shoulder, and it takes everything in him, not to roll his eyes and shove the guy into a locker. Why is it him getting all the consolations? It's not as though he's the one who died, right? It's not as though he's the one with the cold fingers and the glazed over eyes, the blood-stained clothing.

Classes are weird too. There's no Peter who knows all the answers to all the questions. There's no Peter to talk about nerdy things with once they're finished with their homework. There's no Peter to copy his answers when he doesn't want to do the work. There's no Peter. And nothing feels right anymore.

There's even an empty seat left beside Ned in Chemistry class. The seat that Peter would normally sit, daydreaming about patrol, cracking jokes about the periodic table, finishing his homework in minutes, and being the stupid, bright, grinning, stupid best friend that Ned never really thanked for being there for him.

Everything's just wrong.

Worn out, Ned heads home at lunch, not wanting to deal with everyone's shit. Even Flash had apologized to Ned and he was about ready to break the bully's nose for pretending to care.

He collapses into his bed, so much hatred coursing his veins. Hatred he knew Peter would never even begin to have. Because Peter always had a better heart than him, but the anger is never ending. Why did Peter have to be the stupid, self-sacrificing, courageous guy that he is? How is that fair? Why did Peter always act like he had nothing to lose?