Hi, Mr. Stark. Today was your…
So I thought I’d call. It was a very nice funeral, although I’m not the best judge of funeral quality since I’ve been to, like, two. You would have liked it. I mean, if it weren’t your funeral, you would have liked it, but then not really because it’s a funeral. What I’m trying to say is, well, everyone really came together to say goodbye. I know you always had a rocky relationship with people around you- I mean, the day I met you, you convinced me to fight half of the Avengers. Back then, I figured you guys weren’t the best of friends if you were so willing to kick each other’s asses in a German airport. But today, I realized how wrong I was. They really did love you. All of them. I listened to Captain America tell stories about how you’d convinced the team to go for shawarma after the Battle of New York and to Dr. Banner talk about what a great science partner you were and to Thor- heckin’ Thor- said you were one of the few he met during all his years that he knew was truly good man. All of a sudden, I realized how many people’s lives you changed for the better- not just mine.
About half way through the memorial service, Happy came out of the cabin with an announcement. “As you all know, Tony always liked to have the last word so, of course, he left a message,” he said. “Pepper wants to invite those closest to him to join her and Morgan in watching the hologram.”
“A holographic message?” The raccoon- because apparently during the five years I was gone, talking raccoons became a thing- asked. “Damn, that must be some expensive tech. Bet ya wouldn’t mind if I snagged a couple parts after ya guys are done weeping over it.”
Happy glared at the raccoon then continued, “Like I was saying, we’d appreciate if only those close to Tony would make their way to the living room.”
“That includes me, right?” the raccoon asked. The man next to him- Quill?- kicked the talking raccoon with his boot. “What? I was close with, uh, Timothy?”
A hologram. That’s smart, Mr. Stark. A great way to say goodbye. But I didn’t watch it. After hearing Happy’s whole spiel about how the hologram was for those closest to you, I took a step back. Because, listening to everyone talk about you, like they knew you for years and years, got me thinking about how I didn’t know you for that long anyway. I didn’t have the chance.
So I sat by the lake and watched your flowers drift into the distance. I don’t really know how long I sat there but, eventually, she sat down next to me.
“You must be Peter,” Ms. Potts said as she dangled legs off the dock next to mine.
“Yeah,” I said, quietly. “I, uh. I’m sorry for your loss,” I added, because that’s what people say at funerals.
“And I’m sorry for yours,” she replied. It took me a moment to realize what she meant. “Where were you?” she continued after a moment.
And I was like, “Where.. was I?”. Because if she was asking where I was any time during the last five years, I was busy being… well, dust.
“You missed his message,” Ms. Potts said and I understood what she meant.
I don’t know why I felt guilty but I did. “I didn’t think I was- well, I mean-” I tried to defend myself, I guess. “I feel like everyone knew him- really knew him. I was just some kid.”
Ms. Potts looked at me for a second then stood up. “Come with me, okay?” she said, then walked back into the house. I kinda stood there for a moment, ‘cause I didn’t really know if I, like, said something wrong. But Ms. Potts walked to the porch, only stopping to turn around and wave me over again, before disappearing into the house. I hurried after her, weaving though the people crowding the halls. I ended up in the kitchen, where Ms. Potts was staring at a shelf full of photographs.
They were nice photographs, Mr. Stark. And looking at them, well, I felt like I was seeing your life. There was a picture of the view outside the cabin, one of you and Ms. Potts in wedding attire, and you and your daughter in Star Wars Halloween costumes. But the photograph that caught my eye was the one right in front of me. The one of us. Me and you at the Stark Internship.
“That’s my photo,” I said. “The one that was in my room.”
“He went to your place,” Ms. Potts told me. “One of the first things he did when he got back. Brought the photograph home and it’s been there ever since.” She gestured to the rest of the photos, the ones of the last five years. “We had a life, kid. A good one too.” She smiled, and there was this sadness behind her eyes, but also happiness, y’know? “But there was always something keeping him up at night, keeping him from smiling too big. Someone.” Ms. Potts put her hand on my shoulder and told me, “You weren’t just some kid. Without you, he wouldn’t have saved the world.”
I wiped my eyes really aggressively then, and tried not to think how embarrassing it was to cry in front of Pepper freaking Potts. But she wiped her eyes too, and gave me a hug, and said ‘Don’t be a stranger, kiddo’ and you know what? For some reason, I felt happy.
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