I read this and then this just poured out of me:
Objectively, Tony wonders if Peter was better off having turned to dust on Titan. At least then his death would have been painless and quick, here one minute, turned to ash the next. Maybe Tony should have gone then too, leaving Nebula to carry on the mission to Earth on her own. Or maybe she wouldn’t have bothered and then those left behind would have simply had to wonder what happened to Tony Stark and Peter Parker.
Different paths to the same end.
Instead Tony’s left to watch the vibrant young 16 year old slowly waste away, turn to a different kind of ash and dust. Peter’s pretty beat up after his fight with Thanos, any other time he’s healing fixes him right up but with limited food and water, it’s taking a lot longer. Tony fusses, changes bandages, cleans the wounds, feeds Peter the painkillers he finds on the ship but does little to ease the pain.
Mostly he tells Peter stories, sits in the small bunker, Peter pulls onto his lap, a large blanket covering them both and tells Peter everything that's ever happened to him. Runs his hand through Peter’s curls, cups his cheeks and kisses his forehead. Listens as Peter tells him all about his life too, soaking in every bit of sunshine Peter provides him.
The food starts to run out almost immediately, there wasn't enough for one, let alone three. Nebula doesn’t eat as much and Tony’s pretty sure she’s saving her portions for Peter too. No matter how hard Tony tries to eat less, it doesn’t seem to work. For every pound Tony drops, Peter loses five. He’s all skin and bones, his muscles eaten away, he becomes too weak to move and Tony has to help him make trips around the spaceship.
He tries to engage Peter in games, they play paper football with Nebula, a trivia game Tony makes up on the spot, he makes small chess pieces and teaches them how to play. He uses anything available to him, all paper and fabrics to give Peter as much joy and happiness as he could before it’s all over.
As time passes, Peter’s awake less and less, he sleeps and eats and barely talks. Tony’s stops eating, trying to save everything he can for Peter but Nebula sees it and stops him. “He won’t survive if you don’t either,” she says sternly. But they both know the truth, they aren’t going to survive anyways. “Stay with your son until the end,” she tells him.
When time seems to have run its course, he has Peter record a message with the Iron Man helmet. He tries not to listen but can’t help overhear Peter telling May it’s okay, that it wasn’t her fault or Tony’s and that he loves her. He speaks in a strong voice, one that betrays the frail human he’s turned into. When he finishes, Tony leaves on his own, tells Pepper he’s sorry and that he loves her more than life itself.
When he’s done, he moves back to the bunker, where Peter’s wrapped up under his blanket and he slips into the bed beside him. They are both so small and thin, they easily fit in a bed they shouldn’t be able to. Tony holds Peter close, pulls the kid into his chest, kisses the top of his head.
“Go to sleep,” he says softly, but knows Peter has already dozed off on his own and Tony closes his eyes and follows.
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