It was the day after Christmas. New York City was still covered with a thick blanket of snow. It felt like any other Christmas. Aunt May invited some of the extended family to their home. The adults whipped up a hearty Christmas spread. Gifts were exchanged and a ton of small talk was held. However, Peter couldn’t ignore what was bothering him; it was the first Christmas since Tony’s sacrifice. Peter had flashbacks of the previous Christmas where Tony not only gifted the young hero with upgrades to his previous suit, but also gave Peter a ton of tech. He still uses most of it, especially since it’s helpful with his studies, but make no mistake. There was a void in the young man’s heart that was absolutely present Christmas Day.

After the family left, Peter had left to meet with Pepper. “You’ve noticed it too?” She asked as they stood in front of the Rockefeller Christmas tree. “He was always the loudest during the holidays. Wanted everything to be perfect. That’s just who he was.” Peter stood in silence for a moment before responding. “How is Morgan taking it?” Pepper also took a moment to respond. “I don’t think she’s fully understood that he’s gone. I sometimes need a moment to myself, but grief is just something she hasn’t grasped onto yet.” The pair sat on a nearby bench. “You shouldn’t beat yourself up, Peter. He’d want us to be happy at this time of the year.” Peter began to feel tears underneath his bottom eyelids. “I know…it’s just so hard to ignore.” Pepper held Peter close to her chest. “I know, this is just one of those personal trials they don’t tell us about.”

Back at home, Peter reflected on his conversation with Pepper. He wondered how she had it more together than he did. If anyone deserved to be in a pool of their own grief, it was Tony’s wife. “Maybe that’s just a part of growing up.” Peter said to himself while in bed, looking at the wall. Peter saw Tony everywhere since that day, and the holidays were no exception. Luckily, the media gave him a break from the pestering questions about his powers and identity. The fallout with Mysterio opened Pandora’s Box. The mental fight with the world knowing his identity was on par with the thought of Thanos wiping out half of the universe.

The morning of the 26^th, Peter visited a popular mural for Tony in his iconic Iron Man suit. The flowers haven’t stopped since the snap was reversed. To somewhat surprise, he found Happy staring up at the massive spray painted hero. “Happy?” Peter said approaching his partner. “Oh, hi Peter.” Like the young web slinger, Happy wasn’t much for words. Peter sat down next to him, breathing the chilly air around them as they remained deep in though. It wasn’t long before Happy broke the silence. “You know, a lot of us thought he was crazy for recruiting you.” They both shared a light chuckle. “I get it.” The young man responded. “I did a ton of growing just this year. I’m sure I sound like a broken record, but I didn’t think threats like Thanos existed.” Happy took a deep breath. “None of us did.” He looked up at the mural. “But now it’s up to us to take down the threats the follow.” Peter also looked up at the painting.

“Do you know why he recruited you?” Happy asked with a smile. “Because of my power?” Peter answered with confusion. “Yes, but no.” Happy laughed. “He was looking at potential successors to the Avengers, and you were one of the recruits he was considering.” Peter’s jaw dropped. “No way!” Happy signaled the young man to calm down. “Of course, it was a long shot. He never got around to actually planning anything, but he felt one day he could give his life being Iron Man, so he was creating a back up plan.” Peter stared into the snow, nearly floored by this revelation. “I think you could lead them one day, Peter.” He quickly looked back up to Happy. “You’re like him in a lot of ways. It may not seem like it now, but a lot of people will depend on you one day like they did Tony and I think you’ll be great.” Peter remained in silence as Happy placed a hand on his shoulder. “But for now, let’s enjoy this era of peace he went so far for us to have.” The pair, in a rare moment, embraced each other this one time, remembering the man once known as cruel who showed the whole world he, in fact, did have a heart bigger than anyone else’s.