just a number || s.s [editing]

[fourty-eight] messaging

the marvel bunch

ant boy
[link] 
did you guys see this?

spider-baby
my god.
is layla alright?

queen lizbeth
i don't know if she's even seen it.

iron dad
last i talked to her, she was putting
Amelia to bed. 

mack attack
okay uh, has anyone talked to Chris?

star spangled man w a plan
i don't even know where these 'sources' got this
information. i mean, I've never heard any of this.

iron dad
wait so... is this all true?

the best downey
i don't know. texting Sebastian now.
but you remember jenny, dad, remember?

iron dad
jenny?

the best downey
remember? my childhood best friend,
now actress, jenny slate?

queen lizbeth
you mean like... chris' ex, 
jenny?

the best downey
i was the one who introduced them to eachother.
but then, i chose chris' side in the break-up, obviously
after she cheated and whatnot,
so this must be payback.

queen Elizabeth
why would someone in their right mind
break up a family :(

winter boo bear
I'm so sorry, Layla

Sebastian and Darling

darling
what do you know, Sebastian?

sebastian
she made me do it, Layla.

darling
do what???

????

sebastian
all of it. she didn't do her
part of the deal. she told me that
if i said those things to you that night
and let you go, and faked
the pregnancy with ellie, then
she wouldn't tell anyone
anything about that time.

darling
wait what

sebastian
please just listen.
i did it all for you. i knew
what would happen if that
story got out, so i did what i had to
do to protect you.
just... she faked the DNA test.

darling
huh???

sebastian
amelia is mine. not chris'
she tried getting me to stay away from you.
she wanted to me to suffer. apparently this
is all for Chris, but he has nothing to do with it.

darling
oh my god. so, does he..
know? about Lia?

sebastian
he and i talked this morning
on set. he told me to message you.

darling
so, all of those things you said... did you
mean it?

sebastian
love, of course i didn't.
i never wanted to let you go,
but i had to. listen, feel free to be mad
at me, but don't be mad at chris.

darling
why would i be mad at chris?

sebastian
he knew all along. he helped me.
i told him liz was taking
you that night, and i told him how i had suspicions
of you being pregnant, and so he just took responsibility.
when he suggested the name, Amelia, think about it.
that's what I've always wanted to name my daughter.

darling
and every doctor's appointment?

sebastian
i made sure he put stan on the paperwork.
that's why he always checked lia into
the doctors. not you. we couldn't
let you catch on. but we
did what we had to do to protect
you and Lia. 

darling
okay.. so what now?

sebastian
I'm sure you.. love chris, but i..

darling
Sebastian, i love you, of course i do.
i always have, but i need time.
 this is a lot. maybe someday you and i can reconnect and
work things out, but i think
amelia and i should get away for a while. i want to
give her a normal childhood at least until she's
a little older.

sebastian
I'll give you all of the time in the world.
no matter how many years it takes. I'll always
love you, Layla Downey. i know things have been
rough, but thank you. 

darling
I'll always love you
too, Sebastian Stan.

thank you for what?

sebastian
before you, i thought age
mattered, but my love,
age is just a number.

[THE END]

thank you guys so much! wow, this has been a wild ride. just this morning i hit 9k reads, and i can't thank you all enough. if you guys want it, i do have ideas for a sequel, like the two reconnecting. so, if you're interested, I'll probably start it soon! i wasn't planning on ending like this, but writing this chapter, i think its the perfect end for now, and a perfect transition to a sequel!