ＢＲＯＫＥＮ

ʀᴇᴜɴɪᴏɴ

You woke up. Slowly. Bright white light was filling your vision.

They'd found you

They'd got you

Again

You had to run

You had to leave

Leave

You sprang up suddenly from where you were lying, the world spinning as you moved fast, like lightning, and found yourself crouching, half sitting on the floor, whipping your head round as you willed your vision to clear. But all you saw for now were blurred shapes.

Your leg stung, and ached and protested in pain as you crouched on the floor, ready to face whatever HYDRA threw at you.

But nothing came

You tensed and kept your head low, looking at the ground, waiting to be hit, to feel the pain across your cheek, to hear that gut wrenching Russian accent, or to be dragged.

But still

Nothing came

You managed to Straighten your leg, your back, and stand up slowly, still staring at the floor. Your face pained in fear and shock. The floor below you wasn't concrete, or murky white tiles. It was carpet, light grey carpet. Were you in another room ?

As you were thinking these things, thinking how they could've caught you, gathering your thoughts Staring at the carpet, you became aware of a presence in the room. You could just feel someone around you.

But something about the floor, about the atmosphere in the room, put you at ease.

Something felt different. Something wasn't right. The look of the carpet, as strange as that was, just made you feel safe. It was exactly like the carpet you had in your room.

Your room.
At the tower

You slowly lifted your head, inch by inch, taking in your surroundings as you did.
You saw a pair of feet, just one. And when you lifted your head fully finally, shock on your face, your knees crumpled to the floor.

Because there, in that very room, standing right in front of you, was Tony. Your dad.

He was here.

You started sobbing then, as your knees gave way and you impacted with the ground. He rushed over to your side and hugged you hard.
And he didn't stop hugging you as he rocked you side to side, still crying into him.

You don't know how long you stayed like that, just you two, hugging each other. You heard him sniffle, and then chuckle quietly. You smiled, so wide. You'd made it back, you'd really escaped, you were here, with your dad. You'd spent 6 months without him. But now he was here, and he was hugging you, crying with you.

You had missed him. So. Much.

He pulled back, and looked you at you. He had cuts on his face, here and there. As he was looking at you he was smiling and chuckling and quietly crying. You lifted your head to look at him, still smiling.

But then his face became serious, deadly serious, and your smile faded a little.

"I'm so sorry." He said, through broken sobs, over and over again as he pulled you back towards him. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."

You cried harder shaking your head.
"It wasn't your fault." You said quietly, a reassuring smile on your face, even as hot tears trickled down your cheek.