|Towards the Endgame|

•Chapter 17• Five Years Later

The remains of the Avengers returned to the compound. Tony sat up straight in his bed. Steve walked straight past the room. He didn't make eye contact. He couldn't. Steve felt guilty as if he'd failed a second time. He walked into the meeting room. He stood there by himself, lost in his thoughts. Natasha, on the other hand, walked into Tony's room. Pepper and Tony looked up with hopeful eyes. Natasha already felt how hard this was going to be. She puts her hands behind her back. "Thanos is dead," She started. Tony and Pepper sighed in relief. "Well, where are they?" Pepper asked her. Natasha lowered her head slightly. "The stones were destroyed. We couldn't bring them back." She tells the couple. Pepper gasped in response. She puts her hands over her mouth as tears leaked from her eyes. Tony sat in shock, trying to process what he'd just heard. "I'm sorry," Natasha added. Pepper cried into Tony's shoulder. The Black Widow left the couple alone in the room. She walked after Steve, into the meeting room. The blonde looked up as he heard Natasha walk in. "So, what do we do now?" She asked him. Steve sighed. "I don't know." He tells her. He turns to look outside the window. "Steve," Natasha started. The blonde man glanced over his shoulder. "There are people out there. People who could use our help." She tells him. Steve sighed loudly. He looked at the door of the room where his weakened friend was. "I know." He said. Natasha followed his eyes. She turned back to Steve. "Are you going to talk to him?" She asked the blonde. Steve lowered his head. "They need some time." He replied. "If you're not going to talk to him soon, it won't happen at all." Natasha points out, "He could use a friend right now." She added. Steve nodded in response. "I'll give you boys a minute," Natasha said. Steve watched as his friend left the room. He stood there in silence for a couple of minutes. Gathering his courage, maybe. How was he supposed to talk to Tony? After everything that had happened. He couldn't blame the man either. Steve let out another sigh. He left the meeting room to change out of his suit.

Tony lay staring at the wall in front of him. He felt powerless and weak. Pepper needed some time for herself. Tony didn't know how to comfort her. He didn't even know how to handle all of this himself. A soft knock sounded on the doorframe. Tony turned his head to the right. Steve Rogers stood in the doorway. He turned away again. "Go away," Tony spoke. Steve stepped into the room. "Tony," he started. "I said go away." Tony repeated, "I don't want to talk to you." He added. Steve pulled up a chair. He sat next to Tony's bed. "I'm sorry." He apologized. Tony scoffed at him. "Damn right you should be," Tony said under his breath. Steve glared at him. "Damn it, Tony! You're not the only one who has lost someone important to them!" Steve snapped at him. Tony looked at Steve. "You didn't lose family!" Tony yelled back. The weakened man looked at the blonde man. "He could've taken anything from me. My house, my money, my suits...but not her. Not my daughter." Tony said in a shaky voice. "And Queens?" Steve questioned. Tony put his hand over his forehead. "Oh God, his aunt. I'm going to have to explain this to her." Tony said quietly. Steve folded his arms over each other. "If she's still alive." He said. Tony groans, not wanting to think about having to come face-to-face with May Parker. He imagined the horrors on her face. "How's Pepper holding up?" Steve asked him. Tony removed his hand from his forehead. "She's a wreck," Tony answered. He turned to the blonde again. "I don't know if we're gonna get through this," Tony informs him. Steve puts his hand on Tony's shoulder. "We will. And we'll do it together." He assures Tony. The weakened man nodded slowly before tears started to form in his eyes. Steve pulled him into a hug as Tony let a few tears drop from his eyes.

Natasha carefully pushed open the door. The room was everything Natasha expected it to be. She stepped into the bedroom. She made her way over to the desk. She spotted some pictures hanging on the wall. Natasha spotted the young Stark in almost every picture. She scanned the pictures. Her eyes fell on one specific one. It was Y/n kissing Peter's cheek. Natasha recognized the boy's face. She smiled to herself. "Told you." She whispered. She spotted another photograph with the boy and the young Stark. Except there were two other people there. A boy and a girl. The four of them smiled into the camera. Natasha noticed that Peter's arms were wrapped tightly around Y/n's waist. Natasha smiled at them. She then walked over to Y/n's bed. A sweater, neatly folded, was put on her bed. Natasha carefully picks it up. She holds the piece of clothing by her nose and inhaled gently. She smelled Y/n's perfume. Tears started to form in her eyes. She dropped down and sat with her back against Y/n's bed as she cried. She holds the sweater tightly to her chest as she sobs in the empty room. Alone.