I'll Always Love You - A Romanogers Fanfic

94 - FINALE

STEVE'S POV

We won.

We lost Tony in the battle after Bruce's try failed, but we won, and we got everyone back.

I make my way away from Tony's funeral.
But I can't be happy that we won.
Not when I'm mourning Tony.
Not at all when I mourn Natasha, and I feel an insane desire to die and just be with her.

I walk down the shore by the lake at Tony and Pepper's lake house.
It's quiet. The water is still. Not moving what so ever. There's not a wind. There's not a sound. It's like the world is holding its breath for our lost heroes.

I search in my inner pocket of my suit jacket, and I find the tiny box with the ring I bought for Nat.
I open the box with a pop, and I take the ring out.
The engraved 'I'll always love you' shines in the pale sunlight of one of the first November days.

It's been less than a month, but it's been more pain than I could ever imagine.
I haven't gotten a proper night's sleep since she...died...and I'm so exhausted. But I can't sleep. I can't sleep, knowing that she'll haunt my dreams.
I can't eat, because every time I try I throw up. I can't do anything without her.

I sit down in the cold grass, fiddling the ring between my fingers.
I look up to the sky, hopelessly looking for Vormir, but I know it's not even possible to see from Earth.
Still, my eyes stay fixated, looking for that goddamn planet. Looking for her.

"We won, My Love" I mutter, and then I look down again.
"I just thought I'd tell you. Your dream came true. Everyone came back. Except you. And...we've lost Tony too" I say, and tears have start to well up in my eyes.

I stare at the ring for a while, letting my tears fall on it.
"I miss you Nat. Everyday."
"And I love you so much" I whisper, looking back up for Vormir.

"I know, that you don't want to hear this, Love, but you're a hero. I know you're far too selfless to admit it, but you are. To me. To everyone. But especially to me. I was lost, you know. Totally lost. You knew that. Even before we fell in love.
I found where I belonged, when I fell for you.
You were my purpose Nat. You still are, and you always will be. I don't know why I didn't realize that when you were still here. With me. As you should. But I didn't. So I'm telling you now. You're my purpose. You're my everything, Natasha Romanoff" I ramble after a while of looking at the sky, and I sob onto that ring that should be on her finger.

"You...I can't believe I had you. I can't believe that I was worthy of your love, and that you chose me. And what you did for everyone. It was an act of heroism. A side of yourself, that I've always known was there, even when you yourself doubted it. It showed who you are" I say. I feel like I have a million things to say, but I don't want to bore her. If she was here, she'd laugh at me and kiss me because she was bored listening to me talk.
So I can say all those things now that she isn't, but I don't. Because it's not what she'd want.

"You and Tony take care of each other. And all the others that are wherever you two are" I say, chuckling to myself through the tears at the thought of Tony and Nat trying to agree who should do all the important things, and they'd end up fighting a lot because they are both so stubborn...were stubborn...

"You can rest now, My Love, forever" I say, and then I go quiet.
"No...you know what? Not forever. Screw resting forever! I'm coming for you, and I'm getting you back! It has to be possible!" I yell determined and I get up from the grass.

I look at the ring and kiss it.
"I'll be there before you know it" I smile to it, and as I look at the engraving, my heart fills with hope.
I'm getting her back. Period.

"I'll always love you, Nat"