The Aftermath

Chapter 2

Steve is still sleeping when you awaken, sunlight streaming through the room as you blink bleary against it. You slip quietly out of bed, careful not to wake him as you pull on leggings and one of his T-shirts before padding through the complex towards the kitchen. You're basically on autopilot as you set about brewing a fresh pot of coffee and pilfer through the cabinets before coming away with one of the pop tarts that you keep on hand for the rare occasions that Thor graces you with his presence, something that had become less and less frequent since the events with Thanos. Your mind is creeping down dark avenues of the past when a familiar voice startles you back to the present. "I'm surprised to see you at this hour. If the trail of clothes I found when I arrived this morning was any indication it looked like you had a busy night." You look up to see a tired Nat leaning against the doorframe and rush forward to embrace your best friend in a tight hug. "You're back," you breathe in relief as you step back to examine her closely, checking for any sign of injury. "Any luck?" You hug her again as her face falls and she shakes her head.

"Clint's smart. He knows how to stay hidden when he wants to and he definitely wants to. He's staying a step ahead of me," she admits in a defeated tone. "Rhodey is getting concerned," you sigh heavily, "he's doing what he can to delay anyone else from stepping in and taking more extreme action but...who knows how long he can delay the inevitable." Nat nods solemnly and your heart aches as she blinks away unshed tears. "So it seems that congratulations are in order," she says as she clears her throat and deflects to a different topic. You hold out your hand with a small smile as you wiggle your fingers, letting the ring catch the light in a glittering display. "I imagine I have you to thank for helping Steve track this down," you say lightly as she gives it an appraising look. "Spying and tracking down antiquities are two activities that go shockingly well together," she replies with a shrug before her face softens into a genuine smile.

"I'm happy for you two, if this is what you want," her tone voicing the question that she knows better than to ask outright. "This is what I want Nat," you say softly. "I love Steve. You know I love him....this has been a long time coming. It's time to let go of the past and to build a future." She nods but elects to keep any comments she may have to herself. You move to pour the two of you some coffee and smile widely when you feel a pair of strong arms wrap around your waist from behind, grabbing a third cup as a pair of lips assault your neck. "Have you shared the good news?" he asks in a sleep roughened voice that makes your toes curl in pleasure. "Of course", you giggle as you pass everyone a cup, "I couldn't possibly waste another moment without my maid of honor knowing." Nat smirks widely as she takes a sip of her drink. "No pink," she says flatly causing both you and Steve to laugh. "Noted," he chuckles before turning to you with a more serious expression. "We need to tell your brother," he states, his tone brokering no room for discussion.

"I'll...call him today. See if I can set up a meeting with him," you sigh as Steve kisses your cheek. "He's your brother, not a business partner. Just tell him you miss him and want to see him, it's the truth after all." You nod again, knowing he's right. The truth was that you did miss your brother. You and Tony had always been close growing up, despite the age gap between you. You had idolized your brother like no other and this distance that had grown between you hurt your soul in a way you couldn't put into words. But like a true Stark, you were both stubborn and unwilling to truly face the events that had caused the distance to begin with. "You're right," you acknowledge, "I'll call him now." Steve kisses you again as he leave for his meeting and you shuffle off to your office to make the dreaded call.

Your stomach is in knots when Tony picks up on the fourth ring. "(Y/N), what's wrong? Is everything okay?" he says by way of greeting, his voice laced with a worry you weren't expecting. "Whoa, Tony calm down. Everything's okay. Nothing is wrong." You can almost feel his palpable relief through the connection as he releases a sigh. Silence stretches out for a moment before he speaks again. "Did you need something?" You take a shaky breath and are surprised as you can feel your eyes prickle with unshed tears. "I miss you," you admit in a quiet, wavering tone. "Things between us go messed up and if I could go back and change it I would but..." a sob escapes you and the tears flood your face, "I just miss you Tony."