Heartless

45

"What?" Tony said, taken aback.

"He's gone." I choked out. Tony rushed to Peter's side and checked his pulse, his body stiffened up as he realized that we were right. "I'm so sorry Tony." I said.

"It's not your fault." He said, collapsing into a chair and putting his head in his hands. "I just can't believe we lost him." He whispered. He grabbed Peter's cold hand and squeezed it. He then picked him up and brought him outside.

"What are you doing?" I asked somberly as I followed him outside.

"We need to figure out where to bury him." He explained, gently placing Peter's body down on the ground and kissing his forehead. He held Peter's face in his hands and stared at Kates grave.

I hadn't been out here to visit it, I just simply couldn't look at it without breaking down. But it was different this time, it felt like I had finally accepted that she was gone. I gave the grave a sad smile and read it out loud. "Katherine Elizabeth Bishop. We only part to meet again. December 15th 2002, July 2nd 2025."

"Wow." Tony said. "I never expected you to actually do that." He said, my eyes filled with tears and I smiled at him. I walked to her gravestone and kneeled down next to it, resting my forehead against it.

"I love you." I whispered to it. I took my head away and inhaled deeply. "Put his right next to hers." I said.

"How far away?" He asked.

"Six feet." I said simply, he nodded and picked Peter back up, not tearing his eyes away from him. I followed him back inside but sat down at the table instead of following him to the cremation room.

"How is he doing?" Steve asked.

"Surprisingly well. He was able to hold himself together-" I stopped talking when I heard painful sobs coming from the room Tony had walked in. I jumped up and ran to the room, I saw him kneeling down on the ground and sobbing.

"Hey Ivy." He said, looking up at me with tears streaming down my face.

"Hey." I said, sitting down next to him. "It's going to be ok you know. Yelena told me that when Kate died, I didn't believe it but I eventually learned that it's true." I told him.

"He was like my son Ivy." He told me, his lip trembling. "And you're like my daughter so please don't die." He said quietly.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"I said that you're like my daughter, so please don't die." He repeated.

"I won't die." I told him.

"Promise me." He said.

"I promise." I said, he relaxed a little bit and stood up.

"Well then, I got it ready." He said, pointing to a jar. I was surprised at how fast the machine was able to do it, I had only been in here for a minute. "We'll have the funeral in two days." He said, sighing. His tears were drying but his eyes were still heavy with sadness.

"Ok, I'm really sorry Tony, I'm really sorry." I apologized again.

"It's ok, it's part of being part of the team. You have to make sacrifices." He said sadly. "But I just can't believe he's actually gone." He sad, clapping his hands together.

"Me neither."

"Well, have a good day kid." He said, patting me on the shoulder sand grabbing the jar before walking out.

"You too." I called after him.