Heartless

59

I held a sobbing Wanda at Pietro's funeral, Yelena was holding Anthony and Daisy and Finn were crying together while Natasha tried to comfort him. "I never thought I'd have to lose him twice." Wanda sobbed into my shoulder. I wasn't able to say anything, my lip trembled as I tried to hold myself together. His tombstone stood tall, not alone. Six feet apart from Tony's.

"It's-" I started.

"Don't you dare tell me that it's going to be ok, because I know for a fact that you don't even believe that that's true." She said, pulling away from me, I nodded and wiped away a fresh tear from my left eye.

"I'll take it from here." Vision said politely, taking Wanda's hand and guiding her away, I nodded and walked over to Yelena, she handed me Anthony and kissed me on the cheek.

"Im so sorry babygirl." She said, I nodded.

"It was bound to happen." I told her. "But I just didn't think the world could be this cruel." She nodded, I kissed Anthony's forehead and bounced him up and down, he laughed, the sound warmed my heart but only for a few seconds.

"Hey, everyone's leaving, I can take Anthony back inside if you want to stay out here a little longer." She offered.

"Yeah, yeah, I want to stay out here a little bit longer." I told her.

"Ok, I'll be waiting for you inside sweetheart." She kissed my cheek again and gave me a tight hug before walking back inside with Anthony.

I walked to Pietro's grave slowly and read it for the hundredth time. May 30th 1990 to October 12th 2026. "Grief is the price you pay for love." I read out loud. "Yup, that's true." I sighed, sitting down and leaning forward. "I lost Kate, but I had you." I started. "I lost Peter, but I had you." I took a deep breath. "I lost Tony, but I had you. I just wasn't prepared to lose you too." I finished, I sighed and a fresh tear rolled down my face. "I don't know how much longer I can do this Pietro." I said. "I know I have a girlfriend, and a son, but so many people that I love are dead." I sniffed. "And I just can't take this grief anymore."

"Don't say that." Yelena said from behind me, I turned around and saw her standing there, I relaxed as she sat down beside me and I rested my head on her shoulder.

"I thought you were going to be inside with Anthony." I told her.

"I was, but I know you needed me." She said, putting her arm around my shoulder and squeezing me tightly. "You shouldn't have to go through this much." She said.

"I know." I took a deep breath. "I don't want to do this anymore Yelena."

"What, don't say that." She said, kissing the top of my head.

"I lost my heart and my mind." I told her. "Then you came into my life, I can't lose you. I don't do well when I'm alone, but you already knew that."

"You're not alone." She told me.

"If I lose you then I am." I sighed.

"That's not true, you have the Avengers and Finn, Daisy, and Anthony." She said softly, kissing me on the top of the head again. "You won't be alone, and you won't lose me." She promised.

"But would Anthony want a mom that can actually control her emotions, and isn't on the brink of snapping every second." I said. "He won't need me."

"He needs you Ivy." She said in a low voice. "Don't think for one second that he doesn't."

"Thank you baby." I told her, kissing her cheek gently and then resting my head on her shoulder again. "But no one ever thinks that they're going to go." I told her. "They never think that that that days the last day." I told her. "It just happens, it would've killed you if you saw how happy Tony was before he died." I told her. "He wanted me to meet Harley, said I would make a great mother, he was looking forward to everything life was going to bring him, but he didn't know that he was going to die in half an hour!" I said in a louder voice.

"It's ok, calm down." She said, taking my hand and squeezing it, bringing it to her lips and kissing it softly. "I remember when Peter died."

"So do I." I said.

"I know you do." She whispered. "It's a traumatic experience, seeing someone you love die in front of you. It's a hopeless feeling, but they're not alone." She said.

"What do you mean?" I asked her.

"They're all together, they don't have to miss each other anymore." She said softly. "Pietro is with Kate, and Tony is with Peter. And they're all together." She repeated.

"Yeah, I guess it sounds better when you put it that way." I said, making up my mind. "But I want to be with them." I said.

"What?" She asked me.

"I'm going to join them."