Marvel Moments: A Collection of One-Shot Adventures

Filler chapter 22

Pepper and Tony never really kissed. Not very often for two people whose been together for about eight years now. And no one ever questioned it. Why? Tony didn't know why they never really showed affection. He didn't understand why Pepper almost ignored him until he screwed up, that's why he missed meetings and press conferences all of the time, so he could get just a few minutes of her attention. He loved her with all of his heart, but she never really seemed to care about him until his life was in danger, then she's like 'oh, Tony please be safe,' and he didn't know why. Was she with him because when he'd inevitably die, all his money would go to her? Did she even like him as a friend let alone a partner? Or, did she really just not want to be around him anymore?

His thoughts hurt. He was madly in love with her, had been since they first met, it's why it hurt so much when she ignored him. Had she just fallen out of love and didn't know how to tell him because she thought he couldn't live without her. News flash, he can, he knew his national security number, had since he was thirteen. He knew how to look after himself, he'd stopped drinking, eats more and sleep at least six hours each night in a bed. He had a kid to take care of, since May passed away, and since he met the kid, he wanted to change himself to look after him should he have needed it, which he did. Peter copied everything he did, he didn't want the kid killing himself with smoking and drinking, so he'd stopped to raise the kid better, and he felt better in himself for it.

No one ever really spoke with him anymore, never invited him to team hang outs or training sessions, never really wanted him around, as if he was only around because of his monetary values. He wasn't wanted, and he didn't know why that hurt so much. I mean, one of his teammates had been his best friend since he was fourteen in college, but it seemed even Rhodey didn't want to be friends anymore. That hurt him more than anything else could ever. Out of all of the people in the world, Rhodey was not one he thought he'd have ever lost, but it seems he has.

So, Tony stopped trying to be a part of the team. He shut up during mission and just did as was told, ignoring FRIDAY telling him what would go wrong. He went to all meetings and conferences so he wouldn't bother Pepper by forcing her to talk to him, and he looked after his kid, not that even Peter wanted him around. The rest of the team loved Peter, they'd all basically adopted him, even if only legally Tony had. And he knew Peter was smitten by the group, so he pulled back from the kid slowly, seeing as he wasn't much help to look after him if no one wanted him around.

He looked at his holograms, he was looking at all of his safe houses, wishing he could go and live in one of them and never return. But he couldn't, he had too much responsibility as Iron Man, which maybe he should just quit. He hadn't done anything positive for the team anyways, so, maybe, he should just leave. But, he couldn't, he knew that, but having those thoughts calmed him down.

He turned off the computer before going upstairs and grabbing food to make a sandwich in the kitchen. He made it and plated it up before taking it to Peter, he always made the kid a sandwich between dinner and bed, just to keep his metabolism up. He went back and made himself some fruit before taking that on a plate to his bedroom, intending to go to bed afterwards. "Kid, don't stay up too late," he said, turning to look at Peter from the bottom of the stairs.

"I won't, sir," Peter said. Tony's heart twinged, he called everyone else by their first names, but not him, guess that shows how unimportant he really is.

"Good," Tony said before leaving. He went to his room, ate the fruit before changing and going to bed. He fell asleep crying, he cried himself to sleep, a regular occurrence these days.

"What's wrong with him?" Bucky asked the group after Tony went to bed. "He's going to bed at seven," he added.

"Dunno, he's fine," Steve said with a shrug.