You got back to the tower and started packing up your things only a couple hours after what had happened. Tony hasn't left you alone about it, but Rhodes stopped him on the landing because he needed to go over something and you slipped away.
"Planning to leave without saying goodbye?" Wanda spoke up from the doorway and you paused your movements, your posture straightening, "Awfully rude of you."
"'m tired, is all," You shrugged, giving the same response you gave to Stark about what happened, "Didn't mean to snub you, just really wanna get home."
She didn't respond and you started finishing up, zipping your duffel closed and grabbing the last few things before turning around to finally face her.
"What's that on your arm?" She asked, her eyes still locked on yours, and you knew she would catch a lie if you tried.
"Ran into a door." You tried anyway and she looked puzzled, almost like she was wondering why you'd lie to her.
She got out of the way and you walked by, out into the hall, heading for the elevator. She followed behind, keeping her distance, and when you got on the elevator, she held the door open with her hand.
"I'll see you Friday, right? When you train with Sam?"
You were still so rattled from what had happened, but you prayed with everything you had that it wouldn't be transparent. Little did you know, when your eyes met hers, she saw you were lost and scared, making her heart clench.
"Yeah, Friday." You forced a smile, giving her a nod, and lying through your teeth.
You never wanted to step foot in this tower again.
It was clear that she didn't experience the same darkness you had when you tried to freeze time and that gave you mixed feelings. On one hand, you were happy she didn't go through that frightening ordeal, but selfishly, on the other, you wish you could ask her about it.
The doors closed after she stepped back, and you let out a deep breath, relaxing against the back wall of the tiny space.
The red on your arm was only getting worse and you've gotten this before, but it usually starts strong, fading off in a few days. This seemed to be doing the opposite, growing angrier by the hour.
The first time it happened was right before your mom died, and you needed time to stop. You lived for over a week in a frozen world, ignoring the reality and putting the inevitable off for as long as you could. Ignoring the burn on your arm, the world was a lonely place without anyone to talk to and you began to crave human contact, but it came with a price.
Everything came with a price.
You slammed your fist back against the wall in anger, wishing you had your mom here to tell you everything was going to be okay or just to hold you while you cried sometimes.
When the world took her from you, you wished so hard that it had taken you instead, and you grew so angry with it.
"You're not fine." Tony insisted firmly the second you stepped out into the lobby and you realized he had been waiting for you, knowing you'd eventually have to leave this way.
"I don't wanna talk about it," You grumbled, walking away, and heading for the exit, but he followed you closely, so you added, "We agreed to never mention it again."
"Uh, nooo, you agreed to not mention it, I was simply taking it all in," He corrected, and you rolled your eyes in annoyance, "You can't just tell me you got trapped in a black hole after you run straight off a building and expect me to let it go."
