𝒀𝒖𝒂𝒏𝒇𝒆𝒏 | 𝙏𝙤𝙣𝙮 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙠

Chapter 3

Tony and Yinsen were playing a game.

"Good. Good roll. Good roll."

"You still haven't told me where you're from."

"I'm from a small town called Gulmira. It's actually a nice place."

"Got a family?"

"Yes, and I will see them when I leave here. And you, Stark?"

"Family may not be here, but I do have friends and a certain someone."

"Can I assume that certain someone to be, Iliana?" Yinsen asks him.

"How did you know?" Tony's body went rigid at her mention.

"You called her name several times when you were delirious," Yinsen answers truthfully.

Tony smiles at him. He really did want to see Iliana. He missed her, he missed her a lot.

· · ─────── ·🦋· ─────── · ·

For the past three months, Iliana had been channeling her grief into writing heart-wrenching scenes that would surely make her readers cry rivers. It was her way of coping, expressing the pain of two star-crossed lovers who, despite their sacrifices, could never be together. She had nearly finished the final draft of her book. Running on four hours of sleep a day, skipping meals, and drinking more coffee than water, she poured herself into her work, trying to escape the reality of Tony's absence. Yet, the protagonist was unmistakably Tony, and the female lead, herself. Anyone who knew them personally would quickly make the connection.

She had just freshened up when she received a call from Pepper. Hesitating for a moment, she answered.

"They found Tony," Pepper said immediately.

"What?" Iliana couldn't believe her ears.

"California Military Base, that's where the plane is landing—" Before Pepper could finish, Iliana had already disconnected the call. She dashed out of her apartment, into the elevator, and texted Mr. Willberg to send a helicopter as fast as possible.

The response came within seconds, assuring her that a helicopter was on the way. Ten minutes later, it arrived to pick her up.

· · ─────── ·🦋· ─────── · ·

Iliana boarded the helicopter, her heart pounding with a mixture of fear and hope. The flight to the California Military Base felt both agonizingly slow and impossibly fast. As they approached, she saw the giant plane that had just landed. Medical personnel, Happy, Pepper, and now Iliana were waiting anxiously by the tarmac.

The ramp lowered, and Rhodey emerged, helping a gaunt but determined Tony down. Iliana's breath caught in her throat as she saw him, alive but clearly changed by his ordeal.

As Tony walked towards them, his one arm in a sling, Iliana couldn't hold back her emotions any longer. She burst into tears, sniffling. Tears escaped her eyes, blurring her vision. She tried to blink them away, but it was useless.

"Your eyes are red. A few tears for your long-lost boss?" he asked Pepper.

"Tears of joy. I hate job hunting," Pepper replied.

"Yeah, vacation's over," Tony said, turning towards Iliana.

"Missed me?" he asked her with a familiar smug smile on his face.

"Yes, I missed you," she said, hugging Tony softly.

The hug was something that Tony needed the most, and he returned it with his good arm, inhaling the flowery scent of her shampoo. Her hair was left open, a little wet and soft, softer than he imagined given her hair was pin-straight, making her look younger.