Stark Bleiben | Stay Strong | Tony Stark's Daughter | Book 1

Scars

Somewhere In New York That Is Not Stark Towers...

I start to slow down once I break down a bit thinking about the horrible memories at Hydra. And when a blue streak zooms in front of me making me go to a halt.

"What do you want Pietro?" I sniffle as a tear rolls down my cheek.

He just gives me a sympathetic look, which I hate before he pulls me into his chest for a comforting hug.

"I don't want any sympathy." I escape his grasp just to be pulled back in.

"I'm not giving you any sympathy, I'm just concerned for you." He rubs my back.

"Being concerned is the same thing as being sympathetic!" I yell at him as he crushes me in a hug.

"Shhhh." He kisses my head. "Now. How long have you been doing this?"

I sniffle into his chest. "I started a little bit after SHIELD took us in. I couldn't handle it. All the bad stuff they made me do. The things they did to us. I just couldn't handle it. I thought it was my fault, I thought I deserved the pain, not them. I did it to myself because I thought I didn't deserve to live." I sob wrapping my arms around his torso.

"Did you take it any further than just that?" He asks.

I hesitate. "No." I lie.

"Vern." Pietro scolds.

"Tiffany put me through therapy but they never understood. So after the failed attempt, I decided to drink instead." I nuzzle into his chest more. "I didn't deserve to live, Piet!"

"Veronica!" He grabs my face so I can look at him. "Hydra taught us that the wrong things were the right things. They taught Bucky how to kill innocent people. They taught a five year old to kill. They experiment with chemicals and tested it without even thinking about the consequences if someone died because of it." He says softly but forcefully so I'll get the point. "You deserve to live, Veronica. If you think otherwise, you have the whole team to talk to now. They helped me getting through the trauma of getting killed then being brought back to life. They helped Bucky with his nightmares and him thinking that he should have died on that train so none of the things he did would've happened. You have me now." He wipes the tears off my face. "And I won't let you think for one second you don't deserve to live. Ok?" I nod. "Good, now do you want to stand here a bit longer till you compose yourself before we head back to the tower and talk to Stark about it?" He offers.

I nod as he lets go of my face and I wrap my arms back around him, burying my face into his chest again, sobbing.

"Thank you, Pietro." I rest my chin on his shoulder.

"No problem, dragă." He kisses my head again.

Few Moments Later...

"Do you wanna head back now?" Pietro questions still hugging me and rubbing my back.

"No." I shake my head against his chest.

"Come on. We're going to have to go back sooner or later." He holds me by my arms.

"Fine." I sigh and wipe the tears off my face with a sniffle. "But we're going to walk home."

"That's going to take forever." He whines.

"Well, I don't wanna run."

"Okay." He picks me up bridal style.

"What are you doing?" I ask while he adjusts his arms so they're more comfortable.

"You're not running, I am." He smirks down at me. "Hold on tight." He plants a quick kiss on my forehead before he speeds off.

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Short little chapter but I had a lot of homework tonight. Going to write for Avenging and for the Pref/Imagines/One-shots book tomorrow/right now. So expect those this weekend like I said in the little update at the end of the last chapter.

~Meowlnir