Love Without End

Chapter Twenty Five

I stood behind Imani, reading over his shoulder--how could I resist? My favorite character's about to die.
I was only half concentrating on the conversations around me, but Angela was boring Bruce with details about her boyfriend, and everyone else was pestering Tony for one thing or another. "Angela, Imani." I said sharply, and they both looked to me like they were in trouble. "Can you guys go outside for a minute? I need to talk to everyone else."
"Why can't we hear?" Angela said.
"Because I say so." I snapped.
They left.
"Are they outside the door?" I asked JARVIS.
"Yes ma'am."
"Make them go."
"They're gone." He said after a moment.
Everybody else was staring at me like I'd gone mad. I don't generally snap at my kids for no reason. "Tony, you leave too."
I do snap at him for no reason sometimes, so their worry lessened.
"But I'm an adult!" Tony whined.
"Just for a moment, Tony." I sighed.
He left.
I didn't care too much if he was listening outside the door.
"I love you all." I said. "I really do. But you guys have got to stop. We're family, I know you know that, especially you, Steve. But family isn't in it for what they get out of it, they're in it because they have to be. Family is supposed to care, and notice when shit's wrong. You guys all suck at that. Please," I said, "Stop bothering Tony so much with all that you need. Honestly, can you not see that he's suffering? Rhodey-- where'd Rhodey go?"
"He followed Tony." Natasha said quietly.
"Well, damn. He's missing my compliment. Okay, he just won't get one. Anyways. I know you all think that whatever you're asking Tony is important, and I'm sure it is, but please, stop. I care more about him than I do about whatever you guys are asking for. You know he's not gonna say anything, he loves you guys too much." And, acting maternally, as always, I added, "I'm ashamed of you all. You ought not be so selfish."
They were all quiet, so I got up to follow Tony and Rhodey.
I half expected to find them in locked in an emotional embrace, but that's not what I saw. Tony had his hands on the table, his head hanging. Rhodey was standing beside him, scratching his head. "Man, I'm sorry..." Rhodey said.
I started to back out, but Rhodey gestured me in, so I came. "What's going on..?"
"Tony showed me that video of his parents."
"Oh." I said.
Tony stood up straight. "I'm fine." He said curtly.
"Tony--" Rhodey said.
"I'm fine, Rhodes. Can I talk to you, Ame?"
I nodded. Rhodey slapped Tony on the back as he walked away. "What'd you talk to them about?" Tony asked right as Rhodey shut the door.
"Nothing." I shrugged.
"No, it was something, or you wouldn't have made the kids leave."
"Nothing, Tony."
"It must have been about me, or you wouldn't have made me leave."
"Nothing, Tony." I repeated.
"Amy."
"Nothing.
"Fine." He pouted.

Natasha brought Tony's dinner to him. Steve cooked. Sam joked about a back massage, and Wanda made him follow through with it. Tony thought they'd all gone crazy, but that's okay. At least they were acting decently towards him.
"Hey, Banner, come here." Tony called, Sam poutily rubbing his back.
Bruce went as far as ruffling Tony's hair (as Tony always did to him) as he went over.
"Dear Lord. I didn't tell you guys to flip our lives around, I just asked you to not be so insensitive." I said.
Imani looked up from his book, Angela from her phone. Tony even looked up from his computer. "What?" He asked.
"Nothing." I said, regretting having said anything.
"You made my friends be nice?" Tony said.
"No. I chastised them and they decided to be nice on their own."
"Why?"
"Nothing."
"Can I talk to you?"
I followed him from the room.
"I don't mind." He said.
"I don't care. I don't like them using you and being so inconsiderate."
"They're not--"
"Has it ever occurred to you that you're so desperate for love that you don't care how people treat you?"
"I've never noticed."
"Well, it's true. Be glad someone's looking out for you. You can't let people trod all over you."
"They're not trodding all over me."
I tightened his tie and straightened his jacket. "Look at you, Tony. When's the last time you've taken a break?"
"I took Imani to the library yesterday."
"That doesn't count. When do you have time to sleep?"
"I don't, really."
"Exactly. Take a break. Why don't you and Rhodey go on a vacation?"
"Guys don't do that. That's girls."
I laughed, rolling my eyes. "Whatever, Tony.  Just take a break, okay? You deserve it. You do so much for all of us. I know you think it's to recompense for all the things you've done, and because you love them, but it's not going to change the past, and they're not going to love you any less if you take a break."
"I love you." He kissed me.
"I love you too."