Lost Souls - Discontinued

.6.

"You should sleep." Steve told Tony, who was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the table in his lab. He stared at a blue screen endlessly, apps flashing past that made his eyes hurt. Nothing made sense, nothing was changing, nothing was working.

They went back to New York, to their compound, after the first month or... two months... Tony hadn't been keeping great track. But now he knew exactly what date it was.

"You're one to talk." Tony mumbled back, not bothering to swipe past an article since it would involve extracting his arm from the cocoon of blankets.

"I've been sleeping, thanks to the meds. You should sleep too."

"I can't." Tony hissed desperately, brow knitting across his forehead. Steve crossed his arms. "Why not?"

"If I sleep..." Tony took a deep breath, "then it will be tomorrow when I wake up."

Steve paused, took a deep breath, rolled the sentence in his head... yeah, no, that didn't make sense. "Tony, you do realize that is part of the purpose of sleep... right?"

"I have to finish this before tomorrow." Tony's voice cracked, and for a second Steve thought he would cry. "Uh... what's tomorrow?" He finally asked, not sure if he even wanted to know at this point.

Tony finally turned to look at him, his friend-turned-enemy-turned-friend. "Tomorrow Peter turns 17."

At this point, Steve knew full well who Peter was. He found out the Spiderman he fought was indeed a kid - as he had suspected - and Pepper gave him the run down. There were pictures and videos involved; science fair pictures, classic arm-around-the-shoulder Dad shots, vacation days, even some day trips to science conventions and one failed fishing trip. Steve asked Pepper why she wasn't mad about the very existence of Peter.

That's when he was informed Peter was not, in fact, Tony's son. Steve had to look through all the pictures again just to grasp it. How was he not Tony's son? Pepper just looked at him with a meloncholy expression.

"I guess he doesn't have to be a blood relation to be Tony's son. He was going to inherit Stark industries after all." She sighed, looking out the window. "It was all planned out; I would stay CEO for a while until Peter got his bearings and then I could retire. Tony and I would go live on the beach or stay here and relax in our home and watch as a whole new brain shaped the future. Tony even told me about one of Peter's friends - MJ - who was savvy enough to replace me and get my 12% of the business if Peter wanted a partner."

Steve felt that weight in his chest that he always felt when thinking about Bucky. So much life, so many chances for future, gone.

So when Tony revealed Peter would turn 17 trapped in whatever hellish realm he was in whether it be hell, another dimension, or Shuri's theorized 'stone realm', he knew how painful it must be for Tony.

"I have to get him back." Tony turned back to his screen, half heartedly inputing calculations. "I only have 4 hours left."

Steve left him in peace. He would bother him about sleeping another night.

The 4 hours came, and they went. Steve watched the clock down to the last minute - knowing Tony, anything was possible - but it went right past midnight and into the morning. Steve let his head fall into his hands. He almost didn't want to go down stairs and face Tony and his grief.

There was a bitter part of Steve that bubbled up, a part of him he hated that stated, there's always next year. The very notion made him sick.

Steve Rogers, former Captain America, summoned all the courage he had and went to find his friend.

Tony Stark, Iron Man, was curled in a ball in the corner of his lab. There were no tears left. He just cradled a picture that had been sitting face-down on his desk. The picture was taken awkwardly, a selfie of Peter wearing a pair of Tony's colored glasses. Tony was in the background, half turned around with an expression of confusion to what Peter was doing.

Steve sat beside him and said nothing.

They sat in miserable silence for an hour. Then Tony got up and resumed his hurricane of technology that had been operating since they got back. Any minute Bruce would come join him, and Shuri would radio-call in.

Steve left him to translate his sorrow for energy. He knew from personal experience it could never last long.

Sorry this one is a little short, I just wanted to finally be past the feelz because now its time for some ACTION

YEEEAH

~Meow