MARVEL IMAGINES

Just Held Him | Tony Stark

"This thing on?"

Tony sighed and settled himself down on the ground. He was prepared to make the hardest video message he would ever have to make. It would also be the final video message he would ever have to make, which he thought was ironic in a funny kind of way. It was a nice send off. Kind of. Not really.

"Hey, ____. If you find this recording..." He paused to take a deep breath. "Don't feel bad about this. Part of the journey is the end. Just for the record, being adrift in space with zero promise of rescue is more fun than it sounds. Food and water ran out... four days ago. Oxygen will run out tomorrow morning. And then that'll be it." He looked down. "I know you wanted to come with me, and you were really ticked off when I made sure you didn't... it's just. I wanted to keep the kid and you alive. But I guess it wouldn't have mattered if I made you stay or not." He rubbed his face weakly. "I, uh... I don't even know if you're alive. The kid is - he vanished. And I held him while he did so. I don't want to fill your memories of what were my last moments of getting to speak to you with complete sadness, so I'll stop there." 

He paused for a long moment, gathering up what he would say for the last time.

What would be the final words he would ever leave for his wife?

"___, being married to you was nothing except so much more than a happily ever after. You were the brave night that saved this young, dashing princess, and I will forever love you. Forever. Not even death can keep me from being absolutely crazy for you. I'd like to see it try." He tried to smile, but he couldn't. "Anyway, I love you. Always have. Always will. I'm sorry we had to cut our honeymoon short, and... I'm sorry for this. I'm so sorry for everything.

"Live for me. That's all I can ask. Make the most out of whatever is left in this screwed up world and live. Don't feel bad about this. I'm not scared. When I drift off... I will dream about you. It's always you."

He turned it off right there, because he wasn't really sure what to say next.

Then he sat back and decided to wait for death.

He shut his eyes.

After about twenty minutes, he heard a sound. Like broken, fuzzy audio.

"Tony? Tony Stark, I swear to - answer me - here - coming - you're - Tony, I-"

He's gonna dream about you. He almost smiled, imagining your face.

"Tony!"

He opened his eyes. They flickered around.

He looked at the mask. 

"Tony, answer me-"

The eyes of the mask were glowing.

"___?" he whispered. 

He heard a few sounds on the ship and looked around. He slowly inched forward, going to grab the mask to hold it. If he was going crazy and hearing things, he at least wanted to pretend to be able to talk back to you.

"I'm here," he whispered to it. "I'm right here."

He shut his eyes. 

Waiting for a response.

Instead, he heard three heavy footsteps. 

"Tony," a voice said. No static. No breaking.

He opened his eyes. 

And you were standing there in front of him in one of his suits. You knelt down in front of him and tore off your helmet. You put it on his face and he got his first breath of good air.

"Hey," he breathed with it. 

"Hey," you said. You smiled and held the back of his neck. You stroked your fingertips against the little bit of hair there and sniffed, pulling you closer to him. "I'm here now."

"H-How? It's impossible to-"

"I made adjustments to your suit," you said.

"Put the mask back on. You'll die up here."

"You're the one that went without food and water for four days, and I'm going to die up here?" You shook your head. "You're pretty much ridiculous, Tony."

"You know, I couldn't save him," he said. 

"There was no saving anyone."

"Is Happy..."

"I don't know about Happy or Pepper." You swallowed. "I was trying to get to you when it happened. You'd been gone for too long and I was sick of waiting. And then...  I was on the road, and people started to disappear. Cars wrecked into buildings and each other. There was nothing any of us could do. It was completely out of our hands."

He stayed silent.

"What happened?"

He shut his eyes and shook his head. He reached up and took the helmet off of his head, then dropped it to his lap. He looked up at you. 

"I'm just glad you're here," he said.

You leaned down and kissed the top of his head. "I'd go anywhere to save you, sweetheart."

And then you just held him.