Can I keep you?

Can I keep you? Pt. 11

Tony's POV

It's been a few days since Y/N moved into my house. We got all her stuff, which wasn't a lot, and brought to my place. After that, we went shopping and got her room ready for her. Surprisingly, she wanted pink walls. I took her more for that purple and black kinda girl. But we got what she wanted and managed to make her new room look like the one she's always dreamed off.
She settled in alright, and I would be lying if I said that that little girl didn't grow on me. After all, she immediately started calling me dad and kissed my cheek every morning. She also asked me to read her goodnight stories and tug her in.
As hard and cold she acted with strangers, she was the sweetest little girl I ever knew.
"Aaaahhh! Noooo!" I sat upright in bed, being woken up by those bloody screams. I immediately threw back the covers and rushed to Y/N's room. She was thrashing around in bed, trying to break free from an invisible force. "Y/N! Y/N, what's wrong? What's wrong baby?" I rushed to her bed and pulled her into my arms. "No! Please don't take them away!" Her eyes were still closed, and she tried to break free from my arms, but I only tightened them. "It's okay, I'm here, honey. It's okay." She slowly started to calm down, but instead of thrashing around she started to cry. "It's okay." Sobs racked through her body and one of her little hands grabbed a fistful of my shirt. "I miss him." I was barely able to hear her, her voice was so small and fragile.
Finally, she opened her eyes. "He's gone." Her eyes were filled with so much pain. Much more pain than a little girl should have to endure.
"What's happened, honey?" I wiped a few tears from her cheek. "They took him." "Who did they take?" "My father."
After that, Y/N refused to go to sleep. I stayed the night with her. We played with her dolls, watched one or two movies and I took her down to my lab and let her work on some things.
In the morning, she was so tired, she just dropped dead in the lab and I carried her back up to the living room. Pepper helped me make a bed on the couch and cancelled all my meetings for that day. "Do you know what happened?" She was sitting on the couch, next to Y/N, softly stroking her hair. "No, but I will find out."
Leaving Pepper and Y/N in the living room, I walked down to the lab, where I left my phone and called the local orphanage. "Mister Stark! How can I help you?" The lady that picked up, was a tick too cheerful. "Hey, I'm calling because of Y/N. I wan-" "What did she do this time?" The cheerful attitude dropped, and annoyance came through. "We understand if you want to bring her back here. I'll go tell the others to ready a ro-" "Wait a second! I don't want to bring her back! I just called because I wanted to ask about her parents. Why was she in the orphanage." The woman was silent. Apparently, she couldn't believe I didn't want to bring Y/N back. "Ahm...sure." I hear typing on the other side of the line, until the woman came up with a result. "So...her mother died while giving birth to her. Her father took care of her until she was four years old. Some people broke in and kidnapped the father and killed him. Y/N saw everything. Police found her after the neighbour called them. Y/N's been traumatised ever since and often has nightmare regarding her father." "Okay, thank you." I hung up and put my phone down again.
Her father was taken from her and killed...yeah, no wonder she has nightmares.

The scene before me reminded me so much of what happened so many years ago. Y/N sat on the floor, crying and with her arms wrapped around herself. We all just witnessed her boyfriend being taken back to Asgard and none of us knew what to say. Pepper and Natasha set next to her, trying to calm her down. But it didn't work.
After we stood there for at least an hour, Pepper's phone rang. She picked it up and the look on her face said everything: She had to go. I nodded at her, signalling her to go.
"Okay everyone. Go back to the tower." The others turned to me, eyes wide and mouth open, but agreed as soon as they saw how determined I was. Natasha hugged Y/N one last time before they all made their way back to the tower.
I waited a few minutes, before I walked to my daughter and sat down beside her. I wrapped my left arm around her and pulled her into my chest. "It's okay, I'm here, honey. It's okay."
A cry erupted from her and she turned to me. "He is g-gone. I'll never see him again." Her face was buried in the crook of my neck and my hands rubbed circles on her back. "It's okay."
We stayed like that. Sitting on the ground in the park, me holding her while she cried. Her body trembled in my arms. I had no idea what to do. But this time, there was no easy way for me to figure out a solution for this. This time, I couldn't just call a place to find out what to do and how to talk to her. This time, I had to figure things out on my own.
She slowly calmed down. Tears were still running down her face, but she didn't tremble anymore. "Dad? Will I ever see him again?" She pulled away and looked at me. Her eyes were puffy and red and her cheeks wet from the tears. "He promised you, didn't he?" She weakly nodded, before she leaned against me again. "I'm sorry, dad." "For what, sweetheart?" I took her shoulders and gently pushed her away. "For being angry at you for so long. For being such a bitch all the time and for not calling you dad for the last few months." Her eyes were dull, filled with sadness. "Oh honey!" I pulled her to me again, hugging her against me. "You don't have to be sorry for anything. I was an ass and you had every right to act the way you did. And remember, I love you, and nothing you can do will change that." She nodded at me again, hugging me back. "Thank you, dad." "Anytime kiddo, anytime." I kissed her forehead, before I slowly stood up and puller her with me. "How about me go and get some of your favourite burgers and doughnuts." She laughed quietly, but nodded and walked to the car with me.
We drove to the other end of the city, bought tons of food and drove back to the tower.
The others sat in the kitchen, waiting for us. Together, all of us ate the food Y/N and I bought. Nobody even dared speaking about Loki, Thor or Asgard. We all did our best to cheer her up, and even though that didn't really work, we at least managed to distract her. And from time to time, she even let a smile slip.
But, way too fast, the day came to an end and everyone made their way to their room. I accompanied Y/N, afraid to leave her alone.
"Thanks...you made the probably worst day of my life a little bit better." She stood in the doorway to her room and leaned forward to press a kiss to my cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow." She smiled a bit, before she closed the door, and left me standing the hallway.
How I wished I could save my little girl from all the bad in the world and keep her happy...but...this is not how the world works. So, I'll just do anything to make even the worst days in her a life a little bit better.

Y/N's POV

As soon as the closed behind me, my eyes teared up again. Every single thing in here reminded me of him. The bed, the wardrobe where all his clothes still hung, the reading chair he loved so much and all the books that laid scattered across the room. Even the desk. I closed my eyes and tried to swallow down the tears, but they just rolled down my face. He was gone. He really was.
I slowly slid down the door, keeping my eyes closed and as soon as I hit the floor, I wrapped my arms around myself again. Why couldn't this just be a dream, and when I wake up, he'll be laying right beside me, laughing at my reaction to seeing him. But no. Nothing like that. He is gone. Back on Asgard, facing a trial and probably ending up in jail.
I know he promised me that we'll see each other again, but how could that possibly work? He's in another realm, locked away, and I, I'll be dead before he knows it. I'll never see him again... And that's the truth.
The tears kept coming, but at least they were silent, no sobs this time.
While I sat there, all the memories with Loki played in my brain. The first time I really met him. When he helped me go shopping. Or when he brought me to the roof after I found out the truth about Peter. Our first kiss. All the training we did together and...our first time together...
"Loki..." I looked up at the ceiling, tears streaming from my eyes. "I miss you..."
"You're not alone. Stand up Y/N, you can do this. I know that." My eyes widened. It was Loki, definitely! I felt a presence right next to me. "Loki?" "The present, Y/N. Open it. I love you." The presence fated, but I knew what to do.
Wiping away the tears, I stood up and walked over to my desk. There was a small present and a letter.

Dear Y/N,

I originally planned to give this to you on Christmas, but...well...you know what happened.
That's why I decided to write the letter. To explain things to you.
First, why do I need to go back to Asgard? Do you remember that blast of magic I used to kill the intruders? Odin took most of my power when he decided I had to stay on Midgard, but he left me enough to be of help to the others. But there is also another power within me. A strong power.
He prohibited me from using it, but seeing all those guys threatening to kill you, I just reacted without thinking. I used this power and after I did it, I noticed what I did. That was the reason Thor was so mad. He knew Odin would come to take me back. That's why I couldn't say anything against it. I'm sorry I did that.
The second thing, the gift. If you didn't already unwrap it, I think now is the time.

I laid the letter down and took the present. From the size of it, I knew it was jewellery. I carefully unwrapped it. It really was a small box. For a second I wandered if it was a ring, but the box was a bit to big for that. So, I just opened it and found the most beautiful necklace I've ever seen.

I found this necklace and had to think of you. The store wrote runes on it. They didn't know that, but they are old Asgardian runes. They will protect you and you can call help with them. Since I'll be in jail for a few months at least, you can reach Thor or Heimdall with it, after that, you'll be able to reach me.

I was holding the letter in one and the necklace in the other hand. Tears were again running down my face, but this time there were at least a few tears of joy. At least I now had a reason why he was taken from me. And...I had something from him.
Once again, I put the letter down and put my necklace on. There were only a few last lines on the letter, and I already knew what was going to stand there.

At the end of this letter, I need you to promise me something. While I'm gone, if you ever fall in love with another guy, or have the chance to live a happier life with someone else, do it. Don't wait for me.
I love you with all my heart. You showed me a side of myself I haven't seen since I was told what I really was. But you brought me love again and for that I'll be forever thankful. And because you did all that for me, even if you did it without knowing so, I want you to be happy. Even if it means that you're with someone else.

I love you Y/N. Go and be happy.

After I finished reading the letter, I was sure about two things: One, I'll see him again. Even if that means that I have to go to Asgard myself. Two, I'll kick his ass when I see him again. How can he even think that I can be happy with someone else? He isn't the only one that experienced completely unknown things during our relationship.
I wiped my tears away, looked one last time at the letter and went to bed.
I will not accept that he is gone. I will see him again, no matter what I have to do.