You need to look strong

"Sir I suggest you get a few hours of sleep. You are severely sleep deprived and-"

"Mute", Tony replied disregarding the A.I's suggestion

It was 3 a.m and Tony wasn't planning to go to sleep any time soon. He was working on a new shield for Cap and planned to upgrade his suits after that. Besides its not like sleeping was gonna be easy for him.

"Mr.Stark I don't feel so good."

"I don't wanna go please Mr. Stark I don't want to go...."

"I am sorry."

Those three lines were the last lines he heard before Peter die-left....

'It should have been me.' Was all Tony could think before he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"Tony?", Steve asked

"Yeah?", replied the mechanic as he turned around to face his friend.

Steve's eyes widened in shock. Stark, Tony, was standing in front of him bags with under his eyes, ruffled hair and his face all messy.

"Tony when was the last time you slept?", asked the captain concerned for his teammate's health. "I'll be fine cap. I was just working on some updates that's all. Oh, since you're here take a look at the new shield I made for you to use. I was thinking since your old one kinda made you an easy target we might as well change it right? Oh and next I was thinking of upgrading my suits. Maybe this time since we are in wakanda we could use a little vibranium to do the trick. Oh and for Nat I could make a new gun, Clint a new bow-",Tony started

"Stark-"

"I think we should upgrade everyone's suit as well. I could ask shuri if we could use some vibranium-"

"Stark-"

"And for the portal to the quantum realm don't worry. Bruce and I were-"

"Tony!", Yelled Steve trying to stop Tony from going on again.

"What's really wrong? Look I get it you wanna help but, I mean, have you looked in the mirror lately? Your eyes have really dark circles around them, your hair is messy and unkept and we may have fought in the past but I know you long enough to know that you are just trying to distract me from the real topic here. Tony please just tell me what's going on with you. You haven't come out of your lab for the past week and the team is starting to worry about you. So am I."

Tony was about to come up with a sarcastic remark but then he saw it. The concern in Steve's eyes. Tony took a deep breath and started talking..

"I am not okay Steve. I need help and I need it really badly. I am trying so hard to look strong but I can't. I lost everything. Everything is my fault. The accords was my fault. I should've just listened to you. Then maybe Rhodes would have been okay. He wouldn't have been paralyzed. It's my fault I dragged him into this. Pepper she's gone because of me. Because of me being a selfish, useless and good for nothing person she's gone. I lost her cap. She was my everything. I swore that no matter what I would protect her and I broke that promise."

Tony started to breathe unnaturally. Like he was struggling with to breathe.

"Peter. He is gone too. It's because of me cap. I did this to him. It should've been me who died, not him. I did this to him. I did this to him. I did this to him."

Tony kept repeating the same sentence over and over. And each and every time he said it, he would struggle even more to breathe.

"Tony calm down. It's okay to feel this way. I am here for you. Take deep breaths, don't let the past hurt you anymore. It'll be okay I got you."

"I can't breathe."

"Hold onto me. You'll be okay. I'm here for you."

"I am so scared cap. I am alone. I doubt if anyone even knows what I'm going through. My dad was right. I am a failure."

"Listen to me Tony. Just for a bit. You are not alone and you are most definitely not a failure. You are Tony stark. One of the best mechanics out there. You sacrificed your life a dozen times just to save us all. You are a hero."

"But then why am I in pain? I deserve this don't I?"

"No you don't. Those who are in pain come out to be the strongest and most respected. You are a great person Tony don't let anyone tell you otherwise. I know I hurt you and I am sorry. If anything I don't deserve a friend like you."

Tony laughed. Something Steve didn't hear come out of the brunette's mouth in a long time.

"You really mean all that?"

"Yeah."

"Steve mother hen Rogers. Man I missed that about you."

"Yeah well this mother hen says it's time you go to bed."

Tony and Steve turn around and come face to face with the rest of the avengers. All of them are standing near the door each with a look of concern on their face.

"Brother Tony", Thor boomed," you are not alone. We are with you."

"Yeah and no matter what happens we all stick together.", Bruce said with a sincere smile slowly making its way on his face.

Natasha spoke next, "We will do whatever it takes to get them all back Tony."

"Whatever it takes.",said Steve

"Whatever it takes.", said Clint

"Whatever it takes.", spoke Natasha with a strong tone of determination in her voice.

Tony looked around. Took a deep breath and with his usual smirk he said,

"Whatever it takes."

So yeah. Happy ending wooooo. This is soooo stupid wth. Anyway this is a story I wrote for a writing competition (not sure if it's a competition but anyway) hosted by Trekkiehood . Make sure to check her profile out. Anyways thanks for being so patient and reading this nonsense. BYE !!!!!!!