I Thought You Were Different: Part 6

Vacant

ANGST CONTINUES

BIG ANGST

Steve immediately called Brooke and Grant to your room, closing the door behind them to seal your family in, to keep this moment private before all hell broke loose. Anthony was sitting so close to you that he was nearly in your lap, even at his size of a grown man. He had felt the shift in your mood during the call and gotten there faster than he had ever moved before. He didn't want to believe it once he had heard and he had no idea how to process this. Iron Man was never supposed to lose, and for that myth to be completely shattered sucked the confidence out of him in taking up the mantle as the successor to Tony. It felt wrong now.

After almost an hour of complete silence together, Steve stood from the huddled mass of his distraught family. He didn't want to move, but he also didn't want any of you to do the terrible job that he had just assigned himself. "I'll go out and tell the others," Steve offered quietly, stopping at the door to wipe his eyes. "Guys, stay with your mom, okay?"

"You couldn't drag us away, Dad," Grant agreed readily.

Steve purposefully took the longest way to the palace's dining room where the team had all gathered and were waiting for news they would never guess to be true. The thumping, heavy fall of each step shook up into his legs and worked them into an ache; he would turn around and go back if he could, but he had taken this responsibility. He had been a leader of this team with Tony for so many years, he had been the unlikely son-in-law, and he had been a friend. It felt right to be him to do this, but he would jump at the chance for it to be anyone else.

"Sorry to wake everyone," he began softly, "but we just got a call with some bad news that affects all of us. I wanted you to hear it from me before word gets out."

"Okay?" Peter stepped forward, wringing his hands nervously. "Let's have it, Cap."

"(Y/N) spoke to Pepper about an hour ago," he paused with a sniffle he couldn't hold back, "Tony passed away in his sleep."

The silence crushed them as the news began to slowly, painfully sink in. Expressions shifted through comprehension and anger and confusion and grief all within minutes. The entire group stood immobile, other than Pete, who crumbled to sit on the ground next to Rhodey. Tony's best friend wore his usual stoic mask, albeit with a gloss of tears refusing to spill, but it wouldn't last long. As his first words passed through his lips, his throat tightened and squelched his voice, making his deep, confident tone sound like a terrified child who was scared to speak.

"Do we know why? Did Pepper say anything more?"

"Not yet. She said that she would call back later with more information when she had it."

"Where's (Y/N)," Clint joined in. "Is she okay?"

"The kids are with her in our room, and no, she's not," Steve said. "But, that's to be expected. For obvious reasons, Anthony and Esihle's ceremony will have to be delayed, but we're not sure until when-"

Wanda stood and crossed the gap between them, gently holding his arm as she spoke, "of course. Tell us what we need to do. We'll do anything to help."

"Thanks, but this affects all of us, and we need to help each other. I think the first thing is for each of you to tell the younger kids and then we need to help Pepper with damage control. Keep this from the media as long as we can. At least until we can get back home."

"I will have my team handle it," T'Challa offered, "do not consider it a concern."

Towards the back of the room, Sam and Bucky had been uncharacteristically mute. Each of them had been through their share of good and bad with Tony, but now there was nothing left behind but respect and remorse for lost opportunities. "I can't believe it," Sam whispered, "was he sick and not telling us? Did anyone know?"