Something Stupid

Dancing on My Own

Narrator's POV

"You were my best friend. I thought I'd have your til the world ends..." Stephen scoffed, looking down at a small blank card in his shaking hands. "...and now I'm staring at a blank page, hoping I'll get by when someone passing by says your name." His voice shook as he spoke.

His whole body was on the verge of crumbling in front of everyone that sat in the pews in front of him.

"Oh I'm in pieces, it's tearing me up, but I know a heart that's broke is a heart that's been loved." He said, sniffling. "You were an angel in the shape of a man. When I fell down you'd be there holding me up." He brought a hand up his his mouth, taking in a deep breath. "I'm all messed up, I'm so out of line..." He put a hand up to his mouth, sniffling. " I want to tell you everything. The words I never got to say the first time around, and I remember everything from when we were the children playing..." He sucked in a deep breath. "I just... Oh, god." Stephen sighed.

Christine looked up at him. Seeing her friend like this, tore her to pieces.

"I can't do this." Stephen said. "I'm sorry." He said, taking a deep breath. "I can't. I just... I'm sorry." He said, walking down the center isle of the mortuary and out the doors.

"Stephen." Christine chased after him.

A man sitting in one of the last pews watched them run out of the building.

///0///0

Stephen walked around in circles with his hands on his head, mumbling things under his breath as he gripped tightly onto his hair.

"Stephen." Christine came up to him, stretching her hands out to touch him.

"D-Don't! Don't please..." Stephen backed up into a brick pillar. "Please don't touch me." His voice was so broken. His body trembled, as he embraced himself; trying to keep himself afloat.

"Stephen, I understand." Christine said. "It's an emotional time." She reached for him once more.

"Please, no. Christine." He tried to sink further in the pillar. "No, no, no!" He shouted. "Stop! This is not grief or mourning. This is rage, my heart is racing with it. I failed. I failed to do the one thing I was obliged to do: to protect him. Christ knows, I've been a fucking useless protector of earth and a useless boyfriend. And I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, but if I thought someone was going to hurt Tony, I would protect him. Because when you love someone, you protect them. But I just let him die. I had him right in my hands. I could have saved him. I knew what the reactor was like, I should've taken action and helped him out. I should've done something other than watch him die!"

At this point Stephen was shouting.

"And I can't begin to imagine what he was going through. What he was thinking, letting me just hold him while he died. He couldn't believe I was letting him die. I just sat there like an idiot. Too many thoughts crossing my mind. I just let him lie there and die." He took in a deep breath, covering his face. "Nobody should do that to anybody else." His voice quivered.

Christine looked at him with a sudden expression, touching his arm.

"No Christ, Christine." He grunted. "I thought I was getting better, but I'm such a fucking mess." He exhaled heavily.

///0///0

"Stephen."

Stephen picked his head up when he heard a familiar voice.

It was Pepper.

"Oh, Pepper." He said, putting on a fake smile.

She gave him a quick embrace. "How are you holding up?"

"Not at all actually." Stephen said. "I can't wait to go home and put a bullet in my brain." He scoffed.

"Oh, well that's not good." She said.

"Look around you Pepper, none of this is good." Stephen said.

"Dr. Strange." A man came to Pepper's side, the one that had come into the house with her the day of the accident.

"Hello. I don't believe we've met before." Stephen said.

"I'm Happy Hogan." The man said. "I was Tony's chauffeur. Of course he'd never allow me to drive him anywhere."

"He'd never let anyone drive him anywhere." Stephen said.

"Yes, that is true." Happy said.

"Stephen."

"Ah, Olive." Stephen said.

Oliver and Timothy made their way to him.

"Wonderful to see you here." Stephen said sarcastically.

"Were you a friend of Tony's?" Pepper asked Olive.

"I didn't have the privilege to know him that well, but we did meet once when we were on an outing for dinner. I'm Olive."

"Pepper."

"This is my husband, Timothy."

"Hello." Timothy greeted.

"Oh how wonderful. Everyone's saying hi to each other." Stephen said.

Olive looked over at him. "I'm terribly sorry."

"I don't need anymore sorry's for today." Stephen said. "I've heard it so much now, that I don't even know what it means anymore."

"I mean it." Olive said. "I know what you're going through."

"If you ever need anything, anything we can help you with, just give us a call." Timothy said.

"Mm, yes. Of course." Stephen smiled. "Phone calls will certainly make this all better."

"I see." Timothy gave him a nod. He took Olive by the hand. "We will leave you to your grieving." He said.

"Bye Stephen." Olive said.

With that, the Greens were gone.

"God. Can't all these people just get the hint that I want to be alone?" Stephen said, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Stephen." Pepper said. "Are you okay?"

"Does it look like I'm okay?" He asked. "I just done killed Tony, and you're really going to ask me if I'm fucking okay?"

"Well, I was just-"

"No, no. I already know what you're gonna say, and my answer is no. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be at the Sanctum, looking out the window, wondering if it's high enough. Good day." Stephen said, putting his hands together and backing up into a portal behind him that opened to the Sanctum. He closed it once he was through. Sighing, he closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. He took in a deep breath, opening his tear filled eyes. "Jesus..."

The cloak peeked from around the corner of the room.

Stephen noticed it. "It's okay." He said. "You can come out."

The cloak slowly approached him, something raced from behind it.

It was Captain, coming to rescue Stephen from his sadness.

Stephen looked down at the small dog, jumping around his pant leg. He couldn't help but smile at the small animal. He picked him up. "Tony gave you to me because he thought I needed something, someone, to love." He said, sniffling. "So I'll love you." He said, holding the little dog close.