It's So Quiet

Tony Stark

I miss taking care of you, kid.

-

"Hey kid, how was your day at school?"

"Well, Mr. Stark-" I love his excited tone. I love how he lights up when I ask him something. I take in every word, wanting to always be able to play his happiness in my head.

"Did you eat lunch today?" I know sometimes he forgets, which can't happen, because of his metabolism. He always needs to be at his max, so he doesn't get hurt.

"Well..." I give him a stern eye. "Sorry, Mr. Stark, I was tutoring someone in my Math class, and I guess I... uh forgot?"

I didn't know that he purposely didn't eat lunch. Because he knew that when he didn't eat, I would make a snack for the two of us. He wanted to make sure that I was eating too.

Because he cared.

But I didn't know that.

I made a snack for the two of us, it ended up in him begging for popcorn and watching a movie. Which ended up in a popcorn fight that Pepper was sure to get on me for later. But it was worth it, to see him be a teenager for once,  normal one.

When he fell asleep on my shoulder, I couldn't bear to wake him up, especially since he had a test the next day. That's the only reason I decided that one early turn-in wouldn't be so bad, and fell asleep with him curled into me like a son.

~

I returned my eyes to my suit, ignoring Pepper's request that I take a break. I know she would berate me later, but frankly I didn't care.

I just wanted to make my suit better, because I let Barnes get away. I let Rogers get away. I let Natasha get away. I let the entirety of team cap get away. I even let Rhodes fall, and now he's paralyzed.

Do my suit had been faster, or my suit had a protocol for when it goes dead weight, he would be fine.

But neither did.

Now all of Team Cap was gone, and my best friend was paralyzed, another was gone, with said Team Cap by the way, Vison, as in the android that had my original care taker as a mind, was moping over his girlfriend, and the King of Wakanda had his own problems to worry about.

But then again so did I. 

I had to deal with all of that, Pepper (I loved her to death) but she was nagging at me to take better care of myself. I had to deal with the accords, and the publicity the Avengers' stunt was getting, and figuring out who would take over Stark Industries, because I was getting older, and soon neither myself nor Pepper would be able to keep managing it.

Why should I be focusing on myself, when i had everything else, and everyone in my life depending on me.

My life was just, boring. Nothing was making me happy anymore. Sure Pepper and Rhodey would always make me smile. But it just, was always the same. Go to meetings, work on suit, work with Rhodey, greet Pepper on our floor. Nothing special.

Its almost as if, I had someone missing. Like there was supposed to be someone doing something in the lab, or in the kitchen, but they weren't there.

I must've been going bonkers.

-