Feels Like Home

Emmeline Stark was standing in the study gazing out of the window facing the lake,  clutching a photo frame in her hands. Her eyes were puffy from crying and there were trails of dried tears on her cheeks. She looked back down at the picture in her hands,  her eyes filled with tears again threatening to spill,  she sniffed and blinked them away. A sad smile appeared on her lips as she looked at the laughing figure next to her 10 year old self in the photograph, her brother Tony Stark. She remembered the day when the picture was taken, her mother had taken it when Tony surprised her, she missed those days.

She was still reminiscing that memory, when someone else entered the study, no wonder to call for her, it was Tony's funeral, they were ready to hear Tony's last message, a goodbye to all of them. Emmeline took a deep breath and placed the picture back on the table by the window and turned to look around.

It was Steve Rogers, he stopped in the doorway looking at her, properly for the first time in days, they have been avoiding each other since she came back. She had been snapped away 5 years ago,  when she came back they fought Thanos again and won this time but at cost of Tony's and Nat's life, there was never a good time to talk they were still mourning.

Steve walked inside the study asking, 'You okay?' knowing the answer to that question very well. She shook her head and sniffed turning to look at the picture again. He stopped just beside her and glanced at what she was staring at,  a small smile forming on his lips. 'It's a nice picture,' he said not knowing what to say to her in such a time,  he knew no amount of words would comfort her grief,  been through this himself when he thought he had lost Bucky. 'It's was taken on Christmas Eve, Tony was going on a trip with his friends that year, I was upset. But then he surprised me, I was so happy I almost tackled him down trying to hug him. ' Steve was looking at her now, he put an arm around her shoulders comforting her,' I'm so sorry,' he said. Emmeline nodded another tear escaping her eye.  He pulled her into an embrace, rubbing her back. She hugged him back, burying her face in his chest, he rubbed her back as she cried and rested his cheek on her head. They just stood there comforting each other. It's been so long since he held her in his arms, these 7 years had changed him a lot but standing here with her in his arms felt the same, it felt like home. None of them wanting to let go the peace, tranquility and comfort they found in each other. Emmeline feared if she let go the gravity of her grief will pull her down and never let stand up again. Steve planted a kiss on her head, she looked up at him her hands on his chest. 

'You are not alone, I'm here now, ' he said caressing her cheek. She smiled at him, oh how he missed her, he had never thought that he will find love again after Peggy, but he did and there was hope again, but when she'd been snapped away, he was lost, broken, with no hope and now that she was standing in front of him he thought he will never let her go again.

He was about to say something, but there was a knock on the door, they let go of each other and turned towards the door, it was Happy, 'They're ready, ' he said.  'Coming, ' said Emmeline, Happy nodded and left. She took Steve's hand in hers and they looked into each others eyes,  content that they had found each other again.