A Letter For You

The letter

Tony,

I watched you die, I watched as you took your last breath, I watched Pepper cry,  I went to your funeral. But I still can't believe you're dead. The great Tony Stark, gone, dead. It just doesn't feel right. I don't think it ever will, not for any of us.

I know you are dead, deep down I do. It will take time to adjust not having you around, even when you and Pepper moved to the lake house, we could still contact you, we could talk to you. Even just seeing you repairing our weapons and other gear.

Yes, I know about that. I'm more often at the compound than you might think, I watched as you worked, I sketched you while you were working. I heard you grumble about how we "couldn't keep our stupid asses out of trouble" and that we "needed to learn how to fix our own gear".

And you and Pepper, always Pepper. You were happy together and that's what I always wanted for you wasn't it? But still, I couldn't help but feel jealous of her, of the love you have had for her, the adoring look you get in your eyes every time you look at her.

I want to tell you so many more things, but I can't. You're dead and nothing can change that. No matter how much I want it.

Sam is calling me, we're returning the stones today. I wish you could see it, be here, by our side, by your family's side. You just had to play hero didn't you? To sacrifice yourself for the universe, you didn't have to, we would have found another way or someone else could have snapped. Carol, Thor and even me.

That's just it, you always do the right thing, no matter what it takes. You're the greatest hero this world has ever seen and will ever see. Tony Stark, Iron Man, the man who saved the universe.

I love you.

Steve Rogers