never leaving your side || romanogers

Chapter 28

Tony chased after Bruce, Clint, Thor, and Steve as fast as he could. "Where are you going?" He asked nervously, panting. 

Clint whipped around, almost angrily. "Why do you care?" He shot back. "It's not like you're coming with us anyway." Behind him, Steve flinched at the harshness of his words, even though they weren't directed to him. 

Tony felt an invisible fist punch him in the gut. "I- look, I'm sorry. There's been a lot going on, I can explain-"

"What? You can explain what? How Natasha left in the middle of the night without saying a real goodbye? How she's probably stuck in a dark room without a way to escape right now? Tell me how you can explain it? Huh?" Anger radiated from Clint, in large, pounding waves. He was angry, furious more like.

Tony's breath caught in his throat. He hadn't expected Clint to react like this- he had just wanted to help them a bit more. He took a deep breath. "Look, I can help." He started. Clint crossed his arms but listened. So did Bruce, and Thor, and Steve. "Just- at least take the jet, ok? They won't let you on board with weapons, or a magic hammer, or shield."

Clint couldn't argue with that. "Fine," he said gruffly and turned around. "We need to leave soon though."

"It should be here soon," Tony replied. He wished that Clint could forgive him, but seeing himself in Clint's perspective, he wasn't very sure he could forgive himself. What kind of evil person refused to help find their friend when she went missing? But he was helping, just not in the way everyone else wanted him to. 

"Good." Clint began walking away, others following his lead. Behind him, Steve shot an apologizing look. Sorry, he mouthed. Bruce raised his hand in a small wave, and Thor nodded. Tony waved back too and felt a sharp pang of guilt. 

His friends were going into a battle without him and it could lead to death. The worst part wasn't the fact that they might die, but the fact that: He knew it could happen and couldn't, didn't do anything about it. 

Tony watched them walk away, before walking back to his own room to clean up. Everyone else had already left, and there was no reason for him to stay. Even though Pepper seemed to hate him, the only place he felt was home to him was his- the Avengers tower. At least Happy didn't hate him.

Trudging heavily into the lobby, he sighed. Could he just send a maid to clean the mess of his room up?

Pushing open the door, he made up his mind. 

Steve's side of the room was clean and neat. As if nothing had ever happened. His, on the other hand. The lamp was missing its bulb, the sheets were piled in messy lumps, his clothes were strewn across furniture- but it was his usual messiness, apart from the lamp. Still, though, he thought. I should probably buy a new bulb for them. Besides, it wasn't like he couldn't afford it.

First, he made his bed. Examining Steve's closely, he saw that the sheets on the bed weren't the ones that he had slept in, instead, they were clean, crisp ones. Ohhhhhhhh. Tony dropped the dirty sheets on the couch and went in search for clean ones. 

They had to be in an obvious place, Tony decided. He immediately went to the closet. And he couldn't find them. So then he went to the bathroom, but they were still nowhere to be found. Groaning, he flopped on the bare mattress. "Where are the fucking sheets?" He yelled. "Whatever, I'll get my clothes together. 

He flung the closet door open, to see a mass of jumbled clothes. Only his, Steve had probably cleared his out already. Tony wondered where he had sent them- they weren't carrying much when he caught up to them leaving. Only a small bag between the 4, probably their suits. 

No matter, Tony thought. Why do I even care? They hate me. He yanked a shirt from the hanger harshly. And then another, and another, and then some shorts, and even a nice suit. Full of pent up anger, at himself, not others, he kicked the pile of clothing at his feet. Rumpled clothing scattered over the dirty floor. "FUCK!" Tony yelled. Quickly, he picked his things up and threw them atop his bed.  

There were a few hangers with clothing still on them. A few pairs of swim trunks, in the latest fashion, and a simple polo. He immediately recognized the polo. Pepper had given it to him one year for Christmas. Why, he didn't really know. It wasn't expensive like his usual fashion, but maybe that's why he liked it. 

It was a dark navy, with tiny prints of cacti all over it. Pepper always took care of him, no matter what. When he was drunk, she washed him up and dragged him into bed. When he felt upset, Pepper was there to help him feel better. Pepper, Pepper, was the reason he was who he was today. Or at least, the person he was a few days ago. That person cared about others, who would do anything to help them. The kind of person who didn't abandon his friends. 

Tony hastily threw his clothes and things into a suitcase, shrugged on a jacket, and ran out of the hotel room. Doubling back, he dropped a hundred on a nightstand, and darted out of the hotel. 

Then, he made a phone call.  A jet arrived. He boarded it. And he was back home. And then Pepper slapped him.