Chapter 23
They followed Steve home after making sure that Pepper has everything under control. When they reached Steve’s flat they found him sitting on the couch staring at particularly nothing. It seems like he was still in shock and trying to process what had happened. They remained silent for a while then Thor and Sam went to the kitchen bringing a bottle of beer for everyone. Sam handed an opened bottle to him and took it and gulped it mindlessly.
“Amnesia, I can’t believe we fell for that,” Thor muttered disbelievingly.
Everybody remained silent and waited for Steve’s reaction.
“That was quite painful, I didn’t see that coming. I was expecting anger, her slapping me, punching me, but not that. I know I deserve it and I can’t get mad at her, I’m the one who hurt her first. I got that, but that hurts, you know that kind of pain that you feel like someone’s pulling your heart and guts out kind of hurt? It just saddened me that we came to this.” Steve said pouring his heart into his friends.
“Just cry it out Steve, time will give you the answer on why you got back with Nat and will let go of her again,” Tony said comforting him. What Tony said puzzled him, but has to sleep on this and think through about everything.
A few days had passed and Steve still couldn’t wrap his head around the whole situation. The more he thought about it the more he gets more mad and upset with himself, he can’t find it in himself to get mad at Natasha because it was him who made her push herself in doing it. He knew deep inside the real reason why she pretended to have amnesia and it was him who made his way through her life again and ruin the peaceful life she was building for herself. It was all him, it was his fault he turned Nat into the kind of person that she wasn’t. That thought pained him, because of his selfishness he let down the one person who understood him on a deeper level he ruined the person that was his source of happiness and love. He was so angry with himself that he destroyed the best thing he had just because he got scared.
It’s been a week of being miserable for Steve and all his friends are still worried and getting tired of his moping, so Tony being Tony made him get up his ass and got him to work again. Steve had no choice but to follow the order, he had been holding off the exhibit for too long which was planned way before he met Nat again.
Tony scolded him early in the morning for dragging the promised exhibit, he told him that he only let him off the hook because he was his friend, but he’s got enough and demanded it held tonight. Steve didn’t have a choice and felt guilty for breaking the said promise just because he got too caught up with his personal issues and abandoned work altogether. He got out of his flat and took care of the last few pieces for the exhibit and did some last-minute checks on the venue to make sure everything was set for tonight.
Truth is, Tony didn’t really mind waiting for the exhibit but he was tired of seeing his friend cooped up in his room all day long, and made this as an excuse to finally get him out of the house. He was glad that it worked and hoped that the issue between him and Nat gets resolved too. He just wanted to see Steve happy and he was happiest when he was with Natasha.