Tear Stained Ink
Tony stood in the middle of the room, eyes tracing over every inch of the apartment. Pepper was curled up on the floor, carefully packing up boxes of books and figurines. What was left intact at least. He sighed, he would have to bring in a group to fix the windows and broken door.
He felt his chest constrict in grief at the loss of two friends.
There had been a mission, there was always a mission. Steve had promised Darcy that he would take it easy, she had almost lost him once and he swore that she would never go through that again. He had lied. Tony had been with him when he had called her, told her that he would be gone another month.
The screaming through the phone had been enough to drive Tony from the room. For an hour they yelled, an argument that ended with Steve crushing his phone. They left not long after, Steve quietly fuming. The mission had begun like normal, but things quickly turned and the last thing that Tony remembered was Steve being shot between the eyes.
He had woken up a week later in the medical rooms of the Tower to the tear stained face of Pepper. She told him of Steve’s death and how Shield had sent some rookie to tell his wife. From what people said she had gone crazy, screaming and throwing everything within reach. The rookie had left without making sure she would be safe.
Neighbors spoke of how she rushed from her apartment, screaming for Steve. She had been seen heading for the river, and no one had been able to stop her.
The police said the currents must have taken her, the chance of finding her was slim. Tony had all his resources combing that river, but with each day his hope grew a little less.
Pepper sobbed from her spot, her fingers tracing over a passage in a book. She kneeled beside her and read what had broken her quiet. There in Darcy’s handwriting was an account of the argument they had had. And there in tear stained ink was the last thing she had told him…
“If you go, I don’t care if you ever return.”