Stardust...
/Warning/: this chapter contains, cursing, sadness, fluff, a little smut, everyone being protective AF, violence and blood, character death, and a surprise! And who knows what! All reviews are appreciated.
"Character talking"
"Character thinking"
…Flashbacks…
Chapter 11
Tony groaned as he stretched his body, sighing happily as the cold and silky sheets caressed his naked body, reminding the inventor of what took place last night. Just thinking about what took place last night made the pleasure flare once more, tingling faintly in his body, as it tried to remind him of the wild (And beautiful) night he spent yesterday.
After the earth-shattering kiss, Steve and Tony shared; the inventor couldn't believe his luck, the breath left his lungs as Steve bestow another kiss upon his lips followed by another one. A kiss turned to two, turned to three, and then turned to many kisses until Tony said enough was enough and dragged Steve away from the gala. It wasn't like it was the first time that Tony ditched the gala to do something, and it won't be the last, but Tony had a feeling this time that Pepper won't mind him doing this, especially when before he left Pepper to send him a cheeky smile and a wink. This only informed Tony of how much teasing he will get when he was going to leave his room today, but thinking about it did nothing but making a huge smile stretch his lips.
Tony didn't know if the ride with Happy was worse or not, especially when the man kept sending him and Steve knowing looks, making Tony embarrassed about how unsubtle he was in all of this. Tony didn't care though, not when Steve kept sending him a shy smile every now and then, taking Tony's hand in his and holding it tightly, the closer they reached the Avengers tower, not that Tony was complaining, especially since Steve leaned down to kiss his cheek when they finally reached the tower.
It was only when the elevator door closed behind them that the two of them moved. Like someone possessed Tony, he pulled Steve and kissed him like his life depended on it, and maybe it did in a way, maybe Steve felt it too because the star held his tightly as he kissed him over and over, dominating him and leaving Tony breathless and under Steve's mercy; who would have thought that such an angelic face would hide behind it such a devilish nature?
Kisses turned into touches, turned into exploring each other, which turned into gasps and moans as they found each other's pleasurable spots. Reaching the penthouse, Steve and Tony made sure to stay as quiet as they can when walking to Tony's room. Even when Peter was sleeping on Bruce's floor tonight (The man was never a fan of any gala so he didn't come with them) it didn't mean that Peter didn't sneak here later.
It was only when the door finally closed behind them that pieces of clothes start flying around the place as the two of them stumbled back toward the bed, their mouths refused to part as they kissed to their heart content. Tony never knew what unlocked the fever in them last night, but whatever it did, it made Steve more feverish, hot, refusing to let Tony out of his sight for a second, refusing to part for anything unless he was touching any part of Tony.
The possessiveness that Steve showed Tony last night, made him shiver just thinking about it, his toes curled and he had to bite his lips to stop his gasps as he remembered the possessive hands that run over every exposed skin of his body. How Steve marked him and refuse to leave any inch of his body unmarked, making Tony moan and groan and scream in pleasure.
It was the first time that Tony was undone in such a way, the first time he was left as a breathless whimpering mess before they even started. Tony never knew that Steve even knows what sex meant, but that was silly of him to think like that, as far as Tony knew, Steve was a three thousand years old being, of course, he would know what sex meant and how to do it, especially when he no doubt saw a lot of people do it over the centuries. Even then Tony didn't realize that Steve would be like this; possessive and gentle, attentive as he gave and took, leaving Tony a mess by the end of their lovemaking.
Lovemaking, such an absurd description, but it was the only thing that Tony could descript what Steve and he did last night. The way Steve touched him, the way he slides in Tony claiming him, the gentle way he kissed his forehead after they were done, whispering something to Tony in a strange language. A strange language that was divine and hypnotic all the same, a language that the closest thing Tony can think to descript it was an other-worldly song Steve whispered in his ear.
What happened after they were done made Tony flush in happiness, and embarrassment; no one had ever cared about him as Steve did when he brought a soft towel as he cleaned him. Just thinking about it made something melt inside Tony's chest because no one he ever slept with cared about Tony when they were done because they will try to leave as fast as they can when they took what they wanted, even Ty. But Steve, amazing and gentle Steve didn't do that; he just cleaned Tony before carrying him to the bathroom, where a tube full of hot water was waiting for them to slide in.
It was a magical night in Tony's opinion, the best night of his life if he had to say so too. Tony let out a happy sigh as he opened his eyes, his smile getting bigger by the second when his sleepy gaze fell on Steve, who was sleeping beside Tony with his arm resting on Tony's waist. Part of Tony couldn't help but break a little, he finally tasted what it was like to be Steve's but sooner or later Steve was going to go back to where he was from, leaving everyone behind, leaving Tony and Peter behind; just that thought brought nothing but sad and depressing thoughts to his mind, but Tony shook them off. Not now, not when he had the most amazing night of his life, that thought was for another day, it was a problem that future-Tony was going to deal with, not the present-Tony; Tony now was going to enjoy his time with Steve, he was going to enjoy his time and hoard as many happy memories he has with Steve and Peter, and in the future, he will reminisce about those happy times and fall into the what-if. Tony, Tony was just going to roll with the punches, for now, he was going to enjoy and get busy making many happy memories that had Steve in them before the star's departure.
Tony tried to keep smiling as he banished the dark thoughts taking over his mind; he hummed to himself as he raised his hand running the tip of his fingers over Steve's face, under his eyes, the bridge of his nose, his lips… Tony couldn't help but become enchanted with the glow Steve was emitting; the glow was brighter, it was warm, and it was… it made Tony feel safe and happy, calmness taking over him as he gazed at the diving being in front of him.
A broken heart… Steve said he lost his glow because of a broken heart, Tony wondered what it meant now that Steve's diving glow was back, he wondered what would Steve feel when he realized that his glow brightens even the darkest room in the Avenger's tower. If Steve did know he didn't point it out, he never points out how Jarvis deemed the lights every time Steve entered a room because of how his bright glow light every place he enters, making it hard to gaze at Steve without squinting or wearing a sunglass.
A little part of Tony could only stare in awe at Steve, taking how much his beauty and divinity increased as the light of the sun touched him. Steve never pointed out that the sunlight enhanced him, but Tony should have known anyways, after all, the sun was just another star on its own. Gazing at how Steve's light intertwined with the sun's, it cemented in Tony's mind that Steve was not from around here, that he was in a league of his own, a league that not even Thor with all of his 'I am an Asgardian God' can hope to reach.
Tony could only smile as he shuffled closer to Steve, not that there was any space between them, to begin with, but Tony couldn't help himself, he just snuggled into Steve's warmth and took him in, smiling happily as he felt his heart pound in his chest as butterflies made themselves known in his stomach. A groan was heard a few minutes later, informing Tony that Steve was waking up.
Holding his breath, Tony bite his bottom lip to stop the smile that was going to take over his face and gazed at Steve whose eyes fluttered opened as he gazed around the room in a daze until his eyes settled on Tony and a huge smile taking over Steve's face. "This is the first time I have slept through the night…" Steve whispered inching closer to Tony, causing his breath to hitch. "You look more beautiful in the morning, do you know that?" Steve murmured, his lips leaving a butterfly trail of kisses, causing Tony's breath to hitch.
"That's supposed to be my line, so unfair of you to steal it," Tony replied before turning to kiss Steve, too impatient to wait for Steve that he took the matter into his own hands. Steve could only hum as he kissed Tony again and again rolling the two of them around until Steve was on top of Tony.
"I have stolen nothing, I am stating a fact." Steve grin a cocky grin as he raised his hand and trail it down Tony's neck and chest, making the inventor shiver and let out a sigh at the heavenly treatment, he could only hum and let out a stuttering sigh when Steve's lips start trailing down his neck and chest.
Tony bite his lower lip to stop his smile from getting wider it was like a dream come true, an amazing dream at that; slowly not wanting to be left out, Tony's hand trail on Steve's waist, his hand trailing toward his mark there, already planning how he will make Steve scream and moan in pleasure. Just when Tony thought that everything was going as planned and that he and Steve will enjoy a pleasurable morning, the door to his bedroom slammed opened followed by Peter's cheerful voice which made the two adults freeze; horror coloring both Steve and Tony's features as they realized that Peter came earlier than they have thought, both of them had thought he will stay with Bruce until noon when Tony was going to collect him.
"Daddy! You won't believe what Uncle Bucky d… Daddy, why is Mr. Steve in bed with you?" Peter's innocent question made Tony and Steve speechless, the embarrassment and horror muting their voice as they turned to Peter who was gazing at them with a confused look hugging his bear in his arms as he looked from Tony to Steve and back again.
"I… Steve… it…" Tony tried to open his mouth and say something, but every time he did he could only let out choked noises, not knowing what to say to his son and how Steve and he would leave this embarrassing situation with their pride intact; the two of them weren't even wearing clothes, the only thing protecting their dignity was a thin silky blanket… any excitement Tony felt waking up had evaporated.
Peter only tilted his head in confusion and wonder, it was a few seconds later before his eyes widen and his mouth dropped. "You guys got married! Only married people sleep in the same bed!" Peter squealed happily and Tony pale as he heard his son's words wondering who told his baby this. "Aunt Peggy, Uncle Bucky! Daddy and Mr. Steve got married!" Peter squealed as he rushed out of the room leaving Steve and Tony to scramble for the pieces of clothes littering the ground, planning on dressing up quickly before running after Peter.
Though both Steve and Tony froze when they heard Peggy and Pepper's exclaims followed by Bucky's booming laughter; both of the adults looked at each other with a grimace. What made everything bearable to Tony though was the amused smile painting Steve's face as the star tried to dress without tripping trying to stop his giggling when he heard the other rushing to their room…
In the end, Tony decided that the embarrassment was worth it…
In and out, a calm breath, act like everything was OK, like you don't feel and that nothing concern you anymore, something Nebula was used to and continued to act as even as years passed. In and out, it was easy, the easiest task Nebula was required to perform, stay calm; try not to show any emotion until you are done with your task. A deep breath after a deep breath Nebula took, trying not to scrunch her nose at the foul stench she was subjected to.
Nebula's mission this time was easy, it was far easier than she had thought; find the witch who cast an ancient spell on the Space stone the day of the invasion. A mission that was far easier than Nebula thought her father capable of, especially when he was still bent on punishing her for failing to invade earth that faithful day.
Years ago when Nebula was sent to invade earth, the resistance she met was not only that of the Avengers but also in the form of a stupid witch and her brother with their big bloodthirst and want of revenge; the stupid witch threw all of Nebula's full prove plans away when she cast a spell on the Space Stone, trying to close the portal fast so that the human called Iron Man will be forever lost in space. Unfortunately for the witch the space stone shoot toward space but Iron Man managed to return to earth before the portal close, something that made the witch snarl and scream as she was forced to retreat to lick her wounds in peace.
Nebula's lips twitched into a dark frown as she followed the sound of crashing and snarling and screaming; it didn't take a genius to know that the witch was angry, furious even, and why wouldn't she? She had once again failed to take her revenge, and this time it was the Golden Bride who dared to stop her, knocking her out using a normal chair, not even using a lick of his magic. This did nothing but inform Nebula of how useless and arrogant the witch was, as much as Nebula wanted to turn around and leave she couldn't, not when her father ordered her to strike a bargain with the useless witch.
"I will kill him, I will kill them all! All of them!" The sound of the witch's snarls rose higher and higher in pitch as she used her magic to grip anything within her sight and throw it at the concrete walls, breaking the woods into pieces as she shrieks and hisses and let loose, unaware that she was being eyed with distaste.
"So you are the Scarlet Witch?" Nebula stated more than asked, distaste coloring both her voice and features, sidestepping the table that was thrown at her by the enrage witch that was glaring and growling like a while beast; truly a pitiful sight, Nebula wondered what Thanos saw in this weak female that he demanded Nebula to recruit her, it was probably because she performed a forbidden spell thought to be forgotten to turn the Golden Bride into a human, even if temporarily.
"Who the fuck are you?" Snarled the witch when her eyes settled on Nebula, taking her in with so much rage and hate clear on her face; the witch was nothing but a child who continuously threw tantrums left and right. Nebula wondered what Thanos would gain from adding the nausea of a female into his armies, probably her magic ability, but Nebula knows for a fact that if Thanos gave her more time, Nebula would have found a stronger magic-user, one that wasn't ruled by their emotions.
"What I am is of no importance, what is important is what you want…" Nebula stated in a monotone, blinking her eyes as she gazed around the destroyed room, scrunching her nose at the dead bodies in the corner, being eaten by mice and insects. What a messy child, she couldn't even kill her targets right. "You seek revenge, do you not? Revenge from the one named Iron Man. I can help you gain your revenge on him and his teammates for a price of course." Nebula stated, not blinking her eyes when the witch's eyes turned red with anger and bloodlust; a part of Nebula thought that the witch's eyes looked just like Thanos in one of his fits when he lusts for violence and blood, and maybe, maybe that's why her father ordered her to make the witch their ally.
"What is your price?" The witch asked not even taking a second to think things through; truly, she was nothing but a pitiful child, a child that wouldn't survive being beside Thanos more than a day before she was killed, and by then not even her magic was going to help her. Nebula had to sigh through her nose, hating herself more than ever for what she was doing.
Personally, Nebula would have preferred to be away from all of this madness, away from Thanos, away from the war, and away from the Ancient One, that Nebula couldn't help but petty for the dark fate waiting for him in Thanos' delusional grip. Not for the first time, a spark of envy light inside Nebula as she remembered her sister Gamora and how she managed to escape Thanos' clutch while Nebula was still slaving away like a dog, trying to save herself every second. Another part, a small part inside Nebula's heart couldn't help but feel a little betrayed, betrayed with how her sister escaped and left her to rot away beside Thanos without even helping her or reaching out to her.
"It is but a simple price…" Nebula told the woman, her tongue getting thicker as she tried to banish the horror that would befall the Ancient One away from her mind. Nebula wondered if Thanos was going to be merciful enough to rip the star's heart and eat it out; Nebula desperately hoped for that, at least death would have been more merciful to the star than decades of torture and assault that would follow. Nebula could only before he too started breaking and losing his mind…
With that Nebula stated her price…
Dark, dark, dark, dark… everything was dark around here, no matter where Steve turned his sight to, everything was dark. There was not a source of light around here, not even a faint glow to guide Steve and tell him where he was, Steve was left alone with no one to save him as darkness took hold of him and started to surround him completely, leaving Steve helpless and alone.
Where was Tony? Where was Peter? Anyone? Steve was sure that he spent his day with Tony; he was sure he was beside Tony when everything turned dark, leaving Steve helpless and surprisingly scared. It was strange, so, so strange, Steve thought to himself as he raised his hands to balance him as he tried to navigate through the darkness.
The air was heavy, so heavy that Steve felt difficulty breathing; every breath he took, Steve felt like he was becoming more breathless like he was inhaling smoke and not the oxygen earth was famous for. A long, long time ago, when Steve was a star, when his body was made of gases and fire and killing gravity, he wouldn't have cared about the oxygen, he was a star, he wasn't required to breathe, breathing was for mortal beings, for weaker immortal beings, not for stars who were on top of the food chain in the chain of power struggle and backstabbers.
Thinking about smoke, finally made Steve realized that it was hot around him, the heat surrounded him was not that normal heat of feeling warmth, not even the normal heat of summer as it closed its claws; no, the heat surrounding Steve was the heat of a blazing fire, it was like someone had picked Steve up and through him back to the burning mansion, he managed to save Peter from, the burning mansion that was Tony, Peter, and the Avengers home…
I can feel the fear that you carry around…
A whispered breath of words was spoken in Steve's ears… no not ears, it was his mind; those words were resonating in his mind, causing Steve to freeze in his place, confusion painting his face as he looked around the place. "Who is there?" Steve called out, looking around the darkness hoping to find the person/thing/being who spoke to him.
Something starts glowing in the distance, and Steve's eyes widen in hope as he starts running toward the glow, hoping that he was going to find someone that would help him. When Steve reached the glow, he froze in his place when his eyes took the source of the enthralling light in front of him, it can't be… it was the Space Stone, glowing softly and guiding Steve. It made Steve give a confusing noise, hasn't Steve overcome the stone's power? Then how did the stone manage to trap him in this limbo?
Do not fear, my child, I mean no harm…
The stone glows brightly as it resonates those words in Steve's mind, causing the star's jaw to drop a little as he took in the stone that seemed to float in front of him… a child; the Space Stone called him its child, while it was true to some extent, the Infinity Stones never once communicate with those they considered their 'Children' the last time it happened was thousands of years ago when the Stones were hidden across the universe to stop them from falling in the wrong hands. "Why… why now?" Steve could only whisper shakily, forget about how or where he was, if the Space Stone was talking to him then something big was going to happen. Suddenly Steve started to hear them, millions upon millions of voices start whispering at once, leaving Steve breathless at the snips he heard.
I wish I could help you because…
What did you do?
I need you to find to him…
Steven, baby, you retained your glow… your heart; please be careful, he is after your heart…
Think!
… If I could…
The price is…
My Golden One…
He would die… there is only one way…
Please don't do this…
I… l-love you…three thousand…
You won't be…
The clash of metal against metal behind Steve made him turn around to see what was going on, only for Steve's breath to leave him and for his eyes to widen in shock and horror when his gaze fell upon the sight behind him. Asgard… Asgard was burning down; the sight in front of Steve made him stumble back, his eyes flying all over the place as he took the sight of the fire that burned Asgard, he took in the bodies strewed around the streets, both of those of Asgard and the one who attacked them.
The Chitauri… Thanos' armies were attacking Asgard… the sight in front of Steve made him sick, and sick to the bone he was, he never saw such a horrifying war, even with his three thousand years of life. In the distance, Steve's eyes spotted Thor, and he couldn't help but let out a choked gasp at how much the future king of Asgard changed. Gone the long hair Thor possessed, and in its place was a short hair drenched with the blood of the Chitauri he slew, gone Thor's right eye, and in its place a big slash informing Steve that the God had lost his sight… but what made Steve choke and swallow a whine was Thanos standing over Asgard, a mad grin panting his face as he saw the destruction and chaos he left in the home of the Gods.
"This is because of me… isn't it?" Steve asked, already knowing the answer because the evidence was right there in front of him, after all, why would Thor leave hastily to Asgard and leave Steve alone on Midgard? Thor probably thought that he was safe on Midgard away from Thanos, not realizing that he just put Midgard and everyone on it in grave danger…
Wave up!
Sweetheart, wake up!
I am sorry…
Wake up, Steve!
.
…
.
Steve gasped, his eyes flying open as he looked around the room in panic, it took Steve a few seconds before his eyes finally focused on the shadow that was on top of him, revealing that the person who was standing over him was Tony… Tony whose hand was hovering above Steve's shoulder, hesitating to touch him; it must have been a terrifying nightmare if the concerned and panic looks Tony was sending him was anything to go by.
"Hey there, sweetheart; you made me worry with all the screaming that went on here, bad dreams?" Tony's words were gentle as he finally put his hand on Steve's head, running his hand through Steve's blond hair, the action made Steve's lips wobbly, and he did nothing but shuffle until he managed to hide his head in Tony's lap. Steve doesn't want to talk about what he saw, he doesn't want to remember what his eyes seen, he doesn't even want to remember what he heard, especially when he heard Sara's voice whispering to him about him getting his glow back. It was something that Steve suspected for a month now, but hearing Sara confirm it made everything much worse, especially with Thanos on the loose.
"Am… fine… just nightmares…" Steve murmured in a muffled voice, trying to calm himself as his lover's hand ran through his hair, calming a part of Steve that he didn't know needed this. Slowly, it took only a few more minutes before Steve finally calmed down, the vision of the dark future going to the back of his mind as he focused his sense on his lover…
His lover, just saying this word made Steve's heart pound in his chest uncontrollably. It was over three months since the gala, three months after their night together, three monthw of the two of them decide that they will take the future one day at a time and enjoy being in each other's presence as lovers. Steve knew that this was foolish of him; to finally give in to the burning desire to be with Tony, his Anton, was only going to lead to pain and heartbreak. Pain and heartbreak that was not only from the thought of losing his lover but also from losing the little boy he started to consider as a son and the people he considered his friends and family. Unfortunately, Steve can't help himself, he can't stop himself from wanting Tony, and he decided that tasting what it meant to have a lover and family is way better than wishing and fantasying about them for the rest of eternity. The only thing that Steve hoped for was him being reborn as a mortal in his next life, a mortal who would have the chance to finally have the life he wanted with his Anton and their family.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Tony asked only to get a headshake and Steve burying his face deeper in Tony's thighs; Steve doesn't want to remember, he doesn't want to remember the cruel vision he had to see, he doesn't want that crazy nightmare to become real. It was only a few minutes later that the towers' alarms started shrieking causing both Steve and Tony to jump from the bed, Steve could only watch in fear as his mind remember the scary vision that he saw, as for Tony, it was only a few second later before he was fully clad in his armor. "Steve! Go and find Peter, Jarvis would lead you to a panic room, go now!" Tony's command broke Steve from his panic, causing him to gulp and jump off the bed running straight to Peter's room, being thankful that Tony and he wore pajamas to bed.
"Peter!" Steve called out when he reached Peter's room, letting out a relieved sigh when he found the boy awake on his bed and rubbing his eyes, no doubt he was awakened from his pleasant dreams by the dreaded sound of the alarms informing them of a security breach. "Come on, baby, we need to get out of here," Steve whispered gently as he went to pick Peter, holding the boy tightly in his arms as he rushed to the panic room Jarvis was leading him to.
"Wha… happen…" Peter mumbled, rubbing his face on Steve's shoulder trying to wipe the sleep away from his eyes, his arms holding tightly to Steve's neck as he looked around the place, snuggling into Steve's neck and letting out a whine when the alarms continued to blare loudly.
"Nothing, baby, everything is going to be fine; it's just Tony and the Avengers getting called," Steve stated calmly as he rushed to the panic room as fast as he can without running and waking Peter even more, it was a few seconds before Steve skid down the hall, his eyes widen when they fell on someone… actually, it was not someone per se, it wasn't even a person! It was… it was a raccoon; a raccoon with big guns but still a raccoon, a rabid raccoon that glared at Steve and pointed the guns his way.
"Guys I found him!" The raccoon called out in a snappish voice, growling at Steve who was trying to hide Peter away from the fire line, if Steve wasn't careful, Peter would get hurt, something that Steve wanted to avoid. Steve though, narrows his eyes a little, trying to remember where he saw that particular raccoon, he looked familiar somehow; the thing was, where did Steve see him?
It took only a few seconds before Steve remembered where he had seen that raccoon before, and when he did all the tension left his body and his lips twitched down. "Cool! Steve, look! A talking raccoon! Can I keep it?" Peter asked, his eyes sparkling as they fell on the raccoon holding a gun, ignoring the fact that they were the target of the raccoon with the gun… kids.
Of all the scary things Steve thought of while he was trying to save Peter's life, he never thought he would be the target of the laughing joke of the stars, the one who caused too many problems for the history writers by crashing their territories and mess with thousand years of history. "Move it, sweetheart, or I would shoot! Don't think I won't!" The raccoon growled at Steve, and the only thing Steve could do was twitching his eyebrow before frowning hard.
And here Steve thought that it was the Scarlet Witch or even one of Thanos' children. Steve doesn't know if he is disappointed or not, but at least he was given an out, a way to help to defeat the invaders of the tower. "Hey! No one calls Steve, sweetheart, other than Daddy! Take that back you dirty rodent!" Peter growled, tightening his arms possessively around Steve's neck which caused the star to smile at that, his heart fluttering in happiness at the protectiveness Peter showed.
It took a few minutes for the raccoon to place what Peter said in words he understood, and when he did, he snarled and start cussing and hissing and threatening; Steve on the other hand couldn't help how his face darken with rage, how could an uncultured rodent swear in front of a child? His child at that! "Enough!" Steve snarled as he took a step toward the rodent, his temper rising with anger as the rodent insulted his family; he would show that idiot what would happen when someone messes with his family. "You dare to insult my family and threaten me, not only that but you also dared to attack my home," Steve growled, putting Peter down and start walking toward the raccoon, he can feel the room getting brighter and brighter the angrier Steve became, and only now did Steve realize that it was him from the start; that Steve had finally retained back his divine glow after so long. "These crimes are punished by death; do you dare to deny them?" Steve hissed as he stood over the raccoon, taking a dark pleasure when he saw him shaking with his tail between his legs.
Even helpless like a human, people of any kind and species seemed to forget that even with a human body, Steve was not as helpless as he looked; after all, Steve was a divine being with his own rights, a divine being that held vast magic that seemed to return to him day after day in little amounts. A pure form of magic that was unreachable and unmatchable in any domain in the universe, magic made stronger and more powerful by the presence of the Space Stone. Before being a human, Steve was an entity who was worshiped and feared by all those in the universe, an entity if wanted, can burn everyone who dared to cross him
"I… I… fuck this, I am out!" The raccoon shrieked trying to turn around planning on running away, not that Steve gave the raccoon a chance because as soon as the rodent's back was to him, Steve made sure to pick him up by his jacket before he managed to run away. "Let me go! Let me go you crazy motherfucker!" The rodent snapped which caused Steve's anger to increase, especially when the raccoon continued to cuss in front of Peter.
"If you don't shut that trap of yours I will rip your tongue and feed it to you!" Steve snarled causing the raccoon to yelp in fear and click his mouth shut, looking at Steve with eyes that informed Steve about his succession in installing fear in the small rodent… Steve guessed he had to thank the stars' reputation of being the most violent bunch in the universe when crossed. A false adverting, but one that the stars enjoyed and craved because it gave them peace from many who dared to do something to them; stars by nature, are peaceful beings who loved helping, loved lightening the way for those who travel their domain, loved writing history and learning, they don't fight unless they had to.
"Way to go Steve!" Peter cheered happily, which caused Steve's lips to twitch up into a smile before he smoothed it down; of course, Peter would be like that, if he wasn't then he wouldn't have been Tony's son, like father like son it seems.
"Peter, sweetie, go and wait for me in Daddy's room, I will come to get you shortly." Steve smiled at the boy, shaking the raccoon in his hand harshly when the rodent tried to bite his hand; hearing those words made Peter pout and try to look at Steve with the most heartbreaking puppy eyes. "If you do, I will take you to the park tomorrow." That got Steve a grumble from Peter before the boy nodded his head and rushed toward his and Tony's room. Steve stayed until he made sure that Peter locked the door before he turned his gaze to the raccoon who gulped at his dark look. "So… where were we?" Steve hissed, tightening his hold on the raccoon before going to the elevator.
"Calm down a little! I am sure we can reach an agreement! Hey! Don't shake me, I will bite!" The raccoon hissed and growling only to let out a whimper when Steve looked at him harshly… it seemed that Steve's reputation of being the harshest and cruelest star there was precede him… a reputation Steve gained after being abandoned by his people.
Reaching the roof, Steve had to blink at the chaos he was seeing; part of Steve was irritated that he was interrupted from his calm life by the joke of the galaxy crashing into his life to kidnap him or something. They probably heard about a star landing on Midgard and decided to kidnap him to sell him for the highest bidder, just like they did the Power Stone. Unfortunately for them, they didn't know Steve all that well if they decided to come here unprepared. "Enough!" Steve snarled, letting his glowing increase in brightness which blinded everyone momently, causing them to cuss as they start rubbing their eyes, not even the highest and brightest technology managed to save their eyes from Steve's shine.
"Steve, why are you here?" Tony's metallic voice stated, and even with the voice modifier, Steve managed to detect the panicking tone taking hold of his lover's voice. It was a few seconds later that Tony stood in front of him, the missiles in his suit pointing at Gamora daughter of Thanos when the woman had the idea of rushing to capture Steve.
"I came here to see why the Joke and laughing stoke of the galaxy is trying to capture me!" Steve said in a snappish tone, sidestepping Tony and holding the raccoon in his hand toward his teammate, which made the four of them look at the rodent who was frozen in his place like a stone; they were probably wondering why the rodent was frozen in his place like an obedient kitten and not making a move. What Steve heard from passing, was that those guardians all had an unsavory temper, especially the small rodent in his hand, so it was no doubt shocking to his friends to see him that way. Unfortunately for them, they didn't account for Steve's explosive temper that he was famous for; a temper that even his caretaker stated would be the death of many who cross him.
"Actually… we are the Guardians of the Galaxy…" The man with the mask and goggles said, lowering his guns when Steve squeezed the rodent tightly that it gave a whimper; at the man's answer Steve's eyebrow gave a twitch and a growl left him.
"Did I ask you to correct me, foolish mortal?" Steve snapped, finally getting feed up and throw the raccoon at the man, causing him to falter to catch the raccoon who was too shocked to do anything. "Now, I am the one who is going to ask the questions here, and I advise you to answer them; it won't be smart gaining the ire of a star after invading their territory." Steve hissed his brightness and shining increased the angrier he became, which made the guardians shuffled before nodding their heads in fear…
This was going to be a long night…
What Steve learned from the guardians, made him wish that this was just a nightmare that he would wake up from soon. That all of this was just a nightmare that Steve's broken mind hallucinate. After the guardian introduced themselves, Peter Quill the leader told them why he was here; surprisingly he wasn't here to kidnap Steve and sell him to the highest bidder, but he was here because of Thor's request. Asgard… Asgard was falling… they were failing day after day against Thanos; day after day Thanos attacked Asgard more brutally than before, trying to obtain the right Infinity Gantlet they had.
Gamora told him that Asgard wouldn't stand a chance against Thanos any longer, that in a day or two, Asgard would be wiped completely from this realm; Thor seemed to know that, as well as his mother, which was why they came in contact with the guardians, in hope of the guardians being able to extract Steve from Midgard and hide him away. The two of them took that risky plan in hope of Thanos leaving Midgard alone after learning that the Ancient One was no longer in this realm, it would also give Midgard three months to prepare to evacuate earth if something went wrong.
Drax told him that Niflheim would welcome earth's survivers, just like they welcomed the women and children of Asgard, giving them a safe place to live in before Thanos attacked to destroy their home. He told him that the Bifrost could take all the survivers to Niflheim, but not all, even stated that he doubted that earth would survive Thanos' attack when he obtain the second Gauntlet.
Groot and Rocket stayed silent, letting the Avengers take in their words and come to the conclusion that suited them. Steve… Steve on the other hand could only bite his tongue as harsh as he can to stop himself from screaming and crying and cursing, he could only clutch his shaking hands tightly hoping that it won't give him away… it was true, the vision he saw was true, Asgard had failed, they had failed and now Thanos was going to come to Midgard; Thanos was going to come to Midgard and destroy the place that Steve loved and adored with all of his broken heart, Thanos was going to come and hurt his family, he was going to hurt his lover, he was going to come and hurt Peter.
Steve swallowed at the painful images of Peter and Tony getting hurt… Steve knew… he knew that if anything happened to Tony and Peter, he wouldn't survive this time, that his heart would completely break and all of his magic and shine was going to leave him for the rest of infinity. "Where are you planning on taking me?" Steve finally dared to ask, already steeling himself for what to come; Steve needed to ensure that his family, his lover, and the little boy he thought of as his son was going to survive.
"We thought… we thought about taking you Helheim… it is the only place that Thanos won't dare to cross." Gamora shuffled as she said those words; no doubt she was uncomfortable by saying these words, and why wouldn't she? Helheim was the realm of the dead and forgotten, the only place that Thanos hadn't dared to invade even with all of his power and might… after all, death is death, and people no matter who they were are always afraid of it. "Hela, the ruler of Hel agreed to give you a sanctuary, in exchange for Loki being cleared of all his crimes against Asgard." Steve could only nod his head at the words he heard but didn't manage to understand, the only thing Steve knew of was that he needed to leave Midgard.
"No!" Tony growled, coming to stand in front of Steve and glaring at Gamora as if daring her to continue with her words. "How do we know that this is not a trap? After all, isn't this woman Thanos' daughter? Who says she isn't working for him and trying to lore Steve toward Thanos?" Tony snapped, glaring daggers at the guardians, standing in front of Steve and hiding him from their eyes.
Steve's heart hurt at the thought of losing Tony, seeing him standing there in front of him, Steve could only remember the times that Tony was taking away from him constantly. Tony was a mortal, Tony was going to die sooner or later, leaving Steve alone once more; that was the truth that Steve lived with and would continue to live with for the rest of his life. The thing was Steve doesn't want to shorten Tony's lifespan more than he already did, if Thanos was after him, then he was after Midgard, and by default, he was after the Avengers, his family… Steve knew that Tony would do anything to protect him, even if he was stupid enough to sacrifice his life, something that Steve would never allow, especially when Tony had Peter to think of. "Tony…" Steve stood up, taking Tony's hand in his gently, tightening them on the gauntlet of Tony's suit.
"No… Steve, please, don't you remember what you said; together." Tony whispered, his unoccupied hand going to Steve's cheek caressing it softly, his eyes pleading with Steve, begging him not to go. "We said we would do this together, Steve, we can do it, please don't go." Tony tightened his hand on Steve's, his eyes pleading and pleading and Steve, Steve wanted to cry, he wanted to curse and weep and hide with Tony, Peter, and their family, but no, Steve was not going to risk their lives, not against Thanos.
"Not against Thanos… I can't risk all of Midgard against Thanos… if I don't leave, Peter would get hurt Tony, do you want that?" Steve saw the moment that Tony broke, he saw the moment that pain and realization crossed Tony's face and Steve… Steve never hated himself as much as he did at this moment.
"Steve…" Whatever Tony was about to say, he was cut by the alarms going off once again, causing everyone's eyes to widen and for Peggy and Bucky to bring their weapons out, pointing them at the Guardians. Everyone was probably thinking that the Guardians had crossed them and stabbed them in the back, but Jarvis's words made everyone freeze.
"Security Breach; The Scarlet Witch and unidentified accomplice have managed to get inside the Upper levels of the towers. ETA: 10 mi… ETA: One Minute…"
As soon as Jarvis finished, the door to the communal floor was blast opened and Wanda walked through them with a blood lust grin on her face; Steve's eyes could only widen, and his heart pounded in his chest, Steve could only thank his luck that he managed to convince Bruce to take Peter away from the tower to Pepper's apartment, because from the look of it, the tower was going to be destroyed as well, just like the mansion. "I found you…" The witch grinned as she tried to attack Tony, only for Natasha to try and shoot her.
Chaos broke once again, but this time it was between the Avengers and the Scarlet Witch; Steve could only watch in mute horror when the person behind Wanda came to light, taking their hood off to reveal Nebula, one of Thanos children… Thanos was here… Thanos knew Steve was here, he knew Steve was here and was planning on kidnapping him and hurting his family.
It went from Gamora pleading with her sister stop to Nebula accusing her sister of abandoning her in Thanos' clutch, and it ended with the two of them fighting like their lives depended on it, more with the intention to kill and not restrain, leaving Steve sick when he heard the sound of skin slapping skin, and bones breaking against harsh blows.
Steve though, could only shake Peter Quill's hand away when the man tried to drag him away from the communal floor that turned into a battleground; Steve doesn't want to leave, he doesn't want to leave Tony who seemed to be the Witch's only target, the witch who attacked to kill and torture, the witch who cussed and hissed and throw her magic left and right… her tainted magic that tried to latch into every being and break their minds with her torturous spells.
Before Wanda succeed in perfecting her spell to make the Avengers relife their worst nightmares, Steve manage to snap from his shock, pulling a sliver of the Space Stone's power, mixing the power of the stone with his pure magic before attacking the witch, throwing her away from the Avengers making her slam hard and dent the wall behind her. Taking this as his chance Steve purged all of her tainted magic away from the communal floor, clearing the air around them and the Avengers' minds at the same before they fall prey to her magic.
"You…" The witch hissed as she tried to stand up on her shaking legs, she growled and raised her hands to throw more of her tainted magic at him; it was only a few seconds later before the witch's eyes widen in mute horror, looking at her hands in shock before turning to Steve with rage clouding her eyes. "What did you do?" Snarled Wanda like a cornered beast, breathing hard as she tried to summon her magic once more but failed in doing so.
"I sealed your tainted magic away… you can no longer use magic or access it in any way there is…" Steve stated, his hands were shaking with how much magic he used; Steve may be a creature of magic, a divine being with his own right, but the thing was, with all of his power being divided into keeping him alive and in a physical body on Midgard, pulse trying to protect him from the Space Stone's influence, the magic Steve can use is very limited, and using too much would drain Steve faster, especially if he mixed the Infinity Stone power with his magic.
Wanda screamed in rage as she runs at him, trying to tackle him into the ground and beat him for what he did; fortunately for Steve, she didn't manage to reach him, especially when Tony raised one of his repulsors and fired, hitting the witch and slamming her into the floor which rends the witch unconscious. "Steve…" Tony's relieved look turned into one of horror, and when Steve turned behind him to see why he could only stumble back when he saw Nebula standing behind him, the guardians were unconscious but Gamora was the worse of them because of her broken legs and broken right arm.
"I am truly sorry; I am doing what I am ordered." Nebula whispered before her hand snapped forward, taking a grip of Steve's left arm, as much as Steve tried to push her away, his body refused to cooperate, fighting against him after he used nearly all of his saved magic to seal Wanda's tainted one.
"Steve!" Steve could only hear Tony's terrified scream of his name followed by the sound of the repulsors firing before Steve realized what Nebula did… she had activated a portal… as much as Steve wanted to know how she did that without the Space Stone or the Bifrost consent, Steve thinks he knew the answer, especially when he felt the Scarlet Witch's tainted magic coming from the portal… a bending spell that force the Bifrost to open without its guardian's consent…
Steve only hoped Tony wasn't stupid enough to follow him…
It was a few seconds before the last pull of the Bifrost subdues, and when it did, Steve found himself grunting when his body gave on him and left him kneeling on the blood-drinched ground. Raising his head at the silence that deafened him, Steve's heart stopped in his chest when he saw that he was in the middle of the battlefield, and not any battlefield, but the Asgardian's battlefield.
Steve can see the pale face on the Asgardians, and if Steve concentrated he was sure that the person who stared at him in mute horror as he whispered his name was no one but Thor. The sound of something recharging behind him and the sound of repulsors firing throwing Nebula away from him informed Steve that just as he feared, Tony was stupid enough to follow him into the battlefield.
"Steve!" Tony cried out as he pulled Steve from his kneeling position and holding him, causing Steve to swallow and for his lips to wobble; stupid Tony! Didn't he realize that he had endangered himself? That Thanos would kill him? That Peter would grow up without his father for the stupid stunt Tony pulled?
"Welcome, my Golden One…" A booming voice spoke, causing Steve to flinch and turn his gaze to the one who Steve dreaded coming across for the last millennium… Thanos… "I see that an insect had managed to come with you, Nebula," Thanos stated as he started walking toward Steve, which caused Steve's eyes to widen when he saw one of the infinity gauntlets on Thanos' left hand. The Space Stone gave a pulse that made Steve swallow when he finally noticed the three Infinity Stones in Thanos' possession.
"Stay back!" Tony snapped pushing Steve behind him as he raised his repulsors, ready to fire if Thanos came any closer to Steve than he already did; Steve's breath could only hitch in his chest when he noticed that everyone had finally snapped out of their shock, he noticed how Thor was slashing and hammering his way through the Chitauri, trying to reach Steve and Tony and fast as he can, but Steve knew… Steve knew that Thor won't arrive in time.
To Steve's surprise, Thanos stopped in his advance gazing at Tony up and down before his face darkened; Steve's breath nearly stopped at the furious gaze Thanos sends Tony. "So you are the one who dared to touch my bride," Thanos stated, his face getting darker with every word he spoke, and Steve couldn't help but expect the worse to come… Steve had to think of something, Steve had to find a way to save Tony. "It saddens me what I am about to do, Tony Stark, I thought you would have made a wonderful addition as one of my children, especially with us being cursed with knowledge… but you have touched my bride, unforgivable…" Thanos hissed as he took a step after step, the sound of clashing weapon, broken bones, and stabbed skin resume once more through the battlefield.
"Tony, please, run…" Steve plead, standing on his shaky legs as he tried to pull Tony away; Tony was not ready to fight Thanos, no matter how strong Tony think he was he would never reach the level of strength the Mad Titan possess, especially with him owning three Infinity Stones in his possession. Tony seemed unfazed by Steve's plea, unmoved; it was Tony who attacked first, blasting Thanos with missiles, trying to distract Thanos; before Steve managed to pull Tony away, Tony attacking Thanos relentlessly while kicking Thanos with his enhanced boosters before he could recover.
Tony doesn't seem to realize the grave danger he was in; Tony doesn't realize that the armor he was wearing gave him no protection, especially when it was an old technology in the eye of everyone standing here, an old technology that was easy to slice apart like butter. Steve was proven right when Thanos recovered quickly, touring off Iron Man's helmet with his bare hand and punched Tony to the ground. Steve wanted to scream at Tony to stop, to run away, Steve was about to run to Tony and stop Thanos from beating his lover, but was stopped by Nebula who restrained him, whispering sorry his ear as she forced Steve to gaze at Tony who was still dazed as Thanos stood above.
Steve screamed, trying to break Nebula's hold of him, trying to reach Tony to help him away, use anything even the last of his magic to transport Tony back to Midgard, back where Peter and the Avengers were. When a barely recovered Tony tried to stand on his legs once more, Thanos effortlessly took hold of him and flipped Tony onto his back, and began to brutally beat Tony down with his fists, breaking off more and more of his armor with each strike. Steve knew that Tony was helpless to resist, Steve knew that Tony would have lost if he faced Thanos, Steve knew that earth's villains are not like Thanosm, that compared to Thanos every villain Tony fought was nothing but a child… Steve knew this, and because of him getting involved with Tony, Thanos was targeting his love… Steve should have listened to Sara when she told him not to get involved in mortals affairs.
Thanos followed his beating with a point-blank blast with the Power Stone to Tony's abdomen, sending his lover flying across the battlefield and heavily damaging what's left of Tony's armor. "Tony! Please, run, please! You can't win Tony, please!" Steve screamed, he pleaded, he begged, and wished and tried to think of a way to save Tony. Tony, stupid idiot Tony, stupid noble Tony, even desperate and missing much of the upper half of his armor, Tony attempted to hold off Thanos with his repulsors but it was to no avail. Thanos closed in, and he began beating Tony once again, destroying what's left of the armor. "Please… please let me go, please if you are truly sorry, let me go…" Steve whispered, begging the woman holding him even when he couldn't take his eyes off of Tony who was attempting to defend himself with his bare hands, only for Thanos to grab and trap his left hand. "Please…" The last plea, Steve didn't know who he meant when he spoke it, only that he was begging anyone willing to hear him and save Tony.
Tony who in a last-ditch attempt to fight back, managed to grape a sword from the battleground before Thanos left him off with his hand, Tony could only slash and stab the sword wildly at Thanos. However, Thanos simply tore the sword from Tony's hand and ruthlessly stabbed his lover in the abdomen with it, ending the fight. It was then that Nebula let go of him, and Steve couldn't even do anything, he could only watch with wide eyes as his lover coughed blood, shaking in Thanos' hold…
Tony was… Tony was going to die; Tony was going to die in Thanos' hands… Tony, Tony, Tony, Tony, Tony! Steve's breath hitched as he stood on his shaky legs trying to support himself and rush to save his lover… please, not again, please don't let him die again; please I can't handle seeing him die again, not after I finally had him in my arms… Steve pleaded inside his mind, begging and begging whoever was listening to help Tony…
Think…
A voice whispered in Steve's ears, in Steve's mind, causing Steve to stop in his advance as his eyes widen and his breath hitch as he felt the Space Stone power surge inside of him…
He is going to die… think… what would you give in exchange for his life?
Whispered the voice, getting broken every now and then, chanting the word 'Think' over and over again, trying to guide him even when Steve felt like he was about to collapse because of the nightmare in front of him. Thanos held Tony's injured head in his hand, he was preparing to kill Tony… what would Steve do?
Think…
The voice whispered once more and Steve swallowed, his eyes narrowed and his posture filled with determination… he knew what to do… "Stop!" Steve's harsh voice resonate across the battlefield, the Space Stone gave him enough power to manage standing on his legs without shaking from how exhausted he was; Steve's order was met with Thanos narrowing his eyes, taking in Steve who was walking toward him. "You won." Steve gritted throw his teeth, ignoring Tony who was pleading with him to leave, to run, to go away from here. "Spear his life, and I will be your bride; he won't stand in your way anymore." Steve stopped in his place, a few feet away from Tony and Thanos, Steve desperately tried not to turn his eyes to Tony, he just continued glaring at Thanos, ordering him silently to let go of his lover.
Thanos gazed at Steve's face for a long time… a time Steve could have used to heal Tony from his injuries. "No tricks…" Thanos ended up saying before letting Tony go, causing Tony to drop on the ground harshly; the sight of his lover beaten and near death's doors broke what's left of Steve's heart, because this was his fault, if it wasn't for Steve, Tony would have been home right now. Tony would have been home surrounded by his family, his loved ones, and most importantly Peter, the small boy who was probably wondering where his Daddy was.
"We can leave after I heal him," Steve stated, kneeling down to heal Tony, only for Thanos' hand to clutch his shoulder tightly. "If he dies, you will lose your blessing and power," Steve stated with a dark smile, enjoying how Thanos' hand tightened over his shoulder before letting go; Thanos was so delusional, he was delusional to think that the day Steven refused to look at Thor was to bless him, he was so delusional to think that Steve was going to choose him when Tony was not a few feet away from him. But because of Thanos' delusions, Steve would be able to heal his lover before everything become worse.
Thor's voice was heard in the background, and Steve didn't have to turn around to see Nebula holding him off, preventing Thor from coming too close to Steve and Tony. "Steve…" Tony whispered, his voice full of pain and hurt, and Steve couldn't help but blame himself, this was all on him, Tony was hurt because of him…
"It is OK, Tony…" Steve whispered, putting his right hand on Tony's stab wound, pulling the Space Stone power, and tried to purify it with his magic, refusing for Tony to come close to the maddening power of one of the Infinity Stones. "Promise me you will return back to Midgard, Tony…" Steve whispered his lips wobbled when Tony shook his head. "Promise that you would take care of Peter and forget about your stupid quest of saving me. Promise me that you would forget about me…" The tears that left Tony's eyes, broke Steve even more, and Steve wondered how much Steve can handle before breaking off completely.
Think…
Think…
Think… Think… Think…
Think!
"Do you know what stars are good at, sweetheart?" Steve smiled tiredly before leaning down to kiss Tony's forehead whispering his blessing to his love, ignoring the Mad Titan who let out a raging shout and tried to pull Steve away from Tony… "We shine!" Steve snarled as he pushed Thanos away from Tony and jumping on him ignoring how the Titan rage as Steve concentrated hard, trying to reach his core… his magic, his real body, his divanity… and tug with all he had until he finally exposed his core and start to disintegrate it.
What Steve said to Tony was true… the only thing that Steve found stars good at was shining, and shining brightly Steve did… the brighter Steve shine the hotter his core becomes, and the hotter it became the unstable Steve felt… Steve's core was bubbling, sizing, exploding... Steve knew that no star dared to do what Steve was doing; shining brightly enough to burn everything in their path and increase the chance of his magic and core getting destroyed and dying in the process, a path Steve shouldn't have crossed until millions of years later.
Bright, bright, brighter… Steve made sure to shine as bright as he can, ignoring the shrieks and screams and cries of pain that was heard around him, ignoring how his core and magic was burning everything and anything that it came in contact with; only those who were blessed or had a lucky star watching over them would survive. Everyone closed their eyes tightly to protect themselves, trying to Shield their vision of the brightness that burned and burned.
Steve heard and felt Thanos thrash in pain, letting out a pained gasps as he tried to throw Steve away from him, but Steve held tightly to Thanos refusing to let him go. When Steve felt Thanos trying to reach for the power of the Infinity Stones, Steve reached out to the Space Stone, pulling the power to strengthen his core but also making it more unstable, more explosive… the first warning pulse Steve felt, made the star close his eyes and tighten his arms around Thanos' mid-section, growling as he finally managed to expose his core enough for it to burn everything in its way.
By the time Steve's core collapse on its own, nearly all of the Chitauri were already dead, even some of the ships had fallen from the sky and landed in the battlefield. Steve though, knew that this was not enough, especially when Thanos was still struggling weakly trying to heal himself using the Infinity Stones… Steve heard the sound of something breaking inside him, and he closed his eyes tightly, as he felt his physical original body exploding in a supernova way, followed by the core in this body that held Thanos, sending shockwaves around all of Asgard and its sky and the space surrounding Asgard's realm.
By the time Steve stopped shining, by the time his core lost all of his magic, by the time Steve felt like he was about to collapse any second… Thanos was finally dead, and what's left of his armies was destroyed, leaving only Steve and the Asgardian standing in the battlefield, cheering for their victory. Steve's lips wobbled for a second and his eyes were full of tears, but Steve swallowed as he turned to Tony… his beautiful lover was standing up, leaning heavily on Thor as he gazed at Steve with happiness and relief shining in his tired brown eyes.
"Steve…" Tony whispered happily, letting go of Thor and start wobbling toward him; Thor though, was looking at Steve with a knowing look. A look full disbelieve, hurt, and denial before he turned his eyes to the ground, giving Steve and Tony privacy they need. "Steve, sweetheart, let's go home, please, everyone is waiting for us… please…" Tony pleaded, taking step after step toward Steve.
Steve couldn't help the tears from falling this time, he can already feel himself slipping away from the living world; Steve, Steve was grateful that at least Tony was the last thing that he was going to see before leaving this world. "Tony… I… I am sorry…" Steve gave a wobbling smile, how funny it was, how funny it was that Steve pinned for centuries upon centuries, wishing to finally to be with Tony, his Anton… and just when Steve finally had the chance to be with the love of his life, it was snatched from him without his consent… it wasn't fair.
"Steve… what are you saying? Steve, let's go back home… S-Steve?" Tony whispered in a confused and horrified tone, extending his arm toward Steve as if trying to reach him, and Steve couldn't help but raise his hand to Tony, gazing at his arm in fascination when it disintegrates before him, turning into stardust at the slightest breeze…
"… I… l-love you…three thousand…" Steve whispered before swaying on his legs, the last trace of magic bending him to this body, finally left him, leaving Steve crumbling to the ground turning to stardust before he even landed on the floor underneath him, the last thing Steve heard before everything became dark was Tony's screams and cries of agony…
Steve only wished he had more time…
…One Year Later…
Tony grunt as he felt the last trace of sleep leaving him, throwing him once more into the living world, reminding Tony once more that he was alive to see a new day. Letting out a tired sigh, Tony wiped his face on his pillow, wondering to himself if he should get up and face the day head-on, or if he can stay in bed and sleep some more, probably sleep until Aunt Peggy or Pepper came knocking on his door. The grumbling whines Tony heard, made Tony open his eyes, and search the room with sleepy eyes, until his gaze finally landed on his eight years old baby, snuggling into Tony's chest while huffing and muttering sleepily. Tony could only gaze at his sleepy son, blinking his eyes a few more times before he looked at his digital clock, his face then became colder as his eyes fell on the date, Tony only shut his eyes tightly and pulled Peter in his embrace, snuggling tightly to his boy as he pulled the blanket over their heads, trying to cocoon them away from this awful day.
One year… that's how long since Steve died protecting Tony and Asgard. One year had passed since Steve sacrificed himself, and taking Thanos and his armies down. One year… since Tony saw Steve turn to dust in front of his eyes, unable to save Steve as he tried desperately to gather the shiny stardust that Steve left behind… one year since Thor brought a shell-shocked Tony back to earth, explaining everything that happened to the Avengers, getting nothing but tears and denial for the words he spoke… one year… one year, since Tony lost the love of his life, standing uselessly in his place as his lover was taken away from him. A year since Tony couldn't look at one of his Iron Man suits without feeling like a failure; a year since Tony left the Avengers because every time Tony don his suit he could only see Steve's face as he turned to dust…
A year pass, but the wound of losing Steve was still fresh on everyone's hearts…
"Good… morning…" Peter mumbled, letting out a yawn as he rubbed his face in Tony's shirt (A shirt that was originally Steve's) letting out another yawn as he pulled away, scrunching his nose at how dark everything was; the action made Tony's lips twitch up, and he couldn't help but lean down to kiss Peter's forehead, letting out a soft chuckle at the whine that left his baby.
"Good morning, sweetheart, ready for breakfast?" Tony asked even when he didn't want to leave his bed, even when he wanted to spend the rest of the day hiding away under his blanket, fantasying about a world where Steve didn't die and was with Tony and Peter when they wake up. "I am sure Aunt Peggy and Uncle Bucky already finished preparing the food," Tony said, finally gathering the courage needed to through the blanket away.
"Can I have blueberry pancakes?" Peter asked, raising his arms in demand of Tony to carry him, which Tony did, he leaned down and plucked his baby from the bed, letting out a happy sigh when his boy snuggled closer to him. A year ago, if Tony dared to carry Peter like this, his little boy would have chatted his ears off, talking about everything walking under the moon and sun, telling him about what happened in school or what was his plans for the day… ever since Steve died, his baby became too quiet, too shut down on himself, gazing at any door they came across as if he was waiting for Steve to open the door and come in.
"Good morning!" That was Pepper's cheerful voice when she finally noticed Tony and Peter, Tony can hear and see the strain in Pepper's eyes and tone as she tried to be cheerful as she greeted Tony, and Tony didn't have the heart not to return her greeting, especially when he saw how uncomfortable she was, playing the cheerful person role, trying to lighten everyone's day when the only thing everyone wanted was to hide in their rooms and wallow in self-pity.
Tony could only blink his eyes when he saw all of his friends sitting around the breakfast table, everyone seemed to be lost in their own world, even Thor was here, playing with his pop tarts more than taking a bite from them, it had been six months since the last time Tony saw Thor, six months since the God had holed himself in London with Jane, unable to stomach the thought of going back to Asgard ever since Steve's sacrifice. Tony just let a tired sigh, hugging Peter tightly as he seat on the chair with his baby in his lap, he could only lean on his son, hiding his face in his baby's neck, raising his face only when Peter, would pull away and try to shove a forkful of pancake in Tony's mouth.
"What a pitiful sight..." Someone hummed behind Tony, causing him to tense at the unfamiliar voice, Tony's eyes widen, even more, followed by the Avengers who jumped from their chairs, their eyes widen in confusion and fear, not knowing how this strange man managed to get inside and how Jarvis didn't blare the security alarms.
"Brother!" Thor cried out as he stood from his chair fast, sending his chair flying to the floor as he gazed at his 'Brother' with shocked eyes full of tears. "You are alive!" Thor took a shaky step toward his brother, and Tony stood up fast and hides Peter behind him, pushing him until Peter was hiding behind Bucky and Peggy.
"Yes, I am, no thanks to you brother." Thor's brother stated, which made the thunder God take a step back, hurt coloring his face as he gazed at what Tony was going to dub as Thor2. "Do not worry mortals; I am going to leave as soon as I pay my debts," Thor2 stated with a raised nose, gazing at them with a grimace on his face, which was kind of rude if Tony had to say anything. "I wonder what he saw in you…" Thor2 muttered, which made Tony growl, finally getting feed up with Thor's arrogant brother.
"Yo, Rock of Ages, I want to know why are in my house? It is rude to show up without an appointment." Tony asked with narrowed eyes, already feeling too tired to snap and exchange harsh barbs with the newcomer, Tony just wanted to go and hide in his room, until it was time to go and see Steve's grave (Tony and the Avengers managed to host a respectable funeral for Steve, burying what Tony managed to gather from the stardust Steve left behind him) and cry until his heart stopped hurting.
Thor2 just gave him a smug smile, which made Tony bristle like a wet cat, he was too tired for this shit, he was tired and hurt, and his heart felt like it was about to break once more, and Tony would not stand here and let this knock-off God try something. "My name is Loki of Asgard, and I came here to pay my debt for the Ancient one for saving my life." Hearing that title made Tony take a sharp breath, clenching his hands into tight fists as he tried to calm down, even after a year, that title still made Tony feel hurt and unbalanced
"If you have come to look for Steve, then don't, he is dead; now, I want you out of my house or else…" Tony hissed, already ordering Jarvis mentally to deploy one of the suits, if that Loki character wasn't leave his house in the next few seconds, Tony was going to throw him from the top of his tower and watch him become a splat on the sidewalk.
"Well, he isn't dead for long…" Loki said with a knowing smirk, causing Tony's fingers to twitch, fuck the suit; Tony was going to throw the God away using his bare hands. Just as Tony advanced on Loki, the man snapped his fingers and a green mist filled the kitchen.
It was a few minutes of coughing and hacking and for Jarvis to try and air the kitchen before Tony managed to look up, glaring with his teary eyes at Loki who was smirking mischievously. A groan behind Loki pulled Tony's attention from the God, and Tony's eyes couldn't help but widen in shock, this time the tears that clouded his eyes were not from the green mist, but because of the person who was leaning on the wall clutching his head in pain. "Steve!" Tony cried out, running toward Steve, hoping against hope that this was not a cruel dream he was seeing, that Steve was here with him.
"T… Tony?" Steve mumbled as he lowered his hand, opening his eyes and blinking them a few times before he stilled on Tony who was kneeling beside him, touching him everywhere he can just to confirm that he was real. "What… what happened?" Steve asked, only to get a lapful of a crying Tony who couldn't believe that Steve was in front of him after a year of seeing him die. The loud cry of 'Papa!' Made both Steve and Tony raise their heads, only to groan when Peter throw himself at Steve's arms. "Did you hit a growth spurt?" Steve asked in confusion as he took in Peter, probably wondering why Peter was bigger than he remembered him being, which made Tony laugh shakily.
"Loki!" Thor snarled as he took a threatening step toward his unfazed brother, which made Tony tense and stand in front of Steve protectively. "I swear on the Norns themselves that if this is another one of your mischievous tricks, I will throw you from the Bifrost bridge this time!" Thor growled his fists were clenched tightly and his eyes were alight with thunder, sparking and threatening as they took Loki in.
"If you were listening well, foolish brother of mine, you would have seen that this is not." Loki snarled, the smirk wiped from his face replaced with a dark look as he gazed at his brother for a few more seconds before turning to look at Tony, who was holding into Steve tightly afraid of letting him go least he was a mirage that would disappear. "I made a deal with Queen Hela of Hel, she agreed on releasing the Ancient One's soul, in for a price I will not disclose," Loki said, huffing and raising his nose at Thor who seemed to calm down and for his face to turn from that of angry person to a hopeful one. "The one you see in front of you is your Steve, the only thing that is different about him is that he is a full adult human with no magic or divine powers or immortality, considering that his original body was destroyed a year ago." Loki's words caused more tears to trickle down Tony's face, and he turned his sight to Steve only to see the hopeful and joyous look on the former star's face. "Have I paid my debts?" Loki's questioned was targeting Steve, Steve whose lips were wobbling as he tried to stop himself from sobbing; Steve seemed to only manage to give a nod, probably too worked up to say anything without him crying.
"That means…" Peggy's voice cracked as she trailed of when the situation finally made sense to them, it only took a few seconds before the Avengers ran to Steve, fighting between themselves to be the first to hold and hug him. Loki's shrieks made Tony raise his head from where he was trying to pull Steve away from Bucky who was about to strangle Steve for 'Doing something stupid and getting yourself killed, you punk!' and he had to laugh when he saw Thor hugging Loki and crying loudly, ignoring how Loki was cursing and trying to shake his brother's gripe so he can escape.
It was a few minutes before everyone finally let go of Steve and by then Tony finally pulled him from the robs he was wearing and kissed him harshly on the mouth, wanting to make sure that Steve was real, there was a time for gentleness, but later. "If you do this again, I would be the one who will kill you… I love you damn it, stop doing stupid things…" Tony stated with a strong voice that trailed into a choked whisper, his lips wobbled once more and Tony hated that he was going to cry for the third time that day because of the stupid martyr in front of him.
Steve's eyes only soften as he pulled Tony and Peter in his embrace, whispering 'Sorry' over and over again, mixed with 'I love you' and 'I missed you.' Tony could only shake as he held Steve and Peter tightly, trying to banish the horrifying thoughts of losing Steve again. Disbelieve finally made way for hope and happiness, the joy of having the love of his life back was exhilarating, this time Tony would do things differently, this time Tony would make sure to protect Steve from anything that would cross their way and he hoped that Steve wasn't stupid enough to try and play the martyr once more. His family happy chatting in the background, made Tony relaxes and lets out a relieved and happy laugh… Steve was back…
Tony and Steve ended up getting married the next day…
…The End…
And they live happily ever after…
So what do you think?
Was the ending rushed? Maybe…
Was I satisfied with it? I don't know, maybe not…
Am I relieved to finally end this story? Hell yes!
Believe me, this was the best ending I could have come up with, I really don't want to drag the story around and ruin it, by doing that.
As everyone knows, this story, the first part of my fairy tale story, if you have a fairy tale in mind and wanted me to write, or request me to write you a spine of the fairy tale you love just PM me, and I would answer…
Hope you enjoyed the story!
Read and Review
And tell me what you think…
Nazaki-Sama