Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.

Challenges listed at the bottom.

Word Count: 398

Goodbye

Tony couldn't help but compare the compound to the way it had been before. Before and after.

Before and after could count for a lot of things, but this time, he's thinking about before and after the team imploded on itself.

Before and after Steve had broken his heart, in every sense.

Tony rubbed a hand over his face, wincing when he caught one of the remaining cuts on his cheek. He'd only been released from the hospital that morning; Pepper wasn't pleased with his decision to return to the compound so soon but Tony knew he had too.

One last time.

He still couldn't quite fathom the level of betrayal he felt. That Steve could keep something so horrible a secret from him hurt him in ways he'd never been hurt before; and in all honesty, Tony hadn't realised that was possible.

Tony walked back to the foyer and pulled his phone from his pocket.

"Tony?" Pepper answered, on the second ring. She'd clearly been waiting for him.

"Hey Pep," Tony murmured. "I… sell it."

"You're sure?"

"I'm sure. Sell it; give the UN first refusal. I'm done here."

…

"You sold the compound," Steve said, leaning against the balcony.

The debrief from the Thanos disaster at the UN had taken a break, and Tony had tried to escape Steve. Clearly it hadn't worked, since the man had made a beeline after him at the first opportunity.

Tony nodded silently, because what could he say? He had sold the compound, at the first opportunity he had.

"The UN, they said we can move back in. They kept it for the Avengers Initiative."

Tony nodded again, because he knew that. He hadn't been back since he'd told Pepper to sell it, but he'd been kept updated on the progress of the initiative. While Tony was no longer an active Avenger, he was still kept on as a consultant.

A real one this time.

He only got called in when it was actually necessary for him to be there. Like it had been this time.

"Say something," Steve murmured, and there was a desperation in his tone that Tony wasn't sure what to do with.

Tony glanced at him, and then sighed. "What do you want me to say?"

"Anything you want to say."

Tony tapped his hand on the railing of the balcony and stepped back. "Goodbye, Steve."

Written for:

Auction: Day 7, Auction 3: Angst — Character A discovers a horrid secret Character B tried to hide.

Insane: 6. Compare