"I love you."
"Huh?" Steve spun to look at Pepper, completely surprise at the words that had just left her mouth.
"Tony asked me to tell you that he loved you."
"But, he…he…"Steve's eyes began to sting.
"Yes he hurt you, yes he left all of us but he did it because he wants to protect us. Because he loves us." Pepper stared at Steve, watching him begin to break.
"I…I…"
"Steve." Pepper took a step forward. It was a mistake. Instantly she saw his eyes harden, his back straighten and his shoulders stiffen.
"And I love him. But that's not enough anymore." There was a flash of something in his blue depth, there for a second and gone just as fast. He stood to attention and turned his face away.
Steve Rodgers was gone, leaving Captain America in his place.
