Part 3

When Tony woke up the next morning his face was sticky with guilty tears and his eyes were red, and he could feel just how puffy they were.

That was why the first thing he did when he sat up from his awkward sleeping position was head to the shower. And he groaned all the way there, forcing his stiff muscles to work despite how much they protested. Once he turned on the water, he had lost track of time, but from what he assumed, he spent at least an hour in the steamy heaven until he was forced out by the soothing voice of JARVIS.

Although the soothing voice (informing him of one Natasha Romanof riding the elevator to his living room) did nothing to sooth his mild anger for being ripped out of his little heaven. So, rushing, he placed a white towel around his waist, and ran a hand through his wet locks before stepping in the living room. Placing a hand on his hip, he stared at the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent whom in turn stared back at him, taking in the sight of the dripping wet billionaire with a scowl on his face.

"What do you want Agent?" Her fingers twitched at the tone of his voice, and she brought her piercing dark eyes to his, scowling slightly. Her red locks had grown longer since they last met, which so happened to be about a month ago, when the Avengers Initiative had gotten together for a party. It was a monthly thing of theirs, and they all showed up whether they liked it or not. "Unless you're here to tell me someone died or that the world's in trouble, I want you to leave so I can go back to my shower."

Her face changed, the scowl dropping, replaced by an unreadable expression. Her eyes were different though – filled with surprise and slight accusation. He almost smirked. He was used to being accused of many things, after all.

"You haven't heard?" Natasha asked, her face finally settling on a distressed tone. "I thought Hill called you."

Tony felt the almost-smirk fall. "Heard what? Why are you here?"

"I came to check up on you because you weren't at the hospital."

Tony groaned, "God, I hate hospitals. Maybe that's why I didn't show up to your special little physicals."

Natasha pursed her lips. "It's not a physical this time Stark. Cap's in the hospital."

Tony let out a barking laugh, "Yeah right! Cap's probably fine."

"No, Stark. He's not." She growled, tapping her foot on the floor. "He's in the hospital for attempted suicide. He's in a coma right now. The doctors don't know if he'll make it."

He choked on a second wave of laughter, shaking his head in disbelief. Drops of water flew through the air from the motion, landing on the floor. "You're lying. You have to be."

Natasha gave him an almost pitying gaze. "I'm sorry Tony, I wish I was."

Tony froze.

Quite literally.

His smile fell, his muscles tightened up, and he stopped breathing for a moment. The world seemed to move around him in slow motion, and his face seemed to contort into a ridiculous mask of horror and humor.

It's funny how, when one was informed that someone was dying, it changed the person being told in a second.

And as Natasha Romanoff witnessed it first hand, to a colleague and friend, she knew that the image of a devastated Tony Stark would forever be seared into her mind.