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He’d done it. Thanos was gone, turned to dust along with his army. Tony just needed to find something to lean against. Just to give him some support while he got his breath back.
Rhodey was the first one to come to him; because, no matter what, Rhodey would always be there for him. The look on his best friend’s face told him everything he needed to know, what he’d already suspected. There wasn’t any cutting the wire here, no miraculous tale of survival this time. This was it.
Then Peter was right there. Tony had seen him at the beginning of the battle, but it was so easy to lose track of someone in such chaotic conditions, and he’d had no idea until now if the kid was okay. “We won, Mr Stark,” Peter said, and he sounded so upset that Tony hated himself a bit in that moment. For being yet another father-figure Peter was being forced to say goodbye to.
Pepper. Pepper was here now, too. “Hey, Pep.” Her hand was on his chest, but he could only touch it with his left hand. The right side of his body didn’t want to cooperate, not that he could really feel it at all, now.
They’re all there. Rhodey. Pepper. Peter. Three of the most important people in the world to him. The only one missing is Morgan.
Not that he wants her anywhere near this hellhole of a battlefield, but he’s not going to get the chance to say goodbye to his daughter.
There are, of course, the recorded messages he left for her, for everyone, he made just before they attempted the time heist, but it’s not the same. It’s not enough. Nothing could ever be enough.
She’s far too young to have to say goodbye to her Daddy.
Fuck, Tony was 21 when Howard died, and he was too young then. Even considering the mixed feelings he had about the man. And Tony was pretty sure he’d done a better job with Morgan than Howard had with him.
What’s the afterlife like? If there even is one. But he’s seen enough weird shit since becoming Iron Man that it seems narrow-minded to discount it as a possibility. Maybe he should have asked Thor more questions about it when he had the chance.
If the common idea of there being a good and a bad place are right, he’ll just have to hope that he’s done enough good to make up for the weight of his past mistakes. Because if there is an afterlife, he wants to be able to see them all again there. It had better not be any time soon, though. Even if that meant he and Morgan probably would have no chance of recognising each other by then.
He’s just gonna have to trust that Pepper and Uncle Rhodey are going to be able to keep his memory alive for her. Even though she’s probably too young to have any memories of him that will keep. Stories about him will just have to be enough.
“We’re going to be okay. You can rest now,” Pepper said. Tony didn’t think he was going to have much say in the matter, though. He could feel things getting further and further away from him; even the pain was starting to fade away. He wanted to tell her he loved her, but the words just weren’t coming. He tried to stay, but the rising darkness claimed him.