Chapter Text
“You can’t be of any help to us,” he said to you as he looked away and pretended to turn back the project in front of him. “I’ve already given you way too much information and liberties. And, and don’t get me wrong - I appreciate it. You and FRIDAY have gotten me damn near through this entire ordeal, really.”
You stood there, blinking. Was he really saying what he was? Was he about to…
“You’re dismissed. I - I’m sorry.” You were crying. After everything? He was dismissing you? “Hey, hey.. Look, kid.” you glared, you hated when he called you that. “(Y/N). I can’t, no. I won’t. I won’t lose you because you have an affinity for helping others. You have friends, family, and you are the smartest female individual I think I’ve ever encountered..” He looked down, cursing himself for firing you. “Peter was loss enough. I couldn’t protect him, no matter how hard I tried. And the truth is, if it gets uglier — I can’t protect you, either. I can’t even protect my goddamn family.” He beat his hands down on the desk, now angry at himself. You looked at the ground. You felt as if you shouldn’t see him this way. “Peter was better off not knowing me and so are you. Please. Clean your room out and I’ll find you reassignment, I promise. Way above this pay grade.”
“I’m not a kid. I’m not the smartest female you’ve encountered - I was the smartest intern you ever had. And the smartest human ever met other than yourself and Banner. I’m not worried about my pay grade, though you could honestly afford to pay me more.” You saw his mouth curl into a small smirk, almost a laugh. “You are my family, Tony. And you’re right, about me and Peter.” He looked up, shocked and almost instantly hurt. “We were changed forever for knowing you. Changed for the better. But unlike Peter, I don’t need your permission to be apart of this. That is up to..”
“Who, exactly? Nick Fury?” he asked, wheeling his wheelchair over to you and looking up at you. Your eyes watered. You forgot. Fury was gone now, too. “Exactly. I’ve made my decision. I’ll send you your things. The car’s outside.”
You looked out the window, surprised your exit went from a gathering of things to a get the fuck out, your car’s outside. When you walked out, Pepper was in the doorway. She put something in your hand as you hugged and you pulled back, a chip.
“I know what you were to each other. It was more than I ever was to him.” She said, her eyes reddened and solemn.
“Pepper, I never —,” she cut you off.
“I know. And I know you never would have tried to.” She answered, “I know you love him, though. I promise, I still do, too. I didn’t ask for him to do this and I will take care of him.”
“I know.” You answered. “Thank you for everything.”
“Us girls have to stick together.” She smiled. “He’ll come around.”
Your relationship with Tony, to be clear, was never past friendship. Or was it? You never touched him, he would brush your hand from time to time. Before he left to fight Thanos he had a conversation with you about the logistics, the team he had set up. What you thought about Peter Parker being involved was a big one. You watched from the sideline as they rose and watched as they all fell. And all you could think of was how he kissed your forehead and held you. What was that? A last moment?
Nick Fury was like your father. But Tony Stark, well.. He was something else completely.
Tony was a middle aged man but not just. He was a billionaire. He was intelligent and he knew it. The kind of smart ass you hated but the kind of smart ass you were, as well. Confident, ballsy. And when you started to intern for him he dismissed you pretty fast to reboot wifi he didn’t need and keep you out of his hair. It’d been almost five years or more since you first stepped into this world. His world. You’d been raised for SHIELD your whole life but this, this was more than SHIELD. It was your life.
Now Tony returned, obviously something he thought or wasn’t sure of. He was fragile at best and angry. Very angry. Who wouldn’t be? You helped get him to speed, ease the pain. But when he decided to leave for the country you knew he’d cracked a bit. Still — You never thought this would happen on the day before his big move. You were supposed to be at dinner with them to celebrate.
And now? You were riding in a long, black car back to the compound.
“Wow,” Natasha said as she met you at the door. “He’s really trying to leave us behind, too, isn’t he?”
“I’m guessing so.” you answered. She tugged your arm, “Come on, let’s go work it out in the ring.” Kickboxing with Black Widow. That's a natural coping mechanism, right?
You were friends to them all. You were still a little shy around Cap and Banner but Tony managed to tease you enough into that frozen state. He didn’t help much. You were a big part of the brains. Everyone knew it. You were the other side to him that Pepper wasn’t. She was never jealous, almost as if she knew it was something that had just budded by accident. Yet, also, she knew that just because it had grown out of accident didn't mean it wasn't real. She got to be his wife, you got to see him in the office. Yet you saw more than just Iron Man. In the little moments, you saw his heart. The proof, as Pepper would say. She was his wife but in a way, you kind of were, too. Pepper and yourself were close as well. She had initially hired you for Tony’s right hand after she decided to take a step back. And, until you earned absolute trust, you worked with Pepper until Tony decided he needed your help. Or, as he would put it, you needed his help.
Life was hard after the war. With out half of the world, it was quiet. With out Tony and Barton, two that were alive but had gone off grid of the unit, it was even quieter. Natasha and yourself had almost bonded over that, quite easily. She was a very guarded woman and yet so were you, you both had plenty of time to talk and trouble shoot until the day Scott Lang showed back up.
You were in the office drinking coffee when Steve and Natasha were debriefing. There wasn’t much kept a secret to you. Aside from Danvers, Fury had taken a shine to you as an agent and then brain for the whole crew - not just Tony.
“You’re not… totally crazy.” You said as you walked in.
“Who are you?” Scott asked, looking at them.
“We met once, I’m um.. I’m (Y/N), Stark’s assistant.” you answered, sounding suddenly way less important.
“She’s brilliant. The lady version of Tony, if he were bearable.” Steve answered. You smiled a little. Maybe you were important. Your confidence had kind of gone off the other end for about five years now, that was a good boost.
“Then can you make it work? Do we really need Stark?” He asked, sitting up.
You looked over at Natasha. “I… I haven’t done much in a long time. I, I could try but I don’t think we’d have a chance in hell with out Stark. Maybe between Banner and I... But we'd be more guessing for awhile, I don't think that's quite solid enough. It could take us years. With Tony, Jesus. Between Tony and I it could take a night, maybe two at most."
“You have to be the one to go to him, he won’t listen to any of us.” Natasha said.
“Especially not me.” Steve agreed.
“I can’t.” you said simply. “I came here because he fired me, he… He would be pissed if he figured out I turned down where he referred me to work to come back here. He didn’t want me in any part of this after what happened to Peter.”
They were all quiet. You pulled out your phone and tapped it up, the screen moving in front of all of you and dialed Pepper.
“Well, well well.” She answered with a smile. You heard her voice and saw her face, a huge smile coming on to your face. But then you heard something, a little something. A little someone, ‘Mommy! I want to go in Daddy’s garage!’ And with a lift from Pepper, there she was. They had a child. And now you knew what the answer was going to be. You also felt the slightest bit of pang in your chest, the kind you felt when they had gotten married. But, again, you gave a smile.
“We may have figured a way to… Try and save everyone.” you said, chewing your lip. “But… We need Tony. I can’t figure it out completely with out him.”
“You know where we are. If you come, he’ll listen.” She smiled, “If you don’t, I don’t know how much — Tony!” He walked up, his eyes flashing to yours for the first time in years.
“I thought I told you not to get in any of this again.” He said simply, chewing on something nonchalantly - sans a smile. “Pepper, take Morgan to the other room, please. — I said, I would not lose you. You go scampering into things and you’re going to get yourself killed. Get the hell out of there. Now. End of discussion. Let them be the heroes, not you.” With a slap, the screen disappeared.
You had tears in your eyes as you came back to realize he had said all of it in front of everyone.
“I can’t go. But you guys have to try.” You said again, your throat feeling as though it was closing.
“And if he says no?” Steve Rogers asked, needing to know.
“Then we try anyway.” You answered, “Either way, we try.” Everyone felt the same. You could do at least that. “You guys go, I’ll call the other smarty pants.”
Natasha smiled tearfully, “Let’s go.” She said, looking at the other two men.
Steve patted his hand on your shoulder, rubbing it as he walked by to journey to Stark’s. As they got into the car, you sent the gps location. Steve tapped it in and they were off.
“End of discussion.” you scoffed, picking up your phone and calling Banner as you watched them drive out of the window.