Cruel Summer

The Funeral and Then Some

Tony's funeral was beautiful and it shouldn't have been.

Not because he did deserve a beautiful funeral but because it was too soon for his funeral.

"I'm so sorry," I told Pepper. Tears had stained her face but a small smile spread across her lips when she saw me.

"He always talked about how he wanted to apologize to you," she told me. "He never meant to get you caught in the situation with HYDRA and your parents."

"I know he didn't but when I blamed him for it... well it just felt like the right thing to do," I said slowly. "If I could go back I would take it back immediately."

"I think he knew that," she assured me.

"I wish he wouldn't have done it," I said with a sigh as I looked out over the small lake. "I had planned on it being me but Tony... well he always had to be the hero at the end of the day."

"After you told him that you were a Boyle and what your parents had done to you it broke him," she told me. I turned back towards her. "He blamed himself and lost many nights of sleep over it."

"Thank you so much for inviting me," I said to Pepper. "If you ever need anything I'm only a call away."

"Thank you," she said pursing her lips into a small smile.

I nodded and walked towards Wanda and Clint. Clint's eyes met mine but they quickly turned towards the still water. I wrapped my arm around Wanda and pulled her close to me.

"So what happened between you and Nat while I was off doing... work?" Clint asked softly. The color dropped from my face as I felt Wanda's eyes on me.

"I'm sorry?" I said swallowing a lump in my throat.

"She just... mentioned you a lot before... well you know," he told me. His eyes still hadn't left the water.

"We were just friends," I assured him, hiding the truth a little.

"Didn't seem like it," he muttered between small coughs.

"I don't know what you're doing," I told him harshly. "But this is not the time or place to do it. Do not make this day worse than it already is."

"I was just asking a simple question," he told me.

"I believe you have secrets of your own Barten," I spat at him. "I wouldn't go around sticking your nose in situations that you don't understand."

I grabbed Wanda's hand and pulled her away from him. We walked back to the car in uncomfortable silence.

"Did something happen between you and Nat?" she asked when I closed my door.

"We grew close after everything," I whispered. "And she made an incorrect assumption about me, but I promise we worked it out. It was one time and one time only."

She nodded her head a little before putting the keys in the ignition.

"We need to go somewhere," she told me as she pulled away from the sad site.

                                                                           ꧁✿🌸╭⊱ ⊱╮🌸✿꧂

We pulled up outside of the Sword complex and Wanda quickly got out.

"What are we doing here?" I asked jogging to check up on her.

"I heard an old friend was here," she muttered.

She marched straight through the front doors and to the front desk. The receptionist jumped a little when he saw us.

"Hi what can-" he started to say.