Mr. Stark

Epilogue

Earth 615

Only the sniffle of Peter's tears was able to bring my mind back. I blinked slowly watching the little flower crown swim in the lake.

He would've hated it.

Made some funny joke about it. And I would've laughed.

Couple minutes must've gone by when I felt Steve's hand on my shoulder. "Lainey, you want to say something?" he whispered.

I shook my head. "Feel free to do it. It's your thing." He hesitated making me turn my head.

"I don't think I can this time." looking back to the lake I shrugged. Once everyone skedaddled, as he would've said, I managed to walk in. Hesitating only a little at the sight of Fury, but I didn't have the energy shoo him away. Whatever he may have done, he cared for Tony.

Steve was sat in our living room staring out the window with the stones in his bag. "Steve I love you, but I don't want to see those things ever again."

"I'm sorry." he sat up. He had a perplexed look on his face. Like he was almost sorry.

"What is it? Spit it out Rogers I want to be alone."

"What if you could do it all over again?" I frowned at him confused.

"I don't think my husband's funeral is a good time to ask me that."

"I'm sorry I-- I don't know what I was thinking." he shook his head before heading out the back door where Bucky and Sam were waiting.

"Steve." he turned slightly around. "I would've done it differently. I would've drove a knife so far deep Thanos soul even God wouldn't recognize him." He just looked at me. "It's not meant for me but I would find my happy ending. Fuck the universe and all."

There was a battle in his heart. I could see it.

"Look Steve, we both lost. But I also think Nat would want you to be happy." his eyes diverted back to me like he was just caught lying.

"Right. Nat." I watched him fidget in the small kitchen before he turned a final time back to me.

"See you in a minute Doctor."

"In a minute Cap."

Choices are a funny thing. They hurt. Break.

It felt like reliving it all over again. That moment when my breath stopped with his.

It hurt. It shouldn't have but it did. Like a stab of betrayal. He went back for her. Not his wife. But the random girl he kissed once a hundred years ago. I don't know why. But it did.

I rocked in his chair back and forth reading the names of all the books in his shelf. I recognized them all. We both sat here every night.

Fuck me for telling him to do it.

I should've kicked them all out and stayed forever in the little bubble we built. Just the two of us.

I frowned at a copy I didn't recognize. Sitting up I went to grab it. "Mobius." I whispered as my hand ran through the spine.

"Loading last sim, Mobius strip, factoring in with spectral decomp." I turned around as Friday opened the table projector. I didn't recognize what I was looking at as I neared the table.

"What is this?"

"Mr. Stark built many simulations of the time travel project. His last successful model was in the shape of a Mobius strip, inverted."

I spun the model around picking it apart. "What's this?" I asked taking one of the little particles that built the tunnel.

"Mr. Stark never specified." I narrowed my eyes at it, something nagging me about it.

"What does this look like to you?" I whispered.

"I do believe that is in the shape of a isosceles triangle."

"I know it was rhetorical." Taking a step back I clicked my fingers on the table looking at my reflection in the window. It was almost six in the morning. I couldn't sleep. Not tonight. Probably not for a long while. As I stared out where the sun was almost just peaking through my body shook. The shadow of a man sitting in Tony's chair made me almost scream. I turned around but there was no-one there. Only the Mobius strip staring back at me.

I turned back picking one triangle of it.

"It's a window."

Earth 616

It was almost six in the morning. I couldn't sleep. Not tonight. Probably not for a long while. As I stared out where the sun was almost just peaking through my body shook. The shadow of a woman standing in front of me almost made me jump. I turned my head but there was no-one there. Only the Mobius strip staring back at me.

I picked a triangle out of it.

"A window." whispered Tony.