The Flame (Avengers Fanfiction)

54-Heart of Glass

Vision's body was laying on the table, grey and lifeless. I didn't even know where to start. I sighed and walked over to a computer, my brain barely even working. I didn't sleep well last night, especially since I slept alone. Steve was off doing something else and he wasn't back this morning. I knew he's not cheating on me, but ever since my breakdown outside, he's been distant. You shouldn't have mentioned the past three years. You know how bad he felt about having you on the run.

"FRIDAY, pull up a 3-D scan of Vision, please." I tell the AI, trying to think of ways to fix this whole situation. I feel like Atlas in this situation, the whole weight of the world on my shoulders. I can't do anything but hold it up. I rub my temple, just trying to think.

"Yes Mrs Stark-Rogers." She responds and by the time I turn around, there's a scan of Vision hovering over his body. I pull away the first layer of his skin to see what's underneath it. I can't even think of any other way to power Vision without the mind stone. Breathe, don't get mad. Suddenly, my breakfast makes me sick and I have to run to the bathroom. I cover my mouth and manage to make it to the bathroom just in time. The door to the lab opens as I'm retching. You're a mess, Peyton Stark-Rogers, y'know that?

"Peyton, you okay?" Bruce calls out just as I flush the toilet. I stand up, using the spare toothbrush I now keep in this bathroom. I brush the taste of bile from my mouth. I walk out, wiping the water from my mouth. Bruce looks a little worried, but he understands. He doesn't mention the dark circles under my eyes, which I'm glad of. I looked fucked up.

"Yeah, kid's just being an asshole." I tell him, walking back over to the table, "I have no fucking idea where to start." Bruce chuckles, standing on the other side.

"Same here. I haven't done anything truly science related in maybe three years or so. I don't even know how we managed to do this in the first place." He responses and I chuckle, using the hologram to go down to the core of Vision.

"Last then we had Tony to yell at us the whole time." I tease and he nods. Absentmindedly, my hand rests on my stomach as I study the core, "Do we have a copy of Vision's mainframe stored anywhere?"

"FRIDAY, do we?" Bruce asks as I wait in anticipation. She takes her sweet time in answering.

"I will check the archives."

-

Steve Rogers felt like shit.

For three years, he had kept his wife-his beautiful, smart, amazing wife-from her brother. Peyton's sobs that night had opened his eyes. Clint and Scott both took plea deals, so Peyton could have done the same. She could have been with her brother this whole time. Peyton could've wrote him like she wrote Tony. It would've been okay, they would've been okay.

Steve forced himself to run around the compound faster, trying to punish himself. Peyton had hidden her feelings about missing her brother while they were hiding and he felt like shit that she felt like she had to do that. What kind of husband was he?

He didn't sleep in their bed last night. He just couldn't. Steve couldn't lay beside his wife knowing that he had given her a shitty life these past three years. Peyton had broken down after the snap and that day outside, but that had been it. Neither of them have discussed their feelings. Idiotically, they just bundled them up and stuffed them deep down. Steve missed his two closest friends (other than his wife and Natasha). He was sure Peyton knew that he was hurting, but she didn't push him.

And now, they were going to fall apart.

Steve slowed to a stop, trying to catch his breath. It was going to be another night of sleeping apart. He just needed to think, needed to cope. The Captain didn't want to to vent to his wife now. She was trying to fix this mess, trying to bring her brother and everyone else back.  Steve sighed and forced himself to keep running.