Walking out of the room you could hear him sigh loudly before calling your name, but you don't respond. Instead, you keep walking, refusing to turn back.
Tony wasn't always the most willing to convince, hell, the idea of you going on a solo mission was almost a no go zone to him. You decided to sit him down alone in hope of convincing him you'll be fine. But you knew better than to expect him to be that reasonable.
He stood up quickly in protest as he listed a series of outcomes that might happen to you- most involving death.
For a while, you and Tony had unspoken feelings, ones you hadn't quite figured out how to approach or even address in a conversation. But times like these you knew he wasn't saying these things as a friend looking out for another. No, Tony was saying these things as he was afraid to lose you. And that idea, the concept of someone being afraid of you vanishing was terrifying.
Never before had someone subconsciously cared like Tony does. He would always check on you after missions together, after Ultron he barely left your side as you recovered. Tony would train with you and help you learn new skills whenever possible. He loved to see you grow and advance in his technology and smile when you would laugh. Your laugh is euphoric to him.
However, his care for you can be irritating, especially when it concerns your stubbornness. He was strongly advising against you going on the mission, only making you want it more.
"Y/n! Come back here." He yells from his door as you continue to walk down the corridor, passing Steve who raises an eyebrow in confusion as Tony slams his door shut.
Slowing down to walk alongside you Steve glances back to Tony's room. "What's his problem?" Steve questions and you simply shrug your shoulders.
"Must've said something he wasn't so keen on." You suggest, not wanting to admit the truth. You hurt his feelings, you know how much he cares and you're throwing it back in his face just to prove a point.
At some point Steve must've wandered off elsewhere in the compound, leaving you alone wrapped up in your thoughts about this mission. You began to question if it'd be worth it, that the pain in Tony's expression before is too real to not give in to.
"No." You mutter under your breath as you walk straight towards your suite, preparing the last of your things before heading to a briefing with Fury.
*
Walking around the grounds you keep your gun close to your chest, refusing to let it slip elsewhere. You turn your head, looking down one of the many alleyways you've come across, but once again it's empty.
You let out a small sigh, seeing your breath float in the freezing conditions, but that is the least of your issues.
Fury chose you to find three hostages. Three very important figures who once worked for SHIELD. You knew of them as the traitors who stole a lot of information, including confidential details about you.
When the idea was pitched to you of bringing them in to interrogate you agreed instantly, not thinking ahead about what this actually meant.
These three men knew you inside and out, almost better than you knew yourself. They had the perfect means to defeat you, weaken you at the least. But that wasn't stopping you, all you wanted was for these men to be back at the base and not here where their knowledge can be used against all of you.
"See anything Agent?" Fury calls in and you turn your head as a sound causes you to stand up straight.
"Not yet." You mumble as you pick up the pace, heading further down towards a long corridor. "Wait," Heading towards the sound of screams you position yourself by the door. "am I good to go in?"
"Now agent!" Fury yells and you kick the door down, pointing your gun at the man guarding the three figures, shooting him without thinking.
Everything happens so fast, in an instant.
You throw a knife behind you, hearing a series of men coming towards the room at the sound of the fire. Suddenly you're outnumbered before a series of men who've studied you carefully.
"Come on boys," You twirl a knife in your fingers as a smirk plays on your lips. "how's this fair on you?"
Before they have a chance to respond you work your way through them faster than they realise. With a small knife sliding from your boot you stab one in the neck whilst another holds you down, releasing you as you break his wrist.
Sighing loudly you brush your hair out of your face, smiling at the three hostages who stare at you with wide eyes. Around you lies all the men they believed would defeat you. "Never underestimate the power of the Swan, gentlemen." You salute them before calling in Fury.
"Fury? Yeah, we've got the-"
The last thing you saw was flames as you were thrown off of your feet, flying in the air surrounded by debris. The sound of ringing was deafening as your eyes were too heavy to keep open despite the protests from the voice in your ears. "Don't you dare Agent, don't you dare!"
But you couldn't help it, you let your eyes close, giving in after all.
*
"She's where?" You heard him yell and the sound of hurried footsteps nears your room.
"What are you playing at?" He asks you stubbornly whilst you struggle to keep your eyes open. "If anything happened to you," He trails off, unable to finish the sentence.
You open your mouth to speak, but no words come as your throat remains dry.
It'd been a couple of days since you returned from your mission early. No one knew about your early return due to the severe condition you were in. The less attention that surrounded you the better, especially after that kind of incident.
It was something you should've noticed sooner, even in your sleep you criticised yourself for not seeing the bomb strapped to one of the guards as his lifeless body was on the ground. How you weren't dead was unknown, but you only just escaped that fate, just.
Glancing down you see Tony's shaking hand rest on top of yours lightly. You can barely feel anything as you remain hooked on all kinds of painkillers, but you can feel the softness of his skin against the bruised and torn flesh on yours.
"I, I," You begin to force the words out but Tony shushes you, reaching up and brushing your hair back. "I'm okay." The words leave your lips just about coherent enough for Tony to understand.
A smile rises on his face in relief as he shuffles forward in the small chair. "You better be and all. I can't go losing you, Y/n."
'You won't ever lose me' you think to yourself, wishing he could hear you say it aloud. But that is the sort of thing he'll just have to wait for, just a bit longer and then he'll finally hear the response he's been longing for; that you love him too.
