The sound of clanging metal filled the room, as tony smashed his hammer down onto the leg of his suit, quite aggressively.
Tony was worried. Steve had been sent on a mission to track the Winter Soldier. Natasha went with him, but Fury was very specific.
Steve had to kill the Winter Soldier. His old best friend.
They all knew it wasn't Bucky. Bucky was gone. He was brainwashed by HYDRA and was basically a super soldier gone wrong. A kill machine. Now they both knew this, but Tony knew that Steve still thought of it as his best friend, Bucky Barnes.
Tony knew Steve couldn't kill Bucky, but someone had to. Natasha went with him on the mission, and it was either they failed or Bucky was dead by the end of this.
The door to the lab opened, and Tony spun around, hammer and screwdriver in hand. Steve was in the doorway, clinging onto his shield with such force Tony was worried it would break. Steve's other hand was gripped tightly to the wall, digging into the drywall, causing it to crumble, leaving a pile of debris on the floor underneath it. Tony dropped the tools, letting them fall onto the table as he stepped closer, hesitantly.
"Steve, are you ok?" Tony asked, knowing the answer already.
"I-I..." Steve dropped the shield, the metal making a crash as it came in contact with the hard cement floor. Tony was by the soldiers side instantly, holding his now empty hands.
"Stevie, what happened." Tony asked firmly, guiding Steve away from the doorway slowly. The automatic door slid closed behind them.
"N-Natasha...s-she...I-I couldn't..." Steve's words were slurred, and he stuttered on almost every letter.
Tony knew the situation, Steve's broken words the final piece of the puzzle. Steve's legs gave way, and he crumpled to the floor, body racked with sobs. Tony fell with him, holding the larger man up by the shoulders.
"Hey, Hey, look at me." Tony said, and Steve looked up, gasping for air. His cheeks were wet, hot tear tracks marking his flushed cheeks. Eyes already red and puffy, filled with pain and suffering. The look in his eyes some was enough to make Tony's heart shatter.
"I'm so sorry." Tony said, embracing Steve.
The super soldier clung to his boyfriend, his fingernails digging into Tony's back so hard it must've hurt, but not a sound of complaint came out of the billionaires mouth as Steve held him tightly against his chest, sobbing into the top of his head.
"H-He, he's dead." Steve choked out, sobbing harder.
"I know, I'm so sorry Steve, I'm so sorry." Tony repeated over and over again.
"Don't leave me, please, I need you Tony baby." Steve whispered, voice cracking as he held back his violent sobs.
"I won't, I won't ever leave you Stevie, I love you, I'm so sorry." Tony replied, snuggling into the pained soldier. Steve began to cry again, clinging onto Tony because the smaller man was the last thing keeping him from falling over the edge.
"Do you want to hold a ceremony? Or something, just us?" Tony suggested, and Steve nodded stiffly.
"He loved balloons." Steve whispered.
"Balloon release, we'll do a balloon release for him." Tony said, squeezing Steve reassuringly.
Steve spent the rest of the night sobbing into Tony's body, clinging to him until the early morning hours. Tony's shirt was soaked from Steve's hot tears, but Tony didn't complain. Tony stayed with him all night, letting Steve cry. The two of them didn't speak, Tony just rubbed soothing patterns into Steve's skin as the super soldier let out all his pain, his emotions, his suffering. Steve let out everything without words, Tony understanding every piece of it.
When Steve's violent sobs decreased into soft whimpers, Tony loosened his grip around Steve. The large man's head lifted, his eyes swollen and his face flushed. Steve dug his hand into Tony's arm, panicking at the thought of Tony leaving.
"Hey, it's okay, I'm still here. I'm not going anywhere." Tony said reassuringly. Tony's lips met Steve's. The super soldiers lips were dry and chapped from the hours of crying, but neither cared. The salty tears from Steve's eyes mixed into the kiss, making Steve whimper softly when Tony pulled away, only to gather the super soldier in his arms once again, embracing him as Steve's cries started up again.
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Steve held Tony's hand tightly, clinging to the bundle of strings in between them. They were all tied to black and red balloons, small hearts written in silver marker on each balloon.
Steve sniffled, and Tony squeezed his hand.
"Ready?" Tony said, and Steve nodded. They let go of the balloons, releasing them into the air. They floated off in every direction, fading into the clouds above.
"Thank you Tony, I don't know what I would've done without you here." Steve choked out, and Tony kissed him softly.
"I know how much you cared about him." Tony whispered into Steve's ear when they pulled away, making small tears spill from Steve's eyes. Steve could only nod, unable to form words of gratitude towards his boyfriend.
"He's happy now, free." Tony said.
Steve knew Tony meant he was free from the brainwash, free from all the pain, all the torture and suffering he went through. He was finally going to be okay. But Steve wasn't. Steve just lost the only thing he had left from his life in the forties, his best friend, his companion. Steve lost a part of himself.
But he had Tony. Tony was there to help Steve pick up all the pieces of his shattered and broken heart and put them back together. Form the beautiful person that was Steve again. Steve needed time, and Tony knew that, but the genius was determined not to let Steve fall, and to catch him if he did. Tony would be there for Steve. No matter what
And that was enough for a lifetime.
