Everlasting • Tony Stark✔️

50 | captain's advice

"ARE you sure you took this break for Tony?" Steve asked over the phone. "Every time I speak to you, you sound more tired than before."

Lyra stood on the broken balcony of Stark Towers as only a few weeks had passed since the Battle of New York. Tony and Pepper were inside, talking of the redesigning process since the Tower would need repairs. Lyra had been helping when she found herself growing tired. She did not want to sleep, so she called Steve.

"Lyra?"

"Huh?" she called, shaking her head as she bit the corner of her nail slowly. "Yeah, yeah, for Tony. I know he's shaken... we can hardly sleep."

Steve sighed. "And you? How are you feeling?"

"What is this? A shrink session? I'm fine, Steve," Lyra said softly.

"Well, then, why'd you call me?" Steve asked rhetorically. "You miss me? I don't buy it. You needed someone to talk to. I'm here, Lyra. I just need you to be honest."

Lyra smiled as she heard honks from down below from rushing cars. "For your information, I did happen to miss you... just a smidge."

She could hear him laugh on the other side of the phone.

"You're right," she whispered after a moment. "It's like every time I shut my eyes, I see the creatures attacking me—attacking all of you. I see Tony not falling back into our world. I see us losing. I hate it."

"Have you told Tony?" Steve asked.

"God no," she said. "I mean, not into depth. He knows I have nightmares. He has them, too—probably the same. We try not to bring them up. D-Do you have nightmares, Steve?"

Steve was silent for a moment. "I do. Not just about Loki's army. I went through World War II, Lyra. I had been in many battles before. Some I see Buck—see a friend dying. My best friend. It's like I have to relive it over and over again. I have to relive going into the ice..." he paused before coughing. "Yeah, Ly, I have nightmares."

"What do you do?" she asked brokenly.

"I try to remember that nothing I do will change the past. Nothing I do will take away the wins and losses. We just move on," he said. "So, I ask again: Are you taking this break for you or for Tony?"

"Can't it be both?" she asked with a laugh. "I just am not ready to fight again."

"Understandable," Steve replied. "Just remember you have friends. You have Tony. We're all ready to listen if you need to talk."

Lyra nodded even though he could not see her. "Thanks, Cap."

"No problem. Now, hurry along with that break. It'd be nice to see a familiar face around here," Steve stated.

"I will. Thank you again. Good night," she said softly.

"Good night," he replied before ending the call.

She took a shaky breath as she held the phone to her face. She thought about what Steve said, but it did not do much to ease her nerves. She still was nervous, but she assumed she would have to take what he said into consideration. After all, he had been through more battles than she could ever dream of.

A cough alerted her of Tony's presence as he slowly walked over to her. "Captain?" he asked, referring to her phone call.

She nodded, wiping at her eyes.

"Work?" he asked, hoping she did not have to leave.

She turned to face him, seeing his worn-out expression that physically hurt her. "No, I needed some advice. Steve is very optimistic, have you noticed?"

Tony snorted. "I hate it."

"I do, too," she said quickly before laughing, "but I guess optimism is needed every so often. Being a realist is exhausting."

Tony reached over and grabbed her hand. "Yeah, it is. Listen, construction is getting started here in a few days. Pepper has everything sorted. I figured you and I could go back to Malibu. Might be a good thing to get out of New York again."

She nodded. "Probably. Is Pepper coming back?"

"She has a company to run," Tony said knowingly. "Yeah, she's uh—she's very excited to have you back around. She wants you to go in with her and help in the company like old times."

"Seems years away since I have," Lyra muttered. "2008, Fury asked me to join. Now, it's soon to be 2013. Time... just moves, doesn't it?"

"Not a bad thing, is it?" Tony said, pulling her close. "I think you hurt Pepper's feelings though, calling Steve. She thinks she's been replaced by Barton and Rogers now. Why are the men infatuated with you? Why can't you be BFFs with Romanoff?"

Lyra snorted as she rested her forehead against his chest. "Romanoff is the most intimidating woman I've ever met."

"I could take her," Tony shrugged.

"Yeah, right," she whispered, leaning up to kiss his chin. "Did you see her a few weeks ago? Kicked ass."

"So did you," Tony said before his throat began to close. "Anyway, enough about that. We'll head out tomorrow. I have a lot I need to do. Starting with getting you a new suit calibrated to your bracelet since the other was fucking singed by lightning—thanks Thor."

Lyra smiled tightly. "A new suit?"

"We need to be protected."

"We need to rest."

"I–I can't just rest until I know we are protected," Tony promised. "Until I know you are protected."