Strength (A Steve Rogers Tony Stark Love Story)

He cleared his throat, people looking up at him waitng for him to say the perfect thing. They used to look up to him as Iron Man. The man who saved the world, the man who flew into outer space to stop an alien invasion. Now he was just a broken man. "Thank you all for coming..." His voice gravely and hoarse. He wavered for a moment peering at down to the fresh dirt where Pepper lay. Tony stopped. He couldnt. For the first time in his entire life, the great Tony Stark didn't know what to say. Not one clue. He ran his finger over the flask again. He couldn't contain his tears as his fingers ran over the engraving at the bottom of the flask; 

To cool the piping hot mess down a bit.

Love,

Pepper

Tony began to cry. Not the normal crying, he just... stood there. Frozen. Tears streaming down his face. He looked around the crowd of people. He caught Steve's eye once again. Steve had a warm look on his face as he nodded, Go on, Stark. Do this in honor of her. 

With that Tony continued his speech for the same reason he did anything and everything... for her. He had to show people he could be strong, that it would be okay even if he knew it wouldnt be. "I know I'm not the only one who feels a giant hole in their heart on this day. And I know I won't be the only one who will never forget that bright smile she always had on her face. Pepper..." Tony sighed heavily, looking at his dirtied shoes and as he looked up he smiled at the thought of her, she wouldve told him something about only being able to get out twelve percent of the speech or something... God he missed her. "Pepper was the most selfless person to ever come into my life. No matter what was going on with her, she would always be worrying about me. Tony be careful out there, she would always say that to me. Be careful. She was also the smartest and most responsible person I knew. I was to weak to handle a company that had my own name on it, so I just thrust it upon her with no warning. And she took it and ran with it. Stark Industries would be collecting cobwebs if not for her." Tony envisioned Peppers cute and confused expression as she sat on the couch, drinking champayne. He really mustve sounded crazy but he knew she was what was best for the company, for him. "Someone once told me that I was a man who had everything, and nothing. And he's right. Pepper was my everything. She made me a better man, a fuller man and now that she's gone, I have nothing." Tony sniffled and closed his eye seeing her beatiful face smiling at him. Letting one more tear flow down his un-shaven cheek, quick to wipe it away infront of the crowd. He wanted to say how much he loved her, how much he would miss her, or crack a joke to lighten the mood. He couldnt. He just... he couldnt even snark out one last comment. So with a rather unceremonious gesture he waved off the crowd, turning away to hide his face. 

People understood after a few moments, started slowly moving away, back to their lives, while Tony stood with his hands by his sides and unable to move. A fresh wave of grief hitting him hard. His legs felt like they had been bolted into the ground. Stones heavy in his chest because... Pepper. His Pepper was in a coffin, dead. Done. Killed. The one person he was living for was gone. The one person who gave a sh*t. He might as well be gone with her. Where was she now? Was she beyond the white pearly gates of heaven? Or had her heart stopped pumping and that was it? 

Tony was a scientist, a believer that the world was round, the sky was blue and the heavens were for people who needed the comfort. Pepper had believed. But now he found himself question- hoping his beliefs had been wrong and Pepper would be able to live a life full of fruit and green grass. Be able to still poke fun of him, watch over him, fulfill the life she had been meant to live with him. 

Tony tried his best to not cry, had been trying for the last five days to stop. Willing himself into a drunken state that the tears would stop falling but they never did. His eyes were sore and blood shot and people were leaving him standing alone in the cemetery beside her parents. Even when he had wanted her to become a Stark he would never put her through that hell of living eternally beside his father cause wasn't he a ray of sunshine. 

Grow up Tony, big boys don't cry. His fathers words ingrained in his mind. Stark men are supposed to be made of iron, Tony. 

The pain in his chest could only be compared to the pain he felt in that dark afghan cave so many years ago. A drill in his chest would have been a pleasure compared to the hacksaw ripping him apart piece by piece. 

The grave stone starring at him, stabbing him in the heart at the name he read. Virginia 'Pepper' Potts. A flood of memories pooling his mind. His first siting of dear Virginia storming into his office, pepper spray in hand warning off Tonys security while trying to point out a math mistake she had run across. Tony had asked her a few questions, grabbing the paper to affirm that yes once in his life he had made a mistake.  He had hired her to be his personal assistant not ten minutes later. And now she lay six feet under beside her parents. Tony couldn't help his eyes from wondering over to the new tomb stone beside her. No name, just waiting. Tonys. 

A hand settled on his shoulder yanking him from his reverie. He turned to face the hand, feeling for the first time how incredibly drunk he was. Stumbling back and pushing the hand off his shoulder coldly. "F*ck off Rogers." Tony slurred, swiping away his still wet eyes. 

Blue soft eyes watched him carefully as Tony stood ready for a fight, a comment, anything to take away the pain in his chest. Steve only watched Tony sway, a sad expression on his face.

"What are you looking at?!" Tony growled. 

"Are you okay?" Steves voice was calm, innocent and the last thing Tony needed right now. 

"Do I look okay, Steve?" Tony brushed by him, bumping shoulders as he did so, "Just... leave me alone." 

Tony hadn't even looked back at Steve, hadn't even bothered to listen for a reply, he just kept walking. He was in desperate need for a date with his Jack Daniels. 

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Hola readers!!! So its me (rdjforeva) and me (downeys) here writing a book about Stony. So uh I guess the only thing I know to say is how we started to put together this book. (rdjforeva point of view) So once upon a time I read my first fanfic called My Mysterious Man and fell completely in love with it. So being a total fangirl I offered downeys to help her with her chapters. Except I worded it in such a weird way that she thought I was starting to write my own fanfic. I said that I wasn't planning on it but I ended up doing so. Thats how All By Chance was born. So long story short she really liked my book and I really liked hers so we started to talk on instagram about each others book. We ended up talking on kik and now I actually consider her my insta bestie (idk how she feels tho). So we thought that if we put our heads together and wrote a book it would be super fun. And we decided that there isn't enough Stony fan fictions on wattpad so ya thats how we decided on this. Ok so ya thats my story! -rdjforeva

Hi Readers :) This is Kenna aka Downeys. And Oh my goodness, isnt she great ^^. Its true, we fan over each others books so much that we just had to do one together. And BTW totally shamelessly self promoting here but, you know, those books are pretty good ;) ;;;;;;;;) And seriosuly she has helped me with My Mysterious Man so much and when we chat and fan, it incourages me to keep writing. I dont know what Id do if I hadnt met my insta bestie (Ifeel the same ;) ). She's super awesome and please go give her book a read because its amazing and deserves all the reads in the world!! :) I really owe her for a lot more than I can say as I was going through some very hard times and then we started chatting and Ive been feeling much better and writing a ton more :)  All in all, rdjforeva is the best ever. 

I read that and that is sweet ^ ok imma update this or else we will keep going at it lol