ＳＬＡＴＥ ◼ STEVE ROGERS◼

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"Wrra!"

"You don't need to do that. Because uh... you're just holding position,"

Charlotte Watson looked up from the book that she had found lying around the Benatar, a small smile gracing her lips as she watched Tony teach Nebula the art of paper football.

"Hit it more straight on," Lottie called out to the blue woman, demonstrating with her own fingers in the air. "Promise you'll hit it a lot better."

Nebula nodded silently, following her instructions as she flicked the paper football through Tony's goal post.

"That's a goal, we're now one a piece," Tony shot a look over at Lottie. "Even if someone helped you cheat."

"Charlotte said it's not cheating," Nebula mumbled as Tony raised an eyebrow at her. "She called it 'using your resources'."

"Yeah...to cheat,"

Lottie gave out a low chuckle, shrugging her shoulders as she let Tony and nebula go back to their game. 

Bored of the book in front of her, Lottie placed it back on the chair as she got up, excusing herself from the room as she moved into the small bathroom aboard the ship. Her legs were wobbly as she moved, having to stop and lean against the wall a few times to catch her breath.

The futuristic ship had quite the odd bathroom, one that Lottie still wasn't used to after twenty two days aboard the ship, drifting through the galaxy.

Leaning down into the sink, Lottie splashed some of the water onto her face, trying to feel just the semblance of being clean. She peered up into the mirror before her, patting her face dry as a frown over took her lips.

Her cheeks were sunken in, cheekbones and jawline more prominent from the lack of weight on her face. Her fingers trailed over her skin, her arms almost looking like twigs. Her frown only deepened as she saw how...deathly she looked. In comparison, Tony looked way worse.

Food, water, and oxygen were sparse on Quill's old ship. Splitting the rations of food between three people wasn't easy, which is what resulted in the extreme loss of weight and energy.

"Wallowing in self pity?"

Lottie turned to see Tony leaning in the doorway of the bathroom. Her frown only deepened as she looked upon her best friend, seeing just how skinny and weak he had become. It broke her heart to pieces.

"Just washing my face, having a small semblance of normalcy," Lottie exited the room, resting against one of the ship walls as Tony leaned against the one opposite her. "What's our report on the oxygen levels?"

"...it's gonna run out tomorrow,"

Lottie looked down at her hands, tears pricking her eyes as she spun the diamond ring around her finger, trying to memorize the cool feel of the ring on her skin.

"What about flying time-"

"I took another look at the fuel cells earlier. We already reversed the ion charge to get that flight time, but now that it's out...there's nothing we can do, Khaleesi,"

With a small nod of her head, Lottie finally looked up at her best friend. A frown was present on his lips as he reached forward, pulling the woman into a hug. Lottie buried her head in Tony's bony chest, tears slipping down her cheeks as Tony held her tight.

"I just wish I could see him one last time," her voice came out in a whisper as she pulled back, wiping her tears as she looked up at Tony. "I wish I could see them all one more time."

"Me too," Tony muttered back, looking down at her. "I wish I could see Pepper just...one more time. For just one more second."

Lottie leaned up, placing a kiss on Tony's cheek as her bony hand grabbed his own bony hand.

"I'm glad I have you, T,"

"I'm glad I have you too, Khaleesi," Tony let go of her, backing away. "I'm gonna go get some rest. You?"

"Soon, I think I'm going to stay up just a little longer,"

Tony and Lottie parted ways, Tony off to the front of the ship to rest as Lottie entered the communal area once more.

Taking her book and placing it back on the shelf that she had found it on, Lottie turned to see nebula sitting at the table, staring down at the little paper football in her hands. She took a seat across from the blue woman, watching her.

"You ask a lot about Gamora," Nebula finally spoke, looking up at her. "Who is waiting for you?"

"My fiance," Lottie confided in the girl with a little smile. This was the first time she was truly opening up, really trying to get to know either her or Tony. "Known him since we were kids back in the early 1900s. Now were here. We've been through so much, knowing that he's back home not knowing where I am or...that he might not be there, it's hard. Just makes me want one more moment with him. One more I love you."

Nebula and Lottie sat in silence for a little bit after the small conversation. There were walls that Nebula had up, that much was clear to both Tony and Lottie. Neither of them wanted to push her too far, but they didn't want her to hold everything inside. She had lost that day, too.

The pair both rose from the table, walking toward the front of the ship where the wheel sat.

Tony laid on the floor, fast sleep with his broken Iron Man helmet tucked into his side. Lottie stood back with a frown on her lips as she watched Nebula pick Tony up, placing him in one of the seats to allow him to rest.

Lottie placed a hand on her shoulder as she walked past, giving her a nod as a thank you.

Placing herself into the second chair, Lottie tucked her legs up into her chest as she turned, resting her head against the back of the chair as she watched Tony's sleeping figure. 

Maybe it would be peaceful for them. Maybe it would just happen in their sleep, that they'd never know, and if someone ever found them Steve and Pepper would have the comfort of knowing that they went painless.

Closing her eyes, Lottie tried to get just an ounce of sleep, but it never got the chance to come. Both her and Tony shot up, eyes open as they shielded themselves from the bright light right outside of the front window of the ship.

The light died away just a bit, Lottie and Tony taking their hands away from their faces.

Their eyes widened at the sight of the woman floating outside the ship.

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Anyone else like jumping for joy because I KNOW I AM WOOOOOOOO