THE DEATH SEASON ▹ final avengers ✓

24 | the final goodbye

"I'm going back, you know." Lisa breaks the silence, soft and careful like she knows she's starting a fight without even meaning to, "I have to go back."

Panic and disbelief takes over Tony's features, leaving him speechless for a long moment.

She really is one of the only people who could ever leave him speechless.

"Whoa, whoa, wait." He shakes his head slowly, somewhat frantically, "Wait, just-, Lees, I know what you're thinking, alright? I always do, but this isn't like-,"

"Do you?" Lisa sharply whispers, her expression flinching just slightly - like she's scared of something, like she knows something he doesn't, "Do you really know what I'm thinking?"

He pauses, searching her broken expression, knowing that expression by now, knowing that she's seen something, fear building a home in his stomach, "What are you thinking, Smalls?"

She coughs out a scoff, eyes scouring the bookshelf behind him as she shakes her head, "I'm thinking this isn't real."

Tony's expression breaks, but he says nothing, letting her have her say, letting her speak.

"This life we've been living, it's not real." Her warm blue eyes fill with tears and her voice catches in her throat, "Not fully. Everybody wants to pretend that we're whole, but we're not."

Setting his mug down, he steps towards her, "Smalls..."

"You've always been a futurist, Dad, and I adore you for it. Maria, Morgan, Kiwi, they're all meant for the future, but I can't stop looking over my shoulder to..." She trips and stumbles over her words, "To who... to who we left behind."

"I saw his picture tonight. The one by the sink." The Stark clenches his jaw, swallows hard, "That's why..."

Lisa finally meets his eyes, hands and voice shaking, "We need them back. Together."

"I want them back too..." Tony lets his head fall to the side, taking her scarred and tattooed hands, "But you gotta stay here. Just let me go, Baby, let me go it alone."

Lisa just laughs, "When have I ever done that?"

Tony doesn't respond. How can he?

"I heard you that night, you know." He snaps back to look at her and his head tilts in confusion, "I know what I have to do. And I know... in my heart that it's right." His eyes flash in remembrance and hers fill with tears, "But even now that I know, I have this feeling... this feeling that I'm going to lose either way."

Tony slowly nods, walking towards her and quickly wrapping her in his arms, the only place where he's certain she's safe. She sucks in a harsh breath, pushing her face into his shoulder. She shudders against him, squeezing her eyes shut. Even now that she's all grown up, even now that she's no longer a little girl, she's still that kid who would run straight into danger if it meant being by his side. When he pulls back, Tony looks into those warm blue eyes, a promise on his mind, a promise he shouldn't even hope to fulfill.

"You trust me, right?"

Lisa rolls her eyes, "Dad,"

"Do you trust me?" His grip tightens on her hands.

She nods, "Of course."

"You know that I'll take care of you," his eyes drill into hers before he playfully nudges her cheek with his knuckle, just like he used to so many years ago, "Okay, Smalls?"

She looks back at him, a promise of her own coming to mind.

But she just sighs, "Yeah."

"Process complete." FRIDAY interrupts their moment, drawing them apart.