There were a lot of ways people had expected Tony Stark to die. In a cave in Afghanistan at the hands of terrorists paid by someone that he loved like family. An accident while testing out a new suit. Poisoned by the same device that had been built to save his life. In the midst of battle. He had had money on a heart attack. He was sure his heart was eventually going to give up on him.
No one had predicted peacefully in his sleep at the age of 79 with Pepper at his side and a building full of people he considered family after he had spent so long with no family at all. Yet that is how it happened.
Loss had been something that was becoming more and more on all your minds. Your father had passed before the triplets had graduated from high school. His heart had got him in the end, though he had lived a long life by the time it did. It had devastated you all. Especially after you'd gotten so used to him being in the apartment next door.
Most of the other original Avengers were all showing their age too. Natasha and Clint both officially retired from everything when Clint's eyesight began failing. They'd moved to California in a house on the beach. You visited with them anytime you went out to check on your LA store.
Bruce's mind had started to go. It was heartbreaking to see the man whose greatest passion was science like that. Hulk, however, still looked as young as ever and was starting to take over more often. You wondered if one day he would just stay like that for good and there would be no Bruce.
Sam had moved out of the tower when he stopped being able to do the runs with Steve. He and Rachel had bought a place uptown and were raising their own kids there.
Thor was the only one that hadn't shown any signs of aging at all. He looked just as young as he ever did, and while he wasn't always on Earth, when he was he'd started making offers to Steve and Bucky about taking them and the kids to Asgard at some point. Part of you hoped that in the end, they would take him up on it. Though you weren't sure if the kids were ready to come to terms with their mortality or lack thereof yet. Right now, they were nineteen now and still aging as normal.
Tony had outfoxed everyone, including himself. He'd gotten to see Edwin take his place in the Avengers and graduate from college with an electrical engineering degree. He'd seen him start his Ph.D. and meet the girl he was pretty sure he would marry one day. He'd gotten to see Maria get Valedictorian of her class and start College. He'd learned that even though she looked nothing like either of them, Maria had somehow managed to be the best of both he and Pepper.
He had gotten the happy life he'd never expected or dared dream of. He had gone to bed happy and content like he often did these days, and the following day he didn't wake. No one had expected it.
Pepper had called in the morning to break the news. You had watched Steve take the call stoically not even sure what was happening.
"I'm so sorry, Pepper... We'll be right up... Would you like us to bring anything? Of course... No, I understand... I'll see you soon." He'd disconnected the call and you and Bucky looked at him both equally confused.
"What's going on?" Bucky asked.
"It's Tony. He passed away," Steve said, his jaw set.
"Oh no," you gasped and just slammed into him, wrapping your arms around his waist and burying your face in his chest. You felt the tears come immediately. Sadness for Tony. For Pepper. Their kids. For Steve and yourself. He had been there since the first day you met Steve and Bucky. He was the reason why you had met at all. At every major point in time, Tony had been there and now he wasn't anymore.
Steve just held himself stiff, stroking a hand down your back. "I know. Pepper needs some help. Contacting people and ... organizing things. So I'm going to go up."
"We'll come too," Bucky said, firm enough to know it wasn't a request.
When you got up to the penthouse Pepper was rushing around frantically on the phone. Steve approached her, holding his hand out for the phone. She ignored him, continuing to pace around the room as the pitch of her voice got higher. He stepped up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder and held out his hand. She put the phone in it and turned melting against him and breaking down. You looked at Bucky and the two of you went straight to the kitchen to get breakfast started.
What followed was four days of chaos. The kids were all in college and needed to be called and told. As did the other Avengers. Between the four of you, you decided to tell Peter, Bruce, and Rhodey in person. Steve took over any press, and when Rhodey was told, he came and helped her organize a service and casket.
You and Bucky stayed on support. You cooked meals. Hugged people. Cried with them. Let them vent about the vultures hanging out around the front of the building.
Everyone came to the tower. Avengers and friends who had made it into the list of people Tony Stark had cared for. It became loud and chaotic and you knew that if Tony could see it, he'd be happy. The people he had gathered around him and carefully selected to be his family when his own had let him down were all here, grieving, crying, laughing, and remembering the person that Tony Stark was.
The funeral was enormous. Finding a venue was a struggle in itself. He was having his body turned into a diamond and he would have been appalled to have his funeral in a cathedral, so in the end, it was done on the grounds of the Avengers compound in Upstate New York. The press lined the otherwise isolated street trying to get photographs of the people in attendance. A strict no-fly zone was enacted around the compound, and yet helicopters circled around the perimeter.
Avengers, friends, family, co-workers, and people whose lives Tony had touched were all in attendance. Thor stood in the middle of the training field as Tony's coffin was brought in on the shoulders of Happy, Rhodey, Steve, Edwin, Peter, and Bruce. They set it down on the plinth in front and took their seats as Thor cleared his throat.
"Let us take a few deep breaths to prepare ourselves. Breathe deeply and remember the love you have for Tony and the joy he brought you," he said. He paused for a moment lowering his head and breathed deeply before raising his head. "And so we begin.
"Tony was a man who did not wish to be seen as a son. He worked very hard to shrug off the shackles of the name he carried. So now let us remember Tony the husband of Virginia. The Father of Edwin and Maria. Tony the man of iron. The soul of the Avengers. He was a leader and scientist and above all things he was a friend. So that is how we shall remember him."
Pepper stepped up to the podium. She looked as flawless as she often looked in a black slimline dress and hat with black gauze hiding the redness of her eyes. "Tony wasn't always an easy man," she said, her voice wavering a little. "He was stubborn and pig-headed. He didn't sleep well. Once I woke up to an Iron Man suit attacking me. Then there was the whole 'Malibu house incident' because he wanted to taunt the bad guys. He wasn't easy at all. But he was easy to love. He didn't always know the right thing to do, but he wanted to do the right thing. He wanted to be the hero. He was my hero."
Pepper went on to talk about how they met. How she kept saving his life. How they fell in love. The day they were married and the day they adopted their children. After Pepper went Rhodey. Then his children. The more people talked the more you broke down until you were just sobbing against Bucky as he held you closely against him.
Thor eventually returned to the podium. "Do not weep for me for I have not gone. I am the wind that shakes the mighty oak. I am the gentle rain that falls upon your face. I am the spring flower that pushes through the dark earth. I am the chuckling laughter of the mountain stream. Do not weep for me for I have not gone. I am the memory that dwells in the heart of those that knew me. I am the shadow that dances on the edge of your vision. I am the wild goose that flies south at Fall's call and I shall return at Summer rising. I am the stag on the wild hill's way. I am just around the corner. Therefore, the wise weep not, but rejoice at the transformation of my Being. Tony Stark was of the stars and he shall return to them. Valhalla is open to him for he was the Earth's best defender. He was my friend and will be missed."
As Thor spoke Tony's casket was taken to a hearse to be cremated. As the music started to play everyone filed towards the compound. The convention area was set up with an open bar and finger food. You had the store provide a chocolate sculpture of the Mark 4 Iron Man suit. On ice around its base, were small tubs of the Ben and Jerry's Stark Raving Hazelnut.
You grabbed a tub and ate it leaning against Bucky as Steve stood watching the people mingle in the room. "This looks like something Tony would have put on himself," you said, gesturing with your spoon around the room.
Steve hummed. "That's where he'd make his big entrance about half an hour late because he had to work himself up to it."
"Woulda hated it too," Bucky said.
You put the spoon in your mouth and let the ice cream sit - sweet and chocolate with that nutty undercurrent so similar in flavor to Nutella - and melted on your tongue until there were just crunchy pieces of the nuts left. You were approached by Sarah and Anthony. At nineteen, Anthony was now taller than both his fathers, and while Sarah and Rebecca hadn't reached that height, they were still tall. Rebecca was 6 feet while Sarah was just under that.
"It's going to be weird coming home and Uncle Tony not being here," Anthony said, looking up at the chocolate sculpture standing over him.
"Yeah, it is. He felt like he'd always be here. It's gonna be quiet," you said. "Did we ever tell you about how he was the reason I met your dads?"
Anthony started to roll his eyes and caught himself. "Yeah. But you can tell it again if you want."
You smiled and rubbed his arm. "Really feel like making Easter Eggs now you know? It's dumb, but ..."
Bucky's arms tightened around you and pressed a kiss to the top of your head. "That's not dumb, mom. Maybe I can make them with you," Sarah suggested.
You nodded. "Yeah. I'd really like that, honey."
Steve kissed his daughter on top of the head and looked around the room, his eyes lingering on each of his friends. It had started like he knew it would. He would take time for them all. He needed to appreciate them as much as he could while he had the opportunity. Sam caught his eye and waved him over to where he was talking to Clint and Natasha. He nodded and made his way over.