AVENGE THE FALLEN | AN ENDGAME READER INSERT STORY

part eleven

After being coaxed by Pepper to take a hot shower, you trudged out of the bathroom and into the main room. All of the Avengers were sitting or standing around. After stealing one glance up at you, they cast their eyes elsewhere, not wanting you to feel any worse than you already did.

You sniffed and kept your head down as well, passing by your father who was eating a plate of food and chugging down some water. You went straight to the work space you and Rocket had been sharing. 

Rocket was there, sitting on the table itself, gripping a bottle of liquor by the neck. By the looks of it, he'd already chugged over half of it down. He wiped his face with his arm, watching you come in. 

You crossed the room and sat down at your favorite stool, and you started to work. 

"Back to work so soon?" he asked, slurring his words only slightly. When you didn't answer, he scoffed. "Figured you'd be off celebrating. Ain't it so awesome that Daddy is back and everything is right in the world?"

"I lost my best friend," you mumbled.

"Oh, boohoo!" cried Rocket, fake pouting. He rolled his eyes. "Who didn't?"

You slammed the screwdriver down on the table. Sending daggers his way, you spat, "Stop pretending like you're the only one who lost someone today."

"I didn't just lose someone," he responded, pausing to take a long swig of alcohol. He didn't even wince as it went down. "I lost a whole family. Five frickin' people."

You stood up off your stool. "What do you think those people out there are to me?" you asked, calmer now. "There are more than just those, you know, and guess what? They died, too. They aren't here either." You walked over to him and grabbed the neck of the bottle.

"You're underage," he reminded you. 

"Not takin' it to drink, I'm just taking it from you before you drink yourself to death," you said, and you ripped it from his grip.

He waved at your dismissively. "Forget you," he growled. 

You were fuming by now. "Forget about me? Forget about me? I am the one that has been taking care of you since we got caught in this mess. I helped you build the communicator, I gave you this place to build weapons, I've fed you, given you somewhere to sleep-"

He was fuming as well, that was obvious. "Big whoop, Stark. I could've done that all on my own. I don't need you!"

"Leave, then!" You were screaming incredibly loud now. "Get on that stupid ship and go. Face Thanos on your own or leave it all behind and pretend that it never happened. Go on!" Full of anger, you slammed your fist down on the tabletop twice, busting your knuckles. You noticed the pain, but only barely. "Just leave me, because if you don't need me, then I don't freaking need you, either!" 

"Whoa, hey," he said, eyes on the blood that was now smeared on the table. "Relax before you-"

You screamed, energy coming out of your fists and blowing the table back. Rocket hopped onto one of the stools before he could be sent flying towards the wall. He looked down at you in alarm as you dropped to your knees, sobbing. 

"Whoa - kid," he said. He hopped down off the stool and onto the ground. Slowly, he walked over to you. "Stop for a minute."

He reached your hand. You pulled back on instinct. "Stop pretending like you care about me," you cried.

"Stark, kid-"

Defeated, you let him look at the marks you left.

He nodded and placed your hand in your lap. "I'll... I'll get the gauze."