cap_ironman | Fic: In My Hands and Gone Again

Title: In My Hands and Gone Again
Author: nostalgicatsea
Universe: MCU
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Word Count: 136
Summary: Memories were like fish, Tony had explained, or the tease of one. A flash of silver, and his hands would plunge down. Sometimes he would catch one; other times, it would dart out of reach. He wouldn’t be sure whether it had been real or just a trick of the light, after.
Notes: Inspired by this prompt for Lights on Park Ave round 9. Thanks for listening and advising I go with the short version, erde and magicasen.

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In his final moments, Tony wished he could watch over his family even if it cost him everything. The Stones granted his accidental wish, sparing his life in exchange for his memories. This takes place weeks after Steve found Tony wandering around with amnesia and brought him home.

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“I think I was in love with someone.”

There was that slight indent that appeared between Tony’s eyebrows when he was trying to remember something, a dip that Morgan, sitting in her father's lap, would often trace with a stubby index finger.

It was an easy memory to identify this time, a real one rather than fool’s gold. Steve took the catch, wiping off the muck that obscured it so that Tony could recognize it for what it was.

“Pepper,” he offered, returning the memory back to Tony.

“Yeah,” Tony agreed automatically before shaking his head. “No. No, I love her, but..." He looked out at the shore opposite of where they were sitting on the dock before returning to Steve, eyes luminous in the starlight. "I think I erased someone. I think it was you."