Really sad. Really feely. Heartbreaking, especially for Pepperony shippers. Trigger warning, maybe? Spoilers, i guess? 

Enjoy. Although that will be difficult. I know the music above is from HTTYD, but the second I heard this, it inspired me. This is one of the only music pieces/songs that makes me come to tears every, single, time (aside from the happy upbeat ending. Yeah, ignore that for this oneshot). Listen while reading if you really want to ball your eyes out. 

Today's Quote:
"It's always you."
-Tony Stark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In all the many years she'd known him, she'd never expected to get this attached - to fall in love with the one man who's name was known by every person in the known universe, the one man who'd changed the face of the earth forever. Perhaps, she thought, that's why this had become so difficult. 

In all of her life, these few moments were the hardest thing that Pepper had ever gone through. She couldn't even stand to look at him without bursting into tears, without feeling as though her heart was going to explode into a million different pieces. 

Truth was, Pepper was lost without Tony, just in every way that he claimed he was lost without her. She'd never wanted to believe that it was true, but standing here, now, it became the truest thing she would ever come to believe. 

She was still trying to comprehend that he was gone, and that he'd never return; that she'd never feel his powerful arms around her again, never feel his warm lips on hers. She could no longer sooth him and run her hands through his hair when he had a nightmare. 

This was it, he was gone now. 

She knew that he'd want her to be brave, to live the rest of her life in his honor, to remember and cherish the legacy he had left behind. But right now, it seemed as though that was the most impossible thing in the world. 

The entire world was watching, as Pepper and Hap walked up to Tony's casket. 

So here was the woman, who was supposed to be named Mrs. Stark, clinging tightly onto Happy Hogan's arm, her nails digging into his suit as they approached. 

This was all wrong, it was all wrong. 

She was walking down an isle for Tony, but it was the wrong isle. This wasn't her story, this wasn't how it was supposed to go. This wasn't their story . . . it was the wrong ending, the wrong path. 

Walking down the isle of the massive church, seeing the lines of the remaining Avengers, seeing Fury, seeing everyone Tony had known and everyone he'd loved, everyone who'd known him not as a figure, but as a human being and as a friend, took a heavy toll on the shaky CEO. This was too much emotion for her to cope with, more sadness than she knew what to do with. 

Pepper's eyes squeezed shut as the distance between her and her sleeping fiance lessened, bringing her closer and closer to his peaceful, eternal form. Tears were shed, she was crying again, her gut was clenched. She felt nauseous. Her head was spinning. Her shattered heart was beating out of rhythm, as it had been without her other half there to even out the pattern. 

She sobbed silently, before Hogan squeezed her arm, telling her to open her eyes. It took her a few good moments before her eyes obeyed, as her reaction was delayed and her whole brain was thrown way off balance. She knew that she'd regret this the rest of her life if she didn't do this now. This was her final opportunity, the last time she'd ever see him. 

She could barley see through blurred vision, and she knew she looked horrendous, but she didn't have the heart to care; she didn't have a heart at all. 

Not anymore. 

Her free hand covered her mouth as she sobbed again into her palm, making out the silhouette of the casket just feet away through her teary eyes.

Rhodey stood up from the first row of pews, his eyes glassy, his entire body shaking as he approached the pair. 

All was quiet in the church, as the three - soon joined by Peter Parker - stepped forward to the casket where a fallen warrior lay in his final resting place. Everyone in that room had solemn looks painted across their faces, some crying, some not - Pepper saw men with tissues from their wives, she saw children with tear-stained faces, holding Iron Man figurines and wearing Iron Man t-shirts. And what shocked her the most, was that she saw the Avengers - what was left of them - teary-eyed, including Nick Fury. 

However, Pepper's body suddenly went very still, when they were just centimeters away from the casket. And for a moment, she froze in place, unable to move. Her eyes fluttered open and closed, tears escaping every time. 

It was as if all time had stopped, as if the earth had stopped spinning, as if the universe itself had shut down as everyone stopped to pay their final respects to the fallen legend, the protector of all life. (listen to 2:23 for next bit) 

For as she gazed upon Tony's lifeless body, she could somehow see him for the very first time; his every facial feature, his every wrinkle, his every perfection. In this moment, Pepper realized that Tony had been the closest thing to perfect, at least to her. He'd been her entire world, and she'd never fully understood it. 

Until now, of course, when it was too late; she'd never get the chance to tell him that now. 

More tears left her reddened, sore eyes. She continued to stare at the back of his eyelids, silently pleading and begging that she could see those beautiful brown eyes again, that he would wake up. 

"Please come back to me, Tony," she pleaded in a whisper. 

Happy rubbed her shoulder reassuringly, but stayed silent, just as Rhodey and Peter and everyone else were. 

Everything faded away, as she mustered up the last shred of her courage to take that final step up to his casket. 

He had the sweetest, most calm look on his face, as if all the world was right, as if he didn't know that he'd hurt so many people with his loss. The look was bittersweet, however, as it was the look of death, the last expression she'd ever see cross his face. 

She was crying again, her face twisted into an ugly frown as tears fell upon his all-black suit.

"Please wake up Tony, please wake up," she sobbed openly, resting her head upon his chest, the deafening silence emitting from it stabbing her like a knife. "Please wake up," she wailed in a saddened whisper, taking in the scent of his clothing, the last bit of him she would ever experience. 

She could picture him, in her mind - every memory they'd shared together, the good and the bad. She realized then, that she was terrified that she would forget him; forget the way he smiled, the way he lit up her world; the way he'd sacrificed himself to save the universe, to save her; the way he'd loved her unconditionally, like she was the most important thing in the world. 

Heartbroken, Pepper sniffled as she pushed her hands through Tony's silky hair for what would be the last time ever. "I love you, Tony, God I love you so much," she whispered to him, her hands still tangled in his hair. "Please don't leave us, don't leave me."

She knew that her pleads wouldn't change what happened, that they wouldn't bring them back, but right now, she didn't care - she was willing to try anything, give anything, do anything, just to have a few more minutes with him, enough time to say goodbye. But no amount of time would be enough. I'll never be ready to say goodbye. 

Yet here she was, standing in front of Tony Stark's casket. 

She breathed in Tony's scent one final time, before she pulled away slowly, her body still looming over his casket. 

With her life seemingly flashing before her eyes, as every memory of Tony danced across her mind, she slipped off her engagement ring, and placed it in his hand, curling his fingers around it to form a fist. 

Tears still falling, she gazed upon his beautiful face one final time, forcing a smile. "I love you, Anthony Edwards Stark. It's always been you." 

And the last thing she saw before she turned her back on the one person she'd loved, she could've sworn she saw him smile. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sorry for abrupt ending, felt the need to update. Sorry if this was bad and felt rushed, but eh, I tried.