Narrator's POV

Thunder clapped in the sky as the guardians helped each other get up and walk over to Stephen and Tony.

Tony, feeling a little better, was helped up by Stephen.

Everyone gathered.

"Something's happening." Mantis said worriedly as Quill had an arm around her.

Tony looked around as thunder kept clapping. Suddenly all eyes darted to Mantis as she began to deteriorate slowly into dust. Quill watched her remains fly past him.

Tony's eyes widen. He was frightened.

Quill panted and looked over at Drax, who was slowly disappearing in front of him. "Quill?" Drax said before he was gone.

Quill looked back at Tony who stepped closer to him.

"Steady, Quill." Tony said.

"Oh, man." Quill whispered before his figure was gone.

Tony turned away, giving Quill's ashes some peace as they floated away. Then he turned to Stephen, checking of his husband was still there.

"Tony." Stephen's voice came.

That was a relief to Tony's heart. He gave a sigh of relief. "Stephen." He sighed, putting a hand to his chest. "Oh." He closed his eyes and sighed.

Stephen looked down at his right hand and gave it a small smile. His fingertips were slowly turning into ash.

Tony opened his eyes again, slowly. The smile of his face dropped in a matter of seconds as he noticed his husband's fingertips deteriorate slowly. "No, no." He came closer to Stephen and took his arm, looking at his disappearing hand. "No, no, no, no." He tried to grab the ashes flying away.

"Tony." Stephen spoke.

"I can fix it. I can." Tony's eyes pooled with tears. "I-I can."

"Tony."

"No, no." Tears began to roll down Tony's cheeks. "You can't go. I won't let you."

"Tony, look at me." Stephen raised his voice. Tony looked at him. His eyes were red with tears, and his cheeks were stained by streaks of water. "Focus on me." Stephen spoke softly.

"Stephen..." Tony's voice was shaky.

"Shhh. It's okay." Stephen smiled at him. "It's okay."

Stephen's arm was gone, and his feet were slowly turning into ash.

Tony looked down at them. "God, no. Please. This can't be happening." Tony's whole body was shaking. His heart was snapping in two. He was watching the person that saved his life, the person he loved with all his heart, the person who was his whole world slowly die in front of him. "Stephen..." Tony whimpered.

"It's okay, Tony. It's okay. I'll be okay." Stephen said.

"No! No, no, no. Stephen." Tony couldn't think of anything else to say. He wasn't prepared for this. "Stephen I love you. Please, god no." He held Stephen tightly in his arms and put his head in the doctor's chest.

"Tony-" Stephen was cut off.

"Stephen, no. You can't go. You promised you'd stay with me forever, that you'd stay by my side our entire lives. You said we would grow old together. I still have a lot to of love to give you. I still want to be with you. I have a lot of things I still want to do and show you and, and, and-"

"Oh, Tony." Stephen chucked softly. A small tear ran down his cheek, and he wiped it with his remaining arm. "You've already given me everything. We fell in love, we kissed each other. We bought our first house together. We raised children together. We gave each other our hearts. What more could I ask for?" Stephen smiled at him, caressing Tony's cheek; wiping tears away with his thumb. "You gave me a perfect life." Stephen laughed a little.

His waist and under was gone.

"You've given me so much." Stephen said. "I wouldn't have wanted it any other way." He said softly.

"But..." Tony spoke. "This can't be the end of our story. It's not suppose to end like this. We're suppose to live our happily ever after." Tony said, looking into Stephen eyes with red teared ones. He put a trembling hand over Stephen's hand.

The pain he was going through was unbelievable. His walls were caving in, his defenses were falling down. His world was falling apart, burning down to the ground into ashes. His heart ached, it was the only thing it was full of.

Pain.

Loss.

Heartbreak.

"But I could still-" Tony was cut off as Stephen chuckled.

"There was no other way." Stephen said, looking into Tony's eyes with a smile.

Tony knew those eyes. They weren't the lovable, soft ones the doctor always had. These reflected fear.

"Stephen..." Tony pulled what remained of his husband into an embrace. "I'm scared." He choked on tears. "I'm scared."

Stephen held him close, closing his eyes and putting his chin on Tony's head. "Don't be." He said softly. He opened his eyes again. He pulled away from Tony and looked down at him. "Do you remember the first thing I said to you when I took you to the flower field?" Stephen asked.

"Th-That I always give you butterflies?" Tony sniffled, smiling a little at his husband. Oh, what a precious memory that was.

"That's right." Stephen smiled him. He placed his hand on Tony's cheek again. "And you still do." Stephen said, leaning closer to his husband and planting a soft kiss on his forehead.

Tony closed his eyes, but opened them back up when he no longer felt the pressure of Stephen's hand on his cheek.

Beautiful glowing butterflies fluttered all around him, slowly getting carried away with the wind. One of them touched Tony's nose before flying away.

His husband was gone...and he was never coming back

Tony looked down at his arms where Levi limply rested. He sighed and embraced the life drained cloak, letting tears stain its red fabric.

"D-Dad..." Peter's voice interrupted his mourning.

Tony turned around to Peter. His heart ceased its beating, and he held his breath.