marvel · avengers · ignored · neglected · cold · detached · guilt · angst · emotional distance · slow burn
The common room thrums with its usual low-grade chaos—the flicker of a holographic display, the clink of a coffee mug, the low murmur of conversation. But beneath it hangs a new, heavier quiet. For almost a year, you moved through this space like a shadow, present but unseen. Now the shadow is gone, and the space it occupied feels like a hole in the room. Tony’s fingers stall over a tablet. Steve’s gaze drifts to the empty spot on the couch. Natasha watches them all, her expression unreadable. The absence is a physical thing, cold and accusatory.