"What do you study?" He asked. She ducked her head and bit her lip, Stark trademarks of worry that Tony had long since trained out of himself and replaced with his plastic smile and smug sarcasm. She slowly curled the fingers of her right hand inwards to make contact with her palm, lightly digging her nails into her soft skin.
She dropped that hand beside her, half hidden behind the table most people would never have taken note of it. But the Avengers weren't most people.
Tony tracked Natasha's eyes that flickered from the girl's hand and back in an almost imperceptible moment. Her eyes met his in another instant while hers held a million questions so did his. She nodded almost imperceptibly and he turned back to the girl. She had not moved nor had she responded to his question, he took another shot at it, "Come on it can't be less interesting than mechanical engineering.
At his words her right hand relaxed and return to her lap and a small quirk of her lips occurred. "No, it's not boring…" she trailed off but he would not let her go, "Well go on then," he prompted, his eyes met hers and he breathed in a quick intake of breath as he saw a flash of fear run through them.
It was gone in a second though and then she settled on a small smile, "I study the Humanities," she responded, adjusting her posture to a more upright position. She brought her chin up slightly and finally brought her eyes up to meet the stares of the Avengers collective.
Tony let out a small huff of laughter and everyone else's confused stares turned toward him, except for the girl - she was not confused. Her face had closed off, and he panicked, his words coming out louder and more rushed than he intended,
"That's bloody brilliant and yes," he said to Clint, "I know I sound English," turning back to her he said, "So you study history, political, science, philosophy, and literature all in relation to human nature and human culture?"
During the small rant a war of emotions had flickered over her face and now she seemed speechless. She nodded a larger smile working up her lips. "Yes…how…?" she asked gazing at him in wonder.
"I'm not just a pretty face sweetheart," he said.
She laughed, and Gosh, Tony would do anything to get her to laugh again. It was a light laugh, not the type that has you rolling on the ground laughing but the type that signals familiarity and affection. She hopped off the table and went to stand in from it him, "Your sense of humour hasn't changed one bit Daddy."
The term of endearment caught him off guard he had assumed that he would be Father or something impersonal. He had assumed that he would screw up his child, his daughter despite having Steve there to help him. In that moment he thought that maybe he would be okay at it.
Maybe parenting was his thing. Without thinking he pulled her in for a hug, something he had been wanting to do ever since Bruce had come into the briefing room and told him about him about how the girl that had come through the portal had both his and Steve's blood flowing through her veins.
She looped her arms around him too after a momentary hesitation and she just breathed in. Sure, she was in 2015, over twenty years before she was born but her fathers were here and she was safe. Better yet she was home.
"So Samantha," said Phil, who was promptly cut off, "Sam please Uncle."
"Sam," he amended then did a double take, "Did you just call me Uncle?"
She blushed, "Sorry I'm just used to…"
"No" he said waving his arms, portably making the most energetic hand motions that the Avengers with the exception of his partner, Clint had ever seen him make, "It's all good. It's nice, I just didn't expect.." he trailed off
"You're all still friends and alive," said Sam, her brown eyes clear and calming as she placed her hands on Phil's hands and brought them back to the table. She squeezed his hands before letting go and then her eyes flew wide, "Was I allowed to say that?!" she exclaimed and those in her immediate vicinity could sense her panic.
"Hey "Hey, hey," said Steve moving closer, "Breathe."
She followed his instructions but tensed up at the proximity of all of them. They could see her trying to relax but despite everything she resumed the posture she had taken up before Tony had impulsively hugged her. She smiled again at them and said, "I'm fine." As that last syllable fell from her lips Tony's heart sank.
She seemed rather practiced at eschewing that particular statement. He grabbed Steve's hand, the super soldier looking a little lost and hurt at their daughter's abrupt return to tension when he had interceded. Tony leaned against him and pulled him closer, offering comfort through proximity and warmth.
She recovered rather quickly, "I'm just not sure how much I can say, if you hadn't run medical tests on me once I came through I probably wouldn't have told you that I'm yours," Sam said looking sheepishly at her fathers. "I'm sorry," she said again, she looked at Steve with worry in her eyes. Tony pushed him towards her and he moved, surprisingly. He put out his hand and Sam tentatively intertwined her fingers with his and he smiled.
"You shouldn't have to censor yourself," said Natasha, "From what Thor has told us of Asgard and of time travel he should be erased by now what with all of the time travel shenanigans they get up to there."
The Avengers were all in shock that Natasha had just used the word shenanigans but it seemed that Sam completely overlooked this rare occasion. Maybe it was not so rare in her time of life.
"Is that true Thor?" Sam asked the god, who responded in the affirmative, "Yes! Truth has been spoken little Stark."
"I'm not that little, I'm average for a woman my age." retorted Sam, but her eyes were alight with happiness or what Tony hoped was happiness. "So, I can tell you things if I feel them pertinent?" she asked the crowd looking at everyone, specifically her fathers, but it was Clint who answered, "Even if they're not pertinent Princess, with us in your life I'm sure you've got stories to tell."
"That I do," said Sam in a way that could have been threatening but for the quirk of her lips.
Just then Bruce' stomach grumbled and "We've been down here for 36 hours Tony," he said speaking to his friend, "I think it's time for food and sleep."
Tony's eyes went wide as his attention snapped back to his daughter who had retreated back to the table Bruce had examined her on earlier after her movements around the group. "I'll still be here in the morning." she responded meeting his eyes squarely, "I knows it" she spoke tapping her nose with her left hand.
Tony let out another guffaw, "Alright - who's feeling pizza?"