This is the first part of the end of the stay in DC you guys. After the next chapter we'll finally be leaving the nation's capital for warmer, stickier weather! That being said, this is my first time writing Tony Stark and I really hope I did him justice. We'll be seeing our intrepid heroes in some actual combat next chapter, and keep an eye out for some more cameos!
Once again I just want to thank all of the people who are favoriting/following this story, because it really does mean a lot that you like it! Any suggestions or prompts or anything that you want to throw my way just drop me a message. I honestly love you guys so much it's ridiculous.
Adara.
P.S. I should probably mention again that I own none of the recognizable characters and this was written purely for fun.
Chapter Ten:
1942, Location: Classified
The first time he had actually met Howard Stark, if it could be considered meeting since they were in the same room but hadn't shared more than two words, things had been a little hectic. At the time Steve had been a mess of nerves and nausea that churned on his empty stomach as he was carefully led into the machine that would end up transforming him into the world's first perfect super soldier. What he did remember of that brief interaction with Howard Stark before the doors closed around him was a man in lab safety gear with a cocky smile and eyes only for the female assistants that were walking around getting everyone settled and everything ready.
And in the aftermath of his… transformation… there wasn't a whole lot of time for chit-chat.
The second time that Steve saw Howard Stark things had been a little hectic. At the time Steve had been a mess of nerves and nausea that churned on his not-quite-empty stomach as they flew over enemy territory. Peggy was sitting across from him doing a rundown on exactly where he was going, a camp tucked neatly between two mountain ranges and easiest reached by air. Howard was in the cockpit wearing a wool lined aviator's jacket and a large headset.
"Agent Carter, if you're not in too much of a hurry I thought we could stop off in Usurea for a late night Fondue?" Both he and Peggy had looked to where their pilot was sitting, that familiar grin on his face.
Whereas the latter just rolled her eyes, Steve couldn't help a surge of anger and jealousy go through him. There were times when he wished he had the confidence of Howard Stark, especially when it came to talking to beautiful dames. Not that he should have been surprised though, the billionaire was a handsome fella and likely had his pick of women wherever he went.
"Howard's the best civilian pilot I've ever seen. He's mad enough to brave this air space. We're lucky to have him." Peggy explained in response to the expression on his face.
"So you two?" She arched one perfectly curved brow at his question. "Do you? Fondue?"
Turned out that fondue was just cheese and bread.
After that—after getting shot at by Peggy—he and Howard had developed a remarkably smooth working relationship, and Steve would go as far as to consider the man his friend.
Right now though, they were currently huddled around a campfire in the middle of nowhere freezing their asses off in route to their next mission location. Bucky was on his left, coat buttoned up tightly and a blanket wrapped around his shoulders as he picked at the slop that was considered their meal rations. The rest of the Commandoes were in similar positions around the fire—as large as they could risk—with Dum Dum passing around a bottle of filched bourbon.
The sound of a low curse brought his attention to the man on his right; Howard had gone out with them to do a field testing of his latest invention, something designed to knock out an entire squadron of men with just the flip of a switch. Anyone who didn't want to be affected by the sonic blast had to wear specially designed earmuffs that had been issued to all of his men. It wasn't something that the Allies could just throw out in front of their approach for financial reasons, but it was a device that would be useful in smaller splinter missions.
"What's wrong Stark?" Bucky drawled lazily, trying to appear comfortable despite his chattering teeth. "Did you realize that it's actually cold out here?"
There was a chorus of good-natured laughing as the others gently ribbed Howard, but for the most part the man looked utterly miserable with his nose a bright shade of red.
"Bite my ass, Barnes." Howard growled half-heartedly, drawing his own blanket closer. "This is shit. One of these days I'm gonna invent something that will be the end of suffering like this. A portable battery that keeps a person from freezing to death in this weather.
Steve laughed alongside the others, accepting the lukewarm slop from Bucky and wolfing it down. If anyone were capable of creating such a feat it was Howard Stark, sure, but a fat lot of good those promises did for them right now while they were reduced to shivering messes.
"Sure you will, Stark." Dum Dum chuckled jovially. "I'll wear one whenever I take my flying car out."
More laughter filled the camp then, Howard's ears turning red and not entirely from the cold, though there was a faint smile on his face as well. "Keep joking, Dugan, I'll make sure yours is a convertible."
IOI
September 10, 2011, Location: Washington DC
"Tony is… an acquired taste." They were currently in the process of finishing changing into their uniforms, and by that Steve meant that he was fiddling with the cuff of his undershirt while Nicole finished brushing imaginary wrinkles out of her suit. It was black, with a crisp white undershirt and unlike his own Nicole didn't wear a tie. The straight legs of her pants, along with her heels, made the already tall woman a just an inch higher than him and her legs seemed impossibly long.
"Sounds like Howard." He muttered, a frown on his face. No matter how hard he tried—and he was definitely trying—Steve could not seem to get the final button in place.
"You can definitely tell that Tony's his son. They look alike, and they act almost the same… except, if it's possible, you'll find that Tony's ego is just a bit bigger." The redhead made an impatient noise in the back of her throat, swatting his hand away as her fingers neatly fastened the cuff. "So try to resist the urge to smack him."
"Is that going to be a serious concern?" There had been times when Steve had wanted to deck Howard—most notably he thought of the time when he'd thought that the inventor and Peggy had been… involved—but over the course of their time working together the man had become a good friend.
Nicole grimaced at the question, passing over the jacket that he would be wearing. "I—how to describe Anthony Stark—I like the guy, in the way that you have to like someone that's close to your family. And he has his redeeming qualities, don't get me wrong; as hard as he tries to conceal it, he's got a good head on his shoulders and a heart. One with shrapnel constantly trying to bury into it, but a heart nonetheless."
She checked her holster once more, making sure that her pistol was securely in place before inspecting the sewn pockets that housed three identical tungsten throwing knives. As her jacket was effortlessly buttoned back in place, Steve couldn't help but think of how expertly it concealed her weapons. At face value Nicole looked elegant, professional and refined. He was well aware of the fact that beneath the surface expression the redhead had the air of an apex predator, and if someone were to try and attack them, she would be ready in a heartbeat.
"But he tries very, very, hard to hide it. He's loud, sarcastic, and can't take anything seriously." He pursed his lips at that, arms crossing over his chest. Oblivious, Nicole spun to look into the mirror. "However, his girlfriend—and CEO—Pepper will be there as well, and she should keep him in check. If not, I'll just punch him. This hairstyle really doesn't look that intimidating does it?"
Steve looked at her curiously; her red hair was pulled up into a bun, bangs falling free to frame her face and make it look softer. "Your hair looks fine."
"Yeah, it looks fine. But not intimidating. It doesn't scream 'I-can-kill-you'." She kept plucking at strands and lifting them into the light. "I could change it but… we don't really have time to do that, do we?"
He watched in mild confusion as Nicole continued to have a one sided conversation with herself about her hair. He still wasn't entirely sure how she planned to change her hair without going to a salon, but he suspected it had something to do with her powers. After all, it had gone from short and purple to long and red in one night, and Steve was positive that even with the leaps and bounds technology and cosmetics had made it still wasn't possible to grow hair that quickly. One thing that she had said resonated with him though, and he found himself inspecting his watch.
"Speaking of time," He began just as she straightened back up and smoothed out her hair, "shouldn't we be going?"
"You're right." Nicole spun around to face him, walking forward with purpose and looking completely at ease in her shoes. "Game plan is that we'll be meeting Tony and Pepper at their hotel in a SHIELD vehicle. We'll have a couple of hours to do a rundown of what to expect during the meetings and by that I mean we'll explain to Pepper what will be happening while Tony ignores us."
"And if something does happen?" Steve questioned, even though they had been through this several times this morning.
"Tony's security is headed by a man named Harold Hogan, a personal friend of his, and he'll be in charge of keeping Pepper and the other civilians safe. Our job is to single out the threat and take them out. One thing you should be aware of; Tony will probably have ready access to his Iron Man suit. Since what happened in Malibu he's been developing ways to make them more portable and keeps them nearby almost religiously. So on the off chance that there's an attack or something—which I doubt—we won't have to worry about him." And the way she related that information was a painful reminder that Nicole was, first and foremost, a SHIELD trained operative.
It was something that was relatively easy for Steve to overlook when it was just the two of them, but ever since she'd received the news from Coulson last night Nicole had fallen back into her work persona. She had woken up before dawn this morning, dressed and groomed with her bags neatly packed up before he'd even gotten out of the shower. The warm personality of his friend was still there, but now it was edged with something quietly dangerous. Her eyes had a frosty coating, and she moved with brisk, determined steps.
It was more than slightly disconcerting, and before he knew it Steve was settling into the role of Captain America once more. He was a little thrilled, truth be told, about the fact that he would finally be working again. There was a huge difference between playing bodyguard to a billionaire and bringing down HYDRA warehouses but this was still better than having absolutely nothing to do all day other than learning more about the future. And if everything went well today, it would be a stepping stone to working on bigger missions. Bigger missions that could possibly end up with him working alongside Nicole again, which was why he was determined to keep an evaluating eye on his friend. He'd seen her fight, had seen her interact with SHIELD personnel, but up until now Steve had yet to see the woman acting as an actual agent.
"…them away, and it's business as usual." Nicole finished, her words jarring the blonde out of his thoughts. Steve hadn't realized that he'd zoned out while the woman had been summarizing their battle plan.
He gave his head a quick shake, throwing a thin smile at his friend. "Right, sounds good."
Nicole arched a skeptical brow, the expression on her face telling him that she had a suspicion that he hadn't been paying attention in the slightest. Steve cleared his throat, pushing down the heat that threatened his features. "And how long is this supposed to take?"
Her features shifted to a thoughtful expression, lips moving silently as she ran the time-frame through her mind. "We're meeting Tony for breakfast, the meeting starts at eleven. I'd expect us to stay there all day, maybe into tomorrow at the latest."
"Okay. We'd better head out then. Don't want to keep them waiting." Nicole flashed a grin at that, pulling out a pair of sunglasses and sliding them onto her face. "What all does Stark know about us?"
"That we're SHIELD agents." The redhead answered, holding the door open for him to walk through. "As far as I'm aware, Tony has no idea that I'm an actual agent. We're close but not super-close if you know what I mean; there's the occasional gatherings where he makes an appearance, but I always tell people I'm a biochemist. It's easier that way. He knows nothing about you."
Steve nodded at that, mouth drawn into a thin line. Ever since Nicole had broken the news at the hotel last night he had been feeling conflicted about their upcoming assignment. He wasn't entirely sure if he was ready to meet Howard's son. Especially after everything that he had learned of the man. It wasn't fair of Steve to go into the upcoming meeting with such a negative point of view to Stark, the man deserved the benefit of the doubt at the very least, but Steve had this unshakable feeling that they would have horribly clashing personalities.
Tony Stark was the kind of guy to take the easy way out, and Steve had never been like that.
At the very least there wouldn't be a whole lot of downtime for the two of them alone; Nicole and this Pepper Potts would be there to run interference and then they would actually be busy with their respective jobs. It would be nice to ask a bit about how Howard had done though; Steve never would have pictured the senior Stark settling down and getting married.
"How did we get stuck with this?" The blonde inquired lightly as Nicole led them to a nondescript SUV. His holster jostled slightly as he got in, fastening his seatbelt. Steve hadn't used a gun in months—decades—but it was a comfortably familiar weight on his hip.
An unfamiliar and unintelligible noise came out of the woman's throat then, and the closest thing that Steve could compare it to was a dying chainsaw mixed with hysterical laughter. "Because Fury hates me? No, actually, it's because of a few reasons; the main one being that Fury hates me, and wants to make me deal with his royal highness. Or it could be because I have history with Stark and know how to handle him, kind of. Not really, I just have a tolerance built up over the long years."
She slid into the driver's seat looking completely relaxed and started the ignition switch. Cars had gotten to the point where they didn't even need keys to start, but apparently Howard hadn't kept his word about perfecting a flying vehicle. A shame really, that presentation at the Expo had really been something else. "And, if I had to hazard a guess it might have something to do with you meeting Tony as well. I don't presume to know Director Fury's mind, but I imagine he would be just as thrilled as you to have you back out there Steve."
"Sure doesn't seem like that sometimes." He was aware that he was sounding sullen, but as they pulled out of the parking lot and into the misty streets, he didn't particularly care. The morning was absolutely beautiful; mist hung languidly in the streets, wisps beginning to twist and curl as they were burned off under the rays of the encroaching sun. There were a few people out and about, tourists interested in the quiet beginning of the capital or people hurrying on their way to work. Traffic was drawn to a minimum this early though, and there was a serenity in the air that was almost infectious.
Nicole was silent as they pulled up to a stoplight, her manicured and painted nails drumming against the steering wheel.
"He does." She began, and Steve knew her well enough to know that she would elaborate on that statement. "You just have to keep in mind that you've been through a lot Steve. Like, you saw what happened at the apartment; that happened when I was six. Still messes me up."
Nicole had a point, one that he was somewhat reluctant to concede. But Steve wasn't a coward, he knew when he was wrong and even when it rankled his pride he could admit such. "Still, this isn't how I deal with things."
"Likewise. But what can you do, right?" The redhead snorted, the corner of her mouth hitching slightly. "He's the boss."
Steve pondered those words for a moment, watching as they rounded another corner. "What can I do? If I don't want to stay with SHIELD?"
If Nicole was thrown by that question she didn't show it, her face impassive and calm as she pondered the answer. He didn't know why but he had hoped for a bit more of a reaction from the woman other than the cool mask she wore. "What do you mean?"
The question was poised lightly, indifferently, but he could sense the severity of it.
"I mean, could I just go back to the Army? Re-enlist?" He pressed, "Is there something that keeps me here?"
His voice was rising in mounting frustration; if he was honest he had to admit that he'd been going more than a little stir crazy. SHIELD kept him busy in their attempt to get him caught up with the world, but it was tedious and it left him feeling anxious. In turn he began spending more time either in the Bank training facility or at the gym. It was more often the latter, because Goldie's was a tenuous thread to his past… and there wasn't the constant surveillance on him as he worked. It hadn't taken much effort on SHIELD's behalf to get him private access afterhours.
That had been the first time he had actively taken advantage of the agency's connections.
"Have you been seriously thinking about re-enlisting?" Nicole broached uneasily, a strain of worry underlying her words.
So, she would be upset if he just up and left. That was more comforting than he'd expected.
"I've entertained the idea. I just… I don't know. I want to know my options, in case I do decide I want out." They slid to a stop at the hotel parking area, causing the redhead to brace her hands on the steering wheel and twist to face him. It was more than a little disconcerting to see Nicole's face locked on him in a business suit with her eyes hidden behind sunglasses. It made her seem colder, harder to relate to which he didn't doubt was the intent.
"Should you truly desire to Steve, you are more than welcome to leave SHIELD at any time. The United States government is already aware of your status, and I am sure you would be welcomed into the army with open arms." There was a distasteful look on her face, and he felt himself prickling.
"You have a problem with that?" He growled defensively, making her pull the sunglasses off and look at him in confusion.
Confusion that quickly turned to horror.
"What? No!" Nicole exclaimed, "Not like that! I have a hell of a lot of respect for our soldiers Steve, how could you think that I didn't? I just think that between the two of them, SHIELD would be better suited to working with you for the greatest good. Let's be honest buddy, even during the war the government kind of wasted your potential until you took matters into your own hands."
Steve felt a little guilty for immediately jumping to that conclusion, forcing his eyes to shut as he took a deep breath. Those words were familiar; he wondered how many rants she'd listened in on from his old comrades in arms to pick them up. Just because they were old though that didn't make them any less true.
"And I know it doesn't seem like it right now, I know that you're probably getting really damn tired of hearing this shit, but what you're doing with Dr. Cross and the others? It's for a reason." Nicole gave him a tired sort of smile. "Let's be honest bro, we're weird as fuck. And SHIELD is a lot better equipped to handle the weird than the military. Case in point, my last mission."
Her reassurances felt hollow, like meaningless platitudes, but Steve pushed a sigh out of his lungs. Some of what Nicole said rang true; from what he'd seen SHIELD was no novice when it came to dealing with the strange. It still didn't stop him from feeling useless. But even through the sunglasses the blonde could feel that his friend was watching him with a familiar concerned expression that didn't belong on her face. So he forced himself to smile demurely at her, just like he used to do with Bucky, the kind of smile that had heralded promises that he never kept.
"I guess you're right." He offered quietly, reaching over to unbuckle his seatbelt. "I never imagined that this would be where I would end up though."
Nicole watched him warily for a few seconds before she opened her door, glasses slipping back into place so that he couldn't see her eyes anymore. "I can't imagine that it would be. I would be concerned if 'stuck in the future' had entered your plans at any point."
He suspected that she knew exactly what he was doing. Just like Bucky had always known, just like he had known back in New York, and was letting it slide. Steve was grateful that she didn't press the matter; for one now really wasn't the time and for two he wasn't looking for another argument. Not when he was already feeling uneasy. As though she could read his mind, Nicole lightly bumped her shoulder against his, hands shoved in her pockets.
"C'mon. What's the worst that could possibly happen?" For once Steve fully understood how Bucky felt whenever he said something like that. Because as soon as she uttered those simple words, he was running the worst case scenario in his mind and Steve couldn't help the long-suffering sigh.
Any professional air was completely lost as Nicole somehow managed to bounce in her shoes without falling over and Steve was impressed by her balance all over again.
"When the sky starts falling, I'm going to remind you of this." He warned, her smile infectious as it spread to his own face.
"When the sky starts falling—which is a scientific impossibility though things can fall from the sky—I will take full responsibility." The redhead offered, swiping a few strands of hair behind her hair. Steve pressed the button for the elevator, mirroring the pose of the woman beside him. Their elbows knocked against each other as they pressed into the service lift; Nicole had passed on the offer of valet parking claiming that if anyone was going to get in trouble for destroying government property it was going to be her.
The lobby itself was still caught in a sleepy half state, a few business men moving through carrying their shiny black briefcases and checking their sparkling Rolexes. Steve could feel the appraising eyes as they entered the lobby, picking apart the newcomers, and it reminded him of the first time he'd been on stage selling bonds. Only this time he wasn't expected to do a song and dance though he still had the faint sensation of nausea.
"Can I help you?" His shoulders tensed under the borderline condescension—standard package in many high-end establishments Nicole had explained—and his eyes swept to the worker behind the front desk.
Nicole on the other hand looked completely at ease, lips drawing back predatorily as she cocked her head in the direction of the man who had spoken. Her entire posture screamed of power, something that the suit only furthered, and she neatly rolled a shoulder. "No thank you, dear. We're meeting a friend."
"A friend?" The concierge asked skeptically, fingers lighting on the phone. "And whom might that be?"
"We're here to meet Mr. Stark." Steve informed the man coolly, earning a nod from his companion as she leaned her arm on the counter.
The disbelief on the man's face was palpable. Not that Steve could say that he was very surprised; Anthony Stark was one of the social elite. The thought of two unknown people showing up and saying that they were there to meet him would be cause for suspicion.
"You are here to see Mr. Stark?" The concierge scoffed, the polite interest vanishing behind a cold curtain. "We have received many such claims and how you people manage to find his location is—"
"Relax, buddy." Steve turned to look at the brisk voice that interrupted the man. "They're legit."
"Oh, of course sir!" The man smiled. "Is there anything else you'll be needing?"
"No, everything is fine." Like them, the newcomer was wearing a suit, though his had a splash of color in the dark blues and the red tie. Nicole smirked at that, pushing herself up and removing her glasses. "You the two from SHIELD?"
"That'd be us. Steve, this is Happy Hogan; he's the head of security at Stark Industries and one of Tony's personal friends. Happy, this is my partner Steve." The man turned to face them, his face pinched sternly as one eyebrow climbed up his forehead.
"Dugan?" He ran an appraising eye over her figure. "I thought you were a scientist. The hell are you doing here?"
"I said I had a degree in biochemistry, not that I was a scientist." The redhead chuckled, fishing out a folded leather case from her pocket at Happy's impatient gesture.
"Looks real." He grunted, handing the badge back to her. "Let's see yours, buddy."
Steve had been issued his own ID badge almost as soon as he'd woken up off of the ice, the leather casing stiffer than Nicole's because it was much newer. He passed it over to Stark's head of security, a tremor of apprehension running through him. Steve had the irrational fear that someone—somehow—would recognize him and cause a scene. But as Hogan swept his analytical gaze over the badge there was no spark of recognition, just brief interest before he handed it back.
"Alright. Tony and Pepper are waiting upstairs in their suite. He's going to receive one hell of a surprise when he finds out that it's you." Happy snorted, leading them back to the main elevator. "No trouble finding the place?"
"Nah, traffic wasn't even bad." Nicole shrugged, much more in her element than Steve was. Put him in a room filled with people that wanted to kill him and he'd be absolutely fine, but social interactions had never exactly been his forte. Not to say that he couldn't handle himself in one-on-one conversations, or even in front of crowds—Steve was well versed in being a leader and giving speeches to rouse morale—but it had always made him feel uncomfortable. Steve Rogers was just a nobody from Brooklyn, a kid that had gotten lucky and been given a second chance to serve his country. It still astounded him that people looked at him and they didn't see an 85 pound kid covered in cuts and bruises from getting his ass kicked in a back alley.
Stark had chosen the top floor, of course, and it was equipped with a dining area separate from the actual bedrooms. It was the only suite on the floor, and through the door Steve's hearing could pick up two people chatting animatedly while a movie played in the background.
"Why do we have to watch this?" A man complained, his voice unashamedly loud and fast paced. The tone of voice of a man with a lot on his mind and little time to spend on each item. "I've probably seen this movie ten times over; classics my old man called them. Where's Happy and Fury's monkeys? I wonder if it'll be Romanoff again."
"Hush Tony," The woman that had to be Ms. Potts scolded, followed by the clinking of dishware. "It's a good movie."
"Alright, before we go in I need to know what you're packing. Let's see them." Happy demanded, his tone and stance brooking no argument.
"One standard 9mm with ammunition, six throwing knives, tungsten, six inch blades." Nicole answered calmly, opening her coat to reveal her weapons.
Suddenly Steve found the man's very serious gaze on him and he brushed back his jacket to reveal his own pistol. "9mm."
"Alright." Happy nodded, tongue clicking behind his teeth. "Okay, this I can deal with. We have about an hour and a half before we're supposed to head out."
Happy pushed the door open, stepping inside first and almost subconsciously pushing himself in front of their field of vision. The suite was the very definition of expensive living, sleek marble accenting the deep red wood and recessed lighting. They were led down a small hallway with fake plants arranged on the stands and scenic paintings lining the walls.
"It's outdated is what it is, Pep. I heard enough about that guy as a kid anyway." Stark whined back, the sudden silence of the ambient noise cutting out in the background. "And explain to me why we have to have breakfast with SHIELD? Fury never actually explained that did he, just said that they'd be joining us. Because that's what I want to go with my toast; stiffs in suits."
Ms. Potts scoffed good naturedly at that, Steve and Nicole just barely at the threshold of the dining area. Nicole looked like she was about to laugh, her hands back in her pants pockets and her posture completely relaxed. As they approached the closed door, Happy knocked a sharp staccato of three raps against the wood and their conversation was cut short.
"SHIELD's here." The head of security called in announcement, twisting the knob of the handle. There was officially no getting out of it now and he was about to meet Howard's son.
Steve took a deep breath, shoving his nervousness down so that it only vaguely felt like he was about to be sick.
"It's about time. Let's keep the awe to a low. I know, I'm Iron Man, but right now—Freckles? What the hell are you doing here and who's your—what?!" He got the impression that Tony Stark wasn't struck speechless often, and this was a special case because the billionaire's eyes flicked between the both of them in obvious confusion and recognition. Recognition of both of them.
For a moment Steve was frozen in place looking at an almost carbon copy of Howard Stark. There were some slight differences between the two; Howard had never had such bags under his eyes and the nose and chin were off. In spite of the subtle differences between the two—the facial hair as well—it would be impossible for anyone to miss that the two of them were related. For a brief second it was as though the inventor was standing right in front of him.
Then Steve noticed the circular glow of blue light coming from the man's chest through a white sleeveless shirt and the moment was gone. Nicole had explained about the kidnapping in Afghanistan, the shrapnel that was trying to bury itself into the billionaire's chest and the glowing magnet that had been invented to save his life. She had explained how Stark had used that magnet as the power source for his own armored suit and that it'd almost killed him.
"Nice to see you, Tony." Nicole smirked, an enigmatic smile on her face as the door shut behind them. "This is my partner Steve—"
"I know who that is." Stark snapped, a gaping expression of disbelief on his face. "I just saw your face on the television. Pepper do you know who this is? This is impossible."
"Not impossible, just highly improbable." Steve offered with a crooked grin, offering his hand. "Steve Rogers."
Stark grasped his hand in a firm grip, the man's hands rough with callouses. "T—Tony Stark."
The blonde could practically feel the astonishment rolling off of the man in waves, and gave his hand a few good pumps. "I knew your father."
Those words seemed to break through the surprise, causing the darker haired man to scoff and withdraw. "At least one of us did."
His brows furrowed into a shallow depression on his face, shoulders squaring slightly and spine stiffening. "Howard was a good man. He saved a lot of American lives."
Stark looked away, a flash of resentment crossing his features. "I…"
"This is Virginia Potts," Nicole cut in tactfully, sweeping her arm out in a gesture towards the other occupant in the room. "She's the CEO of Stark Industries."
Ms. Potts was already dressed in a business suit, her still hanging by the door and her hair pulled up in a professional pony tail. She blinked in obvious surprise, but unlike Stark's flustered behavior the woman seemed to roll with the surprise easily.
"Captain Rogers, it's good to meet you. I have to admit that this is… well, unprecedented comes to mind." There was something about her manner that Steve found himself taking a liking to, especially as she maintained her cool under the news that had clearly thrown her for a loop.
"Unprecedented doesn't even begin to cover this in the slightest, Pep. This is not possible; the old man spent a good portion of his life looking for your body." Stark interrupted rudely, causing Steve to bristle slightly.
For someone who looked so much like his father, Tony lacked most of Howard's social graces. Howard Stark was a man who could walk into a room full of enemies and have them all playing cards within an hour; his son… well, Steve imagined that cards would not be the outcome. The blonde cut a questioning look to his friend, for the most part Nicole had been silent during their short exchange. The taller woman was watching in thinly veiled amusement and she gave him a shrug when she caught his eyes with her own.
They shared a look that spoke volumes, a message that the ball was in his court.
"If you weren't already aware," Steve began slowly, "I sank the Red Skull's plane into the Arctic. During the crash I was frozen and somehow—I'm not sure about the specifics—the serum kept me alive, frozen in the ice. Until SHIELD found me in June."
Stark processed those words, his eyes focused in with intent as his mouth started a chewing motion. Steve could see the gears already whirring into action, and for the first time Steve could see something more than the physical similarities between the man and his long deceased father. It was the same look of concentration that Howard wore when he'd first been given permission to investigate the stolen HYDRA weapons.
"Primitive cryogenic freezing." Stark muttered to himself, fingers drumming against one another. "The increased productivity in your cell structure must have prevented the ice from doing any damage. It happens in the wild with some animals, reptiles and amphibians mostly but…"
Steve didn't bother to pretend he understood half of what Stark was saying, something about sugar trehalose and muscular atrophy—which he knew meant the decay of muscles because his ma had dealt with it as a nurse and then later when her own body had started shutting down. Ms. Potts rolled her eyes as the inventor started pacing back and forth thoughtfully, gesturing to the table.
"Would you like to have a seat? We're about to have breakfast." The woman offered, waiting until Nicole had sat down before taking her own seat. Steve waited until both of the women were sitting before he reached for his own chair, jumping when he felt the prod of a fork in his side.
"Hey!" He yelped, whirling around to glare at Stark who was unabashedly tapping the fork against his knuckles.
"Reaction time is spot on," Stark noted to himself. "You're spry for an old man. And big. Must have been eating your Wheaties."
"Can I help you, Mr. Stark?" Steve demanded sharply, bristling as the man continued to poke and prod at him. "Stop that!"
"Oh, touchy too." Tony smirked, one eyebrow arching. "What's wrong, miss the early bird special, Capsicle? You're how old now?"
"Tony…" Nicole warned, the nail on her thumb piercing the tough peel of an orange. "Don't be an ass. I know it's hard, but please try."
"It's just a general inquiry!" Tony added hurriedly, throwing his hands up as he slid into his own seat and began pulling food onto his plate. "I'm allowed to be scientifically curious aren't I? Have to admit though, he looks good for a—what is it—91 year old? What do you do, aerobics? Zumba? Jane Fonda?"
"What?" Steve asked in confusion, looking to Nicole for elaboration. As he did so he felt a wave of frustration go through him; he wasn't an idiot, he knew he was being made the butt of a joke, but the problem was that he just didn't understand the references.
"Ignore him." Both women offered in sympathy before Ms. Potts kicked Stark under the table.
"Ouch! What was that for?" The man demanded, glaring at his girl.
Ms. Potts was distinctly unimpressed, her features stern and in control. "You're being a jerk. You could be a little more sympathetic, Tony. Especially considering that these two took the time out of their day to come keep an eye on the meetings."
"Either that, or I can kick you too." Nicole offered sweetly, though there was something slightly darker under her smile. "And I can kick a lot harder—no offense Pep."
After that less than subtle warning they ate in relative silence. He said relative because Tony Stark simply didn't do silence and for the most part the time was filled with the man's near constant chatter and rapid fire questions. Breakfast was a quick affair with numerous pastries and fruit offered. Nicole was in the process of picking at the crumbs of her muffin when Steve got up to get his third cup of coffee. Truth be told he was looking for an excuse to get away from Stark's grilling and when he felt a presence sidle up beside him he tensed instinctively expecting another barrage of inquiries.
"Weirdo." Nicole muttered darkly as he finished filling his mug, booting him out of the way to add coffee to her own. The liquid came up a swirling mocha color, the cream and sugar having already been added.
Steve couldn't help but roll his eyes at her childish comment, reaching over to offer a spoon. "Says the woman who falls asleep with her feet sticking up in the air. And had a Captain America teddy-bear until she was thirteen."
She punched him in the arm, the blow not strong enough to do any real damage but a playful tap instead. "I still have that bear actually."
"I'm not surprised." Steve joked, poking her in the ribs when she reached out to put the spoon back on the tray. "You're my number one fan."
Nicole gasped dramatically at that, her brown eyes wide and astonished. "You shut your mouth Rogers! Phil would have an aneurism if he heard you say that."
They both turned away from the coffee maker to find Tony staring at them openly, his mouth hanging open slightly. Brown eyes flicked between the two once more, and if possible the gears in his head started turning faster. Regaining his composure the inventor crossed his arms over his chest effectively blocking out some of the glow from his arc reactor.
"Can I help you with something?" Nicole asked curiously, nose wrinkling slightly as she studied the man studying her. "Is there something on my face or something? Say something Stark, you're freaking me out."
"You two are thick as thieves!" Tony announced after a heartbeat, "Super friendly with one another. Tell me Cap, do you two… fondue?"
Steve stuttered at that, the coffee in his mouth almost spewing everywhere as he pressed his hand to his lips. Nicole's confusion only increased at that, brows knitting together as Stark started cackling madly.
"Fondue?" She parroted, head tilting to the side. "I'm not too big a fan of it, so why would we?"
Tony started laughing harder and Steve was positive that his face was bright red right now. Of all of the stories for Howard to relate to his son, it had to be that one.
"We do not fondue." He glared at Stark, trying to salvage his composure. "Shut up Stark."
They were saved from a response when Pepper poked her head out of the bedroom in annoyance. "Tony, we have to be at the courthouse in thirty minutes! Get dressed!"
"I'm so confused! What's wrong with fondue?" Nicole pressed, causing the billionaire to snort as he headed to where his girlfriend was waiting with a suit on a hangar. "Steve?"
"I'll leave you to explain it to Freckles." Stark grinned, flicking his hand in a dismissive wave as he disappeared around the corner of the room. Steve could feel Nicole's questioning gaze on him, her nose still scrunched up.
"Steve?" She asked again, turning to face him. "What does that even mean?"
"Nothing." He croaked, aware of his voice cracking slightly in embarrassment. "It's really nothing important at all."
She looked like she wanted to press for more information, and Steve had a feeling that before the week was out Nicole would figure out the joke, but right at that moment Happy came up to them again and this time the man was carrying an expensive looking red and gold briefcase. There was a silver chain that linked from the handle to disappear up his wrist.
"The car's being brought around, and we're gonna be leaving as soon as Tony gets dressed. You two ready to go?" The man asked sharply, causing the redhead to push her sleeve up enough to look at her watch.
"I'll go get our vehicle then. Do you want us in front or behind?" And just like that she was back to being the competent SHIELD agent.
"Take the lead, that way if anything happens we have time to respond." Happy decided as the redhead headed back down the hall. His eyes fell to her feet, and the almost delicate looking shoes she wore. "You gonna be able to hold your own in those things?"
The responding grin that she gave the men was just a little bit bone chilling in its savagery. "Three inches is just enough to pierce the brain through the eye socket."
Steve could hear Happy swallow beside him as Nicole hurried out of the suite, a bemused expression on his face as his friend moved nimbly. Not even a few minutes later Ms. Potts surfaced again inspecting a tablet that he suspected was Spartech. Green eyes peered up at him curiously, a friendly smile on her face as she folded the tablet between her arms.
"So, Captain, what should we expect on SHIELD's behalf during these meetings? Do you know?" The question was worded with a light curiosity, but Steve could tell by the analytical glint in her eyes and the way they just slightly creased in the corners that she was paying very close attention to his answer.
Then again, he shouldn't be surprised at how seriously she took her job; this was the CEO of Stark Industries, the woman in charge of making sure that a multi-billion dollar company remained up and running.
Of course she wanted as many details as possible.
"I'm afraid I can't tell you what to expect in the negotiations themselves, ma'am." He offered, arms crossing over his chest. "However Nicole and I will be keeping a close eye on the proceedings to make sure that everything is up to snuff. There will be two people posted outside the door and Nicole and I will be inside with you and Mr. Stark."
He paused as heard a slight huff of annoyance coming from the other room. Ms. Potts completely ignored Stark's grunts and shook her head. "Tony told me that it's just going to be a matter of discussing certain funding projects with the military, mostly about the drones that attacked Malibu during the expo."
"From what I read in the file," Steve nodded, "you'll be meeting with General Ross from the air force as well as General Lawrence from the Army. Now, Lawrence seems like a level-headed and straight forward guy, but I can't offer much to say about Ross. Nicole wasn't exactly forthcoming with information about him and she seemed less than thrilled to find out that he would be attending the meetings."
"No, I don't think that she would." Stark swaggered back into the room looking every inch the presentable billionaire in his suit. A pair of yellow tinted sunglasses adorned his face and he reached a hand out to accept the tablet from Ms. Potts. "Freckles can't stand old Thunderbolt, and I can't say it isn't for good reason after what happened in Harlem."
Steve pursed his lips at that; he'd heard plenty of talk at the Bank about what had happened in Harlem with the creature known as the Hulk, but there was remarkably little to connect Nicole with the incident. And with all of the chaos of the past couple of weeks, he hadn't really had the opportunity to ask about it.
"Car's waiting downstairs." Happy announced, "Time to get this show on the road Tony."
"Right." The billionaire snorted at that, pausing to give himself one last brush down in the mirror. "Damn I look good. I hope there are lots of photographers to commemorate how sexy I am."
"I'm sure there will be plenty of people all waiting to get a good look at Iron Man." Ms. Potts offered mildly, going to stand next to Happy. "Let's go, Tony. Unlike yourself, I don't particularly relish being late to meetings."
"Yeah yeah." Stark waved his hands in an absent gesture that sent the two heading to the door. "Hold up a second, Rogers."
Steve paused in his tracks, turning to face the man who was currently absorbed in fiddling with his cuff links. "Something I can do for you Mr. Stark?"
"Have you been to see her yet?" The dark haired man asked his face utterly serious, something that Steve would have considered impossible.
"Seen who?" He knew exactly who Stark was talking about, but decided to play dumb for a moment in the hopes that it would stave off the oncoming conversation.
Unfortunately for him there wasn't denying the fact that Tony Stark was a certified genius and the man saw right through his façade. "You know damn well who. Peggy. She's still alive you know, living easy in a retirement home. She talks about you all the time, you know. When she can remember. Old age has set in kind of poorly, scrambled up her memories."
Steve felt a lance of pain go through him at that, right into the heart, and his jaw clenched as his eyes dropped to the floor. He knew that Peggy was alive, Nicole had told him, but he hadn't even thought about whether or not he would—should—go see her. She'd had time, a whole healthy lifetime to move on from him whereas he'd only had a couple of months to realize that what they could have been was a distant dream. But he knew that at some point he needed to see her, before it was too late. He just wasn't sure how.
Wasn't sure if he physically could.
"I understand." Stark continued, sounding oddly sympathetic. "It's gotta be hard. But you need to go see her before you don't have the chance."
It was perhaps the first thing that the billionaire had said that didn't make Steve want to instinctively hit him, and he was reminded of how Nicole had described the man earlier.
As hard as he tries to conceal it, he's got a good head on his shoulders and a heart.
Like he could read minds and sense exactly where Steve's thoughts had turned, Stark gave a shrug and trailed after where the others had just been. "I mean, it's whatever. You two can reminisce about the glory days and catch up on some Golden Girls. All before bed time at five."
Just like that the moment was gone, leaving Steve confused and annoyed all at the same time.
