Howard Stark falls from the sky, and it's on purpose.

Though his name isn't Howard or Stark when he falls.

He is Alpha Fornacis, and his light in the sky stays behind when he leaves.

For more years than man can count Howard has watched mankind, utterly fascinated by the act of creation. The ability and drive to invent is the most beautiful thing he's ever seen and when he falls, it's a swan dive from the night sky to the ground for the star.

In his silver robes he's quite the sight, different from anything anyone has seen before at the turn of the century. A sight unknown except for those who know how to hunt him. Hunt stars.

When he falls from the sky in 1881, Alpha Fornacis takes the name Alan Forn and learns what it is to be human. Alan is quick to make the switch from sleeping during the day to doing so at night, his brothers and sisters whispering warnings in his ears should any try to sneak up on him while he sleeps. He learns how and when to eat as humans do and how to take care of himself, both from previous memories and from new experiences.

He learns about joy and pain, friendship and loss. He learns what it is like to be both hunted and hunter. Alan learns how to disappear, and Alan learns how to invent.

Just like when he was an observer in the sky, invention becomes his passion, soaring to greater heights now that he can build all the things he wanted to while up in the sky.

But as one decade on earth becomes two, the people around him start to notice that he isn't aging.

People notice how his joy glows. Literally.

Scientists notice.

So Alan Forn has to die.

Tuberculosis, a common enough disease and the paperwork is easy to forge and have his death be announced in the paper.

The death announcement is not enough for the more stubborn of witches and other star hunters, but it is enough for the ones that had begun to ask questions. Mostly.

Alpha Fornacis lies low for many years after that, traveling the globe both to escape hunters as well as learn as much as he can. He learns many languages, well over fifty by the time he ends up in the United States.

He continues to lay low as the Great War devours the globe. Long has he watched war and the innovations that come with it, but this is on another scale that shocks him and stokes his burning core.

His curiosity burns low and hot through the roaring twenties and he takes up the name Howard Stark.

Howard, meaning guardian, defender.

Stark, because it reminds him of what he is; a light that stands out against the darkness. He will not hide, Alpha Fornacis is going to stand out. It isn't even ten years later that he becomes the head of a multi-million dollar company he built from the ground up that's building the best of the best in technology.

The beginnings of the next war starts as a low rumble of thunder in the background. It's all happening in Europe, again, and most are hoping the thunderstorm stays on the horizon.

Then the Japanese Empire bombs Pearl Harbor and the hounds of war start baying for blood.

When the hounds bay, everyone runs.

Howard Stark is called to invent, and invent he does when the funds are waved in his face by government dogs.

Between events promoting his own company and working with the US government, Howard doesn't have much time to himself and doesn't notice the people around him. Until he bumps into the skinniest, tiniest man acting as Doctor Erskine's shadow and he can't help but gape because holy hell does he remind him of Nu Fornacis, the smallest star in the Fornax Constellation.

Quickly turning his expression to one of his signature smirks, Howard tilts his head to the side. "Who's this, doctor?"

"Ah, Mr. Stark. This is Steven Rogers, my candidate for the project."

"Really now?" Alpha Fornacis holds out a hand to Steven Rogers and the skinny man takes it.

"Please, just call me Steve."

"Howard."

They don't talk much before the experiment, and after, Steve Rogers is paraded around like a dancing monkey to sell war bonds. They don't meet again until Agent Peggy Carter contacts him for a favor and he's flying her and Rogers over enemy lines to save the 107th.

Or something along those lines.

Those hours between drop off and dawn are nerve-racking, but more so for Peggy than himself; they can't court martial him, he builds all their weapons.

When Captain America comes marching back with the lost troops in tow, Howard feels a glow in his chest and from there he has a hard time keeping himself from shining everytime he sees Steven Rogers.

Erksine's candidate turns out to be someone so good that Howard can't help but notice him. Though he no longer looks like Nu Fornacis, he has the eagerness and kindness that his fellow star was known for.

Captain America comes into his own during the war, adjusting how he does things and the tools needed to do what he does. With those adjustments comes moments shared between the two of them.

Steve comes to him with requests and dreams and he feels like the blazing star he was when he fell to earth when he meets all of Steve Rogers' demands and Steve compliments every piece he gives him.

More than a handful of times does Howard have to excuse himself to hide in a corner (a secure room with twelve different locks) just to let himself shine, as stars do best.

The glow disappears when Captain America does, though he spends many long years trying to find him.

The only thing he ever finds in the Arctic is the accursed tesseract that he hides within SHIELD, within PEGASUS.

(He's always loved his siblings in that constellation.)

It's in Europe, at one of the old Hydra bases that he finds something that gives him pause: not just one, but two Babylon candles. He wonders if this is maybe a sign that he should return to the night sky, but he's not ready to at that time.

Alpha Fornacis is still looking for Captain America.

Feeling drained and like his many eons of living are catching up to him, he's surprised when his dark hair rapidly turns white. As white as some of his fairest sisters and brothers. He does not understand why this is happening to him, but the tugging on his heart is a large part of the reason why it takes him over a decade to stop hunting for Steve.

After, he goes back to inventing for his company and he's floating along and days away from lighting the wick of one of his candles that are hidden in his most secure vault when he meets her.

She's an Italian woman through and through, passionate with a fire inside that matches his own. Her accent is subtle unless she's angry, and it matches the darkening of her midnight blue eyes.

Looking into her eyes is like seeing home again. He can't stop looking at her, this beautiful woman with long golden hair the color of stardust.

Meeting Maria is a breath of fresh air and a slap in the face and she's someone that doesn't look like she can keep up with him but she does. She's emotionally intelligent in a way he could never be and that suits him.

It suits him so nicely that he tells her the truth about himself before they marry and he physically can't stop himself from glowing during their wedding and feeling younger than he has in years.

For a while that's more than enough until Howard's looking down at his son in his arms, born four hours ago and perfect.

Anthony Edward Stark takes after his mother and Howard is so, so relieved.

Then Tony starts glowing at the age of four and Howard grabs him out of his nanny's arms, forces her to sign an NDA and promptly fires her and most of his staff.

His son is a baby star, something that hasn't been born in a millennia and since he's a baby, he can't control his glow.

It's more than a little nerve-racking.

Thank god for Jarvis and Maria, but as the years pass and Anthony still can't control his glowing by the age of nine, the stress snaps inside of Howard.

He won't see his son's heart carved out because of an issue of control.

Maria does not approve of his coldness, nor does Jarvis.

They have less to say when Anthony, at age twelve, goes to a private school and there isn't a single issue the entire year.

Alpha Fornacis' coldness remains a fact while Tony continues to struggle with his shine, especially when the boy is with his mother and Jarvis or worst of all, when he's inventing. One can not invent and not have at least some control over their glow.

December sixteenth, 1991, Howard and Maria are in a car crash. Before they even hit the tree Alpha Fornacis knows it's no accident.

From a secret pocket in the lining of his jacket he pulls out a Babylon Candle and takes Maria's hand as the electronics in the car spark around them.

"We can never come back."

"Tony-"

"We'll be gone forever, regardless. This way, I keep my heart." He cups her cheek and looks deep into her eyes and her warm breath flutters across his wrist.

"Alright, Fornacis."

The Winter Soldier didn't think that the car would explode and the force of it throws him down the hill and headfirst into a tree. Watching the white light through fuzzy eyes causes an unfamiliar elation in his chest and he has no idea why death tastes like freedom this time.

By the year 1992, Alpha Fornacis in the constellation Fornax, the Microscope, is found to be binary stars, forever circling each other.