𝑺𝒉𝒆'𝒔 𝒂 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒚 𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍 𝑨𝑵𝑫 𝒂 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅-𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏.
LIKE FATHER, LIKE DAUGHTER.
Charlie, also known as the jet-setter and billionaire Tony Stark's only daughter, is 26 and in a relationship with Steve, soon-to-be successor...
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𝑨𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒄𝒌𝒖𝒑, the doctors stated that Charlie's little sister, Morgan, was healthy, as well as Pepper. It was still a very traumatic delivery and they both needed rest so Charlie padded away from their hospital room, silently closing the door behind her.
She jumped when she bumped into something hard as soon as she stepped into the dark hallway.
Stunned, Charlie blinked a couple of times, adjusting to the dim light until she recognized those steel-blue eyes looking down at her in worry.
"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you," James said, apologetically. "I was checking on your father and I wanted to make sure you and the girls were okay."
Her vision blurred, unshed tears clinging stubbornly to her lashes as she struggled to steady her breathing.
James wrapped his arms around her and tugged her close to his chest.
His hands ran along her back in a gentle, reassuring caress and she didn't know if it was the right thing to do, but she closed her eyes and sank into his touch. His presence was the comfort she desperately needed, despite everything that happened this past year.
The fact that he cared for her - always had, made it all even more difficult for her. She wished she could feel nothing for him, the man who kidnapped her exactly a year ago, but all this was so much bigger than her.
It took her some time to understand it, but James had only been doing his job that night. He had been doing what was the right thing. Infiltrate HYDRA to take it down from within and save the S.H.I.E.L.D., the extra-governmental counter-terrorism and intelligence agency founded by her grandfather, along with Peggy Carter and Chester Phillips.
She just happened to be a tool in their plot, and feelings got tangled up.
"How is he?" Charlie asked in a whisper in the warmth of his embrace.
"Your dad is a tough guy. He's gonna be fine," James answered and Charlie felt instant relief. "Pepper and the baby?"
"They're both healthy."
At that, she could feel his muscles relax around her too.
James grew fond of the Stark family. Not only because of Charlie, but he started to appreciate Tony's humor, Pepper's kindness. He had felt like he belonged.
He kissed the crown of Charlie's head in a quiet, protective way, as if the gesture alone could guard her from everything that hurt, everything unspoken. He let his lips linger there for a moment, then rested his chin against her hair like he was trying to hold the whole world together in his arms.
Putting some distance between them, still wrapped in his arms, Charlie looked James in the eye, staring up at those blue irises. Her vision started to blur again, the memory of Obadiah Stane and his bloody smile playing in a loop in her head.
