2| Platinum [Pietro M.] ✔

21. Miss Carter

My feet quietly fall against the floor as I follow in the wake of a distraught Captain America. It doesn't take me long to find him deep in a destructive sadness in the stairwell.

Or what normal people call crying.

His face is lowered into the palm of his hand. Just by looking at him I can feel the waves of sadness rolling off him. "Hey..." I whisper once I reach the landing to the stairs Steve is standing on. I watch as he sharply turns to face me. At first, his face is that of a startled deer before it melts into an obviously forced smile. The sadness I see shining in his eyes makes me frown as I slowly descend the stairs to where he is. "What's wrong? What happened?" I motion easily to his phone, which is tightly grasped in his hand without looking away from his face. Steve is the first to break eye contact as he looks down at his phone and gives a small shrug.

"I got some disappointing news." He states vaguely, looking back to me like a kicked puppy.

"Steve I've been giving you disappointing news for nearly a year. This is something deeper." I lean against the handrail to the stairs. "Someone died, didn't they?" I whisper lowly, my face turning into one of pity. It's the only other thing I can possibly fathom would rattle Steve like this. Before he can reply, I hold up a finger. "I know the look, so don't try to tell me otherwise." I state gently, but with a definitive tone. His mouth opens and closes a few times as he fights for words before his jaw sets once he closes his mouth. Steve's obviously trying to come up with the right words. Seeing how hard it is for him, I tilt my head with a smile before I reach forward with one arm and draw him into a comforting hug. It's almost funny, despite the situation. I see Steve as a father figure even though he's old enough to be my grand or great-grandfather.

"Thank you, Iris." I hear Steve mumble into my hair as he returns the embrace. We stand there hugging it out for a good two minutes before I feel the tension leave his body as he lets out a deep sigh. Then he slowly, almost hesitantly, pulls away. Cap looks the slightest bit relieved as he looks at me. Whatever tears that had been threatening to spill had dispersed.

"Who was it?" I hate to ask the question, but I'm just too curious for my own good.

And mouthy apparently.

"I don't think you'd know her." He smiles at me, memories of the past sparking through his eyes.

"Was it Miss Carter?" My voice drops in volume as I give him a sad look. The expression I receive makes me blink a couple of times to make sure my eyes aren't playing tricks on me. Steve Rogers, Captain America, the fearless WWII vet, looks like a gaping fish.

Where's a camera when you need one?

"How...how did you know?" The super-soldier asks me, leaning against the handrail behind him as he crosses his arms over his chest. His eyebrows pull together as he looks at me with a mix of shock and wonderment.

"Oh, come now Steve. I've been to the Captain America exhibit at the Smithsonian in D.C. It's the obvious answer. And, not to be rude, but you don't know a good many people in this century. Plus who else's passing could make Captain America look like a kicked puppy?" I lift a brow at him, my lips twitching at the edges into a smile. "Anyway, I do my reading. I know all about Miss Carter." I state enthusiastically. "Well, not all about her. I'm sure you know her better than anybody."

"At one time, maybe." Steve shoots me a small smile.

"Oooohhh...." I reach up and tap my chin, nodding a bit. "I forgot she got married. Had kids." A silence follows. It's not awkward or uncomfortable. It's more like a mutual silence as we both take a moment to process our thoughts. "I assume there'll be a funeral?" I ask suddenly, my tone kind.