See You in a Minute ~ T.Stark

nine

"You have been criticising yourself for years, and it hasn't worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens."

Tony Stark.

Cap and I stood in the elevator side by side, waiting in silence, until I broke it.

"What are you going to do after this?" I asked, looking at Cap for a moment before facing the front again.

He shrugged.

"I thought about staying here, with Peggy."

"But you aren't going to, right?" I asked, and Rogers sighed.

"I don't know, Tony."

"That's why you're getting the Pym Particles?" I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest as he stayed silent.

"So that you could stay back, and use them if things go wrong between you and Agent Carter." I concluded, and Cap nodded.

"What about Barnes? What about Nat?" I asked, turning to look at him, and I saw his conflicted expression.

"What about Aphrodite and I?" I said, trying to sound collected.

The truth is, I didn't want him to stay here.

He had so much waiting for him.

Why would he throw that away for a woman who's probably moved on anyway?

"You don't need me." Rogers said, but I could tell he was trying to convince himself that we didn't.

"You keep telling yourself that, Cap." I scoffed, and the elevator doors opened.

"The stone." I said, holding my hand out, and Steve placed it in my hand.

I gave him one last disappointed look before walking out of the elevator, and I heard the doors close behind me.

Releasing a breath I didn't realise I was holding, I began walking down the stairs to where I knew the case would be.

My father would be here soon.

Maybe I could do things better this time.

I approached the briefcase, snapping it open and returning the stone, and closing it as quickly as I could.

The door behind me opened, and I tried to look like I was filing the paperwork.

"Arnim, you in there? Arnim? Hey! Door's this way, pal." My father said, and I looked up at him, trying to play it cool.

"Yeah, of course." I responded, and he approached me.

"I'm looking for Dr. Zola. Have you seen him?" He asked, and I remembered the last time this happened.

I bumped into a chair.

I stepped away from the chair before I knocked it over, and looked at my father.

"Yeah, no, Dr. Zola. No, I haven't seen a soul." I said, and he nodded, looking a little disappointed.

"Do I know you?" He asked, and I shook my head.

"No, sir. I'm just a visitor from MIT." I said making my father step closer, nodding.

"Huh, MIT." He said, tapping his chin and then looking at me again.

"Got a name?"

"Howard." I responded quickly, and he smiled.

That's a first.

"Well, that'll be easy to remember." My father said, and then looked at me intently, waiting for my last name.

"Howard Harper."