Chemical Poison . Howard Stark

Chapter 41

The car did not start straight away, in fact it hadn't moved for well over a few minutes - not that Anneliese was counting. It wasn't as if the lurking gazes of unfamiliar people was at all terrifying, nor were the flashes from cameras had her on the edge of her seat. 

Lies, lies, lies.

She was confused. An emotional wreck. And all she wanted was to be back in her office when times were much simpler. There was no control in this environment, and Anneliese Lorenz has always struggled in times of chaos. No narrative for her to select, no article she could bride to not be released, and certainly no structured plan for her to follow.

And it was all because of him.

Had he never promoted her. Had he never had Alexander train her to be a manager. Had he never befriended her. Had he never allowed her to be involved in Project Rebirth. Had he never agreed to fake date. Had he never kissed her on the front porch.

Had he never proposed.

But their was something undeniable special about him. If it was how his black polished shoes still looked worn, or his tailored grey suits favouring a cheaper grey dye, and all the way to his extensive collection of golden cufflinks. He was unlike all the other man she had ever met - though half the men she has met were currently fighting in a war under her Uncle's reign.

She continued to stare at him as her mind screamed questions after questions. Was it the ugly dark grey blazer he loved? Or was it how his shirts buttons were never done up matched with a barely made-up purple tie? There was something golden about him, but Anneliese would't help but notice the imperfections. 

He's hair was barely done but his eyebrows were perfectly drawn on. His fingers clutched the back of the drivers seat as he leaned over to whisper. She watched all of it. Even the small ways his lips quirked into a curved smile as he caught her watching - staring. 

There was something golden about him. But there was always something golden about men with money. Golden rings decked out their fingers, much like Alexander, or their pens they use to write with had some sort of golden inscription on them, much like Harold. Even Howard loved his golden cufflinks, perhaps he loved gold the most.

But he's certainly not just golden, Anneliese concluded as he flashed her a quick wink before he patted the shoulder of the driver and fell back into his seat. The car begun to move against the crowd of cameras and journalists, but within the car it was just Anneliese staring at Howard, and Howard staring at Anneliese.

His eyes looked as vodka tasted, but the colour? She was certain it was golden before, but she had missed the specs of a redder gold - a more bronze colour. It was the colour of rusting metal. Just small specs of the redder gold in his eyes but it was rust anyway.

If all men are golden, then Howard was the rust. Imperfect, destructive, but not inherently harmful. He was only dangerous with metal. He was always dangerous with metal and that was exactly why they were still in London. He was finishing up the final prototype of a new fighter aircraft.

Howard created monsters out of metal. He was the creator for so much damnation and yet Anneliese still couldn't find herself to hate him.

To hate him for changing a life that could've been simpler - safer.

Instead, she relished in it, even if she didn't want to admit it. 

Anneliese had allowed herself to be ruined, and ruination is what she would become.

"What becomes of me?" Anneliese finally spoke, ending the screaming from her mind.

She watches as Howard straightens his back before he spoke. "I suppose you could just work unofficially, you just wouldn't be able to sit in the meetings which would be rather difficult for you to get the information." His eyes remain trained on Anneliese. "But we will figure it out, sweetheart."