Shadows (BuckyxOC)

Gin and Soda

Today was the day of the party. The last couple days were average and there really was nothing to worry about like Pepper and my dad both warned me. I saw everyone around the tower on multiple occasions and it was never awkward and no one ever threw any shade at me.

I also managed to keep myself in check on the few interactions I had with one Captain America. Of course, every time I called him captain he would correct me, like right now. He looked to have just come from the gym and was looking to get some refreshments.

"It's just Steve, Nellie. No need to be so formal all the time."

"Sorry. Old habits and all that." I said, pouring myself a cup of coffee that morning, "Would you like some?"

"Please." He said kindly and came to stand beside me at the counter as I got a mug for him as well.

I turned to hand it to him and he was leaning his hip against the counter as his outstretched hand took the mug from me. I held my breath, hoping our hands wouldn't touch, knowing I'd end up fumbling the mug and spilling coffee all over both of us. Once I was free and clear of the mug, I let out the breath as discreetly as possible and picked up my own mug, mirroring his position.

"I'm sorry by the way." At his questioning look, I continued, "For the way I acted when we first met. I was worse than..." Phil, I wanted to say but refrained, still not able to say his name. He seemed to know what I meant but didn't call me on it as I changed what I was going to say, "I'm just sorry. You came into a whole new era and felt out of place and my fangirling and squealing, clinginess probably didn't help you in any way."

He chuckled, "You don't need to apologize for being a normal teenage girl. You were a kid then."

"I still feel like I'm that same kid sometimes." I said woefully into my mug, "Still trying to find my place in the world and all that. Does that feeling ever go away?"

"I'll let you know." I looked up at him through my lashes, seeing his look of understanding. That was his small way of letting me know he knew how it felt.

I shook my head at my stupidity, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make it sound like I didn't belong here. I'm sure that's how you feel though. I just meant that I want to make a name for myself, someway, somehow, and have it be solely mine and not because of who my father is." I could feel my eyes widen when I realized what I'd said, "Not that you don't belong here either. God wouldn't have played it out like this if you weren't meant to be here at this very moment." Darn it! I did it again. "Not here right now with me. Just in this era, in this time because it needs you for something that hasn't been made clear yet." I saw him open his mouth to say something and unintentionally slammed my mug down on the counter, sloshing coffee onto my hand. "I have to go."

I bolted out of that room so fast I swear I was a blur. At the risk of running into someone else and making a fool of myself, I morphed into the shadows and then came out of the shadows that were near my room before going inside and flopping on my bed.

I'd run into him a handful of times over the past couple days and was able to act calm and collected. I was doing so well and I'd just ruined it all! I really was that stupid child still. Well, if he didn't think I still had that crush before, he definitely does now. Maybe I should tell Dad I can't go to the party; That I'm not feeling well. He's been so busy with his top secret Ultron project, that he might not even notice it's a lie.

With that thought in mind, I went to go find him. As I thought, he was alone in the lab, Bruce likely somewhere taking a break. He seemed deep in thought as I studied the different pieces of his project. It looked like a holographic brain.

"Hey Dad, you alright?"

"Hey kiddo. Come here for a moment. What do you see?"

"It looks like a bunch of neurons trying to communicate with each other but missing the main axons in which information needs to travel from one place to another. It's fairly similar to a human brain but it's working more mechanically... like it's missing emotions."