ignis | b. barnes

005 | family secrets

HOWARD Stark thought his presentation would go smoothly. He had everything planned out, tested the car multiple times, and rehearsed his speech countless times. However, he let his eyes gaze over his audience. In the third row, his eyes locked on to familiar eyes. The man's eyes brought him back to when he was younger and the stories his parents told him before they passed away.

While Howard Stark was known to the world as a genius and millionaire, no one would ever suspect that his family was one of the poorest families in New York. Once upon a time, his family was one of the richest families, but with one 'bad apple' the Stark's financial state went down the drain.

Howard was told stories about his grandmother, Camila Kenneth. A strong, smart woman who was cherished by her family and friends. But when her parents found out about her secret, it ruined her reputation among her family. A secret that was only revealed when her sister walked in on her kissing someone. Not just anyone, though, a girl. Camila hoped her sister wouldn't tell her parents, but she was wrong.

At first her parents didn't act on the information. Camila started to believe that maybe her parents didn't care. However, when Camila was seventeen her parents gave her a huge birthday present. It was a 'family tradition,' according to her mother. Every child of the Kenneth family would move out at the age of seventeen and take care of themselves.

Moving out was hard. Her family lived in the middle of nowhere so having to move to the city was a change of perspective. Her family paid her until she was settled, then all ties were cut. A man was sent to Camila's house. Not much can be said about what happened. But Camila's life changed after that. She knew she had to be strong and prove to her family that she needs no man and no man will change how she feels.

The Kenneth family was furious. The man did not do as they said. He took one to many steps forward and now they looked more villainous than before. When the man returned to the Kenneth household and told them what he did, Mr. Kenneth killed him on sight.

Nine months later Camila had a daughter. A beautiful baby girl who was named after her one and only love, Carolyn. Camila did her best to keep herself and her daughter safe. Did her best to keep making money, but as a women that wasn't easy. Eventually, she met a man who offered her support.

Walter Stark was his name. A handsome man who owned a small little farm in the outskirts of New York.

After a while she felt that Walter was getting the wrong signals. However, that wasn't the case. Walter was married to a kind women named Carolin. The same Carolin that Camila named her daughter after.

It turned out Carolin and Walter were in an arranged marriage, the two weren't in love the way normal married couples were, they loved each other as friends.

Carolin had heard about her old friend Camila Kenneth having a child out of wedlock. She heard that the woman was trying to take care of herself and her child on her own with no support and was slowly failing at that. Carolin decided to send her husband to help. He was no wealthy man, but he could help her.

When Camila and Carolin met they began to rekindle their friendship. It grew into nothing more. They were fine as friends and needed nothing more of each other.

Camila ended up being with Carolin for everything. She was there when Carolin was fired from her fifth job. She was there when Carolin found out she was pregnant. She was there when the couple had their son and named him Howard. She was there to watch the boy grow up.

Camila and Carolin's children became inseparable. From the moment they met they had a connection. Eventually the two started dating. The dating turned into an engagement and then marriage.

In November of 1917, one year after the couple got married, they brought two beautiful boys into the world. They had a home birth to dodge the hospital bills. They hired a private nurse who costed less than the hospital.

They saw no harm in having a home delivery and there was nothing wrong with a home delivery. It was the nurse they hired that was the problem. Howard had left the house to retrieve their parents and tell them about the beautiful children he created. However, when he came home his wife was asleep and the older twin was no where to be found.

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Chills ran down Brendon's spine as he locked eyes with Howard. He was the first to break eye contact, diverting it to Bucky who smiled excitedly at the stage before him.

"Ladies and gentlemen, what if I told you that in just a few short years, your automobile won't even have to touch the ground at all." Howard announced to the audience. "With Stark robotic reversion technology, you'll be able to do just that."

Bucky grabbed Brendon's shoulder. "This is it."

Howard turned on the switch of his machine and the car starts to hover off the ground. Brendon's jaw dropped.

"Holy cow." Bucky mumbled excitedly. The two watched as the car suddenly malfunctioned and it fell on the stage creating multiple sparks to fly around.

"I did say a few years, didn't I?" Howard smirks. Everyone laughed.

Brendon felt Bucky turn next to him causing him to turn as well, "Hey, Steve, what do you say we treat these girls..." Bucky mumbled. The two looked around before looking at each other knowing full well where Steve was.

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author's note
( edited )
i changed a little small details in this (brendon's parents do not call stark's their cousins, they just hate the starks)
-rina♡

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( 03/19/2020 )