Chapter Text
Private- do not look. Property of Steven Grant Rogers.
Private- do not look was written large on the inside cover of the sketchbook, reminiscent of a child’s want for privacy in their journal of crush stories and sloppy drawings.
When Peggy bequeathed some of Steve’s belonging to him upon learning he was back, she had told him to not look at any of it.
“Why would I even want to look at it?” He had asked as they sat in the sunny nursing home, and she had sighed.
“He was a good man, Tony.”
“Mmmh.” Tony replied, turning the dusty, smelly book over in his hands, running his finger along the worn edges of the pages peeking between the soft leather covers before throwing it carelessly into the box of nostalgia.
Pepper had had to drag him to the base where Steve was being revived, hauling the heavy box of belongings around dramatically before Tony grumbled that he could carry it, stalking into the base.
He technically didn’t need to even see the Captain, just give the box to one of the SHIELD medics assigned to him. The base was filled with cautious, awe-filled whispers, agents scurrying around in sporadic rushes.
Peggy had written STEVE ROGER’S BELONGINGS on the side of the box facing out, and an agent darted forward out of the rush. As they got closer, Tony wondered if they were even eighteen.
“Mr. Stark, Agent Mcpherson. Follow me. The Captain is settled into the close observation rooms down the hall.”
“As hard as this might be to believe, I do not want to see the great Captain America. Just take this.” Tony replied dryly, shoving the box at the agent, who blinked several times slowly before taking a steeling breath.
“The Captain has been asking to see Mr. St- your father since he woke up, and my SO would finally have something good to say about me if I helped him, and god, I really need something good on my file before I’m booted out of SHIELD.”
Tony looked at the agent’s nervous cheesy grin, sighing.
“Fine.”
-
As they got closer to the observation rooms, the agent had to be left behind because of security clearance. Tony left him about two doors in excitedly telling an annoyed older agent look what I did. look what I did.
“I don’t have this type of security clearance, you can just take this, right?”
The burly agent shook his head silently, entering a keycode and stepping aside as the door to the Captain’s rooms slid open.
-
A blonde head peeked over a large armchair in the sitting area turned away from the door, and Tony darted his eyes to the table right behind the chair. The Captain hadn’t appeared to notice him yet.
Walking as lightly as he could, holding his breath, Tony started towards the table, extending his arms to try to reach the table before he was noticed.
He was creeping out when a surprised hello sounded from behind him and he froze, considering darting to the door.
“Who are- oh my god, my stuff.”
The box was upended, and Tony felt himself turning around despite every fiber of his being telling him to get away.
The Captain was sitting on the floor, rummaging through the belongings scattered haphazardly around the table, slight tears in his eyes and a huge idiotic grin on his face.
“Thank you so much, I can’t beli- Holy shit.” The Captain looked up, quickly scanning Tony before his mouth dropped open and his face blanched, looking like he too wanted to run.
“Holy shit.”