Athena || Peter Parker

The Falcon

Athena first met Sam two weeks after moving to Washington DC with Steve. Everything was crazy in her life. There was a lot to process and even though she and Steve weren't as close as her and Bucky, she was still glad to be with him. 

Sometimes, he even told her stories about Bucky during the war. 

Steve had been in disbelief when the eleven year old had said Bucky Barnes was her father. It made no sense. It took him two days to believe her. The two did look a little similar, but the most curious thing was how much she reminded him of Bucky. 

Every little thing she did was unmistakably like his long lost friend. The way she twirled her pencil in her hand, the way she smiled genuinely, but it looked like the smile of a troublemaker, the way she walked, the way she carried herself.. It was unreal. It took Steve a long time to process that Bucky was actually alive. Despite himself, he hadn't wanted to believe it because of the off chance that it was false. He didn't want false hope.

Athena had noticed that Steve was a very complicated person. He got up early in the morning (not as early as her) and then the two would just keep staring at each other. Maybe he expected to see someone else in her place. Just when she's want to say something, Steve would slap his thighs and get up, beckonning her to the door, and there they would go for their morning run. 

Athena actually found it calming. She liked seeing the sky change colors, she liked the noises of the early birds, and she liked the peacefulness that came with being up so early. Sometimes she would push herself, the two would race and it would mostly end up in a tie. Or sometimes, they just ran beside each other, no spoken words.

That particular day, however, the two were in a mischievious mood.

"Don't say it! Don't you say it!" 

"On your left" Steve and Athena said cheekily as they ran past the same african american man again. 

"Come on!"

He stopped to catch his breath, so Steve and Athena did too. 

"Need a medic?" Steve asked him. 

The man laughed, "I need a new set of lungs. Dude, you just ran like 13 miles in 30 minutes. Can't believe a 12 year old beat me"

"13 Actually, but it's fine." Athena teased the man. 

"What unit you with" Steve asked him. 

"58, Pararescue. But now I'm working down at the VA." He shook Steve's hand, "Sam Wilson"

"Steve Rogers"

"Yeah I kind of put that together. Must have freaked you out coming home after the whole defrosting thing."

Then Sam turned toward Athena, "Athena" she introduced herself. "But you can call me Thena" 

"Well Thena, good going" 

As Steve and Athena turned to leave Sam spoke up-"It's your bed, right?"

"huh?" Athena asked. 

"Your bed, it's too soft. When I was over there I'd sleep on the ground and use rock for pillows, like a caveman. Now I'm home, lying in my bed, and it's like..."

"Lying on a marshmallow. Feel like I'm gonna sink right to the floor." Steve nodded

"Well I, for one don't know what you guys are talking about, but I need to go back to New York. Tony and Pepper are gonna help me paint my room"

Just as Athena was about to walk away Natasha pulled up in a black car. 

"Hey, fellas. Either one of you know where the Smithsonian is? I'm here to pick up a fossil."