flirting with fire ⋟ bucky barnes ▪︎ oc

thirty-nine.

The father walked up to his daughter and reached for her hand. The two never really shared much physical contact since meeting months ago, she snapped to stare up into his eyes. He looked at their hands and into his daughter's familiar eyes. "Poppy, I'm dying." Her heart fell into her stomach, she just got a family back, "what?" She breathed out quietly as her heart fell to the floor.

"Stage four lung cancer," he coughed and looked at her. She shook her head, "no. Nope- you're not. How? You seem fine."

He shook his head and moved to sit down, letting out a sigh. "I had to seem fine, no one could know. Then, with intensely peculiar timing...the legend told for decades within Hydra. My beautiful daughter shows up, the girl from the stories my father and grandfather told me...my daughter."

Tony smiled and leaned back in his chair, "you know when I saw you I saw her, only you have this fire behind your eyes that just breathes life into those that can see it. 

Poppy walked to sit beside her father and held his hand, "guys could we have a minute?" Poppy smiled at them with a nod as they moved quickly to disappear from the office. All three giving the small redhead a soft stare and a nod as they leaved. 

"Dad, I wish you would have told me sooner- I could-" he placed his hand on top of hers. "It happened the way it was meant to, I had no idea until it was too late." He watched his daughter fill with sadness he didn't know she held.

He chuckled, attempting to lighten the mood, "I hear you blinded some rich fuck," he tapped her hand. Poppy nodded with a small chuckled breath, "he deserved it, I couldn't stop once I started."

His hand met her cheek, "my siren. How incredible." She felt his cold hand as he laughed quietly. He nodded, "they almost always do deserve it though, never let anybody try to put you down. Never." 

She smirked and her emerald eyes met his, he saw her mother in the determined look in her gaze.

Tony stared at her for a moment as she twiddled her fingers. "Hey little one, I'm sorry I wasn't there, I've dreamed about being a dad for the past decade and meeting you was the best gift I could have received before dying."

She shook her head, "stage four, huh?"
He nodded and leaned back exhausted, "I gotta get it together, you and your boy toys need to make a couple quick appearances with me before your party."

She held his hand tight before he could shift to stand, "I'm glad I finally made it to meet you, Stark." She stood up and leaned to kiss her dad's head, "I wish I didn't have to lose you, Dad."

He smiled and shook his head, "I know. But hey, everything I ever created will be in the palm of your hand."

"Having family would have been better," she whispered.

His lawyer and best friend rushes past the two music execs and the assassin outside Tony's door, rushing into the office to come face to face with Poppy, her father staring at her sadly.

"Oh, perfect this is Bruce Banner, he has some papers about your inheritance and business plans."

"Bruce this is-" Tony started as Poppy shook Bruce's hand. "Poppy Stark, nice to meet you," she smiled at the kind new face. Tony beamed at her introduction as the papers were set down before her.