ＳＬＡＴＥ ◼ STEVE ROGERS◼

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Natasha Romanoff walked toward the group from the opposite way, shaking her head at her friends as Ross spoke to them.

"You'll be provided with an office instead of a cell. Now, do me a favor, stay in it? As for..."

"For the record, this is what making things worse looks like," Natasha spoke as Ross's voice faded into the background, the woman taking her place beside Lottie and Steve.

The group was led into one of the main control rooms of the headquarters. The frown on Lottie's face grew more prominent as she caught sight of Tony Stark just ahead, speaking to someone on the phone as they stopped, waiting for him to finish.

"No. Romania was not Accords-sanctioned. And, Colonel Rhodes is supervising cleanup," Tony looked up, seeing the trio standing before them as T'Challa moved to the opposite side of the room. He gripped his phone a little tighter, walking toward them. "Consequences? You bet there'll be consequences. Obviously you can quote me on that 'cause I just said it. Anything else? Thank you, sir."

"Consequences?" Lottie asked, looking up at her best friend. He rolled his eyes, moving to the opposite side of the room as Natasha followed him.

"Secretary Ross wants you three prosecuted. Had to give him something,"

"Also, not getting your stuff back," Natasha called out, shooting them a fake smile "Technically, it's the government's property."

◼ ◼ ◼

The monitors just outside of the glass office space showed the live video feed of Bucky, strapped to his chair in his glass cage. Lottie sat at the table in the middle, watching Steve as he watched the screens.

It was hard enough knowing what Bucky had been through, but knowing that he was being treated like this when he claimed he didn't do it was even worse.

"Hey, you wanna see something cool? I pulled something from Dad's archives. Felt timely," Tony Stark entered the room, flashing the pair a quick smile. Steve moved to sit next to his fiance as Tony sat across from them, placing the box in his hands on the table as he flicked it open, a pair of pens inside. "FDR signed the Lend-Lease bill with these in 1941. Provided support to the Allies when they needed it most."\

"Some would say it brought our country closer to war," Steve shot back, Tony only rolling his eyes in response.

"See? If not for these, you two wouldn't be here. I'm trying to... What do you call it? That's an olive branch. Is that what you call it?"

"Where's Pepper at?" Steve asked, Lottie beside him pulling her knees up to her chest as she shot her best friend a small smile. "Thought she'd be here with you."

"We're on a break," Tony finally told the two, avoiding Lottie's gaze as her smile dropped. "A few years ago, I almost lost her, so I trashed all my suits. Then, we had to mop up HYDRA... and then Ultron. My fault. And then, and then, and then, I never stopped. Because the truth is I don't wanna stop. I don't wanna lose her. I thought maybe the Accords could split the difference. In her defense, I'm a handful. Yet, Dad was a pain in the ass, but he and mom always made it work."

The room was silent for a moment as Tony got to his feet, facing the glass walls of the office.

"I'm glad Howard got married, had you," Lottie spoke, both Tony and Steve's eyes drifting toward her. "We knew him when he was so young and...single. Can't remember the countless times he tried to get me to date him, just to turn around and tell me Steve and I were perfect for one another."

"No really, you two knew him? He only mentioned that, like, a thousand times," Tony gaze was hard as he looked at Steve. "God, I hated you. The stories of Lottie made me wish she was around, but you? I hated how perfect you were."