Tony knew that his father loved him. Of course he had to, that was a parent's job after all. It was just that his father had another time-consuming job of running a multi-billion company as well, besides mother spent enough time with him to make up for the both of them. He also had Aunt Peggy and Jarvis.

Being the child of the owner of a multi-billionaire meant that he was easily showered with whatever his fickle little heart could desire. So why did he feel so sad when the most acknowledgment he often got was a pat on his head when his father was on his way to his workshop. Was he truly that selfish? He knew that, the side effects of being a rich kid, being able to have anything you wanted often caused you to take things for granted and want more things.

He did not want for much however, what he really wanted was his father to see him. That was not something mother could just buy sadly. Still didn't mean that he was not selfish, his father was needed elsewhere keeping the world safe with his weapons.

His father looked at him quite often, in particular when lightly ruffling up his hair with a small quirk of a smile before going again. He never saw him though and Tony had a sneaking suspicion that his father had not really noticed that he was no longer three. It seemed like habit now rather than his father doing it purposely before going on his merry way to his workshop.

Tony had long given up trying to follow him in the workshop now, his father had never let him, but the routine hadn't changed. He'll wait eagerly to show his father something he made then his hair would be ruffled and he would be told "Maybe later, kid." He had long wondered whether he should give up as there had never been a later, but if he did not wait here then he wasn't sure that he would get this little moment with his father that was solely his.

There was three days a year that this little routine changed. One was Tony's birthday, which to his father's credit he never forgot where his father lingered just a little longer and presented him with a small hug and a gift before vanishing again. Tony always looked forward to his birthdays and that small somewhat awkward hug.

There was also Father's Day where Tony presented his father with a small gift he made himself, Howard never used them or even tried them but Tony did not let himself get too disheartened by this as the few occasions he could sneak a peek into his father's workshop he was pleased to see a glass cabinet dedicated to the things he made on proud display each item with a plaque.

Then there was today. His father was always especially sad on this date every year and spent frenzied hours in his office (never his workshop on this date) trying to find something and draining his whiskey glass dry. Tony always got a little squeeze to make sure he was still there on this date that he wouldn't just disappear like whatever his father was looking for might have. Tony often sat outside the office peering through the glass of the door just to make sure his father did not hurt himself on this date.

His father did once, by accident naturally, but he had drunk too much and in frustration smashed his tumbler into shards. Tony had taken his father's hand gently and carefully wrapped it in a bandage after removing the glass. His father had seen him briefly then and marvelled at how tall Tony had gotten and Tony had received a chaste but sloppy kiss on the forehead.

"Son." A small act of acknowledgment, Tony had nearly wept but in fear of embarrassment he kept it in. His father did not seem to remember much of that episode the next day and did not treat him any differently but Tony appreciated the sentiment much the same.

He did not know how much more his father had hurt himself before he was there to look after him, he was not going to take any more chances however.

And so yet another year sat outside his father's door knees pressed to his chest and just making sure his father was alright. Something what made this year different however was Aunt Peggy was the one to drape him in a blanket and sit beside him with a plate of cookies whilst he was on his 'shift' rather than Jarvis or his mother. Aunt Peggy normally avoided coming over on this day, this date made her sad too.

"Hey, sprout." Peggy murmured softly nudging his knee with her own, despite himself his mouth quirked into a smile at the small action.

"Not sprout. I'm a man." Tony argued mostly out of habit. Peggy smiled lightly at him and ruffled his dark tousled curls.

"Such a brave little man. Keeping an eye out for his father." Tony barely held his pout in at being called little before huffing and leaning his head upon Aunt Peggy's shoulder.

Peggy tapped his nose lightly with her knuckle. "Did you ever wonder why he did this?"

Tony shrugged, his mother did not know herself and they both just assumed it was because of the war his father had lived through. He had also gathered that his father was looking for something, he did not know what though.

"Your father and I once knew a very brave man. People could even call him a hero... in fact I believe you may even have some posters of him on your wall." Aunt Peggy's tone was soft and kind. It just made him want to pull the blanket closer and burrow into Peggy's warm side.

"Captain America?" Tony piped in, his eyes sparkling. He knew all about Captain America and enjoyed hearing stories of him in the rare occasions that his father sat down with him. He did not mind listening although sometimes he wouldn't mind being the one being listened to.

"Yes... but also the man named Steve Rogers that lay behind Captain America. He once took a plane..." Aunt Peggy paused there, choked by some strange emotion Tony didn't know how to name but recognised in his own father when he too talked about this subject. "Well, he saved a whole lot of people but in return sacrificed himself, your father believes he's still alive and has been looking for him ever since. After years his hopes, and my own, have been worn down but just this one day a year he throws himself back into looking as I don't think he's quite ready to give him up yet. You see, this day is the anniversary of when he went down."

"Oh." Aunt Peggy knew him too, that was why she was sad, and he took her larger hand in his own and gave a squeeze.

"Your mother has worried about you."

"Me? I'm not the one shut in like father." Tony murmured in disbelief blinking.

"Oh Tony. You shouldn't feel the need to wait out here to keep him safe." She tilted his chin up and looked at him with sad but proud eyes "Wouldn't you much rather do something else? You know, you could even go explore his lab just this once." She added conspiringly.

"I guess..." Peggy could practically hear the gears in Tony's head whirling before he answered with the bright grin of someone who felt they had come up with the most fantastic idea. Peggy nearly let a sigh of relief at the look which was much more suitable for someone his age than the one he had whilst waiting outside the office.

The grin faltered as he turned his head towards the office where he saw the form of his father pacing through the fogged glass.

"I'll look after him this time okay?" Peggy reassured. She was answered with a kiss to the cheek.

"You're the best, Aunt Peggy. I'll make it up to you, I promise."

"You sweet child, you have nothing to make up for."

"Well then I'll get you something nice for just being plain awesome. Also not a child or sweet." Peggy merely gave him a large hug that he squirmed against but eventually gave in to and returned it breathing in the scent of her cardigan. It smelt of home and comfort.

"Alright then you little hell-spawn, I'll accept any offerings to my awesomeness." Peggy chuckled in defeat, Tony gave her one of those shit-eating grins that looked like it would split his small face. It was a shame he did not do it more often but she had a feeling that if learning from example it was a small miracle that he learnt to smile at all.

Howard had changed a lot after the war, especially after the lost of Captain America. Of Steve. She couldn't blame him, it changed her too, but whilst she held her family close to her chest Howard seemed to have grown harder and more absorbed in his work. She had seen the old Howard when Tony was born, all pink and pudgy with a mane of black locks that could only come from a Stark. The way he had cradled him in his arms afraid as if he may break him, she had hope that he may find his bearings and finally leave the dark place he had visited far too often.

Sadly this hope was slowly dying, but as long as Tony's faith remained she kept hold of this hope, there was only so long a child could wait for their father though and she just hoped that Howard would come to his senses before then. She had enough dealings with bitter men.

"Don't forget the cookies, but I think I'll keep some for myself." Peggy told him before she was assaulted with a kiss on the cheek.

"Love you, Aunt Peggy." Tony admitted turning red quickly, little boys did not cope well with such sappiness neither did Stark Men for that matter, and then he hurried off cookies in tow. Peggy Carter let out a sigh as it would be a shame for him to grow out of such affections as well, even if her hope still held for now she still had worries for the future. She could easily picture a future where the cute Tony Stark she saw clamber off had been so starved of affection and attention that he turned to anything to get some. Maria tried her best but she had never been the most maternal of women and she was dedicated on keeping the public side of Stark Industries positive and keeping clients happy. Jarvis too tried hard but at the end of the day he was just a butler with his own family to attend to.

It saddened Peggy to think of the small boy in a large manor with mainly an elderly butler and fluctuating nannies for company, but there was not much she could do as SHIELD was still a priority. Sometimes hope could be a bitter thing when it was all you had.

Father's workshop, his hand trembled as he reached upwards and turned the handle entering easily. Absentmindedly he figured there should really be more security such as a lock screen which only opened to people with proper clearance, but mainly his thoughts were on how bad he would get scolded if he was caught or accidentally broke something.

He held on to the fact that Aunt Peggy had faith in him, had expected him to explore just this once. Aunt Peggy was one of the smartest people he knew, admittedly he did not know a lot (but his list including his father who was one of the smartest brains on the planet so he felt he had standing ground) but if she had faith in him then he should have faith in himself too.

It was almost like she knew what he had planned and encouraged him to do so. She would be pleased with his little gift to her and his father, well he was not sure that he could call the gift little, he was supposed to be over six foot after all.

Yes, Tony Stark was going to find Captain America so that his father would not have to be so sad once every year and neither would Aunt Peggy. Though if he could admit to himself the true reason he wanted to find Captain America was to finally have his father see him and be proud. The first step was to take all the information he could from the workshop.