#private verse with sonoftheshield

[nomanslannd]

Ian wasn't quite sure what to say to the guy. He wasn't exactly eloquent with words at the best of times, let alone in a situation like this. But he'd promised himself he was going to try. Maybe he could figure out how to conduct a personality transplant in the next five minutes. He looked down at his watch --- he was meant to have been there five minutes ago. He contemplated going home and giving it ago another time.

Being late was par for the course, with him. He was only ever on time when he was on a mission, and that was because the stakes where life or death. He sighed, getting out of his car. Best to rip the bandaid off now, rather than prolonging the inevitable. He'd have to meet this guy at some point, regardless of his conflicting feelings about the situation.

It had been a while since he'd been inside the walls of Avengers HQ. He tended to stay away from this place like a tentpole. He'd never really wanted to follow in Steve's footsteps and be an Avenger, he preferred to do his own thing. With shield and nomad. He didn't need a team. Maybe a part of him had never considered himself worthy of it.

---- He may have been cap's son, but that didn't mean he had what it took to follow in his footsteps.

He shook his head to clear his mind of these thoughts. They never did him any good, and just caused him to spiral. ❛ Colt? ❜ He inquired when the blonde came into view. There was no denying the obvious resemblance between him and Steve. Ian plucked up the courage to reduce the space between them and extend his hand out for the other to shake. ❛ I'm Ian. Nice to meet you, ❜ he introduced, sounding more awkward than he meant it to. [ @sonoftheshield ]

[nomanslannd]

Ian shifted from his right foot to his left. What did he think of it all? How does one handle finding out his father had another kid --- a biological kid at that. The thing is Ian had never felt like an only child; he always had a sister. He hadn't seen her since he'd left dimension z, but she was always there in the back of his mind. So despite her not being raised by Steve and Sharon; he'd always been a brother.

❛ If I'm being honest, I tend to stay away from this place. ❜ He answered truthfully, but quickly added ❛ not because there's anything wrong with the place. But like you said it's a lot. ❜ A lot of eyes, following his every move, expecting him to be something he wasn't.

❛ It's weird. Not in a bad way... you just look a lot like him. It's uncanny. ❜ He swallowed harshly. Maybe that was the wrong thing to say in the moment, he wasn't sure. Colt was nice, nicer than Ian suspected he would have been if the roles were reserved.

--- That must be Steve Rogers good old' DNA at work.

He pressed his crossed arms to his chest. ❛ How have things being going around here? They treating you okay? ❜ His mind goes back to his tiny one bedroom apartment Brooklyn. It wasn't much, but it had a killer view of the East River from the fire escape. He wouldn't trade it for the world.

❛ Have you been up to the roof yet? I always found it pretty peaceful up there. ❜ Ian had an appreciation from the quiet. He liked finding places where he could go to escape from the world, and just be in silence for a while.

He has so many question's he wants to ask. But stopped himself, letting silence fill the space. He didn't want to come on to strong.

Colt turned when he heard his name, the easygoing smile he often wore slipping into place like second nature. He caught sight of Ian and paused, taking in the sight of the guy who was unmistakably Steve Rogers’ son. Not just because of the resemblance—although it was there—but because of the way Ian carried himself. Like someone who’d seen enough to carry the weight of it without letting it crush him. Colt recognized it because it was something they shared, whether Ian realized it or not.

When Ian extended his hand, Colt didn’t hesitate. His grip was firm, steady, but not overwhelming. A handshake that spoke volumes about the kind of man Colt was. “Ian, huh?” he said, his tone light but warm. “Good to finally meet you.”

Colt let go of his hand, stepping back just slightly to give Ian a bit of space. He could tell this wasn’t exactly Ian’s comfort zone. That awkwardness wasn’t hard to spot, and Colt wasn’t about to make it worse by crowding him.

“Y’know, I wasn’t sure you’d actually show up.” He chuckled, the sound easy but lacking any judgment. “Not because of anything you did or said, just... I get it. This place? It can feel like a lot. More than it needs to, sometimes.”

He gestured vaguely at the HQ around them, the towering walls and the weight they seemed to carry. “But hey, you’re here. That’s more than some people would’ve done.”

Colt leaned against a nearby column, crossing his arms casually as his gaze flicked back to Ian. “So... what do you think? Of all this, I mean?” He tilted his head, motioning at their surroundings. “Because if you’re anything like me, I’m guessing it’s got you feeling... I dunno. Weird. Am I close?”

He grinned, though there was no malice behind it, just an invitation for Ian to ease into the moment at his own pace. “Take your time. No rush. I’m not exactly the king of small talk, either.”