Authors note: As promised, an immediate second chapter. Its about hapf the length of the previous chapter, but with a cute visitor. I've realized that there is a large lack of context to what the hell happened tk Steve before the events of the last chapter, and it had to do with an RP. I'll let you guys actually develop fan theories and write it in if you like!
A smol reminder that Lilith is quite literally the abandoned daughter of Loki. It's never clearly stated, but she also has no interest in using her abilities. I'll likley address that in another chapter if you guys ask for a follow up.
Another smol reminder this was written 3 years ago and meant to be a cute one shot until I found it deep in my twitlonger posts. If you want to see what Lilith is up to these days, search #Vortex on Twitter and find the account HarrowedDemigod. Under the hashtag you will find several of my other rp accounts. Feel free to stalk them!
Remember to leave a comment if you want another chapter-I would adore writing a follow up to this, directly after and making it a little less cliche, but I've made no edits to the original piece regarding content. Just formatting!
That's it for now. Enjoy!
It's been nearly two weeks and Steve is already seeming more exhausted than on any normal given day. The baby boy has taken a toll on him and his sleeping schedule more than anything. Lilith keeps testing names on Steve, trying to get him to agree on at least one. She's persistent, and won't stop. They are all ordinary names like Bruce, Larry, etc. Honestly, it's confusing the soldier. He dislikes every single one. They don't fit.
But things feel comfortable with the baby around. Lilith has been staying with Steve in his apartment where he insists she take the bed. Of course, by the end of the night, she's being coddled in his arms; like the old days. They take turns running errands, cooking dinner, and quieting the child to sleep in the middle of the night. And everything feels okay, like this.
Everything feels okay.
It's so strange to think or say. Nothing was ever perfectly 'okay' between Steve and Lilith, and it being so...right, now? It's strange. And neither agents can pinpoint what makes this so perfect. Lilith seems happier. More on her toes and enthusiastic, this makes the Captain happy. Coming home to see her playing with the boy, awaiting Steve only to pass off the child. It makes him happy. Honestly, and truly, happy. Lilith can't argue with this. She too comes home with a bright smile to see Steve, child in arms, making faces or playing with the few toys they've gained. But it's those few special days that make it /real/. The times she's come home and there Steve is: laid back in the recliner, asleep with a baby resting on his chest. Steve doesn't know, but the first time she's seen this, she took a picture. It's now Lilith's phone wallpaper.
They love each other; they won't even kid themselves anymore. They do. It's still the adjusting part that makes it difficult. But with the baby? It feels fine. Like a normal family. Hell, Lilith has even stolen a kiss or two when either of them first come home. Steve doesn't comment or complain, just gives her this glance that makes her giggle and blush like a schoolgirl.
Today was a strange day. They were sitting down for dinner. Steve had made some chicken, rice and corn. The baby was down for a while, and they were just waiting for him to sound his alarms. Steve and Lil went through their usual chatter of "how was your day?" "What's the gossip today?" talk. They fell silent, but it was a good and comfortable silence.
"Philip." Came Lilith without warning. She kept her head down as if she hadn't said a thing.
Steve, however, looked up from his plate. A bushy brow arched above the other as he stared at the demigod with icy blues. "What?"
"What about Philip. For the baby." She stated plainly, looking up at the Captain with a straight face. "He needs a name, Steve. I'm ready to take a hat to work with slips of paper with random names." She returned to her plate, cutting a piece of chicken and sticking it in her mouth before her eyes return to Steve.
He sat back in his chair, setting his utensils down and rubbing his face. "Philip? Why Philip?"
"You've read my journal, haven't you?" She asks, and his face turns a certain shade of red that bothers her. Steve knows everything about her now, and being reminded makes him feel a pit of anger in his stomach. So he just nods and collects himself. "Then you should know why."
"I don't know, Lil. I'm not good at this, you know that. Can't we just keep calling him 'baby' for a bit longer?" He tries to make that a joke, but it doesn't sound like one to Lilith. "I mean, I don't think it's that important right now, you know? It's just a name."
Her face tightens and she sets her fork and knife down. "As far as I'm concerned, that baby is our son." Wow. That feels so strange to say. It hits Steve just as hard. "And our son deserves a name." She says it all slowly, as if to understand it as it comes out. Why is she so angry? Get it under control, Lil.
Steve just blinks as the demigod stands from the table to dispose of her plate. "You don't have to like Philip or any of the other names, but I haven't seen you pitch anything. At least use your laptop and make a list? Within the next few days?"
As she turns her back and heads to the kitchen, Steve tosses his napkin onto his plate and sighs. C'mon Rogers. You've had the name since that first night. Just say it. "James."
Lilith's head whips around, confused. "Sorry, what?"
"James." He repeats. "James Philip. You wanted my opinion, and I've given it." He stands from the table to take his plate to the kitchen. His eyes are tired and weary, but no one could miss the surprised and wide glittering eyes on the demigod.
He reached around Lilly to place the plate in the sink before softly taking her face between his palms. "Is that okay?" He says in a soft, hush voice. It's sweet and melodious. He could talk to her in that voice for hours.
The demigod opened her mouth to speak, but before a word could get out, a baby's cry sounded from the bedroom. Lil suddenly has this very cute smile as she stares up at her Captain. "You know what I think?" She pauses, slinking her arms around his shoulders. "I think James needs you."
The soldier's grin mirrors hers. He places his lips to her forehead before padding off into the bedroom. He came back moments later with an empty bottle and an upset baby James cradled in his arms. That's when everything began to happen at once. Because while Steve fussed with getting formula ready and quieting the baby, Lilith was answering the door to greet an unexpected guest. Sam Wilson.
Now, mind you, no one knows about the baby yet. Steve and Lilith didn't know when would be the best time to announce they had taken on parenting an abandoned child. It's because of this that Steve curses under his breath at the familiar voice at the door.
"Sam, this might not be the best time..." He hears Lilith say, but what's the use? Sam's their closest friend. He deserves to know.
"Let him in, Lil." Steve calls over the sound of the microwave. He lightly bounces baby James in his arms, trying to calm him. "C'mon, little buddy... It's okay..." 'Stop crying, daddy's here'-what he wants to say, but is afraid to.
Lilith steps aside, letting in a confused Sam who looks from Lilith to Steve many times. Lil pays no mind and strides back to Steve, carefully snatching the child from his arms (which Steve had no protest to). This allows the Captain to greet his friend, tired eyes sulking.
"Hey, Sam! What are you up to?" He tries to sound awake, but that fails.
"Please," Sam starts, giving Steve a stare-down, "tell me your babysitting and you didn't accidently knock some girl up?" He says, gesturing the baby in Lilith's arms.
"I wish it was that simple." Steve laughs, looking at Lilith and the quieted child before returning his gaze to Sam. "I found him. Parents left him outside in the rain with a note. Lil fought me on it-"
"Damn right, I did!" Lil peeps, giving a sassy stare from the kitchen.
Before Steve could even begin to finish, Sam did for him. "And now you're stuck playing house with Lilith? Oh man, you poor sap." He laughs, moving to plop down in the recliner.
Steve rolls his eyes. "It's not like that. Believe it or not, I'm starting to like it." His gaze wanders to Lilith and the baby, eyes turning even softer at the sight. "Things are actually okay, like this."
Sam just shakes his head, running a hand over his scalp. "Man. How long has this kid been here?"
"Two weeks, as of tomorrow. We've got a routine down and everything, now." Lilith sounds proud of herself as she strides over to the couch, bottle and baby in hand. She sits next to Steve and feeds James, as such.
A soft laugh emits from Sam as he views the motherly Lilith. Even he sees how natural she looks with baby in arm. He looks back to Steve who's soft gaze is on the boy, a warm smile paired with it. "What did you guys decide to call him?"
"James." Steve answers quickly. He plays with the peaking toes of the baby, smiling at their small size.
Lilith's gaze averts to Sam for a moment, "James Philip, to be exact. Now he just needs a last name." Now she's staring at Steve with expectant eyes.
His brows furrow and he sighs. What? Now he has to plaster his last name on the kid? He gives her a look, signaling they'll talk about it later, even though he doesn't like that idea of this at all.
Sam senses the tension and makes a first attempt to break it. "Well, I dub myself Uncle Sam, then. Now he can be a Yankee-Doodle Boy!"
It takes both Steve and Lilith a moment to catch the joke. It's until Sam started lightly singing the folk song did they finally get it and allowed themselves to laugh.
"Jeez, Steve. I thought you of all people would catch that right away, you being walking star-spangled-banner n' all." Sam jokes, playfully hitting the soldiers arm. "You're off your game, old man."
Steve gives his friend an unamused look. "Hey, I might be old, but I look pretty good for my age. Unlike you. Besides, I'm just tired. I have an excuse."
"Play nice, boys. Don't you come in here and be a bad influence to my boys now, Sam Wilson." Lilly teases, continuing to feed the child.
"Sure thing mom," The winged soldier teases back, giving her a mock salute before everyone's attention had suddenly turned to the child as he puked on Lilith. No one realised she'd begun to burp him.
But oh, the joys of being a new parent and smelling their vomit for the first time