Steve was watching James play with his Avengers action figures. His son really was bright. He told his dad all he knew about the Avengers. Most of his anecdotes were personal stories about his son's "aunts" and "uncles", but Steve didn't mind. From the sound of things, most of his friends had settled down into fairly ordinary lives.
From James, Steve learned Thor was married to Jane. He didn't expect that. Bruce's arm healed. He was working in research and development with the Pyms. He already knew Clint was retired again, but he was a little surprised to see the action figure of his replacement. She was young, according to Natasha, but all of Peter's team were younger than the kid except the new Black Widow.
Yelena's action figure intrigued him a bit. She was a blonde. Her suit and gear were almost identical to Natasha's. It was odd to think about any of them being replaced, yet it happened. Even Wanda was done with the superhero life. He understood. The mental break Natasha described would have done any of them in. He just wished he had been there to help Strange pull her back from the brink. Life had gone on without him, and everyone found their place.
There wasn't much time to talk with Natasha away from James's ears. The boy didn't let Steve out of his sight for a minute, but Natasha was never far away long. She had to spend most of the morning making phone calls, but he didn't have to talk too many people. He knew she was running interference, and he was more than happy to let her.
The doorbell rang a little after four. "He's here," Natasha said, as she rose to follow James to the door. "You ready?"
Steve only nodded. He was as ready as he'd ever be. He stood back a bit as Natasha watched James opened the door. James jumped in Bucky's arms. "Uncle Bucky! You came!"
Bucky whirled James around. "Oh course, I came, kiddo." Bucky put the boy down, walked straight to Steve, and hugged him. "Should have known you'd be back. I never should have doubted you'd choose Nat. It's good to see you, punk."
Steve felt the tension leave his body. He didn't realize how nervous he was about seeing his friend. "It's good to see you, too, Buck. Guess my timing's still not up to par."
Bucky pulled back and sat down. "Yeah, we're going to have to work on that timing of yours. When Natasha said you were home, I couldn't get off that space station fast enough. Had to see this for myself."
Bucky stuck around the rest of the evening. Natasha made stroganoff. Steve knew she could cook. She'd made the occasional meal on the run, but Sam always did the lion's share. Steve found himself mesmerized with how comfortable she looked in her kitchen. Whether she was stirring the food or handing James another juice box, she looked content.
Steve never saw this side of Natasha. She really wasn't the same woman. He didn't mind the changes. This new Natasha was a woman who was comfortable in her own skin. It was like he was seeing the woman behind the carefully applied mask for the first time, and it made him want her even more. She did exactly what he'd told her to do so many years early. She got a life. He was just not around to get it with her.
It wasn't until after supper that Steve got to see James's Paw Patrol obsession in it's full glory. He found it amusing. "Mommy, Uncle Bucky and I need our beers. We got to check on our squad. Daddy, want to drink beer with us?"
Steve gave Natasha a puzzled look. She was already headed to the refrigerator, but she was looking back at him with a small smile. "Root beer and Paw Patrol. This is a thing they do whenever they get together. Prepare for the burping contest. Your son and your best friend are about to get a little crazy."
Alexi shook his head. "My cue to leave. I have no desire to endure another one of those. Enjoy your evening, Rogers, if you like this sort of thing."
Crazy was the word for the rest of the evening. Steve thought he kept up pretty well in the burping contest, and he learned which pup was which pretty quickly. It was actually a kind of nice night. Seeing how good Bucky was with James really touched Steve. His friend treated his son like an equal instead of like a little kid. Steve could tell Natasha enjoyed watching their fun, even though she opted out of the root beer drinking and burping.
Finally, Bucky looked at the clock. "Looks like it's getting close to somebody's bedtime. I better get a move on."
"Do you mind giving me a lift back to Sam's?" Steve asked. "I should probably head out, too."
"You're not staying here?" Bucky asked, frowning slightly. When Steve shook his head, Bucky wiped the frown from his face. "Sam's is where I crash when I'm in town. I guess you and I are roomies."
Natasha hopped up and ran to the laundry room. She came back with his hoodie. "You'll need this. Coming back tomorrow?"
"If it's okay," Steve said, pulling the hoodie on and zipping it.
"It's more than okay. James will be looking for you."
James tugged at Steve's hand. "Why are you wearing Mommy's favorite shirt?"
Before Steve could respond, Natasha answered for him. "It's your dad's. Mommy was just looking after it for him." She looked at Steve and smiled. "Be careful. Don't go out in public. We don't want the press hounding you until the official announcement."
"I won't. Not ready to face them yet," he said. He hugged his son and headed to the door.
They were almost to Sam' before Bucky said anything else, but Steve knew it was coming. "Want to tell me why you're sharing a room with me tonight instead of Nat? Shouldn't you two be pretty inseparable right now?"
"Doubt her boyfriend would agree."
Bucky blew out a breath. "Man, didn't see that coming."
"She says she's going to end it. Doesn't know how she feels about me right now though. I guess I just have to give her some space."
"That's one option," Bucky said, "but I'm not sure it's the best one. You looking to get friend zoned again?"
"I don't know what to do, Buck. I messed this up pretty bad."
"You didn't mess this up. Neither did she. It was bad luck. Why don't you tell me what you know about this new guy? We'll figure out an action plan."
Natasha got James settled into bed and told Alexi where she was headed. "You coming home tonight?"
"What kind of question is that? Of course, I'll be back. I just need to handle this in person."
Alexi nodded. "What are you going to tell him? Does he know who James's father is?"
Natasha shook her head. "I figure I'll go with something along the lines of 'it's not you, it's me' and leave it at that."
"And, the other one? Have you decided to take your chance on happiness?"
Natasha didn't know how to answer that question. Part of her wanted to say yes, a big part. Spending the day as a family felt so good, but there was still a matter of how she could have moved on if the feelings had been real. "Guess that's still TBD."
Alexi just groaned. "Stubborn woman."
When Natasha got to Matt's, he wasn't home. She let herself in and waited on his couch. By the time he arrived, she'd almost dozed off. He had a fresh bruise on his cheek. "Hope the other guy looks worse," she said. "Rough night?"
Matt smiled at her. "Other guy looks way worse, I think. You know I can't exactly judge that very well. But, I'd say my night is getting better." He moved in for a kiss, but she moved her lips. "Or, is it about to get worse?"
"I thought we should talk."
"If this is about meeting James, we don't have to do it. I wasn't trying to push. I'm fine with keeping things the way they are, really, it's fine."
"This isn't about James, well not just James. Something's come up. It's something I didn't expect." She paused. "I think ending this now will be better for everyone. I've had a lot of fun."
"We could keep having fun. I won't press for more."
Natasha pursed her lips together. "This thing between us was never supposed to go anywhere. We agreed. I think maybe it was so much fun, we forgot for a bit, but with this new development in my life, I can't afford to keep doing what we're doing. I'm sorry, Matt."
"Me too, sorry and a little confused."
"Need me to make you an ice pack before I go?"
Matt shook his head. "I can manage. I'm not really sure what went wrong here, but I'm going to miss you, Nat."
"I'm sorry. I really am. Goodbye Matt. Take care of yourself."
Natasha didn't cry as she left. She didn't even feel like crying. She was almost relieved. With Matt out of the picture, she could figure this out. Alexi wasn't wrong. As confused as she was, Matt would have gotten hurt in the crossfire. She did him a favor. Now, she just needed to make sure Steve and James didn't get hurt while she was figuring out the rest.
Bruno watched the redhead leave the building. He hated this. She was the real deal, but the boss had his mind made up. He owed the Black Widow his life, but he owed the boss even more.
Before the Snap, he was just a two-bit criminal, but he had a family. He had Cheri, and she was so beautiful. She was a fiery red-head, too, and she always stood by him. He had Tommy, too. Their son was the best thing that ever happened to him.
The Snap took Bruno away, and Cheri met that cop. When the Blip brought Bruno back, Cheri was married to the guy. Tommy called a cop dad. It wasn't right. Cheri couldn't see they belonged together. He didn't know what to do.
He was a mess when he met Mr. Fisk, but the boss saw potential in him. He gave him a job. Bruno wasn't doing small jobs anymore. He was in the big leagues. The boss even arranged for his first kill to be that damn cop. Cheri didn't know he pulled the trigger. The boss took care of all the evidence. It didn't get him Cheri back, but, at least, his son was free of the propaganda his step-dad kept spewing. He even got to see his kid sometimes.
Bruno didn't want the Black Widow to die, but she should have stayed out of the boss's business. He knew where his loyalty lay. If the boss gave the order, he'd pull the trigger. The target didn't matter, but he couldn't help hoping this particular order would just go to somebody else.
Steve was sitting in the dark. He should go. It was after midnight. What the hell was he thinking listening to Bucky? Why did he drive back to Natasha's? Sure, Alexi let him in. He didn't even look that surprised to see him. Alexi seemed to think Natasha would be back soon. He told Steve he should wait for her before leaving him alone in the living room.
Alexi was wrong. Steve had been waiting over two hours. He didn't have to guess where she was. She was with the other guy. He hated himself for being jealous. He hated her for not choosing him. He needed to leave, but he couldn't make himself do it. If she was staying with Murdock, he wanted to hear it from her.
Steve heard the doorknob turn. This was the moment of truth. God, why didn't he just leave before she got here? The light flipped on. She was staring at him. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm trying to figure that out myself."
She took off her tennis shoes and walked over to where he sat on the couch. She sat down beside him and just shook her head. "Something brought you back here in the middle of the night. Were you having trouble sleeping? Because that's normal under the circumstances."
Steve shook his head. "I never went to bed. It was Bucky's idea. I told him about your boyfriend. I told him I was giving you space. He thought I was making a mistake."
Natasha made herself more comfortable on the couch. She didn't look surprised, but Steve still felt some lingering anger of his own. She'd been gone a long time-longer than it should have taken to break things off. He figured she changed her mind. Had she left right after he did and spent the last few hours in another man's arms? "Bucky reminded me that you don't just have one boyfriend. Technically, you have two. We didn't break up. Not really. He said I should fight for you."
"So, this is you fighting for me?" She was smirking now. "Interesting. I don't seem to remember you asking me to be your girl, Steve."
Now, he was uncomfortable. She had him on a technicality. "It was kind of implied. I guess the not showing up until years later thing-" He stopped talking. This was a really dumb idea. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come. I'm going to kill Bucky."
"Bucky may have been a lady's man in the 40's, but he knows nothing about women today. Trust me, I've tried setting him up. He's as hopeless as you were. Don't take his advice about women."
"I'm sorry."
Steve started to stand, but Natasha pulled him back down. "Not so fast, soldier. It's late, and I've already broken up with one boyfriend tonight. I don't have the energy to break up with another."
Steve saw the glimmer in her eye. She was definitely making fun of him, but she did say one thing he wanted to hear. "No more Murdock?" he asked.
"I told you I was going to end it."
"But, you were gone a long time."
She shrugged. "He was working late. I let myself in and waited. Didn't expect company at home."
"For something that's supposed to be casual, most guys don't give out keys. You sure ending it was the right call?"
She rolled her eyes. "I thought you came over here to fight for me, and now, you're trying to talk me out of breaking up with him. It's done, and I'm fine. He's fine, too." She smirked. "Besides, when have I ever needed a key?"
"You're making some really good points. I guess I really don't know anything about anything. I'm sorry for listening to Bucky. I should get going. You've got to be tired."
"We both are," she said, biting her lip. "You should stay. It's late."
Steve nodded. He really didn't want to be anywhere else. He followed her up the stairs. As they walked past James's room, she peeked inside. "He's out cold. I don't let men stay over. I mean there was only Matt, but he knew it wasn't going to happen."
"I can leave."
"Not where I was going with this," she said, pulling him into her room. "I just want you to know I would never bring a string of men through James's life. You can stay. I want you to stay. It'll be good for James to have his dad here for breakfast, but I still need time. You're just sleeping over. Just sleeping. You got it?"
"I don't want to do anything else."
As he climbed into bed, he noticed she'd pulled out a pair of shorts and another one of his shirts. She must have seen his face, because she smirked again. "What? You left me everything in your will. I gave you part of your clothes back."
It was true enough. He had updated his will after the Snap, and she really was the only person he felt like he had left. Now, he was glad he did it. He had a fairly decent amount of money put back. Knowing that money helped her support their son made him feel a little better.
A few hours later, Steve felt a little body climbing up the center of the bed. It startled him at first. "Daddy, you came back."
"I did," Steve said, unsure what else to say. What was his son going to think about finding him in Natasha's bed?
"I peed the bed," James said, as he made himself comfortable between his parents.
Natasha let out a sigh. She was awake. "Did you change your pajamas?"
"Yes, sorry Mommy."
"It's a okay, Jitterbug. Get comfortable. I'll be right back."
James's eyes closed as soon as he had his mother's permission to stay. Steve watched Natasha leave the room. He got up to follow. She was stripping James's bed. "It doesn't happen often. Too many root beers with Uncle Bucky, I guess. Go on back to bed. I just want to get the sheets in the washer."
"I'll help. I mean, I should help, right? I'm his father. I haven't exactly gotten to pull my share of the load."
Natasha pointed to the closet. "Top shelf has extra sheets. You can make his bed."
Steve went to the closet and pulled out the sheets. Natasha put down the soiled linens to help him. It didn't take long. "Do you think I should just sleep in here?" he asked.
"He's already seen you. It didn't seem to phase him. I think we're in the clear. Besides, it's a twin bed, Steve. You wouldn't be comfortable. We told him the truth. It's fine," she said before grabbing the laundry. "Anyway, you're right. You haven't pulled your share of the weight. Not your fault, but it is your turn. Tonight, he can kick you in the back. I'll be there in a minute."
Steve had trouble going back to sleep. He didn't want to roll over and squish his son. He didn't want to take his eyes off of him either. Since James was afraid of the dark, the bathroom light was on, giving Steve the best view. Natasha was sleeping soundly with James tucked into her side. This was what he'd missed. He lost the best years of his life, and there was no way to get them back. He just hoped he could convince Natasha she wasn't over him, because he was firmly convinced the woman beside him in his worn out Yankee's t-shirt, a shirt that was definitely not worn out when he disappeared, was not nearly as over him as she wanted to believe.
