All Previous Disclaimers Apply.
A/N: I didn't want to leave anyone hanging, so this is very short. There will be one more chapter after this. Hope you like it.
He was so warm and comfortable, that coming up out of the darkness happened slowly, more like floating up. He could almost see it getting lighter and lighter the closer he approached to true consciousness. Sometimes he would allow himself to drift for a while, forgetting that he was trying to make it to the light. Sometimes he felt like he was plowing through the levels. But, all of the progress he made tired him so thoroughly that he would lose himself again and when he finally came back to himself he found that he'd sunk again, though never quite as far as he'd previously been. It was feeling what were obviously little hands on his, knowing that his girls, his husband, his family, needed him that gave him the final push he needed to finally reach the light.
He knew he was awake when he finally reached the light, but opening his eyes, or making the fingers that were encased in another hand was yet another challenge that it took quite a while to work up to. When he finally did force his heavy eyelids open it was to his husband grinning down at his, a rare, true smile on his face. He tried to force a smile onto his face as well, but even trying to work up the energy to smile was just too much. He sighed in a kind of content way and felt his husband push some of his hair behind his ear.
"Welcome back," James managed to murmur, before Steve knew no more.
The next three days were much of the same. He would wake for short amounts of time. Sometimes James was there, sometimes Jubilee or Kurt, and sometimes Charles. He was never left alone as far as he could tell. There was always someone by his side, holding his hand, talking to him or even reading to him. When he was aware enough he realized that they were reading him the Harry Potter novels and it made him feel content and warm. He'd expressed an interest to James in reading the Harry Potter novels before the girls were old enough to start reading them so that he actually understood what they were talking about when they did. He didn't catch much of the stories, but hearing them from the lips of those he loved the most would always make them special to him.
It was sometime on the fourth day that he came awake and realized almost right away that he wouldn't be falling back to sleep anytime soon. He turned his head to see who it was sitting by his side and managed a small smile in return to the one that Charles was giving him.
"I…" His voice cracked in a painful way.
"In your head is fine, Steven," The professor said kindly.
I'm not dead.
"No, you most certainly are not," Charles smiled in a clever sort of way, "Though you did give it your best shot, old chap. We were all very worried. James has hardly left your side, taking a few moments here or there only to shower or see to it that the girls were looked after, though Kurt and Jubilee had that well in hand. The little ones will need some sessions either with myself or a counselor of your choosing. Your injury has reopened old insecurities about abandonment, I am sorry to say."
His guilt must have shown on his face, because Charles set a hand to his shoulder and smiled at him gently, "I don't tell you this to make you feel guilt, Steven. I tell you this because I know that you are a good father and want to know what is happening with your children, whether it hurts you or not."
That's true. I…is james…
"James is not angry with you, Steven," The professor assured him, "You put yourself at risk, it's true, but no more than anyone else did during the battle. Everyone did what they had to so that our planet might be saved. In truther, we were absurdly lucky that our losses weren't worse. Manhattan can be rebuilt. The spirit of the New Yorkers is, as ever, unbroken, and those who fell to save us all will be honored. Including Captain America."
Steve was so surprised he couldn't help the sound of inquiry he made, though it made him hurt in his chest in ways he didn't expect. Charles held a straw to his lips and he gratefully pulled a cool drink in before settling back against his pillows as he waited for the explanation he knew that Charles would give him.
"The world saw Captain America die, Steven. I, and Director Fury, believe that there is no reason that, aside from those dearest to you, that the world needs any more of Steven Grant Rogers. You are free of the burden of the Captain at long last, my friend."
He allowed himself a breath, and two tears of relief before his family, his husband, his children, came into the room in the controlled chaos way they did everything. They energy that they brought when they noticed him awake made the tears of joy come hot and fast and as James kissed him he realized that all their long lives had finally led them to where they were. And even though time and the years hadn't always been easy, he realized that, if he could be exactly where he was, he wouldn't change a single thing.