Steve could hear the small yells long as soon as the elevator doors slid open. They were cheerful, of course — he was hardly the agitated one, even at his young age. The bedroom door was left a crack open and as Steve pushed it open, he saw the sight that usually made his day and night.

"Say 'ma-ma'. Say 'ma-ma'!" Seren rested in their bed against the headboard with a baby boy sitting on her lap. Said baby giggled each time Seren made her request. "C'mon, Noel, say 'ma-ma'."

The baby giggled again and made to fall forward on his mother when she caught him by his little wrists. Thinking of it as a game, he pushed himself forward again so she would catch him.

"He's not going to do it," Steve announced as he finally walked into the room.

Seren's head turned towards the door, a pleasant surprise etched over her face. "Hey! You're back!" She then turned the baby in the same direction. "Look, Noel, daddy's back! "

Noel started sucking in excited breaths, scrunching his nose at Steve. He pushed himself out of Seren's hold, landing with his hands on the bed and started crawling towards Steve.

Steve laughed and walked over to the bed in time to pick the baby up. He loved when Noel did that stuff. He didn't think he would ever get over it. "Well hello there," he tickled Noel's stomach, earning a small giggle, "I've missed you too."

"I swear he, like, crawls way quicker to see you than when I'm back from a mission," Seren said, crossing her arms as she studied her son and his level of excitement.

"Really? I think he's way more excited when he sees you," Steve remarked. "I know he misses his 'ma-ma'" — Seren beamed at his attempt to help her out — "when she's away."

Noel smiled widely at Steve but he never said a word. He grew way more interested in the shiny star on Steve's suit.

"Thanks for trying," Seren sighed. "It's literally all we've been doing since you left on Monday. Glamorous three days."

"I don't know, I would much rather be here with you guys doing literally anything," Steve said, then glanced at Seren to see her smiling lightly. She understood his desire but, like him, knew that wouldn't happen.

It was their promise to each other — to their son — the only thing they could possibly love more than each other. Noel was a surprise to them both, and a lovely one at that, and on the day that he was born they realized that they would do anything for him. So they made a promise. They would never go on a mission together and leave Noel alone. If something were to ever go wrong on a mission, they needed to know that Noel would still have at least one of them in his life. It was, perhaps, a pessimistic way of thinking but both Seren and Steve knew that they couldn't stand the idea that they failed their son and left him alone. So, when Seren went on a mission, Steve stayed back with Noel. When Steve went on a mission, Seren stayed back with Noel instead. It was hard being apart from each other, but they were doing it for a very good reason. A very small, very gigglish little reason.

"Careful, he's in a biting mood today," Seren said just as Noel let his head drop on Steve's chest and proceeded to try and bite the star of his suit. Seren made a gesture at him saying 'See?'. "He gets two little teeth and suddenly he thinks he's a piranha."

"Yeeeah, Noel, it's best not to put your mouth on this." Steve gently pulled his son off him and lowered him to the bed, an act that Noel considered a betrayal because he started fussing immediately. "I'm sorry, buddy, I'm going to get changed quickly—"

"And shower," Seren cut in with a smirk. "Got germs all over you. And dirt."

Steve rolled his eyes at her. "I'll be back." He dropped a kiss on Noel's head and hurried to go shower.

Noel didn't stop fussing. Seren tried comforting him in her arms, and the big gingerbread stuffy she had bought for him recently, but he didn't stop until Steve came back. As soon as he sat down in bed next to Seren, Noel was climbing over his legs.

"Alright, come here," Steve said as he grabbed the baby and sat him on his lap. Now, Noel decided that he did want his gingerbread stuffy, but only to play with his father. "So then, is getting an 8 month-old to talk to you all you did in these days?"

"Uh, I did something else too," Seren said, side-glancing him. "I decorated the Christmas tree."

"Without me?" Steve said, slightly surprised. Seren had been excited to decorate the tree — it was Noel's first Christmas and she couldn't wait to see his reaction to the tree. It wasn't that big of a surprise that she couldn't wait for him.

"Don't worry, lovey," Seren scooted closer to Steve, leaning up to kiss his cheek, "He hasn't seen it yet."

"Really?" Now that was surprising to Steve. Seren laughed.

"I have some control! Noel hasn't seen it because we've been waiting for you!"

"Well then, I thank you for that." Steve held Noel by his hands and played with them. Noel tried pulling one of his father's hands towards his mouth. Steve enjoyed watching the effort Noel put because even at his 8 months, he was stronger than an average baby. And why wouldn't he be?

Noel had part of his father's super serum running through his system, giving him an almost perfect overall health. To top it all off, Noel had his mother's alien side to lift him even further. Celessian genes allowed Noel to access abilities that Seren used daily. Of course he couldn't create star matter like Seren, but his fingers often sparkled with a familiar orange hue. His strength was a combined effort from his parents, one of many things.

Noel had enough of failed biting so he started pushing himself off Steve and landed face first on the bed between his parents. His babbles were muffled with the sheets until he lifted his face and showed off his two front teeth.

Seren chuckled. "You're about the cutest baby in the world." She reached over to press some of his flyaway blonde hair. "With those cute little cheeks." She gave one of his cheeks just a bit of pinch and Noel tried grasping her pinky finger.

While Steve agreed with Seren that their baby was indeed the cutest, and not just because he was in a cute white onesie with little gingerbreads (some half-eaten) on it, but he thought that Noel's eyes and freckles were what made him simply adorable. That also had nothing to do with the fact that they were Seren's eyes and freckles. They were a sparkly green like Seren's, and they seemed to twinkle each time Noel laughed. His freckles, subtle like his mother's, were like the constellations they would see in the sky.

"What do you say" — Seren picked Noel into her arms — "we go show him the tree? Would you like that, Noel?" She cooed at her giggly baby. "Would you like to see the Christmas tree? Yes, you would, huh? Yes you do!" Noel squealed with a new round of giggles.

Steve watched her play with Noel. Whenever he was away on missions, he felt like a part of him was missing, and it was. The void was only filled when he was back with his family.

"Seren?"

As Seren turned her head, Steve was already going forward to kiss her on the lips. It was meaningful, and very much missed on Seren's part. She could feel his fingers on her jaw, bringing her closer to deepen their kiss. As soon as Steve let her lips go, she yearned for more.

"If you're going to kiss me like that, we have to put the baby to sleep first," she mumbled and heard Steve's soft chuckle.

Noel began to babble then, drawing his parents' attention. Seren listened but none of his babbles were close to 'mama'.

"You're lucky you're cute, mister," she said and planted a kiss on his forehead. She leaned her cheek on Noel's head and wrapped her arms around his body. Noel took the opportunity to play with his mother's necklace. Liked the star on Steve's suit, Noel adored the shiny carved star of his mother's choker.

"And you," Seren looked at Steve, "Don't start something you can't finish right now." Steve rolled his eyes at her. "So, you want to see the tree right now or not?"

"Why don't we just…rest for now?" Steve wanted to take a moment to just be with his family. He wrapped an arm around Seren's shoulders, bringing her (and Noel) closer. "We can go later tonight. Did you put up the lights too?"

"I thought we could do those together," Seren said.

"I like the idea. With or without Noel?"

At the call of his name, Noel let out a noise. He shook his head suddenly then flashed them a grin before continuing to shake his head.

"Well, I guess he had enough of Mommy for now," Seren said.

"That's okay, I'm happy to take her off his hands for a while." Steve's comment led to a hard glare from Seren.

"Maybe you don't get to see the tree," Seren decided. "It'll be just me and my favorite boy." She bounced Noel on her thigh, causing a series of giggles from him. "In his cute little Christmas pajamas I bought him yesterday, right? Who's going to be the cutest little gingerbread? You are!"

Noel loved the attention he got from his mother and squealed for more. He clapped his hands and then grabbed his mother's star again.

"Alright, alright, I'll be on my best behavior," Steve promised. "Can I please see the tree?"

Seren stopped with Noel to look at Steve. "You're lucky I like you too."

Steve smiled at her. He was definitely on his best behavior when she gave him another kiss.

They dallied leaving the room. Noel was too excited having both of his parents back and did just about anything and everything to hold their attention. He even shared his gingerbread stuffy. Finally, just as the day turned to night, Seren decided it was the perfect time to go see the tree. She handed Noel to Steve and grabbed her phone before they left the room together.

"Thor and I went to get the biggest tree we could find — and that would fit in the compound," she explained on their way in the hallway. "Wanda and Vision bought the ornaments. Natasha helped us decorate it."

"Ooh, so it was a team effort?" Steve asked, shifting Noel to his left side. "What did little Noel do?"

"Put the baubles in his mouth, of course," Seren said with a chuckle. Hearing her laugh made Noel laugh too. "But the little mister fell asleep before we started to decorate it."

"Well, sticking ornaments into your mouth does take a lot out of people, I've heard," Steve nodded. He dropped a kiss on Noel's forehead. "Glad he got his rest."

Seren rolled her eyes and picked up her pace to lead the way. "Okay, when you walk in, I'm going to record so don't say anything stupid."

Steve deadpanned her but she didn't notice. She was dead serious. "You know Noel can hear you, right?"

"Yes, and he's heard a lot worse from uncle Tony when he's mad so…" Seren gave a shrug of her shoulders.

She reached the living room first and hurried to go into the right spot to be able to record the moment. The tree was already lit for the evening. Thank you, Natasha! She was a secret Christmas lover.

Steve walked into the room holding Noel so that he could see the sight. Noel was in the middle of staring at his hands when the slow flickering rainbow lights caught his attention. The dazzle was slow but sure as it crossed his little face.

Watching his son experience Christmas for the first time was absolutely indescribable for Steve. It was wonderful, sure — amazing? Sure. But the right word just went above and beyond those two. It was a moment he would always remember.

Seren thought the same thing. She turned her phone's camera off then hurried to join them. She laughed as Noel pushed his body forward in Steve's arm. The temptation of the baubles was too much to stand.

Steve stepped closer to the three until Noel could reach a red sparkly bauble. His first touch was brief, the sparkles felt bumpy and for a moment undesirable. At the second try, Noel's small fingers curled around the bauble and he pulled.

"And so it starts," Seren mused as she watched Noel pull and then give up to start pushing the bauble forwards. "My mother said I used to pull on the branches."

"I thank God that he can't fly," Steve admitted. Noel got bored with the red bauble and went for the shiny gold one instead. "Or shoot star matter."

"Yet," Seren reminded him. She took Noel into his arms and pressed a big kiss on his hair. "Because then that'll be when the real fun starts, right my little star boy?"

Noel babbled as if he was answering his mother's question…or maybe demanding that she get him closer to the sparkling gold bauble. Seren ultimately put him down on the ground and laughed when Noel made a dashing crawl towards the tree.

"Was that a good idea?" Steve watched as Noel reached the lowest branch and sat down to properly grab it with both of his hands.

"Probably not," Seren shrugged. "But I did have the others help me nail the damn thing to the ground. He will not be pulling that tree down no matter what. That's what happens when he's got Avenger aunties and uncles."

Steve laughed. Seren made a good point.

The first bauble hit the ground and bounced around Noel. He let out a happy squeal and crawled for it.

"Mm, and what about the ornaments?" Steve asked, now a little less chucklish.

Seren placed her hands on her hips. "That's a different story."

Noel caught the bauble and sat down again. He gripped the bauble as much as he could, examined it for a moment, then threw it again. And so the cycle started again.

"Merry Christmas, cheers to chasing down baubles until the end of the year," Seren said with a wide grin on her face.

Steve wrapped an arm around her waist, bringing her closer and kissing her on the lips. "Looking forward to it, actually," he murmured with a content smile.

A/N:

This was purely self-indulgent and I'm not sorry. I'm a sucker for ships and their babies what can I say ? I also love christmas so I'm open to more ideas too ^.^

P.S. As always, I have an AO3/Wattpad account under "noblecrescent" and a tumblr account under "saiilorstars" if you'd like to follow :)