Fic: Glory Beyond Mere Biology {Part Three}
Part Three
“Since we weren’t sure about your preferences, Phil and I decided to go with a theme that wasn’t overly girly.” Pepper explained as she pushed the door open to Zoey’s new nursery. The room had been a labor of love for the Avengers, with everyone helping to get it ready for Steve and Zoey’s homecoming.
After entering the newly created room, Steve stopped and stared in wonder at the transformation that had overtaken it. With Zoey in his arms, Steve slowly moved around the room, taking in every facet of it. Three of the walls were painted cream with light purple diagonal stripes, while the fourth wall was plum purple and decorated with three large gardenia-shaped flowers outlined in white.
“It looks like Pottery Barn Kids threw up in here.” Tony joked, watching as Steve began to investigate Zoey’s new crib and bedding. The crib and the matching furniture were a clean white while her bedding was done in a varied paisley theme. Although he would never admit it, Tony was actually impressed by the general theme of the nursery. Instead of the usual princess or fairy theme, Pepper and Phil had chosen a flower theme with a touch of butterflies, colored in purples, blues, and greens.
“How do you know what Pottery Barn Kids sells?” Natasha shot back, eyebrow raised in a silent dare.
“I blame Pepper.” Tony replied, putting himself on the receiving end of Pepper’s classic, “really Tony” look and a hard slap to his arm.
While the rest of the team fell into a discussion about Pottery Barn and why yuppies loved it, Tony came and stood by Steve and listened quietly as he spoke softly to his daughter, describing her new room. “Think you’ll be happy here?”
“Definitely,” Steve murmured, his free hand accidentally brushing against Tony’s, “especially when surrounded by our family and friends.” As much as he wanted to grab the genius' hand and take comfort from it, Steve knew it wasn't the right time. There was still awkwardness between them, even after weeks of living in each other's back pocket. Neither of them wanted to be the one to take the next step for fear of it ultimately ending in heartbreak.
“There’s a bassinet already set up in your room,” Pepper told Steve a few minutes later, her voice cutting through the almost bubble the two men had created for themselves. It was only after she knew that she had caught Steve’s attention did she continue, “Also, I want to apologize for the lack of pinks and reds in her clothes. Natasha and I had a long discussion and decided that we just couldn’t thrust gender stereotypes onto her at such a young age. If Zoey decides at three she likes pink then that’s her choice, not ours.”
Steve smiled at the executive assistant’s statement, while Tony rolled his eyes at the hypocrisy of it. While he could believe that statement coming from Natasha, Pepper was another matter, given how much she loved her four inch heels and pink lipstick. “Thank you,” Steve said sincerely as he shifted Zoey slightly in order to get a better grip on her body.
“Speaking of clothes,” Phil started with a look of mild embarrassment on his face, “I want to apologize for Clint…”
“What for? I didn’t do anything.” Clint interjected, earning a pointed look from his husband for interrupting him.
Once Clint had stopped his grumblings, Phil continued. “As I was saying, Clint became a bit overzealous with the internet and managed to find some Avengers themed bodysuits, which he bought for Zoey.”
Tony’s eyebrow shot up; clearly the bodysuits’ existence had intrigued the genius. “Show me,” he demanded and made grabby hands towards the archer, who quickly pulled them from the middle drawer of the dresser.
“Originally, I was only going to buy her the Hawkeye and Black Widow ones; but Phil told me no. He said, ‘it wasn’t fair to play favorites.’” Clint grumbled half-heartedly, while Tony and Steve examined the onesies. There were six in total and in varying shades, with each one representing a different member of the team: green (Bruce), red (Steve), black (Natasha), purple (Clint), dark red (Tony), and dark blue (Thor). The artwork on the front was a tad different than what Steve was used to seeing on the Avengers merchandise, which had popped up out of nowhere after the Chitauri attack. Instead of the typical comic book style, the drawings were done in what Steve had learned was a form of Japanese art called super deformed. While he considered the style to be simplistic, he had to admit that Zoey would look absolutely adorable in these onesies.
“Thank you, Clint.” Steve said touched by his friend’s gift. “They’re wonderful.”
Clint beamed back at Steve then turned to Phil and gave his husband a look that could only be described as smug, causing the agent to roll his eyes and sigh. Mentally, Phil prepared himself for a long night of having to listen to Clint crow about how much he rocked.
Taking the onesies back from Tony, Pepper slowly began to herd the group from the room, after noticing the yawns coming from Steve. While the serum had healed his incisions in a matter of hours, Zoey’s arrival had still taken a lot out Steve…as his body worked to repair the stress caused by carrying his daughter.
Once their friends were gone, Tony carefully took Zoey from Steve and crossed the room, laying her down on the changing table; during Steve’s stay at S.H.I.E.L.D, the billionaire had seen to almost all aspects of Zoey’s care and if he hadn’t known how to do something, he asked a ton of questions--driving some of the nurses a little crazy in the process. With Zoey redressed in her ‘coming home outfit,’ a pink and cream floral converter gown (which turned into a bodysuit with a few snaps), Tony wrapped his free arm around Steve’s shoulders and led him from the room. Steve needed to sleep as much as Zoey did and Tony had every intention of tucking them both into bed before settling down to keep watch while he worked.
***
If anyone had told Pepper that Tony would become a worrier, she would have called them a liar. The self-proclaimed genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist didn’t have a self-preservative bone in his body; but when it came to Zoey or Steve, an uncharacteristically, overprotective nature emerged. It didn’t matter what he was in the middle of, the moment Zoey cried, Tony was there... hovering or helping as Steve cared for the newborn.
“Hello, Zoey.” Tony singsong-ed with a smile and his mug inches from her cherubic face. This sight had become normal in the last couple of days as the genius tried to illicit Zoey’s first smile. There were a couple of times in her first weeks of life that Tony had sworn Zoey smiled, but Phil would immediately counter with the statement, ‘it was just gas’ and reiterated that most babies don’t start smiling until around week five or six; to say Tony was disappointed was definitely an understatement. Thus it was one reason why as soon as Zoey hit the five week mark, Tony, armed with his research, had begun his mission of getting Zoey to smile at him.
Unfortunately, Zoey didn’t appear to be on the same page as her brother, because it had already been a week and she still hadn’t given him the response he was seeking.
“Tony,” Steve said gently, torn between leaving Tony to his task or whisking his daughter away for a bath and a cuddle. On one hand, Steve loved how involved Tony was in the care and raising of Zoey; but on the other hand, he was a little apprehensive at how gung ho Tony was being about Zoey reaching some of her milestones. Steve didn’t want a life filled of expectations for his daughter and it was one of his worries with Tony involved. Despite Tony’s claim of being nothing like Howard, Steve could see the bits of Howard within him, mainly the overwhelming drive to continue the Stark genius.
Glancing up, Tony grinned at Steve before returning his attention to Zoey. “Look Zoey, it’s daddy.” Tony gushed, causing the newborn to kick against the blankets she was swaddled in. Steve approached the pair and leaned over the bassinet, gazing at his daughter wrapped snuggly in her polka-dotted blanket. As though he sensed an impending rebuke, Tony looked at Steve and said, “I know, I know. It will happen when it happens.”
“Tony, just because she hasn’t smiled yet, doesn’t mean she’s unhappy.” Steve pointed out as he ran his finger down the side of her cheek. “Her little feet kick every time she sees us, so clearly she’s happy to see us.” He continued; all the books said that around six weeks, Zoey would start recognizing faces and sounds, which she was, if her reactions were any indication.
Tony gave Steve a half-shrug and resumed staring at the little girl, who was yawning widely as her eyes fluttered closed. After checking the swaddle around Zoey, Tony stepped back from the bassinet, watching as Steve leaned down and kissed his daughter on the forehead. “I don’t want her childhood to be like mine.” Tony whispered, unable to tear his eyes away from the sleeping six-week-old.
“It won’t.” Steve replied as he grabbed Tony’s hand and squeezed, hoping it gave the billionaire some comfort. Steve hated how broken his friend sounded when he spoke of his childhood with Howard; it made Steve wish that Howard was still alive, just so he could shake him and demand an explanation. “She has us and our friends. She’ll know she is loved.” Tugging lightly, Steve led Tony from the room; Zoey didn’t need an audience while she slept. And if she needed anything, she and JARVIS would let them know.
***
“Phil, should she be pulling on her ears like that?” Clint asked nervously, glancing back and forth between the baby in his arms and his husband, who was standing a foot away. While Clint had grown used to having a baby in the tower, the archer was still exceedingly cautious about his contact with the little girl... he had an overwhelming fear of accidentally hurting her.
After setting down his glass, Phil rubbed his hands together before reaching out and touching Zoey’s brow, checking for any sign of a fever. “She is a little warm,” he replied as he pulled her hand back to get a better look at her ears. There weren’t any overt signs that it was an ear infection, but sometimes it was better to be safe than sorry. Phil had become an expert in spotting ear infections, especially after his own daughter, Skylar, had spent the first year of her life battling a chronic infection.
However, Tony’s arrival hadn’t allowed for Phil to continue his examination; as soon as Phil had spoken the word, ‘fever,’ the genius seemed to appear out of nowhere, taking his sister into his arms. Brushing his lips across her brow, Tony checked her temperature for himself and frowned, realizing that she was warmer than usual. “Not feeling well, honey?” Tony murmured as he peered into Zoey’s faintly flushed face. Although Zoey was too young to reply, she did turn her head towards the sound of Tony’s voice, rubbing her face against the soft cotton of his t-shirt.
A mild sense of panic overtook Tony as he continued to gaze into his sister’s flushed face. Dirty diapers, fussiness, her hatred of sleep, those he could deal with; but the thought of her being sick, downright scared him. “JARVIS?” He called out, swaying Zoey gently in his arms. “Call Doctor Worth,” he told the AI, referring to Zoey’s pediatrician. She had come highly recommended from Molly and she was the wife of a current S.H.I.E.L.D agent, so there wasn’t any worry in regards to sharing Steve’s medical history.
While Tony was waiting for the call to connect, Steve wandered into the living room, hair still wet from his shower. “What’s wrong?” He asked calmly as he approached, noticing the alarm on Tony’s face. There was no point in there being two worriers in this co-parenting relationship; besides, Steve’s history of medical issues had made him a pro at staying calm in the face of them.
“I’ll go get the first aid kit,” Phil announced, grabbing Clint’s hand and pulling him along out of the room.
“She’s flushed and warm.” Tony replied with a nod of thanks in Phil’s direction. “I’m calling Doctor Worth. Phil thinks she might have an ear infection.” And as soon as he uttered the word, Zoey turned her head and vomited on Tony’s shirt, earning a disgusted look from her brother.
“There is no doubt now, sir.” JARVIS replied, sounding excessively smug for a machine. “Doctor Worth is on the line.”
“Please put her through, JARVIS.” Steve stated, grabbing a clean spit up rag from the pile on the back of the couch. Unfortunately the rag did little to help after Zoey vomited again as soon as Steve was finished.
“Hello, Steve?” A female voice said clear and unfazed by having received a call from a computer. “What seems to be the problem?”
“We haven’t taken her temperature, however she’s warm to the touch; she just vomited twice on me, and her ears seem to be bothering her.” Tony explained as he handed the little girl over to Steve then pulled his t-shirt off, luckily the shirt underneath was still unaffected by her sick. “Phil’s gone to get a thermometer.”
“Without taking her temperature it sounds like an ear infection to me, so just bring her in.” Doctor Worth told the pair, “I’ll tell my receptionist to expect you.”
“Thanks, Jennifer.” Steve said relieved that she was able to see them on such short notice.
“You’re welcome, Steve. I’ll see in about thirty minutes?”
“Sounds good, see you then,” he told her before directing JARVIS to disconnect the call. When Phil finally returned without Clint, Steve handed his daughter over to the agent, silently asking him to take her temperature while he went to get her a new change of clothes and sent Tony to gather her diaper bag, then called Happy to bring the car around.
Taking the seven-week-old from her daddy, Phil cooed softly as he walked her around the couch and quickly stripped her soiled clothes from her. As soon as Steve returned and her temperature taken (a 101), Phil effectively redressed her and passed her back to Steve, who strapped her into her car seat.
“Happy’s downstairs,” Tony said when he reappeared, carrying Zoey’s diaper bag in one hand and a tablet in another. Let it never be said that Tony Stark couldn’t multi-task, when Zoey was involved. “Ready to go?”
Picking up Zoey’s car seat, Steve smiled at Phil and thanked him for his help before following Tony towards the elevator.
***
After her ear infection, it would take Tony another six weeks to work up the courage to ask Steve out on a proper date, in spite of the pair already effectively co-parenting the little girl. If it wasn’t for his own fears about rejection or the fact that Steve had a new baby to care for, Tony probably would have asked him out much earlier. But the situation was what it was and the billionaire was going to make the best of it.
“Phil,” Tony said upon entering the kitchen and finding the agent in the process of making what appeared to be a pasta dish with grilled vegetables. “I need a favor.”
Coulson paused momentarily before tossing the vegetables into a bowl with the pasta. “And what exactly would this favor be, Stark?”
“Conspiring with Pepper to get Steve to leave Zoey in your care for the night while I take him out on a date.” Tony wasn’t an idiot; he knew there was no way Steve would leave his ten-week-old daughter unless she was in the care of Phil Coulson... including Pepper was a bonus.
Phil raised an eyebrow and shook his head slightly at the billionaire’s response, then said, “In that case, I want a favor in return.”
“Name it, Philly boy.” Tony countered, grinning wildly at the other man, knowing he had won.
“I want to borrow the Aston Martin.” Phil stated without missing a beat and the way he had calmly and efficiently replied, made Tony wondered if Phil had been dreaming of this day for a while.
“A James Bond fan, huh.” Tony joked, “Should Steve be worried about losing his number one fan?”
“Clint’s the fan. So is that a yes?”
“It’s a yes as long as you make my favor happen.”
Phil’s mouth twitched faintly then settled back into its normal straight line. “Don’t worry, Stark, that’s not going to be a problem.” And with that, Phil grabbed the bowl of pasta, two forks, and left the kitchen.
“JARVIS?” Tony called out, once he was sure Phil was out of earshot. “I’ve been played haven’t I?”
“You have, sir.” The AI replied blandly. Tony knew that if JARVIS had the ability to emit emotions, he would be laughing at Tony right about now.
***
“Tony, you didn’t have to rent out the whole restaurant for the night.” Steve remarked as their waiter seated them. With a little help from Pepper (after she had stopped laughing), Tony had finally decided on an upscale French restaurant to take Steve for their first date.
Tony shrugged off Steve’s comment before turning to their waiter and ordering their best bottle of Bordeaux. Once their waiter left, Tony smiled at Steve and began to peruse the menu. “See anything you like, Steve?”
“Not sure,” Steve admitted; yet he would have liked it better if he could hide his own insecurities. This restaurant wasn’t really Steve’s scene; he was more of a ‘diner with meat and potatoes’ kind of guy. “I actually don’t know what some of this is.”
“Then I’ll order for you,” Tony replied, reaching out and taking Steve’s menu from him. After living with the soldier for the last couple of months, Tony figured he could pick a meal that Steve would enjoy. Their waiter reappeared a few minutes later and poured their wine as Tony quickly rattled off their order and handed the menu back to the waiter, who took it with a slight bow then left.
When the waiter left and they were alone again, an awkward silence descended upon the pair. The question of their feelings for each other had long since ceased to be a problem, especially after Tony’s five week stay with Steve in his Brooklyn apartment. They each suspected how the other felt, but Howard’s ghost and Zoey’s existence stopped them in their tracks: Tony due to his fear of Steve comparing him to Howard, of always being second best to a dead man; while Steve lived in fear of Tony growing to resent Zoey. While he knew Tony loved his sister, loving her like a daughter was a completely different matter.
“I like you, Tony.” Steve stated, deciding to break their silence. He had never considered himself a coward, so he wasn’t backing down from this, not when his heart was concerned. Steve had back down before with Peggy; he had loved her, but his fear had stopped him. It wasn’t going to stop him now; he’d take whatever Tony was offering.
“I like you, too, Steve.” Tony replied, giving Steve a pained half-smile and dreading the worst was about to come.
Squaring his shoulders, Steve finally admitted the one truth he had been hiding from Tony since the genius had found out about Zoey. “I was never sexually attracted to Howard. He was offering comfort that I was willing to take.”
“W-what?” Tony sputtered, clearly shocked by Steve’s statement. “Can you repeat that?”
“I didn't like him, sexually. Howard was a friend and it was war. I was in love with a girl named Peggy.”
“So you haven't secretly been comparing me to Howard?” Tony asked disbelief and shock flashing across his face.
“No.” Steve replied, shaking his head. “Actually, I've been secretly worrying that you'd grow to resent Zoey.”
“Like that would ever happen. She's perfect and will be forever perfect to me.”
Steve smiled and said, “That's sweet, Tony.”
“It sometimes happens.” The genius joked as he shrugged off Steve’s compliment. Even after months of living with the soldier, Tony wasn’t used to the praise Steve freely gave; praise hadn’t been Howard’s strong point during Tony’s childhood.
As the waiter approached their table, Steve and Tony fell silent again, watching as their food was placed before them. “Will there be anything else, sirs?” The waiter questioned, stepping back from the table and waiting for a sign from either man, which Tony answered with a brief shake of his head. “Very good, sir,” the waiter responded before leaving Steve and Tony to enjoy their meal.
Picking up his fork, Steve moved the food around on his plate a couple of seconds before leaning forward and whispering, “Tony? What is this?”
“It’s duck terrine with sauternes, poached apricot and green almond purslane salad.” Tony recited before seeing the confused look on Steve’s face. “Basically, a terrine is similar to pate but made with coarsely chopped ingredients. And purslane is a leafy vegetable.”
“Oh, looks... interesting.” Steve remarked as he tried to hide his expression, which was bordering on disgusted.
Tony shook his head violently. “No, you aren’t allowed to do that. That’s a Clint thing and I know what it means.” Tony accused, calling Steve out for using Clint’s own brand of subtle negativity. If Clint said something was ‘interesting’ then the word could mean it was ugly or disgusting or any number of descriptive words that rattled around in Clint’s head.
Rolling his eyes, Steve gave Tony a pointed look but stayed silent, knowing that Tony wasn’t finished talking yet.
“I tried really hard to make tonight perfect,” Tony told Steve, pouting slightly as he spoke. “Pepper helped and everything.”
“I know you did, Tony. But French food isn't really my thing.”
Glancing at his watch, Tony noted that they had only been gone from the tower and Zoey for maybe half an hour, and if they came back before 10 o'clock, Bucky had threatened the use of Natasha's bodily harm. "So what's your thing, Steve?" Tony asked openly; yet he didn't give the soldier time to respond before answering himself. “What would you say to hotdogs from a cart and a carriage ride through Central Park?”
“Isn't a carriage ride, kind of cliché?”
“Only if you’re on your first date and look at us... we are.”
“Then it’s perfect, Tony.” Steve replied, smiling softly at the billionaire.
Tony grinned and motioned their waiter forward, “Check please.”
“Was anything wrong with your food, sir?” The young man questioned nervously; he’d never had a table leave before the main entry was served.
“I'm sure everything was fine. We just aren't in the mood for French cuisine tonight.” Tony explained.
“Ah.” The waiter murmured, clearly unsure of how he was supposed to continue this conversation; this situation was not something he had been trained to handle.
After laying his napkin across his plate, Steve pushed back his chair and held out his hand for Tony to take, earning a huge grin from the dark haired man. “Ready to go, Tony.”
“As long as we can call Pep and check on the munchkin,” Tony countered, knowing full well that Steve would be agreeable to his proposition.
“We’ll call on the walk to the park.” Steve replied as he tugged on Tony’s hand, pulling him through the maze of tables towards the coat check before leaving the restaurant. Once outside, Steve tucked Tony’s hand into his coat pocket to keep it warm as Tony used his other to call home.
“Tony, you’re supposed to be on a date. Why are you calling?” Pepper said the moment her face showed up on Tony’s screen.
“Show us the kid and we’ll get back to our date.”
“Tony!” Steve exclaimed, chastising the other man for his slightly rude behavior.
Pepper grinned at them through the video chat before turning her head and speaking to someone off camera. “They want proof that Zoey hasn’t been harmed in anyway.” Steve and Tony watched as Pepper disappeared from view, returning a few minutes later carrying Zoey in her arms. “And here she is, Daddy.”
Steve smiled softly at the sight of his daughter, who looked warm and sleepy in her monkey themed peach and white striped footie pajamas. “How has she been, Pepper?”
“Good. She just finished her bottle and Phil was getting ready to put her down.”
“We should be home by 10,” Tony told the woman as he leaned into his camera’s view.
Pepper rolled her eyes, exasperated by Tony’s worrisome behavior, and said, “Steve enjoy your evening. We won’t let anything bad happen to Zoey, all right.”
“Thanks, Pepper.” Steve said before ending the call. After Tony had tucked the phone away, Steve directed them towards Central Park where they enjoyed a couple of hot dogs while being driven around in a horse-drawn carriage.
And true to their word, at two minutes ‘til 10, Steve and Tony exited the elevator onto Steve’s floor. After following Steve down the hallway and into the man’s bedroom, Tony watched as he re-tucked the blankets around his daughter’s slumbering body. Normally, this was the part where Tony would leave Steve for the night; but tonight was different. Instead of allowing the billionaire to leave, Steve murmured a soft, “stay,” just as Tony turned away.
Although, nothing happened that first night; they simply curled around each other and slept until Zoey made her presence known again.
***
“You sure it’s in here?” Bucky asked, picking his way through the crates upon crates within the crowded warehouse. Steve had discovered a few weeks ago, the bike wasn’t the only item that the S.S.R. had stored-every piece of the soldier’s former life had been meticulously wrapped up and boxed in hopes that Steve would be found.
Steve shrugged and glanced at Phil, who had the unit’s inventory list in his hand. “According this,” Phil said as he waved the tablet, “it should be here.”
“What color is it again, Cap?” Clint called out from somewhere towards the back of the unit. He had been the first one in, looking every bit like an over-excited puppy seeking his next chew toy. Phil chuckled at his husband’s exuberance.
“Red, Clint, red.” Natasha yelled from her seat on a large wooden crate. The former assassin had no intention of actually helping, her capacity in this ragtag bunch of scavenger hunters was as Bucky’s babysitter... or at least it was until S.H.I.E.L.D. deemed him a non-threat. And at the moment, nobody seemed to know when he would be released from S.H.I.E.L.D housing. He had a nice space in the Avengers Tower waiting for him.
“I’m on it, Cap.” The archer exclaimed then disappeared behind a stack of furniture. While the S.S.R. had seen fit to store the belongings of any agent killed or listed as missing during the war, they apparently hadn’t felt the need to make an item’s location match the warehouse manifest.
Deciding to leave Clint to it, Phil turned back to the group and said, “We’re looking for crates 9085724 thru 9085727 for Steve. And crates 9079410 thru 9079411 for Bucky.”
“Shouldn’t be too hard then,” Steve remarked as he pulled out his phone, checking it for any missed calls or texts from Tony, who was currently watching Zoey. While he hated to leave his daughter for even a short time, Steve needed to find his mother’s christening gown which he remembered packing. After her death, Steve hadn’t been allowed to take very much to the orphanage, only what could fit in the old, battered, red steamer trunk of his father’s.
“How come Steve has more crates?” Bucky grumbled good-naturedly as he continued to work. A few minutes later, he popped his head out from behind a cluster of crates and said, “Found them, Steve.”
“I wanted the bingo!” Clint exclaimed then followed with, “bingo, Bucky,” the moment his eyes landed on the set of crates belonging to the ex-Soviet assassin.
Grabbing the two-way radio, Phil spoke quickly, directing the warehouse attendant with the forklift to their location. They had a van waiting outside to take all the crates to the Avengers Tower, where they could be sorted and unpacked. Once the attendant appeared, Phil handed the tablet over to Steve for him to sign, acknowledging that he had received his belongings, before passing it to Bucky. With the paperwork completed, the attendant went to work, shifting the crates around and loading them into the van.
As he waited, Steve pulled out his phone to call Tony, who answered sounding half-breathless. “Steve, hey. You find it?”
“Not sure, they’re loading the van now. I’ll have to wait until we get back to the tower. How’s Zoey?”
“She’s fine. Perfect, really.” Tony replied. Steve could hear the smile in the billionaire’s voice as he talked about the little girl. “I fed her lunch and she’s sleeping now.”
“Okay,” Steve said, trying to hold in his disappointment. He knew it was irrational, given her age, but Steve had kind of wanted to talk to her a little bit while he waited. Shrugging it off, Steve focused on Tony, who wanted to talk to him. “So what have you been up to?”
“Nothing much. Just looking through R&D’s presentation, which is making me question why some of them even work for me.”
“Poor you,” Steve joked before catching Bucky’s eye roll. The brunet hadn’t been exactly happy with the recent developments in Steve and Tony’s relationship; but he had quickly quieted down once he saw the depth of Tony’s commitment to Steve and Zoey. Also, he wasn’t willing to begrudge Steve the family he wanted, even if it was slightly chaotic in its design.
“Don’t mock my pain.” Tony retorted before the sound of crying broke through their connection. “There’s Zoey. I’ll call you back?”
“No, don’t bother. I should be back soon. Give her a kiss for me.”
“Will do,” Tony agreed and disconnected the call without waiting for Steve to respond. Tucking the phone away, Steve wandered over to Bucky, who had joined Natasha on one of the crates.
“Everything okay?” Bucky asked with a large grin on his face. “Got a question, buddy. Who you picking for the munchkin’s godparents?”
“‘Cause that’s not subtle at all,” Natasha murmured, lightly hitting Bucky in the chest with the back of her hand.
Grabbing her hand, Bucky pressed a kiss to it and said, “I never said anything about being subtle... that was all you.”
“Sorry, I haven’t really thought about it yet.” Steve lied. He had been doing a lot of soul-searching since making his decision to have Zoey christened, and for the most part he had his choices all picked out. Unfortunately, he didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings by not choosing them.
“All right, Stevie.”
“Thanks, Jamie.” Steve shot back, using the nickname Bucky hated from their childhood. As kids there had been this sweet, older lady who used to give them cookies for helping her out, and no matter how many times Bucky tried to correct her, she continued to refer to him as ‘Jamie.’
“Back in the van, folks.” Clint announced as Phil started making hand motions at him. As the archer passed the trio with a grin on his face, he said, “Shotgun!” Earning him an exasperated smile along with a raised eyebrow from his husband.
Jumping down off the crates, Natasha and Bucky led the way to Clint and Phil, while Steve brought up the rear. Within minutes the group was on the road and headed back in the direction of the Avengers Tower.
***
Once the group returned to the tower they split up, each heading their own separate way; there was still plenty of time left in the day to unload their van. Plus, they were in need of a little brute strength from Thor, who was currently enjoying some sightseeing with Darcy and Jane.
Without a word to JARVIS, Steve immediately headed to Tony’s lab, knowing that’s where he’d find his daughter and his... special someone. Steve wasn’t entirely sure what he and Tony were at the moment; though he did know Tony was as committed to making a go at the relationship as Steve was... after all, Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Keying in the pass code, Steve quietly entered the lab, which according to Pepper resembled Tony’s old lab in Malibu -- minus the expensive cars, of course. However the space had one area that the original didn’t, a play zone for Zoey, tucked into the corner of the lab nearest the door. Considering Tony built it, the play zone was simplistic in design, with 30″ tall, clear plastic walls firmly attached to the lab’s concrete wall and flooring made of brightly colored rubber squares shaped like puzzle pieces. Inside the six-by-six area, the floor was covered by a bird-themed activity gym, a free-standing swing, and a bunch of smaller toys for Zoey. Despite the 12-week-old spending most of her time napping in her swing, Tony liked to be prepared for any eventuality.
“See Zoey,” Tony said, holding Zoey against his chest with one hand wrapped around her stomach and the other supporting her butt, “if we tweak it here and here, we can boost the power by 20%.” However, Zoey wasn’t having any of it; she was more focused on trying to get her foot in her mouth.
“She’s a little too young for mechanical engineering, don’t ya think?” Steve quipped softly, not wanting to scare the genius and cause him to drop his precious cargo.
After a quick glance, Tony smiled at Steve and waited for the other man to approach before leaning over to kiss the blonde on the corner of his mouth. “Never. Howard taught me young...” Tony began, before pausing as he realized what he just said. “Then again, maybe you’re right,” he finished as he handed over Zoey, who kicked her little feet in the air.
“Did you miss me, sweetie?” Steve gushed as he grabbed her socked feet in his hand, stilling them, and earning a squeal of disapproval from Zoey. “Has she been a good girl?” Steve asked, directing his question to Tony, who had stopped working and was simply watching father and daughter.
“The best. So how did your scavenger hunt go?”
“Good. We found the crates; they just need to be unpacked and sorted.”
Tony nodded his head and turned away, busying his hands by running them across the keyboard in front of him, a nervous trait he had-funnily enough-gotten from Howard. “It’s Sunday that Zoey is going to be indoctrinated into the cult of the bigots and homophobes?”
“Tony.” Steve warned and based on the tone of his voice, it was clear Steve’s decision to have Zoey christened was a source of contention between the pair. Tony couldn’t understand the desire to christen Zoey in a faith which condemned Steve for his attraction to men. But for Steve, it was more than that, by christening Zoey in the Church, Steve could provide her with a tangible link to the history of her family.
“Forget I said anything, Cap.” Tony retorted, consciously using the nickname, ‘Cap,’ to let Steve know he had no desire to repeat their discussion again. “Have you picked her godparents?”
“Yes.” Steve stated, “I’ve decided on Bucky and Phil. Although, Phil will be the godfather and Bucky will be the witness.”
“What?” Tony replied, confused by Steve’s statement. Howard had never been big on religion and neither had Maria, besides the standard Christmas and Easter services.
“Only a Catholic can be a godparent and then there’s the issue that there can’t be same-sex godparents. And since Phil was raised Catholic, he’ll be listed in the baptismal registry as her godfather and Bucky as a witness. It doesn’t make any difference to me, both will be her godfathers.” Steve explained, relating the gist of his conversation with Father Matthews. The Father had been very accommodating and understanding of Steve’s situation; even if Steve hadn’t been completely honest with the padre.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Tony spat, angry at Steve for not trusting him to care for Zoey. It was all right for him to babysit; but god forbid he raise Zoey if anything should happen to Steve.
Tucking Zoey closer into the crook of his arm, Steve walked forward and wrapped his free arm around Tony’s waist. “It’s not about a lack of confidence, Tony. The Church doesn’t allow fathers to be named as godparents.” Steve whispered into Tony’s ear then waited for his words to sink into the genius’s brain.
“You mean it?” Tony asked, disbelief lacing his voice before the laughter set in.
Steve pressed a quick kiss to Tony’s grinning mouth and said, “Of course, I do, Tony. You’re her dad in all the ways that count.”
“Not by blood, I’m not.”
“Blood doesn’t matter, Tony.” Steve countered with a pointed look. Leaning down slightly, Steve rested his forehead against Tony’s, looking directly into the billionaire’s eyes. “Bucky’s my brother and our lack of blood ties doesn’t make that any less true. Family is who you make it. The Avengers are my family; but I want you to be Zoey’s other dad and hopefully, one day, my husband.”
Tony’s face softened as he gazed into Steve’s blue eyes and in a choked voice, whispered, “You’ve got yourself a deal.”
“Good.” Steve grinned and kissed Tony again, causing Zoey to squawk at being squished between the two men. “Sounds like this little princess isn’t happy with us. How about we take this somewhere else?”
“Oh! And where do you have in mind, Captain Rogers?” Tony leered with the tilt of his head and a raised eyebrow.
“My room. We could watch a movie and see where it takes us.” Steve suggested and instead of answering, Tony backed away and grabbed Steve’s hand, carefully tugging the blonde from the room and up the stairs.