Characters: reader, Kurt (Steve), Grant (OC), Jana (OC).
Summary: Almost three years have passed since that unforgettable night you spent with a mysterious man in a snowy cabin. When Steve unexpectedly walks back into your small town, a lot has changed for you both. How will your time apart and Steve's uncertain present affect the possibility of a future together? [Canon, events take place shortly after CACW]
Warnings: Fluff, bit of angst I guess?
Word Count: 3.4k
Song Inspiration: The Night We Met by Lord Huron
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Previously:
Turning around, you smiled in delight. "Jana! Hi, how are you?" you asked, pulling your friend into a hug. "Wow, the girls are getting so big!" you remarked upon seeing her two daughters in a double stroller.
"I know, right? Growing like weeds," Jana said with a laugh. "Where's Grant?"
"Oh, um..." your gaze wandered to the swings.
Jana spotted Grant but then her eyes narrowed, followed by a gasp of surprise.
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"Is that who I think it is?" Jana loudly whispered to you in shock.
"Jana, it's not—"
"Oh, really? Cause he looks a lot like..." she began to exclaim loudly, taking a few angry steps toward the swings where Steve had noticed the commotion.
"Shhh!!" you tried to quiet her and grasped her arm, trying to hold her back. "Jana, please, I'll explain everything. Just not here, okay? Please?" you begged your friend in a hurried whisper.
Jana crossed arms over her chest, fuming, but she finally conceded. "You'll tell me everything? You swear?" she eyed you, watching for a lie.
"I promise, everything," you nodded, releasing a relieved sigh.
Taking one last look in Steve's direction, she then met your eye. "Fine. But tell me the truth, are you okay?"
"Yes! Jana, we are fine, really. It's just...it's been a surprising few days. I'll tell you all about it. Thank you," you uttered, pulling her into another hug. "I'll talk to you soon."
"You better," she lovingly threatened, before she walked away, pushing the stroller down the sidewalk with Steve still in her sights.
"What was that all about?" Steve asked, walking up to you with Grant in his arms.
"Um...that's Jana, my best friend. She knows who you are. Kind of," you admitted, avoiding his gaze.
"What?" he cried out.
"No! I mean, not the real you. She knows about Kurt and how he left town after we...you know, cause she knew about us and..." you said at a low whisper while gesturing emphatically. "Anyway, I have to talk to her. Explain somehow, cause right now she thinks you abandoned me."
"Oh great," he said sarcastically. "I've upset your best friend and we haven't even met yet."
You placed a hand on his arm in comfort. "I'll explain, it'll be fine, don't worry," you assured him.
"Mama, a snack?" Grant requested, looking perfectly comfortable in Steve's arms with his small hand patting the man's bearded cheek.
Smiling at the sweet moment, you relaxed somewhat. "Sure, sweetie. Let's go home for some lunch. Here's some Teddy Grahams, though," you offered, pulling the package out of your purse.
The three of you made the walk back to your apartment, Grant munching on his snack and occasionally offering a little bear-shaped cracker to you and Steve. There wasn't much conversation, the two of you both caught up in your thoughts. Reaching home, you all stripped off your winter clothing and made sandwiches with celery and carrots sticks. Halfway through lunch, Grant began to drift off in his booster seat, so you cleaned him up and put him to bed where he thankfully slept on.
Returning to the kitchen, you saw that Steve had already done the dishes, which was sweet of him. You found him sitting on the couch with a book in his hands, but not reading. He looked up as you approached and took a seat beside him.
Letting out a sigh, you turned toward Steve. "I guess we should figure out how much to tell Jana....but first, there are a few questions I know she'll ask that I don't have answers to."
Nodding, as if expecting this, he set the book aside. "Ask away."
"Steve...why did you come here?" you asked.
Catching your eye, he then looked away, lost in thought. "I...I don't know. I mean, I was telling the truth that I hoped to see you, but..."
"But?" you urged him on when he paused. "What did you hope would happen, Steve?" you finally voiced.
Huffing out a sigh, he shrugged. "I always hoped that, you know...there might still be something there. Some possibility for us. Part of me was terrified to come here and discover that the night we spent together meant nothing and that I had held on to that hope only to see it crushed."
Heart racing to hear those words, you prodded a bit more. "And now?"
Letting out a smile, Steve cautiously brushed fingertips over the back of your hand and when you turned it over in invitation, he grasped your fingers in his. "Now...that night means more to me than ever. As for that hope, well...it's still there. But I guess the rest is in your court," he confessed, staring down at your joined hands.
Allowing yourself to smile, you felt the warmth of joy fill you, now knowing that hope for a future together was something you both shared. "It's there for me, too, Steve. It never really made sense, considering I thought I wouldn't get a chance to ever see you again, yet somehow, it was always there in the back of my mind. But it's not just me I have to think about. I know you're his father, but right now Grant sees you as a new playmate. He's too young to understand anyway, but soon he'll get attached. I know it's not fair to ask and it's probably not even possible for you, but...are you staying? I know there's no possible way that you could have planned for this, but I have to think about what's best for Grant."
Steve nodded soberly. "I know. I've been thinking a lot about it. You're right, I couldn't have planned this, but now...it almost feels like it was all meant to be, you know? Of course, I was meant to come here. It all makes sense. I was drawn here to you. To Grant. So many things that I've been worrying about just faded away because this is where I'm meant to be. It's true, my future is uncertain right now and it would be unfair to you both if I were to promise anything, but...Y/N, I want to be here. I want to get to know Grant and see him grow and learn. I want to share the challenges and joys of parenting with you. I want to see what happens between you and I, too. I have to be honest, though. There will always be a chance that there might be a time when I have to leave unexpectedly. It's selfish of me to even think of inserting myself into your life with no guarantee, so, if you decide that's not enough, then I'll go, but...God, I want this. I want us. I want to be here for as long as I possibly can. Hopefully, forever," Steve told you, his expression earnest as his brilliant blue eyes held yours.
Feeling the prickling of tears threatening, you stayed silent a moment before wrapping your arms around Steve and pulling him close. He squeezed you tight as well, feeling the uneven breathing in his chest as you held each other and cried for the years lost and the weight of all that lies ahead. As your tears slowed, you pulled away to see a wet spot on Steve's shirt as you sniffled.
"I don't have the answers either, but...I want you here, too, Steve. It's crazy that you've only been back a day, because having you here...it just fits. I'm willing to accept that this situation might not be forever, but if we have a chance to be a family, I think we should try," you said with a hopeful smile.
Steve's eyes grew wide, as if the thought only just occurred to him. "Family. I have a family now," he uttered, smile stretched across his face before he pulled you in for another long hug. "Thank you, Y/N," he muttered into your shoulder, holding on tightly a moment before pulling back.
"It's not going to be easy," you admitted. "Parenting is really hard and being dropped into it suddenly...well, there will be a lot of wake-up calls for us both, I think. But for right now, we just have to deal with what to tell Jana. How much do you want her to know?"
Thinking a moment, he met your gaze. "Do you trust her?"
"Absolutely," you said without hesitation.
Nodding in response, he captured your hand again. "Okay. Then we tell her everything. I want you to have as much support as you need. If you say she's willing to hold on to my secret, then I trust her, too."
Relieved, you let out a smile. "Okay. Thank you, Steve. I'll text her to see if she can come over tonight. And I'd like you to be here."
"Of course."
Reluctantly leaving his side, you went in search of your phone.
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The rest of the afternoon was relaxed, in comparison. During Grant's nap, you and Steve talked some more before you received an email from work that required your immediate attention. Grabbing your laptop from your desk, you chose to settle on the couch to work while Steve read beside you. There was a comfortable silence between you, both finding joy in just having the other nearby.
A while later, you heard Grant begin to whimper and call out for you as he awoke, so you set aside your laptop and went to his room. Even though he could leave his bed on his own, Grant was sometimes disoriented if he fell asleep somewhere and then found himself in his bed. Enjoying cuddles with a sleepy Grant for a moment, you then changed his diaper and carried him to the kitchen. He asked for a drink of water, so you fetched a plastic cup and filled it, securing a lid on top to prevent spills.
You carried him back into the living room and settled back on the couch with Grant seated between you and Steve. The little boy leaned against your side for a while, still waking up, as you tried to resume your work. Soon, he noticed the book in Steve's hands and reached for the pages in interest.
"This book's probably not quite your speed, buddy," Steve responded, showing Grant the pages full of words and no pictures. HIs little brow furrowed in disappointment.
"Hey, sweetie, why don't you go find one of your books and bring it to Steve? I bet he'd read it for you," you mentioned to your son, then meeting Steve's eye with a smile.
Grant scooted off the couch and wandered to the bookshelf in the corner, then selecting a book to bring to Steve. He reached his arms out to the man and Steve gathered the boy on his lap with the book in hand. Apprehensive as he may seem, Steve really was naturally good with Grant. He read the words but also pointed out all the animals on each page, asking Grant if he knew the sound they made and what they were called. The adorable display was a little distracting to your work, but you didn't mind in the slightest.
After reading, Grant pulled Steve down on the floor with him to play cars. During lulls in playtime where Grant was off in his own little world, Steve would ask you questions about him growing up. Milestones like when he started crawling and walking, what his first word was (mama, followed shortly by cookie), if he was allergic to anything (not so far), and any other questions that came to his mind. You loved that he wanted to know all those things and was trying to catch up on what he missed.
Once you finished your work, you shut down your laptop and headed into the kitchen to see what to make for dinner. You had told Steve that Grant was allowed one tv show in the afternoon, so he turned that on for him and then joined you in the kitchen.
"Anything I can do to help?" Steve asked in offering.
Pleasantly surprised, you glanced at the ingredients you had pulled from the fridge. "Sure, uh...I was thinking of having tacos tonight. Do you want to dice up some tomatoes and lettuce for me?"
"I can do that," Steve agreed, picking up the knife on the cutting board that you had set aside.
Your kitchen was on the small side, so with a large man beside you, there were moments of bumped elbows and light brushes against each other. The two of you found a rhythm, though, and soon everything was ready on the table. Steve offered to help Grant wash his hands and buckled him in his booster seat but with a bib this time, which made you smile.
Dinner was a lively affair, mostly consisting of Steve being amused by your attempts to get Grant to eat. He was generally a good eater, but would still get distracted or only eat the least nutritious part of the meal, like the hard taco shell.
"Come on, sweetie, you need your veggies to grow big and strong! Look at Steve, he ate his lettuce and tomatoes and look at him!" you used as an example and gestured toward Steve.
The blond scoffed at that, "Well, that's not exactly..."
"Shh, we'll tell him the truth later," you whispered behind your hand with a wink.
Steve laughed at your deception, but decided to flex his biceps to drive your point home. Instead, it mostly resulted in you trying to keep from swooning outwardly. The man was a beautiful sight to behold.
Grant's eyes grew wide. "Steeb strong!"
"See?" you told your son. "How about two more bites of tomato because you are two years old, huh?"
He agreed, using his fingers to pick up the tomato and pop it in his mouth. "All done!" he declared, throwing his hands in the air.
"Good job, bud," you praised him before grabbing a wash cloth to clean him up.
Steve offered to put away the dinner leftovers while you bathed Grant and got him ready for bed. Dressed in pajamas, you brought him out to say goodnight to Steve and then tucked him in. A few short picture books later, he was down for the count.
Returning to the living room, Steve rose from the couch and stuffed both hands in his jeans pockets with a soft smile.
"Today was a great day. Best day I've had in...I don't know how long. Thank you, Y/N," he spoke sincerely, taking a few steps forward.
"You're welcome," you replied sincerely. "Thank you for being here. I guess I never realized how nice it would be to have a partner in this. I got used to doing the single parent thing from the get-go," you said with a shrug.
Holding that tender gaze, Steve slowly reached out and took your hand, threading his fingers with yours. You glanced down at your joined fingers and then back up at him, taking a step forward. A spark of electricity seemed to flow between you, drawing you closer. Mere inches away, there was a sudden knock at the door and you jumped apart.
Flustered, you dropped Steve's hand and rubbed it against your thigh. "That must be Jana. Maybe I should talk to her alone at first. Is that okay?" you asked.
Steve nodded. "Of course. Whatever you're comfortable with. I'll be in the kitchen," he said as he walked that way, stealing one last glance at you and sending a comforting smile.
Swinging the door open, you enveloped your best friend in an immediate hug. "Hi. Thank you for coming," you said as you released her.
"You know I'm here for you, Y/N," Jana assured you as she took off her coat and plopped down on the couch, getting comfortable. "So spill, girl. I need the dirty deets!"
Chuckling, you joined her on the couch and took a deep breath. "Okay. So, I know you met Kurt all those years ago and yes, that is the man you saw in the park with us today. Except....Kurt isn't really Kurt," you began to explain.
"Wait...what?" she asked in confusion.
"Kurt was a fake name he used when he came here to hide his identity because he was...undercover," you cringed at the last word, quickly silencing Jana's words of disbelief as she laughed out loud. "I know, I know! It sounds like an elaborate lie, but I swear it's the truth," you promised her, hoping she would see that you were being earnest.
Rolling her eyes, Jana gave you the benefit of the doubt for the moment. "Okay? Undercover for what? CIA? Is he a spy? Double agent?" she joked with a smirk.
You hesitated, then deciding that the best approach was the most direct one. "Why don't I let him explain?" you uttered quickly and rose from the couch. "Steve?" you called out.
Jana stood and began to protest, possibly because "Kurt" was at your home at all, and on top of that hiding in your kitchen. He stepped out with a sheepish smile before squaring his shoulders and stepping toward Jana with an outstretched hand. "Hi. I'm Steve Rogers," he spoke with that kind, approachable grin.
Jana eyed his hand in shock, looking up at Steve and then over to you. "Are you serious? Steve Rogers, like..."
"Yup," you nodded in confirmation. "Also known as..."
"...Captain America," Jana uttered quietly, finally accepting Steve's hand and giving it a shake as she gave him a once-over. "I don't know why I didn't see it before. Wow."
"Well, I did try to be unassuming when I was here last," Steve shrugged as he released her hand.
"Steven Grant Rogers, actually," you piped in. "I named my little boy after his father," you smiled, catching his eye.
You best friend whirled toward you. "You knew this whole time?" she asked, accusing you slightly.
"I found out while I was pregnant. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but honestly, would you have believed me if I had?" you questioned calmly.
She scoffed. "No."
You burst out laughing and she soon joined you, leaning against each other since you could barely stand form your hysterics. It took a long while before you both gathered your composure and by the end, Steve looked a little alarmed at your reactions. "I'm sorry, Steve, it's....it's not you, I swear," you managed to squeak out.
Wiping tears of laughter from under her eyes, Jana took a deep breath and met your eye. "I can't believe you got knocked-up by Captain America," she uttered as a laugh bubbled up in her throat once again.
You sighed, your cheeks sore from laughing. "Me neither, and yet..." you trialed off, now noticing the pink dusting on Steve's cheeks as he overheard your conversation. "...no regrets," you finished, capturing his hand and looping your free arm around his bicep for comfort. Steve smiled down at you and gave your hand a squeeze.
The rest of the evening was spent answering Jana's countless questions and also swearing her to secrecy, for everyone's safety. Finally saying goodnight and giving her a hug, you waved as Jana walked down the steps. Closing the door to the cold, you tried to stifle a yawn. You then turned toward Steve and smiled, exhaling loudly.
"That went well, I think," you declared.
"I think so, too. She seems great and I'm glad you have her to talk to," Steve replied, gently brushing knuckles across your cheek unconsciously before he realized the intimacy of the action. Instead of letting him pull away, you captured his hand and pressed it against your face, holding his gaze.
Drawing closer, you hesitated a moment before pressing your lips to his gently. Steve tucked one hand behind your neck and looped the other around your waist, reciprocating the kiss. His lips caressed yours lightly as you felt the warm familiarity of being in his strong arms once again. As much as you would've liked to go all-in and turn up the heat, something held you back, so you reluctantly pulled away to meet his eye.
"That was..."
"...amazing," Steve finished the sentence, brushing his thumb across your cheekbone with a smile.
"It was, but...I think we should take things slow for now," you told him, almost regretting your words immediately but knowing it had to be said.
He nodded in return, pressing a kiss to your forehead before reluctantly stepping away. "I understand. You should get some sleep," he uttered softly.
"Yeah..." you replied, already missing the warmth of his body against yours. "Sleep well, Steve. I'll see you in the morning." Walking down the hallway, you had to fight yourself from being drawn back into his embrace.
"Good night, Y/N," you heard him say as you ducked into your bedroom and leaned against the closed door, feeling the cool wood against your heated skin.
"Take it slow?" you groaned outwardly. Possibly your worst idea ever, you thought, as you changed clothes and crawled into bed alone.
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Part 9>>> Coming soon...
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Aahhh!!! I know, that's mean!! But it's understandable that she would hold back at first, right? The spark is definitely there, though! Swoooon. Some of you guessed correctly and thought Jana only knew him as Kurt. What did you think of their talk about the future? Would you give it a chance? How adorable is he with Grant, ugh, I can't take it. I'd love to hear your thoughts and theories! There's quite a bit more to come. Thank you for reading! Love you!! <3