Steve Rogers is (_shieldless_) wrote in madisonvalley, @ 2022-06-23 19:02:00 |
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Entry tags: | !closed, !completed gdoc, ~2022 june, ~~steve rogers (_shieldless_), ~~~~ darcy lewis (tasergoddess) |
Who: Steve and Darcy
What: So. She called you 'daddy'.
When: After Steve's not Nick anymore
Where: Their kitchen
Warning: Cute
Status: Closed/Completed GDoc
There was always a lot going on in Madison Valley and sometimes it meant that necessary conversations were put off longer than they should be. Today, Stephanie was spending the day at the farm while Darcy got some wedding details organized. She was sitting at the dining room table, surrounded by papers and photos, some of them clearly torn or cut from magazines, and trying to put them in some semblance of order.
When Steve peered in from the doorway as if trying to determine if it was safe to enter, she looked up and grinned. “Don’t worry, I haven’t gone full bridezilla yet,” she joked. “I can take a break for a few minutes if you want to have a cup of coffee.” With Steph out, this was a perfect time to ask him about something that had been on her mind for the past few weeks.
*
“Hey, even your semi-bridezilla is kinda scary.” Steve grinned as he stepped into the kitchen. He was joking, of course, but it was obvious that someone made him watch that series under the guise that he should know what he was in for. He’d never say who it was. He didn’t want to bail Darcy out.
He poured them both some coffee. By now he knew how Darcy liked it: strong enough to strip paint. “Anything I need to know?” Steve knew he was clueless about this stuff and gladly took her direction.
*
“Not at the moment,” Darcy told him, though she did appreciate him asking. He wasn’t inclined to get involved in the planning, but was great about doing things that she asked him to do or giving his opinion when she requested. She tried not to do it too much since she knew it wasn’t really his thing.
She gratefully accepted the coffee and took a sip, leaning back in her chair. “You know, we never talked about the whole Stephanie calling you ‘daddy’ thing when you weren’t quite yourself.”
*
Steve was just convinced he’d screw it up. His idea of a wedding was the white dress, in a church then some kind of party after. Pretty basic. And since the wedding was more for the bride, he figured Darcy should have the main say. He did like to help, though.
“Oh,” he said as he sat down across from her. “Well, it wasn’t the first time.”
*
Darcy blinked in confusion. “It wasn’t?” She couldn’t remember ever hearing her daughter refer to Steve that way, though she had stopped calling him Uncle Steve at some point after he moved in. It wasn’t like she had forgotten Haymitch, though her memories of him were vague, since they had pictures and she still occasionally asked Darcy about him.
“You never mentioned it.”
*
Oops. Steve suddenly went sheepish, slouching in his chair. He’d screwed up and now he was in for it. He’d take his licks, of course. That didn’t mean he liked it.
“Uh…sorry?” One corner of his lips quirked up into that little boy smile. “It was when she was a teenager and you were uh…yeah. Kinda had my hands full.”
*
Oh, he wasn’t in trouble. Darcy wasn’t mad that he hadn’t mentioned, merely confused. “It was that long ago?” she asked. “Wow.” She was surprised that he hadn’t mentioned it or that she hadn’t heard Stephanie say it between then and now.
“How do you feel about that?” she asked.
*
“She hasn’t said it until uh…Nick…” Which was really weird! “But yeah. Knocked me for a loop, and I’m pretty sure she knew it would.” It was no wonder Stephanie and Morgan were friends.
He smiled as he hunched his shoulders up. “Honored, really. Humbled that she thinks that highly of me.” However… “The important thing is how you feel about it.” Because he never tried to take Haymitch’s place in any way.
*
“It’s cute you think I have any control over what my kid decides to do,” she joked. “If you’re okay with it, so am I. I mean, she knows that you’re not her biological father and we won’t let her forget Haymitch.”
Darcy paused. “Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to look into you legally adopting her,” she suggested gently. “That way if something ever happens and I’m sent home…”
*
“Hey.” When Darcy suggested that possibility, Steve had a small panic attack. It passed quickly and turned into concern for her.
Steve got up from where he sat only to move to where she was sitting. He just lifted her from her chair, sat in it then put her in his lap with his arms around her waist. “Put that way, it’s not a bad idea. But it should be more than that. You know I love Steph as much as I love you and I would be proud to be her father. But I don’t want to do it out of fear.”
*
Darcy managed to set her mug down just before he lifted her on his lap. As soon as she was settled, she picked it up again and took a sip as she listened to Steve.
“I wouldn’t say it’s fear,” she countered. “It’s trying to be responsible. We don’t have to decide right now though.” And Stephanie was old enough to be part of that conversation, so her opinion should be considered. Knowing that she called Steve ‘dad’ when she was a teenager was a good sign.
*
“Maybe closer to the wedding,” Steve suggested. “We can file the marriage certificate and possibly adoption papers at the same time.”
He put his chin on her shoulder as he held her close, arms wrapped around her waist. This was all Big Stuff in his life that he never thought he’d have. Not for the first time he wished Bucky was here to see it all. His best pal had been here briefly, but had gone home and not come back.
*
That seemed like a good solution and Darcy hummed her agreement, enjoying the unexpected moment of closeness and quiet. They were all too rare in Madison Valley and she liked to take advantage of them.
“It’s coming up fast,” she said. “I guess I should reach out to Kristof and find out more about what’s needed.” The next couple of months were going to be a whirlwind between Stephanie’s sixth birthday and their wedding. And then it would be time to have a baby shower for Daisy.
*
Inwardly, Steve was glad there was all this stuff going on. Maybe this year people would forget his birthday. Hey, he could hope. “I need to start writing my vows because I know I’ll either change or add to them between now and then.”
Someone had suggested he just recite song lyrics. He thought that was the quickest way to get himself killed.
*
“You can always ask for help,” Darcy told him. “I’m sure Phil or Clint would be willing to assist. Or you could ask Laura or Pepper. Really, as long as he didn’t ask Wade, she was pretty sure he’d be fine.
She hadn’t started hers yet either. They were on the long list of things she still needed to do.
*
“I think I’ll ask Laura or Pepper,” he said. Phil and Clint might get it in their head to mess with him for a bit. They wouldn’t embarrass him at the actual wedding, but they both had a wicked sense of humor Steve couldn’t keep up with.
Steve felt it was time to lighten the mood a little so he did the unexpected. He blew a raspberry against Darcy’s neck while his fingers attacked her ticklish spots.
*
It was cute that Steve didn’t think Laura and Pepper also had wicked senses of humor, but Darcy would let him ask whoever he wanted to ask for help.
She giggled when he tickled her and then leaned in for a long, lingering kiss. They had plenty of time to take advantage of their daughter not being home and she slid off his lap, grabbing his hand and tugging him up to their bedroom to make the most of it.