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Steve Rogers is holding a baby, and he’s not entirely sure why.
He understands the physical events that led up to this moment, of course. One of the tiny scientists, the girl, Simmons, had peered into the room and then crossed to him with a smile.
“Would you mind terribly holding Jasper for a while? It’s just that Coulson needs me and Fitz for something quickly and I can’t seem to find anyone else,” she’d asked, and she’d looked so hopeful that Steve had already nodded mutely before he’d really thought about his answer. He’d brought his arms up when Simmons had held out the baby, and then she’d given him one last smile and disappeared out the door again.
Steve looks down at the bundle in his arms warily. It’s not that he’s never held a baby before; there were hundreds of them in the early days after the serum, but all he’d had to do then was hold them for a few seconds, smile for a picture and then hand them back to their mothers. He’d never had to actually take care of one.
“Hello,” he says, feeling a little foolish. Jasper blinks up at him, big blue eyes and messy curls, and Steve smiles, “Your mom and dad will be back in a little bit, I think.” The baby makes a gurgling sound in response, and Steve settles down on the small couch in the room to wait, thinking that this might be easier than he’d thought.
He regrets that line of thinking about five minutes later, when Jasper begins to fuss. It’s not much at first, just some squirming, uncomfortable noises, and Steve quickly lifts him up to see if he needs his diaper changed; he breathes a sigh of relief as he resettles the baby, but it’s short lived, as Jasper turns his head and, well, sort of latches onto his chest. It takes Steve a few seconds to figure out what’s happening, and then he’s simultaneously horrified that no one is there to help him and incredibly, incredibly glad that no one is here to see this.
He’s going to skip bench pressing for the next six or seven years, he’s pretty sure.
Steve waits for him to figure out that nothing is going to happen, but Jasper keeps at it, and he’s on the verge of heading off in search of help of any kind when he spots the small refrigerator in the corner. He would never admit to just how relieved he is to see the full bottle on the top shelf, and he shifts Jasper slightly, dislodging his mouth, and setting off more annoyed noises before Steve can get the bottle positioned. That quiets him down quickly, and Steve smiles, settling back onto the couch.
“That’s much better, isn’t it, bud?” he says. They sit in silence for a few minutes, Jasper working on the bottle and Steve rocking him gently, humming softly. “You know, kid, you’re not half bad,” he whispers, since Jasper’s eyes are starting to droop and he seems to be losing interest in his meal. Steve tugs on the bottle and Jasper lets it go easily so he can sit forward and place it on the coffee table as voices from the hallway reach him.
“-can’t believe you left our son with someone we don’t really know,” says Fitz, the other tiny scientist from earlier.
“I needed someone to take him! And besides, of all the people we don’t really know that I could have left him with, I really think that Captain Rogers is at the top of that list,” answers Simmons, and there’s several beats of silence before Fitz speaks again.
“Alright, that’s a fair point,” he says as the two of them round the corner into the room and Steve stands, careful not to jostle Jasper too much.
“Thank you so much for looking after him,” Simmons says with a grin, and Fitz moves forward so that Steve can transfer Jasper him into his arms, “I see you had to feed him. I’m sorry, I would have told you where his bottles are, if I’d known it would take us so long.”
“Not a problem, Dr. Simmons. He was very well behaved,” he says, rubbing at the back of his neck and trying to hide the wet spot on his t-shirt.
“You hear that, Jasp? That’s pretty high praise,” Fitz whispers, holding Jasper against his shoulder, “Now that you’ve been fed, I think it’s time for father-son bonding time.”
Simmons rolls her eyes, “You really have to stop using our infant son as an excuse to take naps in the middle of the day.”
“It’s entrainment, thank you very much. I’m helping him learn to regulate his breathing, as well as connecting with my son and helping him to feel safe and loved.”
“You’re using our son as an excuse to take naps in the middle of the day.”
“You’re more than welcome to join us. Family bonding time, you know.”
Simmons tilts her head to the side, “Now that’s an interesting idea.”
“Thought you might feel that way. Thanks again, Captain Rogers,” he says, before the little family disappears out the door. Steve can hear them talking as they walk down the hallway, arguing about something without actually sounding like they’re arguing, and shakes his head with a laugh.
“That’s usually how people react when they meet Fitzsimmons,” says Agent May, leaning against the doorframe, “Coulson can talk to you now, if you’re ready.” Steve nods, following her out into the hallway, glancing over his shoulder to catch sight of the scientists and their son one last time with a smile.