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It was way too early in the morning for Brock to be using his mind to comprehend anything, cruising on automatic as he entered the sunny kitchen in search of freshly made coffee he could drink right away. Partially squinting, he just made out the shape of Jack sitting at the table holding something and he had to fill a spare mug and take a sip before it sank in that whatever was in his arms was moving.
That was Jack for you. Feeding stray animals all the damn time despite Brock telling him to quit that crap and now he must have found a puppy or kitten or whatever the fuck it was, probably waiting and crying at their door knowing Jack was a bleeding heart. He only hoped it wasn’t a damn skunk, if it was so help him God, he was going to kill his boyfriend.
The thing in the soft blue blanket moved again as clarity began to sink in, Jack not even paying any attention his way as he tucked in way too close towards whatever was hidden and suddenly a small hand slipped out and reached up, touching carefully at Rollins’ stubbled chin like it was fascinating, fingers trying to grip at it. As soon as it had come up, the arm was coming back down again.
Brock only leaned against the counter edge and stared, mug parked before his mouth though it didn’t move, his brain trying to grasp and process, let it all sink in before he lowered his coffee and his mouth formed a small thin line while confusion set in.
“Where the hell did you get that?”
Jack didn’t even look up then either, a pair of little tiny feet escaping the confines of its blanket to kick lightly in the air, his expression enamored by it. “Someone left him at our door, guess they figured we should keep him.”
“Uh Jackie,” Brock rested the mug back against the counter, approaching the kitchen table carefully, “That ain’t no pizza delivery, that’s a livin’, breathin’ baby. Who leaves a baby at the front door? And who’d leave it to you?!”
Frowning softly, Jack shushed him, rocking the child gently, “Stop yelling, he’s close to getting comfy and trying to sleep.”
“How the hell do you even know that?” One pissy look from Jack and the way the baby’s face scrunched up was enough for Brock to lower his tone, “When the hell did you become a damn baby whisperer?”
The baby pressed a balled fist to its mouth and shifted a little as eyes closed. Jack cradled him so its tiny head rested against his shoulder, hand giving it small comforting pats on the back. Brock only felt more and more like he was in some twilight zone.
“You know I have a big family. Also he doesn’t look anything like me, he looks like you.” Jack steadily let out, watching him carefully, eyes maybe slightly narrowing.
It took a few seconds for that to absorb before it dawned on him and Brock raised his hands up with a shake of his head, “Oh no. No. That ain’t on me. I ain’t been puttin’ my dick in nothin’ but your mouth the past nine mouths, don’t even look my way like that!”
“Then who, Brock?” Despite Jack holding a sleeping baby in his arms, and his voice was kept low, Jack Rollins was seriously scary looking when he wanted to be.
He had no idea how to reply to that, shrugging helplessly instead because unless some kind of witch came into the pic-
Swiping Jack’s phone from off the table, he scrolled through the contacts until he found who he was looking for, holding the phone against Rollins’ ear and they played a stare off game until someone on the other end answered.
“Wanda? Yeah hi. I’m fine thanks but there’s a little issue Brock and I need help with. We had a surprise dropped off at our door and it was moving.” Jack paused a few minutes, expression stoic as she spoke, “Yeah, a baby. I did. We’re waiting for her to call back then we can see you in a bit and..don’t tell anyone else right now, okay? Bye.”
Placing the phone back on the table, Brock looked at him expectantly, “And?”
“She said it happens sometimes.”
“She- What? She’s as loony as you are, no wonder you two are like two peas in a damn pod.”
The baby had to have come from somewhere and he refused to believe it had features that were strictly from him. Babies could look like anyone if you put your mind to it. Most likely it was from some teenage prom night mother who decided to leave it at a the door of someone random instead of dumping it in the trash. There was no other reason for it, they would take it to get checked out, hand it over to child services and that would be the end of that. Unless he sleepwalked out of Jack’s damn arms at night, there was no other explanation for this crap.
“Did you call Cho?” Brock wondered, trying to get a look at how exactly this kid looked like him but unfortunately Jack’s shoulder was too comfortable, face pressed softly against it, mouth partially open and drooling against his t-shirt. How is Jack so damn calm about this?! “Get it checked out?”
“He looks fine,” Jack let on, a lilt in his voice that Brock so definitely did not like, a pang of something hitting his chest. He wasn’t sure what it was but it wasn’t jealousy. Over a baby? No way. “But yeah I contacted Cho. She said she would clear some time soon and call me so we can discreetly check him out.”
Brock’s brows furrowed, “Discreetly?”
“Yeah well if this isn’t your kid then he may be somethin’ special and needs to be hidden. How many aliens have we seen since working with the Avengers, huh? Who knows if this kid isn’t some kidnapped prince or something.”
“Fuck,” Brock gripped the back of the chair feeling cold sweats just thinking about that, but why them? “Fine, we go get ‘im checked out, see what Wanda might know, then take it to Rogers. He’s always holdin' babies and kissin’ ‘em when he’s meetin’ people out on the streets and shit. He’ll know where it should go, him and Barnes love 'em- ”
Jack stopped listening to him, he could tell when he wasn’t even looking his way anymore, a fond expression on his face that was a bit creepy if he had to be honest, the baby nestled snugly against his chest swaddled safe and warm to the broad expanse of his boyfriend’s chest. He was so fucked if Jack was already getting attached to an apparent Brock looking baby.
All he could do was turn to head back to Jack’s bedroom and find some clothes to wear, pausing in the doorway when his phone chimed and he opened it to find an image of the baby at a better angle so he could see his sleeping face.
I still think he looks like you.
Letting out a heavy sigh, Brock tossed his phone on the bed. This was going to be a long ass day.
*****
There were still a handful of nurses and technicians around despite taking a back entrance into the medical building and Jack not caring how weird he looked holding a baby in his arms considering a lot of them knew what his resume looked like prior and people still reeling over what HYDRA could have been capable of on top of what they did. All water under the bridge to some extent, new triggers always seemed to bring up things from the past though.
Brock hoped Jack didn’t notice him trailing behind, partially to take facial inventory of who was looking and to address something back if need be but also because this was still so weird. He quickly realized Jack didn’t even pay attention to anything or anyone, only the baby was his prime focus until they got to Dr. Cho, a clear hesitation crossing his softened features when she put her arms out for the little bundle.
“He’ll be safe, you can walk along with me as we do all the tests, Agent.”
Brock folded his arms in annoyance, Jack giving her a curt nod before relinquishing the baby to her and an assisting nurse. He had no idea how the man was so attached already, sure he had this weird belief that it, he, whatever, looked like him and so he most likely had a thought process that meant they would be taking care of it but what did Brock want? He never said yes to some weird baby that someone ditched at their door especially when Jack was wrong about it being his. Jack acted like they had more than a few hours with the child, like he had been there the whole nine months before it arrived, so queerly bonded with him already. They were going to have a serious talk after all this shit was over and Brock was the one who usually hated those.
All the staff that quietly came in to assist or work a machine and such were all people Dr. Cho trusted to keep quiet on. They were discreet and weren’t asking questions considering these people were also well invested in assisting with whatever alien goop ended up their way. He was pretty sure they got excited about it.
Jack looked his way when he announced having to take his leave for the restroom and Brock wasn’t surprised considering he wouldn’t leave the baby alone since it appeared in his arms. The way his eyes roamed a few seconds told Brock he better make sure that small little thing was still there when he was back or there was going to be hell to pay. It wasn’t that he and Jack necessarily mistrusted anyone around, but it was that they tended to end up having things taken away from them if SHIELD saw it beneficial for them. Granted, it’s never been something they cared about anyway but they both had a slip of paranoia that lingered along as ex-HYDRA.
The second Jack was out of earshot, he pointed towards the machines at the back of the room, “I need you to do a test for genetics, a scan or whatever you call it. Somethin’ that’s gonna tell me who’s this kid’s parents are if they're in the system and if he's human.”
“He is.” Dr. Cho replies breezily, looking over some input on a tablet, “He’s very human. Nothing alien about him.”
A relief seemed to slip away as Brock continued pointing to the damn machines, “Well, that’s one problem outta the way. It’ll solve this other little problem much more easily.”
He parked himself against the wall, the assistant gently holding the baby in only his diaper as he patiently looked back at Brock. It was a little unnerving, those soft murky brown eyes not leaving him and that stark black hair against pale skin just like when he was-
Jack returned just as he stopped the thoughts in his head, sidling up together as they waited for the tests to finish, Brock raising his head to turn it his way, “The kid’s human.”
All he gets in return is a small hum of confirmation that he heard him and oddly, Brock is okay with that. It was better than being told again how the baby looks like him.
They waited as time ticked on, the soft whirring of machines for background noise on top of the occasional gurgle and coo from the baby when someone held him and couldn’t help bouncing them in clear affection. Brock felt himself frown harder but then stopped himself, a split moment of possessiveness crossing his senses before it dissipated, not entirely sure where that entirely came from.
When Dr. Cho came over with the baby in her arms, Jack was instantly stepping forward and taking him from her. There was a little wary concern in her eyes, watching a moment as he held the newborn close and Brock could instantly feel that getting rid of this kid wasn’t going to be as easy as he was hoping.
“Did you figure anythin’ out?”
She held out the tablet for him, “We have a very positive, perfect match. Luckily, both parents are already in the database system as registered and active SHIELD agents..” She trailed off and Brock looked down at the scans of information, his face turning white as a sheet the moment he saw the roster photos of who they were. “I don’t know exactly how it happened but there is a hundred percent match to Jack Rollins and,” Their eyes met, “And Brock Rumlow. He’s both of yours, the biology doesn’t lie even if it doesn’t make any sense. He belongs to no one else.”
“There ain’t no fuckin’ way.” Brock seethed out incredulously, “Do we look like we could create a damn baby? I’m sorry doc but neither of us ain’t equipped to handle that and you’d think we woulda noticed somethin’ in the span of nine damn months if any of that shit changed. Rawls said he found the kid on the doorstep!”
Sympathetic but standing strong to the numbers and evidence, she took the tablet back before Brock had the idea to smash it into the floor, “We tested the outcome three times. It always came out the same. He is your child, he’s healthy and perfectly human. Maybe I said it too soon that this wasn’t alien related, perhaps you both touched something and it transferred over somehow to the creation of this infant. Whatever it is, right now this is all I can tell you. The next step would be looking back and retracing where you both have gone in the past days or weeks and backtracked over what either of you could have interacted with.”
Before Brock could say another word, Jack stepped in and nodded, wrapping the baby back into that blue blanket again, “Thank you. We’re going to go talk to Wanda, maybe she can shed some light.”
Dr. Cho smiled brightly, “That’s a good idea. Good luck you two.”
Putting out his hand, they shook it as Jack thanked her, Brock tried not to vomit over the fact that his son was curled up against Jack’s chest clutching tight to his father.
What.
The.
Ever.
Loving.
Fuck.
“You’ll do fine, Rumlow.” Dr. Cho adds just as he turns to leave with Jack, her hand giving his arm a squeeze. He’s forgotten entirely about the fact that they’re semi-friends considering the amount of time he’s been in the medical bay, too distraught over his new bundle of joy to even register it. “It’s just going to take a little time, but you’ll do great especially with Jack.”
Brock feels mildly bad at the fact that he just wants to shove her away, swallowing thickly as he nods instead, turning his head back towards the exit while Jack’s already gone to the car. He hauls ass out of there, trying to get as far away from medical as possible.
*****
Now that it was confirmed who the parents were, Jack didn’t even bother asking to pull up to a big box store; he only sent a text to whomever it was and told him to drive. Brock watched idly as Jack strapped himself in with the kid in his arms and shaking his head about how he clearly disliked the baby having no real seat for himself.
“Definitely need a car seat.”
Brock said nothing, starting the engine as he pulled out of the lot and put himself on autopilot. He never imagined himself as a father and it wasn’t like he was against the idea. It was just that, well..with all the shit that’s happened in his life, parenthood definitely wasn’t on the top of his list. Hell, despite his no-homo phase, he was barely interested in the ladies to worry about possibly having some one night stand show up later in life and present him with a crying baby; then later when he met Jack, his life was way too fucked up to even think about moving in as some kind of married couple shit. He still had his own place even though he was usually at Jack’s which was technically theirs under the official paperwork, but the spare roost made him feel better and Jack generally rolled with whatever suited the mood. Unlike Brock’s hatred for surprises, Jack seemed to take things in and break them down to bite sized nonthreatening amounts with even patience and apparently he was ready to be a daddy the second the chance was presented to him.
Brock never put any value in romantic relationships, he barely put value on friendships but what he and Jack shared was intense, to say the least, and he just always assumed it was always going to be just the two of them and no one else. He couldn’t see anything beyond that reality, he had no family unlike Jack who seemed to have another brand new relative whenever he managed to speak to family or he became an uncle to another child.
At a red light, he glances over to the baby looking at him, mouth set to a frown as if asking why he was hated and Brock turned back to the light, ignoring the stupid idea that a kid was asking him a question when it wasn’t even talking. At least, if it was to be believed, him and Jack made a cute kid; there was that at least.
They pulled into a parking space and Brock was already tired of all this but they had to get supplies, barely noticing Maximoff waiting outside the doors, her eyes lighting up when she spied the baby. Jack was more tolerable with her handling him despite Brock’s reservations about what she was but she was immediately smitten and carrying on with him just like she was with Jack the first few years of getting to know the good guys and he was having coping issues with things he had to come to grips with, grabbing a cart as she assisted in shopping for basic baby supplies and advising with what they should expect.
She tagged along for the ride home as well, nestled beside the baby in the back who was strapped in nicely to the new car seat and Jack looked like he was finally relaxing, Brock casually observing him roll his shoulders and stretch his neck a bit as he settled in better against his seat, leaning it back just a little bit. He felt a little better just being able to see him like that, his eyes checking back to the rear view, the baby dressed in a dark grey onesie with designs of dinosaurs on them and a new pacifier in his mouth. They had to feed him in the middle of the store when he began crying up a storm and Wanda offered to change him at the same time; everyone was looking at them and Brock felt a little over his head about it. Right now though, the kid actually looked pretty damn cute and no one had to know..though with the way Wanda smiled at him all of a sudden, she probably knew. Wait. Fuck.
Maybe it wasn’t going to be so bad.
*****
Christ, it was bad.
“No one told me baby shit could smell that bad! What the fuck!”
Wanda gave him a long suffering look from the bathroom as he tried to cover his nose and stay out in the hallway while she gave Jack a refresher course on how to change a baby, “He’s on baby formula, it smells different since neither of you lactate..unless..”
Brock frowned, folding his arms over his chest, “Don’t even start that crap.”
Wrapping a hand around the baby’s ankles, Jack lifted up his legs, using a wet wipe to clean him up, face assuredly calm and Brock wanted to ask him why he wasn’t bothered by the horrible smell. Sure there were times he had to wade through human waste and rot but this stench was its own Godforsaken category of bad. This was ridiculous, there was no way Jack wasn’t reeling from it and was just better at hiding it than he was. Brock left to go sit down on the bed and sulk, about what? He didn’t even know, he just wanted to.
There was lingering conversation in the bathroom and then in the hallway before their voices faded off and somewhere in there the front door opened and a little while later closed. Jack came back into the bedroom wearing grey sweats and a white tank top. He looked really good and the weird thing was, with the baby against his shoulder there was something primal and raw about him that made Brock sit up and take notice. He was also insanely gentle with the baby, now tucked into a brand new onesie with little black bears on it while he fixated on Jack’s face as he was fed a bottle. Rollins was definitely a picture of perfection that a lot of women would throw their panties at while Brock tried reining in those thoughts that were making him feel a little bit warmer against the sheets.
He watched a little while longer before he picked up one of the books sitting in a shopping bag on the bedside table, some help book for new mommy’s that Wanda probably threw in. He glared at page after page, the book going through the most mundane of information like someone would forget to feed a crying baby. Please. Its screaming alone would be indicative of hunger.
Brock glanced up when the baby made an ongoing sound of contentment as Jack lightly pat at his back, murmuring something soft against his chubby cheek like they were conversing together and Brock hoped the kid threw up on him. He was not jealous, nope. Finally he burped, without spitting up. Figures. Brock knows that kid is waiting for when he has to burp him, then it’s going to go all down his back, he can just sense it. Kids are evil.
He moved over a little when Jack approached the bed, laying the baby out between them before he laid himself out at the other end watching a balled fist immediately go into his mouth and he had to coax him a little to trade that for a pacifier, smirking in amusement as he took some of the bed sheet to wipe the saliva coating the baby’s hand.
“That’s disgustin’ Rollins, get a damn towel.”
“It’s just a little drool, he doesn’t have an infectious disease. You’ll get used to it.”
Would he? Jack’s lucky he’s being a good sport about all this while his stupid boyfriend is probably planning to go to the bank tomorrow and open up a savings account for college. He looked down when a delicate pudgy little hand reached out and felt his arm and a little of Brock felt guilty for being so annoyed at it. The baby wasn’t to blame, the baby just appeared and he was a good baby, hadn’t even cried yet unless he needed something and only fussed a little bit. He reached his arm out, tiny fingers still keeping contact with him as he lightly poked at his little protruding belly, rubbing the spot soothingly with the same finger. Little hands reached out and took his finger, holding on for dear life as he stared up at him and Jack chuckled, his own fingers roaming along the baby’s super soft hair and along his ears, marveling at him.
“Wanda’s coming back back tomorrow to check up on us but she said it was you the baby appeared for.”
“How?” Brock frowned, “I never asked for no baby!”
Jack looked back down at the infant, his fingers tracing down one cheek as he gave it a smile, “You did something. Think back over the last mission we went on. Think hard. I was with Clint most of the time but you were all over the place. Did you see anything? Touch anything?”
Thinking back, Brock could only shake his head. He helped cut down the numbers then broke off with some others to start releasing whatever race of aliens were being captured, he kind of ignored details at the time and he was never supposed to talk to them anyway. He was too busy working under all the distractions the Avengers were pulling out, that was his damn job.
“Except..”
Gaze shifting to Brock, Jack stared at him seriously, “Except what, Brock?”
He shrugged a little as he wiggled his index finger slightly, the baby gripping it as he stared up at him. “There was this kid, no more than sixteen or something but she was an alien so could have been pretty old for all I know. She fell in a crevice when they were makin’ a run for it before that guy was gonna collapse it. I wasn’t thinkin’ about not interactin’, alright? I was jus actin’ on instinct and I grabbed her outta there and made her keep goin’. We had to keep movin’ and she couldn’t let go of my arm so I jus didn’t do nothin’. We were one of the last groups to get back to all of you and she kept sayin’ somethin’ foreign, had no idea what and finally one of her people came to get her and she jus looked at me, into my eyes and said somethin’ serious. I had no idea what it was and you were already there beside Barton, safe and she jus took my hand with both of hers and pressed a kiss to it. I thought that was the end of it, you know how we go out to foreign soil and the locals are kissin’ our hands and holdin’ on fer dear life when they know we’re there to help ‘em out. Same shit. I never asked for no baby.”
“Wanda told me they’re like genies, empathetic ones.” Jack let out as he thought back for the right words, “She said if one really feels grateful, they’ll bless you.”
“This ain’t no blessin’, Jackie. This is a livin’ breathin’ poop machine who’ll need to be fed and cleaned up and it cries when it ain’t gettin’ its way. Then it’ll start talkin’ sass at us when it gets older, I’m too old for that shit.”
Breaking out in a huff of laughter, Jack shook his head, “You aren’t that old. Running with Avengers and SHIELD all this time and not breaking a sweat.”
Not saying anything, Brock only stared at the baby, this physical embodiment of some apparent wish he had and Jack leaned in, resting a hand against his shoulder, “She said this race of people tend to grant others with something they’ve always wanted, whether you knew at the time or not, she gave you this baby.”
Brock grumped at the concept, “Sounds completely stupid, but then you don’t seem to care what’s happening as long as the baby is ours.”
“He is ours.”
“Well we can’t keep callin’ it the baby, kid or child.” He reached down, holding tiny toes with his thumb and index finger, “He needs a name.”
“I was looking at a couple online and- ”
“Nothin’ Polish or Italian, I don’t wanna call ‘im some name with S’s and Z’s in it or a random K and I refuse to call him somethin’ with an O at the end of it.”
“I thought you liked Nico.”
“No. You liked Nico.”
“Fine, no ethnic names that go with our backgrounds.” He stared down at the baby, “What then? Every name I think of, I know someone with; especially James and it’s not even being used by either person.”
They spent way too long pouring over names, one by book and the other online, the baby watching them back and forth between their bodies before finally falling asleep.
“Victor sounds like a vampire, I know we see a lot of shit Rawls but there ain’t no way I’m pickin’ that.”
Jack rolled his eyes as he crossed another one off the list, “I was just listing some I liked. You told me to, besides it means conqueror.”
Searching online for a second, Brock held the phone up to his face, “And yours means God is gracious. What the fuck does that mean?”
“Hell if I know. At least it doesn’t mean badger, but then again that suits you.”
Flipping him the finger Brock made a face, Jack knowing the only reason he didn’t explode was because of the baby sleeping.
“Brock, just pick something. It’s late.”
He shuffled through a few tabs of names he had been holding on to, scanning some carefully and tossing some before he held the phone out again for Jack to look at, “What about Evan?”
Scrutinizing the name, Jack studied the information about it and looked over at his boyfriend in mild humor, “You know this is basically Jack, right?”
Brock was on his last nerve, “How?”
Jack took him through the tree of names branching from the name John and Jack, giving him a headache in the process. It led to a fan of his hands just to get Jack to quit it and put the book back on the nightstand. “Just tell me, do you like Evan or not?”
He could tell Jack was more interested in teasing him, rolling onto his back to stretch out, hands tucked casually under his head with a smirk, “I like it enough. It’s cute. I knew you loved my name way too much.”
“Shut up,” Brock bit out, feeling irritable. “It’s jus a damn name.”
He watched Jack sit up and crawl around the baby, well Evan now, and climb over top of him, “It’s not just a name now. It’s our son’s name. It’s better than being just a damn name.”
Brock swallowed thickly, staring up at him, “Say that again.”
“Say what?”
Tilting his head, he only stared back at Jack until he put two and two together, leaning close to his ear to press a kiss against his lobe, “He’s our son, Brock.” Jack moved to press a trail of kisses along his neck, “Yours and mine. No one else.”
He hummed in agreement, gripping the edges of Jack’s shirt only to hear Evan fuss, making soft noises and a look of determination when they both stopped to see what he was up to.
“I’ve seen that face before.”
Evan’s scrunched expression suddenly eased, sleepy eyes blinking slowly as he rubbed a chubby fist across his cheek, relaxing again while his feet moved along the bed sheet trying to place them comfortably.
The both of them looked from the baby to each other.
“He pooped, didn’t he?” Brock says as he eyes the baby dubiously.
Jack tried to smother his laugh against Brock’s chest, nodding helplessly. They took a few seconds for themselves because Brock wasn’t sure if they even had once Evan had showed up, his fingers carding through Jack’s hair as he left his face pressed to his chest.
Eventually Jack pulled back and scooped Evan up without another word, pressing him to his chest as they both escaped the bed, “I’ll change him since you’re going to have to get used to the new smells still.”
Brock gave him a pointed look because he didn’t have to say it that way but he was also right and besides, watching Jack walk across the room being a fine specimen of a man with a tiny baby once again really did do something for him and any time he could get that, he was all up for it.
*****
Brock was irritable the next morning. He had downed two coffees and was glad he didn’t have to convince Barnes to stop at Starbucks since he was already going there for one of their over the top sugar loaded drinks anyway. He feigned the eye roll and then proceeded to order something that should have been illegal for them to serve.
He wasn’t in any mood to answer baby related inquiries once they got in and it still wasn’t fair that Rollins was excused from coming in because of Evan. Apparently Fury had gotten word at some point while he was sleeping, Jack getting things done when Wanda showed up while he tried to squeeze in an extra few minutes because of Evan’s repeated need to wake up in the middle of the night and cry over just about everything. He had a set of lungs on him and despite Jack taking him out of the room, all the noise and shifting would still keep him awake for a few long torturous minutes before he could fall back into a temporary sleep.
There had been one moment where he checked on the baby on his way to the bathroom. Jack had given him a bottle an hour earlier and Brock was attempting to fall back asleep despite watching Jack softly saying idiotic sweet things to Evan while he was making soft cooing noises back at him. He still wasn’t sure about all that, he had figured Jack was completely against children in any shape or form and now here he was, speaking lowly and holding the baby like it was the most important thing to him. Which, kind of a rude asshole thing to do. What about him? It led him to decide to look when Evan was making little noises in his temporary bassinet instead of sleeping an hour after that bottle Jack had given him but the moment Brock had leaned at the edge to peer in, he stopped making his noises and stared back at him. They played the game of who would blink first for a few seconds before the baby made the ugliest face he could and started crying these screechy unhappy noises followed by endless and loud wails as if Brock had just scared the holy hell out of him. Which again, fucking rude.
This led to Jack waking up and being a sarcastic asshole about why he can’t be scaring babies in the middle of the night and that he was trying to sleep and Brock just decided to ditch the bedroom for the couch since their guest room wasn’t even set up for anything but storage. It worked until his demon spawn decided to cry for a diaper change and he had no idea why he was sitting up because of how unhappy he sounded, he just did.
“You look like shit.” Barton commended with a smirk and if Brock could raise his arm for anything more than to drink his coffee he would have hit him.
Everyone kept looking at him at various intervals and anyone not intimidated by his extra sour mood because of randomly appearing babies would try to ask or see if he had any pictures. Wilson was possibly the only person who asked him how he was before broaching him for baby shots and he was maybe a little grateful, the shock ebbing away but still occasionally encroaching the edges of his entire being.
*****
It took a lot to avoid having a group of SHIELD agents following him home to throw an impromptu version of a baby shower while the baby was there (and dash their hopes in taking pictures) but eventually he managed to convince everyone Jack would have lost his shit and was in protective father-mode. No one knew otherwise and he liked it better that way, walking towards the living room to find Jack asleep on the couch with the television on and Evan asleep on his chest in a forest green onesie, knees slightly folded in underneath his little body and Jack’s arm supporting him so his little butt stuck out and a tiny fist sat parked halfway into his drooling mouth. It was not supposed to be as cute as it was and he took a picture or four, no one had to be the wiser.
Jack slowly let his eyes open and he gave him a smile, “Hey.”
“Hey. You been nappin’ all day? Fatherhood looks tough on ya.”
Chuckling lightly, there’s lightness in it that Brock’s never really noticed before as well as the way his eyes have small crinkles at the edges of them that make him look..softer.
“I kept wanting to have a shower and get things done around the place but he’s been fussing a lot.” He gingerly pulled himself to sit up, careful not to jostle Evan too much, “I take it you’ve got to head out soon?”
It was weird, they’ve rarely been separated before for missions. On the few occasions they have, they’ve been good, gotten the job done as well as could be expected but when they’re working together it’s just so much better for everyone. If Brock believed in soulmates, he would definitely think Jack was his. They were just too uncanny to be taken as anything else.
He shakes his head, “Nah, I got benched but wanted me to be kept up to date in case I had to come in for back up.”
Approaching the pair of them when Evan moves, he watches as he scrunches his face before making a small noise of exertion and it’s Jack’s cue to change him.
“Thank God for Wanda telling me to get a diaper genie.”
“The fuck is that?” Brock mutters as he follows after the both of them and into the bedroom where there’s now a brown antique looking dresser type of thing with a padded top where Jack places Evan onto and tickles his little round belly with a smile. He’s really not used to the amount of cheer Rollins has, it’s very weird. Is he sure that the alien didn’t grant Jack’s wish and not his?
Once he was changed, they moved to the kitchen to fix a bottle and Brock attempts learning how to do this just because he knows he has to, following Jack’s instruction to the letter and being overly critical of the testing milk on his wrist method of temperature. He did it a few times before being satisfied that it was good for Evan because there was no fucking way his kid was getting scalded because of him.
“You’re fine, Brock.”
He only hmphed at that, watching closely as Evan took the bottle and his eyes closed almost blissfully. Sticking his arms out, Jack raised his brow at him and he only wiggled his fingers for the baby. “Go take a shower, ya need one.”
A smirk spread across Rollins’ lips, “You sure?”
Brock nods, he knows his face has a look of determination on it because of the way Jack studies him. His hands jut out awkwardly like he was asking for a football to be passed his way but never played football, unsure of how to actually hold him. It took some minor adjustments of his arms and Jack murmuring patiently about supporting Evan’s head better and his apparent lapse of judgment overturned to suddenly shitty encroaching thoughts; a flash of terror taking him and images of accidentally breaking the kid’s neck or dropping him began repeating over and over in his mind instead.
All he needed was to fuck this up, dark honey colored eyes peering up at him and trusting him. Evan wasn’t even screaming bloody murder this time, he was just letting him hold him and Brock held his breath for as long as he could despite coming back over and over again to the fact that this small thing in his arms was fragile and needed him and that he was so fucking breakable.
It scared him shitless.
*****
The next day Fury asked them both to come in to see him with Evan in tow and despite knowing this was going to happen, he was feeling pissy about it. It was already fucked up that no one thought it was weird that some random wish baby appeared at their doorstep and instead everyone was acting off their rocker about hoping to get cute baby pictures.
“I don’t know what you’re so worked up about Fury, he just wants to go over things with us.”
Go over things. Like a fucking baby appearing out of fucking nowhere was just something that happens to people.
“It’s rare, yeah, but babies appearing at doorsteps because of some alien happens sometimes.” Jack chimes into his thoughts, reading him like he always does.
Him and Evan are holding their own conversation on the bed, Jack pulling on some dark dressy looking pants over his diaper as he smiles down at him. Seriously, it’s the most smiling he’s seen Jack do in years, it’s so different. It’s not that he doesn’t around him, it was just that he kind of did it like it was something between them only. Sure he would smirk and hold half amused smiles a lot but this was full on and for a baby he barely met.
Evan stares up at Jack as he says soft things almost privately to him, the baby completely fixated to his face while letting out a small coo and a lot of spit bubbles in return. Despite the lack of words, Brock clearly sees his admiration for Jack already even if all he does is that, sleep, cry and poop for the most part.
“It’s still a little fucked up.”
“More than.” Jack amended for him, sliding his arm down Evan’s back to prop him up and admire how smart he looked. He raised his head to glance his way for approval.
Brock had to admit, even with the small trail of drool at the corner of his mouth, Evan looked nice.
Jack gathered the baby up in his arms and reached over to clap a hand over his shoulder, “Come on, we’ll be fine. He just wants to be in the loop about what’s going on.”
*****
Jack wasn’t wrong about Fury just wanting to know what they had planned to do and get the precise reason as to how they acquired their very own love child. He even held Evan for a few minutes, the baby just peering up at him as one arm tried to reach for the eye patch he seemed fixated on but quickly forgetting about. He was a little unsure about Evan being in someone else’s arms aside from Wanda; too used to being content on Jack tending to him plus knowing Fury was capable of jumping out windows and kidnapping the child if he so chose to, he couldn’t help the feeling a little. It was silly, but the idea was there, locked away in his head with other bits and pieces of paranoia floating about in his mind. At least Jack’s body language spoke at the same volume and they both relaxed when he was passed back to him.
Before they were finished, Fury bestowed upon them 12 mandatory weeks of paid parental leave and gave Rogers temporary control of his team. Despite it being mandatory, they were still technically on call for anything that would need them both coming in but he stated it would be on a case by case basis and most likely would keep one of them at home no matter what their records looked when working together.
Later he’s standing over Evan’s new crib watching his small little fists lazily circling in the air as if he’s battling with sleep while Jack was in the shower. The soft white onesie he’s wearing and the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star playing in the background seem to be destroying his best laid plans for anything other than a nap and Brock shakes his head at him.
“I don’t even know how to react around you, kid.”
Evan only peers up at him, his forehead crinkling as if he’s considering something.
“I keep thinkin’ about if I had a chance to do it over, would I have touched that alien gal’s hand or thought better of it? Never even thought 'bout nothin’ like this with Jackie, or with anyone. I ain’t even sure if this is supposed to be happenin’ this way or jus some mistake with them seein’ somethin’ the wrong way. No offense.”
Blinking slowly and not giving much feedback besides that, Evan moves his feet quietly under the light blanket covering them and Brock shakes his head at him. Soon the baby scrunches his face and Brock assumes he’s about to start crying but he doesn’t, instead his mouth forms an O shape and he narrows his eyes in concentration as his lips press together stubbornly.
It's not his poop face because Brock knows this expression quite well. It's very specific and familiar to him. It has been for many years.
Jack walks out of the shower with a towel around his waist and his hair slicked back as per usual, droplets of water glistening off his skin. Brock has to brace himself against the crib rail a moment, staring at Jack then to the baby, then again back to him again.
“He looks like you too.”
“Huh? Who?” Jack mumbles out, turning his back to them to rummage for a change of clothes.
As if making sure even if no one can change his opinion on it, he turns his head back to look down at Evan who’s two seconds from falling asleep. “When he yawns, he does that thing you do when you’re tryin’ not to and bein’ a stubborn ass about it.”
Evan’s eyes are darker than Brock’s because there’s dominating flecks of green mixed in. How did Brock not notice even with all the facts?
Jack’s making a face about a missing t-shirt he can’t find, “Stubborn ass about- ”
He turns just as Brock reaches him, staring up at his perplexed expression before cuffing a hand at the back of Jack’s neck to pull him down and kiss him. He savors the extra warmth Jack’s encased in from the hot shower and ignored the water seeping into his clothing.
“I love you.” He breathes out against Jack’s lips, words always floating about in his head but rarely said out loud. He knew Jack was aware of them either way but right then they felt completely new and heavier against his tongue.
Jack pressed his forehead to his, hands gripping at his biceps like he was worried Brock would keel over any moment but also grounding him to the present, palms stroking against the fabric of his shirt. “I love you too.”
He let himself linger in Jack’s orbit, always there even when he wasn’t nearby, eventually drawing away to stare at him, determined, “We’re gonna have to use this time at some point to find a nanny. If Fury calls us both in I’m not leavin’ him with some neighborhood babysitter who’s fuckin’ her boyfriend in our bed while we’re overseas or some shit and there ain’t no way work’s gonna get done bringin’ him strapped to your chest in the office.”
Moving past him, Jack drew in a small sigh, peering into the crib to watch Evan sleep, his hand reaching in to tuck the blanket higher up against his little chest. “Pepper already said she was doing a deep background check of qualified nannies. She started before I even had a choice to say yes or no, apparently you have a way with strong willed ladies.”
He rolls his eyes as he approaches him, watching the back of Jack’s fingers curve along the round edge of one chubby cheek as he stares like he’s afraid their kid will suddenly disappear or stop breathing.
“Stop pettin’ 'im, he ain’t a cat and ‘sides, you’ll wake ‘im up again.” His tone quiet now that he was too close, mildly tempted to touch the delicate loose waves of his black hair.
Jack didn’t listen, his face soft and fond as he continued staring at the baby and he could understand he supposed, worried he could wake up from some dream at any moment. He reached out, wrapping his hand around his boyfriend’s wrist and gave it a light tug to move him away and Jack went, Brock pleased that he was still in his orbit as well.
“Tell me again.” Jack whispered gently, almost desperate, an arm slipping around his waist as he was pulled in, the towel still draped low around hips.
It was then that Brock wondered how many times have they had with just both of them like this in the past twenty four hours? While he’s been stuck on loop in his head eyeing an infant that came from thin air and probably looking like he really wanted no part of it. Did Jack pick it up? Of course he did, this man; broad shouldered and tall but quick and agile, who walked with soundless footsteps if he needed to and breathed Brock’s name on every breath he had. The same guy who had a cold mean streak and killed without blinking, then could easily turn to him and before Brock knew it he was treated like he was too fragile for this earth while Jack makes love to him. Jesus, Brock never even thought he would think someone would even have sex with him like Jack did. Of course there were the other times though..
Of course he did, sometimes neither knowing where one ended and the other began. He noticed.
“You thought I was thinkin’ ‘bout pullin’ back. Even after we named him.”
Jack stared, swallowing thickly, his eyes roaming across his features, “Can you blame me?”
“Nah, I ain’t though. Fer the record..and, I love ya. Asshole.” He leaned up and gave Jack another kiss, the arm around him tightening so he was pressed painfully close. He didn’t mind one bit, Jack kissing him back as he mumbled the token of affection back to him and he knew he said it again when he felt his boyfriend smile into their kiss, hand slipping down to grab a handful of his ass before he smacked his hand away. “The kid’s right there ya fuck.”
Lifting up his hands in surrender, Jack stepped away not even bothering to hide anything that might be happening underneath his towel, instead he only smirked as he went back to picking out his clothes and Brock took liberties ogling his bare ass when the towel dropped away.
“We should get married.” He blurts out without really thinking, but then what’s new?
Jack froze, slightly bent over with one leg in his boxer brief, looking back over his shoulder, “We should what?”
Brock holds his hand out, shaking his fingers to mask the sudden nervous energy coming out of him. If he didn’t push forward this was going to be a shitshow. Jack hadn’t even moved yet and on any other day Brock would have been alright with that, “Married, as in put a ring on my damn finger Rollins.”
It’s too quiet and Brock starts losing his nerve the longer seconds tick by.
Slowly, almost too slow, Jack turns after slipping on his underwear. “Out of all the scenarios my head had run through, me being bent over in front of you while putting on my underwear wasn’t one of them.”
He watched him go back to his dresser drawers and Brock feels antsy, “So that’s a yes? Wait, when were ya thinkin’ about this? Jus today?”
Ignoring him like usual, Jack sauntered back towards him with a small box in his hand. He opens it and pulls out a silver ring, simple and perfect. Before he holds his wrist and slips it on his finger, Brock just barely catches an inscription and he stares at his boyfriend..scratch that..his new fiance.
“No, not today.” Jack finally lets out in a soft exhale, admiring the way the ring picks up the light as he tilts his hand one way then another, “We weren’t even dating when I got it.”
..And that.
“What the fuck, Jack?”
He only smiles, soft and dopey. It’s the way he always looks when he’s looking at him and only him. Like back when, all fresh faced and eighteen again, the day they met.
“Remember that day at Louie’s when we got so hammered you had to take a cab home and your car got impounded when you went to pick it up in the morning?”
Brock thinks back and it was years ago. They had spent hours getting shitfaced and talking about different things, while laughing about everything and plain just having a great time together considering how early on in their friendship it was, “Yeah, ya wouldn’t give me a ride to get it because you were complainin’ you were hungover. I told you to go fuck yourself and hung up on you.”
Jack grins with a nod, “I went out and bought it that day when I felt like I could actually move again.”
He can feel his face shifting through a million expressions at once, finally just staring at him in awe, “You idiot.”
“You’re marrying this idiot.”
“Jesus Christ.”
“Always got your six.”
Tilting his head in confusion, Jack only taps the ring and Brock gets what he means, thumb rubbing at it as he turns it around on his finger.
Behind them Evan makes a noise, like he has radar detection even in his sleep for when they’re not paying attention to him, Jack approaches the little fusspot.
Brock watches as he leans in and picks their baby up to cradle him in his arms, tiny hands tucked under chin sleepily as he squirms and then settles against the warmth of Jack’s bare chest. There’s always something so very good about watching Jack with the contrast of a cartoon bear printed linen blanket trailing half off the baby that just strikes Brock in his chest with a bloom of warmth.
It makes him finally realize why no one’s surprised and why no one’s assumed they’ve just kidnapped some random infant and faked the sudden appearance like a pair of bumbling idiots. That in his heart of heart even if he was too stupid to know it then, he knew now that what he longed most for in life was to have a family with Jack that he thought he could never have ever.