Chapter Text
steve had known the two spies since he had been apart of the avengers. he liked natasha right away; she was tough, worked hard, and it would remind him of why he liked peggy when they first met. with clint, he doesn’t count meeting him under loki’s mind control, but when he was back to himself and helped them fight in the battle of new york, he liked the archer’s determination.
steve always felt older than everyone around him, even if he seemed like he was the same age as them. he grew close to natasha, who became like a younger sister to him. she would sometimes argue with him and go against his orders, but steve was never truly upset with her, knowing that she was just doing what she thought was best. so when they went through D.C. together, he was grateful she started opening up to her more.
that’s when he noticed the arrow necklace, and she told him about clint. he already had a feeling they were together, but he was surprised to know that they were married. he promised to keep it their little secret, and she was grateful for how respectful he was.
steve started to notice the two interact more. they were like a well-chereographed dance, never needing to talk to each other but always knowing what the other was thinking. if he thought that natasha was open with him, that was nothing compared how she was with clint.
when they ended up on the little missouri farm house after fighting the twins and ultron, steve couldn’t believe what he saw. the domesticity of it all was surprising, but it made him happy. and when his eyes landed on the tiny redhead held in her father’s arms, steve was overjoyed for the spies.
he sat back during his time there, watching the two continue their dance, this time with their child. he would be lying if he said it didn’t make him yearn to have this life they had, especially with peggy.
anya was such a cute kid. when they brought her to avengers tower, he was around the baby as much as he could be, without overstepping the spies’ privacy. natasha would ask him to help keep on eye on her while they were working on pre-mission work, and steve would hold the little girl in his arms, almost always getting distracted from the tasks at hand.
anya loved her uncle steve. the moment she could walk, she would run to him and he would lift her in his arms, making the little girl giggle. it was his favorite thing to hear. and when they were all in the common room, steve would spend most of his time with the little girl.
natasha and him continued going on missions, clint always shaking his hand and asking him to make sure natasha didn’t do anything crazy. anya would give him a hug goodbye and would whisper in his ear to make sure that her “mama came home”.
when he found out anya was dusted, he cried. natasha and clint were shells of their normal selves, and steve tried to give them as much support as he could. natasha broke down in his arms, and steve was there for her, not saying a word, just holding her.
steve was the last one to see clint before he ran off. clint screamed at steve, saying that he would never forgive all of the bad people who survived when his little girl didn’t. steve tried to get through to him, but clint walked out the door, letting it slam behind him.
when scott lang came back, he was grateful there was hope. he stood on that platform, ready to gather the stones to bring everyone home, including the little redhead. he missed hearing her laugh and he couldn’t wait to hear it again.
“see you in a minute”.
he never did see her again.
he had to get anya back now. for natasha.
when he reunited with the four year old, he wanted to cry, but he stayed strong. she held onto him tightly, crying into his shoulder. “you promised to bring her home,” she wailed into his arms. steve broke down hearing that. he held onto her, letting her cry it out against him.
she eventually tired herself out, and he put her down on the couch, whispering “i’m sorry” before letting her sleep.
he still had to return the stones.
he thought of when he first saw the family at the farmhouse, how he wished he had that life with peggy; maybe he could…