Little Flame

7

Getting to the tower parking lot, Steve and Tony exchange a look. They smile and look back at the sleeping boy bundled up in his new blue blanket and captain America beanie. Peony was curled up in his lap snoozing as well. They decided to have Steve take the bags in and when Nick pulled up he offered to help. Tony stayed with the van with August and Peony and when Steve came back down, he grabbed the cat and Tony carried Auggy up to their floor.
The fact that they didn't get swarmed by everyone with questions was a blessing. They hadn't told anyone that they finally found a little, and wanted August's first few days to go easy. Since this is the first time he's regressed in a while, there's a chance that he'll be in headspace for as long as 2 weeks. So with that, Steve sat Peony on the couch and set up the playpen again for Auggy to sleep in the living room so they can keep an eye on him.
After about half an hour, Tony was alerted that Peter had arrived for his internship. "Shit." Tony mumbles. "Steve, will you be ok with him while I work with Peter?" Steve smiled. "I got it, Tones. Maybe you can introduce Pete if you feel it'll be ok." Tony looks over to the sleeping boy as he thinks. "Yeah maybe after we get some work done." He responded. He kissed Steve as he walked to the elevator. Peony followed without Tony noticing till they were both closed into the elevator.
"You're coming with, huh?" Tony asks the cat that was sat at his feet. She mewls and looks up at him with wide blue and green eyes. They remind him of Auggy. He shrugs and looks forward. Once in the lab, he sees his mentee sitting patiently at one of the work desks, looking at some drawn out stuff he must have made during some time between his classes.
  "Hey kid." Tony says as he walks towards the college freshmen. Peter is snapped out of his apparent trance and looks towards his mentor. "Hey Tony! I was just looking over some of my ideas for suit upgrades." Peter said with a chipper tone. The same tone he's had since he was 15 and started working with Tony. It warmed Tony's heart, honestly. The boy was like a son to him and he loved how eager he was to work.
  Tony looks at the drawings while standing over Peter's shoulder. "Huh. Not bad, kid. An extra web supply would help out during longer missions. Have it stored around your waste or ankles." Tony started to think aloud as he studied the details of the design. Peter's attention was quickly taken off the drawing when he hears a 'meow' from Tony's feet. He looks down and sees what he thinks is a very beautiful tuxedo cat. A big blue eye and green eye stared back at him and he couldn't help but 'aw'.
  Tony looks at him with a confused expression, then looks down at the cat. "Oh right. This is Peony." Tony introduced with a bit of a chuckle. "When did you and Steve get a cat?" Peter asks as he scratched Peony behind the ears, causing her to purr loudly.
Tony thought about how to explain that. He didn't want them to be thrown off entirely from their work to go see the sleeping little upstairs. "That's kind of a long story. I'll explain after we get some work done." Peter gave a weird look before sitting back up and getting back to the drawings.
They casually talked as they moved the drawings to a 3D model and worked out some of the bugs. Peony contently watched from her spot at their feet.

  Steve sat bored as he flicked through the TV channels on a low volume. Nick had gone right after they got everything up to their floor, and after Tony left, he felt kinda antsy. He wanted August to get his rest, but he also really wanted to bond with his baby. He was just trying to do something to distract himself from getting up and looking at the boy for the millionth time since Tony went downstairs. His stomach interrupted his channel surfing and he decided to get up and make a sandwich. The tv was on some random documentary about war or something. Steve didn't care too much. Auggy was asleep still and it wouldn't take him too long to make a ham sandwich.
Well one timed explosion from the tv program was enough to wake the sleeping little. He wasn't scared by it. He just blinked his eyes open and sat up. August looked around the room and kicked his blanket off. He was very warm. With his mitt covered hands he pushes his beanie off and wiggles his feet out of his socks. Steve walks in with his sandwich on a plate and is a little startled to see Auggy up and wiping at his eyes.
"Hey buddy" Steve cooed in a sweet voice. He sat his plate on the coffee table and walked to the playpen. He leaned on the side to get closer to August. Auggy looks up at him with big green eyes. Steve gives him a smile and Auggy smiles back. He gets onto his knees and leans on the side looking closer at Steve. Steve takes the opportunity to give the boy a kiss on the forehead. Auggy giggles behind his binky and wraps his arms around Steve's neck in a hug. Steve picks him up and stands, earning him a squeal from his little boy.
  "You're in a good mood, huh cutie?" Steve asks as he sits on the couch, having Auggy face him. While Auggy giggles, he nods. Steve pauses for a moment. August's actually responding. "You happy to be hanging out with papa?" Steve asks tickling the boy in his lap. August squirms and giggles, loosing his pacifier to the ground. "Mm hm!" Auggy murmurs through his fit of giggles. Steve bounces him on his knees. He can't help but smile at how happy his little boy is.
  Steve holds August close as he leans forward, grabbing his sandwich.
They both stare at the tv as Steve takes the first bite of his sandwich with a 'crunch'. August turns to look at Steve, who had some mustard on the sides of his lips. Steve looks at the boy as he swallows his bite, and whips his face with the paper towel he had under his plate. "Wanna try some, bud?" Steve offers the sandwich up to the boy. August smiles as he takes out his binky and takes a bite out of the slightly toasted ham sandwich. He got mustard and mayonnaise on the sides if his face and he had a big smile while he tasted the delicious sandwich his papa made. Steve chuckle as the boy swallowed his bite.
  "Well you can defiantly handle normal food. Just gonna need to put a bib on you next time." Steve comments and he cleans the boys cheeks. Some mustard and mayonnaise even dribbled onto his onesie. Steve didn't seem too bothered by it though. He continued eating his sandwich while giving Auggy two more bites before standing up with the boy and his plate in his arms. After stopping by the kitchen to drop off the dish and grab a glass of water for himself and baby bottle of water for August, he sat back in the living room as they washed down the sandwich.
Auggy started squirming a little bit and sat his bottle down next to him a little while later. Steve noticed and decided to pick him up. While doing so, he instantly discovered the issue. The poor boy had used his diaper. "What's the matter huh, sweet face?" Steve asks as he bounces the fussy little. Auggy kicks his legs a little and Steve tuts. "Oh I know, come on" he starts as he stands up. "Let's get you all cleaned up, ok?" August fusses as he's carried and Steve shushes him slightly. "I know it's not fun. But you'll get to see you're brand new nursery, won't that be fun?" Steve tried as he entered August's room.
Steve flicks on the light and August looked into the room. He sniffled as he looked around the light blue painted room. There was a large dark oak crib  in the middle of the back wall with a toy chest to the left of it and a changing table on the right wall. It looked so safe and inviting. Steve laid August on the changing table and strapped him in. He grabbed a teething toy from a drawer on the table, and brought it up to Auggy. The instant he started suckling and chewing on it he relaxed. His whines were quickly replaced with little coos. Steve smiled and kissed both his cheeks, earning him giggles from his happy baby.
Steve then began the changing process. He took the onesie off of August with no fuss. He finally got to see his little boys tummy, and the sight was jarring. He could count all his ribs. He kissed his tummy several times and August kept on giggling and squirming. He then got to work on the diaper change. He may have went to quickly with getting it undone however, because as soon as he pulled it away, the shock of cold made August pee right onto Steve's shirt. Steve quickly put the diaper back down, so there wasn't that much of a stain on his shirt, but August immediately started to ball his eyes out.
Steve tried to sooth him as best he could, but with how loud the poor boy was crying, he quickly stopped doing anything but hushing the boy while he worked on cleaning him up. Once a new diaper was on Auggy, Steve quickly pulled his shirt off and threw it in the dirty clothes hamper along with August's dirty onesie. He cleaned the part of his stomach with a wet wipe where the stain on his shirt had been. He then picks up the still crying little and bounced him rhythmically and removed his mittens.
  "Sh sh. I know but it's ok baby. Look, we're both clean." Steve attempted to sooth him as he ran a hand through the boys soft blond hair. August calms down enough to look at Steve and hiccup as he tries to calm down. His breathing keeps hitching and this causes concern in Steve. He remembers what that hitching meant for him before he got the serum. An asthma attack might come following it.
"Hey hey kiddo. Look at me." Steve had a steady tone, sitting in the rocking chair in the left corner of the room. August looks up at the taller man with tear filled eyes and burning red cheeks. "Breathe for me, ok? In." Steve held that as August sucked in air almost desperately. "And out" Steve instructs. This goes on for a couple of minutes and by the end August's eyes have cleared up and his face was cooling down. He looks up at Steve still, and his breaths have evened out without the need for instruction anymore.
"There you go. We're ok." Steve says calmly as he pulls the boy in a tight hug. August nuzzles into his neck and let's out a sigh. " 'm really sorry papa." He said in a very small voice. It sounded so sweet. Steve couldn't believe those were the first words the boy said in front of him. He called him papa. Steve squeezed the boy, and gave him several forehead kisses. "Don't apologize baby. You just got overwhelmed. Papas proud of you for being such a good listener." He gave August a genuine smile and he smiled back. He leaned up and kissed Steve on the cheek in a innocently sweet gesture. Steve cooed and squeezed the boy in a big hug. "Awe you're just too cute" Steve gushes and kisses his cheek back.
"Alright. I think it's time we get you dressed." Steve said as he stood up and bounced August in the process. August was all smiles and giggles. Steve made his way over to the closet and adjusted August to be on his hip. He starts to open the closet and sift through the clothes on the hangers with Auggy watching curiously. He grabbed a simple onesie that was yellow with a small duck embroidered on the left side of the chest. "Whatcha think hon? Looks comfy?" Steve asked as he held it up for the boy. August studied it before looking back at Steve and nodding. Steve smiles in response, closes the closet, and gets the boy back on the changing table. He quickly dressed the boy and gives him several kisses before picking him back up and walking back to the living room.