Brooklyn - Steve Rogers X OC Spinoff

29 - Steve

The party went wonderfully. The staff from the hospital came, and even a few students from Maddison's nursing class. Bucky grilled, making Emilia sit down and relax after spending the week planning the party with Maddison. Steve was an absolute baby hog, as always. It was nice.

By the time the party was over, Steve could tell Maddison was getting a little tired. Avery was, too. She was a little grouchy, crying for no reason, rubbing her eyes with her fists and just being extra cuddly and needy. While Steve loved that Avery would cry any time someone would take her from him, he knew he had to get her down for the night before she was inconsolable.

"Maddie said we could snag little Avery for the night. We were about to head home. I figured we could take her now?" Jackson asked Steve. Maddison was helping Emilia clean up the mess from the wrapping paper, throwing it into the firepit while Bucky tried to shoo them both off. Stubborn women were just ignoring him.

"Yeah. She's about ready to pass out anyway. I'll get her changed, and you guys can have her." Steve offered. But Scott waved a hand at him, scooping Avery out of his arms and strutting off into the house with her kicking and screaming, "da da."

"We've got her. Go on, enjoy the night alone with Maddie." Jackson says. He gave Steve a quick smirk and took off into the house to meet up with Scott.

Steve headed towards Maddison and Emilia, seeing Bucky had just successfully gotten them to sit down. "You ready to head home, angel?" He asked Maddison.

Maddison attempted to hide a yawn behind her hand but nodded. "Yeah, I'm ready. I just have to load the car." She said.

"I've got it. Go say goodnight to Avery while Buck and I handle it." Steve said. He looked to Bucky, who gave a short nod and hopped up, stealing a kiss from Emilia before jogging to catch up with Steve.

The ride home was mostly silent, Maddison tapped her foot along to the music while staring out into New York as Steve drove. He glanced at her periodically, admiring her while he drove. She was so beautiful, he was so in love with her. "What did you say to my mother when you walked her to her car?" She asked about halfway home.

Steve sighed, worried that this would get him trouble. He definitely overstepped, but he didn't regret it. "I told her that if she can't respect my girlfriend, then she can't come around. My daughter will not grow up worried about being bodyshamed by her own family." He said.

Maddison was silent for a few minutes, worrying Steve that she was upset with him about what he'd said to her mom. "You had no right.." She finally said a little too quietly.

"Didn't I? She was attacking you. I will not have Avery grow up hating the way she looks because she grows up hearing your mother talk badly about you. I will not sit back and listen to your mother disrespect you, it's not okay, and I will not have Avery grow up hearing you talk badly about yourself." Steve defended.

Maddison sighed, Steve could see her pinch the bridge of her nose and shake her head. Like she didn't know what to say or was worried what she wanted to say would upset him. "Say what you need to say, Mads. I can take it." He told her calmly. He didn't want her holding back how she was feeling to spare him.

Maddison shifted in her seat, facing him. "Fine. I agree, I don't want my daughter to grow up hearing that like I heard my entire life. I don't want her to have a mom who counts calories and hates herself, teaching her daughter to hate herself too. But you had no right to snap at my mother." She finally said.

Steve sighed, reaching across the center console and taking her hand into his. "I just feel like if you're not going to stand up for yourself, I'm doing it for you. And Avery is my daughter, too." He said. He felt like she was his. He loved her, he took care of her, he was there for her, he provided for both her and her mom, and she even calls him dad. "You're right. I'm sorry." Maddison said quietly. Steve was grinning like a fool. He squeezed her hand lightly, bringing it up to his face to kiss her knuckles. Maddison agreed that Avery was his. He didn't think she'd ever realize how much that meant to him.

"I'm sorry, too." Steve said to her. He kept her hand in his, in his lap, the rest of the way home. That was their first fight, and he was proud that they handled it so maturley.

When Steve and Maddison got home, he opened her car door for her like he always did. He took her hand and walked her to the door, leading her inside and into their bedroom. "How about you get ready for bed and I'll unload the car?" He offered. Maddison gave him a short nod, standing on her toes to kiss him. "Thank you, baby." She said.

Steve unloaded all the gifts into the living room, deciding he'd assemble them and put them away in the morning. Tonight, he just wanted to be with Maddison. He brought in the leftovers from the party that Emilia had sent home with them, loading up the fridge before heading upstairs.

Maddison had just came out of the bathroom. She'd grabbed a quick shower. She was wearing her usual pajamas, short shorts, and a silky tank top. Her dark red hair was wrapped up in a towel. She smiled at Steve when she saw him, melting him instantly. "I'm sorry about your mom." He said. He came around the room and wrapped his arms around her tightly.

Maddison sighed, staring up at him. "No, I'm sorry." She says. Steve rubbed her back lightly, holding her close. "No, I'm sorry for what she said. She didn't need to say that, and it wasn't true. You are the perfect size. Any size you want to be, I will love you, she has no right to comment." He says confidently. He was not about to let his girlfriend think that she was inadequate in any way whatsoever. She was perfect to him. She would always be perfect to him.

Maddison just shrugged lightly, looking away from him. He could tell that this was something she was desensitized to, that she'd lived her entire life hearing these things from her own mother. To the point that it didn't even phase her. "You're not upset about what your mother said...but what is bothering you?" He asks, worried.

Maddison looked up at him again, shifting uncomfortably. "She said it in front of you, Emilia, and Bucky. That's so emberassing." She said with a rough sigh.

Steve held onto her face, resting his forehead against hers. "It is embarassing. For her." He corrected. "None of us would have ever thought any differently of you based on her. But now we all see her differently. I know it's not my place, but I really don't want her around Avery if this is how she behaves." He told her. He was worried that he was overstepping, he'd just gotten her to admit that Avery was his daughter, too. But he was already trying to keep her from her family. He knew that was a lot to ask, but he had a good reason. Maddison's mother was toxic. He didn't want Avery to grow up having to deal with her grandmothers comments, either towards her or towards her mom in front of her. Neither were acceptable behavior in his opinion.

Maddison sighed again, wrapping her arms around his torso. "No, it is your place. You may not have helped me make Avery, but you've been there. And you intend to stay there, you're her dad, Steve. Even if I didn't think so, she does. Her opinion is the one that matters in the end anyway." She says. Steve was smiling like a fool at that. He'd already taken to bragging to everyone who would listen about his daughter, the gorgeous baby girl that clung to him for dear life whenever he was around. But to hear his girl outright tell him that she thought of him as Avery's dad, music to his ears. "I love you, angel. Let's get you a little sleep." He says calmly.

Right on cue, Maddison lets out a small yawn, nodding her head in agreement with Steve. "I love you." She said quietly.

Maddison went ahead and laid down while Steve grabbed a quick shower. They'd had a bonfire after the sun had started to set, so he smiled like the fire, plus he'd been out all day. He didn't want to get in bed with all the grime from the day still on his skin. When he'd finished his shower, Maddison was almost sound asleep. Not wanting to miss out on her cuddling him, he hurried up and climbed into bed, pulling her into his chest. She readjusted herself against him, out cold shortly after.