Welcome To New York (Steve Rogers AU) 18+

30

The Rogers penthouse still looks the same as when I first walked into it years ago, anxiety still sweeping through me, however this time it's tripled in comparison to before.

Steve squeezes my hand. "It's ok..."

"I know, I...how the hell is he gonna react to this? You may have already told him about me but..."

"He's coming round to the fact you're in my life again, but this? I'm not sure. Either way he's gonna have to accept it".

He won't. I can already sense the tension in the air as we walk through to where Joe is sitting in the great room, reading the newspaper. He lowers it to look at us as we now enter the room. He's not changed much, looks a little older but not much. It's strange to not see him in a suit like I always used to.

"Dad". Steve just nods his greeting, his grasp firmly on my hand still.

Joe shifts slightly and folds the paper in half, chucking it onto the coffee table. "So...Miss Hudson, seems like you're gonna be here to stay if this surprise visit is anything to go by". Now eyeing his son. "You've come to tell me you've either married her, or your marrying here - haven't you".

He's surprisingly calm about this which unnerves me more.

"I'm marrying her, yeah". Steve says, not scared of his father or his pending reaction, unlike me.

Joe just nods. "Well, considering you're older now, I can't tell you who you can or can't get hitched to..."

"But apparently you could before?" The words slip form my mouth before I could stop them.

Joe stares at me but then nods in acceptance. "Yes, well...that was simply me wanting my son to make the right decisions with his life..."

"They weren't mine to make, they were yours - I'm only now making them because you've retired and I'm now running the company". Steve bites back. "I screwed up some things back then because even I thought I was doing the right thing, but I wasn't. So whether you like it or not? Lu and I are getting married". He now takes the scan picture from his pocket and passes it to his father. "I'm now making the right choices and for myself - it's your call if you wanna be around".

The older Rogers now studies the scan picture, brow furrowing at it. "Why the hell does it say A, B and C?"

Get ready for destruction in 3...2...1...

"Because there's three of them dad".

BOOM.

Joe sighs and runs a hand down his face. "If it wasn't enough for you to knock the poor girl up with one kid, you give her two extra...geez..." He sounds too tired for this, too tired to fight, and now I wonder whether he's told Steve and Sophie about being unwell. Steve has said nothing to me about it, which only leads me to believe that he still doesn't know. "Ok". Is all that comes out of his mouth.

"That's it? Steve frowns, unconvinced that Joe is just going to sit back and accept this. "Usually you'd take this moment to lecture me".

"Well, maybe I'm tired of doing that. Maybe this time I'll just sit back and let you do what you need to".

"What are you telling me? You'd be hitting the roof by now and we'd be in an argument. What's happened to make you suddenly be so calm about something like this?"

Joe looks at him. "Go get your sister, I think we all need to talk".

I nudge Steve, knowing exactly what's coming. "Go on, I'll be fine".

Reluctantly, he goes to find Sophie and I turn to Joe. "How bad is it?"

"Bad enough".

I nod to myself. "Sophie kind of guessed a few months back. She overheard you talking to someone".

"I figured as she's been treating me differently lately". He sighs and looks at me. "It's gonna be hard on her, Steve too - but as it looks as though you're gonna be part of the family, can you at least see that they don't screw up once I'm gone?"

"Steve does what he wants. I can't make him do anything. He's capable of keeping everything going though - Patriots is still standing.

"True..."

Our conversation is cut short as Steve and Sophie come in and sit down. Joe now looking at them both. "How about I make some coffee?" I suggest. "I think you need to do this just the three of you".

"Lu?" Steve frowns wondering what I'm talking about but I shake my head. "You need to talk. I'll be back soon".

As I walk out I hear Joe start talking and stop to listen once I've rounded the corner.

"I'm gonna need you to both step up more, because I'm not gonna be seeing next Christmas..."  as I hear Sophie let out a sob, I take that moment to head to the kitchen to make the coffee. As much as Joe has been a dick - I can't stand there and listen to him tell his children this.

The tension will be hanging in their air when Steve and I get back to his - but it won't be because of our news. It will be because of Joe's.