The Man My Father Always Talked About • A CAPTAIN AMERICA STORY

Epilogue

5 Years After The
Events of Endgame

~Epilogue~

Clara sat on the wooden bench outside her home, softly swinging back and forth as the cool autumn breeze blew through her hair. Miles laid down by her feet as he rested and gave her comfort. She watched the calm lake in front her as the trees shadowed over the soft blue water. That specific day in October made Clara's mended heart break softly every year. It was the anniversary of her brother's death. She had learned to move on with her new life with Steve, but her brother still lived on in her heart.

It had been five years since she wore her Iron-Defender suit and soared through the sky. The world was a calmer place since she last fired her blasters. With no more threats as big as Thanos, Clara could finally live a peaceful life.
While she was stuck in her daydreams, she heard the sound of twigs snapping. She looked over her shoulder to see Steve making his way towards the swing with a blanket. She sent him a small smile as he bent down to pet Miles before sitting down next to her and draping the warm blanket over her legs. She laid her head against his shoulder before he wrapped an arm around her.

"I thought I'd find you out here." Steve said, looking out at the water. Ever since they decided to buy a wooden swing and place it in front of the lake, it had been Clara's favorite spot to read, draw, or just come out and relax.

"When am I not out here?" She asked rhetorically as she smiled up at him. He smiled back and gently began to rub is hand up and down her arm to make sure she was warm. The only sound that could heard was the rustling of the leaves and the soft chirps of birds.

"Do you miss it?" Steve asked, breaking their silence. They hardly spoke about their old lives and Earth's Greatest Defenders because they had other things to think about. Even when they drove to see Bruce or Wanda or when Sam and Bucky would come over for dinner, they never spoke of the lives they used to have. Though it was much calmer, their lives were too busy to reminisce on their past.

"I'll always miss it Steve," Clara answered. "Do I prefer it over this, absolutely not. But yeah..." Clara paused before continuing. "I miss it."

"I do too." Steve huffed out before pulling her closer. "But I like this a lot better." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head before resting his head on her's.

Faint giggles filled their ears before they looked behind them to see a young girl chasing her brother. The little girl had short brown pigtail braids that bounced up and down as she ran towards her brother. The little boy had bushy dirty blond hair that blew in the wind and covered his ocean blue eyes as he ran away from his sister's extended arm. "Tag!" Charlotte Natasha Rogers, the little girl, yelled out. James Anthony Rogers, the little boy, let out a frustrated groan before he chased after his twin sister. The little girl ran towards her parents before jumping up on her mother's lap. Clara let out a groan due to the unexpected impact, but laughed it off as she wrapped her in her arms. The little girl caught her breath as she hid in her pink winter jacket.

The little boy rounded the corner and jumped onto his father's lap, Steve doing the same and wrapping his arms around him. He reached over to his sister and tapped her arm and called out, "tag!" James stuck his tongue out, making Charlotte do the same.

"Will you play tag with us mommy?" The little girl asked as she looked up at her mother. Clara nodded her head and the little girl tapped her shoulder before cheering, "you're it!" Her and her brother jumped up from their parent's laps and ran around the yard to escape the person who was 'it.'

Clara and Steve laughed at their children, the light of their lives, as they giggled and ran through the grass. Clara peered at Steve and smiled before tapping his shoulder. "Tag, you're it," she held in her laughter as she smiled at her husband. She gave him a devilish glare as he went to tag her, but she jumped away and joined her children. Steve chased after them and tagged James. James then proceeded to run past his mother and giggle loudly as he tapped her leg. Clara took off and tagged her daughter before she immediately tagged Steve. The children escaped their father's touch before he was able to wrap his arms around Clara's waist, her laugh filling the air as he lifted her off her feet.

He set her back down and she playfully hit his chest, a wide smile still on his face. "You're it."

"Alright you two, go get cleaned up for lunch." Clara announced, still staring into her husband's eyes.

"Race you inside," Charlotte chirped from Clara's side as she looked to her brother. He nodded and the two of them took of into their home. The leaves slowly fell from the trees as Clara and Steve stood together, his arms still around her waist as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. The cool wind blew at them, making Clara's chocolate hair sway in the wind before Steve tucked a strand behind her ear and placed his hand back on her waist. His blue eyes that hadn't changed since the day she first met him stared back at her as he smiled down at her. Clara stood on her tiptoes as she pressed her lips against his, enjoying the sweet moment. Steve grabbed a hold of her hand as they began to head inside, but Clara stopped for a moment and looked up at the blue sky. She smiled softly, knowing her brother was looking down at them. "Thank you," she whispered silently. Steve gently squeezed her hand and the couple headed towards their home to make their children lunch, and she couldn't have been more content.

Who knew that after all this time, Clarissa Stark would live her happy ending with the man that her father always talked about?

The End