Characters: reader, Kurt (Steve), Grant (OC), Jana (OC).

Summary: Almost three years have passed since that unforgettable night you spent with a mysterious man in a snowy cabin. When Steve unexpectedly walks back into your small town, a lot has changed for you both. How will your time apart and Steve's uncertain present affect the possibility of a future together? [Canon, events take place shortly after CACW]

Warnings: Fluff, bit of angst I guess?

Word Count: 2.9k

Song Inspiration:The Night We Met by Lord Huron

A/N: You asked for some fluffy Daddy!Steve?? You got it!!! Seriously. There's a ridiculous amount of adorable in this part. I hope your heart can handle it! I'm so glad you're loving this series!! Thank you for your comments and reactions! Keep them coming, I love to hear from you!! <3

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Previously:

"I'm so happy to see you. Did I tell you that? And that I'm relieved that you're okay?" you muttered into the fabric of his sweater before pulling away slightly.

Steve met your gaze with tenderness, smile upon his lips. "I'm happy to see you, too, Y/N. You have no idea how much."

You finally released him. and retraced your steps toward the kitchen for a glass of water. "Um...make yourself at home. I'll see you in the morning, Steve," you told him as you reached the hallway. "Good night."

You heard his last quiet words as your hand touched the doorknob to Grant's room.

"Good night, Y/N."

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Slowly waking from slumber, you stretched and parted your lashes, squinting from the light. That might have been the best sleep you'd had in a while, not to mention very pleasant dreams. You smiled, trying to hold onto the last images before they faded. Waking without an alarm was heaven. That was until you realize there was something very wrong with your quiet morning.

Bolting up to sitting, you swung your legs off the bed and stood, taking quick steps to your door. Wrenching it open, you were headed toward Grant's room when you heard quiet voices coming from the living room. Walking lightly, you peered around the corner, heart hammering in your chest, until you saw a sight you never thought you'd witness.

Sitting on your couch was Steve eating a bowl of cereal and right next to him in a chair was your son, strapped into his booster seat with his own breakfast in front of him. Both sets of eyes were trained on the cartoons playing on the tv. Your heart swelled at the sight, surprised but utterly thrilled to see the two interacting so easily.

A voice on the television asked the question, "Can we fix it?"

"Yes, we can!" Steve and Grant answered in unison, bright smile on both their faces.

Grant kicked his legs in his chair, taking another bite of cereal as milk dribbled down his chin. He wasn't wearing a bib and still in his pajamas with hair sticking up on one side. Steve, on the other hand, wore a pair of sweats and a snug t-shirt, his medium-length hair tucked behind his ears. He'd even trimmed his beard, which you had to admit, looked much better.

Grant made another comment with his mouth full and Steve laughed just as you stepped into view. He caught your eye and looked a little guilty, setting his cereal bowl on the floor and standing to meet you.

"Good morning," he greeted you. "I, um...I hope I wasn't out of line, getting Grant breakfast. He seemed a little surprised to see me when he woke up, but when I said I'd go wake you up, he just grabbed my finger and pulled me into the kitchen. He even pointed out the cereal and where his plastic bowl was. He's, uh...he's smart," Steve declared, a hint of pride in his voice. "Besides, I figured you don't get to sleep in often."

A slow grin grew on your lips. "That's a good guess, yeah. Having a two-year-old who often doesn't stay in bed means less sleep for me. In fact, I was a little panicked that he didn't wake me this morning, but...thank you. I don't mind at all. Did you sleep okay on the couch?" you asked, noticing the folded blankets and an extra pillow you had left on the armrest

"Yeah, it was great. Thank you. I actually slept on the floor, but don't worry!" he assured you quickly when your eyes flew wide at that. "The floor is better for me, really. Best night's sleep I've had in a while. I really appreciate you letting me stay, Y/N," he mentioned sincerely, holding your gaze.

Feeling heat rise in your cheeks, you finally broke eye contact and crossed arms over your chest. "You're very welcome, Steve."

"Mama! Is Bob!" Grant cried out upon seeing you, pointing to the tv with his milky spoon.

"Yeah, buddy, it's Bob the builder!" you answered, walking over to where he sat and planted a kiss on his messy bedhead. "Did you have a good breakfast with Steve?" you asked, catching the blond's eye.

"Uh huh. Steeb!" he pointed again, making you both laugh.

"So, um...do you have to get to work soon? I hope I haven't interrupted your morning routine or—"

"No, you're fine," you answered with a wave of your hand. "I'm actually working from home today, which really just means I'm basically on-call. I have a little flexibility with my schedule, thankfully. I think I'll make a pot of coffee, would you like some, Steve?" you offered, heading for the kitchen.

"Yeah, that'd be great," he accepted, returning to his seat on the couch and his bowl of now-soggy cereal.

Stepping into the kitchen you took a deep breath before facing the coffee pot and filling the reservoir with ground beans. You pressed the button to brew, pulled out two mugs, and turned, nearly running into the muscular chest before you.

"Oh! Hi," you exclaimed in surprise.

"Sorry," he chuckled. "I'm still in stealth mode, I guess. You know, not drawing attention to myself. I'll have to make more noise next time," he teased, walking to the sink with two empty bowls in hand.

"No problem," you squeaked, then clearing your throat. "Coffee's about ready. I'll get some sugar..."

"Great, um...so I guess Grant is all done, do I get him out of his chair or..." he asked you, seeming a little lost. He clearly hadn't taken care of a small human before, so you just smiled.

"Well, it's best to clean him up a bit before setting him loose again, so since he wasn't wearing a bib, I'd just take off his pajama top and grab a clean washcloth to clean his face, unless it got in his hair then that might mean a full bath so..." you trailed off, seeing a look of panic in his eyes. You stepped forward with a light touch on his arm. "Steve, it's fine, I promise. Here, I'll show you where the bibs are for future reference and the linen closet."

You opened the second drawer to the left of the sink to reveal several colorful bibs you used to ideally keep Grant's clothes clean during mealtime, although they often failed their task. Steve peered inside and nodded, then following you into the hall where you opened the linen closet. You grabbed a washcloth and wet it with water, not too warm, and walked back into the living room.

"Alright, little man. Arms up," you directed at Grant and he did as you asked, raising his arms so you could remove his pajama top.

Using the damp cloth, you cleaned his face and chest while Grant squirmed and whined as if he were being tortured. Why was that always the case? Two-year-olds were definitely a challenge. Finally, you unbuckled your son and set him free, immediately rushing toward his basket of toys in the corner of the room. Steve and yourself watched the boy play for a few moments before you cleared your throat and turned toward the man.

"So," you began, suddenly very aware that you hadn't even looked in the mirror yet today. Yikes. "I was thinking of walking to the park with Grant a little later. It's supposed to be clear and sunny for once and we like to get out of the house when we can during the winter. Do you want to come with us?" you proposed, a little nervous to ask.

A wide grin split his face. "Yeah, I'd love to," he replied readily.

Returning his smile, you felt your heart flutter. "Okay, great, um...would you mind watching Grant while I get ready? It's a much faster process solo," you joked.

Steve laughed, "I'm sure that's true. I don't mind at all."

"Oh, my coffee!" you said in remembrance, returning to the kitchen to fix yourself a cup. Coffee in hand, you caught Steve's attention. "Creamer is in the fridge and sugar's on the counter, help yourself."

He uttered a thank you as you headed down the hall to your bedroom. It was quite the luxury to spend more than five minutes taking a shower either before Grant awoke for the day or during one of his naps. A full fifteen minutes uninterrupted was heaven! Hair and makeup done, you dressed for the day in something comfortable but flattering before you headed for the living room. Steve was laying on the floor while Grant crouched on all fours with cars and trucks of all sizes while they raced each other. Grant let out a peal of laughter when Steve faked disappointment when his car lost.

"Oh, no! Looks like you won, buddy. Best two out of three?"

"No! My car!" Grant exclaimed, grabbing the toy out of Steve's hand.

"We're racing for pink slips now? I see how it is. No mercy this time," the blond uttered and you couldn't hold back the laughter anymore, letting out a chuckle. Steve heard you and rose up to his knees next to Grant. "You look nice," he said with a smile.

"Thanks," you replied, suddenly self-conscious. "Um...I'm going to get Grant dressed if you want to get ready?"

"Sure," he agreed, rising to his feet. "Also, I didn't want to interrupt you, but someone smells a little offensive and I don't think it's me," Steve said at a whisper, not-so-covertly pointing at Grant.

You laughed. "I'll take care of it. Come on, little man, let's get you dressed!" you told your son, holding out a hand to him. He started to whine at the interruption of his playtime, but you knew the magic words. "Do you want to go play at the park?"

"Yeah!" the boy answered, dancing in his seat.

"Okay! Then we have to get some clothes on, hurry!" you explained, beckoning with both hands.

"Steeb come too?" Grant asked as he grasped your hand.

Your eyes met Steve's. "Yep, Steve is coming, too," replied, feeling a tingle under your skin from the intensity of his gaze. "Let's go!"

Wrangling Grant out of his pajamas, into a clean diaper, and then into a somewhat matching outfit took longer as usual, but you kept him happy and mostly compliant with tickling and singing the occasional song. Slipping on his snow boots, you pulled Grant to his feet.

"Okay, let's go!" you said with enthusiasm, heading for the door.

Steve was ready by then, dressed in a dark blue sweater and those jeans that hugged him in all the right places. All three of you donned your winter clothing including coats, hats, gloves, and boots. You were sweltering by the time you were all ready to go and looking forward to the chilly outside air.

"Let me just grab the stroller from the closet," you muttered, but Grant had heard the 's word' and was near having a meltdown.

"No!! No, I don't want it!" the boy screamed.

"What's wrong?" Steve asked, a little alarmed.

"He's fine, he just doesn't like the stroller, but if I let him walk, it takes us forever to get there and I have a hard time carrying him both ways. He'll get over it," you explained as you pulled the wheeled contraption out.

"I'll carry him," Steve offered.

"Really? Okay," you agreed and Steve bent down toward Grant.

"Can I carry you to the park, buddy? We can get there fast and go down the slide, what do you think?" he addressed the boy, excited.

"Yeah!" your son yelled, practically jumping into Steve's arms.

Opening the door, you let the pair pass through and you closed the door behind you, then locking it. Grant loved being up so high in Steve's arms, making comments about his surroundings constantly. At one point, Steve lifted Grant up to touch a high branch and then carefully dropped him a few inches before catching him, followed by a round of giggles from all of you.

Grant headed straight for the smaller slide once you made it to the park so you sat down on a bench to watch him and Steve settled beside you. You both quietly observed for a few minutes before he broke the silence.

"It's nice that you're able to work from home. You're still working for Snow Peaks?" he asked, meeting your eye, but keeping a low profile with hat down low on his head and his collar up.

"Yeah. Well, kind of. The company changed a bit once everything happened with my dad. Speaking of which, I never did find out the real story there. Care to elaborate?" you questioned Steve with a raised eyebrow.

Steve let out a guilty smile, ducking his head. "I guess I do owe you an explanation. So, yes, I was sent here undercover to find out intel about your father and the Lumber company in general. Quite frankly, even my knowledge of the operation was limited at the time. I found out later that on the surface, the company was thought to be laundering money for an arms dealer or maybe even funding it. In the end, it turns out that your father's company was sending lumber to a steel mill which then led to a construction company....anyway, it was complicated. It was also discovered that HYDRA had something to do with it and that was revealed after what happened in D.C. It was all a big mess."

"Wow," you breathed out. "I mean, it makes sense. My dad never let me touch the accounting books, despite my experience. I guess he got what he deserved then, huh?" you asked rhetorically.

Steve placed his hand on top of yours, meeting your eye. "I'm so sorry you got caught in the middle, Y/N. I tried, it's just...."

"It's okay. You were just doing your job," you shrugged.

"Still..." He let out a heavy sigh. "Your father was a small player, actually, so serving 18 months in a minimum security prison was pretty reasonable. He decided not to stick around here?" Steve asked, assuming.

"No. The board of the company claimed no responsibility, whether there was blame to be found there or not, so they ousted my dad and restructured all the management. That's where Ted came in, actually," you mentioned casually.

Steve's jaw clenched unconsciously, his gaze on the playground. "Oh, yeah? What does he do?"

"He's the on-site specialist, so he oversees all the guys out in the field and reports to the board of directors. Luckily he stood up for me, even though I was the daughter of a criminal. He encouraged me to testify and clear my name. So, now I do most of what I was responsible for previously but with better benefits and more freedom with my schedule. Upgrades with the computers and equipment were nice, too," you finished with a grateful smile.

Steve remained silent a moment, his brow furrowed, before he let out a small smile as his gaze followed Grant up the stairs to the slide once again. "That's great, Y/N. I'm glad it all worked out. What made you want to stay in town, though?" he inquired, turning your way again.

It was your turn to share some uncomfortable truths. "Well, a few months after you left, I found out I was pregnant, then there was D.C. and finding out about you, plus everything with my dad...it just seemed like everything happened at the same time. I thought about moving to be with my mom. She offered and I love her but if we lived under the same roof, we'd kill each other. Plus I still needed to work. No one is going to hire someone who's 6 months pregnant with maternity leave around the corner, so I stayed. Just for a while, I thought, but...here we are. I've kind of grown to love the small town feel, actually," you finished with a smile, but it faded to see the look on Steve's face.

Leaning forward with elbows on his knees and an expression of guilt, Steve hung his head.

"Steve," you urged him to look at you. It finally took grasping his whiskered chin with your hand to turn his face your way. "Steve, please look at me. I said it before, but I'll say it again until you believe me: you did nothing wrong."

He shook his head, causing you to release your grip. "Maybe not, but I am to blame for...all of this. One assignment. One night, and now..."

Grasping his gloved hand in yours, you slid on the bench until you were hip to hip with Steve. "One night, but not just one time," you teased, wiggling your eyebrows. Finally, you got a small laugh out of him. "We could speculate about that night and what should or shouldn't have happened, but bottom line is I still regret nothing. Not one moment. And now we have a beautiful, two-year-old souvenir," you said with a smile before turning your gaze toward Grant running toward the swings.

Steve sighed, giving your hand a squeeze. "I guess you're right. We can only move forward from here," he admitted.

"Exactly."

"Mama!" Grant yelled from across the playground near the swings. "Up!"

Standing to help your son, Steve stopped you. "I'll go. If that's okay," he added, seeking permission.

"Of course, he'd love that," you urged him, watching as the tall, muscular man made it to the swings in a few long-legged strides. Gently lifting Grant onto the swing, Steve began to give him a push each time the boy swung backward. Squeals of delight rang out through the playground, making your heart sing.

"Y/N?" a voice called out from behind you.

Turning around, you smiled in delight. "Jana! Hi, how are you?" you asked, pulling your friend into a hug. "Wow, the girls are getting so big!" you remarked upon seeing her two daughters in a double stroller.

"I know, right? Growing like weeds," Jana said with a laugh. "Where's Grant?"

"Oh, um..." your gaze wandered to the swings.

Jana spotted Grant but then her eyes narrowed, followed by a gasp of surprise.

"Is that who I think it is?"

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Part 8>>> Coming soon...

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 Uh oh!! What do you thing Jana knows?? Things could get a little sticky. ;) That morning of adorableness with Steve and Grant, though??!? Holy fluff, you guys!! Steve is the sweetest, if not a little nervous about the parenting thing. ha! Thank you so much for reading! There's a lot more to come for this story!! Any feedback is appreciated, you're all amazing. Love you!! <3