Revenna the cat with dad!steve and aj on a rainy day
A.J. was a smart boy, he knew right away that something was up. His dad had been home for over a month now, but things were still pretty off. This was especially true when it came to how he interacted with his mom. They didn't hug and kiss as much as they used to, and when they did, it was always his dad that initiated things while his mom just stood there and took the affection. She was doing her best to smile everything away, but A.J. knew better.
"Why did you leave?"
Steve turned his attention away from the window and put it on his son. This was the first time one of the kids brought up what happened. He and Y/N tried to do what they could to keep things civil for the kids' sake. No doubt there was still tension between them, and Y/N meant it when she said it would take time for them to go back to what they once were with how they've been sleeping in separate rooms and most focus goes on the kids. At this point, they're more co-parents than a married couple.
"I just thought it was the best thing to do, at the time," Steve sighed. He looked down at the little furball on his lap. Revna peered up at him as though also wanting an explanation. No doubt she has been better company for his wife than him. "There was a bad guy I knew who got out of prison, and I was afraid he would come after you guys. I wanted to make sure that didn't happen."
"But if you left, he could still come and get us,"
Steve hummed in response. He knew that was true. It was a very reckless and stupid move to leave them when Sam told him about Zemo. He could've just as easily come after them if he was gone. Thinking about it now, his children could've been even more vulnerable without his presence. Y/N was just as strong, if not, more with her magic. He kept using that as reasoning for leaving to hunt the man down himself.
"We needed you here dad," A.J. said, now looking at him. "Mom needed you."
He knew that. He should've known that when he left. Maybe a part of him was missing his time as Captain America more than he realized. Maybe he just isn't used to hearing life-altering news as a mere bystander. He does the occasional recruiting the way Fury would, but not as intensely due to his kids. It's mostly reporting and offering words of wisdom. The shady things Fury would do to make colleagues get in line like twisting the truth or hiding evidence wasn't something Steve could do. But leaving his family was apparently okay.
"I know, and I'm sorry I left,"
"Are you gonna leave again?"
Steve didn't realize how much of an impact his leaving would make. He should've, especially with how much it broke his own heart to leave them. His kids were smarter than he gave him credit for, definitely something they got from their mother.
"No, son," he mumbled, pulling A.J. to him so they could share a small snuggle with the family cat Revna. "I'm not going anywhere."
He would do better. He's no longer Captain America, after all.