Oh god okay this is one of my absolute favourite relationships so sorry in advance for that haha!
5 - their parent/guardian: Steve Rogers
Daughter, Sleeping At Last (this is where I got her fic title) - The sunlight shines a little brighter/The weight of the world’s a little lighter/The stars lean in a little closer/All because of you & I want to see/You lift your chin a little higher/Open your eyes a little wider/Speak your mind a little louder & This is your kingdom/This is your crown/This is your story/This is your moment/Don’t look down & You’re ready, born ready/And all you gotta do/Is put one foot in front of you & I want to see/Your happily ever after/That you know in your heart that you matter
I chose this song because when Steve first comes out of the ice, everything feels very grey. In his mind, he was in the middle of a war only a few minutes ago, and now suddenly it’s 70 years later and everyone he knew has either died or lived a life without him; he’s feeling lost, like he doesn’t have a purpose anymore. And then Nikki shows up and changes everything. He might not have raised her but she’s his daughter and that gives him a sense of purpose again. She brings warmth back into his life and she’s so openly loving that he starts to feel like he has a place in this new world. Nikki makes things matter again and he knows that she will be the centre of his world for the rest of his life.
Slipping Through My Fingers, Mamma Mia - Schoolbag in hand, she leaves home in the early morning/Waving goodbye with an absent-minded smile/I watch her go with a surge of that well known sadness & The feeling that I'm losing her forever/And without really entering her world & Slipping through my fingers all the time/I try to capture every minute & Sometimes I wish that I could freeze the picture/And save it from the funny tricks of time/Slipping through my fingers
I chose this song because, while I also use it for Nikki and Peggy, that refers more to the feeling of Peggy growing old than Nikki growing up. With Steve, there’s a hyperawareness that by the time they meet, Nikki is already growing up. While they become close very fast, Steve knows that Nikki is approaching the years where she’s going to pull away and not need her dad the way that she would have when she was younger, and is very melancholic when thinking about all that he missed out on. As it happens, Nikki doesn’t go through any period where she doesn’t want her dad to be involved in her life - in fact, they just get closer over the years as they get to know each other, but there is always this sadness about all of the time that they missed out on.
She’s Gonna Shine, Kaci Brown - The light is falling on her shoulders/When did she get so tall/She's dancing on her own now/She used to be so small & And she's wishing for things I'll never be/Reaching for stars I'll never see/And she's not afraid to fall & Dreamer girl/She wants to have it all/She got some sunshine in her pocket/Go around the world/One day she's gonna fly/And as she waves good-bye/I won't be sad 'cuz in my heart I know the reason why & To me she is an angel/Spreading out her wings/I have to let her go now/It's time for other things
While no one would ever describe Nikki as tall (especially compared to Steve), this song always makes me think of them at the end of Civil War and Endgame. At the end of the airport fight in Civil War, both teams make sure that Nikki gets out and isn’t found by Ross, as her identity is still a secret and they all take that very seriously. And then at the end of the movie, although she’s mad at Tony (she doesn’t blame him but she wants her dad back), he repairs the shield and gives it to her - and Steve can only watch from a distance as she really comes into herself as Lady Liberty. And at the end of Endgame, Steve absolutely most definitely does not go back in time but he does step down as Captain America and give the shield (which Nikki gave back to him when she and Tony got back to Earth) to Sam. But he’s also recognizing that he has to step back and let Nikki follow her own dreams and fight her own battles, that he can’t fight all of her battles, and that he has to trust that she knows what she’s doing (and she does and he couldn’t be more proud of her)
Send me an OC and a number and I’ll give you a song