“Excuse me, Mister America?” says a kid, barely as tall as Steve’s knee, who is grabbing onto the sleeve of Steve’s uniform. He’s on his way to a press gig, some stupid thing that Tony set up for all of the Avengers after their most recent assignment. He’s in a wide hallway, and people are milling about. Most of them are older, in suits, and carry briefcases. There’s only one cute little boy with curly hair who is holding a well-loved stuffed lion.
“Uh, hello there,” Steve says, looking down at the kid. “Want an autograph?” he asks, because that’s what kids tend to want from him. But the kid shakes his head. “A selfie?”
“No, mister, could you help me find my dad? He’s here to interview you but I can’t find him. I don’t know where he is.”
“Of course I’ll help,” Steve says, embarrassed that he assumed that whatever the kid needed was all about him. He crouches down to the kid’s level. “What’s your name?” he asks.
“And your dad’s?” Steve asks.
“Okay Ethan, what does your pop look like?”
“He’s got the biggest, bluest eyes and floppy black hair.” Ethan’s face starts screwing up and going a little red. A fat tear starts trailing down his cheek. “He’s… He’s… He’s got the pass for the reporters. That’s why he left, he was going to get one for me, t-t-t-too,” Ethan adds before he starts crying in earnest.
Steve, who has not had much experience with crying toddlers, turns around and tells Ethan to climb onto his shoulders. Ethan does. “From here you’ll be able to point him out,” Steve says. “You got your lion?” he asks.
“Yeah,” Ethan says in a quiet voice.
“Lions are great at finding things. You keep your lion at attention, too. What’s his name?”
“Oh, that’s my name too,” Steve says with a smile.
“Daddy named him Steve, like Captain America. He told me that he’d protect me like Captain America protected New York. He was really excited to see Captain America today and brought me to see him, too.”
Steve turns back to look up at Ethan. “That’s me,” he says, awed as he usually is when he hears things like that.
Ethan nods, very serious. “Daddy said Steve will protect me, but if you’re also Steve, then you’ll protect me, too.”
Steve’s not sure he quite follows the logic, but it makes him smile. “I will,” he promises. “Now where was the last place you saw your—”
“Ethan!” he hears a voice shout, accompanied by thundering, running footsteps. “Ethan! Ethan?”
“I think he’s gonna find you,” Steve says.
“DADDY!” Ethan roars, which makes Steve wince a little.
“ETHAN!” he hears again just as a man in a suit wearing press credentials runs down the hall. “Oh thank God,” he says as he sees Ethan and Steve.
“Daddy, I found Steve and he protected me!” Ethan says.
Ethan’s dad, Bucky, looks at Steve and grins. He’s sweating and breathing hard, but even under all the stress, Steve can see that Bucky really does have the biggest, bluest eyes. “Ethan, you can’t assemble the Avengers whenever you’re mildly inconvenienced,” he says, but he’s smiling, relief pouring out of him. “Thank you, sir,” Bucky says. “Can I have my son back?”
Steve nods. “It was no problem, really,” he says, helping Ethan off of his shoulders.
Ethan hops off and runs to his dad, who bends down and engulfs him in a hug, shutting his eyes and squeezing him tight. “I’m so glad you’re okay,” Bucky says. “I was so scared.”
“I was okay, daddy. I won’t get lost like mommy did.”
Bucky seems to choke back a sob.
Steve isn’t quite sure what to do here.
But after a minute, Bucky stands up and looks at Steve. Ethan takes Bucky’s hand. “Thank you,” he says. “I really appreciate it.”
“I’m just glad everything’s fine,” Steve says. “And if you want, you, Ethan, and lion Steve are welcome to a private interview after the junket.” He’s definitely not supposed to offer things like that, but he can’t help it.
Bucky looks at Steve, mouth agape. Ethan giggles. “Ah yes!” Bucky says, when he seems to realize that Steve is being serious. “Definitely! That would be really great!” he says.
“Then it’s a date,” Steve says.
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