PETERS PLACE

[chapter: 36] Family Again

"Hey dragă." (Sweetheart) My dad calls me over at the entrance. I grab my bag from my mom's car as she gives me a short goodbye as she is running late.

"Remember tomorrow, 4 maybe 5 pm. I'll text you when I get there, bye. I love you."

"I love you too, mom!" She drives off to the airport as fast as possible. I turn back and run toward my dad- or.... Steve and I haven't fully discussed the dad thing. Yet.

"Come on fiică. Let's get inside. It's cold." (Daughter) My hair was slightly damp as the clouds had rolled in with a light sprinkling. "I know tomorrow the weather will lighten up but did you wear enough layers? It's still kinda cold." He checked me over, pressing his hand to my forehead.

"Yes. Dad..."

"Take a warm shower or put on a sweater then. Okay?"

"Fine..." I grumble slightly but he only chuckles. Landing a hand on shoulder as we trudge along.

"Dinner in... an hour. Steve's cooking."

"What's he making?"

"Ask him." He knows what he's doing. Talk to Steve- er? What do I call him?

I head to the common floor where the kitchen was placed to find Steve reading out of a recipe book. Listening to some old fashioned music in the background. There was a pan cooking some sort of meat on it and he was starting to gather some vegetables.

"Hi," I announce my presence. He turned with a small smile.

"Hey Y/n." He responded with a short answer.

"What're you making?"

"Chicken and roasted vegetables so far... It's difficult at times to feed the team I don't think you'd ever deal with that before."

"I wouldn't, it's usually my mom and I for meals. We don't even eat together."

"Why don't you help me out? If you don't have any homework or anything keepin' ya busy?"

"Sure... how can I help? I know a bit of cooking but-"

"Just follow the directions, I'll help you when you need it."

"Whose recipes are these?"

"My mom's. Bucky found the book a while back. Got it for me for Christmas. He found it in a storage facility."

"Huh..." I look at it, flipping the pages lightly before turning it back. Not wanting to damage the book. There were quite a few recipes that she had made or grabbed.

"Hey, um. I don't know if you.. We never really finished that conversation." I knew what he was now talking about. The 'slip incident' I nicknamed it. He kept his eyes focused on the food while he spoke. Particularly the chicken. "And I-I want you to know... you don't have to, don't feel obligated to call me anything. I'm fine with it just being a slip or whatever you wanna call it. If you don't then... I don't mind. At all."

"It's.. weird." I tried to busy myself, chopping the vegetables. My eyes focused on nothing else as I spoke. "I didn't even have a dad like.. 2 months ago. Now I could have two. I still, I'm still processing it you know? But that doesn't mean I don't want it. It being you know..."

"Whatever you decide, kid. Your choice. I understand if there's... some sort of pressure but, I don't want there to be any-pressure that is." He turned to me, leaning against the counter slightly.

"It's difficult because there are two of you. Not in a bad way of course! Just... I don't wanna say dad one and dad two! Like 'No the other one!' 'Dad, no not you dad.."