Little Situation

Chapter 2

Steve didn't realize how small his couch was until he had to sleep on it. He tossed and turned until he found a semi-decent sleeping position. It felt weird when he woke up, not at 6 a.m. since S.H.I.E.L.D. had given him a week off for the new adjustment with Sarah and he thought it'd be best to forgo his usual routine until they both had adjusted. So instead of going for a morning run, Steve got up and quietly slipped into his bathroom to get ready. As he stepped out of the bathroom, Sarah rose to life. Steve waited for her to stretch and put her hearing aids back in before speaking.

"We'll get breakfast and then go shopping."

"Okay."

He left so she could get ready. Sarah stepped out in a different zip up hoodie and the same leggings. The only shoes she had were the ones that the random agent gave her, still too big no matter how tightly the laces were pulled. Steve noticed the change in hair color after Sarah came out of the shower, having shampooed and conditioned more times than probably healthy for her hair, but he didn't say anything. When the two of them reached the street, Steve realized he had already messed up and the day hadn't even begun.

They had taken a taxi home from the airport because he had been taken to the airport by a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent to fight the Battle of New York. Now this morning, looking at the street he saw his mode of transportation. A motorcycle. That didn't even have a sidecar or helmet. He didn't need Clint to tell him this was absolutely not safe for a child. He opened his phone to call Natasha.

"I don't have a car."

"Can you drive one?"

"I... no."

"I'll tell Nick I can't come in today."

Sarah and Steve looked comical as they both sat on the curb waiting for Nat. He was already trying to think about how he was going to rearrange his schedule. He had to find some time to learn to drive, and then get the license... and learn sign language from Clint, and take care of Sarah, and find a babysitter when he went on missions, and... Steve shook his head. The list was getting longer and longer and he was starting to question if twenty-four hours was enough in a single day to do even half of the list. He also had the growing realization that he now had to catch up to the twenty-first century quicker than he had planned.

Nat finally showed up and Steve opened the backdoor for Sarah to climb in. The three of them stopped at a cafe for breakfast. They watched Sarah take small bites and not talk as everyone ate.

"You changed your hair," Nat commented. "It's pretty."

"Thank you."

"Did you do it this morning?"

"Unh-unh. Last night. Ste— Da— He did it."

Sarah pointed her fork at Steve. They both saw how she tried to figure out what to call him but none of the words seemed to fit right in Sarah's mouth. And Steve was no help because he didn't know himself what sounded right. So for now they both seemed to accept the vague word of 'he'.

"Good work, Rogers," Nat said.

Breakfast was finished and the first place it was agreed that they would stop was the clothing store. Sarah got fitted for a couple pairs of shoes and clothes. Nat and Steve let the store clerk lead Sarah around and find things that she liked. They hung a ways back so they could talk.

"It's blonde."

"Yeah, definitely mine then."

"You ready for this?"