#and they get to be uncles for the little steglings and pain in the asses too at times

[beautifulwhensarcastic]

Steve/Peggy + beach vacation  for @theawkwardterrier

Despite Howard offering his own beach estate for his friends to use, Steve was adamant on organizing something for his family himself this year. He rented a cottage near the beach, did extra grocery shopping, and packed his family for a week vacation (he even got to pack Peggy’s suitcase, though that was supervised and redone twice).

~ * ~

Steve was used to multitasking and carrying multiple loads at once - be it responsibilities, or actual heavy items. Still, he had to drop everything to catch two squealing bullets rapidly flying past their mother and him. 

Items fell onto sand with soft thud as he reached both arms to grab the backs of the little shirts and lifted fair-haired goblins up into the air. Their small limbs kicked in the air, giggles bursting out loud.

“A-a-a!” Steve put them down and crouched to be eye level with them. 

Two pairs of blue eyes stared back at him, mischievous twinkles sparkling lighter than the sun. Both grinning ear to ear, not an ounce of remorse. 

Steve claimed the twins may look like him in their coloring, but the stubborn determination to do as they please came from Peggy. She, on the other hand, lamented that Michael and James had Steve’s wounded puppy look which made it hard for her to refuse them at times.

Sometimes they united, saying both kids took after their namesakes and godfathers. That blame was much more convenient to put.

“What did we say?” Steve still held fistfuls of the boys shirts, knowing the little bodies were bouncing with energy, ready to dart off any second.

He seriously feared it was because of the serum that his sons were running so fast (especially when you told them not to), but according to some of their friends kids at that age had extra energy in their tiny legs and it was all natural for them to be so fast. 

“No rushing towards the water without me or mum.” He reminded them patiently. “It’s a new place. A big one. Easy to get lost. So you can’t run away from us, okay? We would be very worried and sad.” 

“Yes, daddy.” Michael smiled at him, James only nodded along. 

“Come on, fellas. You’ll help me set out our little beach camp and then we go check the water.” Steve took a bottle of sunscreen lotion out of the backpack and gave it to James to carry. Michael got to carry a ball.

The boys walked in front of him, looking around and ahead with wide eyes. It was much different than uncle Howard’s vacation house, with its safe little pool and small, private beach. Here everything was wider, bigger, so open and strange. Exciting. 

“It’s so huge!” James exclaimed. He slowed down too, waiting for Steve. 

Steve glanced up, at the endless spread of the shimmering ocean. A pang of fear squeezed his heart; a flash of memory of the ice cold teal and sparkling snow swallowing him. 

It burst away the instant his son’s small, warm body pressed against his leg. 

“It is, buddy.” Steve shortened his stride so James could match it. “It can feel a bit scary. But you know what helps?” He kept talking softly as they cut across the beach to get neared the water edge. “Focus only on the area where we are. Our blankets, the sand around it, water just right in front of us.”

“On mommy?” James looked up at him.

“Oh, definitely.” Steve nodded solemnly. “Your mom can protect us from anything.” 

It seemed to be enough for James to lose any hesitation and dash a few steps ahead to join his brother. Both boys stopped a few feet away from the water, yelling at Steve that they found the perfect spot. 

“I’m not sure I’m fast enough to protect you from everything in my current state.” Peggy laughed behind Steve. 

“Maybe not fast, but still resourceful.” Steve grinned at her over his shoulder. 

Peggy treaded slowly after them, holding her sandals in one hand and a lighter basket in the other. She had a sunhat on, so big it shaded not only her face, but half of her upper body; and a blue sundress, a tad too tight around her pregnant belly. 

Peggy’s second pregnancy was a surprise. So was the first one, to be honest. Having twins was an extra twist. 

“Speaking of resourcefulness,” Peggy narrowed her eyes, “you mentioned something about a beach throne for me. But there are no beach baskets to rent here.” 

“You’ll see.” Steve flashed her a cheeky smile then called the boys to help him. 

At three years old they were eager to do the adult tasks and spreading out the blankets they treated like a very serious mission, though quite a bit of sand got on the blankets along the way. 

“Now,” Steve clapped his hands, “we’re going to dig a hole for mommy.”

“Mommy’s going into a hole?” Michael’s eyes widened.

“Just her feet.” Steve assured him. “You can even pour some water on her feet once she’s settled in.” 

“Yay!” The twins burst in unison, as if the prospect of splashing their mother’s legs with water was the greatest joy of the whole trip. 

Peggy arched a brow, glaring at Steve skeptically. He only grinned in response and began gathering sand into a large bank, while the boys dug a hole. She quickly realized the intent and a smile curved her lips. 

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Steve asked, patting the nearly finished construction to make sure it was firm enough.

“Just remembering a certain flag unobtained for seventeen years, until a canny guy from Brooklyn outsmarted it.” Peggy licked her lips, just the way she has when he jumped into the jeep that day at Camp Lehigh. 

Steve winked, then draped an extra blanket over his finished work. 

“Your throne, milady.” He offered Peggy his hand.

Before she settled on her unique sand-chair, Steve tugged at her sundress.

“Want to take that off?” 

“Isn’t that how I got pregnant in the first place?” Peggy snorted and swatted his hand away.

She sat down and wiggled for a bit, until she settled comfortably. The sand in the whole where her feet went was pleasantly cool; just perfect for her swollen ankles. 

“You want some water on your feet, mommy?” Michael looked at her with hope in his eyes. She knew if she let them, they’d splash her whole with water and laugh like little maniacs while doing so. 

She was glad they didn’t give them yet the squirt-guns Bucky got for them. 

“Maybe later, sweetie.” She smiled at him. “But you should take your dad to test the water.”

Steve barely managed to take off his shirt before his sons grabbed his hands and tugged him toward the shore. When he tried to slow them down they pulled harder (without much effect). Then Steve threatened to toss them to the sharks and twins instantly let go of him and sprinted, screaming wild.    

Peggy watched the chase unfold, laughter and yells scaring off the seagulls. It was one of the million daily moments when she felt her heart bursting with happiness. A few years ago a family wasn’t exactly in her plans, not even in her dreams, but it turned out to be a gift Peggy cherished (despite occasional times when she felt like yanking all her hair out and drowning her kids, her husband as well). 

An hour of splashing and ball playing later, after Steve had to dive into the water to retrieve Michael’s shoe which somehow got mistaken for a stone to throw into the ocean, all three of them returned with huge smiles; and absolutely soaked. 

“We’re going to get some ice cream.” Steve announced and the twins bellowed on the top of their lungs, then started prancing through the sand, toward the boardwalk. 

“Want some?” Steve asked her, watching their sons as they tried not to run.

“Chocolate, please,” Peggy smiled blissfully. “Just don’t eat half of it on your way back.” 

“It’s hot, you know I’ll have to lick it a bit.” Steve shrugged shamelessly. 

Peggy lifted the brim of her sunhat up, pushed her sunglasses to the tip of her nose and gave Steve a look that made him hot for quite different reasons than the weather. 

“That’s definitely how my second pregnancy happened.” She almost purred.

Steve snorted and shook his head, but he also nervously rubbed the back of his neck and Peggy knew she was getting to him. It was her own kind of beach fun. However inappropriate it may be.

“Careful, you’re nearing Howard’s levels,” Steve gave her a pointed look. 

“I’d say it’s all pregnancy hormones,” Peggy didn’t look sheepish the least, “but here you are halfnaked and flexing your muscles… obviously it’s all your fault I’m like that.”

Steve rolled his eyes.

“I’m going to get our rascals before they eat the whole truck of ice cream. And before you get us into even more trouble.” 

“The day is young, I still have time to cause trouble.” Peggy grinned and puckered her lips for a kiss.