Chapter Text
If you asked Johnny Storm what the hardest thing he's ever done was, you'd probably expect he'd say something about beating Galactus and saving the entire planet from total eradication. And before now, Johnny probably would have said so too. But right now in this moment, he'd say the hardest thing he's ever done is to try and get his nephew to stop crying.
Their day all started well and fine. Franklin is 8 months old now and just about Johnny's favourite person in the entire world, so when Sue and Reed asked him to look after Franklin for the day Johnny had no complaints. It's not a new thing, Johnny looking after Franklin for a while so his sister and brother-in-law have a couple hours to themselves, but usually Ben is there to help him with the more... delicate parts of child care. Sure Johnny can change a diaper and is arguably the best at heating up a bottle and keeping Franklin entertained (Sue says it's due to Johnny's own childish nature, but Johnny argues that it's just because he's awesome like that) but when things go south and Franklin starts crying- sometimes over seemingly nothing at all- Johnny... panics. He can admit that, but Ben being the most soft hearted out of them all has no trouble getting Franklin to calm down.
So Johnny and Ben? Dynamic duo. But Ben has a date scheduled with Rachel, and yes, Johnny is very happy for him, don't get him wrong. Ben deserves all that ooey, gooey, honey-moon phase romance that he can get. And Johnny knows Rachel is a very kind woman from all the Sunday dinners she's spent with them. But right now? At this moment? Johnny needs someone to do some kind of crime so then Ben or Reed or Sue show up and get Franklin to stop crying.
Again, it started off fine. Johnny and Franklin were having grand old time- just super Uncle Johnny and his super cosmic baby nephew hanging out at the tower, playing some sort of game that Franklin made the rules of. And it was fine, but it was a nice day out and Johnny thought that it was a shame to waste that away indoors. So he loaded his adorable nephew (who was incredibly happy at the time may he add) into the pram and decided to take a walk around the city.
Everything was well and good, Franklin was cuddling with his patchwork teddy bear Sue hand sewed for him (and wasn't than an experience) and chewing on his teething rings, and Johnny decided to take them for a stroll through the park. To watch the sun shining through the trees, get some fresh air, maybe find some cute girls who think a man with a baby is ten times hotter than a man without- Reed's own statistics by the way, not Johnny's. That too is another fabulously hilarious story.
But then, Johnny heard the tell tale sound of seams tearing. And keep in mind, Sue can do many, many wonderful things, but her hand sewing skills leave much to be desired. Johnny was usually the one patching up their clothes as kids, let's just say that. And right after that sound, the most ear splitting cry, the kind only babies can muster rung out. Johnny engaged the breaks on the pram immediately and leaned over, and yep, Franklin is holding the torn off arm of the teddy bear and having the biggest melt down Johnny has seen since it was the teddy bears leg was torn off 2 weeks ago.
So all that has led Johnny to this moment, the hardest moment of his life, standing in front of the pram with Franklin in his arms and trying to soothe the baby who has been screaming his head off for what feels like a lifetime, but has probably been about 5 minutes.
“Franklin, Uncle Johnny’s favourite little man— you gotta work with me here!”
Despite all of Johnny’s panicked rambling and rocking, his adorable little nephew simply cries louder, his shrieks ear piercing as he flails his fists. Johnny has to lead back to avoid catching a chubby fist to the chin.
“Please, little man,” Johnny begs, running his hands through his hair. “Work with Uncle Johnny here!”
“Does ‘Uncle Johnny’ need some help?”
Johnny whips around, eyes scrunched closed in frustration. “I appreciate it, but I’ve really got it handled- I'm so sorry for the noise-" he opens his eyes and immediately his tongue goes thick in his mouth, and he’s left staring dumbly at what he thinks is the most beautiful man he’s ever laid eyes on.
Said beautiful man smiles at him, and Johnny swears his heart skips. “I'd usually offer a handshake, but looks like you've got your hands a little full.”
The man is dressed in blue jeans and a yellow knit sweater, hands settled on his hips. He's a little bit shorter than Johnny, hardly noticeable, with beautiful voluminous swooping brown hair and warm honeysuckle brown eyes. They're scrunched at the corners with the force of his smile, which may Johnny add, is even prettier than his hair.
Johnny must have been staring like a lovestruck idiot for too long, because the man's smile wavers and he nods to the still screaming baby in his arms. "So, need some help?"
Johnny swallows the thick saliva in his mouth. "Uh... you know babies?"
He hates it the second he says it. 'Uh, you know babies?' Seriously Johnny? That's all you could come up with?
Cleary the man doesn't seem to mind because he lets out a small cute giggle. "Well that chaos crew of kids back there are all mine-" he shoves a thumb over his shoulder. "So how different can it be?"
Johnny peers past the man and sees, yep, chaos crew seems accurate. The group is compiled of 8 kids, plus 1 older teen that looks to be around the man's age. Most of the kids seem to be middle school age, or young teenagers, all running around shouting about one thing or another, and... what he thinks is singing? There is one black girl that seems a bit younger, and a little blonde girl that can't be over early elementary age also running around and shrieking with laughter. The older teen girl with them is settled on a blanket on the grass, also laughing. They are a chaos crew no doubt about it, but they're happy. Or at least happier than the baby still screaming in his arms.
Johnny decides to go for it, letting out a sigh. "Please."
The man's smile and eyes soften, and he holds his arms out. "May I?"
With probably not enough hesitance, Johnny carefully deposits the baby into brunette's arms. It seems almost instantaneous, Franklin falling almost unsettlingly silent, opting instead to gaze up at the man with probably a similar look to what Johnny has on his face. Johnny feels that his mouth is open, and it's at this moment that Sue would snap it shut and say he's catching flies, but goddamnit he can't help it. The beautiful man is rocking Franklin gently and smiling so hard it's splitting his face, cooing down at Johnny's nephew in his arms that's smiling just as big and brightly and letting out adorable gurgling sounds as he claps his hands.
If Johnny's heart skipped a beat before, it skips about 50 now. "You're uh," he has to dart out his tongue to lick his dry lips and his words are half incredulous laugh. "You must have some sort of magic touch, I'm going to have to ask you to divulge all your secrets."
The man lets out a laugh as he shakes his head, looking up from the baby in his arms to Johnny. He sounds as shocked as Johnny is. "Just, practice, I guess?" his grin turns teasing, and he looks back down to the baby to pitch his voice up. "Or maybe this cutie here just wanted to give his Uncle Johnny a little trouble? Is that it? Do we have a tiny troublemaker on our hands?"
He tickles Franklin's stomach and the baby lets out a happy shriek. And Johnny in that moment, likes the sound of 'us' a little too much. People always did say he falls too fast, 'people' mostly referring to Ben. And Sue. And Reed. So really 'people' means like the only people in his life in his life he regularly hangs around, minus the baby.
Actually maybe also the baby, because Johnny's nephew is now giving him a look that reminds him too much of his sister for him to be comfortable with.
Johnny lets out a heavy breath, steeling himself. Come on Johnny, you're charming by trademark. You can do this. He steps a little closer, offering his nephew his finger, and Franklin wraps his hand around it and gives him a gummy grin. Good boy. Johnny looks up from his nephew to make eye contact with the man and gives him his most charming grin. "And exactly who is this man with the magic touch to soothe tantrumming babies?"
The man's face flushes and he's open mouthed for a moment before he puffs out his cheeks and breaks eye contact. "Tantrumming isn't even a word..." he grumbles, before turning his head back to lock eyes with Johnny again, once more offering him a small smile. "But it's Steve, Steve Harrington."
Johnny knows he's smiling like the cat that got the cream, but he just can't help it. He mouths the name 'Steve' and yes, he thinks with a grin, he likes the way it rolls off his tongue. "Well Stevie," he ignores Steve's incredulous "Stevie?" to offer a hand. "That bundle of joy in your arms is my adorable nephew Franklin, and I'm his adoring uncle, Johnny Storm."
Steve looks between Johnny, his hand, and Franklin in his arms. "Well I'd shake your hand but now my hands are a little full."
Johnny winces for a second, yeah, he didn't really think that one through, and brings his hand back in to hang lamely at his side. "Yeah, uh, sorry. I can take him back now, if you like?"
Steve smiles. "Well I think it's more about what Franklin likes, but go ahead."
Johnny goes to take Franklin back, and his precious nephew (who at this rate might just be becoming his best wingman, god, Reed was right) immediately bursts into tears the second he leaves Steve's arms. Johnny and Steve both immediately scramble to transfer Franklin back, who blessedly (and plottingly, Johnny thinks privately to himself) falls silent, even going the extra mile to let out a gurgling giggle.
Johnny purses his lips for a second, before smirking at Steve who's back to rocking Franklin gently- and god, isn't this an image. "Well, guess Franklin decided what he'd like."
Steve pays Johnny almost no mind in favour of tickling Franklin's belly, and if he was ignoring him for anyone else then Johnny would be offended, but it's Franklin so he'll let it slide. "Yeah, guess he has."
They stand like that for a silent few minutes, and honestly, Johnny doesn't mind. On the contrary, Johnny likes it maybe a little too much. But really, the image of this beautiful man holding one of the most important people in Johnny's life in his arms so gently, and beyond that, having Franklin be so happy about it, is jarring in the best way.
Steve eventually looks up, his smile more nervous than they have been through this entire interaction. "Do you..." Steve bites his lip, before seemingly steeling himself. "Do you want to come sit with us for a bit? I mean if you're not too busy! I understand that as like some big shot superhero you must have a super packed schedule, it's just that Franklin seems so happy and I thought maybe it wouldn't hurt. But also if you'd just not like to then I totally get it! I mean we just met and-"
Johnny cuts off Steve's rambling by settling a hand on top of the one Steve has on Franklin's belly. He gives Steve what he hopes is a reassuring smile. "I'd love to, Stevie."
They stay like that for a second, before Steve, with a pretty, flushed face looks down at Johnny's hand still settled on his own. Johnny pulls his hand away instantly, feeling heat rush up to his own face. He fears he'll catch fire at this point.
"I- uh," Johnny stutters, wiping his suddenly sweaty palms off on his pant legs. "I mean we'd like to- me and Franklin, you know. But also that I would like to and... yeah." he finishes, rather lamely.
Steve just smiles, and the humiliation Johnny can feel making home as a flush on his face is worth it for that smile.
"Come on, I'll introduce you guys to everyone."
Steve turns to walk back to his crew with Franklin in his arms, and Johnny follows not unlike a leashed dog, though he does have to turn around to unlock and roll the pram over.
Stevie's not just pretty, but good with kids? But also very, very pretty? Johnny doesn't stand a chance.