[ They definitely have different parenting styles, but not clashing ones, at least. And at the very least, they both agree there should be a delineation between being a parent and being a friend. They are Alice's friends, but they're parents first. ]

You can be sweet too, sometimes. Always with me.

[ So it's a good chance that Alice winds up skewing towards Steve's level of open generosity. But once she hits those teen years, he also knows that she'll doubtless wind up with lots of things said that she might not mean, or may not be able to communicate properly. He thinks not having someone on that front had made Tony a little bitter into his adulthood, and he doesn't want that for Alice.

Steve keeps working at it until he can feel Tony slump just a little over him. He isn't expecting a thanks, but he'll take it. He pauses then for a moment, just to hold Tony. ]

Don't mention it, sweetheart.

Swap? You do my back, I'll do your shoulders?