Fic: Glory Beyond Mere Biology {Part One}
Part One
The doctor’s words seemed to echo inside of Steve’s head long after the woman had left the room. Pregnant... how can I be pregnant? Based on what the doctor could see, beside the obvious effects of the super-soldier serum, there had been some not so obvious side effects. One of which appeared to be a fully functional uterus, which was gestating a new human being as Steve tried to process the news. Although the doctor hadn’t asked who the other father was, Steve could tell the woman was anxious to know the answer to the unspoken question. For Steve, the answer was simple; there had been only one man he had slept with and unfortunately, he had died years before Steve was found and thawed. The loss of Howard was tragic, and that tragedy sometimes felt overwhelming when coupled with his growing feelings for Howard’s son, Tony.
While Steve didn’t see his one time with Howard Stark as a mistake, the blond wasn’t really sure what to call what had happened. As his hand drifted towards his stomach, resting there, Steve’s mind returned to how this new life had been created, which in a few short months would expand and fill with his child. It was one time following the loss of Bucky, and it would seem it was turning out to be one time that Steve would never forget. Now there was this little creature growing within him, counting on him to love, care, and protect him or her for rest of their days.
Even if his mind was coming around quickly to the idea of giving birth to another human being, it didn’t mean that S.H.I.E.L.D or the rest of the Avengers were going to have the same reaction, especially Tony Stark. This child, for all intents and purposes, would be his half-sibling and another reminder of a man he thought he could never please.
Pushing all thoughts of the potential emotional fallout that was likely to occur, Steve jumped down from the table and walked towards the door. While the serum stopped him from becoming ill from diseases, it apparently didn’t stop the fatigue and the vomiting associated with his pregnancy. As he left the medical room, Steve focused on getting back to his apartment in Brooklyn and sleeping for a few hours before he was supposed to have dinner with the rest of the team at Stark Tower. The team dinner had started as a way of ensuring Tony left his work for a couple of hours a week; plus, Pepper was kind of scary when the Avengers didn’t take Tony off her and the board of directors’ hands for a couple of hours every few weeks. Those closest to him knew that beneath his brilliance and bravado, Tony was still a kid seeking approval from someone... anyone, who would still love him through all of his screw ups, which Pepper had done until recently. One too many brushes with death was one too many for Pepper; she still loved Tony as a friend, but she had found true happiness with Happy. And Tony seemed okay with it, if the lack of an increase in his alcohol consumption was any indication.
The drive back to Brooklyn from S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters helped clear Steve’s head and settle some of the nausea he was still feeling; by the time he got back to his apartment he barely had the strength to change into a pair of pajama bottoms before falling into bed. It wasn’t until hours later did Steve awake to the tune of “Star Spangled Man,” which Tony had programmed on his phone as a joke. While the billionaire thought it was funny, it simply served as a constant reminder of those the blonde had lost. And in the light of recent events, it brought the truth home to Steve; this baby would never know its other father, a sense of loss that Steve knew acutely from his own childhood.
Grabbing the device and after a few tries of swiping at the touch screen, he finally managed to answer it. “Hello.” He asked voice, thick and gruff with sleep. The feeling of fatigue coursed through Steve’s body and all he wanted to do was go back to sleep... maybe for the entire length of his pregnancy. The nice S.H.I.E.L.D doctor had given him a rough timeframe of 30 to 32 weeks; but she couldn’t know for certain until an ultrasound was done, which Steve declined at the time.
“Rogers,” Clint Barton’s voice said on the other side of the phone. At the sound of a voice other than Stark’s, Steve couldn’t help but feel relief at not having to speak to Tony; it meant another additional second he didn’t have to interact with the man. “Stark is concocting all possible scenarios as to why you are late for dinner and movie night, because according to him, ‘Captain America’s motto is ‘punctuality if not earliness.’’”
Steve frowned at the jab. Punctuality was a sign of commitment and responsibility, his mother had taught him that. “Oh, I overslept, sorry.” Steve replied as he pulled himself out of bed. Once standing in the middle of his bedroom the blonde paused, debating whether he had time to take a shower or if that could wait until later.
“No problem, man, happens to us all. Though Tasha is getting impatient and the longer we wait, the greater the chance of Stark not surviving ‘til morning... which might not be a bad thing on second thought.” Steve could hear the humor in Clint’s voice, along with the faint sound of a muffled hey! in the background, which could have only come from Stark. A smile formed on Steve’s face at the sound of family flowing across the connection that is what they were--the Avengers and Phil Coulson--a family, a sometimes dysfunctional one, yet a family nevertheless.
It was only after hearing the possibility of Tony’s imminent demise that Steve made the decision of skipping the shower. Natasha was a good person; scary nine times out of ten, but still a good person to have in your corner. Even if you were Tony Stark “I’m at my apartment in Brooklyn; I’m leaving now, Barton.”
“Sounds good, I’ll let everyone know and tell Bruce to hold dinner for you.”
“Bruce cooked?” Steve asked, grabbing another pair of jeans out of his dresser and pulling them on. As he took a quick glance in the mirror, he took in his rumpled appearance: wrinkled shirt and hair flattened to one side of his head; but he shrugged it off. The ride to Stark Tower should get rid of the worse of it. Although hearing Bruce cooked made him wish he could beg off tonight; most smells tended to set off his nausea and based on past experiences with the physicist’s ‘new age hippy food’ (Clint’s words) Steve knew his night wasn’t going to end well.
Clint laughed into the phone. “It’s nothing too bad, promise. Stark threatened to revolt and Tasha’s eyebrow starting doing that twitching thing, she swears doesn’t happen. So Bruce is making some kind of Indian food, vegetarian /non-vegetarian. Either way, the kitchen smells good and Bruce will probably Hulk-out on Stark any moment if he doesn’t get away from the kitchen door.” The archer’s voice rose on the last part of his statement, letting Stark know he was fooling no one. “Now hurry your ass up, Cap. Or Phil won’t love you anymore. He looks ready to tase Stark. Personally, I’m all for it, but Pepper will be upset if we give him back broken.”
Steve smiled at the joke, “I thought you’d be happy to not have to share Coulson’s love with me anymore.”
“Nah, Cap. I’ve got to have someone to distract him with when I piss him off and I’m happy to say, that person is you, ‘cause Tasha is on to me.”
“Thanks, Barton.” Steve deadpanned before snagging his keys and walking out his front door. “I’m headed out now, don’t hold dinner for me.”
“You sure, Cap?”
“Yeah, traffic’s hell,” Steve explained while he walked. “So I’ll eat during the movie or something.”
“All right, man. See you in a bit.” Clint said before ending their phone connection. Steve tucked his phone into his jacket pocket as he left his apartment building. The drive from S.H.I.E.L.D to his apartment had taken him almost an hour and Steve knew the drive back to midtown Manhattan would be just as long.
***
It was during the stop-and-go traffic back to midtown that Steve did a lot of thinking, especially about how he was going to tell Stark and the team about the baby. The doctor said she could only wait so long before having to report this development to Director Fury. Steve told her, he understood, but asked for a little time to tell his team. Even though he didn’t know how to broach the subject with any of them, Stark was the first on his list.
Forty-eight minutes after his call ended with Clint, Steve finally pulled into the underground garage beneath Stark Tower, which in addition to being the base of operations for Stark Industries in New York City, doubled as the home of the Avengers Initiative, with each member having their own floor. Fury had originally been a little apprehensive with the idea, but he quickly saw the merit of it (read: Maria Hill’s prodding) of housing them all in one place.
Once Steve reached the common area level of the Avengers’ set of floors, he was met by Agent Phil Coulson, standing at the elevator bay waiting. The older man managed a small smile before Clint appeared, dragging him back towards the living room. As it turned out, Agent Coulson had survived Loki’s attack; the only downside was Clint and the rest of the team hadn’t known until almost three weeks later, when they appeared on the doorstep of the agent’s daughter (the Portland-based cellist). While the rest of them had left, Clint stayed on in Maine until Phil could travel. Unfortunately for Phil, his return to New York City had meant a room in Stark Tower and the overprotective mothering of his field agent-slash-husband (nobody had seen that one coming). Stark had a field day with that bit of information before Tasha punched him in the arm.
Steve waited until the couple returned to the kitchen area before following. It was only then did Steve’s nose pick up the spicy aroma of Bruce’s Indian food. Normally Steve enjoyed the cuisine, but it would seem his nausea had other ideas. The super soldier quickly bolted for the nearest bathroom before his meager lunch made reappearance on Stark’s nice tiled floor.
Unbeknownst to Steve, Tony Stark had just left the kitchen when he saw the blonde flee. Usually, Tony wouldn’t bother with trying to feel concern for other people, unless it was Pepper or Rhodey. And Tony had learned over the years not to cross her under pain of death; he might be Iron Man, but she had the power to castrate him with a single look--her budding BFF status with Natasha didn’t help the situation. Did Tony happen to mention she was just as scary as Pepper... probably even more so... with her being a highly skilled assassin and all.
Tony followed after Steve as close as he dared; Tony knew Steve had his pride and he definitely didn’t want to spook the blonde, otherwise Steve wouldn’t allow Tony to help. And considering how green the super soldier was looking, Tony figured Steve would need some kind of assistance; he just wasn’t sure what though. “Cap, you okay? Do you need JARVIS to do anything for you?”
The bathroom fell quiet briefly before a weak voice echoed back to Tony. “No, I’m fine. Just give me a minute.”
“Okay, Cap,” Tony replied, shifting lightly back and forth on his feet as he waited for Steve to emerge. As he checked his watch, waiting for the minute to pass, Tony heard the sound of retching through the bathroom door and decided to give the blonde a moment longer before opening the door and entering. The sight of Steve draped over the toilet made the billionaire’s heart clench; Tony had never been privy to a less than stellar looking Steve Rogers--even post battle, when the man’s eyes were bright and his skin flushed with excitement and adrenaline in spite of the dirt or blood covering his skin. However Steve resembled the walking dead at this particular moment. Grabbing a washcloth and wetting it, Tony crouched down into Steve’s personal space. “Here, Cap, let me put this on your neck. It might help you feel better.”
Steve groaned softly as the cold cloth pressed against his heated neck. The last couple weeks had been hellish; he never knew when the morning sickness would happen or what would bring it on. A bout of morning sickness had woken Steve up in the early hours of the morning, so he hoped that his queasiness was finished for the day, guess he was wrong. “Thanks, Stark.”
“Call me, Tony, Cap.” Tony replied, rubbing Steve’s back in sympathy at his plight, “I thought the super-soldier formula was supposed to enhance your healing abilities and stop you from becoming ill.”
“It is,” Steve whispered before taking a deep breathe through his mouth, trying to stop the acidic smell from traveling into his nose and setting off another round of heaving.
Tony frowned at the response, unsure of how to proceed; he had no experience with sick people, adult or not. As a child, the times he was ill were left in the capable hands of JARVIS’ namesake, Edwin Jarvis; with barely a thought from his mother, except for a faint kiss on his feverish brow on her way out of the door with Howard.
By the time he arrived, Edwin Jarvis had been employed with the Starks for some years; and Tony had loved the older man. He had shown Tony all the patience and love that Howard couldn’t be bothered to give to the small child.
Unfortunately, everything changed while Tony was MIT. Due to his mother’s ailing health, Jarvis left the Stark’s employ and returned to his native England to care for her. It was only after her death and the later deaths of Maria and Howard Stark did Edwin decide it was time to return to Tony, hoping his presence would help ground the angry twenty-one year old, and stop Obadiah Stane from sinking his claws into the young man. Unfortunately the damage had been done, Tony took his leaving as abandonment… marking the young boy as worthless and unimportant to Edwin. The final blow came almost eight years ago when Tony was least expecting it, a simple phone call informing that Edwin Jarvis had passed away in his sleep, leaving all his worldly possession to his former charge. It was the elderly butler’s death, which sparked the creation of JARVIS, Tony’s way of honoring his former caregiver and friend.
“Do you still feel sick, Cap?” Tony asked, not wanting to move the other man until he said it was okay.
Steve faintly shook his head side to side in reply, only because he was worried if he opened his mouth, he’d start vomiting again. Tony titled his head down in understanding before rising to his feet, grabbing a bath towel from the nearby rack. He set it on the rim of the bathtub before slowly easing Steve away from the toilet and towards it. Once the blonde’s head was settled on it, Tony flushed the toilet before crossing to the sink and wetting another washcloth for Steve’s forehead. After the cloth was on Steve’s clammy forehead, Tony settled at his feet, content in simply watching the other man breathe.
“You doing okay, Cap?”
Steve managed a half-smile. “I’ll be okay. The doctor said it’ll pass in a few weeks.”
“Is it related to our last mission?” Tony questioned, needing to know all the facts. They were a team and if something affected one of them, then it affected all of them.
“No. It’s from before,” Steve said, knowing that he didn’t need to spell out what before meant to the genius. Everyone close to Steve knew he divided his life into two parts: before and after the ice.
“HYDRA?”
“Not exactly,” Steve sighed, hating the next part that was coming... the truth.
“What does that mean?” Tony asked, “It either is or it isn’t.” The billionaire’s tone was firm; he wanted answers, not ambiguous statements.
“I’ll be fine in about seven to eight months, depending...” Steve said letting his statement trail off at the end. Normally Steve wasn’t a coward when it came to speaking his mind; but this pregnancy, this baby was a completely different matter.
“Depending on what?”
“Depending on how many weeks I’m already pregnant.” Steve murmured, unable to look at Tony when he spoke the words.
Upon hearing the words, Tony’s whole body jerked back in shock, sending him backwards onto his ass at Steve’s feet. “JARVIS, repeat with Cap just said!”
“Captain Rogers said pregnant, sir. And based on my own scans, he is telling the truth, sir. Captain Rogers is approximately--”
“Thank you, JARVIS.” Steve said, interrupting the AI before he could tell how far along he was; Steve wanted to wait and find out from the first ultrasound.
“But you’re a man. At least you look like a man, unless you got something kinky going on, Cap.” Tony joked as he ran his fingers through his hair.
“I’m a man, Tony.” Steve supplied lifting his head for the first time to look the other man in the eye, “the doctor believes a functioning uterus was an unforeseen side effect of the serum.”
Though Steve answered all of the billionaire’s questions, Tony still hadn’t asked the one question which Steve was scared of him asking: the identity of the baby’s other father. The super soldier had respected Howard Stark for his intelligence, his drive, and most importantly his friendship. But with Tony, Steve wanted more than friendship, he hoped for a romantic relationship; though in light of this baby, Steve knew it was impossible. The blonde knew, from this point forward, every time Tony looked in his direction, all the genius would see was Steve and Howard’s betrayal.
“So...” Tony grinned, trying to break the tension. “Who’s your baby daddy?”
Taking a deep breath, Steve braced himself mentally and emotionally for the fall out about to occur. “Howard.” And with just one word, all the air seemed to be sucked from the room. The blonde watched as an array of emotions flashed across the genius’s face before settling into anger.
“Howard! As in Howard Stark... my father... the son of a bitch, who never cared about anyone but himself and his legacy.” Tony yelled. “How the fuck did this happen? No wait, don’t answer that; I really don’t want to know.”
As Tony ranted, Steve stayed silent, eyes trained on the other man’s face as it turned redder and redder with every passing word. It was only when Steve saw a lag in Tony’s tirade did he finally speak. “I had just lost my best friend, and your dad was there. It just happened.”
Tony rolled his eyes before shaking his head. “So what you are saying, Cap, is that my dad was gay and my mom was just someone to replace you.”
“Of course not, Tony. Howard and I were friends, nothing more. While I barely understand how Howard went from the man I knew to the man you knew, I do know at the time, Howard flirted with everyone. It was just his personality; he drove Peggy and Colonel Philips crazy.” Steve explained, hoping a soft voice would help ease most of Tony’s anger.
Though the tension was visible in his shoulders, the next words out of the billionaire’s mouth were delivered in a calmer tone. “So I’m going to be a brother, uh Cap?”
“Yeah Tony, you’re going to be a brother. But only if you want to be,” Steve replied. He needed Tony to understand that he was under no obligation for his father’s act, nor was Steve looking for anything from him.
“Thanks, Cap,” and for the first time since the anger had started, Tony smiled at the other man.
“Steve.”
“All right, Steve,” Tony grinned. “Now, let’s get you off this cold floor and settled somewhere comfortable. Think you can eat a little something.”
“Toast or crackers are fine.” Steve said as Tony helped him to his feet. Without prompting, Tony wrapped his arm around the blonde’s waist and lead him out of the bathroom and back towards the living room area. When the pair arrived, their team was already settled in various spots around the room, obviously waiting for Steve and Tony to reappear from wherever it was they had disappeared to. Once Tony made sure Steve was comfy and in a prime viewing spot on the couch, he wandered into the kitchen to get the blonde some crackers and ginger ale, which Clint had taken to stockpiling in case of an oncoming apocalypse. Though in actuality, it turned out to be Phil’s drink of choice while he was recovering from his stab wound and Clint just couldn’t seem to not buy a case or two every time he left the tower.
Once he returned, Tony handed off a plate of crackers and a bottle of ginger ale to Steve before settling in beside him on the couch. The rest of their team and Phil watched their interactions before Clint decided to ask the question they were all thinking, “You okay, Cap? Or have you and Tony been replaced by pod people?”
A faint groan could be heard from Phil’s direction before a thump sounded as Natasha smacked Clint in the back of the head for his remark. Tony snickered as Clint rubbed at the spot where Natasha’s hand had landed and Steve could only smile. “I’m fine, promise. Just feeling a little off; I’ll be okay in a couple of days.”
“If you say so, Captain Rogers,” Phil said before reaching out for the remote and passing it to Bruce. Dinner and movie night had a simple routine, whoever cooked, chooses the movie. And when it was Bruce’s turn, the group could count on there being a general theme: the movie had the same place of origin as the meal he prepared. So for tonight’s viewing pleasure, everyone knew it was going to be an Indian film; the only question was… what kind of Indian film. The last time Bruce cooked; he made Korean food, unfortunately instead of a psychological thriller or even a sappy romantic comedy, they were forced to endure over 90 minutes of almost complete silence. Although the imagery was pretty, it didn’t make up for it being so mind-numbingly boring. The main characters, an elder monk and his apprentice, barely said ten words to each other during the whole film. And Tony had fallen asleep at one point, only to be awoken later by a pillow to the face--Natasha claimed she had thrown it to stop his snoring.
Fortunately for the team this time around, Bruce picked something which had a little something for everyone--romance for Thor, action for Clint and Tony, music for Phil and Natasha, and lastly the underdog-triumphing-story for Steve. Just as with any other movie night, the group passed snarky comments back and forth as the action unfolded, while Thor and sometimes Steve, asked questions about references they didn’t understand, with Phil trying to shush them every ten minutes or so. However, it wasn’t long into the film before Tony felt a slight pressure as Steve’s head connected with his shoulder. Turning his head slightly, the genius could see, in the faint glow of the television screen and his arc reactor, as the soldier’s eyes closed one last time and exhaustion pulled him under.
Instead of focusing on the film again, Tony took the opportunity to simply watch as the blonde slept. Although he still felt anger towards Steve and the situation Howard had unintentionally left behind with his death, Tony couldn’t help but feel the beginnings of jealousy at the idea of Howard once again taking something that could have been his. While there was no doubt in his mind that his mother had loved him, Tony still couldn’t shake the feeling of her having loved Howard more, which is one reason why it always seemed like she was choosing to attend Howard’s events over spending time with him. And now, the genius knew he didn’t stand a chance with Steve, simply due to the cluster of cells growing inside the blonde... another piece of Howard Stark’s legacy left to the world. Maybe this kid wouldn’t be such a screw up as Tony had been; could never achieve what his father wanted, could never be good enough for Howard Anthony Walter Stark.
When he began dating Pepper, Tony thought he was ready to put his the-child-nobody-wanted mentality behind him, and for a time he did. Regrettably, the relationship didn’t last as long as he would have liked. Although Pepper could put up with a lot of his more outrageous behavior when it came to his R&D projects, it turned out that she couldn’t handle the uncertainty of never knowing whether Tony was going to come back from a S.H.I.E.L.D mission, suit or no suit. The redhead didn’t doubt Tony’s brilliance when it came to inventing, designing, and upgrading his armor; but she still understood the risks... the Iron Man suit was only as good as the available data on its enemy. The fight with the Chitauri had proven that to her--after she had heard the highly redacted version from JARVIS. Their relationship survived for another couple of small missions before Pepper called it quits. She told Tony that she would always love him as a friend, but she wasn’t willing to spend the rest of her life worrying about whether or not he would come home to her. And all things considered, Tony took the news rather well with his workshop only suffering a little damage in the wake of their breakup, and less than three days later, the genius was back to work as though nothing had occurred.
It was only when the lights went up sometime later, did Tony realize he had spent the whole movie gazing as Steve as he slept. While it wasn’t a huge deal, one look from Bruce told him that he had been caught in the act. They hadn’t started off on the best of terms, especially when Tony made it his mission to see the other scientist Hulk-out; but eventually, they had bonded over a love of science and technology and the rest was history. Bruce became Tony’s soundboard after his breakup with Pepper, so the other man wasn’t ignorant to the fact of the growing feelings Tony was having towards their fearless leader. After being sworn to secrecy, all Bruce could do was watch as the soldier and the genius danced around each other, absolutely oblivious to what one was thinking or feeling towards the other. He would have found it comical, if it wasn’t inanely tragic at the same time. For two men who never showed any fear when faced with deadly aliens and dangerous robotic creations, they were both fearful of wearing their hearts openly on their sleeves.
Tony caught Bruce’s pointed look and waved it away with a quick jerk of his head, taking care not to jar Steve from his sleep. Though he was worried for his friend’s heart, Bruce left him to it, knowing that Tony was a big boy and could take care of himself and if the worst happened, then he would be there to pick up the pieces of Tony’s fragile heart. Grabbing the bowl of popcorn, Bruce left with the rest of the Avengers as they shuffled out one by one: Clint supporting a drowsy Phil and Natasha playing Angry Birds in one hand with an empty glass in the other.
It was only after the room was empty did Tony lightly shake Steve awake, murmuring in a gentle tone, “Wakey-wakey, Stevie.”
Steve groaned and blinked against the brightness of the living room. “Don’t call me that,” Steve grumbled as he leaned away from Tony and stretched his shirt riding up to show the barest hint of golden skin. Tony turned away from sight, subconsciously licking his lips; Steve didn’t need to see him lusting after him. Now wasn’t the time for it, especially when Steve was expecting Howard’s child.
“All right,” Tony said as he got to his feet before holding out his hands to pull Steve up. “Let’s get you to bed.”
Steve quirked his lips in the semblance of a smile and allowed Tony to wrap his arm around his waist as the pair shuffled towards the elevator. It was only after they were inside the enclosed space did Steve begin to lean heavily against Tony as the elevator began its ascent to Steve’s floor; the weight of sleep finally catching up with him. Within a few minutes of exiting the elevator, Tony had seen Steve tucked into bed and fast asleep.
“JARVIS,” Tony called out as he entered the elevator again, bound for his own floor with his lab being his ultimate destination, “monitor Captain Rogers and let me know if he needs anything.”
“Of course, sir,” The AI intoned. “Will you be needing anything else, sir?”
“Lock us down for the night, JARVIS.” Tony said, instructing the AI to set the safety and security protocols. While they might be a bunch of superheroes, it didn’t mean that Tony couldn’t give them all a little peace of mind when it came to where they laid their heads at night.
***
“I feel stupid,” Steve grumbled, not bothering to hide the disdain he felt towards his current yoga pose, resembling a peasant bowing before a king. When his doctor had originally recommended yoga in place of his normal exercise routine, Steve hadn’t given much thought about it; but now that he was somewhere between 15 and 16 weeks, Steve was starting to feel awkward in his own skin, especially in this position. Kneeling with his knees spread and his belly close to the floor, the pose made Steve very aware of his expanding middle.
“As you focus on your tension between your eyebrows,” Natasha intoned, choosing to ignore Steve’s remark and the snicker of laughter from Clint’s direction, “continue breathing as your mind lets go of all its thoughts and concerns.”
Sighing heavily, Steve tried to do as Natasha instructed, but the sound of the gym door opening softly pulled his attention away briefly. With a glance towards the gym’s doors, Steve watched as Phil settled on the stack of mats near the door, stretching his legs out as he waited for Clint to finish. In the last couple of weeks, Phil had become a common sight during their yoga sessions, though Steve wasn’t exactly sure where Phil and Clint disappeared to, once Natasha called it quits for the day.
Dropping his head again, Steve listened for Natasha’s next set of commands. “With your hands still flat against the mat, gently walk your hands to the right side and allow your left shoulder to drop close to the floor.” Natasha directed, making them hold their new pose for a few moment before continuing, “Now, walk your hands to your left.”
There was a brief silence before the unmistakable sound of humming could be heard coming from Clint; while the tone was catchy, Steve couldn’t place the song. It was probably one of those inane pop songs which were so popular. In spite of all Clint’s manly bluster, the archer had a deep seated, supposedly secret, love for Katy Perry, which Tony took great pleasure in teasing him about.
“Shut up, Clint.” Natasha said calmly; but Clint’s humming didn’t stop, if anything it got louder, much to the Russian’s annoyance.
Keeping his head bowed, Steve heard Natasha growl low in her throat before Clint finally spoke, “I’ve got it stuck in my head. And everybody knows they only way to get rid an earworm is to finish the song... out loud!”
Natasha sighed and ignored her friend, turning her attention back to finishing their yoga session. “Repeat once more to both sides, remembering to keep your hands shoulder-width apart.” As Natasha spoke, Steve focused on her words, trying to block out Clint’s singing. While the song was annoying the longer he listened to it, Steve was impressed by Clint’s singing voice. “Returning your hands to the center, slowly ease your body into a sitting position.”
Bending his arms, Steve pushed against the mat and rocked back on his knees, resting his butt on his toes. Once seated upright again, he waited for further instructions from Natasha, but it seemed liked the assassin had another idea in mind. With a grace Steve wished he still possessed, the red head surged to her feet and crossed the few short feet to Clint, punching the other assassin in the shoulder as she passed.
Clint grunted as her fist connected. “No need for violence, Tasha.” He told the woman, rubbing the soreness out of his arm. Phil scoffed at his husband, earning a fierce glare from the other man, especially because of the cheeky grin on his face. Steve’s smile was a little sad as he watched the interactions between Clint, Phil, and Natasha. It was the kind of friendship he had once had with Bucky, and while he enjoyed the company of his team, he couldn’t help but feel an acute sense of loss, whenever he thought of the fallen man.
“We’ll pick this up, same time tomorrow,” Natasha told Steve, giving Clint a pointed look as she grabbed her towel from the closest bench. The archer shrugged at Steve with a grin on his face as he followed Natasha, pushing himself to his feet.
“Sure,” Steve replied, cupping his hands around his slightly swollen belly, as he waited for the trio to leave. He had no regrets when it came to carrying his child to term; the only regret he had was the loss of his center of gravity and the increasing bulk around his middle.
Even before the super serum, Steve had never been ashamed of his body; but in the last couple of weeks, Steve had begun to realize the full extent of carrying a baby. He hated having to rely on others to pull him to his feet; it was a little embarrassing.
Cupping one hand around the front of the bump, Steve rose to his knees, bringing his right knee forward and putting his foot firmly on the floor before pushing against his thigh to bring himself to his feet. After noting the time on the wall clock, Steve crossed the gym, grabbed his bag, and then made his way towards the door. There were still a couple of hours until dinner, so he had time for a shower, a light nap, and a little bit of drawing time (not necessarily in that order).
***
“You know how I hate lawyers, Pep.” Steve heard Tony say as he rounded the corner leading into the lab from the stairs. Based on the tone in the billionaire’s voice, it sound as if it was a conversation he had many a time with Miss Potts. “Especially the ones that work for me.”
“Good question. I’ve taken to calling her big little sister in my head, ‘cause even though she was conceived first, I was born first.” Tony replied, grinning at his own little joke, but Steve watched as the grin slipped off his face, probably due to whatever Miss Potts had just said to him over their phone connection. “Honestly, I don’t care to think about that right now. Can’t we decide when she’s... I don’t know... 25. 25 is a good age to discuss all of this, instead of not born yet, don’t cha think?”
“Yes, while I understand their concern, I don’t believe it to be valid.”
“That’s rich, Pep,” Tony snorted as he rolled his eyes. “The board of directors aren’t trying to protect the company, just their pockets.”
“You can tell them, Steve and this kid aren’t their problem. It’s mine and I’ll handle it, okay.” The billionaire told his assistant, trying his best to placate her for the time being. While he knew it was an issue that needed to be addressed, it wasn’t one that he was willing to address until it was absolutely necessary. “Now what about these documents you sent over?”
“Yes, Pep, I promise I’ll look over everything and sign it. Bye.”
The faint tread of soles on the cement floor made Tony turn and look behind, gazing at Steve as he crossed the room, edging closer to Tony with every step. Once he was within feet of the genius, with only a worktop table between, Steve stopped. “Your. Problem. You’ll. Handle.” Steve repeated calmly, paraphrasing the gist of the phone conversation he had just overheard. “I’m not your responsibility, Stark. You don’t owe me or my baby anything.”
“I didn’t mean it like that, Steve.”
“Then how did you mean it?”
“I--I...” Tony’s voice trailed off, unable to form the answer the soldier was looking for.
“That’s what I thought,” Steve replied angrily, throwing the words over his shoulders as he stormed out of the lab or at least as much as his twenty-one week old belly would allow.
Tony watched as his friend left, torn between going after him or allowing him the chance to cool down. He hadn’t meant for Steve to overhear his conversation with Pepper, which had steadily taken on the characteristics of a broken record. The boards of directors as well as the lawyers were making it their mission to direct and instruct Tony in all his dealings with Steve and Howard’s unborn child.
While on some level he understood the legal ramifications of Steve being pregnant with another Stark heir; it didn’t mean that he liked the sharks circling Steve as though he was blood in the water. Before the lawyers had gotten involved, Tony could’ve cared less what the New York courts had ruled when it came to posthumously conceived children or children conceived during a testator’s natural life, but born after his death; he had every intention of making sure that his half-sibling received his or her fair share of Howard’s monetary legacy. Yet at the same time, the genius couldn’t help but think that this child would be a better person than Tony for never having to know what a bastard of a father Howard Stark had been... maybe, just maybe Howard would have been a different person if Steve hadn’t been buried in the ice and he had been given the chance to raise this baby with the soldier.
Frowning at the digital file sent by Pepper, Tony decided to put Steve, the Board of Directors, and the lawyers out of his mind and focus on the task at hand, deciding which of the new R&D projects would be continued and which would be scrapped. Otherwise, Pepper would have his balls and he liked having them where they were at the moment. Plus, it wasn’t like Tony didn’t have the other half of Steve’s pregnancy to plan his strategy for dealing with Steve and his baby.
***
“Captain Rogers, a word?” Phil Coulson requested in his normal ‘agent of S.H.I.E.L.D’ voice from the doorway of the shared kitchen.
Giving the agent a half-smile, Steve paused in stirring the pan of pasta sauce. “Call me, Steve, Agent Coulson.”
“In that case, you are more than welcome to call me Phil.”
Steve nodded his head in agreement and said, “All right, Phil. What did you need to speak with me about?”
“As I’m sure you are aware, Agents Romanov and Barton recently return from a S.H.I.E.L.D classified mission. Though, I cannot tell you the particulars of the mission, there is something they discovered that I know will be of great interest to you.” Phil explained, eyes following Steve as he prepared one of his many meals of the day. As the blonde put his lunch together, Phil couldn’t help but think of the joke Clint had made about Steve secretly being a Hobbit; a reference that Steve didn’t get until Clint, Natasha, and Bruce had sat him down and watched the movie with him.
Steve was a little confused by where this conversation was headed, unless it somehow ended up related to HYDRA, which was always a possibility. Even though Schmidt had disappeared, HYDRA had continued with his objective, treating his death as if it was to occur, for the good of their mission. “What does this have to do with me?”
“Sorry,” Phil apologized, a little embarrassed by his inability to speak effectively while in the presence of the blonde, even after months of living in the tower with him. “They discovered a body in an abandoned Soviet lab... the person is cryogenically frozen.”
At hearing the words, cryogenic stasis, Steve interrupted the agent. “What does that mean?”
“It’s kind of what you experience while under the ice, basically cells or tissue are injected with chemicals to help preservation before being cooled in sub-zero temperatures,” Phil waited for Steve to acknowledge he understood what he had just heard, before continuing, “Now according to all of the documents and computer readouts they were able to uncover, the person... the man found is listed only as Sergeant, 12832557.”
“Bucky,” Steve murmured, struck dumb with the mere thought of his friend being alive.
“It has been confirmed by his original S.S.R and World War II records that he is James ‘Bucky’ Buchanan Barnes.”
Steve shot out of his seat, accidently knocking the chair over as he asked. “When can I see him?” With one hand supporting his bump, Steve leaned over the table and stared at Phil, willing the man to give him an acceptable answer.
“Once the doctors have deemed him not a risk,” Phil responded, quickly holding up his hand as soon as he realized Steve was about to interrupt. “He was found, brainwashed to be an assassin, and given the codename Winter Soldier by the Soviets. His early evaluations show that he is hazy on his life before the Soviets, so the doctors and Director Fury have agreed that it’s best if we wait to reintroduce you to him once he has been deprogrammed.”
“How long will that take?”
“The doctors are optimistic though it could be a matter of a few months. Brainwashing tends to be more effective in children than in adults, and what little information Romanov and Barton managed to uncover does indicate that Barnes underwent a series of reprogrammings over the course of his time with the Soviets, simply due to the implanted information not sticking.”
Steve nodded and said, “Thank you for telling me, Phil,” giving the agent a half-smile before taking a sip of his lukewarm tea.
“I thought you needed to know,” Phil remarked as he stood from the table, taking a moment to stretch out the kink in his back; since his run in with Loki, the muscles in his back seemed to stiffen if he didn’t keep moving. “I’ll get out of your way.” And with that, Phil patted Steve on the shoulder as he passed by, leaving the blonde to his thoughts.