A Romanogers Story

Chapter 38

"G'morning everyone! What's the time?" Bruce was the last one to step through the lift doors.
"Morning mate, it's now 09:08." Tony came out of the kitchen, "Hey, anyone ever heard of coriander? Apparently it's a green food, like broccoli, but I've never tried it."
Everyone, but Steve, shook their heads.
"I think I have. Thin, green leaf-like thing? I think it's from India..." He got up off the sofa, where he, Natasha and James were sitting. "I'm gonna go to the training room. Anyone else going?" Everyone said no, so Tony said, "What about you, Nat? You not going with your husband?" Natasha froze and didn't know what to say.
"Uh, no. It was a rough night for us." Steve's quick witt kicked in and he answered for her. He bent down to kiss Natasha and left.
"Rough, eh? What happened?" Tony questioned after Steve had disappeared behind the lift doors.
"I uh. I don't really want to talk about it." Natasha looked out the window.
"Does your son know?"
"No, I don't think so. Do you?" Natasha looked over at James who slowly shook his head.
"So only you and Steve? Pretty reasonable." Tony went back into the kitchen and Natasha let out a long sigh.
"Mom, what happened?" James whispered.
"I um... I'll explain later."

After an hour and a half, Steve had come out of the training room and had a shower. He was about to get clothes from the wardrobe in his room, when he saw Tony sitting in his armchair.
"Oh ssshhii- What are you doing here!?" Steve jumped when he noticed.
"I wanted to talk to you about your 'rough night'. We're both boys, don't worry." Tony stood up and turned around to give Steve some privacy.
"I uh. I don't want to talk about it." Steve pulled some clothes on.
"You sound just like your wife. Do you know that?" Tony turned back round.
"No. Maybe we both just don't want to talk about it. Would you want to? It's like... I don't know. We just don't want to, I guess." Steve walked into the living room with Tony trailing behind.
"Was it an action you did?" Tony stopped Steve.
"Yes." They sat on the sofa.
"Did it include sweat?"
"Does your action start with the letter 's'?"
"Yes. Where are you getting at?"
"Oh my, Steve. You don't need to be ashamed about that. You've done it before."
"I know, Tony, but the last time I did it, I was with Bucky."
"Right, um. Tell me what happened, because I don't know where I'm going." Tony put a hand on Steve's shoulder.
"I shot Brushov, Afansel Brushov." Steve got up and the two left without a further word.

"Dad, Mom told me everything that happened last night. Are you okay?" James ran up to his father as soon as he saw him coming out of the lift.
"Yeah, I'm alright." Steve replied walking, over to Natasha who was sitting at the dining table with Pepper, chatting. He sat down next to her and whispered, "Nat, did you tell James about what you told me? About what the doctors told you at the hospital?" Natasha shook her head.
"What happened? The hospital was involved?" Pepper overheard. Steve and Natasha looked at her, then back at each other. Natasha nodded.
"Um, okay... Well, Pepper. Yesterday morning, Natasha went to the hospital to tell the doctors about on and off stomach pains that she had been having. The doctors did a scan and she's pregnant again."
Pepper looked at them both and her face lit up. "Wait, since when?"
"I don't kno-"
"Well, the doctors said that it has been three weeks." Natasha interrupted Steve.
"I was going to say, you don't look the size."
"Please don't tell anyone else."
"My lips are sealed." Pepper smiled and walked off.
"We have to tell James." Steve turned to Natasha.
"We will." Natasha looked at him. She put a finger under Steve's chin and kissed him twice. She walked off to and left Steve sitting there with his lips feeling warm. He hadn't moved from the position Natasha left him in. Steve looked behind him to see Thor, Bruce and Tony looking at him. He got up and went to follow Natasha, who had already left in the lift.

"Where are you, Natasha? Where are you? Where are you?" Steve searched the floor of Natasha's old room, then searching the floor of his old room. He got into his place and into the bedroom. He saw the bathroom door shut and locked, so he knocked on it.
"Nat, are you in there?" Steve asked.
"Yep." Natasha's voice was a little muffled.
"Are you okay?" Steve faced the door.
"Yeah, I'm fine." The toilet flushed and the tap turned on. There was a second of silence when suddenly, Natasha opened the bathroom door and saw Steve sitting on the bed. He had his glasses on and he was sitting there with his legs crossed. He was fixing Natasha's first gun that he had found in a shoe box in the corner of the wardrobe. He looked up, holding the trigger in one hand and half of the gun in the other. He put them down, stood up and took his glasses off.
"Come here." Steve motioned his hand too. Natasha walked up to him and was embraced in a warm hug. She wrapped her arms around him too and they stood there for a while.