Separate Universe (HP/MCU)

Chapter Ninety Five

"Did we get everything?" Pepper asked, just as Tony came over with a huge pan of burgers and hotdogs from the grill.

Tony had agreed to barbecue for the occasion, and he let Nanala help when he felt she could. Tony was afraid she'd accidentally burn herself, since she hadn't used a grill, and the fire could easily burn her if she wasn't careful.

"That's everything." Tony announced, and Pepper nodded.

"Call everyone to eat." She commented, causing Tony to nod as well.

Soon, everyone was grabbing sodas and setting them in spots at the large tables Tony had set up, before they formed a line at the tables with the food. There was also a dessert table, but everyone knew to stay away from it until after they had eaten real food. Henry sat in between Nanala and Bucky, as everyone sat down to eat.

On Nanala's plate, she had a cheeseburger, a hotdog, chips, cheese dip, and fruit. Henry had a similar plate, but without a cheeseburger, and he had French onion dip instead of cheese dip. Bucky had the same as Nanala, but his plate was doubled since he was a super soldier and could eat a lot.

"Na!" Harry exclaimed, reaching over for Nanala.

Instead of saying "no," Nanala stood up and leaned over the table to take Harry from James. Nanala had a feeling she knew why Harry wanted to be in her lap, and it was somewhat because he missed having a mother, but there was something else as well. Nanala and Bucky glanced at each other, and Bucky gave Nanala a subtle nod.

"Can I have everyone's attention?" Nanala asked, causing everyone to turn towards her.

Nanala felt her stomach fill with butterflies, but she didn't let that stop her.

"So, Bucky and I have been keeping a secret from you guys for the last week. Last week we found out the news, and we've decided to share it with you all--" Nanala began, but Sam cut her off.

"Quit rambling and spit it out!" He called, causing the others to laugh.

"I'm pregnant!" She exclaimed, and everyone went silent for a moment.

Before Nanala could even blink, everyone was cheering and congratulating her and Bucky. Pepper and Laura had jumped from their seats and ran over to hug her, both women had tears in their eyes.

"How far along are you?" Clint asked, as he waited for his turn to hug his daughter.

"About six weeks, so doc thinks I got pregnant about two weeks after I got out of the hospital." Nanala replied, and the guys chuckled.

"Good job, Buck." Sam commented, patting the man's shoulder.

"That would explain why Harry wants to be with you, he can sense that you're pregnant." Remus said, and Nanala nodded.

"I figured so, but I didn't know if I wanted to tell you guys yet. I was going to wait, but then I realized that this was the only time everyone would be here for me to announce the news." Nanala replied, as she smiled widely from happiness.

"Too bad Wanda and Pietro didn't show up." Scott commented, causing the girl to sigh.

"Wanda's going through a harm time right now, and I didn't want Pietro to make her come against her will. I figure I could always invite them to mine and Bucky's wedding, and hopefully we'll all get to see them again." Nanala said, and the others nodded.

After the news, everyone went back to what they had been doing, but a permanent smile stayed on their faces. Sirius and Remus could tell that James wasn't too happy with the news, but he wouldn't complain. His friends knew he was feeling a little hurt though. Even if he claimed to be over her enough to not be affected by her and Bucky's relationship, his friends knew he was still a little affected. He had been in love with her for a long time, and though he fell for Lily, his heart would always still partially belong to Nanala.

Nanala having a baby with Bucky solidified the fact that James really had lost her for good. He'd have to get over her completely, otherwise he'd put himself at risk of being hurt more or worse by things Nanala and Bucky did. He knew the wedding would hurt a lot, and seeing the two with a new baby would definitely hurt, but he wanted to be happy for them. Nanala was finally happy, and there wasn't a damn thing in the world trying to ruin her happiness or take it away.

Well, except he believed that he was the one thing in the world that could potentially hurt her happiness. If he wasn't carefully, and if he didn't get over her soon, he could hurt her, and he would hate himself for that. He wondered if there was a way he could get himself out in the dating game. Yes, it was totally out if his comfort zone, but he figured that was a good thing. If he always stayed in his comfort zone, he'd never have the chance to enjoy life and really live it.

He wondered if Sirius and Remus would help him get out into the dating pool. Actually, he figured everyone would, which was just a little scary. The person he definitely needed to ask was Tony, since Tony knew all the perfect places to pick up girls and bring them on dates. He just didn't need to be as much of a playboy as Tony was for such a long time. Well, actually he could be a playboy if he wanted to, but he doubted that would be ideal, since he had little Harry and Henry to think about.

Obviously, he knew Sirius, Remus, and Nanala would watch Harry if he wanted to go out, but he didn't want them to have to babysit so he could shag some girl he barely knew. Being a playboy and a father sounded a lot harder than James was willing to go for. In the end, he just hoped dating would be his final push to get over his feelings for Nanala, though he knew he'd always love her in some way...