Into the War || A Captain America Love Story

60

STEVE

I've been home from London for almost a week. The entire time has consisted of Tori and me just waiting, waiting for anything at this point to happen. James still has the possibility of not coming out for a few more weeks, but now is a pretty common time for women to go into labor. But for us, absolutely nothing has happened.

I flop on to our bed, ready to pass out. After the mission I've just wanted to sleep, but I cannot because Tori can't so she accidentally wakes me up. She giggles at me, getting into bed beside me. We snuggle up against each other, taking in all of the warmth that we can. It might be almost the end of winter, but not temperature-wise. It's still freezing in New York.

Tori glances up at me, a smile plastering her lips. "I really hope that he gets your eyes," she muses.

I laugh. "And I hope he gets your smile," I say. I brush a lock of her hair behind her ear, and then move it back to her stomach. "Any day now."

"Yep," she sighs. "How fun."

I raise an eyebrow at her. "I'm confused. You always wanted kids."

"I have and I still do. It's just I'm not the biggest fan on how they enter the world."

The smile on my face fades quickly. "Oh god, please don't remind me."

"Hey, you have the easy job!"

"While you crush my fingers!"

She giggles. "You know I love you," she mumbles, taking my hand in hers.

"And I love you," I smile.

"So don't take it personally if I do happen break your fingers."

I roll my eyes. I stretch my arm out to turn off the lamp on my nightstand, and cuddle back with my wife. It's not long until I fall asleep, probably snoring in Tori's ear. And because of the fact that I'm so used to it, I don't even feel her get out of bed or hear anything until she calls my name a while later.

"Hey, Steve?" Tori asks from the bathroom.

"Mm hm?" I ask, not flinching let alone opening my eyes.

"My water just broke."

"Excuse me, what?" I ask her, bolting up from the bed with my eyes wide open.

"Something happened, and we gotta go," Tori says. She holds her stomach protectively, and the color has drained from her face. "Yeah, we have to go."

"WELL OF COURSE WE HAVE TO GO!" I shout. I spring out of bed, into the closet, and get dressed within seconds. All sense has just been knocked out of me and I can't seem to get a grip.

"Wait, what time is it?"

"YOU THINK I CARE? YOU'RE GOING INTO LABOR, VICTORIA!"

"Steve, can you just help me get dressed please?" she asks in a low voice.

I quickly help her as she winces, pulling out the outfit she had folded in our closet for weeks. My trembling hands pull a sweatshirt on her, pulling her hair out from underneath.

"How are you being so calm?" I ask her, lowering my voice.

"I think it's from shock," she whispers, a weak forced laugh escaping through her parted lips. It forms into a pained yelp, and her grip on my shirt tightens. "And pain."

"Okay, come on. Let's go," I mumble. I scoop her up into my arms, since she most likely lacks the capability to walk right now, and snatch up the hospital bag on my way out the door. I carefully set her into the passenger seat of my car, zooming to the other side to get off to the hospital. As I speed out on to the road, Tori tells me in between breaths that she contacted the midwife and she said that the hospital is ready for us to come.