Disclaimer: I do not own the Characters contained herein unless otherwise stated. I am responsible for the creation of original characters only such as Irene.
This story is something I've had floating around for a little while. Hope you all enjoy it.
Somehow she knew she would find him here, maybe because it was Sunday, more than likely it had to do with the fact that she had already gone by his apartment and found it empty, and her next guess was to find the nearest Catholic Church. Irene shrugged it off and left it to chance, she hadn't been to very many catholic masses, not since before her grandmother died.
At over six foot tall Steve wasn't too hard to spot in the pews, so Irene slid into one of the back pews to wait out the end of the mass, which should be ending soon any how going through the motions of Catholicism. Any other day perhaps she would have actually paid attention, but today was different.
Today she was pregnant. And she had to tell Steve he was going to be a father.
Now mind you she had just found out this week, so Irene wasn't so used to the idea yet herself. She had at least made an appointment with her OB/GYN. So that was one step in the right direction, and she was fiddling with her hands again, she always did that when she was nervous. She didn't even know how pregnant she was for God's sake! She felt so guilty. It was so unfair to this child to be saddled with a mother like her when there were women in the world that were ready to have a baby and desperately wanted to be in her condition but couldn't conceive for various reasons.
Glanced up noticing that the service had just ended people rising from the pews and heading for the most part towards the exit, a few older ladies congregating to talk about what a great service it had been, the sight of them making Irene smile a little. They reminded her even more of her Catholic grandmother, as opposed to her Baptist grandmother of course.
This was going to be painful and awkward but for the sake of her unborn child it needed to be done. Fuck.
She sighed rising from the pew watching Steve wander up the aisle, the man seeming solemn as he did. She wondered vaguely if he would remember her, she certainly hoped he did.
Sliding out of her pew after Steve passed by and catching up with him " Steve" she called after the other that was about a foot taller than she was, her fingers brushing his elbow as she caught up. The statuesque blond turning to find her clearly surprised to see her though a flush was fast to color his face a vibrant scarlet color.
"I-irene" He stammered perhaps only in surprise, but Irene couldn't help but feel that perhaps Steve was just kind of shy around girls. "What are you doing here?" He questions glancing around, and looking to her, though his blush darkening a little as he stammered again stumbling over his words a little. " I – I mean not that you aren't all-lowed to be here or anything. I just didn't think I would see you here" He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, he had really big hands, Irene noted idly and smiled at his reaction unable to stifle a giggle at the flustered blond.
"Yeah, I know. I stopped by your apartment looking for you but you weren't there. So I guessed and got lucky by finding you here. I hope you don't mind…" She trailed off and now it was her turn to blush. 'Oh god I hope he doesn't think I'm a creepy stalker, that could just make this all go really bad' She thought to herself, though he seemed relatively mellow for someone that might suspect he was being stalked.
"No, no It's fine. I guess I'm just wondering while you're here" Steve stated, watching her, his azure gaze clearly curious by now. Irene had to refrain from speaking her mind and telling the painfully attractive man in front of her ' Oh I just came to defile the church confessionals with you' Because that would go over like a lead balloon, even if the idea was tantalizingly delicious.
"Well, I- wanted to talk to you. Why don't we go for a walk,? I get kinda antsy if I have to stand in one place to long" She admitted. Steve acquiesced to her request and they were off wondering through the streets of New York City.
"So, uh what did you want to talk to me about?" Steve asked his gaze wandering as they walked, glancing to her briefly. Irene was hesitant, how do you break news like this to a man, she'd heard of a few cutesy ways some women had revealed their pregnancy to their significant others. Granted this situation was very different, she didn't really even know Steve they weren't in any manner of relationship.
"I- " She laughed almost to herself looking to the other blue eyes meeting and she looked away first the butterflies in her stomach had migrated to her chest and the fluttering was so agonizing. Steve had stopped now and watching her wearily, concerned for her at this point.
She gave a shaky sigh and continued "I've never done this, so I have no idea how to go about saying something like this so I guess I'll just treat it like a band aid. Just say it and hope it hurts less."To say that Steve was now very confused was an understatement, so Irene took a deep breath and the words tumbled from her mouth.
"I'm pregnant Steve" she blurted no longer able to even look at the father of her child at the embarrassment and shame that flooded her at saying those words out loud, her cheeks blooming in to two brilliant florets of crimson. Her eyes' tearing up, to say that she was scared was an understatement. She was practically paralyzed with fear awaiting his reaction.
She waited for what seemed like an eternity, managing to muster up the courage to steal a glimpse at the other who was clearly stunned. Steve was a bit ashen though he shook off the surprise of her confession enough to respond.
"I'm- a-and you're telling me that I'm that father?" He questioned to make everything crystal clear, painfully crystal clear.
Irene couldn't summon the words to confirm his statement so she made do with a simple nod, tears threatening to fall at this point half from the relief of getting the confession off her chest and the other half? She wasn't quite sure what to label that emotion yet but it didn't feel good.
He looked at her for a moment longer, clearly dumb-founded but he shook it off and decided to roll with the punches. He had a responsibility to take care of this woman now, if she was going to be the mother of his child.
"Irene, look at me" He stated lightly, straightening up and squaring his shoulders, his eyes finding her teary eyes, his brows furrowing. Was this his fault?
"Hey, wait why are you crying? Look I'm sorry about all this I just-" He cut off watching her shake her head at him. A half laugh escaping her
"I'm okay, it's just a heavy subject." She brushed off her crying, wiping her eyes and shaking her head. Steve watching her couldn't help but feel pained watching this,
"Irene, I want you to know that whatever decision you make with this I'll try to stand by you with it. If you don't want me involved I'd understand but-" "NO! Listen, I do want you involved Steve"
Irene stated watching him, the man known to some as Captain America looking almost pleasantly surprised. "Well, then I guess I want to help you however I can" He stated watching her almost cautiously.
"I'd appreciate that" She sniffled, watching him and considering for a moment " So I made a doctor's appointment on Tuesday" She stated, Steve nodding "I that's good. With a- um baby doctor?" He questioned unclear on what the proper term for such a doctor might be.
"Yeah, if you aren't busy you could come along if you want...?" Irene left the offer hanging out there for the Captain who seemed uncertain "What happens at these appointments?" He questioned cautious of getting in to a situation that might turn his face the exact shade of red to match the boots that he wore with his uniform.
Irene considered it for a moment " Well, the doctor makes sure the baby is healthy and that I'm healthy. And sometimes they do ultrasounds and you get pictures of the baby before it's born." She stated with a half shrug.
"I'm just as new to this as you are" She commented, Steve nodding in agreement and wondering what an ultrasound was and how modern medicine had made it possible to take pictures of a child while it was inside its mother still.
"Interesting, I suppose it couldn't hurt to go. " He reasoned, though something occurred to him suddenly. He was more than likely going to have to reveal his secret identity to Irene at some point and then something struck him that pained him to even think about. There was a finite possibility that his being a super soldier could have a serious affect on the child growing inside Irene.
His train of thought was brought off track by Irene's voice " So Steve, why don't you come to my place for dinner tonight and we can discuss this further, I'd never really planned on announcing I was pregnant across the street from an Episcopalian Church, but nothing in life really goes as planned right?" She stated, watching him as he looked around just seeming to notice the church. "Sure, that sounds fine. But you do realize I don't know where you live?"
Irene blushed at that reaching in to her purse for a pen " Says the father of my child" She murmured to herself shaking her head. Poor Steve having hearing as good as he did flushed himself rather embarrassed that he didn't know the information, or really too much at all about Irene.
Once she had retrieved a pen she glanced to him curiously " Do you have any paper?" She questioned, instigating Steve to root through his pockets, allowing Irene a moment to reflect on how she wouldn't mind getting her hands in those pockets…
And a swift painful pinch on the back of her hand was enough to flush those intoxicating thoughts down the drain. 'Getting in his pants is how you got here in the first place, get your act together!' She mentally berated herself, " No, I don't" Steve stated sheepishly, Irene shrugged
"Lemme see your hand" She stated taking his large warm hand when he offered it to her, Irene reminded of how that hand had felt-'DAMNIT! Stop it! Stupid pregnant brain!' Somewhat miffed with her lack of control around Steve, when he seemed to be handling everything so much better than she was, was simply infuriating as she scrawled the address to her apartment in Brooklyn on his hand. "There, you can read that right?" She questioned, watching Steve read his hand and nod.
"So 7:00 ?" He asked suggesting a time to her, to which she managed to smile and nod. " Yes. But I have to go Steve. I'll see you tonight" She stated glancing to her watching and moving off towards the nearest subway station. Glancing to his hand, her apartment wasn't that far from his own, he supposed. He should probably tell her tonight what she was getting herself in to, before she got in too deep.