Sixth Month
Things were tense between them now with Steve knowing about their baby and the rejected marriage proposal. Steve had looked happy after the initial shock about the pregnancy but seemed for some reason hurt that she hadn't said yes to him. He didn't love her, why on earth was he hurt that she didn't want to marry him? They didn't have to be married to raise a child!
She agreed after a heated argument that she would come with him to Wales so they could take the quinjet there to fly to Wakanda. Steve assured her that they could trust T'challa and that they had the best health care. She had no reason to trust T'challa but she trusted Steve so she decided to come to Wakanda. If Steve was right then they would be perfectly safe there and she could give birth there.
They had to stay a few more days until they could leave for Wales because an international conference was happening in Copenhagen and law enforcement was everywhere. The risk that someone could recognize them was too high.
She was laying in her bed staring at the bedroom ceiling unable to fall asleep. She couldn't stop thinking about the evening three days ago when she had finally told him the truth.
"Why not?" Steve was still on one knee. "I'll get you a ring. I know this isn't the perfect pro-"
"Steve." She sighed and grabbed him by the shoulders so he would finally stand up. "I know that you're from a time where you were expected to get married when you got a girl pregnant but this time is over. I can take care of myself. I don't need you." Steve's face fell and she quickly added. "The baby needs you and I know you will be there for our child and that's all I'm asking for."
"And what about us?" Steve's hand reached out but he stopped before he could touch her. "What about you and me?"
"We'll co-parent. We'll figure the arrangements out. I want you to be part of this child's life." She said softly. "I know I couldn't find a better father for my baby."
Steve still seemed hurt. "So I'm only gonna be part of the baby's life, huh?"
"What? No, you're my best friend. You're always gonna be a part of my life, too. Baby or no baby."
"Okay. If that's how it is." He almost seemed angry and she had no idea why. Why was he acting like this?
"You're happy about the baby though, right?" She asked carefully.
Now he was finally smiling. "Of course, Nat. I can't tell you how much. I never thought that this was possible for me but now that this is happening...with you...I don't think I've never been happier."
Thank God! She smiled back at him. "Me, too. I was shocked at first. And scared but...This is everything." She rested her hand on her baby bump. "This baby is everything." She got an idea. "You wanna see the little chudo?"
"Chudo?" Steve asked perplexed.
"Miracle. It means miracle. I have an ultrasound picture of the chudo."
Steve smiled softly. "Chudo...I like that. And I would love to see our child."
A shiver ran down her spine. Our child. She smiled brightly and told him to follow her so she could show him the picture.
They stayed four more days at her apartment until she was positive that they could leave the country without being made. They took a flight to Cardiff and Steve drove them to the cottage near the coast where he had been staying with Wanda and Sam. She was excited to see them but also nervous. Were they mad at her for what had happend with the Accords? How would they react to her pregnancy?
Steve had been very sweet to her in the last days always making sure that she had everything she could possibly need. There had been moments were she wished that they were a real couple and they would sleep in one bed. That he would massage her feet, kiss her goodnight and hold her in his arms while she slept. She didn't know if it was the pregnancy but she felt really lonely sometimes. Steve was here with her yet he felt so far away from her. He was attentive and took care of her but he still seemed distant and she didn't know why. But she did know one hundred percent that he was already in love with their baby. And that was all she wanted in the end. It didn't matter what she wanted for herself. Only the little chudo mattered.
They drove through a village until Steve stopped the car at the end of the small town. "We're here." He looked at her for the first time during the two hour drive. "We stay the night so I can contact T'challa and then we can leave tomorrow, okay?"
She nodded. "Yes. And thank you."
He gave her a small smile. "You don't have to thank me. I just want to make sure that the little chudo is okay. That you are okay. Since we don't really know how this pregnancy is even possible."
She reached over to rest her hand on top of his on the steering wheel. "Just thank you. I'm glad that I don't have to do this alone anymore."
"You'll always have me, Nat. I promise you this. Whatever you need, I'm there." He turned his hand to take hers in his. "I'm all in. There's something I've wanted to tell you for so long, Nat. I lo-"
"Hey guys!" She looked up and saw Sam and Wanda coming towards the car. Steve grunted and let go of her hand. Sam and Wanda didn't seem angry to see her but were actually smiling at her. Good, she didn't think she could handle their hatred with her pregnancy hormones going crazy. She'd cried yesterday during a commercial but Steve had been so kind to ignore it.
She got out of the car with her coat and Sam's scarf hiding her baby bump. She still hadn't shown Steve her bump without any clothes covering it. She figured he would see it during her examination in Wakanda. Wanda was a few feet away from her when she stopped in her tracks with wide eyes. "Oh." Her eyes turned red. "Wow."
Could she sense the child? "Wanda, are you okay?" Steve asked worriedly.
She nodded. "Yes, I am." She gave Natasha a sweet smile. "Congratulations." So she could sense the child. That was kind of creepy...But also impressive.
"Thank you. It's good to see you, Wanda." And it really was.
"Congratulations for what?" Sam spoke up. "And welcome to our little casa."
She grinned and opened her coat. "Congratulations for this."
Sam's eyes almost fell out of their sockets. "Holy...Who's the father?"
"Steve." She and Wanda said at the same time. How did Wanda know?
"I am." Steve said rather proudly and it made her warm and fuzzy.
"What? How? I mean I know how. Just..." Sam stuttered and pointed at her belly. "I had no clue you two were a couple."
"We're not." She quickly said before Steve could say it and crush her heart. Hugs were exchanged and Steve would let her have his bedroom for the night and contacted T'challa to let him know that they would arrive tomorrow.
She could clearly see that Wanda and Sam had questions, especially Sam, but they both were kind to her and asked her if she needed anything. Sam was already planning to knit something for the baby. They exchanged a few stories and one of Sam's unsuccessful tries to charm an Italian woman made Natasha laugh so hard that she actually started to cry.
"The baby reacts to your voice." Wanda said when her laughter died down.
"What?" She and Steve asked at the same time.
"I can feel it. He loves your voice, especially your laughter and when you sing to him."
"You sing to the baby?" Steve asked apparently completely missing what Wanda just revealed.
"He?" She asked softly. "It's a boy?"
Wanda went pale. "You didn't know? I thought- Oh God, I'm so-"
Steve seemed to have finally caught up. "A boy? We're having a son?"
She turned to look at him and he wasn't the only one with tears in their eyes. "Yeah, looks like it." She was going to have a little boy. She went over to Steve to hug him and this time she did press her baby bump against him so he could feel it. "Are you happy about that?" She whispered against his chest and heard faintly how Sam and Wanda left the room to give them a moment of privacy.
"I didn't care if it was a boy or girl but yeah, I'm happy about it. A son." He wrapped his arms around her and she felt truly safe and content for the first time in months.
"I hope he'll take after his father."
Steve chuckled and pressed a kiss on her hair. "And here I was hoping he'll take after his mother."
The trip to Wales had exhausted her and she went to bed soon after dinner. She was sure that especially Sam would ask Steve a lot of questions after she left the room but she was too tired to care about that right now. She was still completely overwhelmed that she was going to have a son. She really hoped that her boy would take after his father. Steve was so kind, smart and brave and she wanted her son to have his characters traits. Even though she was tired she couldn't seem to fall asleep. She kept wondering how their son would look like. Would he have Steve's beautiful eyes? Or her hair? She placed her hand on her belly and started to hum an old Russian folk song. She got to the refrain when she suddenly felt a kick against her palm. The little chudo had been kicking against her kidney for a few days now but this was the first time you could feel the kick outside of her body.
"Steve!"
He was so fast in his bedroom that she was surprised he hadn't broken through the sound barrier. "What? Are you okay? Is the baby okay?"
"Come!" She pushed the blanket away and pulled her shirt up. "He's kicking! Come and feel!" Steve got onto the bed and she grabbed his hand to place it on her bare stomach. "Wait for it..." The baby kicked her again and Steve looked at her with awe. "He clearly takes after his dad." She said with a smile.
"Wow! Hi there, chudo!" He left his hand on her stomach and they were both waiting for the next kick. "Does it hurt?"
"What?"
"Him kicking you, does it hurt?"
"No, it just feels strange. This is the first time he really kicked." Just like on cue he did it again.
"Thank you for sharing this with me."
She shook her head softly. "You don't have to thank me for this." She yawned. "Is it okay if I try to get some sleep? You can stay here, maybe he'll kick again."
"Are you sure?"
She nodded and they ended up on their sides with Steve spooning her, his hand on her belly. "Thank you for giving him to me." She mumbled out before she fell asleep. Even with the chudo's kicks, she slept heavenly that night. And she knew who the reason for that was. Maybe she did want more from him. It would be nice to be a couple, to be a real family but she couldn't be with someone who only offered to be with her because of the sake of their baby.
They arrived in Wakanda late at night. She and Steve talked about their concerns for the safety of their child. Steve was scared as well that people could be after the chudo because of the serum potentially running through his veins. And what about her serum? Did their son have both serums? Did he have none? She hoped that she would get to see an OB/GYN as soon as possible. But first they would have to tell T'challa that she was pregnant with Captain America's child. She hoped that the king wasn't mad that she had electrocuted him in Leipzig, even though Steve had assured that he probably wasn't. Did the people of Wakanda knew what she did to their king? She straightened the dress that Wanda had given her so she could brace the Wakandan heat and stroked her bump that was clearly visibly without any oversized clothing covering it.
"Ready?" Steve asked before he lowered the ramp of the quinjet.
She nodded and walked up behind him. "Let's go."
T'challa and someone of the Dora Milaje were waiting for them at the end of the airfield. And there was someone else behind them. She squinted her eyes. Was that-
"Bucky?!" Steve asked perplexed. "Is that you?"
Barnes tried to step forward but the woman threw him a look and he stayed put. It was probably against protocol to greet someone before the king did.
"Captain Rogers." T'challa smiled and shook his hand. "I didn't think we would see you so soon. This is General Okoye." The woman gave them a short nod.
"Thank you for helping us again."
"And Miss Romanoff!" T'challa shook her hand as well. He didn't appear to be mad at her. "Welcome to Wakanda. How lovely to see you again." His gaze fell to her stomach and he laughed. "I guess I know now why you came to us."
Barnes seemed to have forgotten any protocol and stepped forward. "Stevie did you knock this girl up?" She tensed when Barnes took her left hand but he quickly let go. "And no ring? What the hell? You got a girl in trouble without marrying her?! Your mother is rolling in her grave right now!"
Steve just stared at him and she didn't know if it was because of what Barnes had just said or because he seemed to be himself from what she could tell. T'challa looked highly amused and even Okoye was fighting a smile.
Barnes shook his head. "Sorry, I guess I'm more catholic than I realized." He smiled at her warmly and offered her his hand. "I'm James Buchanan Barnes. But you can call me Bucky or whatever you want, doll."
"Can you please not hit on the mother of my child!" Steve growled with a set jaw.
Barnes' smile grew even wider. "I was just testing something, punk."
T'challa excused himself and left with his General while someone of his staff showed them their suites. She went to bed after Barnes had told them that T'challa's sister Shuri fixed his brain and that he had been out of cryo for a few weeks. She'd figured that Steve and his best friend had a lot of catching up to do.
She barely slept that night and when she did fall asleep it wasn't for long. She knew why. She missed Steve. Fuck. She couldn't be in love with her child's father. What if she fucked everything up?