NOTES: the_wordbutler is a fantastic beta, thanks as always goes to her.

Natasha awoke in a sheen of sweat. Steve had a habit of letting the temperature creep upwards during the night in an effort to remind his unconscious mind that even though he was asleep, there wasn't any ice around. Normally Natasha didn't mind too much, but all the extra weight and blood in her body plus the assortment of pillows she needed to be comfortable made things unbearably hot, even when only wearing a sports bra and underwear and sleeping on top of the sheets. The only upside was that Steve and the team had yet to return from being called to help with a situation in South America two days ago, so she didn't have to fight his body heat in addition to everything else.

She grabbed for her phone and saw that it was just after three in the morning. Despite feeling run down for the last few days, she was certain she wouldn't be able to fall back asleep with great ease. Padding into the kitchen, she opened the freezer and removed a couple of ice cubes to stuff in what little empty space could be found in her bra before grabbing a glass from the cabinet and filling it with more ice cubes and water.

In the middle of downing her second glass, Steve walked in the door. "Why are you awake?" he asked. "And what's happening there?" he asked pointing to the spreading wet spot on the front of her blue sports bra.

"Too hot, thought a couple of ice cubes might help. How did it go?"

He shrugged. "I can now say I've been to Argentina, not that I really had a chance to see anything," he answered as he dropped his bag to the ground and moved toward her. "Apparently overzealous scientists are an international problem." He pressed a kiss to her left temple while ghosting his fingers over her bare stomach before grabbing himself a glass. "How are the two of you?" he asked while pouring a glass of milk.

"Exhausted," she answered. "I'm also now missing my navel and my cheekbones look like they're going to be swallowed whole any day now." She caught him fight a smile and pointed a finger at him. "If you try and tell me I look anything close to pleasing to the eye no matter how big I am, I will hurt you."

He raised his hands in defense before finishing his drink and wiping away his milk mustache with arm. "Temperature the only reason you couldn't sleep? No nightmares or anything?"

She shrugged. "None that I remember."

"I'll readjust the thermostat. Sorry." He paused to rinse out his glass before placing it in the dishwasher. "You know you could've stayed in your own bed."

"Yours is bigger."

He gave her a half-smile. "We could ask Tony to arrange for you to have a bigger one put in on your floor. I'd say we could just go out and get one, but there's no way we could sneak it up without him finding out."

"You want to put in the requisition form, fine. You have fun with that and the mocking you'll get from him."

He shrugged. "I can take him. Why didn't you at least change the thermostat?"

"I kind of forgot that was an option," she answered. "I'm used to be thrown into different environments and places, and rarely am I asked where I would like to bunk. You just get used to where you are and don't complain about it, especially if there's an actual mattress to sleep on."

He nodded his head in understanding. "Well, I'm beat and going to bed. If you want to join me, great. I'll even turn the temperature down."

A few minutes later when they were settled into place, Natasha closed her eyes and tried to force herself back to sleep, but her mind was racing. She listened to Steve's breathing and realized he wasn't kidding about being tired; his respiration had slowed enough for her to know that he was almost asleep but not quite there.

She opened her eyes to look at him on his side in front of her before asking a question that had been bouncing around in her head since their clothes-shopping excursion. "If we were to do that christening thing you talked about, who would you want for godparents?"

"Hmm?"

"Godparents. Who would you pick?"

He flipped onto his back and ran a hand over his face with a sigh. "I'm guessing you'd want Clint as godfather."

"Yes, but I asked who you would want."

He shrugged. "I think I'd pick Phil over Clint, or maybe Bruce. Thor goes planet hopping too often, and there's no way I'd pick Tony."

"I thought the point of godparents was to have someone spoil a kid. Sounds right up Tony's alley."

"It's who the kid is supposed to go to if something happens to the parents."

She leaned up on her elbow to look down at him. "Is that why you want to do this christening thing?" she asked quietly.

"I… not entirely, no. But that might be part of it."

"Well, that's something we have to talk about, too. Phil scheduled me to meet with legal next week so I can update my will and who gets what and all of that. He said guardianship would be part of the discussion. Obviously if something happens to me, I'd have her go to you, but we apparently need back-ups."

He thought about it a moment before offering, "We need to have one of them be someone who isn't on the team. Someone out of harm's way."

"Pepper?"

He shrugged. "She's still been in a pinch a time or two."

"Who else do we know that we trust?"

"No one," he sighed. He rolled back on his side to face her. "We might need new friends."

"I already have enough relationship liabilities as it is. I'm not willing to risk more."

He gave her a soft smile as his left hand reached out and found its way to her stomach. "If we say Barton, is that also going to imply Coulson, too?"

Natasha gave a small nod. "Clint of all people will make sure Phil is there to help out."

"What if they break up?"

"You do remember last summer, don't you? When we all thought Phil was dead? You remember how Clint was completely lost without him? Phil would've been the same way if the tables were turned. They're not going to break up."

He chewed on that for a moment more. "Pepper is the one we should be sure about."

She felt her eyebrows knit together in confusion. "I didn't know you had a problem with her."

"No, it's not that. I think she would be fine. It's just that if something were to happen to you during a fight or on a mission, odds are the baby would end up with Pepper."

"What makes you think that?"

"Because I know there's no way I'd let you go down before me without a fight, and I know Clint feels the same way."

"I don't need protecting."

"Didn't say you did, but I'd do it anyway. She's going to need one of us, and I think she's going to need you more than me." She opened her mouth to disagree, but his words kept her quiet. "Stop. You're going to be better at this than you think you will. I've never seen you fail at something, and I'm sure you aren't going to start now."

If he questioned her as to why her eyes became wet, she would blame her hormones. If he questioned her about how she leaned into the touch of his knuckles brushing away the tear running down her cheek, she would say she wanted to make sure she didn't have to get up and use a tissue. And she knew he wouldn't question her on either of those things, even though they were lies.

"So Pepper?" she asked, swallowing around the emotions in her throat.

He nodded. "And Clint."

"If you're not comfortable—"

"You wouldn't be comfortable with anyone else. And I know he would try his hardest to take good care of her, and that's all I could ask of someone in that position." His fingers moved from her cheek back to her stomach. "Think she missed me?"

"Probably," she answered before sniffing and then joining her fingers with his on her stomach. "I'm pretty sure she likes you more than me, the little brat." She used her index and middle fingers to poke at her stomach hoping it would provoke a reaction, but there was apparently still some room for the baby to hide from the jab, even though Natasha didn't feel like that was physically possible.

"Hey," Steve said, fingers moving to rub the spot where Natasha had poked at the baby. "Play nice."

"She started it with the kicking and punching. Besides, McClellan said it was something I could to try and make sure she's moving around in case she decides to go into stealth mode or something."

Steve's eyes turned from her stomach back to her face. "Everything go okay yesterday?"

She nodded. "Got to do all kinds of fun tests. Should have results in a few days. I got made fun of for showing up all by myself for the first time, but she said you had good excuse for not being there."

"When's your next appointment?"

"Two weeks. She said she could do one of those freaky ultrasound things so we can see what her face looks like."

Even in the darkness she could see the smile that crossed his face. "Really?" he asked before scooting down further into the bed so he was eye level with her stomach. "For the record, I'm sure you're going to be beautiful, even if your mom thinks those things look like weird, grainy rock carvings," he said before placing a kiss against Natasha's belly.

She felt her chest seize, not only at the sweetness of his actions and words but also at the ease he'd just displayed in calling her "mom". She flicked him on forehead. "Quit trying to wreck my emotions."

"Sorry," he muttered before placing another quick kiss and whispering, "Missed you." He then began to kiss his way up her body, making sure to pay attention to the tops of her breasts that were spilling out from her sports bra, her neck, jaw, and finally capturing her mouth with his. "Missed you, too," he breathed, his lips still close enough that she felt his words as much as heard them.

She closed the infinitesimal space between them, moaning at the contact and letting her tongue slide against his for a moment before pulling back. "I thought you said you were tired?" she asked, trying not to sound as breathless as she felt.

He shrugged. "Figured since I made you tear up I might try and get your hormones to swing around in my favor to make it up to you." He leaned in for another kiss before asking, "How am I doing so far?"

She gave a shove to his solid stomach and let out a huff of laughter when it didn't move him all that far. "Smug bastard."

Three days later, schedules aligned and Natasha and Steve invited Clint, Phil, Pepper, and Tony over for dinner. Steve and Natasha promised shish kabobs, since grilling was something Clint and Bruce had taught Steve and he had been unsurprisingly quick to catch on to. Phil and Clint walked in to Natasha's quarters, the latter carrying a covered pot full of spice-infused rice. Tony and Pepper arrived shortly after with a box full of cookies from a nearby bakery.

The men went out onto the balcony to talk about whatever men discussed over open flames and cooking meat. Inside, Pepper ordered Natasha to sit, ignored the eye roll directed at her, and made sure everything was in place.

"How's the rest of the world?" Natasha asked.

"Fine. All the sites for the construction of the other towers are moving along reasonably well. So I'm sure since I've said that I'll be called away to some other continent in the middle of the night." She paused as she adjusted the position of glasses on the table. "This drone army thing that Phil, or anyone else for that matter, won't give me straight answers on: is this something I should be concerned about?"

"Don't worry about it," Natasha answered quickly.

Pepper gave her a hard look, her eyes flickering to watch Tony through the wall of windows for a moment before turning back to Natasha. "You'd tell me if he was in trouble, right? You'd tell me if there was some way I could protect him?"

She gave the other woman a tight smile. "Don't worry about it."

Pepper sighed heavily and shook her head. "There are days I regret making a home with a bunch of secret agents."

"We appreciate the living space, if it makes you feel any better. And speaking of living spaces—"

"You two finally going to move in here instead of spending all your time in Steve's? I mean, not that I mind which floor you live on or who you might live there with, or that Tony has been tracking where you sleep." Natasha muttered a threat in her native tongue under her breath. "I'm sure I understand that sentiment, but please don't break him."

"Fine. And we would sleep down here more often, but my bed is only a full size. Any chance we can get a bigger one in here? Obviously, I'll pay for it, but I know deliveries have to go through one of you."

"What's the matter? You don't have enough room for pregnant you, super soldier him, and all the sex you're not having?" Natasha answered her by quietly taking a drink of water and enjoying the sight of Pepper's eyes going wide. "You have got to be kidding me. Since when? And why haven't you told me?"

"Couple of weeks, because I'm still getting adjusted to this new aspect of things. And keep your voice down, I'm sure the guys are staring by now."

Natasha didn't turn around, but Pepper's waving motions aimed over her head confirmed her suspicions. She leaned forward in her chair, resting her elbows on the dining table a moment later and giving Natasha a sly smile. "I have questions. They are detailed and numerous."

She shook her head. "I will say that I wish I were my usual flexible self, but that's it."

"Not fair," Pepper pouted. "I want to have girl talk so bad."

"I don't. Because then you'll feel the need to talk about your sex life and I don't want to hear about that side of Tony. Ever."

"Because it's too hot to handle?" Tony asked as he led the group of men into the open area.

"Because I'd rather gouge out my own ear drums," Natasha answered.

Pepper smirked at Tony. "I won the betting pool."

"Which one?" Clint asked.

"The 'How Long is it Going to Take Steve and Natasha to Start Banging?' one."

"You made bets on that?" Steve asked.

"Are you surprised?" Natasha countered.

"Guess I shouldn't be," he replied before setting the platter of speared meat and vegetables down on the table. "Sit and eat before it gets cold," he ordered the guests.

"Oh, no," Tony said as he took a seat to Pepper's right and across from Steve, "don't think you can distract us from this topic with food. Because there are things I want to know. Things I need to know. Cupid here has yet to give up details on what it's like to have sex with her."

"I don't kiss and tell," Clint told Tony around a mouthful of rice.

"And there's no way she's going to answer a question about it directly," Tony continued while pointing his finger at Natasha. He paused in his monologue to turn to Pepper. "Unless she told you?"

"No, but she did ask for a bigger bed."

"Oh really?" Tony asked with a smirk. "That can be arranged."

"Tony," Steve warned.

"Oh, lighten up, Cap. We're just having some fun." He leaned in over the table before adding, "But if you ever feel the need to brag, please know I'm all ears to hear the many and dirty ways—"

"Okay, honey," Pepper said while patting his leg. "You've made your point."

"Fine. And I promise that if he spills, I'll relay all the details to you."

"Thank you."

Phil, seated on the other side of Pepper, asked, "Is there a point to this whole evening? Other than making me uncomfortable?"

"Aww," Clint mocked from Natasha's right. "You don't want to hear about how your childhood hero is nailing someone you see as a little sister?"

"Wait," Tony interrupted, once again pointing at Natasha. "If you're Agent's little sister, and you're like a sister to Barton—whom you've also slept with—how incestuous does that make Bert and Ernie, here?" He turned his attention to Steve. "Are you sure you want to get caught up in this kind of relationship? I mean, we have the medical tests showing that she's basically growing the purest form of inbreeding right now. Is she going to be a sister wife or something?"

All Natasha had to do was start rotating the knife from her place setting in her hand before Tony clamped his jaw shut and turned his attention back to his food. Steve leaned in next to her. "Sure we made the right decision?"

She gave him a small smile while Clint asked, "What decision would that be?"

Her right hand shot out to backhand his chest. "Quit eavesdropping."

Steve cleared his throat while wiping his mouth. He dropped his napkin back into his lap and leaned his elbows on the table. "We need godparents. Miss Potts, any chance you'd be willing to take on yet another responsibility?"

Pepper gave him a bright smile. "I'd be honored."

Natasha turned her attention to Clint and bumped her knee with his. "What?" he asked.

She rolled her eyes. "She needs a godfather, too."

His eyebrows shot up. "Me?"

"You've been proclaiming yourself as 'favorite uncle' since the beginning."

"Well, yeah, but this is… You sure?" She nodded, and he could barely contain his grin long enough to kiss her cheek.

"If something happens to me, she'll go to Steve, but if both of us are gone, she'll go to you."

"Tasha," Clint breathed.

"I'm sure," she answered. She then turned to Pepper. "And if something happens to all three of us—"

"Four of us," Phil said under his breath.

"—then she'll go to you."

"I'm going to need everyone on that side of the table," Tony said making a sweeping gesture that included her with Steve and Clint, "to stay alive for as long possible."

"That's the plan," Steve answered.

Natasha turned to Phil, who was sharing a proud grin with Clint. "You still up for going with me to visit legal on Tuesday?"

Her handler nodded. "Of course."

She turned to Steve with a small grin of relief. "Well, there's one less thing to do."

"Thank you," he responded before leaning over and placing a kiss in her curls.

"So, does this kid have a name yet or what?" Clint asked while grabbing another shish kabob.

"One thing at a time, Barton," she answered. "And let me guess, there's a bet going on for that, too."

Phil shrugged. "You've worked at SHIELD long enough to know that high-stress jobs are usually filled by a bunch of gambling addicts."

"And you're managing these pools I take it?" she asked. He gave her an innocent smile. "How much are you charging these poor fools for that?"

"Only ten percent."

Tony let out a low whistle. "Coulson, I have seriously underestimated your business acumen."

The next hour passed in easy conversation, cleaning dishes, and fighting over who would get what kind of cookies from the variety pack Tony and Pepper brought. When Natasha yawned for the third time, Pepper found some excuse for her and Tony to make their way up to their penthouse suite. She gave Natasha a kiss on the cheek on the way out and whispered, "We're doing lunch" in a way that made it clear there wasn't a question mark at the end of the sentence and that she expected some details when the time came.

Clint and Phil followed suit a few minutes later. Clint rose and extended his hand to Steve who shook it while Clint thanked him for allowing him to be chosen as godfather. Phil squeezed her arm and gave her a smile before Clint pulled her in for a hug, his cheek resting on top of her head for a moment before he pulled away with a wink.

She walked them to the door and leaned back when she felt Steve come up behind her. Once Phil and Clint left, Steve wrapped his arms around her shoulders and placed a kiss into her hair. "Thank you for being willing to do this," he told her again. "Bed?"

"What time is it?"

"Nine-thirty."

She groaned. "Why am I already exhausted?"

He chuckled as his right hand slid down to rest on her stomach. "You have a good excuse."

"Bed it is," she sighed. "You staying up for a bit?"

He nodded. "If I fall asleep now, I'll be wide awake by three-thirty."

"Is it bad that I miss being able to run on that little of sleep?"

"You'll get plenty of chances to do it again before you know it."