No warning here for this chapter. Just fluff and maybe an overabundance of streamers. Place your bets now on the baby's gender and name because y'all are about to find out! I'll see you at the end.


As Tony's pregnancy progressed his "morning sickness" remained. All the mommy blogs lied about it mostly going away after the first trimester. Tony was still throwing up at least 5 times a day. Steve was worried but Tony's doctor had told them that nothing was dangerous yet. He was still getting enough water and nutrients but they were going to keep an eye on things.

One amazing part of the pregnancy progressing was the fact that Tony could feel the baby moving. Tony's hands barely left his baby bump just so he could feel closer to his baby. It drove Steve mad. The movements were still so small that Steve couldn't feel them yet and he wanted nothing more than to make a connection with their baby.

Luckily Steve didn't have to wait too much longer.

The two were curled up together on the couch watching a movie with Steve's hands gently holding Tony's bump when he felt it. It wasn't a strong kick but it was a kick none the less. Steve's eyes widened and Tony looked up and smiled.

"That's our baby!" spoke Steve in awe. It was kind of adorable.

"That's our baby." Smiled Tony and Steve snuggled in closer.

"Hey, there baby. It's nice of you to say hi. We can't wait to meet you."

Steve spent the rest of the afternoon just feeling the baby kick and telling them all the things they were going to do one they were born. Tony never had any doubts that Steve was going to make an amazing father and it was moments like this that just solidified that thought.

Later that night when the team was all gathered together for a night of boardgames Clint was acting all antsy. He was fiddling with his hands and pulling at the bottom of his sweater while not really making eye contact with anyone else.

"What's got your feathers all ruffled Hawkass? You seem tense?" asked Sam ever the observant one. He was back in town after a lead on Bucky's location went cold.

"Um… I've got something to tell everyone." Sighed Clint and he very quickly had everyone's attention.

"Look, it's not like I wanted to keep this thing a secret from you guys. I trust all of you with my life. It's just that Fury had some rules in place that I couldn't break. This information is delicate and if it gets into the wrong hands shit will go down. But because of the current situation here at the tower, Fury told me that I can tell you guys so we can make a game plan."

"It's nothing dangerous, right?" asked Steve ever the mother hen.

"No, no, no! It's not dangerous. Well, unless you would count stray Nerf darts and not so great meatloaf dangerous." Clint's comment just made everyone more confused.

"So, um… I have a wife and two kids." Everyone but Natasha looked shocked at the news. "Before all of you guys go crazy with the questions let me explain things."

So Clint got to explaining. He talked about the circus and meeting his wife. He talked about joining SHIELD and his son being born. How Fury put very specific protections in place and the repercussions for anyone who broke those protections.

Well, this was a shock to everyone, but it explained why Clint would take off every other week for a few days. He was just going to see his kids. But Clint was still nervous and rambling thinking everyone would be mad about the secret.

"Clint stop! We're not mad. I get it. You wanted to protect your wife and children. I get it. I'd do anything to protect Tony and the baby. I'm glad you told us. Now we can all work together to keep our families safe." Explained Steve once Clint calmed down a little bit more.

As the night progressed Clint started doing that proud dad thing where he kept showing off pictures of his kids. Everyone listened to everything Clint wanted to. He looked so proud of his kids. His son Cooper was doing good in school and so was his daughter Lila even though she had just started. The Avengers couldn't wait to meet them.

When Tony was 20 weeks along it was time for another ultrasound. Tony and Steve were excited about this one because they would finally find out the gender of their baby. Neither could stop talking about how excited they were and that was a mistake. Thor, in his excitement over the baby, had been using the internet to look up different Earth traditions for welcoming a baby.

And that was how Thor found out about gender reveal parties.

Thor became over-excited about the prospect of one. He looked so much like an excited little puppy that nobody had the heart to deny him even if Tony thought they were a bit tacky. So, when Tony and Steve went in for the ultrasound they didn't look at the screen. They trusted the doctor to tell them if anything was wrong. So far, other then Tony being sick all the time, the baby was healthy. Everything looked normal. Steve did have his own worries that he'd brought up to Tony in the privacy of their bedroom. He was scared that their baby would be plagued by the same ailments that he had suffered from before the serum. Tony had been quick to help Steve with his fears. There were treatments and much better healthcare nowadays. Even if their baby was born sick they would do everything they could to give them the best quality of life.

It made Steve feel a bit better once he'd done some more research by going through peer-reviewed medical journals.

After the ultrasound was done the doctor handed Tony and Steve and envelope with the baby's gender inside. The two quickly handed it off to Thor who took it with great enthusiasm and literally skipped off to finish planning the party. Tony and Steve went back to their room to lie down. Tony had thrown up right after the appointment and was more than ready for a nap and cuddles. Although, just as the two were getting comfortable, Tony decided to ask a question.

"Hey Steve?" asked Tony nervously.

"Yeah?"

"Would it be weird if I had our baby call me mama? Like, I am the one who's giving birth to them. Plus maybe if our baby doesn't call me dad it'll help me be not like Howard." Said Tony sheepishly. Steve just hugged him close.

"I don't think it's weird. You're the one doing all the hard work and carrying our baby. You should be able to decide what they call you." Smiled Steve as he pulled Tony in for a kiss.

"And Tony. My sweet Anthony, I can promise you that you won't be like Howard. You're filled with so much love already for our baby. I just know that you'll be great."

Like most nights, Tony and Steve ended up falling asleep together. Although, as Tony slept, Steve stayed awake just a little while longer. His mind was swimming with thoughts about upcoming parenthood. He'd been doing so much reading lately. He just wanted to get this right. He wanted to do right by Tony and their baby.

Two days later was the party. Everyone was excited, but Steve and Tony more so than the others. Tony was excited because he could finally start looking up baby names and Steve was excited because he could finally start working on the baby's room. He was going to paint everything from scratch. Sure, neither cared if the baby was a boy or a girl, but some traditions were just a little bit too strong for them. Their baby could do whatever they wanted as they grew up and play and dress how they wanted. But for now, the Avengers just wanted to have some fun with the whole event.

And what an event it was. Thor had certainly gone crazy with the streamers. It was a literal sea of pink and blue that looked like a candy shop had exploded in the living room. To add to the candy theme, there were lots of little treats and cakes and finger sandwiches. Thor had certainly put in the work and it showed.

Pepper, Happy, and Rhodey had all been able to make it. Tony was scared that they wouldn't. It was nice to have all of his family there.

There were a few cheesy baby-themed games that Thor had planned that turned out being more fun then they looked. Tony mostly sat there and watched and laughed. He wasn't feeling the greatest but he still had fun. The highlight was when Clint managed to get himself covered in chocolate. Nobody was quite sure how that happened but the many pictures JARVIS took stood as evidence.

At the end of all the festivities, it was time for the big reveal. Thor had gone for the very classy box of coloured balloons. Everyone was waiting in anticipation for the big moment. Steve was practically vibrating as he took Tony's hand and got ready to open the box. The two looked at each other with excited smiles and at the count of three, the opened the box.

The room was suddenly filled with baby blue balloons and lots of cheers. Tony and Steve were crying and hugging. A boy! They were having a baby boy! Steve was over the moon excited and Tony was just happy the baby was healthy.

"We're having a boy! We're having a boy!" cheered Steve as he gave Tony a kiss. Tony smiled back and joined his hands with Steve's over his baby bump.

"We're having a boy."

Now that Tony and Steve knew the gender of their baby it was time to finish getting things ready. Steve went wild planning the nursery. The walls were a pale blue with fluffy, sheep-like clouds floating around like the sky. The ceiling was covered in little glow-in-the-dark stars and planets and all the bedding was covered in little birds. In the corner was a soft grey stuffed bunny that would be their baby's first stuffy. The room looked perfect with it's white crib and changing table. The only thing that looked out of place was the dark green rocking chair in the corner. It was one of the things that Tony had kept from his childhood. It used to belong to his mom and Tony wanted it int their son's room.

The only thing Steve wanted to add to the room was their son's name painted over the crib.

That was another thing they needed to figure out. Their baby needed a name. A name fit for "the most perfect baby in the world" according to Tony.

"We should probably start thinking of a name." commented Steve one afternoon while he and Tony were eating a little bit of lunch.

"We probably should. Do you have anything in mind?"

"I was thinking of maybe an Italian first name. You did tell me that your mom wanted to give you a more Italian name so why don't we do that for our baby." Smiled Steve as he finished off his plate and carried the dirty dishes to the kitchen.

"Are you sure?" asked Tony as he slowly got up from his seat. "I thought you would want an Irish name or a family name."

"I do want our baby to have a family name but only as a middle name. Our baby's name should be his own not anyone else's."

"Well, what name were you thinking?" asked Tony as he and Steve made their way back to the couch to relax for a bit.

"I kind of want his middle name to be Joseph after my father. I think that would be a good way to remember his sacrifice."

"I like it. It's a good, strong middle name and I have a feeling that both of our mothers would approve." Smiled Tony.

The two mostly sat in silence for a little while. Steve was working on a sketch he wanted to frame for the baby's room and Tony was searching around on his tablet. Steve had no idea what he was doing until about an hour later when Tony turned to him with a smile.

"What about the name Nicola? It's an Italian name and also the name of another really smart person. I know it sounds a bit feminine but in Italy, it's not. But also Nicola Tesla." Suggested Tony. Steve sat there for a moment and pondered over the name.

"Nicola Joseph Stark-Rogers. I like it. It sounds perfect for our baby. A perfect name for a perfect baby." Smiled Steve as he hugged Tony close.

And so it was decided and the next day Steve was back in the nursery finishing up the painting. They also told their friends and they all agreed that the name was perfect. Now if only Tony's damn "morning sickness" would go away so he could function like a normal fucking person without throwing up all the time.


I have good news! I just found out that I got accepted into a journalism program for post-secondary in the fall! I'm so excited. I was out of school for a while with illness but I'm back baby! Now all I need is a job and I'll be back on the right path. Also, what do y'all think of the baby's name? I think it's cute. In Italy and France Nicola is a boy's name unlike here in the west. Also, like mentioned above, Nicola Tesla. Plus it's adorable. Well, I'll be seeing you soon. Only one more chapter before baby time! -Shadows