Greene, NY | 1200 Hours
Alba looked at the small picture her doctor had handed her and sighed happily. "I can't believe today actually happened." She grinned at the blurry shape of her little peanut once more and carefully slid the photo into her purse.
She finally took a moment to observe the house she was standing in. Steve's house had surprised her. Alba wasn't sure what she was expecting, but this beautiful, modern craftsman home was not it. The house had clearly been remodeled at some point, because the new layout was a modern, open concept. Even the appliances in the kitchen were new and shiny. But that kitchen! Alba ran her hand over the large, marble counters once more with a dreamy sigh. Someday she would have counters this beautiful and spacious.
Alba heard Steve trudging inside from the garage with their bags. A moment later he walked through the door, not breaking a sweat as he carried their two overnight bags upstairs. He called her upstairs and showed her the bedroom she'd be sleeping in, and Alba could only stare longingly at the big, sturdy bed. The sturdy, cool wooden furniture in the room was softened by the neutral grey on the walls and starched white bedding.
Steve caught Alba's tired face and frowned, reaching over to smooth her travel-mussed hair. "You must be exhausted."
She tried to deny it, but her body betrayed her by forcing a small yawn out. "It's just been a very eventful day."
Steve placed her stuff down next to the bed and gave her an encouraging grin. "Why don't you try to get some rest? I have to go stock up on things for the house anyway. It should take me a couple of hours. After I come back we can have a bite to eat and you can get the official tour."
Alba was reluctant to leave him, but that bed was practically calling her name. She gave Steve a hesitant nod and began making herself at home as he left the room.
The world went dark as soon as she laid her head on the cool pillow, and she woke what felt like hours later. The bright light filtering through the windows was waning now, dimmed to a soft glow.
It took Alba a minute to remember where she was, and what had occurred earlier that day. With a small smile, she plucked the ultrasound picture off the bedside dresser (where she placed it before falling asleep), and stared at it again. She couldn't believe it. It was really happening. She stared down at her belly and tried looking for any curving or softness, but gave up a moment later with a huff. It looked the same as it always did. Pudgy.
Her nose suddenly picked up on a rich, aromatic scent. Someone was cooking. Steve must be cooking. Her stomach began growling violently at around the same time she realized she had skipped lunch. It appeared her little peanut was starving.
Alba followed the delicious smell all the way down to the kitchen, where she found her host sitting on the breakfast bar, looking intensely at something before him.
He didn't stir until she sat on the chair beside him and looked at him expectantly, stopping in her tracks when she realized he'd been staring at his copy of the ultrasound. It seemed like Steve couldn't quite believe what had happened, either.
He realized she'd caught him staring at the picture and grinned at her, glancing at the photo once more before placing it in his pocket. For the first time in weeks, Alba worried about how he was coping with the pregnancy. What if he changed his mind?
"So. Today was crazy, huh? How are you feeling?" Steve hesitated as he thought about an answer to her question.
"I'm nervous." He admitted. Alba sat up straighter, somehow knowing he was speaking seriously. "I know how to be a soldier. I know how to fight. But I don't know how to be a father. What if I can't be a good dad?"
She understood his concern. She was worrying about the same thing earlier that morning. But if there was one thing she knew, it was that Steve was going to be a great dad.
"Maybe you don't know how to look after a baby. But you're a good man, and that's what matters most. The most important thing the baby will need is love. Can you do that?"
He met her gaze steadily, blue eyes blazing. "I can. I will."
Alba looked at the far side of the kitchen, where the normally shut french doors were swung wide open.
"What's going on?"
Steve gave her a lopsided grin. "C'mon, I have something I want to show you."
She followed him curiously down the stairs that led to the backyard and stopped short at the sight in front of her. Steve had obviously gone out of his way to make the night special, setting up a small table under two wide oak trees in his yard. An impromptu date.
The table was already set and ready to go, the flames of large candles fluttering in the breeze. Alba couldn't help the speechless look on her face.
"This is beautiful. You did this?" He gave her a short nod. Good Lord, was this man winning her over.
"Tony was babbling the other night about us and I realized how I'd never even taken you to dinner. I know it's not as good as the real thing, but I wanted to throw something together after everything that happened today."
Steve looked at her face carefully, trying to gauge her reaction to his first attempt at real romance.
"This isn't as good as the real thing…It's better." He couldn't help his giant grin as she turned and hugged him. "I love it. And think of all the privacy we'll have. If we lock our phones in the house maybe we'll be able to get through this meal."
She sat at the table and waited expectantly as Steve brought their dinner out back. Alba was expecting some form of takeout, but he did okay for himself.
She got a whiff of the roasted chicken and gave him a disbelieving look. "I thought you said you could't cook."
He shrugged. "I said I couldn't cook very much. I can make the basics." She couldn't help digging right into her steaming food and groaning.
"This is really good. Who knew Captain America could cook?" Steve grinned and shook his head.
"I could never get used to that name." Alba suddenly realized that she had never questioned him about his job. She had an Avenger sitting in front of her, and suddenly the questions began running through her head in a never-ending stream.
"So. The whole Cap thing. I have questions."
"Shoot."
"Is the shield as heavy as it looks?"
He sputtered a laugh. "Not really." He looked into the house thoughtfully. "Wanna find out for yourself?"
Alba set her fork down and gave Steve a wide-eyed look. "You brought it with you?" He disappeared into the house and emerged a moment later, the circular disk fastened to his arm.
Alba could only gape as he stopped before her and placed the shield in her hands. She turned it this way and that carefully, half scared it would start flying off like a possessed boomerang.
"I can't believe I'm actually holding this." She said with awe. "I saw you beat up those aliens with this on the news." She gasped as she remembered another one of her burning questions. "Aliens. Were they as absolutely disgusting as they looked on TV?" She pretended to shove an imaginary microphone in Steve's face as he chuckled quietly.
"Well…yes. They're really slimy, and kinda smell like—" Alba held up a hand to stop him in his tracks.
"Say no more. We can finish this conversation after the food is gone." Cause she was really enjoying the meal after not eating all day, and she'd be damned if he ruined it.
"Are you sure?" He asked innocently. "Because I have the best description for the rotting smell of the—"
"You're about to get this shield thrown on your face." Alba warned, pretending to spin the thing like a frisbee aimed at his head. Steve gave up with a laugh, holding up his hands innocently.
"Fine. I'll tell you later. But that's not how you throw it." He came to his feet and took the shield back, demonstrating how he threw it.
"You have to throw it from your core. Like this," Alba observed carefully as he demonstrated, the muscles in his shoulder and arm rippling.
"Right. One more time?" Steve repeated himself slowly, making sure she was keeping along, and then stopped abruptly, giving her his best disapproving look. "You're not even paying attention."
"Sure I am," Said Alba seriously. "Your bicep has never looked better."
He grinned despite himself and gave up trying to teach her, taking a seat at the table and resuming his meal. They ate in silence for a few minutes until he spoke up again.
"I wanted to ask you something." Alba looked up and nodded at him to continue. "I was invited to the Mayor's annual charity ball last month. All of the Avengers were. I was wondering if you'd like to be my date."
Alba froze, then gave him a slow smile. "Funny that you ask that. I was invited last week after winning Johanna's case. I guess the Mayor wants me to speak with some of his councilmen about the case. I don't see why we can't go together." But as what? Alba wondered. She didn't want to push him into a relationship, but where was this going? Not wanting to spoil the evening by what might've been a touchy subject, she finished her food and helped him clean up. An hour later, she found herself back in the guest bedroom next to Steve's, reading a new book she'd picked up before bed.
It was a tradition of hers to read before bed, a way to fall asleep easier without having to stare up at a ceiling. It worked like a charm, and she was out in no time.
Alba must have fallen into a deep sleep, because she was having the most realistic dream she'd ever had.
"Alba." Steve's profile came into focus as he placed a hand on her arm, rousing her. "Alba. Wake up."
Wait a second.
This wasn't a dream.
She sat up slowly, trying to rub the sleep out of her eyes. Something wasn't right.
Steve looked tense, face pinched as he glanced at the door.
"What's going on?"
"Someone is outside." Her blood froze. "I don't know who it is, but I have to go check. It's probably nothing." But he had the shield by his side, and a small handgun in the other. Clearly, he didn't think it was nothing.
He saw her gaze tracing the weapon and placed it in her hands. "You know how to use one, right?" She nodded slowly, silently thanking her detective father for always training her on gun safety.
"Good. I'm going to go outside and make sure the house is secure. Here," He said, helping her up. "Sit in the corner and wait until I come back. Stay away from the windows, and shoot anyone who comes through the door." She blearily followed his directions, sitting facing the door with a gun trained in front of her.
It took a minute for the sleepy haze to leave her. What the hell was going on? As the reality began sinking in, she fear in the pit of her stomach started to grow. She glanced down at her stomach and bit her lip. What if someone was here to hurt her? Or the baby?
Her oversensitive hearing picked up on the slow creaking of feet on wood as they trailed down the hall. Down to her.
Alba took a steadying breath and raised the handgun, trying to steady her shaking hands as someone on the other side of the door fiddled with the lock. Whoever was breaking in was clearly adept at picking locks, because the door gave in with ease, swinging open as a pair of boots because visible in the moonlight glow.
Before she could pull the trigger, a loud woosh filled the air as Steve's shield came flying through the doorway, dropping the intruder on the floor with a solid thud and a pained groan.
Steve leaped through the door seconds later, tacking the man on the ground as he fidgeted.
"I should have warned the suit." The man grumbled, writhing in pain. Why did that voice sound familiar?
Alba fled to the bedside table and switched on the light, stopping short when she laid eyes on the mysterious intruder.
"Tony?"
I am soooo sorry I skipped a chapter this week! I was in a bit of a writing slump for this chapter, and getting it out was HARD. Also my Etsy shop has been picking up, so that's been taking up some of my time.
Anyway, what do you guys think Tony is up to?
P.S. Chapter 10 is already halfway written. We should be going back to the 2 Uploads/Week thing we had going on :)