Tina dragged her feet behind Pepper.
"I'm tired," she whined.
"What you are is 'not done yet'." Pepper responded crisply, glancing at another rack of maternity clothes before moving on.
"Pep," Tina moaned, "we have enough clothes to cover half the planet! I'm only fourteen weeks, do I really need the 9-month stuff yet?"
"Do you want to have to do this again?" she arched an eyebrow.
Tina frantically shook her head and Pepper rolled her eyes.
"I know. So tough it out two more minutes, then we can go home." Pepper examined an auburn sweater momentarily before setting it aside. Not Tina's color. She turned and caught sight of Tina yanking the shirt she had stolen from Steve down. Although she had only just started her second trimester, Tina looked more like she was five months pregnant than three and half. Pepper tended to agree with Bruce and Thor in the thought that it was because Tina was such a tiny girl and Steve was such a huge guy.
"Why don't you go pick out a t-shirt and change into that now?" Pepper suggested, watching the shirt slowly ride up over Tina's rounded belly again.
Tina nodded, digging through the massively filled cart and heading off to a dressing room with a pair of jeans and a shirt.
…
"Gimme that," Natasha commanded, holding her hand out.
Thor obediently placed the cloth in her hand, and she began sewing two pieces together.
"Scalpel…sponge…" Clint joked at the serious vibe his woman was throwing off.
Tony peeked over the assassin's shoulder to stare at her project.
"Know what this is like?" Tony said with a dangerously cocky smile.
"Shut up," Clint advised in a worried tone, "Dude, it'll be better for all of us. Don't."
Tony rolled his eyes.
"Just wait until she's done with the sharp stuff," Bruce added.
Steve stared in wonder at the sewing machine.
"This is amazing," he gaped. "Do you realize how much time my mom would have saved if she had one of these?"
Thor nodded.
"My mother uses magic for most of her embroidery, but sometimes she does it by hand. It soothes her, I think."
"Are all the bowls labeled?" Natasha barked.
"Yep. And we put little sparkles in this one," Clint pointed.
"And there's themed confetti in each of the other ones," Bruce said proudly.
Natasha sat back, pleased with her finished work.
"Okay, I'm done. Steve, this is your job now. Paint away, Cap."
Steve examined it closely, envisioning how he wanted it to look, then dipped his paintbrush into a jar.
…
"Hello?" Pepper called as she walked into the house behind Tina.
Her eyes narrowed when she realized the glass of Tony's lab was tinted dark. Tina turned and held her ear to the door.
"They're in there all right," she decided. "And whatever they're doing it's pretty flippin' hilarious. They sound like sixth grade girls with the all the giggling that's going on in there."
"JARVIS, open the lab please." Pepper commanded.
"Access denied."
She frowned.
"Clear the glass."
"I'm sorry, Miss Potts, I'm forbidden to do that right now," JARVIS sounded apologetic towards his favorite house member.
"Well tell Tony to open the door himself then," she pouted a little.
"Yes, ma'am."
The giggling hushed, and the door opened a crack. Somehow everyone managed to cram their face into the opening.
"Nice shirt," Tony remarked.
Tina smiled, looking down. It was a bright shade of green and said 'I can make people. What's your superpower?' on the front. She thought it was pretty appropriate considering the baby's family.
"Thanks. Gonna let us into Fort Knox now?"
Natasha wiggled to the front of the group, still keeping the door mostly shut and holding something behind her back.
"Just a moment," Thor said excitedly.
"We know you've been feeling a bit self-conscious lately," Natasha began, "Which Tony was rude enough to point out." The billionaire rolled his eyes. "Your body is doing some weird stuff, naturally it's a bit strange to adjust to. So, we thought this might help."
Natasha pulled an object from behind her back.
It was a little doll. About eight inches in length and made of soft cotton cloth, it was painted in a style that seemed familiar to Tina. But more familiar was the face. It looked like her, bright green eyes and all. Her blonde hair was painted in curls down her back and over her shoulders.
"Is this me?" Tina was simultaneously touched and confused.
Natasha handed it to her as Clint answered.
"Yeah. But it's you before you were pregnant, right?"
Tina nodded, noticing the lack of baby bump. Thor opened the door to the lab.
"Fill 'er up," Tony said, pointing to the pocket on the front.
She walked inside to find bowls of soft fluffy stuff spread all over the table. Each bowl was labeled and sprinkled with confetti cut into different shapes. Sporty. Sweet. Artistic. Smart. Brave. Kind. There had to be at least twenty different traits represented in various bowls. Tina turned around.
"What do you want the baby to be like?" Natasha prompted her.
The mother-to-be laughed a little, and took a small heart labeled 'baby Rogers' from Thor.
"This is your and Steve's love," he explained. "You start with that."
She put it in the belly pocket on the doll's shirt.
"Steve? Wanna help?"
The soldier grinned eagerly, taking a pinch of "artistic" with him. Bruce snuck in some "curious" to go with Tony's "smart" and Clint insisted on adding "attractive" to the mix. Tina put "loving" and "funny" in, quickly followed by Thor's "brave". Steve added "loyal" and a bit of "thoughtful" while Pepper snuck in some "organized".
"Awh," Tina whined, "It's full. I almost wish it had more space."
She held the doll, which now had a giant belly, up for everyone to see. Steve grinned.
"It's adorable, I gotta say," he said.
Tina hugged Natasha.
"This was a great idea," she murmured, "thanks."
She tried to nonchalantly rub the tears out of her eyes. Damn hormones, she thought with frustration.
"Hey, I was the one who got all the vegan alpaca fur for the stuffing," Tony complained.
"It's very lovely," Tina said to placate him, "Everything was. Thanks to all of you. Especially," she turned to face her husband, eyes narrowed, "to you. You painted this, right?"
Steve blushed a bit and scuffed the floor with his sneaker.
"Yeah."
Tina cupped his face in her hands and pulled him down so she could peck him on the lips.
"It's beautiful. I love it."
Steve smiled her favorite schoolboy grin. Tina never felt even the slightest bit self-conscious about her belly again. Because she knew it was full of "smart", "artistic", "loving" and "thoughtful".
…
Tony dictated a last order to JARVIS as he walked into the kitchen, unknowingly walking into a severe culinary disagreement.
"The only way to make them is on a campfire," Steve contested hotly.
"Yeah, but who has time for a campfire every time you crave a s'more?" Tina argued. "That's the beauty of the oven s'more."
"If you're going after speed, not quality, you might as well just microwave them."
"Yuck! You realize what a microwave would do to graham crackers?"
Steve crossed his arms.
"Fine. You make your nasty oven s'more and I'll do it in the microwave. Time it takes counts for a third of the score."
"This is war," Tina agreed, "S'more war."
Tony rolled his eyes.
"You two are such dorks."
The littlest blonde stuck her tongue out at him.
"You wanna be the judge?" Steve offered.
Tony pretended to think it over, although free food was something he'd never say 'no' to.
"Abso-friggin-lutely."
Tina laughed and skipped into the huge, walk-in pantry to find ingredients, Steve trailing behind her.
"Marshmallows…marshmallows," she murmured, looking around for them, "Hmm."
She grinned victoriously when her eyes alighted on the package, hidden on the back of a shelf, of course. She knelt on the floor and reached forward as far as her arm could go. Her finger slid across the smooth plastic packaging. Dang. One more inch. Where's Steve when I need him? Tina sighed and reached forward again, tongue sticking out in concentration. She heard Steve laugh behind her.
"Meanie," she said, but her husband seemed to be enjoying her difficulty and laughed again.
She turned to further chastise him, but she was interrupted.
A nudge. Like a gentle poke. A soft little 'hi, Mom'.
Tina gasped and her hand flew to the peak of her belly where she had felt the kick. Her jaw dropped and her eyes were wide. She had heard of expecting women feeling 'flutters' at this point in pregnancy, but hadn't experienced any herself. Or maybe I did and didn't realize…maybe it wasn't gas or indigestion? Maybe that was the baby? Either way, Tina hadn't expected to feel her child moving so deliberately for quite some time yet.
"Oh my god," she whispered.
A tear dripped out of her eye as she felt the small prodding again.
Tina was finally shaken out of her own thoughts, literally.
"Tina?!"
Steve was kneeling in front of her, hands on her shoulders. His face was a twisted mask of unadulterated panic.
"Tina, what is it? Are you hurt? What happened?"
Tina's mouth gaped as she tried to get the words to come out. Another tear fell and it increased Steve's growing fear.
"Honey, what's going on? I'm getting Bruce right now, don't move, it's okay-"
"No, no, Steve," Tina finally choked out, holding onto his shirt. "It's fine, it's wonderful."
His eyes burned through her. They demanded answers. She laughed wetly.
"I just-I…I felt the baby move just now."
"What?"
More tears came, which Steve brushed aside gently.
"I thought that wouldn't happen for a few weeks?" he asked, the panic subsiding.
Tina laughed again.
"Me too, but-oh!"
She felt the nudge again.
"I'm not sure the baby likes me sitting all bent over like this," she said, staring up at Steve with a teary smile.
The soldier laughed a little, cuddling her close. He was still a bit wound up from his mini freak out.
"Where?" He put his hand on her rounded belly. "Show me."
"You won't be able to feel it yet," Tina cautioned him. "Unless your super-senses also include super-sensitive to touch?"
Steve wiggled his eyebrows mischievously.
"You know how I'm good with touch," he said with a rakish grin.
Tina blushed.
"You know that's not what I meant," she grumbled, but she placed his hand over the spot she'd last felt movement.
He waited with bated breath. They sat in silence for a long moment.
"I guess he's all done," Tina decided.
She pulled in her knees to stand, but stopped when she heard a sharp intake of breath from her husband.
Steve gasped as he felt the smallest push against his palm.
"Holy crap!" he exclaimed.
He started laughing hysterically.
"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!"
"It's amazing, isn't it?" Tina matched his grin exactly.
"Wow," he agreed.
Steve bent and kissed the top of her bump.
"Nice one, champ."
"Are you guys doing anything gross in there?" Tony yelled from the kitchen. "I thought I was getting s'mores!"
"That," Steve continued, "is your Uncle Tony. He's wildly insensitive and often incredibly rude. We love him to pieces anyway."
Tina laughed.
"Let's go. I still have to kick your butt."
"Not today," the Captain grinned.
D'awwwww. Next chapter Bruce figures out something shocking, and Pepper has something up her sleeve!
Review please!