Fic: Glory Beyond Mere Biology {Part 2.5}
***
With a quiet groan, Steve twisted his body and looked at the time on his alarm clock; 3:19 was definitely too early in the morning for someone to be banging on his front door. Especially considering, it was only a little past 1:00 when he finally managed to drift off to sleep. Throwing off his covers, Steve stumbled out of bed, catching himself on his bedside table as a wave of dizziness overcame him.
Slowly he waddled towards the offending noise, using the walls for support as he maneuvered his 32 week old bump through his apartment. While the bed rest had done some good, it hadn’t completely fixed the problem, not that Steve had expected it to; the weight of his daughter was still pressing down on his hips every time he moved. Luckily he was only 5 weeks out from his c-section and soon he’d have his beautiful little girl in his arms, thus putting an end to all of his discomfort.
Throwing open the door, Steve took an involuntary step back when he came face to face with the one and only, Tony Stark.
“Hiya, Cap,” Tony drawled with a lazy smirk on his face. Tony looked tired, from the dark circles under his eyes to his general rumpled appearance: greased stained jeans and a dark blue fitted t-shirt over a white henley.
Although it wasn’t exactly fair to Stark, Steve said the first thing that came to mind. “Are you drunk?”
“Why would you ask that?” Tony exclaimed, put out by Steve’s automatic assumption of facts. “I’ve barely slept since you left. And JARVIS has locked me out of my own lab on Pepper’s orders.”
“So that’s why you’re here. Not because you want to apologize but because Pepper barred you from your lab.” Steve shouted back, annoyance clear in his voice. The baby was raging havoc on his sleep schedule and here was Tony Stark interrupting what little sleep he had managed to get. “Nice one, Stark.”
“I didn’t mean it like that, Cap.” Tony replied, giving Steve his best impression of a kicked puppy, which wasn’t hard to do.
“Then how did you mean it?” Steve questioned his body tense and guarded as though he was preparing himself for an attack.
Tony closed his eyes and stood there, taking a moment before answering, “It was more a catalyst to get me here.”
“Oh good. I’ll be sure to tell JARVIS and Pepper thanks. Now go away.”
“Damn it, Steve! I’m trying to apologize here.” Tony hissed, keeping in mind the time and the fact Steve had neighbors sleeping. And Pepper said that he couldn’t be considerate, he’d show her.
“Really, could have fooled me. I haven’t heard you utter the words yet...”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for you to hear me on the phone with Pepper,” Tony murmured weakly as he seemed to close in on himself. “Please, let me in so I can explain.” It was the expression of utter defeat on Tony’s face that stopped Steve from closing the door. And as he continued to glare at the billionaire, Steve noticed the lines around his mouth and eyes; those weren’t usually present if Tony had only been pulling an all-nighter, which meant Tony Stark was telling the truth. He had been losing sleep since their fight.
Steve sighed and opened the door wider, allowing Tony to enter his apartment. “It’s late, Tony. You can take the couch for the night and we can talk about this in the morning.”
“All right, Cap.” Tony agreed and for the first time since he arrived, he actually looked at Steve for the first time in almost 8 weeks. Although, he had been secretly hacking into S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters to observe the soldier when he came for his appointments, this was the first time Tony had seen Steve face to face since the fight. It didn’t appear that much had changed, except for maybe his hair was a little longer and his stomach had grown bigger. From what Tony could see, Steve still looked good even 32 weeks pregnant and standing in his living room at 3 o’clock in the morning with sleep tousled bed head, only wearing a baggy green t-shirt stretched tight over his bump and gray sleep pants hung low on his hips. “Night.”
“Goodnight,” Steve replied before turning on his heel and going back to his bedroom. Yet it would be many hours before Steve’s mind emptied enough for him to return to sleep; though he wasn’t alone in that regard.
***
Tony hadn’t meant to sleep as long as he did; but when he next woke, it was to the light sounds of Steve puttering around in the kitchen. After throwing off his blankets, Tony wandered into the kitchen to see if Steve needed any help with breakfast ‘or was it brunch,’ Tony pondered, glancing at his watch.
“Need any help, Steve?” Tony asked from the doorway of the kitchen. “I make a mean omelet.”
Steve turned at the sound of Tony’s voice and said, “If you want to get the plates and glasses out of that cabinet,” while pointing to the cabinet closest to the fridge with a wooden spoon.
“Sure, Steve.” Tony replied, grabbing the needed dishes and setting the small kitchen table. The whole scene screamed domestic and further strengthened Tony resolve to fix things with Steve; he wanted this, a home and a family, even if that meant not being in a romantic relationship with him. Tony was willing to settle for just being a big brother to his soon-to-be sister. It had been a long time since Tony had felt the bonds of family, though his friendship with Rhodey was pretty damn close to it.
Tony waited until Steve had dished out their meal, a light breakfast of eggs, toast, and orange juice, before opening his mouth again. “I’m sorry that you heard what I said to Pepper that day.” Tony started but quickly held up his hand when it seemed as though Steve was going to comment. “Let me finish, Steve. Please.”
Steve nodded and took a sip of his orange juice, showing his willingness to listen to Tony’s full explanation.
“As per the Stark Industries’ by-laws, I am required to inform the Board of Directors of any changing developments, which may affect the company for the good or the bad. I decided that while I could care less about how my new sibling would affect stock prices or even the division of company assets, I did know that this was one development that the Board and lawyers needed to know about. Mainly, to ensure that if anything happens to us, the kid was going to be protected and provided for. I had no idea at the time that paranoia would set in.” Tony paused, taking a breath before continuing with his explanation. “I won’t bore you with the details, the gist of it is: the lawyers researched New York inheritance laws and discovered that she...”
“Zoey,” Steve murmured, causing Tony to look at him and smile. It was the first time Steve had told anyone the name he had chosen for his little girl and the fact that Tony beamed when told meant the world to Steve. It showed Steve that the ‘genius, billionaire, philanthropist’ did care about his father’s daughter.
“Zoey, then,” Tony said, repeating the name. It wasn’t a name Howard would have picked for his kid; but given this little girl would be Steve’s, wholly, it seemed to fit. “So they did their research and discovered that Zoey will be considered by the surrogate’s court as being a child conceived during the testator’s, meaning Howard’s, natural life as opposed, to her being the product of artificial insemination following his death. Their paranoia set in upon the realization that technically upon her birth, Zoey will be entitled to a percentage of the company, namely half, if the lawyers are interpreting the will correctly.”
At seeing Steve’s perplexed and wondering expression, Tony decided he needed to clarify what was happening on the legal front. “From what Pep says, there are two schools of thought in what Howard actually meant by his wording; Strauss, one of the lawyers, thinks Howard knew there was a possibility you might have been pregnant or could have become pregnant due to the serum. It’s all very vague and slightly riddlely.” Tony related before he began muttering the different ways his new word could possibly be pronounced. “Rid-dle-ly... Riddle-ly.”
“But I don’t want anything from Stark Industries, Tony. You know that.” Steve retorted, interrupting Tony while he continued to roll ‘riddlely’ around on his tongue.
“I know that, Steve. However, it’s not a matter of what you or I want. It’s, unfortunately, a matter of what’s best for the company and what’s best for the company is the appointment of a trustee for Zoey’s share and all relevant documents to be filed with the court.”
Steve sighed. “So I don’t get a say in any of this?”
“I didn’t necessarily say that; you are fully in your rights to sign away all of Zoey’s rights to Stark Industries and Howard’s legacy,” Tony remarked, “However, if you go that route, I’ll be forced to just name her as my heir, so... the legacy is hers regardless.”
“Tony.”
Leaning back in his chair, Tony observed Steve, noting the frustrated expression upon his face, and said, “I’m not getting any younger, Steve, and given my track record with women, I don’t see myself getting married or having any kids in my lifetime.” Then Tony reached out and grabbed Steve’s hand, wrapping his own around it, “Let me take care of her. I know you hate feeling weak; but this has nothing to do with weakness, Steve. She’s my little sister and I want to give her everything that she should have gotten from Howard. Please, Steve.”
“All right, Tony.” Steve agreed, squeezing his friend’s hand a little bit longer than necessary before releasing it. “I’m not moving back into the tower, until after she’s born.”
“Okay, a sleepover, it is then.”
Steve’s eyes widen as he caught on to what Tony meant. “You don’t have to stay here.”
“Oh, but I want to. You’ve been cooped up in this apartment too long by yourself and I fully plan on taking care of Zoey and you until your c-section.” Tony told Steve, leaving no room for argument in his tone. “When is your c-section, by the way?”
“It’s scheduled for January 8th.”
“So not a New Year’s baby, then?”
“No,” Steve stated. “While Doctor Young wants Zoey to be full-term at delivery, she’s still worried about the stress on my body.”
“Not much longer now, only 5 weeks or so until she’s here.”
“Yeah,” Steve said, nodding as his eyes darted back and forth across his kitchen. From where Tony sat, it seemed as though Steve just realized what her impending arrival meant and it was clear, even to Tony that Steve wasn’t even close to ready for it.
“First things first, I’m going to call Happy and have him bring over some of my stuff and while I do that, you’re going to go sit on the couch.” Tony announced, all but ordering Steve to do so.
“Tony,” Steve interjected, already seeming a little exasperated by his presence, “I’m not an invalid.”
“I’m not saying you are; but you are on bed rest. Plus, I’m perfectly capable of cleaning up our breakfast.” Tony remarked, leaving the please silent. Pushing his chair back, he waited until Steve had risen from his own seat before getting up. It was only after he was sure Steve was safely and comfortably settled on the couch did Tony call Happy and make the necessary arrangements for his belongings.
***
The next couple weeks found Tony taking an active interest in caring for Steve by: making food runs, doing the laundry, and generally being a presence in the apartment. Although, the first few days hadn’t been easy for either man, each used to having their own privacy and space; but after about a week, the pair soon settled into a comfortable routine of Tony working from the couch while Steve caught up on some of the movies and television he missed while in the ice.
It was only after Steve was asleep did Tony take the time to research any and all pregnancy sites and forums he could find; he decided to be as well versed in the care of Steve and Zoey during their last couple of weeks as possible. Also, it helped to alleviate some of the guilt he felt at having waited so long before coming to find and apologize to the other man. However, he knew he wasn’t the only one feeling guilty, if the gifts from Pepper were any indication. First, it had been the smart TV before Tony arrived and now, it was a pregnancy gift basket... filled with all the possible creams, tonics, and oils a pregnant woman could need or want. If Tony was completely honest with himself, he was kind of jealous that he hadn’t thought of the basket first; Steve seemed to be a fan of the tummy butter.
However, their tranquil existence didn’t stand a chance, especially after Tony made the decision to bring Christmas to Steve. Originally, he had planned to have an extravagant holiday party at the tower for the Avengers and their invited guests; but with Steve’s refusal to leave his apartment, unless he had to for his prenatal appointments at S.H.I.E.L.D (which Tony had begun accompanying him to), Tony cancelled his appearance at Stark Industries’ Christmas bash and settled for a quiet affair with his friends. Pepper hadn’t been too happy with his decision, yet she understood on a personal level that Tony needed to do this for Steve and for himself. After everything Tony had been through, he deserved the right to trade his very public life for a more private one... one that would hopefully soon include a handsome blonde and his soon-to-be daughter.
The moment he realized that Steve had no plans to decorate or even celebrate the holiday; Tony made arrangements for Happy and Pepper to gather the boxes of Christmas decorations from storage (mainly, the ones from Tony’s own childhood) and enlisted the help of the team to decorate the apartment while they were at S.H.I.E.L.D for Steve’s weekly doctor’s appointment. To say that Steve was pleasantly touched by Tony’s surprise and the team’s involvement was an understatement; Tony’s sure that he saw Steve shed a tear or two at the sight of his living room.
While Christmas wasn’t as quiet as Steve would have liked, he couldn’t deny that he enjoyed spending the day with his friends and teammates. And soon, their Christmas was followed by a quiet New Year’s Eve bash, which for the first time in Pepper’s long history with Tony didn’t involve copious of alcohol or scantily-clad women. Instead, it was full of friendship, board games, and anecdotes of the past year, as well as some creative storytelling by Bucky of his and Steve’s misspent youth.
It was only after the holidays had passed did Steve began readying for the birth of his daughter by packing a small bag for his short stay at S.H.I.E.L.D as well as a bag for Zoey’s things. And all too soon, it was time for him to meet the precious life he had carried for eight and a half months.
***
“We’re ready for you, Mr. Stark.” A nurse, whose nametag read April, announced as she approached the group of friends and superheroes gathered in S.H.I.E.L.D’s medical wing. The day of Steve’s Cesarean had arrived and in a few short hours, he would finally meet his little girl.
As Tony rose from his chair to follow the nurse, Bucky laid his hand on Tony’s shoulder, stopping him momentarily. “I’m glad he’s not alone for this.”
Giving Bucky a small smile, Tony whispered, “me too,” before falling into step behind the young redhead. Once the double doors leading to the surgical suites closed behind him, Tony was directed to a small room and handed a pair of scrubs. “Slip these on over your clothes and wash your hands, please. I’ll be back for you in a few minutes.” April told him before stepping out of the room.
Looking at the pale blue scrubs in his hand, Tony sneered, remembering why he hated hospitals: the clothes they forced you to wear left little to be desired. Though, regardless of his feelings towards the less than noteworthy garments, Tony slipped them on and walked over to the sink, brusquely scrubbing his hands.
There was a faint tap on the door then April pushed it open and motioned Tony out of the room. “Mr. Stark?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Tony quipped, hoping that his nervousness didn’t show. Even though he wasn’t the one undergoing the knife, Tony was worried about Steve and his daughter; he had spent the last couple of days reading everything he could possibly find about Cesarean sections and while the majority ended without complications, there were still the handful that didn’t.
Once they entered the operating room, April motioned Tony towards Steve, who was already waiting on the operating table with a curtain pulled up to shield him from getting a look at his insides. As Tony settled into the stool next to Steve’s head, he reached out and wrapped his hand around Steve’s, taking care to avoid the various tubes attached. “How ya feeling?”
“Good,” Steve murmured, his voice sounding a little hazy due to the drugs in his system. Normally, a Cesarean called for a regional anesthetic but Molly had decided on a stronger set of drugs due to the serum; she didn’t want to run the risk that Steve’s body would metabolize the anesthetic before his surgery was completed. But, Molly also wanted to ensure that Steve was awake to meet his daughter; hence why Steve hadn’t been put under for the operation.
Tony grinned, amused by the sound of Steve’s voice, and asked. “They giving you the good drugs, Cap?”
“The best.”
“Shall we begin?” Molly asked, though she wasn’t seeking an answer, and clapped her gloved hands, smiling behind her surgical mask. She had been waiting for this day as long as Steve had; it wasn’t everyday that a doctor got to perform a C-section on a man. However, the other reason for her excitement was that she missed babies; if she hadn’t chosen surgery as her field, Molly probably would have stuck with obstetrics and gynecology.
When Tony glanced at Steve, he saw the anxiousness in his eyes; an expression which had become common in the last week or so. Tony understood the cause of Steve’s worry; even though medical science had come a long way since Steve’s childhood, he still couldn’t shake the circumstances of his mother’s death. Squeezing Steve’s hand, Tony tried to help by forcing the soldier to focus on him and ignore what was going on behind the curtain. Fortunately, they didn’t have to wait long.
Less than 15 minutes later, Molly was pulling a screaming, red-faced little girl, out of Steve. “And here she is,” she announced, earning a couple of watery smiles from the two men. Once the dark haired girl had been given a brusque rub down and all the fluid had been suctioned out of her mouth and nose, Molly passed her over to a nurse, who carried her over. Tony glanced back and forth between Steve and the baby before allowing the nurse to hand her over without comment. Taking her in his hands, Tony leaned down next to Steve’s head, so he could get a good look at his daughter “She’s beautiful, Tony.” Steve whispered and brushed a soft finger across her cheek, causing the girl to turn her head at the sensation, her little mouth moving as it sought out the source.
“Yeah,” Tony breathed, simply in awe at the little creature in his arms. “She’s definitely going to be a looker. Gonna have to beat the boys... or girls, off with a stick.”
Steve chuckled a little at his assessment and said, “She’s going to hate us when she’s a teenager.”
“Definitely.”
“Sorry, Mr. Stark,” April said as she approached the pair, “but I need to take her to be weighed, measured, and all that good stuff.”
“Sure,” Tony replied, a little apprehensive about handing over his sister to the nurse. Logically, he knew nothing bad would happen to the little girl, but it didn’t stop the mild sense of panic he felt.
With a comforting smile, April added, “You can carry her over and stay with her, if it’ll make you feel better.”
“Am I that transparent?”
“Not you specifically... new fathers in general.” The redhead explained as she moved away from Steve’s head, leading Tony to the other side of the room where a team of nurses were waiting for them.
As the team of doctors and nurses worked, Tony fired off questions left and right, which April patiently answered; she was clearly used to dealing with anxious new fathers. Once they were finished the baby was passed back into Tony’s waiting arms, who quickly and carefully took her back to her father. Settling into the stool again, Tony waited with Steve as Molly finished stitching him back up.
“I have to say,” Molly began, excitement evident in her tone, “I can’t wait to see how your scar holds up against the serum.”
Steve chuckled a little before groaning faintly. “Don’t make me laugh. I’d rather keep my insides where they are.”
“Got it, Captain.” Molly winked, pausing momentarily in her stitching. She wanted to make the scar as minimal as possible, even if she did suspect that the serum would go to work on Steve and he’d be fully healed in a couple of hours. After another thirty minutes or so, Molly was ready to release Steve and have him taken back to his room to recover and bond with his daughter.
As the nurses worked quickly and efficiently to disconnect Steve from the monitors and wires, Tony stepped back from the fray with his sister held close to his chest, hoping his body would help regulate her body temperature. Once Steve had been moved from the operating table to a wheelchair, April approached Tony and told him, “It will be about 15 to 20 minutes before Captain Rogers will be settled in his room. Do you want to come with me and help get baby Rogers bathed and dressed?”
Steve looked to Tony and nodded his head in acceptance; he knew that the moment Zoey was placed in his arms, there wouldn’t be a force on Earth capable of removing her. So it was better to get everything out of the way before he returned to his room with her.
“Lead on, MacDuff,” Tony joked, though it fell flat when April simply tilted her head and gave him a strange look. “Never mind,” Tony muttered as he followed April out of the operating room with Zoey in his arms.
Quickly April crossed the medical wing and ushered Tony inside a room, which held a sink and a couple of plastic maternity trolleys. Standing by the sink, April motioned Tony forward, showing him the best way to bathe the newborn as well as helping him dress her wiggling body. “It gets easier the longer you do it,” April told him, after Zoey was dressed.
“Thanks for your help,” Tony replied, relieved that he wasn’t trying to do this alone for the first time. He had read all of the pregnancy books, same as Steve; however reading about it couldn’t replace the real world knowledge or experience.
“Happy to help,” April said, smiling softly at Tony before turning her focus to Zoey, who was now warm and content in her big brother’s arms. “Ready to go find daddy, sweetie?”
***
Once he had returned Zoey to Steve and had made sure that the new father was comfortable, Tony ventured out to tell the waiting group that daddy and baby were both fine and ready to see everybody.
“What’s her name,” Pepper asked, leaning over Steve’s side to get a better look at the dark haired child nestled in his arms.
“Zoey Olivia,” Steve told the group, voicing the name he had decided on months ago and had only managed to tell Tony recently.
Reaching out, Bucky ran his finger along the back of Zoey’s curled hand and said, “Pretty name, buddy.”
“Want to hold her?” Steve asked, silently daring Bucky to reject his offer. During the last couple weeks of Steve’s pregnancy, Bucky had confided in Steve his worry of relapsing and harming his friend’s daughter. But Steve was quick to dismiss his worries because as far as he was concerned, no amount of brainwashing could change the good person Bucky was.
“Sure, buddy.” Bucky murmured and held his arms out in a cradle, waiting for Steve to pass her over to him. Once she was safely in his arms, Bucky rocked the little girl and murmured soothing words to her.
After a few minutes, Bucky passed her over to Phil, who took her with a shy smile-Phil couldn’t believe he was getting to hold his childhood hero’s daughter. And then one by one, Zoey was passed around the group and even Nick Fury stuck his head in long enough to welcome the newest Rogers.
“I have to say, you and Howard make pretty babies. I’m kind of jealous.” He told his friend when Zoey had been returned to his arms.
Yawning around his grin, Steve quipped. “That’s what they all say.”
Upon hearing the sleepiness in his friend’s voice, Bucky handed Zoey back to Tony and began herding the team from the room, leaving Tony to watch over father and daughter as they slept. When everyone was gone, Tony settled down with his sister into the comfy plush chair next to Steve’s bed, ready to catch up on a little sleep himself as he waited for either Steve to wake or for Zoey to need him.