Chapter 3
Steve felt like he was dreaming. It hadn't been long since he'd met Moira and every moment with her was just unreal. Not only did an amazing woman genuinely want him, but she was so perfect, so bright and happy, and always willing to share that with the world. He was always shy and closed off in social situations but Moira just grabbed his arm and dragged him from one exciting thing to the next. It was like something out of a fairytale, things this wonderful didn't just fall in people's laps.
She didn't have much family, a mother and a younger sister, her father wasn't it the picture but she didn't say why and Steve didn't pry. He met them and they were lovely, Charmaine was a hardworking single mother and Susan a quiet but bright young woman, both were fiercely protective of her and Steve couldn't even be anything but pleased at their threats should he ever hurt her, just knowing Moira had such caring people in her life made him smile.
Moira was wonderful, she had spent most of her life on deaths door and she chose to focus on the good in her life instead of its impending end. If something bad happened she would brush it off instantly and focus on something else. She always wore bright colours, clothing, hair, makeup, everything, Moira was always vibrant and colorful, a bright light in even the darkest place.
Steve introduced her to his friends around the four week mark of their relationship and that went well. Nat thought she was too happy all the time which she said was a bit unnerving but she wasn't bothered by the red head's past as an assassin and it was refreshing to be treated normally. She wasn't afraid of Bruce either, when asked about the hulk she said it was no different to an anxiety attack or psychotic episode, sometimes people did not interpret what was happening normally and it could make them dangerous to either themselves or others, she'd spent much of her life in hospitals and saw him as no different to all the interesting people she had met there. Tony she thought was sweet, an enormous flirt and very quirky but sweet none the less. Clint loved her, she had a wonderful sense of humor and she always dressed so brightly. She was very casual about meeting the god of thunder, she wasn't awestruck like many and Thor found her bright attitude wonderful. She didn't even blink at Bucky's arm and happily talked through his silence, never expecting him to respond but let him open up to her in his own time, which he did.
It was two months from when they met that she received the all clear, her cancer was gone, completely. They spent almost two days celebrating, she had spent her entire life expecting death to be right around the corner and now she was free. She had never been the healthiest and her fight against the cancer had taken its toll so Moira would not live as long as some but the doctors said she would make it to at least sixty and that in itself was a miracle.
She had lost her hair to Chemotherapy at the age of eight so when her treatments ended and it started to grow back she had no idea what to do with it. Moira tried letting it grow but found the whole thing too weird so one day she just shaved her head and wore her wigs again.
The greatest part of all though, was that she chose to have Steve at her side for all of it. She let him hold her hand through her entire recovery constantly graced him with her presence. He hadn't been happier since waking from the ice, Moira was without a doubt the greatest thing in his life.
It was three months into their relationship that the subject of sex came up. She asked if he wanted to end their date in the bedroom one night and that prompted a long discussion. Steve was terrified he would say something wrong and this could mean the end of everything, but Moira was wonderful as always. She explained she didn't see the point in waiting, once they were both ready every second they held off was wasted. However when Steve awkwardly admitted he wasn't ready for that step in their relationship instead of its sudden end Moira agreed with him. She assured him nothing would happen until they were both ready and while she detested waiting the time wasn't wasted if he needed it. They spent the rest of the night eating cold pizza and fell asleep on the couch.
Four more weeks passed before Steve finally began exploring things with her. She was so understanding and they took things very slowly but not once did Steve feel he was making a mistake. He loved Moira and the intimacy only brought them closer, made him feel more connected to her and less shy, his awkwardness around her just dissolved. In no time at all Steve stopped seeing her as a woman he should be intimidated by and more as a part of his life. Sometimes he almost couldn't tell where she ended and he began.
It was eight months into their relationship when the life they had built together was turned upside down. Moira was pregnant. Neither of them had planned this, they both wanted children but not this soon, the conversation had never even come up. Not that they were unhappy with this development, just surprised. They were both fairly young and their relationship so new but the addition was not unwelcome. Moira was overjoyed, once the shock passed, she had spent so long expecting death to come at any moment so a child had never been a possibility before, but now with this child inside of her and the chance to live long enough to bring them into the world, she couldn't even bring herself to worry about how soon this was or the strain it may have on her and Steve's relationship.
But Steve was happy too, not about the timing of course, but nothing in his life had had convenient timing. He was in a relationship with an amazing woman and now he was to be a father. His life could not get any better.