Chapter 1
Tony grits his teeth, his hands gripping the edge of the kitchen counter until his knuckles turn white. His breathing is shallow, straining bursts of air as a wave of pain washes over him. The phone Steve had given him is clutched tightly in one hand. It feels like an eternity since he’s last seen him, when everything between them had cracked, then mended, then cracked again. The flip phone was all he had left of him now.
That and the child currently trying to force itself into the world.
The last thing Tony ever expected was to find out he had been pregnant during the Accords events. He’s sure the signs had all been there, but he had been too stubborn and too occupied to notice them. It wasn’t until he was rescued from Siberia that he found out about the baby. Steve’s baby.
Tony’s thoughts swirl like a storm. He wonders what would have happened if they never disagreed over the Accords. Maybe he should have tried harder to make Steve see that he was right. They should have worked together, compromised until they reached some kind of common ground. But Tony knows deep down that even if they did come to an agreement about the Accords, it would never change the fact that Steve betrayed him. Steve lied and tried to protect Bucky. He was the one who chose to walk away.
Tony squeezes his eyes shut when the pain intensifies, the contraction wrapping around his middle and gripping him so tight it takes his breath away. He knows in just a few hours the baby would arrive, and he’d have to deliver all on his own.
It was his idea to drive out to his lake house and await the birth. He didn’t like being in the compound anymore; it was too big, leaving him lonely. Occasionally, Pepper or Happy would stop by to check on him. Even Rhodey popped in from time to time, and every visit was always the same-–they could tell how broken he was and tried to fix him. But he just wanted to be left alone. It was just going to be him raising the baby regardless of what Pepper had said.
He almost considers calling his friends to come help him. At least he wouldn’t be completely alone when he needed someone the most. But then he glances at the phone and the contact screen with the number Steve had added. Just one button and it would direct Tony to Steve.
The sweat on his forehead stings his eyes, but he can’t wipe it away. The phone in his hand grows warmer, and Tony’s mind flickers to Steve once again. There was no time to be stubborn and resentful. He can’t let the past consume him, not when there was a future—their future—happening right in front of him.
Tony calls the number and with a shaky hand, brings it up to his ear. It only rings once, then he hears Steve’s voice.
“Tony?”
Tony swallows hard, his throat growing tight. He exhales slowly; his breathing unsteady. “I need you, Cap.”