Chapter 3
Steve was nervous- for multiple reasons
First because he didn't know what the hell was wrong with him- he didn't look any different per say, according to his friends he wasn't shot or anything and they checked over his body and there wasn't any injuries on his body- which should have make him feel better- but it just worried him more.
Since his stomach was killing him. He mentioned this more than once to his team and even had to sit down because of it sizing up. The team has lifted up his shirt multiple times, and didn't see any wound or anything.
THAT worried him, and even if he was hurt there, the serum should have healed it by now- but the occasional pain would not go away. Standing up and walking to the med bay sucked. He kept one arm wrapped around his stomach to hopefully help subside the pain. He's caught Natasha starting at him- an unreadable expression of her face multiple times before shaking her head and turning away. Clint's asked her what's on her mind multiple times only to be blown off with 'it's nothing'
The one time he tried to pry more outta her ended up with her snapping at him and telling him to shut the fuck up- he stopped asking after that.
The second was they still couldn't find Tony anymore. Bruce, Sam and even the twins had looked for hours and couldn't find the billionaire anywhere.
It was like he just vanished into thin air.
Steve and Tony might not have always seen eye to eye a lot of the time- and they fought a lot. Steve knew the billionaire held a lot bit of a grudge against him, he pretty much stole the man's father from him- not that Steve did that on purpose considering he was frozen for 70 years.
Steve wasn't a fan of the billionaire at first either, he was egotistical, ignorant and downright annoying.
But overtime the two reached a mutual understanding and respect for another, as teammates and Steve liked to consider them almost friends, going out for coffee sometimes. He grew to see past the billionaire's facade he put on and he knew the other man looked past his grudge against Steve and they both agreed Howard kinda sucked.
Which is why he was incredibly worried about the billionaire. He kept replaying what Clint said to him over and over again, it just didn't make sense- where was Tony? He tired to not think about the worse case scenario- but he couldn't help himself. He needed the other man to be okay. He'd never give up till he found out what happened to him. He needed the closure at the very least.
The final reason was simply Bucky.
That was arguably the thing he was the most scared about. Some people would laugh at him, his best friend and boyfriend- the person he'd known the longest was what he feared the most.
But Steve knew Bucky better than anyone else, which in turn meant he knew his anger better than anyone else.
And Buckys anger was something to be feared.
It was a struggle and lots of heartache to get Bucky back after all the years of pain and torture he went though as the winter soldier. Steve wanted nothing more than to meet with Alexander Piece and blow his brains out for good. But no amount of torture would ever be enough for what they put his boyfriend though.
Although he didn't remember absolutely everything, he had lots of his memory left, and in turn remembering Steve being a reckless idiot, and he wasn't afraid to get in his face and yell at him about it.
Steve hated, hated disappointing his boyfriend, after getting a lecture and yelling at until Buckys face was red from anger- he was always thrown into a big hug with Bucky trembling telling Steve that he meant to much to him and couldn't bear for him to get hurt and lose him again.
The trembling in his boyfriends voice made him want to cry each time. He knew Bucky hated him being Captain America and throwing himself into dangerous situations. He has promised Bucky he'd retire soon and they could live together somewhere quiet- the rest of the avengers would be fine without them. They needed each other more. The world would be fine without them.
Steve had planned to give the shield to Sam after this mission. None was more worthy of the shield than Sam. He would be amazing as Captain America.
And he and Bucky could get married and quietly live out the rest of there lives together.
So much for that plan.
Looking up from his thoughts he noticed them approaching the doors to the med bay and Steve sighed. Bucky was not doubt informed with what happened alongside the rest of the team. And he feared his life, hopefully Bucky wouldn't kill him.
He stopped at the front doors to the medical bay as Clint and Natasha went him, Natasha raising an eyebrow at him.
Closing his eyes he sighed once more- time to face the music.
Opening the doors to the medical bay, he was greeted with a bunch of doctors, nurses and other types of staff. Looking over he saw Clint and Natasha talking to Phil, Bruce, Sam, the twins
And an extremely looking pissed of Bucky.
Steve winced- he was in for it now.
Sam noticed him first and waved him over, causing the rest of them to look over at him.
As soon as Bucky noticed him, Steve knew he was completely and totally fucked.
He slowly backed up till he was against the wall of the bay before Bucky stormed up and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt
"Listen Buck-"
He didn't have time to finish whatever he was going to say before a head smashed against his own causing him to yell out in pain
"Ow! What the fuck Bucky!?"
Looking up at his partner who now had a red spot against his head, arm still on his collar growled at Steve
"Steven Grant Rogers!" He barked making Steve winced again "what in the everloving FUCK did I tell you before you left!"
"I-"
"I TOLD YOU to come back unharmed and uninjured! And the next thing I hear is Coulson the rest of the team saying 'come to the medical bay, someone's missing in action' DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW TERRIFYING THAT IS!?"
"Listen Buck-"
"YOU STUPID ASS PUNK! I THOUGH YOU WERE FUCKING DEAD!" Bucky yells at him, ignoring the stares from their team and the staff
"B-bucky calm down the lemme explain the team-"
"I don't give a flying fuck about that right now Steve! I JUST GOT YOU BACK- YOU WERE GOING TO RETIRE AFTER THIS AND I THOUGHT I LOST MY CHANCE TO LIVE MY LIFE OUT WITH YOU!"
Steve swallows heavily as Bucky's hand shakes as he holds Steve up by his shirt before he lets go and burries his head into Steve's chest
"I just got you back" he whispers, barely audible "I just got better and we were finally reunited after all these years"
His voice is trembling and Steve can't handle it- he's going to cry "Bucky.."
"I thought I lost you for the second time, we had everything planned out.. I've been looking for rings to propose with..they aren't nothing crazy or expensive but I had my soulmate back and was finally happy and I- I though you were going forever. Again"
Swallowing hard, Steve knows he fucked up major this time. Logically he knows it isn't exactly his fault- and he's not the one missing in action- Tony is.
But how was Bucky supposed to know that? God he was planning to purpose after!
Feeling Bucky go limp against his chest, Steve closes his eyes and threads his fingers though his boyfriends hair, trying to sooth his boyfriend.
"I'm so sorry Buck" he mutters "God I'm so sorry I can't imagine how awful that must've been for you.. but I'm okay, I'm letting the shield go after this I promise, you'll never have to worry about it again, we're going to be together, till the end of the line right?"
Steve watches as Bucky exhales softly and lifts his head from Steve's chest, eyes red with unshead tears
"You're right and I'm sorry Steve" he says quietly, looking at him "that was out of line. I was just worried- now mind telling me what the hell happened?"
He opens his mouth to answer his boyfriends question when the pain is suddenly back in his stomach and he cries out, clucking it, falling to the hard title floor
"Steve! What's wrong!?" Buckys by his side instantly, hand on his shoulder with a worried look on his face
"F-fuck it hurts" he manages to whimper out
"Hurts? Steve I thought you weren't hurt!"
"He isn't" a cool voice interrupts them
Bucky looks up and so does Steve- seeing Natasha and the rest of the team standing over them
"What happened to him?" Bucky asks pain clear in his voice "I thought he didn't get hurt, and were the fuck is Stark at?"
Clint audibly swallows and Natasha answers "Steve's been having extreme stomach pain- part of the reason we're hear- as for Stark"
She looks around and sighs "he's the one missing in action"
The silence that follows his almost unbearable before it's broken by Bucky's voice "You mean..Stark's gone?"
"That's exactly what she means Sargeant Barnes" the cool voice of Fury says, followed by Maria Hill and Dr Helen Coe.
"Fury" Natasha addresses
"I see everyone's arrived" he addresses "now can everyone come with me to the tower, expect Coe and Rogers. Coe has been explained the situation and has an idea of what's going on, but frankly it is absolutely ridiculous and not possible but she wants to clarify anyways"
"What? No!" Bucky says immediately "I'm not leaving Steve's side I don't even know what's going on!"
"Barnes-"
"I'm staying" Bucky says firmly, hand on Steve's back protectively "I'm not leaving him"
Steve sighs and looks at Helen, clearly uncomfortable with the idea- he doesn't really want Bucky to leave either, but its clean whatever Helen has to tell him is no joking matter.
"Bucky" Steve says and places his other hand- the one not wrapped around his belly on his boyfriends shoulder "just go, I promise I'll be right here this entire time, if anything happens you'll be the first to know"
He watches the conflict in his boyfriends face "but Stevie-"
"Please Buck? For me?" He says pulling out the puppy dog eyes knowing it works everyday
He watches as Bucky's resolve shatters and he sighs, pulling him into a tight hug "Fine, but I'd better be the first person to know if anything happens- besides Helen I guess"
Steve just laughs "Don't worry you will be"
"Good see you later Punk"
Steve snorts "Bye Jerk, I love you"
"Love you too Stevie"
Buckys releases him and Steve watches as the team leads the med bay, leaving him and Helen
She sighs gratefully "thank you" she says "I know you didn't want him to leave but I'm afraid if what I believe his correct he would have a heart-attack"
Steve freezes at that "I-is it really that bad? Am I dying?"
She sighs in response "It is..complicated but no as far as I'm concerned you aren't dying Steve"
"Then wha-"
"Just follow me" she says before walking down the hallway
Confused Steve gets up slowly following the doctor down the hallway into a empty door, closing the door behind him.
"Lay down on the bed and take off your shirt please" Helen says, typing away at her computer
"I-what?"
"Please Steven" Helen says "I'll explain after this is done but this also affects Stark"
At that Steve perks up- "Tony?" He asks hopefully "What does this have to do with Tony? Do you know were he is?"
Helen just sighs "maybe just it's complicated, just lay down and take your shirt off please"
Confused but Steve doesn't say anything, Helen is a good doctor who's helped them all before- he trusts her.
So without asking any questions he climbs up on the medical table, wincing a little bit and taking off his shirt, feeling uncomfortable to have his belly exposed for some reason.
He watches as Helen grabs something from her desk and walks over to him
"Now, this isn't going to hurt but it's going to feel cold okay?"
Steve just swallows and nods, not asking anymore questions. He flinches a little bit as Helen lathers the gel? He isn't sure what it is over his belly and side.
A few minutes later she pulls the device away and let's out a gasp "oh my god.." she whispers and Steve immediately starts to panic
"Helen?" He says sitting up and wincing, hand still on his stomach "What's wrong? What's happening? Where's Tony? Is he okay?"
Looking at a picture of what seems to be..a fetus? She let's out a deep breath and turns to Steve
"Steven listen to me" she says seriously "I know you're very confused and scared but you aren't dying and Stark is okay but you need to take this into the bathroom"
She hands him a white strip and Steve looks at it confused- he's a boy has Helen gone insane? "B-but this is- I'm a boy"
"I know you are Steven but you have to trust me on this please"
Ignoring the sinking feeling on his chest, Steve pulls his shirt back over his head and walks to the bathroom.
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Minutes tick was painfully slow in the main room in the tower. Natasha's sitting in the armchair, Clint and Phill on a couch together, the twins on another couch, Bruce and Sam on the final couch and Bucky pacing around the room, they others have often for him to sit on the other armchair but he refused.
Maria and Fury left a few minutes ago, without saying anything, giving Bucky more anxiety than we already had.
Just about when he ca barely take it anymore- Fury and Maria return with Helen behind them and Steve!
But something's wrong, Steve looks..terrible his eyes are red, and he looks exhausted.
Bucky's up and at Steve's side instantly "what happened?" He demands, placing his hand on Steve's shoulder, he chest tightens painfully as Steve doesn't even look at him and keeps staring at the ground in seemingly shock "what did you do to him?"
Fury sighs "It'll be easier to show you" Helen says as two images appear on the main TV screen.
"Is that a-?" Natasha says
"An ultrasound" Helen says
Silence follows
"An ultrasound?" Clint finally says breaking the silence "b-but there looks to be a fetus?"
"Why are you showing up an ultrasound?" Bucky interrupts sounding annoyed "what does that have to do with anything?"
"Look at this" Helen says as another picture shows up on the screen.
"It's a pregnancy test" Sam says "A positive one"
"O-okaay?" Bucky says sounding confused- "all this is telling us is someone's pregnant, is it Helen? What does this have to do with Steve?"
"Oh my fucking God" Natasha says outloud "I thought about it a little but brushes it off, are you telling me its true?"
Steve tenses beside him and Bucky's at his limit "True? What's true? Someone had better tell me what the fuck is wrong with Steve so we can look for Stark!"
"Stark is right here" Helen says
"I-what?" Bucky says confused again
A sigh as a different picture shows up on the seen, a bottle of green liquid
"Turns out" Fury cuts in "this is some of the liquid the ailens shot at Stark that sent him flying into Steve, I guess it didn't evaporate, Wilson and Dr.Banner found it on the ground, Dr.Banner had the change to examine it"
"You mean Bruce found this and didn't tell anyone but YOU?" Bucky interrupts looking as Bruce who casts his gaze to the floor, looking guilty
"Don't blame the Doctor" Maria interjects for the first time "He figured out what it does, but it seemed impossible so we needed further investigation- and after this appointment with Captain Rogers, as crazy as it sounds- it's true"
Steve goes still beside him and Bucky is going to start shooting someone if he doesn't get an explanation soon
"Dr. Banner and other types of professionals have tested the liquid and what it does, myself included" Helen says "Whoever get hits by the liquid will go flying and whoever they touch first-" she takes a deep breath "Will become pregnant with whoever they collide with, whoever is hit will basically be reverted into a fetus and reborn"
Dead silence
None says anything for a solid 5 minute before Bucky's brain catches up to everything Helen just said
"W-wait" he says, voice horse "t-that would mean-"
"If you are fucking with us Fury-Helen, I will murder you both" Natasha says voice going cold
"This is not a joking matter" Fury says sounding exhausted
"B-but" Bucky says hand off Steve to hold his head, he's going to pass out "Stark was hit with the liquid and hit Steve s-so"
"Yes" Maria interjects again, sounding eeiry calm "I may seen impossible but everyone in the medical bay as confirmed it all- whatever they alien shot Steve with has come with extreme consequences"
She looks around the room at them all "And now Steve is pregnant with Stark"
None has anything to say after that
Bucky falls into the armchair, head on his forehead- this isn't real, it's a horrible dream, he's going to wake up any minute now in his bed with Steve, like normal
"So what happens now?" Phil breaks the silence that has fallen between them all
"Fury rubs his forehead "Well obviously the team can't go on like this and neither can Steve, so we're going to take him down to conduct some research and experiments and find a way to reserve this and get Stark back"
"No"
"Excuse me?" Fury asks looking around and his eyes fall on Steve who hasn't said a word until now. He's standing up right and glaring at Fury
"You heard me" The captain says, hand placed protectively around his middle
"Rogers do you hear yourself? Do you understand the situation you're in? You are pregnant who Tony Stark- Iron man"
Everyone in the room freezes from the growl that comes from the captain "Oh yes" he says walking up to Fury "I understand the situation perfectly"
"Then-"
"But then I heard the world experiments and absolutely not"
Fury just fixes him was a glare "Captain Rogers- you are Captain America and Iron man cannot be a unborn child!"
"Stop calling him that!" Steve growls slamming both hands on a near by table causing the avengers and even Phil to flinch
"Wha-"
"Shut UP!" Steve hisses "He isn't Iron man right now! Do you fucking hear yourself!? He's a living breathing human being! Just because" he points to his belly "he's in here doesn't make him any less of a person! Who says he'll have any memories when he's born!? You want to conduct research and try to reverse this!? Are you OUT OF YOUR GODDAM MIND!"
The director just places both hands in front of him "Rogers c'mon you're being ridiculous, imagine what will happen to the avengers and the world-"
"FUCK THE AVENGERS" Steve yells before gesturing to the rest of the room "what the FUCK are they here for then?! You have an entire room full of superheros RIGHT HERE! And you're so selfish you want to experiment on an UNBORN KID!"
"He's NOT a unborn kid he's a fully grown man-"
"Does he LOOK? Like a fully grown man right now!?" Steve hisses angrily "You said it yourself, you have no idea if Tony will even REMEMBER anything! Even if you're little 'research' worked he might come back and NOT REMEMBER ANYTHING!"
"then well-"
"You'll what Fury? MAKE him remember? That's inhuman! It's basically torture! You may not like Tony but I don't care! You're talking about him like he's a toy without any feelings! He isn't something for you to do research on like a robot! He's a HUMAN WITH EMOTIONS FOR GODS SAKE!"
Everyone watches the the captain gets close to the director and pokes him in the chest with a finger "what if your experiment goes wrong huh? What if the fetus disappears! We'll have LOST Tony FOREVER! HE'LL BE GONE FOR GOOD!"
"It-"
"It what? Won't go wrong? You can't be sure of that!"
"We have professional-"
"I don't give a flying fuck! If you have professionals or not! NOTHING is 100% guaranteed to work! And if you think I'm going to let you or ANYONE risk Tony's life just because he's not an adult, he's going to be a kid I don't fucking care! He had a horrible childhood, his parents NEGLECTED him and he was forced to grow up without a CHANCE to be a kid! This could be his second chance! And I could give it to him!"
Taking a deep breath the blonde captain turned to look around the main room to glare at the rest of the team gathered around "that goes for anyone else- if you all don't care if you don't agree or wanna help, Captain America and Iron man are no longer available, if you don't agree or wanna help, I don't care. I'll raise Tony by myself and none under any circumstances is allowed to perform ANYTHING on him" he growls- hand protectively over his belly before walking towards to elevator
"Rogers-" Fury starts
"I don't care what you tell the world- Tony's mine. And no scientist is allowed to perform anything on him. None touches him, I'm talking responsibility for him. And if you have an issue with that then I don't care"
None says anything after that, the anger coming from the captain still there as he stops in front of the elevator, getting into it, presumably heading to his floor on the tower, only to turn around, arm still placed protectively around his stomach fixing Fury with one last glare before the doors close the the elevator ascends.
The room Is silence for a long time before Fury walks out the front door without a word Maria following him silently
None says anything for a long time after that.