Chapter 5
“You nervous?” Steve asked his husband. A week after deciding to announce Tony’s pregnancy, Pepper, being the most amazing CEO to ever walk the Earth, had arranged a press conference which the expecting parents were currently getting ready for.
Tony was now three months along and he had the very faint beginnings of a baby bump, he looked in the mirror and adjusted his shirt to cover the bump. Although he already loved his unborn child with everything he had, he was slightly self conscious of his changing body and didn’t need a picture of his stomach on the cover of every magazine in New York.
“No,” Tony replied, “Just preparing myself.”
“For the vultures?”
“Exactly.”
“You know,” Steve began, coming over to press a kiss on the brunette’s temple, “We don’t have to do this. You and I could just stay in the tower forever, with the rest of the team, Peter, Harley, and the baby, and no one would ever find us.”
Tony laughed, “Tempting. But I don’t think I want the bubs growing up as a hermit.”
“I suppose that’s fair.”
“Sorry to interrupt boys,” Pepper said as she entered the room, as graceful and put together as ever, “But there’s a room full of reporters waiting for you.”
“Ready when you are, Cap.” Tony said, leaning in to kiss his husband on the lips.
Pepper wasn’t wrong, the room was packed full of reporters, each and every one of them flashing cameras, holding microphones, notepads at the ready.
Tony stepped up to the podium, Steve at his side. The buzz of the room simmered down as soon as he cleared his throat, the people hanging onto his every word.
This is what Tony Stark was good at. Talking, charming his way through life, the confidence and ease that he spoke with, as soon as he entered a room all eyes turned to him. It’s one of the many things Steve loved about the other man.
“Thank you all for coming,” the brunette began, “As I’m sure Miss Potts has already explained, Steve and I have some news-“
“Are the two of you getting a divorce?” One reporter yelled, waving a microphone in front of Tony.
He frowned, taken aback, “What? No-“
“Is this about what happened in Berlin?”
Steve quickly stepped in, sensing tension in the air, “What happened in Berlin was years ago and the team has worked through it.”
“Is Tony Stark drinking again?”
“Has Tony’s relapse in drinking got anything to do with his apparent weight gain?”
“How has Steve’s 1940’s view on homosexuality affecting your relationship?”
“Who is Harley Keener and why has he been seen in Central Park with the two of you and other members of the Avengers?”
“Is Harley Keener a child of Tony Stark from his playboy days?”
“STOP IT!” Steve yelled, “Our news is not any of that.” He made sure to glare at every single one of them, “Tony and I are not and will not ever get a divorce, nor is he drinking again-“
“And his weight gain?”
“If I may get this back on track,” Tony said, finally regaining his bearings, “I must admit I have put on a few pounds recently but it is nothing to do with-with... what you think.” He stumbled a bit always hating talking about his past, “I am pregnant.”
The flashing of the cameras seemed to cease for a second, then the room burst to life once again. Everyone was scrambling out of their seats to get a full body picture of Tony, yelling their questions.
“How is this possible?”
“How far along are you?”
“Is Steve Rogers the father?”
“How will this affect Iron Man and the Avengers?”
“Will your use of the arc reactor have an effect on the baby?”
“Is it a boy or a girl?”
Tony held a hand up, “If you would settle down, I will be happy to answer all of your questions. We are still doing the research into how this is possible but Steve and I are incredibly excited and plan on keeping the baby. I am three months in, Cap is the father, I am going to continue my work with the Avengers, we are unsure of the gender. Anything else?”
The couple answered all the questions they were comfortable with answering and soon finished up, leaving Pepper to see everyone out.
As soon as they left the room, Tony leaned against the wall and let out a long breath.
“You were right.” Steve said, “Vultures.”
“They were asking questions about Harley.”
“I noticed you avoided that.”
The brunette sank down onto the sofa, rubbing his eyes tiredly, “God, was it obvious? I just... you saw how it was in there, I don’t want to subject him or Peter to that. They’re still so young, we can still protect them y’know?”
“And you want to protect them for as long as you can.” Steve nodded, sitting down next to his husband and rubbing his back, “I understand that.”
“Peter’s identity as Spider-Man is bound to come out at some point, he’s got his whole life to deal with all that reporter crap. There’s still time for him, for both of them, to be normal teenage kids.”
“Tones, forgive me but I don’t think either of them have been ‘normal’ since they saw Bruce and Thor getting into a Just Dance battle.”
The pregnant man snorted, “I doubt any of us are ‘normal’ after witnessing that.”
The couple smiled at each other.
“I love that you want to protect our kids, I love that you’re pregnant, I love that you took in two lonely parentless teenagers, I love that you’ve been through hell and back but you still have so much love in your heart.”
Tony stared into Steve’s deep blue eyes that held so much sincerity. “I don’t have a heart.” He whispered back, brown eyes welling up. He blamed it on the hormones.
“You do.” Steve reassured, leaning in to kiss him, “You always have.” He murmured against his lips.