Captain's Hart: Deleted Scenes

Chapter 7 Monday Mornings

"Ugh." Arianna groaned.

Steve simply knelt quietly beside her, just rubbing Arianna's back soothingly as she moaned while basically hugging the toilet basin. She pushed him away as she flushed the toilet, still looking incredibly pale as she unsteadily moved to the sink to wash her mouth. Again.

"I hate you." Arianna muttered as she spat out her mouthful of mouthwash, for what felt like the third time that day. Oh wait, it had been the third time that day. And it was only nine in the morning.

Steve just sighed in response, rubbing her shoulders as Arianna splashed some water on her face in an effort to soothe her pounding head. Nat silently handed over a towel, which Steve took gratefully before pressing it to Arianna's face for her as she leaned back on him, despite her spiteful words.

Wanda stood anxiously beside the redhead, watching with wide and worried eyes as Arianna took a deep, trembling breath, still looking a little green beneath her pallor. Vision was busy clearing the kitchen of all smells – just in case, as he reasoned – while Sam apologized loudly from time to time from the kitchen as they heard Arianna retch in the nearest bathroom.

"Sorry!" He shouted once more as he heard the tap turning off, and Arianna glared daggers towards the sound. Steve, noticing the look, just hugged her carefully closer, running his hands soothingly up and down her arms as she took shaky breaths. "I'm really sorry, Ria, I forgot!"

"How could you forget?" Nat snapped, turning in the doorway to also glare daggers at the Falcon. Wanda turned to watch as well as Sam shrugged sheepishly.

"Hey, she's not my wife. And I said I'm sorry- it was just habit." Sam apologized and defended himself, though he did send Steve - just visible inside the doorway to the bathroom – another apologetic look.

"It's fine..." Steve sighed, and Arianna half-snapped half-groaned: "Easy for you to say."

"Sorry, babe." Steve apologized again.

Before Arianna, or anyone else, could reply, Vision piped up as he flew over to join Wanda's side: "I have cleared the kitchen entirely of the smell of eggs and disposed of the mix in the bowl safely away, Captain Rogers. It is now safe for Mrs. Rogers to return for her mid-morning meal. Might I suggest toast and a cup of tea?"

"Thank you, Vision." Steve nodded as Arianna lifted her head from his chest, looking better and the colour returning to her face. "Ria?"

"Sounds really good." She admitted, before adding: "Thank you, Vision. And sorry, guys- I didn't mean to worry you or lash out at you."

"It's fine." Nat shrugged. "You're handling it much better than Laura did the first time when she was carrying Cooper. And you didn't lash out at me, so I don't mind."

Arianna chuckled before glancing at her husband sheepishly.

"Yeah, sorry I aimed it mostly at you, babe." She said with a small, apologetic smile, which Steve answered with a gentle one.

"It's fine." He murmured as he kissed the side of her head. "And I am partly to blame for this, so I should be the one to apologize."

"No, it's not your fault." Arianna argued, and Nat interrupted in exasperation: "Okay, when you're done being all cute all of a sudden, can we get back to breakfast? Preferably without sending Ria back in here?"

"I said I was sorry." Sam complained. "And how come I don't get an apology for all the cussing she gave me that even I could hear from out here?"

"Because you deserved it." Wanda told him seriously as the group headed back into the kitchen/dining area, Nat gliding back to her bowl of cereal – discarded when she'd jumped to catch Arianna and hurry her to the bathroom – while Wanda and Vision retook their seats on the couch, having already finished their breakfast earlier that morning.