Everlasting • Tony Stark✔️

64 | problem

LYRA paced back and forth in the bathroom a few nights later. Thor had stayed in the Tower in his own room while they waited for Clint, Steve, Natasha, and Bruce to show up to discuss the Hydra base raids they needed to do. With all of S.H.I.E.L.D. intel that was posted on the Internet, a lot of Hydra intel was leaked as well. Tony had already created a list of places they needed to check in order to find Loki's scepter. Thor was irritated, of course, with having to find it again, but no one could deny the excitement of seeing each other once more.

There was a problem, though.

A very big, slighty major, not the right time kind of problem.

Lyra jumped as her phone started ringing. She took a deep breath as Pepper's name flashed with her face. "Hello," she said with a slight stammer as she sat on the toilet seat. "How is Stark Industries holding up?"

Pepper laughed. "We are booming since Tony officially moved out of my way with decisions."

"That's awful," Lyra said with a laugh.

"Ah, it's the truth. We've got more energy reactors firing up other Stark Towers around the states. I'm sure you didn't call me for work talk, honey. What's up?" Pepper said before yelling, "Happy! She's fine! Let her in! Jesus. Okay, I'm listening."

Lyra tapped the basin with her fingernails. "Well, you see, after the whole Winter Soldier shabang... I was feeling sick. Of course, I figured it was just stress of being on everyone's kill list. Ha, anyway," she broke off as Pepper yelled at another person. Lyra laughed. "Thor is here. He was talking to Tony about families and stuff, and Tony said now wasn't the right time. I just laughed it off... right. Er... then, I realized I had yet to have my period in a few weeks."

The line was silent.

"Pepper?"

"Have you checked?" she whispered.

"Well, not with a test, but I have Jarvis run a quick scan over my stomach and he found an abnormality. I figured I would wait for Natasha and Clint to get here since Nat's a girl, and Clint—well, Clint would be excited," she said, cutting off the reason that he had his own family to worry about. "I'm scared, Pep. We're supposed to hunt down Hydra bases, and I can't do that if I am... inhabited."

"Inhabited? Really?" Pepper said with a snort. "Well, no. You can't go hunt down Hydra bases, but you can help from the sidelines. Don't be scared. Tony's always had a way with kids. Harley from a few years ago? He loves that kid. Normally a bit sarcastic, but Tony'll be excited no matter what he said the other night. It's you. It's your child. His child. Just let me know when you check, okay?"

"Okay," Lyra whispered.

"You'll be okay, Ly," Pepper promised.

"Okay," she said again before ending the call and leaving the bathroom.

Clint and Natasha did not arrive until three days later. Bruce had arrived, so he and Tony were in the lab often, trying to look for signatures that could reflect the scepter. Thor had been scouting out areas with Steve when the Captain arrived the day before.

Lyra smiled tightly at Tony. "We'll be back!" she called.

Tony rose a brow. "Thor and Cap are on their way back so we can strategize."

"We'll only be half an hour!" Lyra called frantically, grabbing Natasha and Clint's arms with a frantic look in her eye. Clint and Natasha pulled out of her hold once the elevator was shut.

"What the hell was that about?" Natasha asked. "Where are we going?"

Lyra turned to Clint. "How'd Laura know she was pregnant?"

Clint froze, eyes falling to her stomach. "Huh?"

"Jesus! How did she know!?" Lyra asked.

Natasha placed a hand on Lyra's arm. "Calm down, Ly. Why do you think so?"

"Um, no blood out of my fucking vagina for a while. Sickness that probably was because I was fighting bad guys and getting shot when I shouldn't have been?" Lyra said, wondering if the baby was okay after all of that. She could see herself being punched by the Winter Soldier or flying from cars. "Shit. Holy shit."

Clint grabbed one of her shaking hands as the elevator dinged. She ran to her car, gesturing for the pair to get in.

"Where are we going?" Natasha asked.

"To find out if I am," Lyra said, gulping. "Tony's going to go nuts. He's going to hate me, holy shit."

"I'm driving," Clint decided, grabbing the keys from her hand.

When they made it to a drug store, she turned to Natasha. "You have to go get it. Please."

"Why me?"

"Because one photo of Tony Stark's fiancée buying a pregnancy test will be a field day for reporters. Please, Nat," Lyra pleaded.

She nodded, smiling softly. "I'll be back," she said.

Clint grabbed her hand again as they sat there. "Listen, if you are, Tony's going to be stoked. It's scary, yeah, but if an assassin like myself can do it twice. So can you and Tony."

"What if he doesn't want it?" Lyra whispered, knees drawn to her chest. "I mean, Pepper says he's good with children, but—"

"He'll want it," Clint said. "It's going to change his life, sure, but he'll want it."

When Natasha returned, Clint drove off to another store. Natasha and Lyra walked in, going straight to the bathroom. Natasha leaned against the wall as Lyra did her business. When they were waiting, she paced as if a hole would appear and swallow her.

"It's doing something," Natasha called.

Lyra gulped at the two tests, sighing when the answer appeared.

Natasha smiled slightly, leaning down to pat Lyra's stomach. "Welcome to the weirdest fucking family
you'll ever be in, little Stark."