Into the War || A Captain America Love Story

52

"Morning sickness?" I ask her, setting my hand on the back of the chair to steady it.

"Do I really need to make a handbook of policies for my lab?" Tony groans. "No puking in my lab!"

"Says the same person who was hungover yesterday and threw up in the trash can next to you," Rhodey says, pointing to the small metal trash can next to Tori's feet.

"And I'm going to have to use it if you two don't shut up!" Tori cautions.

The entire room goes dead silent, everyone quickly glancing anywhere but at my wife. Tori pinches the bridge of her nose, heaving out a sigh. I'm tempted to put my arm around her to comfort her, but she will snap at me.

"How far along are you?" Pepper asks her, breaking the silence.

"Almost nine weeks," Tori informs her.

"Still have a lot longer left to go, huh?" she mumbles, stepping towards my wife with a hand on her hip.

Tori nods. "Anyways, Tony, you really should have a list outside your door with every 'policy' of yours."

"It'd be twelve pages," Rhodes says.

"Double-sided," I add, crossing my arms and glaring at Tony.

He glances around at us with widened eyes like he's innocent. "Okay, first of all, I'd laminate it so these Rogers brats can learn without destroying it, which is another policy. Secondly, I have my reasons."

"You don't want anyone to breathe on your child torture device blueprints?" I ask him.

"It's not torture, it's preparing little Tony for his uncle being freaking Iron Man," Tony claims. "Besides, his whole family is one huge gaggle of critically claimed superheroes. He's gonna need the experience."

"I think a shield would be a little safer, if you ask me," I smirk, waiting for steam to shoot from Tony's ears. "You know, with their dad being Captain America and all."

"His," Tony corrects. "And what's fun about flinging a metal frisbee around? That doesn't impress the ladies."

"I'm sitting right here, jackass," Tori says.

"Like a hunk of metal would either," I shoot back at Tony. "Besides, I don't think a group of drooling little girls will honestly care about anything besides cooties."

"Well I will teach him how to sweep girls off their feet for when he's older," Stark smirks, demonstrating with Pepper and dipping her down, staring seductively into her eyes. "He'll thank me."

"Over my dead body," I hiss.

"At least when he's forty," Tori pipes up again.

I whip my head to face her, raising an eyebrow at her. "So you think it's gonna be a boy?"

"I'm just trying to stick to the possibility of having a boy to make my brother happy," she says. "But it's cute thinking about a little Steve running around the house."

"The world would end," Tony shudders dramatically. "What you need is a baby Tony."

"God, that would really end the world," I mumble, not able to even fathom the thought.

"Why do I even bother?" my wife mutters. She raises her voice, "you know what, I love you both, but there is a gun in the bottom right drawer of this table and I will use it."

"Oh really?" Tony asks. His face goes bright red once he realizes that Tori spins a handgun around her finger, the bottom right cabinet open. "Damn."

"Put it back," I demand her.

She rolls her eyes and groans, setting it back in the drawer and closing it. "First of all, I know you, Tony, and you've always kept a gun in the bottom right of your planning table. And Steve, I know how a gun works and the safety was on."

"Damn right, it should be," I mutter. I glance at Pepper and Rhodes, who are failing to conceal their giggles. "What?" I ask them.

"You three," Rhodes says in between laughs, "are like children."

"I have a reason. I've had to deal with that since I was one, so cut me some slack," Tori says, pointing to her brother. "And I chose to deal with this one," she points at me, "and those two technically started a civil war at one point."

"And there's gonna be another one of Capsicle doesn't let me do what I want," Stark whines.

"Well that Star-Spangled-Man-With-A-Plan can and will kick your ass, so I'd watch it."

"Like you wouldn't stop either of us first."

Tori rolls her eyes, throwing her hands up in defeat and slowly turning around in her spinning chair to face the other direction. I chuckle, wrapping my arm around her. I peck her forehead with a grin, watching the scowl fade and be replaced by a smirk.

"I love you," I chime.

"I love you too," she replies, pushing my face away childishly, causing me to laugh.

Rhodey and Pepper awe at us, causing both of us to groan with annoyance. Tony just starts scribbling on his blueprint with a devious grin. Let's just hope there are no casualties by the time we leave.