Inevitable (Bucky Barnes x OC) [Book 3]

9. Perfect

I dropped my peanut butter sandwich when I felt the fluttery sensation in my stomach take me by surprise.

"Oh."

At first, I panicked. I had never felt that before with my last pregnancy, so my mind immediately thought something was wrong.

"Steve!" I called out from the kitchen, putting my lunch on the counter and holding my rounded stomach. "Nat? Bruce? Anyone!"

Both Steve and Natasha ran into the kitchen, instantly at my side. I couldn't help but burst into tears, my worst fears coming to fruition. I felt the sensation again and felt my hands get tingly and numb, the anxiety polluting my brain.

"What is it?" Natasha asked, her eyes immediately going to my stomach. "Is it the baby?"

"I-I don't know," I said in a panic, holding my stomach. "There's a... it's a flutter; I don't know. It's not right. Something is wrong."

Nat got close to me, her eyes asking for permission to touch my stomach. I nodded hastily, and she put her hands around the base of my belly.

"Oh, sweetie..." her soft smile arose. "Nothing is wrong."

"It's not?" I said, biting my thumb.

"No," she said, taking my hands and putting them on my stomach. "No, this is a good thing."

"What is it?" Steve asked nervously, putting his comforting hands on my shoulders.

"The baby is kicking," she said to me. "They're kicking and moving, which is a very good sign."

"Oh," I gasped, looking down at my bump.

The baby was kicking.

"And they're strong," she said to us.

"How do you know so much about babies?" Steve asked her.

"Barton's had three, and I've been around for 2 of them," she said to him, and it immediately calmed my nerves.

"Maybe we can go see if Bruce has time to do a check-up," Steve said to me.

"He's not that kind of doctor. It's fine; I'm fine," I said, shaking my head. "I don't... I can't get my hopes up."

"Hazel..." Nat soothed, rubbing my arm. "We can't get you to a real doctor yet; Bruce is the next best thing. Wouldn't you want to know if something was wrong?"

I didn't know if I couldn't handle knowing I had failed again.

But I nodded and agreed that I would talk to him, which eased both of their worries.

Natasha got a ping on her phone, no doubt an update from either Colonel Rhodes or Okoye, since everyone had left the compound weeks ago, leaving just the three of us, and Bruce.

I looked up at Steve, who was staring off into space, the dark circles under his eyes more noticeable in the fluorescent lights.

"You look tired," I said to him, looking him in the eye.

He shrugged at me.

"I don't sleep well anymore."

"I know," I said to him, taking his hand. "I'm the Queen of insomniacs, remember?"

"You nap all of the time," he teased.

"I'm growing a tiny human inside me," I said, rolling my eyes at him. "It's exhausting."

"Fine," he said, crossing his arms at me and leaning on the kitchen counter. "I'll get some rest if you agree to go get an ultrasound."

I blinked at him in surprise, and he raised a brow at me, waiting to see if I'd argue with him.