Helplessness adds to the pain attacking her body through the contractions. She has just been told that he is still stuck on the other side of the world because of a delayed flight, and she cannot help but cry. Because she cannot do this without him. She needs him by her side now more than ever.
"No, no," she moans through her tears as another wave of contractions hits her. Her mother is there trying to calm her down while her sister wipes the sweat off her brow. "I can't do this. I'll wait until he gets here. I can't..."
"Everything is going to be okay," her mother tells her but her words only fall on deaf ears. "But we have to do it now or you might put yourself and the baby in danger."
"He promised he'd be here. He promised," she cries, shaking her head and trying to pull away from the hands pinning her down. She needs to go. She doesn't know how but she needs to go to him. "I can't do this without him."
"Sweetie, you have to," her mother says, tone almost begging, trying to calm her from thrashing about and calling for him. "This is not safe. You have to be strong for you both. Sweetie, look at me."
Wake up.
"No, I don't want to do this..."
"You have to."
Honey, wake up!
Her watery eyes fly open, freeing her from the nightmare, and it takes them a moment to register her husband's concerned face in front of her. "Hey, you're okay," he whispers, caressing her cheek. "You're okay. It's just a dream."
Breathing hard, she wraps her arms around him to make sure that he is real, that he is there with her. He indulges her and pulls her in a warm embrace, murmuring assurances in her ear. Her dreams have become more vivid as of late, and they're not always the happy ones she likes.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he softly asks, running his fingers through her hair. She told him before that it calmed her down. "Or do you want some ice cream?"
While the latter does sound tempting, she shakes her head. "Can we just stay like this?" He nods, pulling her as close as possible. Her bump has started to get in the way of their hugs.
She turns her head and presses her face on his neck, breathing him in. She finds it strange how his scent has intensified to the point that she craves it almost all the time. If he was working, she would wear his shirt. If he was at home, she would stay close to him as much as possible. It makes her feel safe. Warm and protected.
"Did I wake you again?"
"No."
Her dissatisfied huff makes him chuckle. "Liar," she murmurs and feels his arms tighten around her. After a couple of seconds, she forces herself to pull back to look at him. He looks soft, all rumpled from sleep. "I'm sorry."
With his brow furrowed, he prompts her with, "Why are you sorry?"
"You should be resting," she answers him, feeling apologetic. "You need rest to keep up with your hectic schedule. I shouldn't be waking you up in the middle of the night."
"Hey," he interrupts. "None of that. We're doing this together. I can take care of myself, you know that. Now, tell me what's wrong. What was that dream about?"
"It's nothing."
"You were crying," he reminds her. "And you were calling for me."
She feels a lump in her throat as she remembers the nightmare. It wouldn't bother her so much if she knows that it was impossible, but the problem is it is possible. And the reality of that scares her.
"I was about to give birth," she says with her voice trembling. "But you weren't there because your flight was delayed."
Some errant tears roll down her cheeks that she quickly wipes away. His tone breaks her heart as he says, "Oh, baby, that must have been so scary."
She nods before finally allowing her emotions to be released. He pulls her back into his arms and lets her cry on his shirt. It still amazes her, how he manages to know exactly how to respond to her needs. Sometimes, she just needs a good cry and a shoulder to lean on.
"Is this about my filming schedule?" he gently asks later on when she has quieted down. She does not respond, but they both know the answer. "Honey, I don't know what the future holds, but what I do know is that I won't let anything to stand in the way of me greeting our baby with you when the time comes. That much I can promise you."
"What if something does happen?"
"Then, I'll find a helicopter or a jet ski to take me home," he says with all seriousness that it pulls out a smile from her. "You have my word. I won't let you go through it alone. I will be there. I have waited way too long not to be there. Okay?"
The memory of him finding out that he was about to become a father resurfaces in her mind. There really was no reason to doubt him. He has never given her a reason to do so. "Okay."
"Besides, there aren't that many memories of defeat in my life," he adds cheekily.
That successfully brings out a laugh. She lightly hits him in the chest in response and he returns it with a tighter hug and a kiss on the top of her head. And with that promise, she feels lighter, a little freer from the worries that the future taunts her with.
Because she has her very own Avenger right beside her.
