Deadly Attachment

Chapter 19

- falling in love isn't a privilege. but falling in love with the right person is.

It was my turn to take care of Andrea, on a Thursday. So the entire morning was spent carrying the baby, and sometimes letting her run through the halls. Tony spent time in his workshop, doing things that he was supposed to be doing the day he was supposed to take care of Andrea.

At around noon, I put her down in my room for a nap and sat reading an old book that I have carried with me since it had come out years ago. The book was "Anna Karenina" by Leo Tolstoy. I liked the book because it showed aspects of real life. It was drama filled and tough. And full of deception, but also love. Those two things together were dangerous, as it showed in the book.

I had reread "Anna Karenina" probably a hundred times. It was a wonderful book, and I was a big fan of it. I read it now because Andrea was asleep and it as a perfect way to pass time. Another wonderful book was "Doctor Zhivago" by Boris Pasternak. It was an equally drama filled book, but no one in "Doctor Zhivago" was as wealthy as those in "Anna Karenina." And maybe that's why I read the latter book now, instead of the former. The Avengers gave me a feeling of wealth, which I liked, and almost never had.

Andrea stirred next to me, and I froze, staring at the child and hoping she didn't wake up. It was only a half hour since I put her down to sleep, and I wanted her to sleep for at least another hour or so.

A knock at the door caused me to drop my book and bolt towards the knock, ready to quiet the person who had knocked.

To my surprise, it was Bucky. "Can I come in?" He asked quietly after I shushed him. I nodded, motioning him inside. He noticed Andrea sleeping on my bed, and his face twitched up in a smile for a moment.

"What's going on, Bucky?" I asked casually, leaning against the desk in my room.

"There's a little problem, and I didn't know who else to talk to about it besides you."

I frowned slightly but forced myself to remain neutral. "What's the problem?"

Bucky ran a hand through his long hair and sighed. "Steve and I were supposed to come clean to the team today. About us." He clarified. "I chickened out, and now I think Steve is upset with me." He clenched his fist and looked like he needed to hit something. "I'm such a coward."

Shaking my head, I reassured him that he wasn't a coward. "I know that you're scared to do this, and Steve shouldn't make you do this if you're not ready. Just explain it to him, tell him you're not ready to do that just yet."

"I don't know when I will be ready." Bucky frowned at the wall. "If I will ever be ready."

"Take your time." I squeezed his shoulder. "Just don't rush it, and you'll find the right moment. We're all going to accept you as you are, I can promise you that. I'm not even sure if it will come as a surprise to us when you tell the rest of the team." I smiled. "Go tell Steve these things, and he'll have to accept it and understand that it's out of your comfort zone for the moment."

Bucky looked a little wary still, probably about bringing it up to Steve. I placed the idea that he wanted to speak with Steve about it, and it took a few seconds but he accepted it.

"I'll see you around, Bucky." I smiled reassuringly, and he walked out of my room.

Andrea had awoken by then, and called me, "Mama." I laughed and lifted her, brushing a strand of hair from her face.

"No." I shook my head. "I'm not your mama."

She called me her mama once more, so I had to place the idea that I wasn't her mother, but instead a relative. She accepted it, and I tried teaching her my name. She couldn't say Katya, but instead, she began to call me Kat.

"Close enough." I kissed her cheek and took her to the big room. To my surprise, the big room was becoming prepared for some sort of event. "What's going on?" I asked a man who was checking the bar's inventory.

"Mr. Stark is having a party, kind of like a very late baby shower for his daughter." The bartender turned. "I'm guessing that's her?" He looked at Andrea, and I nodded. "Cute." He placed a clipboard down on the counter.

"When is this party?" I questioned.

"Oh," He checked his watch. "About four and a half hours. It's a little past two o'clock right now."

I nodded and thanked the bartender, before placing Andrea in her playpen. Peter was laying on the couch, now out of his casts. He was left with crutches to help him walk, but he rarely used them. Now he was just doing physical therapy most hours of the day, to attempt to get his strength back. He thanked me for helping the people as Black Mamba and assured me he would be back soon to take the duty from me.

"Did Tony tell you about this party?" I asked Peter, still curious about why I had not heard of this party until today.

Peter shook his head no, saying, "I had no idea until I came in this morning, and the pink decorations were taking their places along the walls."

I hummed in thought. "Seems like this must have been a last minute decision from Tony."

"Or Pepper was the one to make it." Peter's words opened my eyes a bit.

Pepper was Tony's girlfriend, and it seems like I have forgotten to ask Tony how she took the news of him having a child.

"She's alright with the baby?" I asked Peter.

"Alright?" Peter laughed. "She loves Andrea, even though it's not her kid."

"That's great news." I smiled.

"For sure." He nodded. "How has your day been with Andrea?"

I smiled at the child in the playpen. "It's going pretty well. But I assume with this party, Tony will want her with him."

"Speaking of Tony." Peter nodded in the direction of Tony's voice. He and Pepper Potts were walking side by side, while Tony talked about something that seemingly had Pepper's attention.

"Ah! There's my princess." Tony grinned, lifting Andrea out of the playpen. She laughed happily when he placed kisses all over her face. Tony looked at me and asked how she was.

"Perfect, as always. She just got done with her nap, so she should be wide awake for a while." I smiled at the man, then nodded to Pepper. The woman smiled in return, and then kissed Andrea's forehead.

"I'll take care of her for now if that's alright with you two," Pepper said, taking Andrea from Tony's arms. "I have to get her ready for her party." She grinned at the baby, who seemed just as excited to see her as she was to see Tony.

"That's all fine with me." Tony and I said at the same time.

Tony moved to Peter and asked him how he was doing. Peter smiled and said that he has never been better. As they spoke, I noticed Tony was in a particularly good mood, and I assumed it was because of the baby shower for Andrea.

I looked around the room and a large poster with Andrea Raven Stark written on it. A pink poster with purple lettering. Tony really was going all out with this party, and it was nice to see him do a party for other than his own pleasure.

I wondered how the media would react to Tony having a child. I only assumed it would react the same way it had to its first Black Mamba sighting. Lots of pictures, and a lot of chatter. But soon, it will be considered normal.

Tony left Peter to talk with the bartender, and Peter rose, carrying his crutches. He grasped my forearm in a sort of farewell. "I'll see you later, Katya. I better get home to my Aunt May, so she could press my suit and all that garbage. Gotta look nice for Tony's party." I nodded and smiled, saying goodbye to the fifteen-year-old. It was amazing how he had gotten out of getting in trouble with his aunt. I don't know what excuse he used, but he thought of something and she believed it. It was a wonder how he balanced this Spider-Man lifestyle with Peter Parker lifestyle.

Unsure of any other way to pass time, I found myself in the training room, hitting the heavy bag with lots of force.