Chapter Text
The Negative
FUNNY HOW ONE NIGHT CAN RUIN YOUR WHOLE LIFE
DON'T GO THERE YET, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE TEST SAYS
I'M ALREADY PANICKED!
Just calm down, Godammit!
MAYBE IT'LL ALL BE FINE
MAYBE THERE'LL BE JUST ONE LINE
COME ON, NEGATIVE!
I thought you don't sleep much with you husband much anymore?
Well, I - he got me drunk. I do stupid things when I drink, like sleep with my husband.
Honey, we've all made that mistake.
FOCUS ON THE NEGATIVE!
THIS WILL ALL BE ALRIGHT
IT WAS ONLY ONE NIGHT
SOMEONE SEND ME A SIGN
ONE LINE
ONE LINE
“Guys no,” Tony said when he’d walked down to Stark labs only to be cornered by both Bruce and Peggy. They’d been trying to corner him for weeks. He blamed his sleep deprived brain for their success, usually, he was a master of avoidance.
“Yes!” Peggy countered steering him toward the bathroom. Bruce right behind him preventing his escape.
“I don’t want to know.”
“You're going to have to know eventually.” Bruce told him “It’s not something you can ignore until it goes away.”
Tony groaned Peggy shoved him into the boy's bathroom “Umm Peggy this is a men’s restroom.” Tony told her she rolled her eyes.
“Don’t divert the conversation.”
“I don’t even have a test--” He was cut off when Peggy held one up in front of him smirking.
“Oh look now you do.”
Tony looked at Bruce for help but the normally mild mannered scientist looked unbudgeable. He cursed softly but grabbed the thing from Peggy and hid away in a stall.
He really had put this off for far too long. If he remembered right then it would have been about 5 weeks ago. He knew Bruce was right this wasn’t just something that he could ignore forever.
Well, unless you were Howard Stark. He’d always done a great job of pretending Tony didn’t exist. But Tony had sworn to himself that he wouldn’t end up like his father and to do that he really needed to know if he was going to be a father.
God even that thought was terrifying.
“You know I thought you didn’t sleep with your husband anymore?” Bruce asked.
“I don’t… I was drunk…” He could hear both their sounds of realization and pouted.
“Well, we all do stupid things when we’re drunk.” Peggy sighed.
“Speak for yourselves,” Bruce said.
Tony exited the stall and placed the test next to the sink. He washed his hands and glanced at the test before turning his back on it. His hands were shaking slightly.
Peggy and Bruce both looked at each other and Bruce put his arm around his friend. “Hey, we’re here for you Tony. If it turns out you are pregnant you don’t have to go through it alone.”
“And hey we haven’t even seen the results yet. For all, we know maybe his machinery is a little bit broken… it’s not like he’s ever been able to make something that actually works.” Peggy smiled.
Tony snorted at her words. It was nice to have friends like these.
“Yeah, and it was only one night. That doesn’t automatically mean--”
The alarm on Peggy’s phone buzzed and she looked at Tony, who glanced toward the sink. He eased toward it and then backed away shaking his head.
“No, I can’t do it. I can’t look at it. Someone else has to tell me.” Tony paced the floor. Bruce patted Tony on the shoulder as he walked toward the sink.
The bathroom door opened.
“Bathroom’s out of order.” Peggy slammed the door in the man’s face.
“What?” Was the half mumbled response. Peggy grumbled and stuck her head out the bathroom door. Tony could hear her very threatening tone and all he saw as she shut the door was the poor employee’s terrified face.
“Ok” Bruce looked at the test.
“What?” Peggy inquired impatiently.
“Umm. it’s positive.” Bruce said
Tony cursed his drunk self.
“Shit.”
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“It’s not that bad Tony.”
“It's awful!” Tony moaned out as he slouched against the wall. His head thunked against it “now I’ll never be able to get away from Justin.” He whispered sounding absolutely broken.
Bruce and Peggy looked at each other and then back at Tony both at a loss for words. Tony wandered over to his liquor cabinet and poured himself a shot.
“Tony!”
“Wait you can’t---!”
Tony had the liquor in his mouth when he realized what he was doing and quickly spit it back into the shot glass.
“Oh great now I can’t even drown my sorrows!” He groaned.
“There’s one good thing about this pregnancy,” Bruce commented he always thought Tony drank too much. Tony did not feel the same way and he glared hotly at him.
Peggy glanced at her phone screen and sighed “I’ve got to get to work.” She told them. Unlike Bruce and Tony, she didn’t work in the science department of Stark Industries.
“Who’s company does dad have you spying on today?” Tony asked.
“Roxon,” Peggy told him. “I don’t mind this one so much, that man is awful.”
“As opposed to Howard Stark?” Tony raised an eyebrow at her.
“Your dad’s not that bad.”
“I wouldn’t even be in this situation if it wasn’t for his stupid business plan.”
“Ok let me rephrase that. He’s not that bad anymore .” Peggy intoned
“You just lost godmother privileges.”
“Tony.”
“Nope, there’s no coming back from that.”
“So then I guess you just want to go to the doctor on your own then,” Peggy said slyly watching Tony out of the corner of her eye. The man seemed to freeze and she began to lay it on thick. “Yeah. You know, I know this really sweet OBGYN doctor. He loves kids and he’s a real gentleman too. I’ve been dating him actually and I figured if I knew and trusted him you’d feel more comfortable, plus he’s based in Brooklyn so it’d be out of the way... “She shrugged continuing on “Buuuut If you don’t want my help...”
“Fine. you win. Was that actually true?”
“His name is Steve.” Peggy smiled a bit of a dreamy sparkle in her eyes. It was odd seeing her without her normally stern attitude.
“You pint sized extortionist. You can be godmother again.” Tony relented. “By the way, why haven’t we heard of this Steve?”
“I didn’t want you to scare him away.”
“How many dates have you been on?”
“This Friday is our fourth.”
“You really like this guy Peg?”
“I really do.”
“We’ll see.”
“Tony I swear to god if you embarrass me…” She left her threat hanging and Tony held up placating hands.
“Don’t worry I know better than to make you mad.”
Peggy’s phone rang and she cursed “Shit I gotta go. I’ll talk to him on Friday and set up an appointment for you, ok?”
Tony waved her away. “Shoo.”
Peggy was halfway down the hall when she got a text from the genius inventor ‘Thanks’ she smiled fondly at the text. That silly man.
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Bruce managed to keep Tony’s mind off the baby with science and explosions.
So many people in Stark Industries… hell in the whole United States was jealous of Tony. He was a prodigy and a billionaire from the moment he was born. But Bruce knew first hand how difficult Tony’s life really was.
Bruce wouldn’t trade places with Tony for all the money in the world rich and smart as he was.
“Sir?” JARVIS spoke up “Justin Hammer is requesting Access.”
“Great. Let him in.”
“Are you going to tell-”
“SHHH” Tony hushed Bruce and barely managed to kick the trashcan with the pregnancy test under his workbench before Justin waltzed through the door all smarmy smiles.
“Tony.” The man pulled Tony toward him and Tony let himself be reluctantly tucked to the man’s side. “Why don’t you look happy to see me. After all, I’ve graced you with my presence.”
“I am happy to see you.” Tony plastered on what Bruce liked to call his Media smile.
“You didn’t even give me a hello kiss.”
Tony wanted to gag but he forced himself to peck Hammer on the lips. It was hardly a brush and Justin leaned in, but Tony was already pulling away.
“I have to work.”
“Baby you always have to work. You know when I finally take over the company you're going to be able to just be right by my side all day.” Justin's hand smoothed down Tony’s side to his waist suggestively. “Just like it should be.”
“I like the work.” Tony reminded him.
“I suppose,” Justin spoke. “Ask me about my day?”
“How was your day?”
“Well, Hammer Industries has just bought out AIM. You remember those losers from the convention right. It was easy we got their new tech out before they did and they dropped so low they were glad when we offered to buy them out.”
Tony frowned. He knew corporate espionage was semi normal in this line of work but he wasn't a big fan of it. That happened to be Peggy’s main job in Stark industries but at the very least Howard was decent enough to use the SHIELD team for blackmail to ensure corporate security rather than design theft.
He was proud that Stark industries never had to stoop to that level.
Granted Tony had no real love for AIM’s CEO but there were good people working at that Company and Hammer was likely going to fire all of them.
It was a pity.
“Are you listening to me, Tony.”
“What?”
“You never listen to me. I want you to apologize now.” Justin used his alpha voice something Tony despised above anything else. The command even had Bruce a beta shifting uncomfortably.
“I’m sorry for not listening to your oh so important words.”
Justin regarded him but then nodded “Alright then.” He pulled Tony out of the lab not even looking at Bruce.
Tony just let him. It was easier than fighting.
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Peggy smiled when the doorbell rang. She grabbed her coat and opened the door. “Hi, Steve.”
“You look lovely Peggy.”
“Why thank you.” She blushed pink feeling more girly than she ever allowed herself to be.
“Shall we.” He held out his arm and she took it.
“We shall.”
The date was wonderful. She had only known him for a month but she already felt deeply attached. She’d been on more dates than she’d like to admit but there was something about Steve.
He was too good to be true. He’d even driven an hour from Brooklyn just to take her out to dinner.
They walked through the streets. Peggy used the cool evening air as an excuse to get a little closer. Steve was all muscle and warmer than any coat.
“You said you wanted to ask me something?” Steve mused.
“I have to ask for a favor actually. I have an Omega friend and he’s recently gotten…. Well, pregnant. Anyway, he wants to keep it quiet and no place in the city is going to work. I thought maybe you could be his doctor?”
“Why no one in the city? Doctors know how to be discreet.”
“Well see. He’s a bit of a celebrity around here. If anyone even saw him around an OB GYN the rumors would fly and Tony’s… he’s not the most trusting of people. For a good reason too.”
“I see.” Steve nodded “Alright. I can fit him in on Monday.”
Peggy leaned up to kiss his cheek. “Thank you. Also don’t you dare listen to a word he says about me.”
Steve laughed “I’m almost nervous to meet him if he’s this important to you I want to make a good first impression.”
Peggy laughed. “You’ll do fine.”