I wanted to give a small look at what it was like while Clara and Steve were expecting baby Natasha and Tony. I just love them, and I love to write people in love, so I couldn't help myself, I had to write this little oneshot. This one's for all the people who wanted more of this story, I hope I can get inspiration to write more little snippets like this.

Clara could barely stand it. She felt bloated, her feet ached, she always had a headache and she was always hungry. She was miserable.

There were obvious perks to pregnancy, but there were so many cons that weighed on her day after day that she could hardly handle them. Not to mention she was giant, carrying two babies to term. Seven months in and people thought she was ready to pop. She thought she was ready to pop, honestly.

And it didn't help that Steve was constantly working, constantly helping to rebuild the entire world. She was so lonely.

Life without Tony and Natasha was difficult. She thought of them all the time, wishing she could speak to them and let them know how she was doing. But fate was cruel, and she would never be able to see them again. She felt her eyes begin to tear up just thinking about it.

But as soon as a soft whimpering sob left her lips, her "guard dog" raced into the room, panic in his eyes and hands moving wildly.

"What is it, what's wrong Clare?" Bucky asked frantically. Steve had recruited his best friend to keep an eye on his best girl while he was gone, and James Buchanan Barnes was nothing if not thorough. He helped her with the most mundane tasks, rarely left her side, and whipped up anything she was craving. Literally anything. Clara would have thought it was cute if it wasn't so annoying.

"I-it's nothing, just the hormones." she sniffled, wiping her tears from her eyes. He seemed to sigh in relief before plopping down next to her on the porch swing, his hair moving in the breeze to tickle her nose. She swatted the wavy brown locks out of her face before giving him a watery smile.

"Are you hungry? Do your feet hurt? I can get you some hot water and a footbath." the soldier offered, and she shook her head.

"No, I just want to sit here for now." she replied quietly, and the duo gazed out over the yard in content. She and Steve had moved, the destroyed compound obviously no place for them anymore. So he found them a small place, once a farm and now just a cute little spot of land just outside town. A tiny pond in the back filled with guppies and frogs, cattails swaying in the warm summer breeze. Rust red brick and dark wood made up the home, beautiful and rustic and inviting. No air conditioning, which she hated during the summer, but a roaring fireplace that she couldn't wait to fire up during the cold winter months and snuggle up with Steve. This was her perfect life.

Well, almost perfect. She just wished Bucky could shut up sometimes.

"Are you getting cold? It's pretty dark out now, I can grab you a sweater." her friend glanced down at her bare legs. Pants were too much of a struggle, so she'd settled with flowy dresses and sandals for the last few months of her pregnancy.

"Buck. Just sit here and enjoy the quiet, okay?" she groaned, leaning back and using her legs to push them in a slow rocking rhythm. He didn't speak for a while, and she appreciated the chirping crickets and whirring cicadas. Distant squeaks revealed the bats in the trees, and she saw a few fireflies lighting up in a field far away. Stars peeked from behind the clouds, and the moon barely shone, only a sliver in the night sky. She could stay out all night and just watch and listen to it all. It was breathtaking, every bit of it.

So they were quiet, and they watched and they waited for Steve to come back. She knew that Bucky probably loved his friend just as much as she did, of course in a different way. And, since she and her husband (god she loved calling him that) announced that they were expecting, well, a lot of that love had transferred to the precious cargo she carried. Bucky was probably the most excited to see the babies, just after her and Steve of course. Any part of his best friend was something that he immediately wanted to be a part of. Bucky made them promise to call them as soon as she went into labor. The man actually wanted to be there for it. Of course, he'd be a godparent, Steve wouldn't have it any other way.

Clara would have loved for Natasha to be a godmother. But, making Pepper Anthony's godmother seemed right. And, well, Wanda was the other of course. The girl was too sweet for her own good, and had become a wonderful friend to Clara. And Sam, well. Of course the man would be godfather to baby Natasha. He had been there for the pair since he'd first met them, and had saved their asses more times than either could count. And while things weren't perfect, they were good. And that was all that she could hope for.

She had begun to doze off outside before Bucky nudged her, murmuring that he'd help her into the house. She agreed that time, letting him pull her to her feet, practically carrying her into the house. He helped her up the stairs and towards her and Steve's bedroom, bringing her over to the bed and helping her sit down.

"Do you want socks on?" he asked quietly, moving to her dresser to pick up her pajamas from the top. She gave a sleepy shake of her head, and he set the clothes down on her lap.

"Y'know, Buck, you're gonna make some lucky girl really happy one day." she smiled at him, fighting back a yawn. He paused, blinking at her.

"That stuff doesn't matter to me." he replied, his voice soft. "Do you want the window open?" she gave a quick nod, and he strode across the room and slid the pane up, letting in the sounds of the night. "I'll be right next door if you need me." he came over to rest his hand on her head, his skin cool in the sticky night air.

"I miss him." she whispered, and he paused in the doorway, turning back to face her.

"I know." was all that he said before he was gone, and she was alone again. She'd spent a good portion of her life alone, but recently it just felt wrong. She missed her husband. She missed his soft kisses, his sweet smiles, his stupid jokes, and all of his stubbornness. She missed how he'd pick the pickles off his burgers and set them on hers, how he only made chocolate chip pancakes for her even though he preferred blueberry. She missed how soft his hair felt underneath her fingertips, and how smooth and fresh his cheeks felt after a fresh shave. She missed how blue his eyes always looked in the morning, and how dark they'd get at night when he'd whisper sweet nothings to her and make her ache with want for him. She wished she could have him all to herself, but he was such a wonderful man that she knew she had to share him.

She fumbled around to get her pajamas on, some simple cotton shorts and a loose-fitted camisole that stretched over her round stomach. She lifted the hem to trace her fingers over the stretch marks and thin veins that looked almost purple in the low light. She sighed, wondering when she'd be able to see her feet again. She tried to get comfortable on her bed, spreading herself out between the sheets, knowing she'd be on her own. It sucked, but she could handle it, especially when she would wake up sweating and racing to the bathroom when one of the twins would be crowding her bladder.

The next morning couldn't come soon enough. Steve would be home sometime that day, she was sure of it. She let Bucky sleep in while she waddled her way down the stairs and into the kitchen, pouring herself a glass of milk. She thought that she would make some toast and peanut butter, but when she looked in the cupboard and saw that the jar was gone, it wasn't surprising that tears began to leak from her eyes. A sob escaped her and Bucky was by her side in an instant, his hand gripping her elbow gently.

"What's wrong? Did you stub your toe?" he asked, checking her for injuries.

"We don't have any peanut butter!" she hiccuped, burying her face in her hands as he tried to shush her tears.

"Hey, hey don't worry, I see it, it was on the top shelf, I'm sorry I must not have put it back in its spot yesterday." he cooed to her, reaching up and pulling it down for her, and just like that she felt her crushing despair lift.

"You're gonna be so good with my babies." she sniffled, pulling the jar from his hands and shuffling back to the counter where her toast was just about done. Every time she cried he'd figure out a way to help her stop, without fail.

"I-I hope so." he revealed, handing her a butter knife and watching as she scooped the peanut butter from the jar and smeared it over the toasted bread.

"You're so good. So good, Bucky." she felt the tears running down her face again, but just let them drip down to the collar of her dress. "People might think you're not, but my babies will know that you're good."

"I…" Bucky sounded choked up, but Clara didn't turn to face him. She knew what she was saying, and she knew what he thought about himself. He didn't deserve what happened to him. And she and Steve would make sure he got past these things to rebuild his life. Because he deserved better.

"Why is everyone crying in here?" she heard from the kitchen doorway, and she felt herself whirl to face Steve. Her heart beat wildly in her chest and she felt her face split into a giant smile, and he crossed the room in a second to wrap her up in a hug. His hair was unkempt and he had the beginnings of a beard, but he looked so handsome she couldn't breathe for a moment.

"Took you long enough to get back." Bucky had composed himself, a knowing smile appearing on his face. "I can't tell you how many times she's sent me out to run and get something she's craving."

"Buck, I've been gone for three days." Steve sighed teasingly, rubbing his hands up and down Clara's back.

"No, it's true, I made him get me an ice cream cake two times." she mumbled into her husband's chest, and he glanced down at her before bursting into laughter.

"Two whole cakes?" Steve teased, stepping back from her to give a hug to his best friend.

"We saved you some." Bucky defended her, and she smiled at him. Steve glanced between the pair with a knowing grin.

"I should know better than to leave the two of you together. I'm surprised the house is still standing. Two cakes?" he shook his head and glanced at the counter.

"Since you're back, I should get going. Sam wanted to get some practice in this week, and I still have some stuff to do at the base." Bucky cleared his throat, stepping backwards towards the front door.

"Oh, do you want us to give you a ride back?" Clara asked, and he gave a sharp shake of his head.

"Nah, you guys catch up. I wanted to go for a run anyways." Bucky gave a mock salute before he left, leaving the pair together in the kitchen. Steve glanced down at her with a smile, adoration twinkling in those bright blue eyes. She grinned up at him, but leaned around him to snag her piece of toast.

"I missed you." he smiled softly at her, his hands coming to rest at her sides to tug her closer to him. She just took a bite of her toast, munching on it as he rolled his eyes. "Not even gonna share?" he feigned a pout, and she rolled her eyes, holding it up for him to take a bite.

"The tiger lilies are blooming right now." she mentioned before taking another bite. He grinned at her, glancing over the top of her head to the back window where he could see the garden.

"They look swell. I thought you said they might not bloom the first year?" he asked, and she just shrugged in reply. He glanced at the flowers before looking back down at her. "Can I draw you?" he almost begged, and she blinked at him.

"Like, now?" he nodded, a pleading look in his eyes as he grabbed her now empty hands.

"I feel like I haven't seen you in so long, I just want to look at you for a few hours. And I want to remember what you look like when you're like this, all happy and glowing, and, you know…" he made an arcing motion in front of his stomach and glanced down at her belly.

"So you want to do like a maternity picture?" she frowned, glancing down at her stomach. "Steve, I don't know…" she shook her head, placing her hands on her round belly. "Am I gonna be wearing clothes in this one?" she asked weakly. His eyebrows shot up, and he frowned.

"You're usually not wearing any when I draw you." he glanced down at her stomach again. "Is something wrong?"

"I-I just… it's not cute." she blurted out, her fingers scrunching in the fabric over the taut skin on her bump. "Th-there's a lot of veins, and marks, and it's kinda bumpy…" she rambled, not looking him in the eye.

"What are you talking about?" Steve's face puckered with confusion. "Your belly is so cute, I love it… and I love who's in it."

"I do too, I just…" she bit her lip. "My boobs are sore and swollen, and my feet are swollen, and my stomach is really freaking giant, and I have a bunch of cellulite on my butt." she couldn't stop naming the things she glared at in the mirror, and Steve's face fell as he listened. "Plus I haven't been able to, like, shave my bikini line or my legs since I got so huge, I can't see what it's like down there." she should have felt embarrassed saying all these things to him, but he was her husband and she was allowed to rant to him.

"Clara. You're beautiful, okay? I love your stomach, and how giant it is. I love all those little marks on it, I love to kiss them and say hello to our babies inside. I love to give you a foot rub at night when your ankles hurt, and I love the little dimples on your butt. And even if your boobs are sore and swollen I don't care, you're still beautiful, you're so gorgeous. Do you really not think so?" she felt herself swell up with pride at his words. "You're my wife, dammit, and if I can't help you feel beautiful then I feel like I'm failing." that was it, when he said "my wife" she was done for. Of course she was beautiful, of course Steve loved her even if she was having body image issues. She was pregnant, bringing two precious babies into the world and she would surely rather die than dislike anything about the experience.

"Okay." she smiled up at him, pressing a kiss to the corner of his lips.

"Okay what?" he looked dumbfounded.

"Okay, you can draw me." she beamed, and his face split open into a grin.

"Do I get to help you undress?" he smiled cheekily, and she swatted at his shoulder.

"You never change, Steve Rogers." she teased.

"You know you love it, Clara Rogers." her stomach fluttered when he called her that. She loved it when he said her married name. It just solidified all that they'd been through, all that they promised each other they'd go through in the future.

"Go grab your pencils." she laughed, and he gave an eager nod, turning to walk out of the kitchen before pausing, giving her a happy grin.

"Go outside. I've got an idea." he smiled, and when he returned they sat out in the summer sun, and he threaded flowers through her hair as she laid in the patch of tiger lilies, vibrant orange and red petals velvety soft against her skin, and the adoring way he looked at her as he penciled in her figure made her breath catch in her throat. It was moments like this where it was all worth it. Where she knew that if anything else would change, it wouldn't be right, and she had to keep pushing forward. Because it meant everything to her to be with him, to be a part of his life. He may have been Captain America, but she'd married Steve Rogers. And there was nobody else on this earth for her.