Based on the request made by Sevvus.

I hope you'll like it!

Disclaimer: I claim no rights to the characters of Harry Potter and The Avengers. They belong to their respective creators. The songs featuring in this story are 'Lullaby' sung by Dixie Chicks, and 'Truly, Madly, Deeply' sung by Savage Garden. I claim no rights to the songs.

Warnings: slash, OOC, Mpreg, overprotective Avengers, explicit content

cut

Harry woke up with a sigh immediately becoming aware of open-mouthed, loving kisses being littered over his naked shoulders. Stretching and humming contently, Harry felt strong thick fingers lightly teasing the sensitive skin just at the bottom of his already hard cock.

He knew every curve and line of the hard body pressed against his back, his lover's warmth seeping into his body breaking through the haze of the early morning.

"How do you manage to make me fall in love with you more every day?" Harry murmured receiving a low chuckle in return and a bite to the nape of his neck sending a shiver down his body and making his hips twitch.

"Good morning," Bruce rumbled as he slid his left hand up Harry's left hip and to the crack of his ass, teasing his entrance with the tips of an index and middle finger, and Harry let go of a wavering breath.

He didn't resist when Bruce pushed against his left leg with his own, humming as Bruce mouthed on the tender skin just under his left ear before nibbling on his earlobe as he gently probed his entrance, loose and still wet from last night (or early morning).

"Bruce!" Harry gasped as his lover pushed two fingers inside him without much resistance, and Harry buried his face in the pillow, right hand tucked under it and left fisted on top of it.

His hard, weeping cock rubbed against the soft material of the sheets as Bruce pushed his fingers inside him, not going further than the first knuckle, and yet Harry was already breathless, heartbeat picking up speed.

He let go of a broken whine when he tried to push himself on Bruce's fingers, but the man pulled them almost all the way out, chuckling against Harry's ear, going on with the shallow, teasing thrusts.

Harry's lips parted as he held his breath, every muscle coiling when Bruce pushed his fingers inside him agonizingly slow, finding his prostate with practiced ease and rubbing against it lightly, sending mere whispers of pleasure all over Harry's body, enough to leave Harry aching and wanting more, "Bruce…"

The scientist shushed him as he lightly rotated his fingers, hardly pulling them out as he brushed constantly over that bundle of nerves inside Harry, but his caresses were hardly strong enough to do anything more than tease Harry with promises of overwhelming pleasure.

Bruce kissed down Harry's spine, fingers slipping out and thrusting in at that same languid, frustrating pace as he pushed Harry's legs further apart, sliding lower and lower until he kissed the small of Harry's back before he slipped his right hand under Harry's right hip and pulled him up.

Harry whined into the pillow when Bruce pulled his fingers out of him, only to choke up and hold his breath when Bruce's tongue circled his entrance before pushing against it, Bruce's strong, warm hands holding his cheeks parted as he kissed, mouthed, and licked against his hole.

Harry arched into the bed and squeezed his eyes tightly shut, his whole body trembling when Bruce pushed his tongue inside him just as slowly as he did his fingers.

"Merlin!" Harry gasped out as he rested his forehead on the mattress having pushed the pillow above his head, hands clenching and unclenching in the sheets with each painfully slow thrust of Bruce's tongue.

Sleep left his mind some time ago to be replaced by pleasure, desire and the need to find release which was just out of reach. Harry was painfully hard and pre-come was dripping on the white sheets, but Bruce's strong hold on his ass was stopping him from thrusting against the bed to get just a bit of friction which would surely push him over the edge.

When he felt Bruce move back Harry thought his lover would finally take him, but Bruce obviously had other things in mind.

Never the less Harry cried out in pleasure when he felt Bruce push three fingers inside him, pace that much quicker but still not quick enough, still not deep enough. He let go of something between a groan and a whine when Bruce kneeled behind him and leaned over him, letting Harry feel his hard sex against his ass as he thrust his fingers in and out of him, brushing against his prostate every other time littering kisses and nips on his shoulders and the back of Harry's neck.

Harry tilted his head to the side, resting it on his left forearm, and felt Bruce nudge his left cheek with his nose before pecking the corner of his lips, "Bruce, please…"

"No," he cut him off, and Harry felt like crying, only to squeeze his eyes tightly shut and gasp when Bruce pressed his fingers against his prostate and rubbed it, rotating his fingers inside him, keeping constant pressure on it. "I want you to come like this."

Bruce's breath caressed his ear, his voice sent shivers down his spine, and his warmth was scorching his skin as Harry fought to breathe over the pleasure building up in his chest and lower stomach.

"I want you to come just with my fingers inside you-…"

"Bruce-…"

"Just like this," he accented his words with a sharp jab against Harry's prostate and the wizard felt like crying when he felt something coil in the pit of his stomach, knowing he was close.

Bruce pulled his fingers out of him only to push back in a second later, hitting his prostate head on, making Harry arch his torso into the bed, trembling in pleasure with each hit, unable to do more than gasp for air as Bruce pushed him closer and closer to an orgasm. He felt like he would die if he didn't come right away, and yet it still kicked what little air was in his lungs and made his whole body freeze when his orgasm washed over him, igniting every nerve in his body.

Harry might have just as well lost consciousness because for quite a few long moments he wasn't aware of anything. First thing he became aware of was Bruce's left hand on his left side and his lips on his shoulders. Then he realized that he was lying on his stomach and that Bruce flattened his body with his again, his rock hard cock lying against the crack of Harry's ass.

"Good?" Bruce murmured as he wrapped his left arm around Harry's waist and pulled him back to chest.

"Better," Harry answered tiredly and Bruce chuckled as the Wizard slowly moved around until he could look at him. Bleary emerald eyes met warm chocolate colored orbs, and Bruce smiled at him lovingly before Harry tilted his head up to peck warm lips, "Good morning."

"Good morning," Bruce answered with a smirk and Harry laughed tiredly before he turned around completely, wrapped his right arm around Bruce's waist and tucked his head under his chin.

"What brought that on?" Harry asked around a yawn, and Bruce kissed the top of his head before resting his chin on it and pressing him closer to his body.

"It's still early, and we don't need to get up yet. I couldn't sleep so I decided to wake you up. Couldn't think of a better way." Harry hummed and placed a light kiss on the hollow of Bruce's neck.

"Best wake up call ever," Harry nuzzled closer to Bruce, feeling his lover's still hard member against his stomach.

The right corner of his lips tilted up into a smirk, marking the appearance of a devious idea.

"Harry?" Bruce muttered warily receiving a hum as an answer as Harry got busy with littering soft kisses over Bruce's left shoulder, tracing the curve of Bruce's spine with the tips of his fingers. "What are you doing?" Bruce's voice broke when Harry arched closer to him, feeling Bruce's pre-come leaking cock rubbing against the strong muscles of his stomach.

"Nothing," he murmured as he slipped his right hand to Bruce's left hip and pushed against it, making Bruce lye on his back as he lightly circled his left nipple with his tongue before taking it into his mouth, rolling it gently between blunt teeth before soothing it with a kiss, enjoying the way Bruce's breath would hitch as his whole body trembled.

"Harry, you…"

"Hush," Harry interrupted Bruce as he kissed down his stomach on his way to the proud member with beads of pre-come gathered at the slit.

Harry braced himself on his left elbow as he wrapped his right hand loosely around the bottom of Bruce's cock before licking the pearly beads and mouthing at the head, humming when Bruce fisted his right hand in his hair, but stopped himself from tugging on it, knowing that it was a sure way to make Harry do everything but what he wanted him to do.

Bruce let go of the breath his was holding when he felt Harry's soft, wet lips close around the head of his cock, lips parting when the Wizard gave it a long, deep suck, circling it with a nimble tongue, teasing the slit.

Harry was rubbing the vein on the underside of Bruce's thick member with his thumb as he mouthed at the head, occasionally taking him in and sucking on him, teasing him as much if not even more than Bruce teased him, keeping his orgasm just out of reach for as long as possible.

Just when Bruce thought this sweet torture would last forever, Harry took all of him in, swallowing around him and humming, sending vibrations up Bruce's body and making him come with a choked up gasp, every muscle in his body coiling, brain shutting down for a moment.

He opened his eyes and found Harry smirking at him as he crawled up to rest against Bruce again with his left arm folded under his head and his right resting on Bruce's chest, right over his still too quickly beating heart.

"I deserved that, didn't I?" Bruce asked as he finally caught his breath.

"Yep." The Wizard answered, popping the 'p'.

"I deserved that."

"Ready for round-…"

"HOP, HOP, LOVE-BIRDS! TIME FOR BREAKFAST!"Before Harry could even finish the question, Tony's loud voice came from the other side of their door making Bruce sigh and Harry groan.

"Come on; the children are awake, and I need a shower," Harry sighed in a suffering way and got out bed, stretching as he made his way to the bathroom, feeling Bruce's eyes follow his every move, and Harry glanced at Bruce over his left shoulder with a smirk, "That was an invitation, if you didn't notice."

"Don't start without me!"

cut

"Morning!" Harry greeted as he entered the kitchen with Bruce trailing behind him, and the rest of the Avengers answered with various degrees of wakefulness.

"Took you long enough to crawl out of bed," Tony teased them with a sly smirk. Bruce took a seat at the table while Harry immediately started on Natasha's drink.

"Unlike you, Tony, Harry and I get up early every morning. We wanted to lie in today," Bruce grumbled and Tony stuck his tongue out at him making his wife roll her eyes and the others laugh at them.

"You can go back to bed once we're done with breakfast. This is practically the only time we spend together!" Tony whined.

"Except lunch," Clint drawled.

"And dinner," Pepper added.

"And when we're having movie nights," Steve continued and Tony rolled his eyes.

"Fine, fine; when you're going to be like that," he grumbled, cheering up almost instantly when the scent of coffee drifted through the kitchen. Before Tony could comment on it though, Harry grunted and moved away from the stove, his left hand fisting in his shirt on his stomach and his right flying to cover his mouth.

"Harry?" Bruce worried as he stood up from the table, but Harry just turned on his heel and ran out of the room, leaving everyone wondering what went wrong.

"Bruce-…"

"I'm going," he cut Pepper off before she finished her sentence and ran after Harry.

"What was that?" Tony asked.

"It appears that Harry felt sick," Thor commented as he walked over to the stove to take a whiff of the half finished coffee. "It doesn't smell any different than usually." He looked at the others, a scowl of confusion marring the Thunder God's handsome face.

"Maybe it's something he ate last night," Steve suggested.

"We all ate the same thing," Natasha countered, her desire for her morning wake-up-drink replaced by worry for the emerald-eyed wizard.

"It could be a stomach-bug," Pepper muttered.

"We won't know until he comes back," Clint said as he stood up to finish the coffee. It wouldn't be the same as Harry's, but it would be something.

Although no one voiced it, they were all thinking the same thing.

They hoped Harry was alright.

cut

Bruce ran into the closest bathroom and found Harry kneeling in front of the toilet, resting his forehead on his crossed forearms. His shoulders were rising and falling slowly with each heavy deep breath, whole body trembling.

"God," Bruce breathed out as he approached Harry and kneeled to his left, placing his right hand on Harry's back and brushing his hair away from his face with the left, "Harry?"

The wizard groaned as he raised his head, but didn't even manage to look at Bruce before he lurched forward again, emptying what little he had left in his stomach. Bruce winced feeling sorry for his lover as Harry coughed.

Bruce stood up and quickly found a clean towel before he put it under cold water. After he squeezed it, he kneeled back beside Harry as the wizard sat back on his legs and Bruce wrapped his right arm around him as he washed his lover's face with the wet towel.

"Better?" He murmured as he kissed Harry's forehead. His skin was cold and clammy, and he was heaving as he rested against Bruce, seeking his strong presence.

"I have no idea what happened," Harry whispered breathlessly. "I was alright until I smelled coffee."

"A stomach bug?" Bruce asked and Harry shook his head.

"Wizards don't get stomach-bugs. Something about our immunity-system being too strong for it," Harry's words only worried Bruce more.

Bruce helped Harry stand up leading him over to the tub to take a seat on the edge. He flushed the toilet before he washed the towel while Harry took deep calming breaths, trying to calm his stomach.

"Should we call a doctor?" Bruce asked as he kneeled in front of Harry, reaching up to wash his face. Cold sweat which covered Harry's body made his clothes cling to his frame, and his hands were trembling minutely. His eyes were drooping and he looked ready to fall asleep.

"Not a doctor. When I'm - when I'm a bit better I'll send Draco a message to come and see me. He'll just run a diagnostic charm over me, and we'll know right away what's going on," he offered Bruce a reassuring smile, but it did nothing to calm the gamma-scientist.

"Let's get you to bed," Bruce murmured as he stood up and threw the towel in the hamper. The only protest he got from Harry as he scooped him up into his arms was a weak whine, but despite that Harry rested his head on Bruce's right shoulder, allowing him to carry him to their room.

Bruce found Steve waiting in the hallway and just shook his head, showing him to wait until he returned. Steve nodded in answer and returned back to the kitchen while Bruce entered the elevator.

It took less than three minutes to bring Harry to their room and lay him down on their bed. The wizard was already asleep by the time Bruce did so, and he covered Harry to his chin before he kissed his forehead. He closed the curtains over the windows and walked out of the room, slowly closing the door as not to make a sound which would wake Harry up.

Bruce returned into the kitchen with a worried frown on his face and found their friends waiting for them, almost as equally worried as he was.

"How is he?" Pepper asked while Bruce took a seat at the table.

"Puked his heart out," he muttered as he rubbed his face with his hands, letting go of a heavy sigh. "He's asleep now. He told me that wizards don't catch stomach-bugs, and that he would call Draco over once he feels well enough."

"He looked just fine," Natasha said. "He only got sick while he was making coffee."

"He was fine yesterday," Clint commented and Natasha nodded in agreement.

"Didn't he say that magic here in USA's different? Maybe it has something to do with that," Steve suggested.

"He's been living here for 8 months now," Tony countered. "He's gotten used to it by now."

"Could it be a Wizarding sickness of some sort?" Thor asked, making everyone look at him, "Harry mentioned that they had a few illnesses specific to their kind."

"We won't know until he feels better," Bruce said, refusing to fall into a worried frenzy. Harry would be just fine. He probably just needed to rest. "I'll be in our room."

"We won't bother you, but please, tell us when Harry wakes up, alright?" Pepper said, shooting a pointed glance in Tony's direction.

"Alright. See you later," Bruce left the kitchen and Pepper sighed as she took a seat beside Tony.

"Should we call someone? A doctor perhaps?" Steve spoke up.

"Our doctors can do nothing for him; you know that," Natasha answered and Steve frowned.

"How does he contact Draco?" Thor asked.

"With his owl," Clint said, and the others looked at him, obviously thinking the same thing.

"And where does he keep it?" A grin stretched Tony's lips as he stood up.

"In the garden on the roof," Steve smiled brightly.

"I'll find some paper and a pen," Pepper rushed off.

"I'll bring the owl." Clint followed after her.

"And what will we do?!" Steve shouted after them. Tony snickered as he stood up and looked around the kitchen.

"Well, the dishwasher won't fill itself," he drawled before he walked out. "Ta-ta!"

"STARK!"

cut

Bruce looked to his right when a sigh broke his concentration, and he closed the book he was reading before he placed it on the bed to his left.

"Harry?" Bleary emeralds opened to look up at him, and dry lips tilted into a small smile.

"Hey," Harry murmured as he stretched, groaning when a few joints popped into their place. "How late is it?"

"You've only slept for a few hours." Bruce answered, observing for any signs of discomfort or unease as Harry sat up. "How are you feeling?"

"Like something crawled into my mouth and died," Harry grumbled as he got out of bed, "I'll be right back." He walked into the bathroom, and Bruce followed with a sigh. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the doorframe, watching as Harry brushed his teeth.

"Harry, you were puking just three hours ago. You looked like death warmed over. Maybe you should write to Draco and go back to bed."

Harry grumbled something before he rinsed his mouth and looked at Bruce through the reflection in the mirror, "I'm feeling alright," he said as he wiped his mouth with a towel, and turned around to face Bruce with a smile, "I don't know what happened, but I'm alright now."

Bruce sighed and pushed himself away from the doorframe. He stopped right in front of Harry, placed his hands on his hips and leaned down to peck lush lips, "You know I'm just worried about you."

Harry placed his hands flat on Bruce's broad chest and rose up on tip-toes to kiss him lovingly, "I'm alright. I don't feel sick anymore. You don't need to worry so much about me," he murmured against Bruce's lips, and the gamma-scientist sighed as he rested his forehead against Harry's.

"I need to. It's been far too long since anyone worried about you. You worry about all of us. You take care of us. I - We are merely returning the favor." Harry hummed and kissed Bruce again before he moved away and walked out of the room.

"As you can see, I'm quite alright. As a matter of fact, I feel a bit pekish. I could go for something Italian." Bruce shook his head with a sigh and followed after Harry.

The wizard was already at the door and looking over his right shoulder at Bruce, "Are you coming?"

Bruce snorted, "Right behind you."

cut

Bruce startled when the bed dipped suddenly, and he sat up in time to see Harry rush into the bathroom. Not a moment later the sounds of retching reached Bruce's ears, and he jumped out of the bed and ran into the restroom, finding Harry kneeling in front of the toilet again.

"That's it, you're writing to Draco today," he spoke as he prepared a wet towel and kneeled beside Harry. He brushed Harry's hair away from his face and placed the folded towel on the back of his neck, wincing when Harry dry-heaved, unable to stop. Yesterday he hardly ate anything after lunch with which he played more than ate, which meant that there was nothing for him to throw up.

Bruce rubbed soothing circles in Harry's back as the wizard slowly moved back a bit, sagging against Bruce.

"What did you say?" he asked breathlessly as Bruce wiped his face with the towel.

"You're writing to Draco. I want him to check you over."

"Bruce, I'm-"

"You're not fine." Harry tilted his head back to look at Bruce and found him scowling, "Harry, please; do this for me. If it's nothing then we'll both feel better knowing you've just caught something. If it's - if it's something we'll - we'll know what to do."

Harry swallowed difficultly as his eyes slipped closed and he tucked his head under Bruce's chin, sighing when Bruce wrapped his arms around him and pulled him close to his chest.

"Alright," Harry whispered, and Bruce let go of the breath he was holding. "Help me get ready and I'll write to him after we're done with breakfast. I need to at least drink some tea."

Bruce nodded as he helped Harry up, and together they got ready for the day. In half an hour they were making their way to the kitchen, knowing that they would find the others there already.

To their surprise they didn't find just the Avengers sitting around the kitchen table.

"Merlin's bollocks, Harry, what happened?!" Draco snapped and jumped to his feet, rushing over to Harry before the wizard wrapped his mind around the fact that the Slytherin was there.

"Draco, what are you-" the rest of his words died on his tongue when the taller man placed his hands on his shoulders and checked him over with a scrutinizing stare. "Draco-"

"I was contacted by your friends yesterday with a letter that said you were sick," Draco cut him off and looked at Bruce. "When did this start?"

"Yesterday. He was alright in the morning, but he got sick while making coffee. During the afternoon he was alright, and then just this morning he ran out of bed," Bruce responded and Draco looked at Harry again.

"Have you been eating right?" he asked.

"I've been eating what everyone eats," Harry answered, knowing that there was no way to deter Draco when he was in what Harry fondly called 'the mother-hen mode'. "I haven't been drinking anything strange. I wasn't in close proximity to anyone sick with anything. I've been sleeping and I haven't overworked myself ever since I moved here."

Draco hummed as he took a step back. Harry could almost hear the wheels turning in his head. The Avengers were staring at them with worry written all over their faces, and the worst among them was Bruce who was shifting his weight and worrying his bottom lip between his teeth.

When Harry put it like that, there really was no reason for him to be sick. It made the thoughts Bruce fought so hard to push into the very back of his mind resurface, and all of a sudden he was afraid. The Hulk was grumbling in the back of his mind, worried about Harry as well, and a single glance at the others told Bruce that they were thinking the same.

There was something really wrong with Harry.

"Banner, stay here with the others. Harry, take me to your room. I need peace to perform the diagnostic charms," Draco spoke as he straightened and Harry sighed.

"Alright," he gifted Bruce with a small smile, although there was worry in his eyes as well, and Draco nodded at Bruce and the others in passing before following after Harry.

The moment they were gone Pepper rushed over to Bruce and pulled him into a hug. He didn't even hesitate to return it, hiding his face in Pepper's neck as she wrapped her right arm tightly around his shoulders and brushed her left hand through his thick hair, "He'll be alright," she whispered as Bruce wrapped his arms around her waist. The others exchanged glances full of worry.

They only hoped Pepper was right.

They only hoped.

cut

Harry lied down on the bed while Draco rolled his sleeves up to his elbows and took his wand out of its holster. He could see that Harry was nervous even though he was doing a real good job of hiding it. If Draco didn't work with him for several years he wouldn't have noticed the subtle signs of nervosas and worry. The way Harry was trying not to fist his hands tightly, the thin line between his eyebrows, the tenseness of his shoulders - they were all subtle signs that Harry was barely holding it together.

Draco took a seat on the bed to Harry's left and looked at his face, finding the raven-haired wizard staring intently at the roof.

"Harry?" The warmth of Draco's voice - something only Harry ever heard - made the Gryffindor look at him, "I can't know what's wrong with you before I run the diagnostic spell, but you know just as well as I do that it can't be anything serious."

"I know," Harry gulped and licked his lips. "But right now it doesn't make me feel any better. Draco, I-…" he choked up and Draco grabbed a hold of Harry's left hand with his own, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"I know," he muttered and raised his wand after he let go of Harry's hand. "Ready?"

Harry nodded before he steadied his breathing, staring at a spot on the ceiling right above him while Draco murmured words under his breath as he waved his wand over Harry.

Harry didn't dare look at his friend in fear of seeing him frowning. He tried not to think of every possible sickness that could start with him feeling sick. Some weren't dangerous - he would only have to change his diet - but others?

He refused to think about it.

"Merlin's bollocks!" Harry looked at Draco when he heard the shocked exclamation, and he found the Unspeakable staring at his lower stomach. A small red orb was pulsating above it, and Harry looked at Draco in shock.

"What? What is it?" He breathed out, his eyes flickering from Draco to the pulsating orb, "Draco, what does this mean?"

"Well, Potter," the blond wizard gulped and a smirk tilted his lips as he looked at Harry. "You certainly don't do anything by halves." Harry tensed up as the red orb faded away.

His heart was beating almost maniacally in his chest and he was finding it hard to breathe, "Draco!"

The Slytherin took a deep breath and looked in Harry's eyes, trying to think of a gentle way to tell his friend the news.

Well, there's no other way around this, he thought as he let go of the breath he took, "You're 6 weeks pregnant."

And after a moment of shocked staring, Harry promptly fainted.

cut

Bruce and the others jumped to their feet when Draco walked into the kitchen with his head bowed and a displeased - almost grumpy pout on his lips.

"Draco?" he raised his head when Bruce called out, and he quickly schooled his face into a glare.

"Banner, you need to listen to me really carefully. If this isn't handled delicately, a lot of things can go wrong." Bruce's knees almost gave up on him, Pepper's hands flew to her lips while Tony wrapped his right arm around her waist, Natasha grabbed a hold of Clint's right hand with her left, and Thor and Steve frowned at Draco.

"Why? What's wrong with Harry?" Bruce asked weakly, as he held on to the edge of the table while he took a seat, knowing that he wouldn't be able to stay on his feet.

Draco rubbed his eyes with his right hand and sighed, "He will need to take special potions for a few months. There will be no heavy lifting for him. He should get as much sleep as possible, eat at least four times a day and do some light exercises. Knowing him, I will have no other choice but to put him on strict bed-rest in about 5 months."

Bruce's head was spinning, and he was losing his breath. The others were in much the same condition. While Bruce was staring at Draco with wide, pleading eyes, the others were staring at Bruce, not even wishing to know how he was feeling.

"What's," Bruce's voice broke and his mouth went dry, "what's wrong with him?"

Draco took a deep breath, looking straight in Bruce's eyes. He stood right in front of Bruce with his hands clasped behind his back, shifting his weight from the back to the front of his feet. In the next moment he grinned slyly, making everyone lose their breaths.

"Good Merlin, Banner, do you really think I would be standing here in front of you if there was anything honestly wrong with Potter?! Why I would have ported him to St. Mungo's without even talking to you!"

Everyone gaped at him as he started to all but burst with energy, gray eyes shining with happiness and mischief.

"What?" Bruce pressed out tightly and Draco chuckled.

"Potter is pregnant, you bloody idiot!"

There was a moment of deafening silence, and then "WHAT?!"

Draco laughed his heart out at their shocked expressions. Even the Norse God looked completely shocked.

"Figures that he would forget that it was possible for Wizards to conceive," Draco shook his head before he took a deep breath and looked at Bruce. "Harry is 6 weeks pregnant. You and he are going to be daddies in some 7 and a half months."

"But-" Bruce's voice broke as he stood up on shaky legs, "how can it be? We're - he's - I don't-…"

"Really, Banner, get a grip over yourself," Draco drawled dryly, although everyone could see that he was honestly happy. "There are very few things that are impossible to Magic, and Harry has always been a favorite of Hers. It is unheard of that a Wizard and a Muggle manage to conceive a child, but with Harry's power-levels and Magic's blessing, it isn't hard to believe that you two did it."

Bruce turned to look at his friends, and the expressions on their faces told him that they all heard what Draco has said.

"Harry is-…"

"Pregnant. Yes," Draco finished for him and Bruce took a deep breath and held it for a moment. He pinched his right thigh with his right hand to see if he was dreaming.

It hurt.

He tried to say something, but nothing came out. The only word running through his mind was 'pregnant'.

He's going to be a father.

"Bruce?" Pepper called out and Bruce looked to his right finding his friends watching him. Pepper was crying and Natasha was smiling, while Steve, Thor, Clint and Tony were grinning at him brightly.

"I'm going to be a father?" he whispered and looked at Draco who nodded at him.

"Harry fainted when I told him. He's sleeping right now. He'll need you to be there for him. Male pregnancies while not uncommon in our world can be pretty risky both for the carrier and the child. He'll need all of you to watch over him, and knowing him, someone will always have to be with him if not two of you at the same time. I will contact an old acquaintance of ours. I'm not a Medi-Wizard, and she is someone we can trust completely."

"Is there - is there anything special we have to watch out for?" Bruce asked, still quite out of it.

"Poppy will be able to tell you more," Draco said as he approached Bruce and placed a hand on the scientist's shoulder, smiling at him reassuringly. "Everything will be alright, Bruce. Harry is the most powerful wizard in the world, and he will know not to overwork himself. You and I both know how much he longs for a family. Once he wakes up," he snickered and the atmosphere grew somehow lighter, "I'm sure he'll be jumping from joy."

"We'll make sure he doesn't jump too much," Bruce drawled dryly and Draco snickered again.

"Congratulations. I'll contact Poppy the moment I get home. You can expect her to visit sometime tomorrow, alright?"

"Alright," Bruce sighed and stood up, shaking Draco's offered hand. "Thank you for coming on such a short notice, and please, feel free to visit whenever you feel like it."

"Oh, you can bet I will. I can't wait to see Potter waddling around with all of you mother henning him," he grinned and disappeared before anyone could say anything.

"Well!" Tony was the first to speak up after several long minutes of silence, and everyone looked at him suspiciously, just waiting for him to say something stupid. "Pepper, we need to go shopping."

"What?" Pepper piped out, the others staring at Stark with almost matching expressions of shock.

"We're going to have a baby running around soon enough! We can't just leave everything as it is! Hop-hop! I want to get this over with before my afternoon meeting with the board of boring gray heads!"

Pepper had no other choice but follow after Tony, leaving everyone else standing in their places.

"I did not expect that," Clint muttered and Bruce huffed, brushing his hands though his hair.

"Bruce?" The gamma-scientist looked at Natasha when she placed her right hand on his forearm, looking at him with happiness and warmth in her eyes, something they rarely, if ever saw before Harry came into their lives. "Go to him," she said. "He'll need you to be there when he wakes up."

Bruce swallowed audibly and nodded, glancing at the others who were all smiling at him happily.

"I'll - I'll see you guys later," he said and walked on unsteady feet out of the kitchen.

"A child?" Thor glanced at Steve who stood to his right, and the captain grinned brightly.

"Yes, Thor, we're going to be uncles!" He all but cheered, causing Clint, Natasha and Thor to grin brightly. "And aunts, of course!" He added and Natasha laughed.

"And aunts."

cut

Bruce walked into his and Harry's room, feeling apprehensive, still unable to wrap his mind around the happy news.

Draco must have pulled the curtains closed since the room was dressed in darkness, but Bruce's eyesight was good enough for him to see Harry sleeping in their bed peacefully.

Bruce walked over to the bed and carefully took a seat, afraid to jostle Harry and wake him up. The wizard sighed and turned towards Bruce, nuzzling his face into the pillow, one hand reaching towards the gamma-scientist.

A loving smile tilted Bruce's lips and he raised his hand to caress Harry's cheek with the back of his fingers, drawing a sleepy, content sigh from his lover. Getting up slowly, Bruce toed off his shoes and took his shirt and trousers off, remaining only in his boxers after he tugged off his socks, and he slowly crawled under the covers, scooting over to Harry to spoon him from behind.

Humming happily, Harry nuzzled back into him, making Bruce laugh quietly, and he tucked his left arm under his head while he wrapped the right around Harry, placing his palm flat on Harry's lower stomach.

Bruce's eyes slipped closed and he took a deep breath, soaking in Harry's unique scent, his warmth and comforting presence.

I'm going to be a father, Bruce thought and buried his face in the back of Harry's neck, tears of happiness filling his eyes. Shivers wrecked his body as he tried to hold back from sobbing, and he wrapped his arm tightly around Harry's waist, pulling him as close as he could go without becoming one with Bruce.

I'm going to be a father.

cut

Bruce woke up to tender fingers brushing through his hair. He opened bleary eyes finding Harry leaning on his right elbow, gazing down at him with a loving smile and eyes full of warmth.

"Hey," the wizard whispered, and Bruce's lips tilted up as he placed his hand on Harry's left hip.

"Hey," Bruce answered and Harry leaned down to kiss him, causing Bruce to sigh contently. Harry shifted lower on the bed and moved closer to Bruce, with the older man wrapping his arm around Harry and hugging him close, kissing the top of his head before Harry tucked it under Bruce's chin, his warm breath tickling Bruce's from sleep warm skin.

"I take it Draco told you," Harry's voice was muffled, but Bruce heard him perfectly, his heartbeat stuttering when he heard a wariness in Harry's voice.

"Yeah," he whispered. "We're going to be parents," he said, knowing that Harry could hear the aw and happiness in his voice when the wizard shivered against him, goose-bumps spreading over lightly tanned skin.

"We're going to be parents," Harry repeated and Bruce buried his face in Harry's hair, kissing the top of his head. "I completely forgot that it was possible."

"It doesn't matter," Bruce said in a strained voice, feeling tears stinging his eyes again, his heart beating so hard that he was afraid it would beat its way out of his chest. "God, Harry, I love you so much," he gushed and Harry moved back to look at him, his own beautiful emerald eyes full of tears of joy.

"I love you too, Bruce," Harry whispered, an expression of pure bliss covering his handsome face.

Bruce leaned in to kiss Harry, raising his hand to cup the back of Harry's head to hold him in place, and the moan which left Harry's lips vibrated in Bruce's chest, making him move closer to his raven haired lover.

Nudging Harry until he lied on his back, Bruce deepened the kiss and trailed his hand down Harry's neck and front, laying it flat on Harry's lower stomach as he pushed his right leg between Harry's, feeling the wizard's awakening erection against his thigh, his own member twitching to hardness.

Harry's hands were fisted in Bruce's hair, keeping him close as he rolled his hips up, sighing against Bruce's lips before Bruce started laying open-mouthed, loving kisses down Harry's front, his hands slipping down Harry's sides to slightly rounded hips. Reaching the waistband of Harry's tented boxers, Bruce stopped to press a lingering kiss, murmuring something Harry couldn't discern against his still flat stomach.

Harry was already losing his breath, love and passion coursing through his veins, but unlike other times, when he would already be pushing Bruce on in one way or another, that sense of urgency which followed arousal and the need to sate the desire and lust, was now replaced by something else, something neither could name.

Harry let go of a wavering breath when Bruce tucked his fingers under the waistband of his boxers and slowly tugged them down, going lower and lower, littering loving, open-mouthed kisses down the inside of Harry's thighs, until the boxers met the floor and Bruce climbed over him, bracing his weight on his forearms, framing Harry's head as he pressed his lips against Harry's, tongues meeting languidly as Harry placed his hands on Bruce's shoulders, fingers dancing over flexing muscles as Bruce slowly rolled his hips down against Harry's, their hard members rubbing together.

Every kiss, every move, every caress was a whisper of love and adoration, of commitment and passion, a promise of care and desire. Even breathless and yearning for release neither felt the need to hurry.

What was usually an act of sating the desire and need both felt for the other was now an act of celebration, and the air was heavy from the emotions their hearts were beating with.

cut

They didn't have you where I come from.
Never knew the best was yet to come.
Life began when I saw your face.
And I hear your laugh like a serenade.

cut

"Bruce…"

"I love you," Bruce choked out between tender kisses as he rose to his knees and slipped his right hand between them to gently trace Harry's entrance with the tips of his fingers. "I love you so damn much."

Harry had enough coherent thought left to conjure lube on Bruce's fingers before one breached the tight ring of muscle slowly, twisting inside him to rub against the pleasurable bunch of nerves which left Harry breathless and wanting.

Harry's head fell back, eyes slipping closed and lips parting in a moan, and Bruce took it all in with watchful eyes, cutting everything into his memory, from the way Harry's neck curved, a blush tinged Harry's cheeks, raven strands surrounded his head like a dark halo, defined chest rose and fell with each deep, strained breath, and hands which could be more gentle than the feathers of birds and stronger and more vicious than the claws of a tiger wrapped around the bars of the headboard.

Bruce pushed another finger in, his cock twitching between his legs, pre-come already gathered at the slit, but he pushed his desire down, too enraptured by watching Harry surrender to pleasure. It felt as though they were doing this for the first time, and yet so much better, the knowledge of what they created together, what their love for one another made possible, making this so much more than it usually was.

"Bruce, please," Harry murmured breathlessly, dilated emerald eyes opening to look at Bruce pleadingly, and Bruce pulled his fingers out of Harry, spreading the rest of the lube over his aching length.

He leaned over Harry, careful not to crush him, and led his cock to Harry's entrance, pushing in ever so slowly, groaning at the feeling of that tight, wet heat clamping down on him, sheathing it into Harry's welcoming warmth.

Harry wrapped his arms around Bruce's shoulders, leaning up to kiss him, feet planted firmly in the bed as his hips rose up to meet Bruce's, Harry's whole body trembling under his lover's loving ministrations.

Bruce pulled out slowly, his lips never leaving Harry's, keeping the pace slow and deliberate, making Harry feel every inch of Bruce's hot, velvety sex filling him, brushing against his prostate each time.

There was no need to go faster or harder, there was no urgency or frantic need to come.

There was only love and adoration, only joyful celebration.

cut

How long do you wanna be loved?
Is forever enough?
'Cause I'm never, never giving you up.

cut

Harry's nails dug into Bruce's shoulders, and he choked up, whole body coiling and arching up as his orgasm overwhelmed him, the clenching of his entrance pulling Bruce over the edge, leaving him breathless and trembling as he tried not to collapse on top of Harry.

Pulling out of his lover slowly, Bruce settled on his side and immediately pulled Harry into a hug, the wizard already slipping into content sleep.

Even though he was sated and tired, Bruce couldn't follow Harry. He watched his lover's beautiful face as Harry slept peacefully, safe in Bruce's loving embrace. Cupping Harry's head with his big, warm hand, Bruce leaned in to press a kiss to Harry's forehead, squeezing his eyes tightly shut, heart swelling with pride, protectiveness and love.

Nothing bad will ever happen to you, my Harry, he thought, making an oath in his heart. I will lay my life on the line to keep you and our child safe. Nothing bad will ever happen to either one of you.

cut

I slip in bed when you're asleep
to hold you close and feel your breath on me.
Tomorrow there'll be so much to do.
So tonight I'll drift in a dream with you.

cut

Holding Harry close to his body, Bruce closed his eyes and slowly surrendered to the sweet call of Morpheus.

And while the world outside kept going at its usual pace, the two soon to be parents slept in content, their hearts filled with joy and peace, their child growing within the safety of Harry's body.

cut

"Let me," Natasha hurried in front of Harry who rolled his eyes in exasperation, but allowed the woman to take the plates from the cupboard instead of him.

"I'm pregnant, Tash, not dying," he drawled dryly, but took a seat at the table never the less, allowing Natasha to set the table instead of him.

"I know that," she said lightly, "we know that, but it doesn't mean we'll ease up. Both Malfoy and Madam Pomphrey say that you should take it as easy as possible. With all of us here for you, there's no need to do anything that could possibly strain you."

Harry chuckled and shook his head, "You all worry too much."

Natasha smiled at him and then did something that left Harry wide-eyed and still. After she finished setting the plates around the table, she walked over to Harry, cupped his face between her hands and leaned down to kiss the top of his head. What left Harry even more surprised was that she didn't move away, her lips remaining pressed against the crown of his head as she whispered to him, "You've been taking care of us since the first day Bruce brought you here. It's our turn to take care of you now. We're all here for you, Harry, and we're all more than happy to do this," having said that, Natasha pressed another lingering kiss to his head and moved away to put forks and knives on the table, not commenting on the tears slipping down Harry's face as he closed his eyes and smiled, hands covering his lower stomach.

"Thank you, Natasha," he whispered and opened his eyes, catching her gifting him with a beautiful smile, making it impossible for Harry not to return it in kind.

"Think nothing of it," she said, and Harry laughed lightly. "I'll call Stark. Ever since we found out you were pregnant he and Pepper have been disappearing somewhere almost every day, and it's their turn today to pick dinner up. You just stay here and do nothing," she stressed out and Harry laughed again, nodding his head never the less, earning a pleased smile from Natasha before she all but danced out of the room.

Harry shook his head, shoulders shaking with laughter, and a moment later he sighed and looked out the window with an expression of content.

You're already so very loved, he thought as he rubbed his stomach with his hands, so very, very loved.

cut

Steve chuckled and exchanged a glance with Thor, nodding in the direction of the couch where Harry fell asleep while the three of them watched a movie together.

Not making a sound, Steve stood up, took the blanket which was folded over the backrest of the couch, and covered Harry with it, brushing his fingers through Harry's raven locks before he returned to his armchair and lowered the tune on the holo-TV.

Tony and Bruce had to leave for a meeting with Fury since S.H.I.E.L.D. stumbled upon a piece of technology only the two scientist could crack. Pepper was handling Tony's meetings for him, and Natasha and Clint left two days ago for a mission, leaving Tony and Thor with Harry, both of them more than happy to dot around the wizard as much as possible, much to Harry's amusement.

While the morning sickness has ceased a week ago, in his fourth month of pregnancy Harry tired easily. Apparently it was because his magic was focusing around the child, if what Madam Pomphrey has said is true, and it would continue to do so for at least another month until the risk of Harry losing the baby lowered to a bare minimum, when the baby's own magical core would be created and Harry's own core would stabilize.

While the initial joy at the prospect of a baby Avenger running around the Tower has lessened, it didn't mean that the Avengers eased up on their mother henning. If Harry was asked he would say that they were overreacting, but they could all see that it was all because Harry honestly wasn't used to people watching over him so much.

Bruce wasn't even the worst when it came to it! To everyone's surprise it was Tony who was the worst mother hen among them.

When the multimillionaire was around Harry couldn't so much as sneeze without Tony rushing to ask if he was alright and if he needed anything. It was quite amusing to everyone, especially to Harry, who finally gave in and allowed Tony - and Pepper by extension - to shower him with fresh fruit and vegetables, clothes which they bought for when Harry would start showing, and various other things.

Harry hadn't lifted anything heavier than a paperclip for weeks, because someone was always around. He couldn't even wash the dishes without someone standing beside him, polishing while he washed.

Draco showed up several times and laughed his heart out, teasing the Avengers mercilessly, only to prove he was just as bad as them after Harry slipped on a kitchen towel nobody saw falling on the floor and Draco was immediately all over him, casting diagnostic charms left, right and center, ending up with Harry laughing, reassuring him that yes he was alright, still cradled safely within Thor's arms since the Norse God was closest to him at the moment he had slipped.

To Harry's amusement, ever since then kitchen towels were thrown immediately after use in a small, wooden basked placed upon a kitchen cabinet, not just lying around on the table or the cabinets like they used to.

All in all, Harry was finally learning what it meant to have people watching over him like hawks (which actually made Clint laugh after Harry commented on it once, him being called Hawkeye and all).

cut

"What are you doing?!" The frightened exclamation made Harry yelp in surprise, the chair he was standing on rattling. In the next moment he was falling only to end up being caught by a pair of strong arms.

Harry grinned at Clint who was holding him, glaring at Harry accusingly.

"Erm, hey there," Harry muttered, blushing furiously.

"Where is Stark? Wasn't he supposed to keep an eye on you?" Clint asked as he carefully lowered Harry on his own feet to guide him over to a chair much to Harry's chagrin.

"Someone called him and he had to run off. To his defense, he did tell me not to move a muscle and that he would be back in 5 minutes," Harry blurted out while Clint looked at the high cabinet Harry was digging through, and if it was possible the archer's glare would have set the wooden thing on fire together with the chair Harry used to reach it.

"So what made you climb on a chair?" Clint asked and Harry grinned sheepishly.

"I'm craving something sweet," he muttered and Clint rolled his eyes with a sigh, unable to remain angry with Harry, knowing that nothing would have probably happened if he didn't startle Harry upon entering the kitchen.

He climbed the chair and looked around the cabinet seeing a few chocolate bars on the top shelf, making a mental note to tell the others to put everything within Harry's reach from now on.

"Here you go," he gave Harry one of the bars and the wizard grinned brightly at him.

"Thank you!" Harry chirruped happily and Clint couldn't help but smile as Harry unwrapped the chocolate bar and nibbled on the sweet, moaning contently.

Clint shook his head with a laugh and patted Harry's head in passing, opening the fridge to take a can of beer.

One thing was for certain, not a single day was boring with Harry around.

cut

"Just a bit more, a bit more," Tony muttered into his chin, bursting with happiness hands covering the eyes of Harry who was fighting hard to suppress his snickering.

"Tony, come on!" Harry whined excitedly, and Tony shushed him.

"Patience isn't really your virtue, right?" He drawled winking at Pepper as the elevator they were all crammed inside came to a stop, and Tony glanced at Natasha who was covering Bruce's eyes with her hands, even though only Pepper and Tony knew what they were about to see, since the floor they were on was closed ever since they found out Harry was pregnant.

The door of the elevator opened and Harry and Bruce tensed up when they heard Clint, Natasha, Steve and Thor gasp.

A moment later, when Natasha and Tony let go of them, the two soon to be parents found out what had the others gasping.

The floor they were on was absolutely beautiful.

"Oh Merlin," Harry whispered as he stepped into the huge brightly lit room, with walls made out of glass, "Tony, you didn't!"

"Consider this a gift from Pepper and me," Tony said as he walked over to his wife and wrapped an arm around her waist while the others looked around the room.

At the far end beside the wall was a rocking chair big enough to fit three people with a small round table in front of it. To the right was a big, fluffy carpet with a colorful box full of all kinds of toys, and to the left was a set of toys for when the child would be big enough to swing on the swing set or climb the slide. To the left of the elevator was a big bookshelf filled with various books, and to the right was a big comfortable couch almost overstuffed with pillows and soft blankets.

"Tony, Pepper, this is," Bruce stuttered out as Harry leaned against him, lips parted as he took everything in with widely open eyes. "This is what you've been working on?"

"Well, the little one will need a place to play in, right?" Tony said, trying to sound careless, but failing since he was practically bursting with excessive energy. "You like it?"

"Like it?" Harry choked out, and in the next moment he ran over to Pepper and Tony wrapping the both of them into a huge hug, the others coming to stand beside Bruce. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" Harry gasped out, holing on to the two tightly.

Tony and Pepper hugged him back, the woman kissing Harry's head.

"Think nothing of it, Harry," she whispered lovingly. "We're all just happy to have you in our lives." Harry moved back and grinned at them brightly before he looked at Bruce.

"Isn't this amazing?" Harry gushed happily and Bruce chuckled.

"It's absolutely wonderful," he said, shooting a grateful smile at Pepper and Tony.

"So!" Tony clapped his hands and grinned, "Let's see what all we have here, shall we?"

cut

"Are you sure you're not cold?" Pepper asked for the hundredth time, making Harry roll his eyes while Natasha and Bruce laughed at them.

Sure, it was pretty cold for the late winter, but Harry was dressed comfortably in a thick coat Pepper and Tony bought for him, although soon enough not even that coat would be enough to hide Harry's growing stomach.

"I'm sure, Pepper," he answered reassuringly, leaning against Bruce who had an arm wrapped around Harry's waist as the four walked down the streets of Manhattan in the late afternoon. "Besides, soon enough I'll be too big to hide it and I'll be confined to the Tower, and while I know that all of you can hardly wait for that because you'll be able to keep an eye on me better, I need to get out while I can."

"We know that," Natasha spoke up and Pepper nodded, "doesn't mean we like it though." Harry snickered, grinning when Bruce moved in to kiss his brow.

"The café is just around the corner," Bruce said. "We'll be out of the cold in a minute."

Just like Bruce has said, they entered the café soon enough, finding a table by the huge window immediately upon entering. Bruce helped Harry out of his coat before they all took seats, nodding at the waitress who by then knew them very well to bring their usual drinks over.

Harry sighed contently as he relaxed in the comfortable armchair placing his hands on his stomach. His big, woolen pullover was hardly big enough to hide the baby bump, but - much to everyone's amusement - last time they were there an old lady noticed it and mistook Harry for a (very flat, mind you) woman.

Harry indignantly blamed it on the fact that his hair now reached his shoulders and he always wore it in a messy bun on top of his head. Never the less, he couldn't really blame the woman since - after much teasing and prompting from everyone - he accepted that his big emerald eyes and oval face made him look…

Well, delicate.

In Harry's opinion, if it made it possible for him to get out of the Tower and take a walk around town, then by Merlin they could put him in maternity clothes and call him Mrs. Banner all they wanted.

"Here you go," the waitress - Tamara Willson - said cheerfully as she placed their drinks on the table, the group gifting her with grateful smiles while she turned to Harry, "how are you today, Harry? Is the little one giving you any trouble?"

"Everything's alright," he answered, earning a beaming smile from Tamara, "although it's getting increasingly harder to move, especially since the little one just loves to play soccer with my bladder." Tamara laughed cheerfully, leaning down to put her hand on Harry's stomach.

"Don't go torturing your mommy, baby," she whispered much to everyone's amusement, "she can ground you until you're thirty."

Harry laughed when the baby kicked as though it heard Tamara's words, and the young woman grinned brightly before she rushed away to serve a couple a few tables away from them.

Harry shot a glare at Natasha, Pepper and Bruce who were snickering at him, although his own lips were tilted up in amusement, "Shut up, you," he muttered.

"Well, at least you don't have to worry about going out when you're bigger. People are either blind or stupid since no one even guessed by now that you're a man," Natasha teased him quietly, making sure that no one heard her speak.

"Still the risk is too big," Bruce said and Harry rolled his eyes as he sipped on his warm chocolate, causing Natasha and Pepper to smile at him knowingly.

"Uhm!" Harry placed the mug on the table and got up quickly, "Toilet!" He hissed as he waddled off, followed by Bruce, Pepper and Natasha laughing at him, and the other guests of the room shooting him either sympathetic (courtesy of the female populace) or surprised glances (men, of course) at how quickly he moved for the toilet.

"It will be really hard for him to stay in the Tower once he grows bigger," Natasha commented, shooting Bruce a pointed glance.

"I know," he sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. "In all honesty, I'm surprised that he went along with all of us watching over him constantly without much complaining since he's not used to people taking care of him. I even thought about asking you and Tony if we could stay in one of your other homes for the last two months of his pregnancy," he aimed that at Pepper and she perked up almost immediately.

"As a matter of fact, Tony does own a really beautiful house in South Dakota!" Pepper said. "Poppy can get there without any problems, since there's a fireplace in the living room, I don't see why you and Harry couldn't go there. There's a small town near the house where you can buy everything you would need, and for the two of you to go out if you wished. I'm sure Tony would have nothing against it. Of course, that would mean all of us would come over on the due date."

Bruce chuckled at that and nodded, knowing he couldn't argue with that.

Natasha was about to say something when the door was slammed open, and four men wearing ski masks barged in, guns raised.

"This is a robbery! Everyone on the floor, hands where we can see them!" One of them shouted and moved for the cashier, the other three spreading around the café while the guests hurried to lie on the floor.

Harry! Bruce thought as fear gripped his heart when one of the robbers moved for the toilets to look through them. He exchanged a frantic glance with Natasha and Pepper, his fear lessening only a bit when he saw that Natasha pressed a button on her collar which glowed red for a second, meaning that the communicator hidden in the button was on, connecting to Jarvis right away.

Help would be on the way soon enough.

"You!" The leader of the robbers snapped at Tamara, throwing a bag on the counter, "Fill that up, and if I see you press any buttons, I'll blow your pretty head off!" Tamara quickly opened the cashbox and quickly started putting the money into the bag. "Stitch! Anyone in the toilet?!"

"Look what I found," Stitch leered as he tugged a struggling Harry along, the pregnant man pale and wide-eyed, and all but threw him in front of the counter at the leader's feet. "She had this when I found her," he threw Harry's cell phone to the leader who caught it, snorted and threw it on the ground, stomping on the phone before aiming his gun at Harry who whimpered and scrambled back, flattening himself with the metal counter, hands instinctively covering his stomach.

"I hope for your sake you didn't manage to call the police, lady, because if I hear the sirens, I'm putting a bullet in that big stomach of yours."

"Harry!" Bruce cried out, and the robber closest to him marched over, pressing the barrel of his gun against Bruce's head, not knowing that the gamma-scientist was seconds away from letting Hulk out to play.

"Alright, everybody!" The leader called out with a gleeful voice, "The bag will be going around, and you'll - nice and slow - put every fucking penny ya have an' every piece of jewelry in it! Your phones included! If I see anyone actin' funny, this little lady swallows a bullet!"

Harry's eyes met Bruce's, and the Avenger swallowed audibly when he saw those emerald orbs filled with fear. Harry was pale and trembling, and if Bruce had a hard time holding Hulk at bay a moment ago, now it was a struggle such as it has never been before.

The bag was going around under the watchful eyes of one of the robbers, an elderly woman whimpering as she emptied her wallet before taking off her earrings, a necklace and a beautiful golden ring off of her finger, but Bruce had eyes only for Harry.

At that moment he would have given anything to be able to speak telepathically, just to tell his wizard that everything would be alright, that they would all come out of it alive. Stress wasn't good for Harry in any shape, and seeing the wizard gasping for air, trembling and pale, hands fisted on his stomach, made Bruce's eyes sting with tears of frustration.

The bag was about to land in Pepper's hands, but everyone stilled and held their breaths when the sound of the police siren broke the heavy silence.

"She managed to call the police!"

"NO!" Natasha, Pepper, Bruce and Harry cried out at the same time when the leader fisted his hand in the collar of Harry's pullover and pulled him up to his feet, pressing the gun against Harry's stomach.

"I didn't! Please! Please! I didn't! I didn't make the call!" Harry blurted out in a quiet, broken voice, only to cry out when the robber grabbed a fistful of his hair and tugged him forward, pressing the gun against Harry's head.

"Shut up!" He snapped and the safety of the gun clicked.

"Harry!" Bruce jumped to his feet followed by Natasha and Pepper, startling the robber that held Bruce at gunpoint but not for long.

"BRUCE!" Harry's shrill scream echoed through the Café followed by several others after the robber fired his gun.

And then heavy silence settled over the room.

Bruce stumbled back and looked down at the hole in his shirt, right over his heart, before he raised his head slowly, face morphed into a mask of rage, eyes quickly turning green.

"What the…" The robber which shot Bruce lowered his gun in shock while the others stared, gaping under their masks.

Even the leader lowered his gun.

And then everything burst into motion.

Natasha took down two robbers in a matter of seconds, coming to stand in front of the leader and Harry, raising her right arm with a small gun she pulled out of heaven knows where, while the robber who shot Bruce let his gun fall on the ground with a loud clattering sound, slowly taking steps away from Bruce.

A low growl was rumbling in Bruce's chest, his button up shirt growing increasingly tighter as his skin started to tinge green.

"Stand down! Stand down or I'll shoot her!" The leader screamed, drawing a strangled cry from Harry when he pressed the gun against Harry's head.

In the next moment another gunshot startled everyone, and the leader fell on the floor dead, with a gapping wound in his forehead.

"Harry!" Pepper cried out and rushed to catch Harry when his knees gave up on him, wrapping her arms around him.

"Please," the last remaining robber begged as Bruce approached him, "please, don't…"

Before he could say another word, Bruce grabbed the front of his shirt and flung him through the closed door, glass shattering as the man flew through it to land on the street.

"Tch," Bruce snorted, his voice sounding more like Hulk's than Bruce's, "pathetic."

"Bruce!" Pepper cried out, and it was as though the Hulk willingly pulled back, because in a matter of seconds, Bruce was back to normal and running to Pepper's and Harry's side. They were hardly aware of the police walking in and Natasha helping them gather the two robbers she took down.

"Harry? Harry, look at me," Bruce begged as he kneeled in front of a gasping Harry, cupping Harry's pale cheeks as he tried to look into emerald orbs which were slipping closed, but he could see that they were full of pain and fear.

"Bruce, I…" Harry's voice was quiet, breathless and strained, and Bruce's heartbeat stuttered in fear, "I don't feel so good," with that Harry fainted and fell into Bruce's arms.

"Pepper!" Tony rushed in followed by Thor, Steve and Clint, thankfully not geared up, but just as frightening, and Pepper rushed into Tony's arms.

"We need to get Harry to the Tower!" Bruce snapped, gathering Harry into his arms effortlessly, ignoring the commotion around them.

Without the need for prompting, the Avengers made their way out of the Café, Tony already calling the number of the phone he gave to Draco the last time he visited, telling the wizard to send madam Pomphrey over, giving him a short summary of what happened.

Bruce would have sighed in relief when he saw three of Tony's cars parked as close to the Café as they could come, and he slipped into the back of a van after Steve rushed to open the door for him.

With Harry cradled in his arms like a small child, Bruce begged wordlessly for Steve to drive faster. Harry was pale and trembling within Bruce's hold, frightened, pained whimpers escaping lips pulled into a thin line.

Bruce pressed his lips against Harry's forehead and squeezed his eyes tightly shut, feeling Steve glance at him through the rearview mirror.

"He'll be alright, Bruce," Steve said, even though his own voice was full of worry, "he'll be alright."

Not gracing that with an answer, Bruce only thought of a prayer.

Please be alright, Harry. Please be alright.

cut

The Avengers were gathered in front of Harry's and Bruce's room, waiting for Poppy Pomphrey and Draco to come out. They were all occasionally glancing at Bruce who was sitting on the ground, elbows braced on raised knees, head bowed and hands fisted in his hair.

He hasn't said a word since they came back into the Tower, not even when Draco and Poppy appeared. No one knew what to tell him, because telling him that everything would be alright seemed like such a stupid thing to say, since all of them were afraid.

All of them were terrified.

The door opened and Poppy and Draco stepped out, and Bruce was in front of them faster than anyone thought was possible.

"How are they?!" Bruce choked out, glancing from Poppy to Draco their worry-colored faces making his heart sink into his guts. He only started breathing again when Poppy smiled at him kindly, although her eyes were still sad, and she gently took his hands in hers.

"Both of them are alright," she said, and everyone let go of a collective sigh of relief. "Harry suffered through great stress, though, and it drained him. The only thing that stopped a possible miscarriage was his magic. I'm putting him on strict bed-rest, no straining at all, and I will be coming once a week to check up on him."

Bruce took a step back, rubbing his face with his hands. He twitched and lowered his hands when someone placed a hand on his left shoulder and found himself looking at Steve who was smiling at him comfortingly.

"Harry's alright, Bruce," Steve spoke in a strained voice, "he's alright."

As though his words were a cue, Bruce finally let go. Tears filled his eyes as he started to heave for breath, and when Steve pulled him into a brotherly hug, Bruce could do nothing but return it and cry.

Cry in relief and happiness, cry as the fear and horror left his body.

Tony wrapped a crying Pepper in his arms, allowing his wife to lean on him. Clint held Natasha firmly as she struggled not to cry as well, holding on to the archer as though he was the only thing keeping her sane. Thor was leaning back against the wall beside the door leading to Harry's room, head tilted back and eyes closed as he whispered a prayer of gratefulness in his language.

Poppy and Draco exchanged a glance, sharing a pleased smile.

Harry had a family beside them now. He had people who loved him, who cared for him, worried about him, and protected him to the best of their abilities.

He had a place where he belonged.

cut

I'll be your dream,
I'll be your wish,
I'll be your fantasy.
I'll be your hope,
I'll be your love,
be everything that you need.

cut

Bruce smiled as he walked out onto the porch of Tony's house in South Dakota and found Harry reclining in a rocking chair head tilted back, eyes closed, and hands resting on his bulging stomach.

The rays of the sun were warming him, although he had a blanket wrapped around his shoulders warding off the chill of the early spring evening.

The due date was nearing, and Bruce had to say that all of them were happy about it for more than one reason. Thankfully, ever since the failed robbery Harry suffered no further stress, and the pregnancy progressed nicely. Bruce was always right there beside him, never letting him out of his sight for more than a minute, and even then there was someone else beside Harry.

They were even more attentive to the wizard, if it was at all possible. It was a collective decision that they all move out of Manhattan for the rest of Harry's pregnancy, only leaving if there was a S.H.I.E.L.D. emergency. No one was overly keen on leaving Harry alone, and the wizard took it all in stride, doing his best to stay calm and do as little as possible, too afraid to bring any risk to himself and their child to go against Poppy's orders.

He couldn't use his magic at all now, because it focused on creating a birthing channel, but Poppy assured him that he would be able to use his magic again once the baby was born. Harry didn't care about it as long as their baby girl was alright.

Yes.

They knew the gender of the child.

It made it easier for Bruce and Harry to choose a name.

Evita, they would name her, Evita Lillian Banner.

"Bruce?"

The gamma-scientist was shaken from his musings when Harry called out to him sleepily, and he smiled at his husband, seeing Harry rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand, groggily staring at him.

"Hey, sleepy head," Bruce murmured lovingly and walked over to kneel in front of Harry, placing his hands on Harry's knees. Harry yawned, not quite managing to cover it with his hand making Bruce chuckle, and the wizard shot him a sleepy, pouty glare.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Harry muttered and Bruce rubbed his thighs.

"You looked too peaceful to disturb," he answered and Harry sighed, stretching to the best of his abilities with a small wince. "Want me to take you to bed?"

Harry huffed and slumped back in the rocking chair, "I love our daughter, I really do, but honestly? I can't wait until she's out and I can actually move."

Bruce laughed and stood up, leaning in to peck Harry's lips before he scooped his husband into his arms, much to Harry's chagrin (although the grumbling wizard wrapped his arms around Bruce's shoulders immediately, despite the muttered complaints), and carried him into the house, passing the living room where the others watched TV, going straight for their bedroom.

"I know, love," Bruce commented, already used to Harry's grumbling. He carried Harry into the bedroom and sat him down on the edge of the bed, kneeling to help Harry out of his comfortable shoes, before he helped him change into one of Bruce's shirts (since Harry's were too small) and a pair of comfortable sweatpants (since the wizard could hardly wear anything else nowadays).

"Are you hungry?"

"No," Harry muttered, lying down with a groan. "But I am a bit thirsty." Bruce kissed Harry's forehead as he covered him with a blanket, but - to his amusement - Harry was asleep again before Bruce managed to move away.

Never the less, Bruce went to the bathroom to fetch a glass of water, and he placed it on the nightstand on Harry's side of the bed, knowing Harry would drink it when he wakes up.

He then took a seat on the bed beside Harry, simply watching his sleeping husband.

Harry's left hand was resting on the pillow, the wedding band shimmering in the weak light of the setting sun breaking through the window.

They've gotten married in a quiet little ceremony, right there a week after they've arrived. It was a surprise Draco organized for them, bringing in a wizarding official since they couldn't get married in the muggle world. It made Bruce laugh and Harry cry when they realized that everyone was in on it, Draco having contacted Steve about arranging the wedding.

Tony took care of the rings (he actually looked close to crying when Bruce asked him to stand as his witness, while Draco stood as Harry's), and Pepper arranged catering, making sure that they had a quiet dinner after the ceremony, an event all of them remembered fondly.

Harry was now legally his in the magical world, and even though their marriage wasn't valid in the muggle world, neither one cared about it.

All that mattered was their love for one another.

Nothing else.

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I love you more with every breath,
truly, madly, deeply do.
I will be strong,
I will be faithful,
'cause I'm counting on a new beginning,
a reason for living,
a deeper meaning, yeah.

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No one knew whether to be grateful or to hate Poppy for placing the silencing charm around Bruce and Harry's room.

Harry has gone into labor three days before the due date in the middle of the night, probably scarring Bruce for the rest of his life. He was sure that he would have nightmares of white sheets soaking with watery blood as Harry moaned in pain, his whole body cramping up as he ordered Bruce to call Draco.

Sitting in the living room with Steve to his right and Thor to his left, Bruce was sure he would have turned into Hulk if the two weren't holding him back by keeping their hands on Bruce's shoulders. He was fighting against the need to barge into his and Harry's room, just to see if he and their baby girl were alright.

The rational part of his mind was telling him that everything would be alright.

His heart though, was remembering the fear he experienced several months before, and Bruce was going out of his mind with worry, Hulk's constant howls for the one his saw as Mate inflaming Bruce's own need to hold Harry in his arms.

They all jumped to their feet when Draco walked into the room, grinning like a loon.

Before anyone could say anything, Bruce ran past Draco and up the stairs to his and Harry's room, halting in his step in the doorway, breath hitching in his throat.

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And when my stars are shinin' brightly in the velvet sky,
I'll make a wish to send it to Heaven,
then make you want to cry.

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Poppy smiled at Bruce reassuringly before she left the room, and Bruce walked in on unsteady feet, eyes focused on the beautiful picture right in front of him, not even aware that he was crying.

His husband, his Harry was propped up by several pillows staring down at a bundle in his arms with eyes filled with aw and love, tired and drained, but oh so happy.

Harry looked up and his expression morphed into one of pure bliss, "Bruce," he whispered lovingly, and the gamma-scientist walked over to the bed, carefully taking a seat beside Harry, who moved away the edges of the blanket their daughter was wrapped in, showing Bruce their little baby, their little miracle.

Bruce could hardly see straight from the tears gathering in his eyes and tailing down his stubble-covered cheeks, and he looked up when Harry let go of a wet laugh, "What are you crying for, silly?" He asked even though his own eyes were full of tears.

"Didn't take you for a hypocrite?" Bruce answered teasingly, his voice strained and hoarse, and he looked back at the little girl when she cooed and wiggled within her blanket as though to say 'I'm right here!'.

Bruce placed his hand on their daughter's head, marveling at how small she was, and his heart almost burst with happiness. "Hey there, beautiful," he whispered to her, for indeed even though she was all wrinkled and red from her journey into the world, she was truly the most beautiful creature Bruce had ever laid eyes upon. A tuft off raven black hair was on top of her small head, bale blue eyes stared at Bruce in wonder, and when Bruce gently caressed her small fist, her fingers wrapped around his index finger in a surprisingly tight grip. Hulk rumbled protectively in the back of Bruce's mind, and Bruce looked at Harry again, finding those amazing tired emerald orbs staring at him full of love.

"She's here, Bruce," Harry whispered. "She's finally here."

"Yeah," Bruce moved closer and pressed his lips against Harry's, murmuring against them, "she's finally here."

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(1) Lullaby, sung by Dixie Chicks, written by M. Carey, A. Harris, and V. Davis, published by LYRICS © UNIVERSAL MUSIC PUBLISHING GROUP, EMI MUSIC PUBLISHING

(2) Truly, Madly, Deeply, sung by Savage Garden, written by D. Jones and D. Hayes, published by LYRICS © SONY/ATV MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC

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After receiving all those wonderful reviews for 'Healing Touch' I just had to sit in a café after I finished my shift to post this.

Everyone, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your encouraging reviews. To you it may have been just a few minutes of typing, but to me it meant the world. You've made me feel better about everything, and you made me smile throughout the day.

Again, thanks from the bottom of my heart.

I hope you enjoyed this one-shot.

Please, leave a review, and I'll try to post the rest of the prompts as soon as possible.

All my love,
Ms. Yuki