Chapter Text
“Natasha, you’re my Baby.”
“You want me to wake you up crying in the middle of the night?”
Steve Rogers’s eyes gentled, his fingers brushed his wife’s face. “Well, sometimes you do have pretty bad nightmares.”
Natasha rolled her eyes at him. “You want to be a father and you know it.”
“Not as much as I want you to be safe and happy.” He pulled her into his lap.
She rested her head on his chest. “You can say you want to be a father without hurting my feelings. I want to be a mother, you know.”
“I would love to be a father.” Steve combed his fingers through her red curls. “A little boy or girl with your sparkling green eyes.” He sighed. “But I don’t want you to feel like you're worth any less if it doesn’t happen. I love you, baby or no baby.”
“I thought I was your Baby.”
“Natasha. I’m trying to have a serious conversation.”
Lifting her head, she pecked a kiss to his lips. “I love you, too. You will be the best daddy any child ever had.”
“You know, adoption is a wonderful option, too. So many children need loving parents.”
“Of course. We can even do both. It’s just, Bruce really thinks it will work. Won’t you try?” Natasha snuggled into him with her best pleading look.
“Bruce is a great guy and nobody denies that he’s a scientific genius, but…”
“But what?”
“I suspect he really thought the project that created the Hulk would work, too.”
Natasha frowned. “It did, in a way.”
“Besides, I just don’t understand. If my Super Soldier Serum was going to help you have a baby, why hasn’t it worked already? The whole thing seems a little fanciful to me.”
“Bruce says you control the Serum more than you realize. When you want it to, it heals you faster, or gives you more energy. You’re afraid for me to have a baby, so I haven’t gotten pregnant yet.” She nuzzled his neck. “You have to want me to have a baby, then the Serum will do its work.”
“I can’t, Nat. I can’t risk losing you.” He pressed her to his heart.
“That’s just it. The Super Soldier Serum will keep the baby and me safe. It will protect both of us. Bruce says it’s already working on me, making me stronger and healthier.”
He slipped one arm under her knees, the other still around her shoulder, cradling her tenderly. “If you’re really sure. But if you do get pregnant, you’re going to need lots of rest and you’ll have to let me take care of you. And we should probably talk to someone besides Bruce.”
“Like Tony?”
“What? No, he’s even less qualified than Bruce! I mean a midwife, or an obstetrician.” Steve carefully laid Natasha down on the bed. “You’re my Baby, my best girl, and I want you to have the very best care.”
Natasha tangled her fingers in his hair. “Anything you say, Captain Rogers.”
Natasha smiled at the little white stick in her hand for a solid minute before putting it inside the box with the others. Tucking the picture inside on top of the sticks, she quickly wrapped the box in red, white, and blue paper, added ribbons, then hurried to change her clothes.
“I’m back, Nat!” Steve called. “Would you like some breakfast before our team meeting?”
A shiver of anticipation ran up her spine.Steve was back from his morning run. It was time. Picking up her package, she pranced into the living room.
Steve froze, his hand halfway to the coffee pot that sat on the counter between the kitchen and living room.
“Wow. I always forget how good you look in that until you put it on.”
She smoothed the skirt of her Captain America ballet dress. “Wouldn’t you like to know why I’m wearing this?”
“To convince me to stay here and skip the meeting?”
“The thought occurred to me. But first, I have a present for you.” She held out the box.
Steve walked around the dividing counter, took the proffered box. “Only if you sit in my lap while I open it.”
She giggled. “If you insist.”
Steve dropped onto the couch and she settled herself in his lap, carefully arranging her tutu.
Steve eyed the box. “I need a kiss first.”
She pressed her lips to his.
“And a hug.”
She wrapped her arms around him. “Steve Rogers, you’re stalling.”
He huffed. “If you must know, I’m trying to figure out why you bought me a present. I know I didn’t forget our anniversary. Is it some Russian holiday I don’t know about?”
“I didn’t exactly buy you a present.You’ll understand when you open it.”
“You made something for me?”
“You could put it that way, I suppose. Now, please just open it!”
Steve carefully untied the ribbons and removed the paper while Natasha tapped her finger impatiently on her arms. He opened the box, held up the picture, looked at the sticks.
“Nat. Baby, are these…?”
She reached in, pulled out one of the sticks. “See the two lines on the little screen?”
“NAT!”
Any further explanation was cut off as Steve captured her mouth with his, crushing her to his chest. He jerked back, arms sliding underneath her.
“Baby, I’m sorry! What am I thinking? I have to be careful with you. I could hurt you!”
“Steve, breathe. You didn’t hurt me.” She stroked his hair soothingly. “I won’t break, I promise.”
He kissed her again, more slowly this time. “I have to take care of you, Tasha. I can’t let anything happen to you.”
“Looks like the only thing happening to her is you, Cap.”
Natasha whirled around at the sound of Tony’s voice, shoving the tell-tale box under her full skirt.
“Tony, what are you doing?” Steve demanded.
“I’ve been trying to let you know I can’t make it to your meeting, but someone turned FRIDAY to ‘do not disturb’ in here, apparently.”
“Because I didn’t want us to be disturbed,” Natasha explained. “You’re supposed to be a genius. You should be able to figure that out.”
“Would it hurt to let me send a text to Cap’s cellphone? Why do you need privacy at this time of the morning anyway? Isn’t this when Cap makes a nutritious breakfast?”
“Sometimes people need a break from routines,” Steve hedged.
“Uh, huh.” Tony eyed them. “Why do I have the feeling you two are keeping secrets?”
“If we were, do you think we would tell you?” Natasha countered.
“I’ll find out. Even if I have to use my secret weapon.”
“I thought Peter was with his Aunt today.” Steve wrapped a protective arm around Natasha. “Don’t you have a science project to finish or something?”
“Oh, yeah. That’s why I can’t come to the meeting. Bruce and I have to keep a constant eye on this petri dish.”
“I don’t think I want to know.” Natasha pulled a face. “Shouldn’t you get back to watching it, then?”
Tony huffed a sigh of frustration. “This is not over.”
Once he was finally gone, Natasha pulled out the box. “It’s real, Steve. It worked. I’m having a baby. Your baby.”
Steve held up the picture with a knowing smirk. “Steve Rogers Lassos Stork?”
She poked him playfully. “You know you love that movie.”
Steve laid a gentle hand on her middle. “It does take me back to some good times in the past. But this, my best girl having my baby, this takes me forward to a wonderful future. And that’s even better.”