Baby America (Steve x Natasha) - Pregnancy Story

2

Steve and Natasha gathered together outside the store and went to leave the mall. They started heading down an escalator toward the exit. Something caught Natasha's eye - or rather, someone. She whispered, "Steve, we're being followed." She then nodded toward a man she was sure she recognised as a SHIELD agent whose eyes were tracing their every move, as if trying to solve whether it was the now infamous Captain America and Black Widow.

"What do we do?" Steve said, the man slowly approaching as he went up and they went down.

"Kiss me," she said, pulling his face in close and planting her lips on his. From within their closeness, she followed up with, "People hate watching others kiss, they find it repulsive." And it worked. The man looked away and they passed each other, their transportation going separate ways.

"You're a genius," Steve said as they left the building. They jumped in the car and drove to a motel. Upon arriving, they realised it wasn't going to be much better than the safehouse they'd just been in.

They checked in at the lobby. "Hey, we have two singles booked for tonight," Steve said, pocketing the car keys.

"Sorry, man, we only have one double left and that's it - we're full," the deskman said.

Steve looked at Natasha to answer the question that had been non-verbally asked - she nodded. "Yeah okay, we'll take it thanks," he said, then received the key. They walked up to the room together in silence.

As soon as they got in there, Natasha said, "I'll take a shower now, if you don't want to?"

"Go for it," Steve responded, unpacking some of the shopping to prepare a sort-of dinner.

Natasha walked into the dirtiest bathroom she'd ever seen - there was hair in the sink and in the shower, the floor seemed to be mouldy somehow and the walls were rotting and damp. However, the toilet (which was missing a seat) was all she would need.

She ran the shower so Steve wouldn't be suspicious - with walls as thin as these, he'd be sure to hear whatever was going on 3 rooms away. Then she pulled it out her pocket - the pregnancy test. Her and Steve had slept together three times in their lives; once while Bruce was away and twice since he and Tony have been fighting. The odds, she'd say, were pretty low.

And yet she found herself unpackaging it, and unbuttoning her jeans. Despite her disbelief, she took the test. She paced round the bathroom for the 2 minutes she was supposed to wait, then looked.

It was positive.

Natasha ran her hands through her hair in stress and panic. How? Why? What would she do now? Suddenly, an urge to punch something overwhelmed her. She slammed her fist into the mirror, watching her reflection shatter and her hand split in several places.

"Nat, you alright in there?" Steve called out, panic in his voice. He grabbed his shield and smashed at the lock to get in.

Natasha threw the pregnancy test off the counter, it landing perfectly in the bin as Steve rushed in.

"I... Uh..." Natasha was at a loss for words.

"You're bleeding, shit, what did you do?" Steve said softly, opening the medicine cabinet above him and retrieving a bandage.

"I... Slipped on the wet floor and fell into the mirror," she lied.

It would have been a good story but, "You're still wearing your clothes, Nat." Natasha's cheeks flushed red. "What's going on with you?" Steve asked.

"I wasn't showering..." She hesitated, "I was taking a pregnancy test." Steve's eyes widened in shock - Natasha couldn't bear to meet them as she stared at the floor. "It was negative," she lied. Steve sighed, finishing off her bandage, then wrapping an arm around her shoulder and leading her back into the bedroom. He watched peacefully as Natasha went to sleep.

Steve, however, clearly had lurking suspicions. As quietly as he could, he walked to the bathroom and searched for it. There, in the bin, he saw it. He picked up the test to see those two pink lines. She had lied to him.

He expected to feel hurt that he had been lied to, to feel as though he or his baby had been betrayed by an unwanting mother, but he didn't. He knew Natasha, and he knew how scared she must be and that she wouldn't admit it. He came in to this world with a lie, he'd be surprised if humanity stopped now. Lies are only ever told when we're scared someone is going to get hurt - clearly she thought he wouldn't want the baby. But how he did. He longed for a family, and there was no person Steve would rather start one with than Natasha. Well, there was one, but that was for another lifetime.

The next morning, Steve watched Natasha wake, and do her daily rush to the bathroom. He once again soothed her as she threw up.

As soon as she stopped, Steve spoke. "I know," he said softly, taking her hand. This time, it was her eyes that widened in shock. She began to tear up and her throat croaked.

"Steve I'm so sorry, I just didn't want you to wo-" she began, but Steve pressed his finger to her lips.

"It's okay, I get it. But I need you to know that I want this baby if you do," Steve declared, "And... I love you, Nat." He held her in an embrace and kissed her cheek.

"You do?" She sighed and breathed calmly. "Steve, if I'm being honest, I don't know if I want this baby yet - I haven't had the time to think it over. And with everything that's going on right now... Well, it couldn't be worse timing, could it?" For some reason, they just laughed at it, all of it. Natasha leaned her head on Steve's shoulder.

"This has really gone to shit, hasn't it?" Steve said, "We're going to be alright though. I'll make sure of it." At that point, it just felt right. They had kissed and more already while they'd been running together, but this time it was different.

It wasn't just passion anymore.
It was love.