Second Chances - Book 1

Chapter 6: Discovery

Stretching out her legs, Natasha passed a short grumble in acknowledgement of the morning. She was laying flush against the doctor, head settled comfortably on his chest, a limp hand resting on her waist. The redhead was beyond comfortable, so much so, that she willed herself to stay in bed for a few minutes longer, just to enjoy the time spent in such peace. She rose an eyebrow quietly at the low snoring, lifting her head slowly to see Bruce's sleeping face, completely without a care in the world. She slid her hand to his and guided it to the bed to make it easier for her to slip out and make a bottle, sneaking over to the crib to find Vinny surprisingly still asleep. "Lazybones." She hummed, backing up to return to the little kitchenette.

The redhead filled the bottle to the right level before adding the powder, covering it with a tea towel before shaking it vigorously, thoroughly mixing it. Nat proceeded to fill a large mug with water and set the bottle inside for a quicker cooling time. Not feeling particularly hungry, she made herself coffee, checking back on Bruce before moving over to Vinny once more, just to watch him sleep. "You're too cute to be my kid," Natasha whispered, stroking her fingers through his hair. She smiled, leaning on the side of the crib whilst the tiny baby stretched out his arms, curling his legs up to his chest, grabbing onto her finger. 

Little eyelids peeped open to reveal glazed green eyes, heavy with sleep. The gummy smile that followed upon recognition of his mother couldn't be mistaken. "Good morning." Natasha cooed, peering over the edge of the crib, bending just slightly to be able to grow closer to him, feeling his tiny hand tighten all the more around her finger. "Did you dream last night?" She asked quietly, moving her other hand to peel back the blankets from him, revealing wriggling legs. "Can you dream?" She added, more thinking aloud than anything else. Biting down on her lip, Natasha scooped her hands underneath Vinny's small arms, carefully lifting him up to her chest, awkwardly adjusting her limbs to hold him securely against her, able to hear the little boy's noises more, each making her smile all the brighter. 

"Early risers?" Bruce asked with a smile, sitting up on the bed, becoming accustomed to the light in the room. His sudden burst startled Natasha, enough for her to glance at him slowly with a slight glare, resulting in the doctor lifting his hands in an 'I surrender' motion. 

"Someone's godda make his bottle." Nat soon smiled in a rather teasing tone, resting her cheek to the top of Vinny's head, the baby rolling his tongue against his lips, whilst his fattening hands gripped onto her shirt. Bruce chuckled and nodded, making his way from the bed and towards them, fixing his glasses on his face to better see Vinny.

"We can't all be as eager to get up, as you are." Bruce managed to find a suitable retort, keeping his tone light, however, remaining to find his footing on how far he'd be able to taunt her, however, this occasion was met with a lighthearted chuckle.

The next hour or so was spent feeding the infant and themselves before Natasha proposed they gave Vinny a bath. After the state she had seen him in, she wanted to be sure he was thoroughly cleaned, whether of lasting bacteria or just of the smell of the place. Bruce had understood, remaining supportive throughout. 

"He's fattening up," Natasha mentioned, running some water along Vinny's smooth stomach, ribs slowly beginning to become a little less visible. The redhead knew however they had a long way to go. "I'm so worried I'll.. break him, I guess. He looks so fragile." She delivered a soft sigh, moving the small cloth to wipe along his little chest, Bruce supporting her by producing the soap whenever it was needed, and also making sure Vinny remained in the little hammock within the baby bath. 

"Babies are more resilient than you think." Bruce smiled up at her. "Especially this little guy." He looked down at Vinny, alternating between kicking each leg in the water. Natasha had stopped in her movements of bathing him, simply just to watch.