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sycamorelibrary754 · 21 days

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Happy Easter

Summary: You are three weeks from your due date, but the thought of you and Natasha missing Easter at the Barton’s farmhouse in Iowa was simply inconceivable. What will you do if your little bundle of joy makes an early, unexpected entrance?

Genre: Fluff

Pairings: Natasha x reader, Avengers x reader (platonic).

Word Count: 5.7k

Warnings: None

A/N: Happy belated Easter! I wanted to post this fic on Easter, but there wasn't enough time. This is part 3 of Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas! I recommend reading those stories first, but it can be read as a stand-alone story as well. This was so much fun to write. I hope you enjoy it!

"Does anyone know where the purple egg dye is?" you inquired, scanning the table as you addressed the Barton kids. "I could have sworn we had two cups of every color." Cooper and Lila were fully engrossed in the Easter egg decorating contest, meticulously crafting their designs, while Nate seemed to relish in using every color available on the table. "Oh, it's on the counter.”

You were just about to rise from the kitchen table, no easy feat at this stage of your pregnancy. It felt like yesterday when you surprised Natasha with your pregnancy at Thanksgiving in front of her family and announced to the team that they would all be aunts and uncles at Tony’s annual Christmas party. Your due date was three weeks away, but missing Easter with Clint’s family in Iowa was out of the question.

“Don’t get up, Y/N. I got it!” Nat said as she jumped up to grab the paper cup of purple egg dye behind you.

"Thanks, sweetheart," you said as Nat placed the cup on the table.

"How are you feeling?" Natasha asked as she gently caressed your cheek. "Maybe you should take a break?”

“Nat, I promise I’m okay. Come sit back down and color some Easter eggs with us,” you replied, trying to put your wife at ease.

Natasha was looking forward to Easter, too, but she was more focused on you and the final weeks of your pregnancy. Dr. Cho had given you the green light to go, with the condition that you'd have daily check-ins by phone and go on bed rest as soon as you returned home.

"Auntie Nat, look at this!" Nate proudly showed off an egg with Natasha's symbol on it.

"Look, Auntie Nat," you echoed with a smile.

"This is amazing! Maybe I should have you design my next suit instead of Stark," she said.

"Shall we start the judging?" Clint asked as he entered the room with Laura.

"Yep, all set," Cooper confirmed.

"Just a sec," Lila said, focused on decorating her egg. "There, done."

"Where are Yelena and Kate?" Laura asked.

"We're coming!" came a shout from the living room.

"It's not a Fabergé egg, you two, come on!" Nat yelled.

"Tada!" Kate exclaimed, revealing a beautiful purple egg with green and orange stripes.

You whispered to your wife, "So that's where all the purple dye went.”

You placed your egg on the table with all the others. Pink and blue with red polka dots. Symbolic of your current anticipation over the impending arrival of your bundle of joy. You and Nat both agreed you wanted to be surprised.

“Hmmm, this is going to be a tough decision,” Clint said, stroking his chin. “As you all know, you will be judged on creativity, technique, and presentation.”

Walking back and forth in front of the kitchen table, you couldn’t help but giggle at his mock seriousness.

“Allow me to confer with my fellow judge,” he said. After a few moments of hushed whispers with Laura, Clint returned to the group. “We thank you all for your participation. You all decorated beautiful Easter eggs. The competition was tough this year, but one egg stands head and shoulders above the rest,” pausing for dramatic effect. “The 2024 Barton Easter Egg Decorating Champion is Nathaniel Barton!”

You shouldn't have spent so much time on the sketches!” Yelena said, slapping Kate on the arm.

“Yes!!” Nathaniel cheered.

“You are hereby awarded this Lindt Milk Chocolate Gold Bunny,” his father said, handing him the gold-wrapped chocolate as big as his head.

“That you will share with the rest of the family and not eat in one sitting,” Laura added.

“Aww!” Nathaniel whined.

*^~^*

You spent the evening on the porch, surrounded by the laughter of the kids playing on the lush green lawn as the sun set over the farm. Laura served her delicious homemade Lemonade as you shared stories and reminisced about old times. The air was filled with nostalgia so vivid that you could almost reach out and touch it. Natasha sat next to you, holding your hand gently, her calloused touch a reminder of the strength and resilience she had acquired through years of training.

You were taken by surprise as you felt the baby begin to kick.

"Wow!" You exclaimed as you gently placed your hand on your belly.

All eyes turned to you. Though unspoken, everyone shared the same nervous anticipation as your wife for the approaching due date.

"Are you alright, malyshka?" Nat asked, her eyes filled with concern as she squeezed your hand.

"I'm okay. The baby is kicking. Here, feel." You said as you took her hand and gently guided it to your stomach, trying to find the right spot.

“Oh,” Nat squeaked. “I’ll never get used to that feeling.”

“Think how I feel!” you teased.

“Move aside, sestra; I want to feel my little plemyannitsa or plemyannik.” (Niece or nephew).

Yelena playfully bumped her sister out of the way with her hip and eagerly reached to touch your stomach.

"Wow, that's amazing!" she cried out. "Hey there, little one. I'm Aunt Yelena, and I will spoil you rotten!"

"Have you two settled on a name yet?" Kate inquired.

"No," you sighed. "We just can't seem to agree. Since we both want to be surprised, it's been twice as hard to come up with two names."

"Don't worry, you'll know when you see the little bundle of joy," Laura reassured.

"This wouldn't be an issue if either of you were open to any of the names I've suggested," Yelena added with a grin.

“Yelena is not an option,” Natasha frustratedly replied.

“What about—“

“Neither is Alaska! That isn’t even a name!” Your wife is exasperated.

“It could be!” Yelena said. “What about—“

“Or Wolfgang!” Nat interrupted.

“You lack all originality, sestra,” Yelena berated.

^*~*^

The soft glow of the table lamp reflected off your glasses as you delved into the pages of your latest beloved read. You placed your bookmark between the pages at the sound of your wife closing the bathroom door and crawling into bed beside you.

"Did you get a chance to talk to Helen today?" Nat asked as she helped me fluff up my pregnancy pillow.

"Yeah, I did. She was glad to hear that the swelling in my ankles went down and suggested taking a warm bath to help with the discomfort," you replied, shifting to get comfortable against the pillow.

"Mmm, a warm bath does sound amazing," Natasha hummed as she settled down on her side, facing me.

“Oh, I didn’t realize you’d be joining me?” You said softly, with a sly grin and a raised eyebrow.

“Of course I would, detka,” leaning over and kissing your baby bump.

You gently squeezed Nat's hand, feeling a wave of anticipation as your due date drew near. Thoughts of what your baby would look like and who they would become filled your mind. Would they inherit Nat's fiery red hair, or perhaps have your Y/E/C eyes? The anticipation was almost overwhelming, but knowing that Natasha was by your side made it all feel possible.

"Are you looking forward to the Easter egg hunt tomorrow?" You asked, pulling yourself out of your daydream.

Nat giggled, "You make it sound like I'm the one participating."

"Well, you might as well be. I can never tell who's more excited, you or the kids," you replied.

Natasha glanced down at our intertwined hands and then back up at you. Her green eyes sparkled like emeralds.

"I think it's because holidays in my childhood weren’t real. We filled the photo album with fake pictures and empty boxes. But this," looking around at the small details of Clint and Laura’s farmhouse, "Is real, and I’ve always done my best to help ensure that Cooper, Lila, and Nate have everything I didn’t. A carefree childhood filled with love," Natasha explained.

"You’ve done a wonderful job with Clint’s kids, Nat. They love you so much, and I know you’ll be just as amazing with our little one," you said, doing your best to reassure her. “Goodnight, Natasha,” kissing her lips.

“I hope you're right, detka,” Nat said, kissing your lips in return and laying a hand on your stomach. “Goodnight, malen'kiy (little one).

*^~^*

The following day, you awoke to the sun shining through the window and a soft breeze that caused the curtains to dance gently on the wind. Your back was aching, and you were tired, but you were determined to make it through today. You slipped into the most comfortable maternity outfit you had. Natasha helped you with your shoes, and you both went downstairs to the kitchen.

“Happy Easter, you two!” Clint said upon seeing you two enter the kitchen.

You sat down at the kitchen table as Laura placed a plate of eggs and toast in front of you and Nat, along with two glasses of orange juice. The kids were already eating and arguing over who would find the most Easter eggs this afternoon.

Yelena and Kate walked in a few moments later, clad in bathrobes and their hair disheveled.

“Against the idea of showering and dressing before breakfast, were you?” Natasha asked.

“Kate Bishop kept me up all night with her snoring, and Lucky and Fanny woke me up by sitting on my face,” Yelena mumbled as she flopped beside you.

“Hey, that’s how dogs shows affection,” Kate interjected.

“So, I should consider your snoring a Valentine?” Yelena deadpanned.

After breakfast, the kids ran upstairs to prepare for the Easter egg hunt while Clint got a head start on hiding the eggs. Nathaniel insisted Nat accompany him to help find his Easter basket, but she hesitated to leave you.

“Go ahead, babe. I’m fine.” Motioning for her to follow her namesake.

“So, how are you really feeling?” Laura asked, now that Nat was no longer in the room.

You let out a deep sigh, “Tired and sore,” resting your head in your hands. “But this quality time with you all means so much to both of us. I can make it one more day before going on bed rest.”

Laura rubbed her hand softly on your back, “Why don’t you sit in the family room with Kate and Yelena until the fun starts.”

“Okay, that’s a good idea. Make sure Yelena and Kate haven’t snuck into the Easter candy,” you laughed.

Laura helped you to your feet and then began to clear the table. As you started to walk, you felt a minor twinging pain in your stomach. You winced but thought nothing of it. With the amount of shifting the baby was doing these days, you had every spasm and cramp in the book. Unfortunately for you, you were in a house full of spies, and Laura picked up your discomfort. She made a mental note to watch you as the day progressed.

*^~^*

"Look, there's one!" Cooper exclaimed, pointing at the leather seat of the tractor in the front yard. He dashed towards it, but Lila beat him by a step. "Ha! Slowpoke," she teased.

From your spot on the porch, you glanced over and saw my wife hoisting Nathaniel onto her shoulders to carefully grab an Easter egg from the crook of an old sycamore tree.

After about 15 minutes, everyone's baskets were full of eggs. Now came the fun of opening them all. You watched as all three kids dug into their baskets, opening the eggs to find mini Hershey bars, M&M's, jelly beans, or starbursts.

Nathaniel walked over to you and placed an Orange Starburst in your hand. "Here, Aunt Y/N. I know the Orange ones are your favorite."

"Aww, thank you, Nate," you said, kissing his forehead.

As you were about to open the soft toffy candy, a sharp contraction cut through my stomach. “Aaah!” you reached for your stomach as you bent over at the knees. Much stronger than anything you had felt before.

Natasha rushed to your side. “Y/N?! Are you okay? What’s wrong?” Reaching for your hand.

"I don’t know," you grunted.

Natasha's voice quivered with anxiety as she tried to rationalize the situation. "This—this can’t be it. We’re still three weeks out," she said, her mind racing with worry. "Maybe it’s just false labor."

That was the moment when your water broke. "Oh God—" you took a sharp breath as another contraction hit.

"Okay, not false labor," Nat conceded.

"It’s okay, Y/N," Laura reassured you calmly, gently taking your hand. "Most first births are a long labor. But we’re going to get you inside, okay?"

You felt a surge of panic. "What? No, no. I can't have the baby here. I'm not ready. We had a birth plan; I don't have my overnight bag!" you started to ramble, the anxiety rising in your voice.

"You're not boarding a Quinjet now. “I'm going to call Helen,” Clint said as he started to run inside.

"What's wrong with Aunt Y/N?” Nathaniel asked.

"Nothing, sweetheart, but the baby is coming a little bit earlier than we thought," Laura said calmly as she and your wife Nat gently guided you up the steps and into the warm and welcoming embrace of the house.

"Cooper and Lila, please grab a soft, warm blanket and clean towels from the linen closet?" Laura called out to the older children, her voice steady and reassuring.

I'l boil some water and tear up some sheets!" Kate announced frantically.

"This isn't Little House on the Prairie," Yelena quipped. She looked at you and Natasha with a warm yet nervous smile. "I’ll call Mom and Dad.”

"I thought you said this was a long process?" you managed to say between deep breaths, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness.

"Yes, but there's nothing wrong with being prepared, honey," Laura replied with a comforting smile, her hands steady as she and Nat helped you onto the bed.

Natasha gently grasped your hand and locked eyes with you. "Y/N, look at me," she said reassuringly. “You’re okay, and I'm right here with you. Let's take a deep breath together.”

You took a deep breath, trying to follow Natahsa's lead. The air came out shakily as it moved around the sharp pain of the contraction.

"Do you remember your Lamaze breathing?" Nat asked, her voice calm and reassuring.

"I think so," you replied, trying to focus on the breathing technique you had practiced during the prenatal classes.

*^~^*

Contractions came and went over the next few hours. You were thankful that childbirth was part of the first aid classes all SHIELD recruits were required to take. Otherwise, the prospect of giving birth in a farmhouse in the middle of Iowa would have been more terrifying than it already was.

You heard the front door open and the screen shut behind it as footsteps hurriedly approached the bedroom. When you saw Dr. Cho, you just about burst into tears.

Helen! Oh, thank goodness," you exclaimed just as another contraction began, your face twisted in agony.

"Y/N," Helen responded, rushing to your side and gently pushing the sweaty strands of hair away from your eyes. "Clint and Laura briefed me. They said that you're handling this wonderfully. Let me take a moment to set up, and then we'll check your dilation progress.”

Okay," you managed to say, catching your breath. "Where's Bruce?"

He's in Kamar-Taj with Wong. Something about ten rings? I'm not entirely sure, but don't worry, both of you," she reassured, meeting your and Natasha’s fatigued and apprehensive gazes. "I have a backup.”

Thor strode into the room, effortlessly carrying a collection of Helen's equipment that seemed as light as a feather in his hands.

"Thor? What are you doing here?" Natasha asked, clearly puzzled.

Thor glanced at your wife, then at you, then at Laura, and then at Helen.

"Hello, everyone," he said shyly. "I was, uh, Helen and I—Dr. Cho. She invited me for Easter, and we were enjoying a nice glass of Asgardian Mead when—"

"When Clint called," Helen finished. "Anyway, he's here to help, right?"

"Of course," Thor replied. "I've never witnessed a human birth before, but I've been present for the births of many Gods and am well-versed in many newborn blessings."

You and Natasha locked eyes, your nervousness quickly replaced with gratitude as you realized the significance of having another close friend by your side during this pivotal moment in your lives.

Natasha expressed her gratitude to Thor, finally breaking the silence. "We're both thankful that you're here," she said, her voice filled with sincerity.

You nodded in agreement, silently acknowledging the sentiment.

"It's my pleasure, ladies," Thor replied warmly.

“Thor, can you bring the rest of my equipment in from the Quinjet while I check to see how far Y/N is dilated?” Helen asked.

“Sure, and do either of you need anything? He asked.

Some ice chips would be great, you said in a tired voice. “Thank you.”

“Water,” Natasha said.

Shortly after Thor departed, Yelena entered, engaging in small talk as they crossed paths in the hallway. "What's the God of muscles doing here?" she inquired.

"It's a long story," Helen responded.

"I spoke with Melina. She and Alexi are en route and should arrive by morning. At least, I think that's what she said. It was hard to hear her over Alexi's ecstatic screams in the background."

"Okay, Y/N, you've done most of the hard work in my absence. You're just about at 10 centimeters. It’s time to start pushing. You two are going to parents soon," Helen announced with a smile.

“Oh my God,” you said, looking over at Natasha.

“Hey,” your wife said, running her hand through your hair, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” you said.

*^~^*

“Push. Push, just a little more! Come on, push for five seconds. 5…4…” Helen counted down.

Gasping for air, you exclaimed, '3-2-1 oh!!' as you fought to catch your breath.

Thor gently wiped away the sweat from your forehead with a cloth.

“You're doing great, Y/N. The next contraction should be coming in about twenty seconds," Helen encouraged, glancing at the monitor.

“I can’t,” you cried. “I can’t push anymore, I can’t.”

Natasha reassured you, "Yes, you can, Y/N. You're so close," she reached out and firmly took hold of your hand.

“Oh God, twenty seconds, my ass!” You shouted.

Natasha screamed in pain and fell to her knees beside you as you squeezed her hand. “Fuck, detka!”

"Here, Lady Y/N," Thor said, taking her hand in his, "Give my hand a good squeeze; you won't hurt me. And when you reminisce on this moment, you will remember that a God has faith in you. You can do this!" Thor's voice was solid and reassuring, his eyes filled with genuine belief in your strength.

Your eyes shone with tears as you held Thor's hand tightly, feeling the strength in his grip while Natasha enveloped you, her arm supporting your back.

I can see the baby's head. Are you ready to push one more time, honey?” Helen asked, “Here we go, on three: 1... 2... 3!”

You let out a final scream and then collapsed back onto the pillows, trying to catch your breath. As the room fell silent, the innocent cries of your and Natasha’s baby filled the air.

"It's a boy!" Helen exclaimed with joy.

Tears welled up in your eyes as you looked at Natasha, who was also crying. It was more emotion than you had ever seen Natasha show before.

Helen held up your son for both of you to admire. His little head was adorned with the beginnings of red hair.

"He's absolutely perfect," Nat exclaimed with a radiant smile as she affectionately kissed your temple.

Thor carefully cut the umbilical cord, and then Helen gently passed the newborn over to Laura, who began to clean him up.

Overwhelmed with emotion, you exclaimed, "He's so tiny! Where'd he go?"

Natasha reassured you, "It's okay. They're just wrapping him up," as she wiped away her tears. Concerned for the baby's well-being, you cautioned, "Okay, well, be careful with him. He's really tiny!”

Moments later, Laura tenderly announced, "Here he is," and placed your precious son on your bare chest, swathed in a soft blanket.

"Hi, baby boy," you whispered, tears streaming down your cheeks. "I know you."

As your voice reached his ears, his little Y/E/C irises opened, revealing a world of innocence and wonder.

At that moment, gazing at your son, you experienced a love so profound it felt as though your heart had been laid bare.

Natasha tenderly kissed his head and softly murmured, “Dobro pozhalovat' v mir, moy malen'kiy mal'chik.” (Welcome to the world, my little boy).

We’ll give you a few minutes," Helen said with a reassuring smile as she closed the door behind her. In the serene stillness that followed, the only sound was the gentle cooing of your precious newborn son.

“I can't believe he's finally here,” you said.

"I know. He’s so beautiful," Natasha said, her gaze fixed on the newborn.

"It looks like he’s going to take after his Mama," you chuckled, running your hand over the delicate red hairs sprouting from his scalp.

"Yes, but look at his eyes—sparkling Y/E/C like yours. Wow," Nat said.

You remarked, "I guess this narrows the names down, then."

Nat sighed in relief, "Thank goodness I don't have to explain to my sister why we didn't choose Yelena."

Looking into your wife's eyes, you asked, "So what do you think?"

*^~^*

A short while later, a gentle knock on the door signaled Helen's arrival as she peeked inside. "Hey, you three. I need to conduct a few routine tests, and there are some eager people outside who can't wait to meet your son."

"Please, come on in, everyone," you welcomed them.

You couldn't hold back the tears as you witnessed the heartfelt expressions on their faces as they laid eyes on your baby boy. It was as if he instantly captivated them, just as you were when you first saw him.

"Oh, my goodness," Laura exclaimed as Clint enveloped Natasha tightly. Tears glistened in his eyes as he held his best friend close.

"He's beautiful, Natasha," Yelena said, her eyes brimming with tears. "Privet, malen'kiy plemyannik," she whispered (hello, my little nephew).

"He's so cute, Y/N! Oh my gosh," Kate exclaimed as your son wrapped his tiny hand around your finger.

"He is lovely," Thor added, his voice filled with warmth. "Strong and brave, like his mothers."

Cooper, Lila, and Nathaniel gathered around you, admiring the newborn in your arms.

"Everyone," Natasha began, her hand resting lovingly on your back. "We have someone special we'd like you to meet.”

“This is Nikolai Odison Romanoff," you announced with a proud smile.

"Nikolai! What a beautiful first name," Clint exclaimed, wiping his eyes. "It suits him perfectly."

"Oh, my, Odison," Thor said wide-eyed. "Ladies, this is an honor fit for someone else. I wasn't even supposed to be here, I—"

"But you were, Thor. You were here when I needed someone the most," you said, looking at him with gratitude. "We'll never forget what you did for us."

The God of Thunder exhaled, visibly touched by your kind words. "I'm truly honored, Y/N. Thank you," he said, kissing your cheek.

Excuse me, ladies," Helen said, "May I borrow him for a moment? We'll be right back.”

Nikolai began to cry at the loss of contact with you, and the sound tugged at both your and Natasha's heartstrings. "It's okay, little one. It's okay," Helen soothed him.

Then, looking up at your wife, you added, "There is something else we wanted to ask.

“Clint and Laura, we would be honored if you would be Nikolai’s godparents,” Natasha said.

“Of course!” Clint declared.

“Nothing would make us happier,” Laura added.”

The couple hugged you both in appreciation as Helen returned with Nikolai.

“You have a healthy little boy on your hands! Born March 31st, 2024 at 7:23pm. He weighs five pounds and eight ounces and measures 16.5 inches long," she said as she gently placed your son in Natasha’s arms. "He's a bit small, but that is because he was impatient and arrived a bit early," Helen explained with a warm smile. "Nothing to worry about.”

Natasha cradled the baby in her arms, swaying gently back and forth as a soft yawn slipped from his tiny lips.

“We’ll spend the night here, but I want to bring Mom and Nikolai back to the compound tomorrow. I want to perform a thorough examination in my lab before sending you all home.” Helen explained.

"Of course, whatever you think is best," you agreed.

Natasha nodded in approval before a sudden realization struck her. "Oh, Mom and Dad! They're on their way here."

"They can join us if you'd like," Helen suggested.

"That would be great," you said. "Right, Nat?"

"Yeah, great," Natasha said, her mind racing as she tried to imagine the chaos of the Quinjet flight home with Alexi and Melina.

Yelena couldn't help but burst into laughter, fully aware of what her sister was thinking, until Kate elbowed her in the ribs.

"We'll leave you all to get some rest," Helen said. "I'll be outside if you need anything, and I'll be back in a little while to help you with breastfeeding him.”

"Thank you, Helen, and all of you, for everything," you said, feeling the exhaustion and emotions of the day overwhelming you as tears began to fall.

After exchanging warm embraces, everyone exited the room, leaving you and Natasha in peaceful solitude with your precious newborn son, savoring the tender moment.

Natasha gently settled Nikolai in Nathaniel's bassinet, a family heirloom lovingly retrieved from storage by Clint and Laura. As your little one drifted into a peaceful slumber, you both couldn't help but marvel at the miracle of life, watching his tiny chest rise and fall with each breath. It was a moment you never wanted to forget.

“Rest, detka. I'll take care of Nikolai," Nat offered, her voice filled with warmth and reassurance.

"I can stay up; it's fine. You should rest," you insisted, determined to take responsibility.

"Y/N, you've just brought new life into the world. You deserve to rest for the rest of your life," Nat chuckled, her eyes filled with affection and concern.

She settled beside you on the bed and enveloped you in a comforting embrace.

"Look at your face," Nat suddenly remarked, her expression softening with genuine admiration.

"I must look a mess," you replied, a tired smile tugging at your lips.

"No, Y/N, you look absolutely beautiful," Nat insisted, her words filled with sincerity. "I've never seen your face more radiant than it is right now.

Natasha's soft lips met yours in a tender kiss, and in that moment, you felt the truth of her words resonate deep within you.

*^~^*

The following day, Laura prepared a delicious breakfast and brought it to you and Natasha in bed. Both of you had barely gotten any sleep with Nikolai waking up every couple of hours. Despite feeling utterly exhausted, you didn't mind one bit. This weariness stemmed from the joy of caring for your precious newborn son on his very first night.

Twenty minutes later, the tranquil moment was interrupted by familiar voices outside. Natasha gently pulled the curtain back to glimpse her parents making their way up the front porch steps.

Yelena strode into the room with her arms folded and a mischievous smile on her lips. "Brace yourselves," she teased, "The grandparents have arrived.”

"Where's my little guy?" Alexi eagerly shouted as he entered the room.

"Shh!" Natasha hushed him with a grin, motioning to Nikolai nestled in her arms. "Oh, look at him!" Alexi whispered in awe.

"Mom, Dad, this is Nikolai,” Nat said, wiping a tear from her eye.

"He's beautiful, Natalia," Melina murmured.

"May I hold him?" Alexi asked eagerly.

"Of course," you replied, carefully passing the baby to Alexi. The sight of the mighty Red Guardian tenderly cradling your newborn son made you smile.

"Hello, Nikolai. I'm your dedushka," Alexi said affectionately. "You're so adorable; yes, you are."

As he spoke, Nikolai slowly opened his eyes, and you could have sworn you saw your father-in-law's heart swell with love.

Alexi gently placed the baby in Melina’s arms. Your mother-in-law had always been a complex and enigmatic figure. She was one of the longest-tenured widows, and her resilience made her one of the strongest women in your eyes. As she cradled your newborn son in her arms, a single tear traced its way down her cheek, revealing a depth of emotion and vulnerability that you had never seen before.

Yelena inched toward you and whispered, “He won them over faster than you did.”

*^~^*

The next morning, Thor joined in to assist with packing while Clint hurried to the store to purchase an infant car seat for Nikolai. You were a family of two when you arrived, and you were leaving a family of three.

After a swift diaper change, Natasha placed your precious bundle of joy in his carrier. "Time to head home, Nik," you said, taking his tiny hand in yours.

You bid farewell to everyone and securely placed Nikolai's carrier beside you on the Quinjet.

Nat smiled as she prepared the Quinjet for takeoff. Your first Quinjet ride," she said. "You're already an overachiever, moy sladkiy mal'chik" (my sweet little boy).

Your phone suddenly vibrates with a flurry of notifications.

"The team group chat is blowing up, sweetheart," you informed Natasha, showing her your phone.

Nick Fury: Congratulations on the arrival of your precious son, Nikolai! It's heartwarming to see the Avengers family welcoming the newest member. Everyone at SHIELD looks forward to meeting him and supporting you and Natasha.

Steve Rogers: Hey, Y/N and Nat, huge congratulations! I'm so excited to meet Nikolai, the newest addition to our Avenger family. 🎖️

Wanda Maximoff: Congratulations to you both! All those cliches, those things you hear about having a baby and motherhood—all of them are true. And all of them are the most beautiful things you will ever experience. I’ll drop off some food for you both in the morning. 🥰

Clint Barton: Hey, Y/N! Make sure Nikolai is securely fastened in his infant carrier. I hope he sleeps the whole way back. If he gets fussy, let Nat know to ask FRIDAY to turn on the cabin pressure stabilization. It's a feature I insisted Stark add to the Quinjet after SHIELD found out I had kids. You're welcome. 😏

Laura Barton: I know things didn't go as planned, but I'm grateful we could share in your special day, Y/N. Nikolai is absolutely beautiful! Please let Nat know that I'll give her a call tomorrow. 😊

Tony Stark: Rushman! Y/L/N! Congratulations on the arrival of your precious son. Nikolai will bring you endless joy and fulfillment and become your favorite reason to lose sleep for the rest of your lives. 😉

Pepper Stark: Congratulations! I'm so happy for you and Nat. I can only imagine how incredible it must feel to look into Nikolai's eyes and feel like everything is right in the world. Please don't hesitate to reach out if there's anything I can do to help. Sending lots of love! ❤️

Bruce Banner: I'm truly sorry I couldn't be there; I’m thrilled for you and Natasha. I can't wait to meet Nikolai! 💚

Maria Hill: Congratulations, Y/N and Nat, on the arrival of baby Nikolai Odison! I can't wait to meet the little bundle of joy and see those tiny fingers and toes. The name Nikolai Odison Romanoff is absolutely beautiful. I spoke with Thor this morning, and the honor deeply moved him. 🥹

Thor Odinson: I am incredibly grateful to have been present for the birth of your son, Nikolai Odison Romanoff. Your decision to include me in this momentous occasion is a great honor, and I want to assure you that I will always be there to support and care for all of you. The arrival of Nikolai is a joyous event, and I am committed to being a steadfast presence in his life. ⚡

Peter Parker: Y/N! Congratulations on the arrival of Nikolai! I'm so thrilled for you and Nat. What does he look like? Does he have your hair or Natasha’s? What color are his eyes? I'm already thinking about all the adventures we'll have with him. I'm going to text Nat right now. I can't wait to meet him! 💙

Yelena Belova: Give my little nephew a kiss and hug from me. Also, heads up - Mom and Dad are considering staying with you for eight weeks to help care for Nikolai. Happy Parenting! 😂

Kate Bishop: Yelena is sitting next to me, and she can't stop laughing, so I'm going to assume that everything is going well. Please give Nikolai a kiss and hug from me! 🩵

*^~^*

You and Natasha stood together at the front of the Quinjet, the hum of the engines surrounding you as the aircraft soared safely through the sky.

“Nikolai is sound asleep. I don't think your parents have taken their eyes off our son since they got here,” turning around to see Melina and Alexi lovingly admiring their grandson.

Nat lovingly reached for your hand. “Our son,” she repeated with a big smile.

Nat took her place in the pilot's seat and turned off the autopilot as you settled in beside her.

"Come on, Y/N. Let’s go home.”

#natasha romanoff #natasha romanoff x reader #natasha x you #avengers x reader #mcu #fluff #clint barton #Laura Barton #cooper barton #lila barton #nathaniel barton #yelena boleva #kate bishop #helen cho #thor odinson #platonic #easter

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arlana-likes-to-write · 1 year

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Safe. You are safe.

This is part of the Older Sister AU of Yelena and Natasha. This was requested from a comment on my AO3.

Summary: After returning to the compound from a solo mission to free a Widow, you are badly injured. But as a Widow injury means punishments and you can’t afford to be punished because who will protect your sisters if they kill you.

Warnings: mention of past sexual abuse, mention of past physical abuse, PTSD, dissociation, injuries from a mission, mention of trauma from Red Room

Word Count: 2.8k

You were sloppy. You made a mistake and it costed you. You snuck back into your room and closed the door. You needed to deal with it before someone found out. Injuries meant you weren’t good enough, that someone was better than you. You grabbed the first aid kit you had in your room for situations like this. You took your tactical suit off, leaving you in your white tank top and boy shorts. Well your tank top was mostly white, a red spot was forming on your stomach. It was the worst injury you obtained. The Widow wasn’t the only one you had to fight, her handlers were reluctant to let her go. Your ribs were bruised, you most likely had a concussion, the Widow stabbed you in the thigh, and you knew you had cuts and bruises. If it wasn’t for the serum, you would have bleed out on the ride back to the compound. The AI already asked if the medical team should be notified but you declined. No one could know. No one could know you were weak. Weakness meant death and you couldn’t be killed; you had to keep up your end of the deal. If you were killed, who would watch out for Yelena and Natasha? Dreykov could get his hands on them. You couldn’t allow that. Your heart began to pound, you could hear it. The organ was beating against your ribs. Thud. Thud. Thud. Your hands were shaking. You had to calm down or you couldn’t stitch yourself up. You heard your door open. How did they find out? You felt sick. They were going to drag you away. Their words weren’t reaching you but you felt hands on you. “No, please.” You pleaded. “I’ll do better. I promise.”

Yelena walked from a training session with Sam to your room after the AI informed her of your return. You used the compound as your halfway point, if the Widow was based in the US, before heading back to St. Petersburg. Yelena had to admit she was worried every time you went away on an assignment. But you were the best for a reason. Yelena knocked on your door before entering. “FRIDAY said you were-” the sentence died on her lips as she saw the state you were in. The gunshot wound on your stomach was her main concern. Yelena said your name but you made no indication that you heard her. Yelena ran over to you. “We need to get you to medbay.” You were staring at her but you didn’t move. “Sestra,” Yelena said, grabbing onto your arms. You flinched.

“Pozhaluysta net (No, please),” Yelena was surprised you slipped into your native tongue. You began thrashing around.

“Stop or you're gonna hurt yourself.” Yelena said, trying to stop you. But you were stronger than her.

“YA sdelayu luchshe. Obeshchayu (I’ll do better. I promise.).”

“FRIDAY, tell Natasha I need her.” Yelena said to the AI. “Tell her it’s important.” The AI agreed to her request and it didn’t take long for Natasha and Maria to appear.

“What’s-” she stopped. Yelena looked behind her. “Get away from her.”

“But-”

“Yelena, now.” Natasha ordered. Yelena let go of you. You immediately stopped moving but your eyes were darting around the room. “Vdova, vozderzhis' (Widow, restrain).” You got up to lay down on your back and put your hands above your head. Natasha walked over to your nightstand and pulled out a pair of handcuffs. She cuffed you to the headboard. Yelena saw your body relax. “Maria, I need you to get Cho and get a sedative. Take Yelena with you.”

“Of course. Come on Yelena.” Yelena wanted to protest and stay with her sisters but she saw in Natasha’s eyes there was no room for argument. Yelena sighed and followed Maria.

Natasha waited for Maria and Yelena to be out of ear shot and looked back at you. Your eyes were cloudy, still lost in whatever scenario your mind was creating. “Mission report,” she ordered you. She hated it. It made her skin crawl and stomach turn. “In English.” Natasha added. She watched your face morph in confusion at the request.

“My intel was incorrect,” you said. The coldness of your voice caused a chill to go down her spine. It was a voice she remembered you used in the Red Room. “I was only expecting the Widow but her handlers and other members of the organization were there. I exposed the Widow to the dust but was injured in the process.” You paused. “I accept any punishment as you see fit.” Natasha’s heart broke.

“Oh sestra,” Natasha mumbled as Maria and Yelena came back with Helen. Maria handed Natasha the sedative. “Rest, Widow.” She said, injecting the needle into your arm. Natasha saw the panic in your eyes. You pulled at the handcuffs. “Widow, calm down.” Helen walked over to your other side and helped Natasha hold you down.

“Please,” you pleaded. “I’ll be better. Just don’t hurt them. Please.” Natasha wasn’t sure who you were referring to.

“They will be safe,” Natasha said. You nodded and your body relaxed as your eyes closed. “Can you stretch her up here?” She asked the doctor. “I don’t think moving her is a good idea.” Helen nodded.

“Understood. I’ll come get you when I’m done.” Natasha nodded. She looked at Yelena and her girlfriend. Her sister’s eyes were wide.

“Let’s go to my room, okay?” Yelena slowly nodded. The walk to her room was quiet, a heavy silence was resting with the trio. Natasha opened her door and they walked in. She kept her door open for Helen so she could find them when she was done. Yelena sat down on her bed and looked down at her hands, playing with the rings on her fingers. Maria grabbed Natasha’s hand and squeezed it.

“Do you want me to stay?” She asked.

“Stay,” Natasha whispered. Maria smiled. The Black Widow let go of her hand and sat next to Yelena. “Can you look at me?” It took a minute for Yelena to look at Natasha. “Did she hurt you?” Her eyes widened.

“No!” Yelena said. “She would never hurt me or you.” Natasha nodded as Maria sat down in a spar chair Natasha had in her room.

“I know she wouldn’t not intentionally but in that state you never know what may have happened.” She caught Maria nodding. “Do you remember when we first came to America you had really intense nightmares?” Yelena nodded. The youngest was only in Red Room for 4 years. 4 years was too long but Natasha knew it could be worse. “Well, Widows like me and your sister experience something similar.”

“Widows that were in the Red Room longer than me.” Yelena said. Natasha nodded.

“Sometimes our minds tell us we are still back there and our body reacts to it.”

“She thought she was back in the Red Room,” Yelena whispered. “But why didn’t she go to med bay? She could have died.”

“You're right but she was trained to believe getting hurt on a mission was a failure that she would get punished. So she hid it.” Yelena didn’t say anything, letting what her sister said sit with her.

“Were you like that?” Yelena finally asked. Natasha did her best to hide the parts of herself that were damaged from her sister. She had to be the strong one. She was the older sister. The first year while she was with SHIELD she still used the handcuffs to help her sleep.

“She was,” Maria said. “She’d give me, Fury, and Barton a heart attack.” Natasha gave Maria a small smile. She knew she wasn’t easy to deal with. Yelena frowned.

“I remember the handcuffs,” she said softly. “They used them on us right before we left.” Natasha still had a pair in her nightstand. “Is she going to be okay?” “It just takes time. She was with the Red Room longer than us and she’s only been free for a few months.” 6 months to be exact. A knock interrupted their conversation.

“Can I come in?” Helen asked. Natasha nodded. The doctor entered. “She’s stable. The bullet went straight through. Her ribs are bruised and she had a stab wound on her thigh. They’ve been stitched up but the serum is doing a good job at healing her.” She sighed. “The sedative will keep her out for a few hours and I highly recommend you bring her to med bay. She has a lot of wounds that I would like to look over.” Natasha nodded. She knew Melina was patching you up.

“Thank you Helen.” The doctor nodded.

“Of course. Let me know if you need anything.” She left Natasha’s room, closing the door behind her. Natasha looked at Yelena.

“I need you to stay out of her room till she wakes up and I know it's safe.” Natasha expected her to argue but Yelena sighed.

“Okay.”

You opened your eyes, blinking a few times to clear your vision. You felt groggy. Your head was pounding. You tried to sit up but couldn’t. The familiar sound of handcuffs rattled in your room. You pulled on them. You heard your name and you saw Natasha. “Nat.” Your throat was dry. Gods, you needed water.

“Did you know where you are?” She asked. What kind of question was that? You rested your head back on your pillow.

“My room in Avenger’s compound,” You licked your lips. “In New York.”

“Okay, I’m going to take these off.” You nodded as you watched Natasha unlock the cuffs and set them on your nightstand. You sat up, rubbing your sore wrist. “Here, Cho said for you to take this.” She handed you a glass of water and a pill. You took the pill and downed the water. You sat in an awkward silence. Both unsure of where to start. Natasha sighed. “Do you remember what happened?” She finally asked. You weren’t sure. You completed the mission; exposing the Widow to the Red Dust and sending her to the safe house. She insisted you come with her but your only thought was getting to the compound. You touched where you got shot. It flooded back to you like a tidal wave.

“Yelena. Did I-I didn’t hurt her, right?” Natasha shook her head. That was a relief.

“She’s more worried than anything.” Natasha sat on the foot of her bed. You appreciated the space. “Do you want to talk about it?” She seemed unsure of herself. You didn’t answer and stared at the scars on your wrist. The indent of metal handcuffs, a reminder of what you went through and where you came from.

“Talking doesn’t seem like your style, Natalia.” You whispered. Natasha huffed.

“Well, I’m all you got,” she said. “I’m the only one in this compound that knows what you went through.”

“You don’t know what I went through,” you said, looking up at her. “You know some of it but after you left,” you looked back down. “It became worse.”

“I didn’t ask you to make a deal with him. As soon as we reentered the Red Room, we weren’t sisters.” You looked back at her.

“Then why am I here if we aren’t sisters?” You asked. “We could have never spoken again after the Red Room was destroyed. But yet here I am,” You shook your head. “As soon as you were assigned that mission you and Yelena are my sisters. The mission ended but that didn’t. He would have killed you, Nat.”

“Just don’t hurt them,” Natasha mumbled. You remember saying that. “That was about us.”

“What’s the point of this?” You asked. “He told you what he made me do.”

“To get you to talk to me!” She said. “It took me years to stop the behaviors the Red Room taught me and you were there for so much longer.” She sighed. “I almost died on a mission because of them.” She admitted. “I won’t let that happen to you. So, yes, emotions and feelings aren’t my thing but I’ve learned a lot from you and Yelena. If I can do one thing for you, let me be the strong one.” You blinked at the person in front of you. It took you back to sharing a room in the Red Room where you helped treat her wounds after she said she was fine. When you asked if she asked if she was okay but she ignored you. She’s changed. No, she’s healed. It was a beautiful site. You touched your cheek and felt a tear. When was the last time you cried? You weren’t sure. At some point, you couldn’t feel the beatings.

“Sometimes my mind tells me I’m still there,” you whispered. “That I’m still in debt to him and all of this,” you motioned around your room. “Is just a dream and I’ll wake up back underneath him.” Your lip trembled. “I’ve gotten hurt dealing with Widows before this was different.”

“How?” You sighed, bringing your knees to your chest.

“They almost killed me. But the way they held me down I was back in the Red Room,” you brought your right hand to your mouth and bit down on your nail. “Dreykov was very selective on who got to use me. I was his special little spider.” The name tasted like poison in your mouth. “Some diplomat came to talk to him and as a show of good faith he got me for a day.” Natasha had an excellent poker face. It was why the instructors adored her but right now she was livid. There was a fire in her eyes. “He almost killed me but I fought back.”

“Is he dead?” Natasha asked. You smiled.

“Yeah, I think another Widow was assigned the hit.” You told her. You looked up at her. “How did you do it? How do you leave them behind?” She sighed, taking your hand in hers.

“You don’t fully. They are still here like a nagging in the back of your head. I have a pair of handcuffs in my nightstand.” You smirked.

“Just in case you and Maria want to get kinky.” Natasha’s cheeks turned a bright red. She pushed you on the shoulder and you fell backwards. You laughed, a deep laugh that left you breathless. You whipped a few tears away from your eyes.

“Suka,” Natasha mumbled. “But seriously, you just heal with time and you have us.” You smiled.

“Thank you, sestra.”

“Always. Now Yelena wants to see you. Are you okay with that?” She asked. You nodded. “FRIDAY, tell Yelena she can come in.” It wasn’t long before your door slowly opened and Yelena walked in. You smiled and held open your arms. She ran into your arms and you held her tight, feeling some tears on your skin.

“I’m sorry I worried about you.” she shook her head, pulling out of the hug.

“It wasn’t your fault. I talked to Nat and I know what to do if it happens again.” You gave Natasha a grateful smile. “Did Natasha tell you Helen wants to see you? She’s worried about a few past injuries.” You groaned.

“I’ll go see her later,” you told them. “Can we just spend some time together?” You asked. Yelena nodded excitedly.

“We can start the Star Wars movies. I showed them to Steve.” You smiled.

“Should we get snacks?” You gave your best puppy eyes to Natasha. She rolled her eyes with a smile.

“Popcorn and water.”

“Pepsi, please!” Yelena said. Natasha sighed.

“Fine, queue up the movie.” She stood up and left your room. Yelena grabbed the remote and put the movie up. You got comfortable and watched your youngest sister. She was playing with the rings on her fingers. You noticed she did it when she was anxious or something was on her mind.

“She hid a lot from me,” she must be referring to Natasha. “I didn’t see how Natasha handled what the Red Room did to her.” She looked back at you.

“She wanted to protect you,” you told her. “We can get violent in that state.” You’ve woken up from punching Alexei and you’ve attacked Melina. Yelena huffed.

“I’m tired of people protecting me.” You pulled her into a hug.

“Well get used to it, malen'koye solnyshko (little sun),” You said. “You're the baby.” You pinched her cheeks. She swatted your hand away but you didn’t miss the smile on her face.

“I got popcorn, drinks, and I stole Sam’s candy,” Natasha said, closing your door. She handed out the drinks and snacks. You and your sisters got comfortable on your bed. Natasha rested her back against your headboard. Your head was in her lap and Yelena laid at the foot of your bed. You enjoyed the movie but this time them was even better.

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swan-of-sunrise · 5 months

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His Girl Friday

Summary: At Tony Stark's forty-fourth birthday party, the genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist and his longtime personal assistant finally address what's remained unspoken but secretly acknowledged between them for many, many years.

Pairings: Tony Stark X F!Reader

Word Count: 2.2k

Warnings/Disclaimers: None

A/N: Hi guys! This is my first time writing a Tony-centric fic and I had a lot of fun with it, so thank you for reading and I hope you all enjoy!

His Girl Friday May 29th, 2014 Avengers Tower, New York City (Fanfiction Masterlist)

Being employed as Anthony Edward Stark’s personal assistant was a challenging and often times perilous job, and that was before he’d announced himself to the world as Iron Man. But (Y/N) (Y/L/N) was no ordinary personal assistant; she stood by the genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist when he vowed to stop producing weapons at Stark Industries after being imprisoned by terrorists for three long months, she stuck with him when his secret illness and subsequent erratic behavior drove nearly everyone else away, and she flat-out refused to believe he’d been killed at the hands of the Mandarin. It was evident that Tony Stark was the closest thing she had to a best friend. Lately, however, she’d begun to notice a significant shift in her feelings towards her employer, feelings that definitely went beyond friendship and feelings that she suspected he was feeling as well; she tried her best to keep them at bay, fearful of ruining such a meaningful friendship and throwing away the only job she’d ever truly enjoyed on a baseless suspicion, and thankfully, there were always plenty of distractions to keep herself preoccupied with in her unique line of work.

From her place at the back of the room, (Y/N) scanned over the enormous checklist in her hands to see if she’d missed anything important; the guests were chatting, dancing and taking full advantage of the open bar while the DJ was playing all of Tony’s favorite songs in honor of his forty-forth birthday. All in all, not one of the worst birthday parties I’ve ever planned for him, she thought to herself, a reluctant smile playing on her lips as she recalled the disastrous thirty-ninth birthday party that resulted in the Malibu mansion’s near destruction at the hands of Tony and Rhodey. That particular birthday party was the reason why she’d initially been a little nervous at the prospect of the Avengers attending the soiree, but it only took a brief glance around the bustling common room to see that they were the perfect guests; Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson played pool with Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff, while Bruce Banner hovered near the back of the enamored crowd of people that surrounded a slightly-inebriated Thor and listened to his enthusiastic re-tellings of the adventures he’d had on Asgard. Pepper and Dr. Helen Cho were seated at the bar and chatted over glasses of Chardonnay while Happy was hyper-focused on his phone, no doubt catching up on an episode of Downton Abbey. With an inward chuckle, the personal assistant returned her attention to her lengthy list of tasks as the classic rock music continued to play.

“Hey beautiful, how ‘bout a dance?”

“Sorry, but I’m worki-” (Y/N) looked up to see Tony Stark himself standing before her, looking as handsome as ever in his expertly tailored black tuxedo and flashing her his signature grin that never failed to make her heart skip a beat. “Hey, you. How’re you enjoying your birthday party?”

Tony tucked his hands into his pockets and shrugged noncommittally. “It’s one of your better-executed extravaganzas, I will say, but it would absolutely skyrocket to the top if I could spend the rest of the evening with my favorite personal assistant.”

(Y/N) arched a skeptical eyebrow. “Tony, I’m your only personal assistant.”

“Exactly, which meant you get the title by default. Yay you!” The billionaire gave her a small applause and she simply heaved an exasperated but fond sigh at his typical theatrics. “C’mon, Girl Friday, you’ve been working your ass off all night and the Birthday Boy says that you should take a well-deserved break.” As his trademark smirk softened into a gentle smile, Tony took his hand out of his pocket and offered it to her in a clear invitation to join him. “Please?”

Although her heart was screaming at her to take his hand and allow him to whisk her into an evening of laughter and coy flirtations, the rational part of her knew that she had a job to complete and that anything more than a friendly conversation could jeopardize their platonic relationship. Masking her disappointment with a shrug and apologetic smile, (Y/N) shook her head and held up her checklist for him to see. “I’m sorry, Tony, but I still have so much to do; I’ve gotta do another check-in with Maria and the security team downstairs, make sure that the pastry chef brings out the cake on time, that the waiters serve the guests champagne at the right tempera-Tony!” She exclaimed when Tony’s hand shot out and snatched the checklist out of her grasp. “Anthony Edward Stark, what the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Getting rid of an obstacle,” Tony easily replied, holding the checklist above his head and snickering when she unsuccessfully attempted to snatch it back. “Seriously, Girl Friday, just one dance and I’ll let you get back to your boring planning. I’ll even avoid bugging you the rest of the night if it means I can spend a little time with one of my best friends.”

Tony’s rare sincerity softened (Y/N)’s heart, and she felt her resolve crumble as she stared into his gleaming brown eyes. “All right, one dance. Do you ever get tired with always getting your way?”

“Nope!” Tony happily popped the ‘p’ and tucked the checklist into the pocket of his tuxedo jacket before offering her his hand once again, and (Y/N) smiled to herself as the billionaire escorted her to the edge of the dance floor and whisked her into a slow dance to Bon Jovi’s ‘Bed of Roses.’ The warmth of his hand on the curve of her waist combined with the feel of his body brushing up against hers caused her heartbeat to quicken its pace, and she silently prayed that he wouldn’t notice the effect he had on her. “You know, I was being serious before. You’ve truly outdone yourself tonight, (Y/N), and can I just say that you look amazing?” Tony’s eyes briefly glanced down at her red chiffon evening gown and he gave her an appreciative nod. “Mm-hmm, hot-rod red is definitely your color. So, what’s your secret? How is it you can organize and schedule a genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist’s entire life and look drop-dead gorgeous while doing it?”

(Y/N) chuckled in amusement, the skirt of her gown swirling around her legs as he twirled her in a circle. “We all have our own superpowers; you fight aliens and terrorists in a red and gold Nitinol suit, and I oversee the hectic life of the man inside the suit to the best of my abilities.”

“Not sure which is the more dangerous job, to be honest.” Tony smirked, expertly guiding her back into his arms and holding her slightly closer than he had before. “But if I could do that death-glare that you’ve perfected over the years, then that would sure make my job a helluva lot easier and people would think twice before messing with Iron Man.” (Y/N) arched a brow and in response, Tony snickered. “Yep, there’s the death-glare!”

“I hate to burst your bubble, but this death-glare is tailor-made for Tony Stark and Tony Stark alone,” (Y/N) replied with a wry smile, and the billionaire’s grin widened as she looked into his sparkling brown eyes. They danced together in a comfortable yet expectant silence, almost as if one was waiting for the other to speak first, but both remained quiet while the 80’s power ballad continued to play; it wasn’t until she noticed the way he was biting his lower lip – one of the few tell-tale signs that there was something weighing heavy on the billionaire’s mind – that (Y/N) finally mustered her courage to address him. “You got a lot of cool presents this year, not to mention hundreds of thousands of dollars in charitable donations gifted in your name. Not too shabby, huh?”

Tony shrugged and replied, “I’m a sucker for gifts and I’m beyond stoked that we’ve raised so much in donations, but…” His eyes briefly flicked downwards to focus on the fluttering movement of her chiffon skirt, suddenly appearing as anxious as (Y/N) felt. “Can we play a quick round of Hypothetical Hold’em?”

A nostalgic feeling washed over (Y/N) at the mention of their old game. Back in the more impulsive and less responsible days of Tony Stark, it had been an effective form of decision-making created out of the billionaire’s respect for her opinions and general advice; they hadn’t played very many rounds in the years since he announced to the world that he was Iron Man and while she was happy that he’d grown and matured so much over the years, a small part of her missed their little game. “I’m a little rusty but I think I’ve still got it. Shoot.”

“A guy I know, Walter, he’s got just about everything he could possibly want in life, except the only thing he really wants is something he can’t have. You see,” Tony expertly dipped her and her breath hitched at the sudden movement, their eyes connecting as he continued. “There’s this woman – let’s call her Hildy – and he’s been in love with her for a while. And Hildy, she’s goddamn fantastic: smart, kind, funny, gorgeous, the whole enchilada.”

Heart sinking into her stomach, (Y/N) mustered up a small smile to hide her pain while he slowly righted her. “Hildy sounds wonderful. So, what’s stopping this Walter guy from telling her how he feels?”

“A couple of things, actually.” He took a deep breath. “She’s not just one of his best friends, but…you see, she’s also his personal assistant.”

The din of the party faded away as (Y/N)’s eyes widened in shock at the billionaire’s candid words; if not for the seriousness written across Tony’s face and the longing gleam that had formed in his brown eyes while he stared into hers, she would’ve assumed that he was pulling her leg. But she knew him, knew him far better than almost anyone else in the world, and it was clear as day that he was speaking directly from the heart. “…Oh.”

Tony nodded, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards in a tried and true attempt to hide behind a more lighthearted façade. “She’s taken such good care of him. He was a loose cannon for a long time…still is, in a way, but she’s gotten him through all the tough spots. He’s good friends with some ex-assassins, a super-soldier and a literal god, but she’s the strongest person he’s ever met and the only person he could ever imagine giving his heart to. But as much as he loves her, he’s not willing to roll the dice and risk losing her from his life forever; that’s why he…” Tony cast his gaze downwards and his hand gripped hers tight. “That’s why I never said anything before.”

“So, what changed?” She whispered as she slowly moved the hand that had been resting on his shoulder to press against the spot where his arc reactor once resided, feeling his rapid heartbeat and silently marveling at how perfectly it matched her own.

“Looking across the room and seeing you with your checklist; you’ve planned over a dozen successful birthday parties for me, but that didn’t stop you from treating tonight as if it was the first. It’s one of the thousand ways you show how much you care about me, and that’s what gave me the courage to walk to the back of the room and finally ask you for a dance.”

The booming opening chords of AC/DC’s ‘You Shook Me All Night Long’ filled the room and while more guests took to the dance floor for the lively song, (Y/N) grabbed Tony’s hand and practically dragged him away from the crowd, not stopping until they were tucked away from any prying eyes in Captain Rogers’ nearby office. When she closed the door behind them and turned around, she was met with an apprehensive-looking Tony and her subtle smile grew into an all-out grin as her eyes filled with happy tears. “You love me?”

“I love you,” Tony replied, his voice growing steady and his eyes filling with confidence at her obvious happiness. “C’mon, Girl Friday, you’re killing me here. Do you love me or what?”

Beaming with joy, (Y/N) brought her hands up to cup his face between them and nodded. “You’re such an asshat, but I love you with all my heart.” Tony’s grin grew to match her own and he leaned forward to kiss her, but was halted by her fingers covering his eager lips. “And in the spirit of covering both our asses, I’d like to take this moment to formally tenure my resignation, Mr. Stark.”

“Duly noted, Miss (Y/L/N). And since I’m such a good ex-boss, I’ll send your resume and a letter of recommendation to a certain defrosted super-soldier who could use all the assistance he can get.”

“Becoming Captain America’s personal assistant? It’ll be a cake-walk, but at least I’ll have my favorite hot mess to come home to.”

(Y/N) moved her hand and giggled at how quickly Tony’s arms wrapped around her waist to tug her closer, but her amusement soon gave way to passion as their lips finally met in a long overdue kiss.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: I figured that we all could use a little fluff, and what better way to deliver it than in a friends-to-lovers trope-fest? Thank you all so much for reading and commenting, and I hope that you have a wonderful holiday season!

Fanfiction Masterlist

Marvel Taglist: @brooke0297

All Works: @crowleysqueenofhell @momc95 @groovy-lady

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didyoubringauntienat · 1 year

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Flashbacks

Description: You have flashbacks about some of the best moments you and Natasha had.

Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x Reader (she/her pronouns used)

Warnings: angst, psych ward, kissing, mentions of alcohol, drunk Nat (please message me if I've missed anything)

Word count: 1313 words

Taglist: @stephanieromanoff @haeva @lilaloubear

You didn’t really expect to find yourself in this position, a 5’3 redhead using you as a human crutch after having one too many jägerbombs at one of Tony’s parties. “Have I ever told you how much I love you Y/n?” You sigh before looking down to see Natasha giving you a surprisingly goofy smile as you basically dragged her to the lifts.

To not hurt her feelings, you give her a soft smile. “Lets get you to bed and you can tell me how much you love me when that killer hangover kicks in.” She groans at that as you gently rest her against the lift wall, you press the button for her floor and sigh as you lean on the wall next to her. “Just close your eyes for a bit, I’ll make sure you get to bed.”

It was your first day dealing with some new recruits. Clint had told you that he had recruited an ex assassin and had asked you to guide her as he felt the both of you could relate to each other. You being an unwilling hydra experiment forced to do missions that still keep you up at night and from what Clint told you (which was very vague), she was a black widow.

You opened the door to the training room to see a petite woman with fiery red hair tied up into a neat ponytail, looking down at her feet. You stopped and looked at her for a second before making yourself known. “Are you Clint’s new recruit?”

As soon as she heard you speak she looked up. She cleared her throat as she finally made eye contact with you. “Natasha.” You furrow your eyebrows and open your mouth to question her but get cut off. “My name is Natasha and yeah Clint recruited me for shield.”

You nod in understanding as you walk over to the boxing gloves. “Well Natasha, Clint’s recruit,” You look up at her as you tighten the straps on the gloves. “Shall we start?”

“Come onnn Y/n! Just stay for a little bit… I want no I need cuddles” You sigh as you sit down on the edge of the bed. You feel the bed dip before her arms wrap around your neck loosely. “You’ve been so weird with me recently… I miss you” You frown and look at the floor. You have been distant lately.

Without saying anything you lie down and hold your arms open for her, which she gladly collapses into. “Don’t throw up on me okay?” She giggles (which she only does when she reaches this level of drunk) as she snuggles up to your chest.

“I promise baby… give me kisses though.” You laugh at that before gently kissing her hair.

“I’ll give you proper ones when you don’t smell of vodka and jäger” You laugh softly at the pout she gives in return. As you pull the blankets over you, you feel lips press against yours, hard. You freeze up for a moment before you kiss her back, quickly smoothing out the hard and slightly sloppy kiss. Her hand moves up and caresses your jaw as she deepens the kiss. You reluctantly pull away when air becomes a problem. “You’re drunk. Go to sleep and I’ll give you all the kisses you want tomorrow.”

She sighs but nods in agreement before resting her head on beneath your chin. “Good night baby, I love you.”

You inhale sharply before wiping away a tear. “I love you to, sweet dreams.”

“Romanoff. Take these reports down to agent Y/l/n please.” Tony smiles at Natasha as he sees the blush form on her cheeks.

She quickly grabs the reports and leaves the room without saying a word. She groans when she hears the team break out into laughter as she waits for the lift. Natasha steps inside when the doors open. She jumps and turns around when someone grabs her shoulder, without thinking she punches them square in the mouth.

“Ow! Fuck Nat! What was that for?” You hold your mouth as it bleeds. You look up to see Natasha with a shocked face and her hand covering her mouth.

“Oh my god! I’m so sorry Y/n. I didn’t know it was you…”

You shake your head as you rub her arm. “Its fine, I would have done the same thing.” You smile after licking your busted lip. “So where are you going then?” You smirk at her as you step closer. “Maybe I could keep you company?”

She blushes at what you say. “Actually I was on my way to see you. Tony wanted me to give you some mission reports.” You finally notice the folders that are pressed against her chest. Her hand moves up and gently caresses your jaw. Her thumb wipes away the last of the blood. “I’m pretty sure the whole team knows I have a crush on you…”

You do your best to hold back a smirk. “I bet Rogers and Banner aren’t happy about that.” She rolls her eyes at the comment but doesn’t say anything instead she kisses you gently, being careful of your small injury.

“Why would I care what they think when I have you?” She mutters against your lips before kissing you again, completely forgetting the lift was going somewhere.

As the lifts open you whisper between kisses, “I love you Nat.” You smile down at her after saying it. Not caring about the agents standing awkwardly outside waiting to get in.

“I love you to Y/n.” You smile and grab the reports and her hand before leading her out the lift towards your office.

“How long do you think we have to keep her here doc?” Wanda sighs as she watches you through the window as she talks to Dr Cho.

“I honestly don’t know Wanda… She’s made no improvements, she still talks to Nat as if she’s here. There has now been mentions of Tony as well. To be honest… I don’t even think she realises that she’s at a psych ward.”

“Is there anything I can do? She’s all I have left… Everyone who ever cared for me is dead.” Wanda wipes away a tear as she watches you stroke the air before you hug yourself.

“I’m sorry Wanda… But this is all we have, we just have to be happy that she’s a lot more stable now than when we first brought her here.” Helen smiles sympathetically at Wanda before leading her towards her office and away from you.

“She didn’t even get to say goodbye to her…”

“Do you see yourself getting married Y/n?” You and Natasha were currently resting in bed, the sheets lazily thrown over the both of you.

“Why do you ask?” You furrow your eyebrows as you look at her. She sighs as she rolls onto her front, the top half of her body resting on your chest.

“I don’t know, we’ve just never spoke about marriage and… kids. I just wanted to know your views on the whole idea.”

You sigh and look at the ceiling as you think of the best way to answer it. “I’ve never really thought about it… I just know I want to spend the rest of my life with you, so if that means we get married then so be it. I’ll do anything to make you happy.” You smile at her and peck her lips “I love you so much Nat, you’re my soulmate.”

She smiles at you before tackling you into a passionate kiss, nearly knocking you off the bed. As you kiss her back, all you can think about is the small black ring box in the drawer in your bedside table. You were going to make this woman your wife. Even if its the last thing you do.

#didyoubringauntienat fics #natasha romanoff x reader #natasha romanoff #wanda maximoff #helen cho

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meidui · 7 months

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steve coming to dr cho's rescue 🥰

#steve rogers #steverogersedit #helen cho #*#mygif #myedit

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morgangalaxy43 · 13 days

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I love how they are all basically Vision’s parents

#vision #helen cho #thor odinson #tony stank #bruce banner #science bros #avengers age of ultron #marvel

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kaunis-sielu · 1 year

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Sick: 4

Helen banishes Steve into his room.

“We should check on the others.” You say, you need something else to focus on so you don’t panic spiral over Steve. “Nat lives with Clint and Pepper lives with Tony.”

“Go. You’ve been maskless in here and you’re not showing any symptoms. Shower and go.” Helen says and you nod. You don’t look at Steve, if you do you’ll break.

You move out of the med bay and into the showers where you take a quick shower, cry a little and then head out to check on the rest of your friends.

You knock on Nat’s door, when she doesn’t answer you let yourself in.

“Natalia?!”

“She’s not here Nox. They had a call for help an hour ago.” FRIDAY informs you.

“Who went?”

“Carol, Kamala, Natasha and Wanda.”

“Where is Pepper?”

“Stark office.”

“Tell her I’m on my way.”

“Of course.” You hurry to the elevator and make your way upstairs, it’s not long before you’re up on the level of Pepper’s office. She greets you at the door.

“Tony?” She asks, her face pale and anxious.

“He’s okay, his temperature is down but he’s still unconscious and not because of me. I came to check on you. How are you feeling?”

“Fine but Happy isn’t here, I was about to send Peter over to check on him.”

“Not a bad idea. Tell Peter to keep his mask on, it has filtration right?”

“It does.”

“Tell him it stays on.”

“I will.” She promises her phone in her hands, “you’ll keep me updated on Tony?”

“Of course. Let me know about Happy.”

“Why don’t you stay? It’ll only be a couple of minutes. They live in the same building now. With May gone Tony made sure that Peter had somewhere safe and Happy volunteered to keep an eye on him.”

“That’s so sweet.”

“I know, Happy will never admit it but he’s got a real soft spot for that kid.” Pepper says as she calls Peter, when he answers her worried gaze meets yours.

“Peter? Are you alright?” She says then pulls the phone away from her ear with wide eyes. She puts the phone on speaker and you’re greeted with hacking coughs.

“Ms. Pepper? I don’t,” he coughs a few more times, “I don’t feel so good.”

“Peter where are you?” You ask your worried gaze meets Pepper’s.

“Nox?”

“Yea Spider. Where are you?”

“Home.”

“I’m on my way.” You don’t wait. You sprint downstairs and to the garage.

“FIRDAY, get me directions to Peter.” You say tugging your helmet on. Tony had made the display screen like his, with the ability to show you the fastest route, warn you about any hazards and communicate with the team.”

“Directions uploaded.” She says as you tear out of the garage and up a ramp that leads to the road.

“Order me a car to follow me.” You don’t know how else to get Peter back to the tower but you’ll be able to get to him faster on your bike. “Also tell Helen where I’m going.”

“Okay Nox.” FRIDAY says as you tear through the streets. At one point you’re up on the sidewalk because of abandoned cars. What the fuck is going on? It literally looks like the apocalypse.

At one point a woman yells, “Avenger!” And you screech to a stop. You’re four blocks away from where Peter is but you can’t just ignore a civilian.

“How can I help?” You ask the woman not removing your helmet.

“What is going on! All these people are sick! The hospitals are overrun and we haven’t even heard from any of you!” She yells and you realize that she just wants someone to yell at.

“We’re doing our best to figure it out.”

“Where’s Ironman!”

“Working. He’s working.”

“So he’s not infected?” She asks and you suddenly get a bad feeling.

“FRIDAY,” you whisper.

“Running facial recognition.” She says as the woman snaps,

“What?“

“We should have more information Friday.” You lie, “I have to go.”

“No.” She reaches for your arm but you knock it away and gun it away from her.

“FRIDAY who was she?” You ask as you watch the woman stalk down the street and out of your review mirror.

“I don’t know.”

“What?”

“I’m still looking but what I’m coming up with doesn’t make sense.”

“Tell me.” You instruct as you pull up to Peter and Happy’s building.

“It was the face of a woman who is not where that woman was.”

“Explain.” You say as you punch in the code for Peter’s building, it had shown up on the screen of your helmet when you’d looked at the keypad.

“That face belongs to a woman named Everly Winston. But when I track Ms. Winston she’s exactly where she should be. At work.”

“What does she do for a living?”

“Paralegal.”

“No siblings? Like a twin?” You ask punching the button for the elevator. Happy lives on the 40th floor and Peter is on the 37th so you won’t be walking up the stairs.

“No, I am 100% certain that is the face of Everly Winston but that it was not Everly Winston.” She informs you as the elevator slides open and you get in punching the button for Peter’s floor.

“What the hell?”

“Indeed.” FRIDAY agrees as you take the elevator up. You hurry to Peter’s door and pound on it. You hear him coughing and pull out your lock picking kit, something you’ve always carried due to constantly locking yourself out of your apartment. After a couple seconds you’re into his apartment and Peter is on the floor coughing, his whole body shaking with the effort.

“Nox? Get out. You’ll,” he has to stop talking to cough, “you’ll get sick.”

“No I won’t. Go to sleep Pete.” You tell him softly cupping his face and he doesn’t fight it just sinks into sleep. You heft him onto your back and head back out of the apartment.

“FRIDAY, tell Helen and Pepper I have Peter and will be checking on Happy as soon as I get Peter into the car.”

“I’m sending some bots to help with Happy.” He is quite a bit bigger than you so this is a good idea.

“Do it.” You agree as the doors slide open to the elevator. To your horror there’s an older woman already on the elevator. You get on, Peter over your shoulders and she doesn’t even bat an eye.

You get him downstairs as the car is rolling up, you open the passenger side and shove him in before buckling him and shutting the door.

“FRIDAY where are my bots?”

“Incoming. You have a message from Steve.”

“Don’t-“

“Hey Doll, I’m fine. I’m feeling fine.” His rich voice fills your helmet before you can stop it, “I just wanted to check on you. FRIDAY updated me on your weird encounter. I think the woman was wearing one of those masks that Nat used when we took down Pierce. There’s a glitch in the video just before you push her hand away, by her chin, that means she might be Hydra and might have changed her face. Be careful. I love you.” You let out a soft breath that you hadn’t realized you were holding.

“FRIDAY, keep your head on a swivel.” You tell her,

“On it.” You know she’s scanning your area for any danger now. You move back into the apartment building and after locking Peter’s door you head for Happy. He’s in bed, barely conscious so with a gentle touch you put him to sleep too. The bots take him out gently and you lock the door behind you. He goes into the back seat of the SUV and you lead it through the streets on your bike.

“FRIDAY, connect me with the lab.” You say, as you get closer to the tower.

“You’re connected.”

“I have Peter and Happy. We’re on our way back.”

“Good. What’s it like out there?”

“Apocalyptic. Cars are abandoned, hardly anyone is out, it’s weird.”

“So others are sick?”

“It seems so. At least according to that shady woman.”

“Shit.” Helen says and you hum in agreement. Shit is absolutely right.

“We should be there in less than five minutes. I have the SUV following me, but it looks like it’s just plowing through any vehicles in the way.” You tell her watching the SUV crash another car out of the way in one of your rear view mirrors. “Oh, yea that’s what it’s doing.” Helen laughs and you know it’s not that funny but it’s nice to hear a little bit of joy.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t laugh but that was so funny.” She says and a smile pulls at your lips. “How long until you’re here?”

“We’re three blocks out.”

“We’ll be ready for you.” You don’t know where you’re even going to put these two. Maybe you can move some of the more stable guys into a quarantine room? But that’s the problem, are any of them actually stable?

Tag list:

@foxyjwls007 @andahugaroundtheneck @also-fangirlinsweden @pagina16ps @princesssterek @valsworldofcreativity @dumblani @inkedaztec @loving-life-my-way @animegirlgeeky @shinycupcakebaker @eralen @sophham @gh0stgurl @killcomet @wonderlandfandomkingdom @abschaffer2 @capsiclesdoll @patzammit @sass-masterkittenmama @jaqui-has-a-conspiracy-theory

#steve rogers x reader #steve rogers imagine #imagine avengers #avengers imagine #captain america x reader #imagine captain america #sick story #helen cho #natasha romanoff #Clint barton #Peter Parker #happy hogan #pepper Potts #Tony stark

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sjsmith56 · 2 months

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Chance Encounter - Part 2

Summary: Bucky learns something about Katrina and Anna that he wasn’t expecting.

Length: 4.7 K

Warnings: More HYDRA memories including medical experimentation, suicide of a character, discovery of something Bucky doesn’t remember, evidence of drug dependence, rejection, some major angst.

Author notes: There’s a lot to go through in this part for Bucky, especially when he learns his role in all of it. Lots of dialogue.

<<Part 1

💊 🩺

Katrina made breakfast for all three of them again, as Anna asked for more food, although she picked at it, making it obvious that her hunger was abated. As he ate Bucky considered the things that were happening to Katrina and her daughter but didn’t voice them out loud, as it was just speculation on his part. He made several calls, starting with Sam, who was already on his way with information that he didn’t want to share over the phone.

“Can you get to the compound instead?” asked Bucky. “I’m taking them there right away.”

Agreeing to meet at the compound he hung up then grabbed some clean clothes from the bedroom, putting them on after he had a quick shower. When he came out Katrina and Anna were waiting to use the bathroom. He let them in there, waiting patiently for them to get ready. This time, Katrina wore blue jeans and a T-shirt, with her hair in a single French braid. She looked less foreign, at least to Bucky’s eyes. Noticing how he looked at her she smiled shyly.

“There were times Sergei said I had to look American, so he allowed me to have more modern clothes.”

“We have to stop at your house,” he said. “I can’t legally drive Anna unless she’s in a car seat. We don’t want to be pulled over. I noticed there was one in the truck. We’ll have to take it.”

“No, if we go there, he’ll be back from work,” she cried. “He won’t let you take us.”

“You stay in my SUV, and I’ll take care of him,” replied Bucky. “I won’t let him hurt you.”

She nodded and accepted that he was going to do this, no matter what. He noticed she immediately entered the back seat with Anna while he drove to the house, and that her anxiety grew as they entered the neighbourhood. The sound of her heartbeat and breathing increased dramatically. When he pulled up in the driveway behind the truck he turned around and looked at her.

“Keep the doors locked and stay inside,” he said. “I’ll go in and get the keys. I can disable the truck so he can’t follow us.”

She nodded nervously, then clutched Anna close as he stepped out of the vehicle. Listening carefully as he approached the door, he didn’t hear anything out of the ordinary and tested the door handle first. It was unlocked so he entered. Quietly, he made it to the kitchen then placed himself where Sergei could see him. The man, seated at the table, looked up and smirked at the sight of Bucky.

“Soldat,” he said, wearily. “Should have known it was you who took them. Pierce said there was no way you knew but you must have, right from the beginning.”

“Knew what?” asked Bucky.

“Who Katrina really was,” said the man. “It was tempting fate to keep you two in the same base, but Pierce always thought he was smarter than anyone. He wanted her to see the potential that was waiting for her but then he always thought the sun shone out of your ass.” Bucky tried not to react to that, remembering the number of times Pierce authorized and witnessed his discipline being administered. “I could have kept her free from you in Russia, but we needed more suppressant, which I see you found.” He gestured to the broken cabinet.

“You call forcing a minor into a marriage and keeping her as a captive wife free? I saw how you hit her at the table last night. I was watching through the window. She was terrified of you.” He sat across from Sergei. “I don’t remember who she is.”

“You don’t remember?” Sergei looked at Bucky, realizing that he truly didn’t. “So, why did you come here last night? Why are you here now?”

“I came here now for the car seat,” replied the super soldier. “When I saw her at the supermarket yesterday, she looked so lost and terrified. I was being nice when I helped her get something from a top shelf but when she looked at me, she knew who I was and that’s when I realized she seemed familiar. Then I saw you and you were also familiar but not in a nice way and I found out where you lived. So, I’m taking them somewhere safe, away from you. The people there will examine both of them but if you can tell me anything you can save them both some anxiety. Anna, she’s your daughter, right? Her eyes started to change, and she was very hungry. Katrina’s eyes started to change as well, until they each had a pill. What are the pills for, Sergei?”

A sly smile spread across the man’s face. “The pills won’t stop the transformation now. If their eyes are changing then it’s too late to stop it, although you might slow it down a little. Better you deal with them than me. Good luck, Soldat. You’re going to need it.”

Using his tongue, Sergei flipped a cap off his molar and bit into it. A foamy substance erupted from the broken tooth and the man began to spasm and choke. Bucky recoiled from the death throes on display in front of him. Within seconds Sergei was dead, splayed across the kitchen table with his eyes open. Whatever secrets Sergei had, died with him. Quickly, Bucky checked the dead man’s pockets and found his truck keys. Taking his phone out, Bucky called another number, giving them a code and the address of the house. Then he went outside, unlocked the truck and took the car seat out, before relocking the truck and house, leaving the keys in the mailbox.

Katrina unlocked the back seat door, coming out with Anna while Bucky put the car seat in the back.

“What happened?” she asked. “Where’s Sergei?”

“Dead,” said Bucky, then noticed the look of horror on her face. “I didn’t kill him. He had a poison tooth and he activated it, killing himself. Before he died, he said the pills won’t stop the transformation. The eyes changing colour are supposed to indicate that you and Anna are going to change but into what I don’t know.”

“We’re an experiment, aren’t we?” she asked, looking despondently at Anna. “Maybe my parents weren’t my parents. Maybe they were my keepers, like Sergei. Maybe I was the next version of the Winter Soldier.”

Bucky sighed as he tightened the seatbelt over the car seat. Then he straightened up and looked down on her.

“Even if you were meant to be, that’s not who you are,” he said. “Right now, you’re a scared mother of a little girl who needs you. You love her and it’s no lie that love is one thing that HYDRA knew nothing about. They thought it was a weakness but it’s not. It’s strong, stronger than anything. No matter what, you remember that love, okay? I’m going to stick with you and Anna, until we find an answer.”

He enclosed both of them in his arms and hugged them. A brief flash of hugging a little girl appeared in his mind and was just as quickly gone. Whether it was Katrina when she was little, or a memory of hugging his sister Rebecca was unclear, but the hug was definitely given to comfort the child. Somehow, that knowledge made him feel better. He watched as Katrina put Anna in the car seat, strapping her in, then she began to climb in to sit next to her.

“You don’t have to sit in the back seat if you don’t want to,” said Bucky. “You can sit in the front.”

She stepped back and looked down at the ground, her hands submissively in front of her.

“I was never allowed in the front seat,” she said quietly. “Sergei said my place was always behind him as I wasn’t his equal.”

“Did he control everything?”

Hesitantly, Katrina nodded. “I was only in the store by myself because he had to get the last of the suppressant from one of his old HYDRA contacts. It was quite a drive away and I wouldn’t have had time to get groceries and make supper unless he dropped me off, first. He was still angry about leaving me there on my own and said I couldn’t talk to anyone. I couldn’t reach the large boxes of onion soup mix, but he wanted me to make meat loaf with it, as he liked that from his time living here before.” She began to cry. “I was so afraid to ask for help in case he walked in and saw me talking to a stranger.”

Bucky breathed in audibly, letting it out just as forcefully, then he kneeled down, so he was below her and looking up at her face. Remembering all the times he looked down submissively, trying his hardest not to draw attention to himself, he didn’t touch her, but he gentled his voice as he handed her his handkerchief.

“I am not Sergei. You are my equal. I will never raise a hand to you or Anna, ever. The very thought of what you must have gone through in the last ten years makes me sick. You can say anything to me at anytime, even if it’s to tell me to fuck off.” A little grin appeared on her face and just as quickly disappeared. “You’re free, Katrina. You and Anna are free to live the life you should have had when HYDRA fell. Sergei saw an opportunity to get himself a slave and he took it. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to stop him.”

With her lips trembling, Katrina nodded her head and wiped away the tears. Bucky closed the back door of the SUV and opened the front door on the passenger side, waiting for her to get in. Then he closed it and went around to the driver’s side, waiting patiently for her to put her seatbelt on before he started it. On the trip to the compound Anna soon fell asleep in her car seat. Katrina had said nothing since they got in the vehicle. By now a SHIELD team would be combing the house from top to bottom, looking for anything they could find out about the man, and why he had Katrina and Anna. It was obvious to Bucky now, that Katrina had been part of an operation or experiment. Whatever had been done to her had been done at a young age, so young that she had no memory of it. That Bucky had a part in it was hinted at by Sergei, who seemed surprised that he had no memory of it. But then why would he? Memory wipes were routine for him, before and after a mission, after any display of non-cooperation, or as punishment for any perceived infractions.

“You indicated that I always treated you kindly,” he said, glancing at the younger woman, who still seemed uncomfortable in the front seat. “So, you were never afraid of me?”

“No, never,” she answered. “Even though you never spoke to me, you watched what I did and if anyone mistreated me, I would hear later that you would attack them. I don’t know why you did that because you would face discipline yourself, but it never stopped you from making sure I was treated properly.”

“Were you subject to medical examinations?” he asked. “Did they take blood from you?”

“Yes, every month,” she replied. “My mother said it was because I had a medical condition that required monitoring, but she never told me what it was.” She looked back at Anna. “She has never seen a doctor since she was born but has never been sick.”

“No vaccinations?”

“Sergei said she didn’t need them. I don’t remember receiving them either.”

They didn’t speak again until they were almost at the compound. Katrina looked out the window at the size of the base then looked back at Bucky, concerned.

“What is this place? It reminds me of the base near Washington.”

“It’s the main headquarters for the Avengers,” he said. “This is where we fought Thanos when he tried to snap everyone out of existence. He destroyed the place, but it was rebuilt and now we’re based here.” He smiled at her. “I’m an Avenger, one of the good guys now.”

She smiled back. “Do they have scientists and doctors here who can find out about me and Anna?”

“Two of the best,” he said. “Dr. Bruce Banner and Dr. Helen Cho. They’ll be kind to you. My friend, Captain America, Sam Wilson, is going to meet us here. I gave him your names and what you told me up to last night and he was going to go through the HYDRA files to find out what he could about you. He called to say he found something but wanted to talk about it in person. So, we’ll maybe get some answers today.”

“They won’t hurt us when they examine us, will they?” she asked, a little fearfully.

“No.” He hesitated, then chose his words carefully. “If this transformation that Sergei warned me about makes you dangerous, they may restrain you, and call in a sorcerer who can cast a spell to weaken you. That’s only if you’re out of control. I don’t want to scare you, but I don’t want to lie to you either. You’ve been lied to enough. I’ll be here for all of it. I promise.”

He stopped at the security gate, offering his thumbprint for their scanner to identify himself, then confirmed it with a voice print identification. He advised the guard that the woman and the girl were expected for a medical examination, confirming their names. Given the okay to enter he drove to a large building, parking in a spot that had Barnes on a sign. Smiling at her he got out and went around to the back and took their suitcase out, as well as the bag with the pills. Katrina took Anna out of the car seat, then looked at the building with some trepidation. He stood next to her.

“They’ll put your suitcase into your assigned quarters after we check in,” he said. “I already requested that you be placed near me. Once you have your examination, you’ll be free to go just about anywhere here, except for areas that have Authorized Personnel Only signs on them. I’m taking the pills to the lab with us, but I’ll make sure you still have a supply to use until they can figure them out.”

She held Anna as they walked into the building, and he left her suitcase at the security desk, after they were both issued ID cards in a lanyard; Anya’s had baby Avengers woven into the fabric it, which captured her attention. Together, they went to the elevator, and he pressed the button for the top floor. When it opened, he was surprised to see Shuri waiting.

“I wasn’t expecting you,” he said.

“Sam Wilson’s inquiries into the HYDRA files intrigued me,” she said. “Especially when he called me with some hypothetical questions. I decided I needed to be here along with Dr. Banner and Dr. Cho.” She looked kindly at Katrina. “My name is Shuri. Please, don’t be afraid. We are all friends here and will help you through this time.”

She led the three of them to the lab, where Sam already was. He looked closely at Katrina and Anna but shook his head when Bucky looked questioningly at him.

“Katrina,” said Dr. Cho, coming forward. “I’m Dr. Helen Cho. This is Dr. Bruce Banner and you’ve met Princess Shuri. We have a lot of questions for you and would like to give you and your daughter a full medical examination. If it gets to be too much to handle you can tell us to stop anytime and we’ll take a break. You don’t have to do anything you’re uncomfortable with. We all just want answers, and we will share everything we learn about you. That’s our promise.”

Bucky held up the bag with the pills. “They have to take one of these, every morning before breakfast,” he said, then passed on what Sergei had revealed before he died.

Katrina added her own observation about the pills and the three scientists decided to take a week’s worth to test, leaving Katrina in control of the remainder. As they led her away to get changed into a hospital gown Sam approached Bucky.

“Ivanov is dead?”

“Killed himself,” said Bucky. “With a poison tooth. Wished me good luck. He was surprised that I had no memories of Katrina and assumed I knew all about her. He didn’t enlighten me before he broke the tooth.”

“That’s what the files talked about,” said Sam, pulling him into a glass walled office and closing the door. It still allowed Bucky to watch but they could talk without Katrina hearing anything. “You were protective of her, even intervened several times when she was mistreated, although it meant discipline for you. Most of the medical staff were sure you were aware that she was your daughter, but Pierce didn’t believe them.”

Bucky glared at him. “What? How is that possible? They thought I was sterile.”

“Yup, but apparently they gave you an experimental drug that boosted your virility,” said Sam. “You refused to physically mate with anyone, so they knocked you out and … uh, well, they acquired sperm samples. I’ll spare you the details, but they acquired enough for seven recipients to receive an in vitro fertilization treatment. You were code named by the Greek alphabet, Alpha was you, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta, Eta and Theta were the mothers. The results were not good. Only Delta resulted in a viable pregnancy that went to term. The others all miscarried at various stages of pregnancy. Some of the fetuses were damaged so whatever shit they were giving you over the years had lasting effects.”

“So, Katrina is my daughter and Anna is my granddaughter,” stated Bucky. He looked shaken. “I wasn’t expecting that. Do they have my abilities?”

“Unknown,” replied Sam. “Katrina was put on suppressants from about the age of two when it was learned that the virility drug was made from a serum using the blood of the male Siberian super soldiers, the ones Zemo killed. Somehow, that fact wasn’t known until then.”

“Fuck,” muttered Bucky, visibly upset. “Those soldiers were animals, out of control. I got my ass kicked by the one guy before all hell broke lose. They had to gas them when they began killing the doctors and guards, then put them straight into cryosleep. That serum that I killed Howard and Maria Stark for basically went to waste.” He looked like he wanted to punch something then he stopped, curling and uncurling his fists while breathing steadily. Then he turned to Sam. “Why didn’t Pierce think I knew she was my daughter?”

“There was only speculation about why he couldn’t see it, mostly that he was too arrogant to believe you were that aware,” said Sam. “The medical staff wondered if your heightened senses allowed you to recognize her pheromones as being close to yours. Did you notice anything about either of them?”

“Yeah,” Bucky nodded. “Anna woke me up because she was hungry, and she kept eating what I put in front of her. I was aware of a scent coming off of her that was familiar but couldn’t place it.”

“There is one good thing,” said Sam. “That serum the Siberian super soldiers received was believed to have been made from Steve’s blood, so it contained Erskine’s formula, with Howard Stark’s tweaks. Steve always said it was meant to make the good man better, and the bad man worse. Katrina seems nice, so if she was a result of you and Steve’s serum it’s likely that she’ll be okay. They just weren’t willing to take a chance and let her abilities develop naturally, I guess. Those super soldiers in Siberia were not expected to be so violent.”

“Why didn’t I remember her, Sam? She’s my daughter. The Soldier knew … why didn’t I?”

Bucky looked out the glass wall of the office at where Katrina and Anna were both in a hospital gown, sitting together on a bed as Dr. Cho performed an examination on Anna, making her giggle shyly. He smiled at the scene, his granddaughter and his daughter, something he never expected to ever have, sitting right in front of him. Sam placed a comforting hand on Bucky’s shoulder.

“That’s because of us,” he said. “Steve, Natasha, and I stuck our noses deep into HYDRA’s business. They wanted you at the top of your game, without distractions and put you through multiple memory suppression sessions before they sent you out against us on the freeway, then again when they sent you against Steve on the helicarrier. It did a lot of damage, I guess, that still hasn’t been reversed. Considering how much they did to you in that short time frame I’m amazed you even remembered Steve.”

“I guess I should be the one to tell her,” said Bucky, watching Katrina soothe her daughter while they took blood. “Not sure I know how to be a dad or a grandpa.” He glared at Sam’s grin. “Don’t start that shit.”

“I think you’ll be just fine,” murmured Sam. “You’re already protective of both of them. You care. That’s most of it.”

Bucky was very quiet for a moment then he gazed at his partner.

“Her parents … did I kill them? She said she witnessed it, but I don’t remember.”

Reluctantly, Sam nodded. “They were her foster parents, but they were killed because they tried to take her away, with your blessing. That Sergei character betrayed them and you, as they confided in him. You had to kill them in front of everyone, including her. They also intensified your discipline for even the slightest infractions and Rumlow was often first in line to do it. They were terrible people, Buck; completely rotten inside.”

Several hours later the tests were completed, and Shuri stopped beside the two men. She looked up at Bucky, smiling kindly at him.

“It is confirmed, White Wolf,” she said. “You have a family. I imagine you wish to break the news to them yourself. We can wait until tomorrow to discuss all of the results and decide how to proceed from there.”

“Thank you,” he replied. “I’ll wait for them to get dressed.”

She joined Banner and Cho, while Sam left him in the lab to wait. When they came out of the cubicle, Anna proudly showed her Avengers bandage on her arm, from where they took blood.

“She was so brave,” said Katrina. “She did everything they asked of her. We should have some lunch. I promised her ice cream.”

“Come on, I’ll take you to the cafeteria.”

He led them to food services showing her where the ready to eat section was, as well as the made to order station. After they ordered they chose a place to sit. Katrina noticed Bucky seemed distracted.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I just need to tell you some things that Sam found out, but it should be done in private, not here. Does Anna still nap?”

“Yes,” replied Katrina. “We can talk after I put her down.”

The food arrived and all three of them ate without speaking. Before she even finished, Anna started appearing drowsy, so Bucky offered to carry her, picking her up and supporting her as she rested her head on his shoulder. He led Katrina to her quarters, showing her where his were, just down a little bit from hers. There were two beds in the bedroom of her suite, and he laid Anna down, letting Katrina take her daughter’s shoes off and cover her with a blanket. Someone had thought to bring an Avenger stuffed toy for Anna, so she placed that next to her, smiling as the little girl pulled it close. After closing the bedroom door, she motioned for Bucky to sit down on the couch, sitting close to him. He leaned forward, with his elbows on his knees at first then gave out an audible breath and turned to Katrina.

“Your parents were your foster parents,” he said. “They did care about you and tried to take you out of the base but were betrayed by Sergei, as they trusted him. I was ordered to execute them, and I did, in front of everyone, including you. In a way, it was worse for me because I apparently encouraged them to get you out of there.” He stopped, swallowed and breathed shakily before speaking, this time with a voice that strained with emotion. “I wanted them to take my daughter to safety. You’re my daughter.”

For the longest time she said nothing then when she did speak her voice was trembling.

“Who was my mother?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know. I wasn’t a willing participant in any of it. They sedated me to get sperm samples and used in vitro fertilization on seven subjects, identified only by a letter in the Greek alphabet. Apparently, knowing their names wasn’t necessary for the experiment. Only one carried a child to term, your mother.”

“How did you know I was your daughter if you weren’t actively involved?”

“A super soldier has enhanced abilities including their senses, like smell. They thought I could tell by your pheromones that I was your father. Basically, as the Winter Soldier, I recognized your smell.”

“But I don’t have any enhanced abilities,” replied Katrina. “I’m weak. Sergei beat me often. Wouldn’t I have inherited something from you?”

“You did, but you may have also inherited something else. I was supposed to be sterile as they pumped me up with so many drugs and toxins for so many years, testing the limits of my body. A mission that I took to retrieve five doses of the recreated serum from Steve Rogers’ blood, led to that serum being given to a HYDRA elite kill squad, based in Siberia. Worst of the worst people; all of them killers with no remorse. The serum made good men greater, bad men worse. It made this kill squad uncontrollable, and they were put into permanent cryosleep after being subdued. For some reason, and HYDRA being what it was they rationalized it, a virility serum was created from the five and I was injected with it. It worked, and you’re the result. The scientists at the Washington base didn’t find out about the kill squad being involved until you were about two years old. The supplement you take was developed to suppress your super soldier abilities because they were afraid you would be uncontrollable just like them. They weren’t about to just let you loose on the world until they found a way to control you. I’m guessing your tolerance to the suppressant is weakening now, and you’re headed for a transformation. It could make you uncontrollable or you could get through it and come out okay after. They won’t know until it happens.”

“And Anna? Is she affected as well?”

He nodded. “I’m sorry.”

She said nothing but her face spoke volumes. Anger, despair, and betrayal were all evident as she struggled to maintain some of her dignity. He waited, hoping that somewhere she would forgive him for being the reason behind her unhappy life.

“Please leave,” she said, curtly. “I need time by myself to think about everything.”

With reluctance, Bucky stood up and went to the door, looking back at her, as she stood in front of the window. He wanted nothing more than to offer her comfort, but he would respect her choice to be alone to think. Goodness knows, she never had a choice in her entire life. He owed her that much, at least.

Part 3>>

Series Masterlist

Please support the author by reblogging. Comments are appreciated.

#bucky barnes #bucky barnes fanfiction #buckybarnes original female character #sam wilson #bruce banner #helen cho #princess shuri #serum #hydra #medical experimentation

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cricket-reader · 11 months

Note

Hi!

If it's not too much trouble, I would really like to see a part 2 of "Side of the Road"

Hope you're having a good day!

I would love to (sorry it’s so late)! Hope you are having a good day as well

Side of the Road (2)

Masterlist | A03 | Wattpad | Recommendations | Inbox

Summary: the mystery woman is rushed to the infirmary. Now only one question matters: will she make it out alive?

Warnings: probably incorrect medial info/jargon, needles, hypothermia, injury, near-death incident

Word Count: 886

Series Masterlist | Part 1

Exiting the vehicle, Bucky gently picked up the woman covered in their winter jackets. The cool wind nips at the woman in Bucky’s arms. She shivers and unconsciously nuzzles closer to Bucky, seeking his furnace-like warmth. His stone cold heart breaks hearing the little whimpers she lets out. Wasting no time, Bucky rushes her inside to the heat.

Pepper is waiting at the door and catches a glimpse of the trembling woman covered in coats. Her attention is diverted when her inebriated boyfriend stumbles through the door. Muttering under her breath, Pepper drags Tony to bed.

Sam and Steve are hot on Bucky’s heels as he makes his way to the infirmary.

The group startle Dr. Cho, who has been busy working on Avenger’s paperwork. Her eyes grow wide upon seeing the young woman in Sergent Barnes’s arms. Helen shoots up from her seat and rushes over to the woman. “Barnes, set her on the table, take off those jackets. Wilson, get me Banner. Rogers, get me some blankets and a warm compress from the med kit” she rattled off, quickly washing her hands.

Bucky removed the coats from her body, his heart breaking as the woman moaned in protest. She tried to get the, now wet, coats back from him, but Bucky threw them aside. Cho grabbed a few towels and threw them at Bucky, ordering him to dry her body off. It was still damp from the snow she was lying in. Helen wasted no time in hooking up electrodes to her body to get the cardiac monitor set up. She is relieved to see the green spikes followed by the infamous beeping of the monitor. The woman has a pulse, albeit weak.

Sam returns with Bruce striding into the room. Sam had explained the whole situation to him on the way there. “Banner! Get me a warm saline solution now!”

Bruce hustles to get the solution as Steve enters the room with a mountain of blankets he could find nearby. Cho tells him to help her envelop the patient’s body in the blankets, needing to insulate her body to prevent further heat loss.

Dr. Banner returns with the solution and a kit. He quickly yet efficiently washes his hands and puts on clean medical gloves. He hangs the bag and fills the tubing with the saline solution. Taking her arm out from under the blankets, he secures a tourniquet above the vein he’s going to insert the solution into. Bruce cleans the skin before inserting the plastic tube into the vein using a needle. Once the needle and tube are in, he removes the needle and unsecures the tourniquet. Taping the tube in place, Banner wraps the area with Coban to ensure that the patient wouldn’t try to remove the line when she wakes up. He looks to Cho for further instructions when he’s done wrapping her arm.

“We need an ECG when her vitals are stable. Get a finger-stick glucose, I think she might be hypoglycaemic. We need to prepare for a CMP too.”

“You got it, boss.”

Dr. Banner returns with the supplies needed hastily. He takes the patient’s left arm, his brows furrowed, and inserts the small needle into her vein to draw some blood. “I’ll take the blood to the labs to process the CMP, I trust you can handle the finger-stick?”

“I’ve got it.”

As Helen predicted, her glucose levels are below 70 mg/dl. It doesn’t surprise her given how malnourished the woman looks. She would just have to monitor her levels closely.

“She has some injuries on her back too,” Bucky informs her, restlessly shifting his weight from one foot to the other. He wants to help, he needs to do something to help her.

“I know, I saw them. I was planning on putting her in the cradle as soon as her vitals are stable.”

“Is she… gonna make it?” Steve questions, breaking the silence in the room. Cho sighs, worry-lines etched into her face. She isn’t sure quite yet. It’s hard to tell until she can get her body temperature back to normal.

“I don’t know yet. Where did you guys find her?”

“It seems like she was just dumped on the side of the road on the way to the compound. We don’t know where she could have come from in a state like this.”

“Who would do something like this?” Helen mutters, tears threatening to form in her eyes. As a medical professional, she didn’t often cry during work, especially in a patient’s room, but just thinking of how horrible the situation overwhelmed her. She honestly doesn’t know how this woman is still alive. With wounds like those and being left in the cold so vulnerable, she should probably be half-dead.

Bucky just watches in silence. As if on repeat, the moment from the car plays in his head. It really bothers him. The more he thinks about it, the worse it is. Disgust churns in his gut, twisting violently. Just what exactly has this poor woman been through?

All four of them stay in the room, keeping close watch over the woman. Her heart rate is slowly elevating and her temperature is normal. That’s a good sign, at least. When her body temperature is stable, Helen puts her in the cradle.

Ssries Masterlist | Part 3

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sycamorelibrary754 · 5 months

Text

Merry Christmas

Summary: It’s the most wonderful time of the year. You and Natasha are off to the annual Stark Christmas Party. Little does the team know that a special surprise awaits them.

Genre: Fluff

Pairings: Natasha x reader, Avengers x reader (platonic).

Word Count: 2.7k

Warnings: None

A/N: This is part 2 to Happy Thanksgiving! I recommend reading it first, but it can be read as a stand-alone story as well. I hope you enjoy!

“Be down in a minute, malyshka!” Natasha called from your bedroom.

You were standing in the kitchen eating peanut butter out of the jar topped with chocolate sauce. A “homemade Reese’s” you dubbed it. Your first pregnancy craving that had Nat popping down to the corner grocery store at 2 am for the dynamic duo of ingredients.

“No worries, love!” Already dressed for Tony’s annual Christmas party at the compound. Clad in a green Sequin-Lace Halter Twist-Neck Jumpsuit, your baby bump beginning to show.

The click of Natasha’s high heels signaled her arrival a few moments later in a sleek long-sleeved red scoop-back midi dress that hugged her in all the right places.

“Wow, Nat. You look beautiful. Red is most definitely your color.”

“So you prefer it over the black,” she smirked as she put on her earrings.

“I didn’t say that now, did I,” with a wink.

“The baby enjoying its homemade Reese’s?” grabbing her clutch.

“Very much! I was thinking,” Putting away the chocolate and peanut butter. “Tomorrow we could make fudge!”

“Ah, because the baby has such a sweet tooth?”

“Yes,” you giggled.

“Well, whatever the baby wants, I suppose,” wrapping her arms around you in a loving embrace before leaning down and kissing your stomach.

“You ready to drop the baby bombshell tonight?” Patting the top of Nat’s head.

“Yes, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous,” sighing as she stood up. These are the same people who freaked out when they found out Clint had a family. How are they going to handle this?”

“Like the amazing aunts and uncles they were meant to be,” grabbing Natasha’s hand. “Plus, I think announcing it with the Christmas crackers is a cute idea.”

“I hope so,” placing a soft kiss against your lips.

“Frankly, I’m more surprised Yelena hasn’t blabbed yet.”

“Oh, that’s because I warned her if she told anyone I would make her run with me every morning at 5 am until the baby is born.”

“Well played,” high-fiving your wife.

“Thank you,” she smiled. “Now come on, let’s go get our holiday cheer on.”

*^~^*

The drive to the compound was even more beautiful during the holidays. A light snow fell as you passed house after house dressed in beautiful Christmas lights. Natasha placed her right hand on the center console. You softly intertwined your fingers with hers and placed a soft kiss to the back of her hand.

You are greeted by a rush of warm air upon entering the compound lobby. Natasha shook the delicate snowflakes out of your hair and off your coat. You both step onto the elevator and are welcomed by the soothing voice of FRIDAY.

“Merry Christmas, ladies. Welcome to the annual Stark Christmas party.”

“Merry Christmas, FRIDAY. How’s the party so far?” You asked as the hum the elevator carried you up to living quarters.

“The party is in full swing. Mr. Stark is currently treating guests to a medley of Christmas carols.

“Of course he is,” you giggled.

“You know, he only plays that baby grand piano when he gets a bit tipsy,” Nat said. “When we got home from our month-long undercover mission in Romania, he celebrated on the jet and then made us all listen to his rendition of Dancing Queen.”

“Aww, and I missed it!” Feigning disappointment.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened to joyous noise and laughter. An abundance of greens, reds, gold, and silver flashing here and there, adding opulence and brightness. Classic poinsettias tied in tradition, and shiny bows and foiled paper glistened under the 12-foot tall Noble Fir Christmas tree, inviting their recipients to sneak one open before the actual day.

“Hey, the Romanoff’s are finally here!” Clint exclaimed as his kids rushed over to both of you.

Nate jumped into your wife’s arms as you hugged Lila and Cooper. It seemed like every time you saw the Barton kids they had grown a bit more. It was thanks to Banner and Cho that you were carrying a child that would be half yours and half Natasha’s. Looking at Clint and Laura’s kids and how they resembled their parents, you couldn’t wait to see what features your little plum would inherit from each of you.

“How’s my little namesake?” Kissing Nathaniel’s cheek. Have you been practicing the punch and kick combinations I taught you?”

“Practicing the what?” Laura asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Oh, nothing,” Natasha smirked as Nate giggled.

“You two look great, I love the green and red thing you’ve got going on,” Clint said.

“Thank you. Lovely Christmas sweater by the way. I especially love Rudolph’s glowing nose.” you pointed.

“Hey, the Barton’s are the cream of the crop when it comes to ugly Christmas sweaters.”

“Clearly,” Nat teased.

“I’ll take your coats,” Cooper offered.

“Why, thank you. What a gentleman,” you winked at Laura as you handed him yours and Natasha’s pea coats.

You scanned the room and noticed Wanda putting the finishing touches on trays of Christmas cookies. You put a hand on Nat’s shoulder and motioned toward the kitchen. She gave you a quick nod as you meandered over to the counter.

“Wanda, Wanda, Wanda… what do we have here?”

“Y/N! It’s so good to see you,” wrapping you in one of her signature hugs that you loved so much. “This is my parents’ Christmas cookie recipe,” she proudly declared. “I convinced Tony and Pepper to let me handle the desserts this year. So, we’ve got cookies, the Viennese torte is in the fridge and the pumpkin pie is cooling.”

“Wow, you have been busy,” you smiled. “Anything I can do to help?”

“Yes, you can take a cookie and go mingle. I’ll be done in a few minutes,” handing you a charming little cookie decorated like Santa. You took a bite and couldn’t believe it. It was the best cookie you had ever tasted.

“Mhmm, Wanda! This is amazing.”

“That is why I will always vouch for homemade over store bought goodies. Now seriously, go mingle,” shooing you away.

You turned back around to see your wife sitting by the fireplace talking to Steve, champagne in hand. As you started to across the room you were intercepted by a festively-dressed Kate and Lucky.

“Y/N! Hey, oh my gosh, I haven’t seen you in so long! How are you?”

“I’m good! I see you and Lucky are enjoying the party,” petting the Golden Retriever.

“Absolutely, say hello to Santa Paws and Mrs. Claus!” Kate exclaimed. Unfortunately, we’ve lost Yelena. She’s our elf,” glancing around the room.

“Wait, Yelena’s dressed as an elf?” Eyes wide. “Oh, that’s fantastic.”

“Yeah, if you see her will you send her our way? We’re supposed to be taking the photo for our holiday card tonight.”

“Nothing would make me happier,” you smirked with a hand on Kate’s shoulder.

You bid the young archer and pooch farewell and rejoined your wife.

“Hey, deka,” Wrapping her arm around your waste.

“Y/N, I was just telling your wife that she needs to find her holiday spirit and come Christmas caroling with us next week,” Steve said.

“Natasha singing? I’m not sure that would be good for community morale,” you joked

“Says the woman who performs one woman tributes to Harry Styles in the shower?” Nat giggled.

“Hey, my rendition of Sign of the Times is highly praised, I’ll have you know.”

Tony and Pepper join your little huddle with Morgan in tow.

“Romanoffs! You have to try this Hot Buttered Rum,” Tony remarked.

“Oh, I love Hot Buttered Rum, but I think I’ll stick with sparkling cider tonight,” you said “Nat would probably love some though, right, love?”

“Sure,” grabbing the glass from Tony’s hand as Steve looked back at you curiously.

You peered down at Morgan who was sitting on the ottoman next to the fireplace. Ever since you found out you were pregnant you were drawn to children like never before.

“Hi, sweetheart! You look so pretty tonight,” kneeling down to the little girl’s level.

“Thank you, Aunt Y/N,” she grinned.

“Are you excited for Christmas? You are clearly at the top of Santa’s nice list this year.”

“Really?!” Morgan squealed.

“Oh, absolutely, I have a feeling the man in red is going to be very good to you this year,” you winked.

“Did you hear that Daddy? Aunt Y/N said that I’m on the top of the nice list!”

“I sure did, squirt. I didn’t realize Aunt Y/N was so tight with St. Nick,” eyeing you coyly.

“Oh yeah, we’re on a first name basis. I’m surprised you’re not?” Smirking at the billionaire. You loved Tony like a brother, but you enjoyed giving him crap.

“Trust me, Mrs. Romanoff, I’m much closer to Santa than you are.”

“Really, do you have a direct line to the North Pole?”

“Are you having milk and cookies flown in from Holland? Because you know those are his favorite,” raising an eyebrow at you.

“Ooookay, that’s enough,” your wife placing hands on your shoulders from behind. “You both know Santa. You both have giant egos. Merry Christmas,” Nat mocked. Come on Tony, let’s go grab some hors d'oeuvrs for our better halves. I’ll be right back, detka,” leading the billionaire toward the kitchen.

You couldn’t help but admire Natasha as she walked away. Looking back over her shoulder, she smiled at you with all the love in the world. You just about melted right there in front of the fireplace. Snapping out of your love daze, you noticed Pepper grinning at you.

“What?”

“Oh, nothing. I just can’t help but notice how glowing you look tonight,” as Morgan pulled her away towards Clint’s kids and Steve strolled away to join Bucky in conversation with Rhodes.

“Pssst… Pssst!”

You turned around just as a styrofoam snowball was about to hit you in face. You caught it in one swift motion.

“Nice catch,” a Russian voice said.

“Yelena, where are you?” Glancing around not seeing your sister-in-law.

“Over here,” poking her head out from the behind the seven-foot snowman next to the pool table.

“Oh, now don’t you look adorable as an elf,” you giggled.

“If you weren’t pregnant with my niece or nephew you would be hanging upside down from the rafters right now.”

“You know Kate and Lucky are looking for you, right?”

“Why do you think I’m hiding behind the giant snowman? Kate Bishop forced me to dress in this saccharin American Christmas costume and now she wants photographic evidence of it.”

“Because she loves you, silly,” your arms crossed over your chest.

“Detka, it’s time for dinner. Let’s go—“Natasha stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of her sister. “Oh my God,” she burst into laughter.

“Tred carefully, sestra,” Yelena threatened.

“No, I love it. I think this qualifies as new mission suit attire,” poking the bell dangling from her elf hat. “Maybe you can get Stark to upgrade this outfit with Widow Bites.”

“Do you have a death wish?” Yelena sneered.

“Come on you adorable elf, it’s time for dinner,” placing an arm around your best friend’s shoulder.

*^~^*

You took your seat next to your wife at the Astoria Grand Giovani dining table. Natasha quietly squeezed your hand. You looked over with a shy smile and a festive blush on your cheeks.

Pepper stood up from her seat next to Tony at the head of the table. “Before we enjoy this lovely holiday feast, I just wanted to take a moment to tell you how grateful we are that you’re all here,” grasping Tony’s hand. “Everyone in this room knows how precious life is and we don’t take a moment of it for granted. We love you and Merry Christmas.”

“Here, here!” Thor declared a couple seats down from you as glasses clinked around the table.

A traditional Christmas dinner soon filled your plate. Roasted turkey with all the trimmings. Home baked bread, mashed potatoes and garden veggies gently roasted, drizzled in balsamic vinegar. The group drank, were merry, and told the most terrible of jokes.

Pregnancy mood swings were becoming commonplace and as the dinner wore on, you suddenly found yourself overwhelmed with emotion at the sight of your extended family enjoying the holiday season together.

“Y/N, are you okay?” Carol looked at you with concern in her eyes from across the table.

“Oh, yeah” dabbing at the corner of your eyes with your napkin. “I’m fine.”

“The holidays always make her a bit emotional,” Natasha offered laying her head comfortingly on your shoulder.

After dinner you helped Wanda serve the desserts. The Christmas cookies took their place in the center of the table, flanked by the Viennese torte and the pumpkin pie. Coffee and dessert wine circulated around the table.

The group of full bellies and ever so slightly sleepy eyes then made their way to the living room to relax. Christmas music softly enveloped the room as the kids were discussing what they hoped Santa was going to bring them this year.

“Okay, Kate Bishop. Let’s get this picture over with. I want to put on my pajamas,” Yelena announced as she stood from the sofa.

“Yay!! Okay, don’t move. Lucky! Here boy,” calling the dog who promptly romped over. “Vision, can you take the picture?”

“Of course Ms. Bishop.” Taking the Canon EOS R-50 from the archer.

“It is customary to say cheese before a picture, but since it is Christmas time perhaps you should say mistletoe?”

“Just take the picture,” Yelena deadpanned

“Mistletoe!” Kate yelled.

“We’re going to get one of these cards right?” Looking at your wife.

“I had Kate put us down for two,” she smirked.

*^~^*

As night fell, you rested your weary head on Nat’s lap as she ran her fingers through your hair.

Natasha looked at her watch. “You ready to drop the baby bomb?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be. I’ll get the Christmas crackers,” rising from the sofa.

“Umm, everyone. Y/N and I have a special gift for you all,” your wife announced nervously as you passed out the gold and silver novelties to the team.

“Christmas crackers? I have to be honest, I was hoping for something a bit more extravagant… Oww!” Tony whined, as Pepper pinching him on the arm.

You smiled with nervous anticipation as you reached for Natasha. The snap of the festive crackers echoed across the room. Clint was the first to reach inside and remove the tiny gift. A small round ceramic white ornament tied to a red ribbon appeared in his hand. Lila, Cooper, and Nate huddled around their dad to get a glimpse as Clint read the inscription.

“Uncle Clint?” Looking up at Natasha in shock.

“No way!” Sam shouted.

Wanda, Carol, and Kate all screamed at the sight of their own ornaments. Their names adorned with the title of Aunt.

“This is joyous news!” Thor crowed.

Pepper got up immediately and embraced you in a warm hug as Laura did the same with Natasha.

“How far along are you?” Wanda asked.

“Almost three months,” Yelena cut in.

“You knew?! Why didn’t you tell me?” Kate shouted; slapping her girlfriend on the arm.

“Because I want to sleep in!”

“I’m so happy for you, Nat,” Steve kissing her on the cheek.

Bucky wrapped his arms around you with a soft kiss to the top of your head.

“You ready to be Uncle Bucky?” Your eyes meeting his gaze.

“Oh God,” his face like a deer in the headlights.

“You’ll be great, Buck,” you giggled.

Bruce and Helen embraced Natasha in a tandem hug.

“I’m so relieved everyone knows,” Helen said turning to you. “Now we can openly discuss your pregnancy. Have you been continuing with your prenatal vitamins?”

And remember, you have an appointment on Friday,” Bruce interjected.

“Yes and yes,” you said as Natasha placed a soft kiss to your cheek and then another to your belly.

Tony walked up to you with that signature smirk on his face. You mentally prepared yourself for a signature Stark one-liner or some stupid joke. Instead, he took you by surprise when he wrapped you in a warm embrace.

“Congratulations, Romanoff. Looks like you do know Santa best.”

447 notes · View notes