"i can't believe i'm going to hang out with the black widow"
It was supposed to be a simple surveillance mission. Keep an eye on the new superhero who called himself Spider-Man, assess his abilities and determine if he posed a threat. Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, was one of SHIELD's top agents. Tracking a teenage web-slinger should have been child's play for her.
Yet week after week, Natasha found herself intrigued by this Peter Parker. He was so young, barely 16 years old, but he took his responsibilities so seriously. Each night he patrolled the streets of Queens, stopping muggings, returning stolen property, rescuing cats from trees. And he always had a quip or silly joke, even in the face of danger.
Natasha watched as Peter was bullied and belittled by his classmates and teachers who didn't understand him. She saw how he came home every night battered and bruised from his patrols, with no one there to help tend his wounds. She witnessed him turn down lavish rewards or praise, insisting he wasn't a hero, just doing what anyone would do if they had the power.
The more she observed Peter, the more Natasha saw bits of herself in him. They were both orphans who grew up too fast, forced to use their unique abilities to fight for those who feared and hated them. She admired Peter's optimism and kindness, so untarnished despite the hardships he'd been through. It reminded her that there was still good in this world.
One night, Natasha followed Peter to a rooftop after a harrowing battle with a group of armed robbers. She watched unseen as Peter sank to his knees, unmasked and shaking. Before she realized what she was doing, Natasha landed silently beside him.
"Rough night?" she asked.
Peter whirled, hands raised either to web her or defend himself. Natasha lifted her hands. "Easy, Spider-Man. I'm not here to hurt you."
"Who are you?" Peter eyed her warily.
"A...friend," Natasha said after a pause. That's not what she had expected to say. But she found it was true. "Let me have a look at those ribs. I can help."
Peter hesitated, then allowed Natasha to examine his injuries. As she wrapped his chest, Natasha recounted some of her own early missions, how frightening it had been. How lonely. Without meaning to, she found herself telling Peter things she had never shared with anyone, secrets she guarded closely.
But she sensed Peter needed to hear them. Needed to know he wasn't alone in this fight. By the time she finished speaking, his shaking had subsided. Natasha clasped his shoulder.
"What do normal people do on weekends?" Peter asked wistfully as he pulled his mask back on.
"Not sure I'm the best person to ask about normal," Natasha said with a smirk. Then, making a snap decision, she added, "But how about we find out together? Saturday, you and me. We'll do something fun for a change."
Peter lifted his head in surprise, then broke into a grin. "Yeah, that would be awesome! Oh man, I can't believe I'm going to hang out with the Black Widow!" His enthusiasm was infectious, and Natasha laughed.
That weekend set the tone for their relationship going forward. Natasha took Peter to museums, fix-it workshops, obscure hidden gems around the city. Sometimes they trained together—Natasha was amazed by how nimble and quick Peter could be when he really tried. But mostly they talked.
Natasha taught Peter about strategy and playfully grilled him on science trivia. Peter babbled happily about his friends, classes, and LEGO obsession. He asked Natasha thoughtful questions about her past, without judgement. He made her watch cheesy movies and vine compilations, trying to get her to laugh.
Around Peter, Natasha felt the weight on her shoulders grow lighter. She could just be herself—something she'd thought impossible with her bloody, tangled history. Peter's total faith in her, in the good he saw inside, it awoke parts of Natasha's heart she had long thought frozen. For the first time in forever, she had something she'd never believed she deserved: a family.
Natasha knew SHIELD would disapprove if they learned she had grown so close to her surveillance subject. But for once in her life, she didn't care. For Peter's sake, however, they kept up a facade that this was still about work. Their weekend adventures were 'training exercises.' Peter only called her 'Ms. Widow' or 'ma'am' over the comms SHIELD monitored.
The subterfuge required some creative thinking. When Peter proudly presented Natasha with a handmade Mother's Day card, she told Fury it was simply for "morale." If anyone noticed Natasha sported a new beaded bracelet, or that Spider-Man had added a black widow symbol to his suit, no one commented on it. This relationship was just for them.
Natasha worried as Peter grew older and faced ever more deadly foes. She hid her fear behind stern lectures about preparing for threats, controlling volatile emotions. But late at night, she would softly kiss Peter's forehead as he slept, whispering in Russian how proud she was of him. Her son. She knew his recklessness came from wanting so badly to help, to live up to the example she had set. It was a lot to put on a teenage boy.
The day came when Peter turned 18, officially an adult. SHIELD called Natasha in, commending her diligence over the years. Spider-Man was now trusted as an ally. Her surveillance duty was concluded.
Natasha knew it was only a matter of time. Peter was ready to stand on his own as a hero. But that didn't stop the lump in her throat as she swung by that evening for one last patrol, one last talk across the rooftops of Queens.
Peter chattered away about his party plans as they surveyed the city. He had really come into his own, Natasha thought. The lanky, goofball kid she'd befriended was now a strong, capable young man. But inside, he was still the same Peter. Her Peter.
"Will I still see you now that SHIELD's done with me?" he asked suddenly, a note of uncertainty in his voice.
Natasha glanced over in surprise. "Done with you? Oh Peter," she said gently. "Don't think for one second that this was ever just about SHIELD. Not to me."
She laid a hand on his shoulder. "I'll always be here if you need me. I..." She swallowed hard. "I love you, Peter."
Peter's face lit up and he threw his arms around her in a tight hug. "I love you too, Mom," he whispered.
Natasha held him close, blinking back tears. Let SHIELD think her duty was done. But being Spider-Man's mother—that was her proudest mission, one that she knew would never end.