8
Maria’s pov
When they got home MarIa ushered Natasha straight through the bathroom where she helped her bath and when she was done with that she helped Natasha get dressed,” What do you want for dinner Tasha? I was thinking Chinese.” Maria asked the little redhead sitting in front of her,” I wanna try Chinese!” The little girl said excitedly as she wanted to try Chinese at her father’s house. Take out wasn’t something she had experienced yet.
“Then I guess Chinese it is,” Maria said as she dialed the Chinese restaurant that she usually orders from. Wanting to start Natasha off flight Maria got her white rice and orange chicken while she got shrimp with broccoli and white rice she also ordered some egg rolls for them.
“Mommy, can we please watch My Little Pony?” Natasha asked Maria,” Yeah sure.” Maria turned on the tv and finally found a kid's channel that was playing My Little Pony,” Tasha baby I’m gonna go take a shower. I’ll be out soon.” Natasha doesn’t even glance her way as she nods to the show, taking all her focus.
Maria quickly took a shower making sure to leave the door ajar just so she could hear Natasha in case she needed anything and to make sure she was okay. Maria had just gotten dressed when she heard her doorbell ring alerting her that the food was there.
Natasha who was still engrossed in her show barely showed caring that the doorbell was ringing,” Order for Hill?” The delivery boy must have been new the usual delivery boy knew Maria very well. She ordered from her local restaurants so often that they knew her order by heart.
Maria had paid the delivery boy before making her way towards the living room and sitting down beside Natasha, quickly Maria took out all the containers she was starving and she was also sure that Natasha was starving with all the energy she burned off today.
“Mommy no!” Natasha shouted when the tv went blank and her show disappeared from the screen,” You can watch more later and eat.” Maria handed Natasha out her containers, the girl got down from the couch and joined Maria at the coffee table.
The night was great. Maria loved spending her time with Natasha. She had never thought she would enjoy going to the park and watching kids play. It was still nosy but she enjoyed Natasha being happy.
It was around 1 am when Maria’s phone rang she groaned trying not to move too much since she offered Natasha to sleep with her when she saw how uncomfortable the girl looked when she tucked her in,” Hello?” Maria had been blinded by how bright the screen was that she hadn’t been able to see who was calling her,” Maria hey.” Steve’s voice came through the phone. Maria was confused about why Steve was calling her at 1 in the morning.
“What's wrong?” Maria’s voice was groggy and rough and she had to clear her throat a couple of times before it sounded somewhat normal and not like she was some manic villain,” Nothing, I just wanted to see how your day was. How has Natasha been?” Right, the reason Rogers will be unexplainably calling her in the middle of the night is that they were playing patsy parents and this would be his first time being away from Natasha.
“She was great. We went to the park and she made some friends. I made some friends. She tried Chinese food for the first time and she loved it too.” Maria summarized their day,” That's great I was just really worried and missed her. Listen if you ever think it’s too much I can come to pick her up any time.” Maria rolled her eyes. It was one thing for Steve to miss Natasha but it was another to think that Maria would put her in harm's way to not be able to handle Natasha at all,” Rogers I never questioned or called when you had Natasha. So don’t try and undermine me or think I can’t handle this. Goodnight and see you in 2 weeks.” Maria didn’t wait to hear Steve’s response before she hung up on him and slammed her phone a bit too harshly on her nightstand.
Why did everyone think she would be a bad mother? Was it because she had an emotionless demeanor? It didn’t matter she was going to love them all wrong she was going to be the best mother she could be. But what upset her more was that Steve thought the same thing everyone did. She thought he knew how to think for himself that he was a leader and not a follower. She guessed she was wrong about him.
Steve’s day had been all over the place where she had been preparing lunch for him and Natasha before he remembered that she wasn’t there; she was with Maria. He had thought that he would be fine without her being there but it hurt that she was gone and he didn’t know what to do with himself so he hit the gym.
He didn’t know that he wasn’t the only one who had missed Natasha he found Tony, Thor and Clint all moping around in the kitchen,” Why are you all moping?” They had ordered takeout since Stebe had been too busy in the gym he had forgotten,” You need to bring a little red back.” Tony had been really bonding with Natasha and that said a lot since he thought kids were annoying and attracted germs.
“She is spending time with Maria and will be back in 2 weeks.” Steve answered as he went and grabbed a plate before grabbing a slice of pizza,” Steve you can’t really trust that Maria Hill is going to be the best mother for Natasha.” Clint added, taking a sip of his coke,” I do not know Lady Hill well but she is awfully scary and not very maternal.” Steve couldn’t argue that he knew Maria wasn’t maternal and she wasn’t very affectionate or even remotely showed emotions but he trusted her.
“I trust her. And I know she is going to do what is best for Natasha just like I will.”
“You keep telling yourself that” Tony scoffed as he got up and left Clint and Thor following shortly after leaving Steve to eat alone while Tony’s thoughts and his own doubt ringed in his head. Could Maria really take care of Natasha? Where are you guys right? Should he not trust Maria?
His doubts and worries were still getting to him that he couldn’t even sleep so he decided to call Maria,” Hello?” Hearing how tired and rough Maria's voice sounded made Steve feel like more of an ass,”Maria hey.” He said awkwardly rubbing the back of his head he almost hugged up but knew Maria would just call him back so he decided to go through with it.
Steve heard Maria clear her throat a couple of times before she went on,“What’s wrong?” Jesus Hill did know how to make someone feel crappy,”Nothing just wanted to see how your day was? How has Natasha been?” That was part of the reason but Maria didn’t need to do the other part,” She was great. We went to the park and she made some friends. She tried Chinese food for the first time and she loved that too.” So maybe he was wrong, maybe she could do this.
“That's great I was just really worried and missed her. Listen if you ever think it’s too much I can come to pick her up any time.``Steve could almost see Maria roll her eyes through the phone. He knew she figured out why he called,”Rogers I never questioned or called when you had Natasha. So don’t try and undermine me or think I can’t handle this. Goodnight and see you in 2 weeks.” And with those exact words Maria hung up on him. He had to admit he should’ve seen that coming and she was right she never questioned his ability to take care of Natasha so maybe he should extend the same courtesy towards her.