Baggage

The rest of the night at the Lang’s went alright. Natasha only stuck by twenty minutes after her conversation with Steve. He could tell she was uncomfortable delving into her past and how her and Peter came across one another, so he averted the conversation in another direction. The remainder of the evening he explained to her, his mother was a nurse who solely raised him. Her lips curled up as he assured that she was doing great because Peter was amazing, and she agreed, he was amazing. Mid conversation Peter ran up with gooey fingers, yawning, and saying he was tired. Natasha bid her goodbye to Steve and thanked both Hope and Scott for welcoming her.
/
The next day had been a Sunday, deciding that she could not hold it off any longer, she began tackling the piles of boxes in every room. Today's task, the kitchen. About two hours into the kitchen process, as the time neared nine in the morning, she heard a knock. She was confused at who it could be, checking twice at her surroundings, she opened the door.
“Nick?” She asked surprised at the man on her stoop.
“Sorry to drop by announced, can I come in?” he asked.
Natasha nodded and opened the door wider so he could step through.
“Where's the boy?” He asked looking around.
“Sleeping. He was out late.” She explained.
“Ah that’s right, the Lang’s.” Fury said plopping on a stool at her kitchen island.
“Did you like it?” He asked curious.
She pondered on the question, it was a lot of emotions in one night.
“Yeah, everyone was really nice, just I had a freak out at the end of the night…” She said cringing.
“Did you?” Fury asked.
She sighed a bit. He seemed genuine in the question meaning not everyone heard about it.
“Peter just called me mom, and everyone thought it was so crazy that he’s my son. Feel like it’ll mess up anything good I got going on around here,” She said indirectly speaking of Steve.
“It’s not that I’m ashamed that Peters mine, I just wish people would accept it more and not react like I’m a crazy woman who had a baby at like twelve.” She scoffed.
“You knew the risks of adopting him, you fought me for week on it. You were aware of the questions it would raise.” Fury minded.
“Yeah, I don’t regret it though, I could just never forgive myself if anyone touched him. If anyone at the Langs were to be caught up with Alexi.” She finished.
“I know Nat, the people around here are good, some of the best I know. That’s why I put you here.” He assured her.
She nodded weakly.
“I’m actually here in regards to your safety.” He started.
Her eyebrows raised and she began to gnaw on her lower lip.
“I got word from a contact that Rumlow is poking around New Jersey.” He explained.
Her eyes welled with tears.
“Now don't go freaking yourself out. I heard he was looking for a weapons dealer, it could be nothing. Plus Jersey is hours from here, we just may need to take extra measures.” Fury explained.
“Such as?” She questioned.
She already felt like she was on house arrest half the time from his orders.
“Just I’ll make sure a patrol comes by a few times, I’ll just say that there’s a crime spike in the town over and I want to be careful. Also I’m getting you a security system, and a deadbolt.” Nick told her.
She rolled her eyes and nodded. She knew he was helping but couldn't help but feel like some caged animal.
“Rogers is next door too, I’ll tell him to keep a close eye. I’ll say you called in someone poking around your property late at night.” He finished.
“No!” Natasha yelped.
“No?” Nick questioned seeing a blush feign her cheeks.
“I don't need you to put people on me like this.” She said clearing her throat.
“People? Or Rogers?” He asked eying her suspiciously.
She scoffed.
“Please.” She said her voice heightening not even believing the word herself.
“Rogers isn't the worst guy to get caught up with. He's got a good record, war vet, and he has a badge.” Fury explained.
“Even if I were interested it’s not like I can afford getting into a relationship. Plus the fact that I have a kid at twenty six is like man repellent.” She said a matter of fact.
“The captain loves children.” Fury said exaggerating his words and winking with his good eye.
“Yeah whatever.” She said annoyed.
Nick laughed and headed back to the door. He reached for the knob and turned it.
“Hey, what was Barton’s deal? Anything to worry about?” Natasha asked paranoid.
“Barton? He’s been working on your case for the past few years, probably just remembered you from a few baby pictures and descriptions, he won’t put it together.” Fury assured.
Natasha nodded hesitantly and waved goodbye. As he stepped on the porch he turned one more time.
“Don’t stress yourself out too much, maybe Rumlow being close will give us the leverage we need to get Alexi.” He said honestly.
“You’re right, thanks Nick.” She said thankful.
“No problem Nat, say hi to the kid.” He smiled and walked down the steps.
/
Steve was on an early morning shift and yawned lightly. He was up late for having to wake up at four in the morning to begin his shift. However, he does not regret a minute of staying up, he enjoyed talking to Natasha.
“Tired from last night old man?” Bucky jokes.
“Shut it punk.” Steve said flicking him upside the head.
“Trust me, I was up late with Wanda.” Bucky winks suggestively.
Steve let out a noise of disgust as he mocked threw up.
“Gross.” he commented.
“Well were you up with your lady friend?” Bucky said batting his lashes.
Steve rolled his eyes and sighed.
“Lady friend? I have no idea who you're talking about.” He said acting dumb.
“Oh you know, the redhead.” Bucky said slapping him upside the arm.
“God if I hear one more thing about redheads I'm gonna rip my hair out!” Clint yelled across from them at his desk.
Steve looked confused, and Bucky rolled his eyes.
“The russians again.” Bucky whispered.
“Oh.” Steve breathed out understanding.
Clint had been working on some elebarotae case for the past two years or so. Every now and again he tucks it in his drawer and comes back to it every other month. However, the past few Fury has really cracked down on Clint about it, it almost seemed personal. Knowing Fury though, that was unlikely, the man had the emotions a wall possesed. None. Clint kind of hated talking out loud about the case because it only made it second guess any evidence he sifted through. From Steve’s understanding it was a russian mafia of sorts. The leader whose name Clint has never revealed, he ran some sort of drug cartel, and used a woman, who Steve was pretty sure was his girlfriend as a bartering chip for sex. Said woman is now in witness protection, and Steve's almost positive there's more to it being the file is a thick as a dozen bricks stacked up.
“That’s besides the point. Who is the mystery lady.” Bucky started poking in his business again.
“My new neighbor, and she's really gorgeous, and sweet but outta my league.” He said a bit annoyed but knew if he had said nothing ti Bucky it would only be worse.
As the brunette opened his mouth to prod further, Fury walked in and called Steve into his office.
“Lucky bastard.” Bucky said tilting his head.
/
Fury explained to Steve to keep an eye out on around the block, specifically house number twenty seven (which he knew was Natasha’s) because there was a suspicious character poking around. Steve happily took the job and went back to his desk and found Bucky gone since his patrol started. He thanked god and hoped he would drop the subject.
/
Clint was picking the kids up today from daycare. Laura had gone to the grocery store a few towns over for some special ingredient to some meal she wanted to cook. Since he had off at the time, he happily agreed to pick them up. He walked in the daycare and began talking to Gamora at the other end of the desk, scrawling his name in the pick up box. Just as he was turning into the playroom, the door flew open and a woman tumbled in and the contents of her purse split. Being a good civilian he crouched down to help the woman pick up her things. As he got low to the ground he heard foreign curses, was that Russian? He looked up to her.
“Natasha?” He asked.
“Yeah, sorry about this. Thank you for the help.” She said thankful.
The two stood as Clint handed her some loose change that fell from her bag.
“Thanks.” She said accepting it.
“Are you sure we have never met? You just seem so familiar, like I've known you for a long time.” He explained.
Natashas face went pale. She knew now that Clint had at least the smallest inkling of her being he studied her file for the past year. She chuckled nervously.
“I don’t think so, I get that a lot. People tend to bundle all of us red heads together.” She said attempting a joke.
“Yeah, you’re right.” He said scratching the back of his neck.
“Now if you’ll excuse me.” She said shoving past him to sign her name on the sheet and walk into the play area.
Clint stepped closer observing the clipboard.
“Natasha Romanoff? NR, huh?” He said curiously.
Before he could let his mind trail further the door flew open and his three children crashed into his arms. Any thoughts he previously had wiped away at the feeling.
/
Natasha returned home later that evening after treating Peter to some ice cream at Scott’s parlor. Nat had still been a bit rattled about her conversation with Clint but decided to take Nick’s word and trust it was okay. Just as she and Peter had finished dinner and were sitting on the couch for television she heard the brakes of a car outside. She didn't think much of anything about it because it was in fact a road a place where cars came and went. As the loud noise screeched it drew Peter’s attention as he ran toward the window. Looking out with wide excited eyes is mouth formed an ‘o’ and before Natasha knew it he was flying out the door. She raced after him without hesitation scared for his safety.
“Peter!” She yelled.
She scurried down the steps to find her son on the sidewalk to the adjacent house.
“Peter what’re you-” She began to ask not averting her eyes from her son.
Just before she could finish he cut her off.
“Mama look how cool! A police car!” He said jumping and pointing.
She finally fixed her eyes to the car and found Steve looking rather dashing in his uniform.
“Mama can I get a look please?” He begged tugging on her scrubs.
“You’ll have to ask Mr. Rogers,” She began as Steve got out of the vehicle to the front.
Natasha crouched in front of her son.
“Next time you want to go off though, you tell me first, okay?” She said, Natasha was rather paranoid about these things given the obvious.
He nodded as she planted a kiss to his forehead and stood to face Steve.
“Hi I’m sorry about all this, he’s just excited.” She said loosely curling the end of her braid on her finger, her eyes not daring to meet his.
“Hey it’s no problem.” Steve said waving her off and taking his cap off.
Sinking down to the balls of his feet he faced Peter.
“Hey wanna take a better look?” He asked squeezing the boys shoulder.
Peter nodded excited and Steve grabbed his small hand to bring him to the other side of the car. He opened the drivers seat door and placed Peter on his lap, showing him controls, and sounding the alarms just to make him smile wider. And god, if Natasha’s heart didn’t melt right there. He was good with kids, more importantly her kid. This was just giving herself more false hope at a chance with the man, but no matter how much she scolded herself, she could not shake the feelings that were rising to the surface.
A few minutes later Peter came running from around the car into his mom's arms.
“Mama did you see me!” He squealed.
“Yeah I did baby, did you thank Mr. Rogers?” She asked.
He turned his small head to meet Steve.
“Thank you Mr.Rogers!” he said genuinely, and Steve’s chest squeezed a bit at his voice.
“No problem.” He smiled back.
“Alright, time to go inside.” She told Peter in her arms.
He squirmed out of her grip and flipped onto the ground.
“Woah spiderman what's the big deal?” Natasha asked, her son was very flexible and had a strong grip. She had been calling him this ever since he tried climbing the walls as an infant.
“I wanna play outside a little, mama please!” He begged.
She rolled her eyes knowing she could never say no to his face.
“Just for a little.” She pointe dot him attempting to be stern.
He giggled and raced into the front yard, rolling around in the grass.
“Hey.” She heard Steve say as he came up next to him.
“Hey yourself.” The redhead returned, turning to quirk her brow.
“I’m sorry about all that, he can be hyper.” She said trying to laugh it off.
Steve chuckled.
“I get it, when I was a kid in Brooklyn I lived for these types of things.” He said a matter of factly.
She turned her entire body this time rather than just her head.
“Brooklyn eh?” She questioned.
“Born and raised.” The soldier said proudly.
“How’d you end up here then?” Hoping she wasn’t prodding.
Steve however didn't mind, he felt his heart sing that she seemed interested in his life.
“Well, I was a pretty sick kid growing up. My mom took good care of me, my dad died in service before I even met ‘em.” He explained, but did not seem sad.
“Sometime around seventeen I was blessed with a growth spurt, but the timing was bad and my ma was diagnosed with cancer. She fought hard, like always, but it hadn't been enough.” He said his face dropping.
Natasha looked at him sympathetically, knowing how it felt losing parents.
“Anyways, I wanted to do something with my life so like my father, I joined the military, Bucky came with me. I even received rank as captain. It was all going good until there was a freak accident, costing Bucky his arm. He was in bad condition so we came to the hospital for his repairs. There we met Stark who helped tremendously, and came close with everyone. It felt right to stay you know? So here we are some four years later.” He finished.
“So thats Steve Rogers huh? A hero.” She said grinning.
“Something like that.” He said sheepish.
“But hey, I wouldn’t go throwing around these titles, you seem pretty heroic yourself Nat.” He said his eyes looking to Peter.
She looked bewildered at the comment and the nickname. Her ears felt warm as ‘Nat’ escaped his lips.
“You saved Peter when he had no one, and from the looks have made him happy. That's pretty damn amazing.” He finished his eyes now boring into her green ones.
She felt them grow glassy as tears stung the corners
“Thank you Steve.” She said with a lopsided smile, composing herself.
Before they could go on Peter came back tugging on her hand.
“Mama I need to take a bath I got my knees all gross.” he said disgusted as she looked to his green and brown stained knees.
“That’s my cue.” She said to Steve.
He laughed at the scene, as Natasha stalked off.
“Nat!” he called as she was up her porch steps. She turned still seeing his piercing eyes in the distance.
“I would like to get to know Natasha Romanoff some time, if you’d let me.” he called his hands on his hips and he nervosuly licked his lips.
“I don’t know soldier, I wouldn't pull that thread.” She called back as her and Peter vanished into the house, and Steve smiled to himself.
Natasha walked into the wide open space of her home, and she felt crazy. Crazy at the fact that she actually wanted to tell Steve who she really was, but could he handle it?