A/N: Hello all! This is just a little on shot that I felt the urge to write. Updates to my other stories will be coming soon. Enjoy!
In theory, the situation was complicated. She was pregnant. They weren't married. They led dangerous lives. But Steve didn't see it like that. When he awoke that morning, all he saw was his girlfriend sleeping peacefully next to him. His incredible, beautiful, and smart girlfriend.
Of course, they didn't plan it like this. They didn't plan it at all. It had been an accident, but Steve tried not to think of it as such. It was a surprise, but one that he was extremely grateful for the minute that he found out about it. Natasha, on the other hand, had needed some time to warm up to the idea. The Red Room had rendered her sterile, and this was something that she never foresaw. However, apparently (to an unsuspecting Steve and Natasha) super soldier serum overrides Red Room sterilization.
So that one night several months ago, Natasha showed up at his door in the middle of the night, on the verge of tears. He invited her inside, they sat on the couch, and she broke the news to him. Then the tears came, but Steve was there to hold her while she (finally) let all of them out. Then they talked. Then they smiled. And there they were today.
They had been dating for over two years, and, even before she got pregnant, Steve had been wanting to ask her to marry him. And, of course, he proposed after he found out she was pregnant. But she didn't want to marry him "just because he got her pregnant".
So they were now on his floor, which was now their floor in Stark Tower, enjoying a lazy Sunday morning. Even though her back was to him, Steve enjoyed watching her sleep. Watching her dream and be worry-free. He could lay there forever just watching her and would never get tired of the sight of her.
"I can feel you staring," she said groggily, pulling Steve from his thoughts.
"Sorry," he replied. "I was just…observing."
Natasha rolled over (as gracefully as she could) to face her boyfriend. He had a stupid grin on his face, and she couldn't help but smiling too.
"Did you sleep well?" he asked.
"Surprisingly, yes. This one," she laid a hand on the swell of her stomach, "decided to be a good boy last night and didn't give me too much trouble.
Steve covered her small hand with his large one, and offered her a small smile. "That's my little man. Being good for your mom," Natasha rolled her eyes. "You know," Steve said, clearly talking to his unborn son, "your mom is really great. She's putting up with a lot of difficult stuff with you in there. And she's already made so many sacrifices for you. You're so lucky to have her," he moved down and placed a gentle kiss on her belly. "And so am I," he looked up at her with a smile before planting a kiss on her lips. Natasha looked up at him with a grateful expression, and smiled back at him. "Marry me, Nat," he tried once again.
"Okay."
"Okay?" Steve mirrored in disbelief.
"Yes, Steve, I'll marry you. But not until this kid is out of me, understood?"
"Yes," he stumbled for words. "Yes! Yes!" He leaned down again to kiss her, being mindful of her stomach. "We're engaged. We're getting married," he rambled on to her.
"Yes! But you know, when a man proposes, there's usually a ring involved."
"Oh yeah, I have one of those," Steve said, still breathless. He hadn't expected her to say yes, at least not before the baby was born, anyway. But he was thrilled, ecstatic, and elated all at once. Finally, there was the promise that she would officially be his and they would become a "real" family. He flipped over in the bed, and reached into his nightstand drawer. He held a small, black velvet box out towards her.
"You kept the ring in your nightstand?"
"Be quiet and let me do this, will you?" Natasha nodded and sat up in bed next to him. Steve took a deep breath before beginning. He opened the box to her and hoped that the right words would come. "Natasha Alianovna Romanoff, I love you. You are truly the light of my life, and I wouldn't survive in this life without you. You're not only my girlfriend, but you're my teammate, my partner, and my best friend. I know that things haven't gone exactly as planned," he looked down to her midsection, "but I wouldn't have it any other way. I love you, and him," he placed a hand on her stomach, "more than anything in the entire universe. And I promise that I will always be here to take care of and protect you. So Natasha. Nat, will you do me the extreme honor of becoming my wife?"
"Yes," she smiled (bigger than Steve had ever seen her smile before) through the tears that suddenly appeared in her eyes. "Of course I'll marry you. There was really never any other outcome," she laughed and wiped at her eyes.
Steve took the ring from the box, took her left hand, and gently slid the ring onto her finger. He kissed her for several moments, savoring the passion. "Do you like the ring?"
Natasha held up her hand to observe it. The ring was simple, nothing fancy. One big, oval diamond surrounded by several smaller diamonds. It was simple, but breathtaking. "Steve, I love it," she smiled at him.
"It was my mom's," he said solemnly. "And now," he took her hand and kissed the back of it, "it's yours."
"What would she think?" Natasha asked quietly and offered him a small smile.
"Who? My mom?" she nodded. Steve let out a long sigh and laid back down on the bed. "Well," he pulled her down with him and she snuggled up against him, her head on his chest. "First, she would be surprised to find out that I've lived this long. And second, she would kick my ass if she found out that I knocked you up."
"I'm sorry," Natasha added sadly. "I should've known better. Or at least guessed that there was a possibility that you are the one person who I can have a child with. Now look where we are. We're a mess," she laughed despite herself.
"You didn't let me finish," Steve said flatly. "Thirdly, she would have loved you." Natasha cast her gaze up at him. "You have no idea how much she would have adored you."
"That's nice, Steve, but we both know it isn't true."
"What are you talking about? Natasha, you're so strong, beautiful, and the only one who can keep me in line. You're just like she was. And the only thing I regret is that she isn't here to meet you. Or our son."
She could've blamed it on the hormones, but for the second time that day, Natasha found herself crying. That was one of the nicest things that Steve had ever said to her. "Well," she sniffled, "I do enjoy the fact that I'm the only one who can bring you to your knees," she smirked through her tears.
Steve kissed the top of her head. "That is one-hundred percent true," he smiled. "But you know what? I don't think she'd mind that we're having a baby out of wedlock. Because I love you more than I thought I could ever love someone. I love everything about you, and I wouldn't change what happened for the world. I love you more and more every day, and I can't wait to meet our son in two months," he rested his hand atop her stomach. "No regrets," he smiled down at her.
"No regrets," she repeated and gratefully accepted his kiss. "Too bad that James isn't a girl though, we could have named him Sarah," Natasha smiled and placed her hand on top of Steve's.
"We can name the next one Sarah," he smiled playfully.
"Slow down there Rogers. We have to have a wedding first."
