A/N: Kind of a filler chapter, but it DOES have a purpose, I promise! Enjoy!
Steve woke from his nap to find himself swaddled in warm blankets. Wriggling onto his side (not without a bit of trouble), he looked around the room. The walls were bare and white. A harder chair covered in blue-green fabric sat against one wall. There was a small table in the corner of the room with a vase of flowers on it, and there was a nightstand to the right of his bed.
What was most poignant, however, was that he was alone.
Turning back onto his back, he felt himself starting to wet, and accordingly started to whimper. He hated being alone- at least when he was in this state. He settled his thumb in his mouth and waited. Mommy or Daddy always came when he cried. But a minute ticked by, then another, and another, and no one had come for him. The whimpers had expanded into cries as the diaper grew cold and itchy, and he was starting to worry. Maybe Mommy or Daddy didn't always come, but somebody always did. He sat up, thumb in his mouth and Bucky clutched tightly to him as he looked around in fright.
Suddenly, the door opened, and Mommy was rushing over to him.
"Oh sweetheart," she said sadly as she picked him up, "What's got my baby so upset?"
Steve buried his face into her shoulder as he continued to sob. Natasha rubbed his back and cooed to him until he calmed enough to speak.
"Wet," he blubbered, "And awone." Natasha held him close and kissed his head.
"Mommy's sorry, sweetheart. Let's get you cleaned up."
She changed him with tenderness and affection, stopping every so often to kiss his head or tickle his stomach. He basked in the warm glow of her affection, and when she finished changing him, he cuddled up to her, needing that reassuring presence she gave. She stroked his hair and nuzzled him. She didn't want him to know what she'd been up to- not yet at least.
When she'd adopted Steve, she had been the sole adopter. She was now working with SHIELD and the state to get Bruce's name on the papers. It was a long and tedious process that required mountains of time and paperwork, but she knew it would be worth it in the end. Clint, Thor, and Tony had gone back to Stark Tower for the night. Now, Natasha sat with Steve in her arms, thinking the day's events over. She looked at her watch- it was 9:30 at night. She really needed to get her sleeping patterns back on track. Considering Steve had just taken a nap, she didn't think she'd be sleeping anytime soon. The child in question was looking up at her. He saw the tiredness and exhaustion in her eyes, and knew she was tired. He reached up to tug on her sleeve. Natasha looked at him with a gentle smile.
"What is it, sweetheart?"
"Mommy go night-night?" He asked, looking at her with large, shining, eyes. Natasha was about to say no, but then considered that he was asking her.
"Mommy's tired, honey." She said, quietly. He put his hand on the pillow and tapped it twice.
"Sweep?"
She felt temptation make the hair at the back of her neck stand on end. Part of her wanted to say no in case he needed her, and also because this was technically his room, but the other part- the exhaustion that was taking over her body, protested with a vehement yes. After a bit of internal struggle, she finally relented to her need to sleep. Sighing, she kissed his head.
"Alright, sweetheart. Mommy will go to sleep. But if you need me, wake me up, alright? Especially if you need a change. I don't want you to get a rash, alright?"
He nodded, smiling. She laid down, and he curled up next to her, content with just having someone else in the room. He watched the rise and fall of her chest with happiness, and cuddled a bit closer to her. She was warm and safe- he loved that. Popping his thumb in his mouth, he stared up at her peaceful face. It was good to see her relax. She did so much for him, sometimes he forgot that she could get exhausted just as easily as he could. He latched onto her top, clinging to her like a cat. He felt her arm drape across his shoulders and smiled. Even unconsciously she still had him in mind. He shut his eyes with a quiet, contented sigh, and let his imagination run wild. There were pirates, knights, dragons, and lost boys running in circles around his mind, and he watched them from inside his eyelids. Scenes repeated over and over again, but he didn't care. After a certain point, the dream took on a life of it's own as conscious thought was lost. Shapes and colors danced before him in random collections, and he smiled unconsciously, happy.
Steve fell asleep, clinging to his Mother's chest, with her arms wrapped protectively around him.
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