Nat was sure she wasn't feeling well for two weeks straight that's why she decided (and Steve so hardly insisted) that she takes a leave of absence from work. She hasn't been eating much and even a few sips of water will render her sick and vomiting inside the bathroom, and she even grew some weird bumps by the lining of her gums a week ago, the reason why Peggy immediately assisted her to the dentist. And now, that same woman is coming to their house to fetch her. She just called, and it seemed like it was something important.
It's been three days since she's been resting and doing wife duties for Steve who attends in the camp every day. But more than that, they have been spending the days and nights making love, like it was a cure to her moody illness. Every time she sees her husband, she just wants to ravish him and it's already unhealthy to say how much she's been craving him like she craves his peanut butter sandwiches.
Yesterday night has been one hell of a session, and right at this moment, she sat on the couch, reading a boring newspaper while wearing Steve's uniform. Nothing's changed, she still loved stealing his stuff and wearing them whenever she feels uncomfortable or misses him or both—because she feels morose when she misses him, which has now become a mood swing. The shirt wasn't buttoned up completely, making it more loose than it already is, leaving some room for her bare shoulders to be revealed and a few inches of the skin of her chest exposed. If her husband sees her wearing this right now, he'll do exactly as he did the night before—that is rippingallofwhat she wore apart, lead her somewhere they'd find fun to do it, and then praise every inch of her until they're both sent to heaven.
She smiled at the thought, even blushed. Just in time, because the editorial page where she's currently reading on right now contained Steve's photograph, and thinking of his duality—being her incorrigible mate when they're alone and a serious super soldier when he's with everybody else—makes her bite her lip. How evolved had she made her then-virgin work partner to this insatiable man whoneverfails to give her what she wants and what they both want. Having him attend to her for the span of her weird-cravings-plus-weird-symptoms phase has been perfect, especially that he's the only cure to her temporary bipolarity and not to mention the only person on earth who she wants feeding her anything. If not for him, she would've been dead of starvation out of pickiness and stomach grumbles.
Halfway through absentmindedly staring at his picture, three knocks came echoing from the front door. She stood up in reflex, trusting the sound it made because she knew it's Peggy. She can smell the strong scent of her raspberry red lipstick. God, even her nose is starting to weird out.
Hair's a mess on top of her head, and she's wearing nothing aside from Steve's shirt that looked like a long dress for her. She hasn't slept because of what occurred the night before but she didn't mind fixing herself as she opened the door.
"Morning, Peg," she even yawned, eyes half-closed in front of the ever so stunning agent, wearing her usual formal attire and an orange-colored hat to avoid the early-April sunshine. The deep red on her lips smelled even stronger for Natasha now that the lady's in front of her.
Peggy squinted her beautiful brown eyes, scanning the curly redhead from head to toe. "Have you been eating anything or have you eatensomethinglast night?" She asked, emphasizing the word 'something'. If her lips are red and inviting, Natasha's are swollen and well-kissed. She's getting laid, too, of course, that's how she knows that.
She knows evenmorethan that because she knows what's happening to her Russian friend.
"Steve might've made me eatsomething," Natasha mischievously answered, then stepped aside. "Come in here, I'll prepare coffee."
Peggy stepped past the threshold as Nat walked to the kitchen. "I'm British," she informed, answering with a chuckle.
Tea,of course.
"You can sit on the couch, Peg, just excuse the mess, I was trying to sleep there." She yelled from the nearby kitchen. Peggy was already moving her pillows and blanket aside to make space for herself and transferring the unattended newspaper from the couch to the table.
"Don't you have a bed?" The woman asked, finding it odd. When she was experiencing these things, the only place she was always okay with is the fluffy mattress. It can't be possible that Nat is craving the comfort of the couch when it is in fact, not spacious nor comfortable at all.
So, she decided not to sit just yet. There wasn't any response from the homeowner about the bed and she's getting quite concerned. She quietly walked to the door of their bedroom without consent—it's not like she's invading anything. Both are her friends and they've gotten in more awkward situations thanthis.
This,as in seeing a broken bed. The headboard is horizontally torn into two and a pair of consecutive legs are pressed underneath the bed, not standing. It looks like it has just gone from an earthquake if not worse.
Peg had to breathe in deeply, trying to calm down before she says anything stupid. Her palm settled on her face, trying not to imagine what occurred for the innocent bed to end up like this.
"About that, we're gonna need a new bed." Natasha appeared behind her, laughing at the sight she saw. Peggy shook her head a few more times before following her back to the living room where they sat beside each other.
"You're here for what again? I thought you're bringingDaniel Junior," Nat inquired. It's missing her lovely one-year-old godson hours.
While answering, the founder of S.H.I.E.L.D. pulled something out of her handbag. "His father won't stop cuddling him up, I can barely have some alone time with him. And for the nth time, Tasha, his name is Elijah not Daniel Junior."
She laughed. "Sorry, he's a carbon copy of his dad."
"Well he's got my eyes at the very least!" Peggy slammed her palms on either sides of her thighs where they land on the cushion. She seems upset. "I've carried him for nine months and gave me all kinds of pain in labor but when he came out he'll just look like his father?"
It's adorable how she's angry at how her son looked. Natasha even had heart eyes at the statement.
"Isn't that quite cute? A mini-Daniel. If only I can have a baby boy, I want him to take after Steve. Like, all of him." Her dreamy gaze at nothing is what drew a smile on her friend's face.
Very soon from now.
"I advise you don't look at your husband ever so often because the baby will really look like him. That's a warning, by the way." She simply regarded as she sipped from her tea, not quite minding that she left Natasha dumbfounded by her statement.
"What do you mean?" The redhead rose from leaning by the backrest, obvious fear and cluelessness in her eyes. Peggy hid her small smile under the teacup and made sure it wasn't there anymore the moment she put it down, and then fetched the things she pulled out from her bag. It's from her dental results a week ago, but there wasn't anything to worry about thankfully, just that the lump she grew on her gums might mean something.
"According to this, the red bumps on your gums are called Pyugenic Granuloma."
"And?"
"And... you have been experiencing sickness every now and then. Lack of appetite, weird cravings, and you're being very sensitive especially with your nose because you were telling me you didn't like my perfume when you've lived your years alongside me and you weren't even complaining about anything," she raised an eyebrow. "And, you are being very moody for the past two weeks that's why I have—and not only me but also my dentist friend who did the checking on you—speculated that perhaps..."
"Perhaps what?"
This is really making her nervous. The last time she felt this way was at her wedding and it's been three years since that, now she's getting the goosebumps and the horses in her heart again.
"Did you have your monthly period this month?" Peggy asked, then it came to her. It finally made sense.
Nat was taken aback. She was sure she was still able to kill some ovules last month but how many weeks has it been? She started counting by her fingers, and Peggy watched as she raised ten.
The woman smiled playfully. "Ten weeks? Not bad for my speculation. We're going somewhere."
She dragged her up, telling her to shower and put on nice clothes. Natasha did as told because there is no way she's gonna believe that until they get to the doctors. She can't be pregnant. Shecan'tcan't, not because she doesn't want to but she just can't. She already discussed that with Steve and they've made that clear.
"Where are we going?" She asked when Peggy started the car engine. She's on the passenger seat of her vintage car, all anxious and confused of everything that's happening.
"To the doctors." The car started to run.
"What doctors? A gynecologist? A dentist? What do my gums even do with this issue?"
Peg kept her eyes on the road. "That thing found on your gums is especially rare within pregnant women. And you have symptoms similar to mine when I was carrying my firstborn so as per instinct, I have to take care of you because your husband will surely be a clueless idiot."
"Of course he will be! I can't get pregnant!"
"That's impossible, Tasha. For all I know, Steven's ultimate goal aside from being a war soldier is being a father. He's never gonna agree with no-child-policy especially if you're the wife." She giggled in amusement.
"No, Peggy, that's not what I mean. I mean I can'tgetpregnant."
The statement made the driver hit the brakes frantically, almost throwing them both out of the windshield, Nat almost hit the dashboard and for that, Peg touched her belly gently. "Oh, I am so sorry my godson... or goddaughter." Then she quickly looked up at Natasha, fear and confusion mirrored in both their orbs. "Were you sterilized?"
She nodded. So, so heartbroken when she did. The memories of when she went through the process and regretted it immediately after struck her again. But her vintage best friend isn't Agent Peggy Carter for nothing. She is feisty, she is strong, she stands up for what she believes is right and they both are. Brown eyes gave hope to green ones when she proved Nat she's not driving her back home without anything in hand.
"No, I refuse to accept that," the brunette stepped on gas again and sped up the car. She glanced at Natasha. "You've got all clear symptoms and no one tells me otherwise."
It wasn't Agent Romanoff's nature to not put up a fight when she is right and so does Peggy. It's gonna be hard to argue. However much she wants to tell her the truth, she can't, or else she will really mess everything up. Especially when it's now told to her and no matter what she knows, there's this glint of hope that makes her heart race. Unconsciously, she was clasping her tummy and there appeared a smile on her face.
She is sure about herself. About how she can never bear a child, but she's never really consented anyone to penetrate her aside from Steve. For goodness' sake, she never got laid in a decade. And honestly, she never loved anyone before Steve. Call it corny and old-fashioned but she was never into taking risks just for carnality. If she does get pregnant with a stranger's child, then what? Sex is fun, sure, but just like any other woman who's capable of bearing lives, she takes it with precaution, especially when she knew that stones, witches, and science can basically turn things around and cause miracles to happen.
Now, she's only ever been touchy-feely with her Steve and no one else. Could it be possible that it's because of him? The serum? The Mjolnir? The survival in ice? Vibranium? Or maybe it's because of her? Ever since her revival at Vormir, things got uncanny. Actually, when she started getting too sensitive with things and feeling sick for the past two weeks, she got scared, because maybe it's the stone that's trying to take her soul back. Maybe it's slowly killing her inside and that's the price she's gonna have to pay for the short while her life had been perfect.
But now, as she clasped her belly, she felt something else. Like there's a part of her soul that lives there separately. That's why until they got to this top-secret former SSR laboratory, she was silent, organizing her thoughts and hopes and weighing if she could trust her heart or use her mind again this time.
Would she have a mini-Steve? Or a mini-Nat? Or a mix of both? Is it going to be a boy or a girl? What if she fails to carry these? What if they aren't really there and she's just clinging to the hope that Peggy gave her?
The driver's side was already open and she was alone in the car but she was too caught up in her thoughts to notice a single thing. Outside the car is Peggy, looking at her confusedly.
"Natasha?"
Her rumination didn't cease to continue, it even got way stronger this time that she could barely hear Peggy's calls of her name from outside the car. She is overthinking things and is actually getting emotional. Tears almost got their freedom if only Peggy didn't slam her hands on the car door. Nat almost pulled out a gun if she only had one.
"Well come on then!" The other agent yelled, making her compose herself and hurry out of the car, following her footsteps to this eerie-looking door that actually led to a bigger room with people in white coats walking in every few inches of their work areas. Different metals, smoke, multicolored liquids inside assorted glass containers, a disaster much less in every space... very Stark. However, Carter didn't lead the way to any of those. It's not like she's gonna make her drink some sort of potion to prove that she really is carrying a life inside of her. They were leading the sidewalk to another elevator, going up.
"You might want to unbuckle your belt," Peggy noted beside her, which made her panic-stricken.
"What? Why?"
"I'll have someone check up on you and they need that perfect tummy under some type of surveillance camera."
Surveillance camera?
"Like an ultrasound?" She asked, befuddled. Do they even have that technology at this point in time?
"Is that what they call it?" Peggy twitched her lips, trying to remember, but the modern word didn't click in her mind. She tried explaining it to Natasha instead. "It's like an X-ray but much less harsh. When they did that to me, they put some sort of cold lotion on my abdomen."
"Then? What did they see?"
"Of course a child, Nat. My belly was bulging that time, I was three months due." Her sarcasm is evident.
This made Natasha more scared and hopeless and frantic and speechless. "Wha-- Are you expecting me to have the same thing inside me? It's only been ten weeks, Peg, what would they see? A block of delayed blood?"
The elevator dinged just in time for the answer. "Either way, we still have to know."
Peggy walked to the left entrance where they're greeted with a dim walkway that could barely fit two people at once, so Natasha is basically just following behind her while convincing her to bail out of here.
"Peggy, I'm telling you, I'm not pregnant. I can't be."
With this, the woman ahead stopped from walking and faced her, letting out one heavy sigh and grasping her on both shoulders.
"Natasha," she looked her straight in the eye. "I know it is unbelievable and I am a little too excited as to give you hope about this but I trust myself in this."
She stilled, shaking a little. "But what if there's nothing? I told you, I can't..."I can't be a mother. I'm gonna be a bad mother.
She didn't continue or these words would fall from her lips, but Peggy was still able to read them from her eyes. She knew someone who's trained in the red room, too; Dottie Underwood. She's practically a heartless monster like how she was raised and trained to be. And by now she's well-aware of Natasha's doubts with herself like how she doubted she will be a good wife to Steve. They've discussed that, and they've gone through that together, didn't they? But right now, at this situation, she was the one to experience pregnancy and motherhood first. That's the reason why she was concerned like this in the first place for Nat.
"Hey, listen to me." She held her steadily. "This... this is your estrogen imbalance talking, don't trust it. You are brave and strong andmebut Russian, and way more unique," she spared a laugh to lighten the mood. "I have also doubted I would be a good partner and mother to the men of my life but they never failed to prove to me each day that I am all they would ever wish for and more. Though I admit, none of us can be perfect, we'll have our set of mistakes and shortcomings but in the long run we have our reasons, we just have to make them good."
Nat felt her heart calm in her words, feeling ready for what's coming for her by the other side of the door.
They didn't even have enough time to initiate a hug. Peggy could talk with so much emotion and still be so excited deep inside. She's undeniably delighted and acted all bossy inside the room where only one doctor (who isn't even a gynecologist) conducted the procedure. He informed them that the technology is yet to be perfected but it had enhanced since the last time that Chief Sousa instructed them to use it on his wife.
None of the women were even afraid; just excited and perhaps a little holding back their breath. Natasha went back to her usual, cold, and steady self, laying on the bed with her tummy exposed. Peggy was right, it was her hormones acting up. It's crazy how drastic she's changed from super anxious to super calm. In fact, she feels like she's in the mood for battle and if she isn't good at containing herself, she might've punched the doctor without context.
She was giving him a death glare the whole time he's handling her. She doesn't like the way his skin came in contact to hers that's why all those minutes he was doing his job, he was sweating so hard. Aside from the invisible gun Peggy's holding against his temple, Natasha looks like she's gonna pull out a knife anytime. Luckily, he was successful in applying the lotion on her gut without being gutted.
The accessory was then plugged to start heating. It was connected to the monitors where all their eyes are glued on. In the nick of time, when he moved it on top of her tum, there wasn't yet any clear picture until the inside of her womb flashed slowly. The doctor steadied the device on the place where it gets clearer and clearer. At first, Nat was almost smiling because she knew she wasn't pregnant. Nothing was moving in the monitor. A clean trapezoid. Peggy was already frowning, not until a dot appeared by the intrauterine's corner. They were looking at it with pure confusion, but the doctor already had a growing smile on his face as he saw it beating.
"Is that... blood?" Natasha asked like she was grossed-out but happy.I knew it's just delayed blood.
"No, it's a heart--" He wasn't able to answer when Peggy caught something. Another dot. "Look, there's another one!" She pointed at the screen, and then realized it was mimicking the movement of...
The doctor and developer smiled. "That's a heartbeat... and another heartbeat."
"A WHAT? ANOTHER WHAT?" Romanoff almost passed out, so did Carter.
"Heartbeats, Missus Rogers," he looked back at the monitor to confirm the beating images were still there. When he did and he saw it, he looked back at them two. "Twins. Congratulations."
"Congratulations, Mr. Jarvis, you just smashed my headlight!" Howard Stark yelled outside the delivery room where Natasha is currently in.
"I'm so sorry, sir, but Miss Romanoff was laboring--"
"That's not an excuse for you to drive reckless--"
"Shut up, Howard, that's just a headlight. I'll pay you, okay?" Daniel Sousa defended on behalf of his wife's friend. They were all there when Nat's water broke and Howard's new car was the only thing available to use.
"Yes, it's just an expensive headlight, Sousa. I bet you can pay me." Stark mocked, earning Peggy's attention.
"And what about I smash your head so you can see the light, Howard? How does that sound?" Peggy finally spoke, and all of the men surrounding her shut their mouths up. She was glaring at Howard and everybody knows that when she looks like that, war happens after.
"Three lives were at stake, you imbecile. I'm already mad at you and we got her here, if we didn't for your bloody headlight excuse, I'm sure her husband would've killed you by now." She added, and then put her eyes back to the closed door, already praying silently that her godchildren be delivered safely.
Inside the delivery room is a bunch of doctors and Natasha, doing her best to push even when she lacks breath while doing so. She's gripping Steve's hand and at the same time cursing him to recharge every time she yells.
"Okay, at the count of three, we'll push..." informed the gynecologist, and then immediately yelled "THREE!"
"Fuck! You didn't even count!" Nat said as she pushed.
Steve heard her cuss, and it was his instinct to call that out. "Honey, langua--"
"SHUT UP! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" Push.
"You're doing great, Mrs. Rogers," informed the assisting surgeon. She barely heard her because Nat was yelling so loud.
The last time she checked, she carried on after being shot in the gut and almost lost blood but this pain is different. It's unbearable.
"I SHOULDN'T HAVE LET YOU GIVE ME TWIN SPERMS! NOW I'M GONNA HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS TWICE AT ONCE!"
"There, I see the head. Baby number one right here, another push."
She released a pained scream. "I WILL REALLY KILL YOU, STEVE!" And then another one push after that.
Her husband is currently tearing up with relieved sighs as he saw the first one's head come out. He looked at his wife and kissed her pale hand. "Whatever you want to do with me, baby. Just carry on, please."
Natasha felt another rotation happen inside her and she almost erupted. Her tears spurting out. "I'M NEVER GONNA LET YOU SLEEP WITH ME AGAIN!"
Baby number one came out, sparing the mother a few moments of numbness not until the other child insisted to go out.
"Baby girl out," informed the doctor who severed Nat's umbilical cord to the older twin. Steve couldn't help but cry at the quick sight and sound of their first baby.
A princess.
"God,I love you so much," he thanked a now frozen Natasha, also flabbergasted after that short encounter with their first one. The princess he wished for. His little Natasha.
"Now breathe," instructed the doctor. She literally had her breath held for a minute. "One, two, three? Ready? THREE!"
"OW! I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL YOU, ROGERS!"
She was curling up in so much pain, eyes squeezing shut at the sensation but every now and then she opens them to make sure that her husband she's sure she hates so much right now is still there. He still is, and he looks more hurt than she is.
She's literally near the edge now.
"That's great, the baby's coming out. One more time."
But instead of complying, she stopped. Breathed.
"No... I don't want to do it anymore," she weakly voiced out. Every fiber of her soul is slowly wearing out and her blood's rapidly leaving her body as of now.
"Wife, hey, you can do this..." Steve said beside her, wiping the sweat on her forehead. "Please. Please..." he kissed her temple.
With all her remaining strength, she looked at Steve, and listened to the cries of their little Sarah who's now being cleaned by the nurses. Without a single warning, she pushed, and it was all she got.
"Mini-daddy is out. Congratulations, Sir Rogers."
Cries filled the room. Twins. She didn't know how long she managed to stay conscious but she knew she lost half of her strength when Steve let go of her hand. She was shaking and she knew it won't take long before she dozes off, but before that, she was able to drown in the ocean of her husband's eyes again.
He was carrying them back to her side.
"Nat..." he softly called, still trying to keep himself from crying. He looked at both babies on either his big hands before looking at the one who birthed them. "They're beautiful."
She fought it, her breath was leaving her body. Heart is already failing but she smiled and did her best to crawl up, take a good look of her twins and kiss them both. Closed eyes, no hair yet, but their noses were Steve's.
Now she feels Peggy's hatred.
"Why do you both look like daddy?" she childishly asked, pretending she was okay even though her veins are telling her they can no longer hold.
"I love you, Nat. I love you so much. Thank you," he leaned in to press his lips on her head but before he could do it, she slammed back on the bed, almost unconscious.
"Nat?" He called. The doctors noticed and they all rushed to her again, like it was a near-death encounter.
In fact, it is. She's lost so much, her body's disagreeing.
"What's happening?" He asked, answered by a heart-sinking head shake.
"Her body barely did the miracle, sir."
"No." He gulped, then reached his hand to Natasha's. With the very last thread, she used her pinky finger to cling on his hand.
"Nat, please don't close your eyes. Please. Don't leave me. Don't leave me, please," he was begging, looking for every millimeter of green he still can. Natasha smiled at last, using her last strength to say something before things went black.
"I love you three--"