"Daddy!" Steve could've sworn he felt his heart skip a beat when Natasha, Little Natasha spoke. Once Nat called her daddy, all his worries were thrown out of the window: Tony (well, and the others) was right all along.
It was definitely shocking to see Natasha dropped. Initially, people wouldn't think that Littles would look any different from their aged selves when dropped. Well, they're wrong. It wasn't a major change, it wasn't that their features would suddenly appear more child-like, or that they'd suddenly get their baby teeth back. No.
It was more that you can practically see the innocence seeping back into their expressions: All the stress that adult life brought washed away for the moment. Natasha had that look right now, that innocent, child-like wonder in her eyes and Steve could honestly melt.
"Hi sweetheart." Steve all but cooed, his face hurting a bit from how hard he was smiling.
"Daddyyy!" Natasha practically squealed as she made grabby hands for Steve. Steve was a bit unsure as to how he should approach this, so he looked to Bruce for help. His friend nodded encouragingly so he turned back to Natasha and smiled.
"Mhm, that's right. Daddy's here." Steve said in a soothing voice as he reached out and carefully lifted Natasha onto his lap. Natasha, for her part, curled up in Steve's arms, resting the side of her head on Steve's chest. She sighed softly in what Steve assumed was contentment, and Steve smiled as he wrapped his arms protectively around the Little, around his Little.
"She seems to be awfully young." Bruce commented softly, and he had a fond smile on his face too.
"You can say that again." Steve chuckled softly. He looked down at Natasha and smiled in amusement when he saw the girl put her fingers in her mouth to suck on.
"How do we determine her age?"
"Usually we just ask the Little." Bruce said. They've only had handful of agents who had their first drop while in SHIELD-well, technically they were in the academy still, but that was besides the point. And all those times, they simply just asked the Little because that was probably the most accurate they can get.
"I can run some tests, but that'd give us more of a range than an exact age, so I think it's best we just ask her."
Steve nodded his head and looked down at the Little in his arms. "Nat? Can you look at daddy for a moment, hm?" Steve asked, but Natasha didn't budge. She didn't even show any signs of hearing Steve.
"Nat?" Steve frowned.
Bruce tilted his head curiously, and then he looked like he had an epiphany. "Maybe she goes by a different name when dropped." Bruce suggested.
"Skye likes to go by Daisy when she is." That wasn't a bad idea, so Steve proceeded to try and figure out what Nat liked to be called when dropped.
"Natasha?" No response. "Natalia?" Steve tried again, and still nothing. "Tasha?" That got the Little's attention. Nat-or rather Tasha, tilted her head up and smiled at Steve, her fingers still in her mouth.
"You like to be called Tasha, huh?" Steve smiled and tickled Tasha under her chin, causing the Little to erupt in a fit of giggles. It was the most adorable giggle Steve's ever heard.
"Tasha." Tasha confirmed, nodding her head once and smiling up at Steve.
"Tasha is a lovely name." Steve smiled and kissed Tasha on her forehead. "Can Tasha tell daddy how old she is?"
Tasha tilted her head slightly to the right, as if trying to comprehend what Steve was asking of her. "How old is Tasha?" Steve asked again, and the Little seemed to understand now.
"Dis many!" Tasha said proudly as she held up two fingers, and Steve was a little shocked. He already sensed that Natasha was on the younger side of the spectrum, but he's never encountered a toddler Little before.
"Wow! Two?! You're such a big girl, aren't you?" Steve exclaimed, and Tasha giggled and clapped her hands together in delight. Yup, definitely the most adorable giggle-no, the most adorable Little, Steve has ever encountered.
"Steve," Bruce snapped Steve out from his little trance of adoring Tasha and Steve hummed in response as he turned his head to look at Bruce. "I know you must want to take her back home now, but I think I want to keep her just for a little while longer."
"How come?" Steve frowned.
"I just want to make sure the drop's actually doing something for her brain." Bruce explained calmly. "We still also have to call agent Coulson to get Natasha's records updated."
"Yeah, okay then." Steve said softly before turning his attention back to Tasha, who was currently reaching up and trying to grab Steve's nose.
"I'll let you two get more acquainted for now. I should probably give it an hour or so before I do a scan." Bruce said. "I can have someone bring in some food for the two of you in a bit, it's almost lunch."
"Thank you Bruce, I appreciate it." Steve said gratefully with a smile, which Bruce returned with a nod before he left the two to give them some privacy while they bond.
"Why do you want daddy's nose, hm?" Steve chuckled as he tried to move his face away from Tasha's hands.
"Nose!" Tasha said as she put a hand over her own nose, and Steve smiled.
"That's right baby, that's your nose. Aren't you a smart one?" Steve practically cooed. "Where are Tasha's eyes?"
"Hewe!" Tasha said as she covered both her eyes with her hands, her r's evidently nonexistent.
"Oh no! Where's my baby Tasha?!" Steve gasped, and Tasha giggled, keeping her hands over her eyes. "Is sheeee... Here?" Steve said, tickling Tasha's side and effectively making her erupt in a fit of giggles.
"Or is she here?" He asked as he tickled Tasha's tummy. Tasha lasted for a few more seconds before she most likely couldn't take it.
"Boo!" Tasha exclaimed as she uncovered her eyes, and Steve pretended to be surprised by Tasha's "appearance"
"Oh there you are! I thought daddy lost you!" Steve exclaimed as he pulled Tasha closer and held her comfortably tight.
"Tasha no go." Tasha smiled and shook her head. "Tasha stay wif daddy."
"Mhm, daddy would really love that." Steve said softly and she leaned down to kiss the top of Tasha's head. Steve was about to say something else, but then he felt Tasha nuzzling her face into his chest right where-oh, oh.
"Oh Tasha, baby." Steve said with a slight frown as he tried to gently pull Tasha's face away from his chest. "Daddies can't really do that, baby. I'm sorry." Well this was a problem, or Steve hoped it won't be. Maybe once Tasha understands that he can't really breastfeed her, she'll forget about it?
Steve could almost feel his heart shattering into a million pieces when Tasha whimpered. "Are you hungry? Does Tasha want some milk or some yummies?" He asked as he gently brushed some hair away from Tasha's face.
"Nummies." Tasha whimpered before sticking her fingers in her mouth yet again.
"Uncle Bruce went away to get us nummies. Nummies will be here soon, baby." Steve said soothingly, but that didn't satisfy the toddler. Tasha whimpered and patted Steve's chest with her free hand.
"I'm sorry baby, but daddy doesn't have milk." Steve said apologetically, and his frown deepened. Was this the beginning of his being an inadequate heartmate for Tasha? He can't provide this one little thing, who knows what else he'll be lacking? The fact that Natasha didn't seem to understand him just troubled Steve even more. Natasha's lips were trembling and tears were pooling in the toddler's eyes.
"It's okay baby, it's okay." Steve cooed to his Little. "Daddy knows you're hungry, we'll be getting our nummies soon, I promise." Steve said, and Natasha just sniffled. Steve couldn't stand seeing his Little upset, so he carefully stood up with Tasha in his arms and started to gently sway.
Natasha held onto him tightly and hid her face in his neck. If this was any other situation, Steve would've found it adorable-ah, who was he kidding? It was still adorable, but he was more focused on soothing his Little right now.
He was still in the middle of feeling guilty about not being able to breastfeed Tasha when there was a knock on the door. He looked that direction and told whoever to come in: It was one of the nurses who had a tray of food in hand, and a bag slung over one shoulder. She greeted Steve and let him know that Bruce sent her with these items and then she was off once Steve thanked her.
"Look baby, your nummies are here." Steve gently patted Tasha's back to get her attention, and the toddler sat up in Steve's arms. She sniffled softly before turning her head to look at the bed.
"Baba." Tasha said in a soft voice as she leaned down towards the bed and made grabby hands for her bag. Steve had to hold on tight to make sure she didn't fall. He was confused at first, but then he saw the baby bottle in one of the side pockets.
"Does Tasha want her baba?" Steve asked as he reached out and took the bottle, but finding it empty. He sighed softly when Tasha whined and tried to grab the bottle. "Daddy will make your baba, but daddy has to put you down first, okay?"
"Otay." Tasha said sadly before sticking her fingers back into her mouth. Steve smiled sympathetically and kissed Tasha's forehead before gently setting her down in the middle of the bed. He then sat down as well and opened the bag to look for the milk: He found a water bottle, a container with baby formula, and oh... Right, Tasha might actually need a diaper for all he knew. One thing at a time, Steve.
He took care of the bottle first, and he silently thanked Bruce for measuring out the formula already. All he had to do was fill the bottle with water and pour the formula in. He made sure the bottle was screwed shut before shaking it.
"Okay baby, lie down so you can have your baba." Steve said as he uncapped the bottle before helping Tasha lie down. He figured he can just change Tasha while she had her bottle.
Luckily enough, Tasha seemed to be eager to have her bottle so she lied down without a fuss. She whined slightly and pouted when Steve was taking too long, and he chuckled as he handed the Little her bottle. Tasha reached both hands up to hold it, but Steve held it for her for a little while at first too. Once he was sure Tasha would be okay, he let go and got everything else he'd need.
Steve realized he and Nat haven't really talked about this, if Nat would be comfortable with Steve changing her, or giving her baths, or all those other intimate tasks. Then again, they hadn't anticipated her to be a toddler. Steve kind of needed to help her.
After convincing himself this was the right thing to do, Steve pulled down Tasha's pants and underwear. He folded them up and set them aside before grabbing the Sesame Street diaper and opening it up. Tasha seemed to be a little preoccupied with her bottle, so Steve just lifted Tasha's bum and legs by her ankles and slid the diaper underneath her. She didn't seem to mind, so Steve took that as a good sign and finished taping the diaper onto Tasha. If Steve initially thought Tasha couldn't get any cuter, well, he was wrong.
Tasha in just a shirt and diaper as she had her bottle? Probably even the most cold-hearted of people would coo at the sight. Also, now with her pants off and a diaper on, Steve could've sworn Tasha looked a little more relaxed. He wasn't going to bother with her pants anymore because he was sure they wouldn't fit over that diapered bum. Tasha seemed content like this anyway. He just fixed Tasha's shirt so the hem of it wouldn't be tucked into her diaper, before turning to fix his and Tasha's lunch.
In hindsight, maybe Steve should have started with lunch before giving Tasha her bottle, but it was too late for that now. He told himself he'll just keep it in mind for next time. Natasha meanwhile looked pretty content as she held her bottle with one hand, and one of her feet with the other.
Steve shook his head in amusement as he poured in some apple juice into the sippy cup that he found in the bag. Bruce had definitely thought of everything. He hoped he'd be this put together-or more, for Natasha too. His lunch was a burger just how he liked it, while Tasha's was a bowl of mac and cheese with some bacon bits. That seemed simple enough. He was in the middle of cooling Tasha's food when he heard the toddler whimper again.
When Steve looked over, he noticed that Tasha's bottle was empty but the toddler was still trying to get some nonexistent milk out of it. Steve smiled sympathetically and he reached over to help Tasha sit up.
"Daddy's got your lunch, baby. Do you want some yummy mac and cheese?"
Tasha sniffled and almost pitifully nodded her head in response. Nat hadn't eaten a proper breakfast so her hunger was catching up by now. She still had the bottle in her mouth, so Steve gently took it away, earning a little whimper from her but Steve quickly apologized. He made sure Tasha was settled properly against the pillows before he grabbed the bowl of mac and cheese and the spoon.
He thought of letting Tasha feed herself, he really did. But then he couldn't resist it and Steve ended up feeding the Little girl himself. He'd alternate between feeding Tasha and taking a bite of his own food, and he realized that was probably why Bruce gave him a burger; much easier to eat one-handed.
"Nummies!" Tasha said happily as she patted her tummy with her hands.
"Is Tasha's tummy happy?" Steve asked with a smile as he scooped up some more mac and cheese.
"Tummy happy!" Tasha confirmed. "Cheese s'petti yummy."
Steve chuckled at that and leaned down to kiss Tasha's little nose: He couldn't help it. His Little was just absolutely adorable. He smiled even wider when Tasha tilted her head up to kiss his nose too. Sure, that got some cheese on Steve's nose, but he loved it anyway.
When Tasha refused to take another bite, even after Steve pretended it was a train or airplane, he figured the toddler was finally full. He set down the bowl back onto the tray and grabbed the sippy cup.
"Juice p'eaaaase." Tasha asked sweetly as she made grabby hands for the cup.
"Well don't I have such a polite baby girl?" Steve smiled and gave Tasha the sippy cup of apple juice. Tasha smiled widely at the praise and held her cup with both hands.
"T'anchu!" Tasha said before taking a big sip.
Once Tasha was satisfied, Steve took a napkin and tried to gently clean Tasha's face. He half-expected the toddler to argue, but Tasha just smiled at him before letting out an adorable little yawn. Yeah, Steve should have saved the bottle for last.
"It looks like a certain baby girl is tired." Steve commented softly before throwing the used napkin into the bin.
"S'eepy baby." Tasha confirmed as she reached a hand up and tiredly rubbed her eye. Well, it seemed like naptime falls after lunch, then.
"Daddy hugs?" Tasha asked in her small, hopeful voice as she looked up at Steve. And really, how could Steve say no to that?
"Mhm, lots of hugs." Steve smiled as he reached for his Little.
He scooped Tasha into his arms before carefully standing up and adjusting his hold on her. Steve silently thanked the gods that Natasha was quite small because she fit perfectly in his arms. Tasha seemed to think that too, because the toddler basically melted and wrapped her arms around Steve before sighing softly in contentment.
Since it seemed to help soothe Tasha earlier, Steve tried swaying with his Little again as he rhythmically patted her padded bum. It didn't take long for the toddler to fall asleep and soon, Steve was tucking her back into the middle of the bed.
He didn't want Tasha falling off in her sleep, so he got the extra pillows and placed them on either side of her. He should probably get a crib for his floor-and a whole lot of other baby furniture.
Ah crap, he was unprepared for having a toddler Little. Sam introduced him to the "world of online shopping" a couple of months back, but he wasn't really comfortable with the thought of buying Nat's things online. He wanted to be sure that he'll be getting the best for his Little. That, and Steve kind of liked the thought of going shopping with Nat, regardless if she was dropped or not.
Steve's thoughts were interrupted by a quiet knock on the door, and Steve called for whoever to come in. It was Bruce and trailing behind him was agent Coulson.
"Captain." Phil nodded in greeting.
"Phil." Steve walked over to shake Phil's hand. "You know you can always call me Steve." He said with an amused shake of his head.
"I know, it just feels so cool to call you captain." Phil said, looking quite pleased as usual and Steve had to chuckle.
"Has she been asleep long?" Bruce asked, and Steve turned his attention to Bruce.
"I've just put her down about five or so minutes ago." Steve said with a shake of his head. "Did you need her awake for this?" He asked, knowing Bruce was probably going to do the scans now, and that Phil was here to make the other steps to make necessary arrangements quicker.
"No, this should be fine." Bruce said as he got his equipment ready.
"Was just looking forward to giving her a lollipop for being well-behaved, that's all." He said with a soft chuckle.
"While Dr. Banner is doing the scans, perhaps you and I can have a quick chat?" Phil suggested, and Steve turned his attention back to him.
"Yeah, of course." Steve nodded his head. "We can just sit at the table." He said, nodding to the little table on the other side of the room.
He didn't really want to leave in case Natasha woke up, and it wasn't like they were going to talk about anything that Bruce shouldn't know about. Phil readily agreed, so Steve walked over and took a seat at the table, with Phil sitting across from him.
"So, I hear Natasha's a two year-old." Phil said as he unlocked his tablet, and Steve nodded in response. "I've done a quick scan of our database, she's our first toddler Little in SHIELD and the academy."
"Is that a bad thing?" Steve asked, his eyebrows furrowing together in concern.
"No I'm simply pointing out the facts, captain." Phil said with a reassuring smile. Steve saw Phil pull up Natasha's file before he continued.
"You know SHIELD doesn't discriminate when it comes to Little ages. If anything, this is going to make Nat a star." When Steve didn't respond, Phil looked up and saw the confused expression on the captain's face.
"Like I said, first toddler. Bigs left and right are definitely going to trip over themselves to take care of her." Phil pointed out, and after giving it a little thought, Steve figured that much was true. Nat's toddler status at least explained why Bigs were so protective and gentler with her even when aged. What more when she's dropped?
"She might get overwhelmed though." Steve pointed out with a frown. He wasn't sure if Tasha was the shy type, but he had a feeling that once she ages and realizes what's up, Nat wouldn't appreciate that much attention on her.
"I know." Phil said with a sympathetic smile. "Which is why dr. Banner and I discussed giving you two some time off as soon as possible. Time for the both of you to adjust to your new lifestyles and relationship."
"Time off?" Steve asked, his eyebrows shooting up.
"Don't act so surprised now. You know very well SHIELD gives new heartmates time off to become better acquainted." Phil said. He did recall the rest of his teammates getting 2 or 3 days off after they bonded with their respective heartmates. "We managed to get you and Natasha ten days off starting tomorrow."
"That's a lot of days." Steve said, unable to hide the surprise in his voice.
"Well, the length of the break depends on the age of the Little. You've probably just never heard of a break this long because, as I mentioned, first toddler Little napping right there on that bed." Phil said, and Steve looked over at Natasha. He did have one special Little. They haven't been together as heartmates for long-heck, it's only been an hour at most, but Steve knew he'd gotten incredibly lucky here.
"I'm sure you'd like to talk with Natasha first about how you'd want to spend your break." Phil broke Steve out of his thoughts.
"But once you've decided, let me know. If we have any safe houses where you two want to go, we can easily arrange for you two to stay there if you'd like."
"That's great, I'll make sure to keep that in mind." Steve said gratefully.
"Now," Phil said as he pulled up another file next to Natasha's, "I'm sure you're well-aware that infant and toddler Littles are quite special cases. A lot of different government protocols are in place to keep them safe." Right, Steve needed to keep those in mind too.
"It's quite an extensive list." Phil said, and Steve saw him scrolling through the new document, presumably the list of protocols. Saying "quite an extensive list" was an understatement, in Steve's opinion.
"I know this looks overwhelming." Phil said with a sympathetic smile. "But I've read through this in the past as well. Majority really are just common sense, but I'll send this file to your email regardless." At that, Phil tapped on send and Steve felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Yup, Steve definitely had a lot of reading to do tonight.
"Protocols of immediate concern are on the first page, biggest one being she has to move in with you." Yeah, Steve's heard of that protocol before. It was a precaution because infant and toddler Littles were more prone to panic or accidental drops. The other Littles like Clint and Wanda, they still had their own apartments. But Natasha won't, not anymore. That's going to be a pleasant conversation.
"We also have standard-issued car seats and high chairs you can use, but I highly recommend you get her ones more fit for her." Phil said.
"We also have other supplies you might need-diapers, bottles, milk. We can send a batch over to your apartment once we're done here."
"Yeah, I intend to go shopping for her." He was hoping he'd go shopping with Natasha if she'd be open to it. If not, maybe he can ask Tony or Sam to keep an eye on her while he's away. "But again, thank you Phil."
"You're welcome." Phil smiled. "We want you two to be able to adjust to your new lives with ease."
"Is there any other urgent matter I need to take care of?" Steve asked. He was new to this whole heartmate thing so of course he was nervous about screwing up.
"Well, there is a matter of her Little ID. It needs to be updated as well and I'm not really authorized to do that. I can update all her other documents, but not that." Phil said.
"We have an office for that on the third floor of building theta. It should be quick, but she needs to be present and dropped."
"Do I need to do that today?" Steve asked. He was hoping he could get Natasha settled first this afternoon, especially after the long day she had.
"Just make sure to have it done before the end of your break, or before you leave town if you intend on doing so." Phil said. He printed up a slip using his tablet and handed it to Steve.
"Just present this at the front desk. It should fast track the process."
Steve felt like he was thanking Phil quite a lot, but the man was doing a lot for him so he figured it was warranted. As Steve kept the slip in his wallet, Bruce walked over to them and took a seat at the table. Bruce was smiling, so Steve took that as a good sign: an incredibly good sign.
"Her brain is on the mend. The drop's definitely helping." Bruce said with a reassuring smile. He pulled up his tablet and showed Steve Nat's brain scan. Sure enough, the colors looked more balanced than they had earlier.
"That's good then." Steve said, the relief evident in his voice. He even managed to sit back in his chair and relax just a little.
"Mhm, but Steve, we're still in the danger zone here." Bruce said gently, and in Steve's honest opinion, Bruce should have started with that.
"She's on the mend, but to keep this up she also needs to drop regularly. She can't stay aged for more than 24 hours straight for now. And no resisting drops as that could cause even more damage. When she feels the urge to, she needs to drop."
"You're telling me that as if Natasha would readily accept it." Steve pointed out.
"She would if she cares about her own life." Bruce said gently, and Steve sighed. "And this 24-hour thing won't be forever. It's just until we're sure she's out of harm's way."
"Is there anything else I need to know?"
"You've seen Clint and the others control their drops easily, yeah? Dropping and then aging up on their own will." Steve nodded his head.
"That doesn't come naturally. She'll have to learn that, but I wouldn't rush it, especially with her case. It might frustrate her, which is why I feel the need to bring it up."
"She may also feel a little more sensitive or emotional for a while." Bruce continued. Yeah, Bruce really should have started off with these parts.
"It's normal for toddler and baby Littles after their first drop, so it's nothing we should worry about. She'll be back to her normal self after a few days." He said reassuringly.
"The more you talk, the more ill-equipped I feel about this." Steve said with a frown.
"Steve," Steve was so surprised that Phil called him by his first name, that he actually stopped panicking for a bit, "we've all felt inadequate or unprepared when we first bonded with our heartmates. I know this is a different case because, well, she's a toddler. But you and Nat aren't alone in this. You were there for us when we were struggling, so you bet we're going to have your back too."
"Yeah, c'mon Steve. You really think we're going to let you hog a toddler Little all to yourself?" Bruce teased, and Steve actually smiled.
"Clint was already begging to see Nat-and I'm sorry I told him." Bruce quickly added. "It's just, you know how Clint is with Nat. The moment he learned that you went here to see her, well... Tony had to physically restrain him. I had to explain what was going on so he'd understand that maybe now wasn't the best time for him to see Nat."
"It's fine, Bruce. Don't worry about it." Steve said with a small smile. Their words at least provided him some comfort. He knew he could count on his team, on his family, to help him and Natasha transition into their new lives.
"I'm sure Tasha will be excited to meet all her big brothers and sisters. And uncles and aunties." Steve added with a chuckle when Phil and Bruce glared at him playfully.
From there, the three of them had light conversation about their team's Littles. Mainly, Steve listened intently especially to Phil's stories. If he was going to be a good dad, he needed to learn all that he can. Phil and Bruce kept on assuring him though that he'll be fine. He was already slipping into the role nicely.
When Natasha started to stir about an hour later though, Bruce and Phil excused themselves to give Steve and Nat some privacy. Steve thanked them again profusely, and Phil updated Steve that the packages were already in his apartment, before the two left and Steve approached Nat's bed. By the time Steve got there, Nat was tiredly rubbing her eyes.
"Steve?" Nat asked tiredly as she pulled one hand away from her face.
"I'm right here." Steve said soothingly as he stood by Nat's bed and reached out to smooth back her hair.
"How are you feeling?" As if on cue, a bright red blush made its way to her cheeks.
"I'm sorry." She said softly, avoiding any eye contact with him.
"What are you saying sorry for?" Steve asked as he carefully sat down on the edge of her bed.
"I don't know." Natasha admitted softly, and she still wouldn't look at him.
"Nat, listen to me." Steve spoke in a gentle voice.
"You don't have to apologize for being Little. I know you think it's hard to believe now, but there's nothing wrong with it, okay? It's a normal part of you, and you need your drops. No one's holding it against you."
Nat frowned and bit down on her lower lip. She shifted slightly and blushed brighter as she pulled the blanket up a little higher. Steve was then reminded that Nat was still in just a diaper and shirt, probably needing a change, but now probably wasn't the right time to bring attention to that.
"So you really don't mind being my heartmate?" Natasha asked, sounding timid more than anything.
"You don't know how happy I was when I realized that we are." Steve smiled.
"That was probably the happiest I felt in a long while." He said softly, and Natasha nodded her head. He barely heard it, but he heard the soft "me too" that came from Natasha.
"Bruce did a scan on your brain already." Steve said after a while. He figured he needed to let Natasha know already, and so he did. He told Natasha about the scan, how the drop improved the chemical balance and activities in her brain. He told her everything Bruce told him: How she needed to drop more regularly, how she could be a little sensitive over the next few days, all of it including some of the toddler protocols.
At some point, it occurred to Steve that maybe this was a lot to dump on Natasha all at once. But then again, he didn't want to hold anything back. Once he was done, he let Natasha mull over everything. It was quite a lot to take in.
"I feel so stupid" were the first few words Natasha muttered, and Steve frowned deeply.
"How could I have trusted them? They took me from my parents and I just readily accepted every idea they planted in my mind." Steve knew by then Natasha was talking about the Red Room.
"You were just a little girl, Nat. An actual little girl." Steve said. "You were doing it to protect yourself. It's not your fault."
The small comfort Steve got from this was that, well, at least Natasha seemed to be starting to resent the pill.
"Yeah, and look where that got me." She said tearfully, and Steve could see the tears building up in her eyes. Bruce was right with the heightened emotionality and sensitivity, that's for sure.
"Fuck, I'm so stupid." Nat muttered as she started to hit the side of her head with the heel of her hand out of frustration.
"Hey, hey none of that." Steve said in a gently firm voice as he reached out and held both of Nat's hands to stop her.
"Honey I'm glad you're coming to realize how wrong that all was, but you need to understand that's not your fault, okay?" He said in a gentle voice. "You're not stupid. You're one of the smartest people I know."
"You're probably forgetting Bruce and Tony." Nat sniffled, and Steve chuckled softly.
"I did say one of the smartest." Steve smiled.
"I know this may all seem scary and new, but we'll figure everything out together, yeah?." He said softly. He let go of one of Nat's hands so he can reach out and wipe away the tear that went down her cheek with the pad of his thumb.
"Can I give you a hug?" Steve asked in a gentle voice after a while.
Natasha seemed to hesitate for a moment, but she eventually nodded her head and began to sit up. Steve helped her and proceeded to gently tug the Little into his arms, enveloping her in a tight, comfortable hug. He could feel the tension leave Natasha as she relaxed in his arms, and he kissed the top of her head before soothingly rubbing her back.
Nat had her face hidden in Steve's chest at first, but she eventually turned her head so she'd be facing the side. She didn't pull away yet though, so Steve didn't let go of her. He'd let her decide when she's had enough comfort.
"Are we allowed to leave now?" Nat asked softly, and Steve noted she asked about both of them, and not just herself. Maybe Nat was slowly coming to accept all the change after all.
"Mhm, I'll call Bruce so we can get you discharged." Steve said before kissing the top of Nat's head one more time.