Baby Captain Widow (a Romanogers pregnancy fanfic)

Chapter 12: Desk jobs

Later that week, Natasha had received a call from Fury to meet him in his office just before lunch. She pulled her red hair into a low, loose ponytail that hung over her shoulder. She wore a tan t-shirt and black leggings with a grey striped zip up hoodie on top. She left her room, and closed the door behind her, making her way towards the office.

She took a deep breath and knocked on the door. "Come in." Came Fury's response. Natasha twisted the doorknob and walked in. "Agent Romanoff, please, take a seat." He requested, waving his hand at the chair on the other side of his desk. She moved over to it, wearily. Fury had never been this formal to her or anyone for that matter, and it was freaking her out. Her hand moved to the back of the chair and pulled it out, so that she could sit down.
"What is it you wanted to talk to me about, Nick?"
"Agent Romanoff, I am aware that you are almost five months pregnant, am I correct?"
"Yes, you are correct." She answered.
"Well, that would put you in some difficulty if you were to participate in any missions that could take place in the near future."
"So, what, are you giving me a desk job?" Her voice raising slightly.
"I don't want to, you're one of my best agents, but I have to. You have to understand that this was a difficult decision for me to make." He looked her in the eye, his gaze a stony veil concealing upset.
"So you don't think that I can handle myself out there?"
"That's not what I'm saying, Natasha."
"Then what is it?"
"Natasha, you're about to become a mother, which means that you have to think also of your child's safety, not just your own. It's not about whether you can handle whatever situation we put you in, we already know that you can, but it's about whether it is just you who comes out of it alive. You nearly lost your child the other day, we are not going to let that happen again." She stood up, and stormed out of the room. He was right and she knew that, but that had been a situation in which she had no control in. Whenever she was sent on missions before, she had always had full control, and she was terrified that she was losing it.

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Steve was busy in the gym, pounding his fists at the punching bag, knocking it off the hook and onto the ground. He had been at it for three hours already, and he was beginning to drip with sweat. He picked up a new bag, not looking at the five that were leaking sawdust onto the floor. He hung it on the hook and began again. Natasha stormed into the room, her fists clenched, livid. "Hey, what's happened?" He asked, turning from the bag at the sound of her slamming the door.
"Fury has put me on fucking desk duty until I've had this kid!" She yelled, hitting the punchbag with all of her might. It swung violently, almost hitting Steve in the side.
"And? Nat, I just don't get how you could be angry. This will allow our baby to stay healthy and safe. Don't you want that?"
"I do, Rogers, you know I do, but desk work? I can help from the sidelines, how am I meant to do that when I'm organising stupid files?!" She kicked his duffel bag on the floor, spilling its contents onto the floor. "I love my job, I always have since I joined SHIELD, and now I'm being prevented from doing what little I am able to do."
"Maybe that's a good thing, prevents you from getting stressed."
"Of course you'd side with him!" She exclaimed, swinging her hair as she stalked off, slamming the door behind her again.

She entered her bedroom, and started to punch her pillow, cursing with each blow, until she eventually lobbed it across the room, hitting the mirror with a soft thud. She threw herself onto the bed, bouncing slightly. There was a knock at the door, gentle yet strong. "Piss off, Rogers." She called, throwing her other pillow at the door.
"What if it's not Rogers?" Wanda called, opening the door slightly. "Can I come in? I heard angry pillow throwing."
"Sure, but I'm this close to stabbing someone."
"Isn't that what Loki does?" Nat shot her a withering look, Wanda just laughed. "You know those looks don't work on me anymore, right?" Nat moaned, turning over and leaning her hand on her stomach, feeling her baby's soft kicks. "What's wrong, 'Tasha?" Wanda asked softly, stroking her shoulder sympathetically.
"I've been giving fucking desk duty until I have this kid, and my stupid boyfriend agrees with the decision!" She muttered, turning her face into the mattress.
"What?! Surely they could've just let you work on the sidelines, giving us orders or something?"
"Exactly!" Nat flew up into a sitting position, and immediately regretted that decision as her vision began to sway, her hand moving to massage her temple.
"You ok?"
"Yeah, just sat up too quickly, that's all." Wanda laughed and embraced her best friend. Nat's mouth began to curl into a smile before joining in with Wanda's infectious laugh. She pulled Wanda's hand onto her stomach, and Wanda marvelled at the slight movement beneath, pulling Nat into an even tighter hug. "Thanks, Wanda, I really needed this."