romanogers || one shots

Heartbeat

The doctor started readying the machine for the ultrasound as Natasha laid back on the table, lifting her shirt. All she could think about was how she could have lost the baby.

Oh god. Please be okay. How can I tell Steve in one breath that he’s a father and his child is gone.

The doctor squirted the gel onto Natasha’s still-flat stomach. She’d only found out about the baby a week earlier. She’d barely had time to wrap her head around the fact that she was going to be a mother. That, despite that fact that it wasn’t possible, her body had conceived a child.

And she might have lost it.

Natasha tried to control her breathing, attempting to quell the panic building in her chest. The doctor moved the wand around on her abdomen, carefully looking for signs of life.

An eternity later, Natasha noticed the little blip on the monitor just as the doctor pointed it out.

“Your baby looks perfectly fine,” the woman told Natasha. “Would you like to see if we can hear the heartbeat?”

Tears stung the back of Natasha’s eyes. She nodded at the woman.

A moment later, a fast pulsing beat filled the room. Natasha stared at the screen, watching the little blip, trying to process all of this. Her baby was fine. Her baby was alive. She was listening to its heartbeat.

A gasp at the doorway grabbed Natasha’s attention. She looked at Steve as he took in the scene before him. A moment later, his eyes met hers and he quickly strode to her side.

Before Natasha to think of anything to say, Steve took her face in both hands and pulled her into a searing kiss. She felt the doctor pull the wand away to give them space.

When Steve pulled back, Natasha was breathless.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Steve asked, eyes dark with concern and even a little hurt.

It took a minute for Natasha to find her voice. “I was going to tell you soon. I had a planned a nice night out for us, but then everything happened. Thanos happened. I couldn’t tell you before the battle because you needed to focus on everything else. I couldn’t let this be a distraction that could get you killed.”

Steve closed his eyes in acceptance. He didn’t like it, but there was no point arguing about it.

“I love you so much Natasha.” He kissed her forehead. “I’m so glad the baby is okay.”

“I was scared I’d lost it after we lost everyone else.” She admitted quietly.

The doctor chose to interrupt by stating, “your baby is fine. Everything looks good.” She smiled at the couple, then asked, “would you like a recording of the heartbeat?”

“Yes!” Steve was quick to answer. “Please.” He added as an afterthought.

Natasha smiled brightly at him.

“So,” Steve said as he looked back to Natasha. She quirked an eyebrow at him.

“Boy or girl?” He asked, a smile lighting his face.