Who: Natasha and Steve When: Thursday 16th early morning Where: Steve’s place What: Catching up Rating/Warnings: Low/None Status: Completed gdoc
It had been a while since Nat had done some breaking and entering, part of her missed it and of course the one person she was always happy to surprise was Steve. With Kara and Bucky added into the mix it even became more of a challenge, something Natasha could never turn down.
Entering his kitchen she grinned as she saw him pouring coffee, “Ah I have perfect timing” she said leaning on the counter looking rather pleased with herself.
***
If Natasha’s voice had been any less familiar, Steve would have been on high alert in a second. As it was, he tensed only for a moment before recognizing who it was and sighing softly, shaking his head and just moving to get a second mug.
There was a while yet before anyone else would be up, Steve tended to be the first the same way Bucky was the last and he encouraged the girls to sleep in a little when they could, his wife especially these days. So it was a good time for her to stop by.
“See you like taking your life into your own hands more than usual,” he noted lightly, pouring a cup of coffee for her as well and handing it to her before going to sit at the table.
***
Natasha knew Steve was an early bird so guessed he’d be the only one up, not that she would have minded if anybody else was around. Though thinking about it she wasn’t sure if the girls were aware of her tendency to let herself in.
“You know me, I love a good challenge, besides I’d hate to disappoint you and start knocking on the door like a normal person” She made a face before grinning. Taking the cup he gave her she joined him at the table, “So how are things?” she asked him.
***
The day Natasha actually knocked like a normal person was the day Steve assumed something was wrong.
“Things are good. Getting ready for the baby, no teenagers causing any chaos lately.” A few other things he wasn’t really inclined to talk about with any of his friends so he was just leaving that out. “Not too much changes around here. It’s kind of nice.”
Steve had had plenty of change in his life, even in his time living in Madison Valley. It was nice to have things just stay constant for a while.
***
It would probably be a good association to make in all fairness.
“Who ever would have thought that we’d be craving the quiet days?” Natasha smiled, because she was exactly like Steve she appreciated it when things were calm and settled. They knew it wouldn’t last long here but they could enjoy it while it was here.
“V doing okay?” she asked, she’d been around Laura enough to know how pregnancy went.
***
“She’s alright,” he nodded with a smile that was full of affection. He thought she was doing okay, anyway. The complaints he’d heard seemed to be pretty standard ones as far as he knew. “Probably can’t wait to not be pregnant anymore.”
He knew she was still less sure about being a parent than he was, Steve was completely sure about the both of them, but he did know that his wife would like to have her body back.
***
“Oh I imagine so. Laura definitely got to that point, Clint used to send me in when she got too grumpy with him” Natasha said a smile on her lips at the memory of it, “But I am sure you’re made of sterner stuff than that” she added.
Natasha was absolutely positive that both Steve and Veronica would make the best parents and that the family they had here would make sure the child was always safe and happy.
***
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Steve chuckled. The team had always worked as a team because they had their own strengths, and Steve wasn’t sure that his lie here. “But so far she’s not taking anything out on me so I think maybe I’m just doing okay staying out of the dog house.”
It probably helped that he had help, too. The four of them could trade each other around before anyone wound up in undeserved trouble.
*** “Sounds like a solid plan to me” Natasha said with a smile, “And if things do get too crazy at least you have Bucky and Kara to send in there too right?” she winked at him. It definitely helped that they were pretty much all in it together.
***
She had absolutely no idea how in it together they were turning out to be.
“Absolutely,” he agreed with a chuckle. Steve was definitely taking full advantage of having the help around, in all things. There was a lot he would choose to take on himself but there was a lot that he wouldn’t take any help on but none of it even touched the parts of his life that were dedicated to keeping his family happy and healthy. “You’d be surprised how helpful Bucky actually is with it.”
Steve wasn’t surprised by it but his friend definitely had a way about him.
***
“Oh I don’t know. I think I can see it” she smiled, she knew how much Bucky adored Steve and with everything they’d all been through, especially Bucky, it wasn’t surprising to her that he was pretty handy with everything.
***
With a soft smile, Steve just shook his head and sipped his coffee.
“So how are things on your end? Kid doing okay?” Natasha’s wasn’t friends with Molly and Summer, so Steve didn’t see much of her but he did know she was around and he did care despite not being close.
***
“Yeah she’s good, going to school now” Natasha said, Cassie had decided instead of homeschooling she would give attending school a go. Her attendance wasn’t perfect but it wasn’t terrible either and Natasha was proud of her. “Other than that it’s all fairly steady at the moment” Which she appreciated.
***
“Just for the year? Or is she going to have one more after this?” Steve wondered. He was betting it wouldn’t be as easy as he’d like for the girls to all get along, wondered if they’d have the time before graduation. But if they were winding up in the same year, they might have more in common. He was really just looking out for his friend’s kid, making sure she had friends and would enjoy herself at school at least. Maybe he’d see a little more of her around the house if that happened.
***
“We’ll see how she gets on this year and go from there” Natasha said, she knew Cassie wasn’t academically inclined, she was a smart girl but school wasn’t engaging enough for her it seemed. But perhaps things would be different now. Natasha herself hoped she’d find something to hook her and, naturally, that she would make more friends too. She knew it wasn’t easy for her daughter and in that aspect she understood entirely.
***
“Here’s hoping it goes well; if there’s anything we can do to help, you know you can just say the word.” Which mostly meant if it would be helpful for Steve to nudge his girls toward making friends with Natashas, he would do that in a second.
Having learned absolutely nothing from the last time they’d tried to encourage her to be friends with someone, apparently.
***
“I’ll let you know” Natasha promised, though she definitely knew better than to try and get involved in who Cassie was friends with. Though in her opinion anybody had to be better than Faith, she was one that Natasha would never warm to.
***
Funnily, Faith was pretty popular around Steve’s place. She was his friend, and his wife’s, and Bucky liked her as well. The kids seemed to like her well enough too. But it was still important, Steve thought, for kids to have friends their own age.
“You do that,” he said with a smile, moved to refill her coffee in a clear invitation to stay a while longer. “Everyone’ll be up soon.” And he was sure Bucky would have no issue adding one more to breakfast.
***
Natasha knew the woman was probably a nice enough person, but encouraging her daughter to drink when she had issues with alcohol would forever spark her maternal instincts and she’d accepted that she was someone Natasha should avoid. She didn’t want to upset Cassie after all.
“Aren’t they lucky to wake up to such a nice surprise” she grinned, after considering for a moment before letting Steve refill her coffee. Normally she would have left but since Steve had offered the unspoken invitation to stay she figured it would be a good chance to see the others too.