Going Up?

Part 20

Steve's POV:

*Day 10*

Lydie seems to be getting less and less sleep each night, she has less energy and really just wants me to hold her every time I come to the house. So that's what I do. I hold my daughter close as we play bored games and spend time doing anything she could possibly want to do.

Every time I ask her if she's okay she says she's fine, I've spent enough time with these Russian assassins to know when she is lying or not but I don't push her. Peter says she keeps ending up in his room at some point during the night from nightmares. I'm not sure what I can do to help her without risking anyone finding where she and Peter are.

When I get back to the tower around 3:30, I go straight to Nat and I's room where I flop face down onto the bed as Natasha takes a shower in the other room. I roll over onto my back and stare at the ceiling, when Nat exits the bathroom she comes straight over to the bed. She's wearing a pair of black leggings and a t-shirt that I'm pretty sure was mine at one point, her hair is damp and sticks lightly to her forehead and neck when she lies down. Nat rests her head on my shoulder as we both stare blankly at the white paint of the ceiling.

"How was she today?" Tasha asks quietly after a while.

I sigh and run a hand down my face before wrapping it around her shoulders and replying simply, "Not good."

Nat bites her lip lightly before she sits up suddenly and moves around the room, "I- I have a mission." I sit up and watch as she grabs her suit out of the closet and moves to the bathroom to blow dry her hair.

"Do you actually have a mission or are you trying to get out of this conversation?" My voice involuntary rises slightly.

"What conversation?" She makes eye contact with me through the mirror.

I stand up and walk towards the bathroom, "This conversation, Nat!" My arms fly out to the side as my voice continues to increase in volume. "The one we are about to have about our daughter and how we can help her!"

"I don't have time for this, Steve." She turns on the hairdryer so I know it's useless arguing over the noise.

After a couple minutes she finally turns it off, "Would you stop for one minute?" I grab her arm as she pushes past me.

Now she's mad. There's fire in her eyes and they've become noticeably darker. "No, Steve. I will not 'stop for one minute'. If I do Fury is going to be on my ass and then he'll be on yours!" Nat yells at me before pulling her arm out of my grip and taking off her pants.

"Oh, what are you doing?" I ask as she pulls her shirt over her head and walks to the other side of the room.

She looks back at me with a sharp glare that makes me gulp. She steps into the legs of her cat suit and pulls it up around the rest of her body, zipping it up she grabs a hair tie from the dresser and walks quickly to the door, I follow her.

"Natasha!" I grab her arm and she turns to face me.

"What? What is it Steve? Am I a terrible mother? Do I prioritize work over my child? Well if I do, I'm sorry. But if I don't, people die." Nat tries to turn back around to leave but I grab her other arm to keep her in place.

"That's not what I'm saying!" I yell darkly into her face.

"But it's what you're implying!" I watch as she ignores the tears that slowly start to stream down her cheeks.

"Natasha!" I bark as she stares unimpressed into my eyes.

"What? What the hell do you want Steve and WHY THE FUCK CAN'T IT WAIT TILL I GET BACK?!" She screams while trying to push herself out of my grasp.