The Beginning of Life’s Circle
Written for @starjargon on @marvelousvalentines
Warnings for a bit of foul language // Modern-No Powers!AU // Canon Divergence
His eyes swept from side to side as the redhead paced back and forth in front of him. Normally he would consider the manner in which she was biting her lip very alluring, but alas, it was not in this moment.
“Natasha, darling,” he said as he clasped his hands together and leaned forward as his elbows rested on his legs, “I’m positive this isn’t meant to be a workout routine, so there’s no reason for you to be pacing as such.”
She stopped for a brief second to narrow her eyes at him dangerously and lift her chin indignantly.
“I’ll pace if I damn well please, Loki,” Natasha replied. “This isn’t some game. We’re talking about a life or death situation here! There’s no plan, no course of action. Hell, we’re not well equipped for it!”
“This is not one of your Special Ops game, so please try to refrain from referring to it that way.” Loki rolled his eyes at her and leaned back on the bench, his head tilting slightly in thought.
What Natasha didn’t know was that Loki was positively horrified on the inside. How could he predicted this sort of predicament when it was assured to him that it couldn’t be possible. Natasha wasn’t the sort to lie about her nature in that way, and she seemed outwardly offput with their situation. Natasha didn’t highly favor getting the drop done on her, and it showed in her frantic actions.
They were, after all, waiting on the results of a store-bought pregnancy test in the very store’s restroom.
Fortunately, the bathroom was unisex, so no one would question it. Though, Loki wouldn’t have given a damn either way and would happily say so aloud without a second thought.
“Do you have to be so damn calm about waiting?” Natasha questioned, breaking through Loki’s inner conceptions.
Yes, his pun was certainly intended; it fit things naturally.
It dig bring the raven-haired man to question his sanity, given this was one of his brother’s closest work colleagues. They agreed on the arrangement being strictly for mutual pleasure, a simple reprieve in the lives of government officials and their stealthiest protectors. They believed that her body’s inner composition wouldn’t allow her to conceive. They believed his inner—and honestly outer—devious antics wouldn’t allow him to bring more chaos into the world by his seed. They believed they could keep things professional and detached.
Yet the symptoms were present for an early pregnancy, and they were far from detachment.
“Someone has to see reason,” Loki told her, his brow quirked slightly. “After all, having us both pace manically would be ineffective and otherwise pointless.”
Natasha couldn’t help but snort at his words, and something in him felt almost relieved that he could distract her from potential disappointment. He wouldn’t admit the mutual potential disappointment aloud, though.
Before the redhead could carve a hole into the floor, she remained frozen in her stance. Loki followed her eyes to the stick she urinated not long before. He couldn’t make out the lines from his position, but he wouldn’t have to wait long.
“We’re having a baby,” she whispered. “I’m having a devil’s baby.”
There were plenty of emotions skyrocketing in Loki’s mind, but his outward expression remained passive as he stood and approached Natasha. He grasped her arms, meeting her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. Damn, the fact that her trembling lips were forming a smile made any dread disappear.
They were having a baby. Loki would be a child’s father.
“Let’s look on the bright side, Natasha,” he said. “At least the devil you laid with is very handsome.”