#“Do you think im capable? i failed. i failed to keep youngest safe.

[fallenwhumpee]

"An Hour."

• Masterlist •

Warnings: Hospital settings, aftermath of captivity, mentioned death.

Medic, despite what their job would suggest, wasn't a caregiver. They were just a mechanic working on circuits, not who carefully kept the whole mechanism running. They could fix people, but it was that. Someone would have to take over the aftermath.

Much to Medic's relief, Leader was a caregiver. A good one, even.

Too good, they lately noticed. Too good that it was starting to make Medic worried. But just like every other day, Medic knocked the infirmary door in exactly same time, before opening it fully. Youngest was asleep in the hospital bed - Medic had said Leader that it was unnecessary, but Leader  brought one anyway - and at last drops of their IV.

"An hour," Leader muttered. At this point it felt like a ritual. So, without a word, Medic moved and changed Youngest's IV to antibiotics as Leader deserted the room silently. Probably to sleep.

Good, Medic thought. Leader needed it.

Medic made their way to the armchair, only to see Leader's office keys on it. For a moment, they considered giving it back. They respected privacy, but they were also curious. For the last one month and a half, all Leader did was looking for Youngest, caring for Youngest or staying in their office. The first two was understandable, but the third...

Now Medic could learn whatever Leader was doing in their office.

Medic hesitated. They shouldn’t invade Leader’s privacy—Leader had done nothing to earn suspicion, at all. And Leader never broke anyone's boundries, so Medic doing it to them was just wrong. But something had been gnawing at the back of Medic’s mind for weeks now, something beyond the usual worry for Youngest. Leader’s behavior, so single-minded, so intense, felt wrong. So wrong for someone almost obsessed with making the future better. And if there was something in that office that could explain it...

Steeling themselves, Medic turned and walked down the hall to Leader’s office. The key slid into the lock with an ease that almost felt too simple. "Where's Leader?" Medic shouted. Leader's room was wide open and Leader wasn't there.

"Went for a quick walk," Right Hand shouted back.

Medic took a deep breath. "Okay," they muttered. With a simple twist, the door creaked open. Medic slipped inside, shutting it quietly behind them slowly. The room was dim, the only light filtering through the half-drawn blinds, casting long shadows across the walls. At first glance, it looked like any other office—neat, organized, professional. Just like how Leader liked to keep everything. Medic opened the lights.

Notes. Dozens of them, pinned to a board on the wall, scattered across the desk, and even taped to the edges of the bookshelves, almost creating a wallpaper. Most were in Leader’s precise handwriting, detailing locations, names, dates, and other pieces of information that, together, painted a picture out of a detective's office. Medic’s gaze was drawn to a map on the wall, marked with pins and red string connecting various points. They moved closer, recognizing the locations as places where incidents had occurred—break-ins, disappearances, attacks. All related to Youngest.

Their heart pounded as they picked up a file from the desk. It had a picture, the person's face partially obscured, but there was no mistaking who it was. Medic had seen that face around Whumper—one of the underlings of them. The person had been found dead two weeks ago, the cause still under investigation. There were detailed reports about them, autopsies, locations, biographies... informations that Medic doubted Leader had the authority to kno let alone storing.

They set the file down, their hands trembling slightly. Leader had been gathering evidence, but it wasn’t just about finding Youngest. It was about something more.

Another photo on the desk caught their eye. Medic took it, revealing more photos, more notes underneath. Some were crossed out, others highlighted. A list of names—people connected to the kidnapping—each one with a note beside it: confirmed dead, under surveillance, possible lead.

Some of these people were no longer a threat because they were dead. Was it coincidence, or had Leader...?

The sound of footsteps in the hallway snapped Medic out of their thoughts. They hurriedly closed the folder and placed thr picture back on the desk, glancing around to make sure everything was as they’d found it. The door clicked shut just as the office door opened.

Leader stepped inside, looking tired but alert. They froze for a moment, eyes narrowing as they stared in the sight of Medic standing in their office.

“What are you doing here?” Leader’s voice was calm, but there was an edge to it, a warning.

Medic tried to keep their expression neutral, forcing a casual shrug qs if they weren’t digging through the room for the last ten minutes. “You left your keys on the chair. Thought I’d drop them off.”

Leader’s gaze flicked to the keys in Medic’s hand, then back to their face. For a moment, neither of them moved. Then, slowly, Leader crossed the room, taking the keys with a nod.

“Thank you,” they said, their tone polite but distant. “Please wait for my return next time.”

Medic nodded, feeling the tension in the air like a physical weight. They turned to leave, but couldn’t help one last glance at the desk, at the folder now lying innocently on the surface.

Leader didn’t miss the look. “Is there something else?”

“No,” Medic replied quickly, shaking their head. “Just... take care of yourself, okay? You look like you haven’t slept in days.”

Leader’s expression relaxed, a smile so soft and tender taking over. “Don't worry. Byt you should get some rest too.”

How could Medic be suspicious of them when all Leader did was worrying and caring for the team? Shoving the guilt down, they forced a smile and left the office.

-•-

Later that day, Medic was in the break room when the news broke. The television mounted on the wall buzzed with static before the anchor’s voice cut in, somber and urgent.

“We interrupt this program with breaking news. Henchman, a key figure in the recent string of criminal activities linked to the late terrorist Whumper, was found dead earlier this evening. Authorities are investigating, but details remain scarce at this time.”

Medic’s blood ran cold. Henchman—another name on Leader’s list. Dead. Just like the others.

They stood frozen, the room spinning around them. The timeline didn’t add up. Leader couldn’t have done it—they had only left the office for ten minutes, not enough time to cross the city and back. But the coincidences were too many, too pointed.

When Medic next saw Leader, they couldn’t help but study their face, searching for anything. But Leader looked even more drained than the last time, still trying to hold it together desperately. When Medic mentioned the news, Leader’s response was calm, almost indifferent.

“Tragic, but not unexpected,” Leader muttered, shrugging slightly. They weren’t even focused— they looked like they could just collapse and take a twenty four hour nap. “Agency was after them. It was only a matter of time.”

Medic nodded slowly, but the uneasy feeling in their gut only grew. There was something, something that was beyond their understanding. But as Leader walked away, Medic knew one thing for certain— Leader was doing something wrong. It was either their sleeping habits or the team had a huge problem.

-•-

Soo, have another random one. This is standalone, but I wrote this with "A Score to Settle" in my mind. Not quite part two, but I began writing with that intention.

[caws5749]

Sooo... Idk where this came from since the TV show playing rn has nothing to do with fluff. But! For Your Family series.. Nat and Reader take the kids to the park or beach once Little Bean is allowed to go outside and have some nice family day. Bonus brownie points if Reader sees Nat truly interact with Little Bean and falls in love again (deeper this time). Idk. Just tooth rooting fluff.

Ps. I almost suggest a little angst, but i remembered this was your fluffy baby. Lol.

A/N: vee, you and ur angst haha! I’m so glad you requested this, this might literally be the purest thing I’ve ever seen. also “little bean” is adorable too and I hope it’s okay if I use that as the baby’s nickname

Post A/N: okay so now im gonna have to write a whole vacation series for this series aoeifjawoefij okay okay 

“First outing,” you smiled, barely containing your excitement as you met Natasha in the kitchen. Your wife was cooing to Annika as she buckled her up into her carrier. 

“Domi and Nik ready?” Nat asked, her voice still soft and happy as she smiled at your newborn. 

“Yes, they are,” you replied, hearing the telltale sound of feet running towards you. 

“Do you think the water will be warm?” Nikolus asked, his sunglasses already covering his eyes. 

“Let’s hope,” you chuckled, grabbing the kids’ bags. “Alright, to the car.”

Ten minutes later, everyone was successfully buckled and the car was started. Thirty minutes later, you arrived at the beach. Your family scoped the beach for a nice spot, finding the perfect one without too much trouble. Luckily, the beach was nowhere near as crowded as you’d thought it would be. 

As soon as you’d sat down, Annika was hungry, so you tended to her while Natasha tested out the water with your older children. She came back five minutes later soaking wet, though the warm sun was already drying her off. 

“How is it?” you asked as your wife took a seat next to you. 

“Warm. Dominika and Nik found some shells.”

“They’ll never want to leave,” you chuckled. Nat shook her head lovingly, before focusing on her second daughter. 

“Is she feeding okay?”

“Perfectly. She eats more than Domi and Nik ever did, though. I’m not sure I can keep up,” you admitted. Your wife frowned slightly, her hands adjusting the towel covering you slightly. 

“You’re doing great, Y/N.” 

You hummed, grateful for her encouraging words. Your wife was the only reason you were handling three kids well, if you were being honest. 

“You’re the only reason I’m still sane,” you admitted. 

“And how do you think I’m doing so well?”

Natasha pressed a gentle kiss to your lips before checking to see that Domi and Nik weren’t in any trouble. 

“I’ll take Annika when she’s done,” she hummed. 

“Perfect timing, she just finished,” you smiled, transferring your newborn into your wife’s capable hands. 

“I’m going to go see what they’re up to,” you said, nodding towards your older children. 

“Mom!” Nikolus called as you got closer. “Come see our shells!”

“Wow,” you breathed, looking at the beautiful things in their hands. “Those are gorgeous.”

“We found them over here,” Domi explained, leading you over to the spot. You hung out with them for a few minutes before returning to Natasha. You found her bouncing Annika gently, a fond smile on her face. 

Your heart soared, as it always did when seeing Nat with her kids. She was gentle, happy, caring, and a near-perfect mother. Natasha never failed to amaze you in her versatility. One moment she was fighting robots, calm and collected, yet fierce and focused; the next, she was soft, gentle, loving, and caring for her family. You’d never imagined back when you first met her that you’d be here, with her now. You’d never imagined she was this beautiful a human being. 

“I can’t help but fall in love with you all over again every day,” you murmured, letting your fingers play with strands of her wet hair. 

“The feeling is mutual, Y/N.”

You smiled, cuddling closer on the beach towel and letting your youngest wrap her fist around one of your fingers. Your chin rested on Natasha’s shoulder as you both watched the ocean waves, and your other children. 

“Maybe we should surprise them with a dinner at the pizzeria on the water,” Nat hummed, turning to see what you thought of the idea. You nodded, nuzzling your nose against her cheek before pressing your lips to her skin. 

“Little Bean will probably sleep through it,” you mused. 

“Probably,” your wife agreed, adjusting Annika in her arms. She pressed a kiss to the baby’s nose, laughing when Annika smiled. 

“Babe?” Nat asked a minute later. 

“Mmm?”

“We should go on vacation.”

“Vacation?” you asked, your brows raised. 

“Domi and Nik have been begging for a vacation, and we do have some time off coming up,” Natasha reasoned. You mulled it over; she had a point. 

“Okay,” you murmured, laughing lightly at the smile that overtook her lips. She slammed her lips into yours, as passionately as she could while still keeping a safe hold on your daughter. 

“We’ll start planning tonight.”

“I can’t wait, and I’m sure the kids can’t either. Speaking of, looks like they’re swimming a bit too far out for my liking,” you frowned. 

“I’ll get them,” Nat offered, handing you Annika, pecking your lips before heading down towards the water. You leaned back, watching amusedly as Dominika realized her mother was coming towards them, quickly telling Nik that they needed to swim closer to shore. By the time your wife had made it there, they were practically out of the water, though they were going to get a bit of a warning anyway. You closed your eyes, soaking in the sun. 

If you went on vacation to somewhere warm with a beach, you couldn’t imagine a better thing in the world. Annika squealed in your arms the moment you thought it, and you took it as a sign of agreement. 

“Annika and I think we should vacation somewhere warm, with a beach,” you announced as soon as Natasha had reclaimed her spot. 

“Oh?” she asked, her lips quirking upwards. 

“That’s weird, because I was actually thinking Siberia, in the snow, somewhere were you just can’t seem to get the cold out of your bones,” Natasha teased, her fingers grazing your side and you giggled, shielding your daughter from Nat’s fingers. 

“I love you,” she breathed a minute later, her lips unbelievably close to your own. 

“I love you too.”