𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞 | ᴍʜᴀ x ᴍᴄᴜ | 𝙎𝙝𝙤𝙩𝙤. 𝙏

00. 𝖩𝗎𝗅𝖾𝗌 𝖠𝗇𝗍𝗈𝗇𝗂𝖺 𝖲𝗍𝖺𝗋𝗄

𝑻𝒐𝒏𝒚 𝒄𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒚 𝒃𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒍𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒚 𝒔𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒓𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝑯𝒆 𝒈𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒅𝒂𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒐𝒇𝒕 𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒅 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔 𝒑𝒆𝒆𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒖𝒑 𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒍𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒛𝒆. A small smile tugged at his lips. He had only had Jules for a few months, but in that short time, she had become the undeniable light of his life. Her mother had vanished soon after the birth, leaving Jules in Tony's care without so much as an explanation.

At first, he hadn't known what to make of the situation, but now—now he didn't care. Jules was his world, and that was all that mattered.

As he entered the Avengers Compound, the usual din of conversation quieted as the team's eyes fell on the baby in his arms. Natasha was the first to react, her expression one of mild curiosity as her sharp gaze flickered to the child. Clint stood beside her, raising an eyebrow but remaining silent, his amusement evident. Thor and Bruce sat on the couch, both looking either uninterested or uncomfortable, though Bruce shot occasional glances at the baby. The only one who seemed truly invested was Steve, who stepped forward, a soft smile on his face.

"Well, let's see her then," Steve said, his deep voice full of warmth. He leaned forward eagerly, and Tony, with an exaggerated sigh, squatted down to place the now fully awake baby on the floor. Carefully, he pulled the soft blanket away, revealing his daughter to the rest of the Avengers.

Jules looked up at her father with wide, sparkling eyes, a beaming smile spreading across her tiny face. Tony's heart warmed as he watched her, completely captivated by her innocent joy. Slowly, she got onto her hands and knees, her curiosity driving her to explore the room and its unfamiliar faces.

Tony straightened up, folding his arms over his chest as he watched her. Jules's attention had already shifted toward the nearest cabinet, and her little hands reached out, grasping at the handle.

"Someone's nosey," Clint remarked, his tone lighthearted. He walked over and ensured the cabinet door was firmly closed, though the baby narrowed her eyes at him as if determined to defy his interference. She quickly abandoned the cabinet and crawled toward Natasha, her emerald eyes locking onto the redhead with fascination.

Natasha, who had been leaning casually on her knees, sat up straighter as the baby approached her. Her usual stoic expression softened, and a small, genuine smile tugged at her lips as Jules sat in front of her, reaching out with chubby hands, babbling excitedly. Her tiny fingers opened and closed in an unmistakable request for attention.

Without hesitation, Natasha scooped the baby into her lap, letting her small form rest comfortably there. Jules immediately reached for the ends of Natasha's long, crimson hair, her fingers gently brushing the strands. The baby's wide eyes sparkled with curiosity as she studied the unfamiliar texture.

"What's her name?" Natasha asked, her voice uncharacteristically soft as she focused on Jules.

"Her name is Jules," Tony replied, his tone proud but casual as he watched his daughter. She was now eyeing Bruce's glasses with great interest, her tiny fingers itching to grab them, but before she could make a move, she lost interest and turned her attention elsewhere.

Jules's exploration led her toward Steve, her gaze falling on his iconic shield, which leaned against the wall. Her eyes lit up with excitement, and she crawled over to it with renewed determination. With a grin that was pure Stark, she reached out and banged her hands against the metal, the loud clanging sound reverberating through the room.

The entire team chuckled at the sight, even Bruce, who had been watching from the sidelines with an unsure expression, cracked a smile.

"Seems like she's got her dad's taste for causing a scene," Clint quipped, crossing his arms.

Tony sighed, though his smile never left his face. "Yeah, she's definitely my kid."

As Jules continued to bang her hands on the shield, the sound echoing around the room, Steve bent down, gently lifting her up before she could make any more racket. He held her in his arms, her tiny body fitting perfectly as she looked up at him with wide, inquisitive eyes.

"She's got your smile, Stark," Steve said, glancing over at Tony with a knowing look. "That grin is unmistakable."

Tony grinned back, folding his arms over his chest again. "She takes after the best, Cap."

Jules, now resting in Steve's strong arms, let out a tiny yawn, her earlier energy fading as the excitement of her exploration caught up with her. She blinked slowly, her eyelids growing heavy as she fought to stay awake.

Natasha, watching the baby grow sleepy, leaned back against the couch, her lips still curled in a faint smile. "She's going to be a handful, Tony. I hope you're ready."

Tony looked around the room, at the familiar faces of his team—his family—and then back at his daughter, now resting quietly in Steve's arms.

"Yeah," Tony said softly, a rare warmth in his voice. "But I'm ready. I've got all the help I need."

As Jules finally drifted off to sleep, the room seemed to relax, a sense of peace settling over the Avengers. Tony glanced around at his teammates and felt something he hadn't expected—contentment. He was glad Jules had come into his life, and even more, he was glad she had a place here, with them.

Boy, he was lucky she ended up on his doorstep.

:･ﾟ⋆｡° Behind the scenes!!⭒✩･:*:｡

🎀The Avengers took care of Jules as if she was their own. Heck! Even Loki and Odin did too!