high hopes [baby avengers and reader]

chapter ten

That night you had already tucked in the munchkins into their cozy little beds and smiled softly at their innocent looking faces. You went to your room and left your door slightly open as you always did in order to make sure the kiddies were alright.

Loki couldn't sleep and was tossing and turning in his bed for a good hour before he gave up and sat on his bed, staring at his teddy bear named George.

"I can't sleep George." Loki sighed then hugged his bear. "I mean, what if I get a nightmare again?" He paused a moment, "listening" to what the bear had to say. "I suppose you're right, I could stay with maiden ___. I'm sure she wouldn't mind, but I don't wanna look like a big baby in front of the others. I gotta be tough!" He paused again. "You're right, I do have a great purpose. But... what is that purpose Geor-"

Thor snored loudly from the top bunk as he did every night and Loki glared slightly before looking at George again. "My brother is such an oaf sometimes." He chuckled. "But I still like him, I guess. Even if we aren't related, he's still my brother to me. But... I don't know... I just..." The poor child felt a pang of sorrow and nearly cried out in the agony he felt because of it, but something stopped him... 

His inner hurts were still there, his adult flaws were contained deep within him behind a mask of innocence that came with being a child.

But it had not terminated his old self entirely, his subconcious still knew and felt his old self just waiting to break free but the young child kept it at bay somehow...

Somehow this innocent pure form of the twisted soul that once was his entire being was able to express himself in a verbal manner rather than a violent, vengeful one.

"Why George? Why can't people like me?" His small voice whispered in a squeak, cold tears running down his face. "If I'm a monster why did my dad keep me all this time? Why did he give me hope for acceptance? That's all I wanted. Thor takes his parentage for granted. He doesn't know what it's like to be... to be..." He had trouble finding the right words for a moment and caught his breath. "To be cold.... and sad and-and alone. Like.... like someone just left me in a room and turned the nightlight off. I know Thor tries to be nice but he doesn't understand. No one does..." He sniffled and hugged his bear tightly, crying from deep within his heart, his stomach clentched in knots. He cried as quietly as he could but of course his protective big brother heard Loki's sobs and slowly awoke. 

Wiping the drool from his face, Thor sat up on his top bunk.

"Loki? Are you ok?" He asked quietly.

Loki didn't respond. He only held his bear tighter and tighter, only wishing the bear would hug him back.

Thor felt worried and sad so he climbed down the ladder to see if his brother was alright.

Loki's blue-green eyes were shut tightly, unaware that his brother had even awoken from his deep slumber. He was too consumed by the emotions he was feeling.

Thor put a friendly hand on his back comfortingly. "There there. It'll be alright."

Loki startled a bit and quickly wiped away his tears, feeling a little embarrassed.

Thor wasn't quite sure what to do to help him until he got an idea. "Maiden ___ put some new cookies in the cookie jar above the fridge... We could go get them." Thor grinned.

"R-Really? But you never help me with my michevious plans!" Loki whisper yelled.

Thor chuckled. "Well, this time's different."

Loki's face lit up and he left his bear on the bed while he and his brother went off on their adventure.

Loki looked up at the fridge. "It's so tall!"

Thor nodded and helped Loki onto the counter.

Loki extended his arms and fingers toward the cookie jar but couldn't touch it. "It's too high up... I can't reach it." 

"I'll be right back for some help." Thor said and tried to wake up Steve. "Wake up."

"Not on my watch you don't..." The little soldier murmured in his sleep.

"Steve!" Thor whisper yelled.

"A soldier must always be selfless, and good and-"

"Steve!"

"And Steve."

"And Steve?" Steve thought, confused.

Steve's sleeping blue eyes opened and looked at Thor with curiousity. "What's going on?"

"We're getting the cookie's from the cookie jar." Thor explained.

Steve gasped. "You can't do that! You'll spoil your breakfast!"

"Shhh!!!" Thor shushed nervously.

Thor looked desperate. "Please? It means a lot to my little brother."

"Well... I guess it wouldn't hurt...."

"Thank you!" Thor whispered and practically dragged Steve out of bed and into the kitchen.

Thor helped Steve get on the counter and Steve helped Loki reach higher up by letting him stand on his hands. "Can you reach it?" Steve asked.

"Almost! Just a little bit more...."

Pop! One of Clint's toy arrows stuck to it's surface with a string attached. Clint pulled it a little closer to Loki and the michevious prince grinned as though he'd never gotten away with anything as satisfying as this.

Steve and Loki got off the counter and they all sat on the floor. 

"I thought you were sleeping." Thor said to Clint. 

"I don't only have good eyes ya know." Clint chuckled.

Loki held the cookie jar close to him as if it were his most prized possession. 

"Since this was my brother's idea, he shall eat the first cookie!" Thor said.

"R-Really?" Loki said, a little shocked.

Thor smiled and nodded.

Loki grinned and happily took an oreo from the jar before passing the cookie jar to Thor.

When everyone had a cookie, Loki raised his high into the air. "Let us eat this snack in triumph my friends!"

"Aye!" Came the playful reply, each with their cookies raised into the air as well.

Clint ate a few and hoarded a few cookies for Natasha as well. Thor consumed the cookies rapidly while Steve liked to savor the taste of the frosting. 

Loki ate his cookies slowly, enjoying this rare moment where he actually felt needed, accepted, and perhaps even loved amongst his peers. 

Little by little Loki was changing, but would he change enough before he became an adult again? Would he even remember any of this? It was hard to know, but only time would tell...