high hopes [baby avengers and reader]

chapter thirty five

Swirling hues of virbrant colors and bright lights, and you were back at the Shield base with Loki and Thor in tow.

"What is he doing here?" Fury said with a glare in Loki's direction.

Thor spoke up. "Odin has declared that Loki spend then next one hundered years on Midgard by ___'s side. He has an enchanted anklet strapped onto his leg, and should he try to harm anyone, he will be incapacitated."

Fury grunted, still unhappy with the situation but not entirely against it.

"Can we take Steve, Clint and Natasha with us to Stark Tower for a bit?" You asked Coulson sweetly. "I'd love it if they could all be together one last time."

Phil looked at Fury who looked indifferent then nodded. "Sure, I'll let them know, you all go ahead and use the helicopter."

Thor gave a hearty laugh. "I have no use for your Midgardian transportation, I will take them there myself." He said.

"No, no, no, Thor, sto-" Loki tried to plead but Thor was already spinning his hammer around to summon the winds.

Loki grabbed onto you just as Thor grabbed the back of Loki's armor and flew up into the skies.

It felt a lot like when you traveled through the bifrost, as Thor flew extremely fast, just ten minutes sooner than the Shield jet that Steve and the others came in.

"I always love riding in that thing." Clint said happily as he entered the room with his fellow agents.

"It certainly is... fast." Steve said, amazed by the Shield technology.

The rest of the avengers, (and Loki) were already at a large glass table that Tony had recently put in, on the same spot where Loki had been hulk smashed.

When you saw the three avengers enter the room, your eyes lit up and you waved them over so that you all sat at the table together.

"Loki." You said with a smile and turned to your right to look at him.

"Yes, ___?" Loki replied polietly.

"Don't forget George." You said sweetly and handed him his teddy bear.

His cheeks blushed light pink from embarassment as he gently took it from your hands.

Bruce chuckled quietly. "Don't worry Loki, you're among friends." Bruce said and lifted up his baby blanket.

Loki smiled slightly but looked uncertain. "I am?" He questioned, glancing down at the dented floor where he once lay.

"I gotta get that fixed." Tony remarked.

"Of course you're our friend." Thor said with a smile.

"Friend? I'm your brother." Loki said without thinking.

"You are?!" Thor said with extreme happiness.

"Wait! No, no, no." Loki protested while Thor stood up.

"Stop it Thor. I didn't mean it!" Loki tried, but it was no use, and Thor picked up his little brother and gave him a bear hug.

Loki frowned. "I hate it when you do that. You always crush me."

You chuckled. "I remember one time, Thor was quite adamant about giving you a hug, and started to tear up because of your refusal."

"I remember that!" Thor exclaimed loudly while he continued to hug Loki. "Why did you do that Loki?"

"Because... you.. crush.. me." Loki repeated, barely able to breath.

"Now Thor, let Loki have some room." You chuckled, having a strong but sentimental feeling of dè jàvu.

Thor frowned but relented and let go his baby brother.

"You guys were a handful. Every one of you." Tony said, as he remembered the time you and him made a deal in order for you to sleep in.

"I wasn't." Steve said with a proud smile and leaned back in his chair a bit.

"That is... until you helped Loki- Tony started.

"Don't even." Steve glared.

"And Thor-"

"Stop it."

"And Clint."

"Tony..." Steve warned.

The billionaire took a breath and said quickly, "Steal cookies from the cookie jar when ___ was asleep!"

"For the last time, I said I was sorry!" Steve exclaimed with a guilty expression.

You chuckled, remembering how he reacted the last time. "It's alright Steve."

"I really, really didn't mean it." Steve pleaded to you.

You giggled. "Steve, it's okay."

"It meant a lot to my little brother, and for that I thank you." Thor said rather dramatically.

Loki looked at George and smiled, thinking about how happy he felt when he was eating cookies with the other little ones.

You noticed Loki's smile and gave him a side hug from your seat. The tall prince looked at you fondly.

Suddenly you heard a snickering from across the table from Clint, with a nervous Natasha beside him.

"Stop. It." She growled at him but it didn't appear to be affective.

You chuckled. "What is it Clint?"

Clint cleared his throat to compose himself. "You were so adorable Tasha."

"Clint, for the last time-" She growled.

"Nope." He grinned. "You were fawning all over me!"

Natasha narrowed her eyes. "One more word and I'll taze you."

"Understood." Clint said and Natasha chuckled.

"Oh! Hey, here's your helmet Loki." Tony said and slid it across the thick glass.

Loki held the small thing in his hands and smiled. "Thanks for fixing it by the way." He said as he looked into the reflection of the shiny metal.

"It's what I do." Tony shrugged.

"You were such a help to me, you have no idea." You said to Tony and gently pat Loki's shoulder as you pulled away.

Tony grinned. "So... Does that mean-"

"No." You said with a humorous smile and he frowned. "Hmph."

Bruce looked at each of you then sighed sadly.

"What's wrong sweetie?" You asked, used to addressing each of them as your babies.

"I'm going to miss us all being together..."
You sighed as well and nodded. "I wish we could always be together... Like a family." You agreed with a sad expression.

It was silent for a while, everyone just sitting there, thinking, until Tony spoke up. "Why not?"

"What do you mean?" Steve asked.

"Why can't we all stay here, at the Tower?"

Clint and Natasha looked at eachother then at Tony. "I'm sure we could convince Fury." Natasha decided with a nod.

"How exciting!" You said happily.

"Done deal." Tony agreed with a nod.

Loki looked over at the kitchen meanwhile, then at you. "___?" He said quietly.

"Yes?"

"Can I go get a cookie?" He asked with big puppy dog eyes and a pout.

You giggled. "Yes of course! We'll all make some together!"

When you were all in the kitchen you said, "Now, everyone put on your aprons." You smiled and put an apron over each of their heads with a motherly air about you.

Loki sighed. "Must I?"

"I quite like it actually!" Thor announced. "It's like an armor for my armor!"

You chuckled then gave Loki your own big, cute, puppy dog eyes. "Please? For me?"

Loki let out a long sigh and reluctantly took the apron from you.

"Alright, what do we do now?" Loki asked, now wearing his emerald green apron with a golden apple pattern.

"Well... I think we add some flour, and..."

Swoosh!

Clint threw a handful of flour at Natasha, who did not look amused.

"Oh yeah...?" She challenged and threw a large handful at Clint.

Wanting to have a little fun himself, Bruce threw some flour at Tony, then Thor threw some at Loki and suddenly you were all engaged in a full fledged flour war.

Laughing the entire time, you and your younglings at heart had a grand time making a mess in the kitchen.

But, the tornado of flour and dough you had swirled around in order to dirty the place was not in vein, or wouldn't be in about five minutes.

"___?" Thor asked for the fifth time.

"Yes dear?"

"Have they finished?" He asked with cute inpatience.

"Not quite. Five more minutes."

"Okay." Thor said, and folded his hands in his lap as he sat on a chair and watched the oven. "What if I-"

"I want cookies as much as you do Thor." Loki spoke up. "But striking it with lightning will more than likely burn everything down, rather than bake them more quickly."

"Oh.." Thor sighed and resumed staring at the oven.

...

"___?" Thor called again.

"Hey, we went over this." Tony said with an annoyed tinge to his voice. "The cookies are done when the oven dings."

"Dings? Like a bell?" The burly man asked.

"Yeah."

"Hmm... Then if I ring a bell, will they be done?" Thor questioned.

"Thor, are you really that-" Loki stopped when you gave him a look, then muttered something under his breath.

"No Thor." Natasha spoke up. "It doesn't work like that."

"Oh..." Thor said with disappointment.

. . .

"I cannot wait any longer!" Thor said angrily and slammed his fist against the table, making a dent.

Tony frowned. "Hey!"

Ding!

The cookies were finally done, and you quickly took them out of the oven and gave each person their share.

In comfortable silence you all ate together, just happy to have a tasty snack and the comfort of knowing you were all together again.

You'd had your little ones taken away from you once, and then twice, or so you thought. But as you looked around the table and saw Loki holding George in one hand with chocolate on his face from the delicious cookie, Steve still so sweet and making sure to save one in case you happened to want another, Thor quickly eating his treat then asking for "Another!", Natasha glancing at Clint once and a while, with the infamous archer leaning back casually, Bruce smiling kindly when you looked at him, his darling brown eyes glowing with a bit more optomism, and finally, Tony giving you a wink when you got him some milk as he was always so charismatic. You knew that nothing had really changed that much.

Though many had doubted that Loki could be saved, you had high hopes and never gave up on him or your dream of trying to heal the wounds that each of them carried..

And miraculously, both dreams had been realized. No longer would any of you have to carry the weight of loneliness or the fear of rejection from who ever is the holder of these bonds.

No, they broke, they shattered, the moment you decided to care for those six little heros and the sweet but michevious prince.

The future may be unclear but this much was true, with all of you together, nothing was impossible.