AN: Looks like we're going to have to start this thing off right - with another apology. I'm sorry that it's taken me almost half a year to get back on track and re-uploading everything, and I'm sorry I haven't been replying to reviews and your wonderful PMs. You guys have been really great and patient about this. I had to buckle down for exams last semester, which prevented me from focusing on this, and then it slipped my mind. By the time I remembered again, I was struggling to keep my grades up and had to put it out of my mind again. But it's summer now, and I promise to get everything up and running again. Thank you guys so much for understanding. I'm so sorry.
Friendly reminder that a) this is a sequel to Some Assembly Required, and b) I own nothing. Enjoy!
Chapter One
The first thing Bruce was aware of was a soft buzzing noise.
Next, he noticed the unusual amount of pressure on his chest. Frowning, he glanced down to see Carter, head rested on top of his heart and arms wrapped around his neck. She looked so peaceful while she was sleeping (and using him as a pillow). Bruce couldn't help but smile.
The buzzing noise continued.
With a groan, Bruce shifted towards the nightstand. Sure enough, Carter's Stark Phone was lit up. Who calls at... He glanced at the clock. Oh, Jesus. Who calls at four in the morning? Trying not to disturb Carter's sleep, Bruce reached out as far as he could and snatched the phone up. Ignoring the caller ID (no doubt it'd be Tony, calling to ask what type of cereal they should stock the new Avengers house with (they'd gotten several calls like that already this week)), he pressed the answer button, bringing the phone to his ear.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"
A strangled noise escaped his lips, and he jerked away from the receiver. He had not been expecting that. Carter tightened her grip on him. Afraid he'd woken her, Bruce stayed very still until he was sure she was asleep.
He brought the phone back to his ear. "What?" Even to him, his voice still sounded gravely with sleep.
"Oh, hey Bruce!" Lily replied in a way too chipper tone.
"Hey Lily." He paused. "It's four in the morning," he groaned, rubbing his eyes.
There was a light laugh on the other end of the line. "I know it's four a.m. here, but what time is it where you guys are?"
"Four in the morning."
"Really?" God. How could she be this excited this early? "I thought you guys were in South Africa still. You must be on the East Coast now - where are you?"
"Cape Kennedy. Or Canaveral. Whatever they're calling it these days. Hey, did you know they closed NASA down?"
Bruce swore he heard a slightly evil chuckle on the other end of the phone, followed by Loki muttering something along the lines of, "Everyone knows that." His suspicions were confirmed when Lily scolded, "Loki! Be quiet."
Feeling the need to defend himself (And find out more about this NASA thing. I mean, really. How can you shut down NASA? Some of the most important scientific discoveries were made by NASA, and now there would be some things the world would never know! Maybe it was just the scientist in him, but he was pretty pissed about the whole thing.), Bruce said, "I was on the run for almost nine years."
"Yes, I know," Lily assured him much in the way you'd assure a little kid that yes, that stick-figure drawing was wonderful. "No one's blaming you."
"Blaming me?" he asked, struggling to keep his voice low.
"Hey, can you put Carter on? I wanted to be the first person to wish her happy birthday. Unless, you know, you want to do it first. I can wait and just call back later."
Bruce rubbed his face, still trying to wake up. "She's kind of sleeping right now. Wait - it's her birthday?" He glanced down at Carter, who smiled slightly in her sleep. Why hadn't she said anything about it? He could have done something for her... Actually, he still would do something. He just had no idea what it would be.
"Yeah. Did she not mention it? She does that sometimes. Anyways, our dad would always do something big for her, and since he lives in Celebration now, he wouldn't be able to do anything even though he could actually find her now. So I decided to call and tell her we'd do something when you guys got back."
You called at four a.m. to tell her that? Bruce thought angrily. At the same time, another thought dawned on him. Celebration? Wasn't that the place Disney had made, right near Orlando?
Orlando wasn't all that far away...
Well. Looked like he had a plan after all.
"Thanks for calling, Lily," he whispered, eyeing Carter's sleeping form. "I'll have her call you back when she's fully functional. Bye."
"Bye, Bruce."
After hanging up the phone and placing it back on the stand with as little movement as possible, he leaned back into the bed. Carter sighed, sending a warm blast of air sweeping over him. Grinning, Bruce wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in close. When she let out a little content noise, his smile grew wider. There was no place he'd rather be but here.
He'd start on his amazing birthday gift later.
AVENGERS ASSEMBLE
"How is the beast and the smart one?" Loki asked nonchalantly as soon as Lily hung up the phone.
Lily glared daggers at him. Before she could scold her husband, another, smaller voice interrupted him.
"Uncle Bruce is not a monster," Roan informed them, bringing his little black eyebrows together and frowning at his father. "Mommy says so."
Lily beamed. Only a month old, and her son was already a nice young boy. He certainly could pass for a young boy, too - according to Loki it was customary for Asgardian children to advance through their younger years at an abnormal rate. At four weeks, Roan was the size of a toddler and had the speech skills of a third grader. Lily and Loki couldn't have been prouder.
"I was not Banner I was referring to," Loki muttered, sending a purposely crooked grin at Lily. Then, turning back to Roan, he added. "And Banner is not your uncle. Thor is your uncle."
Roan nodded. He looked up the two of them with clear blue eyes and cocked his head to the side. "But Mommy says I should start calling him that."
"Yes, yes you should," Lily replied. "Might as well get used to it."
Loki gave her a look so similar to the one Roan had given her a minute ago that it made her heart soar. She was surrounded by beautiful boys. "Since when has...?" He let his unfinished question hang in the air.
"Well, he hasn't." She paused dramatically. "Yet. It's only a matter of time, in my opinion."
"Oh?"
Shooting her husband a playful glare, she hit lightly on the arm. "Yes. I have a sense about these things, you know. I've never been wrong."
"You were confident that Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries were perfect for each other," Loki pointed out.
Before they could continue this conversation, Roan let out a loud yawn. It was amazing how large his mouth could get; it was like his whole little face disappeared when he opened it wide. Absolutely adorable.
Her motherly instincts taking over, Lily rose from the couch and crossed over to where Roan was playing with a wooden warrior Thor had given him the other day. She scooped him up into her arms, surprised how dense he suddenly felt. With a glance back at Loki, she carried her baby to his bedroom in the back of the apartment.
"I'm not tired, Mommy," Roan instead thickly. "Not sleepy at all. I want to say 'happy birthday' to Aunt Carter."
"Mhmm." Lily used one hand to push open the door, and kept the other safely on his back. His room was already dark, but as she passed, she flipped on a nightlight. The room illuminated slightly then, revealing a simple dark blue color-scheme and a "big boy" bed that was surrounded by large number of toys Thor had seen fit to give his nephew. With gentle hands, Lily set Roan down.
She smoother back his slick black hair. Already, with his pale and pointed face, he looked so much like Loki. Only his eyes were hers. "Sleep tight, sweetheart."
"Night, Mommy," he murmured, eye lids drooping closed.
Like a cat, Loki appeared randomly at Lily side. He kissed his sone once on the forehead, then pulled back and gave him a loving look. "Goodnight, my son."
"Goodnight, Father."
With that, the two parents left the room, giving each other knowing smiles as they did.