A/N Firstly thank you for adding this little story to your alerts and the reviews it means the world to me! Up next Loki is eight months old and he is a little match maker, sort of you, kind of, you will just have to read and see. Warning contains Steve/Tony no slash obviously we are all about the fluffiness and schmoop here. On to the story...oh and again story is unbeta'd but I have gone over it many, many times and chances are I missed something so yeah story is mine and so is the mistakes now to the story really...
Eight months after appearing at Tony's door the 12th floor of Avengers headquarters and formerly Stark Towers was still the home of Loki and Thor.
Things had changed a lot in that time as is often the case when a child is brought into a family and the changes in the Avenger family were no different. Life changed rather drastically, one minute everyone's world revolved around missions, and work and then the next thing there was this small human being who relied on them and conversations went from saving the world to suddenly what kind of baby formula to use, topics went to organic foods and good diapers and they found themselves asking mom's in the street, "Is it normal for a three month old to sleep so little at night?" with grave concern.
And suddenly there were toys in Avengers HQ, the kind that made lots of noises and had bright lights exactly the kind that Loki loved and baby stuff was all over the place, and who knew babies needed so many things. Suddenly everyone became an expert on what baby products to use and not to use, and then there was the little things like how a group of people who fought evil villains on a daily basis with no fear whatsoever would walk on eggshells when Loki slept. Because as they would have you know a sleeping Loki is a happy Loki and a happy home.
But in the beginning however most of the baby duties had fallen initially in the natural order of things to Thor who had gone from apprehensive, to hands on in taking care of his brother with Pepper's help. But as the days went on taking care of the infant weighed and took its toll on Thor who got little to no sleep and so the rest of the Avengers jumped in to help. Steve Rogers being the most natural of the group, even going as far as to accompany Thor on Loki's doctor's appointments where they were both mistaken for a couple bringing their child in and had to a little embarrassingly explain it was not the case.
At eight months old Loki still rarely sleeps right through the night. And now everyone of the Avengers rooms were equipped with a baby monitor that was hooked up to Loki's nursery. It worked pretty easily whoever woke up first got automatic Loki early morning feeding duty and then with a press of a button lets the others know they can carry on sleeping.
Steve was up first like he usually was and waited a few minutes to see if anyone else would answer the static crying that was coming from the baby monitor, he suspected everyone was doing the same thing hoping someone else would answer the call, it being two in the morning after all and a long day of fighting behind them. The crying continued and he couldn't bare it any longer especially one that had a way of pulling on your heart strings no matter the ungodly hour it woke you up at. Some of the Avengers were a little tougher skinned and just a tad worn out but Steve could take it no longer he reached over to the bedside table pressing the button.
"I got it." He whispered to everyone else and he's words were barely cold when different voices belonging to Natasha, Clint and Banner buzzed back at him.
"You're the greatest Steve."
"We love you Steve."
"What would we do without you."
"I hate you all." He replied turning the monitor off.
He didn't in all honesty mind getting up, he had always been a light sleeper and ever since coming back from a kind of death he took little to no pleasure in sleeping.
He climbed out of bed and found his way through the darkness to Loki's nursery further down the hall Thor was snoring, snoring so loud Steve was sure that the rolling thunderous noise had maybe woken the kid up in the first place.
He turned the light on in the nursery and Loki was sitting up in the crib holding onto the bars looking a picture of misery.
"What's the matter little guy?" And Loki's arms immediately flew up to Steve to lift him and that's when he went falling back against his collection of soft toys. He had begun sitting up on his own a few days ago but still so weak and limp that the slightest bad timing had him falling over. Steve lifted him out of the crib and Loki clung to him. Steve planted a kiss in the soft curve of Loki's neck. Loki had grown so much in the past eight months that he little resembled the baby who appeared with Thor wrapped in fur all those months before. Now he's chubby cheeked and has a head full of raven black hair. Those eyes though they are the old Loki's, they are green and mesmerising but now there is no malice in them, they are alive with innocence and the wishful promise that this time around things would be different.
"You hungry?" Steve asked cradling him close to his chest. Loki smelled of goodness and he settled down and stopped crying the second he was safe in Steve's arms. "Where's your bottle?" Steve looked around. "Ah no, don't tell me..." He cursed thinking Clint had forgotten to prepare a bottle. Behind him someone cleared their throat, he turned around and looked at Tony standing in the doorway wearing a bright smile and dangling a bottle of milk in his hand.
"Clint made his bottles for the night but of course forgot them in the kitchen like he always does.' Tony explained walking into the room showing up like clockwork like he had been doing for the past few weeks.
"Thanks I just thought Clint had forgotten and we both know how good Loki is in waiting." Steve said taking the bottle that Loki reached out for as well with chubby fat fingers, he was not known for his patience when it came to feeding. "Didn't you hear me saying I was coming to get him?" Steve asked and Loki began fussing in his arms demanding the bottle. "Okay, alright we get it you're hungry Tony can you grab a bib?"
"Nah I didn't hear you say a thing. I think there must be something wrong with the settings of the baby monitor or something been meaning to fix it. I'll check it out later" Tony said reaching for the closest bib to wrap around Loki's neck so he wouldn't have milk spill everywhere.
'The baby monitors are working fine Mr. Stark." Jarvis computerised voice said out of nowhere.
"Shut up Jarvis no one was asking you.' Tony flashed a confident smile and looked at the bib which read Party, my crib bring a bottle. "Who bought this?" he asked showing it to Steve who read it and then laughed as well forgetting the baby monitor thing in a second.
"You know who." Steve said as Tony wrapped the bib around Loki's neck, tying it into a loose bow at the back.
"Lemme guess Fury..." Tony said heading over to the couch.
"The one and only." Steve said sitting down as well with Loki in his lap.
"He won't admit it but he loves Loki." Steve stuck the bottle in Loki's mouth who began sucking at it hungrily he's little feet kicking in joy.
"Yeah and who would have ever thought we would love Loki?" Tony asked. "Can you believe it." Tony whispered give the feet a little pinch.
"I am still waiting for Odin or Frigga to show up or come get Thor but guess that's not going to happen." Steve said running a hand over Loki's head.
"You really think they would do that?" Tony asked.
"He is still their son sort of...kind of...I don't know but you would think they would have second thoughts about what they did, but here we almost a year later and were still together raising a former demi god aren't we baby." Steve whispered in a light warm tone to Loki who smiled around the dummy in his mouth looking at Steve with undying love and adoration.
"Yeah my how the times have changed. I smelt like baby vomit the other day in a meeting ,one of the exec's from another company she just smiled at me gave me a understanding wink like we were in on some joke." Tony didn't elaborate that, that had been kind of a good feeling. He had never thought of himself as father material and he still didn't but Loki had a way of making him think it wasn't entirely such a crazy idea.
"I found a pacifier in my suit pocket on a mission." Steve added.
"I can change a diaper."
"Tony, you liar you always say that you can't."
"Our little secret then don't tell the others."
Steve smiled. "My lips are sealed."
"You know Tony its going to be a while before he goes back to sleep you don't have to stay up with us."
"What and miss the party oh no I'm staying. You want coffee I can make us coffee?"
"Coffee sounds nice."
They made their way to the kitchen, Steve sticking Loki into a rocker on top of the kitchen counter. Loki went for both his feet, his hands pulling them toward his mouth gurgling and talking in his own private language.
"He looks more wide awake than usual."
"Damn Fury and his stupid bib jinxed it" Tony tried to sound a little upset but it didn't work at all. "But hey at least we get to hangout." Tony said, not adding that he really hated how they never got to do that what with a house full of people, agents and superheroes there didn't leave much time for getting to know one another. Which was what Tony so desperately needed.
"Yes there's that." Steve whispered.
"Coffee just the way you like it." Tony said putting a cup down in front of Steve.
"Thanks."
"You think one day he'll remember the past what he was what he did?" Tony asked.
"I remember my past...I wouldn't wish it on anyone I certainly wouldn't wish it on him, I hope this is a clean slate for him no past to haunt him no what could have beens."
"Sorry it wasn't my intention of bringing any of that stuff up."
"I don't mind talking about it really...hey can I ask you a question Stark is there really something wrong with the baby monitor in your room or is it something else?" Steve said unable to meet Tony's eyes instead he stared intently at the cup of coffee he had not taken a sip of.
"Its fine. I the mean the thing it works and yeah it's something else." Tony admitted.
"So every night when you hear me answering the call to give Loki his bottle you just..." Steve let the sentence linger, he wanted to hear the words come from Tony's mouth needed to hear it in fact.
"I just...I just wanted to spend some time with you.' If it wasn't for the dimmed kitchen lights it would have been plain to see that Tony Stark was blushing a startling red that would match his Iron Man suit. "And it seems like the only time that's going to happen is when you're taking care of rugrat over here when everyone is asleep...so I take what I get."
"You didn't need an excuse Tony you could have just said something."
"Loki did offer a great excuse though, didn't you buddy." Loki laughed.
"If I didn't know any better I would say he was in on it."
"Of course he is in on it, he's my wingman." Tony lifted Loki up out of the baby rocker and held him up in front of his own face. Loki gurgled and drooled staring at Steve. "And my wingman here wants to know if you would like to go out tomorrow night, no baby, no offence baby." Tony gave Loki a quick kiss. "No Shield agents no Avengers just me and you? What do you say?"
"How can I say no to your wingman? The answer is yes I would like that very much."
Tony leaned in close to Steve and he covered Loki's eyes with his hands. And he kissed Steve with Loki firmly between them.
A/N Hope you enjoyed! I enjoyed it a little to much to be honest...next part up sadly only by Monday, it would be up sooner but I have no internet over the weekend and yeah sucks to be me friend. Anyway thank you oh so much for reading have a good day!