An Elf in Asgard (Loki xOC)

XXI

I find Loki in the back corner of the library. He's clearly been crying, and he's tried to hide it. I sit down next to him and hold his cool hand in mine. "Why are you here?" He asks, swallowing a lump back in his throat. "Because I'm your wife. Because I promised for better or for worse, and right now this is clearly for worse," I lean his head on my shoulder. I can feel his jaw clenching. "Say it. I can feel you holding back, love," I whisper.

"He might hear it."

"So what? I don't give a fuck right now. You are his son, and he had--has--no right to say those horrid things towards you."

Loki exhales softly and sits up. "Sometimes I wish he wasn't my father. I love my mum, but him?" He shakes his head. He leans his head on my shoulder again and I kiss his forehead. "I'll make sure to thank Mama for earlier. We can just stay in here for now, okay?" He nods. "How's your sight?" He sits straight and looks into my eyes. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine."

"Azalena, please. I'm trying to just make sure you're okay. You died, and came back to life, and I still don't know how."
Tears prick his shining green eyes and I use my thumb to wipe them away. "My darling, I'm here. I'm not leaving you," I kiss him softly on the lips. "Promise?"

"I promise."

1 MONTH LATER

A month passes mostly uneventfully. With the help of Eir, I've gained my sight fully back. No more blurriness, thankfully. Thor had to go back to Midgard to be with the Avengers for some time and he still hasn't come back. Odin apologized for his comment but we're still barely on speaking terms.

We both wake up and watch as the sun shines brightly on our faces. I rub the sleep from my face and feel my stomach roil. My chest heaves and my mouth starts over watering. "What's wrong, sweetheart?" Loki asks as I run to our bathroom. I barely make it to the toilet before I start throwing up. Loki holds my hair back and rubs my back. "Shh, it's okay..."

He helps me up and I rinse my mouth with water. "Are you alright?" He asks, sitting me down on the stool. I shrug and my eyes flutter. "Do you need me to bring you to the healers?"

"Mhmm."

Loki nods and picks me up. "You probably just have the flu or something of the sort. You'll be alright," he kisses my forehead. I nod, closing my eyes. He tries to make the trip as smooth as possible to the healer's wing.

He sets me down on the table below the Soul Forge where Eir is standing. She tsks and smiles sadly. "You are becoming a regular here, my dear." Loki smirks and says, "She threw up this morning and has been feeling faint. She doesn't feel warm." Eir nods and turns on the Soul Forge. "We'll have an answer momentarily, Your Highness."

An answer indeed comes.

"Congratulations, Your Highnesses. The Princess is expecting!" Eir claps. I bolt upright and my eyes widen. Loki has the same reaction. "E-expecting? Like, like a baby?" I ask. Eir nods with a smile. My hand instinctively goes to my stomach. "I will give you two a moment here. Everything is normal, do not worry." She leaves the room.

Loki's cool hand intertwines with mine. "Are you alright, my dove?" He asks. I'm barely holding tears back. When I don't respond, Loki offers himself as tribute for a hug. I curl up in a ball and let myself cry, which feels a relief. Loki hums a soft Asgardian lullaby, soothing me. After a few minutes, I look into Loki's eyes. "Are you ready to go back to our quarters? I'll bring you breakfast if you're feeling up to eating," he says. I nod and he picks me up. He carries me back to our quarters, setting me down on the bed. The initial shock has worn off and I realize that I am indeed going to be a mother.

Loki returns a few moments later with a pastry and juice. "You don't have anything," I comment. "I'll be fine. If I'm really hungry, I'll get something," he shrugs. I bite my lip and nibble at the pastry, gingerly sipping the juice. Loki squeezes my hand and smiles. "We're going to be parents, my dove," he says, grinning. I nod with barely a glimmer of a smile. Loki turns my head so that I'm facing him. "Listen. I know that you're uncertain. So am I. I'm afraid of making the mistakes that Odin did. But I know that you're going to be the best mama to our baby," he kisses my forehead. I return the affections and whisper, "You're going to be the best papa ever."

I finish off breakfast and Loki takes the plates down. Upon his return, he says, "Mum is quite happy for us. She'll tell Odin later, so we need not worry about it." I take a sigh of relief and collapse against the pillows. Loki crawls into bed with me and pulls out a book. "Tea and reading, my darling?" He asks. I nod in agreement and lean my head against his shoulder. The book is something of Elven literature, something I recognize. The words roll off of Loki's tongue like smooth honey. I can barely keep my eyes open, but I force myself to stay awake. I hear the book shut with a thud, and Loki squeezes my hand. "My dear, if you're tired, get some sleep. You know I won't be offended in the slightest."

"Are you sure?"

"The surest, my Azalena," he smiles. I nod slowly and pull the blankets over me. Loki runs his hand through my hair and soon enough, I'm fast asleep.

Loki's POV
I'm going to be a father. The words, the thoughts, keep running through my brain as I feel her chest rise and fall. I suddenly feel the need to protect her even more, but I can only do that so much. As she sleeps, I rub my thumb over the top of her hand in circular motions. I'm reading the last chapter of this Elven literature, and as I read, she makes a noise. I whip my head around to find she's merely dreaming. Something nice; she has a smile on her face. I gently kiss her on her forehead, and pull the blanket up a tad more. Her arm drapes onto my chest in her sleep and I don't dare move an ounce more.