Endlessly

Gone

You awaken in a bed far larger than you remember falling asleep in.

You reach out for him, confirming your fears.

Loki is already gone- leaving you cold, lonely and worried beyond measure. You were unsure if you were more distressed from fear of how he was going to safely remove The Casket from Asgard, or the fear of his grand gesture not being accepted in the way you both hoped in Jotunheim.

You force yourself upright in bed, slowly becoming fully aware of your somehow even larger than yesterday's- pregnant belly.

Loki is gone. Loki's illusion of you, is also gone.

You suck in a sharp breath through your nose.

Okay. I've got this. I can do this. I have to do this.

You pour every bit of concentration you can muster on your form, your brow becoming clammy with a layer of sweat as you shift into the illusion of a much more slender version of yourself.

Yes!

I've done it!

I did- You catch your reflection in the vanity mirror. While you have indeed managed to disguise your pregnant state, you're still... well, blue.

"Godsdammit!" Your frustration causes your seidr to flicker and spark out of your fingertips like static, the aquamarine surges knocking a water pitcher off of the bedside table.

"Lady Gersemi- are you quite alright in there?" Bragi's timid voice on the other side of your door cuts through the clamoring of the pitcher, pulling you back into reality.

"I'm fi- I'm... Well, I'm having a bit of a difficult time." You burst into tears; the fact that Loki is actually gone truly sinking in. You're utterly horrified by the possibility that he may not return, you're significantly pregnant, and you are dealing with more responsibility than you've ever had before.

"I... I'm coming in." An action wildly incongruous with his usual behavior, Bragi unlocks your door, and steps inside.

You resist the urge to cover your face when he enters, but cannot manage the confidence to meet his eyes.

"Oh- you've done a brilliant job concealing your shape!" He practically cheers as he shuts the door behind him. "Is it just the frost giant bit you need some help with?"

"You raise your eyes, fully expecting him to recoil when he meets your crimson gaze, but he seems entirely unaffected.

"I certainly meant no offense if you can manage that as well." He continues.

He's embarrassed. He's just walked in on you- looking like a monster and his only concern is that he's possibly offended you.

You laugh.

He cocks his head curiously to the side when you don't speak.

"I would love every bit of help you can possibly offer me." You smile, tears suddenly filling your eyes.

He nods, a warm smile spreading across his face as he turns his palm upwards in front of him. The golden glow of his magic is warm as it spreads through you; a strange and irregular contrast to the familiar chill of Loki's seidr.

As the warmth subsides, you look down at your hands- a flood of relief washing through you as you admire their far more recognizable state.

"What if he doesn't come back?" You meet Bragi's eyes with your returned sense of confidence.

"My lady, he's hardly been gone an hour- it is far too early to entertain any sort of talk like that." He scowls at your dripping bedside table. "Did you get the opportunity to read that? Before..."