Author's Note-I own nothing from Marvel.
Ch. 1
Loki had lived for well over a thousand years. As such, his experience with the passing of time was completely different from that of an average mortal. He felt like Darcy had just informed of the upcoming birth of their son and now Loki was preparing for the trip to escort his human in-laws back to Asgard so that they could witness the birth of their grandson firsthand.
Although his relationship with his in-laws had always been a good one and they had consistently done what they could to make him feel like a part of the family, the truth was that they had no real idea of the full extent of his crimes. Since they were planning on staying on Asgard for several weeks, he was concerned about their reaction once they truly understood the nature of the havoc that he had wreaked across the realm.
Early in the morning, Loki walked the entire length of the rainbow bridge to arrive at the Observatory under Heimdall's watch. He could have taken a skiff or even ridden his horse, but he wanted time to think and reflect in solitude. Darcy was due within the week, although it could happen at any moment and soon his life would change forever.
He was going to be a father. The weight of that struck with a force he hadn't anticipated. Given their long life span, most Asgardians didn't start families until they were at least two thousand years old. Odin, consumed by wars and constant peacekeeping of the realms, had waited until he was nearly four thousand years old to have Thor. Frigga had been much younger at only two thousand at the time, but most Asgardian women were fertile well past their four thousandth year.
In fact, it was unprecedented to have children within the first century or two of marriage. Most Asgardian couples spent that time getting to know each other, forming a bond that would last millennia. Neither he nor Darcy had anticipated having a baby, although neither of them had done anything to avoid it. In all honesty, Loki didn't think that they would be able to produce any children on account of his Jotun heritage, but that seemed to be an error on his part.
So, here they were, nearing the anniversary of their first year of marriage and with a baby already underway. He was palpably aware of how much his life had changed in the past few years. He had gone from a prince to a prisoner. He had taken countless lives out of petty anger and jealousy.
But, he had, for the first time really, experienced a love he had never thought he'd have. He saw the universe through different eyes now. He still fought against his baser instincts, fought to not react in rage or malice. Sometimes, he won. Sometimes, he failed miserably.
Now though, he had a new purpose in life. To be better a father than Laufey or Odin ever was. To show his son the love and acceptance he had always craved. To be worthy of the name father.
As he waited to travel to his-inlaws' home via the Bifrost, Loki squared his shoulders. He could do this. He would do this. The stakes were too high for failure.
Author's Note- I hope you liked the first chapter! I am planning on doing a multiple chapter story for this one. Let me know if you enjoyed it!
While this can be read as a stand-alone story, it is part of my Loki/Darcy series that starts with "Lima Syndrome'.