"Mumma! Baba! Wake up!"
Loki groaned as he felt his children climbing up into his and Sága's bed, clumsy legs and elbows hitting him in the side and the gut and nearly in the groin as they scrambled about. Loki merely groaned and burrowed deeper into the covers, wondering what ungodly time it was. While Loki had always been a night owl, he had somehow been granted the misfortune of having five children who were all larks, just like his wife. He could tolerate Sàga because he usually got sex, but his children were an entirely different matter.
He could hear Narfi—the eldest of their brood—giggling as she burrowed into Loki's side with all her bony extremities and messy hair. Ástridr helped Dagmar and Grið onto the bed, as they were far too short and weak to climb in all by themselves. Loki assumed Hjördis must still have been sleeping, as she was too little to have an actual bed, and the others weren't tall enough get her out of her crib. Thank the Norns for that. He felt Sàga shift and sit up in the bed, having much difficulty in her heavily pregnant state.
The children started laughing as they all piled on top of her. It'd be a miracle if their next child didn't have brain damage with all the poking and prodding the little ones did. Sàga's own tinkling laughter echoed through the room soon after. Loki was then degraded to a stepping stool for all of his daughters. There was too much estrogen in the room.
"Baba! Baba wake up!" Dagmar screeched into his ear.
Loki grumbled as he opened an eye. "Yes? Can I help thee?"
Dagmar smiled broadly, violet eyes lighting up as she stared down at him. "Baba," she said, looking so happy.
There wasn't an ounce of sleep left in those little eyes. Loki didn't understand how it was possible for all of them to be so animated this early in the morning, but she had always been a spirited girl. Her hair was wild, like a pale blonde halo framing her little tan face.
"Baba," Grið said, requesting Loki's attention.
Loki smiled as she leaned down from her perch around Sàga's shoulders to hug him. Of all his daughters, Grið was truly the most brave and foolhardy of all his children. Aside from her big green eyes that seemed to take up most of the room on her face, she was the spitting image of Sàga, and her gold hair glowed like fresh straw.
Ástridr, the second born of their children, stumbled across the bed and snuggled next to Narfi in between Loki and Sàga. Àstridr looked exactly like their lost son, Vali except in a more…developed female form. She had the little narrowed nose, and she had inky black hair she liked to keep short despite the social norms to grow her hair out long.
Sàga yawned and then laughed as the youngest two mimicked her. Ever since they were old enough to sit up on their own, Sàga had played their old mirror game with their children. Despite Loki's initial fears, she had been a brilliant mother. Loki could ask her for nothing more than what she gave to their children. He only hoped he was doing an equally fine job. She had to be exhausted as much as she since she was with child for the sixth time.
"Go on now, off with thee, thou tiny heathens," Loki said as he tickled Narfi into a fit of squirming hysteria. "Elsa will help you dress, and then we shall all go to breakfast together."
"And see Uncle Thor?" All five faces lit up.
"If he so chooses to grace us with his presence, then yes. Now, on with thee, before I unleash the tickle scoundrel!"
The truth was Loki wasn't entirely certain about his fellow King's current condition. It was a sad day when Jane was refused the fruit of Idunn's trees. Idunn tried so very hard to get them to produce fruit, but it never came. It was an even sadder day when her death also came upon them. Ever since the Lady Jane died of Alfheimr Fever a year previous, he had closed in on himself. He seemed to have sworn off all happiness on the eve of her funeral. Everyone in Asgard mourned for the Queen Jane. She was well-known and well-loved. Many of the Realms held ceremonies for her as well; she was a Goddess in her own rite. It seemed Narfi grieved the most out of their family. She was obsessed with all things Midgardian, so she latched onto Jane early on. Thor and she were also quite close as an Uncle and a niece.
The maids came in as the children ran around the room, trying to evade Loki as he chased them, and picked up the younger two to begin their morning activities. Narfi and Ástridr followed behind soon after them, the sound of their little feet beating against the floor in a haphazard rhythm as they dashed out of the room to terrorize the rest of the palace. Though Loki tried not to be prone to sentimentality, he felt his heart swell with love as he watched their little retreating figures.
Loki groaned and curled himself around his pregnant wife as he snuck back into the warmth of his large bed. "I can only pray the cooks don't serve anything with sugars."
"I like sweets."
Loki smirked and started kissing up and down her neck, licking along her ear to the jagged tip that was bitten off long before they met. "Ah, and who could deny such a fair maiden as thee? I still cannot fathom how thou hast convinced me to have so many of our brood."
"Thou love our children."
Loki rolled his eyes. "Of course I love them. They're half of me, how could I not?" he hummed as he leaned in and kissed Sàga's neck, his fingers running up and down her thigh all the while. "I'm brilliant, so I must make them so."
Sàga huffed and tried to squirm away from him. "Stop, Oki. I'm hungry."
Loki chuckled. "I cannot help myself. Thou art simply too beautiful and divine in this state for me to keep my hands to myself."
Sàga managed to squirm out of bed in a hormonal state of upset, trying to dress herself. She always got upset when Loki got handsy with her without her permission. She was like a cat, only allowing affection when it was on her time. Loki followed suit as she got dressed and joined her in her trek to the royal dining hall.
Breakfast was a raucous affair as usual. The children were actually rather well behaved, but they were still children...even worse, toddlers. They were loud and boisterous and eating with enthusiasm. Even little Hjördis was making a mess with her Midgardian cereal. Thor was actually there and seemed to be in a…well, a melancholy state. He appeared blank and emotionless when not in conversation with Narfi or the other children.
Loki did actually pity his brother, and he empathized with him. If anyone dared say he would feel this way for Thor nine years ago, he would have gutted them alive. By the Nine, why didn't Thor listen when Loki and Odin warned him about getting involved with a mortal woman. It was foolish! Now he was reaping the weeds of his conquest.