Sleep was getting harder. For both of them.
"Do not take offence, Jane," Thor grumbled as they settled down for bed one night. "But I do miss the days I could hold you properly."
Jane pouted sadly. "So do I."
Thor's hand hovered on the stomach, holding her - not so comfortably - in place with her back against his chest. Her swelling stomach just made it impossible to easily reach around her anymore. This was the best they could do. Jane felt safe in Thor's arms, comforted by the feel of him behind her back and behind her hips.
But 'safe' didn't do anything for her sleep when the twins kicked her out of her mind every time she settled down.
She knew that though Thor's hand now rested on the peak of her belly, by the time he drifted into sleep it would recede to the side of where her waist used to be. Then she'd feel as good as alone again. Her lips pouted more at the thought.
"Don't go to the lab tonight."
Jane swore in her head. So Thor had noticed; when she couldn't sleep and she thought Thor was safely out for the count, she slunk away to her lab to do some calming work. It was the only peace she could find. It settled her troubled mind, and she read out her research until the twins fell asleep inside her as if she'd read them a night time story instead. It worked the same. She'd be having two little scientists it seemed.
Thor felt her body tense and nuzzle his lips into her neck tenderly, as if he was reading her mind: "What is troubling you?"
She didn't answer him immediately. Jane drew in a shaky breath.
What wasn't troubling her? Everything! She had so much to organize, to worry about before the babies were even born. And then she thought of after the birth and she got terrified.
"I don't know how to be a mum." she finally confessed, tone cracking weakly. Her fingers found Thor's on her stomach and clenched tight. "Mine wasn't there. She was gone before I could get a chance to even remember her. And now I've got to somehow be a mother to two kids right off the bat. I don't know what I'm going to do."
Thor's body stiffened as well. So she was sharing the same worries as he was: she was scared of being a parent.
Thor tightened his arm around her and nestled her more firmly against his body. His fingers stroked over her stomach. "It will be fine." he reassured her as best he could. "We will try our best."
It was hard to comfort her when he felt just as uncertain. How in Odin's name was he going to be a father?! It was a just a few years ago that he was crown prince of Asgard, free and reckless, a new woman gracing his bed each night. And now he was to be a father to two children. He was afraid. What if he wasn't a good father? He looked at Odin and knew that he was indeed a great father, but when it came to pinpointing what it was that made him a great father... Thor couldn't narrow it down.
What was he going to do? He didn't want to fail his babies or Jane, but he simply had no idea what he was going to do. He could fight his way through warriors, and battles, and vicious worlds... but there was no sort of training for fatherhood.
Jane shifted in his arms and Thor loosened his hold, letting her shuffle freely until she was face to face with him.
Her brow was knitted with worry. "What if my best isn't good enough?" she breathed. "I'm a scientist, Thor. We're not thought of as the most motherly."
Thor pressed his lips to her forehead.
"Just look at how you've been though." he breathed, easing her as close as her round stomach would allow. "You're concern is proof enough of your dedication. When these children are born they will be loved, and that is the most important thing. The rest we must take one step at a time."
Thor had no idea where all this was coming from, but when Jane lowered her eyes and nodded, he guessed he was going in the right direction.
"I guess." she finally murmured. "I supposed everyone goes through this sort of thing before having their first kid." Her fingers roamed down to her stomach and a small smile flickered over her lips. "And we're jumping right in the deep end by tackling two at once."
Thor pressed another kiss to her forehead, teasing her gaze calmly back to his. "If anyone can do it, we can."
The smile on Jane's lips settled more firmly in place and Thor stared over her, drinking in her peaceful image again. It wasn't often he saw her so relaxed. He wasn't wasting a second of it.
"I'd missed you." he breathed instinctively. "I'm glad you are yourself again."
For a moment, his heart stopped and he realized just what he had said. His arms stiffened and he waited for the pursed lips, the narrowed eyes, the finger to point to the door... but Jane smiled on. The god breathed a sigh of relief. He was very glad now that Jane was back to herself - beforehand, that sort of innocently meant comment earned him a very hard, deserty night.
"Me too." Jane's hand found his bicep and squeezed happily. "Your mother said that it was all because the babies weren't human. The Asgardian in them sent my body into overdrive. Hormones and all."
Jane was glad that part of her pregnancy was over. She was fed up of feeling unwell, of getting irritated by every little thing, of getting unmanageable cravings, sleeping trouble, emotional outbursts, panic, anger... she finally felt fully herself again: focused, calm, patient, logically figuring things out to the letter.
She was Jane Foster again. Only bigger. With a little Thor and Thorette inside her.
She didn't mind her size now. It was a comfort, in a way. She was still going; nothing could go wrong now, could it? Her babies were babies, and they weren't going anywhere until they were in her arms.
And the dressing part was fun, now she was in a mood enough to enjoy it. Thor was still trying to convince her to opt for maternal dresses, but Jane resisted. She was determined to stick to her leggings for as long as she could. The shirts were growing on her - though she wasn't crazy about her belly button, pushed onto the outside of her body and making a noticeable lump through the shirt material. Thor thought it was cute. Jane didn't. She grimaced every time her fingers ran over it.
"How soon can we go back to Asgard after they're born, do you think?" Jane asked, her mind straying to other matters.
Thor's eyes rolled away thoughtfully. "I don't know." His arms settled comfortably around her. Normally the action would bring her hips to his, but... not anymore. "There is no rush to go back. We could stay here for some time."
Jane's eyes lit up. "Seriously? You'd ... you'd stay? You wouldn't mind? I thought you'd want them to get to Asgard as soon as possible."
Thor shrugged. "Asgard will still be there after a year or two. And extensive research has informed me that this might be a more fulfilling place for the children to grow up."
"Extensive research?" Jane was torn between smiling, and frowning with confusion. She was still trying to get her head around the fact that Thor didn't want to shoot back to Asgard and stay there! He'd always been so fond of his home realm. "You've thought about this?"
"Loki and I explored the system on your laptop. The concept of education services and health care is most reassuring." His eyes lowered down to hers and he smiled warmly, leaning in to kiss her chastely on the mouth. "And besides," he murmured against her lips. "I know how important your work is to you. I would hate to deprive you of it for another lengthy bout of time."
Jane pushed her lips against his. "Mm... I'm not sure about work yet. I think we'll have to see how demanding two babies will be before we plan me back into the lab. It's not going to be easy."
Thor laughed. His warm breath washed comfortingly over Jane's face. "True. I'm sure it will be quite the challenge."
"But fun." Jane amended with a smile. "Better than work any day."
She was being positive about it while she could. She was sure she wouldn't be thinking the same way when she had two babies that wanted feeding, changing, bathing, cleaning up, cuddling, attention in the middle of the night... still, she'd never turned down a challenge before. She wasn't about to start now. And as much as she loved her work, she just doubted how much energy and time she'd have to do it with two babies on her hands.
And Darcy would be there every step of the way, no doubt, to point, laugh and mock her about it. Jane's eyes rolled at the thought: at least in Asgard she could shrug her off in the shade!
Speaking of Darcy….
"Hey, I have a question." She suddenly said as it hit her; the unanswered wonder that had bugged her mind for ages. Her brow furrowed lightly, eyes staring curiously into Thor's crystal blue orbs. "Are Darcy and Loki together? Has he said anything to you?" A sparkle glinted in Thor's eyes and a smirk pricked his lips, but Jane went on anyway. "'Cause they've been pretty cozy with each other since they've got back from Asgard but I haven't caught them doing anything and Darcy would never spill, so…" she trailed off and sucked in a much needed breath after her rush.
Thor chuckled, and rolled onto his back, looping an arm around Jane's shoulders to keep her close. She nestled against his chest. "Loki has spoken to me." He admitted, grinning at the ceiling. "He said he had asked Darcy about the nature of their relationship and that she had told him they were 'friends with benefits'. Loki did not understand."
The god's on-going grin and mischievous tone told Jane that a certain Tony Stark had already explained to him what the phrase meant. She made a mental note to limit Thor's exposure time to the genius; he was picking up bad habits.
A grin of her own stretched as she listened to his words. "She so likes him." It was nice to have some dirt on Darcy at last.
"Indeed."
For a moment, they just lay there in silence, smiling, lost in their own happy thoughts. Jane moved her hand across to the left side of Thor's chest and her spare down to her stomach, basking in the warmth of the two most wonderful things in her world. She could feel Thor's pulsing heartbeat beneath her palm.
"Is there anything else I need to know about these two do you think?" she wondered aloud, thoughts trailing to the twins again. "What if the personality transplant was just the start and they're going to come out glowing something?"
Thor laughed and Jane bobbed on his rumbling chest. "I hardly think that will happen." He chuckled, running his fingers gently through her hair.
Jane pressed her lips together "I'm serious." Her hips bumped playfully with his, only earning her another less than serious chuckle from the god. "Your mother said that all the usual symptoms would be ten times as strong because I'm mortal and they're half Asgardian and there's two of them… if there's going to be anything else like the morning sickness or the mood swings, I want to know about it."
That stilled the laugh in Thor's chest in a heartbeat – yes, he did not want to relive those days either! His throat ran dry as he thought frantically for a solution. "What would we be able to do about it though?" he asked, feeling as nervous as if he was walking on ice. He did not want to upset Jane on such a delicate matter. "Even if we knew."
Jane shrugged awkwardly on Thor's shoulder. "I don't know." Her lips murmured into his shirt. "Be prepared, I guess. At least you would know what's going on as well."
The god glanced down sharply to the woman in his arms, a frown nudging into his features. He thought he'd been keeping up, that he knew what was going on. He'd been trying to be as kind and attentive as he could to keep up. Was she saying that for all his efforts he'd missed what she'd truly felt?
Jane felt his gaze and glanced up, meeting his concerned blue orbs with her innocent brown ones. "I didn't mean it like that." She said quickly, feeling Thor's arm stiffen around her. It was a dangerous precursor to pulling away.
"Then what did you mean?" A disgruntled look settled on Thor's face.
"I just meant…" Jane's mind searched for a way to phrase it, eyes rolling to the ceiling in thought. "Well, some of the other stuff I just kept quiet about and toughed it out. And they're not the sort of thing you'd be able to pick up unless I told you about them."
She'd hoped her explanation would ease the hurt in her boyfriend's expression, but the concern only deepened further. "What sort of things?"
Damn, Jane cursed in her head, fluttering her eyes shut. Leaping from one disaster to another; she knew Thor didn't like her in distress. The idea that she'd been suffering in silence must be infuriating for him. She could feel his hand stiffen on her body, radiating his inner rage as gently as he dared.
She sighed, and her hands clawed in his shirt to make sure he didn't go anywhere. "Well…" her mind searched for which one annoyed her the most. Her symptoms may not be as obvious as the sickness or mood swings, but they were still bugging her. "The heartburn sucks. And the headaches." Her gaze lifted to Thor's and she was surprised that her eyes felt as wet as they did. Maybe she wasn't over the emotional bit as much as she'd thought; "And I know you like the stretch marks and the button but they make me feel really fat."
She wasn't sure if it was the threatening tears – which she was quickly getting angry at herself for – or what she was telling him that provoked them. Either way, she wasn't complaining when Thor's face suddenly softened and his arms enveloped her softly.
He pressed a tender kiss to her temples. "I'm sorry." He murmured against her skin. "I did not realize."
Jane reached her arm around Thor's warm body and hugged him close, burying her face in his shirt. "It really sucks." She moaned lightly against his chest. "And I don't want to have sex anymore."
She felt Thor's arms stiffen noticeably around her.
"I mean, I still want to have sex." She clarified quickly, biting her lip apologetically. "It's just that it hurts when I have to be on my back. I know it's been getting more difficult recently but now it's started to actually hurt and I really can't do that anymore…"
A heavy, broken sigh left Thor's lips. "You make my job of taking care of you very difficult sometimes, Jane Foster." He breathed out calmer than Jane had expected. It was a nice surprise; no guilt, no hurt, no anger… he must understand her better than she gave him credit for. He tucked her head under his chin. "You should have told me sooner."
She snuggled more firmly against his chest but her bump got in the way of the rest of her body doing the same. Thor groaned the same frustration she felt inside.
Jane pounded a light fist into Thor's stomach. "I've heard spooning is alright..." Her bright eyes lifted suggestively to his. Thor's brow was knitted with confusion. "Get behind me." She offered in simple explanation.
The god's orbs suddenly roundened as her meaning started to sink in. He couldn't scramble behind her fast enough; he dodged over her body with as much agility as the god he was and settled on the bed behind her, easing her body back against his chest. His arms draped loosely around her middle as their pelvises touched. Jane's hand found his forearm. Thor nuzzled his nose into the crook of her neck, enjoying sharing her warmth for a moment.
Then suddenly Jane stilled.
Thor paused. "Jane?"
He loosened his arms around her but Jane didn't move, as if she were frozen in place. He peeled his lips from her neck and tried to lean forward to get a glimpse of her face. Was it just him or did she look a touch paler than usual?
The god was starting to get anxious; his throat ran dry. "Jane? What's wrong?"
She still didn't say a word, not even acknowledging she'd heard him. Her eyes were wide, staring ahead at nothing as if she were in shock. Her whole body tensed.
Thor watched with a frown, the breaths hitching nervously in his throat as Jane's hand ventured down from his arm to between her legs. His gut knotted sickeningly.
Jane swore violently.
"Jane?" His voice croaked, but he didn't care. What was wrong? Something had to be wrong. His heart thudded in his chest; it couldn't be, he thought, it can't be happening again, can it?
His heart was in his mouth, but a part of him refused to let the panic surface. There were little clues from Jane that it wasn't what he feared. For one, she wasn't in hysterics. She was swearing. She wouldn't be doing that if it were something serious. And she hadn't pulled her hand up yet. It might not be blood, he told himself.
Finally Jane swallowed hard and Thor felt her press her thighs together firmly. "The little…" she murmured bitterly, more to herself than anyone.
Thor tried not to jump when she suddenly nudged herself free, jerking her large body to the edge of the bed and easing herself upright. She made a bee line for their chest of drawers. More specifically, her underwear draw. Thor stayed frozen in the bed, confused. "What is it?" he asked, too lost to even frown.
Jane snapped the draw shut, and the new pair of panties hung from her fingers. "If I find out which one of them it was…" she trailed off and pressed her lips together, eyes rolling to the ceiling.
Thor was still lost. "What?"
Jane's face flushed red as she snapped her gaze back down to the god on the bed, lip quivering as her pride tried to kick its way to the surface through her shame. Her finger pointed to her stomach. "One of them kicked my bladder!" Thor's eyes flickered between her pointing finger and her face, her unsaid meaning starting to work into his brain. He grinned. "They've made me wet myself."