LONG CHAPTER AHOY! This is why it took me so long, lovelies.
Okay, so, the results from the poll about the babies genders were inconclusive as it's a tie between girl+boy and girl+girl, so I've decided to make it a girl+boy so we can cover all bases! I've decided on the girl's name at least, so if you wanna throw anymore baby names at me then go ahead!
Daffodils Say We Are Eternal
"Loki fainted?"
Barton's dreadfully dull voice rang through the room, filled with so much abhorrent joy and wonderment that Loki almost wished the pesky human had perished midway through their mission to rescue Amelia - at least then Loki wouldn't have had another thing vexing his exasperated mind.
"You mean he actually fainted? As in, hit the floor? Because he found out he was having twins?"
Loki tried to ignore him, and by his standards, that was definitely worth something, but Barton had a particular knack for getting on his last nerve.
"I know you humans are exceedingly dim-witted, but perhaps you hadn't noticed the searing stab wound in my abdomen that was causing me to bleed out?" Loki's voice cut the atmosphere like a knife, sharp and deadly, but everybody in the room knew there was hardly any real bite to it. Not while Loki was lying on the infirmary operating table, with Inga hovering over him as she tended to his injuries.
He'd woken up several minutes prior to find himself in that position, stripped free of the upper half of his Asgardian leathers, with Inga applying her talents in healing, and a very worried Amelia lingering at his side, clasping his uninjured hand in both of hers.
Barton laughed.
"Come on. We all know why you really passed out. It's shocking news, after all-"
"Barton, if you value your life-" Loki began, but was promptly interrupted by his brother, who clearly just wanted to look like the calm, level-headed one in front of his new infatuation.
"Alright, settle down, the both of you," Thor said, "we're all still recovering from what has just occurred, we don't need any quarrels right now."
"Oh, you're recovering, are you? Where were you when I was facing that fire-witch with precisely none of my strength? When she was using Amelia as a punching bag?" There was an edge to his voice now, his anger rejuvenating as his strength slowly returned, and he felt Amelia squeeze his hand as if silently asking him to refrain from being argumentative.
Thor seemed vaguely appalled at having the blame pinned on him, "I was fighting Alzill. You know, the one that managed to capture you?" He quirked up an eyebrow, "If you'd been a little more observant, you would've seen through her strategy and Amelia wouldn't have felt the need to put herself in a dangerous situation to save you."
Amelia let out a tired sigh as Loki felt his frustrations begin to boil over, teeth gritting to contain himself, taking laboured breaths in response to the pain Inga was trying to treat, and the desire to have a shouting match with his brother arose in the back of his throat, but before he could expel it, it turned into a hacking cough that had him wincing and hissing in agony.
Amelia stepped up and leaned over him, blocking Thor and the others from sight, and she gently shushed him, cupping his face with a gentle touch, and although he didn't appreciate being quieted down as if he were a child having a tantrum, it was certainly soothing to feel that contact after everything that had happened. It seemed Amelia knew exactly what she was doing, because there was a patient, warm smile on her face.
"Alright, I'm going to have to ask the lot of you to leave," Inga spoke, her voice authoritative and demanding, with just a tinge of pique in her words, "at least until I have seen to Prince Loki's injuries." She motioned an ushering hand to the door and everybody but Amelia slowly filtered out to wait in the hall.
Loki did catch a glimpse of Thor's disappointed look - probably ashamed that he'd made a bad impression on Inga and had to be told off. Thor did look apologetic though, when he cast his eyes down to his brother before leaving.
A sigh escaped him, and he laid his head back, intent on staying still and quiet while Inga worked her magic; Amelia's fingertips were still pressed to his face, moving gently back and forth in a comforting gesture, and while she looked very much like she wanted to strike up a serious talk about the newfound knowledge that they would be parents to not one child, but two, she remained blessedly silent on the matter, allowing Loki time to process it.
Two children. Twice the joy, right? Loki wasn't so sure. He'd already mulled over his doubts in his ability to raise one child, surely there was no way somebody like him could do a good job in raising two of them.
Amelia looked frazzled, but some of her strength had returned since Inga had given her that pouch of sustenance, and it allayed Loki's fears somewhat. Inga seemed sure that no harm had come to the unborn children, but after witnessing Amelia being kicked and struck and thrown across the room, Loki found it hard to believe.
It ate away at him - the thought that it would soon become clear the assault she had endured would have a terrible impact on the health of their unborn children, and it was just a matter of time before the bombshell dropped. If everything turned out okay - if the babies were entirely unscathed, then Loki would only be able to see it as a miracle.
But if something did happen, if the children did not survive… the notion filled Loki with a tidal wave of panicked grief, forcing tears to gather in his eyes. He squeezed them shut and hissed again, playing off his bubbling emotions as a reaction to the pain, and Amelia's hand went to his hair, threading through his dark tresses
"Is he going to be okay?" Amelia asked Inga, and Loki expelled a huff of amusement, answering the question for her, though his voice was still rather gritty from his negative train of thought.
"I'm fine. Just a stab wound, I'm used to it."
"His body is having an adverse reaction to Ularis's fire magic," Inga responded, shaking her head slightly, "honestly, my prince, you should have said something."
Loki scoffed, "Amelia was more important. I'm a god, I've gone through worse." He didn't miss the way Amelia's lips pulled down at the corners, a sad little frown on her face.
"Well, the effects of Ularis's attacks have slowed your body's natural healing factor, but it will heal fully in time. A week or two, perhaps. I have sealed the laceration, although it will still be sore, and there will be a scar, of course," she paused, "I need to have a look at your hand." She motioned to his left hand, which was lying limp at his side, not very pretty to look at.
Amelia looked somberly at his chest which was littered with blemishes of battles past, "Another scar to add to the collection."
Loki gazed up at Amelia, scrutinising her face for a moment while Inga inspected his hand, "Do the scars bother you?" He wouldn't have been surprised if the flaws on his skin were one of the few things Amelia didn't think was so attractive on him; scars did not hold the same connotations in human cultures as they did in Asgardian culture. For him, the more scars a person had determined how much respect they deserved - a marked body implied many good battles had been had.
For humans, scars were just ugly things.
"No," Amelia responded, surprising him, "not at all. I think the scars are sexy." There was a coy little smile on her face, one that Loki couldn't help but return.
"Is that so? Even if I had a big scar on my face? Would you still think that was sexy?" Loki definitely noticed Inga roll her eyes.
"Yes," Amelia replied, her smile growing, "perhaps even more so!"
"Ah, duly noted," Loki snorted, "next time somebody comes at me with a sharp object, I'll offer up my face before anything else."
His jest succeeded in prompting a laugh from Amelia, and the sound was reassuring to him, bringing a smile to his face, but soon his eyes fell to Amelia's stomach, and the smile slowly diminished as negative, plaguing thoughts filled his mind once again.
"Inga, are you sure the babies are alright?" Loki asked. He held a burning hatred for the uncertainty in his voice, so unused to allowing himself to be vulnerable in front of anybody but Amelia.
"Quite sure, my prince. All their vitals are fine, I made sure to check while you were passed out."
"But… human bodies are not durable," he grimaced as Inga bent one of his fingers, "and Amelia took a heavy beating…" He scanned his lover as he spoke, admittedly surprised that she did not appear as battered as he imagined she would be. The things he had witnessed Eruk and Ularis do to her... he had expected broken bones at least, but when Inga announced that her injuries were minor, it had brought him nothing but confusion.
Inga paused in her work, blinking her eyes as she surveyed Loki for a moment, "Ah. You are not aware of the effects of the alcamax chemical in Amelia's blood."
Loki's gaze hardened with worry, but Amelia squeezed his hand and gently reminded him, "I'm okay, Loki."
"Nor do you know about Amelia's temporary abilities to utilise misplaced magic." Inga went on to say, and Loki's eyes fluttered in a rapid blink.
"What?" He looked to Amelia, his stare burrowing into her as if he would find the answer in her somewhat sheepish expression.
"Well," Inga began, "when the two of you conceived, you unknowingly implanted a fraction of your magic within Amelia. The introduction of the Alcamax chemical in her blood sort of… stimulated that magical energy, and it has manifested in a few different ways, mostly in a destructive way - the residual energy has to leave her body somehow."
Loki's mouth hung open as he looked from Inga to Amelia, and then an understanding seemed to click, "That… that eruption of magic when Ularis had you pinned. That was you?"
Amelia scratched her head, "I think so. I… I didn't do it on purpose, but I'm glad it happened." She sounded wholly unconfident about what had actually happened, but Inga seemed to think that it was a possibility, and there was no other explanation for it.
When the magic energy had discharged and sent Ularis flying, there had been a few moments where Loki believed he had, through sheer willpower, overcome the limitations of the energy-locking collar and delivered a massive blow to Ularis, but it became apparent quite quickly that it was not so.
"I think it might be possible that Amelia did not sustain any injuries that could compromise her pregnancy, because she was subconsciously diverting that energy towards protecting her unborn children, up until she desperately needed it to protect herself." Inga explained.
It made sense, and the notion made Loki oddly emotional.
"You were able to protect yourself, when I was powerless to do so…" He felt inadequate after having been ineffectual during the first half of Amelia's unfortunate confrontation with Eruk and Ularis. It was excruciating having to watch from behind the bars of his cage, flinching with every strike Amelia had to endure, his hands aching from how tightly he gripped the metal of his confinement.
And who was to say something like this couldn't happen again? What if one day Amelia and their children were in grave danger, and Loki couldn't do a single thing to save them? Would Amelia blame him and call him a bad father if anything happened to the babies?
"Hey." Amelia gave his cheek a pat, bringing his whirling thoughts back into the present, and there was this look on her face - a look that had Loki thinking that perhaps she knew where his mind had taken him. "It was your magic that saved me, Loki. Do you think I know how to make all that cool flashy green stuff happen? Nope. I'm not a sorcerer, I barely know how to protect myself - especially against evil aliens - the only reason I got this far was because somehow, you gave me that magic, with the sole intent to keep me safe, whether you did it knowingly or not. Do you get what I'm saying? Even when you weren't there, you were still there, I mean, like, sort of. I'm tired."
She wasn't very eloquent with how she worded it, and given the circumstances it was no surprise, but in a way, Loki was able to piece together the purpose behind her little speech, and though Loki was still very much devastated that he hadn't saved Amelia sooner, it did help calm his mind.
Loki sat up, not caring whether Inga had finished repairing the skin on his hand or not. She made a little noise of annoyance, which seemed to indicate that she was not yet done, but Loki's attention was on Amelia. He hung his legs off the edge of the bed and pulled Amelia close to his chest, gathering her up in his arms. It felt like an eternity since he'd last held her.
Amelia sank into his embrace, a soft sigh escaping her.
"How do you feel?" Loki asked her. He could feel her breath tickling his ear. He wanted so badly to kiss her, but preferred to wait until they were completely alone.
"I'm okay… I think…" She took a deep breath and sighed again, "a bit tired… mm-" a sound of discomfort escaped her, and Loki pushed her back to examine her face. She was paler than normal with dark marks beneath her eyes, and her forehead was dotted with sweat.
"Amelia?" Loki grabbed her by the shoulders, giving her a shake when her eyes seemed to wander. She didn't seem so well all of a sudden, and while it would have been easier to blame it on the needless adventure she had been on, it appeared to be something more than that. "Inga, what's wrong with her?"
"I'm… I'm fine, just-" Partway through her insistence, her legs gave out and she collapsed forward. Loki was quick to catch her, he stood and swept her up to carry in his arms, his gaze darting over her face as his nerves began to blossom once more.
He laid Amelia on the bed as Inga looked her over, and it was his turn to clutch and caress her hand.
"Now that you are well enough, Prince Loki, I must insist on carrying out the Alcamax extraction procedure on Amelia. She is not in immediate danger, but the longer we leave it, the more discomfort she will be in," Inga explained, "can you pick her up and follow me?"
"Extraction procedure? Why didn't you say anything about this before now?" A touch of frustration lined his words as his fear picked up again, though he practically raced to do as she asked, picking Amelia up again with just a slight wince.
"Please don't panic, my prince. She will be fine, right this way."
Loki followed quickly, ignoring the others who were standing outside as they passed them by; luckily Inga offered an explanation as they went, which provided Loki a more concrete understanding of Amelia's condition. His magic had laid dormant in her until the Alcamax had caused a reaction, making it unstable within her body, which if left unresolved could cause her health to deteriorate rapidly - but Inga made it very clear that Amelia was not at that level of poor health.
The most it was currently doing was sapping her strength, making her tired and leaving her a little bit woozy.
"Was' going on?" Amelia slurred as she roused, her arms going naturally around Loki's neck to steady herself, "Did I fall asleep?"
"We're taking you to get that damned chemical removed from your body."
"Loki?" She murmured tiredly.
"Yes?"
"I'm glad we're together again."
Loki smiled, tilting his head as she tucked her face into his shoulder and clung to him more tightly. He was glad too, and it would be a challenge for anybody to pry them apart now. He wasn't letting her go any time soon.
They arrived in the extraction chamber, a somewhat intimidating circular room with a gurney in the centre and a strange device hanging above it which connected to a tube, which led somewhere else. Inga instructed him to place Amelia on the bed, and he hesitantly stepped forward, but his lover's arms tightened around his neck.
"Is it going to hurt?" There was a tremor in Amelia's voice.
"You may feel some discomfort, but I'm going to give you a mild sedative that will ease it," Inga told her, "believe me, its best we perform this procedure sooner rather than later."
Amelia swallowed audibly, and nodded her head, though she seemed very reluctant to continue. She was scared, it was obvious. Loki placed her down and took her hand in his, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
"You'll be okay," he told her, "and once this is done, we'll head back to Stark's ship, save the prisoner's on Vercain, and then head home."
Amelia appeared slightly placated, tilting her head back to look up at the apparatus above that seemed to loom over in a menacing way. Loki was reluctant to step away from her, he wouldn't leave her side until Inga deemed it necessary.
"I need to explain now exactly what kind of effect this will have on you, Amelia," Inga powered the machine on but stepped away from the control panel to make sure Amelia was paying attention to her words, "because you might not be as lucid after this procedure. It'll probably make you a bit loopy afterwards with the combined effect of the sedative I'm going to administer."
"So it's gonna be like I'm high on laughing gas or something?" Amelia blinked, eyes widening ever so slightly before she addressed Loki with an abashed look, "Don't let me say or do anything embarrassing, please."
Loki had to let out a chuckle, "I can't promise anything."
"This extraction is only a partial removal of the Alcamax. It has three important elements to it - the advanced regeneration of cells in the body, the increase in strength, and the growth in stamina. To remove these all at once would be lethal for your body now that you have acclimated to it. Instead, we're going to remove the elements that increase your strength and stamina, and leave the fraction that controls cell regeneration behind."
"Ah, okay," Amelia nodded, "so does that mean my body will still be able to heal really quickly?"
"Indeed. But that is not all…" Inga trailed off, lips parted as though hesitant to say more.
Loki had to prompt her to continue with a stern, "Yes, and…?"
"Well… it will…" she raised her hands to gesticulate as she spoke, "the effect it will have is that… your… your lifespan is going to increase dramatically."
There was a beat after Inga had spoken where Loki did not comprehend exactly what she had said. When it sunk in, he found that it was difficult to breathe.
"...what?" Amelia squeaked, eyes wide.
"How much of an increase will there be?" Banner inquired curiously, audibly shocked by the news.
Inga sighed, shrugging her shoulders slightly, "It is difficult to say, but my guess would be probably at least three times the average lifespan of a human. Which is, if I understand correctly, close to three-hundred years?"
Loki was quiet, fighting the sting of tears in his eyes. The whole time he'd realised he was in love with Amelia, it had been under the assumption that he had no more than seventy years left with her, but now that there was the potential for an extra two-hundred years on top of that, it had him swallowing around the lump in his throat.
More time with Amelia. More time as a family. It was all he had ever wanted, and after all the terrible things they had gone through together, the notion that something good could come from all this was… inconceivable.
"Is there a catch?" Loki asked, irritated by the tremble in his own voice. There had to be a catch, there always was.
"There's no catch," Inga seemed confused by his question, "Amelia will live three times the normal lifespan of an average human being. I was… unsure whether Amelia would take this news well or whether it would be badly received." Inga looked to Amelia, "How do you feel?"
Amelia did not look well. She looked as though she was struggling to process what she had just been told. Loki wanted to pick her up and spin her around - didn't she realise? They were going to have so much more time together. Why didn't she look happy?
"I'm… I'm okay, just… that's crazy…" She took an unsteady breath, her eyes brimming with unshed tears, "I… I-" she sounded as though she was getting ready to hyperventilate. Loki leant over her, cupping her face with both hands.
"Hey. Amelia. It's alright. It's going to be okay." He told her bluntly. He didn't understand why she seemed so afraid of the concept of having more time to live; human lives were so short, there was no time to do anything, why was she crying? Didn't she want this?
"I'm just… shocked. It's a lot to take in," Amelia whispered. Loki used his thumbs to brush away her tears.
"Loki, humans have an intrinsic understanding of the fact that we don't live longer than one-hundred years, except in rare cases," Banner cast a glance to Steve over his shoulder with a knowing smile, "for something like that to change, it can be frightening. Give it time to sink in."
Loki looked back to Amelia, who was staring up at him, searching for reassurance, and he breathed a sigh, nodding his head. It wasn't necessarily that Amelia was averse to the idea of spending more time with him, it's more that the shock of knowing she'll have far more time was overwhelming for her. Loki supposed that wasn't surprising. Perhaps once she had time to process it, she would realise how wonderful an opportunity it was for their soon-to-be-family.
"Are you ready for this procedure?" Inga asked.
Amelia breathed a heavy sigh, "Yes. I'm… I'm ready. Do it."
Loki raised her hand to his lips and brushed a kiss across her knuckles, a soft gesture which brought a small smile to Amelia's face, before taking a step back to allow Inga room to do what she needed to do.
Inga administered the sedative through a syringe, the prick of which made Amelia grimace, but after a few moments it was clear the drug had the desired effect. Amelia visibly relaxed, slackened but still conscious, and Inga returned to the control panel to start up the machine.
The healer turned the ignition and the machine came to life, the resounding noiseiness causing Amelia to flinch; despite the relaxant, she seemed to be held together by tension - Loki knew the feeling - and this whole procedure wasn't doing her any favours. But it was necessary. After that, she could rest.
The suspended part of the machine above began to rotate slowly at first, but sped up the longer it went on. Amelia continued to squirm, until eventually Loki spotted the first strand of green energy rising from Amelia's body. It looked similar to his magic, except it was different, he could sense that it was different, and the energy itself wasn't as bright and whimsical.
Loki wanted to think of it as a poison that had infested Amelia's body and caused this whole mess in the first place, but with the promise that Amelia would live far beyond her original life expectancy, he couldn't help but also think of it as a sort of gift. He wasn't grateful that Eruk had picked her, he was just… joyously surprised that something good had risen from an awful situation.
He couldn't stop thinking about the fact that in one-hundred years, Amelia would still be with him. In two-hundred years, Amelia would still be with him. He could put his fear of life without Amelia on hold for a while and enjoy his time with her for longer.
The last threads of green energy rose up into the machine, and it slowly came to a stop; Loki's eyes were on Amelia, searching to make sure she was alright. She looked very much out of it, as Inga had suspected, blinking slowly with a wide gaze, and she rubbed at her eyes lazily with one balled fist.
"Amelia? Do you feel alright?" Loki asked, returning to her side.
"I don't even know," she whined, "that felt weird. Really, really, really weird. I don't like it."
The tension eased somewhat from Loki's posture - Amelia was fine, perhaps a little more ludicrous than usual, but fine overall. She pushed herself up on one elbow and leaned over to get off of the gurney, and Loki had to rush forwards to catch her as she tumbled over and almost hit the floor.
"Is she well?" Thor asked, stepping forward as Loki lifted her.
Amelia was wriggling in his arms, trying to get comfy, and Loki hoisted her with a sudden uplift in an effort to get her to stop moving, but she squealed in surprise, sounding more than a little offended that he had startled her. With her arms around his neck in what was practically a death-grip, Amelia pinned him with a glare full of as much indignation as she could muster.
"Loki, stop moving around and just be a good pillow, okay?" She whined again, her voice ever-so-slightly slurred. Her attempt at a stern reprimand was quite dwindled given that she looked and sounded incredibly sleepy. The 'wrathful' look on her face was just adorable.
"She's fine." Loki answered Thor, who was already chuckling at her sleepy grumbling.
Thor looked to Inga, a whole world of appreciation in his mismatched eyes, "Thank you for taking care of Amelia, Inga," he spoke gratefully, and Loki realised he probably should've been the one thanking her, but Thor obviously jumped in there first in an effort to get more attention from the woman. No matter, Loki would thank her later. For now, he needed to find somewhere for Amelia to rest.
Only a few moments later, Stark suddenly exclaimed with a hint of exasperation, "Oh, for the love of- guess who finally turned up? Guardians of the galaxy just arrived." He turned away to proceed to call them through his Iron Man suit, ranting at whoever answered his hail.
They'd hung about long enough. While Stark conversed with the Guardians and arranged a plan of action to rescue the prisoners on Vercain, everybody else made their way to the Starkcraft that remained in the hangar of Eruk's ship. Inga was eager to begin the recovery of Eruk's victims, and Loki had to admit that he was incredibly thankful that Inga had prioritised Amelia's health even though she was probably raring to see her sister again.
"Hey. Hey, Inga? Do I still have magic?" Amelia loudly enquired as they made their way through the winding halls of the ship down to the lowest part.
"Yes," Inga answered with a glance over her shoulder. She was walking ahead with Thor, but took a moment to reply, even though Amelia probably wasn't going to retain any information she was told at the current time. Her mind was too addled for it, "but not forever. I imagine that after you give birth, your powers will quickly begin to fade."
Despite the knowledge that her powers were temporary, Amelia grabbed Loki by the collar, demanding his attention, "Can you teach me how to be a magician?"
Loki blinked, "Magician?"
"Wait. Wait, no… no… sorcerer- sorcerer! That's what I meant. No, wait, sorceress! I want to be a sorceress and I want to do everything you can do."
Loki gave a huff of amusement, shaking his head at Amelia's antics, "We will see."
Amelia let out a theatrical gasp, "I want to be invisible."
"No." He shut her down quickly. She didn't need to know such skills, plus he wasn't even sure Amelia could learn to do it - it took Loki many years and many books on the matter to be able to render himself undetectable. It wasn't just a parlour trick.
"Aww," Amelia whined, peering up at Loki through squinting eyes, "Come on. That's not fair. Can you at least teach me to fly?"
Loki frowned, "I can't fly. What makes you think you can?"
"Because magic."
Loki rolled his eyes, hiding his amusement. Hopefully Amelia wouldn't be out of it for too long, they still needed to have a very serious talk.
Amelia pawed at her face, blinking slowly and confusedly, "Oh no."
"What?"
"I think I've gone blind again."
"What?" Again? Loki was close to calling Inga back over. The healer had promised that the only side effect would be deliriousness and exhaustion, not blindness.
"Your face is all blurry. I think I need my glasses. I can't see without my glasses… jinkies." She mumbled, far from coherent. Loki was sure she was speaking gibberish now, but at least she hadn't been serious about actually going blind.
"Alright. We'll find your glasses." Loki sighed.
As it happened, Steve had picked up Amelia's glasses when he went with Stark and Barton to retrieve his shield from the confiscation room - he had recognised them as Amelia's and figured she'd probably be needing them. Amelia was a lot happier once she was able to see clearly again, and a lot quieter, for that fact.
She fell asleep before they reached Stark's ship, and Loki placed Amelia on one of the bunks in the resting area of the craft, a small room with several beds that was separated from the control room. He made sure that she was comfortably positioned and wasn't in danger of rolling off the bed - he knew how much she shuffled around when sleeping - and pulled the blanket up over her shoulders.
Loki moved a strand of hair from her face and leaned down, placing a kiss on her forehead; he remained by her side, sat on the floor against the bed, watching over her as she rested. His sensitive hearing picked up on everything that was being discussed in the control room, but he was only half listening really. His mind was rushing from thought to thought that it was almost impossible to pay attention.
His eyes kept flicking to Amelia's stomach, and he couldn't get over the notion that his children were growing within her, that in less than nine months, he would be a father. He didn't know whether the nine months would go by in a flash, or if they would be the longest months of his life.
And then there was the fact of Amelia's extended mortality. Where would they be in one-hundred years? Would they still be living in the Avengers Tower? All of the human Avengers would be dead by then, so Loki couldn't help but think Amelia probably wouldn't want to spend the rest of her life in the Tower.
Perhaps they could live in Norway? New Asgard was a beautiful, rich place. Amelia would love the stunning scenery, and the palace would be enough to make her jaw drop. Even then, if Amelia found the palace too busy for her liking, Loki was sure they could find a home all to themselves. A nice quiet place where she could grow flowers in her own garden.
He looked to her stomach again. What would their children be like? Would they be raucous and bratty or would they be quiet and sensible, or would they be in the acceptable middle ground? If they grew up to be anything like Amelia, Loki would be entirely grateful. But what if they were more like him? Loki could put up with a little mischief, but he couldn't deny there were so many negative aspects to his personality.
It would break his heart if his children grew up to be resentful and sneaky and scheming, like he was. Or had been, at least.
He had never felt so troubled over the notion of having children before. Back when he was young and clueless about his true parentage, having an heir was expected of him, but he hadn't assumed it would be relevant for hundreds or thousands of years given his terribly long lifespan.
Loki was unprepared, and that frightened him.
Less than nine months… it wasn't enough time to learn everything he needed to know about being a parent. That was what he believed. Children were unpredictable, he knew that much, and that meant he had to research every potential trial and tribulation that came with parenthood. He'd have to buy books. A lot of books.
Loki blinked back to reality when he felt and heard the engines of Stark's ship come to life. He stood, making his way quickly to the control room where everybody was gathered.
"Care to update me on the plan?" He asked.
"Quill was late arriving because he and the guardians had to contact the survivors of the Nova Corps to aid in the rescue of all the kidnapped lifeforms on the planet. Apparently the name Eruk rang a bell for him. Dude is a wanted criminal. Ehh, I'm not sure they'll be happy to know you killed the guy, I think they wanted him alive-" Stark was swiftly cut off.
"I don't really care what they want," Loki interjected plainly, "I take it we're approaching the planet?"
"Yeah. ETA is about forty-five minutes. The guardians are there right now. The Nova Corps are working on neutralising and arresting all the guards posted so that it's safe for the victims to evacuate."
"Right." Loki nodded and made a move to return to Amelia, but as he stepped out into the ship's antechamber, he heard Thor speak his name, and turned to find his oaf of a brother following after him.
"What?" Loki asked tersely.
"Loki, I just wanted to tell you-" Thor glanced over his shoulder, checking nobody had followed them out of the control room, and looked back, "Congratulations, brother! On the pregnancy!"
Loki did not respond; he didn't know what to say in return, the whole thing was still pretty surreal for him, and to be congratulated on it seemed to drill it further into his mind that he was going to be a father.
Thor clapped him on the arm, "I've always thought you and Amelia were perfect for each other, and knowing that you're starting a family, it's just - so exciting! And I'm going to be an uncle!"
Still at a loss for words, Loki just nodded, his mouth hanging open dumbly. He hadn't yet considered that this would be a big change, not just for himself and Amelia, but for everybody else living in the tower. And for Asgard. Two royal children would soon be born, and from what Loki understood, such a thing was an exciting event.
Babies were not common in Asgard, due to the low birthrate. They lived for thousands of years, nobody was in a rush to have children or there would be severe overpopulation issues, thus the sight of such young children was something that often caused a lot of enthusiasm.
"Brother?" Thor tilted his head, "You seem a little distracted."
Loki sighed and shook his head, "I'm fine… thank you, Thor. I'm… I'm still processing my imminent parenthood."
Thor let out a soft laugh, "I can imagine. Don't fret, brother. All will be well."
With that, Thor returned to the control room, leaving Loki to roll his eyes at the fool's nonchalance. It was easy for Thor to say 'all will be well,' he wasn't the one who would be loaded with the responsibility of caring for two half-human offspring.
Loki returned to Amelia's side and waited out the journey to Vercain, where they would soon discover just what kind of sick facility Eruk was running.
It became clear rather quickly that Loki was facing a small dilemma. He wished to leave the ship and survey the building in which life forms were being kept against their will - and he had to, because he wished to know what could have become of Amelia if they'd been too late. An insistent presence poked at his mind, telling him if he didn't enter the building, he was a coward, too scared to consider the what ifs. He needed to go in there. His will to protect Amelia and their unborn children was skyhigh, but there was always more room to motivate him to be even more wary and gallant. The sight of those that weren't so lucky, locked in those cages, would be more than enough to remind him of his duty as Prince Loki, the father of Amelia's soon-to-be-born children.
But in order to leave the ship and check the place out, he would have to leave Amelia behind.
And he didn't want to do that.
"We'll stay with her, Loki, don't worry," Banner proclaimed, "She'll be fine." He and Barton had elected to stay behind on Stark's ship, just in case anything unexpected happened. But Loki did not trust Amelia in their hands - he didn't trust anybody except himself.
"No," Loki protested, "I'll bring her with me."
"Loki, no-"
"She's staying with me no matter what." Loki snapped when Banner tried to dissuade him.
"She needs to rest, she's gone through a lot." Bruce tried again, but Loki wasn't going to even entertain whatever he had to say.
"She can continue to rest. She won't wake, look at her," he motioned purposely to Amelia's deadweight body sprawled across the bunk, her jaw hanging open as she snored, limbs askew. There was no way she was going to wake up any time soon.
Banner breathed a sigh, shaking his head exasperatedly, "I'm not going to be able to convince you to leave her, am I?"
"Never." Loki's word was final. Banner knew that trying to press the matter was completely pointless.
Loki proceeded to lift Amelia gently, and predictably, she did not stir. Despite his still healing wound, her weight was barely an effort to carry from the ship; he received looks from the other Avengers, clearly disapproving that he would bring Amelia out of the ship, but he had no choice. Nobody else would protect her like he would.
The only way anyone could get their hands on Amelia ever again would be by stepping over Loki's cold, dead body, and as many people knew by now, he was notoriously difficult to kill.
"She okay?" Gamora was the one who spoke, and Loki peered at her and the rest of the guardians who had come to meet the Avengers outside Eruk's vast facility; he remembered meeting them before the battle against Thanos, but the nature of his condition following that meant he had missed out on what had happened after.
"She's fine." Loki told her.
"You bringing her in?" Quill's face was plastered with that perpetual look of utter cluelessness.
"She is staying with me." Loki wasn't much in the mood to converse with them. He wanted to see the facility, get it over and done with. In and out. Then they could return home, and Amelia could find some peace.
Loki watched the way his brother greeted Rocket and Groot - exclaiming their silly nicknames as he approached them - "Rabbit! Tree!" And the aforementioned duo seemed just as happy to see the God of Thunder. It was ridiculous to think Thor had made friends with the two of them, though he supposed they had been through a bit of an ordeal before it came time to face Thanos. A common enemy with that much power tended to bring people together.
The large one - Drax - was talking to Rogers and Romanoff in his unnecessarily loud, booming voice while Nebula stood apart from the group, not quite as eager to chat with everyone. Loki had been informed that this was the woman who had dealt Thanos the killing blow, and when she locked eyes with him, he gave her a silent nod, which she returned after a moment.
"Could've done with you guys turning up a little earlier, but I guess we work with what we get." Stark commented, side-eyeing Quill just a tad.
"Hey, dude, chill. Your comms cut out before I could get an accurate lock on your location. You're lucky we found you as quickly as we did." The brainless human responded.
"The galaxy is not exactly small." A high-pitched, lulling voice sounded shockingly close, and Loki made a clear point to take a large step away from Mantis, who had somehow managed to sneak up beside him without him noticing. He remembered what happened the last time they met. She touched him - felt what he felt - and called him out in front of everybody present. He refused to let an empath get so close again.
Mantis tilted her head at Loki, an innocent expression on her face, before her eyes fell to Amelia in his arms. Loki did not like the way her eyes lingered on his lover.
Not long passed before the building was deemed safe to enter. The Nova Corps had incapacitated all guards who opposed them, and arrested those who surrendered, which meant the building was more or less empty - except for the contents of the expo. The lifeforms who were there against their wills.
Loki entered the foyer, treading red sand everywhere that had gotten stuck to the bottom of his boots, and was greeted with an entrance hall that split into many different areas. Before them, there was an access point that seemed to be some sort of information desk, and as Loki approached it, it revealed an extensive list of all the types of beings that were imprisoned there.
'What are you looking for?' a robotic voice enquired, and Loki scowled in disgust at just how long the list was.
He was glad he had killed the man. Torn the slimy tentacles from his head while he screamed for mercy. Eruk offered no mercy to those he kidnapped, he deserved precisely what he got.
"This way, quickly," Inga spoke up as she rushed past Loki and headed towards one of the connecting halls. Thor chased after her and Loki followed at a much slower place, soaking in his surroundings.
Just like Eruk's ship, there were no windows, it seemed. The only light present was artificial, probably powered by this Alcamax-energy the fiend had somehow gotten his hands on, and the walls were a dark grey, creating an intimidating environment for all the frightened victims he'd locked away.
Loki was already fuming, and he hadn't even seen the cells yet. He subconsciously drew Amelia closer, and leaned down to bump his nose against her head.
When Loki reached the other end of the tunnel-like hallway, he stepped out into a wider space, and that was when he caught sight of the small cubicle-like rooms behind panes of glass, and the telltale signs of life beyond them.
As he passed the first one, he felt a chill rush down his spine. There was a cot, and not much else in the tiny space that this life form was forced to call its 'home', the victim herself looked… broken. She looked as though a part of her was missing - taken by Eruk after having spent far too long in this place.
Loki's throat tightened at the notion of Amelia being in her position, he couldn't bear the thought - how long it might've taken for him to find her again if Eruk had succeeded in escaping them, it was horrible. The fact that the lifeform he was looking at now probably hadn't seen daylight in so long...
Soon, the Nova Corps would open all the cells - one hall at a time, no doubt, to avoid mass hysteria - and then they would no longer have to suffer.
"Signy!" Inga called out from ahead, and Loki was drawn across the room towards them, where the Asgardian healer had her hands against the glass screen separating her from her sister.
Inga and her sister looked very much alike, with blonde hair and light green eyes, but where Inga's skin was healthy and rosy, Signy's was pallid, even looking grey in some places. Her eyes were dull, and her hair had no sheen. She looked sick, but despite that, she rose from her cot to greet her sister, looking as elated as a sick, unhealthy person could be.
"Just- just hold on, we're going to get you out!" Inga cried, her hands tapping nervously against the glass.
"Inga, step back." Thor instructed her, and motioned for Signy to step away from the glass, waiting only a beat before his fist pierced the screen like it was nothing more than a sheet of flimsy paper. Shattered glass fell to the floor, and Amelia stirred with a light snort, turning her head into Loki's chest before settling again.
Inga didn't waste another moment before gathering her sister up in her arms, clutching her tightly like it was the first time she had touched her in years - and it probably was - because Signy returned the contact with desperation and began to cry.
"Are we- are we free? Are we getting ou- out?" Signy sobbed into her sister's shoulder, and Inga nodded, the sound of her own sniffle betraying her emotions.
"Yes, thanks to King Thor and his friends," Inga whined, and before Loki could roll his eyes at being left out of the equation, she quickly added, "-and Prince Loki."
"P-prince Loki? King Thor?" Signy stammered, tearfully pulling back from her sister's embrace, but not taking more than a step away from her, as she looked over in disbelief, "You're alive?" she asked incredulously, and then turned to Thor, "and you're king?"
Thor smiled sadly, "It's a long story."
Loki frowned. If Signy knew he had been presumed dead, then she and Inga must have been taken at least six years ago - and while six years wasn't a long time for an Asgardian, it was a long time to be trapped in one small box, sitting helpless while disgusting museum-goers pressed their hideous faces against the glass, leaving little to no privacy.
Loki couldn't be more glad that Amelia would live on without knowing the terror of this place.
The longer he stood there with Amelia in his arms, the more enraged he became. His thoughts roared in his head like a hurricane, the growing wrath agitating him, causing his emotions to run wild. His muscles became tense, and his arms shook, causing Amelia to judder in his grip.
He tried to calm himself, but his imagination conjured up the horrible image of Amelia stricken with terror as she slammed her fists repeatedly against the glass to no avail. Loki wondered if the guards would've beaten her into silence if she carried on screaming for too long - every other victim was curled up in their cell, peering out with wide eyes and a look that implied making even the quietest sound would earn them a beating.
He found himself wishing he'd savoured Eruk's death just a little longer. No amount of time felt like enough painful torture for him to atone for what he had done, and Loki regretted that he'd ended it too quickly. He hadn't been able to control himself, though.
Thor's hand on his shoulder pulled him from his reverie, and Loki blinked the angry moisture from his eyes and flinched away from his brother, pinning him with a scowl because he couldn't summon the effort to hide his fury. Thor just looked concerned.
"We're bringing Signy back to the ship so Inga can take a look at her. It is probably for the best that we step out and leave the rest to the Nova Corps." He spoke, and there was a hint of understanding in his eyes.
Loki turned and headed for the exit - he didn't need to be told twice. Before he'd stepped into the building, he'd been itching to get a look at the inside, but now he couldn't wait to be out of it.
When he stepped out into the open again, Amelia inhaled a sharp breath, and an inspection of her face revealed it contorted in discomfort. She was dreaming - a nightmare, it seemed - and Loki stood stock-still in a moment of minor panic. Usually, he would do everything he could to ease her bad dreams, but with his hands full, it just wasn't possible. He needed to return to the ship and get Amelia comfortable so he could make use of his mind-probing magic to quell her nightmares, but before he could make a beeline for the ship, Mantis stepped into his way.
"Move," Loki demanded, "Now. I need to return to the ship."
"She is having a nightmare." Mantis pointed out, like it wasn't completely obvious, and Loki sighed in frustration.
"I don't have time for this. Move."
"I can soothe her mind. It won't take long." She offered, blinking her large black eyes - she seemed eager to help in some way, and Loki didn't sense any ulterior motives behind her proposal, so he reluctantly nodded his head. Anything to assuage Amelia's torment as quickly as possible.
"Fine. But don't touch me."
Mantis immediately brought her fingers gently to Amelia's head and shut her eyes, her antennae promptly beginning to glow. In just a few seconds, the creases in Amelia's expression smoothed out and she once again fell into a restful slumber.
"Thank you." Loki said, though his gratitude was strained.
Mantis stepped back, her eyes once again lingering on Amelia, and then she frowned, "She feels great unease. Something troubles her deeply. Something to do with… you." Perhaps she thought she was being helpful by telling this to Loki, but it only fuelled his deeply-rooted anxiety that Amelia thought he would not be fit for fatherhood.
"I didn't ask." Loki hissed, and stepped around Mantis, avoiding everybody as he stormed back to the ship and kicked off his sand-covered boots before slinking into the sleeping space at the back of the ship, giving Banner and Clint nothing more than a huff of exasperation as he passed them. They knew not to intrude when he was in such a mood.
Loki laid Amelia carefully on the bed and sat on the edge, blinking away the unexpected tears that prickled his eyes. The sooner they were able to discuss everything that had happened, the sooner Loki could understand just why Amelia was troubled by him.
The Nova Corps took on the responsibility of rescuing all the souls within the museum, evacuating them safely and finding them special care if needed. Therapy and counselling would be readily available to anyone who needed it, and they were all to be returned to their homeworlds.
Stark made an effort to find out more ways he could contact the Guardians if they were ever required again in the future - after all, it would be better to be able to summon them in a quick and easy way if help was ever needed, instead of wasting precious time attempting to call them on a trippy communication network.
Inga saw to her sister, using the on-board first aid and her spectacular affinity with healing abilities to help ease Signy's discomfort. She also popped her head into the bunk area and handed Loki a few more pouches of that sustenance she gave Amelia before, informing him that Amelia would indeed be hungry when she awoke, to which Loki thanked her.
Soon after, they were on the move, everyone was safely back on the ship and their trajectory was taking them on the quickest route back to Earth, under the utilisation of the wormholes they had arrived through.
Loki didn't take his attention off of Amelia. He sat close by on the the bed beside her, hunched over tiredly but refusing to lay his head down; he wanted to be awake when Amelia woke up, because they really, truly needed to talk.
She looked comfortable, curled up on her side as she slept, but Loki's eyes lingered on the bruises on her skin, around her neck, and the smudges and spatters of purple blood stained across her cheek. Eruk's blood. The sight of it made his lips draw back in disgust, and he picked himself up to find a towelette and a bowl of warm water.
When he returned, he gently tilted her head up and rubbed the wet cloth against her skin, hoping to cleanse her free of that monster's filth. It didn't come off easily, and he had to apply a little more pressure to clean her cheek, but in doing so she began to stir.
"Mm? Buh?" She grumbled unintelligibly, shrinking away from the contact as she came to; once she realised it was Loki who was touching her, she visibly relaxed, but the look of worry didn't fade from her expression.
"Wh-? Where are we?" Amelia asked, her voice gritty from sleep. She eyed her unfamiliar surroundings with alarm, but Loki squeezed her upper arm comfortingly.
"Stark's ship. We're on the way home."
"But, the museum-"
"It's done. It has been evacuated, the Nova Corps are further investigating. Inga's sister is aboard the vessel. It's time to go home." Loki explained, and Amelia blinked wildly for a moment.
"Wait. How long was I asleep?"
Loki gave her a small smile, "About four hours."
Amelia exhaled a sigh, pushing herself up into a sitting position before stretching her arms high above her head, a large yawn escaping her, "What a nap… I am starving."
"Inga said you would be," Loki remarked, reaching for one of the food pouches he had been given, "How do you feel? Do you… feel normal?"
Amelia accepted the offer of sustenance and unscrewed the cap, squeezing the yoghurt-like substance into her mouth. She didn't quite wait to swallow before she answered his question, "Mmgh- I'm okay- as normal as I can feel, I suppose."
"Meaning?" Loki's voice was tinged with concern.
"Meaning, I've just had the craziest experience of my life!" She exclaimed, "I- I got kidnapped by aliens, got some magical-ass powers, beat the shit out of that dick, Eruk, got my ass handed to me by his insane fire-bending minion, found out I'm carrying twins and that I'm gonna bloody live till I'm three-hundred years old, and it all happened in- what? Like the span of two days!?" She grew more and more hectic as she spoke, the sustenance pouch already sucked dry before she had begun her little rant, and after a few short, tense moments, Amelia began to cry hysterically.
She rubbed her eyes frantically, "Is it- is it over? Like for real over? I'm not gonna get wh-whisked away by Eruk's even more evil brother who's out for revenge, am I? Can I relax now? Please?" She ended with a whimper and a hiccup, "Can you just hold me?"
Loki had already moved to her bed and was drawing her into his lap, wrapping his arms tightly around her, promising not to let her go, "You're safe, Amelia. You need not worry anymore. It is over."
It was all that was needed to calm her unrestrained sobbing to an occasional sniffle, and Loki blamed it on the adrenaline crash that released her emotional outburst. She was fine, she just needed a little time to adjust and then she would be okay. He hadn't expected her to be completely at ease as soon as they were headed home - it was the kind of thing that took time to come down from.
He trailed his fingers through her hair slowly, a simple gesture that went a long way with Amelia; she relaxed against him and was lulled into a light doze, bleary eyes struggling to stay open. After several minutes, Amelia straightened up, seemingly forcing herself into wakefulness, and she wrapped her arms around Loki's neck, resting her chin on his shoulder.
"How did you know I was pregnant?" Amelia asked quietly after a moment, "Did Thor tell you?"
"No," Loki replied, and then paused, pulling away slightly to peer down at Amelia with a quirked eyebrow, "You told Thor before telling me?"
Amelia let out a groan, "No, I didn't tell him… he figured it out on his own." She rolled her eyes and sniffed. "I was going to tell you after my party, but… that happened. I literally only found out that morning. I would have told you. I would have."
Loki rubbed his hand over her back, "I believe you, love." Amelia trembled in his arms, holding tightly onto him like anything less would put her at risk of being stolen away again. It wasn't so - Loki wouldn't let anyone else have her.
They shared the closeness, basking in it, and Amelia kept trying to shuffle closer to him even though there was no feasible way she could get any closer - they were practically morphing together at this rate.
"I missed you," Amelia whispered, and the yearning note in her voice caused his heart to flutter. "It feels like I was gone for so long."
Loki peered down, making a soft noise of agreement; it had felt like she'd been pulled away from him for years, like they had been on a long, long journey to search for her. Finally having her in his arms again was cathartic, drawing any dark thoughts from his mind and diffusing them.
His eyes fell, and he frowned. "Amelia?"
"Mm?"
Loki moved his hand, pressing his palm against the expanse of Amelia's stomach. "We need to… talk…"
Immediately, Amelia grew tense, and she lifted her head with a newfound dread in her eyes - the idea of discussing her pregnancy clearly made her uncomfortable, and it only served to fill Loki with a feeling of trepidation. His heart pulsed faster and he bit the inside of his cheek, wishing Mantis had been utterly wrong in her description of Amelia's feelings.
"You're afraid of something." Loki observed, watching Amelia's expression for any hint as to what her fears entailed.
She nodded solemnly, averting her gaze, "We've never had this talk… the 'children' talk, y'know? I figured it would pop up at some point, but now… it's a bit late," she smiled, but it was an awkward smile, as if she was trying to hide her discomfort, "an unplanned pregnancy is a scary thing, I didn't know how to react when I found out…"
It was more obvious on reflection, Loki remembered how strangely Amelia had been acting, and it all fit together like pieces of a puzzle. All the fidgeting and staring off into space, the constant apprehension on her face when she thought nobody was looking at her. Loki had been worried that something awful had happened, that maybe she'd found out she had the same health problems her mother had before her untimely death.
"But why didn't you tell me?" Loki still didn't understand why he hadn't been the first person she sought reassurance from. They were his children too, after all.
"Well, cause…" Amelia chewed her bottom lip, "I just figured…"
"You didn't want to tell me because you thought I would be an unsuitable father?" Loki woefully speculated, and Amelia tilted her head back, staring up at him directly as her eyebrows skyrocketed.
"What? No. No. That's ridiculous- absurd! I didn't tell you right away because I figured you didn't want to have children, and I didn't know what I was going to do!" Amelia seemed affronted that he would even insinuate she might think of him that way.
"What?" Loki's voice was comically high-pitched as he processed what she was saying. "What made you think I didn't want children? Really? That's why you didn't tell me?" The more Loki thought about it though, the more he realised it was such a simple, plain reason for her to feel nervous about telling him the truth. "So you… you don't think I would make a terrible father, then?"
"Of course not! I think you'd be a great father!" Her eyes were wet again, "You- you have so much compassion and this penchant to protect and nurture, even if you don't see it yourself. You practically already look after one baby-" she pointed at her own chest and gave a watery smile, "look at me, I'm always crying, just like a baby, and you always know what to say to stop me crying."
Loki didn't know what to say then. Amelia's emotions were becoming particularly catchy, and he blinked away the sting in his eyes as he tried to dissect everything she had just said in an attempt to make sense of it. His mouth hung open speechlessly, it wasn't so often that somebody could render him inarticulate - but if ever anyone did, it was usually Amelia.
"I… I thought you…" he swallowed sheepishly, "I was worried that you didn't want me to raise your children, because of- everything…"
Amelia raised a hand to his cheek, brushing away a tear he didn't realise he had left fall, and then she pressed her palm gently to his skin, "Loki. You always, always, scolded me whenever I made dumb assumptions in the past. But making assumptions is, like, all you ever do."
Loki's cheeks warmed from embarrassment. She was unfortunately correct there.
"So you really do want kids?" Amelia murmured, looking very relieved, and very much full of hope and excitement all of a sudden.
Loki felt the need to clarify something he deemed important for Amelia to know, "I… when I was young, I was always told that I was required to have children - an heir. It was necessary. I was told over and over by everybody, my father, the court advisors, even my mother," he sighed, "and as a result, I started to hate the idea. The thought of having children sounded awful, because I didn't want to be the father of a child that was the result of a loveless union, nothing but a coalition between noble families," he licked his lips, tilting Amelia's chin up as it had begun to fall as he spoke, her face full of dejection, "but, meeting you… falling in love with you… has made me realise that I do want a family. Only with you."
Amelia was beaming, her eyes shimmering as her smile stretched across her face.
Loki reached up to brush the stray hairs that had fallen into her face, and then he cupped her cheek and leaned down, kissing Amelia for the first time since she'd been ripped from his arms on Earth.
Amelia straightened up immediately, eager to put her heart into the kiss, and the soft noise that rumbled in her throat as their lips moved together filled him with warmth. He had been waiting to do that, waiting for the right moment, and now seemed to be better than ever. Amelia's lips were wonderfully soft, and he could taste the remnants of that sweet sustenance pouch Inga had brought for her. He wanted to hold her there forever, but a question popped into his mind, and he pulled back, eyes curious.
"Amelia… why were you upset when Inga told you your lifespan would increase? During the extraction procedure?" He added, just in case the extraction machine had retroactively fried her memory and made it fuzzy for her.
She clearly knew what he was talking about, and grew quiet, her gaze falling as she battled with thoughts in her mind. Eventually, she sighed, a sorrowful expression on her face, "I was shocked, first of all. Getting news like that is like a punch to the face. Three-hundred years might not seem like a whole lot to you, but that's like… more than triple the average human life expectancy."
"I know," Loki interrupted, "which is why I thought it odd that you started panicking, surely living longer would be more exciting-"
"Loki," Amelia cut him off, frowning at the snappy note in his voice, "I… I realised I would have to watch all my friends- no, family, die. Tony, Bruce, Nat, Clint, and Steve- they aren't gonna live that long… the idea of aging so slowly that I have to grieve every single one of their deaths in my lifetime is… it's difficult to imagine." Her voice became a whisper, the ball of emotion in her throat threatening to burst.
Loki stared at her, his face creased as he watched her rub at her eyes for the fiftieth time since she'd awoken. He wanted to say something, because he had very strong feelings about what Amelia had just said, but he remained quiet for the moment, waiting for Amelia to say anything more.
She sniffled, laying her head down against Loki's shoulder, "And then I realised… that you will have to experience the same thing. You're gonna live thousands of years," she paused, choked up, "and- and we'll all be gone… and I don't want you to be alone, but I know there's nothing I can do to change that. But by tripling my lifespan, I can be with you for as long as possible… cause I know I'll always have you… and I want you to be happy."
Loki had already mulled over Amelia's mortality many times before. He had long since accepted that Amelia would die long before he would even begin to show signs of aging, but even though he had accepted that it would happen, it did not mean that he was at ease with it. Amelia's tearful words were igniting a desperation inside him, and he could only quell the intense emotions by cuddling Amelia tightly and not letting go.
"I will always be here with you," he affirmed, "Always."
His heart jumped in his chest and he discovered his hands were shaking, because it suddenly became clear that he had one more question he needed to ask, "Amelia." He tried to speak her name strongly, but it came out with a tremble. She pulled back, blinking her eyes that were red and puffy from her weeping, and looked up at him curiously.
"Amelia," he tried again, this time forcing his voice to be steady. He called upon his magic, pulling forth a tiny object from his handy little interdimensional pocket, and offered it to her, "Will you be my wife?"
It was a ring. He had had it custom-made in Asgard, of course. Only the best for his Amelia. It was a golden band with a small, crafted flower atop it. The petals were golden and intricate, but strong, and in the centre of the flower sat an emerald that shone a beautiful, exquisite green.
Loki couldn't breathe. Amelia was taking too long to answer, she just stared at the ring with her jaw hanging low, mouth agape, and eyes wide. She almost looked as though she were high - under the effects of whatever that machine had done to her before - but this was different. It was scary how blank Amelia's face looked. Usually Loki could figure her out in an instant, but it had been a crazy couple of days and he wasn't so sure he had that ability anymore.
"Ah- Amelia?" Loki stammered after a moment, his head filling itself with negative thoughts of doubt and woe and anguish - she didn't want to marry him. That was all he could think. Her hesitance surely implied-
"LOKI!" Amelia screamed so suddenly and so loudly, that it startled him greatly, almost causing him to jump out of his seat - if Amelia wasn't sitting on his lap, he probably would've slipped off the bed in shock.
Loki stared at her, dumbfounded, his expression clearly begging her to do more than scream his name.
"Loki, oh, oh my god, oh my god," she cried, followed by a string of gibberish that he tried so hard to decipher, "Lokiiiiiiii," she squealed his name, pressing her hands to either side of his head, "YES. YES, of course the answer is yes!" Loki didn't have long to comprehend the fact that Amelia had just agreed to marry him before she tackled him down against the plush bed and caught his lips in a frenzied, messy kiss.
Loki was as elated as Amelia appeared to be. He couldn't stop smiling against her mouth, his chest filling with restrained laughter because he was too busy kissing her back to start giggling now. Amelia's fingers ran through his hair, and eventually her kisses grew infrequent till she snuggled her head against the nook of his shoulder and gave a sigh of contentment, clearly enjoying her position lying on top of him.
"I didn't think you'd ever ask," Amelia murmured softly, "I've dreamed about it - marrying you. God, I'm so happy right now." She squeaked jovially, and Loki could feel the press of her smiling lips against his neck.
"I am happy too," Loki responded, voice a whisper, "ah, would you like to put the ring on?" He had clutched it tightly in his hand when Amelia impulsively tackled him, afraid to drop it. "I'm not overly familiar with the customs of Midgardian proposals, but you are supposed to wear it, aren't you?"
"Yes! Yes!" Amelia exclaimed, sitting up again and offering her hand, "It's beautiful! Oh, I'm so excited!" Loki had never seen her so happy. The pure giddiness radiating from her was almost palpable, and it was certainly infectious - Loki practically raced to slip it onto her finger, holding her hand lightly in his as he admired the way it looked on her. Perfect.
"I'm glad you like it. I remember you saying that you weren't fond of wearing rings, but Stark told me it was traditional to propose with a ring, so… I hope you will come to like this one."
Amelia bit her lower lip, a few joyful tears brimming her eyes, "I love it, Loki. I'll never take this off," she whispered, and then wrapped her arms around his neck, "I love you, so much."
Loki smiled, inhaling her scent as his nose bumped against her ear, "And I love you, more than anything else in this universe."
They stayed like that for a long while, pressed against each other, the skin-contact a beautiful reminder that they were once again together, that no force in existence could ever keep them apart for long.
Amelia was beginning to doze against him when he finally spoke again, "I had planned to propose on your birthday." She gave a soft huff of amusement in response, another happy sigh escaping her, and Loki continued, "I had told Thor of my plans to ask your hand in marriage, and he was as excited as I was nervous. Stark knew also, I had wanted to propose the traditional human way, so I asked him how to go about that."
A noise akin to a giggle left Amelia's throat, "How do Asgardians propose?" She continued to admire the ring over Loki's shoulder, her hand held high and fingers parted. The jeweller he'd sought out had done well in his craftsmanship.
"There is no ring involved, though one may present their intended with a gift, whether it be jewellery or not. One must win the approval of the one they love, and it is customary to ask the father for permission to marry their daughter - or son," Loki spoke, "but that is the convention of the more common folk. Nobles and royalty don't usually get a say in who they wed."
Amelia pulled away, blinking curiously at him, "What do you mean?"
"Royals marry to form alliances, to join two kingdoms or two noble families, for wealth and power, and security. It is… a duty, to ensure the progression of a kingdom, but I always made it abundantly clear that I would not marry somebody I did not like," he paused to smile, "whenever I was shown potential brides by my father, I always found something to nit-pick, and let me tell you, I did not go easy on them. Insulting any prospective brides was how I remained unattached. My parents hated it. Eventually they just stopped trying."
Amelia surveyed his face, her eyes appearing a little forlorn as she brushed her thumbs across his cheeks, "And… the people of Asgard are okay with you marrying me? I'm not a royal, won't they get mad that you're breaking tradition? I'm just a common girl."
Loki snorted, "You're no common girl in my eyes," his words made her blush, "and no, things are quite different now than they were when Odin was king. Quite a lot of traditions have been broken, and the people of Asgard are happier for it. Living on Earth meant a lot of changes had to be implemented, and while the structure of the kingdom is still very much the same, it works differently- what I'm saying is, Asgard will love you, regardless of your status."
Amelia smiled shyly, "I hope so. I would like to meet more Asgardians. Inga is really nice, I'm sure it would be fun - to visit Asgard."
"And you will. The wedding ceremony will be held in the palace next month, where many will join the celebrations."
Amelia performed a double take, "Next month?" she repeatedly incredulously, "are you- are you kidding? That leaves no time to plan!"
"Plan? We have wedding planners. It shouldn't take more than a month to have everything sorted," Loki tilted his head, wondering why Amelia looked so shocked, "Why? How long after proposing do Midgardians usually wed?"
"Like… months… years, even?" Amelia stammered.
"Years? My dear, I am not waiting years to wed you. It will be done as soon as possible," Loki grinned from cheek to cheek, "Do not fret, my love, everything will be perfect for you." His honeyed words had the desired effect, and Amelia visibly calmed, growing slightly bashful whenever he used a pet name for her.
Loki twirled one of Amelia's errant curls around his finger, looking upon the face of his new fiancée. She looked gorgeous as always, but there was a fresh spark to her eyes that Loki believed was partially to do with her knowledge of the twins she was carrying, and partially to do with the upcoming marriage. Amelia was happy. It was so clear, even after such an emotionally and physically draining couple of days, they had a solid plan for the future where their family was involved.
The living arrangements were something they still needed to discuss, but they needn't get ahead of themselves. There was time to ruminate on such things, no rush, they could go at their own pace.
It was still sinking in - the realisation that Loki was going to be a father. He still hadn't come down from that high.
Loki placed his hand over Amelia's stomach again, rubbing it gently and with all the tenderness he could muster, "I am excited, Amelia. Excited to meet our children." It felt strange to say, he still needed to get used to the idea, and while his upcoming fatherhood was going to no doubt be a nerve-wracking experience, Loki couldn't help but think of all the wonderful things that were still to come.
"Oh no." Loki suddenly sighed.
"What?" Amelia asked, concerned at the note of frustration in his voice.
"I just realised, I forgot to get down on one knee. Stark said I had to."
Amelia snorted as she tried to restrain her laughter. Thankfully, it seemed she wasn't entirely bothered that he hadn't followed the steps exactly.
In that moment, his life felt ideal. Loki's fears were allayed, Amelia was sat in his lap, clinging to him and idly playing with his hair, and everything around him was pleasantly warm. For the first time in a long time, Loki had a strong feeling that good things were going to come their way.
"You're gonna teach me to use the magic, right?" Amelia asked.
"Depends. I can teach you a few simple things, like opening locked doors, or moving objects with your magical energy."
"I wanna know how to do some cool magical blasts."
"No."
"What? Why?"
"Too dangerous."
"Come on Loki. Don't you think being able to fight with magic would be super useful if someone tried to hurt me again?" Amelia batted her eyelashes, attempting to use logic to sway Loki's thoughts and feelings on the matter.
"I'll teach you to use defensive magic if you promise to never throw yourself into danger like you did back in the control room, ever again." Loki's firm tone made her sheepish.
"But you were being tortured…"
"Promise me, Amelia."
Everything had turned out okay, Amelia had sustained only minor injuries, and there had been no losses on their side, but perhaps next time they wouldn't be so lucky. Amelia's safety meant everything to him, and now that she was carrying their two children in her belly, it was more important than ever. If her welfare meant he had to suffer and endure the most horrific torture, then he would gladly offer himself up.
Amelia saw the raw and serious look in his gaze, and she lowered her head briefly before looking him in the eyes. "I promise, love."
Notes: If anybody would like to suggest ideas for things to happen between Amelia and Loki during the length of the pregnancy (either typical or non-typical things that happen during pregnancies), then I'm fully open to those ideas because I have a few but it's easier to write when I'm bouncing off other peoples ideas. SO PLEASE TELL ME YOUR IDEAS!
There is one chapter left and it's an extended epilogue. The wedding. I hope you all love it ;) Not long before the baby fic!