It settled into a sort of routine for Loki and Sigyn. Every night, Loki would return to Midgard, spend the night there, and return to Asgard the next Midgardian morning. There were about two weeks on Midgard for every one day on Asgard, so Sigyn wasn't too lonely, anymore. She got a job at Stark industries, and Tony allowed her to bring her children with her to work, where Pepper kept a watchful eye on them.

Loki wasn't always consistent in exactly when he came home, but was consistent enough that it typically happened every other Saturday night, give or take twenty-four hours. He didn't always show up after dinner, and then insisted on locking himself in their room so that Sleepy and Gandhi wouldn't realize he was… well, alive. Sometimes, he only had the strength to appear in the bedroom, and crawl under the covers of the bed, falling asleep almost instantly. Still, it was a blessing for him, to even be able to sleep next to his wife.

As Sleepy and Gandhi grew, Loki would often wish he was able to interact with them while they were awake, but all he could do, without giving himself away, was watch them sleep. Still, things seemed to be looking up. Loki's headaches were slowly, but surely, getting better. The panic attacks were dwindling, as well, and, although things weren't optimal, he and Sigyn were happy. They'd found a new normal, and they wanted it.

There were a few minor hiccups, though. One day, in late September of 2015, Sigyn woke up, surprised to find Loki still by her side. "Beloved?" She whispered. "Shouldn't you be getting back to Asgard?"

"Yeah." He responded quietly. "Give me… urk… minute… or… ten."

Sigyn got up, dressed herself, brushed her hair, all without any movement on Loki's part, save a few sneezes, and the occasional wiping of his nose on his pajama sleeve.

"Are you alright, Thalionen?" She asked worriedly.

"Yeah." He croaked. He didn't sound happy. Or alright. He painfully turned his gaze to her. "You're… waiting for me to get up?"

Sigyn sat down next to him. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, sort of." Loki whispered, wearily hauling himself to a sitting position. "I just need to start moving, that's all."

"Okay." Sigyn got up, gave him a quick kiss on his blue cheek, and went to go wake and dress the children. She'd assumed he'd showered, gotten dressed, and returned to Asgard, and she fed Sleepy and Gandhi breakfast. After they had finished eating, she went into her bathroom, to fetch Sleepy's hairbrush, only to find Loki passed out on the cold tiles.

"Loki!" She sank to the floor next to him. "Love, can you hear me?"

He whimpered a bit, and cracked his eyes open. "Mhm… What… time… is it?"

"Oh, Darling…" Sigyn shook her head, feeling his forehead. He was almost the same temperature as a human or Aiser, despite the fact that he was in his Jotun form. "You've got a fever."

He struggled to sit up. "M alright… I'll just…"

"No." Sigyn cut him off, gathering him to her chest, and with a bit of effort, carried him back to bed. "You're not going anywhere."

He sniffled miserably. "But, Sig… Asgard…"

"Will take care of itself. For a Midgardian day or two." She insisted, pulling the quilt to his chin. "You need rest."

"Kay…" He whispered, too weary to fight her any longer. "But… you… you need to go to work. It's Monday."

"Yeah…" Sigyn agreed. "It'll only be until five. You can take care of yourself that long, right?"

He blinked up at her, his eyelids heavy. "Uh-huh. I think… I think I love you."

"You'd better." Sigyn laughed, leaning down to kiss him. He weakly scooted away. "No… don' wan' you to catch it…" Sniff. "S miser'ble."

Sigyn sighed sympathetically. "Well… I've got to go get ready. I'll be back before you know it, and I'll call you over lunch. You'll be okay?"

"Hm." Loki acknowledged, his eyes already closed.

He knew no more until he was awakened by a soft buzzing under his pillow. His phone. Incoming call from Sigyn. He was feeling a little stronger, but still miserable, and extremely stuffed up. With shaking fingers, he accepted the call, holding it wearily to his ear. "Hi, Sigid." His nose was extremely stuffed up.

"Hey, Loki!" She immediately responded. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Lil' bit." He allowed. "Is id lunch tibe already?"

"Yep. You slept the entire time?"

"Yeah. By throad hurts, dow." He admitted.

"Well, it's not like there's anyone home to see you. If you're feeling stronger, you can grab yourself some hot tea, or something. Think you can do that?"

Loki glanced at the door. Even it was a long way away. Could he manage to get to the kitchen? "Baby." He allowed, intending to say "Maybe."

"Yeah?" Sigyn thought he was addressing her.

"Do, I bean, baby, dot baby. Ah, gread. I can' talk, adybore." He glared at the ceiling. "I don' eben call you baby. Berhabs, I could ged id."

"Don't hurt yourself, Melleth." Loki could hear the laughter in her voice. "Don' laugh ad be, id's bean. I'b sick."

Sigyn giggled. "Not laughing."

Loki narrowed his eyes irritably. "I cad hear you, you dow."

"Try to get some more rest, okay? I'll be home in just four hours, and I'll get you some tea, then, if you haven't already gotten some, for yourself. I love you."

"Lobe you, too." Loki sighed, and shoved the phone under his pillow, again. For some reason, he wasn't tired, at all, anymore. He was wide awake, and miserable. He needed a distraction. He glanced around the room, trying to think of something he could occupy his mind with, that wasn't too far away. His phone was under his pillow. The bookshelf was just across the room. His desk was just out of reach of his hand. His desk had his and Sigyn's laptop on it. On trembling legs, and he staggered over to the computer, and carried it back to his bed. He flipped it open, and pondered what, exactly, he wanted to do. Troll Tony using Sigyn's email? Watch a movie? Or, even better, watch YouTube? He opted to watch a movie Sigyn had told him about, that, apparently, Sleepy was obsessed with, at the moment. Frozen.

When Sigyn walked in, he was sound asleep, the credits of the movie rolling on the still-open computer, Demi Lovato's voice quietly playing her version of "Let It Go", and his lithe form was surrounded in soggy tissues and what seemed to be cookie crumbs.

The next day, he was better enough to move around the house, but still not strong enough to realm-hop. It was nothing but a minor inconvenience that they worked through. Life seemed somewhat normal, until… until…

Until one day, in late 2016, Loki returned to Midgard, while Sigyn was in the shower. He waited patiently on the bed until she skipped out of the bathroom, wet hair flowing down her back and dripping into her nightgown. Her eyes lit up once they landed on him. "Melleth!" She squealed, throwing herself into his arms. "How was your day?"

"It was draining." He admitted. "You look cheerful."

Sigyn nodded enthusiastically. "Best part is, I get to tell you this, before you die, again!" She giggled. "I'm pregnant!"

At first, Loki was thrilled. For about three seconds. "Really? Sigyn, that's… wait a minute." He frowned.

"What?" She tilted her head. "It's your child. I haven't even dated anyone else."

"Yes…" Loki nodded. "That's the problem. Everyone knows that. I'm literally the only person who could've given you that child." He started pacing.

"Do you… not… want any more children?" Sigyn guessed at the problem, perching on the edge of the bed. "I'm sorry, I don't see the issue. I thought this was wonderful news."

Loki turned to face her. "Sigyn, if I'm the only one who could've given you that child, I'm obviously alive."

"Oh…" Sigyn's eyes widened. "I see. Would the Master notice?"

Loki scoffed incredulously. "Everyone would talk! You'd be the center of Midgardian gossip, and eventually, yes, of course, the Master would notice. He knows I made a home for myself, here. All he has to do is realize I still have one."

Sigyn was silent.

"What are we going to do?" Loki barked, returning to his pacing. "As soon as you start getting… you know… bigger, you'll be the talk of three realms. Someone will notice."

Sigyn watched him walk back and forth across the bedroom. "You'll wear a rut on the floor." She pointed out softly.

He halted, making a sweeping gesture. "Then tell me what I am to do!"

She twisted her fingers nervously. "I don't really see what the big deal is, Melleth…"

"Big deal?" Loki seethed, gripping her shoulders. "Big deal?! The big deal is that Thanos will kill you! And all… five of our children, and it will not be quick, and it will not be painless. I'm going to have to watch you all get slaughtered, mercilessly, Sigyn, that is the big deal, and it's all because that child in your womb decided to up and exist!" He shook her, trying desperately to make her see things from his perspective. Sigyn stared up at him, her brown eyes wide and frightened. Frightened of… him. He stumbled backward, releasing her shoulders. There were red marks on them in the shape of his fingers. He… he had hurt Sigyn. For something she couldn't even control, if she'd wanted to. She'd come to him with glad tidings, and he'd hurt her for it. How… How could he? What kind of monster was he? Sigyn meant more to him than the entire nine realms, and he'd decided, in his anger, that she wasn't even worth protecting from his anger. In trying to protect her from the Master, he'd only hurt her himself. She must be so repulsed by him… what made him think he could do that?

Her eyes followed him as he backed up, trying to put as much distance between himself and her. He was a monster, and he didn't want to hurt her again. Never again. With a snap of his fingers, he teleported himself back to Asgard, covered himself in the familiar illusion of Odin, and miserably slunk to the royal apartments. He flung himself on Odin's bed, and wept himself to sleep.

TheOnlyHuman.