Loki and Laney arrived in the family dining hall just after plates were served to Frigga and Odin. She smiled as she took her usual seat across from Frigg and gratefully took a large gulp from the goblet of water that was given to her. "Evening Frigga, Odin. I hope your day has been well."
"Good evening dear. We have had an uneventful day. Did you enjoy the trail ride?" Frigga asked politely.
Laney nodded as a maid put a plate of roast chicken, veggies, and fruit in front of both her and Loki. "Yes, we did. It's been a while since I've been on horseback, so I imagine I will be sore tomorrow."
"It is a wonderful ride around the palace. That is the trail I used to teach the boys to ride." Frigga explained.
"Awe! That's so cool. I hope to be doing a lot of riding in the future if I am able. Loki said he would help me pick out a horse of my own."
Odin looked at Loki with a raised eyebrow. "Is that true son?" he asked.
Loki slowly looked up from his plate, confused for a moment. Did he call me son? "Is it alright?" He asked Odin.
"You may find a horse for Laney if you wish. Just make sure you pick one that will take care of her when she rides it," Odin replied, then took a bite of his food.
"Yes sir... thank you." Loki said softly. He was still angry at Odin but knew he had to behave. Without another word, he went back to eating. On his own, he had picked out the Jotun food to eat.
Laney squeezed Loki's knee gently beneath the table in support as she continued to eat from her own plate. "I look forward to having the companion Odin. Thank you."
Odin nodded his head in acknowledgement and Frigga smiled. She then looked towards the entrance of the hall. "Is Thor and your friend not joining us this evening?"
"No, they are enjoying a private dinner tonight. It would seem they are sort of courting now, I think." Loki tried to explain, but unsure of what exactly their relationship was.
"Desi told me Thor asked her out on her next visit," Laney explained. "Although, I don't think Desi is completely excited to go home."
"I can understand that. No one would want to leave with a relationship just beginning." Frigga agreed. "Thor is very loyal though, he will not stray in her absence."
"I know he won't," Laney replied as she finished what she wanted from her plate, then sat back in her chair. "I think they will hit it off I am sure."
"From what I am hearing, they already have." Frigga said with an approving smile. "I did look up her record, she is quite the accomplished healer for her age."
Laney nodded in excitement. "We both studied under Claude in Yamir, but she was the one that got the top marks. Desi specializes in sociology and works with children a lot."
"I noticed that. The notes suggest she is well liked by all of her clients. I also know she has helped a lot with Loki in her short time here." Frigga glared back at Loki when he glared at her, but he decided to finish his food instead of arguing.
"I am thankful for her help. She actually made something for him a few days ago and I think it has helped him a lot."
"May I ask what he needed?" She asked, concerned about her son.
"Umm..." she glanced at Loki, then looked back at Frigga. "It's a bit of a sensitive subject."
"I am fine with mother knowing, but only mother." Loki said firmly. He glanced over at Odin, not wanting him to know about the horns.
Laney squeezes his knee again, trying to comfort him. "We can fill her in later."
Loki sighed but nodded. "When will Desi be visiting again?" Frigga asked, mostly to change the subject.
"She will return in two or three weeks," Laney answered.
"Oh good, I enjoy having her here. Many will miss her while she is gone." Frigga replied.
"I will miss her, although I plan to keep writing to her while she's gone."
"Do you think she might consider something closer?" Frigga asked curiously.
"I think she's considering it, although she will miss her clients," Laney replied. "Especially the children."
"I was looking at the schedule for her regular clients. We could change things somewhat, then she could visit Yamir two times per month for a few days to continue managing their care." Frigga suggested.
Laney's eyes widened. "You would do that for her? What would she do here?"
"She would be a huge asset here. The trade village is only an hour ride from here and the current healer is retiring. She would also be on call as needed for some... side jobs." She slightly nodded towards Loki, but didn't want to upset him by being more direct.
"I think she would be elated to hear the news from you. She thinks highly of you." Laney put a hand up to her mouth to hide a yawn, then glanced out the windows to see it was now dark.
"Find out if she would like the post. If so, she can fully transfer here when she returns." Frigga said happily. "Have you decided on the post you would like?"
Laney shook her head. "I have not. I am also a healer but at a lower level than Desi."
Frigga nodded. "I have seen your record as well. You have great potential. Do you know which area of healing you might want to specialize in?"
"I work with adults and children both, so I am up for anything. I think the only thing I have not overseen on my own is being a midwife," she replied as she absently caressed Loki's knee and leg while she spoke.
"We have a part time post for a general practice healer. You would get a little bit of everything and could always switch to a specialty if you decided to in the future." Frigga said to Laney. Loki glanced over at Laney, wondering if she was trying to give him another hint.
"I like the sound of that, thank you Frigga." After she noticed Loki's glance, she grinned. "Loki, what do you think?"
"If it is what you want, I think you should go for it." Loki encouraged.
"I will start with the part time role then," she stated, then quickly covered a yawn. "I'm sorry, it's been a long day."
"Do you want to go relax until Desi visits?" Loki asked, wrapping his arm around Laney.
Laney nodded and snuggled into his side. "I would like that."
Loki pulled away to stand up. "Let's get you to bed then." He said softly, holding his hand out to her.
"I will be by in the morning to find out about Desi's post. Sleep well dears." Frigga said sweetly.
"You as well Frigga," Laney replied as she let go of Loki, then stood and waited for Loki to follow.
Loki walked out with Laney and took her hand. "I will miss you while you're working." He said softly once they were nearly to their chambers.
She smiled at him and kissed his cheek just as they reached the doors to their rooms. "I will miss you too. I'm sure it will only be for a few hours a day. You could spend time with Thor while I'm not with you."
"It might be good for both of us. I know he will be missing Desi, so we can keep each other company." He agreed. When he opened the door, Desi was sitting on the couch waiting for them.
"Desi!" Laney exclaimed. "I hope you were not waiting long. Did dinner go well?"
"Dinner went great, and I've only been here for a few minutes." Desi said happily. She already had pajamas laid out for Laney.
"That's great. We have good news from Frigga. She would like you to have a special post here. She said she can even schedule you to still see your clients a couple times a month if you want."
Desi's eyes went wide. "Are you serious? I can't believe it... when can I transfer here?" She asked excitedly.
"Frigga could give you more information, but she has looked at your work record and is impressed," Laney praised as she sat on the sofa and began to untie her boots.
"I will see if I can find her before I leave. I'm so excited!" Desi giggled happily and sat next to Laney, hugging her. "We can see each other all the time again!"
Laney laughed and hugged her back, almost falling over on the sofa due to Desi's excitement. "Not just me anymore," she teased.
Desi blushed but nodded. "This is going to be the longest three weeks of my life! But just think, we can plan regular girls nights again and double dates!"
"That would be a lot of fun," she said with a bright smile. "I think Loki would like that as well honestly."
"Oh yes, I'm thrilled to see my brother more." Loki said in light hearted sarcasm.
"I thought you were supposed to be the smart one? Being in the company of Laney and your brother could afford you more freedom." Desi pointed out. Loki just glared at her, knowing she was right.
Laney chuckled and shook her head. "I'm sure we will have fun together." She leaned forward to pull her boots from her feet, then sat them to the side and curled her legs beneath her.
"We will if you two can behave yourselves in public!" Desi teased, then tried to stifle a yawn. "I think I'm going to turn in for the night."
"We will try," she answered with a laugh, but then found herself yawning as well. "I will see you in the morning before you have to leave, I promise."
"Goodnight, sleep tight, both of you. " She said and hugged Laney before she got up and left.
"I think someone is ready for bed." Loki said as he sat beside her and lightly poked Laney's ribs.
Laney smiled at him sleepily. "I think that you would be right," she answered, leaning away from him so he couldn't reach her side anymore.
"I will go change into something more comfortable." He leaned over further and kissed her cheek before standing and walking over to the closet. "Do you like the pajamas on the bed, or do you want something different?" He called out to her.
"I haven't been in the bedroom yet, so I don't know," she answered then stood and walked into the next room to see a negligee in a pale green color with a pair of matching shorts. "These are cute!" she called out as she started to remove her blouse and trousers.
Loki changed into a pair of plain black trousers, then walked into the bedroom. He tried to be sly about taking the vial he needed for his horns, hoping Laney wouldn't notice as he took it and tried to sneak into the bathroom.
She heard him as he quietly shut the bathroom door, but didn't make a move towards it as she pulled her sleep shorts up her legs then folded down the blankets on the bed, preparing it to sleep in for the night. One day he will show me, one day he'll be ready to show me, she reminded herself with an inward sigh.
He locked the bathroom door then slowly took his Jotun form. After uncorking the vial, he closed his eyes applying the potion to his horns, too disgusted to look at his own blue skin. When he touched around the horns, he winced from how tender the swollen skin was. When he was finished he shifted back, then left the bathroom and quietly walked back into the bedroom.
Laney sat in bed, propped up on her pillow with a book in her hand. She turned the page before she looked up at Loki and smiled softly. "Is it helping you?" she asked tentatively.
Loki sat down on the bed, then laid down on his back. "It helps ease the discomfort, but the area around them is still swollen." He said in barely more than a whisper. While he was trying his best to be more open with her, it was still hard for him.
She placed a ribbon in her book, then closed it and sat it on the table beside the bed before she laid down and turned to face him. "Do you want me to ask Desi if that is normal?" she asked quietly.
He didn't answer at first, debating it in his head. "Yes please. I honestly thought they would have been through by now. This started... when I first came back." He explained, frustrated by the fact that it was happening, and that he didn't understand it.
"If you think you are having issues, Desi may ask for an appointment," Laney explained. "I do not know if you would be comfortable with it, but you can trust her. She has treated every age of Jotun people. They actually frequently visit Yamir and there are a few that chose to live there full time."
"I am not showing that side of myself to her or anyone else." Loki said calmly, but firmly. "I am barely able to handle just talking about these damn horns, I'm certainly not showing them to anyone." He muttered.
Laney let Loki be and dropped the subject. She raised her hand and extinguished the torches with a simple movement before she leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Goodnight love," she whispered, then snuggled down into the blankets, leaving a hand on his arm.
"Goodnight darling." Loki replied quietly. Once Laney was comfortable, he turned to his side, wrapped his arm around her, and held her close as he drifted off to sleep. Please don't give up on me, I'm trying... Was his last thought before falling asleep.
The following morning, Laney woke early and maneuvered her way out of Loki's embrace before she quietly walked into the bathroom to shower. While standing under the spray of the water her thoughts were clouded with thoughts of Loki and wondering when he would truly let her in so she could help him the way she wanted to. She leaned against the stone wall and stared at the water as it fell to the floor of the shower, lost in her own mind.
When Loki woke to find Laney gone, he nearly panicked until he heard the shower running. After stretching, he got out of bed and picked out his clothes for after his own shower. Having nothing else to do for the moment, he returned to the bed and picked up the book Laney had been reading, curious to see which book she had picked.
When the water turned too cold to stand it anymore, Laney shut it off and stepped out of the shower to grab a towel and quickly dried her now chilly skin. She emerged from the bathroom in a dark green robe and smiled at Loki when she saw that he was awake. "Morning."
"Good morning." Loki said softly. He set the book down and looked at Laney. "I'm sorry... for being so moody last night. I'm doing my best to be open about that part of me... it's just... " He sighed, not even sure himself, but hoping she would understand.
"I know baby," Laney replied. She walked over to him and sat on the edge of the bed beside him. "I know it's hard for you and I don't blame you for your actions, okay?" she took his hand and held it tightly. "I love you."
Loki nodded, but he looked more like a child being talked to after misbehaving. "I love you too, and I promise I will get there, someday." He said truthfully. I want to open up to you, I just don't know how...
She caressed his hand with her thumb before she brought it to her lips and kissed the back of it. "You will get there," she murmured, "I will be here with you every step of the way too, because believe it or not, we both have demons to face."
He turned his hand and caressed her cheek, then released her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a hug. "I will never leave you either. There is nothing that can change my love for you." He vowed to her.
Laney smiled as she felt tears well in her eyes, her own arms curled against his chest. She buried her head into his neck and placed a lingering kiss to his skin. I love these moments, all of my doubts and worries melt away in his arms.
"It's alright darling, we will get through all of this together." Loki promised, holding her tight. "It has always been us together, always." He reminded her in a loving tone. He sighed when a knock on the door interrupted their moment. "That would be mother." He chuckled, releasing her. "Come in." He called out, and was proven correct less than a minute later when Frigga walked into the bedroom.
"Good morning dears. Did you sleep well?" She asked sweetly.
"Yes, we did," Laney answered as she turned to face Frigga. "I hoped you did as well."
"I did. Desi will be here soon, but I was hoping you and I could speak alone, just for a moment." She told Laney, then turned to Loki. "There is a plate of fresh cookies waiting in the living room for you."
"Alright." Loki sighed, knowing that was her nice way of asking him to step out. He quickly kissed Laney's forehead then walked out, closing the door behind him.
Laney furrowed her brow, but waited until Loki made it into the sitting room before she spoke. "Is something wrong?" she asked.
Frigga glanced behind her to make sure the door was closed. "That is what I was hoping you could tell me. I know Loki said you could tell me what's going on with him, but I thought it might be less stressful for him to not have to hear it." She explained.
"Oh," Laney replied with a nod. "Nothing is wrong per say. It's purely a Jotun thing. Desi actually pointed it out to me because she treats Jotuns on a normal basis in Yamir."
Frigga let out a sigh of relief. "I am glad to hear it is nothing she can't handle." She admitted, sounding relieved. "May I still know what is going on?"
"Of course," she answered, "The way Desi explained it to me is that Loki is in a stage where he is starting to develop horns. It's a painful process and causes headaches, itchiness, and painful swelling."
"Horns?" Frigga asked, confused at first. "I had no idea he would develop horns. I have heard not all of them do, and they usually start younger than this. Is there anything I can do to help?" She asked, wanting to support her son in any way possible.
Laney shrugged as she rubbed her arms. "Desi says that everything is repressed when it comes to his Jotun side because of everything. I can try to get more information about the horns if you'd like me to. I did not know about them myself."
Frigga nodded sadly. "That makes sense. I wanted to tell him, I truly did... but I can't change the past. I want to help him as much as I can, so if there is ever anything he wants or needs, please don't hesitate." She said sincerely and turned to open the door, but stopped. "Please remember, I have known his heritage from the day Odin brought him to me and I have raised him as my own. Nothing will change that." She said, making it clear that she would be there, no matter what Jotun related stages he went through.
"I know that Frigga. I just wish I could make him see that I'm not going anywhere, no matter his heritage." Laney stood and smiled. "I am glad that he has had you to lean on all this time, someone he can truly show himself to."
"If only that were true." Frigga sighed. "He does not trust me enough to be open with me. I know he is still hurt that I lied to him about his heritage. He has you back though, and you are so good for him." She said with a soft smile, then opened the door so they could join Loki.
"I will join you in a moment!" Laney called as Frigga left. "I'm going to get dressed for the day first."
Frigga nodded and walked out, giving Laney her privacy to change. She joined Loki on the couch, noticing there was only one cookie left on the plate.
"That is for Laney." Loki told her when she reached for it. After that, they waited for Laney in silence.
It didn't take long for Laney to dress in a simple grey blouse and brown trousers before she arrived in the sitting room barefoot. "Enjoy your morning treat Loki?" she asked as she walked over to the sofa and sat beside him.
Loki nodded. "I did. I saved a cookie for you. I tried to save more, but I kind of... accidentally ate them." Loki said apologetically.
Laney giggled as she picked up the last one from the plate and ate it in a couple of bites. "I like sweets too. Thank you for saving me one."
Frigga watched them, smiling to herself. "I visited the healers this morning to make your posting official. For right now, you will be working with Carla. She is a wonderful healer and is looking for some extra help." She told Laney.
"That sounds wonderful. When will I start?" she asked. "Do you know the schedule I will be on?"
"I can take you to meet her after Desi leaves, if you like. I figured I would leave the schedule up to the two of you. She is similar to you, very sweet and a hard worker, so I think this will be a good match." She said happily.
Laney nodded in agreement as she sat back in her seat, curling into Loki's side. "That sounds like a good idea. Do you know when Desi will be leaving today? Has that been announced?"
"She is leaving with the afternoon caravan, so just after the afternoon meal." Frigga replied. "Loki will not always be able to go with you while you work, but he can go with you today to figure out the details." She added.
"Sounds like a busy day. Loki, do you have any plans?" she asked as she turned to look at him.
"Not really." Loki said, shaking his head. "I was just going to follow you around." He chuckled. "Thor and I were planning a rematch tomorrow though."
"I think Thor will be very occupied today, wanting to be with Desi as much as he can before she leaves," Laney stated.
"That is why we decided to wait. He doesn't think he will feel up to it this evening." Loki explained.
"Did Desi decide if she wants the post I offered?" Frigga asked Laney.
"She was overjoyed when I told her about it and said that she wanted to speak to you about it before she left today," Laney answered.
"I will go see her then. Hopefully I can catch her before she goes to find Thor," Frigga replied. "I also wanted to tell you, your father has been seen. As far as can be told, he is well, though it is still unclear why he abandoned his post."
Laney furrowed her brow, then shrugged. "He may not have taken the letters either of us wrote to him very well. That's the only thing I can think of."
Frigga nodded. "Given his status and military experience, we wish to handle this very carefully. It was an entry level guard that spotted him, and was wise to not engage. We will be sending a skilled ambassador to talk with him. Odin and I have talked at length about this, and we do not wish to strip him of this titles. Not unless we are given no other choice."
This news further confused Laney, causing her to reach for Loki's hand. "Was he being violent? Where was he found?"
Loki took Laney's hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. "No, he was not being violent at all. He was seen in a less than reputable pub, that's all. When he stopped showing up for work, we gave word to report any sightings. He is currently not in any trouble. We have just been worried as it is not common for someone of his status to abandon their post." Frigga explained, then laid her hand on Laney's shoulder in a comforting gesture. "At this point, our only desire is to help him." She said truthfully.
She nodded and let out a nervous sigh. "Just keep me posted as much as you can. Everything has been going so nicely, I'd like it to stay that way."
Frigga nodded. "You will be the first to know. We want things to stay peaceful as well. I am hoping we can help him through whatever he is going through. He has served Asgard loyally for many years, so I can promise you that Asgard will not turn its back on him." She said, then stood. "I am going to go talk with Desi. Please see me after the afternoon meal and we will go meet Carla."
Laney nodded. "Will do!" She watched as Frigga smiled, then turned and left the room. Once she was gone, she slouched against Loki and continued to grip onto his hand.
Loki wrapped his arm around Laney. "Mother will make sure this is all sorted out. She has dealt with situations like this before." He assured her, holding her close.
"I know, I just worry," she responded. "I just hope everything will stay like it is."
