Another short one-shot. It's kind of a sequel to Mother's Day, in a sense.
Chapter Nine: Father's Day
Loki woke up to an empty bed. He sat up and stretched his arms up above his head with a yawn.
Sigyn must have already gotten up since her side of the bed was vacant. It was odd since she usually slept in on the weekends after a long week working at the hospital.
Loki pulled the covers back and swung his legs around to the side of the bed. He decided to take a shower and headed in the adjoined bathroom.
The water felt nice, but he couldn't stay there forever. With a towel wrapped around his waist after drying off, Loki headed back into his room to pick out an outfit.
He chose a pair of black jeans and a long-sleeved shirt that advertised a concert for his favorite band, Panic! At the Disco.
Loki combed the tangles out of his short, curly hair and checked his phone; it was almost seven-thirty. A growl in his stomach reminded him that it was time for breakfast, so he walked downstairs. He would brush his teeth after he ate, unlike some weird people who did it before they ate. Who liked having the taste of toothpaste mixed with their food?
As soon as his foot left the bottom step, music started playing. Loki looked around in confusion as it startled him from his thoughts.
"Happy Father's Day!" a chorus of voices rang out above the music.
In the open, adjoined kitchen, just past the living room, stood Thor, Pietro Maximoff, Bucky Barnes, Sigyn, and all four of Loki's kids. Hela and Fenris pulled on the string of their handheld confetti poppers, letting loose a downpour of small, colorful bits of paper.
"What in the-" Loki started to say after his initial shock passed.
"Come on over," Sigyn exclaimed and took Loki by the wrist, leading him to the island countertop. The table was covered with an assortment of breakfast foods, including chocolate chip pancakes, bacon, scrambled eggs, and fruit. A lot of tea sat on the stove.
"I...wow. How long did this take?" Loki asked as he scanned the arrangement of foods.
"Not that long," Fenris exclaimed while swaying back and forth on the balls of his feet. "We all pitched in!"
"I don't know what to say…" Loki mumbled; he was awestruck by this sweet gesture.
"You could 'thank you,' for starters," Bucky quipped from his spot leaning against the countertop. He took a blueberry and popped it into his mouth with a grin.
Loki snorted and rolled his eyes teasingly. "What you even doing here? You're not my kid," Loki joked.
"I live here since you were oh so kind to allow me to move in, your royal bitchiness" Bucky shot back with a smile while giving Loki a mock bow.
Sigyn laughed as the two friends teased each other and traded insults; it was nice seeing her boyfriend connect with someone who was so similar to himself.
"Oh stop that, you two," Hela ordered with a laugh. She handed her father a card.
"Oh, thank you," Loki said and read the front of the card.
The card was a generic card that they probably bought from the nearest grocery store, so Loki skimmed over the front before opening it.
The middle of the card was covered with words in four different handwriting styles. There was Sleipnir's, who had written his in neat cursive:
Words cannot begin to describe how you have shaped my life. I have learned how to not judge others based on their looks and how to always do my own research before formulating an opinion on someone or something. Knowledge and understanding is a key factor in life, and you have taught me how to use my own knowledge to help me in my studies and day-to-day life. I have learned how to be wary about who I put my trust in but also seek out the good in others. Anyone can be a dad, but it takes hard work, love, and dedication to be a great father.
Love,
Sleipnir
Loki smiled as he read his eldest's letter. He was glad that he passed some knowledge down to his kids.
Jormungandr's handwriting was like chicken scratching, but the message was just as sweet as Sleipnir's:
Dad,
I know I can be a pain in the ass sometimes, but you put up with me. I really am thankful for you being there to help me, whether it's with homework, fighting skills, or just plain old life. Thank you for being a kick-ass dad.
Jormungandr
Jormungandr was probably the hardest to control since he had anger issues and was always looking for a fight. It was rare when he showed his inner feelings; it made the brief letter even more heartwarming.
The next letter had short, blocky words. Loki guessed right away that it was Fenris's:
F antastic!
A wesome!
T errific!
H ella funny!
E nergetic!
R azzling dazzling, just plain cool!
Why do they call it a "dad bod" when it should be a "father figure?"
Your Bestest Trickster,
Fenris
P.S. I'm not calling you fat (You're amazing, by the way), I'm just genuinely curious.
Fenris would never fail when it came down to making people laugh. He had clearly inherited Loki's humor and love of jokes.
Hela's handwriting was neater and had swirls on the ends of all the curved letters and hearts in replace of the dots on the i's.
I'm sorry if this is short, but I really can't begin to express my gratitude to you. You helped me through a tough time in my life and I will never forget that. You don't play favorites with us, which makes us all feel like we are a family. I know that life can be tough, but you've my life brighter. Without you, I wouldn't be where I am today (literally and metaphorically). Continue being awesome and a wonderful example for us kids.
Love,
Hela
Tears had started forming in Loki's eyes after the first letter, but now they were rolling down his cheeks.
"I-I," Loki stammered. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and sniffed. Everyone was looking at him with excitement in their eyes. Sigyn rubbed Loki's back and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you," Loki said after a deep breath. "All of you, thank you. The greatest gift you ever could give me is yourselves."
"Aw," Bucky whispered loudly. "Be careful before you make me cry as well."
Thor smacked Bucky in the back of the head, but Bucky's comment lightened up the mood.
"Oh you will be crying soon," Hela smirked. "Father's Day isn't just for biological fathers, it's for any father figure in our lives."
Sleipnir handed Bucky a card before giving Thor one, too.
"For me?" Bucky whispered in shock as he pointed to himself to make sure that he was the correct recipient.
"Yeah, we can't forget about our uncles, can we?" Fenris answered.
Thor smiled down at his card. All four of the kids had written brief messages as well.
Bucky read his card with his human hand over his mouth. His light blue eyes filled with images of tears by the time he was done reading.
"My gosh, you guys-" Bucky choked out into his hand before he collapsed onto a stool and placed an arm over his damp eyes. His card hung loosely in his other hand.
Sigyn grabbed a tissue box and passed it around to all three of the men.
"Group hug!" Fenris announced.
Everyone clambered in close as the emotions were so high that they could have gone to space.
Pietro was the first one to break the hug. "Who's hungry? Why let this food go to waste when we can stuff our faces?"
Laughs rang out amongst the group, lightning the mood.
Their hearts would have to wait as their stomachs took control.
Everyone dug in, despite the fact that they usually ate in the dining room since it had more space for all nine of them. However, none of them minded how close they were to each other. After all, they were a family, and a tight-knit one at that.
This collection of one-shots and short stories will only be updated if I come up with more cute, short stories. I do plan on sticking with the lightness and humor in future updates, but the updates will be scarce. I currently don't have ideas for more short stories, so I don't know when the next update (if ever) will be. However, thank you for reading, and if you have any suggestions or ideas, feel free to let me know.