Description: Morning sickness and family drama in the morning.
Songs: "Love Waltz" by Christian Henson, "My Demons" by Starset, Say (All I Need) by OneRepublic
Groaning at the uncomfortable pain in her abdomen, Jane turned over on the bed in the hopes that the move would help ease the nauseous feeling soaring through her body. This reminded her of the time Darcy had wanted to try a meatloaf recipe she had found online. While everything had smelled great before it was cooked, the first bite had sent both her and Darcy racing off to different bathrooms to rid themselves of the cooked product. Thinking briefly that the ghost of the meatloaf had come back to haunt her, she let out another groan as a headache formed in the front of her skull; fingers of pain prodding at her head as she considered locating a pain reliever. Frustration pierced through her pain as she recalled that she was still in Asgard; her bottle of generic pain relievers in the medicine cabinet at home. Taking a deep breath and moving to get out of the bed while feeling Loki's arm slide off her, she glanced at the still sound asleep God of Mischief before looking forward and stepping lightly toward the bathroom; the pain in her head and in her stomach working together to make her uncomfortable. Reaching where she wanted to be, the pain in her stomach increased tenfold as Jane grasped onto her sore stomach; worry threading through her as she found herself concerned that something was wrong with the baby. Gritting her teeth as she drew in a pained breath, an overwhelming urge to rid herself of last night's meal forced her to the toilet as she gave in to the nausea's unyielding presence.
Minutes that felt like hours passed before Jane moved away from the toilet; a shaky hand reaching up to rid the toilet of its contents. Taking a slow breath as the welcoming sound of the toilet flushing greeted her, Jane leaned her forehead against the seat before drawing herself up; a hand wiping at the tears that had formed from the pain from earlier. Reaching her destination, her free hand busied itself with turning on the sink before dipping her head into the basin and opening her mouth to take a gulp before swishing it around her mouth as she spit it out. Was it possible she was starting morning sickness? Recalling the chapter on morning sickness in the pregnancy book that she and Darcy had browsed through, she remembered a section where morning sickness could start at anytime during the first trimester of a pregnancy. Looking down at her lower abdomen, she shook her head softly before turning off the sink and reaching down to rub at her abdomen, "Don't want me to sleep, huh? This better not be a hint of what's to come, little baby." Taking a deep breath and chuckling faintly as throwing up had done the trick as her nausea was gradually vanishing, Jane stepped away from the sink and reached for the peppermint mouthwash; the need to have a clean mouth greeting her as she opened the bottle and took a swig. Swishing the strong smelling liquid in her mouth, Jane dipped her head back into the basin before spitting out the wash. Placing the cap back onto the bottle and setting it on the shelf behind the sink, Jane tiptoed out of the bathroom before pausing at the sight of Loki sitting up on the bed and watching her.
"Jane, are you all right? When I woke up, you weren't here." Eyeing her worriedly, Loki watched her move to the bed and slide onto her side. Catching the strong smell of the mouthwash liquid that she had brought home last month, Loki's concern for Jane increased. "Sweetheart, what happened?," he asked while draping an arm around her bare shoulders.
"Morning sickness. While I was expecting to get it in a few weeks from what the book said, it
seems like I'm the one of the special incidences where the symptoms will happen whenever they want." Moving to rest her head on his shoulder, the warmth of her husband's body a soothing balm on her frazzled nerves. Now, more than ever, she longed to be back in Tromso with all that she had stocked up for stomach issues waiting for her in the master bathroom. Instead as her gaze wandered over at the sun kissed window that overlooked several gardens of the palace, she was going to have to try to figure out what the healers had to offer in means of morning sickness aids.
"Morning sickness? What's that?"
"It's essentially the nausea and vomiting that a woman in the beginning of her pregnancy will, normally, experience. Do you think it'll be rude of me to stay in our room? With the way my stomach felt earlier and how tired I feel now, I don't want to faceplant during breakfast or have to run out just because I feel sick," Jane murmured wearily; her headache increasing. She knew she was going to need water and something easy to digest, but the idea of moving to get either of those things sounded like a miserable task. "Would you mind bringing me some water and toast?"
"Of course, love. Also, I highly doubt my mother or father will be upset if you do not leave your room. If anything, I imagine my mother will be wanting to come to check on you. So, let me get dressed and I'll go get what you need. Would you feel better if I stayed in here, too?" The idea of taking care of his pregnant wife did sound far more appealing than spending time with his family.
"It would be nice to have some company if I need anything," Jane said softly while snuggling closer to Loki as the warmth of his body helped soothe the raging pain in her head. "Look at me, though - the infamous astrophysicist taken down by morning sickness," she added while chuckling softly at her statement.
Shaking his head slightly at her silly behavior, Loki focused his magic on creating a double so that he could quickly get dressed and retrieve the items Jane asked for. Feeling the double's presence, Loki smiled softly at his accomplishment before he got out of bed. Opting for his Asgardian garments, he waved a hand over his nude form as his body soon was covered in a leather overcoat with green and gold accents, a black leather top and leather pants with leather boots. Smoothing his hands over the fabric, he turned his attention back to his wife and made his way back to the bed; the double vanishing as he leaned in to kiss her forehead. "I'll be only a few minutes, my Jane. Wait for me," he murmured before straightening and transporting himself to the kitchen.
****
*
Gathering what Jane had requested, the sounds of the Allfather and Thor speaking loudly in the hallway caused Loki to pause; his curiosity at the topic drawing him to the door to listen.
"... she is carrying my grandchild, Thor. What made you think making an advance was acceptable?," Odin's stern tone filled the empty corridor as he eyed his eldest son.
"Father, I love her. I know she's with Loki and I know she's with child, but my heart doesn't want to accept the fact that she's out of my reach."
"Then you have learned nothing from your time on Midgard. When you came back speaking high praise of the mortals, I had hoped you had gained a better perspective on life. I see now I must remove you from any chance of becoming King of Asgard as I fear I cannot trust you to be respectful of the sanctity of marriage. You've disappointed me greatly, my son. Now I can only hope Loki will accept the throne as he once wanted. A son who was destined to be King acting the fool and another who surprised all of us with the way he's grown." Letting out a pained sigh at the turn of events, Odin glanced at the floor before looking back at his son. "You will be sent to Midgard today and you will only be allowed to return once you've proven that you're willing to behave like a respectable man. Is that understood?"
"Aye, Father. I understand," Thur murmured somberly before walking away.
"I'm going to assume you heard everything, Loki," Odin exclaimed; the presence of his second son one that he had recognized while speaking to Thor. "You can come out of there." He allowed himself a faint curling of the lips at the fact that Loki had been able to hear the conversation. The sight of his dark haired son leaving the kitchen greeted Odin; his one eyed gaze spotting the contents in his son's grasp. "Why are you holding a pitcher of water and a loaf of bread?"
"It's Jane; she's having morning sickness and I promised her I would bring her things to help ease her nausea. Father -," he paused as he watched Odin become surprised by his use of the moniker. The fact that he had chosen to refer to the man who had taken him from Jotunheim and proceeded to lie to him for centuries about his true parentage 'father' was a moment to be remembered. Continuing onward while abandoning the bizarre thought process, "as much as the idea of becoming King once would have made me one of the happiest people of the nine realms, I cannot accept your offer. If I do, it'll hurt Jane in ways I cannot allow. The both of us work together with Tony Stark of the Avengers, for one, and Jane has projects that are very important to her in Midgard. If I were to become King, I'd never forgive myself if she had to give up her passions just to stand by my side as Queen."
"Spoken like a true King and a man who loves his wife dearly, I see. Frigga was right to ask me to send you to Midgard all those years ago. Lady Jane has made you a better man, my son. As for your concerns about her welfare, I can assure you that you two will be able to go to and from. Change is on the horizon and I strongly feel you and Jane will play a role in it. If you'll excuse me, I must work on an apology for Lady Sif's family. What your brother has done could very well cause far more damage than we anticipate." Turning around, Odin shuffled softly off to his rooms while thinking of the right words for the letter he needed to write.
****
**
"Drinking a lot of water helped me a great deal when I was pregnant with Thor during the beginning months of my pregnancy. Water and apples, mainly," Frigga murmured while smiling softly at Jane; the sight of her daughter-in-law sipping a cup of ginger tea greeting her before she glanced at the door. "Ah, my son is on his way with water and bread. I'm sure you've heard this countless of times by now, but the way Loki treats you truly does show the amount of love you two have for each other. It's truly a beautiful sight," the Queen of Asgard said while moving to the large window that looked over several of the gardens that filled the palace grounds. "Any luck on names for the baby, Jane?"
Having gotten dressed in an old t-shirt and sweatpants as soon as Loki left, Jane had been waiting for his arrival when Frigga came knocking; an offer of ginger tea greeting Jane as soon as she opened the door. Had Frigga been able to sense Jane's distress? Due to her spacing out, Jane had only been able to catch the tail end of Frigga's question before embarrassment flooded her senses. "I'm sorry, Frigga. I wasn't paying attention. Could you repeat yourself?"
Smiling at Jane's honesty, Frigga turned to gaze kindly at Jane. "Not to worry, my dear. From finding out you're carrying a baby to morning sickness, it's no wonder your mind is all over the place." The sound of a door opening to her right pulled her attention away from Jane; the sight of her dark haired son greeting her as she turned. "Ah, there you are, my dear Loki. With water and bread, no less. Your wife will be most pleased."
Blinking in surprise at the sight of his mother in the room he shared with Jane, Loki mustered a slight smile in acknowledgement before looking over at Jane who was also looking at him. "I would like to be alone with Jane, mother. If you don't mind, of course." The craziness of the morning worried Loki as he found himself wishing he and Jane had never left their home in Tromso. If they hadn't, he imagined they would simply about their day as usual.
"Loki, is something amiss?," Frigga eyed him with concern; the slight smile plastered on his face doing little to keep his emotions from her as she wondered what had caused him to seem distressed.
Glancing over at Jane who also seemed concerned, Loki sighed softly before making his way over to the bed to hand Jane the pitcher of water and loaf of bread. Before he moved to speak with his mother. a slight wave of his left hand with help of his magic brought forth a drinking glass. Watching as she accepted it while wordlessly asking him what was wrong with her eyes, Loki cupped Jane's cheek softly before bowing his head to brush his lips against hers. The warmth of her lips filled Loki as he felt his mind calm down after having the converstion with Odin. Opting for the choice and sitting next to Jane while he spoke to his mother, the dark haired Prince turned to sit; an arm wrapping itself around Jane's waist as he needed her courage to get past the newest turn of events.
"Mother, Thor has been exiled to Midgard for his actions against Jane," he paused at the sound of the surprised gasp that originated from Frigga; his heart aching at the sight of his mother's distress. Continuing on, however, "Given that I'm Odin's second born, I have been offered the chance to become King of Asgard while my brother tries to sort out things. Mother, you know this as much as Jane - I once wanted the throne with such an intensity that it nearly destroyed me. But - I've changed and grown into the man I was meant to become and I've been blessed to have the life and person I was meant to be with. So, when he offered me the position, I thought of what it was going to do to Jane's career as an astrophysicist and I became worried that she'd have to give things up to take up her duty as Queen of Asgard. I don't want to cause my wife any unnecessary tension."
Frigga's heart ached at the sight of how much her son loved his wife. "Loki, Jane won't have to give up anything if you take up the throne. I imagine when you told your father about this, he must have told you that she would be able to live her life as she wishes; granted she leads an appropriate life," she murmured while moving for the door. "If you do decide on refusing the throne, please know that we won't be upset with either of you. If anything, I know Odin and I are still very excited about the chance to become grandparents so we both understand how stressful this is for you. Jane - that ginger tea will do wonders and if either of you need me, I'll be checking on your father." That being said, Frigga quietly left the room and went to go find her husband.
As she watched Frigga leave, Jane's mind struggled to comprehend all that both Loki and his mother were talking about. How did things go from Thor on his way to becoming a King to this? Only way she knew for certain that Loki had a chance of becoming King would be for both Odin and Thor to die and as Asgardians had a much longer lifespan than humans, Jane was secure in the knowledge that neither of them were going to pass away anytime soon. She needed answers. "Loki?"
"Hm?"
"Did something happen that I don't know about?"
Taking Jane's left hand in both of his, the God of Mischief drew her hand up to kiss softly at the wedding band that adorned her ring finger while glancing at its twin on his left hand. "I don't even know where to begin, Jane. One minute I'm getting you water and bread; next minute I'm being offered a position as the ruler of Asgard. I don't know if I want to accept it or not either. Accepting the throne would mean we'd be here for a large part of the year while being able to go to and from Midgard when things are quiet. I know I've said this multiple things, but my view on this has not changed in the slightest: if my becoming King while you become my Queen puts you in a situation where you have to give up your work just to satisfy Asgard's demands, I will refuse the offer. I want to be with you full time when the baby is on its way and when you're needing to rest after giving birth. The idea of not being here for you for any of that frightens me and is something I cannot allow."
"Oh." Jane knew she needed to say more in response to what her husband had said, but as the realization of Loki possibly becoming King took hold of her thoughts, Jane stared down at the floor while allowing her mind to comprehend the change. Essentially - Thor was going to take their place in Midgard while they took over his spot in Asgard. Annoyance at her ex crackled within as she wished she could go back in time and prevent the event that caused all of this. Gratitude, however, managed to push past her annoyance at Thor as she also realized that Loki was doing his best to think of what becoming a Queen would possibly do to her projects for S.H.I.E.L.D. "Look," she began while looking at their connected hands. "I'm going to guess part of why you feel you should agree has a lot to do with your sense of duty. It's going to be one of the most challenging things we've taken on aside from trying to decide where to put the trees in the backyard." The sight of his lips curving up in a faint smirk of amusement greeted Jane before she moved forward. "Loki, I think we could do it if we're together. I know Eir was wanting me to stay here for the baby and if you're certain we can go to and from, I don't mind the idea. Just never thought I would find myself becoming 'Queen of Asgard'. I'm still reeling over becoming a 'Princess of Asgard', but you know I'll support any decision you make."
Gratitude filled the dark haired Prince to the point of him letting go of Jane's hands and sliding off the bed to kneel in between her legs. Eyes that had been full of worry and frustration gazed up at her with love and adoration as he wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head along her abdomen. "That's all I need, my Jane; your support through this mess. Thank you for listening to me and telling me what you thought of all this. Given what you've said so far, I think it would be right for me to accept the Allfather's offer and just see what comes with all of this. Once we know all of the details, I imagine we'll have to go down to Midgard to speak with Erik and Darcy as I imagine you'll want to let them know what's going on. A King, though," he shook his head softly before sighing in content at the gentle caress of Jane's fingers making their way to his scalp and rubbing. "I never thought I'd see the day where I was given the chance to experience this. I'm so fortunate to have you in my life through this. Without you, I know I'd be lost. I love you so very much, my Jane."
Continuing with the scalp massage, Jane patiently listened to the man in front of her before setting the gradually cooling cup of tea onto a nearby table. Glad to have her hands free, she proceeded to use both of her hands to rub away the tension that was evident in her husband's demeanor. "Just as I love you, Loki." At the mentioning of Erik and Darcy, Jane let out a soft sigh as she found herself worrying that she would lose time with them. But, as she mentioned aloud earlier, if they were able to go to and from, she knew she would focus her attentions on making sure she could evenly divide her projects, her friends, and other equally important parts of her life. "Let's work on baby names, hm? Unless you need to go?"
Shaking his head once more, Loki drew himself up and moved to sit next to Jane on the bed. "No. Plus, the only place I want to be is with you. So, names.."
"While you were gone; oh and thank you for the water and bread, I was thinking of my mom's name. I've always loved it; especially as it's not a name people use much nowadays."
Pausing before he spoke, Loki's mind tried to recall the moments when Jane had spoken her deceased mom's name outloud. "Sylvia?"
"You remembered!," Jane exclaimed before leaning in to kiss her husband's cheek as a show of appreciation for his memory.
"Of course, of course. So, Sylvia if it's a girl. What if we have a boy?"
"Oh, no, no. Your turn. I insist."
Peering down at where their baby rested in his or her mother's abdomen, Loki tried to recall any names from the past that stuck out to him as interesting. He knew names were important as they were the world's first impression of who you were. "Well, I was thinking either Freyr who is the God of weather or Frode who, from what I recall during tutoring sessions, is the one who is very clever in his mind. Thankfully, we have quite a long time before we decide on the best name for the baby. When do you think we'll be able to see if it's a boy or a girl?"
"Ah, I have no idea. We could always stop by the healers soon and find out," Jane murmured while considering the names Loki brought up while trying to think of more to add to the pile for both boy and girl.
"Hm, I agree. This has certainly been a crazy visit so far. Pregnancy, the engagement that wound up being a farce, Thor acting the way he did with you, my stabbing him with a fork. Makes me miss Tromso all the more. Mind I take a small nap? With all of this madness, I find myself much preferring the softness of the bed with my wife curled up next to me. If that's all right with you, of course," he gazed at her, hopeful that she would agree to a nap.
Chuckling softly at how adorable her husband was, Jane nodded before scooting back onto the bed. "You do realize I was planning on staying in here all day today, yes?"
"Lovely notion. Reminds me of our wedding night when we also spent the entire day in bed," he followed suit; casting a spell on his boots while relishing the cool breeze that kissed his bare feet as he slowly reclined. Smiling lazily as Jane moved to lay partly on top of him with her head on his chest, Loki's eyelids closed as he placed a light kiss on the top of her head. "See you in a few hours, Jane. Wake me up if you need anything."
"Promise," Jane murmured while also closing her eyes and settling down for a morning nap.
****
**
"So that's it? Off to Midgard as your punishment for making advances on your brother's wife?," Fandral said while watching Thor pack up his belongings.
"Aye; that's it. My father does not want me to embarrass the family name any longer so I'm to be shipped off to help with the Avengers. In all honesty, I much prefer the idea of getting away from Jane as I know I am likely to do something stupid again. She bewitches me, Fandral, and knowing I cannot have her drives me mad. Now with their baby on the way and Loki possibly to become King of Asgard, it is best that I take care of things so they don't have to stress over Midgard."
"You seem to be taking this awfully well, you know. Where will you be staying, then?"
"I was hoping to stay with Tony Stark, but I do know my brother and Jane have a home in Tromso so it might be a better choice to stay in their home while they're busy here in Asgard."
"That does seem much more convenient, but you will have to make sure they're all right with it. From what you've told me of Loki's recent behavior with you, I fear he will not be happy with the idea. Lady Jane, however, might be willing to accept, but it is up to them both."
Closing the large bag with a clasp, Thor gathered the bag by the strap and lugged it over to the door leading out into the hallway. While the idea of staying in Loki and Jane's house did make sense, the fear of being surrounded by their love was one that he wanted to avoid. "I will speak with Stark and then go from there. Thank you for being here with me, Fandral. I know Hogun and Volstagg are still angry with me over how I've treated Sif so it brings me much comfort to have you here."
"Well, they're understandably shocked by your actions while I understand them. Ever since Loki and Jane were married, I did see how you looked at her so I must say I'm not the least bit surprised with this development. If anything, I was waiting for you to do something about it years ago. Which leads me to this question -why didn't you speak up before? Now with her going to have a baby and their love stronger than ever, what made you think going after her now was the right choice?"
Raking a hand through his blonde locks, Thor moved to lean against the door while considering what Fandral had asked. His close friend was right, of course; he had missed several opportunities to admit his love for Jane, but he also knew he hesitated out of love for Loki. The very sight of his brother's joy was all the more reason to stay on the sidelines. "As much as I know I should have spoken up, I was devastated at what I had done to her, Fandral. So much so that I avoided any chance to go to Midgard unless it was an emergency. As for why I decided to make my move recently, you should have seen her when she arrived: she had such a beautiful glow about her and the way she smiled reminded me of when she'd smile that way for me."
"You do realize the 'beautiful glow' is due to her being pregnant with Loki's baby."
Sighing softly, Thor nodded; the pain of having lost her to Loki revisiting and causing havoc to his heart and mind. "I know it now, yes."
"I am sorry you have to go through this, Thor, but you must; not just for them, but for your sake as well. Life will just be too painful for you if you keep on this path," Fandral said; worry for his friend evident in his voice. "So let's finish packing your belongings and get you to your mother and father so you can say your farewells."
(See you all at Chapter 16!)
