The flash of the Bifrost and the imposing glare of Heimdall at its end did little to quench his exuberance. The time away had changed him, he was surprised to note, he felt more capable, he had used his magic in battle and had earned the respect of his peers and even Thor had acknowledged that he had been useful to them. They rode the rainbow bridge in high spirits, the splendor of Asgard laid out in front of them, brothers and friends and victors.
Thor clapped him on his shoulder as he was returned to his chambers, nodding and smiling in farewell and Loki grinned as he divested himself of his gear. Some was the worse for wear, mud still stained his hands and his boots and he sank into a bath with a sigh of gratitude, washing the dust and grime of battle from him. As he worked, the light glinted off the wedding band he still wore on his left hand, and he smiled to himself, thinking of a way to pass the rest of the hours until morning.
He dressed quickly and left the palace, using stealth to cross the city to the Lady Sigyn's villa. Breaking in was as easy as it had always been and he chuckled to himself. It was not as though she was incapable of defending herself should she be attacked, of that he was very certain, but she really should take a few more precautions. The servants were long abed and only a few lamps remained, but he knew his way well enough to need no extra light and he slipped into the bedchamber silently.
At the foot of her bed, however, he paused.
Three tousled dark heads lay there, not one as he was expecting. Sigyn lay with one slender arm flung over the body of a sleeping child, flat on his back with his arms above his head. Another, identical to the first, was curled in a ball against her back, obviously seeking the warmth of his mother in rest as the covers had been flung to the side.
Loki swallowed, leaning on both hands against the footboard of the massive bed, unable to move. He tilted his head to one side, searching for something in the face of the boy on his back. They could be Theoric's. Sigyn was dark haired, just as he was. There was no reason to think they were his children. No reason for anyone else to think that, considering their liaison was something known only to the two of them…
The second child stirred and sat up, rubbing a chubby hand across his face and murmuring. Loki could not move, transfixed as the boy looked at him, calmly, wide green eyes unblinking and familiar in the moonlight.
The spell came to his lips without thought and the boy fell back into slumber. With luck he would not speak of this to his mother when he woke, would think it a dream. After a moment, he murmured a second spell, moving to the other side of the bed and touching Sigyn's sleeping face, gently tracing a second finger over the curve of the other boy's cheek. He raised the covers so all three would stay warm in the cool night air.
They would sleep long this night, and peacefully. He could give them that much.
He slipped out the way he had come, returning to his own bed.
Sleep did not come to him.