So I was first going to use the word "bewitch" but my iPad deleted the whole finished chapter so I got mad and just change the word to this one, which I personally find more fun and way cuter!
Baby (noun): a very young child, especially one newly or recently born.
Disclaimer: I don't own Thor.
"LOKI, YOU BETTER GET IN HERE RIGHT NOW!"
Darcy, fuming, continues to walk about the room in silent anger, moving the baby in her arms in a (hopefully) calming manner. However, her yell at Loki only ruined the calm as the baby (who had been fussing) begins to full-out wail.
"Come on, kid, I'm trying," groans Darcy, but for the kid of an usually collected woman and a sweet but sort of oblivious God, the child shows no sympathy and keeps screaming his head off. "Please, please, stop crying? I promise I'll get you a bottle or something, but- LOKI! GET YOUR ASS IN HERE ALREADY! I SWEAR, I WILL GET OUT MY TASER!"
A reluctant shuffle of feet sounds, and Darcy realizes that Loki is now barely coming into the room, albeit a lot more more slowly and unsurely than his usual confident, prideful stride.
"Is he calmed?" comes the tentative question.
Darcy blows sweaty strands of hair out of her face, rolling her eyes at how the guy can be a God and still ask such a stupid question. "What do you think?" she grumbles over the baby's relentless wails.
Loki finally enters the living room, looking less confident than usual.
"About time," Darcy huffs, and when Loki slowly walks over to her, she shoves the crying chid into her boyfriend's arms. "Here, take your nephew. And I'm emphasizing the your because Thor asked you to put yourself through hell watching his kid, not me!"
Loki begrudgingly arranges the child in his arms, looking at the ever-crying baby in silent wonder. With a slow hand, he reaches out and strokes the baby's soft hair, and then the skin of his cheek, never once tearing his eyes away from the child.
"He is rather small," says Loki stiffly.
"Gee, I never would've noticed, thanks," Darcy says, letting the sarcasm drip from her words. "Now try to calm him down, would you? I think he's hungry, so I'm going to go make him a bottle."
Loki's eyes quickly tear away from the baby. "You are going to leave me?"
"Uh-huh. Now doesn't that sound familiar?" Darcy says, rolling her eyes.
"But, you cannot. How can I calm this creature?"
"Fucking hell, Loki, it's a baby. Don't they have these on Asgard?"
"I never have had to calm one before," Loki says, looking down at the crying baby and then at Darcy. "What if...I am not able to succeed with this task?"
"You'll be fine," says Darcy exasperatedly. "Geez, and you were the one raised by royalty. I'll be right in the kitchen, okay? Just don't kill the kid, and we'll be golden."
"K-kill?"
Darcy ignores his stammered worry and heads into the kitchen, silently cursing herself for agreeing to help Loki, silently cursing Thor for having a date night with Jane, silently cursing Jane for ever giving birth and keeping the crying terror in the living room.
"Hey, Loki, does the baby like warmed milk?" calls Darcy as she finishes mixing the formula and whatnot that the baby needs, attaching its top with finality and then eyeing the microwave.
"I...do not know," is Loki's unhelpful reply.
Darcy rolls her eyes. Cold milk it is.
"Whatever. Just sit down with him on the couch," she says, entering the room again.
Loki looks at her in almost...panic. "You want me to feed him?"
"Uh, yeah?" Darcy says, and she holds out the bottle.
"I do not know if I should." That's all Loki offers.
Darcy sighs. "Fine, give me the little guy," she says, and she sets down the bottle, taking the tearful baby carefully and smiling at his teary eyes. "Aw, don't cry, kid. We've got your bottle! Loki, give me his bottle."
Loki obeys her wordlessly.
Darcy sticks the bottle into the baby's mouth and is awarded with sweet, silent bliss. Sighing to herself, she looks down at the tear-streaked face of the baby boy and finds that when he's not crying, he's a whole lot cuter.
"He is calmed now," notes Loki slowly.
"Uh-huh."
"So you have expertise in these matters?" asks Loki.
"Nah, but babies are like that, y'know? One minute they're crying over nothing and the next they're just sitting there happily or sleeping. Mostly the second one. But hey, he's the son of the God of Thunder; he probably cries a lot more than usual," Darcy jokes.
Loki doesn't even crack a smile at that one. Or take the opportunity to make a comment about Thor. Which is something he never does. (The second one, not the first. He already doesn't laugh at many of Darcy's jokes. Or any of them, really).
Instead, he gingerly sits down next to Darcy and peers over her shoulder at the baby, who sucks the bottle with a rigorous vigor and watches Darcy with wide blue eyes.
Darcy doesn't look over at Loki, but she can feel that something is bugging him; he's brooding a lot more than usual, and not to mention, he's not nearly as confident as he usually is.
"And are you fond of children?" asks Loki quietly.
Darcy thinks about it. Is she? She's an only child, but she knows how to deal with babies, having done her fair share of babysitting in her teenage years. But actually liking kids is another story, because in high school all she would see them as were money. Now, looking at something Thor and Jane created, it's something else.
"I dunno," Darcy says carefully. "Never thought about it."
Loki is quiet for too long before he asks, "Would you ever have children?"
Darcy has to think about that. Had he asked her a question like that a year ago, she would've laughed at that and shot the idea away with a sarcastic and witty comment on her part before he'd even get the question out. But looking at this kid, so calm and sweet (well, now), she doesn't know what to think anymore.
"Maybe," she says, finally. "What about you?"
"I believe I lack certain parts that would allow that."
"No, dummy, would you want to have a kid? You know, considering you wouldn't be the one to give birth to it," Darcy adds hastily, and she allows herself to shift slightly to look at him, yet making sure the baby is safely secured in her arms.
His face betrays many conflicting emotions, which Darcy has hardly known Loki to allow; he's too proud to appear weak, and he always portrays himself the ever-confident one.
"Perhaps," answers Loki softly.
Darcy almost doesn't want to look at him. Delicate situations should be treated delicately and all that, but fuck that; she's Darcy Lewis, and she's never avoided any sort of delicate situations. Often much to Jane's chagrin, but still.
Darcy looks at him.
"Well, this is awkward," says Darcy finally when she sees the way he's almost, well, avoiding her eyes. Loki has never done that, either; he believes looking someone in the eye delivers a message about his character (and by character he means he needs to let everyone know he's in charge).
"I believe it is, yes," Loki mutters.
Darcy leans over to look at him. "Wanna tell me what's bothering you?"
Loki finally meets her eyes. "Nothing is upsetting me."
"Yup, that's why I said bothering. Now c'mon, spill."
Loki sighs, but when he looks at Darcy, she sees him smile. Finally, he shakes his head and says in mock wonder, "You are often too interrogative for your own good, Darcy Lewis."
"One of the things you love about me," replies Darcy smugly. "So talk."
"I believe, in the way we both said we might want children someday, we crossed a line," admits Loki. "One that should not have been crossed. You know already that I am Jötun-"
"Yeah, you turn all freaky and blue."
"...Right. Well, in the line we crossed, I believe we adumbrated the idea of having children together." Loki pauses, and he meets Darcy's eye and then looks at his nephew in her arms before he continues, "You should know that the chance of that happening is slim."
Darcy, being herself, has to throw herself into the fire.
"Why?" she asks. "Not that I've been, er, planning this or anything, but-"
"Your body is not suited for carrying a Jötun child," interrupts Loki. "You most likely would not be able to carry the child full term, and chances are, the child would kill you."
So Darcy ponders that. Of course she hadn't exactly set the idea of having a kid with Loki in stone (they've been together for, what, three years?), but to be honest, she'd thought about it. And would've liked it. Or at least had the option.
"Do say something," pleads Loki quietly. "I must know what you are thinking."
Darcy slowly draws the baby tighter in her arms and removes the bottle; the child has finished. Gently shifting the baby to her shoulder, she stands up to burp him. The child gurgles something, and Darcy smiles at him.
"Do you think he's sleepy?" Darcy asks Loki.
Loki is caught off guard. "I...would not know."
"Listen to your uncle," Darcy hums to the child, lifting him up and pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. "Unhelpful as ever. But we love him anyway, don't we?" She looks at Loki. "With or without children."
Loki processes her words for a while, but he slowly stands up. Watching Darcy and his nephew silently for a few seconds, he finally smiles faintly. Walking up to the two of them, he gently tugs Darcy into his arms.
"You are strange, Darcy," says Loki softly.
"One of the things you love about me," Darcy says cheekily.
"Yes, one of the many," Loki agrees, and he reaches for her face, his thumb gently stroking the skin of her cheek as he meets her eyes. Darcy smiles at him in return. "Any other woman would have been upset. Why is it that you are not?"
Darcy groans at this. "Dude, we established I'm not normal," she reminds him. "So I'm not going to be 'any other woman'. Kids aren't a deal breaker for me. I just want you in my life, stupid!"
"And I only desire you as well," Loki replies warmly.
Darcy's stomach pricks with anticipation at her next words (that she almost doesn't want to say), but does anyway. "Uh, so, kids aren't a deal breaker for you either?" she asks tentatively.
"No," Loki answers. "I would have liked some someday, but any future children with anyone other than you would not be desirable. You bring out the best in me, Darcy Lewis, and I would not change that for the world."
"You sure? Because you did try to take over the world once."
Loki can't help but to smile. "You are unimaginable."
"Can't argue with that one." Darcy grins back, just as the baby in her arms suddenly begins to fuss. "Oh! He must be sleepy. Want to rock him?" She offers the baby to her boyfriend, and Loki looks like he wants to say no, but he finally gives in and takes the child wordlessly.
Darcy smirks at the sight. Loki, looking worried, cradles the baby gently in his arms, all while making little movement, probably fearing any sudden movements as the baby continues to fuss.
"He looks like my brother," Loki says softly.
"Yup, that's how genetics work and all," Darcy notes, but Loki either doesn't hear or doesn't care to respond to the comment. Instead, he keeps his eyes on the baby in his arms.
"He is beautiful," Loki says softly. "I wish..." he trails off.
"Wish you could have one, huh?"
"I believe we established I do not have the appropriate parts."
"Ass," Darcy says, pretending to be offended, and she would shove him if he didn't have a baby in his arms right now. "But hey, if you really want a baby that bad, we can always take this one."
Loki chuckles at that. "I believe Jane would kill you if we did."
"Eh, you've got a point. Either that or dock my pay. The second one would be worse, though," Darcy says, and she peers over at the baby in Loki's arms and sees him asleep. "Aw, he's so cute when he's sleeping."
"He is the face of tranquility," Loki agrees.
"And to think he's the spawn of a hotheaded God and a confused woman," Darcy notes lovingly (and ignores Loki's pointed stare, knowing she's ruined the moment).
"So shall I set him in our bed?" Loki asks.
"Yeah." Darcy leans over and kisses the baby's forehead. "Night, kid. You're really cute, even though I know you're going to be waking me up all night long."
"Pardon?" Loki says, being hopeless with children.
"Or better yet, wake up your uncle," Darcy decides, and she stands on her tiptoes to press a kiss to Loki's cheek. "Thanks in advance, babe."
"For what, exactly?"
"You're in for a sleepless night. And not the good kind, either," Darcy says.
"What does that entail?"
"Well, he just ate and is going to sleep, so...how good are you with diapers?"
"W-what?"
"It's late, so I'm just going to crash on the couch. Call me if you need anything, 'kay?"
"B-but you cannot leave me to-"
"Love you! Byeeee!"
"B-but Darcy!"
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