Quandary - Chapter 2
"We really shouldn't bother her."
"Why would we be bothering her?"
"She said she was going to rest," Loki replied to his brother. They were on their way to Sigyn's house—or really, Sigyn and her family's house.
Thor scoffed in reply. "I think she can stop resting for a few minutes, especially for the future father of her child."
"Thor!" Loki hissed, a sharp warning to keep quiet on the subject. People were walking by, talking and carrying goods and food back to their homes.
"I'm sorry," Thor said, chuckling. Loki side-looked him and kept walking, and Thor walked along with him.
It had been one week since Thor had been told of his brother's unborn child. He had yet to see Sigyn for several reasons: one, Loki kept making excuses, and two, because Thor had been just as busy as usual, what with training and being host to foreign court members that had visited for a few days.
"Have you told her parents yet?" Thor asked.
"No." Thor could see he didn't want to talk about it—or think about it, for that matter.
He couldn't blame him. Her parents were strict people. He supposed that was why Sigyn had ignored their obvious dislike of her friendship with the prince—because she was tired of being controlled by them. He thought it was odd that a peasant family wouldn't want their eldest daughter to have friends in high places, but who was he to judge? He knew not what it felt like to be a peasant or have a daughter.
When they neared her home, Loki broke the silence. "Please don't be harsh."
"I won't," Thor replied. "I promise."
When they arrived, they found Sigyn sitting in the front garden, waiting for them. She embraced Loki when she saw him, and he hugged her back as if he'd been waiting to do so forever. Thor watched from behind, feeling out of place. He had never seen his brother like this; showing feelings. Especially in front of him. But he supposed things were different now.
When they separated, Sigyn looked to Thor. "Hello Thor."
Thor lifted his chin slightly. "Sigyn," he greeted.
Obviously feeling the tension in the air, Loki suggested they go inside. Sigyn had already told him the previous day—when they had planned this meeting—that her parents were gone shopping at the market, so they didn't have to risk telling them until they were ready. When she led them inside, she reassured them that her siblings were also out—the two younger ones, Astrid and Elizabeth, were with her parents, and the her older brother Jaime was out with friends. Thor learned that they hadn't told any of them yet, either.
She led them though the small kitchen and into an even smaller living room. One couch, one chair, and a fireplace were all that occupied the room. It was dark since the windows were shut, and only a few candles were lit. Sigyn sat down and motioned for them to do the same. Loki sat next to her on the couch, and Thor took the spot on the chair.
After a moment of silence, Thor inhaled and asked, "How do plan on telling them?"
He could visibly see them both become more uncomfortable; Sigyn shifted in her seat, and he knew Loki enough to see it written all over his face.
"Well," Sigyn said calmly. "We haven't figured that part out yet."
Loki leaned back and slouched slightly, running his hands down his face. Sigyn placed a hand on his leg comfortingly and leaned back with him. Thor couldn't believe how exhausted the pair of them looked.
"To be quite honest, it doesn't seem as if you've figured anything out," Thor said.
Loki took his hands away from his face and looked at Thor irritably. Thor placed his hands in front of him defensively.
"I'm sorry, but it's true," he said. He leaned forward slightly. "Listen, I know I have no right to even try to understand what you two are going through, but I know enough to know you can't keep it a secret. Besides, sooner or later it's going to become obvious."
"I'm not worried about her parents," Loki said to Thor. "I'm worried about ours."
Thor looked at the ground. He too had been worried about the same thing. It wasn't as much their mother—she was maybe kind enough to understand—as it was their father... Thor was right when he had said it was bad enough that he was a prince and out of wedlock, but with a peasant? No matter how Thor or Loki or Sigyn or anyone who cared viewed it, that was not acceptable to the people of Asgard, and it never would be.
So Thor kept quiet. Because he couldn't think of a scenario in which Odin wouldn't do something irrational to reassure them with.
Sigyn swallowed dryly, looking more and more nervous every second. She tried to change the subject, at least slightly. "When should we tell them? My parents, I mean."
Thor almost said something, but then he realized he didn't need to take control of the situation... not this time. He needed to let them make it.
Loki sat up straighter and looked at Sigyn. "Does it matter? Your father's going to break my nose either way," he said, shrugging.
Sigyn laughed and Thor double-looked her. He hadn't heard it as a joke.
"He won't do that," Sigyn said. "Now my mother, on the other hand..."
Loki groaned slightly. Thor supposed that her mother wasn't the most understanding person.
"So you've met her parents before?" Thor asked.
"Yes," Loki answered. "A long time ago."
He raised his eyebrows. "And how did that go?"
"It was no representation of how our next meeting will go, if that's what you're asking," Loki said, barely glancing at Thor.
"I don't think it'll be as bad as you two are making it out to be," Thor said, trying to wipe the anxious looks off of their faces. Loki rolled his eyes and leaned his head back against the couch. Thor could see that he had seen through his attempts, and Sigyn had too. Well, he couldn't say he didn't try.
"Shouldn't you be happy?" Thor asked curiously after another moment of silence. They both looked over at him.
"I mean, you're going to be parents! Doesn't that usually entail happiness regardless the situation? The baby doesn't know, it's not stressed about it, so why should you be? Sure, it's going to be difficult. Very difficult, actually. People will never see or treat you the same again. But if you love each other like I think you do, does that really matter?"
Loki looked unimpressed, but Sigyn seemed to realize what Thor had seen all along; it was possible. Having the baby, living the life they wanted to...
"No," Sigyn said quietly. "It doesn't."
That seemed to change Loki's mind. After looking at Sigyn's hopeful, smiling face, a smile of his own tugged at his mouth slightly. He turned his head back to Thor.
"Oaf," he said, a smile still playing at his lips. It wasn't an insult, Thor knew. It was a thank you.
"Cow," Thor replied, smiling back at him. You're welcome, little brother.
A/N: I know, I know, this took forever, and I'm sorry! But hey, I've really got this thing on me now, and I'm going to write and write and write. Thank you for reading, and please, do review!