Written to: To The Beginning - The Workday Release, crosspost from AO3. Thanks for the birthday wishes :)
Serendipity: Finding something good without looking for it.
Modi had become more confident in his limited walking abilities, perhaps a bit too confident, as the numerous scrapes on his elbows and knees have proven. And, unfortunately, Modi had Thor's stubbornness, and insisted on walking and toddling everywhere, even if it meant clinging to Frigga's expensive draperies and tearing them off the curtain rods in his attempts to keep his balance. Frigga only smiled in exasperation and brought out the white cotton draperies she'd used when Thor was still just a child.
Jörmungandr, though unable to walk, often enjoyed joining Modi on his adventures through the halls of Asgard, riding along on Modi's shoulder or curled around his wrist.
Loki loses his children one afternoon, waking up from a short-lived and much-deserved nap the instant he hears the door to the nursery click closed. He rubs the sleep from his eyes hurriedly, frowns at his heavy limbs as he jolts out of the chair and runs over to the door, opening it only to see Jory's smug expression from the baby serpent's position facing backwards on Modi's shoulder.
"Oh, Norns," Loki mutters, as he hurries after them. And Loki would like to believe that it is because the hall's distance is much farther than anyone expected, that it isn't because he is somewhat out of shape and unused to pursuing fast creatures, that he is out of breath once he reaches the corner.
He frowns. Modi and Jory are nowhere to be seen, and he sighs, pinching at his temples and wondering if the Midgardians practice of tethering their children to leashes and backpacks was really as stupid as he had once presumed.
Modi giggles into his hand as he sees his mama's feet pass by the curtain he and Jory are hidden under, tapping by quickly, searching.
He peeks out from behind the curtain, Jory's face by his own, the snake's beady eyes searching for Loki's retreating form. Once the two are satisfied that Loki is nowhere in the general vicinity, Modi toddles out from behind the fabric and off in a different direction.
Jory points with his tail at an open doorway, and Modi, attracted by the sunlight streaming through it, wriggles through the slightly ajar door, his eyes widening in delight as the two are shuttled out into a vast green garden with huge trees and golden orbs.
Jory slithers down from Modi's shoulder, making a small pathway in the grass as he wriggles over to a fallen golden sphere on the ground, flickers his little tongue out against it before unhinging his jaws wide and biting into it, making two small puncture marks. Modi walks over, curious, bending down and toppling over onto Jory as he attempts to pick up the golden ball. Jory hisses at him, but there is no real malice behind the noise as the baby snake continues to lick at the small holes he has made in the golden surface, from which a clear liquid is leaking.
Modi gnaws on the ball he holds in his hands, careful not to bite down on Jory's head, and pouts when he cannot make a hole in the surface. He turns to look around him, picks up a little rock, and smashes it against the ball. This time, the yellow thing cracks and dents a little bit, the golden surface peeling back to reveal soft yellow-white skin that leaks out sticky juice onto Modi's fingers. Modi sticks his fingers in his mouth, sucking, his grin growing at the sweetness.
Idunn finds the two little princes asleep in her gardens as she goes through her evening rounds, surrounded by a little circle of dented apples. She smiles, bends down to scoop the two of them up, and returns to the castle.