Later that afternoon, Loki and Laney were moved back into their regular chambers. Laney smiled down at Star, who she'd just finished feeding and had laid in her crib. "Sleep well my little Star. The world watches over you," she murmured, then quietly walked out of the nursery and shut the door behind her.
Loki walked into their bedroom with tea for him and Laney. "She seems to enjoy nap time so far."
"So far, yes," she answered quietly. "Do you want to sit in the sitting room?"
"Yes, I think so. But only if Star will be alright." Loki replied.
Laney smirked. "She'll be fine. We'll be able to hear her if she starts to fuss."
Loki nodded then handed Laney her cup so he could take her hand. "It's nice to be out of the healing wing."
"I agree. It's nice to be in our own chambers again." Laney took Loki's hand and let him lead her out of their bedroom and into the sitting room.
In the sitting room, Laney smiled as they walked over to the couch and sat before she took a sip of her tea.
Loki sat with Laney and wrapped an arm around her. "What would you like to do for the rest of the day?"
Laney shrugged. "I'm not really sure. I know Desi is spending much needed time with Thor, so we have the day to ourselves."
"Would you like to visit the garden? I would also still like to hear about your stay on Alfheim." Loki said truthfully.
"The garden sounds nice. Who will watch Star?" She asked.
"We could take her with us. If not, I'm sure mother would watch her, or Desi." Loki replied.
"Do we have something we could carry her in?" Laney asked. "Maybe a basket?"
"I can just carry her darling." Loki offered.
"You can if you'd like, but she may feel heavy after a while. I'll bring a cloth wrap just in case."
"She won't get heavy darling. We can always take a little blanket for her to lay on in the grass." Loki suggested.
Laney grinned. "Yes, we can. Let's let her sleep a bit first though."
"Alright darling, that's fine with me." Loki said, content to just sit there with Laney and relax.
A soft sigh left Laney's lips as she sipped her tea and leaned against his shoulder. She stared into the embers of the fire that crackled in the small fireplace across from them. "Winter will be coming soon. I cannot remember if Asgard gets snow, it's been so long since I've been around in the cold days."
Loki held Laney closer. "It does snow, but not to any extreme," He reminded her, causing him to instantly remember how they used to have snowball fights.
"We'll have to keep little Star bundled up if we take her out anywhere. That also reminds me that Yule will be here before we know it. That was always my favorite time of the year," she recalled.
Loki gave Laney a curious look. "Darling, she should be very cold tolerant like I am." He pointed out. "We will likely have a ball for Yule. It is still a tradition; I just haven't attended in years."
Laney blushed as it dawned on her. "Sometimes I forget. It's just that she's so small, I want to protect her in every way I possibly can." She looked over at Loki and smiled. "I never attended anything like that when I was in Yamir. I didn't want to do anything without you."
Loki gave Laney a soft, sweet smile. "She isn't full Jotun, so I don't know if she will be cold tolerant, but I feel like she will be." He explained. "I stopped attending after I lost contact with you. I just didn't feel like going anymore." Loki shrugged.
"Well... would you like to go this year? I could find a Yule gown to wear... it would be nice to have a holiday with you again." She took a long sip of her tea, emptying her cup, then bent forward and placed it on the low coffee table in front of them.
"I would love to darling." Loki said with a big grin. "We will have a dress made for you darling, just like when you lived here before." He promised, then sipped his tea now that it had cooled off.
"Are you sure about having a gown made?" she asked. "I don't want to trouble anyone."
"Darling, that's why we have palace tailors. It's no trouble at all, I promise." Loki assured her. He finished the rest of his tea in one drink, then leaned forward and set his cup next to hers.
Laney grinned and snuggled against him once he sat back up, moving her legs to lay over his and her arms around his neck. "I'm glad I can do stuff like this again without my belly getting in the way," she chuckled.
Loki leaned in and pecked Laney's lips with his. "I kind of miss the belly, to be honest." He admitted.
She chuckled and shook her head. "Why?"
"The belly was cute, and you looked so beautiful like that. You always look beautiful to me." Loki said softly. I just need you to see that.
"Just as you always look handsome to me," she replied. Laney rested one hand on his chest and smiled as she played with the fabric of his shirt.
"Darling, I want to see your new body. I want to show you how beautiful you are to me." Loki softly pleaded. He couldn't bear the thought of Laney feeling less of herself.
Laney bit her bottom lip as she glanced from his eyes to his lips, then back again. "I haven't talked to Desi to see when those kinds of activities can resume."
Loki shook his head. "I'm not talking about doing anything like that darling. There are other ways I can show you how beautiful you are."
She averted her eyes from his and smiled. "Like what? Would you tell me?"
"I could kiss every inch of your beautiful body as we laid in front of the fire." Loki suggested, hearing the fire softly crackle.
"Wouldn't that lead to other things?" Laney teased as she caressed the skin just beneath the neck of his shirt.
Loki shook his head. "No, it doesn't have to lead to anything."
She smiled at him and leaned forward to peck his lips. "I don't know if you could talk me into it or not," she admitted quietly.
"You do remember how my lips feel, right?" Loki asked with a little grin.
"Vaguely," she teased. "I've only gotten kissed a few times in the past couple of months."
"Then let me remind you darling." Loki said, trying to encourage Laney.
Laney felt as Loki ran one hand slowly up her leg to rest on her thigh, making her shiver at the contact. I can never resist him. "Please," she whispered.
Loki smiled widely then leaned down to press a couple kisses along Laney's leg, through her clothes. He still wanted to take it slow and make sure she was comfortable. "I have missed this so much."
"I've missed everything about you... about us," Laney replied as she watched him.
Loki slowly slid the bottom of Laney's gown up to press his lips to the soft skin of her smooth leg. "Your skin is as soft and warm as I remember." He said softly.
Laney let her eyes fall closed as she took in the feeling of his hands and lips on her skin. "That feels nice."
"Can I go higher?" Loki asked, not wanting to do anything she wasn't comfortable with.
She opened her eyes to meet his and slowly ran one hand through his hair. "Yes," she answered quietly.
Loki pushed her gown up further and softly kissed her outer thighs, then slowly moved to her hip. He sighed softly, taking in her sweet scent and feeling her soft skin against his lips. "I love you so much."
A soft sight left Laney's lips as she continued to watch Loki's every move. She caressed the back of his neck and grinned softly. "I love you too."
"Will you stand up so I can take your gown off?" Loki asked, eager to taste more of her soft skin.
Laney bit her lip and only nodded in response before she silently stood. Please don't think of me any different.
Loki moved to sit on the edge of the sofa right in front of where Laney stood, so she was standing between his legs. He slipped his hands under her gown and trailed them up her legs until they came to rest on her hips. "Darling, nothing will ever make me stop loving you."
"I know," she answered in a small voice. "It's just a big change... especially for me."
"You created and carried our beautiful baby girl. Any lasting changes are just a reminder of that and make me love you even more." Loki said softly, meeting Laney's eyes.
Laney smiled down at him, at a loss for words. "I love you too. More than I can describe."
"Can I take the gown off you?" Loki asked, worried about upsetting Laney.
Laney took a deep breath but silently nodded, knowing he would need to see her body eventually.
Loki pulled Laney's gown up and over her head as he stood up. Once her gown was off, he knelt down in front of her and gently caressed her stomach. "Does it cause you pain?" He asked her.
"No," she replied quietly. "Not anymore. I was quite sore for a while."
"What caused it?" He asked, then gently kissed her stomach.
"The lines are from where my belly was so large. The light blue coloring is just a side effect. Desi says it could go away," she explained.
"I know about the lines, but the blue worried me. Are... are you part Jotun now?" Loki asked curiously, then kissed her stomach again.
Laney shook her head as she wound one hand into his hair. "No. I'm still me."
"I don't know why you would want to hide this; you are so beautiful. More beautiful than ever." Loki said, then pressed soft kisses to each of her stretch marks.
"It's just a change I wasn't prepared for," she murmured. "I'll get used to it." Laney let herself relax and focus on the feeling of Loki's lips on her skin, causing her to smile.
"You are the most beautiful woman in the realms. You always have been, and you always will be." Loki said softly, then continued to kiss her stretch marks.
Laney smirked softly and gently tugged on his hair. "What did I do to deserve such sweet words?"
"I simply speak the truth darling. Your body has done the most amazing thing and I am at a loss for words." Loki said, looking up to meet her eyes again.
She knelt down to his level and wrapped her
arms around his neck. "I love you, my sweet Loki. So very much. It means the world to me that you're here to pick me up when I feel down, just like I do for you."
Loki wrapped his arms around her middle and pulled her onto his lap. "Please don't feel down about yourself darling. These marks on your body are simply a reminder of how you created and nurtured a life within you."
Laney curled against Loki's chest and placed gentle kisses along his neck. "I will try," she murmured.
Loki wrapped his arms tighter around Laney. "Now that I'm up again, we can have mother move forward with our wedding."
"That sounds like an idea. I would love to get everything together, but I don't know how long it will take."
"I don't either, but the sooner the preparations begin, the sooner we can be wed." Loki said happily.
Laney smiled and gently kissed his neck once more before she pulled back and captured his mouth in a lingering kiss. "I would like that," she murmured.
Loki returned her kiss, relieved to have her back. "I have missed you darling."
"I have missed you as well. More than you know," she replied.
Loki found one of the more prominent stretch marks on Laney's stomach and gently traced it with his finger. "These marks make your body even more beautiful."
"It will take time for me to agree with that," Laney admitted quietly as she looked down and watched him.
Loki looked up and smiled at Laney. "Let's start with just getting you to believe me first?" He whispered to her.
She smiled at him, then pecked his lips. "That, I can do."
"Good, I'm glad. You mean everything to me darling and I have no words for how much I love you." Loki said, feeling relieved.
"I love you too, so very much," she murmured.
"Are you ready to go to the garden now?" Loki asked Laney.
Laney nodded. "The garden sounds nice. I need my gown back though."
"That is unfortunate." Loki said with a little grin. "Can I at least help you dress?"
"Yes you may," she answered sweetly.
Loki stood then bent down to pick up Laney's gown from the floor and help her stand. Being sure to caress her skin, he helped her pull the gown back on.
"You're sweet," Laney told him softly.
"I want to go back to spoiling you again. I miss that as well." Loki said truthfully.
She chuckled as she wrapped her arms around him. "You can spoil me any time you want."
"I want to spoil you every moment of every day." Loki chuckled.
Laney shook her head and laughed. "Maybe not that much."
"Why not? I think it isn't nearly enough." Loki said with a cute smile.
She smirked at him and leaned up to peck his lips. "My goofy Loki."
Loki grinned and pulled her into a deeper kiss. "My beautiful Laney."
Laney grinned into the kiss and gripped onto the fabric of his shirt. God, I've missed his lips... everything about him.
"We need to find out when you'll be fully healed, so we can have a proper honeymoon." Loki said softly, grinning.
"I can write to Desi today if you'd like me to." Laney caressed the back of his neck slowly with her thumb.
"We can wait until we see her next darling. The wedding won't be that quick." Loki pointed out. "We will likely see her at supper."
Laney blushed. "I didn't know how... eager you would be. That's why I mentioned it."
"What do you mean darling?" Loki asked, confused.
"I figured you would be wanting to be intimate sooner than our wedding, that's all."
"If you are healed enough, I would like to be. My only point was that I want our honeymoon to be as special as possible. Your well-being always comes first." Loki said truthfully.
"We will talk to Desi when we can have a moment with her," Laney agreed. "We'll just have to not wake Star if we're able to be active."
"It's hard to plan that as it's usually spontaneous, but we can have someone watch her when we know we will want time together." Loki pointed out.
Laney nodded. "We can."
"I also don't want to be away from her much when she's this young either. I trust mother, Desi, and Thor, but I still want to keep her close." Loki sighed.
"Darling, we will. I don't like being gone from her long either," she assured.
"She's just so young and little right now." Loki said, but he smiled at the thought of his daughter.
"Yes, she is. She is all about us and food right now, but I can't wait to see her personality come out."
"I know, I'm so excited to see her grow. I also want her to stay tiny forever. Most of all though, I just don't want to miss anything." Loki said truthfully.
"You won't miss anything Loki. You'll be right with her for every milestone."
"I already missed her birth." Loki said sadly.
Laney frowned and cupped Loki's face in her hands. "That was because of something that could not be avoided. Don't blame yourself for that."
"I don't know how to stop blaming myself. I feel like I should have found a way to do more." Loki said truthfully.
"Loki, you were injured and had no clue that I had even gone into labor. I didn't want to do it without you, but Star couldn't wait. I had Desi with me, which I am very grateful for. She delivered our baby flawlessly and proceeded to take care of me. She's an amazing woman to have in our lives." Laney caressed the sides of his face, then pecked his lips, then the tip of his nose. "Don't blame yourself for something that couldn't be helped," she added in a whisper.
Loki leaned into Laney's touch, finding comfort in it. "I'm glad she was with you. I knew I could trust her to take care of you in my absence." He said softly. "I'm also glad we are back together again. I missed you so much and was so worried."
"I missed you too Loki. I cried at missing you so much," she admitted quietly. "I'm glad I'm back in your arms again, and I cannot wait to be your wife."
"I'm hoping we can be wed soon. I want to be yours in every way possible." Loki said softly. "I have so little memory of what happened, but I somehow knew you weren't there."
Laney leaned up and gave him a lingering kiss. "You can have me any way you want me when we're able," she teased.
"You are such a tease." Loki playfully accused.
"I recall you being a tease in return," she said daringly.
"Oh yes, I rather enjoy teasing you and watching you squirm." Loki chuckled.
Laney laughed. "Just as I like teasing you."
"As soon as you have been cleared, we can resume our teasing." Loki said happily.
"Yes, we can." She leaned up to steal a kiss when the sound of Star fussing reached her ears. "Someone needs changed or is hungry."
"You rest darling, I will go check on her." Loki told Laney, wanting to help and spend time with his daughter.
"Okay. Let me know if she seems hungry," Laney replied.
"I will darling." Loki gave Laney a quick kiss then got up and walked into the bedroom, then to the nursery. He smiled as soon as he saw Star, and he picked her up. "Hello sweet girl." He cooed at her.
Star stared up at Loki with wide blue eyes before she grinned up at him, recognizing his voice. Tears sat in the corners of her eyes while she continued to squirm in his arms.
"Are you hungry sweet girl?" Loki asked softly after checking Star's diaper and finding it dry. "Let's get you to mommy!" He cooed at her and carried her out to Laney.
Laney sat on the couch in the sitting room, enjoying the warmth of the fire, when she heard Loki coming back into the room. "Is something wrong?" she asked as she turned to look at them.
"No darling. We just have a hungry little girl." Loki said softly, still smiling at Star. "Her diaper is dry." He added as he carried her over to Laney and sat beside her.
"I'll take her then," Laney replied, then gently took Star from Loki's embrace before she unclipped one side of her dress and began to let Star nurse.
"I think she has my eagerness for mealtime." Loki chuckled, seeing how fast Star latched on to nurse.
"She loves to eat, that's for sure," Laney agreed as she looked down and watched Star.
"I wonder if she will also have my love of sweets." Loki said, wanting them to have things in common.
Laney grinned. "That's a possibility. You never know."
"I know she likes the fruit, but that's only one food." Loki pointed out, content to watch Laney with Star.
"I'm sure she'll like a lot of things when she gets bigger."
Loki nodded. "I know she will. I'm just excited to learn everything she likes."
"I am too darling; I can't wait to see what things she'll learn."
"She is going to be so much fun. I hope we can teach her magic." Loki said excitedly.
Laney looked down as Star let go and rubbed her eyes as Laney gently sat her up to sit on her butt so she could reclasp her dress. "I hope we can too."
"Do you want me to put her back to bed?" Loki offered. "Or I can just hold her if she wants to stay here with us."
"Did you want to go to the garden still?" Laney asked. "She will probably fall asleep, but she's awake for now."
Loki nodded. "If you want to. Fresh air sounds nice right now."
"I wouldn't mind a walk," Laney agreed.
"Do you want me to carry Star?" Loki offered.
Laney stood and cradled Star in her arms. "You can if you'd like to."
Loki stood as well. "Of course I want to. I can never spend too much time with either of you."
She handed Star over to Loki, then looked around the room. "Should we bring a blanket in case she gets cold?"
"We can if you want. I can also use magic to keep her warm if she needs." Loki said, gently cradling Star in his arms.
"I'll grab one of her baby blankets when I pull on my boots," Laney replied, then walked into the bedroom.
Loki cooed at Star while waiting for Laney. "You are the sweetest little girl."
Star grinned up at him and waved her tiny arms around. It wasn't long until Laney returned with a blanket over her shoulder and her boots on. "Ready?"
"Yes." Loki chuckled, amused by Star. "She is far too cute."
"She's a bit of a ham," Laney giggled as she walked to the main door and opened it.
"She is and I love it." Loki chuckled proudly. He walked over to Laney with Star, then walked out of the room with them.
Laney and Loki walked through the garden for quite some time talking and tending to Star. "I think it's getting close to the evening meal."
Loki glanced around and noticed it was growing darker. "It is always hard to tell when it starts turning dark earlier. Are you ready to head inside?" He asked Laney.
"I'm not sure. But I bet Thor would like to see his niece," she replied.
"What if Odin is also there? He's not going to be happy to have two of my kind at the table." Loki said sadly.
"Loki Laufeyson, don't you dare," Laney scolded. "Odin loves Star. You just haven't seen that yet."
Loki flinched at the scolding, then looked at Laney with sad, worried eyes. "I'm scared to face him. I know you and mother say he accepts Star, but I'm still scared he will banish us."
"He will not banish us sweetheart, I can tell you that for certain. I know it's hard but try to see him for how he acts."
Loki gave a little nod. "I will try, but if he starts in on either of us, I'm going back to our chambers with Star. I'm not going to stay there and keep my mouth shut." He warned her.
"I understand Loki, but you shouldn't have to," she told him, then reached out to squeeze his arm gently just as the sound of the afternoon bell sounded throughout the palace.
"I know I shouldn't have to." Loki sighed. "We best go before we are late."
Laney nodded and followed Loki out of the gardens and into the palace.