Proposition

Where Do We Go From Here?

Things had settled significantly over the week and gradually everything seemed to ease back into the usual routine, the main difference now was that Loki was openly more affectionate towards me and we both knew that an impending conversation was needed to be had, we just needed to start the process of beginning to discuss how to progress forward.

"Enough rumours have been circulating as it is," he had said one night as we cuddle in front of the fireplace in his library, his hand rubbing circles over my stomach as our boy moved as if he were tracking his father's fingers.

"Such as?" I asked, keeping my eyes closed as I rested my head on his chest.

"Where do I begin?" He huffed out a laugh.

"The most absurd one?"

"That it's all fake and I set this entire thing up, including staging a wedding to a fake bride, in order to create a bit of drama around this boring place."

I laughed, shaking my head.

"Some people."

"I know," he agreed, "there's another saying that I was involved in Avena's plan of taking over, a fair few don't believe the baby is mine or it is but not yours."

I frowned in confusion and tilted my head to look up at him.

"Would you care to elaborate?"

He smiled and kissed my forehead before continuing.

"People think that Avena was the one who got pregnant and that she didn't want to carry the baby, so she called in you as a friend and confidant to carry it for her by some weird magical transferal."

"And you said the other one was the more absurd."

"It is to me."

"More absurd than magically transferring a baby?"

I felt Loki shrug behind me.

"I have witnessed many weird things in my life."

"I'm sure."

"Your tone sounds believable," he chuckled, "but the main story going around is fairly on point, though most think that it was merely a threesome gone wrong with a friend and that you both got pregnant so we tried to hide the truth with our cover story."

"That is pretty close, I have to give them that, too bad the situation is always more complicated."

"Very much so, but it's entertaining to hear."

The crackling of the fire fills an otherwise silent room as we quieted and continued to sit in comfort, me sitting between Loki's legs as he kept me wrapped up securely in his arms, both of the books we had picked out at the beginning of our planned quiet evening being left on the table forgotten.

It was a strange situation.

Settling into this near calm and openness about ourselves compared to how it was merely days ago, when we had to sneak around and keep everything a secret, it was a relief and a large weight felt like it had been lifted off of my shoulders.

There was undeniably a certain thrill to being so hush hush about it all, it was a sordid affair that was nothing but a cheap adrenaline boost, but the further along I got the more tiring it became and I hadn't realised just how tiring it was until I experienced a life of no longer having to hide.

It was nice, strange but nice.

"What happened with Avena?" I finally asked.

Although only a week had passed, Odin had spared no time in getting her trialled and sentenced.

The hearing had been a small affair with only the key players being present and everyone else had been kept in the dark, though it was suspected that eventually word would get out.

Loki let out a long sigh and his hand stilled on the top of my bump.

"She is to serve a sentence of five years in Asgard's cells and then she shall be stripped of her magic and exiled to the most isolated outskirts of Helheim."

"Oh," I said, barely above a whisper, "that seems a little harsh."

"Harsh is Odin's way, being honest she got off lightly, though she won't should she try anything after her exile."

"I suppose it's fair in its way," I sighed.

In the flickering light of the fire I looked down at where his hand lay, fingers curving over the swelling as if he were holding a world in his hand.

"We need to think of a name," I said, wanting to change the subject even though I had been the one to bring it up.

"That we do," Loki agreed, "have you thought of anything?"

"No, I've been a little caught up in the whirlwind of everything," I smiled faintly and ran my fingers over his long ones, "besides, I didn't think it would be my place to pick one, he wasn't going to be my son."

"Nonsense," he scoffed, moving his hand so he was holding mine with laced fingers, "no matter how this would have played out, you would always be his mother on some way."

I couldn't even begin to explain the flutter in my heart and stomach, but it made me smile widely as everything buzzed.

"That means a lot to me."

"Good," he kissed the side of my head before resting his own against it, "we should make an announcement."

I laughed and looked at him from the corner of my eye.

"For what?"

"The truth, we should gather everyone we can and explain the truth."

"You think that's a good idea?"

"I feel it would be best to clear the air of rumours before he arrives."

"That is true, I like your thinking."

"I should hope you do, perhaps by then we will have come up with a name for him and we can announce that along with anything else that may come to mind."

"I certainly hope so," I smiled, "maybe something like Vanimir."

"Vanimir," Loki murmured, his chin resting on my shoulder as he gently rocked us from side to side, "Vanimir Lokison, I like that."