Summary: Loki worries that he won't be able to be the father his newborn daughter deserves. All he needs is a little reassurance.
Characters: Dad & husband Loki x mom & wife reader (plus infant daughter)
Trigger warnings/General tags: No use of Y/N, established relationship, some angst and a TON of comfort, pure, unadulterated fluff. I'm very new to this, please let me know if I missed anything!
Word count: 883
Author's notes: Part of my Cottage AU. See my masterlist here.
Taglist: @tinyshyteacup (please send me a message or leave a comment if you'd like to be tagged in future posts!)
Divider by @dividers-are-us
The cottage had settled into the evening. Crickets chirped softly outside. Cool, dusky moonlight filled the sacred space of your bedroom like mist.
Loki lay on your plush bed, cradling your infant daughter against his chest tenderly, the headboard creaking as he adjusted his position. She blinked up at her father slowly, her gaze locked on him. He stared back, counting the dark green flecks in her eyes, delicately brushing his index finger along the slope of her nose.
Only a few weeks old, she was still so small. Smaller still, when wrapped in his long arms. Yet somehow, her gentle weight pressed against his heart like a stone.
In his periphery, Loki heard a high-pitched squeak from the bathroom, the hushed patter of water against the porcelain tub coming to an abrupt stop.
A few moments later, you emerged in a cotton nightgown, humidity pouring out in your wake. You crawled lazily into bed bedside him, the mattress dipping under your weight.
“What are you still doing up, my dear?” You leaned in to kiss your daughter’s forehead, breathing in the sweet, musky scent that still clung to her skin. “Is papa keeping you awake with his stories?”
He laughed quietly, though it seemed like it required great effort. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t ready to put her to bed yet. I wanted to spend just a little more time with her.”
He fell silent then, his arms tightening slightly around her tiny frame. His mouth was downturned, his brow creased.
You knew that look. He didn’t speak, but it was loud in his mind.
“What’s going on in that head of yours?” You whispered, brushing a dark curl away from his face.
Loki slowly turned to face you, his sharp features softened by vulnerability and the warm glow of your bedside lamps. “I fear I’m not… enough for her.”
You tilted your head, your chest clenching with worry. “What brought this on?”
“My father and I were always at odds with each other,” He said ruefully. “Truthfully, I worry that history will repeat itself. That I won’t be able to bond with her as she grows, to love her as she deserves. I’m scared that I’ll…” He grimaced, unable to push the words past the lump that formed in his throat.
“Become your father?” You supplied gently. He nodded then hung his head, ashamed.
“Oh, Loki,” You ran a soothing hand up and down his back. “Your father’s inability to provide the love you deserved is not a reflection on you.”
His head snapped up, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. He stared at you, desperate to believe you, silently begging your words to be true.
“She danced inside me whenever you touched me. She looks for you when she hears your voice. She always settles when you hold her. She already loves you very, very much.” You pressed a kiss to his temple, sealing the words against him like a promise. “Because you have always loved her as she deserves.”
The dam finally broke, silver tears spilling over his cheekbones. He let out a shuddered breath as you brushed them away with the pad of your thumb.
“It’s hard enough for me to set her down for the night,” He whispered. “It makes me think of…” He trailed off, unable to speak again. He stared into the middle distance, searching for dark memories his mind couldn’t recall.
He didn’t need to say it. Laufey. He was thinking of Laufey.
“I can’t even begin to imagine abandoning her. Leaving her to perish alone. The mere thought of it makes me sick.”
“I hope that makes you realize that you never deserved that, either. You have always been worthy of the same kind of love you give our child, Loki.”
He inhaled sharply and nodded again, your words crashing against him like a wave. Your daughter cooed sleepily and nestled closer to him, as if she could burrow into his chest. Out like a light.
He gazed down at her with a watery smile, his heart cracking wide open.
“Are you trying to tell me it’s time for bed, little heart?” Loki chuckled, then wiped a stray tear away with his free hand.
He rose fluidly and carried her to the bassinet beside you. He moved soundlessly, the normally creaky floorboards hushed beneath him. He paused at the threshold and lifted her slowly to press one last kiss to her forehead.
“I’ll see you in the morning.” He whispered, his voice soft like a woven spell.
Then, he laid her down with all the reverence of laying flowers on an altar.
You held your arms out to him as he climbed back into bed. “She has you absolutely wrapped around her finger. How could you ever doubt your love for her?”
He returned your embrace and brushed his lips against your shoulder, causing you to shiver.
“I suppose I need the reassurance sometimes.”
As you drifted off to sleep, Loki laid awake, his elbow propped up against his pillow, his head resting in his hand. From his vantage point, he could see the smooth, rhythmic rise and fall of your daughter’s chest.
For a long while, he stayed like that, still and peaceful.
Summary: A red fox named Miss Juniper visits your garden with babies in tow. It gets Loki to thinking...
Characters: Dad & husband Loki x mom & wife reader (plus a young daughter)
Trigger warnings/General tags: No use of Y/N, established relationship, pure, unadulterated fluff, domestic bliss, a few very minor innuendos at the end
Word count: 1,097
Author's notes: Part of my Cottage AU. See my masterlist here.
Special thanks to @novatheory for the nickname inspiration! I played around with a few you suggested and came up with some of my own. I hope you enjoy! See her post here.
Divider by @olenvasynyt
The late afternoon sun melted through the window, filling your home with a warm, honey-colored glow. You stood in your kitchen, chopping vegetables from your garden to use in the soup you had planned for dinner.
In the living room, Loki sat with your daughter on his knee, reading to her to keep her occupied as you worked. Her brow was furrowed in concentration, hanging on every word her father said. She had insisted on holding the book herself, her small, chubby hands tightly gripping the edges. Loki was happy to oblige, always encouraging her to voice her desires and practice independence.
Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed a slender figure slink into your garden, crouched low to the ground.
A red fox.
It jerked its head from side to side as it scented the air. Its fluffy tail swept the ground, restlessly combing over the grass. Once its threat assessment was complete, its posture relaxed and it curled up in the shade of a large flower pot.
Without a word, you tiptoed gingerly over to the couch, scared that even the smallest noise would spook the fox.
“And then, the—” Loki paused and they both lifted their gaze to you. “What is it, darling?”
“Sorry to interrupt,” You grinned at them conspiratorially. “But I think Miss Juniper is back.”
Over the past year, a red fox had frequented your garden, stopping by to smell the flowers and occasionally steal a bite of whatever fruits or vegetables it could sink its teeth into. Your daughter always squealed with delight as she watched the fox chew with frantic, choppy motions.
Its visits had quickly become the highlight of your day.
Your daughter had insisted on two things. The first was that the fox was a girl (or, more specifically, a lady). The second was that she needed a name. She recommended the name Miss Juniper when she caught her munching on your juniper berries in the middle of winter last year.
“Juniper! What a fine name.” Loki patted her head approvingly.
“Miss Juniper, papa,” Your daughter corrected him in a dignified tone. “She’s a lady, remember?”
“Oh, pardon me. Miss Juniper, it is.”
Your daughter gasped, her green eyes beaming. Loki smoothed her dark curls gently with his fingertips. “Shall we go say hello to our friend?” She nodded eagerly in response, closed the book with a snap, and cast it aside.
Loki rose and positioned your daughter on his hip, his arm wrapped securely around her waist. The three of you moved to the kitchen window, your daughter’s arms looped around her father’s neck.
“There she is.” You whispered in a sing-song tone. Your daughter smiled dreamily, her gaze locked on Miss Juniper’s lounging figure.
Just then, Loki turned his head, sensing another presence. A second later, two fox cubs stumbled into view. “It seems Miss Juniper brought company.” He chuckled fondly.
“Oh,” You sighed, placing your hand over your heart. “Look at those sweet little—”
“BABIES!” Your daughter cried, gleefully pointing as the cubs tumbled over each other.
You both quickly shushed her, your index fingers pressed to your lips. “We must be quiet, little heart. We don’t want to scare them away.” Loki instructed her gently.
Her hands flew to cover her mouth. “Sorry.” She said, her voice muffled.
“That’s alright,” Loki gently pulled her hands away and kissed her dimpled knuckles. “Now, let’s observe.”
For several minutes, Miss Juniper kept a close watch over her cubs, her ears twitching at the slight breeze.
Loki lazily pulled you close until you were pressed against his side. He took the opportunity to plant a kiss at the crown of your head. You sighed contentedly and leaned into his touch. Your daughter giggled quietly as the cubs ran in clumsy circles and pounced on each other, yipping and barking.
“Do you remember the scientific name for red foxes, sweet girl?” You asked, looking up at your daughter.
“Vulpes vulpes!” She announced, her pronunciation perfect (Loki made sure of it, always expecting excellence from his children).
Loki smiled proudly. “Well done, my clever fox.”
Eventually, Miss Juniper stood and shook her body, her fur rippling all the way to the tip of her tail. She trilled softly and trotted back into the forest, the cubs trailing close behind her.
“Bye, bye, Miss Juniper.” Your daughter waved as the foxes disappeared from view. “Well now,” Loki said as he adjusted her on his hip. “Why don’t we return to your book? Perhaps we can discuss names for our new friends.”
“Okay, papa!” Your daughter chirped.
The house was hushed, the moon spilling silver across the wooden floorboards. You loved this time of night. The hum of magic always seemed strongest in the evening hours.
You and Loki sat at your daughter’s bedside, tucking her in.
“Papa, mama,” She whispered, pulling the covers up to her chin.
“Yes?” You both replied patiently.
“I thought of names for the babies.” Her eyelids grew heavier with every word.
“Tell us.” Loki brushed the hair from her face, coaxing her to close her eyes.
“Clover and Daffodil. Like the flowers in mama’s garden.”
Your heart burst with pride at her creativity and love for the garden you had cultivated together.
“Those are excellent names, little heart.” Loki cooed. “But, it begs the question. Are we to call them Miss Clover and Miss Daffodil?”
“No, Mister Daffodil. He’s a boy.”
“Understood. Miss Clover and Mister Daffodil, it is.”
With an elegant flick of his wrist, Loki cast an illusion against the ceiling. Three foxes bounded through a meadow with fluid, dreamlike grace. The soft, ethereal light reflected in her eyes before she finally drifted off to sleep.
He pressed a tender kiss to her forehead. “Good night, my clever fox.”
The door clicked softly behind you.
“You know, our clever fox has quite a knack for choosing names,” Loki turned to you with a tired, lazy smile that still somehow made your pulse rush. “Perhaps we should give her a brother or sister to name. Add more little cubs to our burrow.”
You couldn’t help the blush that spread across your face. You reached up and placed your hands on his chest, his heart beating just beneath your palm. “Maybe by next spring, we’ll have two more. We could give Miss Juniper a run for her money.”
His hands found your waist, his voice dropping to an intimate murmur as he pulled you into an embrace. “Our girl may be my clever fox. But you, dear heart, are my vixen.”
