It's been 15 years and I got to a point where I have no one to rewatch Marvel movies with
I know a few strangers out there that I'm absolutely certain are excited for Brand New Day and Doomsday, and I know they'll go to the movies and post about it and buy new graphic tees and I will too, but on my own
Summary: Your daughter is officially welcomed into the family and given a name through an old tradition.
Characters: Dad & husband Loki x mom & wife reader, brother-in-law Thor (plus newborn daughter)
Trigger warnings/General tags: No use of Y/N, brief description of breastfeeding, author exploring a Norse tradition, pure, unadulterated fluff as always
Word count: ~1.7K
Author’s notes: Another special thanks to tinyshyteacup for helping me choose a name for baby girl!
This series has taken so much more shape than I initially imagined, largely thanks to the support of my lovely mutuals and readers. I’ll probably update every piece after this with her name. 🌻
Part of my Cottage AU. See my masterlist here.
Taglist: @tinyshyteacup, @eclipseahmed3 (please leave a comment if you'd like to be tagged in future posts!)
Divider by @olenvasynyt
Your eyelids fluttered open at the sound of soft cries from the bassinet.
“Only a few days old, and already so opinionated,” Loki chuckled beside you. He quietly slipped from the bed and strolled to the bassinet, scooping your daughter up with ease.
“You’re awfully chipper this morning,” You teased gently, staring in admiration as he soothed her so effortlessly.
“Of course I am.” He flashed a dazzling grin back at you. “This is a momentous day.”
Once your daughter was sufficiently comforted, Loki placed her into your arms. You undid the buttons of your nightgown, your breast spilling free. You guided her to your nipple and allowed her to nurse. You gritted your teeth through the initial pinch and tug, but slowly fell into a hypnotic rhythm.
Loki pressed a kiss to your cheek and your daughter’s head. He retreated momentarily and returned with a glass of water, which you gratefully sipped on.
Eventually, she unlatched, her lips parted sleepily at your breast. You adjusted your nightgown and lifted her to your shoulder, patting her back heartily until a burp escaped her. You couldn’t help but giggle.
“Alright, little girl,” You huffed. “Let’s get you ready.”
You clothed your daughter and pulled a simple cotton dress from the closet for yourself. Loki draped the robe he had gifted you over your shoulders, the fabric shimmering in the morning sun.
You made your way down the narrow, creaky stairway together. You held your daughter to your chest with one arm and gripped the railing with the other hand. Loki walked backwards, his arms outstretched, ready to catch you in case of a fall.
When you reached the bottom of the stairwell, you looked around, suddenly aware of how messy your home had become since your daughter’s arrival.
Blankets and pillows were strewn about the couch haphazardly. Your shoes, you realized, had been cluttering the entryway for days. Dishes were piled high in the kitchen sink. Mail was scattered across the dining table. You couldn’t recall the last time you had vacuumed the floors.
“We’ve got about an hour until your brother gets here,” You said dryly, assessing the damage. “Divide and conquer?”
Loki only shook his head. “Sit, darling. Keep our little heart occupied. I’ll handle the rest.”
With a wave of his hand and a flash of light, the pillows and blankets were artfully arranged on the couch once more. You stood on your toes to press a kiss to his cheek, which he inclined to accept. “Thank you.”
You curled up in the corner of the couch, narrating Loki’s actions to your daughter.
Loki made quick work of tidying the house, mostly thanks to his magic, though he needed to sort through the mail manually. It amused you to no end to watch him flit about, everything returning to order in his elegant wake.
In record timing, your home was presentable again. Loki opened a few windows to let the crisp, fresh air circulate. Eventually, the smell of herbs, vegetables, and flowers wafted in from your garden.
Just as he set three plates at the table, a soft, tentative knock broke the silence.
“I think your uncle is here,” You whispered in a sing-song tone to your daughter. She blinked slowly and yawned in response, which earned a laugh from you. “You could at least pretend to be excited.”
Loki crossed to the front door and swung it open. He and Thor exchanged meaningful smiles before Thor pulled him into a proud, brotherly embrace.
Perhaps it was because of the postpartum emotional fluctuations, but your heart swelled watching them. When they pulled apart, Loki stepped aside to welcome his brother in.
“The people of Asgard send their warmest regards,” Thor announced as he held up two large baskets, both filled to the brim with all sorts of bread, cheese, berries, and jams. “And breakfast.”
Loki took the baskets and began unloading them at the dining table, creating an exquisite, colorful spread. Thor knelt beside you, taking in his niece’s face for the first time. His chiseled features were softened with tenderness and affection.
“She’s finally here,” He said, his voice low and awestruck.
“Largely thanks to you. She was born just a few hours after the storm.” You replied.
He laughed triumphantly. “What did I tell you?”
“I always had faith in you,” You said wryly, though you were being sincere.
“May I hold her?” He asked eagerly.
Loki reappeared from the dining room, wiping his hands on a dishtowel. “No. You’ll drop her.”
Their usual ribbing dynamic had returned, you observed.
“I would never do such a thing!” Thor shot back, offended.
“Not intentionally,” Loki deadpanned.
Thor turned to you expectantly, his face serious and wounded. “Sister, tell him he’s being unreasonable.”
“Uhm…” You were trying to remain diplomatic, but your motherly instincts were flaring. “Have you ever held a baby before, Thor?”
“Of course I have,” He chuckled nervously. His averted eyes said otherwise.
“Why don’t you sit beside me and I’ll show you how?” You asked, gesturing to the space next to you.
He grinned victoriously and took his spot, the cushion sinking beneath him.
“Position your arms like mine.” You held your daughter up to demonstrate. His brow furrowed in earnest concentration as he mimicked your stance. Once you were satisfied with his positioning, you carefully slipped her into his hold.
“Support her head… yes, just like that… there.”
Her tiny frame was swallowed in his large, muscular arms. He smiled down at her, the corners of his eyes crinkling with spellbound affection. “Hello, my niece.”
Your daughter stared up at her uncle with a curious, knowing expression, her little fist curled against his chest.
“She might recognize your voice.” You remarked quietly. Thor beamed at you, both humbled and honored.
After a while, she began to whimper and squirm uncomfortably. A flash of panic shot across Thor’s face, his arms going rigid. You laughed and took your daughter back, relieving him of his avuncular duties for the time being.
She quickly settled as you gently bounced her. You looked up at your husband and tilted your head toward the dining room. “Shall we?”
In generations past, this ceremony was performed on golden thrones, in front of massive, cheering audiences.
In New Asgard, it was performed in quaint, modest homes, among family and friends.
Loki took his seat at the head of the dining table. He ran his palms up and down his thighs nervously. Thor placed a supportive hand at your elbow and helped you stand.
Loki reached for your daughter as you approached. You both shared her weight for a brief moment, before his arms secured around her like a bouquet wrapped in cellophane.
Thor stood respectfully as you took the seat beside your husband, the base of the legs scraping quietly against the wood floor as you scooted closer.
“Whenever you’re ready,” You whispered, barely able to speak past the lump that had formed in your throat.
Loki lowered her gingerly, until she hovered over his knee, one hand cupping the back of her head, the other supporting her back. The significance of this ceremony settled over the room like gravity.
“This is merely a formality,” He began, his eyes growing misty. “You have always been ours. Your mother and I have always been yours. I love you, my daughter. My Elína.”
It was then that the floodgates opened. A weepy smile spread across your face uncontrollably, tears cascading over your cheeks like rain down a window. Loki let out a trembling laugh, then repositioned Elína in the crook of his elbow. He used his free hand to reach over and wipe your tears away.
“It’s a beautiful name,” Thor said as he placed a supportive hand on your shoulder. “What does it mean?”
“Shining light,” Loki explained. “She is a torch-bearer. My hope is that, as mother taught me her magic, I will teach her mine.”
Thor became visibly undone at the mention of Frigga. His eyes became glassy and his lip seemed to quiver before he steeled himself.
“She would be so proud of you, brother,” He murmured, his voice thick with emotion.
You gave Thor’s hand a squeeze, then gestured to the table, now bursting with color thanks to Loki’s handiwork. “Let’s eat.”
Over the course of the meal, Elína was passed between the three of you as you shared old stories and hopes for the future. Each of you cooed shamelessly at her in between bites of bread and sips of coffee.
Occasionally, you snuck glances at your husband, captivated by the way the pale sunlight washed his skin in a hazy glow.
As the meal wound down, Elína began to whimper and squirm again.
“I should feed her,” You said, taking one last bite of jam-spread bread.
“I’ll leave you to it, then,” Thor stood from his chair to make his exit.
“Thank you for being here,” You handed Elína to Loki so you could give your brother-in-law a proper hug.
“Thank you for having me,” He said, wrapping his arms around you. “It was a great honor to bear witness as you welcomed her into the family.”
“I’ll walk you out,” Loki said, handing a now very fussy Elína back to you. You gave Thor a final smile and wave before retreating upstairs with your daughter.
For a little while, the brothers walked along the winding path that led to your cottage in silence, the dewy autumn air coating their skin like a layer of ice.
“You’re a father now, Loki,” Thor said as he approached the end of the path, leaves crunching beneath his feet. “How does it feel?”
Loki turned his head back toward the cottage and looked up at the bedroom window, the gauzy curtains billowing in the breeze. He smiled fondly as he imagined you sitting in your rocking chair, nursing Elína.
“I have lived in the shadows a long time,” He said wistfully, his breath appearing like fog. “Now, it feels like I have finally stepped into the sun.”
End.
Elína. Old Norse name meaning “light” or “torch.” Symbolizes light, warmth, and hope.
it's genuinely so fucked being an MCU Loki fan because SO MANY Loki fans are. not fucking normal. like they're fucking insane. and it's also like. they like him bc "oh he's hot and a villain" i like him because he's really not a villain. marvel kinda framed it that way, but the thing is, if Odin hadn't treated him the way my parents treated me, with his older brother being the favorite, and him always being leftover, he wouldn't have turned out the way he did. that is not to say i excuse his behavior. i'm just saying it was like, entirely avoidable and i see a scary amount of his backstory that matches up with mine.
his skills (magic) were seen as less lucrative than his older brother's (physical strength). my skills (acting) were not allowed to be expanded because my parents didn't think that would go anywhere. i live in the state where most voice acting is based, by the way. my brother, on the other hand, was good at stuff my parents saw as something he could turn into a real career.
also, Thor never realized he was the favorite. he never saw the way odin AND frigga treated loki because they weren't treating HIM that way. him being the favorite did not affect him in the same way it affected loki. that is the same shit with my older brother. any time i tried to like, talk to him about the way my parents treated me, it was "i dont wanna talk about this right now" which really meant "i dont fucking like you because you claim our parents are abusive but they're not abusive to me so i dont believe you"
meanwhile so many Loki "fans" dont like, see his character. they see him as... basically an object. and they have this like, version of him that they've made up and then they're also like... REALLY weird people /neg. also SO MANY of them ship him with thor? his brother??? like ew??? genuinely block me rn if you ship siblings. even if they're not biologically related. dont care. they're brothers.
edit: theres so much more but i just. dont wanna type it all.
TL;DR I'm a fan of MCU Loki, but i'm scared to tell people that because i will be seen as one of THOSE Loki fans, when i'm not.
How long does it take to realize that Loki is cannonicly queer...he legitimately turned into a mare and gave birth to a 8 LEGGED FOAL (Sleipnir) while distracting Svaðilfari (the STALLION who impregnated him-) who was owned by a giant disguised as a human stoneman making the stone wall so Loki tricked him so that the gods didn't have to pay him by the deadline when it came. Which involved the giant havinf the goddess Freyja.
Loki also (allegedly) transformed into a milkmaid for eight winters milking cows and giving birth to children. This is from Lokasenna / Loki's Quarrel...inwhich it was a teasing insult by ODIN that Loki was unmanly AND LOKI DIDN'T DENY IT AND THREW BACK AS AN ACCUSATION THAT ODIN DID SOCARY/MAGIC THAT AND HE WAS A SEER ON THE ISLAND OF SAMSØ– It was durring a feast in Poetic Edda.
He is genderfluid. It is cannon in Norse Mythology and has even expanded into the MARVEL COMICS— and acknowledged in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Hey guys!!!! Wanted to show you all my Loki merch I made over the years!!! I made keychains of Lady Loki, President Loki, and TVA Loki!!! All are available on my shop!!! Thanks for viewing guys :))💕💕💖
