Clever Fox
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.”
End.
