Fix You (Loki Romance)

Chapter 2

The cold surrounding my bump seemed to have changed by the time I woke up. It was coming from within rather than from Loki. I wondered if perhaps the baby had its own powers to speak of but doubted it. It seemed too early for that.

The procedure would happen in three day increments. After two days of enforced rest and solitude - mostly so no one would stress me out, we continued with the next procedure followed by two more days of rest. It was finally time for my sixth treatment now, the final one. Loki had persuaded his guard to let him come early and see me. I curled up on my side, thanking Frigga for telling me that it helped with back pain. I still wasn't sure if the pain was from the procedures or the baby yet, since it was still early. But Frigga had shared all sorts of tricks with me.

"Darling, there are all sorts of remedies I tried for my son. He was absolutely monstrous."

I had laughed when she said that. "I can believe it. Lemme guess, Thor was ten, eleven pounds?"

"Oh I don't know." She shook her head. "He isn't mine."

It had struck me with a sort of pain in my heart, finding that Thor knew all along Frigga was not his birth mother. "Baldr is the middle child."

"Baldr..." I had tried the name on my tongue. "The end of the world guy?"

Frigga had laughed. "Baldr's birth was a very curious one, leading to a connection to a possible disaster for Asgard, yes. It is difficult to explain. His life is acutely connected to Yggdrasil. We have to keep him hidden. I rarely see him for it. But he is well."

I wondered how Loki dealt with that. Baldr knew his secrets, Thor knew his, only Loki had been kept in the dark. It just wasn't right. What had Odin expected to happen when it all came out?

"Something troubles you." Loki's gravelly voice pulled me from the slow spiral of my thoughts. He had his chest to my back and his face pressed against the curve of my shoulder. I was allowing it mostly to slowly work myself out of that niggle of fear that quivered in my heart every time he touched me.

I shook my head. "Lost in thought. Um... Question." He hummed. "Can the baby... Will the baby have powers like you? Can you be born with them?"

He nodded, lifting his head. "Some are born with a natural proclivity. I was, Frigga was, even Odin. Why do you ask?"

"The baby's cold." I muttered sheepishly. It seemed a silly thing to be concerned about in a world of magic and gods and aliens. But I wondered if it signified anything important.

He chuckled. "She's a Jotun, love. Of course she is."

"And there's still no word if it's a girl."

"If I hope hard enough, it will be." He laughed.

I didn't want to explain how I felt that this cold was more than that. It came only when I was stressed. When nightmares jerked me out of sleep, my belly grew cold until it felt like a block of ice was inside instead of a person. When I had a fight with Odin or when someone, anyone in the palace treated me with open disgust and hatred, I felt so cold I had to wear coats and shawls even though it was warm for late autumn. But maybe that was normal. What did I know?

The door opened and Eir stepped in with a smile and a spring in her step. "Last time!" She sang. "Are you excited?"

I smiled sheepishly. "Nervous." She nodded.

The treatments had been working. Some of my scars had disappeared and my skin was clearer than ever - though Eir said that was partially just because I was pregnant in the first place. I was more resilient to pain and even my strength - which had always been pathetic - was noticeably better. This last treatment would cement the changes.