Son of Mischief (Loki/Asgard Fanfiction - Selig's Story)

Chapter Forty-Six

McKenna was still in Heimdall's gatehouse when Selig came in. She paced back and forth before the window overlooking the cosmos, her thumb in her mouth as she nibbled at the edge of the nail. He knew her worried habits well, had seen this very same one many times over the years.

"Have you heard anything?" he asked as he joined her at the window.

She shook her head. "No. Nicky and Royce have taken a garrison to Svartalfheim."

"Nicky?"

"He said this was his doing." She lifted worried green eyes to him. "What happened, Selig?"

He sighed, rubbing his forehead with one hand. "Gunnar was up to his usual tactics. Stalling. Putting off meeting with us. And when he did finally grace us with his presence, he ended each meeting by refusing to deal with me and demanding Dad instead.

"Nicky just lost patience and shot off his mouth. It's hard to blame him, really. We'd gone round three or four times the same way."

"I knew he should've stayed here, but your father..." McKenna drew her thumb away from her mouth to wrap her arms about herself. "He tries to make Nicky like you, Selig. Tries to make him far more laid-back than his nature allows."

"He doesn't want me to be king, does he?"

"No, I don't think that's true, Sel." She touched his wounded arm gently, wincing at the shadowy stain where he'd partially bled through the bandage. "In fact, I'm sure he thinks you will be a good leader, now that you've sowed your wild oats and gotten it out of your system."

She blushed as she said that and he felt his own cheeks get warm, so he turned to gaze out over the cosmos. "He was right. I did need to grow up."

"Selig, do you remember when we thought your father had died at Thanos' hands?"

"How could I forget?" he asked softly, watching as a pinkish mist wove amongst the stars. "It was one of the darkest points in my life."

"Mine, too." Her hand came to rest on his back, just below his left shoulder blade. "When Dad decided to confront Thanos, he wrote me a letter in case he didn't make it back. And in it, he told me to tell you that when the time came, you should love as passionately as you could because the right woman can work magic." She peered up at him. "Celia is that woman for you."

He nodded. "I know. Mom, I've been in love with her since I was a kid. And I can never thank Dad enough for banishing me."

"He sent you to her intentionally, you know."

Selig glanced down at her. "What?"

"He sent you to her purposely. He knew." She turned back to the cosmos, but not before he saw the glint of tears in her eyes. "He knew. So perceptive, even when he claims not to understand you or me or your brother or sisters. But he knows you all so well."

"He'll be home, Mom." Selig slid his arm about her slim shoulders and drew her against him.

She nodded, her arm about his waist. He gave her a gentle squeeze, the way she used to do when he would come to her because of a bad dream or kids at school teased him. She always kept him safe without babying him, and made him realize that he wasn't a freak and that his true friends wouldn't think him spooky or make fun of him because of his aversion to loud noises.

The numbers and symbols slowly began to move and both Selig and his mother jumped when the Bifrost spun to life. As they turned toward it, Loki, Nicky, Fandral, and Hogun stepped out, bruised and dusty with black lava sand, but otherwise all right.

McKenna closed the space between her and Loki and he caught her easily, stumbling back a half-step as he said, "I'm all right, love," in a low, tired voice.