A Future of our Own

Asgard

It would have been an understatement to say that you felt awful upon waking up, your world was spinning, you felt sick and your head was pounding.

A low groan escaped you, all restraint of expression being forgotten as the sound came out louder than you intended.

Instinctively, your hand moved down to your stomach, to run over the bump you had almost become accustomed to taking care of only to find that your hand brushed over a considerably different belly.

Daring to open your eyes and battle past the protesting from inside your head, you looked down and grinned, letting your head fall back as a relieved laugh escaped you.

You were back, no more babysitting an unborn kid that made you ache in places you never even dreamed of aching in before.

"I'm me," you said gleefully, wrapping your arms around yourself, "I never thought I'd be this happy to be me."

"Pleasant, isn't it?"

You jumped, eyes snapping open and meeting younger Loki's smug face as he reclined in a chair beside your bed, which you had failed to notice before.

"Don't do that," you mumbled.

"Pardon? It's hardly my fault that you're so self-absorbed that you forgot I exist."

You rolled your eyes despite the smile spreading across your face.

"Please, I knew you were there, I just didn't want to acknowledge you."

He sighed dramatically and placed a hand on his chest.

"You break my heart, truly."

Turning your head away, you close your eyes while flipping him off and taking a deep breath.

"So, everything went okay?" You asked, "no issues with older me?"

"There were a few touchy moments where we weren't sure what was happening, but with some magic and some hope, everyone pulled through."

You smiled, nodding slowly.

"Good."

You let out a content smile, your head starting to feel heavy and your eyes becoming difficult to open as sleep started to take over, the stress of the situation finally lifting and letting you relax.

That mixed with your feeling of absolute sickness was the perfect recipe for nap time.

Loki watched as you drifted off, your chest slowing down in its rising and falling as sleep finally snatched you away.

With a faint smile, he stood and gently patted your hand.

"Sleep well, we'll return once you wake up again."

He stepped away from the bed and crossed the room, stopping beside his older self who was sat beside his wife, her hand clasped in his as his thumb ran over her knuckles.

"Are you worried?"

Older Loki looked up and gave a wry smile, one that was both familiar and foreign to the younger God.

"Of course, although they say everything is fine anything can happen in the blink of an eye, I'll feel better once she wakes up."

Loki nodded, looking to the woman on the bed as his mind momentarily drifted away to thoughts of this being his future, though hopefully without the switching part taking place again.

One day, he could be the one sat there beside his wife's bedside, eagerly awaiting the arrival of their child, unless they deviated from the known timeline and decided to not have children.

He would have been happy with either result as long as it was something you both wanted, he just wanted to see out a future where he felt happy and accepted.

Turning just a little, he looked towards the bed where you slept peacefully and smiled.

"Are you thinking of making the move?"

He looked back to his older self, who was looking at him as if he didn't already know the answer.

Loki shrugged and cleared his throat, shifting on his feet.

"I can admit that it's crossing my mind."

Older Loki nodded and let out a soft chuckle.

"Pointless, isn't it? Teasing and annoying just to hide true feelings."

Loki's eyes flickered to the woman on the bed and then back to his other self.

"When did you know that you liked her?"

"Much earlier than I would lead others to believe," he smiled softly, "nothing as cheesy as first sight but...early enough to feel stupid for being nothing but a thorn in the side for so many years."

"Isn't being a thorn in someone's side our thing?"

"It is," he laughed, "but even I can admit, in the privacy of just us, that there are some times where it's kind of stupid."

"Only kind of?"

"Always only kind of."

After their brief laughing session died down, Loki turned away to walk back towards your bedside, feeling his own energy beginning to wane.

"Hey."

Stopping on the spot, he turned to look at his older self who had shifted in his seat to face him better.

"Even if you don't work out, be sure to cherish whatever moments you have," he said, nodding slowly, "one day you may take it for granted and by then it'll be too late but remember that not everyone is against you just because they call you on your bullshit."

Loki took a moment to process the information before nodding himself and huffing a short laugh.

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

Older Loki gave him a friendly wink and turned away again, his grip on his wife's hand tightening as younger Loki made his way back to his seat, the room falling into a comfortable silence.