Now And Forever

Chapter 44

-Loki's Pov -

"Not that far now, Darling, Just a little further," I said as Thor help me carry Thalia to the labour ward. She was holding her stomach as she tensed up in pain.
"Just breath in and out," Thor said calmy since I was shaking out of nerves "We are nearly there"
"It really hurts" Thalia whimpered. I saw that Chris was waiting with the doors wide open.
"I know, Look, We are here," Thor said as he laid Thalia on the bed.
"Thor... Chris... Get... out" Thalia said between each pant. Thor looked at me. I shrugged "Get out before I burn you"
"Hormones" I mouthed. Thalia threatened to burn me too.
"Good luck brother" Thor patted my shoulder before he quickly left the room with his tail between his legs and so did Chris.
"Hey Thalia, Let's get you wired up" Doctor Johnson spoke as she wired Thalia up to several machines. She doubled over in pain again. I gripped her hand.
"Gods, This hurts" Thalia panted. I wiped her forehead.
"I'm here, beautiful. I am not leaving. Squeeze my hand as tight as you want. It won't hurt" I said as calmly as I could. Thalia grab my hand and took deep breaths as contraction after contraction came. Doctor Johnson did her check-up "Doctor, Surely the contractions shouldn't be this intense"
"Well, you are fully dilated. Looks like the little one is on his way" Doctor Johnson smiled as she put an apron on. She handed me one too and I tied my hair up into a bun "You're about to be parents"

It seems like forever had passed since Thalia first started pushing. Bless her, She was so tired.
"Push. Push. Come on push for five seconds. 5...4..."
"3-2-1" She flopped back onto the bed, exhausted. I wipe her brow.
"Okay, the next contraction should be in about twenty seconds," Doctor Johnson said as a nurse wiped her forehead. I wiped Thalia with a damp cloth.
"I can't... I can't push anymore. I can't" Thalia cried. She was so tired.
"Sweetie you're doing great" I soothed as I had my arm hooked around her leg.
"Twenty seconds my ass!!" Thalia yelled.
"Here we go! Okay, keep pushing!" Doctor Johnson encourages "No stop. Wait! I see something"
"What? You do? What?" I took a peek and my face dropped "Oh no. What?"
"Oh no? what?" Thalia panicked, Was my baby okay? Thalia gripped the sheets as she pushed again.
"What is that?" I pointed.
"It's the baby's buttock. It means breached"
"Breach? What is that?" Thalia stuttered. She tried pushing again.
"Oh thank God, I thought the baby had two heads" I panted. Thalia glared at me "Breached means the baby is going to be born ass first"
"Oh, God. Is the little one gonna be okay?" Thalia panted.
"They are going to be fine. They are in a more difficult position so you are gonna have to push even harder now. Go! Push!" The doctor ordered her. Thalia then pushed as hard as she could.
"Go!" I yelled at the same time Doctor Johnson did.
"Thalia, you're gonna have to push even harder, nothing is happening!" Doctor Johnson spoke.
"I'm sorry, I can't!" Thalia flopped back onto the bed. Doctor Johnson said something to one of the nurses. I clicked my tongue before wrapping an arm around her leg once again.
"Yes, you can!" I encouraged, looking Thalia in her eyes "I know you're tired darling but I also know that you can do this! One final push! Give it everything you have" I encouraged as Thalia pushed so hard her head snaps forward, proceeding to head-butt me and knocking me down to the floor.
"Good!" Doctor Johnson exclaimed, ignoring my obvious cries of pain "Keep going!"
"Keep pushing!" I yell from the floor. I felt a little dizzy. This hurts.
"Are you okay?" Thalia semi-yells. Trust her to be worried about me when she is pushing a tiny mortal out of her. I climbed onto my knees and fling my hair back.
"You have no idea how much this hurts" Thalia stops pushing for a few seconds as she glares at me. As does all of the women in the room "Sorry. Keep going! Keep going!" I climb to my feet and hook my arm around her leg. I could tell that Thalia was pushing with everything she had.
"Here we go!" Doctor Johnson "Upside down but nearly there!" Thalia yells as our baby arrives into the world with a scream.
"Oh, God!" Thalia pants as she flops back on the bed for the final time. I take a peak. Oh my god. I have a son.
"He's here" I cry. So does our child.
"The little one, Is a boy?" Thalia cries. A massive smile on her face.
"Yes, he is. Oh, he's... he's perfect" I wipe my eyes. Doctor Johnson holds up the baby for us to see. He looks so gross but he is here. After 8 and half months. My son is here.
"Oh, he's so tiny" Both Thalia and the baby start crying. I then frown as they take my son away. My hands heat up "Where did he go?"
"They are just wrapping him up" I kissed her forehead.
"Okay. Be careful with him, he's really tiny" Thalia sits up a little. Wincing as she did so.

A few minutes later and looking less gooey. Doctor Johnson hands my son to her.
"Oh hey you. Thanks for coming out of me" Thalia smiled as I kissed the boy's forehead. The baby cries.
"Oh, he's looking at me. Hi!" I waved a finger at my son. I have a son.
"Do we have a name yet?" Doctor Johnson asked as she picks up a clipboard.
"No, not yet" I reply.
"That's fine, for now, we will just call him Baby boy James" Doctor Johnson clicks her pen.
"Oh no, Baby boy Lokison" Thalia smiled as I looked down at her. We hadn't discussed whose surname the little man would be taking. We looked into each other's eyes and kiss.
"Thank you for giving me a son" I pressed my forehead on hers "Thank you for bringing him into this world. Just thank you for everything"
"I love you" She whispered.
"I love you" I kissed her forehead. Little man decided he would cry too. I chuckled "Okay, Okay" I smiled as I bent slightly and kissed our son's forehead gently "I love you too"

After getting Thalia cleaned up, We were taken to another room where she could rest. I sat next to her as she cradled our son. My thumb gently stroked the little bit of raven hair that curled on our boy's head.
"He looks so much like Narfi, He would have made an excellent big brother. He would have fought Thor for the first cuddle" I whispered. We soon heard the door open. Speak of the devil and he shall appear.

"Can we come in?" Thor popped his head from behind a door. A big grin on his face. I could see Chris behind him. With Prudence and Paul, Trying to fight past.
"Oh, yes come in" I waved everybody inside.
"Hi!" Thalia waved.
"What did you have?" Chris asked. He was rather loud so I shushed him.
"A boy"
"I won the bet!" Chris cheered. Everyone shushed him.
"Oh, he's so beautiful" Prudence whispered.
"Oh, my God! He's amazing" Paul cooed "It's incredible, I mean one minute he's inside you and then many hours later, here he is"
"It wasn't many hours" Thalia scrunched her nose up.
"It was 18" Chris crossed his arms.
"Loki, Can I have a cuddle?" Thor speaks as he holds out his hands. I nodded as I gently handed the baby to him.
"Support the head" I ordered.
"I will. Oh! You are so cute! Oh, I could squeeze your little head" Thor speaks as we all glare at him "I won't" Thor sits on the end of the bed "He has the curl"
"Indeed he does" I smile at the memory. Thor smiles as he curls my son's hair around his finger "So, do you know what you're gonna call him yet?"
"Oh, wait a minute it's not gonna be baby boy?" Chris wiggled his pointer finger at the baby.
"Uh actually, we have narrowed it down to two names" I hold up two fingers.
"I love them both, so why don't you just pick one and that will be it" Thalia sighed.
"Everyone... this is Eric" I smiled. But as I looked at Thalia, she started crying "What's wrong, darling?"
"That's not his name! I'm sorry, He just doesn't feel like an Eric" She cried. I wrapped my arms around her "Sorry"
"It's fine" I tried to reassure Thalia as Thor reluctantly handed Prudence the baby.
"What was the other one Loki?" Paul asked.
"Umm, Leif" I scratched my ear.
"Nope sounds wrong with Lokison" Thalia hid her face in her hands. I chuckled as I kissed her hair.
"I guess we're back to, Baby Boy" I sighed.
"Yay!" Chris clapped. Prudence shushed him and threatened to take his crisps away. Thalia kept on apologising.
"Well, what are we going to do?" Thalia sniffed.
"Keep looking in the book?" I suggested. 
"It's okay Tills, you'll find a name" Chris patted my leg.
"Chris, It's easy for you to say, you already know what your kid's names are going to be" Prudence rolled her eyes. She was trying to keep the baby away from Paul "I need longer cuddles"
"You do?" Thor tilted his head "Well tell us! What are they?"
"If it's a girl, Hannah" Chris smiled.
"Very nice and normal" Paul smiled as he twirled our son's hair around his finger. Thor and I smiled.
"And if it's a boy?" I questioned as I smiled at my son.
"I don't want to say" Chris pinched her lips together.
"Oh, just tell us! We're not gonna want it!" Thalia sighed.
"Yeah, she will" Thor whispered in my ear. I nodded in agreement.
"Okay... It's Elijah"
"Elijah... is a nice name" Paul nodded. Thalia gasp as she looks at the baby and starts to cry.
"See? I don't want it" Thalia sniffed. Chris scoffs with a smile and puts his hand on Thalia's shoulder.
"Take it"
"What?" Thalia and I both say. Everyone was shocked.
"Take the name" Chris smiled.
"I can't"
"Tills, are you kidding? Clearly, He is an Elijah" He smiled at me as he picks the baby up and sits next to Thor.
"But Chris, you love that name" Loki spoke as I wiped my eyes.
"Yeah, but I love you guys more," Chris said as he rocked my son "Besides, Me with a kid? Nah, I like being able to give them back when they stink"
"Thank you, bestie" I mumbled.
"Elijah Lokison" Thor pouted. I raised an eyebrow "I approve. Do you want me to inform our parents?"
"If you want" I shrugged as Thor walked out of the room. He wouldn't be gone long. Prudence caved and gave Paul the little munchkin. She rushed over to Thalia and hugged her tightly.
"Oh, my sweet. So proud of you. I knew you two would make beautiful babies" She beamed oh so proudly. She then looked at me.
"You also saw a lot of sand" I pointed out. Prudence then clicked her tongue.
"Well you can't blame an old lady for getting a few bits of the timeline wrong" Prudence smiled and shrugged.

Thor came back after half an hour. He said that Heimdall would pass the message on to our parents and we should expect a visit in a week. Great, Makes me feel so much better.

After a while, I kicked everyone out. Thalia needed to rest.
"I can watch little man. You go and have a soak in the bath" I ran my hand along her jawline. She smiled as she went into the bathroom to run a bath.

After I while I could hear crying coming from the bathroom, Elijah was asleep so I quickly popped my head in. Thalia had her back to me.
"Thalia? Do you need anything?... Are you okay?" I came and hugged her from behind.
"Stop," She ordered as she shoved me away "Do not touch me."
"Thalia?" I asked. She turned to face me but wouldn't look at me. So using my finger and thumb to lift her face "What's wrong?" I asked quietly.
"Do you think I'm ugly?" She whispered once in the tub. Tears formed in her eyes "I look disgusting. How could you ever stand to be in the same room with me? How can you even be in the same bed? I am -"
"Perfect. You are perfect. You are going to be my wife in a few months, you are the mother of my son and future children and most importantly, you are the love of my life. You are perfect" I sighed as I dropped to my knees next to the tub.
"I look awful" Thalia wiped her face.
"You only had our son a few hours ago. You are not going to snap back like that. Your body needs to heal"
"I wish I could get rid of these stretchmarks" Thalia covered her body with bubbles.
"Erase these marks? Why would you want that? Our son caused them as he grew. They are evidence that you carried my child. Not only do I intend to leave them there. I intend to add them" I ran my finger over each mark.
"But I don't look like me" She whispered. I sighed. I looked by the door and then back to Thalia. Just making saw Elijah was still snoring away.
"Thalia, I wouldn't care if you are a Fire Demon, Frost Giant, Light Elf, Dark Elf at a push, A Zombie, male, Midgardian or even an animal. I love you for you" I cupped her face, placing my forehead on hers "I feel blessed every time I wake up with your silken skin next to mine. Your presence reminds me that I am the luckiest man in all the nine realms"
"I'm sorry I feel like this" Thalia sniffed.
"You just had a baby. It is only natural that you feel like this" I smiled at my love. We were about to kiss when we got interrupted by Elijah crying. We both smirked. I stood up and walked out of the bathroom "Hang on little man. Daddy's coming"

I was standing in the middle of the room, With our son in his arms. Swaying as I hummed.
"But dance and the waterfalls stop,
When she sings, she sings come home
But dance and the waterfalls stop,
When she sings, she sings come home
When she sings, she sings come home,
I stormsvarte fjell, jeg vandrer alene,
Over isbreen tar jeg meg frem,
I eplehagen står møyen den vene,
Og synger: når kommer du hjem?" I sang softly to our boy, kissing his head gently. I swear he smiled but it could have been gas "I taught your mummy that song. It's only fair to teach it to you, my son" I kissed his forehead and laid the bundle back in the crib.
"But dance and the waterfalls stop,
When she sings, she sings come home
But dance and the waterfalls stop,
When she sings, she sings come home
When she sings, she sings come home" Thalia sang the final verse. My headshot to her and a grin graced my face.
"That's my girl" I whispered as I placed my hands on the cot's side "Feeling better after your bath?"
"I feel a bit more human. Though I don't get how kids can wear nappies. These adult ones are rather uncomfortable" Thalia did a little wiggle as she pulled at her trousers. Slowly, She climbed onto the bed "Ow" She winced.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, I ache in places I didn't know I could ache" She smiled as I chuckled softly.
"I believe that was the same line you gave me after we slept together for the first time" Thalia blushed at this.
"Still can't believe that was like over a year ago" Thalia sighed as I came and sat next to her "Any regrets?" Thalia questioned as I wrapped my arms around her.
"No, No regrets" I looked over to our boy "What about you?"
"Only that I wish I had met you sooner" I kissed Thalia's forehead.
"You made me a better person, Thalia. I will forever be in your debt"
"And to repay your debt, You can do but 2 things" Thalia cupped my face.
"And what two things do I need to do?"
"Love me and our family forever"
"Always." I grinned "Now and Forever"