la vie en rose.

Loki sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, clearly she was upset with him, and he knew she had every right to be. He’d just been optimistic and hoped she’d be happier, though he should’ve known better. “I did this for us,” he told her knowing it seemed stupid probably but he had. “Yes I’ve wanted the throne for awhile but I did this,” he said motioning around to the room and himself as the Allfather, “for us. I did all of this so that we could be together outside of my cell. Because do you really believe Odin would ever let me out? Or that Thor would be able to release me? Because I don’t. I would’ve been locked up for the rest of my days meaning I’d have to miss out on so many things with our child because I was trapped in a cage. So I came up with this plan as soon as Thor came to me with his own. And I didn’t want to keep it from you, but in order for it to fully work you had to believe it. Which is awful I know, and I hope you can forgive me so we can move forward,” he told her hoping that she’d come around eventually. Because this was probably the best plan he’d had for a long time now, so he really wanted it to work. And with Thor away on Midgard now with his precious Ellie Loki had even more confidence that it would. As long as Sigyn kept playing along.

---

Ellie couldn’t help herself from closing the gap between them and wrapping her arms around him as best she could and just resting her head on him. “I know and I’m so sorry,” she told him knowing that this was her own fault for being stubborn and letting her jugement on the whole thing get clouded to begin with. “I should’ve listened but I didn’t and now I have to pay the price. But at least I’m okay now,” she said sighing softly simply at how nice it was to be close to him again, even though it had only been a few weeks it’d been the worse few weeks of her life. “And I was scared too, I thought I was going to die and I thought you were going to be angry with me forever. I didn’t want either of those things to happen. I love you more than I even realized was humanly possible so the thought of not getting to marry you or have a future with you at all scared me too. I’ve never been more scared than that,” she told him wishing things could’ve turned out differently so they weren’t doing this, but she was honestly, just glad they were together again at this point.

Of course Sigyn was glad that he was alive, but that didn't mean she wasn't upset that he had kept the fact that he was alive from her for quite a while now. She had tortured herself for weeks now, thinking of his last moments and how she should have been with him, and he'd been alive and well this entire time. And then he was telling her that he'd faked his own death for them. That he'd done it so that they could actually be together and raise their child together. And it really hit her that he was really there and that this wasn't some sort of twisted dream. Somewhere in the cosmos, someone had granted them a second chance and that second chance wasn't for nought. She hadn't been reunited with her husband only to lose him a few short months later. She wasn't going to raise their child alone. He was alive, they could be a family. "I thought you were gone..." She said, tears blurring her vision.

---

Thor held her tightly, realizing right then and there that he never wanted to be apart from her for that long ever again. He knew it had only been a few weeks, and he'd spent far longer without knowing her than he had knowing her, but it didn't matter. "I was going to tell you about the apples later on, but I didn't have much of a choice. I couldn't lose you." He said, pulling back slightly so that he could cup her cheek with his large hand. "I could never be angry with you forever, love. I don't know what I would have done if I had lost you though." He knew that his brother had done it with Sigyn, but her death had forever changed Loki. He only wished that they could have truly had the second chance that they deserved. "You are my future, Ellie Brookes. Whenever I think about it, I only see you."

“I know,” Loki said still feeling awful that he’d kept it from her like he had, but it really had been for the best this way. And he knew it couldn’t have been easy for her either given Loki of all people knew what it felt like to actually lose your soulmate, but he’d had to. “And I understand if you’re upset with me, you have ever right. But I do hope you’ll see that this was the best option at us being together. And now we can raise our child up together and I can be there for everything. I don’t have to miss out on any of the big moments. And I don’t want to miss out on anything,” he told her knowing how insane his plan sounded but it was the best option. After all, there was no way Odin was ever going to release him even if Thor did put in a good word for him. And who knew when Thor would take over the kingdom and be able to release him. So he’d come up with this plan and no one was going to convince him it was stupid because in the end Loki planned to get everything he wanted in life.

---

“I understand,” Ellie said resting her head against him. She was glad that he’d done something to save her, even if that something had been feed her an apple to make her immortal. “And I’m okay with the fact that I get to spend forever with you. Is it how I would’ve have liked that to go? No. But I’m okay with it,” she told him as she’d been thinking about it for the last few weeks and had had time to really mull over the idea of being immortal. She still didn’t exactly know what all that would include or how it would affect things later on given she wasn’t born immortal but Ellie would do whatever she had to to stay with Thor. “I’m really happy you’re here though, because you’re just in time for a Christmas classic, and probably my favorite Christmas tradition,” she told him to lighten the mood a little more. When they went inside though it was going to be magical. “And I can’t wait to give you a Christmas gift. Oh we can go shopping soon too because well I hope you’re okay staying here for a while because I’m not sure I’m ready to go back to Asgard yet,”

"All I could think about was that I wasn't there when it happened...and that you would never get to meet the baby and--" A soft sob escaped Sigyn's lips. She'd been doing enough crying lately to last a bloody lifetime, but it was hard not to right now, because everything had just been physically and emotionally exhausting recently, but Loki was still alive. He was there, standing right in front of her, and he would be able to meet their child and they would be able to be a family. That's all she'd wanted since she found out that she was pregnant, and now it would be possible. And it was enough to bring her to tears, because there had been a part of her that had hoped for weeks now that he would walk into her apartment alive and well, and he'd been here on Asgard this entire time.

---

Thor was glad that she understood that he had only done what he had because he had no other choice. He would have talked with her about her eating one of Idunn's apples had the fight against Malekith not ended the way that it had. He'd wanted her to have a say in whether or not she became an immortal, but things hadn't exactly panned out the way either of them had likely hoped that they would. "Thank you." He said quietly. "For understanding that I only did what I had to in order to save you." Maybe it was selfish of him to want to keep her with him, but he simply couldn't lose her. Not when he had only just found her a few short months ago. He smiled when she spoke of Christmas, the way her eyes lit up were a clear indication of how much she enjoyed this time of year. "And what might that tradition be?" He asked curiously. "And I don't mind remaining here for a while, we can return to Asgard whenever you wish to do so."

Loki was positive he’d never felt worse in his life than he did right now. Yes he’d done everything for them to be together. And yes in the end he was sure it was all going to be worth it in the end, but seeing the women he loved so upset made him feel awful. “And I’m sorry I did it this way,” he said before he walked closer to her and pulled her into his arms just wanting to hold her. “It’ll be better now though,” he told her hoping that he was telling the truth and that everything would be better now. They were finally together and starting a family that they’d always wanted. There was literally nothing in their way of being together and happy right now, so Loki hoped he hadn’t screwed everything up with one lie that he truly felt had been for the better. After all, she’d believed it, everyone else had believed it, so now no one was going to question anything and all was working out.

---

“We’re finally decorating our tree. Which means I get to see what ornament my dad got me this year and that we’re putting on all the Christmas specials we love while we also drink hot coco which might be spiked. And then once the tree is decorated I get to make Christmas cookies. And tomorrow I’m going to go out and finish all my shopping, so you can come with me,” Ellie said super pumped honestly to have Thor there with her for her favorite holiday. Plus she had to admit it she kind of wanted to take him shopping so they could buy him lots of modern Midgard clothes. Not that she didn’t think he was handsome all the time, but she felt like seeing him in jeans or a nice suit or something along those lines would just make him more attractive. Plus if they were staying for a while then Ellie wanted to incorporate him into as much of her life here as she could, and he’d have to fit in. So normal Midgard clothes it was. “I really am excited for you to spend Christmas with us,” she told him knowing her dad would also enjoy getting to know Thor better as well.

Sigyn didn't know whether pregnancy hormones were to blame or not, but she couldn't help letting the flood gates open when Loki wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She still couldn't believe that he was actually alive, and the relief combined with all the thoughts she had over the course of the last couple weeks were all that was needed for her to dissolve into tears. "I hate you so much for making me think that you were dead, but I'm so glad that you aren't." She said, sniffling a bit and wiping at her eyes as she rested her cheek against his chest. "I haven't fully forgiven you yet, and you're really going to have to make this up to me, but right now I just want to stay here like this for a little while." She sighed softly, feeling his heart beating, further assuring her that this was real, and he really was alive and there with her.

---

Thor listened as she rather excitedly explained what was happening that day. She had told him about some of her family's holiday traditions, and it was something he had looked forward to experiencing firsthand with her, and now he was going to get to do just that. "I look forward to experiencing all of these traditions with you." He said, pushing some of her hair out of her face gently as he looked down at her with a smile. "There's no where else that I would rather be right now." He pressed his lips to hers lightly, relishing in the feeling and realizing how much he had truly missed her. He didn't intend on being away from her for that long ever again if he had anything to say about it.

“I will do whatever you want me to in order to make it up to you,” Loki told her kissing the top of her head just glad they were together again. He’d hated laying to her, almost as much as he’d hated having to put her through what he had. But he’d take care if everything from there on out. And Loki would spend as much time as she wanted him to doing whatever she wanted him to in order to get her to forgive him. “We can stay like this as long as you want,” he told her pretty happy in the moment. He literally had everything he wanted and needed. He did hope though that Sigyn realized couldn’t tell anyone what was going on, and that especially included Thor and Ellie. He was sure how long he could actually keep this going, but the longer the better and that meant his brother couldn’t know. Though he had a feeling Thor was going to be distracted himself for a while so really Loki wasn’t to worried about it.

---

Ellie couldn’t hold back her smile as he told her how happy he was, and just in general how happy she was, then feeling his lips on her own made it grow more. Honestly, no one else in the world had or would ever make her quite as happy as Thor did. Well her children would whenever they came along, but they’d make her happy in a much different way than he did. “Well that was amazing, and I’d love to keep kissing you, but a tradition awaits us on the other side of that door and I’m ready to get started.” She told him when she pulled away before she took his hand in her own and led him into her dads apartment, which just seemed happier than it had that morning. Likely because she was happier, and also because she could smell the hot cocoa which was a happy smell. “This is so magical,” she whispered to herself truly falling more and more in love with the holiday season.

"Good, because you're going to be doing a Hel of a lot for me." Sigyn mumbled into his chest, smiling though when he kissed her head. As much as she claimed that she hadn't fully forgiven him just yet, she was truthfully just happy to have him back in her life once more. She felt whole again, and she knew that the soulmate bond was entirely responsible for that feeling. She hummed in response to his later words, perfectly content with standing there in his arms. Until she felt the baby moving around and she realized that it was something that her husband had yet to experience. "Someone else is happy to have you back." She said quietly, taking one of his hands and resting it on her belly. "I started feeling it about a month ago. He likes being talked to." She had started calling the baby a "he" a couple of weeks ago because she was thoroughly convinced that it was a boy.

---

Thor had never been this happy before in all the centuries he had been alive thus far. Ellie made him feel like he was the luckiest man in all nine realms, and he was glad that they were back on speaking terms and that he wouldn't have to be away from her for an extended period of time any longer because that had been absolute torture. He chuckled softly at her words, soft for him anyway, and allowed her to pull him into her father's apartment. "You're going to have to walk me through all of these traditions of yours. I only know what you've told me." He said before smiling when her father walked into the sitting room with mugs of a steaming liquid that smelt rather sweet. "It's good to see you, sir." Thor said politely, offering his hand to her father.

Loki smiled just glad to have Sigyn with him. “We’re having a boy?” He asked wondering when she’d found that out, though he was assuming it would’ve been during her time on Midgard. He smiled too when he felt the baby kicking around under his hand. He could only imagine how this felt for her given the baby was growing in her. “I’m really excited to meet you buddy,” he said bending down to talk to her belly some. “And I’m going to have so much fun playing with you, and teaching you magic,” he said really pumped to meet the baby. Literally all Loki had wanted with Sigyn for as long as he could remember was a family and the fact that he was getting one with her now just made him so happy.

---

“I’ll walk you through everything,” Ellie said with a nod of her head smiling at Thor shook her dads hand. “It smells delicious dad, thanks for making the cocoa,” she said as she led Thor into the kitchen. “Okay so for starters this is hot cocoa. It’s warm and sweet, and my dad makes the best cocoa,” she told him as she pulled two mugs out of the cabinet and filling them up with cocoa then she topped them with whipped cream and sprinkled a little bit of crushed peppermint on top before she handed Thor his cup. “I hope you like it,” she told him before she took a sip herself and let out a sigh of content. If there was anything other than Thor in the world that could lift her spirits it was her dads hot cocoa.

"I haven't gone to see a Midgardian doctor to confirm it, although my sister's been trying to convince me to go for weeks now, but I have a really strong feeling that it's a boy." Sigyn said. She didn't know why, but something just told her that the baby was a boy. Maybe some time in the future they'd have a little girl with Loki's eyes and dark curls. She smiled, watching as he bent down to talk to the baby, getting a bit choked up at the sight because she never thought it was something she'd get to see again. Loki wasn't dead though, and now they could really be a family which was really all she wanted when she found out she was pregnant and really all she wanted when she and Loki first found each other. She didn't know how much more of Loki's imprisonment she would have been able to take. "No magic for a while, or have you forgotten that Frigga told me what you were like as a child?" Sigyn shot a faux stern look her husband's way. "Thor's told me the snake story too."

---

Thor smiled, listening as Ellie explained what the sweet-smelling, steaming drink was that her father was making. He watched as she poured two cups of it and topped them both with whipped cream before sprinkling what looked like some sort of a crushed candy on top. He was quick to sip the drink, nodding his head in approval. "It's very good." He said before he gulped down the rest of it in one go. "It's very different from the coffee that Jane and Darcy introduced me to the first time I was on Midgard. I quite like this as well though, I would like another." He said with a grin. If this was one of her family's traditions, he liked them very much already, and knew that he was going to enjoying being with her regardless of what the rest of the traditions were.

Loki glanced up to his wife and would be lying if he said he found it convincing. “You’re mommy thinks I should hold off on the magic for a while,” he said shaking his head. There was no way he was holding off on magic with his own child. “Oh I know that you know. Just as I was sure you knew about the snake story. However, you’ve met me, so are even surprised? I mean I am the God of mischief after all so getting into trouble is kind of a thing of my thing,” he told her as he had a good feeling that their children would be just as bad if not worse than him. Which was fine with Loki honestly. He felt like he could handle it. “In my defense on the whole snake thing though, Thor always made it way to easy to prank as a child. And his responses are to hilarious,” he said knowing that wasn’t really a good reason, only because Frigga had gotten on to him about it when they were younger, but he felt like it was a good reason plus it wasn’t like the snake bit Thor or anything. Honestly, Loki’s pranks had never hurt his bother physically. And if they had he’d never mentioned it.

---

Ellie laughed a little as she watched Thor glup down the cocoa and not be phased at all by its warmth, at least he hadn’t thrown her mug on the ground to let her know he wanted another, which she was gladly give him. “You have a little whipped cream right,” Ellie said before she went into kiss him and remove the whipped cream. “There.” She finished when she pulled away. “And of course you can have another. Though if you drink it slower it’ll last longer,” she told him as she fixed him another wondering if he drank everything like that. Regardless, Ellie was kind of excited to get to see Thor and his reactions to all the Midgard things she was going to show him. “Here you go,” she said handing him the mug back before motioning for him to follow her out of the kitchen and back into the living room area where her dad was pulling out the ornaments for tree decorating.

"You're going to give me grey hair." Sigyn said, shaking her head with a slight laugh. If their child was half as much trouble as her husband had been, she knew that she was going to have her hands full. And she was almost certain that her husband was going to literally be the worst influence ever when it came to getting into mischief. After all, he was the God of Mischief like he just said. "Of course I'm not surprised, and so just because your brother is an easy target you decided to trick him and turn yourself into a snake?" She laughed once more. She had heard plenty of stories about Thor and Loki when they were children, and quite frequently said stories involved Loki pranking Thor. "I don't know how your mother put up with you two, she must have had the patience of a saint."

---

Thor smiled and kissed her back, staring at her lovingly when she pulled back. He never pictured himself being a lovesick fool, but he supposed if his brother could be that way with Sigyn, then it was certainly possible for him. And that was precisely how he acted around Ellie. Because he really did love her, more than he ever realized was possible to love a single person. "Slow is not the Asgardian way." He told her, thanking her when she poured him another mug of the sweet warm drink before he followed her into the living room. "So, what you do decorate the tree with?" He asked as he noticed a few boxes with what he assumed were different decorations for the tree.

“Yes,” Loki said feeling like that was right answers. After all why wouldn’t he? “I mean why wouldn’t I? When someone makes it as easy as he does it would be a crime not to prank them,” he said knowing life wouldn’t be any fun if they’d grown up without Loki pranking Thor. “I don’t either honestly,” Loki said pretty shocked they didn’t drive their mother up a wall or give her grey hair. “I’m sure we drove her up a wall a few times, but she didn’t really ever get mad at us. If anything Odin would be the one who got upset about it all.” He said missing his mother again in that moment. It was still hard for him to believe that she was really gone, but he was doing okay about it. It still sucked, and the wound was still pretty fresh given it hadn’t been that long ago, but he was doing pretty okay.

---

Ellie rolled her eyes at Thor’s response. “Well that’s the way things are done here,” she said laughing. “Lot’s of different things really. We have all these boxes full of stuff. And we don’t usually use all of them because we have a lot,” she told him before she opened up a box full of Disney ornaments most of which she’d had since she was a little girl. “Okay, so this is what you do,” she said picking one up and untangling the loop, “you untangle this and then just slip it onto any of the free branches. And some of them won’t have loops some of them have hooks, and with the hooks it’s the same thing only you hook it on the limbs,” she finished as she slipped one onto the tree. Her and her dad weren’t really picky about where things went like some people were so really as long as they were having fun it was all good. “Dad will you put on Grandma?” She asked smiling just because she was so happy right now. “So there’s this Christmas movie called Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer and it sounds awful but it’s my favorite,”

"Why am I not at all surprised that that's your answer?" Sigyn laughed. Her husband was such a trouble-maker sometimes, and quite honestly, Thor did kind of make it extremely easy to pull one over on him. "Like I said, your mother had the patience of a saint." She said. As much trouble as both boys seemed to get into as children, Frigga really had raised them both to become great men. "She did a wonderful job raising you both though. Even though you were turning into a snake a playing with daggers and Thor was falling for every single one of your pranks and playing with snakes. You are both great men." She said with a smile.

---

"If you say so, love." Thor said with a slight chuckle. He listened as she told him what they decorated the tree with, honestly fascinated by all of these different Midgardian traditions. He was certain that he had much to learn about this holiday alone, and he looked forward to learning about them all and enjoying experiencing them all with the woman he loved and her family. "So, these are called ornaments, right?" He asked as he picked one from the box and watched as she hung the one she had grabbed up before going to mimic her actions. "And you just put it wherever you want on the tree then?" He asked as he placed his on one of the branches. "Well, it does sound rather awful, but if it's your favorite one then it must be good." He laughed.

[Okay but what if Sigyn's words about Thor and Loki both being great men triggers Loki a bit and he's sort of got his doubts in himself about being a good man because of everything he's done and he's also thinking about his Jotun heritage and we have that moment where there's some self-doubt and hatred in himself not only because of what he's done but because of who he is and that whole bit we talked about where Sigyn asks to see his frost giant form?]

Loki smiled at his wife when she made the comment about them both being great men even though for some reason the comment made his heart drop. Was he really a good man? Maybe before he’d lost Sigyn to begin with. But since then was he really? He’d tried to take over another planet and wouldn’t have actually stopped if she hadn’t been hurt. He’d intentionally gotten his brother banished so he could try and take over the throne. And now he’d faked his own death to everyone so he could spend his days out of prison. He wouldn’t say what he’d done to Odin because the less people who knew the better, but it wasn’t anything awful. And yes Sigyn knew it was him now, but he didn’t want Thor or anyone else to know his secret because he wanted things to stay like this. All Loki did was lie and try to make things easier for himself somehow. So he did question, was he really a good man? Or was he more like the frost giants than he’d ever realized?

---

“Yes, they’re called ornaments. All of ours are themed after things because me and my dad are very non hallmark people. And we like to be unique. So there’s that. We have some that are homemade, and some years we’ll string popcorn for a little added flare,” Ellie told him as she continued to hang the ornaments from the tree while her dad started the movie. “It really does, and honestly the plot is so random but I just love it. I don’t know I guess it has a lot of good Christmas themes going on. You’ll just have to watch it to fully appreciate it’s beauty.” She said pretty sure most of the cartoon Christmas specials seemed so odd outsiders. “Another good one is A Year Without Santa Clause,” she added knowing she could go on all night about her favorite Christmas movies.

Sigyn really did think he was a good man. He'd lost his way more recently, but she still saw the man that she had known all those years ago. He was still the man that she loved, and he was trying to do better now for her and for their child, and she knew that. Although he smiled at her words, she did notice that he didn't say anything in response to her words, and there was certainly a look that flickered briefly in his eyes that she wouldn't have noticed if she didn't know him as well as she did. "Hey..." She said quietly, touching his cheek lightly. "Where'd you just go?" She knew that his thoughts had wandered, but to what she didn't fully know. Whatever it was, she was certain was related to the look she'd seen appear briefly on his face.

---

Thor nodded, truly fascinated by all of these different Midgardian traditions. Some things were certainly based off of the Norse holiday Yule, but others he was sure were likely based on traditions and beliefs from other cultures. "There's so many of them." He said, noticing that there were other boxes of ornaments as well. Or, well, he assumed there were more ornaments in those boxes as well. He picked up another ornament from the open box and placed that one on the tree as well. "Santa Clause is the old man who comes down your chimneys and leaves presents for all of the children in the homes around the world, right?"

“Sorry,” Loki said shaking his head a little trying to push the thoughts from his head. Of course, he was a good man. He had to be. Loki couldn’t think of any other reason Sigyn would have fallen in love with him. Yes the soulmate thing, but surely he got Sigyn as his soulmate because he was good. Plus just because they were soulmates didn’t mean they’d end up in love. He couldn’t help but feel suddenly that he had all these things he didn’t deserve, like a wife and a baby on the way. He knew he didn’t ‘deserve’ the throne but suddenly he was remembering why Odin would never have willingly let him take the Throne, because Loki was a frost giant and Asgard couldn’t have one of those as their king. “Do you really believe I’m a good man?” He asked her as he placed his hand on top of hers and learned his head against her hand in an affectionate way. He was having a really hard time suddenly believing her words.

---

Ellie nodded her head at his words. “Yes. You know I stopped believing in Santa when I was like eleven or twelve maybe because it suddenly became weird for me to imagine anyone sneaking into my house while I slept just to leave gifts, and the fact that Santa could deliver to everyone in the world in one day suddenly didn’t make any sense. And I guess I gave up on his magic. But he couldn’t be real. Yet right now all these years later I’m curious. I mean if magic is real then why isn’t Santa. He could’ve come from somewhere else and maybe brought his magic. Or maybe ran out. Or maybe I never believed hard enough.” She said wondering if Santa was real. After all, Thor and Loki were real. So were other aliens. Thor, Loki, and even Sigyn all came from a different planet and two of them had magic. If all that was true then surely Santa was too.

Sigyn knew that her husband had done some pretty shady things in recent years, and she didn't agree with what he did at all, but that wasn't the man that he really was. She knew the type of man that he was. He was mischievous, always playing tricks on his brother, and he loved his mother and brother dearly. He wasn't the man who attempted to enslave another planet. He truly had a good heart, he'd simply lost his way some time ago. But she saw more of the man that he once was now; he was still present. "Of course I do, my love." She said softly, running her thumb lightly across his cheek. "I know that you've done some things that you aren't proud of, and I'm not commending you for any of that in the slightest, but none of that defines you in my eyes. That isn't the man that I fell in love with, and that isn't the man that you truly are."

---

"I believe many of the events that have happened in recent years have caused Midgardians to question what they believe is possible." Thor told her. He knew that up until the Chiutari attack, there were very few Midgardians who believed that aliens existed. They didn't know there were other realms besides their own. Individuals like him, his brother and Sigyn were merely characters from mythology. But they knew that they existed now, they were more aware of what was out there in the universe. "I have never come across an old man who brings gifts to children in any of my years, but I do know that many of your beliefs derive from much older beliefs such as what we believe or celebrate on Asgard."

[ so because I want Ellie to take Thor shopping I'm going to skip a bit with them, ]

Loki gently rested his forehead against Sigyn's and let out a sigh of contentment as he closed his eyes. He truly didn't know how he'd made it so long without her. Because he had made it through all of those years without her, maybe not making the best choices but he'd made it. And honestly, he couldn't imagine losing her again. That was something he really didn't ever want to experience again, which was part of why it had been hard for him to lie to her and pretend to be dead. Because he knew what she was feeling given he'd felt it before too and it sucked, not to mention it had been hard for him to go on watching her suffer and keep the fact that he was alive from her. But it was all worked out now thankfully. "I'm glad you can still see me as the man you knew before I lost you," Loki told her softly feeling a little better because she'd fallen in love with him and saw him as the man she'd always known, even though Loki knew he'd changed since then, and not for the better. But he wanted to be good again. He wanted to be a man who actually felt worthy of Sigyn's love. It did make him feel a little better that she still saw him as that though.

---

Ellie had truly enjoyed drinking cocoa, watching her favorite Christmas movies, and decorating the tree with Thor. Honestly, she was sure that she'd never enjoyed it more than, so she'd gone to bed that night with a very happy heart. The following day, however, was going to be even better. Ellie's plan was to take Thor shopping for clothes. Yes, she understood that he was a God and that he probably didn't really need to buy any. She knew he could probably just use magic and make it look like he was wearing them to everyone else even if he wasn't really. Ellie, however, wanted him to actually have real clothes. Plus this was a great time to do shopping because everywhere was having sales. So she'd woken up and got ready before having breakfast and explaining the day to Thor. "Okay, so I know that you can probably make it look like you have on clothing people here would be used to seeing all the time, but we're going to go out and buy you some. Also, we might do some sightseeing, just so you can see New York at Christmas time and because I want to show you where I want us to get married. I might also have a ring picked out somewhere that I want for us. Which I don't know how they do wedding things on Asgard but I've had my wedding pretty much planned out since I was little so there's not much for us to do other than actually get things started," she told him. Ellie did plan on getting married to Thor even if it didn't happen on Asgard, and she was okay with that. Getting married on earth meant she could go through with the wedding she'd always wanted, and if they were already going to be out shopping they might as well get the ball rolling.

"I can see the man that I knew before because he's right here in front of me." Sigyn said quietly. "Your mistakes do not define you, Lo. You're trying to be better, and that's all that I care about right now." She knew that he doubted himself even more because of Odin, but he was still a good man even though he'd done some bad things. He learned from his mistakes and realized that he was wrong, and that was extremely important to her. "I loved you before, and I still love you now. Nothing that you have done, and nothing about who you are could change my feelings for you." She might have been angry with him for keeping the fact that he was alive from her for a while, but that was also honestly the pregnancy hormones getting the best of her. She was just happy and relieved that their second chance together hadn't been cut short as she originally thought that it had.

---

Thor had enjoyed experiencing some of Ellie's family's holiday traditions with her. It all fascinated him, and he truly felt as though he was closer to her now that he understood more about some Midgardian customs and beliefs. He knew that it only made up a small fraction of the actual Christmas traditions that were out there, but he liked knowing Ellie's traditions, even if it was only a few of them so far. "That is certainly something that I can do, but if you would prefer to find me proper clothing then that is what we shall do, my love." He said with a smile. He listened as she started talking about them getting married and their wedding. They hadn't spoken much about it since Frigga died, but it made sense for them to have it here on Midgard with her family more than it ever had. "I look forward to learning what you envision for our wedding." He pressed a kiss to the side of her head.