#sifki | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

woodelf68 · 1 month

Text

Every Way Love's A Little Stronger

Very belated fill for last year's @sifkiweek prompt "Volstagg", in tribute to Ray Stevenson's passing. You will continue to live on in our hearts and in our fics. Part two of my Fair Play 'verse. (Non-magic AU in which Thor, Loki, and Sif are college-aged.) 9360 words, AO3 link

Summary: Physically, Sif had come out of the attack with nothing more than a few bruises. Emotionally, it takes the support of her friends and the comfort of Loki's arms around her before she starts to feel like herself again. Rated T.

Sif sat on the curb outside of the gym, the twilight deepening around her, but she made no move towards her nearby motorcycle, too shaken to feel like she should be riding it right now.

"Are you going to be all right?" Karl Skurge, the gym's owner, sat down beside her now that the police had gone.

"Yeah. I mean, nothing happened, right? I fought him off."

"You did, and you should be proud of yourself for that. But you were attacked. I heard what you told the cops, what he said, what he did. The fact that it didn't go very far before you were able to stop it doesn't change the fact that something did happen." Skurge's voice was gentle.

"Yeah, all right." Sif hugged her knees, resting her chin atop them. She'd known the guy, as far as recognising him from around campus. College had started back up two weeks ago, and she'd seen him harassing Jane Foster a few days ago, obviously hitting on her and refusing to take "no" for an answer. Sif hoped she would have done so anyway, but they'd spent enough time together hanging out this past summer -- she and Loki and Thor and Jane (and sometimes Darcy, when Fandral was otherwise occupied) -- that Sif now considered Jane a friend, and she'd gone over and suggested the guy -- Haldor, he was on the football team with Thor -- leave Jane alone, refusing to be intimidated or back down when Haldor had suggested right back that she mind her own business. She'd called him out on being a creep, he'd shoved her, she'd shoved back, and things had only been stopped from escalating further by the timely arrival of Thor and Loki themselves, Thor loudly announcing his presence by asking if she needed any help, Loki endearing himself to her by saying it looked like she had everything under control but he would of course be happy to step in as well if needed for support. Faced with three against one -- or maybe four, Sif didn't know how much Jane could have brought to a fight, but she had taken that self defense course last year, and if nothing else she might have had some pepper spray on her -- Haldor had left with some cutting remark in an attempt to save face, but being forced to retreat had obviously rankled, and he'd been waiting in the shadows for her when she'd left the gym, his breath smelling of cheap beer. Irritation had quickly become anger when he had grabbed her roughly, followed by shock and a brief moment of panic as his groping hands and crude words made it clear what he intended for her. Then years of martial arts classes had kicked in and by the time the gym door had swung open again and Hogun had emerged, she'd had Haldor on the ground and Hogun had helped to make sure he'd stayed there while they'd waited for the cops to arrive, because Sif had found herself saying yes, call them, when Hogun had asked.

Thinking about it, Sif realised something. "It's because he was waiting for me, that's what's bothering me so much. If he'd just been another guy at a party who'd had one beer too many and was getting handsy, I've dealt with that, it wasn't a big deal. But this...it sounded like he knew I'd be here; has he been stalking me? Does he know my schedule, or where I live?" The thought of having to be afraid someone might be lurking in the shadows around her own home was not one she liked.

Skurge squeezed her shoulder briefly. Hogun had left after giving his statement to the police, Sif having assured him that she was fine. "I'm sure you can get a restraining order taken out on him. Do you want to come back inside for a little while? Or are you going to head home?"

"Home, but I'm not sure my head is in the right space for riding right now. And -- the house is going to be empty. Mom's at a neighbour's, playing cards. And I don't want to bother her by calling her, and asking her to come pick me up or anything; she'll know something's wrong and I don't want to talk about it again, at least not this soon." She took a deep breath. She hated how she felt, but talking to the cops had been discomforting.

"How far away do you live? I can give you a lift if you want, and you can come collect your bike tomorrow."

"No, you have a business to run, let me just think a moment." Sif put her head back down into her hands, her ponytail rather frustratingly preventing her from running her hands through it. After a moment she straightened back up as an idea struck her. "Volstagg. If he can come, he can just put my bike in the back of his van; it's big enough." She took out her phone, and hit Volstagg's number. He picked it up on the third ring.

"Hey, Sif, what's up?"

"Hi, I'm at the gym right now and I could use a ride home. If you're not in the middle of anything important, do you think you could come get me?"

"What is it? Engine trouble? Flat tire?"

"No, actually the bike's fine; it's complicated and I'd rather not get into it on the phone. But if you're busy, it's fine, I can -- "

"No, no, it's all right -- hang on, let me double check with Hildegund -- "

Sif waited, hearing Volstagg call out to his wife if it was okay if he went and picked her up.

"Hildegund says it's fine, she can handle the kids until I get back; we were just getting the youngest ones ready for bed. I'll be there in ten minutes tops."

"Thanks," said Sif gratefully. "And bring the van, I do have my bike with me and need to get it home too."

"No problem, I'll see you soon."

He hung up and Sif put her phone away, feeling better already. There was something reassuringly competent about Volstagg; she supposed it came with being a father -- and not just a father, but a father of four kids who made wrangling them all look effortless, taking spills and falls and toddler meltdowns and everything else that came along with parenting in his stride.

"He'll be here shortly," Sif told Skurge.

"That's good." He stretched out his legs comfortably, and leaned back on his hands.

"You don't have to wait with me, I'll be fine, really."

"Eh, the fresh air feels good. I've got time for a break."

Sif couldn't help smiling; with his shaved head and height, Mr. Skurge could look intimidating at first to those who didn't know him -- and he could be as tough as needed when he was in trainer mode if he didn't think you were giving it your all -- but she'd long since learned he had a gentle, supportive side as well. She wouldn't say the word "softie" to his face, but it didn't stop her from thinking it now. And it wasn't like she could call him out about the fresh air, either; while the September afternoons still held the warmth of summer, with the sun setting earlier and earlier each day, the evening air bore the fresh coolness of the oncoming autumn. She tilted her head back to watch the setting sun turn the sky to pink and orange, and it wasn't long before Volstagg's family van pulled into the lot and he cut the engine next to where her bike was parked and hopped out.

Sif stood up, dusting off the back of her jeans and shouldering her duffel bag. "Thanks for waiting with me," she told Mr. Skurge as he stood up as well. "I did appreciate it."

"You're welcome. I guess I'd better get back to work now; you take care of yourself."

"I will," Sif promised. He nodded and left her to head back into the gym.

"Hullo, lass," Volstagg said, sweeping his eyes over her appraisingly after a quick glance at her bike. "You can't simply be out of gas because you'd have told me to bring a can, so do you want to tell me what's up that you can't ride your bike home?"

"Can we put my bike in the van first?" Sif hedged, glad he could not see the bruises that she could feel under her clothing. "I'll tell you once we're inside."

He looked at her a moment longer, enough for Sif to want to squirm under his gaze, but then he nodded and opened the back of the van, taking out the jack that would elevate the bike to the level of the van bed so they could roll it right in. Sif brought her bike over and a couple of minutes later she was guiding it into place on the tarp that Volstagg had already laid down and he was climbing up to help her secure it in place with a bunch of bungee cords he'd brought. Once they'd closed up the back of the van and were settled in the front seats, however, Sif had no more reason to delay. Volstagg looked at her and she took a deep breath.

"I got into a fight. I didn't start it but I ended it. I'm not hurt beyond a few bruises, but...it left me shaken up a bit; I didn't feel like I was in the right headspace for riding safely."

Volstagg's look softened, and he nodded. "I'm glad you called, then. What was the fight about? And what happened to the other guy? If it was a guy...?"

"Yeah, it was, name of Haldor, we'd met, in a manner of speaking, on campus when I told him to get lost when I saw him bothering Jane Foster and refusing to scram when she told him she wasn't interested. And then Thor and Loki showed up and let him know it'd be four against one if he tried to start anything, so he had to back off and retreat. I guess he thought he could reassert his dominance by catching me alone, but that didn't work out as well as he'd planned." Sif's voice took on a note of scornful satisfaction. "He should be at the police station right now, getting booked for assault."

Volstagg was visibly taken aback. "It was that serious? Someone called the cops? Are you sure you're all right?"

"Just some bruises, like I told you." They'd been fresh enough that they hadn't looked too bad yet, but she'd had to show them to the cops to prove there were grounds for an assault and battery charge, had had them photographed. And of course Hogun had been there to back her up, and had testified on her behalf. "Hogun came out of the gym and saw what was happening, and when I had Haldor pinned, he asked if I wanted him to call the cops. I was going to say no, but then I thought about Jane, and what might have happened if this guy had gotten her alone somewhere where no one would see."

She swallowed; this was the hard part. "From the way Haldor grabbed at me, and the things he said -- it didn't go far enough to arrest him for anything other than assault and battery, but I'm pretty sure if I hadn't known how to defend myself, that it would have turned into a sexual assault. And I thought, if I let him walk away from this, he'll think he can keep on harassing women without consequence. So I figured if I could put any kind of a black mark on his criminal record, then it was my duty to do so." She took another deep breath as she finished up.

"Oh, Sif." Volstagg's voice was full of anguish, and he reached out for her hand, unable to pull her into the hug that he wanted to. "I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do?"

"You're already doing it, you're here, you came to get me." She was finally able to look away from the dashboard and meet his eyes. "I just want to go home, except this is Mom's night out playing cards with the neighbours, which means the house is empty, and I don't really want to be by myself in an empty house right now. But I also don't want to have to ask her to come home, because that means I would have to tell her why, and I can't go over it again so soon. I'll tell her tomorrow; I'll have to because of the police involvement, but I just want to forget about it for the rest of the night. I just want to sit down and be quiet and watch a movie or something."

"You know you're always welcome at our place, but I'm afraid I can't promise that quiet. Things are pretty chaotic in the evening getting four kids washed up and ready for bed."

"Yeah, no." Sif thought for a moment, glancing at her watch. She just needed to kill a couple of hours, her mom would be home by then and Sif would have had time to regain her composure and maybe they'd watch something on TV together and then she could take a bath and then head to bed early. But in the meantime...she thought of Thor and Loki's house, where she'd spent so much time over the summer, swimming and playing frisbee outside and darts and board games inside and watching TV or doing puzzles in the den, their parents warm and welcoming from the start. Their house had very much come to feel like a second home to her, and she knew that if she told Loki that she just wanted to watch a movie quietly together with him, he'd be fine with that.

She pulled her hand free from Volstagg's and took out her phone. "I think I'd like to go over to Loki's; I'm going to call and see if he's home."

Loki answered promptly and informed her that not only would he be delighted if she came over, but that Thor had taken Jane out on a date, so they could have the den to themselves to watch whatever she wanted. Also, that his mom had made a peach cobbler and it was a good thing she was coming over tonight because between his father and Thor, the rest of it would probably be gone by tomorrow. Sif smiled at this mental image, and promised she'd be over soon. One of the reasons Frigga was so fond of baking, she thought, was that the menfolk in her family were all very appreciative of her efforts and made sure to tell her that.

"That's good," Volstagg nodded when she told him she was welcome to come over. "Do you want to stop at your place first, drop off your bike and gym things?

"Yeah, I think so. I can walk home from there."

"It'll be dark by then."

"There's streetlights, and house lights, and I can use my phone's flashlight if needed. I do go out after dark, you know."

"Just pointing it out," said Volstagg mildly, and Sif knew that it was because of what had happened, and -- yeah, fair, if Loki offered, she wouldn't object to him walking her home. At her house, they got her motorcycle out of the van and Sif put it in the garage, then ran inside to drop off her duffel bag and leave a note where her mom would see it when she came home saying that she was at Loki's. After that it was just a short ride to Loki's house, located on the next street over in her subdivision, where the porch light was on and Loki was watching for her out the living room window and throwing open the front door for her as soon as he saw her get out of Volstagg's van. Volstagg got out too, though, and came around and enveloped her in a bear hug before she could escape him.

"If that Haldor ever comes near you again," he said in a low voice, "Just let me know and I will rip his balls off for you."

Sif choked on a laugh and hugged him back tightly. "I'll remember that."

Volstagg dropped a kiss on the top of her head and stepped back, giving her a wink. "Can't have anyone threatening my very best babysitter, now can I?"

"I'll sic you on him if he becomes a problem," promised Sif. "But perhaps just a threat would do? I doubt Hildegund would be pleased if you ended up in jail."

"Hm, true. Very well, I can do threats." Volstagg looked like he was enjoying the thought of being able to terrify the shit out of anyone who dared lay their hands on her. "Now go on, your boyfriend's waiting."

Sif grinned, the fact that she had a boyfriend who was gorgeous and intelligent and funny and incredibly sweet still novel enough that she couldn't believe how lucky she was.

"Look after her, lad," Volstagg called to Loki as Sif walked up the front path to join him.

"Always!" Loki called back. "Thanks for bringing her over."

Volstagg raised a hand in acknowledgment as he got into his van, backing out of the driveway as Sif reached Loki and turned to watch him leave.

"Come on in," Loki said, holding the door open for her.

Sif followed him into the kitchen and took her jacket off, draping it over a chair. "So, you mentioned a peach cobbler?"

Loki grinned and got it out of the refrigerator, taking off the plastic wrap that covered it and getting out a plate and utensils and a spatula, cutting off a generous slice and lifting it onto the plate to warm up in the microwave. "Help yourself to whatever's in the fridge to drink," he said.

Sif snagged the bottle of black cherry pop that always seemed to be on hand since Frigga had discovered it was her favourite flavour and sat down at the kitchen table as Frigga herself came into the room and smiled at her.

"Hello, dear, I heard you come in and thought I'd say hello. Odin and I will be in the living room if you need anything. Do you know what movie you'll be watching?"

"Haven't decided yet," said Sif. "Something light." She took her first bite of the warm cobbler. "Mm, good."

"I'm glad you like it; let me know if you'd like the recipe. You can use either fresh or canned peaches."

"Wait till Mom starts making all her apple recipes," said Loki cheerfully. "You can come over one day and help peel."

"I'd like that," Sif said honestly. She had already been drawn into a couple of cookie and pie-making days over the summer and it had been a lot of fun; having multiple pairs of hands to pitch in had made everything go a lot faster and less like work. And she had always gotten sent home with a share of the results.

"I'll teach you how to make all of Loki's favourites," said Frigga, her eyes twinkling. "You know what they say, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

"Mom!" Loki protested. "Sif doesn't have to cook for me for me to -- " He caught himself, and changed what he was going to say. "-- like her." And then felt like a specimen under a microscope as two pairs of interested eyes fixed on him. He flushed.

"Of course not," Frigga soothed. "But being able to make delicious food is a skill everyone should have; why do you think I brought you boys up to know your way around a kitchen?"

"Because we were always hanging around hoping for handouts anyway?" asked Loki mischievously.

"That's true; you were," their mother said fondly. "And if you were going to be underfoot, I thought you might as well learn to be useful."

Sif grinned; imagining a small Loki and Thor standing on stools measuring out ingredients and mixing cookie dough.

"All right, I'll leave you two to your movie. Enjoy yourselves." Frigga thought of adding "but not too much", but decided not to tease them any further. She certainly didn't want to discourage wherever their relationship was headed; if she was right about what she thought Loki had been about to say, she couldn't have been more pleased. Since Sif had come into their lives, Loki had simply been radiating happiness, and smiling a lot more than he had in recent years. Confident that she could trust her son to behave appropriately when alone with Sif, she went to rejoin her husband in the living room.

"So, something light, you said." Loki leaned back against the counter. "What do you want to watch? A comedy? Action adventure? Rom com?"

"Hmm," mused Sif, letting him know she was thinking. She was already feeling better, but she wanted something fun, something that didn't require too much thinking or paying attention to the plot. She mentally considered and discarded several possibilities, then hit on one that felt just right. "George of the Jungle." She pointed her fork at him. "I haven't seen that since I was a kid."

"George George George, George of the Jungle," Loki chanted, "Watch out for that tree!" He grinned. "Good choice. I'm pretty sure we kept that DVD. I remember Mom liking it as much as Thor and I did."

Sif smirked, unsurprised. "Did you and Thor used to play at being George, or any kind of Tarzan character?"

"Of course, although Thor was far more over-the-top about it, lots of chest-beating and yelling and all that. But the park near where we used to live in the city had a really cool play structure that included ropes for climbing or swinging on, so yeah, we were living our best monkey lives there for a while. And of course we had our drums, if it was round and made a good thumping noise we turned it into a drum. Coffee cans, oatmeal canisters, the tupperware bowls from the kitchen, you name it. We used to drive Dad crazy; he'd come home from work wanting peace and quiet and we'd be drumming away like there was no tomorrow. Or we'd trade off, one of us drumming and one of us dancing; I thought we were quite good actually," said Loki loftily. "Mother said we were."

"I'm sure you were," said Sif, grinning as she finished off her slice of cobbler and rose to put the plate in the sink. She made a mental note to ask Frigga if there was any video footage of one of the boys leaping about while his brother played a drum -- and she was sure there must be -- because she would pay good money to see that. "Sounds like you had some pretty good times growing up."

"Yeah, we did. Ready to go watch?" He cocked his head at her.

"Lead on." She took a last swig of pop before putting the cap back on and taking the bottle with her as she followed him out of the kitchen and into the cosy pine-paneled den. She glanced over at the table where there usually was a jigsaw puzzle in progress and managed to put in two pieces by the time that Loki had found the DVD and popped it into the player. She joined him on the worn couch in front of the TV, wasting no time in snuggling up against his side. Loki promptly wrapped an arm around her and pressed play.

It was good, just what she needed, and she got caught up in the movie and the feel of Loki beside her, forgetting what had happened earlier. When the credits were rolling, Loki picked the DVD case up and scanned the information on it.

"What are you looking for?" she asked, lazily, her boots pulled off and her feet drawn up on the sofa.

"The year this was made, compared to my mom's age. Thor wasn't even born yet, and my mom..." he thought. "I don't think she and Dad were even married yet. Engaged, maybe? Dating, at least."

"Are you realising your mother probably saw this when it first came out and might have enjoyed it for the -- ah -- charms of its leading man years before she had any little boys to watch it with?" teased Sif, amused.

"I am," replied Loki, looking mildly scandalised in the way of small children realising their teachers had lives outside of the classroom. He picked up his phone and called his mother, not wishing to yell in Sif's ear or leave their shared couch just yet.

"Hello, sweetheart, did you finish your movie?"

"We did, and I was just wondering, is the reason you never minded watching George of the Jungle with me and Thor because you had a crush on Brendan Fraser?"

Frigga's startled laugh was loud enough that Sif could hear her.

"Not Brendan, no, but George? Yes. That movie was very much designed for the female gaze. That scene with the horse -- "

"Yes, yes," said Loki testily, "Sif was grinning like an idiot during that part as well. But weren't you dating Father at the time the movie was released? Or engaged? Did you two go see it together?"

"We did. I think it was probably more my choice than his, but in that case I would have let him choose the next movie that we went out to see."

"How does that work?" exclaimed Loki, the words out of his mouth before he realised he was going to say them. "Not the taking turns choosing a movie, but being attracted to someone else when you're dating, or engaged, or married?"

"You're allowed to look, if you're in a relationship that's based on trust. There are so many attractive people in the world, as long as it stops at looking, and you make sure your partner knows that they're the only one you want in your bed at night, then it's fine."

"Mm." Loki sounded uncertain. He heard his father say something in the background.

"Your father says that you, however, should not take anyone to your bed because you're too young and he's not ready to be a grandfather."

Loki snorted. "Duly noted, but condoms exist, you know." And then his eyes widened and he clamped his mouth shut, mortified that he had just said that to his mother, while sitting next to Sif. He liked the place their relationship was in, and didn't want her to feel that he wanted more yet, or that he was expecting it. He glanced sideways at her, and was relieved to see that she looked like she was trying to not laugh.

"I do, and I'm glad you do too; shall I relay that remark to your father?"

"No, that's not necessary," said Loki hastily. "Just reassure him that I have every intention of enjoying a child-free college experience. And now I am going to hang up before I embarrass myself further in front of my date. Talk to you later." He hung up the phone.

"Just so you know," said Sif, close enough to have heard Frigga's words, "There is no one that I'd rather be with than you right now."

"Same," said Loki, and his gaze dropped to her lips as his head tilted in invitation.

Sif closed the distance between them, tangling one hand in his hair and kissing him without hesitation, feeling his one hand settle at the small of her back, the other cradling the back of her neck. Loki was an amazing kisser; apparently playing the flute taught you how to use your mouth and lips really well. Time melted away as Loki drove every thought from her head, until, as they shifted to find a more comfortable position, his grip shifted to her lower arm in a bid to urge her onto his lap, and Sif flinched back, unable to completely stifle a cry of pain.

Loki immediately let her go. "What is it? Did I hurt you?"

"Not you. Sorry. I just got some bruises today at the gym, and you pressed down on one." Sif rubbed her right arm lightly.

"Are you all right? Can I see? So I know where they are?"

Sif hesitated, then unbuttoned the cuff of her flannel shirt and rolled it up. They'd darkened in the last couple of hours, and stood out unmistakably against her tanned skin, five evenly spaced circles.

Loki very gently took her hand in his and turned her forearm so he could see them all. Fingerprints, he thought. She'd been at the gym, not her martial arts studio. There was no reason someone should have grabbed her hard enough to leave bruises on her arm. Something fierce and protective rose up inside him. "What happened?"

Sif rolled her sleeve back down, not wanting to go over it again but remembering Frigga's words about a good relationship being built on trust. "Remember that guy that was hassling Jane the other day at college?"

"Haldor. Yes."

"He was waiting for me when I left the gym this evening. He started a fight, I ended it."

"I don't suppose I can look forward to seeing him with a spectacular black eye Monday, can I?" Loki asked hopefully. Not that Haldor was in any of his classes, but he could keep a look out for him around campus, or go and watch Thor practice.

Sif smiled. "No, but I did knee him in the groin and when he started to fold, landed a good uppercut to his jaw. Although...I'm not sure if he'll be back, or for how long."

Loki was pleased by her recital but his brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

She met his eyes. "I called the cops, charged him with assault. Not sure if that might lead to a suspension or something."

Startled, Loki opened his mouth to say something -- but then closed it again, thinking first as he ran his eyes over Sif. She didn't seem to be seriously hurt anywhere, but that she'd involved the cops and pressed charges meant that something more serious than a casual fight had happened.

"I'm all right, truly," she assured him, guessing what he was thinking. "A couple more bruises and that's it. He definitely took more damage."

"Yet you called the cops? Not that I have a problem with that, but...did something else happen? Did he threaten you?"

Damn Loki for being so perceptive, she thought with annoyance. "I called the cops because he heavily implied that he wanted to rape me." Sif said bluntly, sick to death of having to talk about it. "And men like him need to learn that women aren't going to take shit like that lying down." She grimaced. "Bad choice of words."

"He didn't -- are you -- " Loki's shock was giving way to fury. "If he touched you -- "

"Nothing beyond a few gropes that made his intentions clear, if his words weren't enough. I'm fine," she said, and realised she meant it. "I was kind of shaken up earlier, but I'm feeling a lot better now. Being here with you helped a lot."

"I'm glad," He reached out to stroke her hair. "Is there anything else I can do? And did the cops say what was going to happen to Haldor?"

"Unless he's already got a record of previous offenses, he'll probably get off with a fine and probation. Maybe have to take an anger management class or something like that. The cops will get in touch with me to keep me updated or if I need to testify in court, which they think unlikely." Her phone rang, and she picked it up and answered it after a glance at the caller ID.

"Hi, Mom, did you get my note? Are you home now?" She listened and nodded. "Okay, I'll be home shortly. See you soon." She hung up.

"That was my mom, I left her a note saying to call me when she got home from the neighbour's, because I didn't really want to hang out alone after what happened. So thank you for having me over. But do you think you could walk me home?"

"Yes, of course!" Loki scrambled to his feet, taking the DVD out of the player and shutting everything else off while Sif finished off her pop. She collected her jacket from the kitchen while Loki told his parents he was going to walk Sif home, and they went outside, Loki snagging his own hoodie from the front closet as they did so. It was dark out by now, but a full moon added its light to the scene and the night air was pleasant enough that they took the long way around, walking hand in hand, instead of cutting through a couple of people's yards as they tended to do during the day. When they got to Sif's house, he turned to her on her doorstep.

"May I kiss you good night?"

"You may."

He took her face between his hands and kissed her at first gently, and then a little more thoroughly when she grabbed hold of the front of his sweatshirt and kept him from pulling away too soon.

They were interrupted by the sound of the front door opening, Sif reluctantly pulling away to glare at her mother.

"I thought I'd save you having to get your key out," Gna said cheerfully. "Hello, Loki, thank you for walking Sif home."

"It was my pleasure," Loki said, keeping his aplomb and a grip on one of Sif's hands, not so easily dismissed. "Shall I tell my parents you said hello?"

"Please do." Then, accepting that they wanted a few more moments to say goodbye, she smiled indulgently. "Don't stay out there too long, Sif, it's late."

"I'll be right in," Sif promised. Her mother nodded and retreated inside the house.

Loki swung her hand gently. "Got any plans for tomorrow?"

"I've got some homework I need to work on, but that can wait till after supper. If you've got the afternoon free, do you want to go to the cider mill? It's opening weekend, and it'll be crazy crowded, but sometimes that's part of the experience, y'know?"

"I'd love to," Loki said happily. "Should I mention it to Thor?"

"Yeah, if we want to bring a couple of gallons of cider home, we'll want his pick-up. And they've also got donuts, and caramel apples, and fudge, and some hiking trails through the woods we can go on."

"it sounds perfect. And if I bring some fudge home for my dad, I will win so many points."

"Tell your parents if they want to go, it'll be less busy during the week when kids are in school."

"All right, I will, and I'm looking forward to it. Give me a call tomorrow when you're ready to go. Or for any other reason, at any time," he said seriously. "If you want to talk, or need help, you can always call me. You know that, right?"

A lump rose in Sif's throat, and she stepped forward and hugged him tightly. "Yeah. Yeah, I know that. And the same goes for you, too. You can call anytime."

She stepped back, and Loki reluctantly let her go. "I know." He glanced towards the living room window, where he thought her mother probably was, but the drapes had been drawn for the night. "You'd better go in now, before your mom comes back to check on us." He pressed one last kiss to her forehead. "I'll see you tomorrow. Sweet dreams, Sif."

"Sweet dreams, Loki." She went inside, and waved as he glanced back as he went down the front walk to the street. She locked up and turned to see her mother watching her from the couch in the living room, some show playing on the TV. Sif yawned suddenly, and her mother laughed.

"Tired?"

"Yeah, I think I'm going to go take a bath and make an early night of it. Did you have a good time next door?"

"I did; did you have a good time at Loki's?" The look on Gna's face made it clear that she already knew the answer to this.

"I did." Sif was glad that her mother hadn't asked about her whole day, or her time at the gym.

"I'm glad; enjoy your bath, darling."

Sif nodded and collected some clean clothes from her bedroom and went into the bathroom, locking the door. She stripped off down to her sports bra, and glared at the bruises purpling her skin, more than Loki had seen. It was different than getting bruised from hard sparring, or from a martial arts competition. Those were expected, and gained in combat with other honourable warriors. These were reminders that someone had put their hands on her that she hadn't given permission to, and she took out her tube of arnica cream to apply after the bath, wanting them gone as soon as possible. The twin sets of finger and thumb prints on her forearms would be in full view tomorrow at the cider mill unless she wore a long-sleeved shirt, and she didn't want to feel that she should have to to hide them unless the weather warranted it. She hadn't done anything wrong, but she didn't want to deal with any well-meaning questions about how she'd gotten them or if she needed any help. Her lips thinned with anger. Well, let them ask, she'd tell them exactly who'd done it. She'd love it if Haldor tried to get a date or a job and couldn't because she'd ruined his reputation. She started the bath water running as she finished undressing, but her earlier good mood had been replaced by irritation, and she got out the box of bath fizzers that her mom had given her for her birthday, feeling that she deserved something a little special today and choosing a sweet pea one from the remaining balls. She dropped it into the water and got in after it, enjoying the feel of it fizzing against her skin as she adjusted the water temperature to pleasantly hot and shut the faucet off, relaxing as she slid down until the back of her head rested against the edge of the tub, breathing in the sweet fragrance. Instead of dwelling on having to tell more people (her mother, at least, and Thor if he saw the bruises) about the attack, she thought about what she was looking forward to about tomorrow.

Introducing Thor and Loki to the cider mill on what was supposed to be another day of perfect weather for it. They could have gone on the hiking trails during the summer, but past experience had taught her that the woods were thick with mosquitos in the usual humid summer heat, and without the lure of the stream as someplace closer than the beach to cool down, it hadn't felt worth it, not when she now had friends even closer with a brand new swimming pool in their backyard. She smiled as she remembered the day one photo after another had begun arriving on her phone in rapid succession. One of the sign in front of the local pool store. Then one of Loki with the broadest smile she'd ever seen standing in front of a model pool, half filled with water and various floatie toys, along with the message Guess what? A picture of Thor with an equally big grin on his face holding a large inflatable alligator and a pool skimmer had followed.

She had texted back both of them. What's going on?, excitement filling her as she guessed the answer but wanting confirmation.

WE'RE GETTING A POOL!!!, Loki had sent back, along with a picture of their parents standing at a counter with a store employee and several bottles of pool chemicals.

A photo had arrived from Thor showing a weighted ring diving game. ? He had asked.

Waste of money, Sif had texted back. You can use plastic clothespins.

The next photo, from Loki, had shown a basketball type hoop that could be attached to the side of the pool, along with another question mark. Maybe? She had sent back. How much is it?

There had been a pause, then a price had appeared followed by Maybe if we find it on sale somewhere. Sif remembered texting her agreement, thinking it was something that might have been worth the investment if the boys had been ten years younger. She remembered going over to their house to watch the pool being installed, the three of them sitting on top of the picnic table on their patio as they'd watched the walls of the pool rise with interest, remembered the anticipation building as the garden hose had been fed over the side of the pool and the water had been turned on full blast. She remembered their excitement dimming as they'd watched how very very slowly the water level was rising, and having to accept the fact that it was going to be a couple of days before the pool was ready for swimming, Odin informing them that once it was full they'd have to add the chemicals to sanitise the water and then wait another 24 hours after that before they would be allowed to go in.

They'd sought solace and distraction at the lake the next day, but they'd all been more than ready when the all clear had been given on the morning of the fourth day. Sif remembered donning her bikini and a cover-up and stuffing anything else she might need in her beach bag and heading over right after breakfast, and not coming home until dinnertime, waterlogged and sunbaked and happy, her skin smelling pleasantly of chlorine. She remembered days of fun and friendship, and evenings floating lazily around the pool on a raft, full from a cook-out, the smell of the barbeque grill still lingering on the air and the sound of her mother talking with Frigga and Odin on the patio, Loki on his raft bumped up next to hers, their hands joined together and hidden between them as the sun slowly set and the mosquitos came out in full force and drove them back under the water until her mother had called for her to come out and go home with her.

She felt herself calm, and center, and turned onto her side to let the heat of the water warm up her front. It had been a good summer, and she thought about what they had to look forward to in the fall. The cider mill, and scuffling through fallen leaves as they hiked through the woods. Going to Thor's home football games to cheer him on, snug in hoodies and sweaters and flannel-lined jeans, with a thermos full of mulled cider or pumpkin spice coffee and a plaid blanket to share between her and Loki. Halloween. The college had an annual masquerade ball to celebrate which had been quite good last year; Fandral had liberated some realistic-looking prop swords from the theater department and some costuming bits and pieces and they had dragged Hogun into it and they'd all gone as the Three Musketeers. She wondered if Loki would want to do themed costumes and tried to picture what he'd look good as. She thought of his flute -- the Pied Piper, maybe? But then who was she supposed to be, a giant rat?

She frowned and sat up to grab the soap bar, washing briskly and getting out of the tub to dry off as the water drained. She'd have to call Loki, suggest he start thinking about it so they had time to get a decent costume together. She got into her pajamas and warm fuzzy socks and sat down on her bed and texted him. Do u want to do matching Halloween costumes this year?

For what? he asked cautiously, his reply soon arriving. Aren't we a bit too old to go trick-or-treating?

Masquerade ball at college. Not quite as fancy as it sounds but costume is required. And last year Jane and Darcy's dorm was giving out candy and inviting people they liked in for stuff like apple pie and pizza and board games. So u wanna dress comfy, nothing too restricting.

Hmm. Pirates?

We could, but Fandral and I did that year before last.

Pass, then. Rock stars?

Too much like regular clothing unless we do disco or glam. Not feeling it.

There was a pause. Hang on, let me go find something.

A couple of minutes later a picture arrived on her phone. It was the front of one of those clothing pattern packets they sold at the fabric store, she realised. The drawing on the envelope showed two young people, the guy wearing what she thought was called a doublet and hose and the girl in a pretty but comfortable-looking dress, the skirt wide enough to allow for free movement. Renaissance Lovers, the envelope proclaimed. Loki would look fantastic in something like this, she thought, his long legs shown off to advantage in the hose, the doublet emphasizing the breadth of his shoulders and the narrowness of his hips.

I'm listening, she typed.

U wanna do something like this?

Not usually a dress person, but if we can find something like this? Yeah. You'd look hot.

We don't have to look for it. Another picture arrived, with Loki wearing what was obviously a costume based on the pattern, the doublet forest green with accents of gold and his legs encased in close-fitting ivory tights that left little to the imagination. Sif enlarged the photo, her eyes wide. Despite seeing Loki in nothing but swim trunks for a good many days of this past summer, the tights were way more revealing. I played Romeo in my 11th grade school play, he typed. Still have the outfit.

I am looking respectfully, she sent back. V. good look on u. Is that top velvet?

Yep. My mom made it.

Holy shit. It had embroidery on it, too, Sif saw. I'll never find anything that looks as good.

Told u you don't have to. My mom can make the dress for u.

Loki, u can't ask her -- look I'm gonna call u. She closed out the text and pressed his number. When he answered, she went on. "Loki, you can't ask your mom to make me a Halloween costume like I'm five years old! A dress like that would take time, and effort, and money!"

"She'd be happy to do it," he insisted. "She always made costumes for me and Thor if we couldn't find what we wanted."

"But you're her children, not me! I'm a grown woman, I can buy my own dress to wear."

"Not something nice," Loki said stubbornly. "It'll be cheap-looking polyester crap."

Sif couldn't argue with that, but of course no one wanted to spend a lot of money on a costume that would only be worn for one day. But maybe Fandral could borrow something from the theater department again that could work.

"She made the dress for my co-star in the play, and she wasn't anything like the family friend that you are," Loki argued.

Sif felt warmed by being thought of as a friend to the whole family, and not just Loki's girlfriend. And truly she felt that way, with the way she had been welcomed into their lives and made to feel at home. She wavered.

"Is your mom still up that you could ask her? And make it clear that it's your idea, not mine, and I'm not expecting anything!"

"Yes, of course, I'll be right back!"

Loki sounded like an eager puppy that had just been promised a treat, and since he didn't hang up, she could hear his and Frigga's voices in the background a few moments later. And then Frigga came on the line, her voice warm and enthusiastic.

"I would love to make you a dress for Halloween, Sif, it's no trouble at all, really. I'm already familiar with the pattern and the only finicky part is cutting all the pieces to size. The sewing's not difficult at all and the embellishments are the fun part, I like having something to do with my hands when I'm watching TV in the evenings."

Sif could just picture Frigga beaming at her, and Loki looking just as happy to have his confidence in his mother being proved justified. How could she say no? "If you're sure -- " she began.

"I am."

"Then I accept, and thank you, but I want to pay for it. All the materials, and whatever you think is a fair price for your labour."

"That's fine," said Frigga after a moment of silence. "There's always coupons and sales, we'll find a nice piece of fabric at a good price. Light wool, I think, would be most versatile for this time of year, although a heavier brushed cotton might look nice as well, something that could work with both cooler and warmer weather depending on what you wear underneath. An autumn colour, perhaps? Russet? Or a lighter shade of green to coordinate with Loki's doublet? Well, we'll see what they have when we get to the fabric store. Loki told me you're going to the cider mill tomorrow; what about Sunday? I could come over after lunch and take your measurements, and then we can go shopping?"

"I...um, yeah, all right," Sif said, somewhat dazed at the speed with which this was moving along. She supposed Loki had been right in thinking his mother would enjoy making the dress, and she remembered the first time they'd met, and Frigga mentioning they would have liked to have had a daughter, too.

"Excellent. It's not going to take a whole month to make, of course, but better to get started early just in case anything comes up later."

"Like what?" Sif heard herself asking.

"Machine could need servicing?" Frigga suggested after a moment of thinking. "Which reminds me, I don't know where I'd get it done around here. But I expect they'd know at the fabric store, if they don't have someone there themselves that works on them; I'll have to ask."

"Oh. Okay."

"Or someone could get sick," Frigga continued on blithely. "We're generally a healthy lot around here, but cold and flu season is coming up, and I wouldn't want to be working on your dress when I'm contagious with something."

"No," said Sif. "Of course not." This was what it must feel like to be caught up in an undertow, she thought, and had the sudden image of Loki standing there grinning, listening to them. "Well then, I'll see you Sunday. Call me whenever you want to go."

"I will, darling, and I'll look forward to it. Loki's gesturing for me to hand back his phone, so I'll say good night to you now."

"Good night, sleep tight," Sif said automatically, and then felt a bit silly for adding that until Frigga added "Don't let the bedbugs bite" without missing a beat. Sif grinned and then Loki took his phone back.

"Hah!" He exclaimed triumphantly. "What did I tell you? We are going to look great together. And I asked Thor about the cider mill, and he said he'd be happy to drive us, and he's already asked Jane to come along as well, if that's okay."

"Yeah, sure. Are you going to come by and pick me up?"

Yeah; early afternoon sometime all right with you? I don't think any of us want to get up early on a Saturday morning."

"Sounds good. Call me before you come over, so I can get ready." She heard the sound of his footsteps, presumably returning to his bedroom.

"Will do. I suppose we should say good night now."

"Probably." She didn't hang up and neither did he. She gave a little huff of laughter. "What's that quote about parting is such sweet sorrow?"

"Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, That I shall say good night till it be morrow." Loki's voice went soft, caressing, and Sif swallowed, wishing he were in this room right now with her.

"Yeah, that." She made another self-deprecating noise. "I don't know why it's so hard to hang up when I'll be seeing you tomorrow. It's just...I'm so glad you moved to town. I can't imagine my life without you in it anymore."

"I feel the same way," Loki said softly.

Sif took a deep breath, words wanting to bubble up in her throat, but they were the sort of words that were best said face-to-face for the very first time. Perhaps besides the stream in the woods tomorrow; she could ask Jane to take Thor off in a different direction so she and Loki could have some privacy. Jane would understand.

"Sif?"

"Yeah?"

"The sooner we hang up and go to bed, the sooner tomorrow will come."

Sif snorted. "Did your mother used to tell you that on Christmas Eve?"

"I seem to remember it mostly being aimed at Thor, but yes. So," he said briskly. "Since the hour waxes late and we must practice at being sensible adults, good night, Sif, and sweet dreams. I will see you tomorrow."

"Good night, Loki," said Sif, still smiling. "And sweet dreams. I'm looking forward to it. Bye." She finally hung up, putting her phone on charge before going to seek a bedtime snack and to spend a little time with her mother before going to bed. To get it over with, and not wanting anything to spoil tomorrow, she told her mother briefly of what had happened, but it was already feeling distant, the love and support of her friends surrounding her like a protective armour. She reassured her mother that she was fine, and meant it, and they watched the opening segment of the late night talk show together before Sif announced that she was turning in, rising and stretching with a yawn. Her mother stood up as well, and gave her a hug. It was perhaps a little tighter than usual, but Sif didn't mind, nor did she mind it when her mother followed her into her room and tucked her into bed with a kiss and a "Good night; I love you."

"Love you too," Sif replied, enjoying the feel of the blanket tucked snugly behind her back in the way she could never manage to do by herself. The ritual was not quite the every night thing that it had once been, but her mother always seemed to know when she needed it. "G'night."

Her mother turned out the light as she left, closing the door most of the way behind her but leaving it just ajar enough that Sif could hear the faint murmur of the television set, the sound turned down lower so as not to disturb her, the sliver of low light coming in from the hall if she looked that way comforting as well. She was asleep in minutes, and if she dreamed, she did not remember it when she woke the next morning, feeling rested but enjoying the comfort of her bed too much to rise immediately, thinking of the day ahead, thinking of Loki. Anticipation filled her, and she threw back the sheets and bounced to her feet, opening her window and letting in the fresh morning air. It felt like it was going to be a perfect day to spend outside, and she began picking out the clothes she wanted to wear and throwing them on her bed.

Dreams were all well and good, but real life was even better, and she had every intention of enjoying hers to its fullest.

*****

A/N: Had this basically done back in July, but I didn't feel the tone of the beginning was quite right and it bothered me enough not to post it. Finally figured out what needed adjusting and hope it's no less enjoyable for the wait.

#sifkiweek #sifki #marvel fic #ficwoodelf #sif #loki #mcu #sifkiweek23 #every way love's a little stronger #no longer quite as seasonal as it would have been if it had been on time but at least it's done #yes i snagged the title from good omens #it seemed to fit really well and i liked it better than the working title i'd been using up till then

8 notes · View notes