#post-partum reader

TW: Mention of miscarriage. Mention of traumatic birth experience. Traumatic birth aftermath.

It turns out Jane cannot carry a baby to term safely, so Jane and Thor search for a surrogate.

They find you. They don't go through an agency but they vet you thoroughly themselves. You haven't had a child before, but you're the right age and everything else fits what they're looking for.

You stay with them during the pregnancy, but unfortunately the birth was a very difficult one. You needed two transfusions of blood and still almost died.

You pulled through but you would need a lot of care after leaving the hospital. Unfortunately, New Asgard did not have an abundance of midwives or...anyone really. And Thor was out of his depth, and Jane had never given birth before (her miscarriage had happened when she was still not very far along yet at all) and she just didn't know how to care for you and for a newborn.

Thankfully, Loki was a skilled midwife. Not something most people would have expected of him had they not known him his entire life, but Frigga had been the best of the best when it came to midwifery and he had learned from her. He had attended many births and had assisted Frigga and had been called upon many times without her present.

Mostly they had helped the palace staff with births, but also sometimes the village nearby and Asgardian nobles.

In Asgard, midwifery was about more than just the birth itself. Often the midwife continued to help throughout the first weeks and months.

You were not the first person he had cared for after a very difficult and traumatic birth, either.

If he weren't so handsome it might not have been so embarrassing, but there was something about Loki that disarmed and charmed you, even when you were pale as a ghost and still felt like you were on your death bed.

He was free with his touches, as well, even though you had thought he had a reputation for not really being a very touchy-feely person (despite Thor's best efforts).

A male midwife was unusual, but not totally unheard of and as the days went by you had to admit; he knew what he was doing.

It was just that you usually weren't supposed to fall in love with your midwife. But it didn't have to be a problem! You just wouldn't say anything. Besides, after seeing you in the most embarrassing, and even gross in some cases, stages of being post-partum you're pretty sure there was no chance of him having any interest in you. It was best to keep this to yourself, you thought.

What had started as friends with benefits now moved into a committed monogamous relationship where you were both anticipating being parents. Loki was...honestly amazing through the whole thing.

He married you and though you had a small bump by the time you walked down the aisle, Loki glared at anyone who stared at it for too long if he thought it was in a judgmental manner.

He proved to be the most doting husband. He was sweet and gentle and did whatever he could to make you laugh, especially if you were upset or sad about something or just not in a good mood.

He was a prolific gossip, too, and his judgmental quips about people he disliked always made you giggle. He was very creative with his insults.

He took care of you when you were at the end stages of your pregnancy and you were in a perpetual state of discomfort.

When the baby was born he stepped up taking care of you and took care of the baby as well while you recovered. He also hired a woman to help with you and the baby if he had to be away (he was only to be called by the Avengers if there was no way around it, since he was supposed to be on paternity leave). She was a matronly figure and was very good with the both of you.

Some of your friends who came to visit you and the baby would say scary things, though. Things that started to make you worry. About how men like Loki, good looking and wealthy with status and breeding, were used to taking mistresses. Especially when the wife started having babies, because their bodies changed and for a while they couldn't have sex under doctor's orders anyway. And then even when she could have sex again, she was still kind of loose and had so much discharge down there. To say nothing of her stretchmarks and the baby weight still lingering. Her breasts weren't fun anymore, either, heavy with milk and prone to leaking.

Her friends tutted and did their best to comfort you, giving each other looks when you expressed complete confidence that your husband would not treat you like that.

Then they pointed out that, well, you might be right, even though you could see in their faces and hear in their tone that they didn't believe that. They did bring up the fact that your relationship had started out so casual. You weren't even dating. When he slept with you he wasn't really intending to sign up for a relationship, let alone a family. He would want an outlet.

They also advised that you should probably just let him do it. He was an amazing catch and if all he did was sleep around every once in a while it might be worth it.

These women had been your friends since you were children and you couldn't believe they were telling you these things.

When Mrs. Forsyth heard you crying, she made your friends leave for the rest of the day. You were grateful for that.

By the time Loki returned in a few days you were no longer crying, but he did note that something was bothering you. He could tell by looking at you. But you absolutely insisted there wasn't and so he let it go.

It wasn't until you were finally cleared by the doctor to have sex again that you made your misstep. When Loki expressed interest in having sex together again, you were a little surprised and asked if he was sure and brought up all the things your friends had said about how undesirable her post-partum body would be to Loki. Or any man.

Loki was not thrilled that your "friends" had said such awful things to upset you and undermine their relationship, but them he would deal with later. Right now, he was going to make it his mission to show you just how desirable you were and how there was absolutely nothing wrong with your post-partum body. Your stretchmarks were beautiful reminders of how you'd carried his child, nurtured them in your womb and kept them safe. The same for your weight, though he honestly didn't care if you ever lost it.

And as for the state of your vagina...well, he was certainly not offput by that. It, too, was proof that you had birthed his child. Your labor had been long and he had been with you through the entirety of it and through the birth. He had watched as the baby came out. Of course your body was going to need time after that to be back to the way it was before. He had no problem whatsoever about the amount of discharge. So you were open and wetter than ever for him, how was that a bad thing?

He was going to show you that those were not mere words, either. He meant them all.