He's nervous.

He's more nervous right now than he has been in a very long time – since the Void, even, and it's been over a year since then.

And, perhaps the worst part, is that he may have a reason to be nervous. If this goes poorly, it may be the end. He may not have a choice in the matter – or maybe he will have a choice, which would be worse. Maybe he'll have to choose between his two homes, his two families, and he wouldn't know what to do.

Perhaps he should have thought about this before falling in love with a mortal.

But, as he and his family are approaching Himinbjorg, his opportunities to change his mind are dwindling. When Odin begins to speak to Heimdall, he knows it's too late. They've made it. They're going to Midgard. It's settled.

Thor pats him on the back – when did he get there? – and says with a grin, "I am very excited to finally meet your lover."

Loki forces a smile. "And she is excited to meet you as well." He wonders how true that is. Is she excited to see Thor again? It must be strange, that she has to pretend she hasn't met him before, that she hasn't loved him before. And yet, of all the things that worry him, that's not one of them. He knows she loves him, and her past relationship with Thor doesn't threaten him.

It's Odin and Frigga who make him the most nervous. If she doesn't like them – or, worse, if they don't like her – he may be put in an impossible situation. He doesn't even want to think of all the ways that could go wrong.

But then Heimdall summons the Bifrost, and he tries to push these thoughts aside in favor of at least trying to enjoy himself. He's going to see Jane. That's supposed to be fun. And having his parents and Thor and Sylvie here doesn't have to change that.

After much deliberation, Loki and Jane opted for a picnic today, far removed from the rest of the world in a way that will hopefully be comforting to the Asgardians. Odin, at the very least, doesn't seem like the kind of god who would want to mix and mingle with the humans. The fact that he's even decided to come to Midgard – specifically to meet a human, no less – is a shock, even if it most likely was at Frigga's urging.

Jane had worried that a picnic wouldn't be fancy enough, and he can't pretend he doesn't understand her fear. But it will be fine, he assured her, and he assured himself along with her. It will be an opportunity to sit and talk and eat. They've made sure there are enough chairs for everybody, so it's not as though they're making Odin Allfather, the King of Asgard, sit on a blanket in the sand, and they worked together to brainstorm a large enough variety of foods that everybody will have to like something.

She still wasn't convinced, as of last night, that this was a good idea. Loki wasn't, either. But they're here now, and they're going to make this work. They're going to make this an enjoyable experience, and everyone will leave happy. He won't allow himself to entertain any other ending.

As the light of the Bifrost fades, scorching the sand below, Jane and her friend appear not all too far away. Jane gives him a wary smile, which he returns with one of her own. Selvig seems less than thrilled about this – Loki's almost surprised he came; they'd assured him he didn't have to if he didn't want to, even if Jane does consider him family – and Darcy is just beaming. She's so lighthearted, carefree. Sometimes he wishes he had her outlook on life.

Loki gestures for his family to follow him, and as he approaches the picnic, the three humans stand up to greet them all.

Loki and Jane share a brief kiss, briefer than it normally would be, and before he pulls away, he murmurs in her ear, "You look lovely, my dear."

Jane giggles, running her hands down her sundress, and she seems to relax a little bit, which makes him feel better, too. Loki greets the other two with a friendly nod, and he earns two smiles in return.

And now, at last, it's time for introductions.

Loki takes a deep breath and introduces them one by one. "This is my father, Odin Allfather; my mother, Frigga Allmother; my brother, the King of Asgard, Thor; and my sister, Sylvie."

Sylvie presses her lips into a firm line, but he swears he can see the smallest hint of amusement on her face. He's not sure why, but he's sure there's a lot that she would find amusing right now – namely, his discomfort at the whole situation, as she's insisted that this is not a big deal, though it most certainly is.

And then he introduces the humans. "This is Dr. Jane Foster, Dr. Erik Selvig, and Darcy Lewis." He doesn't give them titles like he did his family. There's no girlfriend, no my dear friends. He's just going to stick with their names and hope to make this as brief as possible.

Jane greets them with a shy smile and a wave. Darcy mimics her movement, and Selvig just nods in friendly, if somewhat uncomfortable, acknowledgement.

"It's nice to finally meet you," Thor tells them, and then he walks up to Jane. "Loki's told us so much about you."

Sylvie snorts. "Oh, yeah, so much," she says sarcastically. Thor reaches back and smacks her arm.

"It's nice to meet you, too," Jane says, ignoring Sylvie much the way Loki does more often than not. To Odin and Frigga, she adds, "And you, too, of course."

Frigga opens her mouth as though to speak, but Thor doesn't notice, and he cuts her off. "You are beautiful," he tells Jane, and he takes her hand, bringing it to his lips in a much-too-dramatic greeting that makes her giggle. "What in the world is a woman like yourself doing with him?" He jerks his head toward Loki.

Jane scoffs, the corners of her lips turning up in an incredulously amused smile. She looks at Loki, who makes a show of rolling his eyes.

Frigga sighs, dismayed. "Thor, please," she says. "Be nice."

"I'm only teasing," he says. "Lady Jane – is that how you'd like to be addressed?"

"Just 'Jane' is fine," she assures him.

"Well, Jane," Thor says, "I wish you and my brother the best. I know that he cares for you deeply."

Jane smiles softly. "And I care about him, too."

Thor moves on to greet Darcy next, which leaves an opening for any of the other Asgardians to take. Loki decides to get ahead of it, and he puts a hand on Jane's back, gently leading her toward his family. They'll do it quickly, and they'll get it over with. Then they can just relax and eat and try to enjoy themselves as much as they can.

Frigga reaches over and takes Jane's hands in her own. "It is so wonderful to finally meet you, dear," she says, with all the sincerity in the world. "I knew from the first time I saw Loki speak of you that you were something special, and I am so pleased to know that my son is in such wonderful hands."

Jane smiles softly. "You are so sweet."

Frigga gives her hands a gentle squeeze before she lets them go, and then she steps aside and looks up at her husband.

This is the part that Loki's been most worried for, and he suspects Jane – and likely Darcy and Selvig as well – feel the same. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. If Odin decides, for any reason at all, or even without reason, that he dislikes her, this may be the end.

Odin nods in greeting, and he offers her the smallest of smiles, just enough to alleviate some of Loki's fear. "Dr. Foster," he says, and his use of her full name, title and all, is almost concerning, though Loki's fairly certain it's just a sign of respect. "It is wonderful to meet you."

Jane's smile that had been so soft when she'd spoken to Frigga looks so much more tense now, but she manages to get out, "You, too, Your Highness."

Sylvie claps her hands together. "Great," she says. "Now that that's out of the way, what do we have to eat?"

Darcy huffs a laugh. "I like her," she remarks.

Sylvie smirks and shoots her a playful wink before plopping herself down on the picnic blanket, eyes scanning the array of food before her.

"Sylvie!" Frigga admonishes her. "Introduce yourself before you eat all their food."

"Oh, I've already met her," Sylvie says absently as she reaches for a fruit kabob.

Thor scoffs. "Why did you get to meet her?" He shoots Thor a look. "Why did she get to meet her?"

Loki shoots Sylvie a look. They'd agreed not to talk about the TVA. As far as anybody except her, Loki, and Jane are concerned, Sylvie has always been a part of this world, and nothing that happened before the Thor from the Void put them in this timeline ever happened. (Heimdall, of course, has some idea. He's seen the conversations. He's asked a few questions, and he's been given very vague answers in return, and that seems to have been enough for him.)

But Sylvie brushes it off. "Because I'm the Goddess of Mischief," she says, "and I don't need to wait for permission to meet my future sister-in-law."

Loki balks at her. Future sister-in-law? They've only known each other for just over a year! It's far too soon to be talking about marriage – especially in front of Odin, who is certainly not overjoyed that his son is dating a mortal, even if he has reluctantly seemed to accept it in recent months.

"Sylvie, please," Frigga says, and those two words are enough to shut her up. It's one of the many things Loki and Sylvie have in common: their devotion to their mother. Try as he might, even Odin doesn't have this kind of power over them.

Once introductions are completed, they all sit around the picnic arrangement. Sylvie sitting on the blanket prompts Thor to sit on the blanket, which, in turn, prompts Loki and Jane to sit on the blanket, which prompts Darcy to sit on the blanket, which leaves Odin, Frigga, and Selvig to take the chairs – and they definitely brought too many chairs.

Loki takes a hot dog and a handful of chips for his plate, and he leaves a thin line of ketchup on top for a bit of flavoring. Thor follows his lead, plopping a hot dog in a bun and then completely smothering it in the condiment.

Loki nudges Jane with his elbow and subtly gestures to Thor with his head. Jane covers her mouth with her hand, fighting back a laugh, but Thor is none the wiser.

Odin and Frigga seem a bit less certain about all this food before them, and Loki's not surprised. He wouldn't be surprised to hear that none of this even existed the last time they came to Midgard, however long ago that was.

Loki tries to provide them a little direction, and tells them, "I think you would enjoy the steak." It's probably the closest thing here to a meal from Asgard. That's why he chose it.

Jane looks wary as they both take a piece of steak, which is absurd – almost as absurd as the fact that Loki feels the same way. It doesn't matter if they don't like the steak. That won't change their opinion of Jane. And yet, what if it does? Or what if it sours this experience and that changes their opinion of her?

But, fortunately, they both seem to enjoy it, so they all go about eating their meals in peace. Jane doesn't eat much, he notices. She eats slowly, overly carefully, sparing frequent glances toward Odin and Frigga. They both appear to be oblivious, and Loki bumps his shoulder against hers, a silent sign of reassurance. She's doing fine. There's not a single thing she could possibly be doing better right now.

"Dr. Foster," Odin says eventually, breaking the silence that's followed them since the picnic commenced.

Jane swallows hard and looks up at him. "Yes, your Highness?"

"I hear that you've been studying the Bifrost," Odin remarks. "How has that been?"

Jane glances at Loki, who gestures encouragingly. Odin is actively trying to make conversation with a human. This is amazing. He never thought he would see the day.

Jane clears her throat. "It, uh..." She shrugs awkwardly. "It's been really interesting. I'd been researching this kind of thing for a while, but I feel like I got a whole new perspective on it from talking about it with Loki. I feel like it's taught me a lot not just about physics, but about the world and the universe as a whole."

"Hmm," Odin hums, and he nods, trying to show that he's listening, which is sweet, really. He doesn't have to take an interest – or pretend to take an interest, as the case may very well be – in Jane's work, but he is. And he's doing it for Loki, which is perhaps the sweetest part. He's listening to a human discuss her scientific endeavors for Loki.

Odin may have lied to Loki his entire life, favored his brother as he tried to mold him into a king while leaving Loki in the dust, and, in another world, driven his youngest son to suicide, but he has his bright spots!

Thor smiles softly. "It's nice to see that my brother has found a woman as... intellectually inclined as himself."

"In a world where that's valued, no less," Loki adds. "A realm that focuses on more than violence and bloodshed."

Darcy sucks in a breath through her teeth. "You don't watch the news much, do you?"

Loki cocks his head to the side, brows furrowed. What is she...?

Selvig shakes his head. "Sometimes, ignorance is bliss," he tells the god.

"Well," Sylvie says, "that just goes against the whole 'intellectually inclined' thing you guys were just talking about."

Loki rolls his eyes. "Why did I invite you?"

"Because Mother would never let you take the rest of the family and leave me behind," Sylvie replies with a shit-eating grin. She is such a pain in his ass. Sometimes he does have a hard time viewing her as a 'sister' the way he's supposed to, especially after what she did to himself and to Jane, but he has to admit, she definitely plays the part well.

Loki looks to Frigga, expecting her to make some sort of remark now that her name's been invoked, but both she and Odin are looking at something beyond him, puzzled looks on both their faces. Loki looks over his shoulder, and he sees it, too.

It's a time portal.

The TVA is coming.

Loki stands up and grabs Jane's arm, pulling her to her feet along with him. He carefully positions her behind himself, one arm out to keep her back while he conjures a dagger with the other.

"What is this?" Thor asks, and out of the corner of his eye, Loki sees him stand as well. Mjolnir flies into his hand, and it's a relief, really, to know that he won't have to fight this alone. Sylvie, he's sure, is preparing her own weapon. Between the three of them, they should stand a chance.

"A potential problem," is Loki's only answer. It's been too long to tell them the truth about the TVA, about where Loki and Jane and Sylvie came from. He's not going to explain unless he has to.

The first foot steps through the time door, revealing a brown boot and matching pants that go along with it. He's hardly had time to recognize that that's not a Hunter's uniform before the man steps out into the desert, closing the time door behind him.

"Mobius!" Jane pushes past Loki's arm and runs up to him, throwing her arms around him in a hug. "You scared the crap out of me!"

Mobius chuckles and hugs her back. "What, you get a lot of other visitors from the TVA?" he asks teasingly.

"Not yet, but that doesn't mean we won't," Jane says. She gives Mobius one last tight squeeze before she lets him go. "It's so good to see you again."

"You, too," Mobius says, and then he turns his attention to Loki. "And how are you doing?" he asks, and he holds a hand out as he approaches, which is a relief because Loki does not want to hug him.

"Not bad at all," Loki tells him, shaking his hand. "I haven't seen you in a while." It's been months, he'd guess. He'd begun to think the guy was done visiting them. With timing like this, he almost wishes that was true.

Mobius shrugs. "Yeah, well, finding a time when you're here but I won't be intruding is easier said than done," he says, though his faint smile says he doesn't mind it.

Loki must admit, deciding that right now isn't intruding is certainly an interesting choice.

Mobius looks to the one other person he knows, and he gives her a wave. "Sylvie."

"Mobius," she says curtly.

Loki glances between them uncertainly. Have they even seen each other since the Citadel? He wouldn't be surprised if they haven't. That doesn't bode well for the future of the afternoon, but at least they're mostly civil right now.

"Loki," Thor says uncertainly, "who is this?"

Loki heaves a sigh. "This is Mobius," he says. "He's from a far-away place, and it is very complicated so I will not bore you all with the details."

That only seems to confuse the Asgardians – Sylvie, excluded, of course; she simply looks annoyed – but Loki pretends he doesn't notice because he would not know how to explain Mobius's existence any further without sitting everybody down for an hours-long conversation.

"Let's just say," Mobius drawls, a playful smirk on his face, "I introduced the happy couple.'

"And by 'introduced,'" Jane adds, "you mean Loki was trying to get away from you and ran into me."

Mobius clicks his tongue and shoots off a finger gun in her direction. "That's exactly what I mean."

Loki rolls his eyes goodnaturedly. He's such a pain in the ass. It's like having another brother.

"Anyway, I'm not here to bug ya," Mobius tells them. "I just gotta give ya..." He reaches into his suit jacket and pulls out a folded-up piece of lined paper, which he holds out to Jane. "A letter from our new He Who Remains."

Jane furrows her brows and takes it from him. She opens it up, and she's only looked at it for a few moments before she meets Loki's gaze and gestures for him to come join her. Loki gives Mobius a weird look, and he just smiles, that cocky little know-it-all smile he likes so much.

Loki walks over to Jane, standing behind her and peering over her shoulder at the paper she holds. Loki would know that handwriting anywhere, even if Mobius hadn't all but told him who wrote it. It's Thor, writing to them from the end of time.

Dear Loki and Jane,

I am beginning to understand why He Who Remains was the way that he was. Sitting alone at the end of time is not the most enjoyable experience, and I can see why it would drive a man mad after too long of it. I've seen Mobius a handful of times, and the Lokis of the Void as well, but I'm still waiting for the day you two come back to visit. All you need is a pruning stick and a TemPad – and I promise I will not let Alioth eat you. He really is a good boy when he's not overwhelmed by falling universes.

For a time, I wished that I could have returned to the timeline with you, but I've come to realize that I am exactly where I need to be, and that you are, too. You two make a wonderful pair, and I couldn't be happier for you. Even from here, I can see how much you care for each other and how much you have in common. You complete each other, two halves of one whole, and I couldn't be happier for you.

I wish I could have come to your family meeting, but even if I could leave the Void, I don't think my presence would be taken too kindly, especially with another Thor there as well. I hope Mobius will be a more welcome guest, and that my words greet you well.

I miss you both dearly, but I am overjoyed to see the life you've built for yourselves. I am with you in spirit, and I will do what I can to protect you, so that you can live a long and happy life together. I love you more than you know.

Thor

Jane leans herself against Loki, almost the standing equivalent of cuddling, if there was such a thing, and looks up at him with a soft smile. "Even he's happy for us."

"We really ought to visit him someday," Loki remarks.

She nods. "We should," she agrees. "Someday when we're not having a picnic with your family."

"That is a wonderful parameter," Loki says. "Definitely something to consider when choosing a date."

Jane cracks a smile and bumps her shoulder against him playfully. Loki just smiles back. She's so cute. He's not sure he'll ever get over it.

"Speaking of picnics," Sylvie says through a mouthful of food, "you should sit your asses back down, because this food's not gonna eat itself."

"Why would it?" Thor asks teasingly. "You're doing such a wonderful job of doing that yourself."

Sylvie picks up a potato chip off her plate and throws it at him, and Thor drops to the ground in an instant to catch it in his mouth – an impressive feat, truly. Darcy begins cheering, so Sylvie has to join in, and when Jane begins to laugh, Loki has to slap a hand over his mouth to stifle a laugh of his own laughter.

"Alright, alright," Frigga says, lovingly exasperated by their antics, "that's enough."

Thor and Sylvie settle back down comfortably on the blanket, and for a moment, Loki just stands there, admiring this picture-perfect family sitting right there in front of him. He can hardly believe he threw this away once. He's not making that mistake again.

Jane folds the note back up and, after silently offering it to Loki, who shakes his head, she tucks it into her pocket. This will be nice to look back on every now and then: a nice reminder of his brother watching over them in the great beyond.

Mobius claps his hands together once, a movement of finality before he pulls his TemPad back out. "You guys enjoy your picnic – and I'll see you two later." He flashes Loki and Jane a smile.

Loki thinks for a moment.

And thinks for a moment more.

And then one more moment, just in case he changes his mind, but alas, he does not.

So Loki gestures to the picnic and says to the analyst, "I'm sure there's room for one more, if you have time to waste."

Mobius hesitates, and he glances at Odin and Frigga almost instinctively before looking back at Loki. "Are you sure?" he asks uncertainly. "I don't want to intrude..."

"Unfortunately, it's a bit late for that," Loki tells him, "but you might as well have something to eat while you're here."

Mobius glances at the others, but nobody objects – and of course they don't; they're not rude – but it's not until Jane gives him a smile and an affirmative nod that he finally agrees. "I guess I could go for something to eat."

"Yes." Darcy pumps her fist victoriously. "I'm meeting all the space people today."

Mobius chuckles. "Don't let them set the bar too high," he says. "I'm just an office worker. I've got nothing on a family of royals."

Darcy waves that off. "All space people are cool people." She slides over, making a space between herself and Sylvie for him to sit.

Mobius sucks in a breath through his teeth. "I think I'm going to sit somewhere else."

Sylvie nods. "Good choice."

So Loki goes to sit back down, and though he leaves space for Jane on one side, he makes a point to leave just as much space on the other side. He looks up at Mobius and patting the ground, and Thor slides over to give the analyst more space to sit.

Both Jane and Mobius take their seats, the latter thanking the brothers as he takes his spot between them, making himself comfortable on the picnic blanket. He doesn't seem all too daunted by the fact that he's sitting next to the King of Asgard – but then, Thor can't be too daunting after studying Loki's entire childhood with the guy.

"It's nice to finally meet you guys," Mobius tells the group as he begins making his sandwich. He really is just such a calm, unbothered, nonchalant person all of the time, isn't he?

"Loki's told you about us?" Thor asks. "All good things, I hope?"

Mobius shakes his head. "No good things," he jokes. "Not one single good thing."

"Ah, well, that does sound like him," Thor remarks, amused.

Loki shrugs, a playful smirk on his face. "It's hard to say a good thing about a man with no good qualities," he says teasingly. "I am a wonderful liar, but even I am not that skilled."

Thor scoffs, slapping a hand over his chest with exaggerated offense. "Wow, brother," he says. "I fear this may be a banishable offense. I may have to–"

"Boys," Frigga interrupts, an amused smile on her face that she can't hide, "that's enough of that."

"We all know that this will not be the end," Sylvie tells her, and Loki must admit, she's not wrong.

As they lapse into a comfortable silence, Loki looks around, taking in this moment for all it's worth. He has his Asgardian family, his Midgardian family, and the only decent member of the TVA, all in one place. And they're here for him. They're here because they love him and they love Jane and they want the best for them.

A year ago, he never would have thought this was possible. He never would have thought he would have a family like this. He never would have thought he could make a home for himself the way that he has. And, as awful as the TVA was, he has that experience and the unlikely allies he made along the way to thank for this.

Loki puts an arm around Jane's waist, and she leans into him, resting her head on his shoulder. He rests his own head on top of hers, savoring every moment of this.

He is so very lucky to live the life that he has, and, sitting here with all the most important people in his world, he couldn't ask for anything better. 

And they all lived happily ever after. 

The end!

If you liked this fic, I'm @kittyhazelnut and I've written a lot of Marvel and Loki fanfics if you wanna check them out! If you didn't like this fic, I'm Elon Musk and all complaints should be directed toward him on Twitter. 

Thanks for reading! <3