"Check or bet?" Shuri waited on Mantis who was staring at the cards faced up on the table.

"I bet," Mantis nodded. She looked up to Shuri and nodded again. "I bet." She moved a button and a penny into the center.

Shuri nodded. "Okay. Please show your cards."

Peter Parker showed his cards first, Drax, Mantis, and then Shuri. Drax had lost. He started chuckling.

"I am close to winning strip poker; my belt is gone now and I have one more article of clothing left on," Drax set his belt on the table.

"Noo! The one with ALL their clothes on is the winner," Shuri gathered the cards back up.

Peter Parker glanced at the belt then to Drax's pants. "At least he has underwear."

Drax scrunched his brows together as he looked over to him. "Underwear?"

"Garment that you wear under your pants?" Peter looked back down to Drax's pants.

"I do not wear those type of garments," Drax stated with pride. "They are not comfortable."

Peter Parker and Shuri glanced to one another. They both had the same sort of thoughts. Shuri passed the cards onto Peter to shuffle. He shuffled the cards and dealt them out. Drax had lost the fifth game and if it goes on for him to lose the sixth game, everyone in the vicinity was going to see Drax without clothes on. He lost each shoe first, then his socks, and now his belt.

Mantis had lost a shoe and a sock but she was holding her own. Shuri had not lost any clothes and Peter had lost his mask.

Peter Quill, Bucky, Sam, and T'Challa came into the home once again. They headed over to the table where the group was playing.

"What are we playing?" Sam glanced at the group. He and the others could easily guess what card they are playing.

"You want in?" Peter Parker peaked at his cards.

Peter Quill was thinking about joining the next round when he noticed Drax is on his last clothing item. He stood behind him to check on his cards.

"Fold," Peter Quill muttered to Drax.

"Raise," Drax raised his chin to Peter Parker. Peter Quill clenched his jaw. He turned his body away. This was going to end badly.

As Shuri revealed her cards in her hands, it was Drax's loss once again. He jumped up with a beaming smile. "I am now the winner of strip poker. He grabbed onto his pants as the others were yelling him to stop. He started to drop his pants. Some closed their eyes, others turned away. Peter Quill fought with Drax to keep his pants on. Wanda, Stephen, and Nick came onto this scene unfold before them.

"We get it, you won!" Peter Quill was struggling against Drax. "Do not drop your pants."

"Fine, fine," Drax let his pants go. "But I won."

"Yes, we all agree you won," Peter Quill nodded. "Right, everyone?" They all nodded. "Okay, since you won, no more playing this game." He looked at the group. "Aren't you still in high school, how do you even know how to play this game?" He chastised Peter Parker. "Aren't you the same?" He looked over to Shuri.

She started to laugh. "It's just a game, besides everyone has a body, it is natural."

"You are too young to know that!" Peter Quill reminded her.

"Things are different now, Quantum Leap," she joked. "Besides I bet you played at our age too."

Peter Quill couldn't refute that one.

"Wait, I have a different one, King's cup," Peter Parker grabbed the cards, shuffled them and placed them around a cup. "Things are simple this will let all of us get to know one another while keeping it fun."

"This would have been better with alcohol," Sam muttered.

Peter Parker explained the general concept of the game and pulled the first card. This game riled everyone up at times.

Loki could hear the laughter but he had used a secret door that led outside from the master chamber. He let Vali play upon the water.

"You are unable to get wet but you can play as much as you want into the water," he smiled at Vali who was slapping the water with his hands. He didn't know that the two of them played on the water for a few hours.

"Eh!" Vali stared at Loki with both arms up, opening and closing his little hands as fast as he could. "Ugh!"

Loki picked him up. Vali turned to stare around. "It's different, isn't it? Over there should be the waterfall with a small pool of crystal-clear water with fish swimming about. The meadow over here where the horses like to roam." Vali babbled. "Yes, we like the horses. Mother and father like to put you on their backs and let you ride them as well."

Vali looked towards a different direction. His hand clasped onto Loki's shirt. Loki looked with him. "That's right, Vali. That's where your mother likes to work. She likes to make things. She enjoys making all sort of items, such as tools, weapons, trinkets, and toys." Vali turned the other way. Loki walked with him in his arms. He pointed out where Vali was looking. "Yes, that is where the garden is supposed to be and where part of your food comes from. I worked so hard on that garden to get it to where it is now, bountiful harvest every time. It's different, open and free, such a terrible disposition."

"Eh-eh," Vali was tugging on Loki's hair.

Loki stared down at him. "What do you need?"

"Eh-eh, meh, mah," Vali was getting desperate. Loki and him stared at one another before Vali started to cry while repeating the same words. "Mah-mah!"

Loki held him closer. "Oh no." His voice was soft and comforting. "I miss her too. You want mother?" Vali's cries began to worsen. He was wondering when it was going to be time to perform this. Loki used his magic to transform into Sigyn. He started to sing about the sun in her voice.

Vali looked up to see his mother before him. Her gentle smile and her sweet voice. Vali raised his hand to touch her face. Loki kissed his hand and pulled it away to keep singing. He waltzed a bit with Vali while singing to get him to smile again. Loki was at the front of the house. He kept the singing up as he entered. Vali kept smiling and touching the face of his mother. The group stopped as they saw a young woman holding Loki's son. Loki ignored them as he kept it up while waltzing past them. Vali started to yawn and snuggle more into him. Loki didn't stop singing but did start to rake his fingers through Vali's hair. Vali felt comfortable and relaxed. He started to sleep.

Loki laid Vali down into the crib. His voice soothed Vali and Nari. The two snuggled into their beds and slept. Loki waited a few minutes before stepping out to view the group holding their hand up, some with a few fingers down while others still hand them all up. He shifted back to his original form.

"Damn," Sam muttered.

"That's what Loki's wife looks like?" Peter Parker blinked.

"She is a Goddess," Bucky chimed in. Peter Parker and Sam turned to him. Bucky just shrugged.

"Pirate Vampire baby married the baby from a siren and an angel," Drax's statement made everyone glance at him. He stared back as he seemed that it was obvious.

Loki could have just ignored them but he was enjoying the moment. "Expect more of her appearance. Vali, and perhaps Nari, have started to look for her. Its been a long time already but none of us know that and especially not them. I will do what I can to make them happy."

"Well, I know what I am going to say next," Peter Quill smirked. "Never have I ever used magic to look like the opposite sex." No one put their fingers down. "Shoot, I thought I had some of you."

"A Midgardian drinking game," Loki glanced around the room.

"Oh, I got one that will take a few of you down," Nick smiled. "Never have I ever thought just now that Loki as his wife Sigyn was gorgeous, breathtaking, and anything else to that matter." Nick glanced around as fingers started to go down. "Aha!" He let out a laugh as they put their fingers down in hidden embarrassment and defeat.

Loki sat down on one of the chairs that Wanda and Stephen used for reading. He opened up a book while the others went back to their drinking game. He would glance at them now and again as they continued to play their game.

The group got to know one another on a different level. Lots of laughing, blushing, and play fighting. The cries from both infants made Loki leave the boisterous group for a moment. He came back with both in his arms. Nick came over to him with a look a knowing look. Loki turned his head a bit, looked away before looking back. He let out a defeated sigh.

"Alright, but only you," Loki handed over Nari to him since Vali had a death grip with bits of hair clenched into his tiny fist.

Nick clutched Nari close. "I am your Uncle Nick." This gave the group a shock. He gently bounced his steps as he strode back to a chair. "Your mother and I are good friends. She would babysit me from time to time." Eyes started to widen and some people's faces started to get ashen. Nick glanced up. "Oh right, none of you know that. Well, learn something new every day." Nari gave a gummy smile.

"Um mister God of Mischief sir, can we know more about you?" Peter Parker was curious about him. He only knew about the bad things, not anything else. The group glanced at him before glancing at Loki.

"Sure, why not," Loki felt like he broke down too easily but he remembered that none of them were going to remember so it was fine, besides he did want to brag just a bit.

"What a narcissist," Stephen mocked. "If we had only known earlier to fan your ego, you would have spilled everything."

"Oh, second rate," Loki took a seat close to them. "Green is not a good look for you." He crossed one of his legs. Vali nestled upon it and started to play with Loki's clothes.

"Since we're going to integrate you," Nick repositioned Nari. "You glossed over getting Sigyn back from the Jotuns but you never said how she responded to you not actually being dead. What was her reaction?"

Loki watched Vali smile as he opened and closed his jacket. It had become one of his fondest memories. Even is Sigyn had tied one hand behind her back, she could still knock someone out. "She made sure I knew how she felt."

"Oh," Quill knew that feeling exactly. "You got slapped." It reminded him of all the times he had gotten slapped. Both of his cheeks tingled in remembrance. His hand went to rub one side out reflex.

Loki let out a sinister chuckle. He looked him straight in the eyes. Even in the Soul Word the feeling of goosebumps was not gone. "Oh no. Sigyn is much more ferocious. She knocked me to the ground with one punch." He rubbed his jaw where she clocked him good. "It was deserved. I may have teased her too much when she didn't know who I was."

"Teased? She was taken captive by Frost Giants and you teased her?" Wanda felt they had some things in common but many differences.

"She wasn't taken captive, she was given to make sure the peace treaty was still in effect," Loki explained. Vali stared up at him. Loki took hold of the reaching hand. He bent down to kiss it. "Her powers were under lock and key. I made a suggestion to try to win her. Your mother hated that. A new widow and some dwarf Jotun was making advances at her. We fought. Then I asked her to trust me, she found out it was me and I was knocked to the ground. Jane's clout that I had earlier was just a passing breeze." He moved Vali's hand as if Vali was punching him. Vali giggled.

"What does dwarf Jotun look like?" Drax had heard about the barbaric Frost Giants, yet he had never seen one.

Loki let the illusion, that was casted to protect his identity and from burning others with his skin, fade away. The group let out gasps as Vali turned blue like his father.

"Puts a whole new meaning to blue balls," Sam muttered to Bucky who let out a smirk.

"Can we see what your goddess wife looked like?" Peter was interested. It was a new subject for him.

Loki changed into Sigyn's Jotun form. There were more gasps from them. He blinked instead of rolling his eyes. Vali became overjoyed as he got to see his mother once again.

"What does her Fire Giant side look like?" Stephen was curious since Sigyn's red hair changed to white unlike Loki's which stayed black.

Loki changed back. "Never got to see that side of her."

"Can you tell us a story about you and Thor?" Shuri was curious about those two siblings.

Vali tugged on a black tendril. "Which story about your oaf of an uncle should I tell? Oh, that one." He looked over to the group was waiting with anticipation. "You haven't heard about the one time your oaf uncle had to dress up as a bride to get his hammer back."

"Thor, in a dress," Sam blinked.

"Pirate Angel baby would look gorgeous in a dress," Drax spat out. Mantis nodded her head in agreement.

"Wait, you used an illusion on him," Quill crossed his arms.

"No illusion, just a big oaf in a dress, with me as his chaperone," Loki stroked his son's head, moving the hair back. "This is a story that has been kept secret since the oaf lost his hammer. He left it on a rock one evening. One of the chiefs of Frost Giant tribes had taken the rock with the hammer upon it. The oaf angered since he couldn't feel any guilt at the time went on a rampage to find it. We met with the chief, Thrym, who didn't hide that he stole it. He even hid it from him. The only way to get it back was to give over Freya, Sigyn's mother, to become his wife instead. Neither of us were going to give up her mother so I devised a plan." Loki was mostly telling the story to his sons instead of the group. He did miss telling them of his past adventures. "Why he wanted Freya, well Sigyn is Jotun, and he wanted leverage over her and what better way to do that, is to use her mother. There were rumors that he wanted to make a Sigyn. That was on Iwaldi's side though,"

"I could have used the illusion on both of us but Thrym was not someone you could fool with magic but couldn't call my bluff," Loki continued. "We let Thrym know that we would have to kidnap Freya but we would trade her for Mjolnir. It would be a few weeks since we had to fool Iwaldi. Thrym agreed. Instead of kidnapping Freya, who was in Vanaheim, we headed back to Asgard to get him a new dress. He was having a hard time wanting to dress up but thanks to Heimdall agreeing with my tactic, the oaf reluctantly agreed with the plan of action." Loki chuckled at the memory. "The blue dress with gold embroidery and lining brought out his eyes. Gorgeous wedding dress, went all out, blue cloak, sapphire and gold jewelry with adorning crown. After wearing it, he actually liked how breathable it was. Anyways, I wore a simple hand maiden's dress, light green. Made the oaf wear a dark gold veil to hide his face."

"I can't even picture it," Maria was trying to so hard.

With a wave of his hand, Loki casted a small image of Thor in the exact wedding gown onto the table. It was only a foot tall.

"That shows his angel side beautifully," Drax commented. "He has a heavenly aura. Such golden glow. I will never look at him the same again." Nick tried not to chuckle at that comment.

"Thrym accepted his bride with haste when he noticed there was no magic casted on either of us," Loki further explained. "I changed my voice to sound wispier and softer, some makeup, change of hairstyle and I didn't even have to cover my face with several veils unlike the oaf who was trying to grow a beard at that time and didn't want to shave." Loki rolled his eyes and let out a sigh of annoyance. "I left an illusion of myself at the table next to the oaf while they were celebrating their marriage, to find out where they had hidden the hammer. Once I found it, I came back only to hear that I shouldn't have left the oaf to his own devices. He singlehandedly devoured an entire ox, eight salmon, and all of the dainties that were prepared for the women-ugh not to mention all the numerous barrels of mead meant for the celebration. Thyrm had gotten suspicious. The oaf's excuse was he was nervous and started to eat to calm himself down."

"Thor has a healthy appetite," Drax would always be on his side. "It was the wedding night as well. One must have energy and stamina to endure the first night together. No sleep for that night." Quill let out a groan. He was embarrassed to be him sometimes.

"Thrym was now ogling his bride, looking like he wanted to eat as well," Loki hinted. "I made my illusion walk towards me so it could disappear and I reappear with another mug of mead. Thrym came closer to the bride. The oaf, thankfully, ate with the veil on and never lifted it up. Only moved it to get the food. Thrym asked with his raspy voice, I have never seen such a woman with this ravenous appetite, do all Asgardian women eat like this? I quelled his curiosity with my bluffs, stating that her highness had been fasting herself after she found out a robust and chiefly Jotun wanted her. She was sick of being casted aside from Iwaldi who thought smithing and smelting was more important. Thrym was enthralled to the point that he took off one of the veils. His eyes, full of passion, gazed into the oaf's eyes which were filled with hatred. Thrym, again, had some doubt. He spouted about how he had never seen a woman with such piercing eyes. Covered up that doubt with the loss of sleep as she was nervous that he may not have liked his bride as he proclaimed."

"You have such a silver tongue," Stephen pointed out with disgrace.

Loki gave him a smug look while shrugging his shoulders. "Some say its one of my best traits." He raised an eyebrow. Stephen rolled his eyes. "Thrym agreed to bring out Mjolnir. When the hammer was brought out, the incantations and chains that held it in place were lifted, the oaf put his hand out to call his hammer back." The image of Thor mimicked Loki's words. That Thor moved his arm out to call the hammer. Mjolnir appeared in his hand. The image disappeared. "The first to pummeled was of course Thrym and then whichever Frost Giant stood in our way to get back home. When we got out of there, he kept repeating his threat over and over, if you ever tell this to anyone, I will kill you." Loki let out another chuckle. "Empty threats really."

Drax clapped at the end of the story. Everyone turned to him. Nick bit the insides of his cheek but had to look away and let out a quiet chuckle. Nari smiled with him. Drax was perplexed that no one else was clapping.

"What?" Drax tensed. "It was a great story. Pirate Angel baby must have been elegant with his swings and his punches. Attacks like he was dancing ballet. One would give a standing ovation and through flowers, jewels, scalps of enemies at his feet."

"You keep saying oaf, not brother or saying his name," T'Challa pointed out. Everyone had picked up on it. The group turned back to him.

Loki had been procrastinating saying his name. He had called him brother but after what happened. After the struggle with Thanos, it was still too painful to say his name. It would only solidify that this was real, that it wasn't a dream. He didn't want to accept this fate. He hoped that he would wake from this dream, perhaps illusion and he would be back in the oasis with his family. "Oaf is his name." Loki masked his true feelings with dissatisfaction. No one pursued that topic any longer.