As the days inch toward Thor's coronation, the roles of the members of the royal family shift. The All-Mother will still hold sway at court, but she will disappear from rule, stepping forward only when she is asked. She will sit beside Loki as another of Thor's advisors, but she will no longer stand higher than him on the throne. Mobius will spend his time very similarly to what he is used to, but he will have a larger office and more control over the daily business of the crown. He will have a staff of his own to supervise. His job in the palace is comfortably familiar.

Thor asks Brunnhilde to hand-pick members of the Einherjar to be his closest guards and she chooses a mix of those who have had many years of experience and those who are still relatively new to the work. She asks one of the most dedicated rising warriors to join them and Randi becomes part of the King's personal escort.

Thor asks Loki if he will stand beside him when he is crowned and Loki consents on one condition – Mobius needs to be near enough that he is within sight so if Loki finds himself overwhelmed, Mobius is there to steady him. Thor happily makes arrangements, thrilled that he gets to plan for Loki being there at all when not very long ago he had thought it a fool's hope that he would be.

Liv doesn't intend on moving her work into the palace, but every time she leaves the children with Loki, Jane makes a point of saying hello and inviting her to come see what work she's doing with some of Asgard's most advanced researchers. It doesn't take long for Liv to start daydreaming about working there and when Jane asks her if she'd want to join them for a few projects, she doesn't hesitate to say yes. Both Jane and Darcy know that "a few projects" is going to turn into a long-term love of working alongside the palace scientists.

A few days before the coronation, the family relaxes in the gardens near the cottage, relishing the time without appointments, rehearsals, or the hundreds of little tasks that make up the ceremonies to welcome a new king. They are all exhausted and eagerly awaiting the big day so that it can be over soon, their lives turning back to a more quiet normality. After a few hours of play, the two youngest children start bickering and whining, so Loki suggests they go inside and take a nap. He brings them to his bed, tucks them in, and quietly sings them to sleep while soothing little orbs of light float around the darkened room. Frigga uses this as an excuse to retreat to the kitchen to make tea for everyone with Mobius' help.

Darcy has ambled into the library and Loki finds her looking through his illustrations pinned on the drying lines, "These are gorgeous. I didn't know you could draw."

"They're from this ancient book," he says, picking up one of the volumes from Svartalfheim, "That I am aware, it is the only copy in existence. It has no match in our palace library and it is thousands of years old, a relic of the race of Dark Elves that Bor eradicated."

"Dark Elves? You mean like that Malekith guy Frigga stabbed the shit out of?"

Loki nods, "Yes. This would have been from his world, had it not been destroyed."

"So...how did you get it?"

"Mobius would bring home rare books from his work at the TVA," Loki answers, "When the job is to remove something from the timeline, it technically doesn't mean it has to be destroyed. Just...gone. And bringing it home to me did, indeed, make it gone."

Darcy laughs, "He's a clever one...there's a reason you two get along so well."

He nods, "Mobius makes a sort of mischief all his own."

She gestures for him to open the book and he does, "So...show me."

"You know you are allowed to touch it, don't you?"

"Yeah, but still...this is me and I drop things and it's super old, so...like I said, show me."

He shakes his head, amused, "If you insist, let's go over to the desk instead. It will make things easier." He brings the book to the desk and gestures for her to sit across from him, turning it to face her and slowly turning the pages so she can see the details on the pages, "It is a work of art."

"It sure is. What language is this?"

"The language of Svartalfheim," he replies.

She rolls her eyes, "Uh, yeah, I figured that."

"Well, ask an obvious question…"

"...get an obvious answer, I know."

He grins, "Good. So do you have another question?"

"How do you read it? Like, do you actually know the language of dead race of elves?"

"No, I don't," he replies.

"So...how are you illustrating it? And aren't some of these critters also extinct?"

Loki nods, "Yes, they are. But we do have some books on the creatures of Svartalfheim in our library, so I have references for them. To your other question, one of the traits of those who work for the TVA is that they are able to speak every language along the timeline. We were afraid that perhaps this would fade as Mobius was farther from the TVA in time, but it seems this isn't the case and he still can easily translate for me. So he reads the text and I write down the transliteration. After, I'll go back and illustrate what stands out to me from the passages."

She smiles across the table, "Awww, you're an adorable nerdy power couple."

"I suppose we are."

"Dude, you're translating a book from a long-dead civilization with your boyfriend and I'm going to bet you're both incredibly cute when you do it."

"I'm sure we are. There's a reason we bothered hauling a desk with us from the TVA."

"Oh?" Darcy inquires, "I smell a story."

Loki traces his fingers along the edges of the book while pushing back a lock of his hair that has fallen in his face, "Only a little one…." he says, the happy memories bringing a gentle smile to his face.

"Come on, tell me," she says, leaning her elbow on the desk and propping her chin against her hand, "You look like you're remembering something wonderful."

"I am. The first time Mobius kissed my forehead, it was to tell me goodnight. He'd been making sure I could get to sleep after...well, after some very bad times. I didn't feel safe at night, so he would make sure I felt secure. During the day, he'd gifted me an incredibly important set of books on the early history of Aesir magic and I was so excited to read them, delighted to feel in touch with something so deeply ingrained in my spirit...until that night when it hit me that I might never connect with it again. My heart sank and Mobius stayed beside me to comfort me. I didn't expect it when he kissed my forehead and it was a lovely, uncomplicated moment. I fell asleep content. It became a part of our nightly routine, curled up together, a gentle kiss on my forehead as he told me goodnight. Even when I didn't feel entirely at home in the TVA, I knew I wasat home in his home.Eventually, I commandeered his desk. When he came back from work that day, he called me 'his scholar-prince' and it just felt...right. We talked about a lot that evening, including my need to grieve for Sylvie. So that night, he let me. Or, rather, he made me comfortable enough that I allowed myself to mourn. After I'd let it all out, I told him I wanted to sleep and not feel anything more. But he asked me if he could ask me to feel more thing...and he kissed my cheek."

"Awww, that's so sweet!"

"Yes, it was. But it being from his apartment isn't the only reason I'm so fond of this desk."

"There's something more than 'the first furniture you owned away from Asgard'? From the place he said you were his?"

Loki nods, "I felt at peace studying there and he loved hearing what I was learning. Then came the day he brought these home," he says, brushing his hand along the volume from Svartalfheim, "I'd been working on a puzzle in the books of Aesir magic and he set these on my desk and told me the story of where he found them. I was stunned. They're beautiful and the allure of lost knowledge captivated me. I suggested bringing over a chair so he could sit beside me and he countered by hovering over my shoulder, his cheek to mine, and saying this was his preferred way to study. I noted that yes, it might be, but he also would have a very sore back after, and he conceded...but not before saying it was much more convenient for one thing. Then he kissed my cheek. Darcy, I was so very content knowing I meant something to him, even if we didn't know what to call ourselves. Our love grew as we sat close beside one another at this desk, as I was able to share such a deep passion.… He never told me I was overly enthused, he never belittled how intensely I focus on getting my wording right, and he never grew impatient if I asked him to clarify a translation. There was a day when I was drawing, waiting for him to come home, that this realization came over me and I knew I never wanted to lose him. How could I not bring it with me, then, when I left?"

Darcy can't stop grinning, "That's so romantic, Loki. I'm so glad you two found each other. Everything I've seen says he's really good for you. And you for him, too."

"I honestly don't think I'd be alive if it weren't for him. And I don't merely mean that the TVA would have pruned me for crimes against the Sacred Timeline and I would have ended. I mean that after, when I was faced with so much of my own failings and despair, I found myself able to build a friendship with someone who knew everything I'd been, everything I could have been, and still cared," Loki says. "I think...no, I know that made all the difference in how I was able to heal and move forward."

There is a soft knock on the doorframe and Frigga calls to them, "There's tea on the table. I'll be telling the others next so they can come get theirs."

"Thank you, Mother."

She nods, "You're ever welcome, my child." She leaves and Loki puts the book away before gesturing for Darcy to leave the room with him. They take their tea outside. Darcy skips off to play with Arne and Jane – Jane is trying to teach him to hit a ball with a bat, laughing as she misses. Liv rests with Brunnhilde, telling her about the various plants in the garden and jumping into stories of the flora she studied on another world. Thor and Randi laugh and spar while Mobius asks them to tell him what they're doing and why. They're happy to slow down and show him. Frigga settles in with Brunnhilde while Loki goes to sit beside Mobius.

"You seem quite interested in what they're doing," Loki notes.

"It's pretty spectacular to watch them dance like that. She's so fast and so's he. I know they're both pulling their punches and slowing things down so I can keep up and I'm loving every minute of it," Mobius replies.

"Some day, ask me to spar with Thor," Loki says, "And you will see how quick I can be with knives. It's even better if I can confuse him with illusion, duplication, and other fun deceptions."

"You're good with mayhem in battle. I remember the whole, 'will you ever not fall for that?' line."

"Ah," Loki says, "Yes, that. Not my best moment."

Mobius shrugs, "I mean, it was just a moment. Clever? Sure. Kinda brutal? Yeah, that, too. But I'm not judging you for it. It's where you were at the time." He takes Loki's hand, "And I'm OK with that."

"How you're so forgiving about all of this is something I still don't understand."

"Well, I'm still your Mobius," he says, winking, "So I guess you don't need to understand."

Loki laughs, "Indeed. And I'm your scholar-prince."

"Exactly. We're good to go." Mobius pats his lap, "Come on, sit closer."

"I don't think that's quite possible."

"Swing your legs over my lap, then. Get a little snuggly. I mean, if you're alright with that in front of everybody," Mobius says.

Loki takes a sip of his tea, sets it aside, elegantly drapes his legs across Mobius', and slips his arms around Mobius' neck, "Of course, my dear beloved Mobius."

Mobius wraps his arms around Loki's waist and kisses his cheek, "You're being a little extra flirty today, Loki. It's nice."

"Ah, well...it's a lovely day and we're amongst family, so I feel safe. And in a few days, my brother will be king. I feel like we are finally finding our place in this world...I'm content, and where I need to be."

"It's so good to hear you say that. You've found your feet. If you'd've told me you'd find this kind of peace any time before you ran after Sylvie, I would not have believed you. Heck, I probably would have argued against it. You just didn't seem like the kind of somebody who was going to be able to let yourself be, if you get my drift."

Loki leans in and lightly kisses Mobius' lips, "It's because of you, my love. Your friendship. Your trust. Your kindness. And I'm so grateful you've let me into your heart."

Mobius gives him a big hug, "Awww, you're sweet."

Thor drops down beside them, "Loki and Mobius...getting a bit flirty on this lovely day, I see?"

Randi sits with them, "I think 'flirty' is an understatement, Thor."

"Am I making you uncomfortable?" Loki asks, starting to draw back his legs, "I'm sorry, I-"

"No," Thor cuts him off, "You're fine. It's good to see you so happy."

Loki shifts his legs off Mobius' anyway, "Thank you. It's good to be this happy."

A little voice calls from within the cottage, "Mama! He stole my pillow!"

Randi laughs, "I shouldn't find that so funny," she says to her friends before standing and hollering back, "I'm on my way, honey."

Thor turns his attention back to Loki, "May I ask a rather impertinent question?"

"I suppose," Loki asks, "Though you know I might not answer it."

"It's for both of you."

Mobius leans back to look around Loki, "Yeah? You can ask it, but I might tell you I'm not answering."

"As usual." Thor pauses, "I've...heard gossip. People wondering about our family. No one is being as rude or vile as those we have dismissed, but…." He sighs, "There are some who question if Mobius is truly a member of this family, as you two have not yet wed. They question the permanence or commitment between you."

"Ah," Loki says, "This again."

"I almost didn't bring it up. I know it was something…."

"Something said to me in the hall when I was pinned," Loki says quietly, "I know he isn't the only one asking it. I had hoped that the way Mobius and I conduct ourselves around one another would be enough. Or perhaps the roles he is known to be taking in the coronation ceremony."

Mobius furrows his brow, "So why are you bringing it up?"

"Because I don't know what you want me to say when I hear it," Thor says, "I want to refer to you in whatever way makes you comfortable, but I don't know how."

Mobius nods, "OK, good reason."

Loki leans against Mobius, "I suppose you could always retort with a question – does it look like we aren't committed to one another? We have been seen by many sitting close in the garden or in a window niche in the hall. We share our living spaces. The All-Mother has named him as her family. If someone isn't certain after using their eyes and ears to take in what we are, I doubt anything you say will convince them."

"I mean, we also don't hide that we have matching rings...we wear them everywhere," Mobius says. "They can try to get a peek at them when we're up front for the coronation. But if you really want something to say, just tell them that if they can't trust their own eyes, if they can't trust that you say we're family, then nothing is going to make a difference and they can just walk away and die mad." Mobius pauses, "I mean, you do think of us as family, right? Is there any reason you can't just say, 'I say so, now go away?'"

"Oh! Of course I do!" Thor quickly reassures them, "And I have said that Loki is my family and as he has chosen Mobius, then the matter is settled. But I have then had prying people press for more of an answer and, thusfar, I have simply said it is so and I am done talking to someone who would question this. I came to you in hopes that I was doing this right and to recognize that perhaps I had missed something or there was another way you would want me to address it."

Loki nods, "You will always find those who are traditionalists who will question our lives. At one point, I would have measured myself by what they thought of me, taken their criticisms to heart and questioned my own worth and commitment because of their own insistence that a prince ought to do things in only the properly accorded fashion. But now…." He looks over to Mobius, "I've found something more important in which to put my faith."

Thor opens his arms, "Then I offer you both my heartfelt congratulations for this time in your lives! I have never seen Loki's heart this settled, not even in our youth. And for that, Mobius, I owe you a great debt."

"It wasn't just me," Mobius answers, "I could have offered again and again and it never would have made a difference unless he was ready for it and willing to take a chance. Loki put a lot of hard work into himself for this as well." Both he and Loki settle into Thor's embrace.

"I have yet to ask this of you and I don't entirely know why, but Loki, would you mind if I asked Mobius to allow me to call him my brother?"

Loki laughs, overjoyed, as tears brim in his eyes, "No, I don't mind at all."

Thor addresses Mobius, "Then would you permit me to name you my brother?"

Mobius kisses Loki's cheek as a few tears sneak down it, "Absolutely!"

Thor's booming laugh attracts the attention of others in the family as he declares, "Then may it be known that on this day, I now have two siblings, not only one, and I hope you will both stand in that place of honour during my coronation!"

Loki can't help but let his joy bubble over, tears included, as he turns to Mobius and kisses him, "Will you?"

"Of course, Loki. You're my partner. I'd say husband or wife or spouse in everything but the paperwork."

Arne walks over to them, Jane and Darcy close on his heels as the rest of the family joins them, "What's going on?" he asks.

"Thor's asked me to stand beside Loki during the coronation," Mobius says, "So he's going to essentially be treating us like we're married, even though we're technically not."

"Why does it even matter if you're not?" Arne says, "Anybody with eyes can see you're not going anywhere."

"Exactly," Loki says, wiping his eyes, "And thank you for understanding this. You are more wise than many of your elders."

Happy for her children, Frigga retreats to the cottage to bring out more tea. Brunnhilde follows her. She gets a plate of pastries ready while Frigga readies a few of her kettles. When she turns toward the table, Brunnhilde stands close.

They smile at one another and Brunnhilde kisses her cheek, "They're beautiful. You raised some amazing kids, Frigga."

"Well, they've changed a lot since they flew into the wide universe beyond our borders. I'm so proud of Loki, though. Now that I know all my child has been through...it is a miracle he is alive and even moreso a miracle he came home."

"They're all remarkable," Brunnhilde answers, "Thor's ability to accept Loki as he is and defend him absolutely. Loki's journey to find himself...and herself. And Mobius is just an incredibly patient and kind person. I'm so grateful he found Loki, even if their start was so difficult."

Frigga nods, "Our family has been so blessed. By Randi and Liv and the grandchildren as well. Thor and Jane have talked about having children of their own. Loki and Mobius have embraced their roles as uncles and truly love these children. They'll fall in love with Thor and Jane's children so easily. It will be wonderful to watch."

"I just love that I have a family," Brunnhilde says, "I never thought it would be yours."

"I'm so glad you let me love you," Frigga replies. She gently kisses Brunnhilde, "But we really should get these to our children and grandchildren. They're going to be hungry – it's been a long time since lunch."

Brunnhilde laughs, "I've never seen myself as the motherly type, yet here I am."

"I'd imagine it's very different, seeing that the children are grown and the grandchildren can go home at the end of the day if they've been having a difficult time of it."

"That is an advantage to all this…." She picks up the platter of pastries, "But you're right, we don't want a mutiny. Especially from the little ones."

They carry the tea and pastries out of the cottage and serve them to the others, still laughing and hugging while sitting close. This is how Frigga has always dreamed of seeing her family. She wishes Odin had lived to see it. But as he did not, she looks to the sky to see if she can spot his ravens. They are circling high above. She knows that in some small way, he knows.