Sometime towards the end of Deathly Hallows part one, neither Grace nor Loki could sit up and both were completely giddy due to the lack of sleep. They stretched out on the couch, side by side, flinging popcorn at every Death Eater on the screen, giggling at lines that weren't quite funny, and generally being silly. She staggered from the couch to switch discs at the end and stumbled back onto the couch, snuggling against him after retrieving another cup of coffee for each of them and the last of the snack food in her cupboard- a bag of cheese curls, a few tortilla chips, and the half-finished jar of salsa from the refrigerator. Loki started to drift off but woke when Grace cheered rather loudly as McGonagall made the statues come to life to defend Hogwarts. They were both somewhat awake for the rest of the movie, Grace yelling "Not my daughter, you bitch!" along with Molly, flinging a cheese curl at Bellatrix as she did. When the credits started rolling, she turned the television off with the remote and realised the lights were already off- they had never bothered to turn them on earlier in the day. She nestled down into the couch against Loki and started dozing.

Loki was only half awake as he asked, "Mr Stark said if I slept with you he would do some rather unspeakable things...am I going to wake up and find him poised to strike?"

She sighed, "I won't let Tony neuter you- 'sleeping with' is a euphemism for sex, we're not having sex, you're fine."

"I somehow doubt he would care about that distinction."

"Go to sleep, Loki. You're OK. Friend cuddles, remember?"

He felt her pull his arm around her again and relaxed a little, too tired to put up any sort of protest, let alone move. She was right, cuddling was nice. It had been so long since he had slept beside anyone and she was warm, soft, and caring. He decided to enjoy it and fell asleep quickly.

Late the morning, Grace woke up before Loki, gently extracted herself from under his arm without waking him, and went to shower and dress for the day. As she was leaving the bedroom, putting her glasses on as she walked, she heard the door open and Tony start speaking. She stepped into the living room in time to see a very bleary-eyed Loki sit up, skitter to one side of the couch, and gather his knees to his chest protectively and as though he were readiying to shield himself from a bludgeoning.

"-I know, Loki. I watched a few moments here and there when the meeting got slow...which was most of it, so I know you didn't keep your hands to yourself. I should take off each finger for that. And your hands. And maybe your arms. And your legs, since you touched her with those, too."

"Please, Mr Stark, do not dismember me."

"Oh for fuck's sake, Tony, if you watched everything you know it was my idea. I'm the snuggler. I've snuggled with Steve or Bruce how many times? There wasn't anything any less chaste going on than when all the times I've fallen asleep on your couch watching movies with you and the boys."

Tony finally noticed Grace, "And Gracie's wearing a dress. I somehow thinks this proves my point- something weird is going on here."

Grace sighed as she sat down on the couch between Tony and Loki, replacing her lowermost earrings with large rainbow beaded hoops, "No, it's called 'Tony forgets yet another one of Grace's requests because AVENGERS'- it's Motor City Pride- the parade is tomorrow, but there's stuff going on today, too. I told you I needed somebody to fly me there about a month ago. It's been on your calendar since. Now seriously, get me air transportation to Detroit. I'd like to take Loki, if you won't freak out."

'Whoa, whoa, whoa, Gracie, you want to take him to Detroit to a massive public festival? You know somebody will recognise him."

"Probably not, actually. If I take a guy who isn't you, I'm more likely to be left alone. And I'm not taking Steve again. He's sweet, but I had to answer way too many awkward questions. And Bruce doesn't like crowds. Natasha threatened to kill a reporter. Clint...is Clint. And you attract paparazzi like they're trading cards."

"And you don't think Loki will have awkward questions?"

Grace turned to Loki, "OK, so here's the deal. We're kind of messed up here when it comes to human sexuality. And by here, I mean in this country. Some guys sleep with guys. Some girls sleep with girls. Some folks don't give a shit what's between the legs of their lover. Some people don't like sex at all. Some people are told they are male or female at birth and raised in those social standards and just don't feel like they fit in their bodies so they decide to live as the other. Some people live as both genders or neither. And we really can't seem to handle that as a culture and like to use religion to tell these people, who are somewhere around a tenth of the people in existence, that there's something wrong with them. So those folks who decided that they were sick of being treated like they shouldn't exist created events to show that they were here, that they could survive all the shit that had been thrown at them, and people should just get over their discomfort and deal with it. These events are what we now call Pride events- parades, parties, and all the fun that goes with them. We get silly, we fight for our rights to be human, and we meet other people like us. Right now, the big push is that we can marry our lovers. Some states allow it, some states only allow people of opposite sexes to marry. So there's the quick summary of what I'm going to today and inviting you to, if Tony will let you out and not turn into the big red vulture. Any questions?"

"Can we first discuss the probability that I will keep all my limbs?"

Grace glared at Tony, "Dismember him and I'll be pretty pissed. He was the perfect gentlemen last night. I doubt you could do better."

"Fine, limbs will remain...until Grace revokes her gentlemanly assessment. If she tells me you crossed the line at any point, you forfeit body parts. Understand?"

"It would be hard not to. And to answer your question, Miss Grace, how is it anyone's business to know just whom someone else prefers to sleep with?"

Tony interjected, "Wait, this isn't something you have in Asgard?"

"We have people of different sexual predilections, to be sure, but we see no need to discuss these things publicly. It simply does not matter who one takes to their bed- private matters remain private. Of course, one can make assumptions based on conversation, but unless one is quite close, it is rather poor form to discuss matters of such intimacy."

"So how do you pick up girls? I mean, you've got to ask at some point, don't you?"

"No, Mr Stark, either the woman shows interest or, if asked and she is not interested, she politely declines."

"And nobody ever gets to the bedroom and finds out the interested person has different parts than expected?"

"I suppose it must happen, but it is not discussed nor do the Aesir seem to be too terribly upset about it as a society to make a fuss over it."

"So if you took a girl to bed and discovered she had guy parts, what would you do?"

Loki shrugged, "Quite frankly, nothing different than if she had the parts I had assumed. It is irrelevant to me what sort of body a lover comes in and, to be entirely honest, I have so rarely taken a lover to bed without getting to know them first that it is a mind I fall in love with, not a body. This is quite a personal conversation, though, and I would prefer to not continue in this line of inquisition."

"So...you're shapeshifter, right?"

"If this has anything to do with my sexual preferences, I have said I would like to end the conversation."

"Only sort of. Do you ever shapeshift into a woman?"

"On rare occasion, yes."

Tony turned to Grace, "Ha! I told you, Gracie! You and your 'I mostly only sleep with girls'- he could be!"

She simply rolled her eyes, "Just get me a jet, Tony." To Loki, she asked, "Do you want to come to Pride? I know New York has their own and all, but I'm partial to Detroit." Loki nodded, "Good. You go get dressed and pack an overnight bag, I'll see if I can find us a place to crash tonight so we don't miss the parade tomorrow."

"Would you mind escorting me to my room? I am not entirely certain your brother will not still try to remove my body parts if he were to take me down to the cellars."

She grabbed her laptop and gestured for the door, "No problem. Come on, Tony, this only happens once a year. I'm not missing it."

Tony shook his head, "Again, I can't stop you, can I?"

"Nope, I'm a force of nature."

They all stepped into the elevator. Tony kept watching Loki and Grace, his eyes darting between them, looking for any and every reason why he should just tell Grace to find her own jet. They stood quietly and still the entire ride and he found no excuse to deny her request.

As Grace and Loki stepped off the elevator, Tony called to them, "No funny business!"

After about an hour of getting ready, they were in the air on their way to Detroit, Grace's car in the hold of the plane. She excitedly showed Loki photographs from past years on her computer, including photographs of the luxury bed and breakfast she had booked them a room in, a place she regularly stayed when in the city. Loki peppered her with questions about symbols, signs, cultural references, and the music she played while they were in the air. He told her he wanted to blend in, to watch people, and to not have to ask her questions that would seem impolite once they were at the festival.

They went to their lodging first- a small micro-hotel in Corktown with two bedrooms in an apartment over a locally owned business. The apartment was also used for community classes, but the bedrooms were private and very nice. The guests booked for the weekend had bowed out of their reservation at the last minute, and Grace had been lucky enough to call just at the right time and had been able to reserve both bedrooms. She greeted the owner with a huge hug before heading up the stairs to deposit their luggage.

As they left the flat, Loki noticed a large looming building just across the street, "Might I ask what that is?"

"Was. It was the Michigan Central Depot. It's been closed for close to thirty years. The owner keeps saying he'll fix it up, but the best he's done is a new roof and some windows. It's a beautiful wreck, though. I used to sneak into it when I was younger just to see the view of the city from the roof. It's truly amazing, especially at night. Do you want to see it while you're here? Being a Stark has its advantages."

"I would like that very much, if it can be managed."

As they walked down Michigan Avenue, they passed another Detroit landmark- the site of the old baseball stadium. Grace told Loki history of the site and then began to tell him about the times she had been a small child in the bleachers with her family watching the game.

"There was also the last game I got to see in the old stadium. Tony had heard me talk about how much I loved the place and how heartbroken I was that it was going to be ripped down after they stopped playing there. He'd also heard me talking about always dreaming of sitting right behind home plate in the seats they called the Tiger Den. Those dark blue seats...every time I went as a kid I tried to beg my father to let me just step up the ramp to the seating area to catch a glimpse of what it was like up there. He let me do it once. When Tony first found me crying in front of the laptop because it was the last season, he made me tell him stories. A few days later he gave me tickets to the very last game that would ever be played there. They were right behind home plate. It was a dream come true and a sad day, but still...I loved it. I think that was the first time I felt like I really was Tony's special little sister, when we sat together at the game and he spoiled me with nachos and popcorn, soda, souvenirs, and even an autographed ball from the team that year. I still miss the old stadium. I've been to the new one, but it's not the same. We try to go to the games in the few old stadiums left, though- Fenway, Wrigley. They remind me of what I loved about baseball at Michigan and Trumbull. Tony's tried to buy the lot a few times, but the city doesn't want to sell to someone who just wants to keep it a park or make it into a museum with a baseball diamond. It's a shame, though- they aren't the ones who take care of it. Neighbours and fans who loved the place like I did, they take care of it."

"From what little you have told me, it seems this city is not very good at preserving its historical treasures."

"There was a period when things really sucked here. They still aren't great, but it's getting better. Tons of places were ripped down for parking and millionaires are let to just sit on property and allow it to rot. There's been a lot of neglect here, but Detroit will rise. I can feel it- it's been slow, but it's coming."

"Tell me, Grace, what makes you think the city can recover?"

She pointed to skyscrapers as they walked towards downtown, "That one was abandoned less than a decade ago. That one, too. And that one. And the bricks fell off the Wurlitzer building and it's been saved. And there are community groups coming together to make life here better. From the folks who take care of the baseball diamond to the people who organise to mow parks, from the dog rescues to the community farms and gardens, Detroiters seem to always find a way to survive and to make the best of their situations. I know not everyone can, and the city still has problems, but it's full of creative people and I always have a ton of fucking hope for Detroit."

Grace continued to tell stories about the city as they made their way to the riverfront for the festival. As they walked, other people would slow to keep pace with them to hear her talk, her enthusiasm hard to pass by. They met a man who worked at Hudsons and a woman who remembered her grandmother telling her about the movie premieres at the United Artists Theatre. One young man now worked at the Book Cadillac, as had his great grandfather. A young woman remembered her great great aunt telling her how she hadn't been allowed to dance at the old Hotel Ponchatrain due to the colour of her skin. By the time they reached the riverfront plaza, Loki was mildly overwhelmed by all the new stories and faces.

Grace purchased sandwiches from a food cart and they sat watching people as they ate, "So, you doing OK? This is a lot to take in for a first-timer."

"There is so much variety amongst the people of Midgard. Not only in their garments, but in their hair colour, eye colour, skin colour...Asgard is very...pale. We do not dye our hair, very few wear jewellery through their skin, and very few tattoo their bodies. Our garments are often colourful, but they seem far more elegant than the every-day clothing worn in Midgard. Here...these things seem so normal."

"Even I have ink, Loki- you just haven't seen it. I rarely wear clothes that show it off."

"And you have many earrings- in Asgard, women generally only wear one set, if even that."

"Yep. I like having more holes in my head. It's fun to change colours and types of jewellery. I figure it's just like changing my clothes."

"Some of us change very little in our appearance even when we choose to do that."

"And some of us are continually changing rainbows of colour and styles. It's all cool- whatever makes you happy, you know?" Loki nodded and Grace changed the subject, "So on that whole taking over my planet thing...did you really think it would work?"

"No. As I mentioned, it was a devil's bargain. I had very little choice in the matter, only the means to buy myself a little more time."

"Would you do it again?"

Loki hesitated, "No, I suppose not. Would I change the past? Only to avoid Thanos' punishment. Having met you as a result, however, is something I would rather not change."

"Awww, you're sweet."

"I feel as though I have known you far longer than the few days we have had together. Even with such a short time, I am quite content to call you my friend."

Grace put her arm around his shoulders and gave him a quick hug, "Me too. Come on, let's go wander for a little, listen to some of the music. Take in all this place has to offer- there's no guarantee we'll be get a second chance."

"And what do you mean by that?"

"I'm mortal and a Stark- that paints a target on my back that screams 'shoot me if you're looking for revenge against Tony'. We die easily and our lives are short anyway. You, well you never know when you'll be whisked back to Asgard, do you?"

"No."

"Exactly. I'll text the guy about the train station when we find somewhere to settle next. For now, just relax. Watch the people. Listen to the music. There's so much beautiful about so many kinds of people being together to celebrate love."

They found a place not to far from the stage to sit for a while before Loki began to get a bit restless and they started walking. Grace held his hand and they wandered away from the festival grounds to see a little bit more of the city. They walked down Woodward toward the sports stadiums, Grace pointing out places that were a part of her childhood, places that still existed and places like the Hudson's building that she remembered watching come down. She invited him to ride the People Mover with her to get a different perspective and they sat pressed to the windows on one side for one loop and rode it a second loop so they could look out the other side. Grace pointed out the places she loved, the history she could remember, and the buildings she found beautiful. They got off near the stadiums and her stories stopped as they walked across the highway and back into a neighbourhood that was an odd mix of renovated brick mansions, mansions that were boarded up, and those that were actively falling in on themselves. Their pace slowed as Loki took in all he was seeing and they wove through streets with very few houses and large expanses of open grassland. She slipped her hand in his and guided him back to a plot of land nestled between the highways, a large brick building decaying across the remains of a street.

"So this is where I grew up. I mean, the buildings aren't here anymore, but I was a kid here. There were more of the old mansions then...more of them falling in. And some of the ones that look great now looked like they were destined to be ripped down. A lot has changed here since Tony took me in."

They sat down on the curb facing the lot and Grace pulled up a photograph on her phone, "There's what the towers looked like- Brewster Douglass in all its decrepit finery just before they tore it down. It was a shithole to be a kid in. Maybe my memories are more tainted by my aunt than how bad it really was. I was seven when I moved in with her."

Loki tried to envision the towers in front of him or the small apartment row houses, "How does something get this awful? The building over there...it is quite large, it could be beautiful, and yet..."

"That's the story of Detroit. People move out, the ones with problems are the ones left. They sell drugs or bodies to get by, everything goes to hell in a handbasket as the city government pretends nothing is wrong. These apartments were actually an elite place to live back when they opened almost a century ago."

"And what was that place over there?"

"The recreation centre- Brewster Wheeler. A lot of incredible people got their starts here before the place went downhill. I lived here too late to see all that- they were long before my time."

"May I ask what made life with your aunt so terrible?" Loki's question was asked delicately, as though he was as afraid of offending her as he was to find out just how bad her childhood was.

She shrugged, downplaying the severity of the story, "She was abusive- as in, beat me for getting home early, beat me for getting home late, said I stole stuff from her and beat me for that, too, even when she found whatever she was missing...and this was all before she lost her job. Once that happened, she started whoring and I'd get kicked out of the apartment every time she had a trick coming over, didn't matter what time of day or night it was. Three in the morning? You don't need your sleep kid, go away and don't come back until I'm done. Of course, the worst part was when things got bad enough and she didn't ask me to leave...they pay more for younger girls, you know? She said I was earning my roof and food, being a working girl. She threw me out when I finally said no and fought the John off- lost her the money." Grace stared at the street, her face blank. Loki watched her expression, trying to understand just exactly what he was being told.

"She sold your body? But you were a child..."

"Yeah. Kind of a shitty way to grow up, isn't it?" She still kept her eyes fixed on the pavement, her voice wavering. He noticed her blinking back tears, pretending they weren't coming.

Loki sighed, "I am so sorry. Does Mr Stark know?"

"You two are the only people who weren't there who do. Thank god she's dead or I would have taken Tony up on his offer. When he found out, he wanted to 'take care of her' for me. He'd read my file and knew something wasn't right at home, but I was pretty tight lipped to the social workers who put me up for adoption. The worthless sack of shit didn't even show up for the hearing to terminate her guardianship. She showed up after the adoption hearing- tried to tell the judge Tony was just out to use me. I was terrified. If I hadn't been, I'd've started laughing. Tony saw how I reacted to her. So did the judge. Tony didn't even answer her, just stood between us and got me to the car. It took me years to finally tell him everything and he never pushed me to tell."

"Why did you tell me? You have not even known me for a week."

"I don't know. Maybe because I trust you, for some stupid reason. Maybe because I know you'll be gone before too long and nobody on Asgard will give a shit. I'll be dead long before you get back to this world. Sometimes you've just got to tell somebody the big stuff, you know? Especially when you're so close to where it happened." Loki was quiet; Grace noticed the change in his demeanour and wondered just what he had on his mind. She stood, shook down her dress, and offered him her hand, "Come on, there's a brewery not far from here that makes a damn good pizza to go with their beer. Let's catch some dinner before the baseball crowd gets out." Loki rose and brushed the dust from his garments before taking her hand. They made their way back to Woodward and into the bright bustling city that seemed so far away when sitting on the curb among the vacant lots.