The evening before the wedding, Wanda and Loki meet at Magda's to bake. While hammentaschen are the end goal, it is obvious from the scattered cookbooks and recipe binders that Magda is far too excited to focus on only one project. Loki, ever adventurous when it comes to baking, is enthusiastic to try new things, but also warns her against staying up all night. There will always be other days to bake together, there is only one day for her wedding, and she ought to sleep well. But Magda is too excited to think about sleep. She hums happily to herself as she sips tea and mixes dough. Loki works on rolling it out and cutting out circles as she finishes mixing each batch and Wanda fills them and arranges them on parchment paper covered baking trays. When there is no more dough to mix, Magda begins on khobiz mohala. Loki has never heard of either of these treats, nor has she had cinnamon rolls, which Magda tackles third.

"But these are just for us. For tomorrow morning before we dress in our finery, we will gather together in pajamas with our coffee and tea and breakfast. It will be delightful. The perfect way to start a wedding day."

"But Loki is right, my love- you must sleep. I am already tired and we have yet to put everything in the oven. We will be up all night."

"You can use my oven. Should we take some next door?"

They check their baking times and Magda agrees, "Yes. We will be up for hours if we do not." Magda puts the raw cinnamon rolls in the refrigerator, "I will bake these in the morning and drizzle some with chocolate, others with orange frosting. You will be in heaven with them fresh and warm on such a cold day!"

Loki runs the next batch of hammentaschen to her own oven and returns in a few moments, "There. Now so long as we keep good time, this plan will work."

"You had best set the timer on your phone. Magda bakes by smell, not by time."

"Intuition, not smell, my love- an old Sokovian grandmother technique! It works, I tell you!"

"It works well and good unless you have sent your cookies to your neighbour's oven. Then it will not work so well!" Wanda chides.

"I will tell you when the cookies are ready, here and there. Mark my words, Sokovian grandmothers can keep cookies from burning through walls."

"Yes, but this is a different sort of wall. It is the wall between houses, not from room to room. Can a Sokovian grandmother detect cookies with such a barrier between?"

Magda nods, "Of course I can. And I will prove it. Set your timer, but at five til, let me know. I will tell you if the hammentaschen are done or if they will need more time."

Wanda sets the alarm on Loki's phone and they wait, playing cards and until Magda holds up a finger, "They are done."

Loki checks the timer, "It says they need ten more minutes."

"It lies. Go check them."

Wanda volunteers for the job and returns with the tray a few minutes later, "You were right. They are done."

"I told you. I have the magic of Sokovian grandmothers in my blood. Now go put in more cookies. We do not want to be up all night."

It is very late when the baking is done and Loki is ready to head to her own bed. She did not bring a coat, but Wanda bundles her in a heavy quilt. Magda calls her good night from the kitchen as Loki opens the door.

"Wait, let me come with you." Wanda rests her hand on Loki's back as they walk down the steps.

"Of course. The snow has grown quite heavy." The large flakes are so dense that she cannot see the park across the street, a good two inches already on the ground, "We will be in trouble come morning if it continues at this rate."

"It is just snow. There is only trouble if it is so deep we cannot shovel it. And while they have predicted six inches tonight, I am not intimidated. I will dig us out if I need to."

They walk the few steps to her front door slowly, "It is beautiful. Were it not so cold, I would stand on the balcony to listen for the quiet patter of each cluster of snow striking its fallen brethren."

"Is there snow like this in Asgard?"

"No. Not this heavy, nor this early in the year."

"It is December! This is when snow is supposed to begin here."

"Asgard usually does not have more than a flurry for another month."

"Sokovia gets snow in October. I far prefer it to the heat of summer. I easily put warmer clothes on. Once I take so many off, though, I am down to my skin and still too hot."

"Does it get much colder?" They climb the front steps.

"Yes."

"And you like this, too?"

"For a while. And then I am ready for the year to warm again."

"Ah. The world of my birth is far colder. I have only been there a few times. And at no time was I there very long. But there is a relic of that land that brings a harsh winter and when I touched it and returned to that form, I felt my blood turn to ice. The cold of the Cask was welcoming, kind, and calling. My body yearned for a home it had never known. And now I am far more fragile and cannot even stand without coverings out in a Midgardian winter."

"Perhaps not. But could you also not touch anyone you cared for?"

"Did Thor tell you such?"

"He wondered. He did not know, as he had never seen you as one of that land, only as one of Asgard. And it had never been a problem."

"I think I would have harmed them had I touched them."

"And you so crave contact with us. You are deeply comforted by hugs, by our kisses in greeting, by holding hands. I think having to wear a blanket is a slight inconvenience compared to how you would feel were we to be forced to keep our distance."

"Likely."

"Your answers are short. You are thinking. Tell me what is on your mind."

Loki leans against the door, "What will change after you and Magda are wed?"

"You fear that we will leave you behind?"

"Something of the sort."

"Nothing will change, Loki. It will still be Wanda and Magda, your delightful sisters, living next door, having tea and coffee with you after work. Celebrating holidays together. Watching movies. Did you think something would be different?"

"No...and maybe. I do not know Midgardian marriage customs and practices."

"The only thing that will be different at all is that I am moving in with Magda and out of the tower. I have wanted to for some time, and it is closer to Pietro if I am here. And, of course, it only makes sense to finally move in order to keep house with my wife."

"It will take me a while to get used to you both saying that."

"I know. And it will take me longer to get used to hearing it or saying it. But we will both adapt."

"When Pietro is ready, he will come live in your house as well?"

"Yes, until he wishes for a place of his own."

"Ah."

"You are still worried. About what?"

"You three living in the same home, you will be so occupied by one another that you will forget I am next door."

In the silence of the heavy snow, Wanda cannot miss the deep sadness in her voice; she hugs her and kisses her cheek, "You will not be forgotten. You have been in my life less than a year, yet you are far too intertwined with it to leave it easily. Let this worry rest."

"Thank you, Wanda."

"We love you, Loki. Do not forget that."