When they arrive at the Sylvia Rivera Safe Haven, the snow has started drifting against the building in the light wind. Someone hidden under layers of coats and scarves shovels the walk and there is a truck ploughing one last pass in the parking lot. Wreathes have been hung on the centre doors. Magda signs everyone in and they take their baked treats to the lounge. There are little coloured lights around every window, draped along the walls of the room, and wrapped around a tall, skinny tree decorated with paper chains and handmade ornaments. Cheerful music plays from a stereo in the corner. There are a few people setting up. Erie mixes punch while Ripley sets out food.

"...and I still say that 'Drunken Lazy Bastard' would make a great holiday song."

"No, child, I'm afraid your idea of holiday music isn't the same as the rest of us."

"Well, Erie, just because my family is completely disfunctional doesn't mean our holidays can't have their own soundtrack for our special kind of special."

"Most people would just play that Twisted Sister Christmas album and call it good."

"We're too twisted for Twisted Sister. We're more like...I don't know. Is there a band called 'Fucked up beyond all recognition'?"

"Not that I know of."

"Well if there is, it should be a German band. I wonder how you say that in German? I bet it sounds awesome."

Wanda calls to her as they cross the room, "Would you like to know? I can give an approximate translation."

Ripley grins, "Well aren't you folks fancy! You're a little early- we should put you to work!"

"Please, do! We come with many wiling hands."

"It's good to see you, Wanda."

"You too, Ripley. It has been quite some time."

"Yeah, you should come around more often."

Magda looks around, "Are there any of the others here yet?"

"Escher's outside shoveling- ze wanted to make sure everybody could find the door! Reverend Matt's driving the truck. Oh, and Ethan's here somewhere with Deb."

"Ah, small in number, yet a mighty crew!"

"Yep."

Loki leans in to Alexi, "'Ze?' I have not heard this name."

"Not a name. A pronoun, like 'he' or 'she', but for neutral folks. Most people don't know it, though, so you hear it mostly in-house."

"What do most people use for those who are middling in gender?"

"They."

"But that is a plural."

"We're making it a singular neutral. Better than 'it'."

"Indeed."

Magda introduces Ripley to Thor and Jane. Wanda introduces Pietro. Others drift in. A middle aged man with a mohawk, a young woman close beside him. A priest who hugs everyone he meets and tells each person how wonderful it is that they are present. And a someone so bundled up and soaked in snow that Loki knows this is Escher, fresh in from shoveling. Loki is curious as to how a 'ze' might look and is happy to see a person about his own age of completely indeterminate gender peel back the layers. He introduces himself and offers to help hang up the coats. Ze accepts the offer. Others come in. A large group of older teenagers arrives and a few families with children come in after. The room is lively and crowded.

On their way back from the coat rack, Loki asks, "I am sorry to sound impertinent or rude, but I have never met someone who uses 'ze' as their pronoun before. Do you ever use others, or do you always prefer to settle in the middle?"

"I'm always a 'ze'. How about you? What are your pronouns?"

"They change. Today, I feel more in-between, but I wanted to wear this beautiful dress. Magda was quite helpful in spelling out that I can be a 'he' in a gown, should I so wish. And so I am. But there are days when I feel very much a 'she' and others very much a 'he'."

"So you're fluid."

"Yes."

"Cool. You're really new to this, aren't you?"

"Less than a year. And I am not from around here. Where I was raised, such things are not unheard of, but uncommon. And people who rest in the middle of genders, or without one at all, they are quite rare. We do not have words for them as you do."

"I say I'm agender and androgynous. So I really do look like I am kind of both, or maybe neither."

"You will have to define those terms for me."

"Agender- I don't identify with a gender. And androgynous is how I look- neither male nor female."

"Hence using 'ze'."

"Yep, that's right."

"Thank you for your patience. I learn so much from Wanda and Magda and their friends."

Alexi bounds over, "Hey, Esch."

"Hi, Lex. What's up?"

"You're hogging my sexy boyfriend." Loki blushes, "See? Totally adorable."

"He's a sweet guy. And really respectful with the questions. Thank you for asking."

"You are ever welcome, Escher."

Alexi takes his hand, "Come on, Magda's going to make the big announcement."

"What big announcement?" Escher asks, tagging along behind.

"Not spoiling the surprise, Esch! Come on!"

"You're a tease!"

"I know. Isn't it great?"

"No, you bitch!" Escher laughs and slugs Alexi's arm. Alexi shoves zir back, giggling.

"You just have to wait!"

In the centre of the room, Magda claps her hands, "May I have your attention?" Only a few people listen. She tries again.

Thor tries, "Your attention, good people!" The room falls silent.

"Thank you, Thor. That was most helpful." Magda clears her throat, "My beloved Wanda and I have an announcement- another reason to celebrate together this beautiful snowy Yule. We got married today!" The room erupts in cheers, clapping hands, and screams of joy. Magda and Wanda are enveloped in a swarm of well-wishers all ready to give hugs and congratulations.

Someone turns up the music, and the dancing is rambunctious. There are only a few people seated and Loki is one of them. It is so very different from dancing in Asgard. Asgard's dancing is done formally in the palace, even at the feasts. This sort of party is only one that he has heard about from Volstagg, who has hosted gatherings with his wife. But he has never been allowed to participate in them, Odin insisting they were beneath the station of the prince. He knows Thor sneaked off to them, though, or just went and begged forgiveness after. He, however, had closer eyes on him, thanks to his age and his capacity for causing mischief. He has no idea what to do. He watches Alexi dancing in a circle with friends. They are singing together, jumping up and down, and hugging a lot.

Jane drops onto the couch beside him, "So...not going to dance?"

"I do not know how."

"There's really not a 'how' to it. But Thor was the same way at first. It's like, even your party dancing has steps. He tried to teach me, but I'm a terrible dancer."

"I would be embarrassed to try. This is so different from what I know."

"Yeah, but everything's different from what you know. Even you're different from what you know. So go out there with your boyfriend and give it a try."

"Alexi is having fun with his own friends. I do not wish to interrupt."

"Were you this shy in Asgard? Because if I remember, you were pretty much not. Granted, you were kind of evil then, and I had an alien energy force living in me, so we might not have quite been ourselves, but still. You were all bold and brassy."

"I was, once. Even before I fell."

"So where'd that go?"

"I think I left it in Asgard."

"Well you're going to have to find it again. There's nothing wrong with being cheeky or having fun."

"I tend to go a little too far when I try to be cheeky."

"Like letting Frost Giants into Asgard kind of too far?"

"Precisely."

"You can learn to check yourself. We learn that as kids- how not to push a joke too far, when to stop daring the other kids to eat bugs, all that. You boys didn't really have that guidance. Thor's learned a lot working with the Avengers about how to be a person. But he still overdoes things sometimes. You'll figure it out."

"Given our history, your faith in me is astounding."

"What history? New York? Me slapping you? That creepy Aether stuff and those damn elves?"

"Yes."

"You did exactly what you said you would do. You pulled a damn fine trick- you were scary with the whole 'Loki of Jotunheim' bit, to be honest, but that was the plan. And you kept me alive. I think we're good."

"Really?"

"Yep. But don't ever go playing dead again. Thor was pretty torn up about that. I'd have to hunt you down and slap the hell out of you."

"It was the only way out of a lifetime of imprisonment."

"I know. And I get it. But it still was kind of a shitty thing to do."

"I never intended to be found out."

"Kinda figured."

"Thank you, Jane, for your understanding."

"Anytime. Family, right?"

He pauses, thinking about how this has all come about, and also realizing that Jane will age alongside him here in Midgard, a sister beside him as they grow older, while Thor will not appear to change at all, "Yes. Family."

"Cool. Now come on. Alexi's waiting. And you only live once. Well, maybe. You have a tendency to come back from the dead."

"I assure you, surviving Svartalfheim was no easy feat. And I did actually get run through."

"Well that must have sucked."

"It did."

She grabs his hand, "Well then you really know you only get one shot at this. Come on. Dance time." He resists a little, but relents, allowing her to drag him across the dance floor to where Alexi is in the middle of the circle, one hand on his head, the other holding his ankle, as he bobs his knee towards his chest. It looks quite uncomfortable.

Escher calls out, "You are the best hat dancer EVER!"

When he stops, others in the circle cheer and clap for him and Ripley jumps in the middle shouting, "I AM THE LAWMOWER CHAMP!" and begins pulling an invisible cord with far more flair and enthusiasm than Loki has ever seen from any of his neighbours while mowing the lawn.

Alexi bounds to Loki, "You joined us!" He throws his arms around Loki's neck and kisses his cheek, "How is my little wallflower?"

"Delightful. Jane has convinced me to join you."

"I saw you two talking." The song changes, "Ooo, slow song. You want to dance?"

"If you will show me how."

"Well we pretty much do just as we are and kind of sway. There's nothing fancy about it."

"Magda and Wanda are doing something different with their hands."

"Yeah, the shoulder, waist, and hands bit...it's a little more formal way of doing the same thing. And how we still dance in Sokovia. They didn't really adapt to America the way I did." Alexi starts stepping side to side and Loki follows.

"I have not yet adapted entirely to this place, either. There is much left to learn. And I admit, I will likely choose to keep some of my old habits as well."

"That's part of your charm. You're different than the other boys and girls."

"As are you."

"Is that why you dig me?"

"In part. And you are not afraid of what I have been."

"Nope. But no genocidal maniac stuff. That would be a deal breaker."

"I have no intentions of doing such things."

"I know. You've come along way. I'm proud of you. You're starting to open up to this new life."

"Thank you."

Alexi rests his head against Loki's shoulder, "You're a sweetheart, you know that?" Loki wraps his arms around him, "And I'm super lucky we found each other."

"I am grateful for this as well."

They snuggle together on the dance floor, one of many couples tucked close together during the slow dances. When the music speeds up, Alexi will not let Loki retreat to the wall. Thor bounds into their circle and wraps an arm around Loki's shoulders, swaying and singing the song as enthusiastically as the others. Jane swoops in to rescue Loki and tugs him into the middle of the circle.

She takes both of his hands, "Here, follow my lead. There's nothing complicated about the Time Warp."

"There is something specific to do?"

"Yep. The song tells you. Just follow along. You'll get it."

"I can hardly hear you over the din!"

"Just follow!"

He does. He fumbles. He tries not to feel embarrassed. Then he realizes a few things. Firstly, that everyone else is doing this same dance. Secondly, the circle has dissolved into sort of a loose cluster. Thirdly, that many of the others are quite drunk. This alone makes him feel better. He is unlikely to blunder any worse than Escher, who is giggling uncontrollably, staggering through the dance while draped on Ripley. Neither of them are graceful in the least. And, he observes, this is not a dance based on grace. Midgard's informal social dancing, he is slowly realizing, is based on enthusiasm and emotion, not on elegance. Little by little, with Jane here encouraging him, with Alexi coming from behind and placing a hand in the small of his back as they dance, with Thor singing the ridiculous lyrics at the top of his lungs, completely sober by comparison to most, and loving it, Loki starts to emerge from his shell. This dancing is fun and this level of fun is something he hasn't had in years.