May 4th, 2100

"ARGH!" A frustrated cry erupted from the palace gardens as a blue tinted girl paced back and forth with fists of hair.

Growing increasingly annoyed, the girl shot embers from her palms and onto the marble platform in front of her. "Every. Damn. Time," She said to herself between bursts of flames. Bits of ice followed up the embers as she continued throw spells.

A couple of guards looked at her with uneasiness, but she ignored their looks. They could judge her if they wanted; even though magic wasn't practiced by the majority of the population, it was still one of the most feared powers in the nine realms. She was no warrior and neither was her brother—that was best left to her cousin.

Heaving a sigh, she closed her eyes in deep concentration. What was it that her father always said? Something with moving every particle in her body...Or was it moving her body as a whole? Deciding on the former, she let out a surge of magic.

Falling backwards, she let out a choking sound and clenched the grass beneath her and she sprang back up, but got lightheaded in the process. Stupid mortal genes.

"Need help?" Jerking her head to the side, the girl narrowed her eyes in the direction of the voice.

"Not from you," she replied letting her black hair fall from the pony tail she had it in before.

Loki quirked an amused eyebrow and teleported himself behind his daughter. "Eira," he began and she spun around and attempted to throw a spear of ice at his face. Deflecting it with ease, it shattered before it could even come into contact with his body. He chuckled.

"It's not fair," she muttered, throwing an aimless ball of light into the air.

"Not fair that you'll never be as powerful as me?"

"Yes." Throwing her father a withering glance, she got rid of the ball of light and started pacing. "How am I supposed to be a sorceress if I can't even teleport?! It takes you like zero energy to do it."

"That's because I've been doing it for thousands of years," Loki offered consolingly, losing his previous mock arrogance. "You're sixteen, Eira. I barely mastered teleporting by the time I was a century old."

"Ughhhh!" Her pacing increased and she had another exasperated fist of hair. "And with my mortal blood, it'll probably be longer than that! I hate this; why couldn't I be born a complete Frost Giant like you?"

Loki's brows shot up at that. While he preferred his Asgardian form, his daughter loved flouncing around in her blue skin. It wasn't nearly as pigmented as his—Darcy's blood kept Eira looking human since she inherited her eyes. When Odin held her when she was born, her skin changed to the color of an Aesir, but as she grew older she preferred the sky blue tint.

While Loki was an introvert, Eira definitely inherited her straightforwardness from Darcy. She was never afraid to speak her mind even when it wasn't always appropriate, so this combined with her affinity for tricks was an interesting combination. Needless to say, the palace was a lot livelier than it had been in thousands of years.

"Why is it so important to you?" He pondered aloud, taking a seat on one of the benches. He patted to the spot next to him, beckoning her to join and she sat down with a huff.

"I want to travel like mom. And pull amazing pranks like you. Everything would be so much easier if I could just teleport! I can already make myself transparent." She closed her eyes and clenched her fists. "See, try putting a hand through me!" She said, trying not to break concentration through squinted eyes.

"Hmm." Loki touched her stomach and began to tickle her, making Eira laugh and break her transparency.

"That's not fair!" She exclaimed, composing herself. "You weren't supposed to use your own magic."

"All's fair in love and war," Loki replied.

"Hmph. At least Garik can't use magic. He can barely lift one of the tables in the dining hall!" She said, referring to her older cousin.

"You can't even lift one of those tables," Loki chastised and Eira shrugged.

"I can always move it with magic."

"You're learning well." Smiling, he patted her head like a child and rose. "I think dinner will be ready soon. Will you join us?"

Casting a look to the descending sun, Eira took her father's arm. "I guess magic training can wait."

"Pass the grapes."

"Get it yourself."

"I can't reach! You're RIGHT there, Eira."

"So?"

"Moooom! Eira won't pass me the grapes!"

"Eira, stop being a brat." Darcy rolled her eyes as she placed a cluster onto her son's plate.

He scooted himself closer to the table—he was short for his age at ten. He resembled Darcy in almost every sense except for his green eyes, but he held a demure personality that was endearing.

"Not my fault Rowan can't do magic."

"Eira!" Darcy scolded and took her seat as the doors swung open, revealing Loki.

"I can do magic. I just…I don't like it very much," Rowan finished lamely, shuffling the vegetables on his plate.

Loki took the chair next to Darcy and kissed her cheek chastely. "Odin needed me."

"I need you," she replied with a smile, causing Eira to roll her eyes.

"Get a room."

"What's with the attitude today?" Darcy snapped, jabbing her meat with a fork.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I think you do."

"Not really."

"Girls." Loki sighed, bringing his hand to his forehead.

A pregnant silence followed, save for Rowan's quiet munching and occasional clatter of utensils.

"How was your day?" Loki ventured, hoping to settle Darcy's steam.

She brightened immediately and put her fork and knife down, looking up at him. "Great. SHIELD finally got their act together and now dwarven jewels are being exported worldwide. And," she shuffled the bag next to her chair, "I have gifts."

Rowan perked up at that. "Presents?"

"Mhmm. For my favorite boy." Loki made a face as she said that and Darcy took out a box of mallomars and broke the seal on the package, causing Rowan's eyes to widen.

"Is that chocolate?"

"Even better." Pushing a mallomar towards him, he disregarded his dinner and ate it in one bite.

"Shouldn't you have given it to him when he was done eating his dinner?" Loki asked with humor. Darcy shrugged, smiling as she observed the emotions play on Rowan's face.

"ANOTHER!" He screamed, lunging for the box.

"Finish your dinner." Loki waved his hand over the box, causing it to disappear and Rowan pouted.

"Daddy's mean."

Eira snorted and snapped her fingers, making the box appear again. Loki pursed his lips in contemplation. "That's a new trick."

"You were lazy; I could feel the remnants of your magic."

A grin spread across Loki's face with pride. "Duly noted," he said. Rowan was still flailing across the table trying to reach the mallomars and Loki inched it further and further from his grasp, increasing his frustration.

"DAD!" He exclaimed, going bluer in the face.

"Are you angry?" Loki taunted.

"YES!"

"Project that anger," he instructed.

"I don't know what that means! Gimme the candy now!"

"Loki, you're being mean." Darcy laughed, going over to her son and patted him on the head affectionately.

"Finish for mommy?" Rowan looked up at her with a doe like expression.

Loki rolled his eyes, turning his attention to them. "Stop babying him."

"I'm not!" And with that, she picked up a napkin and began to dab his mouth, making Rowan crinkle his nose.

"I'll finish," he said quickly, untangling himself from his mother's grasp. Darcy smiled in success and sat back down.

They continued eating in a comfortable silence, until Eira shifted her chair back with a creak. She had finished her food and looked uncomfortably at Darcy and threw a wary glance at Loki.

"So…Have you been to Jotunheim lately?" She asked quietly, making everyone look up.

Gnawing at her drumstick, Darcy nodded. "Yesterday, actually. Why do you ask?"

Cheeks flushing marine, Eira got up quickly. "No reason. May I be excused?"

"Uh, sure." With a confused expression, Darcy nodded and Eira hurried out.

"She's lying," Loki said with a frown.

"No sh-" Darcy caught herself with one look at Rowan who was innocently trying to get through his peas. "Sheep," she corrected. Loki looked at her with amusement.

"You were saying?"

"I don't need the god of lies to tell me that she's lying."

"Hmm." Looking thoughtful, Loki rested his head in his palm. "Perhaps an investigation needs to occur."

"Please don't send a projection to spy on her. I'll go ask. Make sure Rowan finishes his dinner, okay?" Darcy gathered up her plates and walked out in the direction of Eira's room.

Loki looked at Rowan, observing the child agonizingly spear a pea with each fork spike and inserting it into his mouth. He watched him do this about ten times until Loki grew frustrated watching.

"Would you like a spoon?" He asked, offering a large golden one that he fabricated on the spot.

"Nope." He speared another pea and Loki glanced at the large pile of peas in the corner of the plate.

"But it would be much easier. See?" He scooped some of his own peas into the spoon.

"I'm okay," Rowan simply replied and continued. Loki was becoming more aware of the fire crackling in the background and the faint footsteps echoing from the guards. His son was a mystery to him; he liked to keep to himself-save for clinging to Darcy-and often shied away from him. If he didn't know any better, Loki would gather that he was afraid of him. But that was silly; he had done nothing to frighten the boy (Darcy made sure of that) and the most he ever did was tease him gently. Surely their son had a good backbone.

"Would you like your mallomars back?"

Rowan looked at his father disapprovingly and shook his head. "Mom said I need to finish all my food."

"But I'm saying you don't have to." Loki made the box reappear next to him and pushed it towards his plate.

Conflicted, Rowan looked back and forth between his plate and the bright yellow box. "I'll wait," he decided, eating another pea. Loki had to keep himself from groaning—at this rate, he would be here all night and he had plans with Darcy to…

An idea struck him. It would have repercussions, but he saw no harm other than their child being deprived of whatever nutrients he would garner from peas. With a blink, all of Rowan's food turned into mallomars, causing him to jump back in surprise. Eyes widening, he looked at his father with fear and prodded one of the confections with his fork.

"Is it safe?"

Looking offended, "Of course it is! Now eat up. It's still your food; I just ah—Modified it, if you will."

With a cautious bite, Rowan smiled.

"Eira! Open the door!" Darcy pounded against the gold in exasperation. "Don't make me get your father!"

The threat hung in the air and the door creaked open, revealing Eira on her bed with her nose buried in a book, a picture reminiscent of Loki.

Taking a seat on the edge of her bed, Darcy looked around at the scattered mess. Books were piled on top of each other and papers were strewn across the floor. An order to tidy up the room was on the tip of Darcy's tongue, but she realized with humor that she wasn't much better, and if weren't for Loki, her room would be just as bad if not worse.

The book she was reading was written in the native language of the Frost Giants. Darcy knew a little bit of it; after years of travelling, she began to pick up bits and pieces from each language, but Jotunn was still on her list of things to learn.

Eira took a huge interest in her Frost Giant heritage even though Loki still wanted nothing to do with it. When she was old enough to control her magic, she immediately made herself blue and even bugged Loki to do the same. She was still young then; innocent with wide eyed wonder, and she idolized her father on an endearing level.

As she grew older and into the recluse teenager that she is currently, her attachment to Loki withdrew and her love of books increased. Even though she was young, the library in Asgard wasn't enough so whenever Darcy travelled, she always picked up another book to add to Eira's collection.

"I thought you read that one already."

"I'm reading it again," Eria replied quietly, flipping another page. "It's one of my favorites."

"I'm going to Jotunheim tomorrow," Darcy said suddenly.

Putting her book down, Eira looked up. "You are?"

"Mhmm. Is there anything you want me to get you? Snow cone? Book? A hot, or should I say cold, Jotunn boy?"

Cheeks flushing a deep blue, she cried out an indignant, "MOM!"

"I knew it!" Darcy began giggling and took the nearest pillow and whacked her. "Who's the boy?"

"I never said there was one!" She was ducking behind a pillow, voice muffled by the fabric.

"Your face gives it all away. Now tell me!"

Eira held her position under the pillow while Darcy continued to prod her. Darcy prided herself by walking the fine line between being the cool mom she always wanted while having a sturdy influence on her children. Most of the royal disciplining was left to Loki—Even though she had been permanently living in Asgard for almost 70 years, she had a lot to learn about the royal duties of Asgard and how it played a part in the rest of the universe.

Odin was still on the throne—no surprise there, eighty years were practically nothing to him, but he fell into Odinsleep more and more, leaving Thor to run Asgard. He and Jane had three children so far; one boy and two girls and they couldn't be happier, save for Jane's homesickness.

Darcy would be lying if she said she didn't miss Earth. After the war broke out, she and Loki retreated back to Asgard since they weren't going to get involved despite Darcy's protests and severe loyalty to SHIELD.

It was to be expected, she supposed, after years of scientific research and contact with the unknown. Magic was discovered, the bridge became public, and more and more countries were sending their own people to make contracts with places like Alfheim. Eventually, everyone began to fight for their rights for trade and alliances, with the United States playing leader, and as usual, war broke out after a spy was found in the CIA headquarters.

The war had ended years ago, but not without permanent damage and Earth was still recovering from it, despite the current commerce that was taking place between the nine realms. The Avengers agreed not to take sides, leaving Thor and Loki to retreat back to Asgard where things were less hectic. Darcy and Jane followed of course, and continued their lives.

And time went on. The universe seemed smaller to Darcy, but not in a bad way. She was glad Asgardians could leave their bubble and venture out, including her own children. Eira loved Jotunheim, and even though she was met with wary eyes, they welcomed her as she observed their culture and asked questions. Loki was unnerved by her whole fascination. (He had only turned blue for her about four times in Eira's lifetime, and only once was to show her how her Frost Giant powers worked)

"I'll tell you if you promise not to tell dad," Eira said quietly, moving the pillow so Darcy could see her eyes and the bridge of her nose.

"I promise," Darcy confirmed with a hearty nod and Eira threw the pillow aside, still flushed azure.

"You know the prince of Jotunheim?" She began, fiddling with her hands.

Darcy smiled; Fafner had wound up keeping the crown after his success with rebuilding Jotunheim. Even though they still had a long way to go, his people were happier and she even attended his official coronation slash wedding.

"Hakon, I think his name is?" She offered. Eira nodded, the blush on her face becoming more and more evident.

"You like him," Darcy stated matter-of-factly, only making Eira more embarrassed and Darcy's grin widened.

"I met him in their town square while you were in a meeting. After I introduced myself, he gave me a tour and even bought me a necklace made from one of their crystals."

"AHHHH!" Darcy squealed, making Eira recoil with widening eyes. "THAT'S ADORABLE." And then she began to hug Eira tight as she gave her mother a sheepish smile, wondering why she was so afraid of telling her in the first place.

"Can I see the necklace? This is so cute. Almost cuter than me and your father."

Eira made a face of disgust. "You can see the necklace, but don't mention you and dad. That's gross."

"It's the blue, right?"

Eira blinked as she waved her hand to make the necklace appear. "What?"

"Blue! Their skin. It's hot. When your father first turned blue I didn't think much, but I convinced him to do it more often and—"

"STOP. I told you to not mention you and dad!" She waved the crystal in front of Darcy with the dim light reflecting off of it.

"It's beautiful, honey."

"I know." Eira gave a small smile and made it vanish again, locking it away in whatever magical space she used.

"Do you want to come to Jotunheim with me?" Darcy said, getting up from her bed with a mischievous smirk.

"Yes," Eira replied, looking giddy.

"Be ready by morning, okay?" She made way for the door as Eira nodded and picked her book back up, with a full blown smile on her features.

"…And then your Uncle Thor swung his hammer and called thunder from the sky and then the Bilgesnipe all fled."

"What did you do, dad?"

"I was busy throwing daggers," Loki replied with a hint of smugness.

Rowan looked at him admiringly and snuggled back into the blankets. "Then what happened?"

"We returned home with glory. Volstagg was particularly happy that day since we took home the meat of some of the beasts we slayed."

"That's so cool," He remarked with a content smile.

"Are you ready for bed now?" Loki asked, bringing the blanket up closer to his son's face. Rowan yawned sleepily and nodded.

"Night, dad." Loki patted his head gently and proceeded to get up, and saw Darcy standing at the door with a stupid grin plastered on her face. She went over to Rowan and kissed him on the forehead.

"I love you," she said, gesturing for Loki to turn off the torches. He did so and they walked from their son's room with Darcy still smiling like a fool as she took Loki's hand and led him to their room.

"How was the talk with Eira?" He asked as Darcy pulled him down onto the bed where she made herself comfortable.

"Very good," she said simply with an all too happy expression.

"And?"

"And what?"

"Is there something wrong with her?"

Darcy pulled Loki in, arms wrapping around his neck and leaned up for a kiss. "Not at all."

"Stop trying to change the subject," he murmured between kisses and broke apart.

"She's coming with me to Jotunheim tomorrow, don't worry."

Loki rolled his eyes. "We're losing our daughter to the Jotuns."

Darcy cracked a grin and laughed. "Not too far off."

The feral look in Loki's eyes didn't go unnoticed by Darcy as she inwardly gulped.

"Who is he?" He asked dangerously, getting up from the bed.

"Loki, relax. It's just a crush."

"I'll kill him," he snarled as Darcy grabbed his wrist. "She's too young."

"Oh please, I was making out with lots of guys by the time I was sixteen. She hasn't even had a boyfriend yet thanks to you!"

As soon as the words make out left Darcy's lips, Loki's eyes darkened even more. "She doesn't need a boyfriend."

"You're being ridiculous," Darcy huffed and began to go through the large wardrobe to find her pajamas. "What's going to happen when she's an adult?"

"She has eternity. I think we should instill a rule of no dating until a century old."

"I met you at 21," Darcy said with a pointed look.

"That's different—you were mortal and we were friends long before we were lovers."

Looking wistful, "I had a crush on you the first day I met you, though."

Loki's jaw untightened as he came behind Darcy and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Do you think she's ready?" He murmured into her hair.

"Yes, yes, she'll be fine. It's not like we're sending her off for some secret mission. God knows Clint and Natasha had to deal with that."

Loki sighed and relented. "If you say so, but if any boy hurts her, do not be surprised if someone goes missing."

Spinning around to meet his eyes, Darcy brushed away a strand of hair from his forehead. "Okay," she said, guiding him back to the bed.

"You're not opposed to any treachery this boy will induce?" He asked with surprise.

"Hey, if he messes with our daughter then it's his fault and probably deserves it. You're the one with the magic voodoo, so I'll leave that to you."

Dimming the lights, Loki beamed. "Excellent."

"Thanks for inviting me to dinner uh…I'm sorry, what should I call you?" Loki had to prevent himself from twitching as the young prince of Jotunheim extended his blue hand to shake his own. Next to the boy stood Eira; hand clasped firmly in his and looking at her father nervously. She had made him promise to be nice, apparently the boy was nervous too since Loki's reputation was renowned.

"Loki is fine," he said stiffly, shaking his hand and watched as the color of his own arm turn blue. After two months of meeting the boy in Jotunheim, Darcy had the idea of inviting for dinner on Asgard as if it was the most normal thing in the universe. He supposed it should be; diplomatic relations were doing well, and Odin was pleased that a possible contract that would be deeper than words would be forming between them. Loki didn't want to think about that just yet as he gritted his teeth and formed a halfhearted smile, gesturing for them to enter the palace as they walked along the Bifrost.

He walked ahead of them to avoid awkwardness and eye contact, but he listened between his daughter's hushed words and the prince's admiration of Asgard.

Darcy was already waiting for them with Rowan trailing behind her at her beck and call, even though the servants had the food taken care of. Darcy had never adjusted to royal life, and that made him love he even more, if it was possible. It had been years since she had become immortal, and even in the midst of the chaos on Earth and the birth of their children, her personality never wavered. It was still refreshing to return to her after a long day of being surrounded by Asgardians or any other stuffy creature.

Looking back, he would have been content living a life serving out his duties to the throne, but that was before Darcy. He never realized how much of a light she brought into his life until they returned back to Asgard. Despite his gripes with Midgard in previous years, he actually enjoyed the little interactions he had with the Avengers and other members of SHIELD. Everyone was rich with personality. That wasn't to say the people on Asgard weren't, it was just that they had grown up with the same customs and thought patterns for centuries, to the point where they all blurred together in his mind.

Dinner went by with awkwardness, with Darcy making conversation, attempting to make the boy feel more comfortable. He noticed that the guards looked on his family with wonder, and Loki laughed to himself at what a sight they made. A Frost Giant, two half Frost Giants, an Asgardian, and a former mortal all dining as one.

Eira asked to be dismissed so that she could show Hakon around the palace, so they left nervously with their hands intertwined. Darcy shot Loki a smile, and he shrugged in return. At least one of them was happy with the new development.

Rowan also left to play with his cousins who invited him to play in the gardens. He worried about him—ten years old, and still not a speck of magic to be seen.

"Hey, do you want to go out?" Darcy asked, finishing up the remnants of her dinner.

"Out where?" He asked, looking around.

"I was thinking of home," She said with a scoot of her chair. Loki raised his eyebrows.

"You can't be serious. Eira's probably doing despicable things with that boy, and you want to leave them? To Midgard no less?"

"Oh, they'll be fine. I was talking with her earlier; they're taking it slow since they've only been dating a month, and he's such a gentleman. And besides, looking at them makes me think of us and I do miss being alone with you. Has being in Asgard for a long time turned you into a stuffy old man?"

With a quick turn, he took both of Darcy's wrists and immediately transported them to Midgard in a place both of them knew very well. She fell back in surprise, but he kept a firm hold on her as they landed.

"I can't believe this place is still standing," Darcy remarked, glancing up into the star flecked sky and made herself comfortable on the bannister surrounding the roof of her old apartment building.

"Technically it's gone through numerous renovations," Loki said, situating himself next to her and conjured up a futon and blanket in case they wanted to sit. The smoky air of New York City was still prevalent despite Stark's ongoing green energy, and he remembered with a pang that Iron Man was long gone, and Stark Industries was now being run by his daughter while his son flew around as the new Iron Man.

"I know, but still. The moon I saw every day when I lived here is still here despite the war and everything that has changed in the world."

"You're feeling oddly philosophical," he commented, conjuring up a vanilla latte and handing it to her. He was met with a megawatt grin as she sipped it hurriedly, paying no mind to the heat that would temporarily scald her tongue.

"And Starbucks. Of course that survives."

"I don't think the mortals could function without their coffee," he said with humor, but both of them knew it to be true.

He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. A couple of fireworks were being launched into the sky, and he wondered what the occasion was.

"Oh. It's July, isn't it?" Darcy said aloud, voice distant.

"I suppose it is. Independence day?"

"Mhmm. Looks like the aftermath, though. Everyone would still be up if it was today."

Loki sat down on the futon, and Darcy joined him as he wrapped the blanket around them despite it being warm out. Snuggling closer, Darcy let her eyes wander to the sky as she observed the airplanes.

"Do you miss it?" He asked, tightening his arms around her.

"I do," She admitted quietly, making his heart sink a little. While he knew that Darcy would have lived a full life as a mortal, he couldn't help but think that maybe in the midst of her becoming an Aesir that he's deprived her of the life she could have lived. Granted, there were outside factors like the war, and the fact that she was already knee deep in SHIELD before they even became close, but he knew the pain she felt when she had to say goodbye to her family and friends forever.

Even though she was physiologically a goddess, Darcy felt anything but, and he knew that, and even preferred it. Yes, she was always stunning in her Asgardian regalia that she sported when visiting other worlds, but within the peace of their family, she preferred her old sweats and t-shirts. Despite being a goddess, apparently childbirth was still painful, but Darcy assured him that it was all worth it. He was spared the strange cravings and vomiting that most mortal pregnant woman seemed to obtain during carrying, and for that he was grateful.

"But I don't belong here anymore."

Loki broke out from his reverie and turned his head to listen as Darcy kept her eyes towards the sky. The city was getting quieter, but the faint rush of cars was still in the background.

"When everyone…Left, I think a part of me did too, and when all was said and done, I knew it was time to move on. I have I have you, Eira, Rowan, and a whole other extended family back in Asgard. I'll always miss here—the skyline, the route I took every day to work, and even the sandy streets of New Mexico when I used to live there, but there's no point in lingering on it if it doesn't exist anymore, you know?"

He nodded in mute understanding, having come to accept that Midgard was a part of him too.

Darcy turned to face him and stroked his cheek gently. "I love Asgard, I really do. And I love my life. I wouldn't change any part of it. You've given me so much and then some."

Loki moved in to kiss her forehead and sighed in content. Centuries of self-doubt had yet to leave, but her words put him at ease as she smiled up at him. "The feeling is mutual, love," he said and noticed that she had finished her latte.

"Do you want another?"

"Do I have to throw it on the ground?" She quirked, making the motion of slamming it against the roof.

"Unnecessary," he replied as he made another, this time with a muffin.

"Mmmm, chocolate. Some things never change at least," she said, biting into it. Loki made a scone for himself and finished it in three bites.

"Should we go back now? I still don't like the idea of leaving Eira alone with that boy."

Darcy continued sipping her latte after finishing the remnants of her muffin. "Sure, but you need to chill out." Pausing after she said that, she began laughing. "No pun intended," she added, but the damage was already done and Loki was scowling with humor.

Darcy stood to join Loki as he waved his hand to the side to make the futon and blanket vanish. He looked to her, extending his other hand, and she gripped it firmly with a pleased expression donning her face with one last look around.

"Ready?" He asked, though he already knew the answer.

She nodded as she took a deep breath and let Loki's magic pull her back to Asgard. They landed before she could even blink, and they were met with an amusing scene involving Eira and Hakon chasing Rowan and Thor's daughters around with a ball of light.

Squeezing his hand, Darcy leaned up to whisper into Loki's ear, "Told you."

As much as he hated being proven wrong, the corners of his mouth turned upward as he observed Rowan dash behind a pillar with his younger cousin clinging to his tunic for safety.

The side doors slid open, revealing Thor and Jane, arms intertwined and laughing about something. They spotted him and Darcy, and waved as they made their way over to them, dodging Eira's light in the process.

"All is well, brother?" Thor asked with a smile as one of his daughters came from behind and clung to his leg. He let go of Jane's hand to pick his daughter up and swung her onto his shoulders. She cried out with glee and took her father's hair in her fists and began to pull to the right. Thor let out a hearty laugh and gave Loki an apologetic look.

"We'll talk later," he promised and sped off to go after Eira who created a snowball and hit her uncle square in the back. Loki nodded in amusement, and looked to the side to make conversation with Darcy, but she was already chatting with Jane looking thoroughly engrossed.

It doesn't matter, Loki thought to himself as he found a chair to recline in.

They had all the time in the world.

Fin

And that's a wrap, folks! I'm going to have a huge author's note/closing thoughts/fun facts about the story that can be found on my blog, if any of you are interested. I don't want to waste space on here with my ramblings, but I do want to say a few things!

I hope this wrapped up a few loose ends, and I might revisit this universe sometime in the future so be on the lookout for that!

A humungous hug to everyone who has read this story from when it first came out to the end, and offering me words of encouragement! This story wouldn't have been written as quickly as it did without all your reviews. Never doubt your reviews, people!

Also, a big thanks for every person who has followed/favorited this story. Whenever I got an email notification, a huge smile was on my face.

In other news, I'm planning another Loki/Darcy story that will hopefully be much longer (chapter wise) and it will be more adventure-based with romance of course. It's still in the planning process, but I'm going to start writing it as soon as I can. The community on here has made me love this couple even more.

Thank you (as always) for reading and have a lovely day :)