Unlikely Allies

Epilogue

He's nervous.

He's more nervous right now than he has been in a very long time – since the Void, even, and it's been over a year since then.

And, perhaps the worst part, is that he may have a reason to be nervous. If this goes poorly, it may be the end. He may not have a choice in the matter – or maybe he will have a choice, which would be worse. Maybe he'll have to choose between his two homes, his two families, and he wouldn't know what to do.

Perhaps he should have thought about this before falling in love with a mortal.

But, as he and his family are approaching Himinbjorg, his opportunities to change his mind are dwindling. When Odin begins to speak to Heimdall, he knows it's too late. They've made it. They're going to Midgard. It's settled.

Thor pats him on the back – when did he get there? – and says with a grin, "I am very excited to finally meet your lover."

Loki forces a smile. "And she is excited to meet you as well." He wonders how true that is. Is she excited to see Thor again? It must be strange, that she has to pretend she hasn't met him before, that she hasn't loved him before. And yet, of all the things that worry him, that's not one of them. He knows she loves him, and her past relationship with Thor doesn't threaten him.

It's Odin and Frigga who make him the most nervous. If she doesn't like them – or, worse, if they don't like her – he may be put in an impossible situation. He doesn't even want to think of all the ways that could go wrong.

But then Heimdall summons the Bifrost, and he tries to push these thoughts aside in favor of at least trying to enjoy himself. He's going to see Jane. That's supposed to be fun. And having his parents and Thor and Sylvie here doesn't have to change that.

After much deliberation, Loki and Jane opted for a picnic today, far removed from the rest of the world in a way that will hopefully be comforting to the Asgardians. Odin, at the very least, doesn't seem like the kind of god who would want to mix and mingle with the humans. The fact that he's even decided to come to Midgard – specifically to meet a human, no less – is a shock, even if it most likely was at Frigga's urging.

Jane had worried that a picnic wouldn't be fancy enough, and he can't pretend he doesn't understand her fear. But it will be fine, he assured her, and he assured himself along with her. It will be an opportunity to sit and talk and eat. They've made sure there are enough chairs for everybody, so it's not as though they're making Odin Allfather, the King of Asgard, sit on a blanket in the sand, and they worked together to brainstorm a large enough variety of foods that everybody will have to like something.

She still wasn't convinced, as of last night, that this was a good idea. Loki wasn't, either. But they're here now, and they're going to make this work. They're going to make this an enjoyable experience, and everyone will leave happy. He won't allow himself to entertain any other ending.

As the light of the Bifrost fades, scorching the sand below, Jane and her friend appear not all too far away. Jane gives him a wary smile, which he returns with one of her own. Selvig seems less than thrilled about this – Loki's almost surprised he came; they'd assured him he didn't have to if he didn't want to, even if Jane does consider him family – and Darcy is just beaming. She's so lighthearted, carefree. Sometimes he wishes he had her outlook on life.

Loki gestures for his family to follow him, and as he approaches the picnic, the three humans stand up to greet them all.

Loki and Jane share a brief kiss, briefer than it normally would be, and before he pulls away, he murmurs in her ear, "You look lovely, my dear."