"Don Lokison, you put that lighter down this instant!" Mobius chased his four year old son across the yard, Loki's musical laughter ringing out from behind them.
They were male presenting, clad in dad-clothes, having sniped one of Mobius's flannel shirts in an attempt to surprise his husband.
Thea Lokidottir was six years old and clinging to her father's shoulders, much like a little monkey. She watched her brother from atop Loki's broad shoulders, the little blue sprite zipping around the yard with his blonde curls blowing in the wind.
"I can't catch him," Mobius sighed, "He's too damn fast. All that Jotun magic I think."
"Thea's more than a match for him," Loki pried their daughter from his shoulders and whispered a skeevy deal in her ear, promising sweets galore should she tackle her little brother.
Thea giggled conspiratorially and ran after Don, chasing him on mortal but trackstar level muscled legs.
She may have been human but she could give a jotun child a run for their money.
Mobius sauntered over to Loki, winding an arm around his waist. Loki flushed, purple staining his cheeks and he kissed Mobius's temple, a firm press that lingered. Mobius butted his head back against Loki's cheek.
"I should've known fathering your child would bring trouble," he teased.
"How do you explain Thea pranking her kindergarten teacher then?"
"The mischief obviously rubbed off when she was a baby. Can't escape it can I?"
Loki kissed the grin on Mobius's lips and derailed their bickering, pulling him over to the deckchairs that sat on the patio.
Thea appeared with a struggling blue child, Don attacking his sister with weak but adorable fireworks sprouting from his chubby hands.
"I got him!" She panted, "I put the lighter in the trash!"
"Nice one, honey," Mobius whooped.
Loki laughed heartily. His eyed bored into the side of Mobius's head with such a stong aura of love that Mobius near started sweating nervously. Loki had a habit of gazing at him as if he had won the Asgardian equivalent of the lottery. Such tenderness rendered Mobius speechless, even though they were at the point of committed with two beautiful children destroying their front lawn as they fought.
Loki took Mobius's hand and laced their fingers together.
Mobius was clattering around in the kitchen, cooking as he did from a piece of parchment Loki had conjured. It had a simple Asgardian recipe and Loki was wrangling the children, enticing them with toys.
Thea however, was preoccupied with her first ever dagger that made Mobius's palms sweat whenever she so much as brushed the hilt.
Mortal or not she was a child of the Prince of Asgard and didnt they know it. She had left marks in the living room walls from her throwing competitions with Loki.
Mobius smiled softly; Thea was the raven-haired human baby that had stolen their hearts when they'd first decided to start a family, five years succeeding Loki's return from the end of time.
Two years later, Loki having been fem-presenting for all of three months before she had fallen pregnant with Don, Thea had become a big sister and a force to be reckoned with.
Don, a blue blur, came racing through the corridor past the kitchen, giggling like a devil.
Loki was chasing their son and Mobius smiled, lingering on their littlest for a moment.
He was just as perfect as Thea, Jotun in his looks but with younger Mobius's sandy blond hair. His red eyes were just as brimming with mischief as Thea's and Mobius thanked whoever had kidnapped him.
Loki and their daughter and son were the pride of his midguardian life. He had been astounded when Loki had announced she was pregnant and he was lucky enough to have that journey with her, watching Loki flourish as a father and mother.
Thea was their first child and had cemented their desire for a second; one look at that sparkle in her brown eyes and Mobius had been enamored with the idea of raising another child with the God he loved. You could tell how much Thea adored and admired her parent, never bothered by looking different from her brother.
Loki had ascended to father and motherhood with his mother's words and kindess flowing through him, destined to parent his own children with the grace Frigga had shown him.
"You know, Thea and Don have the father you deserved when you and Thor were kids. Frigga would be proud of you," Mobius had whispered in bed the night of Don's second birthday, "Thea couldn't be happier."
Loki had teared up, burying his face in Mobius's neck as milennia of repressed feelings were extracted via Mobius's loving words.
And he knew now that Loki really saw how well he'd done, that he was a loving father and mother and Mobius loved him ever more for it everyday.
Mobius had been distracted thinking about his little family and had burnt the dinner. Loki had set the kids up at the table and then wound his arms around Mobius's stomach, propping his chin on his shoulder.
"Is it supposed to be burnt like this," Mobius joked.
"Only if you let Thor in here to cook whilst I got Don's leggings back on."
Don laughed loudly from the other room and a little carrot stick flew through the air hitting him on the cheek.
"Uncle Thor makes good toast," Thea yelled, defending her namessake with Asgardian honour.
"Indeed darling," Loki agreed, nodding into Mobius's shoulder.
The front door opened then and there was an elated scream of excitement as Thea spotted someone through the living room window. Hyped by his sister's excitement, Don leapt from his chair and fought her for the door.
"Where are they?!" A female voice sang.
"Auntie Sylvie!" Thea cheered and flung herself at Sylvie who caught the six-year old one handed.
Verity - formerly B-15- scooped Don up like you would a wily puppy and proppes the four year old boy on her shoulder. She was still clad in hunter gear but Sylvie was casual, wearing a silver cardigan and emerald dress suit as if she'd abadoned a manager's dinner for the day.
Mobius greeted them both and Verity scrunched her nose at the burnt mess in the wok.
"Daddy burned it," Don said helpfully, "Dada will have to cook more!"
"I've been elected," Loki held his hands up and smiled as the two women wrangled his children.
Thea was excitably showing Sylvie the holes she'd made in the wall with the daggers and Mobius snorted as Sylvie gave him an evil grin.
"Yes, I do blame you and Loki for teaching her," he smiled.
"I wanna be a Valkyrie! Like Asgard's king!" Thea said loudly.
"All in good time," Sylvie smiled, letting Thea hang from around her neck like a scarf, "Where's Thor?"
Mobius opened his.mouth to make a guess when a blinding flash of lightning emanated from the yard and their shed promptly exploded.
Loki sighed.
"Brother!" Thor hollered and Love, his adopted daughter, beat him to the punch as they flooded into the house to join Verity and Sylvie with the kids.
"Sorry," Love smiled sheepishly, "Dad wanted to make an entrance."
"As expected," Loki huffed and smiled nonetheless as Thor clasped his shoulder.
Mobius was snatched up then in a bear hug so tight Loki had to reiterate the warning about not breaking his mortal husband.
"My favourite midguardian!" Thor cheered.
Mobius clapped him on the back heartily, gaining his breath back once Loki stole him away, arm around his waist. Mobius leant into Loki and Loki whispered into his ear.
"Thank you."
"Happy 1546th birthday, Loki," Mobius murmured back, brushing their noses together.
Loki laughed.
Chapter 1 ends