Nat was different from all the other girls in the nine realms, Loki decided suddenly as he absently roamed the halls of his home one night.
He didn't even care about the fact that she was a servant to his family, because she was the only of her kind - and she belonged to Loki.

First of all, Nat was the only person who sincerely preferred his company to his brother's, and never attempted to hide it ("I don't care much for loud things" she'd said bluntly, glaring at his blond brother).

Then there was her brains. She was perfect company for his daily trips to the library. Nat was perfectly able to do puzzles and to have a full conversation about nearly everything, and didn't complain about being bored within minutes (like Thor).

There was also what every man noticed, and that was her looks. She always appeared unusual, with her light grey eyes and abnormal white hair. She was always prettier than the other girls in Asgard, from her childhood to her adolescence, and everyone knew she would grow to be a stunning young woman.
Her mouth was usually pulled into a (cute) pout when she was around others, and curved into a rosy plump-lipped smile when she was alone with Loki.
Loki hated admitting it, but her looks were the first thing he noticed about her when they were children.

And her looks were distracting him right then. Loki had walked in on her crying in the library, crouched underneath one of the windows. Nat's hands were covering her moistened eyes, and her body was shaking with silent sobs. Loki found this oddly heart wrenching to watch, but he wasn't sure what to do about it. He'd never felt much sympathy for anyone.

He finally settled for walking toward her, squatting to her level, and placing a hand on her shoulder. Nat jumped and gasped, but relaxed when she realized that it was only Loki who had discovered her. She looked oddly guilty that she had been caught.

"Nat, why are you... upset?" the young man asked uncertainly. Nat looked up, wrapped her arms around Loki's slender body and rested her chin on his bare* shoulder. Loki felt his cheeks become temporarily warm.

"It's nothing, Dear Prince. You should be in bed; you have to be awake early tomorrow for Thor's ceremony." Nat said, pulling away shortly after her small show of affection.

Loki wasn't good with emotions (or people in general, really), but he knew that this wasn't a good answer for him to leave with.

"If it were nothing, your face would be dry." Loki's green eyes scanned her face for any evidence of what was troubling the girl. He found nothing.

"I'm but a humble servant to your family, Dear Prince. I'm sure it matters very little how I'm feeling." Nat responded bitterly, turning her head to stare out of the window. Loki grimaced, awkwardly patting the small of her back.

"You're my - er - wonderful friend, Nat. If it matters to no one else, I suppose it does to me...? So tell me what's troubling you. Please." Loki attempted, mentally slapping himself for how foolish he sounded. Nat giggled softly, folding her hands and placing them on her lap.

"You're so awkward it's silly... I'll tell you, but there's nothing that could be done." Nat's small smile fell as she said the last few words.

"Go on."

"I was born into being a servant, as you know. I've never been outside of these walls, never seen anything that's made my life interesting. I'm not even permitted to accompany you or your brother outside! I have no freedom!"

"Neither do the other servants, really. But we treat you better than the rest of them."

"But I could do something great if i was free, I know it. Your family has more than enough servants, why do I have to stay here? I don't want to be a slave any longer!" Nat said in frustration, tears slipping out of her eyes again. Loki took her hand in his and gave it a soft squeeze.

"If you weren't a servant, we'd never have known each other. You would've been lonely, Nat; we both know no woman would be your friend, because they all envy you! And every man in Asgard wants nothing but to bed you! I mean, look at Thor and his foolish friends." Loki reasoned. Nat paused for a moment, absorbing all what Loki had just told her. She then smiled mischievously and giggled.

"But Dear Prince, you're a man! Do you want nothing but to bed me?" she asked slyly, turning his words around. Red blossomed on Loki's pale face.

"N-no, we've been friends since we were children, so it's different!"

"It's alright if you do, I'd understand."

Loki cleared his throat and waited for his blush to fade. Then, confident that Nat would stay by his side, he gave her a charming smile.

"I have something that will bring a smile to your face, Darling. I wanted to surprise you with it, but I can't have you crying, thinking that your fate is sealed."

"What is it?"

"Oh, just something that will bring the both of us the appreciation we deserve..."

"What is it?"

"Well, I'm not really Odin's son. I'm actually a frost giant. From Jotunheim. God of Mischief. Been lied to my entire life, it seems." Loki took Nat not running away screaming after this confession as a good sign. He wouldn't have to force her to stay with him.

"Are you going to continue?"

"I'd like to convince that blubbering oaf to attack the Frost Giants, dear Nat. To break the treaty..." Loki paused to see if she was still with him. She shifted to make herself more comfortable, then smiled.

"Alright, but before you continue, I have a question?"

"Go ahead and ask."

"So... not very big and scary for a Frost Giant, are we Loki?"

He face-palmed, but continued to tell Nat about his plans.

*For the sake of... me, Thor and Loki sleep shirtless. :3

Updates for this might be slower than I thought- once every week, at the least. Feel free to harass me if I'm moving too slow for any of the stories. XD