The next morning, Natasha rose before him and brought Anya back to bed. She allowed the infant to crawl across the bed to her sleeping father before she sat back on her behind and began playfully slapping her father's face and blowing spit bubbles. Natasha laughed and rushed over to pick up her daughter, "Little princess! That was a rude way to wake your father! I expected you to be more gentle than that!"
"Eh heh heh heh, good morning to you too, shorty," Loki chuckled as he sat up and lifted her out of his wife's arms. "And to my beautiful wife, of course," he winked as he stood from the bed, bouncing his daughter playfully in his arms. "You know, my pet, the Winter Solstice begins in three days. I have a feeling my mother will be cornering you the first chance that she gets to try on dresses for all the balls that will be coming."
No sooner had the words left his mouth was there a knock on the door. "Shit! You have to hide me!" she whispered urgently. Loki didn't seem to take her seriously, so as soon as he turned his back to answer the door, the Black Widow utilized her talents and quickly disappeared. As soon as the door was open, she was nowhere to be found.
"Good morning, mother," Loki beamed as he opened the door and motioned for her to enter. Frigga gave him and Anya a quick kiss on the cheek as she walked into the room regally.
"I'm so happy to have the three of you home, my son," the Queen divulged as she gazed around the chambers. "Where is Natasha? My seamstress has made a flurry of new gowns and I was hoping to have a little time with her this afternoon.
Loki furrowed his brow as he surveyed the room in puzzlement. The doors to the kitchen and bathroom were wide open and he saw no sign of her. Where was she hiding? "To be honest, mother, I'm not quite sure where she is at the moment. Eh heh heh heh, she sort of stepped out for a moment."
"Oh dear, you are not fighting are you?" Frigga admonished. "You can be so stubborn. What did you do?"
"We aren't fighting quite the contrary," Loki protested as he shifted his daughter in his arms.
"Loki, you're wearing your ring," the Queen remarked happily as her eyes observed the gold band on his left hand. "Oh, my son, that is wonderful. I'm so happy for you both… for the three of you. I insist that we have supper this evening… yes? I've missed you all so much and I will make sure Thor attends as well. I can discuss the dresses with your wife then."
"Are you sure you don't want to wait?" Loki smirked. "I'm sure she won't be much longer."
"No, no, dear," Frigga replied as she moved toward the door. "I will see you all this evening." Loki closed the door behind her as he turned around to see where his wife popped out from. "Okay, shorty, where is your mother hiding?"
Natasha hopped down off of one of the beams high above the floor, landing gracefully in front of him as she brushed her hand through her hair. She laughed a little and crossed her arms, "I heard that little quip about making her wait. If you weren't holding Anya, I would have punched you in the arm. Oh my god…the last time she took me to try on dresses, I had to try on 25 dresses…twenty-five, Loki. I swear…I was fine with the first 24…she was the one who kept saying the color wasn't quite right…the fit wasn't right…it showed too much cleavage…it would clash with the royal guard uniforms…it was the same color as hers…please…if there is a way in these 9 realms that could keep me from dress shopping with your mother…help me."
"Eh heh heh heh, well look at you, little spider, I never thought to look above me," Loki laughed as he gazed up at the ceiling. "I'm sorry, my pet, but I don't think I can help you. One does not normally refuse the Queen and I have a feeling she is going to have the seamstress bring the dresses to her quarters this evening when we arrive for dinner. She had a very determined look in her eyes."
Natasha picked up Anya and rubbed noses with her daughter before playfully sticking her tongue out at Loki, "Fine. I'll face my fate. Brave and alone!" Maybe I should take Anya. If she starts to get too fussy, I can blame her and run away."
The queen did eventually track Natasha down and whisked her off to her quarters to try on the series of dresses she'd had brought in for her. Hours later, after darkness fell on the palace, Natasha slowly dragged her tired carcass back to her chambers, where her husband was sitting up on the bed, reading. She shuffled over to the bed and fell face first into the mattress.
"Never…never will I ever look at another dress ever again…" she murmured into the bed.
"Eh heh heh heh… that bad, huh?" Loki chuckled as he closed his book and set it on the nightstand. "I must admit I can't wait to see you in them, my darling. And, of course, helping you out of them, pet."
Natasha rolled onto her back and stretched languidly, "I think I need to convince her that I can pick out my own dress…I think I'm going to cry if I have to go through another dress fitting again…"
She yawned slightly, "Speaking of helping me out of dresses…this one is particularly uncomfortable…would you mind taking this one off of me?"
Loki brushed a loose curl behind her ear as he gazed down at her with a wry smile. With a flick of his wrist the dress was gone from her body and replaced with a silk nightgown in a deep shade of green. The offending garment resting across the chair in the corner of the room. "Is that better, darling?" the young god mused as he ran his fingers lazily along the cascading curls resting against her shoulders.
Natasha moaned in approval before pulling him down on top of her, "Mmmmhmmm…was Anya alright without me tonight? I feel bad that I didn't get to put her to bed…"
She trailed kisses across his jaw and down his neck as she wrapped her legs around him.
"She requested a few dances… eh heh heh," Loki jested as he slid his hand along her thigh. "And then fell right to sleep, pet." The feel of her lips against his skin was intoxicating as he moaned in approval at her ministrations. "By the nine's, you feel so good… so divine… I want you so badly."
Natasha smiled as she slowly slid his pants off of his hips. She pressed suckling kisses against his neck before whispering, "You ever think of having another?"
"Eh heh heh heh, are you trying to seduce a yes out of me, my pet," Loki replied with a playful grin, his head tilted back in pleasure as her lips continued to caress his skin. He grabbed the edges of her gown as he slowly began to pull it up her body. "I'm not so firmly opposed as I once might have been, pet."
Natasha laughed and shook her head as she continued pulling the gown up and off of her body before tossing it away, "No. I'm not that devious, my love…I was just curious in all honesty…we made a wonderful little person before…just wanted to hear your thoughts…"
She thrust her hips upwards and moaned as she pressed her lips against his for a sensual kiss as she reached between them to position his member at her entrance.
He glided upward, deep inside her as his lips devoured her greedily. "Oh… yes… yes… Natalia… so perfect," Loki gasped, his breath caught in his throat as she pressed down to meet his every upward thrust.
Natasha gasped as pleasure began building within her. The familiar, delicious warmth radiated through her limbs and, after several moments, they came together, their bodies convulsing in release.
She collapsed onto the bed beside him, "Every time is more amazing than the last."
"I couldn't agree more, darling," Loki smiled as he propped himself on his elbow and threaded his fingers along a strawberry curl. His dark emerald eyes sparkling with affection. "Natalia… I… I love you… so much."
Natasha couldn't help the tear that slid down her face as she smiled up into his eyes.
"I love you too Loki…oh god…I've wanted to hear you say that for so long…I love you so much. So so much" she whispered as she turned over to bury her face in his neck as she pressed kisses over his skin.
"I've wanted to say it so many times before. I just didn't want to get hurt. I'm sorry I made you wait, pet. I do love you, Natalia. I always have… and I always will," Loki entreated as he wrapped his arm around her, his lips skimming over her lush red curls as he breathed in her scent.
Natasha kissed him lovingly and struggled to wipe away the heartfelt tears that had collected in her eyes.
"That is something I will never tire of hearing, my love" she whispered against his lips before claiming his mouth in a heated kiss. They made love once more before falling asleep, only to be awoken mere hours later by a very energetic Anya.
Natasha heard the baby's babbles from the next room and moaned as she stretched on the bed, "I will literally have sex with you for eight hours straight tonight if you let me stay in bed for another two hours."
"You didn't have to bribe me to see to Anya, my darling," Loki advised with a lazy grin as he leaned over and kissed her softly. "But now that you've said it. I'm going to be holding you to it, my pet. Eh heh heh heh." He climbed from the bed and moved toward the nursery, lifting his daughter from her crib and peppering her face with kisses. "So what do you think, shorty? Would you like a little brother or sister one day?"
The next two days passed very swiftly and soon it was the evening of the first grand banquet to begin the twelve day celebration of the Winter Solstice. Loki hooked his arm around Natasha's as they were announced into the grand hall.
"Their Royal Highness's, Prince Loki Odinson and his wife, the Princess Natasha." the guard announced as they moved into the room.
Natasha finally got out of bed at nearly ten in the morning. She bathed and dressed before venturing into the grand hall. She was surprised to see the great king Odin sitting on the floor, rolling a ball and laughing heartily as Anya attempted to throw it back at him. Frigga sat upon a chair nearby while Thor stood with a plate, watching the scene as he shoved food in his face. Natasha smiled as her gaze fell to her husband, "Good morning. I'm sorry I was such a sleepy head today…"
Loki stood up, taking her hands in his as he gave her a gentle kiss. "I figured you would be wanting a little extra sleep after all the dancing at last night's ball. I know you are not use to all the Royal festivities," he smiled softly.
Natasha blushed and favored him with a mischievous smirk, "Yes. Dancing. Right…"
She kissed him again, then turned to look at Anya, "How is my precious princess?"
Odin smiled and chuckled heartily, "She is quite the active one. A very spirited child indeed. I do believe she will be a warrior princess. Look at how smart she is!"
Frigga laughed, "She is very bright."
After a morning spent with the entire family, Odin and Frigga took Anya to the stables to see which mare and stallion they would breed to produce the ideal pony for their granddaughter. Natasha and Loki took a walk in the garden alone. She pulled his arm around her waist and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek, "You've been giving me these long looks all morning…what's going through that head of yours, my love?"
"I had a strange dream last night," Loki divulged in his silky accent. "I don't remember any of it just this feeling of complete despair that washed over me like I had lost something very precious to me. I don't know… I guess I haven't completely shaken it, pet."
Natasha furrowed her eyebrows, "Tell me about it, love…maybe it will make you feel better if you talk about it."
"I don't really remember… just the feeling, pet… everything was black and dark and hopeless… no images or anything that I recall," Loki revealed as he moved to sit down along a bench beneath a large apple tree. "Just this wretched feeling in the pit of my stomach that something very important had been taken from me. I felt very alone."
Natasha moved to sit on his lap and softly kissed his lips, "I'm sorry you felt that, my love…but you are not alone. I'm here…Anya's here…your whole family is here. And…Winter Solstice is in just two days. It's your favorite time of year…and we get to celebrate it as a family. The biggest thing you should be stressing about is what you're going to get me for a present." She laughed and pressed her forehead against his, "…it's what I'm stressing about. What do I get the god who already has everything?"
"Eh heh heh heh, I already told you, little spider, just wrap yourself up in a big bow… green, of course," Loki winked playfully as he ran his fingers languidly along her thigh. He knew that she was right. It was just a silly dream. He shouldn't be surprised. He finally had everything he ever wanted, of course, he would be afraid of losing them. But he wasn't going to. No one would ever take them from him. "I already have your present taken care of, my pet."
"Really?" she said with a wide smile. Natasha leaned forward and pressed a sensual kiss to his lips before trailing kisses down his neck to his ear. She nipped on ear lobe, "Would you mind giving me a hint?"
"My wife wants a hint," Loki mused as he reveled in the feel of her lips along his skin. "Alright, pet. Let's see it is something that… you're going to like, eh heh heh heh."
Natasha bit down a little harder on his ear before trailing the tip of her tongue down his neck.
"Oh come on…I need a better hint than that…" she said as she shifted in his lap and looked around before straddling him. Natasha knew that they could likely be caught at any moment, but that fact only excited her. She slipped a hand inside his pants as she pouted against his lips, "Come on…I need a better hint than that…please?"
She leaned back and favored him with a sweet pout and wide puppy dog eyes.
"By the nines," Loki gasped at the feel of her hands caressing his growing arousal."That is totally cheating, pet.. eh heh heh heh… oh…Valhalla… it contains many different colors." His grip tightening on her hips as he reclaimed her mouth in a slow, sensual kiss.
Natasha kissed him back hungrily before tightening her grip on his member. Her other hand moved to hike up her skirts. After some maneuvering, she canted her hips forward and managed to sink down on his throbbing shaft, fully impaling herself as her head dropped back in pleasure.
"Many different colors…" she gasped against his mouth as she began roughly thrusting her hips against his. Natasha knew they didn't have much time, so she was going to work fast to bring them both over the edge. She moaned before pressing a quick, sensual kiss to his lips before she once again looked around the garden to be sure they were still alone, her hips still moving eagerly against his as she straddled him.
"Mmm…something else…is it jewelry, my love?" she said with a slight smirk.
"More than that, my pet," Loki groaned low and deep as their bodies shuddered in release. "Oh.. Natalia…you're amazing," he grinned against her lips, sucking in panting breath. "I can't get enough of you."
Natasha panted softly before slowly easing herself off of his lap and quickly fixing her dress as a mischievous grin played across her lips, "I can't get enough of you either, my love…that was a risky game I just played. We could have gotten caught!"
She giggled as she looked around, relieved they'd remained undisturbed during their little liaison.
Two days later, the Winter Solstice was upon them, and they were attending the first of many balls that would be taking place throughout the festivities. Natasha wore a dark green and gold gown. The top part of her red hair was braided off of her face with gold threading while the rest of her curls cascaded down her back. The square neckline of her dress allowed for copious amounts of her creamy pale flesh to be put on display. She was actually surprised Frigga approved of it.
Natasha leaned into his ear, "Do I get my present tonight?"
Loki shook his head softly, "No… no, no presents till the night of the Wild Hunt, darling. You are just going to have to be patient." His dark green eyes roaming along her body appreciatively. "You look so delicious in that dress, my pet, a true goddess."
Natasha smiled and looked around as she plucked a champagne flute off of a passing waiter's tray, "Patience isn't really my strong suit, my love…but fine. I will simply have to wait."
She blushed at the way he looked at her, "You are going to get us in a world of trouble if you don't stop looking at me that way…"
"I can't help it, my darling," Loki smiled as he leaned closer to whisper in her ear. "I just want to devour every inch of you. I want to feel your warmth around me while I make you scream my name."
"So how are you enjoying your first Winter Solstice, Lady Natasha?" Thor interrupted as he walked up to them jovially.
Natasha had just been getting drawn into Loki's sensual voice as Thor walked over and spoke, forcing the young woman to jump slightly in surprise, "Oh! Hi, Thor…yes. I'm…enjoying it just fine. Thank you."
She fanned herself slightly as she took a gulp from her champagne glass, then shot her husband a playful look.
Loki smiled widely as he watched her take a sip of her drink, his eyes gazing lustfully at her full lips. He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep his hands to himself.
"I'm very glad to hear that," Thor smiled. "I realized that I was deprived of the traditional wedding dance with my sister-in-law being that you were married in Midgard. May I remedy that this evening, Lady Natasha?"
Natasha glanced at Loki for approval before handing him her glass, then taking Thor's hand as he led her onto the dance floor.
"This is very festive…" she said with a smile.
"I'm so grateful to see that everything has turned out as it should for the two of you," Thor divulged as they moved along the dance floor.
Loki smiled as he gazed at his wife and brother. It dawned on him at his brother's words that he didn't even know the day that they had been married. He would have to find out. What if he missed their anniversary?
"You always look so regal in your princely attire, love," Lorelei mused at his side. "It is good that you are finally back where you belong permanently."
"Yes, I am glad to be back home," the young god remarked coolly as he continued to gaze out at the dance floor. "You know, my dear, when you wait all evening until my wife is not at my side to speak to me it gives a bad impression." His dark emerald eyes turning toward her intently. "And I will not have my wife upset. If you can't speak to me in her presence than you needn't speak to me at all."
"Of course, love, my apologies," the sorceress crooned softly. "I see you have embraced your Midgardian marriage once more. And how is she enjoying it on Asgard? It must be difficult for her to be so far away from everyone she knows. It's no wonder Heimdal's list of people to watch has grown so extensively since your return." The young god's eyes narrowed considerably at her words. He didn't know that she was keeping tabs on anyone in Midgard.
"How do you know who he watches for?" Loki snipped.
"I was just checking on my sister in Vanaheim and he happened to be writing up a little note for your wife. Such odd names those Midgardians have… Stark, Pepper… Barton." She revealed with a faint smile.