Songs: "All The Stars" by Kendrick Lamar, SZA, "No Matter What" by Badfinger, "Mercy Me" by Alkaline Trio, "Time" by Hans Zimmer

(Author's note: If you squint REALLY hard, you'll find a nod to the Tesseract. ;) )

Rolling up the foil that had once held her turkey on rye order from Aleksander's sandwich shop, Jane leaned back against the chair while reaching down to rub at her abdomen. "Hope you enjoy that, sweetheart. I know I did."

Finishing with his sandwich as well, Loki caught Jane talking to their unborn baby and smiled in adoration. "Can't wait to be able to actually talk to him or her. Speaking of the baby, we are going to need to set up a nursery in Asgard as well as here whenever we visit."

"True. So - now that we've been home for almost half an hour, you were going to tell me your memory of the first time you appeared and reappeared in front of me?," her brown eyed gaze watched him curiously.

"Oh? Oh right, of course - that memory," he answered while reaching for her other hand; his fingers curling around his as he focused on the memory she was referring to. "Well, you were right in that we almost shared our first kiss that day and I think if the circumstances were different back then, we would have. As I've told you in the past, I had already formed quite the admiration of you; so much so that I now realize how much I sought out your presence whenever you were visiting in Asgard. While my brother was busy with whatever he was busy with, I managed to make sure all the free time I had was spent spending time with you. As corny as this will sound, you were the first person in all of the nine realms who understood everything I spoke of and never seemed bored or disinterested whenever I spoke of theories and such. What you possibly don't know is that I had wanted to kiss you throughout the entirety of your second visit. In all honesty, I am surprised I didn't give in. Whenever you were spending time with Thor or even my parents, I couldn't help watch you and fantasize about what I wanted to do to and with you. Now, thankfully, I am able to kiss you freely." He leaned forward to brush his lips along a corner of her mouth just to cement the fact that he was, indeed, able to kiss his wife whenever he liked.

Smiling throughout his view of the memory, her smile widened at the warm touch of his lips along her mouth. Turning her head to kiss him fully on the lips, she pulled away to allow herself a chance to speak. "So that explains why I saw you more than I saw Thor," she paused and chuckled at the sight of his smiling nod. "Well, what you possibly don't know is that I thought about doing things with you, too. After that almost kiss we shared, I spent the whole dinner trying hard not to stare at you. Once I came back to London, kissing you and wondering what it would feel like were on my mind a lot; so much so that Darcy had to continually poke me to get me to snap out of thinking about the fact that I wanted to kiss you. Now, as you said, we're both able to do it freely and I happen to love it a lot," she murmured and closed the distance between the two of them once more to kiss him again; the warmth of his mouth along hers causing her to moan softly in content. Having thought this before, Jane was reminded of the fact that she would never be able to get over how wonderful it was to kiss Loki. His lips alone distracted her to the point where she had to physically force herself to stop staring at his lips whenever he spoke. Desire to be closer to her husband caused Jane to scoot from her chair with help of grasping onto him as she lowered herself onto his lap; the warm security of his arms wrapping around her waist greeting her as she focused her attention on kissing the love of her life.

Enjoying the soft pressure of her lips against his, Loki smoothed a hand up her back before allowing the hand to cup her cheek as his lips claimed hers happily. The two of them had gone through so much in their lifetimes; each event playing an important part in who they had become and the fact that they had been able to find each other still managed to surprise him. She had started off as the woman who had managed to imprint herself into his thoughts; the individual who had made his life on Asgard better than it had ever been in his long lifespan. From the moment he met her, Loki had lost count of all the times he had smiled; Jane's infectious personality casting away his insecurities and allowing himself to be the person he hid from everyone. As time went on, the curious connection that had been recognized between the two of them at the beginning had only grown with each passing month; Loki realizing that Jane's curiosities and knowledge echoed within him during their seemingly endless conversations. This, of course, made the dark haired Prince realize that he could not pass up the chance to be with the woman who had not only accepted his chaotic nature; she had been able to love the man beneath the tricks. She was his life.

Pulling away from the kiss to allow the two of them to breathe, Loki panted softly against Jane's lips as he gazed lovingly at his wife; the sight of her kiss swollen lips greeting him and causing him to smile. "You're so beautiful, Jane," he whispered as his thumb brushed along her cheek.

Panting just as softly as her husband, she leaned into his caress; her brunette tresses spilling over her shoulders as the cool temperature of Loki's skin matched well with her flushed cheeks. This man - the God of Mischief - had once been an important character in Norse mythology; the stories of his encounters with humans stuff of legends. Memories of asking Erik to read about Loki's adventures with Thor and the others filled her mind; her seven year old self raising the heavy book up to Erik as she pleaded with him to tell her another story. Now as she looked at him lovingly; his green eyes twinkling as he watched her, all of this still felt like a lengthy dream. "I am so lucky to have you in my life, Loki. When I was little, I thought you and the others were fictional; that you were all part of the Norse myths that Erik read to me when I was little. The fact that you are real; that I have been blessed beyond measure at the idea of being your wife who is carrying our first baby is -" she shook her head; happiness over having everything she could have asked for and more causing her to tear up as she laughed softly. Taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself, Jane continued, "It's so amazing and perfect and I wake up every morning with the knowledge that I have someone who understands me," she finished as she continued to laugh; tears spilling freely down her cheeks.

"Oh Jane..," Loki proceeded to wrap his arms around his wife as he held her close; the sight of her crying causing his heart to ache in concern before recognizing that she seemed to be doing so in a happy fashion. "You've given me all that I've wanted and more, my darling Jane. While I've read some of the stories about me, I can guarantee seventy-five percent of them are incorrect, but knowing that you thought of me when you were little is such a lovely idea. Little Jane thinking of me.." he paused, smiling softly before turning his head to brush his lips against her neck. "It really does seem as if we were meant to be together, you know. You thinking of me when you were little; my being unable to stop thinking of you when you came back here to Midgard, all of it." Recalling the surprise he had for Jane, Loki placed another kiss on her neck before pulling away from her to allow him the chance to gaze into her eyes. The sight of the tears staining her face greeted him as he sighed softly; both of his hands coming up to gently wipe away at the tears. "Love, I have something for you. Would you like to see it?"

Feeling foolish for tearing up, Jane sniffled softly while backing up as well to take a deep breath in a second attempt to calm herself; the idea of Loki having something to show her being the best distraction that she could imagine. "Of course, of course."

"First, I need you to close your eyes."

"Why do I get the feeling we've done this before?," Jane managed a faint smirk while eyeing her husband curiously.

"We have so, please, close your eyes or I will be forced to find the blindfold that you threw behind the bed the last time we tried to be adventurous in the bedroom," Loki smirked in return; the delightful memory of Jane getting thoroughly annoyed with the prospect of being unable to see what he was doing to her that she threw the black strip of fabric behind the headboard. "So, please, be a good wife for once."

Gasping at the jab, Jane balled up a fist and proceeded to punch her mischevious husband's shoulder; the sight of him wincing in a joking manner causing her to shake her head in annoyance. "I'll have you know I am an amazing wife, mister."

Rubbing at the spot where she hit him, Loki's smirk widened at how adorable she was whenever she got annoyed. "Would an amazing wife punch her husband, then?"

"Only if her husband is being rude then, yes, I imagine a lot of wives want to punch their husbands on a daily basis. I didn't hit you that hard," Jane said while she watched him rub at his shoulder.

"I may never be able to hold our baby properly," Loki said, sighing sadly and dropping his head in a dramatic fashion.

Snorting softly, Jane shook her head once more at his behavior while chuckling. "I think you'll manage, Loki. But, all right - I'll bite," she uttered while leaning back as her eyelids met; her curiosity about what it was that he wanted to show her increasing.

Taking a deep breath to ease the nervousness that had been slowly building in the pit of his stomach, Loki closed his eyes as well while focusing on removing the glamour spell that kept his Frost Giant appearance hidden. While Jane had seen him in this form once, he had made her a promise that as a gift on one of their wedding anniversaries, he would reveal his Frost Giant once more without her having to ask. Exhaling softly and opening his eyes, the sight of his usually pale appearance was cast away as the blue hue proceeded to cover every inch of his body; a faint pinch forming as the markings that were a part of his Frost Giant form revealed themselves. While he could recall Jane's past reaction to the form, Loki felt it safe to say that Jane admired the Frost Giant genes far more than he did. Ruby tinted eyes sought out his wife as he reclined against the chair; its sturdy structure gradually soothing his frazzled nerves as he swallowed slowly. He needed a moment to gather the courage to let Jane know it was time to open her eyes. Just do it, he mused to himself. "You can open your eyes now, Jane."

The change of his tone filled her ears as she opened her eyes; the ruby hue from his Frost Giant appearance greeting her. Confusion caused her lips to curve downward as she allowed her eyes to openly roam around his form; the sight of his Asgardian appearance overrun by the intensity of the Jotun form. "Why are you in your Jotun form?"

"Do you recall the day I first revealed this side of me?," Loki murmured; his voice raspier than usual given the change. The sight of her nodding greeted him as he pressed on, "I promised you that I would freely show you on or around one of our wedding anniversaries. So, happy early anniversary, Jane." Hope that she would continue to be pleased with his appearance filled his eyes as he gazed watchfully at his wife.

Pride for the man before her caused Jane's mind and mouth to collide as she struggled to express how she felt. The very fact that he had chosen to follow through made her heart swell immensely with love and adoration; his bravery making her eyes sting with tears threatening to spill. This beautiful man had gone through so much, too much even, in his lifetime that one would think he would never want to be vulnerable with anyone. The fact that he had been able to do so with her on multiple occasions was a surprise beyond belief. He was, truly, one of a kind. So, as she slowly reached forward to smooth a thumb over one of the many markings that adorned his face, Jane smiled equally slowly as the difference of temperature greeted her; his skin feeling far more chilly than usual. Love for him filled her gaze as she closed the distance between them once more; her lips brushing along his gently before she deepened the kiss by wrapping her arms around his shoulders and kissing him thoroughly, glad that she had been able to find a way to properly express herself.

Surprised lanced through the dark haired God of Mischief as he felt the warm addiction that was Jane's lips on his; having expected her to remark on his markings. While he was grateful for the opportunity to be kissed by her, he found himself confused as to why she had chosen to do so. Reaching up to cup her face, Loki gently pulled his head away while trying to speak, "Ja- I need to know why you're," his question was cut off as a pleasure filled groan spilled from his lips as he felt Jane's soft lips kiss and caress his neck. "Woman, you'll be the death of me," Loki muttered; his head tilting back as he gave in momentarily.

Laughing in delight at her husband's response, Jane continued to press soft kisses along his neck; each touch of her lips causing a pleasured moan to spring up from Loki's lips and giving her the impression that he was decidedly more sensitive than usual. "This is, by far, the best anniversary gift you've ever given me," Jane murmured between each of the kisses before backing away to allow him to calm down. "While there are millions upon millions of wives in all of the nine realms. I feel it's safe to say that I am part of the most happiest group." The sight of his eyebrows raising up in surprise greeted her as she continued, "You're showing me something that still makes you uncomfortable, Loki. The fact that you chose to follow through despite how uneasy it makes you is a true testament to how comfortable you are with me. So, thank you for being so brave."

"For you, my Jane, I would do anything. You're right, by the way: this form does still make me uncomfortable, but it is your responses that help make it easier to handle. The fact that you didn't shirk away or gasp in horror; you have no idea how I cannot fully process you kissing me as soon as you saw me like this. I fear I am still thoroughly surprised by that," Loki said; his ruby tinted eyes roaming lovingly and curiously over his wife's face and body; the love he had for her only increasing in reponse to how she acted with him.

"Surprised that I kissed you?," the sight of his nod confirmed it and she shook her head slowly. "Loki - in any form, I love you and think you're the most handsome man I've ever seen. How could I not want to kiss you?"

"I..-" he began to speak, but soon found himself unable to finish his train of thought; the idea of his wife finding him handsome in both his Asgardian as well as his Jotun form causing his thoughts to come to a stop. From the moment he had found out he was of Jotun heritage, the idea of embracing, let alone accepting, that part of his life had been as impossible as trying to persuade Thor not to drink himself into a stupor. The memory of when Jane had asked him to reveal this side of him appeared in his thoughts as he recalled denying her at first; his bride of one year eyeing him with determination as she closed the distance between the two of them and cupped his face softly while her beautiful brown eyes locked onto him. She had told him that she would not walk away; he suggesting that she would be able to if the sight of his Jotun skin was offensive. Pride for the woman before him had flooded his senses as she shook her head and told him, once more, that she was not going to leave his side; that they had promised themselves to each other and were sticking together through thick and thin. Having kissed her softly as a way to express his adoration for her bravery and determination, he had finally conceded and had slowly revealed the cool blue skin that marked him as a Frost Giant; the dozens of markings etching themselves along his previously pale complexion as his eyes took on a ruby glow. What had made him fall even more in love with her was the fact that she had promptly kissed him; the surprising show of affection catching the God of Mischief off guard thoroughly as his wife's lips cast their own form of magic on his senses.

Moaning softly in enjoyment of the kiss, Jane found herself realizing that she had forgotten to find a gift for their upcoming wedding anniversary. With dealing with the project that S.H.I.E.L.D had offered her, she had to admit that her mind had been far too focused on accomplishing what Nick Fury wanted her to do. Memories of being asked to work on a new program that would allow the secret group to study a cube that Erik had mentioned over dinner last month invaded her thought process as her attention soon became divided between the memory and the ongoing kiss. When both Director Fury as well as Erik had talked to her about it, she had originally been skeptical about the idea of dealing with a cube with a dubious history; reports of a man by the name of Johann Schmidt who had sought after the cube only to be annihilated by its sheer power had made Jane all the more weary of it. Erik, however, seemed thoroughly curious about the idea and had been the main reason why she had agreed to sign onto it. Parting the kiss slowly, Jane leaned away as she took in the sight of her husband opening his eyes and gazing up at her lovingly.

"If I had known we were giving out gifts early, I would have gone to the store weeks ago," she murmured, smiling sheepishly as she reached forward to brush away a lock of her husband's raven locks from his face.

"Jane," Loki uttered; his crimson hues continuing to peer up at her in a loving fashion as he smiled. "You're giving me the chance to become a father so I feel if gift giving was to become a competition, you allowing me to have a chance at something that I once thought would be forever out of my reach once I learned of my heritage is the ultimate winner. While, of course, the thoughtful gifts you've given in the past mean a great deal to me, our son or daughter is the best gift I could have ever received. For that, I love you. I love you for making me come with you to pick out a Christmas tree despite how silly that holiday seems to be; for wanting only me to snuggle up next to while you work. Knowing that you continuously choose me day in and day out has only made me see that I am the luckiest man in all of the nine realms."

(Wow, I'm sorry this took me so long to write. Work kept me a very busy bee. See you at Chapter 21!)