Natasha was only shocked by Loki's question for a few moments before preparing herself for the emotions she would inevitably feel afterwards.
"My dad has served in Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan. He also served in both Gulf Wars; he was sixteen at the time. He had lie about his age to join. He met my mother before his fifteenth birthday. They dated for about a year, and on his sixteenth birthday he proposed, saying, 'I don't want to die without having you as my wife.' My mom was so touched by it she said yes and the next day they eloped. After their wedding he was sent off to the war. When he would come home in between tours my mom would also want to have a child, but he said that he couldn't stand the thought of leaving her alone and pregnant. So they waited till the war was over. It took them a couple tries, but finally they were able to successfully have me." She paused, thanking the waitress for their meal before continuing.
"You should know, my mom is totally a southern belle. She always used to tell me if she had it her way, I'd be raised down in either Georgia or Alabama. She's originally from Tennessee but she loves Alabama, especially by the coast. Well anyway, my dad moved to New York City, that's where his family is originally from although he was born in Wyoming. He's a cowboy at heart, but he's always had a thing for the city. Shortly after I was born, they moved away from Manhattan and lived in the Bronx. When I was five my dad was deployed again. I don't really remember the deployment; all I remember was he was never there. He returned but was sent back again. Instead of being in combat, they had him training the recruits and the men. He had enough seniority that he was in charge of the entire regiment. Well shortly afterwards, his regiment was attacked, he was sent him with some pretty bad wounds." Natasha paused again, taking some bites out of her food.
"He pretty much never was the same after the attack. When he came home he got a purple heart and a silver star for his bravery and commitment to not leave a single man behind. He lost a couple of his buddies though." Natasha paused, remembering them visiting her house once in between tours. She had to blink back tears, she remembered one of them, and his wife had a baby boy and was pregnant with twins when he died. The other had a fiancée waiting for him to come home. Later they realized she was pregnant. Her father keeps in touch and tries to help out every chance he gets. Natasha even tries to help, the girl now is grown up and has raised the child by herself, but she's never married. Natasha feels bad that she lost her one and only love.
"I'm so sorry, I'm sure that must be awful to have to go through that." Loki finally spoke, realizing why Natasha loves her father so much; he truly is an honorable man.
"Thanks. Anyway, after I was born my parent's relationship wasn't the healthiest. After my father finished his last tour and recovered from his injuries he wanted to go back, my mom didn't want him to saying, 'You have a daughter now Ivan. You can't be going back to the battlefield she needs you.' But my dad wanted to fight for our country. He said his best friend and brother and arms died during 9/11 and he wants to avenge him and all his friends' deaths. Well naturally my mother felt betrayed by my father's wants. She prided herself on being self-reliant and not needing anyone, being Southern and all she never relied on anyone for help. But she was heartbroken at my dad's wants. She told me one night, while he was at work, 'Darlin', don't you ever rely on anyone. Even if times are hard and God seems to have ignored you, never rely on anyone. They'll always disappoint you.' She truly believed it too. When my father was assigned another tour, to just train soldiers in New Mexico, my mother snapped. They had a huge fight and finally she threw in the towel saying, 'I ain't ever going to live in the Southwest with Cowboys and Indians and all them Mexican folk. I barely agreed to move to New York City with ya, now you want me to move to New Mexico? That ain't right, you can't ask a good, honest Southern woman to do that.' After that she left. The night before my birthday, she just packed her bags, and took off at dawn, leaving behind this necklace." Natasha gestured toward the Tanzanite stone around her neck. "She also left a couple boxes of stuff she couldn't fit in her car. We've never seen, heard from, or spoken to her since. My father's tried calling her family, but they won't answer him, and if they do, they only want to talk to me. Can't stand the thought of my father picking his career over his woman. It's something that 'Southern men just don't do'." Natasha quoted her grandparent's favorite saying.
Loki nodded. He didn't understand her father's motives, but he knew that had probably had another reason for his actions.
"My father was heartbroken after she left. He stayed late at work, and often times came home drunk from the bars. I often times had to shower him with the hose in the front yard to sober him up before dragging him inside. After a few incidents of that, and the neighborhood becoming more and more dangerous, my father decided to move me out here. Now here I am. He still hasn't looked at me the same way since my mom left. I guess I remind him too much of her." Natasha concluded, turning her head towards the window, black from the darkness outside. It was late, the restaurant was slowing down, and customers were paying and leaving. Half of the staff had gone home.
"It's late, we should probably go." Natasha said, looking down at their empty plates. Loki nodded and called the waitress over to pay. Natasha paid for hers and Loki his. The two left together, Loki again opening both the restaurant door, and the car door for Natasha.
"Thank you, for sharing that with me. I know we just met, but I thank you for feeling so comfortable with me, to share that deep part of you." Loki looked at Natasha before turning the engine on and driving towards her home.
It was already 10:00 and the streetlights were all on by the time Loki rolled into Natasha's driveway. The black SUV was parked outside the garage, and her father was on the front porch, looking through some pictures.
"Thanks for the ride. I'll talk to you tomorrow?" Natasha asked, preparing herself to leave, but wishing with her entire heart to stay.
"Sure. Do you want me to walk you to your doorstep?" Loki offered, turning the car off and preparing to leave the vehicle with her. Natasha nodded, noticing her father's hunched figure on the swing.
"That'd be nice. Thank you." Natasha smiled a shy smile, letting a faint blush creep upon her face.
The two walked side by side up the drive and walkway before stopping at the base of the porch. Her father hadn't heard either of their quiet footsteps and still hadn't paid them any mind. Just sat there, shoulders hunched forward looking over various photo albums in boxes that he had dragged out onto the porch.
"Hey dad." Natasha spoke quietly, not wanting to alarm her father.
"Hey honey, didn't hear you come home. How was Jane's?" Ivan asked, sitting up straighter and looking at his daughter. He suddenly noticed Loki's tall appearance behind the much shorter redhead and nodded towards the teenager. "Hello there son, I'm Ivan Romanoff, nice to meet you." He said, coming down the porch steps and shaking Loki's hand. The two stood face to face with Natasha between them. Loki's 6'2 figure was tall but not as tall as Ivan's 6'4. Loki wasn't used to being looked down upon, quite literally.
"Nice to meet you, sir. I'm Loki Odinson." Loki introduced himself back towards the tall gentleman. The two eyed each other for a moment before Natasha's father stepped back and wrapped an arm around his daughter's shoulders.
"Thank you for bringing her home safely. I'm assuming you didn't go to Jane's then." Ivan spoke, first to Loki then to his daughter. His eyes had grown hard and his appearance didn't appear as friendly as before.
"Yeah, Jane was busy so Loki gave me a ride home. We just stopped by the Silver Diner and had a bite to eat." Natasha said, smiling brightly at Loki, who returned the smile instantly. The action didn't go unnoticed by the older Romanoff, who again eyed the mischievous teenager carefully.
"Well thank you again, Loki, for bringing her home safely." Ivan repeated, kissing his daughter's forehead before returning to the porch, leaving the two teenagers together.
Natasha motioned for Loki to follow and the two walked up the steps towards the opened boxes and photo albums on the porch.
"What's all this?" Natasha asked, gesturing towards the mess. She noticed a picture of her mom and her. She was five years old and her mom had the birthstone necklace around her neck and Natasha was playing with it. Natasha now wore that same necklace around her neck.
"I was just going through some stuff. Wanted to go through and throw away some old stuff that we don't need." He finished, closing the photo album and placing it back into the box. When he looked up again, he finally noticed the necklace around Natasha's neck. As the porch light hit the stone, it illuminated it to stand out brighter then before. "Where did you find that?" He asked, gesturing towards the silver necklace.
"Oh, I remembered I had it. I found it this morning." Natasha said, smiling at the remembrance of last night's events.
"Well it looks good on you." Ivan replied, backing up the boxes and walking in through the door. He still hadn't noticed the oversized leather jacket that Natasha still wore, or the fact that Loki hadn't left yet.
"I should probably leave. I'll pick you up tomorrow, same time?" Loki asked, preparing to leave.
"Yeah sure that'd be great. Thanks." Natasha replied, smiling sweetly at the much taller male. Even while she stood on the porch and him on the step, she still had to tilt her head upwards slightly to see his eyes and face. He just smiled and returned and headed towards his car.
After Loki's black Jeep disappeared into the night, Natasha entered her home. She noticed her father watching TV in the living room couch, unaware of her presence. He had a beer in his hand and was watching some baseball game or something. Natasha ignored his cries and rants and went to her room. She got ready for bed and fell to sleep early, listening to the sound of her father's voice loud voice, despite her closed door.
When she woke up in the morning, Natasha could smell bacon and pancakes being made. She slowly got out of bed and walked downstairs, not even looking at the time. What surprised her most when she entered her kitchen was the tall figure of Loki sitting on a barstool talking with her father, while he made some pancakes and bacon.
"Morning wildflower, want some pancakes and bacon?" Her father asked, using her old nickname he called her. He had placed a large plat of pancakes on the center of the island, and Loki was quickly devouring them.
"Hey Loki, what are you doing here so early?" Natasha asked, sitting down next to the dark haired boy and began eating her own fill.
"Have you glanced at the clock yet? I'm here right on time. You must've slept in." Loki pointed towards the clock on the stove. He was right; it was almost 7:00. Natasha had slept in late.
"Shoot! I'll be late. Natasha quickly devoured the small stack of pancakes she had set on her plate and finished the bacon along with it. She downed her orange juice faster then a shot, and was ready to run upstairs.
"Don't worry, I called your principle. I told him that you both would arrive late today." Ivan said, back turned towards her as he continued to cook some more pancakes for himself.
"What why?" Natasha asked, worry suddenly consuming her. Her father had barely been home for 24 hours and he was already disrupting her schedule.
"We need to talk. I have to tell you something." Ivan said, facing her, with his own stack of pancakes he stood across from Loki and her.
"What is it?" Natasha asked, waiting anxiously for his response.
"I'd like for it to be in private." Ivan responded, giving Loki a quick glance before taking another bite from his food.
"I best be going then." Loki said, understanding the hint. He thanked Ivan and placed his dish in the sink before leaving, making sure to give Natasha his signature smirk and a wink before closing the front door behind him.
"What is it?" Natasha asked, taking Loki's seat.
"I talked to my superiors today, I've been given another assignment." Ivan stated flatly, not adding any emotion into his tone.
"How long will you be gone?" Natasha asked, hiding her shock and disappoint well behind a masked face.
"It's about a six month deal. I'll be back, hopefully, in time before your school gets out." Ivan continued, finally reaching the point of the topic.
"Where are you going?" Natasha asked, eyeing her father suspiciously.
"I'll be going to Arizona, California and probably New Mexico. About two months in each place." Her father finished, placing his dishes in the sink and sipping on his coffee.
"What will you being doing there?" Natasha asked, finally letting small amounts of emotion seep into her features.
"I'll be lecturing and training recruits for different missions. Most of them are classified so I can' tell you much." Her father responded honestly. He had always taken his job seriously, and now was no exception.
"Alright. You'll be back in March right?" Natasha asked, doing the math quickly in her head.
"Maybe, if it doesn't get extended." Her father responded. Honesty was his best quality, whether it hurt or not.
"When do you leave?" Natasha asked, worried it might be sooner then she had hoped.
"On Sunday. I'll be flying to Nashville to pick up some more recruits before I head to Phoenix." Ivan responded, finally meeting his daughter's glossy eyes.
"So that's why you came home. To tell me that you're leaving." Natasha said, finally letting the anger and hurt show in her voice and emotions.
"I'm sorry Wildflower. I thought I should see you and tell you in person." Her father responded: honestly and genuinely sorry.
"What difference does it make? You barely call as it is!" Natasha snapped at the man in front of her. Ivan knew she'd be upset.
"I'm sorry honey can we please talk about it." Ivan continued. "That's why I wanted to have dinner with you tonight, so we could talk about it. I'm sorry if I'm ruining your plans with your friends, but I feel like this is important."
"Well I'm sorry if it's not convenient for you. I'm sorry I have a life and a schedule to keep to too. I'm so sorry dad that I can't be supportive of your career like you've always wanted. But it's kind of hard to understand when you've been gone most of my life!" Natasha yelled at her father, tears swelling in her eyes. She quickly turned and ran back upstairs, taking a cold shower. She opted to wear a light blue sundress with Loki's black leather jacket on top. She grabbed her favorite pair of sneakers and her backpack and headed out the door. She still hadn't taken her mother's necklace off, and she only bothered to put on light eyeliner and mascara before heading out the door.
"Do you need a ride?" her father asked, now fully dressed in his uniform. He was checking his Blackberry but looked up at his daughter.
"Sure. You don't need to pick me up." Natasha said flatly as they entered the black SUV.
They drove to school in silence, the radio offering the only noise in the vehicle. When they pulled up at the front of the school, Natasha smiled weekly at her father before leaving. She slammed the door a little rougher then necessary, but her father didn't comment. He had received a phone call and was too busy talking and pulling out to notice.
Natasha walked in through the halls, she had missed her first two classes and luckily her third class was with Loki so she felt much better. Before entering class she stopped by her locker, dropping off some books and caught Jane talking to Thor.
"Hey Jane. Hey Thor. Sorry for interrupting." Natasha blushed lightly at her friends. The two were standing very close together in front of both Jane and Natasha's lockers and Thor was leaning in very close to the brunette. Jane's face was scarlet red when she turned to face Natasha. Natasha just smiled and walked on, deciding she didn't need anything from her locker anyhow. She hadn't spoken to the rest of the girls or the guys since yesterday, and didn't feel like stopping by their lockers to chat. She walked straight for her classroom ignoring her fellow classmates as well.
When she entered she took her usual seat in the back of the room, waiting for the class to begin and for her day to be over with. She just looked opened up her notebook and began to doodle randomly, when a certain tall, dark, and handsome teen strode in wearing his usual smirk, and smiling faintly when he noticed the redhead still wearing his leather jacket.
"Morning Natasha. When did you arrive?" Loki asked, pretending like he hadn't stopped by her house earlier. Natasha played along, hoping to forget about the crazy morning.
"I arrived a little bit ago. Didn't see you at your locker so I just decided to head to class." Natasha blushed lightly. She honestly didn't know what her feeling was towards the Odinson brother, but she felt like fire had been lit beneath her heart every time she laid eyes on him.
As the teacher and rest of the students filled the classroom, Natasha quit doodling in her notebook and decided to concentrate on her lecturing teacher.
Thanks everyone for reviewing, favorite, and following this story! I'm so thankful for everyone of yall! You're the motivation I have to continue to write and update as much as I can! So it's the Christmas season, I might skip a few months to catch up to the present holidays, but not before a little Halloween and thanksgiving fun right? ;) can't wait to see what y'all think! Ok so her dad's kind of shady right? Well hopefully I don't make her seem to OC I kinda wanted her to have some family issues to. Well Loki's family problems will be revealed shortly (hopefully)! Well thanks again! Sorry for any plot holes or character traits that are either missing or lacking. I'm new to writing fanfiction and describing character feelings aren't my strong suit. Hope you enjoy this Natasha as part Natasha, part Black Widow, and part Scarlett Johansson! (yes her mom's named after Scarlett's real mom!) Thanks! :)