Ava took a deep breath before opening the door and walking into her chambers. She smiled at Loki, who was sitting in a chair reading a book. He closed the book and looked up as Ava had entered the room. He set the book aside and rose from his seat.

Ava walked over to Loki and he enveloped her in his arms. Loki kissed the top of her head. "What kept you my love?" He asked.

"My mother wanted to talk to me." Ava answered.

"I hope you two had a pleasant talk." Loki replied.

" We did." Ava said. A grin came across her face as she finally figured out how to tell Loki about what her mother said. She wrapped her arms around his neck and began to twist her fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck. "Now, why don't we focus on other things?"

Loki grinned. "Like what?" He asked even though he already knew.

Ava grinned as she pulled away from him and removed her dress. Loki quickly removed his own clothes and scooped Ava into his arms. He carried her over to the bed where they made love. Afterwards they lay holding each other and their legs tangled.

Loki kissed Ava's forehead. "I love you."

"I love you." Ava replied. She then kissed his lips. "So...You remember how I told you my mother had wanted to speak with me earlier?"

"Yes...what about it?" Loki asked.

"Well...she wanted to talk to me about my going off on my own a lot and how she knew that I was sneaking around to meet you...well she doesn't know it's you exactly she just said a man...and now she wants you at dinner tomorrow night to meet her and Father to properly ask for their permission to court me." Ava explained.

Loki looked at his love, shocked by this news. "What did you tell her? We both know I can't come to dinner."

"She didn't give me the option to say no...and well maybe it's a good idea."

Loki gave Ava a look of confusion and disbelief. "How is it a good idea?"

Ava looked Loki in the eye as she said what she was feeling in her heart. She hoped that they were the right words and got through to him. "Loki, I love you and I can't live without you."

"I love you, too nor could I live without you either."

"But our two worlds hate each other and the truce between them is hanging by a thread...and this causes us to have to sneak around and lie to be able to be together...and while it is fun...I don't want that to be our life. I want us to be able to be together and all the nine realms to know. I want their to be a true peace between our worlds. I want to one day marry you and live out our long lives together, growing old together. I want our love to see the light and not have to hide in the shadows."

"I want all of those things as well...but how does me joining your family for dinner help make all of that possible?"

"You meet my parents and be your charming self and I know that once they get to know you they'll fall in love with you just as I have. Then we can tell them about where you're from and how we met...and after seeing how much in love we are they will want to make a lasting peace with your father." Ava explained.

"It all sounds wonderful in theory...but I don't know if it will work...there is so much hurt and bloodshed between our realms." Loki replied.

"Please Loki? It is our best chance for getting the life we want and deserve." Ava pleaded. "Or do you not want that life as much as I?"

Loki instantly felt guilty. "Of course I want it." He replied. "I love you and I want nothing more than to be with you and not have to hide."

"Then come to dinner tomorrow?"

Loki looked into Ava's green eyes which were brimming with tears and pleading with him to say yes. He then thought about her words and knew that this was their best chance at having that life. "Alright." He agreed. "I will do anything so that I can one day call you my wife."

Ava smiled at the sound of that. She was glad to hear that he wanted to marry her one day and that he was willing to do anything to make that possible. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him with much enthusiasm and passion as she could contain in her body.

Loki pulled Ava as close to him as possible and kissed her back, matching her enthusiasm and passion . They ended up making love until they fell asleep in a tangle of limbs and sheets.