Hey, guys! I have yet another one-shot for everyone! I got this wonderful request from Himitsu-no-Paradise. I got the most beautiful banner for my other story, and I wanted to express my appreciation for it. This idea was one of the most intriguing I had gotten, and I had a million ideas pop into my head the second I got the suggestion. I just hope that you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or the original idea. I'm just adding to it. :D

Loki held to her hand tightly, watching her every reaction to the new world around her. Any look at all that would set her beautiful features alight would be treated like gold to the god.

Surprise was never something that came very easily for someone like Natasha Romanoff. It was one of the trillion things they had in common, he supposed. She was one of those types of people that enjoyed looking at every possible scenario and construing idea after idea of what she could expect. But that just meant that seeing her actually surprised expression made the moment even more special for him.

He had never really looked at Asgard as a place of wonder before he went and saw what the other worlds had to contend with. Jotunheim was a cold and desolate place that had lost anything resembling glory, and even its royal family was shroud in an unforgiving mist of misfortune.

Midgard was a definite step up from the freezing desert. It was green and bright and blue, and everywhere he went, the auras of the mortals were simply bustling with energy and excitement.

But it was nothing like Asgard. His home was a league apart from any other world, and it wasn't really until he saw her reacting face that he understood that.

Her green, sparkling eyes were wide, as if trying to absorb everything possible in one glance. Her full and supple lips were parted in the shape of a perfectly circular 'O', and her pale cheeks flushed from eagerness. Never before had Asgard seemed more beautiful to him, and he wasn't even looking at it.

With a soft chuckle, he buried his nose in her flame red hair, breathing in the soothing vanilla scent. "You look like a fish, love," he teased, feeling her relaxed body snap back into action as she schooled her features.

"It's incredible," she said quietly, allowing him the privilege of nuzzling into her neck and peppering it with sweet kisses.

He smiled against the porcelain skin. "You haven't seen anything yet."

She pulled back from him, a wicked smirk on her face as she stared at him. "Show me then," she dared.

Loki certainly didn't need to be told twice. Never releasing her hand, they walked closer to the city, the palace at its heart, thrumming with magic and power. He continued to stare at her, monitoring her every micro-expression. The look of awe and wonder had returned and he wasn't about to reject it. She admired the little homes of his people, her finger reaching to trace the rough texture of a sandy wall.

"Are they poor?" she asked quietly, being sure that none of the people surrounding them heard her.

"Compared to Midgard, they are rich," he answered simply. "Here they are not."

One of the peasants must have suddenly recognized Loki, as he poked and prodded at the rest of his company, gesturing poorly to the couple.

"Should we say hello, love?" he asked gently, looking over at the man, watching as he hurried to make his little cart of fruit look presentable and flattering.

Natasha nodded briskly and dragged him to the cart. Her eyes wandered greedily over the fruits present, most of them she had probably never seen before in her life. Most of them probably didn't even exist on Midgard.

"Your Highness," the man said with a bow and a blush, greeting the prince.

"This is Lady Natasha, soon to be my wife," he explained, resting a possessive arm around her waist.

She elbowed him in the gut for the comment, but it only made him laugh. She was still so personal about her life, having had to hide for the majority of her long life. But she was his (or at least as close to ever really being his – she would never say yes to being owned by any man) and he wanted to show her off to his world. He wanted to show them the beautiful creature he had fallen in love with and he even wanted people to envy him.

"His Highness is marrying?" a woman squeaked from behind the man, presumably his wife, judging by their closeness. "We most earnestly congratulate you."

Natasha gave them a small smile before reaching for a green fruit. He grinned at her choice. "What does this taste like?" she asked them.

As they started to answer, he quickly shushed them, pleased at their sudden quietness. "That would ruin the game, love," he remarked. "You should experience everything here with an open mind." He turned to look at the couple with a grin. "I trust that the fruit will be free of charge for my bride?"

They nodded quickly in response, still remaining silent.

"No, Loki," she disagreed, giving him a stern stare. "You pay them for the fruit, and you pay them double for whatever it is worth."

"You're being difficult, Natasha," he complained, but acquiesced nonetheless, passing them both their four silvery coins. "Eat it. I do believe that they cultivated the fruit here, did they not?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," the wife replied meekly. "We grow everything that we sell in our gardens."

"We assure that it is of the best quality," the man added, getting a furious nod from his wife.

Natasha smiled – not her full smile, but a smile of amusement. She rested her lips against the fruit, giving him a curious look before sinking her teeth into its flesh. Juice trickled down her chin, and she eyes widened with the explosion of taste in her mouth. She chewed the piece of fruit thoughtfully and with a look of pure content on her face, licking her lips messily before taking another bite.

Loki laughed heartily and looked to the couple. "We shall take every one that you have," he ordered. "I will pay double," he said coyly, glancing at his beloved who was still eating the fruit happily. She gave him a toothy grin and rolled her eyes.

After passing the couple their money, he charmed the fruit away from them, into the palace where they would be waiting patiently.

Loki and Natasha continued on their peaceful trek up to the palace, her eyes growing wider and wider with every step they took. He explained petty things when she asked, but for the most part, their journey was silent. He was occupied with staring at her glowing figure, paying her loving attention every now and then. She, meanwhile, was consumed entirely with seeing everything that she possibly could.

Once they finally reached the towering double doors of the palace entry way, she hesitated, and he rhythmically traced circles on the back of her hand to soothe her. "You expect me to meet your parents," she said clearly, the question not evident in her tone.

He nodded once. "Yes. You should actually consider yourself lucky, love. Most often, the King and Queen would have demanded to meet you before our engagement." He paused. "Actually, they probably would have wanted to meet you the moment you were born. They are very picky about marriages, the royal family is."

"Why?"

He laughed loudly, enchanted by her naivety. "We certainly do not crave any bad blood in the royal family. And my mother happens to be very gifted with knowing one's future. She would have had to have claimed you an acceptable addition to the family before Father would even consider it. He would have stalked your family to witness in what possible ways you would have grown up and what your future character would be. All of my other brothers' wives endured this test. You, and perhaps Jane, will evade this."

Natasha blinked. "I've never had to meet parents before…" she noted.

"As you told me last night," he stated. "And the night before that too, if I recall correctly."

"Well, I'm sorry if I'm a little nervous!" she snapped, though he could tell it was predominantly fear that was commandeering her words at present. "Not only is it my first time seeking approval from a lover's family, but it just so happens that my lover's family is royalty! On a different planet!" she added harshly.

"Yes, love, I know. But you ought to know that no matter what they think of you, my opinion of you will not change. But there is no real reason to be fearful, Natasha. Mother is kind and loving, and Father will admire your spirit, I daresay," he soothed, kissing her temple and feeling the worried skin relax under his cool lips. "I love you."

She nodded again, appearing more reassured, as she gripped his hand tightly and tugged him through the opening doors. Her look of wonder was much more constrained now that they had entered. She admired what was within her focal range, refusing to look from side to side or up at the ceiling, which just happened to be beautifully painted. He would show her later. Right now, she was Agent Romanoff, on a mission and determined to complete it with her high standards.

He rolled his eyes at her behavior, but he had expected this sort of response.

When they approached the throne room, where his father most likely was, she shivered with trepidation. Loki shooed away the guards, leaving the two of them alone. Loki positioned himself in front of her quivering frame and lifted her chin. "Breathe, love." She took a deep, shuddering breath. His lip quirked in appreciation before he leaned down to kiss her gently. Soft lips pillowed against his own, and he couldn't help but smile against them because of the warm contact. He waited patiently for her to respond to him, relaxing under his touch and leaning in to his kiss. He pulled away from her and gave her a wide smile. "Shall we?"

The doors opened before she could answer, and he grinned at her shock. He took her hand once more and pulled her into the throne room, his father sitting perched on his throne with his spear in his hand. Loki cast a look at his lover, seeing her fire back and under control. She wasn't quivering or showing any signs of just how terrified she was of this meeting.

"Father," Loki called, inclining his head slightly once at the throne.

"Loki," his responded in kind. His turned his one eyes to the redheaded woman at his side, and Loki could see the old man trying to hide his amusement. "And Guest," he added gently.

"I'm Natasha Romanoff," she introduced, either perhaps forgetting or refusing to give the King his customary bow. She didn't even offer him a head-bow. And while Loki looked on to his bride with pride, a quick look at the King showed that Odin wasn't entirely thrilled with the lack of respect. But he wasn't entirely infuriated by it either, which Loki decided to take for a positive thing.

"We know," Odin said calmly. There was a moment's pause as the King evaluated the woman by his side. Natasha bore the elements, folding her arms defensively across her chest as if daring Odin to state a flaw with her. "We also know that the prince has taken a special interest in you," he continued, looking calmed and showing to Loki that Natasha had passed. Not that he would have cared about his father's opinion, but it was nice to have the King's blessing.

"The interest is mutual," she commented, still keeping her guard up.

Odin smiled softly. "You are to become part of Odinson if I understand it all correctly."

"Laufeyson," she corrected. "Technically, at least," she added as an afterthought. "And I intend to remain a Romanoff," she continued.

"I can assure you that you would much more desire to be of Odinson than Romanoff, or Laufeyson for that matter."

She shrugged. "I will be the judge of that," she stated, earning another grin from the King.

"Love," Loki chided playfully, resting a protective (or was it a restraining?) hand on her waist. "I do believe the King is pleased with you; there is no need to continue with your faux anger," he whispered.

"I could care less if he was pleased," she said, loud enough for Odin to hear, but he felt her relax in his embrace, knowing that she took comfort in his words.

Odin nodded firmly. "Yes, it does seem that you would make a suitable match for my son," he drawled. "There are not many women who could contend with Loki and his ways. I am pleased to see that he has found you amidst the rubble of Midgard." He smiled. "You will make a fine addition to our family."

"I am not a trophy," she declared strongly, brushing away Loki's hand to walk up to the King. "I am marrying your son because we care for one another, not to make the other look good in front of our peers."

"Yes, of course," Odin agreed. "Marrying for love is always most preferable."

Natasha didn't seem to be sure of that response, and Loki chuckled, walking to lover and placing delicate hands on her shoulders. "Shall we meet Mother?" he asked gently.

She cast another glance at the King and nodded to Loki. As they made their way from the throne room, she paused to turn and give the King an inclination of her head, the closest thing to a bow that Natasha could probably do. He grinned at her relentless rejection for authority and took her hand to lead her away from his father.

"That wasn't so bad," she said once the doors swung closed behind them. His carefree, happy Natasha had made her reappearance, and he smiled, nuzzling his nose into her hair.

"I daresay that you are his new favorite out of my brothers' wives," he commented, leading her to the gardens where his mother would most likely be. "If anyone else had spoken to him in such a crass manner, he would have them thrown in the dungeons."

Her eyes widened. "You couldn't think to tell me that before I met him?" she demanded in a hiss.

He laughed. "Would you have cared, love?"

She considered it for a moment, just as they entered. "I suppose not. But it would have been nice to know."

"Well, you know now, don't you?" he teased. "There is Mother." He pointed to a breathtaking image of a woman, sitting on a white, marble bench, her fingers dancing around budding flowers. The blooms leaned in for her touch, making the woman seem even more royal and perfect. Natasha eyed her carefully, Loki knowing that she was sizing his mother up, just as she had with his father.

"Loki!" Frigga exclaimed upon seeing them. She stood from her flowery halo and came to greet her son, barely giving Natasha a glance as she embraced the dark prince. She planted sweet kisses on his high cheekbones, the prince having to bend at an awkward angle for his mother to reach.

Only then did Frigga pull away and look at Natasha. She didn't say anything for a moment, watching his bride-to-be and observing her. Her blue eyes lingered on Natasha's red hair and then settled on the emerald eyes. Another moment later, Frigga pulled Natasha close and placed a kiss on the woman's temple. "I am so happy to finally meet you, Natasha."

Natasha, not used to being touched by people other than Loki timidly returned the embrace. "Yes," she said simply, looking at Loki for an explanation, who only shrugged in response.

Frigga pulled away and smiled. "You are so very beautiful for a mortal," she commented, sitting back on her bench and pulling Natasha down next to her. "Are many mortals as beautiful as you?"

"Well… it's all in the eye of the beholder, but… um…" Natasha weakly finished, unsure of herself for what appeared to be the first time he had ever known her.

"You rendered her speechless, Mother!" Loki said playfully, his eyes resting on Natasha still. "But I believe that I can safely say that Natasha is the most beautiful of all the women on Midgard. And I have yet to find an Asgardian who can hold a candle to her, even," he said clearly, earning a wide smile from his mother and an eye roll from his intended.

"Have you met Odin yet?" Frigga asked her excitedly. Natasha nodded. "I bet he adores you," she commented. "We both were so worried that Loki wasn't going to find someone he loved. He is so disagreeable, isn't he?" she teased, and Natasha laughed, hearing Loki huff in annoyance. "Like his incessant pacing…"

"He's worn a hole in my carpet at home," Natasha agreed. "And he's so particular with his books. And mine. He's rearranged my bookshelf at least a dozen times, because I keep changing it back to how I like it."

"Love, you cannot organize anything the way it is meant to be," Loki interrupted, but noticed soon that she wasn't paying much attention to him. She had settled into the bench and was smiling genuinely at the Queen, laughing and sharing her own personal "horror" stories of having to deal with him. He concluded that it must be a womanly thing – to complain about the men in their lives together. But Natasha was clearly happy and clearly relaxed around his mother.

Going to bed that night, Natasha looked down at her sleeping prince. She traced pointless patterns on the expanse of his pale chest, admiring the scars he sported that tainted the perfection. She liked the scars. They proved to her that everything was real. Their life probably wouldn't be perfect in the strictest sense of the word, but it would still be beautiful to them.

Yes, everything was going to be alright, she thought as she placed a tender kiss on the corner of his lips. "I love you," she whispered, careful not to wake him. Natasha Romanoff had found a home for herself with this man. Mission accomplished.

There it is! I hope that you liked it, Himitsu! I enjoyed writing this so much, you have no idea! I hope that it was to your liking. Thanks again for the beautiful banner for Exclusive Rights (yes, everyone that was definitely a plug to my other, longer story ;D).

Leave a review if you feel so inclined!

Love you all lots!

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