"This is not proper first date etiquette, your highness," you murmured as you moved over in your bed to make room for the Loki who was joining you.

He paused. "Does that mean my presence is unwelcome, incorrigible cuddler?" he teased. While his words were teasing, you knew that the question was legitimate and he wouldn't join you if he were truly unwelcome.

You pulled the blankets back in invitation. "Get in before you let all of the warm out. And you better be wearing pants," you replied, not bothering to open your eyes or turn to face him. He chuckled and joined you. You cuddled up next to him, enjoying the simple pleasure of falling asleep with a heartbeat next to yours and knowing your Loki was safe and happy in your arms.

*

The next week flew by. Every moment was filled with work, missions with the team, entertaining a Loki, lots of kisses with said Loki, and lessons. Lots and lots of lessons. Stark Industries was having a Christmas party that Saturday and you had to prepare for it. Formal gatherings weren't exactly your forte, having grown up in the woods. Half the time it was a miracle you could function any better than the Asgardians in human society.

So you spent a lot of time working with Nat (and surprisingly Loki) perfecting how to walk in heels and deal with stupid floor length dresses. You also had to learn how to dance, the only thing going for you on that front was the grace of the wolf, or else you'd be tripping over your feet as well as the heels and the long dress.

"How on earth do you know how to dance in heels?" you grumbled at Loki when he was helping you one afternoon, wearing heels with way more grace than you'd ever managed.

"Practice, darling," he replied with a mischievous secretive smirk and guided you again through the steps. He did take pity on you and danced with you as the male lead instead of guiding you. That was way more enjoyable. He was an excellent lead and you felt far less stupid dancing with him than trying the steps on your own.

You also learned how to hide weapons in women's formal wear. The men were all even more impressed with and terrified of Nat when they saw how many weapons she could hide under a slinky dress. You also practiced fighting in the dress. Nat taught you a whole bunch of other things she thought were useful.

*

Stark Industries was closed the day of the Christmas party so every employee could attend. Since you didn't have to work (and still got paid for it!) you could enjoy a nice leisurely Saturday of attacking all of your housemates with Nerf guns. This extremely leisurely activity somehow ended up with everyone outside in a huge snowball war. No one quite knew how that happened.

Everyone laughed while looking equally impressed and terrified when you landed a snowball right in the middle of Loki's face. He growled as the snow made his face turn the blue of his Jotun form and whirled on you. You eeped and ran when he started forward in retaliation. The chase was on. You were fast, but so was he. You ducked and dodged between the other combatants, but he was gaining on you. In a move you wouldn't have been able to do a couple of months ago, you change from human to wolf between one stride and the next and took off with your much longer stride, kicking up snow into everyone's faces.

"Cheating puppy," Loki snarled. You turned at the last moment and ran straight for him, getting back to full speed in a moment, barreling into him, knocking his legs out from under him, dumping him in a snowbank. You barked in wolfish laughter as he sputtered and snarled, completely blue now, the snow forcing his Jotun form. "I am so going to get you for this," he snarled, but had laughter in his voice.

You barked in laughter again, but it was cut short with a yelp of surprise and a touch of fear when Loki's black wolf leapt out of the snowbank. It wasn't the real fear of actual danger, but the fun fear like of a haunted house where you knew you weren't really going to be hurt.

You turned and fled, barreling into the team and dumping them all in the snow, creating obstacles for Loki to go around or over as he chased you. You could have evaded him had Thor not decided to jump in to help his brother. He got in your way and slowed you down, swinging Mjolnir so you had to skid to a halt to avoid it. Loki caught up and tackled you. You both went toppling into the snow, rolling head over tail.

You were at two distinct disadavantages in this battle: you couldn't risk biting or scratching him, and he was bigger and stronger than you were. It was a valiant effort, but he got you pinned on your back, unable to squirm out from under him. You leaned up and licked his cheek, accepting defeat. He snarled and you realized that he hadn't learned how to tell when the game was over, not in wolf form. So you leaned your head back, baring your throat. He still didn't get it and clamped his jaws over your throat. His teeth were barely touching you, he was in control and playing still. He just didn't know where the game ended. Damn, shit, double damn.

You closed your eyes and concentrated to shift back to human. It took a moment and more energy and effort that you'd like to admit. That part would take more than a couple months of practice to fix, but you managed, lying on your back naked in the snow under the shielded by the snarling wolf. "Yield! I yield!" you panted. Suddenly, he was back in his normal form, grinning. You were in his arms a moment later, and an instant after that had been dumped rather unceremoniously into the biggest snowbank there was. The snowbank also hadn't been there ten minutes ago. You shrieked at the cold and the snow. "Loki!!" Loki chuckled and his cloak came flying into the snowbank after you. You had to work to dig your way out of the snow. Seriously, how big was this stupid snowbank? Loki finally helped you out of the snowbank once his cloak was wrapped around you. You were both panting and roaring in laughter once you were free of the snow.

With a smirk at Loki, you made one last snowball to lob directly into Thor's face. Loki laughed and hurled one at his brother too. "Brother! I helped you!" Thor complained. "You have betrayed me!" you roared in laughter.

"Are you honestly surprised, brother?" Loki replied. He wrapped an arm around your shoulders while the entire team was laughing at your antics.

*

That evening the team headed down the elevator together to the waiting limo to go to the party. You had your hand on Loki's arm and he escorted you to the limo. Tony was escorting Pepper and Clint had offered Nat his arm. Everyone piled carefully into the limo and you were excited for the night out in everyone in fancy dress. It seemed like such fun.

Camera crews and reporters were outside of the ballroom and took pictures and video of you all. "What are you wearing?!" they called loudly to your group.

You and Loki both looked down at your outfits. "I am wearing a dress!" "I am wearing a suit!" you both replied at the same time and burst into laughter at the stunned expressions on the reporters faces. That was apparently not the answer they were looking for.

As soon as you stepped into the building, Tony grabbed your arm and gestured above your head. You groaned and rolled your eyes at the mistletoe above your head. "C'mon Y/N, you know the rules," Tony teased.

"Sorry, Lo. It's the rules," You grabbed Loki's tie and pulled him down to kiss you under the mistletoe. He was shocked, but submitted willingly to the kiss.

"I think I like those flowers," he smirked at you when you let go of his tie and the kiss broke. You giggled at his silliness. Unfortunately the picture of that kiss ended up quite popular by the press. Oops.

You smelled wolves as soon as you stepped into the ballroom. You turned slowly, trying to find them, and waved when you saw Joshua and Sarai. Tony had invited them to the party too. Happy was watching their boys. He was so thrilled to be babysitting werewolf puppies.

The evening was as fun as you'd hoped. The food was delicious, and you got to dance with Loki. Thor also claimed a dance, though Loki looked like he was going to stab his brother for stealing you away. To get back at him, Loki danced with Thor's friend Jane. Neither boy knew what to do when Jane got fed up with their testosterone and claimed you for the next dance. It was nice to be out with the team socializing instead of fighting mutants, monsters, and Hydra agents.

The evening was going wonderfully until you smelled another wolf, just the barest hint of him, but it was enough. You stiffened and clutched Loki's hand tighter. The two of you had been on your way to get something to drink. "What is it?" he asked, looking for whatever had gotten your attention.

"Jareth," you hissed, glaring that he was here and interrupting your evening and life.

"He's here?" Loki whispered, his voice a growl and you saw the shimmer around the dagger in his free hand. It was invisible to the general crowd. Thor must have seen the shimmer of magic, since you saw him look over to see what was going on.

You nodded, trying to scan the crowd for him. There were too many people and your nose was confused by the scents of the humans and their stupid perfume and colognes. Why did they have to mask their scents with the horrible stuff? "He has to be in human form. He probably snuck into the party. Shit. Whatever happens. Do not let go of my hand,"

"Why?" Loki asked, but gripped your hand more securely in his. He trusted what you said about werewolves, but that didn't stop his curiosity.

"There you are, mate," Jareth's voice came from behind you. You whirled, drawing Loki around with you, refusing to drop his hand. You knew better and knew the consequence if you lost contact with him.

"I am not your mate," you snarled at him, your free hand automatically going to the dagger sheath at your side, thanks to hours of training with Nat the reaction was automatic.

"I invoke the Silence," Jareth said pleasantly. Smug bastard. At least you'd known it was coming. "Parlay, mate," he added, equally pleasantly. You growled, fingers itching for the hilt of the dagger. "Accept the niceties, my pet. You don't want to fight me, not in this room full of innocents," Jareth indicated the room full of humans who didn't seem to see or hear your conversation or the fight that was moments from happening.

"Parlay," you finally agreed, holding your hand out where he could see it was empty.

"And your... human?" he asked, looking at Loki.

"I speak for him," you said quickly, not bothering to correct Jareth's misconception. You were, however, going to try to keep Jareth from trying to force Loki out of the parlay. "Lo, drop the dagger. He can smell it. This isn't the time to kill him. Yet." The dagger vanished from Loki's hand. "Why are you here, Jerry?" you growled at Jareth.

He snarled and growled at the name. He hated it, so you used it every chance you could. "I came to see my mate," he was still trying to be pleasant. It was an effort, you could see it.

"I. Am. Not. Your. Mate." you snarled at him.

He shrugged. "You will be. The arrangements have been made, Omega. And I'm benevolent and don't even deny you your... dalliance while you're away. It's good that you'll have some experience before you come to my bed. Though you should hurry up about that if it's going to do you any good," he taunted. You flushed. Damn werewolves. Of course he could smell exactly what you hadn't done with Loki.

"What I do and who I do it with are none of your business. I'm not marrying you, Jareth. I refuse," you replied, wishing very much that you could walk right up to him and rip his balls off. You saw movement in the crowd and had some hope. There was help nearby.

"You can't escape, pet. Surely, you know that. The Alpha won't let you stay to make it to five years. And what, then? Are you going to marry your human to get away from us? Even a hopeless defective Omega, a reject of a wolf like you wouldn't sink to a false wedding to save your own skin. And your wolf won't refuse me under the dark of Winter's Moon, she won't refuse me when we are wed. You'll have power in the pack at my side, no longer a doormat of a bitch," his voice could have been a sexy purr if he weren't a creepy asshole. He also could have been attractive, again were he not an abusive creepy asshole.

"Jareth, just leave me be. Why on earth would you even want to marry someone who hates you? Go find some simpering fool in the pack to marry. Woo a girl from a different pack. You can't have me," you snarled.

"I cannot take over the pack until I have a mate. You know this, pet. I've chosen you, the so-called precious Omega, to stand by my side. Your kind is supposed to be a rarity, a status symbol. You'll come to me, pet. Willing or no, you will be mine," Jareth's voice was trying to be pleasant, trying so very hard at it, but the mask of pleasantry had fallen away, displaying the monster beneath.

"That is quite enough insults on my lady and her honor. It is not wise to anger a god, wolf," Loki snarled and did exactly what you had told him not to. He dropped your hand and charged Jareth. Or he would have, had he not gotten sucked into the spell of the Silence the moment he let you go, stopping mid-stride, frozen in place. You grabbed his hand and hauled him back.

"Loki, no. You can't break parlay. You'll get us both killed," you told him firmly. You couldn't win a fight under the influence of the Silence. "Jerry, I denied you on Winter's Moon before, or did you forget where the scar on your face came from? If you touch me again, I will rip your balls off and shove them down your throat. I am not returning to the compound. I am not marrying you,"

"You'll change your tune, once you're home, bitch," Jareth snarled at you, breaking any pretense of being nice. "We won't let a female wolf escape the pack. You know that. You'll have to marry one of us, and I have already claimed you as mine. You have no say, just accept your fate now."

"I am not an object to be claimed," you snarled at him. With a small squeeze on Loki's hand as all the warning you could give him, you did something incredibly stupid. "Parlay is over," you snarled and lunged, dragging Loki with you, both of you had daggers drawn. It took Loki less than a moment to join your lunging properly and aid your attack. His hand joined to yours didn't seem to hamper his fighting skills any. Jareth fought with years of experience and the advantage. He had shifted his nails to claws, and you had to spend most of your energy keeping those claws from Loki. He wasn't armored in his dress-suit. You fell into a natural strategy of defending Loki while he attacked Jareth.

Loki actually managed to get a couple slices in before Sarai and Joshua joined you a moment later. Joshua was pulling Thor with him and Sarai had Tony. Jareth was surrounded by wolves and superheros, plus a herd of innocent humans who couldn't see or hear the fight. Tony held up one of his repulsors while Thor held up Mjolnir. "Stand down, wolf," Thor ordered. The fight paused. Jareth was surrounded by people who could and would hurt him.

"This wolf belongs to us. You cannot keep her from the pack," Jareth snarled at them, indicating you. "Sarai, stand down," Jareth ordered her when he caught who she was. She shrank back, bowing her head, cringing away from him, but kept her hand firmly on Tony's wrist. Even as she followed orders, she was helping you, despite the potential cost to her.

You stepped forward, keeping Jareth's attention on you before he could think to order Sarai to return to the compound, though she was relatively safe since she was married. "I refuse to return to the compound. I refuse to marry you, Jareth. Leave us now. You are not welcome here," you snarled at him. He opened his mouth and you slashed your dagger viciously, cutting his face with your silver dagger right next to the last scar you'd left there. He jumped back straight into a bolt of lightning and a repulsor blast.

"The pack will come for you, bitch. The day after graduation. That is Father's word, and his will is the law of the pack. You will be mine, and you'll learn to be a proper Omega when you are," Jareth snarled his parting shot at you, scrambling to his feet and fleeing, outnumbered by your friends.

When he was gone, escorted by security, the spell of the Silence was broken. You quickly sheathed your dagger and Loki vanished his. Sarai made a small noise and let go of Tony, rushing back to Joshua. You turned to Loki. "Are you alright? He didn't get you did he?" you asked, looking over Loki for any signs of cuts or scratches.

"I'm fine, little wolf," he replied, pleased by your overly cautious concern. He pulled you to him, holding you safely in his arms. "We won't let them take you from us," he whispered against your hair. He held you safely while you tried to fight back the post battle emotions and the churning of feelings that Jareth brought with him. "Shh, love, it's ok. You fought well. It's alright. You're safe, and loved and cherished with us," Loki told you, running his hand down your back, holding you to him so you could breathe in his calming winter's scent.

"Why couldn't we see or hear him?" Tony demanded. Cap came over, wondering what was going on. He only noticed once the Silence had ended.

You stepped out of Loki's arms. You would have to give the answers. Sarai was too distraught to answer. Poor submissive was having a bad reaction to Jareth's presence and it was taking Joshua a lot of work to keep her calm. "Jareth invoked the spell of Silence. It's a magic the werewolves have. It's supposed to keep dominance battles from being heard by the humans, to keep them from finding out about the werewolves. Only the wolves can see and hear the events that occur within the spell. But if you're in physical skin to skin contact with a wolf..."

"That's why we stopped being affected once Sarai and Joshua," Tony looked over at them and opened his mouth.

"She'll be fine," you reassured him quickly. "Bad reaction to the order from Jareth," you explained while Joshua soothed his mate, calming her fears and memories with his presence.

"You seem alright, Lady Wolf," Thor commented carefully, really asking if you were ok.

"I'll be alright," you answered. You wouldn't lie to him, wouldn't lie to your family. "C-can we go home?" you asked Loki in a small voice that gave away how off your emotions still were. Loki nodded and kissed the top of your head, reassuingly.

"Of course, darling," he replied softly. He slipped off his suit jacket and helped you put it on. "You're shaking," he added in a soft worried tone when you raised your eyebrow at him.

"One of the cars is waiting just outside the back door. It's the one you two usually drive. Jarvis drove it over," Tony told you and Loki, gesturing to the door in question. "There shouldn't be press back there, it opens onto a secured alley. Get the puppy home." You glared at Tony, only Loki was allowed to call you a puppy. Usually anyway. Some of the others could get away with it if you were being particularly annoying.

Loki led you straight to the car and settled you quickly in the passenger seat. You didn't complain that he was driving as you were trying not to cry over stupid old emotions and the asshat that was Jareth. You held your emotions all the way back to Loki's room before the tears started falling in ones and twos. You were suddenly in pajamas that smelled like him, surrounded by his safe, loving scent, and sobbed into his chest while he held you.

"Shh, love, it's alright. We're home now, you're safe and loved with your family here. We will never treat you like those assholes have. And we will never let them take you from us. You're free to live your life and we will support any decision you make. And if you want to kill Jareth, I will gladly help, or stand as witness if you'd like to do the honor yourself, or present you with his still-beating heart on a platter if that would get you to smile again," You couldn't help giggling at that image. "I'll do it, love. Say the word and I will return in a moment with his heart for you,"

"Not tonight," you told him softly. "Just...hold me tonight?" you asked softly.

"Of course," he kissed your forehead and got you settled in his bed, soon curled around you a protective presence at your back. He recited old stories from Asgard, myths and children'd tales until you fell asleep to dream of the distant world he called home.