"Loki, we can't do this. Here are three reasons why: you're Thor's brother, I don't know if I could live with myself knowing that I'm in love with a criminal and lastly, I'm not even sure you love me back."
He just stood there, trying to fathom what she just said. All of the things she said were true; all of it, especially the last part. Or maybe he has been lying to himself all along: he grew to love her and now there's no turning back. But maybe he does have a way to get out of this: Jane seems doubtful about reciprocating his feelings.
"Jane, we can do this. Here are three reasons why: you're in love with me, you'd be driven with 'what if...' and lastly, I am not Thor's brother. I could be called the god of stoicism but believe me when I say this: I love you."
He actually said it. After all this confusion ambiguity, he loves her.
She laughs. "Do you expect me to believe that bullshit? First, you admitted that you were planning to harm me or involve me in some way in your vindictive plans. Second, you've actually managed to enchant me with your knowledge of the universe, and I have to admit you really got me there. Lastly, you have lied your way into my life, Loki. I am the most stupid astrophysicist in the world, such a beautiful oxymoron isn't it?"
Minutes of dead silence hung in the air. They have been screaming at each other as ten feet separated them. The cool desert air blew against their faces and the stars above provided a peaceful, ethereal atmosphere midst a raging war between a mortal and a god. Their breathing resumed its normal pace and suddenly, they just started laughing.
He slowly walked towards her until only a foot separated them. She tried to walk backwards, but his gaze had the power to hold her in place.
"No one has ever spoken to me like that. No one. And yet here you are, a mortal woman whom I could annihilate with a flick of my wrist. A mortal woman whose lifespan and experiences could never equal my own. A woman whose mere height is inferior to my own... Oh you truly make me laugh, Jane. You really do."
He laughed at her mockingly. But midst his laughter, she was giving him murderous glare. She has never felt so belittled in her life. Indeed, the scientific community shunned her and even doubted her sanity. She has always been isolated from society. But these never hindered her tenacity and determination to satisfy her thirst for knowledge. Although now was different; he belittled her existence as if she was just a speck of dust in the wind, as if her life barely made a dent on the universe. She always had known her life barely attributed a great cosmological significance, but the way she lived her life has always been enough. Her universe made sense.
"Listen here, Loki Laufeyson, two words for you: humility and humanity. Many of us have squandered our lives in war and bloodshed. We prove to be vulnerable to the powers of Mother Nature. The gruesome points in our history seem to repeat themselves. But empirically, as individuals, we are humble enough to realize our ignorance. We have this undying passion to know and ask about our lives and the universe. We have this urge to know why because we know we don't have the time to wallow in pride and make mistakes that have to be accounted by others and not ourselves. Perhaps immortality couldn't satisfy your insatiable hunger for something. And even someone as clever as you couldn't figure out what that something is."
He was applauding at her speech and he still had that annoyingly proud smile on his face.
Jane was crying now and she slumped on the floor. She brought her knees to her chest and continued to sob, her face hidden from him.
"Jane? Jane? Please look at me, darling."
She didn't look up and her voice was muffled. "What do you want, you condescending bastard?"
She shivered under his touch. He held her hands gently but firmly. When she looked up, she was surprised to find him sitting across from her, looking more human despite his godliness.
"You, Jane. I want you. Remember, you may have fallen in love with Richard, but Richard is me. You fell in love with me. We share the same fascination with the universe. We've become inseparable friends. And our knowledge of magic and science is the key to the total understanding of everything we claim to know. We are so much alike, Jane. So much alike."
"We're too alike, Loki. Too alike to the point that I'm willing to overlook your vindictive and greedy nature. As much as I've thought that loving you is morally wrong, I realized that if I denied you the love you need, then you'll end up being the loneliest being in the world or even the entire universe. And I tell you, it's the worst feeling in the world. But I'm here; I'm proof that you aren't alone. What we have is Aletheia, the truth of the present. I may not share the entire future with you, but never forget how my life has made a different on yours."
At that moment, he remembered it all: her smile, laugh, the way she paces uncontrollably back and forth while she thinks, how she drinks an infinite amount of coffee in one day and the solemn awe- filled expression on her face every time she stargazes.
"Jane, come with me to Asgard. Marry me and share we'll share eternal life. Just us two."
It was a big risk to take, because it might cost Loki's freedom. And then there's Thor, who most likely still longed for Jane.
"Loki, hear me out: I love you, but I love my humanity in a more indescribable way. The brevity of human life is its essence. And rest assured, our love will last for millennia and until the day you die. You know where to find me when that day comes."
Helheim.
The dirt felt good on their skin. Under the night time sky, life was simple. It was easy to figure things out and maybe unravel the mysteries of the cosmos. He admired her wisdom and even though he would want to spend the rest of his life with his true equal, he must respect her wishes. She values her human life more than spending a happily ever after with her Prince Charming. Because of this, he loves her even more. She has shown him wisdom does not come from age, but from experience. She has taught him that love can heal and happiness can fill any void. There's always good in people, no matter how much darkness envelopes them.
He held her close and inhaled her scent. Despite the turmoil and upheaval he has experienced, there really is good left in him.
Love.