Galatea, or what Imogen does when she has insomnia...a bit for JaninaM8...but perhaps not what she envisioned...One Shot...
Loki looked at Thor.
He couldn't believe what he had just heard uttered from the oaf's mouth.
"Could you repeat that, Thor?"
"I said, Odin will forgive your crimes…you merely need to teach Jane the history and customs of Asgard."
He blanched…"Surely not…"
"I am quite serious. I have not the time nor the inclination to do it, and since she will be my Queen, she needs to familiarize herself with the Realm she will be charged to rule."
How insufferable. To tutor a mortal to sit alongside a witless King. The Kingship he was to inhabit.
"And what of you, Thor? Will you be forgiving me of my many, many crimes as well?"
The cell seemed to quake with his ire.
"Yes. If you are successful in your endeavor," he turned away from Loki and sighed, closed his eyes and swallowed. Jane was not happy with this arrangement. Neither was he.
The thunderer faced Loki once more, saw his eyes form a smile, dreaded what that smile held, and waited for his response.
"Very well," said the sorcerer with a hint of a veiled something.
Thor nodded. "You start tomorrow."
Day One
Jane sat at the long table in the cavernous library in Asgard.
Her heart was pounding with a dread she had never known.
Loki.
Loki, the god who destroyed New York.
Loki, the god who infiltrated Eric's mind.
Loki…Thor's brother.
Dangerous.
Murderer.
Villain.
She played with her pen. She chewed on its cap in mad distraction.
And she closed her eyes.
"Well, Miss Foster. Ready?" came his voice from the door.
He startled her out of her silent unease.
She cleared her throat. "Yes."
He glided over to the table.
"And what is your limited mind prepared for? Are you prepared to be massaged? To be filled with the knowledge of the Realm Eternal?" He sat. "A Queen…" and he snickered. "A mortal on the throne of Asgard. What have we become?" he shook his head.
Jane held his stare. "Look. I can read. If you aren't gonna help me, then I'll just figure it out myself. There are plenty of books here."
He laughed at her. "By all means, minn menn-skurð…"
"What?"
"Your necklace," and his eyes found the gem dangling from her neck.
"I don't understand…"
"I'm not surprised," and he leaned toward her. "I just said, "By all means, my lady who wears a necklace," Thor, I assume, presented you with that…"
"Yes," she replied with some doubt.
"He would. It is a sign of love and fidelity," and he sat back once more in the chair. "Tell me once more how you plan on learning everything from the voluminous amount of books in this chamber," and he smirked.
Jane swallowed. "Let's begin."
Day Two
"Muspell was the first. It is the land of light and heat…" Loki was pacing behind Jane, hands folded behind his back. "No one could withstand the intensity of the sultry place…" and he looked over her shoulder as she scribbled away. "What is that?"
"What?" Jane asked, stopping her action and flexing her fingers.
"That," and he pointed to her page.
"It's my…penmanship?"
"How can you read that?"
"It's my writing."
"It doesn't make any sense," he protested, examining it closely.
"It does to me," and she turned to face him.
Loki noted the crease between her eyebrows, the defiance in her eyes, and thought it was amusing.
He began again, and Jane resumed her scratching at the paper.
"We've been at it for hours," she complained. "I'm starving," and she put her pen down, her face in her hands, and sighed heavily. "I need a break."
"As Queen, you will not be able to whine your displeasure, complain at mistreatment, and throw a tantrum," he replied.
"As Queen, if I'm hungry, I'll eat," she responded with heat.
His eyes widened. "You have much to learn, Jane Foster, not the least of which, how to treat a crowned Prince of Asgard in your erudition."
"A crowned Prince recently granted emancipation to see to my tutoring," and she regretted it.
His face fell, grew dark. "I would watch my tongue if I were you," he hissed. "You are not Queen yet."
And he conjured some food.
But Jane had lost her appetite, not to be found for the remainder of the day.
Day Ten
"Odin did all of that?" Jane asked, unconvinced.
"Oh yes. Our King is not a saint, Jane," he said, sitting across from her at the table.
"And…and you did…what you did to New York…?"
His eyebrow arched.
Jane swallowed. Odin was not without fault.
And Loki was punished for much of the same things that Odin had committed in other Realms.
Her eyes fell to the paper.
"What is the matter, Jane? Something upsetting you?"
"No," she whispered.
He got up. "And it is always such a shame to see a heart dissolve at truths once thought undeniable, are quite fallible."
"What about Thor?" she whispered…and she thought, it was possible Loki was lying, and she would discover for herself exactly what the truth was.
"He's an idiot," he dismissively replied.
"He's not!" she returned, turning to him.
Loki laughed and shrugged. "If you insist. You shall be the one sharing his bed."
"You are crude," and she turned away once more.
Day Twenty Two
"No no no. That is not what I told you…Asgardian custom demands that the Festival of Idesis is at the end of January…preparation for the coming thaw…"
"It makes no sense. How long is winter?" Jane protested.
"Two months, roughly."
"Oh…well, I guess…"
"Things would be easier if you simply took my word as fact," Loki returned.
Jane laughed. She had learned to laugh at him over the past few weeks…
And he returned it. He had learned how to make her laugh…his glare not so menacing.
"Loki?"
"Hmmm?" as he examined her notes.
"I understand why you were angry…but I don't understand why you killed…" she stopped and swallowed.
His eyes flew to hers. "We are not here to discuss me, Jane Foster. If you are to be Queen…"
"And that's another thing…why are you so alright with me being Queen?"
He stood now. "Careful, Jane."
"Why?" and she stood. "I want to know why. You aren't a monster, you know."
And he moved toward her. His eyes fixed on hers. "What do you know about the monstrous, mortal woman?" he hissed. "What do you know about anything, insignificant ant?" his voice rose, and he straightened, and he disappeared.
Day Thirty
He was sitting at the table when she arrived.
"Joining me today, then?" Jane asked, putting her stuff on the table. He hadn't been there in a week.
"Do not rile me, Jane Foster."
She swallowed. "Where were we?"
Later that day…
"And these flowers, they are specific only to this Realm, or are they on Vanaheim, too?"
"Just Asgard," he twirled her pen between his fingers. He was suddenly struck. "Come, I'll show you."
And they adjourned to the garden.
Jane had walked along the expansive garden before…
She realized, following Loki, that she had done it alone.
She did a lot of things alone.
Except studying with Loki.
He guided her to a remote corner of the garden.
"Here," and he pointed and knelt next to the bed of flowers. "These…they are the most succulent of blooms…their color distinctively amaranthine…on Vanaheim, their cousins are white…" and he plucked one from its root. He handed it to Jane.
She sniffed the delicate bloom.
She smiled.
"Wow…it's beautiful."
Loki nodded, noting how her mouth upturned at her delight.
Day Thirty Five
"Thor…?"
"Yes, dearest?"
"Will Loki go back to his cell, or is he permanently freed?"
He looked at her. "He is free until I say he isn't."
She nodded.
The tutor and student were sitting by the hearth blazing its fire in the library.
It was late.
"These stories, Loki…how old are they?" she was paging through an ancient volume. The paper was delicate, thin, and discolored.
"Ah…" he began, and stretched in the chair. "At least a millennium…"
"My god."
He laughed. "And do you feel prepared, Jane? Your marriage approaches."
She shrugged. "I guess. When is the ceremony, again?"
"Don't you know?"
"I'm not exactly looking forward to it…lots of people I don't know…lots of things I don't care about…"
"But you are marrying Thor, Jane," and he sat upright. "Thor. How many ladies covet your position?"
Jane laughed. "I'm just a girl, Loki…and yeah, I mean it's exciting and all, but…"
"But?"
"I have a lot of things on my mind I guess."
Loki nodded. "It is late, Jane. I think we are finished here," and he stood, and went to her to retrieve the volume. And as he took the book, his finger slid along the side of her hand tangentially.
And he felt warmth.
And she felt a jolt.
And his eyes flitted a creep of time, a tick of a clock, and he hurriedly whisked it from her..he placed it on the table and left the room.
Jane sat there for a minute.
And she rose slowly.
She made her way on quivering legs to Thor's bedroom.
Day Forty
Loki arrived late.
He almost didn't arrive at all.
Over the past few days, he lingered on the stolen touches he purposefully orchestrated.
He had entered this to mold an ally on the throne.
He had succumbed to her odious charm.
He had agreed in order to obtain an ear to the crown…to gain a trust…
He had fallen to her wit and mind…
And he brushed his hand across her shoulder when directing her attention to a point on a map.
And he found his finger skim her thumb when turning the page of a volume they examined.
He had thought to shape her.
And shape her, he did…
She retained nearly every fact he had fed her.
She restated every story he had recited.
She was quick.
"Hey, Loki…look at this star chart! It's incredible."
He went over to the table and sat next to her to listen to her mirthful observations.
Day Forty Five
Jane sat there…
Two more days.
Two days left before she was to be wed.
Wed to Thor.
And Jane played with her ponytail.
"What are you thinking about, Jane?"
"Hmm?" she turned to Loki, who was looking at her with some concern painted on his face.
"Are you alright?"
"No," she replied.
He sat back. "We have but today and tomorrow, Jane. Thor will be examining you…best return…"
"I don't want to," she replied.
"I'm sorry?"
"I'm tired, Loki…I don't want to study anymore. I'm gonna be married. Married. And I…" she swallowed. "And I don't even know who my fiance is anymore…I never see him…and I'm here…here with you…" and a tear escaped.
She hurriedly wiped it from her face.
Loki watched her.
He didn't know how to respond.
"Jane…you will be Queen…you shall eat an apple at the ceremony…the Aesir…"
"I know I know," and she stood. "But I don't care. I'm tired of trying to be someone I'm not."
"Whom do you wish to be?"
"Jane. Just Jane Foster…"
"You are she," was his astute reply.
She laughed. "No. No I'm not."
"Jane…if you don't…"
"Don't worry, Loki. I'll ensure you keep your freedom…but I can't do this anymore," Jane got up and left.
And Loki stared at the pen she left behind…chewed beyond reasonable recognition.
Jane made her way through the castle in the middle of the night.
She couldn't sleep.
And tomorrow…today…? she would be married.
Married.
Married to Thor.
It was a singular feeling, and she padded her bare feet along the stone floor.
It was cold.
And her swift footfalls suggested either a shiver or a purpose.
She didn't know which it was.
She had lost herself in a winter of soft ignorance.
Lost…lost…her fingers quaked…
She slammed herself against a wall and slid down.
She held herself with her arms, and heaved a sigh.
A sob.
A whimper.
She should wail.
If only she could…
Her strayed self would not allow such an outburst.
Jane looked up from her station on the floor.
And she saw him.
Obscured by the dark, his frame bled with the surroundings…
But Jane had his image etched in her memory…
His voice…
His laugh…
His touch.
She began to rise from the floor.
She stood there, fixed to the wall in uncertainty.
And then he moved.
He was moving toward her.
He was right in front of her.
And his hands grasped her shoulders…soft at first, but then his grip tightened…
Jane never left his face…
Quite suddenly, he claimed her mouth.
And his hands fell to her waist…his arms pulled her close…and Jane cried softly in his mouth, her tongue desperate in its action.
He leaned into her, pushing her against the wall…molding her to it…
Molding her…
"Jane…" he whispered between his hungry kiss. "Jane…you cannot marry Thor."
"I can't…" it was more of a restating of what he had said than an admission. "I can't…"
He felt so good…like a refreshing breeze in a stale room.
And Jane, for him, was like a sweet angel, a perfect union, a warm song…
He pressed into her further…his hands making their way to her face…tracing over her breasts…feeling her back arch at the contact…
And then, she stopped.
She placed her hands on his chest.
"Stop," she said.
He stopped, and looked at her…searching her face.
"Jane?"
"What are we doing? What am I doing?"
"I'm not certain…" and he backed away.
"Neither am I…"
Loki turned and left her there.
Day Forty Seven
Jane's gown was light.
Her mind was heavy.
And she bled.
The knock came on her door.
"I'll be right there," she called.
Don't do this.
She had to…people were counting on her.
Don't do this.
Because of one kiss?
Yes…
She left the room, and stood at the top of the stairs.
And she placed her hand softly on the railing…
And she saw herself…
She was old…and she lived in the castle…and she would look to her husband, the King…and he wouldn't see her…
Her foot slipped, and she grabbed the railing with purpose…
She gasped.
Jane ran down the stairs.
She ran and ran…
Out to the garden…
And to the flower bed.
Loki wasn't there.
Jane knelt by the bed, plucked a flower, and she twirled it…
And the sun was obscured…
She looked behind her.
And there he was.
"Take me from here," Jane whispered.
He reached for her hand.
"Are you sure?"
"No. But I'm sure that I cannot marry…"
And they disappeared with a pop…
…the necklace laying on the garden floor…