No, this is not the update that those following my chapter stories were expecting, but I had Loki floating around my thoughts, and he just wouldn't leave! Hope you enjoy!

Oneshot

Loki Meets Thor's Mortal Woman

Jane whirled around, startled, when a cool gust of wind lifted the loose strands of her medium brown hair, which were hanging haphazardly from a disorderly bun. This sudden motion resulted in her newest set of calculations being doused by her still-steaming cup of coffee as her hand, naturally but unfortunately, followed her body's rotation. For a moment she thought perhaps she had left a window open, but upon discovery of the culprit, her brain decided she rather wished it HAD been an open window. Her traitorous body froze even as her mind raced, figuring up the odds of her making it to the end of today alive and whole. Unwillingly, her sharp mind memorized every detail of the statuesque being standing, so gloriously imposing, before her.

He wore the finest leather boots she had ever laid eyes on, thick and sturdy but not lacking in refinement. His lean figure was encased as well in dark leather, accented with strategically placed golden armor plating and eye-catching swatches of vibrant green. Inky hair fell rebelliously from a great golden horned helmet, long enough that loose curls brushed his stiffly squared shoulders. In one slim pale hand he clutched a scepter, lit within by a mesmerizing ball of pure blue energy. While his other hand was empty, it was not without occupation. For as he stood nearly motionless studying her, it curled into and back out of a loose fist, one finger at a time - beginning always with the pinky.

Jane took a deep breath, steeling herself to meet his assessing stare. His arrogant, yet pleasing, features were alight with pure mischief. A smirk tugged one corner of his mouth and his eyes crinkled faintly at the corners. This expression on some would instantly put her at ease - but not from him. Behind the pleasant facade, she could discern multiple thoughts and emotions flashing through his glacial eyes. She had been warned about him - that he might seek her out - and was now standing here trembling, wondering just WHY her highly intelligent mind had brushed away the concern of, not just her friends, but Thor, and SHIELD as well.

Through the dead silence that now permeated the room, Jane was almost certain he could hear the frantic fluttering of her heart, as it beat nervously in her chest. Startling her once more, he stepped so close she could feel his innate power and a surprising chilliness pouring from his very body into her highly cherished bubble of personal space. In a desperate attempt to hide her fear and weakness, she stubbornly met his gaze once more, throwing her head back to compensate for the drastic difference in their heights. The eyes holding her captive, she noticed off-handedly, were such a color as could not be readily defined as either definitively blue or green. They swirled with his inborn madness, peering into her very soul.

"What is it about you Miss Jane Foster, a mere mortal woman, that has captivated my brother so?"

His words, spoken in low hypnotic tones, slid over her senses - wrapping themselves deep into her consciousness. She had no answer, for she truly did not know what such a man as Thor would see in a socially inept astrophysicist like herself. But this voice, this silver tongue, made her yearn to provide him the answer he sought. 'No!' She screamed inside her mind, 'This is some sick game for him.'

Jane's thoughts turned to the assembled crowd in Germany, the group which this god had so hatefully commanded to kneel. He may not have come to her today, raging about bowing to his superiority, but he was certainly still working to force her compliance. A defiant heat filled her eyes as she silently refused to play his game. Instead of harsh words, as she expected, her reaction brought a wide manic smile to his handsome face.

"Ah, perhaps I begin to find what lures the great and powerful Thor. He has long enjoyed playing with fire."

Circling her rigid and diminutive frame, his words once more unleashed their poison within her mind.

"Tell me Miss Foster, just who do you think will be burned in this scenario? Thor loves the young and virile. How long could you, in all your mortal frailty possibly fit that bill?"

With a smooth deft movement he hooked a strand of hair at her temple and tugged it from its confinement, smoothing it between his forefinger and thumb down its considerable length until the ends fell from his grasp.

"But perhaps your innocence is as much a beacon to Thor's competitive sensibilities as it is to mine." He purred in her left ear as his body bent gracefully over hers, causing goosebumps to race down her neck and arms.

"Oh yes Miss Foster, I can practically smell the innocence coursing through you."

Jane was preparing to retort - though why she didn't know. Her status was really none of his business. But before words left her mouth, two cool fingers pressed firmly against her lips.

"Do not misunderstand, I fully believe a woman of your beauty has at the very least, dabbled with the joys of the flesh, but it is transparent that your naive heart has not yet been consumed by the reeking taint of love. You no doubt still see the world in black or white, good or evil, while those more jaded than you can clearly view the spaces in-between. If Thor truly holds your heart, you will most likely be capable of pardoning the fact that Thor was exiled to Earth for trying to decimate an entire race - for no better reason than that they are the monsters who starred in our fairy tales at bedtime. True, our nations were once at war, eons ago, but is that really a reason to hunt them out and destroy them so completely?"

He was still so close, and though Jane was overwhelmed by his presence, she could not allow herself to back away. The basics of his tale rang true - she could indeed believe Thor impulsive and hot-headed enough for such recklessness, but she would bet money that while this exposition of Thor's actions may be based in fact, she would in no way put it past the trickster-god to put his own spin on this accounting of events.

"I see the queries in your eyes Miss Foster," his silky voice continued as he stepped far enough away to resume his prowling, "but while you remain my captive audience, shall we not explore other facets of this ill-fated affair? You mortal, deign to hold the heart of a god - the future king of Asgard no less. But what makes you think you are worthy of such an honor? Why, even the lowest servants of our realm are stronger, longer lived, and more educated on the secrets of the universe than you. Your life will be no more lasting to the perspective of an Aesir than the rush of feeling you mortals experience after a hearty sneeze."

Jane absorbed his harsh words and the way his lips curled to display bared teeth. Acceptance. She had never had it before. Not in school, and not in her professional life. As a young girl, her thoughts were too consumed by the cosmos to engage others in such mindless things as boys and parties. Later, though she achieved meager levels of respect for her bare intellect, her theories were often too complex and outside of the normally accepted scientific parameters to be truly accepted by her colleagues. But had that ever affected her path or her performance? No. Nor would it stop her now.

"Yes!" He hissed, a wild smile once more plastered on his face, as if he could actually follow her thought's progression. "Yes, you do have mettle. You might just possess the spirit needed to withstand all the nay-sayers, but in turn we must ask...is Thor worthy of such valiant devotion? Many women have warmed his bed Miss Foster, his love and attentions are notoriously fickle. Would you not be wasting your unnecessarily short life fighting for one who has already denied you means to attain your deepest desires? What could he possibly mean by such a glaring neglect?"

Jane tried desperately to conceal the shock and curiosity blooming within her. Has Thor really been keeping her from finding her answers? She should have known her effort to be fruitless - she could hide nothing from the being before her. He seemed capable of reading her like a book. His leering grin melted into loosely pursed lips as blissfully, his all-seeing eyes fell closed.

"Mmm...positively delicious." He remarked, now peering predatorily through his long black lashes. "That tiny spark of uncertainty I see in you now tells me SO much Miss Foster."

Adopting a visage steeped in contemplation, he somehow vanished his scepter and took her trembling right hand between his two larger ones. Using a feather-light touch on her upturned palm, he traced her fate line - the classification of which she would never have known the significance of, if not for Darcy's whimsical nature. Thanks to her intern's short-lived foray into all things mystical, Jane knew that some believe this line *is tied directly to a persons life path, encompassing such things as schooling or career choices and their subsequent successes or obstacles. It is also said that this line reflects circumstances beyond ones control.* Railroading her from her musings, he continued on with his softly spoken speculations.

"It confirms my suspicion Miss Foster, as to why you are still here toiling in the dirt for your answers, when you could be holding them all upon your dainty palm. For though the honor is granted only rarely, there is indeed a way the almighty Thor could keep you by his side for always, thus sharing the Aesir's intrinsic power and resources. I would have thought that if his love was true, he would be most eager to present you with this option."

"No?"

"Hmm, doesn't inspire much confidence, does it?"

The coldness of his message finally began chipping away at her resolve. The accumulating evidence was indeed having a damning effect on the projected longevity of her relationship with the crown prince of Asgard. Her heart began to feel heavy, weary already from a journey that had barely begun. She swallowed thickly, concentrating on the soothing strokes still gliding along her gently cradled hand.

'It's still a game' her own voice broke in, echoing within her mind. 'He's still playing with you.'

Jane felt a lead weight settle in her belly. 'Just what is his purpose?' She wondered. 'Is he here to kill, or to merely anger his brother? Either way, I gain nothing by listening, and he stands the possibility of gaining satisfaction by tearing me from life's (and Thor's) grasp, or by filling our relationship with uncertainty and distrust. Well, what happens, happens. I will not bow to fear of this man, and I will not build my life's ambitions around another. If given the chance, Thor and I will either be right for each other, or we won't.' Her internal declaration once more seemed to telegraph itself directly into her passive captor, for a grim sort of satisfaction settled over his being and he lowered her hand, letting it slip slowly from his.

"Yes, I believe I begin to see Miss Foster, just what it is that sets you apart from the others. You are a diamond among the gravel, a Kokai cookei** hidden beneath bland evergreens, and it has been a privilege to stand in your presence. Not many have withstood my manipulations, yet you seem to read my purpose so easily. Allow me to offer you my best wishes for your future endeavors."

After offering a formal bow he turned away as if to leave, but paused - the wicked gleam raging once more in his blue-green eyes. "I think perhaps just one more trespass on your hospitality will satisfy me for now."

Jane's mind stuttered, at a loss to comprehend what could have crossed his mind to cause such a mischievous outbreak to occur in the previously sedate god.

"If you would be so kind, for I have not yet had the joy of hearing what will undoubtedly be a lovely voice, he mused aloud before leaning once more to her ear.

"Say my name." He whispered his command, "and you will be rid of me this day."

Jane expelled a startled rush of air at his words. But instead of attempting to understand this maniacal man in any way, she acceded to his wish. Closing her eyes against the feigned intimacy of their positions, she uttered his name once, into the silky black strands caressing her jaw.

"Loki"

When she opened her eyes, he was gone.

oooooooooooooooooooo

*information found at (forward slash) wiki (forward slash) Palmistry

** Koki'o Kokai cookei at: (forward slash) 2011 (forward slash) 10 (forward slash) 25 (forward slash) top-10-incredibly-rare-flowers (forward slash)

AN: I would appreciate reviews on this oneshot. It's my first using these characters, and I would like to know if you were "feeling it". Thanks for reading!