Inspired by several Soulmate AU posts on Tumblr.
He was coming.
Jane knew even before the machine in the lab started to beep as the readings went haywire. She knew the moment the sky in the distance changed, when the first signs of the Bifrost opening appeared among the twinkling stars.
What she wouldn't give to see it's beauty in color.
She flinched a bit at the thought.
Her world was still dull, still black and white, even though she had physical contact with the man she loved. And what a contact it was. Sometimes Jane could swear she felt her lips tingling from the kiss even though years passed since then.
Another flinch.
It's been four years since Thor returned home and she hasn't seen or heard from him since. Only briefly seen him on TV during the battle in Manhattan. But the anomaly in the sky made it all better. He was coming.
It served as a beacon for Jane, guiding her as she drove through desert towards the landing sight. It was like a lighthouse, showing her a way home.
Home to the man that stood tall in the darkness waiting for her.
As she exited the van and slowly approached the God of Thunder she heard the words she dreamed of hearing many nights alone in her mobile home, "Jane Foster, I have come back to you."
"What about the lab?" Jane asked as she stood in the middle of the room looking around herself. Some of the machines she made herself and didn't want to part from them. But she couldn't possibly take them with her.
"Lock it up." Thor said calmly, "Now that Bifrost is repaired you will be able to travel to Midgard as often as you wish. Or as often as the obligations will allow it."
"Obligations?" Jane turned towards him so fast she made herself dizzy and had to grab the table to keep herself steady.
A wide smile spread on Thor's face, "I had to wait four years for the Bifrost to be repaired to return to you. Now that I have I do not wish to lose you again. I wish to marry you Jane Foster."
A matching smile appeared on Jane's face. She knew it was sudden and perhaps too soon, but she didn't care. When she couldn't find her soulmate she at least managed to find a man who loved her like one.
"I will be honored to become your wife."
"And my queen." Thor said before he slowly approached Jane and kissed her. And just like the first time it made her lips tingle. But didn't bring the colors.
Jane wondered if she should tell him about Midgardians strange biology but simply didn't know how. How do you tell a man you love he isn't the one fate meant for her? She knew it won't matter soon, anyway. No one knew how it worked but if a person who hasn't find his soulmate marries it's over. He or she can find their soulmate afterwards but they will only get a flash of colors and that's it.
There were stories of soulmates marrying after one of them divorced but they didn't get their colors. Scientists still argued about the cause of it.
She won't have to worry about something like that happening. She was going to Asgard, her soulmate is somewhere on Earth. She will marry a man she loves and hopefully 'he' will find someone too, if he hasn't already.
"Why did it have to be repaired?" Jane asked as she took the first steps on the Rainbow bridge. It felt so strange under her feet, and if it wasn't for Thor walking calmly next to her she would be terrified it would shatter. But she doubted that was even possible.
"I broke it." Thor answered and Jane realized she was wrong. It was possible.
"Why would you do that?"
A sigh came from her right side, "Loki activated the Bifrost and made sure it can not be deactivated. It was destroying Jotunheim. I had to stop it... I'm sorry Jane." he added silently at the end.
"Sorry for what?" it made no sense that he was apologizing. He prevented a world from being destroyed by his crazy brother.
Thor looked away before he spoke, "Loki taunted me that night. Said if I destroy it I can't go back to you, it might take too long for it to be repaired and by that time you could be already married or even dead. It takes a lot of energy to fix something like the bridge."
"How was it fixed?" she was honestly interested in what could be so powerful that it can be used for repairs.
"With the Tesseract."
"Oh." it wasn't the answer she expected. Jane knew of the cube and it's role in what happened a year ago. Eric told her as much he could, and remembered.
"Where is it now?" curiosity of a scientist won over the apprehension at the thought of being in the vicinity of an item that resulted in her mentor being brainwashed.
"Locked away."
Jane nodded, pleased with the answer, "Like your brother." she added.
Thor stopped suddenly and Jane thought it was because they reached land where the horses waited for them. It wasn't.
"Loki is free." Thor said shocking her instantly, "There was an attack few months ago. Dark elves breached out shields and tried to steal a powerful item from the Vault under the palace. They freed prisoners from the dungeons, thought it would be a good distractions for the guards. They made a mistake and freed Loki as well."
"He killed them?"
A small smile appeared on Thor's face before he nodded, "They went after our mother, thought they could use her for bargain. It was a mistake."
"And now he's free." Jane said as calmly as she could and hoped Thor didn't noticed her voice wavering slightly. The madman that almost destroyed Puente Antiguo and tried to enslave Earth was roaming free.
She wasn't expecting that.
"Loki is my brother, Jane. He won't harm you."
If only she could be as certain in his words as he seemed to be.
It wasn't all that difficult to avoid Asgard's younger prince as Jane initially feared. She spent most of her time in Frigga's company as the wise queen taught her most important Asgardian laws and helped her prepare herself for the adventure of being Thor's wife and queen.
Still she hasn't told anyone about the lack of colors in her life, although at times it seemed Frigga suspected she was hiding something from them. The truth was It terrified her to reveal her secret to someone out of fear it would result with her being sent back to Earth.
And then one lovely afternoon while Jane and Thor were in the garden what she feared and looked forward the most happened at the same time.
Loki approached then and there was no way she could have excused herself without making it completely obvious that she didn't want to be in his presence.
"Doctor Foster, I am glad to finally have the honor of your presence." he said with a small smile and Jane frowned. He knew. Others maybe didn't, but he knew.
"Prince Loki." she greeted him with a small nod of her head and turned away from him to look at Thor, "You mentioned-"
But before she managed to complete her sentence Loki interrupted her, "How is Eric? Last time I saw him he was-"
"Loki!" Thor growled a warning.
But the trickster shrugged, "I am merely asking for the health of our common friend."
At the sound of Loki calling Eric his friend Jane finally had enough. She turned around and seconds later a loud slap echoed through the garden.
Loki slowly turned his head to glare at Jane while Thor looked shocked that his mild-mannered betrothed had it in her to slap a god. And Jane... Jane was in shock.
"Green... your eyes are green." she whispered to Loki.
"Obviously." he responded. At that moment he thought she might have gone crazy or something like that. Midgardins were after all a frail kind, both physically and mentaly.
Jane started to shake her head while watching his with wide eyes before she slowly backed away from him, "No. No. That's not possible."
Loki rolled her eyes and looked at Thor, "I believe she is broken, brother mine."
"Jane?" Thor called her name as he placed a hand gently on her shoulder and she turned around to look at him. He was even more beautiful now in colors... colors that he didn't give to her.
But his brother did.
Before the God of thunder managed to react she broke free of his touch and ran away in the direction of the entrance to the gardens. And when a snicker came from his brother Thor couldn't help but suspect Loki did something to her. Always the trickster.
"I hate to point out the obvious Thor but I did nothing." Loki defended himself.
"You once promised you would visit her. And you were on Midgard long enough to-"
"But I was also distracted. Trying to take over the world and all that."
Thor's eyes narrowed on his brother who looked far too smug but unfortunately he had no proof Jane's odd behavior was somehow his fault. But if he found it it was Loki who did something to her he will be rather unpleasant.
But he didn't say a word of it, instead choosing to go inside and find Jane. And for some reason Loki decided to follow.
He approached the open doors of Jane's chamber, with his brother few steps behind him, when he heard their mother's soft voice as she comforted Jane. Jane who was crying.
"I feel so bad for it... I don't want to hurt him... but I don't think the wedding can happen." she managed to say as sobs shook her body, "They are so beautiful..."
"But why?" Frigga patiently asked, "What happened?"
It was one word, one single word, that came out of his beloved's mouth that enraged Thor more then he ever was before, "Loki."
The trickster didn't have the time to react before Mjolnir connected with his chest making him fly backwards, all the way to the other side of the wide hallway, before he slammed to the ground.
"You did nothing?!" Thor bellowed at his younger brother as his hammer returned to his hand only to leave it again seconds later as the thundered threw it again at Loki who was slowly getting up.
A quick spell created a shield around Loki and the mighty hammer returned to it's owner.
"What is going on?" Frigga hurriedly exited the room with Jane right behind her.
"Fight me, you coward! Stop hiding behind your tricks!"
A gentle touch on his hand made Thor whip around and found himself face to face with tear streaked face of Jane Foster.
"Don't... it's not his fault."
Thor frowned, "But I heard you. You said-"
"It's biology Thor." she whispered, "There was no way of knowing that of all people he would be the one to bring colors into my life."
