Five years ago Jane had found herself making Asgard her permanent home. Within that time she'd seen a lot of things, done many things, made a lot of mistakes (most concerning Thor), but her life had never been in danger. It seemed almost impossible that her life would even be in danger when surrounded by a race likened to gods. It should have been impossible. It wasn't.
Jane ran across the grounds from the dark elf. People screamed around her, running, some yelled order, some fought. She should have made the time to let someone teach her how to fight, how to defend herself. Jane never had though, she was a scientist, and there had been so many wonderful things to preoccupy her time that learning to defend herself seemed ridiculous at the time. It didn't seem so ridiculous now.
She ran through a hedge maze, hoping to lose the predator on her tale. But her memory failed her and she found herself running straight into a dead end. When she spun the elf was upon her, slowing, ready to make his kill. Five hears had been the length of her Asgardian life, it had to be a for an immortal life.
Something dropped in front of her as the elf released the trigger on his weapon. No, someone. They wrapped an arm around her waist, unrelenting and firm, pulling her against tough leather and metal. Green light flooded her vision suddenly, and the burst of energy from the elf's weapon exploded against in. In a knee jerk reaction Jane screamed, hiding behind her live barrier. Then there was a primal scream and Jane peaked around the shoulder blocking her, watching dark elf freeze alive. Glancing up at her savior Jane stared into the twisted hatred on the face above her and a familiar smirk of evil satisfaction.
When the screaming stopped he turned to her, the evil glee now gone from his features and instead replaced with a drawn brow and a frown showing his concern.
"You're going to be the death of me," Loki said in frustration.
Then his face seemed to relax and Jane stared up at him, her mouth parted just slightly in wonder. Oh. It all fit together so perfectly now. All her confusion and concern over the past couple of years gave way to a firm understanding. Jane gripped his forearms tightly before lifting a hand to his neck and pushing onto her toes to kiss him. His lips were still against hers and his body stiff and everything that had made sense a moment ago didn't anymore, because he only stared at her. With a flush of embarrassment at the wide eyes shock on his face she pushed away from him, but the arm on her tightened and he was kissing her.
Everything was right finally. Everything made sense. Becoming Asgardian, her failed relationship with Thor, the way Loki had taken pleasure in needling her, the slow burn friendship that had developed. They had all been necessary stepping stones and suddenly she couldn't regret a one of them. Not even Thor.
Loki's kiss was hard, demanding. It was deep and dangerous. And if he'd been a man drowning, which she knew he usually felt he was, he would have clung to her desperately and pulled her under. Jane would have let him.
It was an explosion in the background that made them part.
Jane gasped, her chest rising and falling with heaving breaths, even though here was barely any room to move, let along breathe considering how tightly he still held her against his own body. He stared down at her for a moment, green eyes sharp and cutting. His hand at some point and slid to the back of her head and he suddenly fisted the strands and tilted her head back to press his forehead against her own.
"Stay close to me," he whispered.
Jane nodded shakily. When he released her he grabbed her hand and pulled her close as he began leading her out of the hedge maze. Jane kept to his side, letting him guide her. There was no more running, no screaming, and even though Jane knew nothing of battle, she assumed that their attackers had been stopped. Loki's stride wasn't rushed as they walked across the grounds, but he was tense, his face turning in every direction.
It wasn't until he threw her to the ground did she realize that she had been wrong about the attack having stopped. With shock and fear for Loki, Jane stared above her as he whipped out a dagger and thrust it up into the gut of the elf. Another appeared in his other hand and she watched as he stabbed it into the elf's throat. It jerked, choking, blood bubbling from its mouth, and then it slumped. Loki yanked his hands away and let the elf fall dead to the ground. The knives faded in a green light and he turned to her. Their eyes met and neither moved for a heartbeat, then he held out his hand to her and she took it.
He pulled her up swiftly and once again pulled her through the courtyard, close to his side.
It was when they found Thor, standing amongst he other Asgardians, giving orders and directing others, that they stopped. It wasn't until they stood in front of Thor did Jane realize she was panting with the speed in which Loki had forced her to walk.
"Is it secure?" Loki asked, his voice sharp and cutting.
Thor turned to his brother. "Yes, it was a small party. of dark elves" He suddenly seemed to realize the tension in Loki's face, the wide eyed shock in Jane's. "Is everything alright?"
Jane looked to Loki, noting the hard look in his eyes as he stared at Thor, the the tick of a vein in his neck and his clenched jaw.
"I'll be escorting Jane to her chambers, I don't want to be disturbed," Loki snapped, a warning in his tone, and tugged Jane behind him.
"Loki!" Thor called after him.
Jane turned her head and looked at her former love, noting his confusion and concern. She expected Loki to stop, and he did, angling his body just slightly to face Thor.
"You'll leave me be if you know what's good for you," he warned again, his narrowed eyes telling of how serious he was.
Jane offered Thor a small smile, trying to let him know everything was okay. It was the arrival of Sif at Thor's side that drew his attention away from his brother. Loki pulled her along again. When he released her hand and pressed his palm against the small over her back she was overly aware of how close he was to her.
"You and I are going to have a serious talk Jane," he said dangerously into his ear.
Jane released a shaky breath at the dark tone of his voice. She opened her mouth to respond. t a green flash of light enveloped them.
When they reappeared Jane barely had time to catch her bearings before she found herself pushed into a wall and the furious gaze of Loki glaring down at her. "Loki!" She exclaimed. "What are-."
"You play a dangerous game Jane," he warned and stepped closer. "Kissing the damned brother of your former lover."
Jane swallowed and raised her chin, refusing to cower to Loki's anger. "Thor has nothing to do with this. That's over with."
"Is it?" He asked, his eyes slightly wild as they flickered over her. "Is it really that simple Jane? Or are you and my perfect brother going to spend centuries pining over one another, over your epic love."
His tone was cruel and angry. If Jane was a different person she'd be scared of him, and she probably should have been. Loki wasn't a good person, not like Thor, but he wasn't terrible. "Is that what you want?" She asked softly, unfazed by his anger.
"No," he whispered, the hard lines of his face seeming to disappear, but then they returned and he lowered his head, green eyes narrowed like a snake. "Is that what you want?"
"No," she gasped and shook her head.
"You came here for him, you bit into Idunn's apple for him," Loki said through gritted teeth. "You lie."
"No," she said, this time firmer, and tried to pulled away from the wall he had her against, but his grip was firm.
"Everything you've done is for him," Loki snarled. "Everything."
Tears stung her eyes. How quickly things were unraveling when they were just starting to make sense. "I don't-."
"Don't lie," he said firmly.
"Loki," she pleaded, "I'm not-."
"Stop lying!" He roared.
His unleashed fury had never been focused upon her, ever. Now that she understood herself, understood him, it made it hurt so much worse to have him so angry with her. "Stop it!" She screamed, unable to take being caged in by him any longer. Tears on her cheeks were forgotten as she stared up into his hardened gaze. "Have I ever lied to you?" She whispered painfully. Her question seemed to effect him, because his anger slowly gave way to confusion. "Loki please, don't do this now. You don't have to. I swear, Thor means nothing." Slowly, he seemed to calm and Jane lifted her palms against his armor, sliding one up to touch his cheek. His eyes flickered to it and for a moment she worried he might pull away, but he didn't. His head lowered and warm breath brushed over her lips.
"You have one chance to be free of me," he stated, voice void of its earlier anger. "One. If you stay," he said slowly, as if giving her the opportunity to let it sink in, "that's forever Jane. And forever...is a very long time."
"I'm not going anywhere," she said gently, but firmly. Once the words left her mouth there was a second where neither of them moved, where nothing was said. Then he yanked her against him and his lips where on hers.
Jane whimpered, moving her hands to grasp at him, held back still by his hands on her arms, but then he let her go and wrapped an arm around her waist and slid a hand into her hair. His armor disappeared in a flash of green light that illuminated the room and left him in much simpler clothes.
With her arms free Jane wrapped them around his neck, arching into him. His fingers clenched in her hair and he held her closer, his kiss turning more demanding, their tongues and teeth clashing. His lips ripped from hers, eliciting a gasp from her own and then he was pulling her hair gently, exposing her neck. His lips latched on to her skin, starting behind her ear, kissing and sucking a trail down the line of her neck. Jane clung to him, eyes rolling back and lids closing as he made his descent.
It was as he reached the spot between shoulder and neck that his teeth sunk in, biting her skin and dragging across it. Her eyes flew open and she cried out, hips bucking to him as pleasure and need coursed through her. He chuckled darkly against her neck and it did nothing to calm her. "Loki," she pleaded, knowing she wanted more. Knowing she wanted to be beneath him, have him inside of her. She needed the feel of him stretching her, pushing into her. The thought of it made her roll her hips towards his own.
His hand fell from her hair and he lowered both to grasp the material of her dress behind her thighs and bunch it up. Before she had time to figure out what he was doing he drug his hands up, material still clenched in his hands, grabbed her ass, and lifted her off the ground. On instinct she wrapped her legs around his waist, sighing in pleasure as the juncture of her thighs pressed against his stomach. Again she rolled her hips against him and lowered her head, searching out his lips. She felt his fingers dig into the flesh of her backside in response and she grasped the back of his head, yanking his head to her and kissed him with a renewed sense of need.
Her back separated from the wall and she anxiously awaited what was to come next. With her eyes close she could feel him moving and she clenched her legs tighter around him.
One of his hands parted from her, and his fingers speared into her hair, holding her head to his own. It was then that her world world shifted. Her back hit the mattress, their lips parted, and eyes flutter open to stare at the ceiling and then up at him as he settled above her, staring.
"Do you even know what you're getting yourself into?" Loki asked, his eyes searching hers after he settled comfortably between her legs. "Do you Jane?"