Chapter Two

Loki's apartment was black and chrome and glass. There was hardly anything on the walls and what was there looked as though it had been picked out by an interior decorator. There were no family photos save for one on a side table that he recognized from Thor's mantle: his mother, Frigga.

There was a white rug on the floor, an empty wine glass on the coffee table. The living area gave way to a dining area and then a spacious modern kitchen. There were stairs that led to what Jane informed him was his bedroom, a full bath, and a study.

This place was sleek and posh and devoid of any kind of feeling and personal touch. He looked towards Jane who was rifling through his mail. She brought it out to him and handed it over. "Look at these. Maybe a name will jar something."

He flipped through the stack. Nothing. He dropped the mail down on the coffee table and shook his head.

She pointed up. "Maybe your bedroom?"

He nodded mutely and started for the stairs. Halfway up he looked over at her. "Are you coming?"

She arched a brow. "Uh, no. That's your…" she waved her hand around, "Domain."

"Jane, please."

The desperation in his voice must have got her because she didn't hesitate to follow him up the stairs.

His bedroom was black and green. Dark green. His bed wasn't made and he could see black sheets, a green blanket and then a black comforter. Sporadically about the room were splashes of green – a fake tree in the corner, a knock-off Jackson Pollock painting with the predominant color being green—

"Oh, uh, hey." Jane was by the bed where his nightstand was and she was pointing at the floor.

Loki made his way over to her and looked down at what she was pointing at. A scrap of silk. A negligee.

"So, either you're J. Edgar Hoovering it or you've got a girlfriend."

He shrugged. "Or one-night stand. Not surprisingly after all you told me in the car, no one came to visit me but you."

Jane kicked at his foot with hers. "Pick it up."

He looked down at her. "Pick it up? Why?"

"You can't just keep it on the floor. That's weird. Pick it up and sniff it."

"Now you want me to bloody sniff it?"

"Women who wear that crap always marinate in cloying perfume. What if the scent reminds you of whoever wore it?"

"Jane, I'm not going to sniff some negligee that's been left on my floor!"

"Why not?" She looked around. "Floor looks clean. Just do it. Come on, you know you want to."

"I most certainly do not."

She pointed at him. "Now that sounds like the Loki I know." She bent down and picked it up and then flung it at him.

Loki grabbed it and glared at her. She pointed again. "That also looks like the Loki I know."

"Well, I still am Loki, just sans memories."

"Nothing?" she asked and pointed at the negligee.

He shook his head. "Nothing. This place is…it's…"

"Cold? Devoid of feeling? Lacking all warmth and hominess? Yeah. But that's…" She broke off.

Loki watched her. "But that's me. That's what you were going to say."

She sighed and looked up at him. "Yes."

"What made me such a terrible person?"

Jane looked away and down. "I think that's something you should talk to your brother about."

"I'm asking you."

"And I'm telling you to – hey, what's that?" she pointed to something shiny poking out from under his bed and dropped to her knees to see what it was. She reached under the bed and pulled it out.

Handcuffs. She pulled out shiny metal handcuffs. She looked at them wide-eyed and then up at him. "Oh my God." Then she dropped them and got to her feet. "Sorry. I'm uh, gonna use your bathroom." She scurried away down the hall.

Loki stood there, his cheeks blazing red. So, apparently he'd been into kinky bed play. He was intrigued to find out what other things he had for sexual props, but not in front of Jane. He felt as though he'd just corrupted her in some way.

She came back, patting her hands on her jeans and nodded to him. "That's what I get for being so curious and nosy. Thor always tells me it's going to get me into trouble one day."

A phone went off then and Loki was certain it wasn't his. His was dead. Although, he probably wouldn't even know if it was his since he didn't remember what his ring tone was.

Jane dug into her pocket and extracted her iPhone. "It's Thor." She pressed the phone to her ear. "Hey, you just land?...Yeah, he's awake. I picked him up and we're in his apartment right now... No, he really doesn't remember anything…Thor, I think it's real."

Loki shook his head. Unbelievable. Was everyone he came across going to think he was faking losing his memories? How pathetically sad was it that he had done such truly terrible things that faking amnesia was something everyone would automatically accuse him of? Why did he feel as though Jane had just scratched the surface of how diabolical he was?

"I'll find out first if he wants to come over…Well, because he's learned some not so great things about himself and he seems kind of…fragile."

Loki winced. Fragile. Yeah, he supposed he was, but did anyone want to be described thus? Did she know that standing in the corner of his bedroom didn't mean he couldn't hear her?

"I'll see you in a bit... Love you, too….Bye."

Jane turned to face him as she slipped her phone back in her pocket. "Thor wants to know if you want to come over for dinner. He wants to see you."

Loki frowned. "Why would he want to see me?"

"Because you're his brother, Loki."

"But I've been obviously done terrible things to him and said awful things to you. Why would he want to see me after all that?"

Jane came closer to him and looked up at him in earnest. "As I said in the car when someone you love almost dies it changes things. How much things stay changed from here on out depends on you."

"You mean on whether or not I remember what a despicable person I was and set back on that course?"

"Well…yes. You could decide to stay this…"

"Fragile?" he supplied.

"I was going to say nice. You're nice right now. It's sort of freaking me out, but I could definitely get used to it. Or, you could remember and decide that you want to continue acting out your drama by being a dick."

Loki cocked his head to the side. "What drama was I acting out?"

"As I also said before, I think you need to speak to your brother."

Loki nodded slowly. "All right then, I'll go with you to see my brother."

Jane smiled. "Good."

xxxxxxxx

When they arrived back at Jane and Thor's apartment, Loki grabbed Jane's hand before she opened the door. She looked up at him, startled. "What is it? A memory?"

He shook his head. "No, I just…I—thank you. For picking me up. For trying to help."

Her expression softened and she squeezed his hand. "You're welcome."

"I'm feeling rather…nervous."

She frowned. "About seeing Thor?" He nodded. "Don't be, Loki. It will be fine, I promise."

"You will stay close by?"

"Close enough."

"Thank you."

The door opened and there stood a tall, blond handsome man with blue eyes and dark brows. He looked at Loki, and then he looked down to Jane and Loki's hands that were still clasped together. Jane lifted their entwined hands. "Loki's nervous about seeing you," she explained.

Loki pulled his hand from Jane's as Thor arched a brow. "I never thought I'd see the day when you two would be getting along." He looked at Loki. "Just how hard did you hit that head of yours?"

"Pretty hard for me to not remember any of it. Or anything at all," Loki said.

Thor stepped to the side, all broad shouldered and so very muscular and wide. He gestured for them to enter and as they passed by, Jane stopped and kissed her fiancé. Loki ignored the hushed murmurs they shared and the smacking of lips. He wondered idly how long Thor had been gone for.

Loki stood awkwardly in the middle of the living room and his eyes went back to the mantle of pictures. Then around the room. Compared to his apartment, this apartment was warm and welcoming. It was decorated with earth tones and the carpet under his feet was cream and plush. There was a framed picture of Thor and Jane on the wall all dressed up. Thor was standing behind her with his arms around her and grinning at the camera. Jane was laughing. Loki smiled at the joy he saw in her eyes.

How could I have hated her? he thought. Why does that feel wrong? He looked at his brother again and his muscles tensed. Interesting. Was it possible that even though he couldn't consciously remember, his subconscious could and his body sent him the reactive signals of those memories?

He'd have to ask Jane what she thought. Or his brother. No. He'd ask Jane.

"Loki, do you want something to drink? Water? Wine?" Jane asked as she came into the room. She narrowed her eyes. "Wine might not be good. You just got out of the hospital. Water?"

"Please," he said with a nod.

She smiled and walked out leaving him with Thor. Thor, who was watching him closely, eyeing him up and down.

"It's good to see you, brother," Thor said finally.

"Is it? Jane told me about some of the things I've done. I sound like a monster."

Thor sighed and nodded slowly. "I've always held out some hope that you would…be better. That you would be the brother I grew up with again."

"So, my being a complete sod was new?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes."

"Why? What happened to make me do those things?"

Thor looked as though he was struggling to find the words to answer that when Jane came back with two glasses of water. She handed one to Thor with a smile and then to Loki.

"Thank you, Jane," he said cordially.

"You're welcome, Loki," she said and then looked between them. "So, I'll leave you two alone."

Loki didn't want her to go. He was certain that because she was the one he'd been with since leaving the hospital he had formed an immediate attachment to her, but just the same. Her presence comforted and soothed him and he needed that, especially since Thor was gearing up to tell him what felt like was going to be a bunch of hard truths.

"Thank you, Jane," Thor said gently.

Jane nodded and left them, looking back over her shoulder at Loki with concern. He attempted an encouraging smile for her that he didn't feel at all.

Thor gestured to the overstuffed beige sofa. "Take a seat, Loki. Please."

Loki shuffled over the sofa and sat, placing his drink on a coaster that sat on the mahogany coffee table before him.

Thor didn't move, however, which just made Loki feel tenser.

"I'm not sure how to start," Thor finally said.

Loki felt a spark of annoyance. What was he waiting for? Jane certainly hadn't bothered to sugar coat his misdeeds and quite frankly even though he'd been stunned to hear his sins laid out so quickly and efficiently, he preferred that to this. "Just say it," he said.

"You were adopted."

It was a good thing Thor had asked him to sit. Loki felt as though he'd just been sucker punched. That part Jane had not told him. Now he knew why she kept wanting him to talk to his brother…who wasn't really his brother.

"Are you all right?" Thor asked.

"I'm not sure, but keep going anyway, please," Loki said. What was the saying? In for a pinch in for a pound? Funny how he could remember something so insignificant as that, but remembering that he was adopted and an utter ass was a challenge for him.

Loki sat back and waited for more.