Chapter 4: Why I should give you up

Go ahead and judge me. My shield is down and my weapon is over there. Stab me with it. Anything to make you see that I realize how rude it is to go without any updates for over three months or whatever.

Dx

xXxXxXx

"You have to sober up, Jane."

Jane continued to eat the bread before her in the small room Sif had lured her into. Unfortunately, the astrophysicist was caught between being sober and being drunk, so the details of the last few hours were blurry, yet clear.

"How many drinks have I had tonight?" Jane wondered.

"Darcy Lewis was with you for the majority of the night, so I doubt she understands the gravity of you being under the influence," Sif answered, quickly adding, "I doubt you want her and much anyone else knowing how you can be when intoxicated."

Jane crossed her arms on the table and absently moved a light finger over her skin. "You're right, I'm sorry."

Sif joined Jane at the small table in the shadows, placing a hand on her shoulder, "You have nothing to apologize for."

"I don't know how I let myself get this bad, though. I wasn't paying attention or keeping count at all."

Sif lifted a corner of her mouth, "It's understandable, though. You haven't talked to anyone about what happened after the accident. I still don't know."

"Thor knows."

Sif's hand tightened, "I know."

Jane sipped the water in the small glass before her and sighed, "Sif, tell me something."

Sif smiled gently, "Anything."

Dark eyes met bright hazel hues and, for a long moment, they were both quiet.

"How much do you know?"

Sif straightened her perfect posture and her friendly smile slackened slightly, but the woman still appeared poised and elegant, "Thor is very loyal to you, Jane. Growing up with him, I have never seen him so taken with anyone like he is with you."

Jane bit her lip, "After the accident, we got close. Too much happened for me to stand on my own. Eventually, I think the two of us thought that our connection meant that we were in love. But when we were together, it felt so forced, you know?"

Sif searched Jane's gaze, shaking her head, "No, I don't know."

Jane smiled, "That's a good thing. It means you belong together."

"You really think so?" the bride-to-be inquired, curious of the subject.

Jane nodded confidently, "Oh, yea."

Sif looked as if she would blush, but she didn't. "I've always loved Thor, but to him, I was just one of the boys. To be fair, I never tried to be anything more to get his attention. I'm not that sort of person at all."

A loud snicker slipped through Jane's lips, "I'm not that girl, either. I was too damn busy studying all the time. I didn't really know how to socialize when I was younger. It's a wonder that I have even as good of friends as I do."

They shared a casual laugh together. Both smiled brightly even as Jane sipped on the water held in her left hand. Her brow rose, "Sif, what exactly happened tonight?"

The bride shrugged passively, "Nothing that won't be rectified." When Jane sighed, Sif raised her right hand to shove it through her hair, "A friend of my mother complained about you sleeping on the bar in a most unfashionable way. Darcy stared at you and took photos of your stupor. When I arrived, you were talking to a plant about the theory of relativity."

"An important part of life," the astrophysicist commented with a smirk. Her features quickly fell toward her nose, "So, I wasn't talking to an old lady about anything perverse?"

Sif shook her head with a sweet, stern smile, "No, Jane. I believe you had a bit of an odd dream."

"Good," the other woman replied warmly. "I dreamed something terrible!"

Sif's eyes widened when she threw her hands up, "Leave me out of that head of yours."

"It's a fun place to be unless you get it inebriated."

xXxXxXx

"You want me to meet your parents?" Jane echoed incredulously.

"Yes," Loki awkwardly replied.

"Don't you hate them?"

"Yes, though I do love mother."

"And Thor will be there?"

"I dread the conversations you'll have with the dimwit."

Jane couldn't repress the chuckle, "This is your way of getting out of telling me about your old girlfriends, right?"

His hands moved over his heart, "You're so observant, but of course not!"

"I'd rather you just tell me. If you want me to meet your family over just talking about your old flames, I cannot imagine how bad your past really is."

His playful smirk fell when he reached for her heads, grasping them in his large fingers gently, "I do intend to share my experiences with you...eventually."

"Just not the time, right?"

He paused, quite affected by her tone.

"Loki, I'm willing to wait, but I consider it dishonest when you do things like this. You know all about my dirty laundry. We've been dating a 7 months already."

"I know that's what you think..."

Jane scoffed, "It's what I know."

"When you said you planned a life with me, I thought you'd give me time, too," he snapped, dropping her hands.

She shook her head and glanced off into the distance, "I won't meet your family until you're ready to treat this relationship like a mature, adult union."

"What are you saying?" he fought bitterly.

"I guess it means I'm done until you get your shit together."

His eyes watered, "We're not breaking up, Jane."

She had started toward her dorm, but turned, "You can't force me to be with you!"

"You said you loved me!"

"I DO!" her lungs exploded. Students in the surrounding area gasped. Jane glanced around and put her hands over her face.

Loki quickly rushed to her, folding his arms around her as she fought not to cry.

Just then, a few droplets of rain hit their bodies, causing them to look up. As everyone shrieked and hollered and moved away to shelter, they stood there gazing at each other: so close, yet so far away.

xXxXxXx

-.-.-.-.-.

Short chapter, but I think it gives enough. I'll try to update this by the end of this week.

Thanks!