It is well after dark when Jane knocks on Thor's door and he answers in his bathrobe, his hair unkempt, "Jane! You have returned from Midgard before I expected!" He does not ask her to come in.
"Yeah. You're with Sif, aren't you?"
"What makes you think that?"
"You've never not asked me to come in." Thor's face reddens, "Look, it's OK. I mean, you've got to make an heir somehow. But in exchange for me not ripping your balls off in a jealous rage, Darcy's coming to Asgard. And you're finding her a man so she can be like me."
"Now Jane..."
"Nope. No 'now Jane'- you're fucking another woman. I'm your girlfriend- or was, before you married me to your brother. The only reason I'm not raging right now is because Darcy's promised to smuggle an obscene amount of ice-cream to Asgard. And because I want something from you and you won't give it if I kill you. In the morning, talk to your dad."
"I don't like this. I have done nothing to deserve this."
"I think Sigyn would feel otherwise. How is she?"
"Considering my proposal. But she has not yet decided."
"Of course not. Give her time to think."
"The All-Father will not like this."
"Well you can tell the All-Father he kinda stuck me in a super lonely position. I can't exactly cry on your shoulder about how much of a shithead I think you were for not telling me. I need Darcy. You're going to get her for me."
"And what of your other friends?"
"Don't you get it? Erik is my only other friend. We talked this morning. He's not interested in living a super long life. He wants to visit, to see this place with his own eyes, but that's it. And he says it'll be enough. I believe him. You owe me. Big time."
"Your work?"
"My work is studying the Rainbow Bridge and how it works. We're at the limits of our technology on Earth. This is where I can actually observe what I want to observe."
"Your mother?"
"Talked to her over lunch. She thinks this whole thing is just nuts and I should poison you in your sleep."
"That's rather terrifying."
"You screwed over her daughter. She's not going to be gracious."
"And Darcy?"
"Will keep life interesting."
Thor sighs, "Fine. I will talk to the All-Father in the morning. Do not count on him consenting to this plan."
"Then I guess you're going to commit some treason."
"Jane..."
"Nope. This is happening. You owe me." She turns to walk away, stops, and says over her shoulder, "Have fun. Say hi to Sif."
"Greetings, Jane Foster!" she hears from within the room.
Thor closes the door. Jane walks away, shaking her head. She doesn't feel like sleeping. Instead, she heads to the dungeon.
It is late, but Loki is awake when Jane knocks on the wall outside his cell, "Hey. Are you up?"
"Yes."
"Do you mind if I come in?"
"Yes."
"So...can I anyway?"
He smiles to himself, "Yes."
The barrier drops and she steps into the cell; she is getting used to the sharp crack it makes when it snaps back up, "So. I'm back from Earth."
"It has been less than a week."
"Five days."
"Is less than a week. Why are you not asleep? Or spending time with your beloved upon your return?" Loki does not budge, stretched out on his cot.
Jane sits on the floor beside the him, "Hmmmm, gee. I wonder. Thor's fucking Sif and, you know, just felt kinda awkward to stick around. Threesome's aren't really my thing. Tried it. Once. Too many limbs."
Loki turns on his side, propping up his head, "Oh? Is that the only reason to dislike them?"
"Nah. Don't like two guys pawing over me and women don't turn me on. And I don't like sharing. I'm pretty vanilla."
"Vanilla?"
"Oh. Um...I'm not that adventurous with sex."
"And what does this have to do with a flavouring?"
"Nothing, really. But it's like, vanilla ice-cream is considered plain, right? The standard? Normal and boring? Except that I totally love vanilla ice-cream..."
"I have no idea what you are talking about."
"That's right. You guys don't do ice-cream. When Darcy gets here, I'll bring you some."
His eyebrows arch, "Darcy?"
"My friend. I told Thor he's bringing her here."
"Oh?"
"Thor owes me. And I'm calling it in. He puts me through hell, he's bringing my best friend. And finding her a husband." She locks gaze with Loki, waiting for him to understand the implication.
It doesn't take long, and when he does, he grins, "Devious, my dear Miss Foster. Clever indeed. I knew there was a reason I liked you."
"Well it was either this or I take my mother's suggestion to poison Thor in his sleep."
He snorts, "Oh that's delightful."
"Mom's got a mean streak."
"Would I like her as well?" He pauses, then softens, "And do you think she would like me? As your friend, that is."
Jane inches closer to the cot so she can take Loki's free hand, "Look. You've been a gentleman. You got screwed over, too. And you've been honest with me about everything from day one. So yeah, I think she would. She'd take a little time to get used to this whole dungeon thing, but she's pretty forgiving. And she's very understanding. So I think you'd be cool. Maybe she can visit when Erik does."
"I doubt Dr Selvig will be amiable to my company."
"Then he and Darcy can hang out while I bring Mom down. You know she's going to want to meet my husband."
Loki closes his eyes, "To be blunt, Miss Foster, I am not entirely looking forward to that meeting. We all know I am not happy to have been given to you."
"I know. And she knows everything I know. We talked."
"Oh."
"She thinks it's terrible, what they did. She told me to find a way to make the best of it. Start a friendship. Look for ways to make things as right as they can ever be."
"And kill Thor."
"I'm not sure she was exaggerating on that, either. I'm going to have to keep an eye on her when she visits."
Loki shakes his head, "Oh, how the mighty have fallen. In a way, I am glad Frigga is dead." Jane is startled; he continues, "The Protector of the Nine betraying the woman he loves, resorting to trickery and deception to keep her and pushing her farther away even still. The All-Father destroying a young woman because he does not want her married to his shadowed son, binding another in her place, one he cannot fathom allowing the golden prince to wed. And me. Here. So far from where I ought to be. She would be ashamed of her men."
"I'm not sure what to say."
"Then say nothing, Miss Foster."
"OK, enough with the Miss and the last name. I'm just Jane."
He raises an eyebrow, "You have no title?"
"Well I'm Dr Foster, actually. Or Jane Foster, PhD. I don't know what your educational equivalent of post-doctoral work is, but that's me. But don't call me that. Not when it's just us, at least. It's not like anybody here knows what it means. And people didn't really respect it back on Earth, either. Doesn't matter how big the work you do is, if you're a woman in science, be ready to get shit on by the boys. Figuratively, of course. Even the guys, though, don't always get the respect they deserve when they do something 'wrong'. Jesus, you should hear some of the stuff I've heard at conferences about Dr Banner. I adore Bruce. He's sweet, he's funny- bit of a recluse, but a good guy. And yet because he turns into the Hulk when he's mad, everybody talks behind his back. I was at this one conference in Phoenix he was speaking at and late one night, I was at the bar and this group of people from some university or whatever couldn't help but wonder if, gee, Bruce could keep his Hulk sized dick when he was a person. They went on about this for at least ten minutes. It was insane! He's one of the most brilliant minds in his field and all they could do was talk trashy about him. I called them all assholes and left."
"And how are you received?"
"I'm a woman in science. I'm often told to make somebody a sandwich."
Loki just stares in disbelief, "But you are a leader in your field, are you not?"
"I am my field. Nobody else is studying what I'm working on outside of my SHIELD team. Maybe Hydra. But unless it's a secret government organization everybody knows about...no. I'm it."
"And yet so little respect?"
"There are large sections of Earth that still haven't figured out women are people."
He drops onto his back, "It is no wonder you were so willing to leave. And that your friend is as well."
"It's way worse for women in other countries. The shit we put up with is a zillion times easier than the places where women are executed for defying men, or get acid thrown on them, or are killed for having a baby girl, or get raped as part of perpetual war."
"It sounds as though they should have let me rule Midgard."
Jane laughs, "Nah, you don't want that mess."
"Not even to improve on it?"
"One guy could never handle all of it at once. Not without resorting to killing large numbers of people and I'm not really OK with that. Let's just say I don't want to think about being married to a mass murderer, so we're just going to go with 'Midgard would be shit to rule' line."
Loki pauses, "You do know that I am a mass murderer, do you not?"
"Jotunheim? Or are there other things I don't know about?"
"Eighty people in two days. Midgard."
"Thor said something about that. I'm not too sure you were thinking clearly, though. He talked about that staff or yours 'sowing discord wherever it went, including amongst the Avengers' like it was sentient. How do you know it didn't do something to you, too?"
He is quiet, staring at the ceiling.
"Did I say something wrong?"
"I accepted the staff, my actions are my own."
"Well, yeah. I know that. But still...what if it amplified everything negative in your head, like it did theirs?"
"Jane, I think you might want to leave now."
Frustrated, she crosses her arms and scowls, "Fine. But you owe me an explanation in the morning. Goodnight."
He does not reply and she leaves him for her own chambers. They are dark and cool. She does not bother to turn on a light, falling into bed fully clothed.
