Hey. S'been a while. Sorry about that! Winter college, man. Not fun :P But I have torn myself away from mounds of homework and my sweet escape Doctor Who to bring you this next chapter! Voila.
Originally, I was going to wait to post this for another week or so, so I could add more to it, but I decided that I've kept you waiting long enough. Sorry it's short, but I figured better a little sooner rather than a lot later, right?
Review your thoughts.
Love you all.
"The best way to not get your heart broken is pretending you don't have one."
― Charlie Sheen
Loki hadn't intended to follow Jane. Truly. But when circumstances dictated that he had no other choice, he found he couldn't resist on the opportunity to indulge in a little mischief.
He'd first felt the tug soon after Richard had taken Jane away in his shiny red convertible. Initially just an imperceptible pull toward some unknown thing, a strange and almost incontrollable need to move in one direction. In Jane's direction. Startled and not at all keen on stumbling after his virtual jailer, of course he'd tried to fight it. But it only grew stronger. His feet began to burn, as if the very skin on the soles of his feet had gone aflame. Every muscles in his legs seized. And finally, though he fought it with every fibre of his being, his own body turned against him. Only once his feet had carried him out the door, down the street and halfway down the next block, did he finally surrender.
He let the unseen force pull him through the busy intersections of Manhattan. He kept his head down, hands in his pockets as if he were no more than another pedestrian amongst the millions downturned faces. To his chagrin, he found himself hoping that no one bothered to look his way. Should he be recognized, he had no way of defending himself. The monster who'd almost destroyed this pathetic excuse for a booming metropolis, now picking his way sheepishly through a thousand mortals. Surely this was the lowest point of his existence. He swore to himself that once he found Jane he'd use any means necessary to ensure she never wander like this again.
Loki had no idea how far he walked, but soon the sky had grown dark and the brilliant lights of New York City blitzed to life all around him. The world became a hazy, smoggy hodge-podge of neon greens, reds, and blues. He guessed he'd walked at least half a dozen miles, or more, by the time he felt the pressure let up on his body. His limbs gradually began to ease, the inexplicable tension in every muscles draining away. Finally, his feet merely swung forward of their own accord. He took this advantage of this newfound glorious liberty and stopped dead in the middle of the sidewalk. Someone bumped into him from behind and cursed roundly. The rest of his fellow pedestrians grumbled as they flowed around him; he was a rock parting the raging torrents of an unending stream.
Loki looked up, turning slowly in a circle to take in where he was. The side of Manhattan felt different than the little complex street Jane and Darcy lived on. Here, instead of motley traffic and inconspicuous gray buildings, every street corner exploded in a riot of color, noise, and light. Such a cacophonous mix made him curl his lip in distaste. Had he any sort of choice in the matter, he wouldn't be staying long.
He needed to find Jane.
Figuring she had to be somewhere nearby, judging the wane of the binding spell Thor had placed upon him, Loki pivoted on his heels. He scanned each glowing sign, and with every name, his distaste for this rotten city curdled. Brady's Bar & Grill, Ye Olde Pub, Blacktop Diner, McGray's Five-Star, Top 'n Spot…
Truly, the titles these quibbling humans came up with. If any hole-in-the-wall tavern in Asgard bore a name like Top 'n Spot, the offending sign would be peppered through with arrows and spears within a fortnight. Utterly ridiculous.
His roving eyes finally alighted on a particularly abhorrent blinking sign, red and blue bulbs flashing all around the fat glowing letters. Betty's Dine & Dance. Ah. Jane had mentioned to the lady Lewis that this so-called Richard would be taking her to a dance. Loki should have known better by now, learned not to apply any of his proper Asgardian connotations to these Midgardian words. But of course, what civilized mind would not immediately envision a proper ballroom, filled with music and cultured dancing and the like? Loki had been positive his opinion of humanity could not plummet any further. Yet, as soon as he set foot inside this repulsive little dump, he realized something that had never happened to him before.
He was wrong.
The shabby place was bustling with people. Light, sound, and swarming bodies all jumbled together so that for a brief moment he had no idea what he was even looking at. Humans were pressed closely together, some sandwiched like over packed fish in a docking crate, others squished up against each other's fronts like hormone-ridden teenagers. Hands curled up around shirt collars; feet stomped and crossed; bodies twirled and swayed. It looked like some uncanny ritual performed by the wild tribes of Alfheim. Only the "naked" savages of Alfheim's forests were still at least properly covered. One tipsy Midgardian woman stumbled past Loki, shot him a lewd smile, and proceeded to trip soundly. Her flabby bosom, squeezed to bursting within a skintight excuse for a tunic, flopped upward enough to give him something he never wanted to see. In all the Nine Realms, ever again.
What in Odin's name had possessed Jane's suitor to bring her to a place like this?
To his horror, he realized that the ungodly screeching noise blaring from the speakers overhead was intended to be music.
A remembered conversation between himself and his brother echoed to the forefront of his mind.
"You think yourself above them?"
Thor, with that stupid sanctimonious glimmer in his eye. If only Asgard's glorious prince could see his precious Midgardians now. Let him sing their praises then. The apes.
Finally, he spotted the couple in question, seated at a dimly lit booth in the corner of the pulsing dance floor. Jane and Richard were leaning toward each other, hands closed over one another's. The waitress was approaching them from behind, notepad and pen ready, but neither of them noticed. They seemed too absorbed in their conversation. In fact, Richard's eyes had a suspicious gleam to them. Well, perhaps he'd come just in time. If Jane was going to waltz off to the other end of town and force him to come trailing after her like a dog on a leash, he'd have to pull a couple of tricks from his sleeve. They didn't call him the God of Mischief for nothing. He could think of a few things to make this evening especially uncomfortable for the both of them.
With a slow smile, he started toward the unsuspecting pair.
The minute she heard Loki's voice, Jane choked on the air in her lungs. Richard blinked in surprise when the lanky Asgardian forced him to scoot across the bench, sliding in beside him. Jane's hand slipped out from under Richard's, instead rising to cover her face.
This could not. Be. Happening.
"Well then, friend," Loki said with a sunny smile, looking over at Richard. "I do believe our little Jane's been quite rude. We've not yet been acquainted."
Through her fingers, Jane could see Richard's mouth open and close— his eyes flickering over toward her. He looked rather like a beached fish. Had she not been so horribly embarrassed for both her date and herself—oh, she was going to kill Loki when they got back to the apartment—she might have found the whole thing funny.
"I—ah, I'm Richard."
"Nice to meet you, Richard. I am called—"
"Luke!" Jane blurted out, dropping her hands. Loki quirked an eyebrow at him, and she shot him the most withering glare she could possibly manage. "His name is Luke."
Enough people had heard of "Loki of Asgard" to kick up a riot down here in lower Manhattan. She didn't want any more trouble than she'd already found herself in. Glacial blue eyes measuring her expression, Loki didn't contradict her.
"Luke," Richard repeated, looking to Jane.
"He's my…" Jane floundered. If I say roommate, there'll be hell to pay. "Roommate's boyfriend."
Loki's mouth twitched, but he said nothing.
"Ah," Richard said with a nod, as if it were the most normal thing in the world for a potential girlfriend's roommate's boyfriend to crash their dinner date. He offered Loki a strained smile. Jane's heart jerked, just looking across the table at the two of them. The sweetest man she knew, graciously reaching for the hand of the nastiest.
Loki shook Richard's preferred hand with a faint smirk. Jane wanted to hit him. Instead, she reached for her water glass with rigid fingers.
"How is Darcy these days?" Richard asked.
Loki lifted a shoulder. "Loud as ever. She was disappointed she did not get to greet you when you came to pick Jane up."
Richard's sweet, innocent smile remained. "Well, perhaps the four of us can go out for a double date sometime. I haven't seen that kid in a while."
Jane coughed up the water she'd just swallowed. Richard turned to her when she choked, wiping her eyes. Loki's smirk didn't waver.
"You all right, Jane?"
"Fine," Jane spluttered, balling up a pair of napkins in one angry fist.
"That sounds like a marvelous idea," Loki said with a perfectly straight face. "Darcy's been so very concerned about dear Jane here. A true lifesaver, you've been. Any excuse to get her out of our tiny abode and into civilization again. Before tonight nothing on God's earth would have possessed her to get up out of bed. Why, I believe this might be the first time she's bathed properly in a fortnight. You should feel pride, Richard. You've moved our lovely lady enough to embrace hygiene once again."
Richard's ears turned red at that. "Well, uh, I certainly wasn't aware…"
Jane had never before experienced murderous desire in her life. But now she wanted nothing more than to crack Richard's plate down across that aristocratic nose. Something of this desire must have showed on her face, for her date leaned across the table with a concerned expression.
"Are you sure you're all right? You look like you're—"
"You know what!" Jane shot up off the bench with a too-wide grin. "I feel like dancing. Do you want to dance, Richard?"
She snapped out a hand without a glance toward their tablemate. Richard awkwardly climbed to his feet and wedged himself around Loki, taking her hand with a self-conscious clearing of his throat. Jane shot a wickedly sweet smile in Loki's direction.
"Nice to see you tonight, Luke. I'm pretty sure you can find your way out of this place. Good night!"
Without waiting for a response, Jane whirled in her heels and tugged Richard out onto the dance floor. Only once they'd sufficiently hidden themselves within a throng of moving people did she relax.
Richard's smile was a little embarrassed as he settled his hands around her waist.
"Wasn't that…" He coughed, the tops of his cheeks turning just a little pink. "You know, just a little bit…"
"Rude?" Jane shrugged. "Not at all. You'd be surprised."
"Ah. So you have that kind of relationship."
"Sort of, yeah. We're not the best of pals. The feeling's mutual."
"Why'd he show up here then?"
To be an arse.
"Darcy probably told him to check on me?" Jane bit her tongue, face reddening at how poorly that came out. Richard raised an eyebrow, but didn't seem offended.
"I mean, she worries a lot. You know, after the last two years. I'm sure you remember how she crashed our date herself last time."
The corner of his mouth lifted. "I remember."
"She's just a little overprotective, is all."
"I see." Richard glanced over the top of Jane's head. "Well, the feeling seems to extend to her beau. He's giving me the look."
Jane laughed. "The look?"
"Yeah. The look where he wants to pick up the nearest blunt object and stick it through my trachea."
"I've got an idea," Jane said, looping her arms around his neck. "How about we don't talk about my roommate's boyfriend anymore?"
If possible, Richard's ears went even pinker. Jane decided she loved that shade. Thor's ears never reddened; he was too brazen from battle, too used to the ladies of the court fawning over him. But Richard's soft denim eyes were innocent. They'd seen pain, yes, the death of his wife, and no doubt much more. But Jane felt safe with him. Not in the same sense she had with Thor—sure, she'd felt safe with the looming thunder god, as a mouse feels safe in the shadow of a mighty boulder, or the cleft of a rock. But Richard didn't cast a shadow. And though Jane had no doubt he'd do his best to protect her, should any need arise, this man was different than Thor. Falling in love with Richard would be easy. Safe. A little simple, perhaps. Nowhere near as thrilling a fall as a prince from the Bifrost, but she didn't need to worry about losing herself in the process. She didn't have to fear that great inevitable pain in the distance, barreling closer to tear her spirit to shreds.
She could keep herself safely away from the unknown.
Taking a deep breath, she forced a smile and focused in one the man in front of her.
Time to put the Other One behind her, once and for all.
Sorry again about the wait. Review?