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Day 270

Sarah's Place

Loki lay staring up at the dark ceiling.

He had waited in the living room, willing himself to leave the dream, but he was in too much pain to be prideful. He needed the relief that was only found by physical contact with Jane. She slept deeply, curled up next to him. Just the sole of one of her feet rested against his leg, but it was enough. Enough to take the edge off and leave his mind free to wander.

What just happened?

He'd been angry, desperate. She'd been implacable, unruffled.

He'd threatened her. She'd stood her ground.

He had wanted to break that facade, to provoke a reaction from her. He hadn't expected to succeed by criticizing her hair, of all things.

He hadn't expected Jane to be vulnerable.

Both her humanity and her gender rendered her more fragile than he. They both knew that.

But.

Something had shifted. Something made him uneasy.

Was it the hurt look that she had quickly shuttered? Was it the way she'd choked out that mortifying confession?

He hadn't known he had the power to wound her. He hadn't expected to be speared with remorse.

He'd wanted to make amends. (Had he really called her a goat?) He'd wanted her to look him in the eye again. He'd wanted to somehow tell her he was sorry, that he'd understood he was just as bigoted as those who'd mistreated him.

He hadn't expected to realize that Jane was a woman.

Of course he'd noticed before that she wasn't entirely unattractive. He had acknowledged that she fit nicely in his arms.

But.

Something was altered. Something whispered around the edges of his soul.

Was it how she'd frozen when he reminisced about the ladies of Asgard? Was it her huge brown eyes, fringed in dark lashes, staring at him?

Like a revelation from the Norns, it had come to him: Jane is beautiful. Even with the unbecoming hair style and the dark circles under her eyes. No, she wasn't flawless like Aesir women, but she was her own kind of beautiful.

And the whispers grew louder...Maybe she's my kind of beautiful...mine...

Jane's pupils had dilated and she had swayed towards him. Why? His heart rate had accelerated. I could lean forward, just a little...this is dangerous. But he'd been powerless. He'd managed only to utter her name—as a warning or a plea, he didn't know.

It had broken the spell anyway, at least for Jane. She'd playfully chided him for being a charmer. But he'd seen the tears in her eyes.

He could only watch her and wonder: What if she hadn't pulled away?

oooOOOooo

Day 271

Vancouver, British Columbia

Jane tapped her pen on the table, frowning at the scribbles in her notebook. "'Loki estimates Thanos' mass to be three times his own.' That's nice. Any chance I'm getting Loki to step on the ol' bathroom scale? Alie, I hate to say this, but this is an insanely long shot. Even for me." She sighed and closed the notebook. Time to get some dinner and distract herself for a while from the thorny issue of trying to prevent the invasion of planet Earth.

She stood, massaging the small of her back, then shivered. The sun was getting low. Not that she could see the sun. Today had been another overcast, icky late winter day. She plucked her long purple cardigan from the back of the chair and slipped it on.

Her tummy rumbled. "What are we going to eat, baby girl?" The weak lightbulb was little help as Jane perused the contents of the fridge. Half a block of cheese, a tired wedge of lettuce, a swallow of milk. "Ugh. I should have gone to the store today. Tomorrow's supposed to rain." She closed the door. "I wonder if there's any more of that stew left in the freezer." An expedition into the frosted-over compartment was successful. "Sweet. We won't starve tonight."

Jane removed the lid and popped the food container into the microwave. She got out a plate and a bowl from a cabinet and found a clean spoon in the dish drainer. "Guess I need to get the gumption up to cook some real food for us again."

She leaned against the opposite counter and watched the frozen brown chunk rotate slowly around the inside of the microwave. "I just don't have nearly enough information. The Tesseract is at JDEF. I can't go waltzing in there. I mean, I could, but they wouldn't let me anywhere near the Tesseract. I'd be interrogated till my brain fell out. All I know about Thanos is from Loki. And he's been more concerned about his recovery than about saving my planet."

The microwave beeped. Jane rolled her eyes. "So much for distracting myself." She stirred the defrosting stew, reset the microwave, then resumed her vigil. "So I need to help Loki recover so he can focus on giving me as much information as possible. But helping him recover means touching him. And how am I going to do that without making an idiot of myself again?"

What the heck was that last night?

For the thousandth time that day, Jane tried to yank her mind away from the subject. Couldn't she just leave the humiliation in the past?

I practically threw myself at Loki.

Apparently she could not, in fact, leave the humiliation in the past.

"First," she said, "I beg him not to call me ugly." She covered her eyes with one hand. "Kill me now. But wait! There's more! Then he's a little bit nice to me and I swoon."

The microwave beeped again. Jane tested the stew and decided it was edible. She poured it into the bowl and carried it to the table.

"I mean, he was kind of nice. He said I wasn't a goat, and that it was more interesting to talk to me than Asgardian women. And I guess he likes my eyes." She sighed. "He's never going to let me live this down, though. I've been working so hard to gain the tiniest amount of respect from him and then what do I do? I throw it all away." She took a spoonful of stew. "You know what? I don't care. I'm going to pretend that it didn't happen. I'm going to be all cool, calm, and collected."

Yeah, right. That's not going to blow up in my face.

oooOOOooo

Sarah's place: Loki

Jane sat in one of the armchairs, back straight, ankles crossed, hair restrained by a circlet. She held an open notebook in her lap. "Good evening," she said. She didn't look at him.

Interesting...challenge accepted.

He sat on the couch. "And a good evening to you, Jane." He stretched his legs onto the table and folded his arms behind his head. "You're looking well this evening."

Jane nodded, but kept her attention on the notebook. "Thanks." She wrote something, then turned the page. "I was thinking we could start with a more detailed description of Thanos. The Tesseract produces a different radiation signature for every type of event. We have enough data—well, SHIELD has enough data—that we can now more or less predict what kind of signature a particular person would create."

"Hmm. I see. So you'd like to predict the signature Thanos might produce if he came into close contact with the Tesseract."

"Yes. And if that signature ever showed up, SHIELD would go to DEFCON 1 and alert world governments. But it's really hard when I know so little about Thanos."

"What would you like from me?"

"Anything you can tell me about Thanos's physical description. Details. Anything I would need to know." She still hadn't looked at him.

"All right." He swung his legs off the table (that won him a split-second side eye from Jane) and stood. "Thanos is, oh, perhaps this tall." He held his arm up above his head.

Jane wrote some notes. "Okay. Hang on. Is there any chance you know how tall you are? In a measurement I can use?"

Loki let his arm fall. "No, I'm afraid I don't know any of the measurements you use on Midgard. Er, sorry, Earth."

That earned him an open-mouth stare, but only for the three seconds it took Jane to realize she was looking at him. Then she snapped her mouth closed and went back to that notebook.

"How was your day today, Jane?" Could he get her to look at him again?

"What?" She asked absently as she glanced around the room. "My day?"

Loki stepped around the low table and sat down, facing Jane. "Yes. Your day. How was it?"

She narrowed her eyes at something past him, then bent her head to write another note. "Um, fine. And yours?"

"Oh, lovely. Just lovely. You know, doom and darkness and dungeons." He leaned toward her, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Uh-huh." Jane sat back, forehead creased in concentration.

The hem of her long sweater dangled around her knees. Loki reached out and caught the corner, rubbing the soft yarn between his fingers. "The creature in the cell next to mine was tortured to death today."

"That's nice," Jane murmured.

He stood up and circled behind Jane's armchair, then bent over and folded his arms on the back of the chair. "What are you writing? May I see, partner?"

oooOOOooo

Sarah's place: Jane

He'd been working his way closer and closer since he'd arrived. Currently, he was standing entirely too close to her. His breath stirred the fine hairs at the nape of her neck. His voice was pitched low, in that purr he used when he wanted something. The velvet tone made her toes curl and her heart constrict. She needed to get him away from her.

"Would you please go stand over there?" she blurted out.

"Pardon?"

"Uh, I'd like you to stand in that doorway." Jane pointed to the door between the living room and kitchen. "I need some idea of how tall you are. If my vision of this room is accurate, I'll be able to get a decent estimate."

Maybe it wouldn't occur to him that her request was manufactured just to put distance between them. Or maybe he would humor her anyway.

He crossed the room and stood on the threshold. She'd been doing her best not to look at him, but she kind of had to now, since she'd sent him across the room. She glanced up at him. "Okay." She gestured again, to the door jamb. "Could you stand with your back there?"

He looked around. "I don't know what you want me to do."

"Put your back against the side, there."

"Wouldn't it be simpler to come over here and show me where you want me?"

That sounded...suggestive. She dared a quick look at him. He looked innocent, but he was called Silvertongue. Now she was stuck: if she refused, she was basically admitting that he made her nervous; if she complied, she'd have to stand near him.

"Jane?"

Fine. She wasn't about to admit anything. She set the notebook down and walked to face Loki. "I'm here."

He spread his arms. "Tell me what to do."

She backed up against one door jamb and pointed to the other. She wasn't going to touch him unless she had to. "Stand like this."

He did. "Now what?"

Good question. "Uh, so, only a few inches are left between the top of your head and the top of the door frame. I can measure that tomorrow."

"That sounds terribly inaccurate."

"Well, you gotta work with what you have, right?"

"You could use your hand to measure the gap. Your perception of your own body is less likely to be distorted."

This felt like a game of chicken. He had to know she was just making this crap up.

"Go ahead. See how many of your fingers fit. Then perhaps I could take a turn."

Jane felt herself blushing. She was not going to look him in the eye. She peered up at the top of his head. "I don't know if I can reach."

"Try it and see. I'm already standing here like a fool."

Jane took one more step and stretched her arm out. Nope. Not even close. She shuffled an inch closer and tried again, this time on her tiptoes. If that belly wasn't sticking out, she'd be able to reach.

If that belly wasn't sticking out, you probably wouldn't be in this situation.

Another inch. Reach—stretch—on her tiptoes—just a bit more—almost there. Suddenly Loki pushed himself up on his toes. She swatted him. "Cut it out!"

"The god of Mischief, remember?"

She risked a look and caught him grinning. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Immensely," he purred.

"Overgrown alien," she muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing," she said, shaking her head.

"Hmmm...sounded like an insult to my species. Tsk, tsk, Dr. Foster."

Having at that moment both the maturity and courage of a five-year-old, Jane stuck her tongue out at Loki.

He cocked an eyebrow and drawled, "Why, Jane, is that an invitation?"

She rolled her eyes and said, "You wish." Then she grabbed his shoulder for leverage with one hand while reaching as far as she could with the other. A split second later she regretted her brashness. Her entire front was pressed against him and his hands settled firmly on what was left of her waist.

"What if I do wish?" He bowed his head closer to hers.

Her cheeks flamed and her heart raced. She wanted to lift her face to his and find out what would happen. She also wanted to curl up and die. He was making fun of her. I knew this would happen! Time to pull the plug on yet another disastrous episode of the Jane's an Idiot show.

"Forget it. This isn't going to work." She tried to pull away, but he held fast to her.

"To be fair, Jane, you haven't given me a chance. You won't even look at me tonight."

To her horror, tears rushed to her eyes. I hate my life.

"Jane." The teasing tone was gone. Jane twisted free, desperate for the relative safety of her armchair, but Loki caught her again by the arm.

"It was not my intent to distress you. How can I ease your discomfort?"

"You don't need to do anything. Everything's fine." A single tear chose that inopportune moment to slide down her cheek.

"Would you look at me?"

"Would you let go of me?"

He released her; she forced herself to meet his gaze. He looked at her openly, no sardonic tilt to his eyebrows nor angry scowl. That was not a relief: she had no defenses against this Loki.

"I apologize, Jane."

She blinked.

He continued: "I apologize for offending you last night. And for likely offending you nearly every night since our paths crossed."

Jane shifted her weight from foot to foot. "Uh, thank you." She looked down, but Loki dipped his head to catch her eye again.

"I have frequently lashed out at you for circumstances which I admit are out of your control."

She nodded.

"Is it too much to ask you to forgive me?"

That was a lot to process. She folded her arms. "I don't know if I'm up to having this conversation. Why now? Why do you suddenly care that you've offended me?"

"Would you believe that I've realized you are a person with intrinsic value? That perhaps I care what happens to you?"

She scoffed.

Loki smiled. "I didn't think so. Well, then, what if I told you that I'm using you for your brains? I need your help, and I can get more work out of a happy Jane. It's not personal. It's just cold, selfish calculation."

"That I can believe."

"Truce?"

"Truce."

oooOOOooo

Day 272

Sarah's place

"Each person—each being—causes the Tesseract to produce a different gamma radiation signature?"

"Yes, we believe so. The recorded data over the last seventy or so years that we've processed points to that conclusion."

"We?"

"Dr. Selvig and I."

"Ah."

"You gave me the idea."

"I did?"

"Yeah. You suggested that I compare the data on solar flares on the days Johann Schmidt disappeared and the days Thor transported to and from the Earth. It helped us focus our research."

oooOOooo

"Why were you in Puente Antiguo, Loki?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Puente Antiguo. The town where I had my lab."

"Ah. The horrible brown place. Could I borrow your phone? I'd like to see the data again on the Johann Schmidt incident."

"It's a valid question, Loki." Jane kept her voice light. They had declared a truce, after all.

"I was under orders from Thanos to locate and take possession of the Tesseract. You already know that."

"The Tesseract wasn't in Puente Antiguo."

"No, but it takes less energy for me to travel previously-traversed pathways."

"You'd been in Puente Antiguo before?"

"Surely my brother told you that I came to see him when he was in that prison made of paper and cloth."

"The prison...? Oh, the investigation site. Where Mjolnir was."

"Yes."

"That was a ways away from Puente Antiguo. Why did you come to my laboratory?"

Loki sighed. "Jane...you ask too many questions."

"I'm a scientist. We zero in on something we don't know and go after it."

"I detoured through your village on my way to the Tesseract. I was curious about the place where Thor had spent his days banished on Midgard."

"Detour? You were in Puente Antiguo for a couple of weeks. I remember you from my dreams."

"Dreams don't prove anything, Dr. Scientist. I'm not truly here with you, am I? Where are we, by the way?"

"Nice try. Don't change the subject. You've already admitted you were at my lab. I'm just asking you why."

oooOOOooo

"Good night, Jane."

"Good night, Loki. See you tomorrow."

oooOOOooo

Day 273

Sarah's place

"Once we identify Thanos's unique signature, it might be possible to redirect the gravity field and send him elsewhere."

"That sounds promising."

"It's just a theory so far. I ran the calculations once, but it was too risky to test it on a human. Here." She pushed her phone to him next to her at the kitchen table and tapped at a set of numbers. "The Gs would kill us." She yawned.

"The 'Gs'?" Loki asked.

"Gravitational force. It was like fifty times what a typical human could tolerate."

"Thanos could withstand that. Or not. It wouldn't matter, would it?"

"I was planning to test it on you, actually."

"Lovely."

oooOOOooo

"Can you really travel around the universe by yourself? No wormhole, no bridge?"

"Yes. Well, not presently, but typically, yes."

"That's one of the most amazing things I've ever heard. How do you do it?"

"I simply...do it. I've refined the ability over time, but when I was young I discovered one day that I could slip through hidden pathways between realms."

"You were born with it? It comes naturally to you?"

"Yes."

"Loki, that blows my mind. I have to do a crap-ton of excruciatingly complicated calculations to process an Einstein-Rosen bridge. I can't even imagine what you do to create one."

"I am aware of the variables involved and the decisions needed. I don't need to calculate anything. I merely know—I feel—where and how to travel."

"You're amazing."

oooOOOooo

"I was focused on creating a usable Einstein-Rosen bridge. Obviously. But what we want here is for the bridge to fail, right? We don't want Thanos to be able to get to us."

"Correct."

"So let's concentrate on identifying the maximum parameters we want the Tesseract bridge generator to support."

"He'll send me first as a test of my work."

"I really do need to know how big both you and Thanos are. I can't do these calculations without a serious estimate. We're trying to thread a very important needle here. The bridge has to be capable of supporting you but not Thanos."

oooOOOooo

"Good night."

"Good night."

oooOOOooo

Day 274

Sarah's place

"You said he is big, right, not skinny?"

"Yes, he is very broad."

"Bigger than Thor?"

"He makes Thor look puny."

"I wish there was a way to find out how much you weigh. Thor said he was about 300 pounds, but you might not weigh quite as much."

"Thor knows nothing of Midgardian measures."

"He had been in a hospital. They probably weighed him. Anyway, I think we have to assume Thanos weighs at least twice as much as Thor."

oooOOOooo

"Will you allow your hair to grow long again?"

Do you remember plaiting my hair?

"Yeah, I think so. I miss it."

"As do I."

oooOOOooo

"What's your favorite part of traveling through space-time?"

"The freedom. And the way the cosmos feels like silk on my palms."

"You can feel it?"

oooOOOooo

"Good night, Loki."

"Good night, Jane. I'll be here tomorrow."

oooOOOooo

Day 275

Sarah's place

"Okay, so, the Tesseract kind of acts like the collapse of a tiny star. A burst of gamma rays and a self-contained gravitational field that can tear through space-time and yank a person to a new location."

"I understand. And you've been able to harness that blast of energy?"

"Some of it, yes, with photodiodes, or gamma diodes. We set up gamma diodes at JDEF. I hypothesized that an electrical charge could stimulate the Tesseract to produce gamma rays, but it was complicated..."

Jane had never wanted an ordinary life. Still, occasionally she was struck by just how weird this was. She was giving a lecture about the gravitational properties of the Tesseract to a being who didn't need the artifact to travel through space-time.

"Jane? You trailed off."

"Um. Yeah. What...?"

"Gamma diodes. Electrical charge."

"Yeah, so the problem was that Thor tried to hit it with a lightning bolt, but nothing happened. I asked it nicely and then it worked just fine. Every time I was there. So this isn't like a machine. It has a mind of its own. We can't just program it and expect it to work."

He chuckled. "Of course it has a mind of its own. It's one of the Infinity Stones."

"The what?"

"It's one of the six elemental crystals which each affect an essential aspect of existence."

"Six? What are the others? Where are they?"

"Another time. Now it's important to know that the Tesseract plays favorites. It clearly likes you. Fortunately, it likes me too."

Alie chose that moment to squirm. Jane felt like she had swallowed a roller coaster. "Whoa!"

Loki chuckled again. "She's full of energy tonight," he commented.

"Is she...saying...anything to you?" Jane asked.

"No. She only communicates when you and I are touching, which we are not doing at the moment. I'd be happy to rectify that. Shall I?"

"Focus, Loki."

oooOOOooo

"Can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

"How did you learn to do magic?

"Frigga taught me how to summon it and master it."

"Cool."

"The ability to perform magic, however, is innate."

"Innate? Like, you were born with that, too?"

"Yes. It's part of the fabric of my being."

oooOOOooo

"What of this profession, Jane? Is it hereditary here on Mi—Earth?"

"Sorry?"

"What do you call this craft of yours?"

"I'm an astrophysicist."

"Were your parents also astrophysicists?"

"Uh, well, my father was."

"And your mother?"

"She died when I was young."

"My sympathy. Isn't your father terribly worried about you?"

"He's gone too."

oooOOOooo

"Loki, what happens to Thanos if—when—the bridge collapses in mid-transport? What's out there? Where does he go?"

"I don't know. He could be destroyed by the sheer scale of the forces at work."

"Or..."

"Or he could survive and then hunt me down to exact revenge."

oooOOOooo

Day 276

Sarah's place

"I found some information about body proportions. I think we can use it to estimate your height and maybe Thanos's height. It was written for humans, of course, but I think it'll work. You said Thanos was humanoid in appearance, right?"

"Yes, though I think his proportions might be a bit different."

"I hope it gets us in the ballpark. Okay, first you. I want to check my guesstimate. My door frames are 6 feet, 8 inches. You're a few inches shorter than that, so I would guess you're about 6-3, 6-4."

"What does that mean?"

"Measurements. Not scientific, but commonly used. Anyway. I'm 5-3 and I come up to what? your shoulder?"

Loki pushed back from the table and stood. He spread his arms and said, "Come find out."

"No thanks. But stay like that. Let me look at you."

"As you wish, my love."

She rolled her eyes. "Easy there, cowboy. According to the stuff I found about body proportions, for a taller than average person the body length is like 8 heads. Each head is 12.5% of your height."

"Pardon? Eight heads?"

"Don't worry about it. Let me see...from the top of your shoulders to the top of your head should be one and a quarter heads. So that's..." She hummed to herself as she quickly calculated.

"If the top of my head reaches slightly below your shoulder and I'm 5-3, then 63 inches is about 83 percent of your height. Hmm hmm hmmm. Yeah, so you're probably about 6-4. Give or take a bit. It works!"

She stood up and squinted at Loki's tall figure. "I think we can actually figure this out. I'm getting excited! How tall are you compared to Thanos?" She held her hand flat and demonstrated measuring height.

"I think I reach somewhere between here and here." Loki indicated a range between mid-chest and collar bone.

Jane pushed her sleeves up. "All right. Let me run the numbers a couple of different ways. So if you're 76 inches...he'd be...let's see..." She bent over her notes and scribbled some figures, then stepped in front of Loki. "So, if you come to here on Thanos" —she pointed at his mid-chest—"he's probably 8 and a half feet tall. If you reach up to his shoulder, he's only 7 and a half feet. But if you think you hit him about here," Jane laid her palm on his upper chest, "then he's about 8 feet tall."

"Let me see this information about proportions."

"All right. Wanna check my work, do you?"

"I'm always curious."

She sat back down and pulled her notes closer. Loki stood behind her. A bit too close. As had become his habit.

He leaned down. "How do you get this number?" He reached one long arm past her to point at her notes.

"From this." She tapped a diagram of the human body.

"May I see it?"

"Sure." Jane picked up the paper and passed it over her head to him.

The next instant a sharp thrill stabbed through her whole body. She gasped.

Loki was holding her wrist. He was touching her rune brand. The paper fluttered to the floor.

Her heart sank. You idiot! She'd reached using her left hand and left herself vulnerable. Two diametrically opposed emotions surged through her. She desperately wanted to flee just as she desperately wanted to lean back and invite him to take what was his.

Common sense reigned. She wrenched her wrist free, yanked her sleeve down, and turned away. "As I was, uh, saying—"

"I want to see that mark," Loki repeated.

"It's nothing." She had no desire to get into an argument tonight. The truce had been going so well. Plus, it wasn't smart to let him get near the mark. Her heart—and other parts—were still pounding from the contact. If he touches it again, I'm going to make an even bigger fool of myself than the other night.

"Please may I see the mark on your wrist?" Loki asked calmly.

"Why?"

"Curiosity. I'm always curious, remember?"

"We have a deal."

"I'm not breaking our deal. Neither are you. You have kept your promise." He sat down in the chair next to her, and held his hands up as if to show he meant no harm. "I will not hold you responsible."

Jane extended her left arm slowly, feeling terribly exposed. Loki reached for her. She drew her arm back slightly.

"Don't touch it," Jane said.

He cocked his head. "Why not?"

"It's...just don't."

"As you wish."

He held the back of her hand, taking care not to touch the brand itself, then nudged her sleeve out of the way with one finger. He studied it.

"Tell me, Jane, what does this mark signify to you?"

His tone was light, but Jane's gut turned to lead. "Please don't do this."

"I meant what I said. I hold you harmless. It's simply that I'm perplexed. Puzzled."

Jane locked her jaw to keep from speaking. Loki peered at her and laughed. "You don't believe me. Very well, I'll tell you though you refuse to ask. I'm curious if you comprehend the full significance of the rune bond. Someone caused this mark to appear on your wrist."

Jane averted her eyes and breathed deeply. Why did I reach with my left hand? Why don't I keep the dang thing covered with an Ace bandage?

"I wondered if that person had explained to you that a rune bond is an eternal commitment. It is the highest formal expression of utter devotion between a man and a woman."

She shrugged.

"Whoever did this was asking you to claim that I had declared myself eternally devoted to only you, Jane Foster."

He was speaking calmly, even kindly, but Jane's heart pounded in terror.

"And what's more, dear Jane, that person was asking—forcing—you to claim that you have declared yourself eternally devoted to only me. Loki Odinson."

His eyes locked onto hers. There seemed not to be enough oxygen in the room. That was obviously why her voice was hoarse. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I wouldn't forget pledging myself to you."

Wouldn't you?

"There are stories, though, legends... They say that two bonded lovers who get separated—by war, by familial machinations—might not recognize each other when next they meet. But if they kiss, all will be made well. The rune magic never forgets." He bent his head dangerously close to hers. A stray lock of his hair teased her temple.

"I recall that at one point you believed that we were truly bonded," he murmured. "I thought you might be interested to know there's a way to find out." His lips brushed her cheek. "Shall we?"

"Don't be cruel," she whispered.

"It's not cruel. We could find an answer to this enigma. Zero in on what we don't know and go after it. Doesn't that interest you, Dr. Foster?" His cool breath feathered across her lips.

"Why...why would you want to kiss me?"

"I told you. Curiosity."

Curiosity. Nothing more. Despite the strangling tension, Jane found her voice. "This mark doesn't mean anything," she lied. "You said so yourself. So why kiss me?"

Loki sat back and stared at her for an uncomfortably long time. "Of course," he said, and smiled.

He bent his head to examine the mark more closely. "Though this is quite a good imitation," he muttered. "Fascinating. But you can't always trust what you see in a dream. Dreams shape themselves to the dreamer. The question is: who is the dreamer here? She or I?"

Jane tugged her arm out of his grasp. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm just rambling to myself, I'm afraid."