Pairing: Loki/Jane, Thor/Sif; mention of Thor/Jane

Rating: M

Description: Engagement dinner time!

Songs: "Merry Go Round of Life" by Joe Hisaishi, "Moondust" by Jaymes Young.

Chapter 7

Smoothing a hand down the royal blue gown that adorned her frame, Jane found herself marveling at the multitude of differences between Asgard and Earth; mainly the fabric styles that Asgard offered versus those found on her home planet. While she strongly preferred her worn jeans with a t-shirt, she knew it wasn't a painful experience to dress up from time to time. Given that she had been married to a Prince of Asgard, accepting the fact that she would wind up having to change her attire dozens upon dozens of times had not been a wholly difficult task.

"Touching yourself without me, dear? How naughty you are." Strong arms found their home around her waist from behind as a mischievous chuckle pulled her away from her thoughts. "You look radiant, my dear." Loki continued; opting to drop the mischief to better express how truly lovely his wife looked.

Having snorted lightly at his earlier comment, Jane peered down at her appearance before shrugging and turning around in her husband's embrace. "Your mind certainly works in mysterious ways. One minute you're acting the part of a dirty pervert; next you're showering me with compliments."

Grinning at her description of his actions, the dark haired Prince mimicked his wife's shrug before leaning down to rest his forehead along hers. "I am allowed to have more than one thought, love. As soon as you came out of that bathroom in this gown, the need to remove it from you and lose myself in your lovely body threatened to explode. But–" and he paused to chuckle as Jane's face bloomed in a bright blush, "– I know that we'll be needed in the great hall soon and how my brother will likely be banging on the door if we don't show up. Though I suppose I could just tell him that I'm in need of my wife's body and such a need is far too demanding." He finished with a devilish smirk.

Wishing she had something - a shoe, even - to swat her husband with, Jane opted for pulling a hand away and swatting at a shoulder. "Loki, I'd kick your butt if you did that!"

Growling playfully after chuckling at the sound of her hand hitting his shoulder, "I'd love that, madam." Bowing his head even further, Loki brushed his lips along Jane's; the playful turn of events causing him to nibble lightly on her bottom lip before pulling away at the sound of her aroused moan emanating from her throat. "We should go before I follow through, dear Jane," he murmured before slowly pulling away from her to cast a quick glance of his reflection in a nearby mirror. Once he felt he looked well enough to meet his family, Loki looked over at his wife who seemed to be still standing in the same spot. "Jane?"

The previous nibble on her lips had brought on her own arousal as she had caught herself staring with a mixture of hunger and love for the man before her. While he was, truly, such a tease, Jane knew she would never want another man. He was imperfectly perfect. The sound of the imperfectly perfect man's voice forced Jane from her thoughts; she opting to blink, "Huh?"

"Are you all right?," he inquired; a slight smirk adorning his features as he sauntered over to her. "Did I bite you too hard?" He asked; concern erasing the smirk from earlier as he brushed a fingertip along her bottom lip.

"What? No, no; you're good. More than good, actual–" she groaned at the continued effect he had on her before backing away to gather her long forgotten footwear. "Just give me a minute to finish getting ready, ok?"

"More than good, hm? My, my, I dare think that was one of your most interesting compliments about me, Jane."

"Shut up, you!," she exclaimed; feeling flustered while sitting on the bed with the shoes in hand. "You're not helping."

"Oh? You're right," He nodded to himself before following after her and kneeling on the floor in front of her. Once he was situated, he snatched away the shoes. "Let me help you finish getting ready, my dear," he offered while drawing her left foot up to slide the shoe on. "Do you recall that night we were having dinner with Erik and Darcy and I dropped my napkin?"

Immediately Jane felt her cheeks begin to flood with blood; the particular story having been one of the most surprising dinners she had spent with her husband and friends. Her head jerked as she nodded; fingers gripping onto the unmade bed beneath her.

Smiling up at her, Loki finished with the first shoe while caressing her bare calf lovingly. "So you do remember. Well, the angle I'm in now matches perfectly with what I did to you under the table." Lust darkened his eyes as his smile grew. "At dinner tonight, I suggest you not be too startled if you feel my tongue on your thigh." He bowed his head to kiss at her bare shin while chuckling at the low, equally lust filled groan coming from his wife. Priding himself in being a tease, Loki gathered the other shoe and slid it on. "Let's go to the party, my dear." He murmured, standing up while reaching for a hand to help her stand up.

Like before, Jane was struck speechless at Loki's sensuous attacks. How one man could wreak such havoc on her mind, Jane found herself wondering as she grasped onto the hand of the smirking Prince standing before her. "You're not being fair," she forced out before letting out of his hand to make her way over to the door.

Chuckling at his wife's attempt to escape him, Loki allowed her to walk away; the chance to stare hungrily at her hips an opportunity he found he could never pass up. Following after her, he watched as she was about to open the door. As another opportunity revealed itself, he closed the distance between the two of them and wrapped his arms around her from behind and lowered his head to whisper in her right ear. "I love you, Jane." The shiver that coursed throughout her body caused him to smile as he lovingly nipped at her earlobe.

"Loki," Jane moaned softly; hand on the doorknob as she leaned into his comfortable embrace. "the dinner. We have to go to it."

"Hmm– pity I can't enjoy the meal in my arms right now. Will I be able to make love to you after we return, my dear? I know how tired you get." He inquired, hopeful that she would be able to stay up.

"I'll try my best to," she returned before turning around his embrace and capturing his lips softly. The sound of his pleased groan caused her to lean in closer; the knowledge that the two of them needed to be at the dinner being her self control as she slowly drew away. The sight of her husband's dark pink covered lips caused Jane to smile as she used her thumb to wipe away at the lipstick smear on his lips. "You got lipstick on you," she answered the unspoken inquiry that formed in his facial expression.

"Ah," he smirked faintly, enjoying the feel of his wife's touch on his lips.

Once she was satisfied his lips no longer had a rosy glow to them, Jane smiled up at him. "Oh, and I love you, too, Loki. Now- the dinner?"

He let out a long suffering sigh, hanging his head dramatically as he felt his dark locks hang over his shoulders. "Of course," he said, smiling at the sound of his wife's laughter before the two of them left the room and made their way to the dining hall.

"From the day we met as children," Sif's voice filled the quiet dining hall as members of her family as well as Thor's family and friends listened, "I knew I had met someone amazing. Though after realizing that, I punched you for making fun of my outfit." Her eyes twinkled as she laughed; looking over at the flushed face that showed clearly the embarrassment emanating from her fiance. "But, as we both grew and went through our trials of life, I would not have picked a better man to be with." With that, she chose to end her impromptu speech before bowing in appreciation at the applause that broke out after she was finished. Smiling softly, the brunette stepped away from the head of the table and made her way to where their combined families sat.

Eyeing his lady love with amusement, the God of Thunder stood up from where he had been sitting to embrace his Sif. "Of all the stories to tell, you picked that one?"

At her chuckle and nod, she wrapped her arms around his waist as the applause from earlier quietened down. Feeling everyone's eyes on her, Sif considered kissing Thor, but thought better of it as she was not the type to offer public displays of affection. Letting go of Thor, Sif moved to sit next to him as he followed suit. "To think we will be as happily married as your brother and his wife."

"Aye; though I must say we will be far more different than the two of them. With his mischievous ways and Jane's endless need for knowledge, I vow we will be more like my mother and father." He smiled before leaning back in his seat; eyeing his brother with Jane. Long ago, he had thought of a future where he and Jane had somehow made it past the struggles in their relationship. To think as he watched as Jane laughed at something his brother said, he had once wanted nothing more than to be with the lovely Jane Foster. But, as his mind recalled, an argument that had started with Jane needing to decide if she wanted to spend time with Darcy or visit Asgard turned into the two of them deciding that they weren't going to make it work any longer. Remembering the sight of Jane's pained acceptance caused the blonde to grimace; his own heart aching at the fact that he had allowed a misunderstanding between the two of them to be one of the reasons why they could not stay in a relationship together. It was, however, the way Jane seemed during the beginning months of her friendship with his brother that he had begun to let go of the grief he felt for upsetting Jane. He had brought Loki to Midgard per instructions from Odin; his lengthy discussions about Jane being one of the reasons the King of Asgard had suggested that his troublesome son should be given a chance to be a new version of himself.

Exhaling softly and smiling faintly as he watched his brother take Jane's left hand and press her open palm against his lips lovingly that he knew Loki had been better for Jane and vice versa. Then why was it, he thought to himself as he found himself wishing Jane would be laughing because of something he said or allowing him to touch her? Reaching for his goblet of wine, he took a small sip as he continued to watch the couple in front of him.

Thinking to ask Thor about his plans for the next day, Sif began to ask him before she noticed that he was not paying attention to her. Following his gaze, her eyelids widened before she let out a frustrated sigh. This had been something she feared, she mused as she picked up her fork and stabbed at a potato; the astrophysicist's face somehow finding its way on the potato as Sif continued to stab at it. When Thor had come from Midgard in a somber mood; his belongings in one hand and hammer in the other; she had somehow known the relationship between him and the-then-mortal had not worked out. While she was upset for her dearest friend, the all-too-familiar sense of satisfaction greeted her loudly. While as a woman with exceptional understanding of science, Sif had admired Jane's talents. But, the day Thor had announced to the Warriors Three that he was returning to Midgard to focus on building a relationship with the "lovely Jane" as he put it, Sif's jealousy consumed her. The brilliant Jane Foster had gone from being a remarkable woman to a whore in Sif's book. Now as they were supposed to be celebrating her engagement to Thor, Sif found herself feeling jealous of Thor's lack of attention.

"And then the two of us ran as fast as we could; promising each other that we would never go again to the armory without supervision," the dark haired Prince finished; laughing at the memory of catching a guard and a maiden in throes of passion by the entrance of Asgard's armory. Grinning at the sight of his laughing wife, he could not help but notice that his brother had been staring at the two of them. Drawing Jane's hand up and placing a soft kiss along her smooth palm, he used that moment to speak softly, "My brother has been looking at us ever since Sif finished her speech." The sight of his wife's raised eyebrows made Loki smile against her skin before he noticed how Sif was watching them as well. "Now Sif is watching us. I wonder what's going on. When it was us as the newly engaged couple, I couldn't keep my eyes off you."

Jane shook her head with a slight smile; laughter causing her shoulders to shake. Curiosity flooded her senses as she tried her best to glance over at her husband's brother and Lady Sif; her eyelids widening in surprise before she looked away to move closer to Loki. As soon as she was close enough to whisper in his ear, "You're right, they are watching us."

"Should we give them a show?," he teased as he heard his wife's surprised soft gasp at his suggestion before he set aside his mischievous ways and tried to consider why both Thor and Sif were staring at the two of them. Casting another look in their direction, he frowned at the irritation radiating from Sif as he watched her look from Thor to Jane and himself. Annoyance flickered in his mind as he remembered an angry encounter with the warrior when she had made a lewd comment about his then-fiancee and how she was trading in one brother for the other. After she had made the comment to Fandral and Hogun before leaving the room, Loki followed her out; anger fueling his stride as he demanded her to apologize for her slight on Jane. Now, years later, Loki had thought the jealousy he had witnessed several times when Jane was in her presence had dissipated with the announcement of the engagement between his brother and Sif. But, as he glanced at his brother who seemed intent on watching his Jane with a look that Loki could only suspect was longing, the dark haired Prince began to wonder if he and Jane should have stayed on Midgard. Turning his attention to his Jane who was busying herself with helping herself to the food that filled her plate; his green eyes watching as she brought an impaled potato up to her lips.

Feeling as though she was being watched, Jane looked from the forkful of potato to find Sif's, Thor's and Loki's eyes on her. What the heck was going on with everyone? Looking down at herself to make sure she had not dropped food on her dress, she allowed herself a faint sigh of relief before taking a bite of the potato. Chewing slowly, she waited until she had swallowed to address her husband, "Why are you staring? If you're wanting my food, you could've just asked."

Watching his wife eat, Loki glanced over at the still watchful eyes of Thor and Sif before leaning in to brush his lips along Jane's cheek; all the while watching Thor from the corner of his eye. The flash of jealousy that arose in Thor's expression confirmed what Loki had been concerned about. Thor was still possibly attracted to Jane and the sight of Sif tossing her cloth napkin onto her long forgotten food as she stood up to leave was the added confirmation. What irked Loki the most was that Thor continued to stare longingly at Jane; his apparent lady love forgotten. "This is ridiculous..," Loki murmured; irritation rising as he pulled away from Jane who watched him curiously.

"What is?"

"I promise to tell you when we go to bed, dearest." He summoned a gentle smile while irritation crackled from within as he stared angrily at his brother.

Nodding slightly, she sat back while holding onto her cup and took a sip; the touch of cold water pushing away the spiciness of the food in front of her. Like her husband next to her, Jane had also noticed with alarm how Sif had left the room in annoyance. What had also alarmed her was how Thor seemed to continue to stare at her in ways she had not seen since the two of them were dating. Was it possible he missed her? Taking another sip, she frowned at the suggestion her mind offered. Thor had made it quite clear on the evening her engagement to Loki that he was overjoyed with the news of their union; the blonde being all smiles and enthusiasm. But, as she set her cup down on the table in front of her, she also recalled an evening months before when Thor had walked in on both her and Loki locked in an intense embrace; his mouth engaged in covering his lover's throat and jaw with kisses after they had both realized how much they both loved discussing constellations over dinner. The sight of Thor's jealous expression matched the one adorning his features; confusion and discomfort playing equal parts in her thoughts. She wanted to get away from Thor; to instead curl up next to Loki as the two of them talked about nonsense.

"I'm ready to go if you are, Loki," she murmured; reaching under the table for Loki's hand to draw his attention from glaring at his brother.

The touch of Jane's hand on his caused Loki to jerk away from the countless of ways to maim and badly disfigure his brother for thinking he could get away with staring at his wife in such a manner. Looking over at his wife who smiled at him gently, he recalled what she had suggested before nodding. "I will just let my mother know we're going to bed," he replied as he stood up and wandered over to where his parents were sitting.

As she watched him walk away, Jane peered down at the rest of the guests who all seemed too caught up in their happy conversations to notice the bizarre actions of both the God of Thunder and the Lady Sif. Grateful for their lack of awareness, her skin prickled as she witnessed Thor lean onto the table; his elbows resting as he stared boldly at Jane. Irritation formed at her ex's behavior as she glared at him.

Returning from speaking with his mother and father, Loki spotted Jane glaring at Thor; his own irritation returning as he watched his brother watch Jane hungrily. If the two of them weren't in the presence of others, Loki knew he would have lunged at his brother. Instead as he reached for Jane, he focused his attention on the legs of the chair Thor was sitting on. Smirking to himself, he waved his left hand as his magic removed the chairs; his smirk deepening as the blonde God of Thunder tumbled to the floor. As dozens of their guests went to check on the fallen Prince, Loki draped an arm around his wife as the two of them left; the sight of Jane's surprised expression giving him reason to smile.

(Woo! Finished chapter! :) See you all for the next! 3 )