For Research Purposes, Right?

Chapter I:

A loud knock on her apartment door shook Jane from her lazy thoughts, startling her so violently that she slammed her knee against the bottom of her desk. Yes, this was about the size of Jane's life lately. Getting sadder and more clumsy with each passing day.

"Yeah?" She called, rubbing her injured hand and wincing to herself.

Darcy's familiar voice answered, "There's uh, there's a guy at the lab looking for you."

Jane's eyebrows knitted as she opened the door. "Huh? Guy? Is it S.H.I.E.L.D. again?"

The last thing the scientist wanted was to deal with more S.H.I.E.L.D. shenanigans. She would rather they keep to their side of the pond and stick to emails, that way she did not have to see their pretentious, snobby faces in person. There was no pain greater than watching their sniveling noses pour over her work, acting like they were not the ones that owed her for everything that happened.

Darcy, as per usual, was popping her gum, shaking her head no. "He's not a S.H.I.E.L.D. guy, definitely not, no. Gods no. He reminds me of that one dude that's always in those smoothie commercials."

"The one with the black hair?"

"Yeah, yeah," Darcy waved a pair of finger guns at her, "That guy. He's kind of cute, you know Jane. Really cute, actually. A little awkward too. The guy at the lab, not the commercial. Well, the commercial guy too, now that I think about it. Obviously not Thor-levels. Well, I guess Thor was more hot than cute, but—"

"Darcy," Jane cut off, scrunching the bridge of her nose, "What's the guy want?"

Darcy's bubble popped. "I don't know what he wants, but he can have it if he's asking me."

Jane remained where she stood inside the comfortability of her apartment. The novel she was reading remained open on her desk, beckoning her to return.

"Come on you nerd," Darcy bit, tugging at the ends of Jane's sweater. "Just go hear him out for me, or else I'll bring him back to my own apartment."

"You're excessively horny sometimes, you know that?" Jane grumbled, pulling the sleeves of her sweater back up.

Darcy shot her a shrug, popping her gum again. "Must be the coffee."

-Ω-

Jane flipped the bird at Darcy's door before locking her own, sighing as she did. Nearly a year it was since her sojourn amongst the gods. The day when everything went to shit.

She would have laughed in your face if you told her that her life would be radically altered by a Sports Illustrated model falling from the heavens. Never could she have ever imagined herself knee-deep in an adventure full of stunts and madness. Nor could she have ever predicted herself being the leading actor of what felt like a romantic comedy. However here she was, Dr. Jane Foster, living a life forever changed because some guy had stumbled into it. For three ridiculous days.

Of course he was an immortal, the god of thunder and all of that. Able to conjure storms and run through brick walls like it was nothing. The golden boy of an ancient pantheon that nobody knew still existed up until that point. The wielder of the mighty Mjolnir, heir to the throne of Asgard. Becoming every gal and girl's celebrity crush the instant his blinding face touched the cameras.

They were not in love though, him and her. At least that is what it felt like to Jane. Despite him being a literal knight in shining armor with the comportment to match. Despite his very existence being living proof that her wildest and most daring theories were plausible. What was what the girls her age called it? A spring fling?

She was her own woman, a grown one, and all the cheesy romance and giggling was no longer for her. Not only that, but everything between the two of them had been fueled by extreme circumstances. Not exactly a solid basis for a lasting relationship. She had no expectations about what they would mean to each other in the future.

If she ever even saw him again. It was kind of like one of her many theories at this point; merely a thought.

Pausing her thoughts at an intersection, she ruffled around her bag, making sure that she had not forgotten the things she needed.

"Brilliant." She muttered, realizing her chapstick was missing. "Just brilliant."

It had taken Jane a while to reach this conclusion about Thor, as much as she hated to admit it. The luster from a charming smile like that took more than a couple days to wear off. They were different in every definition of the word. There was nothing they held in common with each other, behind the light laughs and smiles.

Of course the thick skull of Thor's could not comprehend the concept of rejection. Could not understand that what she needed was not him. Every attempt of his to win her back only furthered her reclusiveness. In the end, his interest dwindled down to nothing, with only the occasional flare.

The one positive she had been able to take away from the experience was for her research. It had been enough for her to know that she was heading somewhere, somewhere tangible. Somewhere potentially, actually, totally ridiculously incredible. She now knew of the pot of gold at the end of her rainbow. And the validation it gave her made up for all the years of academic embarrassment. The public disembowelments and frustration, the being called either naive or a crackhead.

Jane considered herself pretty grounded. Alright, she was a little impulsive from time to time, but her head was in the stars, not the clouds. And if there was anything she loved in her life, it was the little twinkling lights that had stolen her infatuation from a young age. Shiny dots in an otherwise dark sky that held secrets she could only dream of unlocking.

Unfortunately, research was not going particularly amazing at the current moment, but at least the funding was there. Kind of. Erik was still around, the crazy bloke, helping make sure she was not drowning herself in data until the lines blurred. It did not help that their equipment was often broken, or that nobody else in their field gave them the time of day to substantiate their hunches. It made Jane doubt herself again, wondering if anything was really out there. Or maybe it was the sleep deprivation and Darcy's coffee rotting her mind.

It was a hard lesson for her to learn that one should not science in isolation for too long of a stretch. And an even harder lesson to learn that she should not be explaining her theories of possible inter-dimensional wormhole travel to a political-science major who hates math.

Perhaps Darcy's upcoming departure to return to the city for classes was the culprit for Jane's current stretch of depression. Depression not stemming from anything emotional, but rather the sheer lack of progress that had been made recently. The ingenious words that would fall out of Darcy's mouth every now and then, coupled with her aggressive fondness and ways of encouragement, almost made up for her atrocious coffee.

Jane might even miss her coffee when it came to it.

Nearing the lab now, she did her best to smooth her hair and shake the cereal crumbs from her clothing. It was better that she appear at the very least semi-professional, rather than looking like some mad science guy. There was a chance this mystery man might be a billionaire investor looking for aspiring young scientists working in poorly researched and funded fields. In which case, she would have to put on her best fake smile and dazzle him into embezzlement. Or the damn guy was simply just lost.

She saw him before he saw her, propped up against the wall of the hall, dressed to the nines in a dark suit that looked a little too big on him. From the side, he was indeed striking. Black hair, green eyes. Tall with an athletic build, only to be ruined by his posture that was definitely wonky, even if she could not point out exactly why. Definitely not the billionaire she was hoping for, more like a person applying for their first job.

"Hi." Jane spoke first, feeling awkward herself.

"Hey," He answered, flashing a warm smile that showed off a perfectly kept set of teeth. "Dr. Foster?"

She flushed, embarrassed that she did not introduce herself. "Err, yes. And you are?"

"Percy Jackson." He made to take her hand, but the angle was weird, resulting in the most uncomfortable handshake she had ever shared.

Percy's face turned beet red, "Sorry about that."

His accent was American, making her think for a second S.H.I.E.L.D., despite his lack of cachet. For a moment she felt an outrageous suspicion building.

"Where are you from, if you don't mind me asking?" She asked.

"New York," He again smiled, although this time it was out of nervousness. "New York City, Manhattan, where they have the Statue of Liberty and everything."

"I know where New York City is," Jane regarded him with a look of disbelief, making him redden again.

"Right."

Jane stared at him with a tilt. "Right?"

"Sorry," Percy blinked, again showing that stupid smile. "I've had a rough time getting here."

Jane let go of her S.H.I.E.L.D. suspicions, this guy was definitely not one of them. "I'm sorry, what did you want with me, exactly?"

Immediately his posture straightened,

"I specialize in fluid dynamics, uh, mainly hydrodynamics but I'm more than capable with handling aerodynamics as well. General physics, I'm decent at it too, for the most part."

His speech was definitely unrehearsed, a far cry from the usual silky bullshit she heard. Refreshing, almost.

"You know we don't deal with liquids and gasses, right?" Jane pointed to the sign outside the door of their lab that clearly read 'Astrophysics' in big bold lettering. "We work with space."

The man nodded his head almost too fast. "Yes, I know. I'm just looking for any sort of experience, and yours was advertising an open position. And I mean, fluid dynamics is still physics, I'm sure there's something I can help with, maybe?"

Jane gave Percy another once-over. "Maybe?"

"I was hoping, yeah." He said, scratching the back of his neck in an annoyingly endearing way.

"You got any other qualifications?" She was dreaming this. "Schooling?"

"I graduated from NYU last spring."

"With a bachelor's in fluid dynamics?"

"That and Ancient Greek mythology."

Jane stared at him, not knowing what the hell to say, and wishing he would go back to leaning against the wall instead of standing so ram-rod straight. Him being taller than her was not intimidating, it was just really really really weird, like he was on the precipice of breaking out into a boogie dance.

"And you came all the way from the US?"

Percy again nodded. "Yes."

"Really?"

"Yes?" He repeated, sounding more uncertain of himself. "There was nothing left for me really. And I wanted to try living abroad for once."

"How long was your flight?"

"Oh, uh, I took a boat."

Jane could not help but laugh. This kept on getting better and better.

"And that took you how long?"

"Just over a week."

The thought of dealing with seasickness for seven days curdled her stomach.

"Well, I guess the least I can do is show you around." She said as she unlocked the door, shaking her head. "Uh, come with me, would you? Over here."

She gestured him over to the nearby kitchen table and towards a chair. Her plan was to stand while he sat and get the high ground for a while, but he seemed completely oblivious to her intentions. So she sat, and then he did; his legs so awkwardly long that he crossed them at the ankles, campfire-style, to fit his knees under the table. For Pete's sake.

"Alright. Um, Percy. Why are you here? Be totally honest."

"I came here because I need experience," Percy twiddled his thumbs like a toddler. "And I'm hoping whoever takes me will give me an official job in the future."

"How many other labs have you visited?"

Percy flashed her yet another aggravatingly tender smile. "You're the first."

Jane blew out a strangled breath. Lucky her.

"So you don't know a single thing about astrophysics?"

Percy shook his head. "No, but I'm a hard worker. I'll do my best to learn the material as fast as I can."

How had she known he was going to say that.

"I also minored in Latin," he added, borderline defensively.

In spite of herself, she smiled at him, somehow and someway charmed by his clumsiness and apparent insecurity.

"Listen, Percy, here's the thing." Jane clasped her hands together between her legs. "We deal with some pretty heavy stuff in this lab, and when I say heavy I mean world-breaking stuff. And the people that fund us are pretty high up there. So… I need people I know I can trust here. And here's you, an apparent fluid dynamicist with no knowledge of astrophysics, who just wants to help out because gods knows why. I mean, you can see why I'm struggling to take you seriously right now, right?"

He dared to glance at her, crestfallen. "Yeah, I get where you're coming from, Dr. Foster."

"Please call me Jane."

"Jane," He pronounced, her name sounding like candy in his mouth.

Jane shifted in her seat, her imagination running wild. "So uh, you got a place to stay around here? A hotel?"

She blushed at her own bluntness and played with her hair as she too avoided his eyes.

Percy wrinkled his nose in thought. "Oh shit."

"Excuse me?"

"Sorry, I just remembered something I forgot to bring." Percy waved his hand in a cutesy little manner. "Sorry. Yes, I have a hotel."

Jane's brows raised themselves, but she did not question further, the little voice inside her head telling her that she did not want to know.

"I read a little bit about your work with the Einstein-Rosen Bridge before coming here." Percy said suddenly. "Cool stuff."

Jane snorted. "That things been bugging me for years now."

"Yeah, I bet. Have you ever gotten it to actually work?"

"No, and don't get me started as to why."

Words seemed to dance at the tip of Percy's tongue, him seemingly wanting to counter her experiences with some of his own. Whatever they may have been however, she would have to wait to find out, with him licking the corner of his lips instead.

Jane leaned back in her seat, enthralled. "Tell me something about fluid dynamics."

"Well, what do you want to know?" The rise in Percy's voice showed childish excitement. "There's so much! There's of course our version of the conservation of mass: the continuity equation. Then there's the momentum princ…"

Percy continued to ramble on and on, his words stewing together into a single stream of consciousness that flowed through one ear and out the other. The meanings behind the words he was spewing were not what struck her. Instead it was clear passion she saw in his mannerisms. The way his hands moved in conjunction with his eyes. The way both raced around in circles as he tried to explain to her why liquid was the superior state of matter.

Jane fought back a smile, as he finally finished.

"...And that's why the momentum flux equals the sum of all forces applied to a fluid." He exhaled after the final word. "Sorry, I went on a rant there, didn't I? Don't usually do that."

"No, no, it was great! To be honest, I never knew there was so much about fluid dynamics. Figured you guys tracked how fast water flowed under a bridge or something."

Percy's own smile was back once more, this time hanging around long enough for Jane to appreciate his dimples. At the same time, she found herself wondering how old he was. Looking at him through the dim lighting of the lab, she would say no more than a couple years older than herself.

A comfortable silence bestowed itself upon them. Leaving Percy to flounder, and Jane back in the driver's seat. She prided herself on being able to read people. It was one of her favorite party tricks. But for the life of her, nothing clicked inside her head with Percy. Either he was a brilliant actor, or the most interesting blank piece of paper she had ever come across.

"In a world where I didn't offer you a position here, who would you go to next?" She asked.

Now his eyes twinkled playfully at her, and this she did like.

"Dr. Johnsons, I think probably. He's got a job listing as well, last time I checked."

Jane bit her lip. Her closest rival by distance and theory? No that would not do. That would not do at all. How quickly her resolve crumbled. Gods, she could hear Darcy's screaming voice already.

"Well, I don't think that will be necessary." Jane said with an uncontainable smile. "How does working for us sound? Let's say, starting on a trial basis?"

Percy's green eyes now sparkled like stardust. "I would be honored."

"We have a deal then." Jane grinned, extending a hand outwards. "I look forward to working with you, Percy."

"I'm sure the pleasure will be all mine, Dr. Foster."

"Jane," she said again, ignoring the sultry feeling growing in her chest as their hands touched.

"Jane."

Author's Note:

Thought I might try to redeem myself in the romance genre with this one. Already written a lot for it, gonna be straight and to the point with your usual dose of fluff and sweetness. This premise was inspired by Trinity Destler's Icarus, as well as lildrummerboi's I Fell in Love in a Candy Store.

Hope you enjoyed :) Feedback appreciated.