Loki was nothing if not aware when he slept. Over a thousand years and he was by no means going to be caught unaware. Every sound, every shift drew him from slumber. It made for poor sleeping habits, but he'd adjusted a long time ago.
That was why he found himself staring up at the darkened ceiling, noting a chill in the air. He turned towards the open doors and cursed himself for having slept too deeply. He was out of bed in an instant and moving towards the open doors. As he stepped over the threshold he spotted her, sitting on the ground, leaning against one of the concrete columns and staring out over Asgard. "Jane…" He started carefully. To his relief she turned to face him, but her eyes were wide and empty. She was looking at him, but she wasn't there, not really.
Loki stepped forward slowly, and she flinched in response. It wasn't from him she pulled away from. He'd discovered long ago it was the pulse of his magic that made her jerk away when she was like this. It was only through slow and careful steps would she not fight him. As he neared her, even in the darkness, he could make out the ring of her eyes shinning eerily blue, the blackness that clouded the whites of them, which slowly disappeared only to come back again. It swam within her eyes, taunting him, reminding him how close it was to the surface.
When he reached Jane he kneeled before her, holding his breath as he readied himself for what he had to do. "Don't fight me Jane," he told her softly, more a plea then a request.
"Loki?" She asked and blinked as if she was slowly waking. She was in a way.
At her recognition he raised a hand to her cheek, let his fingertips brush it gently before settling his palm firmly against it. With a slow push of his power he forced the aether down, far and deep. He watched her eyes become clear, but he wasn't done. It fought him, but it was weak, it was only a shadow of what it once was, the drips that got left behind. Loki was stronger and he smothered it, his jaw clenching with anger as it fought still to take back what it thought belonged to it. Mine, Loki thought, and with that one angry thought it lost its energy and relented, shriveling back. Jane whimpered.
With a deep shaky sigh Loki relaxed and slid his hand behind her neck, drawing her to him. The chill of her skin was a shock to his own, which said a lot. With a pass of his other hand over her arm he cast a warming spell.
"Is it gone?" Jane whispered shakily, arms wrapped tightly around him as she buried her face into his neck.
"For now," he responded and glanced over her should at the stars beyond, not really seeing. "I'm going to take care of it. I swear it." It was his fault after all. It was his relationship with Jane that had awakened the residual aether within her. It responded to his magic and was drawn to power, dark power, his power. She only nodded into his neck.
After a moment he stood, pulling her up with him. She was steady on her feet, and he was relieved for that, because there were other times she'd collapsed from the strength the aether seeped from her.
As they walked over the threshold he waved his hand and the doors closed behind him. Her body carried her to their bed and she crawled in, burrowing under the covers. Loki crawled in behind her, pulling her body against his own.
"I don't think I could sleep," Jane whispered in the darkness. "I see things."
"A dreamless sleep then?" He asked, but she quickly shook her head.
"No, I'll be fine."
No, she wouldn't be. Loki pressed a kiss to her bare shoulder and held his lips there.
"Loki, no," she sighed sleepily. "I said-."
"Sleep," he said against her skin. "I'll be here." She shook her head slightly, fighting it, but doing so was impossible and soon she gave way to his magic and relaxed against him as she slumbered. Loki sighed in relief and drew her closer, burying his face into her neck and again swearing to himself he would fix this, that he would fix her.