A tangle of emotions filled her. He wanted her. Ok…but wasn't he still a dick? "Nice try."

"Jane, I'm serious."

"So what?" she wrenched her arm out of his grasp.

He shrugged. "I don't know what else to do. I tried…but I'm me, and apparently that isn't what you want," he sat down by the window and rubbed his face.

She swallowed, she sighed. She walked over to him…the thing was, was that she did want him. She knew he was an asshole, but she had still fallen in love with him. What did that say? It said, Jane thought, that she just wanted him to treat her differently, and he was doing just that. "Loki, look. I know…I see that you are trying. I do. And I guess…I suppose that I need to come to terms with the fact that I fell in love with a jerk."

"You say the nicest things, Jane."

"Can you deny it?" she was in front of him now, and staring at him, arms folded across her chest.

He shrugged. "No. I suppose not."

"No. And maybe I'm just wary about how you'll treat me. What if you grow tired of me? What if…I dunno…one of your supermodels calls you and you're all…'Oh sure, Jane won't mind.' Because you know, I'm not that jealous of a person, but I can guarantee that that would make me jealous."

She was beginning to imagine what it would be like if they were together…"See, I'm not well versed in this love business…one of the few things I'm not well versed in…but I rather thought that in most cases, monogamy was a thing. So you see, if we were engaged in a relationship, then I wouldn't be looking for a date with a supermodel."

"But what if one called…?"

"I'd decline the invitation."

"You would," she laughed. "You would say no to a supermodel."

"I've done it before."

"Have not," she replied incredulously.

"Oh yes I have. Models of the superior variety aren't always the best of people, mostly because they are people too, and just like everyone else, they have their flaws. I become familiar with these flaws, and I then decide whether or not I can withstand them, much like I would with anyone else."

Jane's arms had fallen to her sides. "You mean…you treat the rich and famous just like everyone else?"

"Of course. I am rich. I have no cause to offer these people special treatment," he paused. "Well, Jane," and he slapped his hands on his legs. "As I said, I am still me. That isn't going to change."

"No," her mouth was dry.

"No…and unless you change your mind…"

"You love me, Loki? Truly?"

He stood. "Yes I do."

"Since when?"

Loki looked at her steadily, squinted his eyes a touch…then he went to his bar to procure a drink. "Would you care for one?"

"Ok."

He nodded and prepared two whiskeys. He handed Jane hers, she had joined him at the bar. "I cannot say for certain, but I imagine that it was that morning we watched that film…which was it?"

"Bringing Up Baby," she immediately supplied.

"That's the one. I think that I realized it then. I never suggest such things, and the fact that I had gave me pause. Though I imagine that I had felt this way for some time…" he downed his drink.

"We got off to a shit start," and she drank her own.

"What do you mean?"

"We had an affair! That's a terrible way to start a relationship."

Was she now saying that she…"Are we starting a relationship?"

Jane sighed once more.

"You know, if I can suffer that sigh of yours, I'm fairly certain that I can withstand anything."

Jane looked and him and laughed. "What I am gonna do with you?"

"I can think of a few choice things…" he smiled crookedly.

"I dunno, Loki…"

He walked around from behind the bar, never leaving her face. "Stop allowing some silly set of rules dictate your mind. Will you always act in this manner? What of daring, and passion? What about not caring what the world thinks or says, if you are steadfast in your wants, then fuck them all," he was standing a few feet from her. "Jane, I love you. But I love your fire, your mind…if you cannot live by the standards of those two things, without the creep of outside ethics, then there is nothing more to say."

"Outside ethics dictate my mind, Loki…"

He nodded.

"But trying to fight this is like trying to push that boulder up a hill like…who was it…?"

"Sisyphus."

"That's it. It's exhausting. I'd much rather not."

Loki shook his head. "It's a funny thing, being compared to a boulder."

"You know what I meant. And maybe you're the hill?"

"Mountain," and he sat down once more, waving his hand in indication that Jane should sit, too. "I suppose that you need to decide if you wish to keep pushing, or allow it to roll on top of you."

"But would I be going backwards?"

"i doubt it. It's a pretty big rock. You'd likely die."

"Jesus Christ."

"Indeed."

"Well…I don't want to die…"

"That is unadvisable."

Jane laughed. "You know, I have a lot of fun with you…when you aren't being a jerk. And sometimes even then," she acquiesced with a whisper. "You are my guilty pleasure."

Loki chuckled. "Well, as things go, that isn't an awful one."

"I still need to coalesce my feelings for you with my nature…because honestly, I don't know what I can claim is natural for me…I had always thought of myself as kinda dull. A goodie-two-shoes…"

"So you need me to balance you out. You are dull and good, Jane…"

"Gee thanks."

"…so you require a villain to make you interesting."

She shot a glance at him, but he was smirking, so she nodded and laughed. "Loki?"

"Hm?"

"I do love you."

He hardly moved.

"And I…just…I don't want to have to deny it and fight it and everything else that I've been doing because it all gives me a headache. I mean, you give me a headache too…but I guess I'd rather have a headache because I'm with you than one because I'm trying to forget you."

"I should invest in Advil. Are they a publicly traded company?"

"I don't know," was her abbreviate reply, for she was looking steadily at him.

He smiled and looked at his hands. "I understand that I am an impossible person, Jane. I know that I am less than concerned with much of what everyone else is concerned with…but rest assured, I have loved but little in my life, and I aim to treat you as a precious thing. I cannot scoff at my heart, nor yours. I cannot ignore this…you are my only desire, and I believe that I have finally grown up," he looked at her now. "I understand what it means to care about someone else's happiness…for it is true, I made a few arrangements at Harvard. And though I had hoped that you would surmise it was my doing and come here, I was resolved that you might not. And that was ok. I honestly, without selfish motives, want you to do this for yourself."

"Thank you," Jane said, smiling.

"You're welcome," he smiled in return. "So…where does this all leave us?"

Jane rubbed her hands on her jeans. She swallowed. She stood. She went to him and sat on his lap. And she leaned down and kissed his mouth softly. And again…

…and again.

And it felt wonderful to be doing this, for it was a tender enterprise, and a bit hesitant following such a bearing of souls…

"Shall we watch a movie in your room?"

"How do you know I have a television in my room?" he touched her cheek, his eyes never leaving her mouth.

"I don't…but there isn't one out here…"

"Let's watch a movie."

They got up and crawled into bed, Jane resting her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her, touching her arm slightly.

And she fell asleep.

"I promise, Jane," he whispered to her after he was sure that she was asleep. "That I won't disappoint you. I promise that you won't doubt me or my love…that I shall adore you always. I hope that I can give you what you both want and need…for you a cherished treasure to me. I do not want to ruin this chance you have given me."

Morning was odd in his apartment, for it was so dark, it was difficult to ascertain the time of day…Jane stirred, and felt herself still in his embrace. She peeled herself away and went to the bathroom. She brushed her teeth.

And when she returned, he was awake. And smiling.

Jane went to him, and got back in bed…

Without a word he was kissing her ferociously…Jane returned it, and they toppled onto the bed in a twist…

Off went her clothes…off his…and he covered her body in fervent kisses. He dropped to her sex and caressed it with precision. Jane screamed.

He emerged.

And he wrapped her around him, directing him to his arousal…and Jane climbed atop him, beginning to move…his hands were on her hips, her head was back..and she rode him…and it felt wonderful, a homecoming…a piece found…a peace found…

Jane was steadfast, and Loki came…

She stopped, heaving her breath. "That was needed."

"It was," he panted.

She climbed off of him. "I love you."

"And I you."

"You had better…I am…what was it? A cherished treasure?" she was smiling.

"You…" ah. She hadn't been asleep. "You vixen, you! You were awake!" and he tickled her….

And many more times they engaged in their exploits, until at last, Jane was spent.

"You are getting old Jane. It wasn't that long ago that you could keep up," he said from the shower.

"You're right. That is too bad for you."

He emerged. "Why do you have my phone?"

"I'm deleting every model's number from it."

"You're…"

"Yep…there you are," she handed it to him. "Monogamy. What a lovely thing," she smiled.

He shrugged. "Lunch?"

"You aren't mad?"

"Not at all."

"Oh…" she blushed. It had been a silly thing to do. She was being playful. He wasn't playing along. "Lunch would be great."

He dressed, kissed her…"I have the numbers on my desktop at the office," he said.

Her eyes went wide.

"And I'll be deleting those," he said.

They left the apartment with a click of the door.

A/N: I must apologize for the length of time it took for me to complete this. So, I am sorry! I hope that you laughed a bit!

Thanks so much to JaninaM8. You helped so much with this, especially at the beginning. And though only one story emerged from this experiment, I am rather pleased with how it turned out.

Thank you for reading, for reviewing (I love reviews), for favoriting and for following!