AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey, guys sorry it's been a week or so now since I've updated, please don't forget to review. The more reviews the more incentive I have to write, so I know I'm writing this for someone other than myself. And for all the reviews I have received thus far, thank you so incredibly much, you have no idea what it means to me and I appreciate it all. From praising to the critical, and I know I wrestle with spelling issues, but I shall certainly attempt to proof read as much as possible.
"Anyway, it's called an Einstein Rosen Bridge." Jane stated as she placed the paper she'd grabbed from his hands back onto the desk that appeared to have fell victim to a small interior hurricane. She did not want to turn her back him, so she turned her attention back to him quickly before sitting back down at her desk. "Is there anything else I can help you with?" She said her voice laced with irritation. Loki straightened his back and began to absentmindedly trace his fingers up and down the lapel of his fine blazer. A small smirk toying at his lips and mirth danced in his eyes, it was apparent to Jane that her irritation was extremely amusing to him. "So, what you study is the bi-frost?" he questioned, Jane hesitated her brows furrowed slightly, unsure if he was interested in the conversation or her responses.
"Yes.." she said slowly, "The Bi-frost, from what Thor told me is the definition of what I have been studying." The pen in her hand she had been fumbling with over the past few minutes, she now placed behind her ear as she watched his demeanor change at the mention of his brother's name.
"Ah, yes, Thor. Your incorruptible god of thunder, how is he by the way?" He began to pace her small living room now, hands behind his back and he sneered and watched her. "Come by for a drink recently?"
Jane frowned and crossed her arms, "I don't think that's any of your business."
"Oh," he inhaled loudly, his eyes sudden ablaze and possessed by some fearsome amusement he picked up a small trinket from a table in the room and began to toss it up and down in his hand. "So, Thor has not held up his end of the bargain, I suspect the life you'd imagined wasn't exactly what you got after he left that fateful afternoon from New Mexico." He chuckled and tossed the small object higher.
Whatever anger Jane had been holding back or whatever self-restraint she thought she had was suddenly gone, "Last time I checked the reason he left was you, and unsurprisingly I'm fairly certain that the reason he also didn't return was you as well."
Loki's smirk widen into a grin, placing the object back on the small stand next to the couch he walked back over to the slight human woman. "Right you are, so perceptive." He was suddenly inches from her, Jane swallowed and refused to show confusion or discomfort, stubborn anger lined her features and curved her lips into a subtle frown. Loki tilted his head and the smile slowly dissipated, Jane was about to relax, when his hand slammed down on the desk to the right of her. His faces inches from her own as he leaned down towards her, "Thor is an oaf, perhaps you did not consider that he merely forgot about with the more important tasks of being an Asgardian returned upon his arrival back in Asgard. Maybe you weren't around him long enough to realize, but multi-tasking," Loki narrowed his eyes and cocked his head slightly the smirk returning, "it's never really been his forte, it's usually smash first and ask questions…never." Jane glared whatever mind games he was trying to play, by invading her personal space and trying to intimidate were not going to work.
Jane pressed her hands against his chest and pushed him back, he looked down at the action as, probably to his own surprise, and she could move him. Slipping by Jane walked to the kitchen to prepare dinner of some sort, when she turned back to Loki he was flattening his tie, irritation flickering at his lips as he brought his right hand back to smooth down his hair.
"So I'm going to make food, tonight if you would like anything I make you're welcome to it. But generally I make food for one, so you'll have to figure out how to prepare your own food after tonight." Just as Loki began to focus his attention back at her she looked away and began pulling out the appropriate pots, utensils, and ingredients to make dinner.
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Loki had returned back to his small room in the hobbit hole Jane called her house, he paced the room, irritatingly pulling at the elegant jade tie around his neck. He had only just told himself earlier that day he was going to try and get on her good side, seduce her with the undoubtable compassionate side she thought he had. But instead he was baiting her and challenging her as he would Fandral or Sif. No, Jane required a much more personal approach, gentler even, but he knew he couldn't be too giving, otherwise she'd suspect him of mischief.
Absent mindedly flicking his thumb against his index finger as he paced, eye focused on the ground he pursed his lips slightly, Sentiment…he thought to himself, it was the same downfall of his idiot brother every time, that uncanny ability of every brave heart to see the good in a pit of despair. It was not enough to make Jane sympathize for him in an ill state, but rather, to sympathize and have compassion for another misunderstood soul, yes, she would fall for that.
After a long while of pacing and planning, the tie had become completely undone, lazily he pulled it off and laid back on the bed behind him. Whatever cooking Jane had done was over now, as he could smell the warm spices now wafting through the air and into his room. Taking off the blazer and setting it aside with the tie he walked back out to the kitchen.
He stepped into the kitchen from the dark hallway into bright fluorescent lights, blinking slightly, his eyes uncharacteristically sensitive, it must have to do with the curse the Allfather had bestowed upon him. Jane was sitting on a stool on the other side of the island, a plate full of white rice and a yellow sauce and chicken on top. Across from her was another plate on his side of the island with the same food, he walked up and picked up the fork next to the plate.
"It's curried chicken over white rice." She said before she took another bite, he raised one eyebrow slightly but bit back the snarky comment he'd been tempted to say, clearly his time with her would also be a test in not only patience but self-control. He took a small forkful of it and stared at it a moment, then grudgingly took the bite. Half expecting the taste of something like sewage he had mentally prepared himself for the worst, no matter how horrible it tasted he'd eat it. Selling sincerity would first begin by eating whatever slop the woman gave him, fortunately she said tonight would be the only night she would be cooking, so it was one meal, how bad could it be?
How bad? Loki couldn't help the expression of disbelief jump to his face as he chewed, it was..
"This is not half bad, Jane Foster.." he took another bite.
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Jane raised an eyebrow and could not stop the smile of disbelief that formed on her lips, "yeah, well I don't know how to make much, but it was always one of my mom's favorite meals. I learned how to make it from her."
"Well, give me respects to the woman, you've been taught on decent thing on this planet."
Jane's smile faltered, Loki was unaware as he was now halfway through cleaning half the plate already, apparently the nutritious meal of apples and bananas he had been subsisting on was not enough. Jane chose not to respond to his statement and took another bite from her meal, she looked back down at the article to the right of her plate and read while she ate.
Minutes swept by as they both ate in perpetual silence, except for the slight sound of metal against the china of the plate. After a few moments she looked back over at Loki, his plate was empty and he was taking a long sip at his water glass.
"Whoa…"She said, stunned, barely even at half way done with her food. "And I thought Thor ate fast."
Loki brought the glass back down to the table, and gave her a measured look, she was unsure if he was going to get snarky again at mention of his brother or throw the glass at her, skip the foreplay altogether.
"Yes, well I haven't eaten an actual meal in days. I do not usually mirror the oafish qualities of Thor." Each word was measured, with what only Jane could discern as tempered distain, but overall it was surprisingly calm.
"oh, okay.." Jane said, her gaze lingered on him a second longer than necessary, wondering slightly why he was suddenly so border line pleasant.
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After Dinner Loki had hung around the kitchen, tossing an apple every so often or watching her, Jane had returned to her work at the desk, but had seen his gaze upon her as she got up to get coffee. He quickly looked away, but he did it calmly, his head not moving suddenly, just a light flick of his eyes to another part of the room. Jane decided not to focus on it and figured he was just bored, as she returned to her desk she took a long gulp of the warm dark liquid, the chest heating up and warm liquid surged through her. She glanced out the window; the snow wasn't falling tonight, and if it was it was so lightly that her eyes could not see it. She turned back around; Loki was still leaning against the island in the kitchen, looking overwhelmingly under stimulated, in other words bored.
"You can go outside, do whatever, you don't have to stay in."
"Does my presence bother you?"
She wasn't expecting a response, much less that one.
"Um, no…you just look bored."
"I am." He walked into the living room, Jane swiveled the chair around to face him, her legs crossed beneath her in the black cushioned chair. Loki took a seat on the couch, unbuttoning the sleeves on his shirt and rolling them up his arm a ways.
"Perhaps you could use a distraction yourself."
"What from what?"
"You're seemingly meaningless work you have done tonight."
"Excuse me but-"
Loki held his hand up at her and continued speaking over her, "I only meant that you obviously want to ask me questions, about Thor or Asgard or outer realm travel."
Jane folded her arms, he was right she was brimming with questions, since the day he'd walked in. Thor hadn't given her much upon his short guest appearance and asking Loki up until now a fruitless effort.
"You're just going to answer any question I ask?"
"Yes." He said simply, leaning forward and placing his elbows against his knees and arching his hands into a triangle and resting his nose against the back of them, he stared intently at her.
"Truthfully?" Jane added, Loki's sudden desire to open up to Jane, when just hours ago he'd been scathing at her was of the highest suspicion. Any questions she had of Thor she'd wait to ask Thor herself, anything that could possible emotionally manipulate her was out of the question pool completely.
"Ok, tell me why?"
"Why what, Jane Foster?" Loki implored.
"Why you're giving me this opportunity? Why are you being nice?"
"Nice is not in my nature, Miss Foster," Loki leaned back against the couch and placed on arm along the arm rest, "I will allow you any question answer if you play a game and if you win."
There it was, the catch and that mischievous smirk that had been absent since earlier that afternoon reappeared, whatever Loki's angle was she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of playing into it. But this game, it could give her insight into her research, which she sorely needed.
"Wait before we begin, what happens if you win?"
"Well," the slightly lilting accent that often tinged his voice mingled with a sort of secret amusement in his eyes, "That is for me to know and for you to dot dot dot…" He popped his eyebrows and smirked at her, his blue eyes brighter now than they'd been in days.
Jane knew she was going to regret this, "Okay, what do you propose?"
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