This was written as a gift exchange on the Lokane tag on Tumblr. The request follows:

Optional prompts: character wise, darker Loki, cunning Loki, attention-seeking Loki, science-obsessed Jane (more than anything).

If possible I want a story whereby their relationship is shown to work on a 'hidden' trust and love, despite their eccentric personalities.

(Hidden being that they never actually tell each other flat out that they trust and love each other)

"Hidden"

Part One - Madness

He was watching her.

She was manic in her movement, flitting about the science-place in frantic chaos. This was the mortal his brother had imposed himself on? What was she doing, anyway?

Loki was standing, cloaked in his magic, hidden, outside of Jane Foster's poor excuse for a lab, and she was running about the small space, talking to herself and impassioned in her purpose. Thor had left a few weeks previous, and she was determined that if he wasn't coming back, she would get to him.

The maths were there…she just needed to work a bit harder…

"Janie, go home."

"Go away, Erik."

Erik Selvig walked in front of her…he loved this mad little scientist, but she hadn't been herself since that business with Thor. Damn it all. "You need your rest and to eat something other than junk food."

"I'm almost done," she said distractedly, and she punched the keyboard with her fingertips.

He shook his head and left her there.

Jane's eyes glazed over a touch…she had been staring at the screen for what seemed like ages.

Her eyes drooped slowly….

She was standing in the middle of the sepia expanse. Wind rushed up and swept her hair in a blinding dust. It stung. Jane looked around…there…in the distance…was a steel thing. At first she thought it was the destroyer, it was appeared to be so big. But no, not so big as that…it was a machine. She started toward it, and when she reached it, she saw that it was eloquent. "It will give you what you need," said a silky voice. She turned and saw a tall, dark man standing next to the steel machine. "What I need?" she was doubtful. "Just so," and he nodded, and disappeared.

Her eyes snapped open. "I can build it…" she whispered.

….

"Pop tarts pop tarts pop tarts…" she was in the pathetic excuse for a grocery store. Jane kinda loathed these aspects of Puente Antiguo. It was so archaic in so many ways.

"You appear to be lost."

Jane turned. "No. I know exactly where I am."

The man came forward. "Do you now?" and he took the box of pop tarts from her, examining them. "Well, you may know exactly where you are, but I'd venture to say that you haven't a clue what you are eating."

Jane snatched the box from him. "These happen to be fucking good, thank you very much. And I don't have the time to cook," she snapped, and turned throwing the box into her cart and walking away.

"You are distracted," he said, following her down the aisle.

"I'm not…" and she turned to him as they reached the register. "Do I know you?"

"Not that I am aware," and he placed a bottle of scotch on the belt.

"I'm not paying for that," she smartly said.

"No. I am. As well as the rest of it," and he pulled out a wad of cash.

"Hey, cut it out. Who are you, anyway?" Jane was pushing his hand out of the way and taking out her own money in the process.

"I am known as Fenrir."

"Weird," and she hastily handed the cashier her money.

"Pardon?"

"Nothing," and she walked away.

The sun hit her hard as she exited the store, and she squinted and sighed. Jane made her way down the street, walking the fifteen minutes to her lab.

"I believe it is considered rude to walk away from someone as they are speaking with you," and Fenrir was next to her, walking.

Jane side-eyed him. If he weren't so tall, dark, and British, she would have run. "Look, man…I really…that is, I'm not interested."

"Interested?" responded he.

"Yeah…I mean…" Jane swallowed and walked faster.

"My dear, I have no designs on you romantically," he paused. "I didn't catch your name."

"I didn't supply it."

He stopped.

So did she.

His eyebrows went up his forehead.

Her eyes fell. "Jane."

Fenrir nodded. "Jane. Allow me to walk you back."

"I don't need a chaperone."

But Fenrir started to walk away anyway in the direction of her lab, and Jane followed, begrudgingly.

The pair reached the lab and Jane opened the door to cool air hitting her face. She sighed her relief, and turned to see Fenrir entering the lab. "You're still here," and she began unpack the groceries.

"I thought we might share a drink," and he went to her kitchen and procured some glasses.

Jane looked at him with a hint of astonishment.

"What?" and he poured out the liquid.

"Nothing. You've got nerve. We only just met."

He handed her the glass and drank his own. "Well. Time to get to know one another. This is your…how do you say it?"

"Lab?"

"Quite."

"I thought that Brits knew about labs, and considering how well you just discussed astrophysics on the way here, I thought for sure you'd know what a lab was," she sat across from Fenrir and sipped her scotch.

"I thought that perhaps Americans might have another name," he said quickly. "What are you currently working on?"

Jane looked at him dubiously. "Why?"

He shrugged. "Call it curiosity."

She downed the rest. "Space travel."

"Indeed?" his interest was piqued. This mortal wished to travel through space….something he could do with ease. "And what are your findings?"

"You really want to know?"

"I wouldn't have asked otherwise."

And Jane began to explain how she had experienced an epiphany with her interaction with Thor (and more scotch was consumed), how she thought it would be possible and even probable that humans would be able to travel the Tree and see other "Realms" as Thor had termed it.

Her eyes shone with passion and excitement. Even madness. "…and then…and then…anything would be possible! Can you imagine?" she ended in a whisper.

Loki watched her raptly. He had never known a mortal to be quite as impassioned as she. Yes, he would need to watch her, for she was as near madness as was possible to be. "Yes…it would be…something."

And he thought that Thor had changed, for never would he have been fallen to the charms (if one could all it such) of such a mortal previously. She wasn't as enthralling as Asgardians were accustomed.

A dark look passed his visage. "I can help you," he would never supply her with enough information to actually build anything like a Bifrost, but it would be amusing to watch, and perhaps ruin her interest in Thor…reward in and of itself.

"You?" and she laughed.

"What?"

She shrugged. "Nothing," and she got up. "What do you know, really, about astrophysics?"

They spoke all night.

Jane was wild with fever, and Loki patient and solemn.

And she learned just how much Fenrir knew. Impressive.

Jane brewed some coffee. "So…you think that this is possible?"

"I do."

"It's crazy. Insane. People already think that I'm losing it…"

"Do you care?" and Loki got up and went to Jane.

"No," she said simply.

And he smiled at her.

Part 2 - Darkness

"Who is he?" Erik was whispering to Jane in the lab's kitchen.

"I told you. His name is Fenrir."

"Some name."

"He's alright," and she looked into the lab proper. Fenrir was tinkering and playing with some instruments.

"What do you know about him?" Erik was mistrustful, and understandably so. He was protective of Jane, and the fact that she was trusting this guy so readily, well. It was disconcerting.

"He knows astrophysics and he doesn't mind fiddling with stuff. He really seems to enjoy taking things apart and putting them back together. Like…I dunno…just because he can."

"And is that getting you anywhere?"

"Actually yeah. We start and stop, sometimes it doesn't work…and he has a new idea, and we work on it…it's great," she sipped her coffee.

"What are you building again…?"

"Umm…well. It's kinda experimental."

"Jane…" he said worriedly.

"A travel device to see the deep recesses of space," she said hurriedly.

Erik rolled his eyes. "Jane. That's dangerous. Besides, Thor isn't coming back," he went to the door to leave.

"It's not! It's genius! I'm gonna change the world with this! And Fenrir is helping me," she stomped away as he left the lab. He doesn't understand. Not only would this be the most incredible invention the world had ever seen, she would be able to reach Thor. And then…and then…

"Are you alright, Jane?"

She looked at Fenrir and smiled. "Fine."

He wasn't moved. He had begun to know her a bit over the past few days of them working diligently on the capsule. She was passionate, she was wildly intelligent, and she was seldom "fine." Her preoccupation with his brother was the only thing he didn't quite get. Why she was so taken with him, he didn't understand. "Convincing," Loki said as she knelt next to him and began to play with a wrench, affixing some screw into the capsule.

"What? I'm fine," and she rocked back onto her haunches. "What's your story, anyhow? You show up out of the blue, you understand astrophysics better than a lot of PhD's I know…what's your story?"

"It is of little consequence," he muttered.

"Scared?"

"Beg your pardon?" and he squinted at her slightly.

"Are you scared to tell me your story?"

He laughed. "Absolutely not," and he rose from the floor. "It isn't a very interesting tale."

"Tell me anyway," she persisted.

Loki sighed. This mortal, she was something…"I had a fallout with my parents," and he smirked at his wordplay. "And my brother is an idiot, yet always receives my parents' favor. So I left."

"You were living with your parents?"

"Well," he paused. "Yes."

Jane laughed. "Oh my god. How old are you, anyway?"

He glared at her. "What does it matter to you, Jane Foster? You are here, attempting the impossible, chasing some so-called god in the sky…one could hardly call you the picture of stability."

Jane went over to him. A gloom falling heavy upon her, "Fuck you. At least I have a goal. You, currently, have only my dream to hold you," she spat.

"What do you know about dreams, small, insignificant woman? What do you know about my dreams, of all things? What do you know about pain? About the void? About the universe you are so enamored of? What do you know of loss and the sick which is left when hope is gone?" he heaved his breath. "You know nothing of darkness…"

"Well, why don't you teach me?" she smirked at him, making light of his mood.

His eyes flashed, and for a moment, he almost did. Instead, he turned and left her in the lab, alone.

….

He was standing outside of her trailer, waiting for her. He hated that he was waiting for her. He had started a fire, and believed this to be an apt metaphor.

He saw her approaching, having spent five hours at the lab, and she looked to be worse for wear. "You appear unwell," he observed, as she came near the fire.

"I've been in the lab for like, ten hours straight. I'm hungry. Tired. And my vision is fuzzy and blurred."

"What are you doing, Jane?"

"What do you mean?" and she sat on the chair by the fire.

"I mean…you're building this thing. It's all you think about. Do you desire glory? Recognition? Riches? Love? You claim you wish to see this…Thor…you keep mentioning."

"I want to do something special with my life. I want to change things…and I want…" she paused. "I want to see the universe."

Loki nodded.

"What do you want, Fenrir?"

Loki looked into the fire and swallowed. "Light."

….

She was sweating. The algorithms were making sense….things whirred…the computer was registering her calculations…everything would be alright…she just needed to move it into the desert. It wouldn't do to test it in the middle of the lab.

Where was Fenrir? He had been strangely absent these past few hours.

Jane got up, her heart was pounding. Her hands were trembling. She swallowed. Shit. She was gonna do this…

"Jane?"

She looked around and saw Fenrir entering the lab. "Hey! Ready?"

"I am…you?"

She nodded. "Let's do this thing."

The pair lifted the capsule onto a dolly carefully…it was about as big as a refrigerator, and just as heavy. The plan was to put it into the pickup truck, then drive a few miles into the desert.

And then…

She smiled. They began to move the capsule and got it into the truck with relative ease…Jane thought it odd.

They drove deep into the desert…and she picked a random, isolated spot. They unloaded the capsule, and she clapped her hands once with mirth. "Oh my gosh…Fenrir! I can't believe this is gonna actually happen. I was thinking of a rocket, a NASA-type thing. But your idea of splitting atoms and teleportation was genius. I still don't get how you were able to come up with the formula."

He shrugged and swallowed, appearing to be nervous.

Jane stepped inside the capsule with a huge grin. She looked at Fenrir, and shrugged. "You set it for Asgard, right?"

He nodded.

"Ok," and Jane shut the door.

He could hear her typing something…

"Jane," he said.

No answer.

"Jane," once more, and he went over and opened the door to the capsule.

Her brow was furrowed as she looked up at him. "It isn't…."

"I know."

"You…?"

"Jane. I am Loki, of Asgard. And I have misled you in this venture."

Part 3 - Sanity

Jane stood, dumbstruck.

"You will not be able to use the capsule. It would never work."

She was shaking her head slowly. "No…no. The math…the formula. It all made sense," and she stepped out into the yawn, the sun bearing down menacingly.

"It made sense because you wanted it to make sense. Humans cannot navigate the deep recesses of space and time like this, with a device such as this. You aren't built that way," Loki turned away from her and ran his hand through his hair. He needed to make her see. Make her understand. "Jane, I know that you wish to see Thor, but truly…"

And realization washed over her. "You," she breathed. She had heard him say his name and where he was from, but it wasn't until just then that she understood completely. "You are Thor's brother! You sent the Destroyer! You…you are a trickster and a liar!"

He looked at her now. "I am all of those things, yes," and he wanted to tell her that in the past few days he had learned more about himself than he ever had. That he had discovered something symbiotic in them. That she had given him a peace he had not known in many, many years.

But he didn't.

"Oh my god. Don't ever come near me again," and she stomped away.

Jane walked with purpose back to her trailer. She wouldn't be going to the lab again today.

She wouldn't be going to the lab for quite a long while. Perhaps ever.

She went inside and laid on the bed, the tears stinging the backs of her eyes irritatingly. Jane flipped onto her stomach and wept into her pillow. She was so blind! Of course he was Loki! How else could he have known all that he did! And she went through her interactions with him, all of it falling into place.

My god, Jane. How could you be a PhD in astrophysics and yet be such an idiot? Space travel! That could never happen.

Never happen…

…she meandered through the next few days, barely getting up. She showered once, ate twice, but kept herself well hydrated. When Erik visited her because he was concerned, she told him to go away, that she needed time. Everything that she knew about herself she doubted now. Her mind, her ability, her wanderlust…though it remained steadfast, she dismissed it. It would never come to fruition.

And she thought of Loki.

How very smart he was. She supposed that he needed to be, or rather, that he ought to be, being as old as he was.

But Thor wasn't quite like that…

And she paused. No. Thor was different. He was braun and force. He was a puppy.

Loki was brilliant and subtle. And a total liar. A snake.

Jane was playing with her mug. She felt firmly planted on the ground. Stuck…

She was stuck. She had gone mad for an interlude, and with her hopes dashed, her sanity had returned. And now what was left?

To wait for Thor? Thor, whom she doubted would ever come back? When had she become so ridiculous?

She didn't hate herself, she wasn't given to self loathing. But she did feel as though she had lost herself somewhere along the way.

What was it that had enticed her so? She lit a fire outside of her trailer. It was night, and she pulled her sweater closer…she hadn't left the confines of the trailer in over five days now.

What had kept her going…made her ignore the utter lunacy of her theory? She sat next to the fire, and she sighed deeply.

Was it the promise of discovery? Of doing something no one had heretofore been able to accomplish? She sat back in the flimsy chair.

It was these things, but more.

It was the companionship of a like-mind…

"A lovely night to sit by a fire."

Jane closed her eyes. "It is, but the desert usually has such nights," and she looked up and saw him.

"Are you well? You appear to be different somehow…" and he conjured a chair and sat next to her.

Jane thought that she should flinch at a chair suddenly appearing out of nowhere, but it didn't phase her at present. "I am regaining my mind," she replied.

"Was it lost?"

"I think so."

Loki nodded. "I have lost much as well."

"You have?"

"Aye. My home, the only family…though that isn't saying much…I've ever known. And now…" he looked at her. "A friend."

Jane dropped her gaze. It fell into the flames in front of her. "Well…I wouldn't say lost, per se."

"No, lost is apt. My friend, and mind you, I haven't many to speak of…she will never forgive me."

"Never is quite a long time," observed she.

"I am well aware," Loki replied. "Jane…it is very difficult to say this…but I am sorry."

She looked at him. "I know you are."

He shrugged. "Well," and he clapped his hands together and stood. "I suppose that is that, then."

Jane stood now as well. "You're leaving?"

"I am."

"Where will you go?"

"Anywhere."

"Can you do that? Just go…anywhere?" she was transfixed.

"Aye. "Tis true," his gaze was deliberate. Intoxicating.

Jane swallowed. "Wow."

"Jane…" he began…

…and without warning, without preamble, Jane was assaulting his mouth…running her hands up and down his back, and Loki was returning her embrace.

She brought him to the trailer forthwith, and clothes were ripped from bodies, desperate and now, and moans, kisses, terrible yearning…all succumbed to want in that moment.

She laid there with him later, the moon slicing the black with her rays of glow. Jane had her face against his chest…he was sleeping…

Part 4 - Light

It was a bright day in New Mexico.

"And that's all? That is your explanation? Magic?"

"Well…that is the simplest way to explain it," and he smiled at her.

"Unsatisfying and somewhat insulting. I can understand whatever you tell me. I am quite capable." and she sipped her lukewarm coffee.

"I can show you, you know."

Jane looked at him and laughed. "Show me? How? What, exactly?"

"The Realms," and a mischievous look passed his face.

"Loki, don't play like that. Even for you, it isn't fair."

"I am in earnest…I can take you," he hadn't moved, but was watching her raptly.

"Honestly?"

"Truly."

"When?" and she sat up.

"Now, if you like…and we can return here by nightfall."

"Oh my god…" and Jane's mind spun. She could go with him…see the Realms…see the deep space which lay hidden behind the cloak of galaxies. "Ok," she barely returned, her smile was so wide.

And an understanding presented itself…a mutual regard, which, despite the sex which had transpired over the course of a few days, had laid unspoken between them. He knew her…and somehow, she knew him…

"The light will be blinding momentarily, Jane," as they left the trailer and he took her hand.

"That's alright. I'd rather it be so bright it's blinding, than so dark I cannot see."