Bring me the Horizon
He was never much of a sleeper. Not really, anyway.
Thor, on the other hand, was. He could sleep as heavy as a bilgesnipe after a hunt.
He was standing in the library, it was quite late. The moons hung in Asgard's sky, soft candles of the night…
"Eggs. Milk. Granola. Paper towels…"
He turned around…Jane Foster was standing in the doorway. And she was muttering something. "Excuse me, Jane Foster, but you are interrupting…"
"Trash bags. Chicken. Bread crumbs. Donuts."
Loki walked over to her; he examined her face…he waved his hand in front of her eyes, as they were staring off into the unknown…
She was asleep.
"Shampoo. Conditioner."
She was reciting things…
"Dishwasher soap…" and she turned and walked away.
She was an odd mortal.
The next morning Loki condescended to coming to breakfast, and took note of the look on Jane Foster's face.
She seemed tired.
"What is dishwasher soap, Jane Foster?" he asked.
Thor looked at him crookedly. "Loki, you do say the oddest things."
But Loki was undeterred, and maintained a steady gaze.
"Um…" she laughed nervously. "It's soap you put in a dishwasher…?"
"And do you find this item to be useful?"
"Well, it is for doing dishes…" she paused, and her face registered awareness.
"Did you forget something?" Loki asked.
"No…I just remembered. I need dishwasher soap," she smiled, and began to eat her breakfast.
He was in the library again that night, paging through a volume, when he heard the soft footfalls of Jane Foster again.
She was muttering once more.
"Bread. Nutella. Butter. Coffee. Cream," she came into the room and sat next to Loki. "Granola. Milk. "
He looked at her and smiled. He could be awful and do something for fun, but then thought the better of it. "Are these items that you like, or items that you need, Miss Foster?"
"Eggs. Breadcrumbs," she laid her head back.
He supposed that her recent arguments with Thor prompted these episodes. "He isn't much, I grant you. But he does care about you."
"Donuts."
"Though I cannot fathom what a donut is," he smiled. Her face registered nothing. "He is fickle, Jane. I know…it is much to contend with…but…you will need to decide if it is worth the trouble."
"Coffee."
He laughed. "Come, Miss Foster…I'll see you to your chambers." Thor and Jane weren't sharing chambers any longer. Things did not look good for the two of them.
Loki took her hand and walked her up to her rooms.
"Shampoo."
He closed the door behind her.
And every night for a week, Jane would show up in the library, listing items and sitting with Loki for a spell…each night a touch longer than the last…all the while she was asleep.
But their late night conversations translated into a camaraderie during the day…
"You're impossible," she slapped his arm. "That isn't magic, you know."
"How can you be sure?" the flower floating in the air in front of her.
"Because you're just manipulating the space or something…it isn't 'magical.'"
"Such a skeptic," he laughed.
But he was softened by her smile…
Loki was tired. He hadn't been feeling well all day…odd that…he was never ill. So, instead of going to bed at the usual two or three am, he was in bed at midnight.
It was around one, and the door began to shake slightly.
Loki waved his hand, and the door opened.
And there was Jane Foster. And she was muttering softly. "Laundry. Vacuum. Change the oil," she stood in the middle of the room.
Loki sighed. This was inconvenient. He got out of bed and went to her, took her elbow, and led her to her room.
But ten minutes later she was outside his room once more.
He sighed audibly…and waved his hand to send her back.
It didn't work…
"Rearrange the linen closet…"
"Infuriating mortal woman," he hissed. Loki opened the door and she came in, but this time she went right for his bed. And she climbed in. She nuzzled next to him.
He froze. He swallowed.
"Call Erik. Call the cable company…"
"What does this mean, Jane Foster?" but he was too tired to give it much thought…
….and he fell asleep with her next to him.
…and she awoke with their limbs in a tangle.
Jane stretched…then spotted Loki, and sat right up…
Oh no. Oh no! It was happening again…
It would explain her confounding draw to him lately…how long had this been going on?!
Jane slipped out of his embrace and went to her rooms…it was still early.
She was mortified. She thought that she had outgrown this business.
She didn't go back to sleep, and spent the day in a nervous state. Luckily, Loki remained in his rooms…
And she bolted her door that night.
And awoke in Loki's bed again…fuck.
Jane ran from his room and back to her chambers. She was shaking…she needed to stop this…to leave.
But why?
Thor didn't care about her.
And she was having fun with Loki. True, she didn't remember sleeping in his bed, but what she did recall, it was pretty awesome. He was kinda cool.
That night, Jane went to his room wide awake.
"You know something," she said, entering his chambers. He wasn't in bed yet.
"Do I?"
"Stuff about me," she shut the door behind her.
"Not I…" he smirked.
"Tell me what you know…" she braced herself.
"Well…the tales I could tell…" he laughed a touch and sat on his bed. "You really like coffee, Jane. And you need to call Erik. And apparently there is a company which deals with electricity…? Does Thor know this?"
"Wait. What?"
"You recite items."
Jane went and sat next to him. "Items?"
"I believe it's a list of some sort…"
"Oh my god that's right. I used to sleep talk my homework…and then all the people I needed to call…" she covered her face with her hands. She looked at Loki and laughed.
"Well…I'm sorry that I kept interrupting your sleep."
"Think nothing of it," he swallowed.
Jane stood.
"Are you leaving?" he asked her.
"Well, yeah..um…"
"It's that…it is that…I've grown accustomed to you being here…" his gaze fell to his comforter. It yielded little comfort.
"You want me to stay here with you?"
"Well," and he stood. "Since you offered," he pulled the blankets down.
"Oh," she suddenly felt self conscious. But she climbed in, and tucked the covers up…and smiled.
The morning was grey.
The steady breaths of the sleepers were constant, and Jane awoke slowly…she felt more rested than she had in ages.
"Good morning," said Loki.
"Morning," she smiled.
His gaze was potent…she felt a chill.
And he leaned over to her unsurely…but claimed her mouth all the same.
It was slow and deliberate…and in the afterglow, Jane was sated in her peace. "How do I tell Thor…"
"I have an idea…" Loki smirked.
That night, the Thunderer was visited by a "sleepwalking" Jane Foster who confessed that she loved his brother in her slumber…
And when she left, she ran to Loki's rooms…
"That was awful," she laughed.
"But effective, no doubt," and he pulled her to his bed.