A/N: Couple things. So, I don't actually know much about set designing or how in-demand it is. It's probably pretty farfetch'd that a set-designer would be hired from overseas rather than just finding on on their own side of the pond, but...pretend it's not. Thanks =P

Also, this chapter coincides with chapter four of my Thor/Jane fic, fyi, and there's a little more detail about the actual conversations that go on in it. It just felt unnecessary for this fic, because this is for Darcy and Loki.

Also also, I've taken a bit of liberty with Thor's personality. He's much less...jovial, I suppose. =P

"Bah," Darcy grumbled to herself a few months later, as she poked at what would hopefully turn out to be a delicious ham. It wasn't cooked all the way yet. And people would be here soon! Well, people...really just Loki's brother Thor. And, weirdly, Jane. "How did this even happen!" She lamented to herself for the hundredth time in a week.

It was Easter, a holiday that had previously always been spent with her parents, but they'd decided to go on a cruise out of the blue and so they were currently off sunning themselves in the Bahamas- "While I work my fingers to the bone to try and feed some hungry barbarians, and all the while- Jesus looks on, ascending from his cave up to the heavens, and not once does he stop and come help me cook. Die for my sins, fine. But come back to life to reward me when I do good. Please." She shook her head in confusion at herself. "Wow. I'm glad no one else is here, because that would probably have offended a lot of people."

She wasn't really religious, and she didn't mean it either- she was just stressed and taking solace in being flippant and overly woeful. She'd never hosted any kind of gathering, let alone Easter, which- to her mind- was this big, scary, important meal- though she couldn't honestly say what made it so daunting. It had never been a huge deal when it had been with just her family.

Part of it probably had to do with wanting to impress Loki's older -unrelated, which was interesting- brother. From what she'd heard of Thor from Loki, he was quite the stereotypical 'strong, silent type'. They'd gotten along well as children, but didn't really know each other as adults. They'd been estranged for years over the revelation of Loki's adoptedness- Loki having admitted that the estrangement had been initiated by himself, which soften Darcy a little to Thor- but they'd gotten back into contact with each other last November. Thor had been a pretty big-time professional rugby player back in England before retiring last year and moving to Boston to spend more time with Loki. The problem was, he'd gotten a job as a carpenter at a set-designer company that made props for movies- a bizarre change of professions, Darcy thought- and had been called away almost immediately to a set that was being filmed overseas. Go figure. Darcy didn't know much about set-designing, but apparently the company Thor worked for was pretty highly in demand. He was only just getting back today, and Loki was picking him up at the airport at the moment.

Jane, on the other hand... Jane had heard from somewhere that Darcy was now in Boston, and having been transferred for some special project to the Boston branch of her research firm, she'd called Darcy up. Darcy had just felt so grateful and had been so happy with Loki that she'd spontaneously invited her for Easter. If it hadn't been for Jane, then Darcy never would have met Loki, and that would have been...tragic.

So Jane was coming, too. She was set to arrive for 5:30. It was now 5:00. The ham was...less than appetizing. Darcy pursed her lips speculatively at it. Oh well. She gave a sigh of acceptance, thankful that the rest of the meal was ready.

Loki had helped out a lot, earlier. Well, okay. So he'd really done most of it. But she'd chopped the vegetables for the salad and she'd stirred things. In addition to the salad, there was mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, artichoke quiche, and bread rolls. Darcy surveyed the spread on the table with satisfaction. They'd even bought two more chairs for the event.

The door opened.

"Hey honey," Loki called wryly, "I'm home. This is my brother, Thor."

A hulking man walked behind him. Her first impression was that this was a man who could be very intimidating. He was huge. Probably six and a half feet tall, with blond waving hair in an unusual cut at his shoulders. The planes of his face were harsh and strong, though not unappealing. Seeing him standing next to Loki, the differences were stark. There was no way these two would ever be mistaken for brothers. In contrast to Thor's muscled torso and physique, Loki looked almost slender- which she knew to be wrong. Loki had muscles of his own, but Thor's muscles had muscles.

"Hello, Thor," Darcy said, crossing over to them, almost feeling shy. "Happy Easter. I'm...Darcy." She finished, feeling a bit silly because surely he already knew her name. Loki must have said something about her at some point.

"Hello, Darcy," Thor said, and Darcy started. There was something really familiar about him...

"Oh my God!" She exclaimed, her eyes wide. "Wait. I've met you before."

"What?" Loki asked, extremely confused.

"At the bar, back in New Mexico."

Thor nodded. "Indeed."

"You broke my phone."

"Ah, yes," he said. "I'm still sorry about that."

He did look a little ashamed. Darcy noted with amusement how strange it was to see a look of regret on such a serious- almost cold- man's face. Seriously, his face was like stone. No laugh lines. No humor in his eyes. Darcy had gotten used to the laughter that glinted in Loki's eyes, the way he was so quick to smile. They found humor in everything- but this man...no. She wondered what it would take to see this man smile. To hear him laugh.

"Don't worry about it," she said, echoing her statement from months before. "I just find it so weird that I'm seeing you again."

Loki looked back and forth between the two of them, his brows drawn. "Wait- what? Explain. You broke Darcy's phone?"

So they explained the story to him, Darcy finding it much more entertaining telling it than it had been living it. It still made her sad, thinking of those months without him.

They had moved to the kitchen and were boiling water, having fallen into a conversation about where phrases originate from after Darcy had made some comment to Loki about "Never drinking your black tea again, not for all the tea in china!", when there was a soft knock at the door. Darcy grinned, glad to leave the conversation at a point where she had been winning.

She opened the door, and there was Jane.

"Jane!" she cried, hugging her tightly, surprised by how happy she was to see her. They'd never exactly been friends- Jane had even driven her crazy at times- but she'd always liked her. And 'absence makes the heart grow fonder' and all that.

"Darcy!" Jane returned, seeming a little surprised herself.

Pulling back, Darcy took in the gorgeous calico red cotton dress Jane was wearing, and the way her dark hair fell in perfect waves framing her face. Darcy herself was wearing a green tank top and a floral blue skirt that fell to her knees and swished amusingly when she walked. Jane looked exactly the same. Instead of being annoyed by her perfectness though, Darcy was just happy to see her.

"Come on in then, darling," Darcy said, adopting a sophisticated British accent.

Jane smiled. "Well, thank you kindly, purdy lil lady," she returned in a southern twang.

Delighted, Darcy led her into the kitchen. "We've just been getting water boiled for tea," she said. "Would you care for some?"

"Hmm?" Jane said, distracted by something as Darcy sailed past Thor, who had his back to them as he talked to Loki. "Oh, no thanks."

Thor turned at the sound of her voice. He stared.

"Oh, jeez!" Darcy said a moment later, slapping her forehead lightly. "Of course- introductions. Jane, you and Loki know each other," they smiled at each other. "And this is Loki's brother, Thor. Thor this is my...ex-boss/friend."

Thor kept staring at Jane. Sheesh, Darcy thought. Be a little less obvious there, big guy.

Jane smiled warmly at him, almost as if she knew him...What is going on here! Darcy wondered.

"Hello," Jane said, something different about her voice. Almost...more cheerful, which Darcy dismissed as a fancy.

Thor held out his hand, his eyes still staring at Jane's. "Hello."

Darcy waited for him to say more- they all waited for him to say more- but no. Apparently he was done. Wow. A man of very few words.

The kettle started shrilling, which made Darcy flinch and rush over to it, breaking the ice a bit. Lokie and Thor had somehow gotten onto the subject of Smart cars, and Jane looked comfortable with it. Thor told a story about being stuck behind an angry, racist old woman who had hurled insults at him while driving one when he'd been in Italy. She had relaxed and even joked back and forth with Darcy, which Darcy had loved. She had noted with interest how Jane would laugh and something like satisfaction would flash in Thor's eyes every time.

That night after Thor and Jane had left- Thor having walked Jane out to her car- Loki and Darcy lay in bed talking.

"Well, Thor certainly seems smitten," Darcy commented, trailing a finger absently over Loki's chest.

Loki's eyes widened comically, making Darcy laugh.

"He does," Loki said, seeming stunned that such a thing was possible. "I mean, I haven't seen him in about ten years, but...I don't think he's ever been in a serious relationship before. He's, like, the king of flings."

"Yeah, that's kind of what I got, too," Darcy agreed.

"But he kept looking at Jane," Loki said, still having a hard time believing it. "He was really looking at her, Darce. And not just her- well, you know-" Darcy flicked his chest with her finger and he smiled, rolling his eyes. "What I mean is, he was looking at her like she was a person. Like he wanted her to be happy, and laugh, and..."

"Like you look at me," Darcy said, grinning up at him.

Loki grinned back, kissing her forehead. His heart was full.

"Yes," he echoed. "Like I look at you."