I really need to put an end to this. I really, really do. I am being selfish, inconsiderate, rude, deceitful…

The list went on. But as Jane made her way down the sterile hall of Massachusetts General, she thought that barring Thor (she had finally shed "Odinson" from her thought process) waking up, she just couldn't do it. She enjoyed the thought of a fake family so much…and who was it hurting, really?

Excuses.

"When was that? I can't recall…" Heimdall was saying.

"How can't you remember, Heimdall? You remember what Odin had for breakfast on the 30th of May three years ago," observed Fandrall.

"And he never forgets when I stole his socks and froze them when I was ten," Loki muttered.

"Odin had toast with blueberry jam," was Heimdall's retort. "And I recall every one of your infractions, Loki. Someone needed to keep an eye on you…" he squinted at the dark-haired man.

They were all sitting in Thor's room, talking, laughing (a bit), and poking jabs at one another. Jane thought it was marvelous. "Hey," she said, smiling, and entering the room.

The company all looked at her, smiling. All, save Loki. Jane didn't think much of it, but it gave her pause nonetheless. "Jane!" exclaimed Frigga, smiling. "Jane, do have a seat," and she pulled a chair over so that Jane might sit next to Heimdall, who was offering her a steady gaze, though it was friendly enough.

"So…" she began.

"Jane," Frigga interrupted. "How would you like to come to our house for dinner tomorrow night? Sunday dinners have always been something our family looks forward to."

"Until Thor abandoned the custom a few years ago," muttered Loki.

"Hush, Loki," she said, and looked at Jane eagerly.

Jane was looking at Loki, however, a subtle look of disquiet on his face.

"Jane?"

"Oh! Sorry," and she smiled abashedly. "Um…yeah. Dinner sounds great."

"You're in for quite a show, Jane Foster," and Loki stood and put his coat on. He pecked in mother on the cheek. "I'll see you all tomorrow," and he swooped out of the room.

Jane thought it was odd how he hardly acknowledged anyone save Frigga, but then quickly dismissed it. Perhaps he was merely having a bad day.

But then, it was Saturday, and he often seemed abrupt. Maybe that was just how he was…

"So, Jane. Tell us about your job," Odin said, not really looking at her. His eyes appeared to be either fixed to the floor, or else stealing glances at his son.

"Um, well…I work at MIT. In a lab…but, um…" why was she so nervous, stumbling over herself? Because she was nervous, because she was lying to these nice people. "…I plan on working for NASA in a few years…or maybe move to New Mexico…"

"New Mexico! Thor would hate that! My dear…and to be so far away…" Frigga shook her head. "Please reconsider…"

"I mean…I haven't made any firm plans. And Thor and I, well…we haven't really talked about settling anywhere just yet," shit, Jane. Watch what you are saying. She hoped that she had diffused the situation, and she swallowed.

"Well…I should be off," and Fandrall rose. "Sunna is likely wondering where I am."

"Sunna?" Jane asked.

"My wife," and he winked, leaving.

"What a name," and Jane lamented her own name, plain and obscure…forgettable. Not one person in that room had an ordinary name. "Well…I should probably get going myself," and Jane stood.

"Oh, alright, dear. Tomorrow, then? Say five?"

"Sure," and Jane smiled. She put her coat on, said goodbye to Odin and Heimdall, and slipped out of the door.

Jane smiled to herself as she made her way to the grocery store; she needed to get a few things, and she thought that it would be a nice distraction from the conversation she just left.

She was wrong.

How awesome would it be to be part of the Odinson family! They are so funny and warm…well, maybe not warm…but they certainly care about one another.

Except Loki. Something was up with Loki. He was like, bitter or something…she threw some apples into her basket. He was irritable, but oddly interested in her…she got some merlot. He was an interesting guy, she surmised…pop tarts, Cheetos, oooohhh, chocolate chip cookies…when was the last time she had chocolate chip cookies…?

"It's a good thing you are coming to dinner tomorrow. Your diet is atrocious."

Jane turned to see Loki Odinson standing a few feet from her, and she snapped out of her reverie. "Oh! You startled me," she sniggered.

"Afraid someone might witness this assault on the human body?" and he returned her sly smile.

She cleared her throat. "Ah, no," but she dropped her gaze a touch. "So…is Sunday dinner really a thing for your family or was Frigga being nice?" and Jane brushed passed him making her way to the front of the store.

Loki followed. "Sunday dinners were always a thing, as you eloquently put, until Thor decided he was too important to attend."

"Bitter?" and she placed her provisions on the conveyer belt.

"I am no such thing," he was standing behind her, looking at the tabloids. "Why are people interested in these things, do you reckon?"

"Boredom…" Jane desperately wanted to ask something, but thought that it might sound suspicious. Eh…fuck it. "Thor was never clear which part of the UK you guys are from," she paid with her debit card.

"Why?"

"Dunno…wait," and she stood waiting for him to pay. "Why do I want to know or why didn't Thor ever tell me?"

Loki's brow arched. "Erm…both, I guess," Jane Foster was an interesting person.

"Well…it never came up, and I…" fix this quickly. "…I suppose that I am making small talk. Something never necessary when I spoke with Thor." There, an explanation and a jab.

Touche, Miss Foster-soon-to-be-Odinson. "We are from Cambridge."

"Oh! That's convenient," she replied, leaving the store. "Cambridge in the UK. Cambridge in the US," Jane seemed pleased with herself. It was a silly observation, and one should wouldn't ordinarily condescend to make, but she thought she would try to make Loki more at ease…he seemed so tense or something.

"Indeed," was his compendious reply. "Well, Jane…I suppose I will be seeing you tomorrow evening," he nodded.

"Yeah. Bye Loki," she turned in the direction of Somerville.

Loki Odinson watched her go for a moment, and then turned himself in the opposite direction.

Jane was brushing her long chestnut hair and watching herself in the mirror as she did so.

There was a knock heard at her door. Damn. Must be Darcy.

"Jane!" and Darcy walked in after Jane opened the door. She sat on the sofa and reclined back a bit, before noticing Jane's attire. "Whoa. What's going on?"

"Ah…well…I'm actually going out tonight, Darcy…so…" and she stood aside to give Darcy room to exit the apartment.

"You are?" Darcy appeared to be nonplussed. Quickly realizing her error at Jane's look of exasperation, she rephrased, "I mean…you are! You look totally hot. Really rockin'. Hot damn."

Jane rolled her eyes and slammed the door shut. "Thanks Darcy," she muttered, and went back into her bathroom to apply some makeup. Why was she so concerned about impressing these people…?

"So where are you going?" Darcy shouted from the sitting room.

"Ah…just dinner."

"With…?"

Jane cleared her throat. She should just come clean. "Well…my…ah…fiancee's family," and she closed her eyes, bracing herself for Darcy's reaction. Nothing. "Darcy?" she went out into the sitting room, to find Darcy staring open-mouthed at her. "What?"

"You've got a fiancee?"

"Well, not technically, no."

"Hang on. There is no such thing as technically engaged. It's not like, I dunno…technically drunk, or technically employed…"

"Technically employed?"

Darcy ignored this and pressed on. "…I mean, either you are engaged or you aren't."

Jane sat opposite Darcy in a recliner. "Um, well…I guess I'm not really engaged, but his family thinks that we are."

"What the fuck are you actually fucking talking about? Is this guy real?"

"He's…" Jane was realizing just how bad this all sounded as she talked about it. "He's in a coma, and I saved his life, and there was this mix up, and his family thinks that we are engaged and I just can't tell them that we aren't because they are really sweet and I like them and I'm just so alone and Christmas is coming…" Jane swallowed.

"Dude. Shut up."

Jane looked at Darcy and saw that she was smiling, so Jane returned it. "Do you think I'm a really terrible person?"

"No," and she stood up to obtain a beer. "No…but I think you've gotta be careful. This is dangerous territory, Jane. It could all blow up in your face," Darcy sat back down after taking a swig. "Is he hot?"

"Who?"

Darcy rolled her eyes. "Um, your fiancee?"

"Oh," and Jane laughed a little. "Yeah, he's…" what was he? "He's…perfect."

Darcy smiled a satisfied smile. "Well. Maybe when he wakes up, things'll work out."

Suddenly, a soft panic overtook Jane. What if he woke up? What if he was awake right now…?

"You. You really take the cake, brother," he sneered the last bit. "What is actually, actually going on here, anyway?" Loki was talking to his sleeping brother. "None of it makes any sense. You were toying around with Sif. You were at the top of your game," he sat back in the rather uncomfortable hospital chair. It moved a bit against the linoleum, making a scraping sound, grating on Loki's already pinched nerves. "And this…this scientist? Unremarkable in every way save her mind, she is suddenly your fiancee?" He licked his lips and folded his arms in front of him, closing his eyes. "I suppose, I suppose one could see her appeal, if one were to look very, very close. I suppose she isn't terrible to look at," and he opened his eyes, lifting them to his sleeping brother. "It is odd. Somehow, with you being unconscious, I feel closer with you now than I have in years," he stood. "And your lovely little fiancee. She…" he thought a moment. "She almost makes you seem tolerable. As though we might…" but he stopped himself and dismissed it.

Jane Foster wasn't making Thor any more accessible to him or Frigga. And Odin, he didn't give a toss about.

Loki left the hospital, bidding the attending nurses a good evening (he did that now, after a few days. Why, he couldn't say), and headed to his parents' house.