Thank you, JaninaM8! You are awesome! Thanks, too, Breviary-Rose!
Jane rang the bell.
It was a nice enough home for Boston. Not too garish, but not exactly modest, either. It seemed to Jane that the Odinson's had been quite wealthy at one point and downsized. In fact, she pretty much believed she could bank on it. Though this was slightly cheating, as Loki had all but said this himself…
No matter. She saw the truth in her observations and was pleased enough.
"Jane!" Frigga exclaimed, opening the door.
"Hi, Frigga," and Jane smiled, walking in and giving her a quick hug. "I brought this," she handed her a bottle of wine.
"How thoughtful," Frigga led her into the dining room where everyone was stationed, arguing with Fandral.
"I can't keep up, honestly. Are you two together or not?" Loki was saying.
"Well…it is complicated."
"Clearly," Loki replied, and his eyes found Jane's. "Jane Foster. Do sit down and help us tidy up this quagmire of a marital situation."
"Marital…?" but she sat opposite Loki and looked around. "I don't understand."
"Nor would anyone without a PhD…but you're the perfect candidate, as you are 'Dr. Foster,' is that not so?" he poured out some wine for her from a bottle of pinot grigio on the table.
"You've got your PhD?" Odin perked up at this.
"Bravo, Jane. You've ignited Odin's interest. Not an easy feat," there was a touch of contempt in Loki's voice.
Jane followed everyone's lead and ignored this comment. "Yeah…in astrophysics. I think I told you I worked at MIT."
"I didn't think that a PhD was a mandatory credential to work in a lab."
She smiled. "It isn't…but I have a position of rank," and she sipped her wine.
Odin peered at her a moment, then smiled and nodded.
"So," Jane began. "Who's marriage is a quagmire?" she looked at Loki, who was giving her a rather potent look.
He cleared his throat and looked away, in Fandral's direction. He nodded at him. "Fandral here. Sunna and he have the most off-again on-again relationship I've ever had the misfortune to witness. How many times this year…hang on…this past month have the two of you split?"
"But…your daughter…? Mary, was it?" Jane was perplexed. "Is that upsetting for her?"
"Mary is very go-with-the-flow. She hardly knows the difference," Fandral defensively replied.
"That's because she's three moths old," muttered Loki.
Jane giggled.
Loki smiled at her.
"Dinner!" called Frigga, carrying in a pan. "Odin, dear, do go get the rest from the kitchen…Heimdall, can you help him, please?"
She placed the piping hot pan on the table. "I hope that you like beef stew, dear. I didn't think to ask about that," she paused. "Or dietary restrictions…that's a thing these days, isn't it?" Frigga looked worried.
"Oh, don't worry. I'm too poor to have dietary restrictions," Jane smiled.
Loki's turn to laugh.
"Oh…well, in that case," Frigga began.
"Mother, Jane was joking."
"I know that, Loki. It just wasn't terribly funny."
Jane blushed a touch. "Sorry…"
"Jane, Mother thinks she's cute. Don't pay any attention to her," and Loki scooped some stew into his bowl.
Jane laughed a touch, but stopped from full-on laughter…she thought it might be (justifiably) perceived as rude. She cleared her throat. "So…do you guys exchange gifts on Christmas? It's just around the corner," and she bit into the stew. Oooohhh…it was good…
"Do we mother?" Loki asked pointedly.
Jane looked up, and saw a worried look pass Frigga's visage. "Yes. Yes…and you will all come for dinner as well," she looked knowingly from Odin to Loki, but whatever was going unsaid was completely lost on Jane.
"That sounds great. I'll make soup," and Jane smiled all around.
Everyone looked at her blankly for a second, then they nodded at her, smiling appreciatively.
"I'm a good cook," she explained.
"Oh, we aren't used to company, Jane. That was why you saw our looks of bewilderment," Frigga explained.
"Christmas is always such a relaxing time," said Heimdall.
"Relaxing?"
"Yes, relaxing, Loki. Come now, family get-togethers, wonderful food…"
"I suppose we have different views of what entails relaxation," Loki looked at his bowl and played with his stew.
Jane smiled, and in an effort to diffuse the tension, blurt out, "I loved Christmas when my dad was alive. I loved Christmas Eve…I'd make hot chocolate, we'd sing a few carols…" she had a faraway look on her face when her eyes found Loki's. "What?"
"Nothing. Charming," and he smiled.
Dinner passed thus, Jane taking more than her fair share of wine. Fuck it, she thought. Drink, Jane. You're an adult.
"I'll help you with the dishes, Frigga," and she rose from the table.
"Not my job, dear. Loki is in the kitchen doing them."
Jane nodded, and walked through the swinging door to the modest kitchen. There was Loki, back facing her, scrubbing the pan which had stewed the meat. He looked unnatural in this task, as though he had been born for greatness, not menial labor…
She shook her head and went over to him. "Hey, I brought some more dishes."
"Music to my ears," but he side-eyed her and smiled a touch. He took the bowls and as he did, his index finger accidentally brushed the side of her palm.
Jane blushed.
Why would she blush?
Jane cleared her throat. "So, I guess you must work quite a lot."
"Why do you say that?" he placed a bowl on the rack. Jane picked it up and started to dry it.
"Don't you guys have a dishwasher?"
Loki put the scrub brush down and looked at her with a blank stare. "Why would my parents require a dishwasher? They have Thor and myself," and he winked and went back to washing.
Jane laughed. He was rather playful; she took another bowl and dried. "But you two are grown men…on your own…surely they would like to have one now."
"Odin and Frigga are set in their ways," he ran the warm water over a soapy glass. "Thor is often like that, Jane. You must know that."
"Yeah…but not stubbornly so," she lied.
"Indeed? The Thor I know could be incredibly stubborn…"
"He is a sensitive man, Loki. He feels things deeply…passionate, and though most don't see it, he is a good person. He hides his goodness."
Loki chuckled. "Is that so? Why on earth would he be as foolish as that?"
"Because he is afraid."
He stopped at this. "Thor? Afraid? What of?"
"Disappointing those whom he loves."
Loki looked at her. He swallowed. This…this was possible. He certainly had that inclination. He turned back to the dishes and ran some more water. "Well. He certainly chose a lovely woman to be his bride. In that, he has made his parents proud."
"You flatter me," Jane said, and took the spoons from the drying rack.
"Perhaps," Loki turned off the water, drained the sink, and went to obtain some clean wine glasses. He selected two, and poured some wine for he and Jane. He is rather graceful, Jane thought. "But it is no secret that Frigga and Odin never thought much of any of Thor's…ah…girlfriends," he sipped. "Sif was the closest thing to acceptable, and she was being ill used by my brother."
"Oh," and she downed the wine. "Well…um…" she faltered.
"Am I making you uncomfortable?" and more wine found itself into her glass.
"No! No…it's just…you know. Former girlfriends and all…" she sipped more wine.
"Did Thor take you many places? Many dates?" he held her gaze deliberately.
"No," her voice cracked. She cleared her throat. "No…we stayed in mostly. His place, mine…watched movies. That sort of thing."
Loki considered her. Her brown eyes wide, yet friendly. Her smile sweet, yet held her fire…That fire which brimmed softly under her skin. "What do you want out of life Jane Foster?"
Jane looked at him, dismayed. "What do I want?'
"Yes," and he finished his wine.
Jane laughed a touch. "I suppose…I want…" she shook her head, and her gaze fell to her glass. She ran her fingertips along the stem. "I want to wake up with someone I call a friend. I want them to be excited about things that interest me, and I want to be interested in things which excite them. I want to see the stars in the desert sky…to see the Aurora Borealus…to feel the rain after a long bout of dryness," she stopped. "Sorry…waxing a bit poetic."
Loki was transfixed. He cleared his throat, and wrought his gaze from her face. "Not at all." He took her glass and his and washed them.
Jane stood at the small kitchen island, a bit frozen…"I should go."
He turned toward her. "Oh? Alright. I can walk you to the door," and he opened the swinging door. "Mother, Jane is leaving."
"Oh! Jane! So soon? No coffee?"
Heimdall looked at Jane. "I make excellent coffee," and he smiled.
"He never sleeps!" exclaimed Frigga. "He needs to make excellent coffee. What do you do all night, Heimdall?" she laughed and shook her head.
"I…watch things…" he replied cryptically.
Ew. Like…like a peeping Tom or something…? Note to self: never give Heimdall your address. "Yeah…I need to go. Work in the morning and all…" Jane made her way to the hallway. "Thanks so much! It was wonderful."
"See you tomorrow, dear!"
Jane felt a pang of guilt. "Tomorrow."
Loki followed her to the front door, and opened it for her.
"Thanks," said Jane. "I guess I'll be seeing you this week?"
"This week. Certainly," and he smiled. Jane began to walk out. "Jane?"
She turned. "Yeah?"
He seemed to be looking beyond her. "Congratulations," and he closed the door.
"Thanks," she muttered. She knew he meant the engagement.
She felt like such a terrible person…but that's all she did about it. Feel terrible. She needed to stop being such a coward.
She pulled her jacket close. Winter was wrapping its icy tendrils around Boston in an odd embrace. It was as though winter was telling Jane it would be alright.
Not exactly comforting.
Jane scuffed her heels on the sidewalk. She was ruminating about Loki…they had developed a nice banter.
She sighed and watched her breath fume in front of her.
She liked him. He was intelligent and sarcastic. And attractive, in a corporate mogul really creepy way.
She should do something nice for him, he seemed so distant from his awesome family….
Jane opened the door to her apartment and threw the keys on the table by the door. The Odinson's were awesome.
Who was she kidding? Any family would be awesome, since she had none.
She had none…
Jane kicked off her shoes and went to the fridge. She was tipsy from the wine and desiring junk food…
Ice cream ice cream…chocolate ice cream…there you are. She smiled and took a spoon from the drawer. Jane curled on her sofa with the bucket and dug in, turning on the tv.
She liked these people. She liked them, but she was lying to them…and her mind drifted to Thor. She was, perhaps, being more unfair to him than anyone. This week she would go Christmas shopping for them all, and right after Christmas, she would say her goodbyes. Heimdall seemed to think that this was ok…
Her mind was made up. She would continue on for the next three weeks, and then come clean.
Yes. It was a plan.
She turned off the tv, put the ice cream back, and went into her bedroom. She changed into some comfy pajamas and crawled into bed. She sighed and rolled onto her side.
She wanted to see the Northern Lights. She wanted a friend. She wanted to see the canopy of stars in the clear desert sky…to dance in the rain.
She just didn't want to go it alone, as she had for so many years now.
Maybe Thor was that person, and she smiled.
But when she closed her eyes, Thor wasn't the person she saw in her mind….