Jane woke up in the care of Eir. She was exhausted, despite her rest. She was starving, thirsty…she didn't know where she was.
And then it hit her, and she sat up hurriedly.
"Lay down, Lady Jane…don't exert yourself…" Eir was next to her, keeping close watch. "Tell the King she is awake," Eir whispered to someone next to her.
Jane rubbed her eyes. "How long have I been here?" realizing she was in Asgard.
"Five days, my lady."
"Wow."
EIr laughed. "It was to be expected…"
At that, Loki's voice could be heard. "…and she's cognizant? She is making sense…?"
"…I do not know my King…I was merely sent to retrieve you…"
"What use are you then?" he replied irritably, entering the healing room.
He spotted her, a look of concern adorned his face. He was hesitant, appearing not to know if he should smile or not.
But Jane smiled broadly.
And he approached her.
He was at her side, holding her hand in seconds…
"How are you feeling?"
"Hungry, thirsty, and tired," she replied.
Loki nodded. "Weak, though?"
"A bit, I guess…"
He waved his hand, and some broth and water appeared on her lap. Jane shook her head in wonder and smiled. "How are you, Loki?"
He sat back…"Ah…bent but not broken. I was here for a day or so…Eir saw me to right. At least, as right as she could…" he winked at the nursemaid checking on Jane.
"You are well enough, Loki. Do not complain about my care."
"The poison…" Jane began, and ate some of the broth.
"Is making its way out."
"Oh…"
"Jane?"
"Yeah?" and she smiled weakly.
"You said you were on Midgard…"
"Oh! Yes…I woke up on Earth. How did that happen?" she fiddled with her blanket, and finished the broth, taking a long swig of the water.
Loki sat back in his chair next to her bed. "I…I suppose I must've made an error in my haste…I had meant to send you here, along with the apple."
"YOU made a mistake?" she chided.
"It happens…on occasion…" he smirked.
"Where is the apple?"
"It is in my chambers…our chambers…another error I made. I had meant to send it to Heimdall."
"Oh. Well…at least it's here," and she looked around. "When am I able to leave?"
"Now, if you like."
And there was honestly nothing she would rather do. She had longed to be alone with Loki for what seemed like years, and though her strength failed her, it would be enough just to be by him.
He helped her to her feet.
"My Lady! Are you certain?" Eir rushed toward them.
"She is fine, Eir. I assure you…I am quite capable of taking over from here…" Loki gave her a stern look., then smiled.
They made their way to the hall, and Loki then teleported them to the King's chambers.
He helped her into bed.
"Do you have much to attend to? You were gone some time…" and she lowered herself into the bed, feeling exhausted from just that movement. "I'm fine, really. My arm feels fine…I'm just tired."
"I'll leave you in a moment…" and he fidgeted, and got up, made his way to the window. "Jane…I…" he cleared his throat, but didn't look at her. "I know that you are quite weak as of yet, and I'm a scoundrel for doing this now, when you've only just awoken…"
He paused at this and turned toward her. "I have been quite irritable during your…absence. I felt hollow and barren…and when Iounn had me fixed to that wall, I began to believe that I'd never be in your presence again…that it was to be my penance for all of my misdeeds, and I understood," he approached her. "Yet there was a luster of subtle light which I saw, and that was you…even in when I despaired, somehow you were there…"
Jane swallowed, she sensed something of weight coming.
He sat next to her on the bed. "In all my meagre life, in everything odious and deplorable that I was, and in some ways, still am, I have learned from you, and I am grateful."
Jane nodded. "Sure," Jesus, Jane. Get a grip.
He smiled. "It is in that vein, that idea, that I am humbled. I, a god, and an onerous, disquieting, adept one, humbled by a mortal…it is…ironic. But I welcome it, for therein I have found my deliverance, and I believe that Frigga smiled on me in that chamber where I met my foe a second time. That serpent had not my soul as he did the first time, and you struck him down with both ferocity and grace. A second time…you liberated me from myself."
He looked at her expectantly. Jane gulped. "Well, " she began. "I love you…of course I would do what I could…even without my dominant arm…" Jane lamented her lack of eloquence in serious situations.
He snickered. "Jane…"
"Yes?"
"I do not ever wish to live without you. I would go to the very ends of Yggdrasil for you…and beyond…you are as much me as I am myself…my amaranthine angel…" he swallowed, and met her eyes. Jane recalled that word, he had used that color before, a few times…"Will you consent to be my wife?'
Oh. OH. He was doing this now. Oh, god, Jane Foster…
"I…" she returned his steady stare. "Yes, Loki. There is nothing that I want more," and her eyes welled with moisture.
He laughed, and took her face in his hands, and kissed her softly.
He pulled away and exhaled, rested his forehead against hers. "I'll not ask any more of you…you require your rest. But know that when you awake, you should consider consuming the apple…"
"Really? So soon?"
"Well," he sounded a touch concerned. "You'll need to eat it, to become…Queen…and it will aid in a more expeditious recovery…"
"Right," she said.
It wasn't that she didn't want to…it was more of a symbolic thing. Accepting her life as a Queen, as an immortal being…living for thousands of years.
"What's it like, Loki…being immortal?"
He got up. "Well…" he began. "It's not something I dwell on, really. One heals a bit easier…one does not fear aging, for you are favored with youth for many centuries. I suppose…as an immortal…one takes things for granted. But you will die, Jane, eventually. As will I…make our trip to Valhalla."
She nodded.
"Are you afraid?"
"No."
"Apprehensive?"
"Somewhat."
"Of?"
Jane looked away. "Of living for so long. Of being a Queen."
Loki nodded.
"Yeah…so…I'll just need to get over it, I guess…"
"And I shall be there when you do," and he went over to her and kissed her forehead, touched her cheek, and left her to rest.
Jane sighed and laid back. Her thoughts were peppered with images of her spending many days in the palace, of having children, of laughing with Loki, of sparring with Sif in the combat circle. She thought about what it would mean to need to fill endless days with activities…
And she thought about being a Queen, and what that could possibly mean. Would she need to have a pet cause, like the First Lady of the United States? Would she be able to visit Earth? Would she visit as a dignitary, or as Jane Foster? Odinsdaughter….? Would she even want to do that?
What about Darcy and Erik? They would be dead, and she would not….but then, she would be here, in Asgard…her new home…
It was a beautiful home…
Jane got up, unable to really rest. She went to the balcony. The sky was feathered with lofty clouds. She felt the warm breeze kiss her cheek. Jane leaned over the edge, looking into Loki's garden below. Yeah, it wasn't so bad.
She went back in. Jane went to the desk and took out a pen and paper….
Loki arrived back in his rooms a hour or two later to find Jane gone. He panicked for a second, went to the balcony…turned back into the room, and saw a note on her chair by the fireplace.
Dear Loki,
I suppose it is silly to be writing to you in this way, but I guess I thought that it would be poignant, especially since my verbal speech is so laughable.
I want you to know that while I do have doubts, it's only because it is in my nature to question. I am a truth-seeker, and a truth-seeker hardly ever trusts.
But know this, I trust you, despite everything. And I forgive you. All of it. I love you, so much so that my very being throbs with my need for you. I meant it when I told you that there was nothing I want more than to be your wife, and while I have my doubts about being a Queen, about immortality, I have none about marrying you.
I'm so fortunate, Loki. I am the luckiest person in the cosmos, because I have discovered that which every living soul seeks - its mate.
Meet me in your garden with the apple.
Jane
His hands shook. This was what it was like to receive a love letter…he was virgin to its effects. He was suddenly desperate.
He disappeared, and materialized in said garden.
Jane was sitting on the little stone wall she had sat on after Thor and SIf had married…the same place he had found her when he declared himself to her.
She looked at him and smiled.
Jane stood.
Loki walked over to her.
"I read your letter," he said.
"Was it good?"
"The best."
Jane laughed. "Hardly…I've read my share…but 'the best'? Surely you can do a bit better than that."
"It was dulcet in tone, perfervid in purpose, honest in motive…it held me rapt, it mollified my mind, it roused my passion…" and he touched her hair…"…and it behaved as a restorative to my mired heart…so recently experiencing the slow climb into the luminescence of your love…"
Jane put her fingers to his lips. "That's beautiful. And ample in measure…"
He laughed. "And you claim that your verbal eloquence lacks…"
Jane put her arms around his neck, and kissed him with passion for the first time since the night before they left for Helheim.
He pulled away, and held out his palm.
A smallish orb presented.
He looked at her expectantly.
Jane smirked. She suddenly felt naughty…though she couldn't fathom why.
She wrapped her fingers around the apple…its sheen reflecting the starlight.
She looked at it quizzically a moment, fully savoring exactly what it was she was about to commit to.
Jane Foster looked up at Loki. His face betrayed little emotion. He merely watched her and her every movement.
She brought the fruit to her mouth, and bit into its soft skin.
And she was filled with a song, and her skin felt on fire, and her eyes closed as she chewed, and the juice of the thing mingled with her own moisture, and it created a dance of delight…sweet, and sad, and somewhat forlorn, for there was loss just as there was birth. A bitterness was tasted, but soon left…and she opened her eyes to find him smiling at her.
He took her hand and brought her back to their chamber…
"How do you feel?"
"Like…I'm aware…alive…new…but the same…" she paused. She thought of Spider Man and how he had felt after being bit by that spider…
He laughed. "Excellent."
And he grabbed her, bringing her to bed to enjoy her newfound immortal body as he had longed to for many weeks now…