Jane woke up slowly, her eyelids heavy and her body aching. She must have really knocked herself. Her sleepy thoughts circled around Loki, trying to make sense of everything that had happened. Had he really survived? Was it possible? She thought over all the research she had being doing, and it made sense for time travel to have been possible, so that part of his story was definitely believable. But she had seen him die. Thor had held him. How could he have survived? It was all still confusing, but she decided that what she needed was to try and not think about it. A long, hot shower would ease her aching muscles.
She stretched her arms above her head, noticing her now clean blanket. She smiled slightly. Swinging her legs slowly out of bed, she cautiously tested her body to see what she could and couldn't manage. It was all sore and achy, but she managed to hobble to the suitcase at the end of her bed, pull out a towel, and make it to the bathroom.
Loki heard the shower turn on, and roused himself from his pose. He had been sitting on the floor all night, concentrating on his illusions on Asgard. At this distance, it took great effort to maintain them. Running realms was not easy. He had set them up for the next day though, so now he could focus on the human. He stood up and stretched, before refreshing his wound. It had 'healed' surprisingly well in such little time. She would no doubt want to change the bandages, and he would be able to check her leg again. It was all about creating that intimacy.
Stepping out of the shower a little more easy than getting in, her muscles much more pliant after the steamy heat. Reaching for the towel, she began drying her hair and body, taking her time to avoid straining anything further. She then wrapped it around her tightly, and stepped back into the bedroom.
"Good morning." She almost shrieked when she saw Loki sat upon her bed, and her hands instantly flew to her chest, pulling the towel tighter around her. She was incredibly self-conscious of the amount of leg she had on show.
"What are you doing in here?" she hissed at him.
"I am sorry if I offended you. I heard you get up, and thought I would come through and see how you felt this morning. I myself feel much improved for a night's rest." He had his calm composure back today, and smiled at her. It wasn't the aloof smile he had given her in Asgard though. This one seemed genuine, if still a little cold.
"I'm sorry, you just shocked me," she said, realising her overreaction. He just wanted to see how she was. He was being nice.
"I can see your bruise has blossomed," he said, with a small gesture to her thigh. She glanced down, and her eyes widened at the deep purple that covered half her limb.
"May I?" his voice was suddenly close. She hadn't heard him move towards her. She nodded dumbly. He knelt at her feet, his slightly cool hands coming to rest on her leg, one behind her knee, the other ever so gently resting on her bruise. She felt a blush begin in her cheeks and seep down her chest. She pressed her legs a little closer together, mortified at the thought of what he might see.
He was a perfect gentleman though, his gaze never straying from her thigh, and his hands only touching where he needed to. He stopped as soon as she winced, and moved to check another part. After a few moments of this, he stood up, a fluid, elegant motion that left her feeling a little breathless. He stepped away quickly, leaving a gap between them.
"I know it looks and feels painful, but I still think it is just a bad bruise," he said. There was silence for a moment.
"Are you hungry?" she said, breaking it before it became awkward.
"Yes, I admit I am a little," he replied.
"Oh! But your chest. Can I see?" He smirked slightly at her, and she rolled her eyes.
"Sit on the bed. Even if it is healing at a god's rate, it can't be fixed yet. And at the very least the bandages will need changing," she said, feeling better for taking control. She gingerly walked through to the sitting room, suddenly very conscious once again of the towel she was wearing. But he had helped her. It was only fair she returned the favour quickly. She picked up the first aid kit from where she had abandoned it the night before, and made her way back to the bedroom.
Loki was lying on the still-unmade bed, his battered green and silver armour beside him. The bandages she had applied the night before covered some of his chest, but enough pale skin was still visible for her to see how toned he was. She supposed it was a side effect of being a god, having perfect physique, but she was surprised at how strong he looked. Next to Thor he looked thin and scrawny, but now she could see that he was as powerfully built, if slightly less bulky. She coughed and moved forward, her eyes falling to the ground. She hoped he hadn't caught her staring.
He watched her approach from across the room, noting how careful she was of her leg. Maybe he had slightly overdone her injury. He hadn't been sure exactly how tough humans were, so he had made her fall quite hard. Ah well. She would heal. Right now, she was sat beside him, her slight frame bending over his chest. His arms were behind his head, a cocky pose. It wouldn't be convincing if he let all of his old self go – he needed to keep some of the cool, superior attitude.
"Can you sit up a little? I want to take these bandages off," she said. His hearing was more sensitive than a human's, and he heard the slight huskiness in her voice. He complied, lifting up slightly, making sure to still wince a little. She worked quietly, examining the wound, cleaning it, then applying fresh bandages.
"You mentioned food, I believe?" he said when she was finished and had begun packing up. When she glanced at him, he made sure his eyes were on her exposed legs. He saw the flush creeping up her neck, and smiled inwardly. Outwardly, he hung his head and tried to look embarrassed at being caught.
"Yes, I did. I only moved here yesterday, and well, as you know, things didn't go perfectly. So how about we go out and find somewhere?" He nodded his assent.
"I'll drive if that's alright. I don't particularly fancy walking on this leg," she said with a small nervous laugh. He still unsettled her. She would be smart to heed that instinct. But he knew he wouldn't give her a chance to.
There was awkward silence in the car as Jane drove, Loki staring out of the window with a bored expression on his face. She tapped her fingers on the wheel nervously, not knowing quite what to say.
"It's best I go in myself to get you clothes," she eventually blurted out, her voice too loud for the car. She blushed a little, and coughed before continuing in a quieter tone.
"You aren't the most popular person here on Earth. I'm sure once you're in normal clothes though, people shouldn't recognise you. I suppose it's a good thing your armour is so flamboyant!" She inwardly chastised herself for her nervous laughter.
"Very well. I shall wait in this vehicle," he said, not bothering to look at her. She was confused by his hot and cold attitude; one minute he was doting on her, checking her injuries and looking lost and reliant upon her, and the next he was acting as if it was a great injustice that he had to stoop to her level of conversation. She frowned, her hands gripping the steering wheel a little tighter. Deep breath in, deep breath out. She knew who Loki was. No doubt the kind side of him was an act to get her to help him. She just had to accept that.
"When are you going back to Asgard?" she said, trying to keep her tone light and cheerful.
"I do not know how to, and I doubt I would be welcome." Again, the tone was condescending.
"Yes, of course. Although, you know, your dad held a proper funeral for you. I went, and so did Thor. Actually, your brother was the one who arranged it all," she said, a little warmth creeping into her voice. She waited for his response, but it didn't come. Glancing to the side, she saw his gaze had now fallen to his feet, a look on his face that she could only describe as sad. A second later though, his head was back up, the bored expression once again plastered to his face as he watched Earth blur past the window.
They arrived at a small shopping centre, and she rolled the windows down slightly to let air in. He looked at her questioningly in response.
"It's so there is enough air for you to breathe while I'm gone. It's what we do for dogs," she said. The look on his face instantly made her regret that last bit, and she leapt out of the car, locking the doors and running away before he could respond. When she was inside and out of his sight, she couldn't help having a little giggle. Had she really just compared a god to a dog?
Jane headed straight for Gap, figuring if she got him a pair of jeans and a couple of nice shirts, she could then bulk it out with Primark stuff. She went in trying to pick out things that she could see Loki in, but soon gave up on that. All she could picture him wearing was green and silver armour. He was going to have a new look. Dark blue slim cut jeans, a checked shirt, two tee shirts, and some jumpers from Primark seemed like the best choice. She also got him a pack of socks and a pack of boxer shorts. She debated shoes, but had no idea what size to get him. It had taken her longer than she had expected to select the clothes, and she could see Loki's fed-up expression from across the car park. She hung her head sheepishly and hurried to the car.
"Right, you need to change before we go get something to eat," she said once she was settled in the car.
"Very well," he replied, looking like he was trying hard not to roll his eyes.
"You can go in the back," she said.
He stepped out of the car, and she winced at the clearly recognisable sight of his tall frame decked out in armour. It was dulled and dented, yet he still looked resplendent and out of this world. He was in the back of the car in a flash, and before she could look away from his reflection, he was shirtless. She quickly turned her eyes away, the now familiar feeling of a blush beginning to creep up her neck. She closed her eyes, and silently counted, only reaching the fifties before she heard the car door open.
She opened her eyes and looked at him. He had on the jeans and shirt, un-tucked, with his black boots looking much more subtle with the outfit. She felt herself gawking awkwardly, and quickly shook her head and looked straight ahead. She smiled at him as he sat next to her again, and he tentatively smiled back. She was beginning to realise that when he felt vulnerable, or was confronted with something he was unsure of, he would turn to her for help. It made her happy, although she knew it shouldn't. This was the man who tried to take over the planet. The God of Mischief, as Thor had once called him.
She drove to a little café in silence, and he kept twitching in his seat, clearly not yet comfortable in his new attire. She took a deep breath after she had found a parking space, and looked at him, nodding in a strangely formal way. She mentally chastised herself; why was she being such a fool with him?
"Let's go then!" Her voice came out overly cheerful. She was so nervous of someone recognising him. She realised just how much taller than her he was when he unfolded his frame from the car and came to stand by her, dwarfing her petite frame.
They walked into the café, and thankfully it was fairly quiet. They found a booth straight away, and took seats opposite each other. A waitress appeared, and handed each of them a menu, rattling off the specials. Jane wasn't really paying attention, trying to see if any of the customers had noticed and recognised Loki. For now though, they seemed safe.
"What're you going to get?" she asked him after giving him a couple of minutes to read the menu.
"Errr…" She had never seen him look so stumped. She couldn't help but laugh, trying to hide it behind a cough and her menu.
"I'll take you to a 'café' on Asgard, and then we'll see how funny you find it," he responded, scowling at her. It just made her giggle more.
"Okay, I'll order," she gasped out, making eye contact with the waitress.
"Hi, can I get an all day breakfast and a tuna and cheese Panini please? And two fresh orange juices," she said, smiling.
"All day breakfast? Surely that stops it being breakfast?" Loki said.
"Stop being smart. It's breakfast food. You know, bacon, eggs, beans, that kind of stuff."
"And 'tuna'? What is that, pray tell?"
"A fish," she said, smiling at him. Her giggles had passed, and she smiled at him, happy that he was asking her for help. There was a bit of a silence then, before he broke it.
"Thank you, for the clothes. I do not know how much they cost, or how much this feast will be, but I will find some way to reimburse you." His tone was formal, but he smiled at her, and she could have sworn there was some warmth in his eyes.
"Nah, don't worry about," she said. "I got some of that from Primark, which does super cheap stuff, and a café like this wont charge much."
"Still, I am in your debt, and not just for that. You have helped heal me, and offered me a place of rest. I am grateful."
She was surprised by the honesty in his gaze, and smiled.
"Again, don't worry about it. I was going to be in that place on my own, so it's nice having company. Darcy, Ian and Erik left for America yesterday," she said, feeling sad to know that they would probably be home by now. Loki was frowning slightly in response to her statement.
"I feel I owe Erik an apology." Loki was full of surprises today it seemed. This was not the god she knew. "What I did to him was," he paused, "unkind."
Jane didn't know how to respond to that.
"Anyway, let us not talk of unhappy things. How is your leg?" he said.
"It's sore, I'm not gonna lie, but I think I'll recover. It wasn't nearly so bad as your chest," she said.
"Ah, but I heal faster than you, little human," he said, his tone lightly mocking. She harrumphed at him, pretending to be insulted.
"One all day breakfast, one tuna cheese melt, and your drinks," the waitress said, interrupting their talk.
"Mmm, thank you," Jane said, smiling at her. She glanced at Loki, but no thanks issued from him. She gently knocked his thigh with the toe of her good leg, and he looked up at her. She slightly tilted her head towards the waitress, and she saw the light bulb turn on above his head.
"Ah, yes, thank you madam," he said, before smiling at Jane for her approval. They ate in silence, Loki seeming to genuinely enjoy the food.
They walked back out to the car, and she blushed when he held the door for her, before going round and settling in his seat.
He sat in the car, one hand resting on his belly, looking content. Jane was focused on the road, and he smiled slightly at the way her eyebrows creased when she concentrated. He shook his head, and pulled himself upright. He shouldn't let himself be distracted. He felt he had displayed enough warmth towards her for now, so plastered a bored look on his face. It was surprisingly easy, considering it was how he truly felt about this realm. He saw her look at him, and the slight disappointment at his expression. She was playing into his hands beautifully.
When they got home, Loki asked if he could use the bed. She had seen him wince a couple of times when he thought she wasn't looking, and it was clear that although he was healing, he was still in a lot of pain, and no doubt the superhuman speed of his recovery had drained him.
"Of course you can. Let me make it up first," she said, going to dig out the duvet and sheets.
"Here you go," she said when she'd found them. She began tucking the sheet onto the mattress and, unbidden, Loki went to the other side of the bed and began helping. She smiled at him, and he smiled back.
"Thanks," she said, as he helped her put the duvet cover on too. She hadn't really thought of it, but Loki must not be used to looking after himself. No doubt he and his brother had grown up with every luxury. She doubted that he had ever made a bed, or cooked a meal for himself.
"Thank you," he replied. He began unbuttoning his shirt. How could he constantly bring that flush to her cheeks?
"I hope you sleep well. If you want, I'll wake you up when its dinnertime," she said, as she turned to leave him to undress in peace.
"That would be wonderful. Thank you," he replied, and she felt a slight shiver in her spine from the deep tenor of his voice.