When the sun fell beyond the hills and the sky became littered with stars, Loki returned to Jane's tower. He did so every evening for nearly a week before the two exchanged more than a few sentences to one another. Most nights they ate in silence, which Jane was grateful for, despite the fact that she had loads of questions and plenty to say. She didn't know much about Loki, but she knew him well enough to know that if she were to act too nice too soon he would figure something was up. It was best to let this experimental "plan" of hers play out as slowly and as naturally as possible.

"Do you have everything you require?" Loki asked one evening, not bothering to look up at her.

Jane jumped at the sudden sound of his voice in the quiet hall. "Uh, hardly," she replied as cordially as she could manage, pushing the meat around her plate. "I don't have any of my notebooks or journals. I don't have my equipment. I don't have my clothes - not that these aren't beautiful," she hastened to say, looking down at the latest gown she wore. "I guess I'm just not used to any of it."

"Mmm," Loki muttered, mulling over her words as he took a slow sip of wine. "Do the books not interest you?"

"No - I love them, actually," she replied earnestly, pushing a lock of hair behind her ears. "I've never had so much time to read. I've never had so much time in general."

"Consider it a reprieve from that drab, unsavory realm of yours."

"You seemed pretty intent on taking over my drab, unsavory realm," she retorted, rolling her eyes. He was unbelievable. This whole being nice thing was going to be a hell of a lot harder than she imagined.

"I am glad I did not succeed," he replied bitterly.

"I- I miss my family, my friends," she continued, ignoring his last remark. "They have no idea where I am, they have no idea if I'm okay. I miss my work. I miss the little things, like my morning coffee at Java World and my crap TV at night. I miss visiting the botanical gardens on weekends and I miss nature in general and... I just have other needs, Loki. You can't expect me to while away eternity reading."

Loki stopped what he was doing and looked up her, remembering similar words he spoke to Frigga during his imprisonment after New York. I've done everything in my power to make you comfortable, Loki...

He stood and walked to one of the windows, staring blankly out at the night sky. He appeared vexed, almost uncomfortable. After several minutes of silence, Jane watched curiously as he reached down into the pocket of his tunic and pulled out her phone.

"Assuage their fears," he said as he turned, walking over to place the device gently on the table in front of her.

She laughed, somewhat nervously. "I don't think Asgard has service."

"It is in your best interest and theirs that your location remains undisclosed," he continued, his tone grave. "There is nothing they can do for you. There would be no point in worrying them further."

Jane looked up at him, knowing by the look he gave her now that she would indeed be able to use her phone. Her heart pounded as she reached for it.

"Can I at least have some privacy?"

"I cannot grant you that request. Please, be as brief and as vague as possible."

Jane swallowed. What would she say - to any of them? How could she make them believe she was okay when no one had heard from her in over a week? It was so unlike her to just disappear. But Loki was right. They couldn't help her, and she knew it. Even if she broke down and told them the truth, Thor was long gone and no one could reach him. Therefore, no on could reach her. It was pointless to worry them.

She picked up her phone, which curiously still had ample battery life. Over a hundred missed calls, mostly ones from Darcy and Erik. It wasn't unlike her to go a while without calling her parents because of work, so she knew they wouldn't be freaking out unless her friends had made them worry, which at this point, she was sure they had. She couldn't deal with her parents, so she decided on the safest bet; Erik. He hardly ever answered his cell. She could just leave a simple voicemail without getting too emotional.

Please don't answer, please don't answer. The phone rang for what seemed like an eternity to Jane before the familiar voicemail message came on.

"Hi, Erik. It's... Jane. I, um, I'm sure you've been worried, and I'm sorry. Do me a huge favor and just let everyone know that I'm okay. Really, I am. I can't explain this now. Maybe someday I'll be able to, but right now, I can't. Don't expect to hear from me for a while. Please, don't worry. Bye."

As soon as she hung up she glanced over at Loki who was back at the same window, his expression unreadable. She was grateful he wasn't looking at her, grateful he didn't see the tears that were forming in her eyes. She took a deep breath and grabbed the nearest napkin, quickly dabbing at them.

"Smart man, Erik Selvig," Loki said quietly after a minute had passed. He still didn't look at her.

"Please," Jane begged tiredly, pouring herself more wine. "Please don't say his name. Not after what you did to him."

"What I did-"

"Please."

Loki turned to retort but stopped once he looked at her. He wasn't sure why it bothered him, why he cared at all, but the sight of her red eyes and the sound of her sniffling certainly didn't make him happy. He was about to request that she cease her drinking, but who the hell was he to stop her? He had brought her here against her will, away from her friends, away from her family, away from her gardens and her "crap TV". He was was nothing in her eyes. Less than nothing. As it should be.

As Loki resumed eating, Jane continued drinking. By the time he was properly full, Jane found herself properly drunk. She thought it curious that Loki didn't seem to be even remotely inebriated despite the fact that he was matching her drink-for-drink. Then she remembered how Thor was able to out drink Erik without batting an eye with those, what did Erik call them... boilermakers?

Thor. No matter how drunk she was, it hurt to think of him.

"You seem to enjoy the wine," Loki said, his concern growing. She was small for a Midgardian, and already well past her limit. He didn't want to have to explain to Eir what Jane Foster was doing back on Asgard if she were to get sick.

"I've enjoyed everything, thank you," she said politely, trying hard not to appear as cocked as she was. "This turkey leg is the size of my head," she mused, holding one up for size even though she couldn't see the comparison. Loki looked up and smiled, so fleetingly, that if one was to blink they would miss it. She did.

"How does all of this food even get here?" she asked after a minute, feeling suddenly curious about it.

"Servants."

"I never see anyone."

"You're always late," he replied, irritably.

Servants, it occurred to her. If I could just get one of them alone... I could tell them about Loki and Odin and...

"I wouldn't, if I were you," he warned as he poured himself another glass, reading her thoughts.

"And what if I did?"

"Their fates will rest in your hands."

Jane glared at him. Too many had perished during her last trip to Asgard. She wouldn't risk harm to anyone else and he knew it. "Won't they know who I am?"

"Many know who you are. Not many are familiar with your appearance."

"What about Heimdall. Can't he see me? Can't he see you?"

"Heimdall, with all his gifts and all his wisdom is still blind to much," Loki said, shaking his head. It was clear he wasn't fond of the gatekeeper.

"Well, if I do run into anyone up here they'll definitely be able to tell that I'm not Asgardian," she said, crossing her arms. "I won't make any effort to hide that."

"Who the Allfather keeps for company is none of their concern."

"You are not the Allfather."

"I AM KING!" he yelled furiously as he slammed his fists on the table, his voice echoing loudly off the walls. "You will do well to remember that."

Jane's blood boiled at his audacity. She shot up from the table, holding on to it for support as she swayed. The only insult that came to mind was ridiculous, but the words came out before she could stop them. "Someone hasn't gotten laid in a long, long, long time."

"Laid?" he responded through narrowed eyes and gritted teeth. His nostrils flared in anger.

"You know…"

"I'm afraid not."

"Shit," she whispered to herself, her head spinning. Never had an insult backfired so terribly. Was she really going to have to explain this to him? "Uh, when two people who like each other... well, sometimes they don't even like each other... get together and..."

"I see," he interjected quickly, her awkwardness confirming his fears about what she was referring to. He stared down at his chalice, rapping his pointer finger at the base of it.

"I mean, it's none of my business, of course," she rambled, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, suddenly feeling nervous. "It's just that, well, no wonder you're such a mess." Shut up, Jane. Shut. Up.

"I don't take kindly to being referred to as "a mess."

"It sucks after a long while. I get it."

"I am not implying that is has been a long while."

"Well, I am."

"You forget your place, Jane."

Loki watched curiously as she stumbled over to where he was sitting and slammed her chalice down on the table. She was close now, her finger pointed just inches from his nose, so close, that he could smell the wine on her lips.

"I told you before and I meant it," she said, staring into his eyes furiously. "I'm not afraid of you. I'm calling it like I see it, from one fucking lonely person to another. I know that look, I know that sad, pathetic, angry front."

Loki's eyebrow cocked at her use of expletives, but he didn't give a damn that she was drunk. He wouldn't give her an inch, wouldn't give her any insight into himself. He sat back in his chair, trying to looking nonchalant as he crossed his arms over his chest. "My, my, what a mouth on you. Not very ladylike."

"FUCK being ladylike."

Both of Loki's eyebrows were raised now. Jane was incredibly drunk and incredibly furious and he had no idea where this surreal conversation was going, but she certainly had his full attention.

"I've thrown myself into my work for years - years - because if I stopped, even for a moment, I would realize I had nothing else. And that terrified me. You - you're afraid to stop," she laughed under her breath, the realization hitting her. "You're afraid to stop all of this because if you do, you'll realize the same. You'll realize you have nothing."

"Enough," he said, averting his eyes from her intense gaze. He pushed his chair back away from her and stood, trying to put distance in between the two of them. She followed.

"Admit it. You know I'm right!"

"Tell me," he said, turning back around to face her. "Were you this much of a pain to Thor?"

"Oh. So this is what this is all about," she said, gesturing to everything around her. "You have to have EVERYTHING that's Thor's and I'm no freakin' exception!"

"Ah," he replied, grinning from ear to ear. This was getting fun. "But you aren't Thor's, need I remind you. Not anymore."

Loki was certain Jane would slap him again, but she didn't. After the two stared each other down for what seemed like forever, he rolled his eyes and turned to leave.

"Whatever your plan is, whatever it is you're trying to accomplish... you will fail," Jane said, with the most condescending, self-assured tone of voice he'd ever heard from any being in all the nine realms. "You will fail like you always do."

At that moment, something in him snapped. He whirled around and in several long strides stalked over to her, backing her up into one of the far corners of the room. He was, for the first time, pleased by the fear on her face, pleased by the way she cowered from him. It needed to be this way.

"Did I fail that day in Svartalfheim when I saved your hide?" he growled as he loomed over her, his face bent down close to hers. "Or do you remember none of that?"

"You were a coward who saved his own skin," she said through gritted teeth, hiding her shaking hands behind her back as she hit the wall. She braced herself for a hit, or a hand around her throat, but neither came.

The two stared at one another for ages, their chests heaving from rage. Loki wanted nothing more than to pick her up and cast her off her balcony, to be rid of her once and for all, but he knew the thoughts were just that. As he looked down at her beneath him, watching her chest methodically move up and down, feeling her warm breath against his cold lips, he began to feel something else. Something much more dangerous than rage.

As much as Jane hated to admit it, Loki did save her. He could have easily botched their plan against Malekith, easily have gotten them both killed. But it had not gone that way. And deep down inside of her, something stirred. Maybe it was because of the wine. Maybe it was because of something else. But she knew, looking up into his eyes now, that he had done something noble. Whether it was for her, for his mother or for Thor, she didn't know, but it was noble all the same. She began to wonder how many times he had done the right thing only to have been blamed or berated for it. Too many times and that would mess anyone up. Maybe he didn't know the damn difference between right and wrong anymore, but there was still good in him. She saw it, even if he didn't. And in the moment, it was blinding.

Without knowing quite why, and without having a clear mind to stop her, Jane pushed herself up on her toes and crashed her lips fervently into his.