21Hey guys! It's been so long since I last made a fanfic and the first time for me in this section. XD Anyway, Alydia Rackham really inspired me into this pairing, and also to go back to writing, so thank you! I also have an idea for a multi-chaptered story, but that all depends if I can manage to fix the outline.
Many thanks to Matsukanishi09 and Kemi-chii for the beta!
Disclaimer: Nope. Not mine.
oOoOo
Loki was never the type to break his promise.
Sure, he was the so-called God of Mischief and Lies—but making a promise and breaking it was far too different with what he really does—which was something along the lines of deceit. So the moment he landed at Midgard, he dusted off his clothes, created a little invisible shield around himself and searched for her.
Which wasn't much of a problem.
He almost wanted to roll his eyes. These earthlings were too predictable and far too fragile to poke fun at, but that didn't matter anyway; it made things easier for him. But was easy his main priority? No. Not really. He wanted to have fun while he was staying in this inferior planet, and killing off the little Midgardian wouldn't really make his stay any more interesting.
So instead of killing her, he decided to observe. For a while, he told himself.
It was all for a bit of fun. Nothing could come wrong of it.
Right?
oOoOo
Loki had told himself that watching the Foster woman was just as interesting as watching Heimdall guard his post.
And Heimdall never moved.
But he had to admit, her scientific theories somewhat impressed him.
For a Midgardian, at least.
Loki constantly watched and listened to her endless and excited chatter about this Einstein-Rosen Bridge (which he guessed was the Bifrost Bridge Thor had destroyed back in Asgard) and how opening a portal to another realm would benefit SHIELD and their secret organization. From his observation, he had noticed how much her eyes would light up at the mention of her theory, how her body language would become more animated and how her heart would beat erratically at each sentence she finishes.
She doesn't even stop to breathe.
Although, it irked him how she would suddenly redden or stutter at the mention of his brother's name. Making his jaw clench.
May it be Asgard or Midgard, Thor was always the hero.
But no matter, he was going to rid of Jane Foster soon, anyway.
oOoOo
Tom Riddle was one of the few Midgardians Loki somehow looked up to—but he was an idiot to have been defeated at the end. However, he liked his ideals for the world of Magic. It was ingenious.
Unfortunately, he died.
Loki had stumbled upon the Harry Potter books once when he was lurking around Jane Foster's underground laboratory. And he had never been so surprised to know that the history of Midgard could be so…interesting. He finally understood (after reading all the seven books in one day) that there were a few gifted Midgardians that has the special gift of magic like him. He hasn't met one yet, unfortunately, but someday it might benefit him if he could meet one and get him to come join his side.
He was just about to place the seventh book back on the shelf when Jane Foster came busting in her lab. Her hair was a complete replica of those bird nests he had seen from National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America Fifth Edition and her eyes were gleaming bright with anticipation.
However, just as she was about to place her equipment down the table, her expression turned from anticipation to sudden surprise and confusion, hearing her gasp as she almost dropped the technological Midgardian artifacts.
Loki's brows burrowed for a while when he remembered about the book. He mentally cursed. He kept himself still, making sure that Jane Foster won't be able to even see the slightest twitch to avoid any more confusion, watching her with his deep green eyes as she slowly got over her confusion, turning into shocked surprise as her mouth opened and closed like a fish. He was sure that the book was hovering up in mid-air right now and hopefully, he'd get the right opportunity to conceal this blunder before the Midgardian's brain started working for answers as to why there was a flying object inside her lab.
"What's wrong, Jane?"
He smiled, just in time.
He took Jane Foster's distracted glance at her co-worker to place the book back in the shelf, walking calmly towards the two as she spluttered nonsense about her Harry Potter book coming to life and flying away from her book shelf. The noisy Midgadian gave her a ridiculous stare before chuckling, not understanding. Which only made Jane Foster grunt and point…
At nothing.
The Midgadian chuckled some more and gave Jane Foster a pat on the back, grabbing the coffee mug from her hand. "You've been drinking too much, Foster. You know magic isn't real."
That made Loki blink, what did this woman mean?
He watched as Jane Foster and composed herself, giving her friend a nervous chuckle. "If you don't include the Norse Gods, that is; I just thought my Deathly Hallows book was haunting me since I didn't get to read it till the end, I love that series."
This time, Loki scowled.
It was merely a work of fiction? He grunted. The last redeeming quality of the place seems to have left him already.
oOoOo
It's been two weeks since he started the observation, and nothing seems to be making progress with either Jane Foster or SHIELD.
How very boring.
However, because of his (unexpected) long delay with either ridding of Jane Foster or taking her as hostage, he began noticing even the littlest of habits she had: how she often leaves her coffee for more than five minutes before drinking it, how she scratches her nose when she's nervous, how she twirls a lock of her hair when she's thinking really deeply.
He had deduced that Jane was simply an average woman. She wasn't entirely a beauty, she wasn't tall, and she wasn't as shapely as Sif back in Asgard.
So what was it that got Thor all captivated with this mortal?
Either his brother had this weird fetish for exotic races or the woman had done something to his brother's thick skull.
He was about to practice simple magic when he noticed Jane Foster stop from her work, eyeing something from below with a small smile on her lips. He raised a brow and waited, his eyes watching her every move as she talked to whatever it was under the table.
And the moment she stood up again, what she held in her hands surprised him.
It was a mouse. A black mouse which he had read in Animal Guide: From A to Z was a vermin in their planet and was often trapped or killed. And she was petting the little creature like some delicate being.
The crease between his brows had gone deeper as he went closer. He saw Jane Foster fret, probably trying to find something for it to eat, not even minding the fact that the creature might be dirty or soiled—or that it may be holding a disease that might be harmful for her.
Not that he cared, but if he was in the situation, he'd leave the pest alone.
He stood from the sidelines and saw the little thing raise its head up to him, its red beady eyes giving him a curious glance.
His lips tightened, the pest can see him?
He was about to experiment with it when he heard a loud shriek from the side, making him swiftly turn his head—
Only to see Jane Foster's co-worker (the noisy Midgardian), Darcy (he heard Jane Foster call her). He saw Jane Foster jump from his peripheral vision together with the mouse, holding a hand over her heart as she glared at the woman.
"What was that all about?"
"What are you doing? Holding that—that—thing!"
Jane Foster gave a confused gaze at her friend then looked down, rolling her eyes before chuckling.
"Finding it food, of course."
The noisy Midgadian gave a disgusted look.
"Why? Just kill the damned thing!"
He heard Jane Foster give her friend a gasp of surprise, making Loki turn back to look at her, watching her curiously.
Truly. Why keep the little pest? It was just a nuisance.
But Jane Foster gave her friend a stubborn look, shaking her head. "No! I'm finding it food and don't you dare harm the little mouse."
Loki turned his head back at the noisy Midgardian to see her grimace, crossing her arms. "Seriously, Foster. The world would be better without that pest, why feed it? And oh! I bet it's the one causing mischief inside the office! We have some wires that are now damaged because that little vermin had been munching on it." She finished, looking victorious as she connected those two incidents together.
Loki's expression has changed by then, giving the little mouse a look of…understanding. In some twisted way, he and the little creature were the same. They were both a pest from where they came from, causing mischief and havoc—people only wanted to get rid of them and nothing more.
But still. He was the man—the god- and that little thing was the mouse. He was different; he wasn't some helpless little animal that's not capable of protecting himself. Who wasn't capable of justifying himself.
He looked up and let his eyes wander over Jane Foster's figure, looking as if she had been taking whatever her assistant had been saying into consideration before grabbing a pack of biscuits, her eyes furrowed.
He closed his eyes—and just like everybody else, she would follow her friend's words and kill the animal, so it won't cause any more trouble.
Jane Foster was just like everybody else.
But even before the idea settled in, Jane Foster had moved and had taken the mouse delicately in her, opening the pack of Midgardian food and giving the creature a piece.
"How do you suppose I can hide it from Fury?"
He blinked in surprise, raising a brow.
Loki then heard her assistant gave a growl in frustration and leave, shouting how Jane Foster was so stubborn and crazy.
Jane merely chuckled, shaking her head.
His brows furrowed…
Huh, he had been wrong.
oOoOo
She'd been awake for almost forty eight hours now.
Loki watched as she furiously tapped against the board of what the Midgardian's called the computer, which curiously stores plenty of their alphabets, numbers and important data. His brows furrowed as he watched from behind, his lips set on a straight line.
He could understand how he, an Asgardian, can survive a week without food or sleep—but a mere mortal like her? He can feel her heart work overtime and her body's immune system deteriorate, and she had also drunken more than five cups of coffee.
That could not be good for her system.
But ever since she came back from one of her meetings with Fury, she hadn't slept a wink. From what he had read in her black notebook that was filled with her research, it was something about progress regarding the portal and the possibilities of recreating the bridge from their planet.
Though, still. This was far too much; couldn't she at least take a short nap? What she was trying to achieve was far too complicated as compared to their little minds.
Not that Loki cared—please. But a dead hostage has no good use for him.
He watched and watched and watched, simply staying behind her back, as if he was guarding her for some sort of impending doom.
Which he wasn't, he just got too bored re-reading Harry Potter and now, he had nothing better to do than what watch her work.
He saw Mickey (the mouse, Jane decided to call it; her co-worker and her had laughed at that, which Loki clearly didn't get) look up from his glass cage, watching as his master kill each of the alphabet buttons on the board, watching her with worry—and probably also because he had not been fed for the past eight hours, yet. Jane Foster eventually noticed, though, and gave a startled gasp, quickly standing and grabbing its food. She poured some over his little bowl before sitting back on her chair, sighing.
She looked incredibly tired—yet ironically happy at the same time.
He raised a brow.
Jane Foster stopped from working as she watched Mickey munch on his food, a small smile on her lips.
"I might get to see Thor again."
Loki froze. Mickey looked up.
He didn't know why but he felt his gut clench and his fingers curl into a fist, looking down. But, of course, this had all been about Thor again, as always.
He let out a careful breath as he watched her expression soften, the creases between her brows gone, left with a look of bliss, looking perfectly content with how she was.
His jaw tightened.
He closed his eyes and gradually let the spell slip-off from his body, slowly revealing himself to her. He heard her gasp before he had opened his eyes, and when he did, a look of both shock and fear crossed her features, her brows furrowed in confusion.
And before she had time to do anything, he placed a hand over her head gently, whispering an incantation to make her sleep. His hand held on to the lower portion of her back to support her weight as she fell deep into his spell. And the moment he let go, she had already been in deep slumber.
He watched her features turn from troubled to peaceful against the soft light of her lamp, brushing her hair gently to the side.
She wasn't entirely a beauty, she wasn't tall, and she wasn't as shapely as Sif back in Asgard. But there was something about her that made her special, made her unique.
Something that made his brother fall for her in three days time.
He brought her up in his arms and carried her over the couch, settling her body lightly down the soft cushion. He bent down till the corner of his lips touched her ear, his eyes downcast.
He whispered something softly.
And then he was gone.
oOoOo
"Dr. Selvig." The deep voice of Nick Fury had filled the room, his eyes serious as he watched Eric come from behind, both hands behind his back.
Eric, on the other hand, gave a knowing yet nervous chuckle, shaking his head. "So, you're the man behind all this? It's quite a labyrinth. I was thinking that you had taken me down here to kill me."
Fury easily ignored his light-hearted nature, though, wasting no time for small talk. "I've been hearing about the New Mexico situation. Your work has impressed a lot of people who are much smarter than I am."
Eric shrugs and drops his cheerful act, clearly seeing that it wasn't to be used for such a situation. "I had a lot to work with: the Foster theory, a gateway to another dimension... it's unprecedented..." he trailed, Fury kept silent.
"…Isn't it?"
"Legend tells us one thing; history, another. But, every now and then, we find something that belongs to both." Fury states before opening the suitcase, showing off a bright blue cube. The cube glowed and emitted a different kind of power, making Eric open his mouth in wonder and surprise.
"What is it?" he managed to ask, looking at it with much awe.
"Power, Doctor. If we figure out how to tap it, maybe unlimited power."
Loki watched from behind as he felt the power of the cube, the hair behind his neck standing at the intensity, making his body shake in excitement. "Well, I guess that's worth a look." He whispered behind Eric's back, smirking.
"Well, I guess that's worth a look." Eric echoed, making Fury nod.
And when he was just about to take a closer look, an image of a brown haired woman flashed against his eyes, making him blink.
And then sigh.
He whispered another command against Eric's ears, making the old man quickly comply, looking worried. "But what about Jane? She might be in danger; I want her to be relocated as soon as possible."
Nick Fury stopped as he closed the suit case shut, giving him a puzzled look. "What for? She would be safe as long as she's under SHIELD's defense. No harm would come in her way."
"But still." Eric urged, his lips pursed.
Loki heard Fury gave a sigh but nod, grabbing the suitcase in preparation to go.
"If you think that is for the better. Come on, Coulson has the car prepared."
Loki wasn't sure about what he was getting himself into, but Jane Foster in the heat of battle wouldn't do him any good. She would just cause a big distraction for either him or his brother.
He had plans…plans for her. And having her during his invasion just wouldn't benefit him.
And, after all, he wouldn't want his brother to know that he had already complied to his promise…
Which was paying Jane Foster a visit.
[End]
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Hope to see your reviews and thoughts! I hope I didn't make Loki too OOC (or anybody else for that matter). And I have an epilogue coming up, so I won't put this in the complete section just yet ;) (CC's are welcome as well!)
Oh yes, the books in here (minus Harry Potter) were all made up. XD The Harry Potter bit was just for fun really, Loki and Harry both DO use magic.