You travel to search and you come back home to find yourself there
When Loki finished dressing he looked at himself in the mirror. Jane Foster had given him some “normal” clothes for him to wear that night. Some pants that she insisted were “Jeans, everyone wears them” and a very thin cotton shirt. Without his usual clothes he felt naked, unprotected… the only thing he liked were the heavy boots he was wearing.
When he finally left the room he found the woman in the living room. She was pouring some food into the furry beast’s plate. When she looked at him she couldn’t help but smile, he looked very handsome. She shook her head trying to ignore the fact that she had just called her handsome, even if it had been inside her head.
“Darcy is coming” Jane mentioned, she almost laughed at the expression of panic that settled in Loki’s face, “Relax”
“Relax” He repeated
Jane rolled her eyes, but didn’t say anything. It looked like he was making a really big effort to cope so she didn’t want to push. They left her apartment ten minutes later, it was drizzling even though the entire day had been sunny, Jane insisted in walking all the way to the pub since it was a few blocks away. Loki was horrified to find the streets were infested with furry beasts like the one Jane Foster kept at home.
“If they can be thrown out at the streets, why do you keep one with you?” Loki asked, the first time he spoke since they left the apartment.
“That’s cruel” Jane answered, “Poor things must be freezing” she remarked her words hugging herself, she was wearing a horrible purple peacot dress that looked warm enough, “What?” She asked, feeling Loki’s stare on her.
“Nothing” Loki looked away.
“You are not cold?”
“No” He truly wasn’t, strange enough.
“I left a jacket for you but you forgot it”
“I don’t mind”
They continued walking and Loki wondered how was Jane Foster able to walk faster than him with the type of shoes she was wearing, he had noticed plenty of women wore them. Heels. He wondered who was the inventor of such torture devices and why did women agreed to wear them.
They arrived a few minutes later, turns out the pub was very close to where they… Jane lived. Jane took her peacot off and left it on the entrance. She was wearing a black dress under it, and Loki wouldn’t say it out loud, but he could see why this woman had called Thor’s attention. Loki looked around at the place and then followed her. It looked very… Warm. There was people but not as many for him to feel uncomfortable.
“Darcy will be here in a few minutes” She frowned at him, he looked lost in thought until she sat, “You want to order something?” Jane asked.
“No"
“You haven’t eaten anything after that horrible breakfast I made you swallowed” Jane joked, a small nervous chuckle.
Loki looked at her and then sighed, “Some rum will be fine”
Jane laughed, “Food first, Loki”
“Don’t mother me” He retorted annoyed, Jane felt a stab of guilt, anyways if the man wanted to drink after the shitty week, who was she to stop him.
They were interrupted by a plump woman that had a menu in her hands, “Jane”
“Marlene” Jane smiled, “How’s George?”
“That lazy assed whimp, he’s at home” The woman, Marlene, answered, “What are you doing here?”
“I missed you” Jane smiled and Marlene chuckled, “And your carrot cake”
Marlene laughed and nodded, “Coming out” she then looked at Loki, “Who’s the handsome fellow?”
“That’s- um- he’s-“
“Loki” Loki streched his hand, Marlene shook it, “Jane’s co-worker” he added, to Jane’s surprise, “Pleasure” Ok, he was getting weird now.
“All mine, sugar” Marlene said, “So, you are taking Jane out, finally”
“After a long week of persistance” Loki smirked and then winked, He winked at the woman, Jane’s jaw dropped.
“Well, let me bring you some cake and… two beers? On the house” Marlene excused herself.
Jane stared in surprise as Loki smiled at the woman. She knew that he was a good pretender but she almost believed he had actually liked Marlene. Loki then raised and eyebrow to her.
“What? I can be polite”
“That was good” Jane narrowed her eyes, “too good” she added, “Marlene believed everything you said, and my co-worker? You don’t even know what I do”
“Thank you” Loki shrugged, “they don’t call me Silvertongue for nothing”
Jane laughed loudly, throwing her head back, Loki stared at her neck for a few seconds, “Silvertongue” she said.
“Also, I read all of your research last night, I know what you do” Loki added, he did know, and Jane Foster’s research was a very accurate one, “Impressive”
Jane suddenly blushed, “Thank you” her phone then rang, she pulled it out of her bad and sighed, “Hey, we are-“ she frowned, “Yes, sure, it’s fine” Loki noticed her tensing, “Darcy, it’s cool, yes… okay, love you too”
She hung up just when Marlene came back, with two pieces of carrot cake and a jar with beer in it. She left two glasses with them and then left.
“Darcy’s sick” Jane said, serving herself some beer, “She’s probably staying with her-“ she looked at Loki, “Nevermind”
“We leave then” Loki said, standing up, Jane felt bad for making him feel uncomfortable, or better said, making him feel like she was uncomfortable being alone with him.
She put her hand on his’, the feeling of familiarity jolting through her arm and the warmness she had felt before settling in her chest, “let’s stay” she said.
Loki took his hand away and nodded slowly, he sat again and looked at the cake, “What is this made off”
Jane shrugged, already a piece in her mouth, “It’s good, try it”
“if I get food poisoned-"
“I will carry you to the hospital myself” She raised and eyebrow.
Loki swallowed and took the fork that rest on the left side of the plate. He examined the content of the cake, it looked moist. He heard Jane chuckling while taking a sip of her beer. He sighed and cut a piece.
“Here comes the airplane” Jane chanted slowly.
He took it to his mouth and let the flavor embrace his tongue, it was… good. Jane winked at him then and he almost choked on the surprisingly delicious “carrot cake”. Jane pushed the glass with beer in it towards him and he took a long gulp.
“Slow down” Jane said, yet he didn’t, swallowing the whole pint in a few seconds, “Whoa”
He wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, “Good”
They continued drinking while arguing Jane’s “surprisingly accurate theory” like Loki remarked every time he made a point. After twenty minutes they ordered the rum Loki had asked for at the beginning. After half an hour, Jane’s cheeks felt like burning, the alcohol clouding her mind and a warmness spreading through her chest. Loki felt surprise to be affected by the small quantity of alcohol he had ingested, the dozen of empty glasses on the table said the contrary.
He would never admit that he was, in fact, enjoying himself doing a thing so… mundane as drinking in a pub. He liked when Jane laughed, and the way she defended her job being in such a state, with blushed cheeks and dragging words as she did so. He noticed she had honey eyes and a small beauty mark on her cheek. Also, the band that had been playing for the last en minutes was good. They reminded Loki of Thor’s stupid friends. A middle age woman singing and three men with beards and funny clothes playing the instruments.
“That’s my husband” Marlene told Loki, “On the bass” Loki nodded, what was a bass?, “Enjoying yourselves?” Marlene asked, leaving another pint for Loki, Jane shook her head politely.
“Very much” Jane said, “I think I want to dance” she added.
Marlene laughed and winked at Loki. Who stared at Jane with the corner of his eyes. the woman left and Jane stood up, she walked towards the small space in the middle of the pub, where a couple other people dance.
Jane didn’t seem to mind dancing along, moving he head slowly and her eyes closed. Loki took a long sip of his pint while observing her, he had seen beautiful women before, far more beautiful than he had considered Jane Foster at first, but now there was something about her. And maybe it was the alcohol going through is body but he stood up and walked towards her.
I have spoke with the tongue of angels
I have held the hand of a devil
It was warm in the night
I was cold as a stone
And she smiled at him, her eyes shiny and dreamy.
But I still haven't found
What I'm looking for
But I still haven't found
What I'm looking for
He stood behind her dumbly, not knowing what to do. Loki had never danced before, most women preferred dancing with the future king of Asgard than with his awkward brother.
Jane looked at him, he looked like his mind was somewhere else for a few seconds, and she smiled softly at him, for some reason she wanted him to be there with him. She took his hands, big and warm, trying her best to cover them with her much more smaller ones.
And his lips curved upward.
You broke the bonds
And you loosed the chains
Carried the cross of my shame
Oh my shame, you know I believe it.
She then closed the small distance between them and she felt him embrace her, her head against his chest, listening to his heart beating. It felt so… right.
And maybe it was.