Just Like Heaven

Jane opened her eyes slowly, the sunlight slithering through the barely open windows from her room made it hard to see. She had that dream again. Where Loki had died in her arms, the warm blood drenching her hands and Loki’s cold hands between hers. She stared at the ceiling and sighed, it had been real. She stretched herself on the bed and yawned. Catsby meowed and she smiled and scratched his head, chuckling when he purred.

There was a knock on the door.

“Jane”

Catsby jumped from the bed and Jane stood up, she opened the door, “Hey” she smiled at Erik.

“Hey” he said, and offered her a cup of coffee, his hands did not longer shook whenever he picked things up, “It’s still warm” he added.

“Coffee” Jane smiled and took the cup, “Thanks”

Erik chuckled, “You are seriously addicted to that”

“Who isn’t?” Jane answered with a twinkle in her eye, “Shit, what time is it?” she said, her voice panicking.

“It’s almost eleven” Erik said, it wasn’t until then that Jane noticed he was dressed, “Darcy’s here, too”

“Give me ten minutes!” She said, she left the cup on her nightstand and started grabbing clothes from the floor.

“Five” Erik shook his head softly with a smile on his face, “Let’s go Catsby” he grabbed the cat and left.

Jane took another quick sip form the cup of coffee and started looking for her bathrobe. She recognize the flower fabric next to her bed lamp and pulled from it, accidentally knocking the cup and spilling the coffe.

She groaned and grabbed a shirt, cleaning the mess, it took Jane a few seconds to realise the shirt was a familiar one. The hideous shirt she had given Loki the first day he arrived. She had been keeping it under her pillow, it was weird and borderline dumb but sometimes she could smell Loki in it.

It had been almost two months since he had… Since he had died in her arms. Thor had insisted he had to take the body back to Asgard. After all, Loki had been forgiven and sent back to his homeland. He was a god the moment he had died, a son of Odin, and as one he deserved a proper burial. Jane never heard from Thor again, and sometimes she stared at the skies wishing Thor would suddenly appear. But there was no reason for him to come back. Much less for her. Her who had fallen for his brother, the man that was considered a traitor.

She blinked a few times and wiped the tear running down her cheek.

“Not now, Jane” she whispered to herself.

She joined Darcy and Erik fifteen minutes later. Erik started to recover a few days after Thor left. And Jane couldn’t help but think that had something to do with it. By the time a month and a half had passed Erik had made an almost full recovery, of course sometimes he struggled to remember things but Jane knew he was going to get much better with time.

“Ian is already in the car” Darcy said, looking at her phone.

Darcy and Ian had become engaged after a few months of dating. For everyone else, it was crazy but Jane and Erik knew that was the way their Darcy did everything and it always worked out for her. Ian’s parents were visiting from London and they were going to make a small engagement party for them.

“How do I look?” Darcy asked, “Do I look like a future bride?”

Jane chuckled, “Not at all”

“Thank God!” Darcy grinned.

Jane smiled and took a sip from her coffee. She turned to Darcy, who had gone quiet all of sudden. The brunette was looking at her, a soft expression in her face.

“How are you?” She asked, and Jane knew what she meant.

“Good” Jane answered after a few seconds, she put the coffee down and grabbed Darcy’s hand, squeezing softly, “I am happy for you” she said, then Erik entered the room, “For us”

Darcy nodded kissed Jane’s cheek and left the apartment. Erik chuckled and then smiled at Jane, she walked towards him and arranged his bow tie. He hated bow ties.

“I hate this things” he said.

She chuckled, “I know” Erik nodded, “You know Darcy told Ian’s parents that you are her father”

“I didn’t know I looked that old” He raised and eyebrow.

“You totally don’t” Jane raised and eyebrow back and they both chuckle, “I’m glad you are here to see this” she added, patting his chest, where his heart was healthily beating.

“Me too, Jane” Erik smiled and held her hand against his chest, “You’ve been… gloomy”

Jane shook he head, “I’m happy” and she hugged him, he returned the hug after a few seconds and kissed her head.

“Is it because of Loki?” he asked and Jane looked up at him, “Darcy told me everything”

Jane pulled back, “It doesn’t matter anymore” she said after a few seconds, “He’s…”

“It will always matter if you cared”

She bit her lip and hugged herself, “He was sorry” she said, “He-“

“I know” Erik nodded, he then clapped his hands and smiled, “Let’s go before Darcy leaves us”

“She would never”

“And I’m not getting in a car with you driving” he added with a grin.

There was no noise around him, no people murmuring, but he wasn’t in Jane’s bedroom again. Instead he was in another familiar room, big windows and green and gold wallpaper surrounding him. He sat on the bed, his feet touching the cold marble floor.

He was in his room, in his bed, wearing his own silk robes and he was not injured.

The doors opened an a woman entered, the blond haired woman that had been in charge of cleaning his room since he remembered. She looked at him and froze, he lifted his chin defiantly and she left.

He stood up once the doors were slammed closed. His most elegant robes were laid next to him, in a wooden chair, next to them were his boots. Loki dressed, there was something telling him that he was supposed to. And just when he was finished, the doors were opened. And Thor walked in.

“Brother” Thor entered, “You have finally woken”

Loki stared at him and nodded slowly, “What happened?” he asked, “After…“

“You were brought here” Thor explained, “Almost dead”

“Dead” Loki frowned to himself.

“You were unconscious for so long… we didn’t think you would wake up”

Loki backed away from Thor. He looked at his hand and then at Thor, who frowned at him. There was an odd sensation in his chest, and he felt more disoriented that he had ever felt before, even thought it was clearly his room he was at. Maybe that was it. The last thing he remembered was his mother, she smiled at him while she carried him to that place.

“I was with mother” He said all of sudden, and he could see Thor was caught off guard, “in… she said that…” He started pacing around, “I asked them to save Erik”

Thor followed him with his eyes, “Erik Selvig?”

Loki’s eyes connected to Thor’s, “He’s- is he-“

“Erik Selvig is alive” Thor said, “He’s alive and well” he added, “Better than well, he made a… surprisingly full recovery”

The Gods had done what he had asked them. They saved Erik and Jane wasn’t going to be alone. But if that was it, why was he alive also?

“Wait” he looked at Thor, “How long was I-“

“Two months” Thor answered before he could finish, “And no, we hadn’t told Jane you are alive”

Loki stiffened, “What made you think I care?” he asked, not wanting to show weakness infront of Thor, besides, what good would come from it? Jane was in midgard, where he was never going to be able to go back. He then decided he wasn’t going to let them use the love for Jane against him.

“Father wishes to see you, Loki”

With that Thor left. Loki had barely enough time to react before another person entered. Two of them. Guards that were going to escort him to his father, who had asked for Loki’s presence. He walked towards the main hall, this time it was just Loki, Thor, Sif and Odin. There was a small sensation of familiarity, but Loki wasn’t afraid.

“You have been absolved from all your crimes” Odin said, without preambles, “In both midgard and asgard” he added, “But you will remain here for the rest of your eternity”

“Father” Thor said, “He wishes to go back” Loki looked at him.

“Is that so?” Odin said, “You wish to live as a mortal” his tone almost mocking.

Loki stayed quiet for a long time. His eyes traveling to Sif, who gave him a small encouraging nod, and then Thor, who smiled softly as if saying he finally understood. The he looked at Odin, his eyes crinkled in amusement.

“Did earth grew on you and melted you cold heart?” Odin asked, and even Thor frowned at him.

He looked around the room. Heimdall had entered, and was as always observing quietly from a dark corner. He realised what this was about. Jane. He had only been brought to his father to be ridicule, to be mocked. He raised his chin and smirked.

“Don’t be ridiculous” Loki said, and Sif and Thor exchanged confused looks, “If I had to spend one more day there” he huffed, “I had to get myself almost killed for you to finally offer me redemption”

“Then what was it that made you stay for so long?” Odin continued.

“Maybe it was being finally witness of how privileged I am to be a God” he retorted.

“Or maybe it was that mortal woman? What’s her name?” Odin said, and Loki’s mocking grin almost fell, almost, “Oh, that’s it”

Loki looked at Heimdall with the corner of his eye and continued, “I see Heimdall is more than just and observer, he’s also your personal informer“

Loki could see Heimdall smiled softly. Amused, perhaps, for his father’s reaction. His grin had fallen and he accommodated on the throne.

“Do you mind if I ask you a question, frankly?” He said, and Loki just stared, “Do you love this woman?” Odin asked, and he sounded genuinely interested, even Sif and Thor looked curious.

He took his time to answer. He wanted to say yes, he did, he loved her. Why did it matter so much, he didn’t care. But then he saw Odin’s genuine interest. Loki chuckled.

“Any guy that'd fall in love with that mortal ought to have his head examined” Loki said, making Sif chuckle softly.

Odin blinked and then he laughed, loudly, like he had never heard him before, “Now that's an evasion!”

Thor then spoke, “Father I think-“

“She picked herself a perfect running mate – dear Father - the pill of the century! What that woman needs is a guy that'd take a sock at her once a day, whether it's coming to her or not. If Thor had half the brains he’s supposed to have, he'd done it himself, long ago” he continued, amused by Sif and Thor’s struggle to not laugh infront of his father.

“Loki, Do you love her?” Odin questioned again.

“Not even a normal human being couldn't live under the same roof with her without going mad! She's my idea of noth-”

Odin didn’t let him finish, “I asked you a simple question! Do you love her?” he yelled, all jokes aside, and something inside of Loki switched.

“Yes, father, I do! But don't hold that against me, I'm a little screw up myself!” Loki yelled back.

And both Odin and Thor stared at him in surprise. Sif, on the other hand, smiled widely. He ran a hand through his messy hair and looked at the floor, not wanting to look at his father, or Thor. Suddenly, he felt two arms embracing him, Thor had taken two huge steps just to give him a hug. He stayed frozen, his arms hanging awkwardly on each side of his body. He returned the hug hesitantly and then Thor stood behind him.

Odin stared at both of his sons in disbelief before starting to walk away, “I’m afraid, Loki, that you can no longer continue here” he said when he passed by Loki and continued walking away.

“Father” Thor started.

“He had found his place” Odin explained, “And it is not here”

And to Loki, his father had never been so right about him before.