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"He hates me," Loki lamented, flopping on the chair dejectedly spreading arms out with a loud groan.
Janes wondered what she earned to deserve this. Seemed that was the wrong time to be in the Avenger's lounging room, files and papers scattered across the coffee table; Ipad sat on the stand with her screen filled with statistics, formulas and charts. Darcy sat on the other chair with her music blaring via earphones chatting working on her own papers with Ian, working on his thesis quietly. His head cocked slightly when Loki entered prior to the god's theatrical drop onto the chair with a whine.
Jane resigned knowing that being involved with Thor and the Avengers meant craziness permanently become a part of her life. New threats popped up worldwide with no inkling of stopping, a wake-up call if there ever was one. The reports, social media, blogs things, twitter; everywhere. No one could avoid it.
Unfortunately, or fortunately Loki was not involved with any of those incidents.
Darcy rose her head and pulled an earplug out. "Who hates you?"
"You aren't exactly earth's favourite person," Ian added quietly scribbling away in his notebook.
Jane curled her lips unused to seeing Loki being so sullen. "Even if you've reformed, you aren't that… bad."
Loki leered menacingly. "You will do well to stay on my good side—besides, isn't kicking a person when they are down considered bad decorum on earth?"
That was when the twitch of a migraine formed nudged against his face. Jane decided to hear him out against her better judgement. "Fine." She said sharply. "What's wrong?"
"Haraldr." Loki slammed his head back into the pile of cushions. "He hates me. My son hates me."
"Don't you hate your dad?" Darcy pointed out.
Loki sniffed. "That's different."
"How so?"
Ian intervened quickly. "What makes you believe he hates you?" Darcy and Jane gazed unblinkingly. "What?"
"He doesn't want to spend time with me," Loki answered solemnly.
Darcy groaned and gazed at the ceiling. "Great. Now we have to listen to his flashback!"
"Darcy!"
Loki summoned cans aligning in a straight line upon an railing. Each different in density and size. Sitting quietly he sauntered behind Harry. Kneeling down and pointed towards the cans were before them, arm raised pointing towards the other side with a side glance to Harry.
"We'll begin with a simple illusion spell, I want you to make them vanish from sight concealing them without the use of your wand," He instructed. "Focus. Channel your magic and envision the cans disappearing, concealing and hidden away from the prying eyes of those around you. Think of it as putting something in your pocket or on a top shelf where no one can see. Magic is not just about the power you put in but the strength of your imagination and concentration. The stronger the imagination and solid your concentration the easier it shall cast the spell. Now," his eyes tore away and cocked back to the cans. "Try."
His son tensed then released with a sharp breath and nodded curtly.
The tingle of magic started to seep into the air. Loki felt the hair on his neck standing on end waiting in apprehension straightening his posture awaiting the results eagerly, the tingling of the tin cans rustled about the crackling of metal echoed vibrantly. Haraldr closed his eyes and scrunched his face in concentration, the first can swung back and forth before vanishing incidentally out of nowhere. The second can followed soon afterward steadily the rest of the cans rocked starting to form dents. The table which the cans start started to rock beneath them with the ground shaking violently, Loki nearly stumbled and fell to the ground, the sheer force was enough for anyone to lose their balance and as the sounds started to grow in volume, the table vanished with the cans dropping to the ground all at once leaving a mess. While the cans were empty, they scattered across the floor rolling around and laying on the floor.
Loki furrowed his brows. "And where is the table?"
"It's… gone," His son answered and flushing.
"Gone? As in concealed?"
Haraldr swallowed and glanced away. "I… think I might have done more than vanishing it."
"More?" Loki felt confused and then shook his head. "No matter. I'll re-summon it."
"You can do that?"
Loki turned and smiling. "Haradlr. You find that there is little that I cannot do, and I have many year's experience in the arcane arts. I'll pass down these teachings to you in time, obviously we still need to work on the basics before we can move forward but no matter. Let us try again from the beginning." Clapping his hands as the table appeared and then splintered apart onto the floor.
"Wait why did it break?!"
"I believe you might have poured a wee bit too much of your magic and ended up destroying it," Loki answered flippantly surprised. "I suppose perhaps we should start with basic exercises."
Haraldr averted gaze. "Right. Got it."
"Let's start from the beginning. Again, shall we?"
"When I tried to spend sometime afterward Haradlr said he needed something to do and went off on his own."
Jane exchanged a silent glance with Ian together shifting attention at Loki, whom continued to bury himself beneath the piles of cushions as though attempting to drown himself, theatrics aside. She felt a slight sting of sympathy for him desiring to spend time with Harry and being avoided must have hurt. Loki might not have been the best person in the universe but was making an honest effort at being a father, building a relationship and wanting to get to know his son. There were few humans willing to take on that responsibility, running for the hills deny all involvement while shifting blame elsewhere; Loki attempted to act accordingly was admirable, mistrust lodged inside of her although Loki had helped Thor and was trying to atone for his own actions, Jane was a person of logic and reason rather than of emotion like Darcy.
Her throat tightened and swallowed thickly. Giving pep talks were not her forte.
"Loki. Listen, whatever you think you feel maybe you're overreacting," Jane started slowly trying not to wince. Her entire sentence sounded cheesy already since she started might as well finish. "Have you sat down and had a talk with him? Father to son? Maybe if you do that, you'd be able to open communication with him."
Loki tore his head from the cushions steadily. "You really think so?"
"You never know unless you try."
That sounded lame, and weak in her mind.
Darcy snorted loudly.
"Darcy?" Jane shot a weird look.
"For being intelligent people, both of you can be kinda dumb," Darcy spoke with a wryly and almost smiled scathingly. "I figured out why the kid ran."
Jane and Ian shifted confused. "What do you mean?" Jane asked slowly.
"Think about what Loki just said. And then come back to me," Darcy suggested, gathering her things and shoving them into her bag. "I'm head out. See ya."
"Darcy!"
The sound of the door slamming shut loudly leaving the three befuddled to her attitude and abrupt decision to leave. Jane had known Darcy for a very long time seeing her react in such a manner was normal—as normal could get for her, that did not stop the lodging of worry from tightening in her stomach that something was wrong. That tone in Darcy's voice made her wonder what exactly they had missed.
Ian stood stepping forward and looked back. "I'll go talk with her."
"Thanks Ian." Jane smiled faintly sighing afterward once he vanished.
"I wanted advice. Not to watch human drama," Loki muddled in the pillows sullenly.
Jane glared. "If you don't like drama much how about you stop acting like a drama queen!"
"Drama Queen?" Loki scoffed insufferably. "Is that some human jargon? Pitiful."
"You know I was trying to help you. But you know what? You can figure out this entire mess by yourself," Jane slammed her files shut and rapidly shoved them into her bag, angrily tearing her purse from the side wrapping around her arm as she walked towards the door. Her hand laid on the handle pausing and looked back lips curled and pressed together. "I pity you Loki. I truly hope you do. Even when you have something you still isn't good enough in your eyes. Have a good day Loki."
It took every inch of her not to slam that door. Intentional or not Loki knew how to get under her skin without even trying she felt stupid and childish, but boy did he know how to push buttons.
Jane did not know what Fury had been thinking allowing of all people to roam freely inside the Tower. She bet that Thor had something to do with it, while loving him with all her heart (not that she would ever admit out loud) after everything Loki did to Earth and put Thor through trusting him felt almost too much. The entire situation proved to be an utter mess. Who knew that a simple DNA test would turn into something like this? Jane was happy that Thor discovered family even on Earth but Harry was family to Tony and Bucky was far too strange dismissing as a mere coincidence. As a woman of science believing in things such as magic, fate, destiny or whatever. Since meeting Thor, her experiences in Asgard opened up her mind and see things beyond mere numbers and statistics, the universe was vast filling with things Jane could barely wrap her mind around.
She did not feel relaxed. There was no way this was a coincidence.
Darcy and Ian were nowhere in sight. Jane guessed that the two might have headed home for the night, sincerely hoping that by tomorrow that Darcy would be well. It nagged at the back of her mind the outburst replayed in her head recalling what Darcy said then shook, today already proved stressful enough. She'd call her in the morning once things cooled down.
For now, heading home sounded like a great idea.
When the next day rolled around Jane arrived at the coffee ship at the usual time expecting Darcy and Ian already there only to discover she was by her lonesome. Her heart tugged inside Jane's chest gazing around the shop hoping to see the two around just to stroll towards their usual spot in an odd silence. This would be the first time she'd been alone.
Her eyes slide tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, feeling the warmth that her hot coffee gave sipping quietly.
"Dr Foster?"
Jane's head shot up. "Harry?"
It was surprising to see him by himself seeing as lately he'd been hanging around Peter since meeting in this very coffee shop. Out of all the luck she never imagined that the two would end up meeting together like this, before anything could say anything Harry instantly plopped himself in one chair joining her. Her brain took a moment before registering what happened and shook back to reality.
"W-what are you doing here?" She stuttered straightening her posture.
Harry shot an odd look. "I'm getting a coffee?"
"I-I mean, shouldn't you be with the others?" Jane asked quietly with a hard gaze.
"I'm allowed to have freedom and be on my own," Harry retorted flatly. "I'm not around them 24/7 and they respect my need for space. I don't enjoy being cooped up in a place like I'm fragile."
Jane winced. "T-That's not what I meant. So have you made any friends?"
"A few," He answered with a short nod sipping his coffee. "I'm meeting up with Peter and his friends later today."
She hummed thoughtfully. "So, you are adjusting to being here?"
Harry shrugged in response and glanced over at the windows watching by standards walk by. "It's different from home. I don't really have to worry about people following or hanging over my neck by the Order. Not going to lie and say that I'm happy being taken from England but, I don't dislike it either." His lowered shaking and smiled wryly. "I'm not making much sense am I?"
"No. You are," Jane answered. "I get what you mean. Your entire world got turned upside down, trust me I've been there."
"With… Thor?"
Jane stilled herself and then nodded. "Yeah. With Thor. Since meeting him my life has just… changed completely, I wouldn't give it up for the universe." She paused. "Doesn't change the fact that I'd appreciate him checking in or leaving me a message."
"Isn't that what cells are for?" Harry teased.
"Not sure cellular reception can reach through space," Jane responded dryly.
Harry snorted and grinned. "Fair."
"What…" She hesitated. "What about you and Loki?"
"What about Loki?" His tone cool and almost hurried.
Jane cursed herself before continuing. "Is… everything okay between the two of you?"
"Was he dramatic?" Harry questioned carefully.
"That's one way of putting it," She admitted.
"It's complicated."
"I bet. But you know, he is trying you know," Jane said, unable to believe she was trying to help Loki. "Have you tried you know talking with him?"
Before Harry could say anything a knock on the window snapped them out of the conversation and seeing Peter smiling carrying his skateboard. Harry beamed instantly hearing the murmur of a quick goodbye running out to meet up with his friend, Jane peered from the window listening to them chat animatedly watching the smiles blossom on their faces until the two headed off together vanishing from site.
"Well, that was something."
Jane jumped out of her chair coming face to face with Loki. "Wha-when did you? Why?"
"Teleportation look it up. As for the why, I took what you and Darcy said last night." Loki straightened in the chair and folded arms on the table. "I want to get to know my son. And you, will help me."