Chapter Text
Loki tossed aside his armor trying to get more comfortable in the softer fabric of his normal clothes as he laid down on the bed to try and rest in his private chamber. But he found himself once again staring at the ceiling just as he had done the nigh before, and once again he found himself tossing his green Oracle Sphere into the air and catching it over and over again.
Despite his immense fatigue Loki couldn't relax his body or mind and drift to sleep. Hours passed, each insomnia filled second seemed to taunt him. He sat up and looked around his room, it was still quite bare. There was nothing of personal aesthetic that would ever indicate that this room would be his own for years to come. He spotted the empty bookshelf and immediately thought of his Mother and how she had brought him books to read during his time in his cell.
"Perhaps there are books about this tower that could hold my interest." He spoke out loud knowing that no one would hear him as he placed the Oracle Sphere to a small pocket in his tunic.
Just as quietly as he entered his room hours earlier, Loki exited and walked into the sitting room. To his surprise he found that he was not the only person still awake in the tower. On the balcony he spied Jane wrapped tightly in her robe, she was again crying over Thor. The night sky beyond the balcony consisted of an icy breeze and perpetual blackness. Only a single star managed to glow brighter than the city lights below.
"Miss Foster?" He spoke her name in a low tone wanting to gain her attention without startling her.
"Loki?" She turned and saw him standing in the center of the room. She wiped away her tears. "You can't sleep either, huh?"
"No. My mind has been preoccupied as of late." He walked out onto the balcony and joined her at her side. "I imagine you have been enduring the same situation."
"Yeah. Something like that." She began rubbing her arms trying to keep the chill of the night air from affecting her.
Loki saw that she was cold and stood between her and the incoming breeze to shield her from the chill. "Forgive my indulgence, but I feel I must inform you of the events that I had experienced while I was laying near death."
"It's okay, Thor already told me." Jane answered flatly.
"What? When did he-"
Jane revealed the red Oracle Sphere from the pocket of her robe. "Thor told me everything that you had told him, the night before you left for the arctic."
Loki's eyes widened with surprise but was soon overcome with a sense of relief. She knew the truth. He stared with great interest at the red orb in Jane's hand. "Thor gave you the Oracle Sphere?"
Jane gripped it tightly. "He said it would help keep us connected while we were apart."
"Did he mention anything else of interest?"
"All he spoke of was his renewed trust in you, Loki. He was so convinced that you would do the right thing. Turns out his trust was worth it."
Loki closed his eyes, the knowledge of Thor's implied forgiveness was almost an unbearable gift. He locked eyes with Jane. "May I ask a personal question, Miss Foster?"
"Yes, but please call me Jane."
He took a deep breath as he prepared himself not only to ask her a very important question but to prepare himself for the answer. "Are you carrying Thor's child?"
Jane was taken aback, that was not a question that she had been expecting. She sighed before answering and smiled. "Yes." She rubbed vigorously at her arms again. "And I'm kind of scared."
"You have no reason to fear." He spoke with undeniable confidence. "I gave my word to Thor to protect you and your daughter."
"My... daughter?" Jane's brown eyes flashed with excitement. "How... How do you know it's a girl if you weren't even sure if I was pregnant to begin with?"
Loki shrugged his shoulders casually as he slightly blushed. "It is a gift that I inherited from Mother. I have been able to sense the child ever since I touched your shoulder on Asgard. You are currently abundant with pure energy stemming from new life."
"But you asked about it anyway?"
"I did not-" He paused momentarily trying to find the gentlest way to explain his actions. "I did not want to accidentally 'surprise' you with this news if you had not already known you were with child."
"Oh..." She laughed a little as she placed her hand over her belly. "I guess that would've been a little awkward." She looked into Loki's green eyes and she could see that he was no longer a threat to her or anyone else. She saw the kindness shining forth in his eyes, the same goodness that Thor had always seen. "Can I ask you a question?"
"You may."
"Are you going to leave?"
Loki flinched at the question. "I wish to keep my promise to Thor, but should I in fact leave? Or to be more specific, do you want me to leave?"
"No! You're Thor's Brother and... Well, you're going to be my daughter's uncle. I want you to stay, I want her to know her family."
"Then I shall stay."
Jane sighed with abundant relief. "Can I ask you another question?"
He nodded.
"Do you miss Thor?"
"I do." His tone was low and heavy with grief.
Tears welled up in her eyes. "Me too." A strong cold wind picked up and caused her to shake with a deep chill. She stepped closer to Loki trying keep warm.
Loki suddenly found himself wrapping his arms around Jane and embracing her against his chest to stave off the cold. Jane wasn't expecting this gesture but she didn't resist, she unfolded her arms and wrapped them around Loki allowing him to fully hug her.
Jane rested her head on his shoulder as she allowed him to hold her. "Your hands..."
"Are cold. I apologize, it is natural." He sounded embarrassed.
"No." Jane continued. "They're so warm. Like Thor's hands."
Loki hugged Jane a little tighter as tears continued to build in his eyes.
The two Oracle Spheres glowed with intensity as the two former enemies, now allies, supported each other on the balcony on that cold night. The black sky above was still bare with the exception of that single star, but now that star seemed to shine a little brighter.
-The End