A.N: Okay...so this is my first Lokane, so please, please be gentle with me. (which is Loki/Jane) I will tell the truth, I did not like this pairing to begin with and then I read "Fallen Star' by Alydia Rackham. (Which I highly recommend you to read. It will change your life and make you a true Lokane believer.) So I decided to try my hand at Lokane myself and here it is. This is a one shot...for now. ( I might make it longer, still don't know.) Quote in summary is by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Okay, enough of my rambling, please enjoy!

"We sometimes encounter people,

even perfect strangers,

who begin to interest us at first sight,

somehow suddenly, all at once,

before a word has been spoken."

- Fydor Dostoevsky

The stars flew by in a rush of rainbow-colored lights until they merged into a bright flash of brilliant white. As it faded the figures of two men strode forward side by side. One was tall and broad-chested with golden blonde hair, holding a great hammer in his left hand, his red cape fluttering softly behind him. Thor Odinson, the God of Thunder, next in line to be King of Asgaard.

The other man was none other than Loki Odinson, the god of Mischief, prince of Asgaard.

Thor slapped his hand down onto his companion's shoulder as they made their way to the horses waiting outside the Bifrost site. Loki rolled his eyes back at him and gave him a light shove in answer.

Thor laughed heartily and took a deep breath, releasing it in a slow exhale. "Brother, it does feel good to be home again, does it not?"

Loki nodded in agreement. "I have to think. I'll be in my study. Do not bother me. "

He quickly strode to his horse, mounted it, and took off like a flash.

Thor shook his head, a great smile nearly splitting his face in two. Oh my brother, I'm certain you do.

/ ~ / ~ / ~ /

The horse thankfully knew where they were headed, as Loki could barely see where he was going, his mind was racing with the events of the past few months.

They had spent the last 3 months mediating a rather tense meeting between the Northern and Southern tribes of Frost Giants on Jotunheim. The first agenda was the proper apportionment of land to either parties. That was easy enough to do but the second agenda of the meeting was the one item that took the longest to agree on. The Ice Casket. The very relic that gave the Frost Giants the ability to move between the realms without a Bifrost.

He raised a hand and pinched the flesh between his eyes. The northern giants argued that they were the strongest and therefore they could handle the power of the Ice Casket better.

The Southern Giants did not agree, their counter-arguement? The Casket was a relic of spiritual value and needed to be sealed away in a temple to be prayed to. The highlight of the whole affair was that either side knew quite descriptive and colorful words to describe each other.

The third agenda?

His appointment as the King of Jotunheim.

The Elders agreed that by blood, as the son of Laufey, the throne was rightfully his, unfortunately the laws had an unforseen clause to them. Both the Northern and Southern tribes would only allow him to become King if he could fulfill that one clause. It was an ancient Jotun Ritual that had been followed since the first Frost King. Even Laufey had followed it which brought a slightly sick feeling to his stomach. No matter how much he argued with them to change their minds. They did not sway in their decision.

Their final decree, in order for him to become King of Jotunheim, was that he had to find a queen.

Which meant he had to get married.

His stomach gave another lurch at the thought.

The catch was that he couldn't just find any one person and be done with it. The woman he chose as his queen would have to be strong, intellectually and emotionally.

And unfortunately human...

due to the little fiasco he caused with the Chitauri.

He winced at the memories. He severely underestimated the mortals capabilities to fight back. He was still sore from being tossed around like a rag-doll by that giant green brute they 'affectionately' name The Hulk.

/ ~ / ~ / ~ /

He jerked in the saddle, caught unaware as horns blared loudly next to him, announcing his arrival to the palace. He tried to shake his mind free of the rather painful thoughts as he dismounted, but still the thought of what he would have to do to assure his throne rushed through his mind like a raging river. With a heavy sigh, he patted his horse's flank and handed the reins to the stable-hand standing nearby. He only knew of one spot in the entire palace that could soothe his troubled mind.

He turned and walked away from the large double doors in front of him to duck through a small opening far off to the side.

As he stepped through, the heavy floral scented air attacked his senses and he felt his troubled thoughts start to drift away. He wouldn't admit it to anyone else, but he enjoyed walking through the gardens of Asgaard more than anything else.

He continued to walk, stopping every so often to admire a flower here or a piece of greenery there. He was just about to walk into the orchards when a faint sound stopped him in his tracks.

What is that?

His curiosity peeked, he turned and followed the sound as it grew louder, until he finally could identify it.

Humming.

Someone was humming in the rose gardens. No one had been in those gardens since he and Thor were small boys playing hide and seek among the trees. They would eat lunch and listen to the soft humming of Mother's gentle voice.

The beautiful tune sounded vaguely familiar to Loki, so thinking it was his mother, Queen Frigga, he walked softy and quietly to the edge of the tree line of the Orchard, then near the edge of the shrubbery that divided the rose garden from the Orchard.

He rounded the corner and the greeting he had prepared had died on his tongue and for a moment he was breathless. The person humming was not Mother, but someone esle, someone he had not seen before.

She had her back turned to him, so he couldn't see what her face looked like, but the gown she was wearing fit her small figure perfectly. The pale yellow of her gown paired well with deep brown hair that fell in soft curls down her back. She was small; she had to be a least a foot shorter than he himself was.

His heart thudded painfully in his chest when she transitioned from humming to vocalizing the melody.

Her voice was soft and so full of emotion. He felt such a urge to see her face. To look into her eyes.

Who is this woman?

He had to know who she was so he took a step forward...

Just as a deep voice like the rumbling of thunder called out. He concealed himself quickly at the sound of his brother's steps, not wanting to be found by him here.

The mysterious woman stopped singing and faced his brother, her face unfortunately still hidden from his eyes.

"Thor! You're back!"

Anger gripped him at the sight of the woman throwing her arms around Thor in a hug.

Of course! My brother always has women falling at his feet. Why would this one be any different.

"I was told by my mother that you might be here. It is good to see you once again, Lady Jane."

The utterance of her name washed over him like a wave of ice. No, impossible, it couldn't be her.

"Thor, can we talk inside? It got cold out here all of sudden."

Thor nodded and took her arm, leading her indoors, away from the gardens.

Away from him.

Loki looked down at his hands and saw a deep blue color staining his hands that he didn't know until then were clenched into fists.

"Oh, wait! I forgot my book! Hold on a second, okay? I'll be right back." Jane exclaimed aloud.

Warmth flooded back into his veins as she walked back into the gardens, with that lovely pale yellow dress clinging to her lovely curves, and those locks of mahagony curls softly dancing as the faint rose-scented breeze blew its breath over her.

He watched as she bent down and picked up the book she had left behind, and when she stood back up, she swept her eyes over the garden one last time, seeming to stop a split second to lock eyes with him. It was but a few seconds but it felt like lightening had struck him as he looked upon wide, expressive eyes that were a lovely shade of dark amber. She had a small upturned nose and plump pink lips that looked very kissable at the moment.

He turned his face away, swallowing hard, silently cursing the mortal beauty that had left him breathless yet again. When had he become so weak that he would fall for a mortal's charms?

Her voice once again echoed through his mind. She may be mortal but there was something about her that was other-worldly.

That voice.

That voice held such a deep and utter loneliness that it called to him. It struck such a chord within his being that it made him want to reach out to her and hold her tightly in his arms.

The temperature surrounding him dropped again as anger took a hold of him again but he wasn't angry at himself.

He was angry that Thor was the one that found her.

The very woman that with one song could bring to light just how utterly alone he felt.

"Jane."

Oh he had an answer for the elders...

He had found his queen, but she could never be his...not when she was with his brother.

And as if a flame flickered to life in his mind, a devilish smirk graced his lips. He turned and walked away, humming the same song he'd heard but moments ago.

Oh but that could change so easily...

When you're the God of Mischief.

A.N: Okay, verdict time! Was it good? Or was it bad and I need to denounce my place as one of the Army of Loki? Please tell me...reviews help me to become a better writer. (They also give me this warm and fuzzy feeling inside.)

The song they are talking about is Song of Memory from FF8, which is really pretty. There is also another song from FF8 that uses the same score called Melodies of Life. (I recommend the English version, although the Japanese version is really good too.)

Thanks for reading!