Instincts (A Loki Fanfic)

Chapter Thirty Four

(Kit's Pov)

The following days passed quickly, each cooler with the air conditioning now fixed. Slowly the sneezes became more frequent, followed by sniffles and then a small cough. At first Kit thought nothing of it, pushing on through the weekend and then after. Until this morning, when her awakening stopped all that.

Kit woke in her bed, throat so dry it hurt when she swallowed. Her nose so stuffed up she couldn't breathe through it, making her head feel compressed in the process. A cough broke its way out of her, followed by another, and another- until a whole coughing fit exploded from her chest. Her head was in agony, the rest of her body feeling hot and sticky as well. It was hard to even find the energy to get up to go to the bathroom to blow her nose.

The only source for this madness that Kit could think of while in her slowly crippling mental state was her heat. It should be arriving any week now, today just days before the two-month mark. Even though it usually would arrive after this mark, within the second and third months of its absence.

Of course it would make her feel agitated and horrible, but usually with an energy that burned its way through her. It's never made her feel so... exhausted, from just breathing.

Kit laid on her bed, wavering between the lines of consciousness and non, deciding whether to risk facing the others. She never even managed to tell Nat what had happened. Well, what Kit assumed happened, anyway.

Time whirled by at inconsistent speeds. One second it was early morning, the next an hour later. Then another few minutes, and then a few hours passed. Until a burst of magic across the room made her try to wake up.

"Kitten?"

Loki.

Oh no. Not now, in her delirious state. If she was having her heat, this would be the worst time...

"I brought breakfast." He said, and she forced her eyes open to look up when the edge of her bed dipped. Despite no extra feelings arriving yet- not to mention the lack of scents- her fear made Kit hold her breath. And with a clogged nose, this lead to a stifled coughing fit. 

Loki floated the tray of breakfast beside him, looking down at her with concerned features. When she erupted in coughs, he instantly moved to feel her forehead.

"Oh, Darling." He sighed, removing his hand. Loki vanished the food, summoning a wet rag instead. He folded it and laid it across her forehead. "I told you to be careful."

Kit removed the rag, handing it back to him before weakly trying to push him off the bed. "You cannot be here." She rasped.

An amused smile crossed his face. "Human illness does not affect me. I will be fine taking care of you." He pushed her softly back onto the bed, but not before piling the pillows behind her head.

"No-" She coughed, "You cannot be here when it starts." Kit struggled to make him understand. Although she felt nothing arise from his presence, she was sure this illness was caused by an approaching heat.

Loki replaced the cloth, and Kit didn't bother to remove it this time. "When what starts?"

"My heat..." But Kit already started to doze off again, leaving Loki to question the rest on his own.

*

(Loki's Pov)

About an hour passed before she awoke again. Kit was burning with a fever, coughing like the air itself poisoned her, and so stuffed up she could only breathe through her mouth. If only she would've rested and taken the time to heal before the sickness got this bad.

"Loki?" A voice startled him, as he looked up from his book. Occasionally Avengers stopped by every so often, to which he answered their questions honestly. Kit had fallen ill, and he took it upon himself to care for her. That didn't stop them from staying a few minutes or promising hot soup for when she awoke.

"Yes, Kitten?" Loki asked, watching from his chair that he summoned beside her bed.

She sighed contently, already drifting off again. "I love you."

He smiled. "I love you too." He refreshed the cool rag on her forehead once again, returning to his book.

A few moments later, the door creaked open. Light flooded the room. "How's our Котя doing?" Lady Natasha entered. She stopped by twice already, each time asking the same questions.

"Her fever has gone down some." Loki responded, setting his book back where it had been not a few minutes prior.

Natasha sighed, a grave expression on her face. "Not enough though." Loki shook his head. He had hoped it would have dropped more than just a few points of a degree by now. "Did she wake up again?"

"Briefly." He didn't bother hiding her condition from the others. They knew about every awakening, sneeze, cough, and anything else that ailed her.

"What did she say?" Natasha looked at him suspiciously.

Well, that was a new question. He quickly tried to suppress his surprise. "Not much." But he had to give an answer, or the spy would do what she does best. Investigate. He brought up what the Kitten had said earlier. "Kit mentioned something about heat- or a heat, of some sort, that was coming."

Natasha's face fell. "Outside. Now." Loki found himself dragged along outside the room, facing a very cautious Natasha. "Look, you've been really nice looking after Kit. But you have to stop."

"What?" Her statement smacked Loki across the face. "Whatever for? Nothing has happened, she is getting better- albeit slowly, but-"

"But nothing." She interrupted, "If this is what she thinks it is, you'll be better away from her, Loki."

He glared down at her. But she obviously knew something he didn't. "Why? What is her 'heat'?"

After a sigh, and some hesitation, she regretfully indulged him with the details. Of both what Kit told her, plus some extra research of what actually was going on. That Kit never found the words for, the last time Loki wasn't allowed into Kit's room.

"I never thought..." Loki muttered, but after reviewing his memories of the night of Valentine's Day, the pieces started falling together. How timid she had acted, not really saying anything besides a greeting. And of course he recited what he had planned on his way to her room, but once she opened the door- a strange wave had passed over him. Not particularly to bed her, but to protect her and cuddle the Kitten close. 

But now that they were in a relationship, months after the last incident, no doubt these feelings would have grown. Loki knew they had, even without any influences in his presence. If the couple met knowing such things could be allowed, it might go farther than just a protective feeling. More than just wanting extra cuddles.

"Until we know what's really going on, I think you should try to avoid her, Loki." The words stung, but for their sake he agreed. Loki didn't want anything to happen by accident, before they were truly ready for any 'next steps'.

He could only hope Kit would get better soon, so things could resume as they were. The thought of leaving her for days while she suffered burned him alive, but what other honorable choice was there?

(A/N: I've asked this before, I'll ask it again... What does everyone think about smut(nsfw style) coming soon? There's a fork in the plot, and the story will work either way. All of you can decide about this one. Every vote counts!

Yes, let them 'you know what'? 

No, don't make this mature?

Thank you all for reading! I absolutely adore all your encouraging comments! Thank you so much!)