The Call [Loki x Siren Fanfiction]

Chapter 15

Serendipity POV

As we first lay eyes on the New York S.H.I.E.L.D. Station, two days after Loki and I shared a bed- and I woke up laying on him- we are both completely exhausted, and I am so dehydrated I can barely stand. Loki has been aware of it for today and some of yesterday, and he is growing anxious. As am I. I’ve never been this long without water. He of course is fine, because his body is not entirely dependent on water. It’s only been about 30 hours since I last had water, which for a human would not be dire, but once again I am reminded that I am not human. 

I’m so tired. My knees are shaking. I’ve never missed water so bad. I’d be perfectly happy to be dumped into a tank of freshwater right now. 

“Loki,” I call out as best I can. He spins around in time to see me collapse entirely. He glances between me and S.H.I.E.L.D, considering our options, possibly considering running ahead and getting someone to come back. I’m so tired I can’t even pick an emotion to go with that idea. 

Closing his eyes for a moment and sighing, he walks over to me and gathers me up again before heading for S.H.I.E.L.D. 

“You just wanted me to carry you again, didn’t you, witch?” He says, his face worried. I give a weak laugh, barely a smile and an exhale, which only concerns him more. 

“Absolutely, the view from down here-“ I’m cut off by an odd sensation in my legs. My eyes open wide as I realize what’s happening. Suddenly I am wide awake, adrenaline fueling me once more. 

“Loki, illusion! Now!” I shout at him, trying to clench all of my muscles and fight it. He stammers at me, confused. Through gritted teeth I shout at him again. “Now!” This time he just does, and once I’m sure it's up I let go, and in the fastest transition I have ever had, my legs are melded back together into my tail. Loki is absolutely shocked, but to his credit, he doesn’t stop moving. 

“Couldn’t you have waited until we got you into a pool or something!?” He says, upset. “It’s hard enough carrying you, and keeping up an illusion, now I have to navigate six feet of tail!” 

“Hey it isn’t like I had control over that! I’m returning to my natural form, because I do that when I’m in a bad condition, like I did after Clint shot me” I try to explain, once again my consciousness wavers.

Loki starts running now, staring at me with fear. I can feel his heart pounding through his shirt. He’s scared for me. The realization makes me want to laugh, but I’m so exhausted that I can’t. 

We finally make it to S.H.I.E.L.D, and I only notice because I’m on a stretcher and everyone is shouting. The only voice I recognize is Loki’s, as he is frantically trying to keep them from taking me to the hospital ward. He just keeps telling them to put me in the pool. I can’t even keep my eyes open anymore. The world is fading away from me. 

This is not how I will die. I did not live a eight centuries to die because I forgot to drink water. I wrestle my eyes open once more. I will NOT die here! I feel the humidity of a human pool wash over me, and before I can even think about what I’m doing I’m pulling all of the water in the room to myself. I just need to be in it, I need to get into the water. I open my mouth to sing it to me, to bring it to me faster. 

Before the first note comes out of my mouth, a hand clamps over my mouth, cutting off most of my song. The same arm wraps around under my neck, and another under my tail. I’m lifted off the table, and I whip my head around, trying to find the water. My eyes lock on the water, and suddenly I’m flying through the air. I hit the water and I gasp, as it comes rushing into me. I feel my tail flick around, trying to absorb the water. 

The arms around me begin pulling me deeper into the pool before dropping me and letting me sink. I can hear humans shouting, and I hear Loki, frantic but certain. I open my mouth and breathe, letting the water into my body. Even though it is full of human chemicals it is still water, and it is still healing me. I roll around in the water, somehow feeling my body almost reinflate. I coil my tail, firing through the water, letting myself stretch for the first time in days. 

Once I am ready, and I am hydrated again, I search under the water for the man I know is still there. I find a leg and swim over to it, before popping up behind him. He’s talking to a human who is scolding him for letting ‘that thing’ into the pool. I stand behind Loki for a moment, listening to the conversation before I grab a bubble of water and dump it on the human’s head. 

Loki spins around, expectant but hesitating at what he might see. Our eyes lock, and there’s a feeling of joy in his eyes. Joy, even though he’s been dragged into my conflicts. Joy, even though we’ve spent the last three days walking. Joy, even though he’s soaked and being yelled at for saving me. And it’s so beautiful on him, I can barely handle it. 

So, while not breaking eye contact, I wrap my arms around his neck and press my lips to his. When he doesn’t seem to move, I lean back, concerned. What if he doesn’t care about me that way? What if what if what if. And he puts all those what if’s to rest when he wraps his arms around my waist and pulls my body flush against his. This time, we meet in the middle. As I tangle my fingers in his hair, my brain is running wild with all the what if’s… but these are what if’s that I want. These are the what if’s of an Us.

An Us that I desperately want.