The Call [Loki x Siren Fanfiction]

Chapter 34

“Has he been like that before?” Nat asks me in a low voice as we walk back to her room, each of us carrying a bag of my things. I wish he wouldn’t have barged in like that, now I’ve got Natasha on my case. 

“A few times.” I shrug, remembering the dozens of times in the past few weeks that he’s done something along the lines of what just happened. 

“You know I can smell a liar, right?” She says, smirking. I anxiously chuckle, trying to play it off. 

“Maybe you should… consider a relationship status change,” She suggests carefully. I stop in my tracks, looking right into her eyes. 

“I’m not doing that.” I tell her, determined. There’s so much she doesn’t get right now. So much I can’t explain. I don’t want to imagine what would happen if she found out. So many things would collapse. I don’t want to think about what this Loki would do to me.  

“Well you have to do something.” Nat says, swiping her badge at her door and letting us in. I dump my bag on the floor by the couch as Nat goes to find blankets for me, so we’ll be ready for later. 

She comes back into the room, her feet absolutely silent out of habit. Dumping the blankets on top of my bags, she falls onto the couch next to me. 

“I’m sorry I’m practically moving in with you,” I say, trying to derail the previous conversation. “Between everyone being stuck here and Loki, I’m really glad I’ve got you to be my plan b.” I tell her. She smiles at me. A moment later her face lights up, and she tucks her legs up on the couch, grinning. 

I mirror her posture with a raised eyebrow, begging for her to tell me whatever it is she wants to tell me. 

“About the ‘everyone being stuck here’...” She says. “Fury is planning on releasing the lockdown in a couple days.” She whispers, conspiring. My jaw drops. 

“Seriously??” I say, trying not to get my hopes up just yet. Nat eagerly nods. 

“He thinks that someone got it off-ship, so it isn’t worth keeping everyone here anymore!” 

Wow. We’re almost home free. Almost home free. Home free to Loki being like this all the time. I imagine hundreds more of what’s happening already. Hundreds more times of being thrown against a wall for aggravating him. Dozens more nights spent sleeping next to a shell of a man. Forever being stuck in a relationship with this twisted version of Loki. 

I paste a smile onto my face, trying to shove all my thoughts into a black hole. 

“That will be so amazing!” I cry. “I’m already excited to have my apartment back!” I say, not even lying- then I’ll be able to distance myself from Loki without going to Nat.

—

Sitting up on the couch, I realize that the affects of too much junk food are kicking in and my stomach is upset. I go to the kitchen, quietly searching for a cup. Or so I thought.

“Top left,” Comes a tired voice from behind me. I look over my shoulder and see Nat leaning against a corner with a gun in her hand. 

“Oh my gosh, I am so sorry!” I whisper-yell, realizing I set off her Russian-spy senses. She laughs and goes back to bed. Opening the top left cupboard, I take down a clear glass cup and get some water. 

I jump onto Nat’s counter and drink my water, deep in thought. I don’t want to be stuck with this Loki forever. I guess that some inkling of hope that he’d get caught was always what I expected. It was sort of the thing that got me through existing with this side of him. The hope that he’d come back to normal when fury found out. Sure, he’d be in trouble, but he’d be Loki. The real Loki, not this paranoid, aggressive maniac. 

Speaking off the paranoid aggressive maniac, I should probably tell him now. If I wait, the next time he goes through my thoughts he’ll find out, and he’ll be mad I didn’t tell him. Already scared, I dip my finger in my water and think about the cup of water I left in the closet, specifically for this. 

I imagine the cold door, the white shelves covered in household necessities, the top shelf with a box of Loki’s armor. 

With a jolt, my feet are suddenly on soft carpet instead of a hard kitchen floor. I quietly turn the knob, ending up in Loki’s hallway. His door is closed, so I check for him in the living room first, making a little noise in the hope I won't have to wake him up. 

After a few minutes, no one comes down the hall, so I reluctantly go to his door. I inhale carefully and open it. He’s in bed, asleep for probably the first time this week. I inhale sharply. This won’t be pretty. 

I carefully walk up to him. Bracing myself, I gently shake his shoulder. Within an instant, he’s awake, I’m pressed against a wall, and there’s a knife on my throat. I try to stretch my neck out more to get the knife off, but there isn’t much I can do. After a long moment, he realizes it’s me, and calms down a little. But only a little. 

“What do you need?” He growls at me, still keeping me pinned against eh wall, just minus the knife. 

“The lockdown is going to end soon.” I whisper, trying to stay calm. His eyes widen, and he steps back. I let myself breathe again. 

“What?” He asks, shocked. “Are you sure?” I nod, pretending not to be terrified. 

“Natasha told me!” I say, and he knows that it’s probably true then. All of her information is accurate, or she herself doesn’t know it isn’t. 

“Huh. Alright. Is that all for tonight, little witch?”

I almost collapse. That name. It’s been weeks since he’s called me that. He had a knife at my throat just a minute ago, but I feel like I see a hint of my Loki. Suddenly it’s all too much and I start to cry. My eyes well up and tears streak down my cheeks as I nod. Loki steps back, aghast. 

“Is something wrong?” He hesitantly asks. 

“What happened to you, Loki?” I croak, tracing a careful finger down his cheek. 

“Where did my Loki go?” I ask him, needing to know. He slaps my hand away. 

“This is me. It always has been. Get used to it.” He seethed, only breaking my heart more. 

I nod and leave, as I head for the door to our hallway this time I hear the door to his room slam shut, making me jump. I close his apartment door and collapse on the hallway floor. The tears silently stream down my face. What happened to him? He might say nothing changed, but I don’t know him. I haven’t known him since he kissed my cheek before he ran for that stupid staff!

I need my Loki back. There’s nothing he can do to hurt me more than he has already, so I really have nothing to lose. I stand up, wiping the tears off my face, and march down the halls with a new purpose.