Chapter Thirty Five

                                    

                                          
(Kit's Pov)
"Loki?" Her voice wavered, eyes still drowsy. A coughing fit erupted from Kit's chest, sending shoots of pain through the back of her throat. She tried to glance around the room, finding a figure walking towards her. "Loki?" 
"Hey there, Kit. How are you feeling?" Natasha asked, sitting on the edge of her bed. She pressed something against the edge of her lips. "This is tea. It'll make you feel better. Drink up."
Although Kit could hear the words, her mind wouldn't register their meanings. She could only think about one thing. "Where's Loki?"
"He's taking a break." She responded, "You have to get better before you see him." Kit managed to gulp down some of the sweet liquid, before pushing it away. "Don't do that-"
"When is he coming back?" The Kitten insisted, only resulting in a tired sigh from Natasha. 
"Not for a while. Drink something and get some rest, okay?" Kit tried to listen, drinking a few more sips. It helped soothe her throat a tad, although its warmth only made the heat within her rise. "You'll see him when you're better."
"M'kay." Kit mumbled, turning over in her bed. Exhaustion made her consciousness waver, until her eyelids drooped back to their starting position.
Every so often Kit awoke like this, Natasha trying to force some form of substance down her throat while Loki remained absent. Kit couldn't help but start asking how long this 'getting better' would take. How long until she could see Loki again?
And every time, Natasha said resting would speed up the process. Or eating, drinking, more tea, more sleep, more... something. It was always something. Her temperature barely moved, and at times it felt as though Kit was being cooked from the inside out. If she was conscious when Natasha replaced the rag across her forehead, the cold water would only remain for a few moments. Until an uncomfortable hot vs cold feeling replaced it, causing an unsettling throb to take root in her head.
The pattern continued, Kit losing track of time as the lines of night and day blurred. It could have been an hour, or two days since she last saw Loki. It was impossible to tell. But then an opportunity suddenly presented itself.
Kit awoke to the sound of a door shutting quietly. The odds and ends hanging off one side jangled lightly, sparking more and more consciousness to force her eyes open. Someone left the room. Kit listened carefully, managing to hear as the warrior woman's footsteps descended down the hall. 
She turned to look around the room, finding most things just as they were before the illness struck. Except a pot of tea and a chair beside her bed, the seat black and green, with gold linings. So Loki really did stay with her. Between the tired eyes and hazy brain, Kit almost began to doubt it.
But... then, why did he leave? Her brain searched for the answer, remembering not much about her times spent awake. Only that he cared for her.
Holding onto this thought, Kit sat up in bed. She urgently tried to find some way to tell him to return, only coming to the conclusion that she would have to tell him herself. Which would mean getting up, and heading across the hall to his room, where he hopefully would be.
The Kitten swung her legs over the side of her bed, moving to stand. Instantly they gave out beneath her. Kit struggled to regain balance, waiting just long enough until she could hold her own for the short trip towards her room door. It took a large amount of leaning on every surface available, but inevitably, she made it.
Kit trudged through the doorway, across the hall, and to Loki's door. But when the ground beneath her started spinning, Kit tried to lean against the wall. "Woah..." She mumbled. It felt like the whole world suddenly tilted to one side, taking her down with it. Kit crashed into the door.
Almost immediately it opened, a very confused and concerned Loki looking down at her.
She stumbled into his arms, smiling, before looking up at him. "I found you." Kit tried to turn the lean into a hug, still bracing against him much more than she could even realise.
"Darling, what are you doing awake? You should be in bed." Loki sighed, holding her up as she practically draped off his arms. She ignored his statement, murmuring a response.
"I missed you." Kit said. A gentle kiss was placed on the top of her head, the only indication Loki heard her words. He sighed, saying something else. But it was lost, and the Kitten found cold comfort leaning against Loki's shoulder. A hand found its way to her forehead, Kit only melting all the more into it.
Her prince muttered something about delirious fevers, before Kit suddenly found herself picked up and held in his arms. She leaned her head against his shoulder while they walked back across the hall to her room. 
Within seconds she was placed back in bed. Her head hit the pillow, blankets placed atop her, the cold rag replaced. And the entire time, Kit held his hand, not wanting to lose him again. He was supposed to protect her. He promised. 
She didn't want him to leave.
*
(Loki's Pov)
"Woah..." A muffled voice cried outside the door, as Loki paused his pacing to turn towards this intruder. Ever since Natasha insisted he leave the Kitten's side, he couldn't stop thinking about her. Everytime he could, Loki would pester Natasha about Kit's condition, and if there was anything he could do that would still keep the discussed boundaries intact. Let alone not appear so desperate to help 'just another team member', despite that not being the case anymore.
When the muffled cry became a thump against his door, Loki strode over to open it. Before being greeted with a stumbly and sleepy Kit falling into his arms. He would've nearly panicked, if not for the giddy smile Kit flashed when she saw him. "I found you."
That's what this was about? "Darling, what are you doing awake? You should be in bed." Loki huffed, rearranging how she leaned against him to perhaps allow her the opportunity to stand on her own. When she did nothing but cuddle closer into his side, Loki sighed. 
"I missed you." He barely heard the words, yet their effect still struck his heart hard. He never wanted to leave Kit in the first place- but for her to stumble after him like this? He couldn't- didn't-
"Kit," Loki sighed. "-you need to go to bed. You're in no shape to be wandering about." He moved a hand to feel her forehead, appalled to find her practically two steps from burning up. Kit, on the other hand, melted at his touch, breathing a sigh of relief. He doubted if he didn't hear one of her incoherent mumbles resemble the word 'cold'. 
"You and this delirious fever..." He trailed off, figuring out what to do next. Kit seemed completely content cuddled up against him, and he hated the thought of having to leave her again. But it was for the best, Loki reminded himself. Reciting the lie of isolation anytime he found himself wanting to go back. "Let's get you back to bed, love." 
Finding Kit in no situation to walk, Loki swept her up in his arms. She mewed in surprise, before realising- to an extent- what happened. The Kitten leaned her head atop his shoulder, nuzzling while holding on as if her life depended on it.
They reached her bedroom, Loki setting Kit back on her bed. He tucked the blankets around her, replaced the rag- everything just as he's done before. Except this time, Kit insisted on holding one of his hands hostage. So he performed the tasks single handedly- albeit with a touch of magic, of course.
Once finished, and guessing she might've fallen asleep by now, Loki tried to sneak away. 
Kit stirred, holding his hand tighter. Loki turned to meet her hurt gaze. "Please stay." 
Oh, how he wanted to. He wanted to stay by her side, see to it that she would get better. But at fear of both her 'heat's effects and a particular Avenger, Loki thought better. "I need to go, Kit. We will see each other again soon, though."
"How soon?" She managed to ask, with a slow cough returning. 
"Soon." Loki managed to reply, Kit satisfied with his answer enough to lay back down to go to sleep. Although she still didn't release his hand from her own.
He tried once again to escape, only to be interrupted by an angry whisper. "Loki!"