A god and his wendigo

Chapter 3- Cellmates

A week passes and things were going well, Loki and River were getting along well but as much as she was having fun she was hungry. A wendigo's hunger isn't something that can just go away, it needs to eat and soon. Loki saw a change in her behaviour, "Are you alright over there River?" She is slumped over in her cell and starting to curl in on herself, she just replies with a nod. The transformation was being forced, it was hungry and River knew she couldn't fight that hunger. She wasn't strong enough and it has never had to wait this long to eat.

Her nails grew and her spine cracked, her clothes were in pieces beside her now large growling form. Loki steps back from River and walks further back into his cell. River rams herself into the walls in an attempt to break them, after finding that doesn't work she begins to screech. It was like nothing Loki had ever heard before, you could hear the pain and hunger within her screams.

Not long later Bucky comes into the containment unit with a body slung over his shoulders, even through the glass River could smell the body and so she began trying to claw her way out. Bucky doesn't flinch or show fear at the predator circling him, he just opens the cell and walks in. Instinctively River takes a bite out of him but releases his arm after tasting metal and oil, she growls at him, "Yeah, I can say I'm just as upset that you bit me. Here" He throws the body over to her and she slices open the corpses chest eating the heart first then moving on to the other organs. Slowly but surely eating the entire body not even leaving behind the bones.

Bucky had already left by this point and had joined the team in the viewing area as they watched her devour the body. "That is the most disgusting thing I've ever seen." Tony gags, and Nat laughs at him "I've seen worse, you wuss." After River clears the corpse all that is left behind is a slight blood trail, "See she's done eating Tony." Nat teases which Is returned with yet another gag from Tony as he watches River clean her bloody fingers with an almost childlike innocent glee.

The skull disappears and River's face forms again, although it is still grey and inhuman. At least she can talk in this form. She giggles wiping away the blood on her and a small dark blob with a deer skull appears on her shoulder. They begin laughing and talking, Loki just watches and doesn't interrupt. "I'm sorry you had to wait so long to feed my little cannibal. I know but Ive tried escaping, they've got some pretty strong glass or whatever it is"  The blob whispers something "Ohh I'm gonna feel that in the morning." She sighs, rubbing the shoulder that was used in an attempt to break the cell.

Soon a soft yellow glow covers her body and she returns to being human, a human covered in blood. She sighs and looks over at Loki, she scratches her face "I'm sorry...I- I didn't want to show you that.... The hunger becomes uncontrollable after not eating and the transformation is forced." She turns away from him clutching her sides as she begins to sob. This is the first person she's become close to in years and now she's gone and eaten someone in front of him.

Loki couldn't continue to watch her cry, River had burst into tears a couple of times over the past few days. He knew he'd be in trouble for keeping this from the team but he teleports into her cell and hugs her from behind. She flinches at his cold touch but turns around to face him, he gives her a reassuring smile. "River I wasn't frightened from seeing your other form nor was I scared of you eating in your other form. Okay?" She nuzzles into his chest and nods. "We all have things we don't want to show people. I have some myself" She looks up and sniffles "Really? You don't hate me?" He strokes back her dark brown hair and rocks himself side to side with her in his lap "Trust me, It would take a lot more for me to hate you." She mumble something into his chest "Hmm?" She looks up at him again and pouts "Yeah but you're the god of lies.." Loki starts laughing and squeezes her "I swear upon my life that I do not fear or hate you. How's that?" She grumbles "Better."

They sit there just hugging, Loki starts reading her some Asgardian poems from a book he summoned. Slowly River's breathing evens out and she falls asleep. Thor bursts into the room and Loki hushes him, "To what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you so riled up like this  brother?" Loki sneers at his giant 'oaf' of a brother. Thor sits down beside them outside the cell "You could of teleported out of the cell this whole time?" Loki looks down at River sleeping in his arms and hums "Mmhmm" Thor pulls back his hair in slight frustration "Then why didn't you??" "I was but then you brought in River. There was never a boring moment with her here. Her never ending facial expressions, her stories and silly jokes, how sad she'd get and her crying face. The way she hates being alone and loves the cold. All of it intrigued me so I ended up staying. For some reason I felt as if I couldn't leave her. Although she is a wendigo she is still a woman, she still has feelings. Which is an odd thing for me to care about, I've never been interested in anyone but then this little thing is put in the cell next to me..." Thor leans his head on the glass and sighs "Then you'll be glad to know that the all-father has decided your punishment shall be community service with the avengers."

Unknown to Thor and the team, Loki had a small smile growing on his usually scowling face as he learns he gets to stay here with the small wendigo. If he was dreaming he didn't want to wake up ever again. Though he would be happier if his brother and the avengers weren't in his dreams, but beggars can't be choosers.

Word count: 1086