By the Side of the Road [A LOKI FANFIC]

His Kenna

Loki looks at her from his position on the couch, Absinthe nestled cosily on his lap. Kenna rolls her eyes at him, and then stalks off to retrieve her Maine Coon. When she opens the door, Samantha, bless her, falls through the door frame, wide-eyed, and looking traumatised. Kenna rolls her eyes again. Pushing open the door to Samantha's apartment, she instantly hears Simba's loud purring, and she makes her way towards it, not needing directions.

'Hey,' Kenna says, 'Simba!'

As if Simba recognises his name, he stops purring, and looks up, almost guiltily.

'C'mon,' Kenna says, sighing, 'You know you're not supposed to be in here.'

And Kenna swears that Simba actually winks at her. She turns to apologise to Samantha, who's watching them with a sheepish expression.

'This is your cat?' Samantha asks, somewhat incredulously.

'Yeah, sorry,' Kenna admits, 'He's a Maine Coon, but he won't hurt you, being about as dangerous as lumpy custard.'

'Euurgh!' Samantha exclaims, and Kenna bursts out laughing, which startles Simba, who leaps off the bed with a yowl, and pads out of Samantha's room.

'I'll be off, then,' Kenna says, 'I'd better make sure he doesn't go into anyone else's apartment.'

'It's weird,' Samantha says, after a few moments of thought, 'I've never seen anyone except for us here.'

'Y'know,' Kenna says, thoughtful, 'I've not noticed that before. Strange.'

'I've not?' Samantha echoes, 'Who says 'I've not'? It's 'I haven't'. No-one says 'I've not'.'

'I'm not a no-one,' Kenna says, 'And I contract how I want.'

Samantha rolls her eyes this time, and Kenna pouts, and then sighs, and decides to mimick her friend. Because Samantha's a friend now. Which is good.

'Kenna!' Kenna shrieks, in an insulting impersonation of Samantha, 'There's a lion-cub on my bed!'

'Shut-up!' Samantha frowns, 'He was big, okay!'

'You don't say,' Kenna says, sarcasm dripping from each word.

Then, like the drama queen she is, she flounces out of Samantha's apartment, and to hers, just across the hall, where Simba's waiting patiently for her like the perfect cat he isn't. She ushers him inside, and flops onto the sofa next to Loki, effectively scaring off poor Absinthe, who was actually quite friendly with the puppies. He raises an eyebrow at her, silently asking her what had happened. In as little words as she can, she tells Loki about Samantha mistaking Simba for a lion's cub, and wonders aloud at how Simba actually got in there, in the first place.

When she finishes, it's about fifteen minutes past midnight, and Kenna gives a huge yawn, and promptly falls asleep on Loki. In her defence, it has been a long day. Finally, it's Loki's turn to roll his eyes, and he does so quite well, sighing melodramatically for added effect. There is no way he's sleeping on the couch again, and so he fluidly slips out from under her, and, deciding it would be unchivalrous to leave her there, he smoothly lifts her up, draping her over his left shoulder as if she weighs nothing. Being a god does have a few good points. Like incredible strength. Not that he really needs it for this, as surprisingly light as she is, and even when wholly unconscious, she's far from a burden. Fleetingly, he wonders if she's been eating properly. He dismisses it soon enough, remembering that she eats whatever he cooks. He feels a surge of pride, knowing that Thor, his not-brother, couldn't cook to save the Nine Realms. Although, in Asgard, cookery was regarded as women's work. Yet another reason why he wasn't good enough. And why he never would be. 

Never could be.

Loki realises he's been standing outside Kenna's door for the past ten minutes, and he sighs, shaking his head as if to rid it of troublesome thoughts, and pushing the door open, silently stepping inside. Carefully, he places Kenna on her bed, tucking her in as his mother used to. He spares one last glance at her, peaceful and serene, and he smiles, leaving as noiselessly as he entered. As he closes the door behind him, he tries not to think about why Kenna preferring his cooking over his not-brother's matters so much to him.

It's about eight-thirty when Kenna emerges from her room, freshly showered, and smelling sweet, not dissimilar to the pear orchards at home. But not home, Loki tells himself, because he can never go back home, mainly because he has none. And although that burns him, a cold burning, like ice, he pushes it out of his mind, and chooses to voice a question, instead.

'Why do you look as if I have told you that I've eaten Flame?'

'You're a fire-eater?'

'Flame,' Loki clarifies patiently, 'Samantha's Irish Setter?'

'What about her?' Kenna asks, far less patient than Loki had been.

'Why do you look as if I've told you that I've eaten her?'

'You've eaten Flame?' Kenna says, eyes wide in an almost comical show of horror.

'What? No!'

'Then why would you say such a thing?' she accuses, and Loki gives up.

'Why do you look so miserable?' he asks, and Kenna frowns.

'Because it's Saturn's day,' she whines.

'Saturn's- Oh, Saturday.'

'S'what I said.'

'What is wrong with Saturdays?'

'It's eight-forty in the morning, and I'm awake!' Kenna moans, 'There's something horribly wrong with this world.'

'Actually,' Loki says, glancing at the wall-clock in the kitchen, 'It's eight thirty-six.'

Kenna throws a satsuma at his head. He deserves it. Unfortunately, without even flinching, Loki's right hand flies up, and catches the fruit before it can connect with his face.

'Damn!' Kenna says, and stomps off to the couch, snatching back the satsuma on her way.

Although she's sure watching so much television is bad for you, she really can't give a shit, and so she watches Avatar with Loki, and then she watches Enchanted, and Tangled, singing along quietly to the songs.

'One does not simply listen to a Disney song without singing along,' she says, defending herself.

They're about halfway through 'A Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy', when they hear a few loud, yet distant crashes coming from down-town. Kenna dismisses it as a car-crash, but soon turns pale when her phone rings. She answers it, knowing what Tony, on the other side is about to say, yet still praying he won't. This time, Kenna's too far away from him for Loki to hear what Tony's saying, although he assumes it's bad, judging from the way Kenna is frantically pacing.

'Okay, fine,' Loki hears Kenna say, 'I'll be there as soon as I can, and I'm bringing Kaen, too.'

'I'll explain it later,' she snaps, still on the phone, 'See you soon.'

She hangs up, and looks at Loki, with a rather panicked expression on her face.

'I've gotta go, Loki,' she says, 'Sorry. I have no idea how long I'll be, but promise you won't worry about me?'

'But-'

'Please, Loki,' she says, sounding desperate, and Loki nods in acquiescence.

She leaves soon after, and only the faint scent of her remains, pear blossom delicate and fragile. Loki tries to wait patiently for her, he really does. But, despite his promise not to worry, Loki can't help feeling as if something bad is going to happen to his Kenna.

Kenna.

Not his Kenna.

A/N: Rejoice, for it is Odin's day. (Woden's day)