Eagle (A Loki love story)

Chapter 115

Ok, now we're back to every other weekend.  I'm sorry to have to do this, but let's be honest, I can't write 52 chapters detailing the events between now and Infinity War.  Plus, I like to plan  ahead so I can change stuff easily and to do that, I'm going to need to see how they fix the mess Infinity War made (if that makes sense).

Loki's surfacing instincts were more annoying than mine at the moment. They were putting his normal protectiveness on steroids. The others had been here for three days now, making today their last day here, and I had been sidelined throughout most of the activities. Loki hadn't wanted me to spar or climb the wall in the training room, out of fear that I'd fall or take a bad hit; those were valid concerns, but his valid reasons ran out there. He didn't want me to break a sweat doing anything, or practice with my katanas against a dummy. He didn't want me doing abdominal work, or swimming. The pool was another semi-valid concern, that is, until Tony figured out how to lower the temperature to a degree that both I and the baby could bear. It was a little cold for me and a little warm for the baby, but we balanced each other out. However, Loki still didn't really want me in the pool. He kept claiming that he 'didn't want me to strain myself', but his protectiveness was bordering on overprotective and too controlling. He was also putting too many restrictions on my diet. I myself knew that I couldn't drink alcohol, but he didn't want me eating too much sugar or processed food either. Even white bread! I wanted to talk back when he said things like that, I really did, but whenever I tried, I found that I just simply couldn't. It was like someone was freezing my vocal chords.

The others knew he was smothering me, and I liked to think that they were going to try and help, but I hadn't seen anything so far. I'd complained to Wanda, or really anyone who listened when Loki wasn't around, and they seemed to think that he was being too strict. If this is what he was like now, I was dreading how he would act when I was eight or nine months along.

At the moment, I was sitting on the rim of the pool, dressed in a one-piece, with my feet in the water. Steve and T'Challa were already in, and Bucky came and sat beside me.

"You going to get in today?"

"If Loki doesn't find out."

"He's really controlling you, isn't he?"

"Yeah."

"And I know you're not ok with that. Does he know?"

"Do I know what?" Loki sauntered in, swim trunks hanging low on his waist. I looked at Bucky and shook my head, trying to be discrete, but Loki saw and his eyes narrowed, "What don't I know?" He came and stood behind us, putting himself between myself and Bucky.

"She hates the restrictions you're putting on her. She feels trapped and constrained." I closed my eyes tightly, waiting for Loki to reprimand me, tell me that he knew best, and that everything he was keeping me from doing was to protect the baby, but he did none of that. Instead, I heard Bucky move away and Loki crouch behind me. His hair was tickling my left shoulder and his hand rested on my waist, as it normally did.

"Is that true? Do you hate what I'm doing? I want you to be totally honest with me." I nodded, and he sighed, "Then why didn't you fight me on them?"

"I don't know! I wanted to, but I just couldn't! I don't know why." Another exhale.

"Eir told me to be careful when talking to you. This must be what she meant. You not being able to disobey me."

"But why is that?"

"It could be the way our pheromones are interacting, I'm not sure. But, if I say or restrict you in a way that you don't like in the future, I want you to start tapping your foot and we'll have an open conversation about it. Does that sound fair?"