The Witch's Familiar

Chapter 57

"MROW~!" You exclaimed at Loki and tried to squirm out of his grip.

Loki's grip on you only tightened as he held you fast in his arms. He grabbed the scruff of your neck to keep you from running off. "I don't know what you got into in Stark's lab, but you are filthy." You yowled at that, knowing what that would mean. You squirmed harder to get out of his arms.

It did you no good, Loki's grip on you was like steel, despite that he wasn't hurting you. He just wasn't letting you escape. "You're going to smell like Thor," he informed you. "And no one wants to smell like Thor," he smirked over at the Thor in question.

"Hey!" Thor protested and Loki laughed, enjoying teasing his brother.

You mewed softly, defeated. Loki carried you up to his suite, holding you tightly so you couldn't escape his grip. He carried you into the bathroom and you had to submit to him washing you in the bathtub. You'd imagined being washed by Loki to be a much more sensual experience. Instead, you were wet when you didn't want to be, cold despite the warm water, and sure you looked like a drowned gremlin.

You should have cared about the treatment, should have been more upset, but all you felt was an apathetic... nothingness. Sure, you didn't want to be wet, but you couldn't seem to summon emotions to go with that desire to not be wet. You should have been angry Loki was washing you, that the water felt so awful on you.

But everything felt... numb.

The emotions were there. You knew they were there. You could identify them. You just didn't feel them. It was a slight, but distinct difference.

And you absolutely hated the not-feeling.

The apathy was at least as bad as the soul crushing despair.

You made small plaintive noises while Loki washed you with your own cat-bathing potion. At least it smelled nice and would be good for your fur. As soon as he was done, he lifted you out of the tub in a warm fluffy towel and dried you with magic. He spent a long time with you on his bed, brushing your fur, trying to cheer you up.

You laid your head on your paws, listless and miserable as usual.

You just wanted this punishment to be over.

*

You spent most of your time laying on Loki's lap, or his shoulder, or generally in his vicinity. The others attempted to play with you as they'd played with Lokitty, but you had no energy or desire to do so. The most you would do is lay in someone else's lap for them to pet you when Loki was busy.

Loki continued teaching your classes and helping Strange in your stead. He had to go on missions, and insisted that you had to stay behind. You protested listlessly, but knew he was right. You were in no shape to help with your limited magic. That didn't stop you from worrying about him every time he went into battle without you.

You lost track of the days that you were lost in your depression and trapped as a cat. You lost track of if it was days, or weeks, or even months.

The only bright spot in your haze of emotionless depression was Loki, was the love and care he showed you every moment he spent with you.

*

One day, though, something changed. You couldn't quite place your paw on what it was, but something felt a little different, a little more together, a little more... with feeling.

And you decided the best way to celebrate that feeling was to zoom around the common room, playing with whatever you could find and tripping your friends twining around their legs as they tried not to step on you.

"Loki, get control of your cat!" Stark snarled when he spilled his coffee all down his expensive suit.

Loki scooped you up into his arms and cuddled you to his chest. "Since when do you call her a cat?" He asked Stark first.

"That is not a cat," he reluctantly agreed. "Fine. Control your not-a-cat,"

Loki held you protectively in his arms. "One, Y/N is her own person and I will not control her even if I could. Two, this is the most life we've seen out of her since we got back from Asgard. I will not take that from her, no matter how annoying you find it,"

Tony just looked confused.

Loki rolled his eyes. "She's healing, Stark. Finally, finally, her soul is starting to heal,"