Eagle (A Loki love story)

Chapter 88

"Mira?" It was Steve.

"I'm here." I waved at him and Steve came over.

"Loki said you weren't feeling well."

"I wasn't. I just needed to wait it out. I'm just about fine now."

"Good. Thanks for the help, by the way."

"What?"

"When we got pretty much mobbed in the restaurant."

"And I was supposed to help you...how? Come on. You've gotten all the reporters in DC to leave you be, so you've forgotten what it's like to be a big name. What happened in there? That's how your life will be everywhere else."

"Awesome." His voice was laced with sarcasam.

"Mira?"

"I'm here, Loki!" He swam over.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah. I'm fine now." He entered the current and was swept away, much like I had been. He must've tried to catch himself on a wall because his head suddenly went underwater. He didn't surface again for a few seconds. Steve snickered a bit. As Loki came around, he pulled himself in.

"I appreciate the warning, Kitten."

"I didn't get the chance." I replied innocently.

"Naturally." He sat next to me and put my arm around me.

"You're up to something."

"Perhaps. Perhaps not." He gave my exposed side a pinch.

"Oi!" I splashed him and went out into the current and by the look on his face, he intended to chase me. As soon as the entrance was out of sight, I pressed myself against the bumpy floor of the pool, below the strongest part of the current. I didn't come to a full stop but I came pretty close. Eventually though, I had to come up for air and when I did, I took a brief glance around for Loki and it made me very uneasy when I didn't see him anywhere. That meant he intended to sneak up on me. So I ducked back underwater and changed my strategy, I let myself be pushed around and shoved off the outer walls to propel myself even faster. However, that was my big mistake. I didn't even go one lap before I plowed into Loki from behind. I saw him right as I rounded a curve and tried to stop, but I was going far too fast. Fortunately, I caught him off-guard and managed to slip through his grasping hands. I surfaced as soon as I was out of reach, my heart pounding against my chest. Our eyes met and Loki smirked.

"I'll get you next time. Mark my words." I giggled with the pure glee of knowing that I had escaped him and put some more distance between us.

The next couple laps went off without a hitch, no sign of Loki. Of course, that wasn't a good thing but it was certainly wasn't bad. But my luck changed the next time I passed the entrance to the center. A heavy weight barreled into me and strong arms locked around my torso. I squealed and was promptly brought to the surface.

"I told you so."

"Shut up. You cheated."

"I do not recall you making any rules." I smacked his shoulder.

"You know what I mean."

"Actually, I do not. I cannot see what I possibly did wrong, I made a strategy based on what I was given, and I won."

"I hate you."

"Kitten, we both know you love me."

"You know what I mean."

"No, I really don't." His eyes were twinkling with mischief.

"Shut up, silver tongue. I–" Loki silenced me by lowering me underwater, just long enough to make me sputter when he brought me back up.

"I wish to try something."

"What?" He gave me a look that told me that he didn't intend to tell me.

"Fine."

"Take a deep breath, my love." I obeyed and he guided us under again, only this time until I was lightly pinned against the bottom. I sat up a bit to keep water from going up my nose but then, Loki did something that, in the back of my mind, I knew was coming. He kissed me. Pinching my nose shut with his thumb and forefinger, he closed the air inside my lungs while he invaded my mouth with his tongue. Being underwater added a whole new level of sensation to his actions, a level that shut my brain down and forced my instincts to take over. Not to mention Loki's intimate knowledge of my body. He knew it better than I did and could play it like a fine-tuned instrument whether I wanted him to or not, and right now I wanted it very much. It was as if he and I were the only beings in the universe. I had closed my eyes, I couldn't hear anything, my nose was blocked, Loki was all I could taste and all I felt aside from the water and it felt like our moment lasted an eternity,

Since Loki's lungs were physically larger than mine, it was up to him to keep me oxygenated after all my air was used by pushing air from his body to mine periodically. He was very literally my lifeline. When we both ran out of oxygen, Loki brought us back up. As soon as I breached the surface, I was panting. Loki was extremely winded as well, but seemed to be better at controlling his breathing than I was. Nevertheless, we both clung to the wall as we got our senses back.

"Loki....that was incredible." I moved closer to him and wriggled between him and the wall, "Thank you." His face brushed against mine.

"I thank you for indulging me in my curiosity. I did not injure you, did I?"

"No, you were very gentle and considerate. I think if Thor had been in your place, I would have been squished against the floor as flat as a pancake."

"Nay, he would not have had the creativity to think of that, or the guts to ask for permission. He thinks Jane is made of glass."

"Jane?"

"His....girlfriend? In a way. He had not seen her in.....it must be two years now and as I understand it, that it eternity for a mortal."

"Two years without you would be more than eternity to me." A loud whistle pierced the night sky.

"Hey! Lovebirds! It's after eleven and we have to leave early tomorrow!" I shook my head at Tony.

"Shall we go?"

"I suppose we should, yes."