Heaven Sent (Loki/Asgard Fanfiction - Aislinn's Story)

Chapter Twenty-Four

When dusk came, Dave Mauro broke out sparklers for the kids, warning them repeatedly to be careful. Aislinn sat with Steve and his parents, Tracy and Dave, and Chris and his wife Nicole, watching as the kids whipped the sparklers through the air to leave patterns. She wanted so badly to wave her hand and launch fireworks into the night sky. Her father used to do that for them--create fireworks from thin air--and it was one of the things she loved most from her childhood. Her fingers actually twitched more than once, but she managed to stifle the urge. For now. One day, she'd have to come clean to them, as her mother would say, and let her true nature come out. But right now was not that day.

They sat at a picnic bench and when Dave came out of the garage again, he said, "Who wants to see some real fireworks?"

"David, are you crazy?" Tracy asked. "We'll have the cops all over us in a minute."

"Honey," he replied softly, "your dad is the cops. And so's Chris."

Chris cleared his throat. "If someone calls the Bedminster PD, I don't know you."

Steve shifted to straddle the bench he and Aislinn shared, and she shifted as well, settling between his legs, her back against his chest. Easing his arms about her, he leaned in and his lips brushed her ear as he whispered, "Can you beat his fireworks?"

She nodded. "Totally beat them. Want me to?"

"Not tonight. Wait for a night when they're all a lot drunker." He kissed the top of her head. "I don't want them to all freak out. Not everyone will be as cool about it as I was."

She peered at him over her shoulder, one eyebrow raised. "Cool? You accused me of lying."

"I'm cool, not crazy. Although, that moment did make me wonder."

"Uncle Steve?"

Aislinn and Steve turned at the sound of one of his nephew's voices. She wasn't sure who the little boy belonged to, but he looked to be only about four or five years old.

Steve shifted and lifted the boy onto his lap. "What's up, Michael?"

Michael. One of Tony's kids. Or so she thought.

Staring at her, Michael said, "What should I call her?"

"Why don't you ask her?" Steve told him, winking at her. "She's not that scary, is she?"

Michael shook his head. "Not really." He glanced at his uncle. "Matt's right, though. She's so pretty."

Aislinn smiled. Molinaro men apparently were born knowing how to flirt. "Thank you."

Michael ducked his head, burying it in Steve's right shoulder. Still, she walked her fingers up Michael's back, saying, "You can call me Ash, if you want," as she winked at Steve.

"Ash." Michael's voice was muffled by Steve's tee shirt. Then, he lifted his head and smiled over his shoulder at her. "That's a weird name for a girl."

"Well, you can call me Aislinn, if you prefer."

"Ash-lyn," he said it slowly, as if tasting it. "That's pretty. It's like Ashley."

"Kind of. But, I never could find it on those license plates you put on your bicycle when I was little." She walked her fingers down his back now. "I bet you don't have that problem."

"Nope. I find my name on all kinds of stuff."

"You are so lucky. Maybe I should change my name to Michael."

"You can't! That's a boy's name. And you're not a boy, right, Uncle Steve?"

Steve's eyes darkened slightly. "You're totally right, Mike. She's not a boy at all."