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

Chapter Thirty-Two

The sun had just begun its descent into the horizon when Steve eased his Denali into the spot alongside the Jetta. He was hot, sweaty, and tired, and glad to be home. Autumn couldn't come soon enough, as far as he was concerned.

He climbed out, grabbed his bag from the back, and welcomed the cold blast of air that accompanied opening the front door. The scents of vanilla and chocolate hung in the air and he grinned at the bowl of chocolate chip cookies sitting in the middle of the kitchen table. She might claim she wasn't the world's greatest cook, but he was pretty sure he would never starve because of it.

The cookies were impossible to resist and he didn't even try, but plucked one up. It was still warm and when he bit into it, he thought for a moment he might have died and gone to heaven. The chocolate was still gooey and sweet and when the first one was gone, he grabbed a second.

"Those were supposed to be a surprise," she told him as she came into the kitchen. "I didn't hear you pull in."

"I'm sneaky, what can I say?" He dropped his bag on the kitchen floor and leaned over to kiss her lightly on the lips. "What brought this on?"

"I had nothing else to do," she said with a shrug. "In Asgard, there's always something I'm supposed to be doing, but down here is like a vacation. Only, it's a little boring when you're by yourself all day."

He bit into the second cookie. "You could always go into business for yourself. These are the best I think I've ever tasted."

"Well, you're a little biased, I'm sure."

"Maybe, but these are that good." He walked over to take a glass out of the cabinet and retrieved the gallon of milk from the fridge. At her look, he said, "What? Didn't you ever have milk and cookies after school when you were a kid?"

"I didn't go to school. I had tutors."

"So you never had milk and cookies?"

She shook her head. "I did, but not since I was probably eight."

"You don't know what you're missing then." He filled the glass and handed it to her. "Sit down and be a kid again."

"Steve--"

"Just do it, okay? Trust me." He winked as he went to take out another glass and when he turned back, she was sitting at the table, dunking a cookie into her glass. "See?"

He tugged out the chair across from her and sat. "What's on your mind, Ash?"

"Well, we haven't set a wedding date and you haven't even seen Asgard yet and since football season starts next week, I thought maybe we could go there this weekend."

"That's what's got you looking so serious?"

"You haven't answered me."

He dunked the cookie in the milk and took a bite. Delicious. "I'm going to stand out there, aren't I? They're probably all like Thor--big, blond giants."

"My dad isn't a big, blond giant."

"No. He's just the ruler of all of them." He dunked his cookie again, staring intently at the crumbs swirling through the milk. He wanted to see Asgard. After all, he was sure not many Midgardians were able to claim to have visited the mythical realm. But at the same time, he was afraid that Aislinn wouldn't want to come back to Earth after that. He couldn't imagine his townhouse came close to the palace she probably called home.

Couldn't imagine how he would compare to those big, blond Asgardian men, either. Would she take a look at all of those big, blond Asgardian men, and then look at him and wonder if maybe, just maybe, she wouldn't be better off with one of them?