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

Chapter Sixty-Nine

Although she was half-Midgardian, the only real Midgardian holiday her family celebrated was Christmas, which also happened to be her birthday.

But according to Steve, their other major holiday was something called Thanksgiving, which was celebrated by cooking a giant bird he called a turkey, and inviting every relative they could fit into their house. Oh, and by the way, they'd tell everyone about them getting married, and then about the baby, to keep anyone from getting too angry.

To Aislinn, it was daunting prospect—so many Molinaros and her family all in one spot for a length of time. And since she'd begun showing already, someone on her side of the family was bound to figure it out before they could make either announcement. And it would probably be Kyra, who would know the moment she touched Aislinn that her sister carried a child.

"Steve, I don't know about this," she hedged on Thanksgiving morning as she eyed the humongous bird that would soon go into the oven. "What if Kyra just blurts something out in surprise?"

He came up behind her, easing his arms about her waist, his hands flat against her belly. "Don't worry. This is a good thing, Ash. They'll be so thrilled about Junior that they'll forgive us for eloping."

"I hope so." She smiled as his hands pressed tighter against her. "Do you feel anything yet?"

"Nope. Not yet. But soon, right?"

"By Christmas at the latest. And Dr. Markham said we are looking at March first arrival, but I'll double check that with Kyra once we've told everyone."

He gave her a gentle squeeze and nuzzled her, whispering, "I love you, baby."

"We love you, too, Steve," she murmured back, covering his hands with hers.

His arms tightened about her and he swayed, taking her with him, as he murmured, "I love this bump, you know."

She smiled, leaning back against him. "I've noticed. And you especially seem to like it when I'm naked."

"Well, to be fair, I especially like you when you're naked." His lips brushed her ear as he gave her another squeeze. "But there's something about this," his thumbs brushed up and then down over the telltale bump, "that I can't ignore."

That was certainly true. He'd first noticed she'd begun to show a week earlier, when he interrupted her shower.

The door slid open. "Want some company?"

She smiled as he didn't wait for a response, but angled into the stall behind her. "What if I'd said no?" She turned to face him.

"Why would you do that?" he asked, catching her face in his hands, gently working her wet hair back out of her eyes.

"Why, indeed?"

He smiled before leaning in to capture her lips in a slow kiss. That led to a trail of kisses along her neck, down between her breasts, over her belly.

Then he paused. "Ash?"

"What's wrong?"

He looked up. "You've got a belly, beautiful girl."

He said it softly, with no little wonder in his voice, and his eyes were wide as they met hers. She couldn't help her smile as she traced her forefinger along his stubbled cheek. "I know. I noticed it a few days ago." Her throat tightened as the reality of the situation finally sank into her. She'd wondered when it would become real and now she knew and her eyes stung from the momentous wave of emotion accompanying that realization. "We're having a baby, Steve."