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

Chapter Eighty-Six

The sun was still shining when Aislinn returned home, so she bundled Chris into his stroller and decided to take advantage of it, dragging Kyra along with her for company. Not that her sister minded, as she sighed when they made their way along Longhill. "This neighborhood is so pretty, Al. I don't blame you for wanting to stay here."

Aislinn smiled. "Midgard has its good points, you know. The beach. Here. Steve even told me there are mountains and something called the Delaware Water Gap. He promised to show it to me come the warmer weather."

"Water gap? That sounds odd."

"I know, but he said it's very pretty. Much like the Cliffs of Asgard."

Kyra shook her head. "Nothing even could come close to touching the Cliffs."

"That's what I told him." Aislinn peered around the stroller to make sure Chris hadn't kicked off his blanket. He was still covered, his eyes open as he drank in everything around him. "But he said they come very close. Apparently, there are cliffs over in Europe—Ireland, I think he said—that are even more impressive than the ones in Asgard."

"So why doesn't he take you there instead?"

"He's a teacher, Kyr. They don't make a lot of money. Not even the tenured ones."

"But I'm sure you could—"

Aislinn cut her off. "I could, but then I risk wounding Steve's pride. He's not as arrogant as most Midgardian men, but he has his pride and it dents easily, like any man. He already apologizes from time to time because he's not a rich man and we don't live in a showplace, like Selig and Celia at the shore."

"Well, that's just silly. Money isn't everything."

"That's what I tell him and that just gets him irritated. He says it's easy to say when you have it, and I guess he has a point." She sighed, glancing over at her sister. Kyra was barely five foot three, and as delicate as she was tiny. The sunlight danced along her golden hair, which was far thicker and wavier than their mother's. Like their father's, Kyra's tended to curl when she didn't take the time to blow it out. Right now, almost perfect spiral curls tumbled three-quarters of the way down her back. "Have you told Royce yet?"

Those spirals bounced across Kyra's back as she shook her head. "I can't, Al. What if he laughs at me? Or tells me he's too old for me? What then?"

"And what if he doesn't?" Aislinn slowed, then stopped to face her sister. "You have to take the chance, Kyr. Otherwise, you will regret it for the rest of your life. Royce is a nice guy, with a good position in the Royal Guard. He's cute and he's a gentleman. It's a wonder no one else has snatched him up already."

Kyra sighed softly, running her hand through her hair. "I know, but... whenever he comes into the infirmary, I get so tongue-tied. He must think I've gone mental."

Aislinn smiled, remembering how dry her mouth was and how her heart hammered against her ribs the first time Steve showed up at Selig's house. How her belly flipflopped on a windswept boardwalk when Steve smiled at her just before he kissed her for the first time.

They strolled away from the midway, down where the boards ran parallel to the beach. It was breezier here, and quieter, with the midway sounds giving way to the low whoosh of the ocean meeting the sand.

A low metal railing separated the boards from the beach and here, Steve paused, leaning against the railing as he faced her. The wind kicked up, blowing his dark hair across his forehead. "You never answered me, you know."

"About that?" She faced the water, one foot on the railing's bottommost rung, wrists resting on the railing's top, hands clasped, her hair blowing straight back.