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

Chapter Eighty-Seven

The bed never felt so soft and the pillows were even softer, and Steve couldn't hold back his sigh as he sank into them. Christ, he couldn't remember any wrestling season wiping him like this one did.

But then again, until now, he didn't have a wife or newborn in the house. He could come home from work, Jenna would be busy grading or planning lessons for the next few weeks, and each one respected the other's need to unwind and relax.

This year, however, everything was different.

And it certainly hadn't helped that he'd been up half the night with Chris, either.

The room was quiet and dark. Not even the television was on. He'd just stripped down to his boxer briefs, dropped his clothes in the hamper, and stretched out beneath the covers as drowsiness sank into every pore, every fiber of his being.

His eyes slid shut even as his thoughts spun about his brain. Aislinn was understanding, much more so than he would have ever been. She didn't prod him. Didn't nag him about getting home so late, or putting in such long days, even though it had to be getting to her as well. And honestly, he missed her. He'd been looking forward to coming home and her pouncing on him. If only he wasn't so damn tired. He couldn't remember the last time he was too tired for sex and the night of Aislinn's miscarriage didn't count. Tonight, even the thought of having sex made him feel even more tired. He'd make it up to her once wrestling season was over and he resumed the normal seven-thirty to three schedule that made him love teaching even more.

The door opened, and Aislinn whispered, "Steve?"

"Come on in, baby. I'm not asleep yet," he whispered back, shading his eyes from the hall light.

"Oh, sorry." She snapped the light off and moved softly across the carpet to sink onto his side of the bed. "Are you hungry at all?"

He lowered his hand. "I just want to conk out for the night."

"Okay, I'll just leave you alone, then."

She made to rise and he caught her by the wrist before she could get all the way up. "You don't have to go, Ash. Is the baby asleep?"

"I put him down about an hour ago."

"Good. Come here." He tugged on her arm. "Come lay with me."

She smiled as she curved up against him, her body cool and soft as it melded against his. Her hand came to rest on his chest, her fingers moving lightly over it. "You look so tired, Steve."

"That would be because I am tired. I'm beyond tired, Ash." He draped his arm about her shoulders, stroking her hair gently. "Honestly, I don't remember the last time I was this beat. I think it was when I was in college and pulling all-nighters."

"One more week."

"One more week." He couldn't keep the sigh out of his voice. "Then I'm all yours again and you won't be doing everything yourself."

"It's okay, Steve." She leaned over to brush her lips just above his left nipple. "You've got so much on your plate right now."

"Yeah, but—"

"No, no 'buts'." Her eyes glinted in the soft light coming from the bathroom nightlight. "I take care of here, you take care of there. It's only temporary."

As she talked, she kissed her way up along his left pec muscle, along his collarbone, to the hollow in his throat. The caresses were soft and teasingly, only barely kisses, and warmth uncurled deep in the pit of his belly. This time, when his eyelids grew heavy, exhaustion had nothing to do with it.