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

Chapter Ninety

Aislinn brushed her lips along Steve's neck, from his ear to his shoulder, and whispered, "What's on your mind?"

"Nothing," came his whispered response, a sigh woven through it. He tightened his arm about her, pulling her closer. As her head came to rest on his chest, the sound of his heartbeat echoed in her ear. It was faster than normal, but slowing as he caught his breath once more. The tips of his fingers swept against her upper arm, sending chills rippling through her. "You?"

She shifted, peering up at him. In the soft glow of the bathroom nightlight, his profile was perfectly delineated—dark hair spilled over his forehead, his proud nose sharply defined, his lips softly slack. If a more beautiful man existed, she'd be beyond shocked. "I didn't tell you about running into Jenna because you were already running crazy enough and I didn't want to add to it. You didn't need to be worrying about me and the baby on top of everything."

His fingers went still, but only for a moment, then they resumed their caress. "I thought as much." The sheets rustled softly as he pressed a kiss into the top of her head. "Guess you can take care of yourself, huh?"

"I told you I could." She drew her fingers down over his stomach, then traced her path back up to his chest. "You should've seen the look on her face when those knives embedded in the pavement."

"I can imagine." Another kiss. "When did you learn all this?"

"As I was growing up, Mom knew I'd be coming back here on and off, and she thought it was a good idea for me to learn how to defend myself. Daddy wasn't quite as keen on it, but he saw the need for it. And Lady Sif was my mother's bodyguard and the finest woman warrior Asgard has ever known. I trained under her from the time I was old enough to lift a sword."

"Because you wouldn't just stay in Asgard, right?"

She smiled, tracing a small circle about his right nipple. "Asgard is a lovely place and it will always be home in some ways, but to me, it was gilded cage. There, everyone either fawned all over me—"

"Which must totally suck," he broke in with a sarcastic drawl.

"Well, it makes you wonder what is real and what isn't, and after a while, you believe the adoration and it changes you. It makes you arrogant and unlikeable. And I already had enough trouble with people not being able to see past my face."

"Poor little beautiful rich girl." Another kiss.

She lifted her head to gaze down at him. "I'm serious, Steve. You like to tell me how difficult growing up was for you because of your height and weight. Well, it wasn't any easier for me because I never knew who wanted to be friends with me because they actually liked me, or because of my family. I never knew if boys liked me because of me, or because they saw only a pretty girl they could try to score with, as you would say."

The fingers on her shoulder went still, but his arm tightened a little more. With a sigh, she added, "I had a hard time trusting anyone. I still do. Why do you think I didn't want to tell you who I was? Why do you think I have almost no friends, Steve?"

As she sank back against him, he sighed softly. "Neither one of us had it easy as kids. But, I have to admit, Ash, I find it so hard to believe people didn't just gravitate to you."

"They don't. I was always an ice princess to them. I had to be. It hurt too much to find out someone was just using me."

The sheets rustled again as he came up to cover her. He braced himself on his forearms, his thumbs brushing her cheeks. "I love you, Aislinn. You have no idea how much."