All Over Again (Sequel to Wanted Man)

Chapter Thirty-Five

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

It was still dark out when Loki rolled over and opened his eyes. McKenna was sound asleep beside him, on her side. She had been curved against him and when he moved, she sighed in her sleep and snuggled deeper into her pillows.

He leaned over and brushed a kiss across her cheek, smiling as she sighed again, and then he slid out from beneath the blanket. He paused long enough to tug on a pair of dark blue sweatpants, then made his way down to Selig's room.

Selig was still sound asleep, one foot poking out from beneath his Captain America comforter and Loki smiled as he tucked that foot back where it belonged. Selig didn't stir. Loki smoothed a hand over his son's hair, then crept back out of his room, closing the door by as he did.

As he drew near Aislinn's room, Loki smiled, hearing her gurgling away happily in her crib. He gazed down at her, found her smiling up at him, and he gently lifted her. "What're you doing up, little girl? It's still dark out."

Her smile widened, her hands burrowing into his hair as he brought her to his shoulder. She was damp, so he set her on the changing table and made quick work of changing her and bundling her in a dry sleeper, all the while she gurgled and chortled to herself.

"Much better, isn't it?" he asked, moving to sink onto the window seat. Dawn had just begun to break, pink streaks of light showing through the trees, and Loki sighed softly as he settled back, conjured up a bottle, and Aislinn went to work.

As she drank, she gazed up at him with wide green eyes, her chubby hands holding the bottle with him. About halfway through, she pushed the nipple from her mouth and he set the bottle down to lift her to his shoulder.

"Daddy? What're you doing?"

He looked up at Selig, standing in the doorway, rubbing one eye with the same hand that held Cap. "Giving your sister a bottle, Sel." He patted the bench beside him. "Come sit with us."

Smothering a yawn with Cap, Selig came over and climbed up to sit next to him. "Can I help, Daddy?"

"Of course. You know how to hold her, right?"

Selig nodded. "Yep."

"Here." Loki carefully shifted Aislinn into her brother's arms. "Make sure you keep this arm-" he shifted the elbow bracing Aislinn's head-"a little higher. Like that."

"Okay, Daddy."

Loki eased the bottle into Selig's free hand, keeping his around it as well, since Selig's hands were still just that much too small to hold it alone. "And just let her suck on it."

"Like this?"

"Just like that." Loki shifted to tighten his arm about Selig and then settled back to let him feed his sister.

"Daddy, when will Aislinn talk? And walk? And be able to play?"

Loki grinned at him, ruffling his hair gently. "Not for a while yet. She's only three months old, little man. She won't walk for another six months or so and won't talk for probably a year or so. But don't worry, it goes by fast. Very fast."

"A year? That's not fast."

"I didn't think so, either. And then you came along and I realized just how quickly a year can pass."

"Really?"

"Really. It seems as if it was only yesterday I was holding you like that," he gestured to Aislinn, "and waiting for you to do those same things. And now look at you. You're almost grown up. You're going to be what? Eighteen? Nineteen?"