Two of A Kind

11- Put the Fun in Folly

Aite was back on her bookshelf perch, watching the team go about their business.

Since their confrontation in the conference room, she'd been doing everything she could to acclimate to her new life.

With all the time she'd run around the universe, avoiding home like mortals avoided their newest plague, she never thought she'd miss it. Then again, being told she couldn't have something was always the easiest way to be certain she'd want it.

'Case in point.' She thought to herself as Loki sauntered in.

She still expected some outwardly gorgeous and inwardly horrid woman to sweep in and whisk Loki away, but she was getting closer to the rest of the team. She'd even gotten to know some of their stories and, while none of them were all that happy, she had to admit Steve's was the most surprising.

Frozen in ice for nearly a century? Waking up to a world he had no idea how to react to? Yep, she could definitely relate.

Why Loki hadn't told her about them before she came back was a question for another day.

"Aite?" Steve called, gaining her attention.

She jumped from her place landing, as always, gracefully in front of Steve. "Yes, Captain?" She gave a slack, half mocking salute.

He smiled indulgently, as if she were a willful child. "We're heading out on a mission. Stay or go, it's up to you."

"We'll stay here." Loki answered for her, coming to stand at her side. "There are things we need to talk about."

Steve narrowed his eyes at Loki for a moment before raising a single eyebrow in her direction.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm good with staying here."

Twenty minutes later, she was standing at the window watching the Quinjet take her new friends to places unknown.

She had insisted she would be fine alone with the other god of mischief but now that it was a reality, she wasn't so sure.

She felt his presence behind her before he spoke up. "I don't expect you to believe me. I've told worse lies to get what I wanted in the moment. I would like the chance to prove it to you."

Aite turned, catching his eyes with her own. "I am an orphan here. As much as Hercules, Jason, and Persius ever were. More, actually.  They were eventually able to go back home. They had family here. I have the people in this tower. People who didn't ask me here but accept me as one of their own. This," she motioned around them. "Is all I have. If things go wrong-"

He pressed a finger to her lips, silencing her. "If things go wrong, I will be the one to leave."

Her eyes widened at his offer. He would leave behind the only people who trusted him outside of a cage? So she would have a place to call home?

"If it means you'll give this a chance, give us a chance, I will gladly accept those terms." He leaned over her hand, pressing his lips to her knuckles.

'What the hell.' She thought, throwing herself into his arms, hugging him for the first time since the awkward hug they shared as she was leaving to come to this time.

His arms tightened around her, holding her as close as he dared, his face nuzzling into her neck, taking in her scent. "Does that mean yes?" He asked.

"Might not be the smartest decision I've made, but yes. It means yes."