Written per request of nooneimportant (seriously, is that your username

Written per request of nooneimportant (seriously, is that your username?). And here’s a weird question: I’ve gotten a few reviews saying they want more LokixAera stories (not just from me). So….how come I’m pretty much the only one who writes them? Why don’t the ones who want more write some? Sorry about that little rant up there, on with the story.

Loki woke up before Aera did that morning. He blinked a few times, his eyes adjusting to the sunlight coming in through the window, and glanced off to his side. What he saw made him smile a little bit.

Aera was sleeping there, on her side, facing him, curled up in a little ball. Her head was inclined slightly so that her chin nearly touched her collar. Her hands were pressed together, and pillowed her head, and all in all, she looked almost like a little child. Much younger than the 17 years that she was.

She made a small groan as she shifted somewhat in her sleep, almost waking up, but not quite. Loki’s smile widened as he propped himself up on his elbows, watching his master. He had grown as well, and was almost unrecognizable in his new “adult form” as Tatiana liked to call it. Aera however, hadn’t changed much, except for height and chest size (by a few centimeters, but who was complaining?). Her hair had grown a few inches in the past two years, but she trimmed it regularly, so that it was only an inch longer. Loki had often wondered why she didn’t let her hair grow longer, but she wouldn’t answer him.

Loki smirked and inched a fingertip towards her cheek, poking the soft flesh slightly. Aera groaned indignantly, and unconsciously moved one of her hands to swat her cheek, as if her subconscious told her it was caused by a pesky fly, or a mosquito. Then the peaceful expression returned and her hand moved back to its original spot. Loki had to hold back a laugh.

Then he decided that she was sleeping in a little too much for his liking. “Aera…” he whispered slyly as he scooted closer to her, leaning his upper body towards her. “Aera…”

“Mm?” Aera mumbled in her sleep, Loki’s voice bringing her closer to waking.

He grinned, moving closer still until he was leaning over her, his undone hair falling over his shoulders to tickle Aera’s face. Aera groaned again, her hand brushing the white strands away from her before her eyes opened. “Mm? Loki?” she mumbled.

Loki grinned down at her, lowering himself downward slightly. “Morning…”

“Mm?” Aera blinked sleepily, not full awake. This would explain her lack of blushing at their current position. Loki had moved closer to her, and was now on his hands and knees, his body angled slightly, so that both his knees on one side of her, but his hands were on either side of his master’s head.

“Aera…you gotta wake up now,” he said, smirking wickedly. “Wake up or else,” he added as he leaned down and brushed his lips against her exposed neck.

Aera let out a small squeak of shock, her eyes opening all the way in an instant. “L-Loki!” she protested, blushing faintly. “Can’t you wait?”

“Aw…but you looked so cute, I had to kiss you now,” he whispered playfully, moving his lips upward to her ear and gently nipping the lobe. “Wouldn’t you say this is a great way to wake you up?”

Aera blushed redder and curled into an even tighter ball. “Loki, you can’t do that now!” she reprimanded him, trying to find a way to maneuver herself out from beneath him, without knocking him over.

“Why not?” he grinned, not moving from where he was.

“Because someone could come down here any minute!” Aera answered, still blushing crimson. “There’s no lock on this door, and you know Blaire comes down here for forging, just like Orin. And-agh, Loki!”

Loki had moved down again to kiss her neck, his arms wrapped around her. “I’m not going to go too far,” he assured her when she shivered against him, letting out a small moan. “I just want a kiss.”

“You aren’t giving me ‘just a kiss,’ Loki,” Aera said sternly. The effect it was supposed to have, however, was lost due to her red face. “This isn’t ‘just a kiss,’ it’s foreplay!”

Loki sighed, giving Aera a small squeeze before releasing her and getting up. “I told you all I wanted was a kiss,” he sulked, climbing out of bed and pulling his hair back. “You just wouldn’t give one to me,” he added irritably.

Aera sighed as she rose from bed, clad in a thin white night-dress that reached her knees. She came up behind her Guardian Beast, who was no longer the same height as she, and wrapped her arms around him, beneath his arms. “Loki…” she murmured against his bare back, eyes half-shut.

He sighed, relaxing as he felt the warmth of her arms around his chest, feeling her heartbeat against his back.

“Don’t get mad, now. It’s mostly your fault anyway.”

“Wh-What?” Loki cried, turning his head to the side. “Hey, why’d you have to ruin this moment, huh?”

Aera giggled, squeezing her arms around him tighter, her eyes closing all the way. “Sorry. But it’s true. If you want a kiss, I have to be kissing you too, remember?’ she scolded gently.

Loki sighed again, remembering. Ever since the two had defeated Guren and freed Goura’s true self, they had been able to spend more time together. And eventually, their relationship exceeded mere friendship. Loki wasn’t entirely sure if Guardian Beasts were allowed to care for their masters like this, but at the moment, he didn’t care. Neither, apparently, did Aera.

That didn’t mean they didn’t keep their love a secret.

“So, why didn’t you?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest, his cheeks a faint pink color. “You just lay there. Anyone else would think I was molesting you!”

“Loki, you kinda were,” Aera deadpanned, shifting her arms. Loki let her turn him around until they were facing each other again, Aera having to tilt her head back slightly to look into the his red eyes. “That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy that, though,” she added, smiling slightly.

Loki smirked, resting his hands on her shoulders. “Well then,” he said, leaning down. “Why don’t you kiss me back now?”

She smiled again, briefly, before her eyes closed and she puckered her lips a little, waiting. Loki smiled at her, brushing a few strands of hair out of her face before bending to kiss her softly on the mouth. Aera sighed against his lips, lifting her hands to rest on his bare chest as the kiss was deepened. Then Loki surprised her by putting his weight forward so that they both fell back. Aera landed back on the bed, her feet still on the floor, legs bent at the knees. “Mf!”

Loki placed his hands on either side of her as he broke the kiss, pulling back a few centimeters and looking into Aera’s eyes. “Aera…”

Aera blushed. “Loki…not…” She turned her head to the side, squinting her eyes shut. “Not now…not just yet…” she whispered.

“Alright,” he complied, moving to kiss her cheek. “I can wait…”

She sighed, her eyes opening and shifting so that she looked back up at him. “Loki…”

Before either of them could do anything, however, they heard Orin’s voice saying “Hey, you two, aren’t you up yet?”

And then the sound of the door banging open.

To Be Continued