Aella scrunched her nose. "Well I'm not that selfless."

"What about one of his sons? You seemed to like Seth a lot."

She knew what he was doing: he was trying to draw her out. "Well — I can't deny that he was handsome," she answered with a little smirk.

He kept her glance, as if he was trying to decide whether she was telling the truth. She did, so she kept staring back.

It felt like his face was coming closer and closer now neither of them was breaking eye contact and Aella knew where this was leading to. She had considered to diminish the distance between their lips a couple of times now, but there was still something holding her back.

Maybe it was just something trite — simply the fear to kiss. For she had never kissed anyone. There simply had never been anyone calling up the desire to do so.

"You already showed me so much of your life," she started pensively. "But you never showed me a memory with Rota. I'm curious to your history. To your kiss."

She looked at him curiously, maybe even a bit provoking. It would be weird to see Loki kiss some version of her, but she hoped it would trigger the Valkyrie's memories.

"If you think it will turn you on that much that you want to kiss me yourself, I take my chances." He smirked, but the look in his eyes told her something kept him from really doing so.

"Maybe it will help getting my memories back," she insisted.

"Yeah... That's what I am afraid of too," he answered, anything but enthusiastically.

Aella furrowed her brow. "You cared about Rota. I felt it."

He broke eye contact and stared at the opposite wall. "I care more about you. It would be a shame... if Rota ruins you."

Her mouth felt dry, it took a while before she was able to respond. "Why... Why do you think she will ruin me?"

Loki was still staring forward, no matter how hard she tried to catch his glance. "Valkyries aren't the most merry kind of people. They're way too serious. Rota would never have conversed like we do, she would only have stared out of the window with a grim face."

It felt like a swarm of butterflies was taking off in her stomach. In Loki's world, these words were a true compliment. Loki wasn't exactly careful with compliments, but most were solely meant to make her feel uncomfortable. Admitting that he really enjoyed her company, was a step forward.

Loki quickly recomposed himself, and his boyish smirk returned. "But you might catch a glimpse of hidden memories if you kiss me now."

"Okay."

Aella kept staring into his eyes. Loki raised his eyebrows, surprise filling his eyes.

"Okay?"

She shrugged her shoulders. It had been coming for a while and she knew she wanted it. Not everyone was lucky to receive his or her first kiss from a god, and man, it was a very handsome god. Furthermore, he wasn't as insufferable as he had been in the beginning.

"Oh..."

She smirked when he didn't seem to know what to do. Admitted; it was a strange situation. Their almost kiss moments had been more natural, and Loki's dazed look was the only thing keeping her nervousness at bay.

For what now?

A few seconds passed by. Loki's awkwardness was taking her over too.

"I'm joking," she said with a faint smile. She laughed out the other side of her face. As much as she had liked the prospect to kiss him; right now things were very awkward.

"Hmm... I don't think you were joking."

Loki's hand glided to hers, and a moment later they were in the cockpit, surrounded by thousands of stars.

Aella stared outside, chuckling softly. "This is almost romantic."

"A first kiss should be special."

She felt her cheeks flush at the realization that he knew she had never kissed before. Turning the tips of her shoes towards each other, she looked up to Loki. He was standing across from her, his head dipped.

"Well... Kiss me," he whispered.

Aella bit her lip, his blue eyes holding her in place. Lifting her hand, she stroked his jaw.

Her breathing faltered as she brought her face closer to his. For a moment she was afraid he would laugh right into her face. Then, her lips stroked his and that fear slipped away.

Aella felt her knees go weak; she was afraid to collapse. As if Loki sensed she would, he wrapped his arms around her.

Now her lips were softly pressing against his mouth, she didn't know what to do. Stick her tongue into his mouth? Or...

Her thoughts silenced when Loki raked his fingers through her hair. His tongue traced her bottom lip and hesitantly she opened her mouth. Tinglings spread through her body when their tongues started to dance; at first slowly, but quickly more passionately.

Her breathing sped up and she leaned into him; the blood was rushing through her veins with such a speed she could barely stand up straight.

Aella hadn't given her first kiss much thought, but she'd never expected to feel so many wonderful shivers. And that she would share her first kiss with a man who she had called a lunatic a few weeks back, had certainly never crossed her mind.