{Chapter: 023 - Talk With Jemma And 0-8-4}
Aiden opened the door slowly, blinking against the hallway light, his hair tousled from sleep. He wore a loose, sleeveless T-shirt that clung comfortably to his sculpted frame, his well-defined muscles glistening faintly in the dim glow of the bedside lamp behind him. The fabric did little to conceal the strength beneath.
But it was his boxers that truly stopped Jemma in her tracks.
Her gaze dropped for just a second—one heartbeat too long.
The outline of something decidedly masculine was faintly visible beneath the soft cotton, and even though she tried to look away immediately, the heat had already begun crawling up her neck. She could practically feel her heartbeat thudding in her ears. Her fingers fidgeted at her sides.
She wasn't naïve. She might not have had experience with men, but she wasn't a child either. They taught things in health class. Friends whispered secrets in locker rooms. And well... the internet existed.
Still, nothing—absolutely nothing—had prepared her to face this in the middle of the night.
Aiden arched a brow, a slow, amused smile spreading across his face as he caught her expression. "Well, well," he said in a teasing, low tone. "You knock on my door at this ungodly hour and then stare like that? Are you perhaps... trying to offer yourself to me?"
Jemma's face went crimson. "W-What?! N-no! Absolutely not! That's not—it's not like that! Jemma stammered, waving her hands defensively. "I-I mean... nothing like that! Not yet—I mean—not ever! Ugh!"
Aiden chuckled deeply, clearly enjoying her flustered state. "Mm. Not like that... yet, you said?"
Aiden laughed, clearly amused by her panicked response. "Relax, I'm just teasing you."
She stammered for a moment, trying to regain composure. "I—I just discovered something important. After you knocked out Michael and somehow extracted the centipede virus from his body, his condition stopped deteriorating. It stabilized, Aiden. That's never happened before. I wanted to ask about it. Maybe it's a clue! Maybe you've found a way to stop the self-destructive cycle. So I wanted to ask you about this and know your opinion on it. Maybe we might find a solution for this!" Jemma said excitedly.
Aiden's expression softened a bit as she rambled on with excitement. He stepped aside and gestured inside. "Alright, alright. Come in before the hallway starts rumors."
Jemma hesitated for a second, then stepped inside. The door shut behind her with a soft click that somehow felt much louder in the quiet of the night.
She stood there awkwardly, unsure where to place her hands. Aiden turned to her again with a sly grin. "So... you came to my room in the middle of the night just to talk about viruses and biology? Aren't you even a little afraid someone might misunderstand this situation?"
Jemma chewed her lower lip. "No one saw me. Daisy's asleep. I made sure."
Aiden leaned in slightly, voice lowered to a conspiratorial whisper. "Ah... you sound just like a mistress sneaking around behind the main wife's back for a midnight rendezvous."
Her head snapped down as her cheeks erupted in a fiery blush. She said nothing—because honestly, nervously fiddling with the hem of her oversized hoodie. What could she even say to that?
Aiden laughed gently, raising his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. I won't tease you too hard. Come, sit."
He reached for her hand gently and guided her inside, closing the door behind her with a soft click. The room was warm, with a soft citrusy scent lingering in the air.
Jemma perched cautiously on the edge of his bed while Aiden casually sat beside her—then laid down, resting his head in her lap like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"Huh?" she squeaked, frozen in place. It took some time to process this but after it did she asked. "Wait… what are you doing?" she asked, wide-eyed.
"I feel comfortable here," Aiden murmured, closing his eyes and letting out a satisfied sigh. "You have really soft thighs, you know that? I couldn't resist. Alright, go ahead and ask.
Her heart was racing so fast she was worried he might actually hear it pounding beneath his head. But somehow, his relaxed presence helped calm her.
Jemma was frozen for a second, her entire body heating up. Her heart pounded like a drum, but after a deep breath, she let him stay there. Slowly, her fingers found their way to his hair, lightly brushing through it as she tried to act natural.
"S-So..." she began awkwardly, trying to regain focus. "About Michael. After you knocked him out and absorbed the centipede virus, I noticed that his condition seems to have stabilized. Do you think the virus mutated when it entered your body? Or did your body do something unique to suppress it?"
Aiden hummed, his voice a low vibration against her thighs. "Good question. There's a lot we don't understand about Extremis and its interactions with other viruses. I think my body reacted differently because of certain... internal enhancements."
She raised a brow. "Internal enhancements? Can you be more specific?"
"Trade secret," he teased, cracking one eye open to wink at her.
Despite the playful tone, Jemma took her questioning seriously. She asked about the molecular behavior of Extremis, how it might react when mixed with the centipede virus, and how to deal with its volatile self-destruction mechanisms.
She took a breath and launched into her questions—how the virus behaved, whether the self-destruct protocol could be neutralized, whether Extremis mutated differently in him, and how his physiology handled such volatile energy.
Aiden answered most questions patiently and in detail, offering theories and insights that surprised her with their clarity. But there were some things—key things—he was evasive about. Whenever she asked directly how his body adapted to Extremis, he gave only vague answers, brushing it off like it was unimportant.
Still, the way he looked up at her as he spoke, his fingers occasionally brushing her arm, or the way his eyes lingered on her lips when she asked a question—it sent butterflies flitting through her chest.
Over time, the tension shifted. The virus, the science, the data—it all faded into the background. They started talking about lighter things. Favorite music. Foods they missed before the outbreak. The books they'd read. weird dreams they had as kids, the kinds of movies they liked to watch, and even shared a few embarrassing stories. The people they'd lost.
"I once fell asleep during an important lab presentation," Jemma admitted sheepishly. "The professor was not amused."
Aiden chuckled, reaching up to touch her cheek lightly. "That's adorable. I bet you drooled a little too."
"I did not!" she protested, covering her face.
"You totally did."
Eventually, the laughter faded into a comfortable silence. Aiden had shifted somewhere along the way, his body turned toward her, head still cradled in her lap, but his eyes were now tracing the curve of her jaw as she talked. Jemma didn't stop him. She should've. She could've.
But instead, she stayed there, fingers absently brushing through his hair, smiling without even realizing it.
"I like this," Aiden murmured at one point. "This... quiet. Just us."
Jemma nodded softly, cheeks still warm. "Me too."
By the time they looked at the window again, the dark sky had faded into a shade of gray-blue—the first signs of dawn.
Jemma looked down at Aiden, who now had his arms loosely wrapped around her waist as he lay on her lap. His expression was peaceful, his usual smirk softened into something more intimate.
Jemma glanced at the clock, alarmed. "It's almost morning already... I—I need to get back to my room."
She tried to stand, but Aiden gently caught her hand and gave it a soft squeeze. "Thank you. For coming to me."
"I should be the one thanking you," she replied with a smile. "You explained so much. I feel like we actually made progress."
Aiden sat up slowly, his eyes lazily scanning her one more time. "By the way... I've got to say something. Those legs of yours... they're really beautiful."
Jemma blinked. "W-what?!"
"I mean it," Aiden grinned. "Next time you're alone with me... try wearing skirts. Or shorts. Or even some thigh-high stockings. Would be a crime to hide them behind all those lab coats."
Jemma froze for a moment, her heart skipping a beat. Then, with a stammer, "I-I'll think about it," she opened the door and slipped into the hallway, her footsteps light, almost floating.
Aiden leaned back, giving her a little wink. "Don't think too hard. Just trust me."
Jemma opened the door, the cool hallway air washing over her. She turned back once, met his gaze one more time.
"Good night, Aiden."
"Good night, Jem."
And with that, she slipped out, shutting the door behind her—but the feeling of his warmth, his words, and the way he looked at her lingered long after.
Behind the door, Aiden grinned to himself, his eyes twinkling.
"Cute girl. She's going to be in trouble..."
---
The next day, Aiden woke up well past noon, groggy and sore from the long, intimate night talk he had with Jemma. The memory of her soft voice, the way she blushed every time he teased her, and how her thighs had felt under his head all came rushing back as he rolled out of bed. He stretched, pulled on a black tank top and some casual jeans, then stepped out of his room, yawning as the sunlight from the ceiling panels of the mobile base known as "The Bus" hit his eyes.
To his surprise, the lounge area was mostly empty except for Daisy, who sat curled up on the couch, her laptop perched on her thighs, typing away with a focused expression. Her legs were bare, just long socks pulled up to her knees, and she wore one of her oversized band tees. Her long hair was still a bit messy, and her face looked tired but determined. Probably hadn't slept well again.
Jemma and Fitz were probably already deep into their work in the labs. That wasn't surprising. Those two were unstoppable when it came to science. If not for Aiden's interference in this world, the two would've probably ended up together like in the canon timeline. They were basically made for each other—both brilliant, adorably awkward, and passionate about their research. But things had changed.
But now… it was obviously not possible!
With Aiden's sudden presence in this universe, countless fates were being rewritten.
Daisy glanced up from her screen and offered him a soft smile. "You finally decided to grace us with your presence, Sleeping Beauty."
Aiden smirked and grabbed a bottle of water from the nearby mini-fridge. "Had a late-night meeting. Pretty intense scientific interrogation. You know how scary your girl Jemma can get when she's curious."
Daisy raised a brow but before she could answer, Phil Coulson's voice echoed through the space from the intercom system. "Team, something urgent just came up. Meet me in the command room in five."
When they all gathered, Phil was standing near the holographic table, files in hand. He looked as calm and composed as ever, but there was an unmistakable glint of excitement in his eyes.
"We've just intercepted a signal from our site in Peru. They found another 084."
Daisy frowned slightly, clearly puzzled. "What's an 084?"
Phil smiled patiently. "An object of unknown origin. Something we can't identify, catalog, or explain right away. Essentially... a mystery. Kind of like Aiden. And you, come to think of it."
Well figuratively speaking, Daisy and Aiden really do have unknown origins. As for Daisy, her identity was unknown with no records of her parents found in public, otherwise she wouldn't have come to SHIELD to investigate her own origin.
Daisy and Aiden exchanged a look. He shrugged with an amused smirk. "I'll take that as a compliment."
Phil continued. "The last time we found an 084, it turned out to be quite the surprise. A hammer that no one could lift."
Aiden instantly knew what Phil was referring to. Mjolnir—the enchanted hammer of Thor, the Norse God of Thunder. When the God of Thunder first came to Earth or was banished to Earth, the hammer was sent with him. At that time, Phil was responsible for its investigation.
---
Peru.
The air was humid, thick with the scent of jungle moss and distant rainfall. The roaring engines of "The Bus" cut through the noise of the forest as it hovered and touched down near a heavily wooded archaeological site.
Moments later, the team boarded a rugged off-road vehicle, bouncing and jostling through uneven jungle roads. Fitz clung to his equipment case like it was his lifeline, while Jemma excitedly took in the surroundings.
"This site dates back to the pre-Incan civilization. Some of the inscriptions here haven't even been translated yet," she whispered to Aiden.
Aiden, seated between Daisy and Jemma, kept his gaze on the treeline. His senses were on edge.
"Just stay alert," he murmured. "This place doesn't feel right."
Fitz nodded nervously. "There are rumors of rebel factions operating nearby. Militant groups that don't exactly like foreign visitors."
"Exactly why I want everyone close," Aiden said, subtly shifting so he could put himself between the others and any threat.
They soon arrived at a pyramid-like structure nestled within the heart of the jungle. The air around it pulsed faintly with an odd energy that made Aiden's skin crawl. As they approached the temple, a man in SHIELD gear exited the structure and greeted Coulson. The two men exchanged words while the rest of the team waited at the entrance.
The interior of the temple was lit with field lanterns and portable equipment. Dusty stone walls were etched with carvings that glowed faintly under certain wavelengths of light. Ancient relics were scattered across the floor, but all attention was drawn toward one object placed carefully on an altar—a sleek, obsidian-black cylinder that radiated faint pulses of energy.
Aiden stepped closer, his eyes narrowing as he studied it. Whatever it was, it wasn't of this world.
Powerful... but unstable.
He considered taking it—absorbing it even—but thought better of it. This wasn't the time to make enemies out of SHIELD. Not yet. He didn't need this weapon. And besides, if he needed something lifted, he had someone in mind who could do it for him. Hela. The thought of her made a small smile tug at the corner of his lips.
No, he'd bide his time. He still had to stay close to Daisy until she awakened her true potential. He was invested in her journey—as both a protector and more...
As he stepped back from the altar, Jemma moved forward with curiosity, scanning the object with her device. Fitz mumbled something about energy signatures, while Daisy hung near the entrance, keeping watch.
Aiden knew his window for world-hopping was still limited. At World Jump Level 1, he could only enter one world every thirty days, and only remain there for twelve hours at a time. That wasn't enough. Not for his goals.
He needed more powers. More abilities. He needed to evolve.
And today was just another step toward that distant, shining goal:
To become the supremely powerful king is still far….
But until then... he'd play the long game. With patience. With strategy.
And just the right amount of fun!