The shop bell tinkled as I pushed open the door to the smithy, blinking as my eyes adjusted to the low light. Britt was standing, back to me, at the small anvil he and his father used for delicate work like cutlery and other household items. He had a light hammer in one hand, fiddling it absently as he considered whatever it was he was working. "Just a minute," he called without turning around. "Be right with you. Look around, if you like."

I watched him lean over, studying something on the anvil, and exchange the hammer he was holding for a tiny ball peen. Whatever he was making was delicate, if that was the tool he needed. Curious, I took a step toward him. "What are you w—"

He startled violently at my voice, dropping the hammer on the table with a clatter before half turning. "Gods, Oswin, don't sneak up on me like that! What are you doing here? I thought I wouldn't see you till later."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to surprise you. I was just excited to see you. I went… what are you working on that had you so distracted?"

"Nothing. Something for Cora. She needed new hinges for one of the oven doors."

"You're using the little hammer for that?" I asked, craning to see.

"Oh—uh…" Britt skimmed one hand along the anvil, as if dusting it off, and casually slipped both hands into his pockets. "Sorry… you were saying? You went somewhere?" He had an odd, sort of wincing, look on his face. It was made all the stranger because he was trying, not very successfully, to appear normal.

"Britt, did you… did you just burn your hand?"

"…no?"

It seemed there must be more, but instead of explaining he dragged his forearm over his face, wiping away sweat and leaving behind a black coal smudge. I decided to let it go. "You have some soot—" I took out a clean handkerchief and reached for him—

"—oh, Os, don't… you'll get your clothes all—wait, what is this you're wearing?"

His expression was so funny that I changed my mind about wiping soot from his face and seized his shirt collar instead, drawing him in close for a kiss. He hesitated momentarily, then hooked his hand around my waist and leaned in, pulling me to him. I sighed happily, playing my tongue along his lower lip.

"Just how much wine have you had this morning?" he inquired politely after we broke the kiss.

I leaned my forehead against his chest and giggled. "None."

Britt slipped his other arm around my back and swayed me back and forth, wrapped in his hug. "Did you just honest-to-gods giggle? You?" He gave me a friendly squeeze. "Who is this lying little vixen?" he asked the top of my head.

"Lying! You should talk!" I laughed, twisting in his arms and catching his hand. "Let me look at that!"

"Oww—Oswin!" He pulled it away.

"I'm sorry! Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, you just caught me right on the spot where I… didn't burn myself." He grinned.

"But why did you—"

"—no more questions, all right?" He dragged his sooty thumb down my nose, making me squeak indignantly. "I'm making a present for you. Don't you dare spoil it any further."

I opened my eyes wide. "All right. I'll be good. I promise."

"You said earlier you went somewhere?"

"Oh…" I felt the tips of my ears turn warm. "… yes."

He looked at me questioningly.

"I had an errand and I'll tell you about it in a minute but I'm feeling shy right now so talk to me about something else first."

"Sounds important." He folded his arms around me again. "Do you know that when you blush, even the tip of your nose turns pink? I can tell, even under the soot."

I made a face.

"You said talk about something else!" he protested, smiling wickedly. "But I admit, I'm curious what your errand was. Drunk before highsun, clad in… whatever this intriguing costume is, and too timid to tell me about any of it? Very mysterious."

"I—"

"—you know there's nothing you can't talk to me about, don't you?"

I ducked my head and rested it on his chest. "I know."

"Just making sure." He kissed the top of my head, rubbing his hand on my back. "I hope you didn't have plans for these clothes, because they're all sooty now."

I spoke without looking up at him, lest my courage fail. "I was hoping you might want to tear them off me."

His hand stilled on my back. "Oh?" His tone sounded carefully controlled.

"I went to the Sunite festival stall today. For the things I needed." I took a breath. "To prevent, um, conception."

I felt him look down at me while he considered my words. "That's strange. I always have to send off to Waterdeep when I need stork poison. You're telling me all this time I should have asked the love goddess—"

I gave him a little shove. "Don't be an ass."

"Sorry. I needed to buy time to think."

"About what?"

"How long will it take to extinguish the forge, how fast can I get myself cleaned up, will I lose too much festival business if I close early, how long until Dad comes back, is it wrong to say yes to this when you're a little drunk—"

"—I'm sorry I upset your plans for today. I can come back later, like we agreed before. I don't mind. Truly." I smiled.

"I didn't say I minded. Besides"—he dragged his thumb down the curve of my jaw, and then the column of my neck, tracing a faint trail of soot gently down my décolletage and into the curve of my cleavage—"if you leave now, anyone who sees you will know exactly everywhere my hands have been."

His touch left me a little dazed. Instead of answering, I reached for him, slipping my fingers into his thick, glossy brown curls and touching my lips to his. Britt made a low sound deep in his throat and spun me round, pressing my back against the work bench and forcing our bodies close before coaxing my lips apart with his tongue. We explored each other a little while, not nearly long enough, before Britt broke off the kiss and set his hands on my shoulders. "I need to close the shop before someone comes in and sees us," he said a bit breathlessly.

My heart pounded as he turned the sign in the shop window and bolted the door.

"I've been waiting for this so long," I said, a little bashfully. "But I couldn't get the herbs I needed."

"Same." Britt took the coal rake and began dragging coke away from the firepot, spreading out the flames to starve them of fuel.

"Men have secret herbs, too?" I beamed.

Britt grabbed a cloth from a hook on the wall and mopped the sweat from his face. "Os, that's not fair. I'm supposed to be the funny one." He gave me a lopsided little grin.

"You're the funny one? What am I, then?"

"You're the smart one. I thought that was obvious. It's part of why we make such a fine pair."

"Oh. Well, thank you." I hopped up on the edge of his work bench and sat there, legs swinging, watching as Britt gave the firepot another stir with the rake, then returned to the bench, picking up tongs, hammers, and other implements and hanging them on their hooks. I picked up the small hammer he dropped when I came in, and looked at it, turning it over in my hands. I wanted to ask if it was for jewelry smithing, but had a feeling I already knew the answer. I set the hammer back on the little anvil.

Britt went back to the fire, which had subsided to a few flickers amongst the glowing coals, and gave it another onceover with the rake. "You're awfully quiet," he observed.

I shrugged. "I like seeing you work. Can I help with anything?"

"You don't have to."

"I know."

He gave me a little smile. "There's a broom against the far wall, behind the shop counter. If you'll wait until I've shoveled the coals, you can sweep the floor around the forge for me."

I hopped down and crossed the shop, reaching for the broom handle just as Britt's father came in from the door adjoining the cottage where they lived. I sank behind the counter, hoping he hadn't seen. Britt's father was not fond of me. If he'd walked in fifteen minutes earlier… my cheeks burned at the thought of what he would say at the sight of my sooty face and dress as it was, let alone our scandalous embrace.

"You closing up?" he asked Britt.

"Yep, morning was slow enough, I thought I'd knock off for the day."

"Mm." His father made a noise of agreement. "Tomorrow'll be busier, I expect."

"What're you doing today?" Britt asked.

"Well, I came to see whether you cared if I wasn't back until tomorrow. Cooper's starting a dice game down at the inn and I thought I might buy in. May as well stay there tonight."

I slapped a hand over my mouth lest a squeal of sheer joy escape me. I wasn't expected back until dinner. We'd have a whole afternoon to ourselves!

"Fine with me," Britt said. "I can build up the fire and open shop in the morning. Just don't let Granger make you drink yourself half to death like last time. If you have to crawl all the way home you won't be any use to me." I could hear the grin in his voice.

"Quiet, you. Let your old man have his fun." His father's tone was gruffly affectionate. "Need any help finishing up?"

"Nah, I'm near done here anyhow. Have fun. Don't lose your shirt."

I saw his father give him a dismissive wave. "See you tomorrow."

I waited after the door closed, until Britt called, "All right, you can stop hiding now."

He laughed at how quickly I popped up from my place behind the counter and snatched the broom. I couldn't keep the smile from my face as I watched Britt shovel the mostly burnt out coals into a bucket of water to ensure they were fully extinguished and to clean them of ash and clinker.

"Well, seems you were right after all, Os," he remarked as he stood aside to let me begin the sweeping up. "And here I thought you'd scuttled everything by turning up early and unexpected. That'll teach me to doubt you."

"I can't believe we have all afternoon!" I bubbled, helpless to contain my excitement.

"Me neither. Honestly, I wasn't sure how to solve the problem of my dad. Maybe you made an impression on Sune today." He grinned again and hopped up on the bench, watching as I flicked the broom around the forge, happily sweeping up bits of slag and coal dust. "Come on, siren," he said finally. "How about you let me finish that up tomorrow? Fire's out. We don't have to waste our precious time on the sweeping." He held his hand out.

"It's not out."

He made a face at the joke, so I leaned the broom against the bench and slipped my hand into his. "I'm so happy right now," I whispered, my heart skittering.

"I am too." With his other hand, he gave me a squeeze on the waist, then skimmed up my body and cupped my breast through my dress, tweaking my nipple gently between his thumb and forefinger.

"Britt!" My face reddened at the warm throb of excitement in my stomach.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"Anybody could see us!"

"Ah, well. I guess we'd better find ourselves some privacy, hmm?" Britt slid down from the bench and reached for me.

"What are you—" I shrieked as he picked me up and threw me over his shoulder as if I weighed nothing. "Britt—" I protested as he carried me to the door, but I was laughing too hard to fight him in earnest. I settled for playacting my outrage with a suitable amount of thrashing.

"You're an awful captive," Britt complained, laughing, as I pounded his back with my fists. "Tell me now, what shall I do with you?" He threw his arm around my legs, pinning them in place. "Stop that, or you'll brain yourself on the door jamb."

I giggled. "Put me down."

Britt pretended to think about it, then set me neatly on my feet. "You're sure about this?" he asked, abruptly serious. "Because I won't be mad if you change your mind. At any point." He reached over and returned an escaped lock of my hair to its braid, tucking it gently back into place. "Now, or ever," he added.

"No, I'm sure. I've been sure a while now."

"Me too." He paused, hand on the door. "Os."

"What?" I smiled up at him.

"You look just like a chimney sweep right now—oww! What was that for—"

"—you are terrible, do you know that! I don't know why I spend my time on you!" I laughed.

"I could have said street urchin. But I didn't. Because I think so more highly of you than that."

I rolled my eyes. "You're impossible."

—∞—∞—∞—

[tender interactions which despite their exquisite sweetness truly don't belong in a story rated T]

—∞—∞—∞—

I drifted awake, warm, comfortable, and happy, nestled stark naked in the crook of Britt's arm. Blinking drowsily, I took in the pleasant scene. I loved his room. The bed and bed stand dominated most of the small space, but his east-facing window had bathed the room in golden light that morning, and the long shadows of evening that now crept along the walls were equally beautiful to me now.

I jerked fully awake as it dawned on me that I should have been home dressing for dinner with my mother and sister. Well over an hour ago, by the look of it.

"Oh, no." I looked around for my discarded dress. "Oh, no. No, no, no…" My throat was tight as I tried to decide what excuse my mother would possibly accept for my lateness. And if I turned up looking a complete mess… I touched my hair, tangled and half falling out of its braid, with utter dismay. Even if I cleaned myself up fast enough… somehow she would know.

Next to me, Britt startled awake. "Os?"

"I'm sorry, I'm late—I have to go," I rushed to explain. "Help me find my smallclothes!"

He set his hand on my arm. "Os, no, it's all right. I—"

"She'll be furious. And I have no excuse." I felt panicked tears spring to my eyes before I could blink them away.

"Os. She won't. She—"

Why wasn't he helping me? "You don't understand the kind of trouble I'm in. Last time she wouldn't let me leave the house for a month." I spotted my underdrawers and reached for them. "And Father's gone to Sesswick, so he can't make her behave. Oh, gods, I'm so stupid! How could I fall asleep like that?"

Britt closed his hand around mine, surprising me with his sudden forcefulness. "Oswin. Listen. I stepped out earlier, while you were asleep."

I wiped a tear away. "What's that got to do with my mother?"

"Well… I was looking out the window, thinking how much I wanted to spend the night with you. Then I saw Bonnie going by. It gave me an idea. So, I got dressed and went to talk to her."

Bonnie was my family's housemaid. I looked at him, confused. "About what?"

"Your cook made an order for a set of new spoons the tenday before last. I told Bonnie she could keep the silver meant to pay for them, if she'd do me a favor."

"What kind of favor?"

The question seemed to worry him. "Well…"

I frowned. "Britt… what did you do?"

"I… asked Bonnie to add a sleeping draught to your mother's wine this afternoon. It won't hurt her, but she'll sleep through till tomorrow. She'll just think she drank too much."

I blinked. "I—you—what? You drugged my mother? I can't believe—" I shook my head incredulously, then looked at his anxious face, eyes dark with concern, and realized belatedly I must sound angry. "—I can't believe I never thought of that myself," I finished.

"I'm not angry," I clarified after taking in his confused look. "What a truly brilliant idea. No one would even question that. Including her. She drinks herself to sleep all the time."

He sighed with relief. "Not five seconds ago I thought you were about to storm out of here and I'd never see you again. That's assuming you didn't kill me before you left."

I exhaled slowly and turned, relaxing back against him. "No, I was just surprised. How did you explain it to Bonnie, though?"

"Oh. Well, she and Jessa would have worried if you didn't come home. I told her you were spending the night with me."

I sat bolt upright again in shock. "Britt! Why would you tell her about us? What if she lets something slip in front of my mother?"

"She won't."

I opened my mouth to object, but he hastened to finish.

"She said she was glad, and that your mother is a tyrant, and you deserved to have something nice in your life that she can't touch."

"Bonnie has a lot of opinions," I grumbled.

"I also asked her to spend time with Jessy tonight so she wouldn't be lonely without you."

"Oh." That was thoughtful.

"I sent her with some of the lemon tarts from Cora's, and some spring flowers for those"—he made a vague circular motion around his head—"crowns that girls like to make."

"Wreaths."

He snapped his fingers. "Yes. Bonnie is making wreaths with her."

"It sounds like you thought of everything." Britt held his arms open at that, and I climbed into his lap. "Sometimes I don't know what I did to deserve someone so nice as you." I leaned my head on his chest.

"Oh? Well, sometimes I don't know what I did to deserve someone as clever and interesting as you." He stroked my hair, tucking little bits of it back into my ruined braid.

"I don't even know why you're trying. I'm a mess."

"Maybe a little," he conceded. "I am too, though." I reached up and fluffed my hand through his thick, dark hair, making it stand up in all directions.

Britt wrinkled his nose at me. "Thanks."

I laughed and combed it down again with my fingers, brushing a lock of hair from his forehead. "Why'd you let me sleep so long? Wasn't it boring?"

"I slept too, a little. And when I woke up… I liked watching you sleep."

"You liked watching me?" I made a face. "I hope you don't think that sounds romantic. You're not impressing any woman with that sentiment."

Britt tweaked the tip of my nose. "I guess it's lucky I'm not interested in impressing any woman, then."

"Me most of all, I see." I couldn't read his expression, but it had grown serious. "What? You tease me all the time, don't tell me you can't take a little ribbing."

"No, it's not that. I have something important and I keep… not talking to you about it."

"You what?" I twisted in his lap and looked up at him. "What is it?"

"Do you remember that day you came to the shop to ask after the brooch your mother sent for repair? It was about a year ago."

I nodded. "What about it?"

"The brooch wasn't ready, but you smiled and said now you had an excuse to visit the bakery again sooner. You'd just bought some lemon tarts, and you were shocked when I said I never tried them."

"Cora's just next door! And the lemon is my favorite."

Britt took my hand, slipping his fingers through mine. "You made me share a tart with you because you couldn't stand anyone not knowing how good they were."

I laughed at the memory. "And you didn't like them. You like cherry. But I had to drag it out of you because you didn't want to hurt my feelings."

Britt tightened his grip on my hand. "You weren't offended. You just shrugged and finished the rest yourself. And then, after I thought you went home, you came back with a cherry tart for me."

"Yes, because what a sad thing, to be tartless."

"Oh, indeed." He played with my messy braid. "You bossed me into trying your favorite sweets, but when you figured out it wasn't my favorite too, you brought me something I would like. I think I fell in love with you that day."

I couldn't seem to get my breath.

"I tried hard to forget it. I knew it was a silly exchange, it meant nothing. But then a few months after, I saw you at last year's harvest—you remember. You had two cups of wine and you were dancing with your little sister. And then you saw me and made me come over and dance with you. You held my hand. And the way you smiled at me… you gave me that playful goodnight kiss and it was so… friendly and sweet. I know it sounds dumb. But I couldn't stop thinking about you and your chaste little kiss on my cheek."

Britt's words had the sound of being carefully chosen, as if it were very important for them to be exactly right.

"I told myself, it was the wine, and the dance. It didn't mean anything. But a few days later, you came into the shop and picked out some shoe buckles. I thought about those buckles a lot, because I couldn't figure what you could possibly want with them, and sure enough, Old Jasper told me later you gave him a pair of buckles. You came back, so many times, and you bought thimbles, and spoons, and plates. Most of it you never kept."

I squeezed his hand.

"Finally I ran out of things to sell you that you didn't need. And I guess that's when I started to let myself accept that maybe you really were there to see me."

I felt a happy tear trail down my cheek. "I was."

Britt wiped the tear away with his thumb. My eyes brimmed over again. "I know," he said. "You spent a lot of money last winter on really dumb bullshit."

I snorted through my tears. "I did, didn't I?"

Britt smiled so widely it looked like his face might crack. "Really dumb. Let's be clear on that point."

I made a face. "Don't get carried away."

"A few times I made ridiculous things on purpose, just to see if you would buy them because they were something you hadn't seen in the shop yet."

"Liar." I shoved him.

"I did! I made a game of it. What Will Lady Oswin Buy Next?"

"What, then?"

"A salt cellar shaped like an owlbear."

I sputtered with laughter. "That thing? Well, all right… that was pretty stupid, I'll admit. I remember wondering who would want such an ugly thing."

"You. You were the only one."

"What else?" I asked, enjoying our game.

He thought for a second. "A brass onion brooch."

"The onion wasn't stupid! I kept that one."

"Why? Because you couldn't get anyone to take it away for free?"

"No! I liked it. It was odd, maybe, but it had a sort of simple prettiness to it. The stalks were so detailed."

"Are you sure you're not still drunk?"

"All right, this isn't fun anymore!" I protested. "What happened to that sweet conversation we were having? The one where you said you fell in love with me?"

"Oh. Right." He stroked my back. "After all that talk of salt cellars and onions my original point now feels awkward."

"Then… I'll talk until you don't feel like that anymore." I touched Britt's face softly, dragging my fingernails against the grain of his whiskers. "The night of the harvest festival dance. I remember every detail. I hardly slept that night, for thinking of you. This hair…" I smiled and stroked my hands through it. "I thought you were so handsome."

"I am so handsome."

"Shut up. I'm talking now." I leaned up and kissed him softly, then settled back in his arms. "It was three months of really dumb bullshit before I worked up the nerve to kiss you. Not like how I kissed you at harvest. A real kiss. I kept thinking you would make the first move, and you didn't."

"Well, you bought that dreadful owlbear. I couldn't tell whether you were deranged, or just addle-brained."

"If I was either, then it's your fault for how much you made me wonder whether you actually liked me, or if it was all in my imagination."

"We had a good first kiss, though, didn't we? Worth the wait if you ask me."

I closed my eyes and smiled at the memory. "It was so good I've been waiting for today ever since."

"I'm ready to tell you now."

"Oh?"

Britt reached over and fumbled with the drawer to his bed stand, removing something small enough to hide in his hand.

I bit my lower lip, sucking in my breath.

"Ready to hear my speech?"

I nodded.

"Oswin. I love you." He paused. "I just realized… that's it. I was going to tell you all the reasons why, but then you'd be late for tomorrow night's dinner too, and I don't have a clever scheme for that one. But… you're it for me. And if you feel the same—"

"—I do feel the same. But how will we convince my parents?" Mother would rather send me to the nine hells than let me marry a blacksmith's son.

"I don't know yet. We'll figure it out together. We don't have to decide everything right now." He didn't know how hard it would be to convince them, not really, but his words made me feel better anyway.

He gave me a squeeze. "I made this for you. Whether or not you say yes. I want you to always know how loved you are. You deserve gold, but… this is what I could manage now." He slid a small silver ring onto my finger.

I splayed my fingers and looked down at it, struck mute by its simple beauty. It made my hand look…pretty. "I don't want gold. This is perfect. The clasped hands are… me and you?" The craftsmanship was lovely.

He pointed. "Yes, but look. Clasped over our shared heart."

Now I was crying for real. He seemed to understand, though, and kept quiet, holding me to him. "Britt," I mumbled. "I love you too."

"I know, Mouse." He wiped a tear from my cheek.

I shifted in his arms. "Mouse?"

"Just trying out a new nickname."

"Why that? I was so sure you didn't catch me that time I crept out of a hole in the wall and stole the crumbs from your kitchen."

"You squeaked so much earlier I don't know what else I'm supposed to call you—ow! You didn't have to hit me!"

Everything felt very simple, then.

All the gods and devils in creation could damn me at once before I would let my parents keep me from this man. "Yes."

I loved it that he didn't bother concealing his delight or trying to preserve his masculine dignity. "You mean, yes yes?"

"I mean, yes to everything. To your excellent kisses and your kindness, and your generosity and cleverness… and your stupid owlbears and your awful teasing and incessant nicknames." We both laughed.

I wiped my eyes. "I just remembered something! Is this ring what you were making this morning?"

He nodded. "I went back down and finished it while you were sleeping."

"Really? You did that?" I grabbed his hand and turned it over. Sure enough, the burn was a small circle—the shape and size of my ring. "Oh, Britt… I love it. It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." I kissed his burned hand. "Although… don't be upset with me," I said, carefully adjusting my beautiful ring. "You know I can't wear this in front of anyone. At least, not yet."

"I thought of that!"

I'd scarcely seen him look so pleased with himself. That, in itself, was arresting. I looked at him, confused.

"I bought a spell for it," he explained proudly. "I had the silver enchanted."

"Enchanted to do what?"

He cleared his throat. "Love endures," he said solemnly, as if the words were very important.

"What—oh!" The ring had blinked out of existence. Yet, I felt it still on my finger. "What is this?" I asked in amazement.

"It's always there, but never seen unless you will it."

"Those were… magic words?" I looked at my hand in awe.

"You try."

Feeling a little self-conscious, I said the words myself. My beautiful ring became visible again.

I couldn't suppress the silly smile that rose to my lips. "Are you the one who decided on 'love endures?' That is the sappiest, loveliest thing I've ever heard."

"It had to be something nobody would say in passing. Think what a useless charm it would be if I picked 'good morning', or 'pass the salt.'"

I laughed. "If you really wanted my mother to find out you'd have gone with 'stop slouching.'"

"She's not wrong. Slouching hides the fact that you're as nice outside as you are inside."

"Be quiet," I whispered. "You're going to make me cry again."

"Go ahead. I'm not going anywhere."

Britt gave me another squeeze and I leaned my head into him. "I love you."

"I love you too." He paused. "Is this an all right time to point out how very, very naked we both still are?"