Mess

OXOXO

The eternal summer sun of the South Pole had fallen low in the sky, painting it a multitude of soft pinks and purples when Chief Hakoda finally left the common hall.

A few of the brightest stars peeked through the pastel blanket, silently reminding him it was time to head home. His tribesmen had toasted to his thirty-eighth year so many times, he'd lost count. If he'd stayed any longer, he was positive they'd be dragging him home.

Hakoda took a deep breath, filling his lungs with biting cold air in an attempt to sober up, and began his walk. He swore the ice beneath his feet shifted more than once as he trudged the short distance back to his hut. His wife wasn't going to be happy with his current state of intoxication, and he prayed to the Spirits that she was in bed for the night. Kita was in her seventh month of pregnancy, and could swing moods better than he could a sword.

Outside their dwelling, he paused. Soft whimpers drifted out, spelling the word 'trouble' almost as clearly as the vapor puffs leaving his mouth, which he noted were coming faster. She was awake, and upset. He held his breath and entered his home, knowing he was in for it.

But nothing could prepare him for what awaited him inside. As his eyes adjusted to the dim lamplight, he saw that an unidentifiable brown liquid had exploded all over the main chamber of his igloo, redecorating the floor and walls with a chunky mess. Not even the ceiling had been spared its assault. In the core of it all sat his wife, her head in her hands. Pots, bowls and various cooking utensils scattered about her, surrounding her like a metal army.

Drunkenness temporarily forgotten, he fell to his knees next to her and took his mittens off so he could stroke his fingers through her hair. "Hey, baby, what happened? Why are you crying?"

She lifted a tear-stained face. He had to stifle a laugh when he saw the brown liquid covered it as well. "I tried to make you a nice dinner to surprise you. I don't know what happened. One minute, it was in the pot. The next..." Her icy blue eyes shot to the ceiling. "I ruined your present. Spirits, Hakoda, I suck at this!"

Hakoda smiled at her gift, even if it had blown up in her face. Literally.

He peered into the cast iron pot in front of her. A small portion of her concoction remained untouched by whatever she'd done to it. "But you didn't ruin it all. See, we can still have squid stew for dinner."

"It's not squid stew! It's supposed to be sea prunes. See... you can't even tell what it is." More tears began to fall, streaking through brown, leaving stripes of peach skin behind. "I can't cook. I can't clean. I can hardly even move! What kind of wife am I?"

He'd heard those words too often lately. Carrying the twins had been hard on Kita, especially since this was her first pregnancy. He stood up, trying his hardest not to swagger and took her hand. He pulled her to her feet and held her close. "You're mine, and that's all I care about. I wouldn't want you any other way than just like this."

"But you're my husband. You're supposed to say those things to me," she muttered through tears as he led her through the sealskin folds of their bedchamber.

"So? I love saying them." He set her on their fur-covered bed and took off her mukluks.

She sighed, wiggling her toes. "You're an angel. It's so hard for me to get those off anymore."

"I'm not done." He began a slow massage on her feet and ankles, just the way she liked it.

She let out a soft moan and closed her eyes. "Oh, that feels incredible. Never mind the angel bit. You've been promoted to god status."

He chuckled. Kita had saved his heart. The perfect medicine. This was the least he could do in return.

Still, being called a god by your woman did wonders on the ego. "Thought it might. Just relax, baby. I'll take care of you."

He worked her tense muscles, slowly moving his hands up her legs, eliciting more mewls of pleasure. As they always did, her little noises drove his body wild. Cock hard as ice, he carried his caresses to the inside of her thighs.

Her eyes flew open in surprise. "I can't believe it! Here I am fat as a whale with your babies, covered with your birthday dinner, and you're thinking about sex?" But even as she said it, she was making short work of her anorak.

Spirits, she was beautiful. His. He kissed the swollen belly she revealed. "Mmm hmm... and you've never looked sexier."

"You must going blind in your old age. Or senile." She eased down, lying her side. He nestled in front of her and brushed his lips over hers. She pulled back, suspicion in her eyes. "You've been drinking, haven't you?"

"Just a little."

That received an eye roll. "Right."

He chuckled. "You know me too well." Since she'd made her lips unavailable, he took her neck instead. He slid his hand down, rubbing it over her abdomen. "But watch who you're calling old. If I was old, I wouldn't have been able to do this. You have no idea how much it turns me on that you're having my children."

She gave him another eye roll, forcing him to guide her hand to his crotch for proof.

"Oh, my." Lust flickered in her gaze as she slipped her fingers into his pants. "What about the mess out there?"

"We can worry about that later." Upon the reminder of his failed present, Hakoda decided to sample a brown-covered earlobe. A heavenly taste exploded over his tongue. "That's delicious, baby. See, you can cook. I knew you could."

Her eyes lit up and she started to remove her hand. "Really? You want me to get you a bowl?"

He stopped her hand and started on the chaos coating the rest of her ear, slowly uncovering the best gift of all...

Her.

"Huh-uh. I'd rather eat my present in here."

OXOXO

Just a tidbit about Hakoda and my OC Kita. You can find her in my fic, In Her Hands.