Good morning, Smár Einn!

Thank you so much to Mel, Jill, and Paige!

.: Fimm Tigir ok Fjórir :.

I am warm as I wake, surrounded by the soft furs beneath me and the firmness of Edvard over me. I'm stronger now than I was before, for once upon a time, he crushed me when his body was above mine. Now, the weight of him brings me comfort and peace.

His head is resting upon my chest, his hair splayed out across my torso while his arms wrap around my waist. I can sense from his even breathing that he is still sleeping.

I take a moment to evaluate myself. I feel different, though I cannot quite explain how or why.

My fingers reach out to Edvard's hair, brushing lightly through the tangled locks. He sighs, his head nestling deeper against me, and I smile.

He is my husband. For the rest of our lives, there is a chance to wake up every morning, exactly like this. It almost makes me want to cry.

I take a moment to try to imagine it, picturing us wrapped in each other every night, waking with tangled limbs. Will we have our own room at our farmstead, like Kári and Eydís do here? Or will we share a room with the household as we did back in the Old Country? What about our children?

My heart flutters at the thought of little boys with copper hair and forest green eyes.

I cannot wait.

Against my chest, Edvard starts to stir. My fingers keep combing through his hair as he shifts, his lips immediately pressing against my stomach, unerringly finding my birthmark. "Good Morning, Smár Einn." His voice is raspy with sleep and deeper than usual. I feel my belly clench at the mere sound of it.

"Good morning," I murmur, my fingers brushing through his hair. He lets out a sound like a purr, and I moan a little as it reverberates all the way through me. Edvard's eyes open again and he looks up at my body, meeting my gaze.

"I wish to stay right here," he whispers. "Lost in you."

I smile, gently pushing the hair from my eyes. "I'm not going anywhere."

He kisses my birthmark once more. "Today we leave for our farmstead."

I can't hide my surprise. "Oh," I murmur. "Is it a long journey?"

Edvard's hands move up my waist, tracing lazy patterns on my skin. It's distracting.

"No, it is not so long, but we have a lot to do before we depart."

I let out a long breath. I don't want to get up, don't want to break this perfect, warm moment between us, but I know we must.

"I should like to be home," I say after a moment has passed. "Our home, where we can grow roots and start a family." As fun as it's been, moving to Ísland, I'm ready for stability once more.

Edvard's eyes are smoldering as he presses an open-mouthed kiss to my navel. "The thought of you with my child…" His voice dies off as his tongue comes out, licking a delicate circle around my belly button. I stop breathing as arousal washes over me. "Oh how I wish we had more time."

As if on cue, I can hear the hall just outside this room start to stir to life. I want to forget chores and packing and responsibility and attack Edvard now, but I know it'll have to wait.

I had no idea sex would be so addicting.

"Soon," I promise him, and myself. Soon.