Smut ahead!

One particularly sunny day, Eyarr randomly announced he wanted to make dinner for the evening. I never turned down the opportunity when he made food, especially since he'd developed a knack for cooking.

"I don't see why not. Go for it." I encouraged. I noticed he had been noticeably giddier in the past couple of weeks, like bouncing on his feet, something he did not ever do. I'd never seen him express himself with this kind of giddiness, but he was happy, and it made me feel good to see him happy, for whatever reason it was.

I spent most of my days following my disagreement with him with a girl named Siobhan, who'd become a good friend within the village. She had no association with magic or Eir or anything of the sort. She was, by all accounts, a perfectly normal Celtic girl. And while I loved spending time with Morgan and Eir, some days, I just needed to be around ordinary people.

She'd offered some resources to Eyarr and me when we first came here, being one of the first villagers to welcome us besides the Chief, Eir, and Morgan. With fair skin, tons of freckles, soft hazel-green eyes, and short, curly black hair, she was a delight to be around. She always wore silver rings and a gold chain necklace, and I always saw her in cool-toned dresses, usually in blue or purple. She was a bit shy, preferring to keep to herself, but she was remarkably observant, always sharing little things she saw with me. Overall she was a delight to be with.

On this particular day, she requested I come to her house to lend a hand with a few demanding chores. She lived alone, having not found a partner to share her home with. She did remark that she didn't mind living alone, it let her feel more in control of what she did have. Though she'd also said she wouldn't mind a partner one day, just hadn't found the right person yet.

While I folded some blankets and clothing, I heard her whisper to someone outside her front door. I strained my ears to catch what she said but couldn't make out anything. When she rejoined me, I couldn't help but ask.

"Who were you talking to?" She shrugged.

"Oh, just a neighbor. She said she saw Eyarr leaving the blacksmith with something. She said it seemed odd." I raised an eyebrow.

"I mean… he does have a lot of weapons. Why's that weird?"

"He didn't even leave with a sword or one of his daggers," she replied, her green eyes wide. I gave her a look.

"And what of it?"

"She told me he left with something small." Again, I failed to see the big deal or the need to gossip about it. Eyarr going to the blacksmith was hardly a surprise to me. I simply shook it off as unnecessary gossip and moved on with helping Siobhan out for the remainder of the day.

After a long day, I returned to the house, already smelling food as I walked in.

"I don't know what you made, but it smells incredible!" I complimented, stepping towards the cauldron hanging over the fire pit.

I then noticed how… clean everything was. Clothes were folded and put away, furniture was dusted and wiped clean, and assorted items were stored. Our little dining table even had a plate and fork at our respective spots. But I did not see him upon entering. I hung my shawl up on a hook, looking around for him.

"Eyarr? Are you here?" I called out.

"One second, babe, be out in a minute!" He answered from the bedroom.

"Dinner smells really good!" I told him.

"Thanks! I did my best to put together some of your favorites." I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

"You made pork?"

"Bread, honey. The good stuff." I chuckled a bit.

"Sounds delicious. Come on out! Let's eat."

"Hold on, I need to get something." He replied. It was silent for a moment, and then he exited the bedroom, greeting me with a beaming smile. He'd given himself a haircut, trimmed his beard again, and overall looked very clean.

"Touched yourself up, huh?" I commented. He just kissed my head, gently sitting me down at the table.

"Eyarr-"

"Shh." He cut me off. I decided not to press any further and let him carry on.

He served us both, and we began eating together. It was mostly quiet save for the sound of the fire crackling, the cauldron, and the sound of us eating.

"Siobhan told me one of the ladies saw you leaving the blacksmith," I began as I took a bite. I caught him glancing up, and there was a look of slight alarm in his eyes.

"That right?" I nodded and shrugged it off.

"Mhm. I didn't see the big deal behind it, and I still don't. But they were all excited since you weren't leaving or walking around with a dagger or something."

"Huh… didn't know it was that big of a deal if I'm not carrying a weapon!" He couldn't help but laugh a bit at the absurdity of it. I giggled a bit as well, shrugging it off.

"I dunno. I have noticed your attention to detail, though. I've never seen the house so clean before."

"You've… noticed?"

"Babe, we have been living together for months. It's hard not to notice when you're acting a little differently." I saw him blush.

"Touché."

"Hey, I'm just glad you're in a good mood and you're happy." I shifted my gaze to him again and caught his stare directly into my eyes. I swallowed hard, feeling his gaze so intensely, and I opened my mouth to say something. The air felt different.

"Eyarr, I-" He didn't let me finish my sentence.

"By Freyja's grace, marry me!"

The air was quiet and still. My eyes were wide, and I almost forgot how to breathe.

Almost immediately after, he began to stumble around his words, just like when he first told me he loved me.

"Shit… That slipped out- uhh… dinner is fantastic, isn't it?" He gave me the most awkward half-smile I'd ever seen, and I initially tried to fight off a laugh, but I couldn't. It was so out of the blue but so damn cute. And I could not help but laugh, which I knew caught him off guard.

"Sorry, heh, how about you repeat that a little more formally?" I gave him a smirk, knowing he'd understand my answer. As if I was telepathic, he recovered from his shock and grinned back.

"I'll take that as a yes, then?"

"What do you think?" As a response, he slid something across the table to me—a little leather drawstring bag. I raised an eyebrow at him, to which he grinned more, crossing his arms on the table, watching, and waiting for my reaction.

I opened it, hearing something inside. I carefully dumped it into my hand, revealing a bronze ring.

I couldn't even get the words out as I admired it. It was Celtic-made, one stretch of bronze melded to form a swirl. And in the center of the swirl was an added star on top, similar to the design of the star tattoo on my right forearm. For it being a simple design, it was beautiful.

"In our culture, this is how a proposal is usually done." He said, "Granted, not the typical setting, but nonetheless." He gently took my hand and the ring, sliding it down the third finger of my left hand and kissing it softly.

"I've been waiting to do that for a long time." He admitted." I beamed.

"You know, I never took you for a romantic," I teased. He just shrugged.

"I'm always happy to surprise you. And… take this as my way of apologizing for being so stubborn about moving back to New Berk." I widened my eyes, not having expected that admission.

"You never needed to apologize," I began, taking his hands in mine, "but it still means a lot to me." He burst into a huge smile, his freckled cheeks practically glowing red from joy. He reached his hand up, resting it on my jaw. His rough thumb grazed over the smoothness of my cheek. He gazed at me, taking a deep breath through his nose, nostrils flaring. And then he pulled me in, our lips finally meeting.

"Oh baby…" He mumbled against my lips. Then he suddenly pulled away. Startled, I watched him as he scooted his chair right against mine. He sat back down and wrapped his arms around my waist, yanking me close and pressing his lips against mine again.

As soon as his lips met mine again, they melted together. And I felt my own body practically melt into his embrace. My hand came to rest over his chest, where I could feel his heartbeat.

His hands migrated down from my waist, sliding under my thighs. Figuring out his next move, I shifted onto his lap, causing him to let loose a groan. With a grin, I sucked his bottom lip and gently nibbled on it, swirling my tongue against the tip of his.

He groaned again, and I felt him shift his legs around beneath me. My pelvis felt the bulge growing, and a new ache developed in my core. I took in a deep whiff of his heavy, musky scent, which only furthered the growing ache of desire.

I mindlessly began slowly grinding my groin against his, and I could somehow feel the bulge beneath me quiver ever so slightly.

Upon feeling said movement, I pulled away from my passionate kiss, chest heaving, a bead of sweat trickling down my cleavage.

He stared at me with a new kind of intensity I hadn't seen before. It was a new drive. I loved it.

Still clinging to him, he stood from his chair and sat me on the table on my back. He wordlessly pulled his tunic off, gently tossing it onto his chair behind him. I pulled the pin from my hair, ruffled it up, and lay back down.

He exhaled, wrapping his arms around my waist, pressing his lips against mine, then felt him smoothly undo my belt and push off my tunic. I exhaled sharply at the move, feeling the rush of air on my bare skin, but welcomed it as it only intensified my desire. I ran my hands down his chest and abdomen, feeling the scars that patterned his freckled skin, grazing my fingers over any flexing muscle, up to his chest, where I gave him a feather-light kiss. I observed how he reached to my touch with a small smirk.

He leaned in to kiss me again, more passionately, and I could feel him slightly pushing his hips into me. I knew we were ready, but I wanted to tease him more and see how long he could tease me back.

In one swift motion, he undid my bra, and I felt the relief of my breasts as they were freed. I couldn't help but sigh in delight at the feeling. His eyes shifted to my breasts, and he grazed his thumb on the curve of one, pressing the gentlest of kisses near my nipple.

"By Freyja…" he swore under his breath, planting both his arms on either side of me, gently thrusting his hips forward, pressing himself against me.

"You should see the throbbing boner I have right now." He murmured in my ear. Fuck. My thoughts went into a tailspin.

"I know you want it," I replied in a daze.

"I do…"

"What's stopping you?"

"The desire to push myself as close to the edge before everything becomes undone." He replied in a deep, raspy tone.

I didn't have a chance to get more words out when he yanked my leggings down, along with my socks, letting them drop to the floor. I shivered at the rush of cool air against my now bare body, but at the same time, the ache and heat intensified. To get back at him, I leaned forward, pulling down his pants, and finally seeing it spring up for the first time. I felt something in me when I laid eyes on it. He must've seen my expression because the look in his eyes changed.

"I'll only proceed if you're ready." He assured, running his finger along my cheek and down my body to my hip. No words escaped my mouth as I took it into my hand, eliciting a groan from him. I ran my finger along the bottom, stroking up towards the head. I heard him moan and felt him shudder. The moan was a confidence booster, and I brought it down to touch me, swirling it around, already feeling the sticky pre-cum seeping out.

"Don't get too ahead of yourself. We have something to do, don't we?" I whispered. Wordlessly, he picked me up by the hips, bringing me down on him. I moaned in response, clinging to him. I did feel the discomfort at first, but it soon dissipated as I focused on him and the movements of his body against mine. I somehow knew it would feel like this, but at the same time, it still felt foreign.

"Oh Eyarr…" He brought us down on the table, thrusting against me deeply, but slowly. He pressed his lips to mine through his heavy panting.

"I've waited so long to fuck you…" He said through a guttural groan.

"Shit…" His pace increased, pushing himself as deep within me as physically possible, and I swore I felt him poke at my cervix. I can't quite describe the feeling that coursed through my body. Still moaning, I craned my neck to look up at him, his head hung, his hair waving with every movement of his body.

"I want to confess… something… to you…" He groaned, his eyes meeting mine, filled with pure lust and desire. For me.

"What is it?" I panted out a reply.

"I want… a… family. With you…" he leaned in closer to my ear, so close his lips touched the rim, "I want all of that with you… and I wanna fill you up," he gave me another thrust, fondling a breast.

I couldn't help but release a breathy laugh.

"How about we cross that bridge when we get to it."

"We can stay here, Laeli… get married, have a couple of kids… you and me." He lifted his head, blonde hair sticking up every which way, to which I bit back a snicker.

"I know… we can… but maybe… we can have that on New Berk, which is so much better. I promise…"

"We both want a life together…" I nodded.

"More than anything… and I'll admit… You're my first." He gave me a gentle smile before kissing me.

"And you're my first, too." He gripped my hips tightly as his pace increased. I ran my hand up his abdomen to his chest, letting my hands rest on his shoulders. He leaned forward once again, his forehead pressing against mine, our noses touching.

"What is it?"

"I'm about to finish…" He gasped, his gaze shifting up. There was something about the way he looked at me, eyebrows slightly furrowed, the way his forehead creased, something intense hiding within those gold eyes of his. I loved his intensity, his grit, and stubbornness. I mean, his usual expression was an intense stare and furrowed eyebrows anyway, but I loved that expression, even though I sometimes couldn't always figure out what he was thinking. That was the intrigue about him.

"Don't hold back…"

"I had no plans too." He breathily laughed. He then thrusted faster than he'd done before, holding my hips in a vice-like grip. I felt something pulsating… and then a wet warmth rushed into me. His whole body shuddered as he released everything within me. I held him close, kissing his cheek as his body relaxed.

"Fuck…" He panted, swallowing hard as he caught his breath. He peppered kisses around the crook of my neck and up to my lips.

"So that's what that feels like," I commented as he retreated, still leaning over me, his hair clinging to his sweaty forehead and the nape of his neck. He inhaled deeply as he regained his senses before slumping to my side.

"That's what it feels like…" He echoed.

Together we lay there in silence, taking in the atmosphere, which now felt heavy. But it was a good kind of heavy. He turned to face me, reaching his hand to rest on my cheek, and I couldn't help but grin. Grinning like a lovestruck fool. I pushed my hair out of my face and then twisted my body towards him.

"You're the best, stubborn as hell, but you're the best." He burst out laughing, pulling me close to him.

"A double-sided compliment, that's my girl." We laughed a bit more as we settled into bed, getting comfy. I had one last loving gaze at my new fiance as I slowly drifted off, falling into wonderful dreams of the future.