Wait to start the song!

The blizzard lasted for days, days that were spent snuggled in bed, making love, telling stories, playing with the babies, teaching Josva more English, bathing in warm water, and taking turns being the big spoon. Tyler had never been more grateful for harsh weather.

On the third day, Tyler woke up in bed alone. Jenna had elected to spend the night in the children's room, growing more and more anxious with every second she spent away from them. Josva was sharpening his axe by the fire when Tyler rolled over and saw him.

Tyler whined sleepily, reaching out to his husband. "Come back," he requested sleepily.

Josva chuckled, setting the weapon down reverently and walking back over to the bed. He crawled back into bed beside Tyler once again, his bare skin warm from the fire when it pressed against Tyler's. His soft lips ghosted against the back of Tyler's neck as he took the role of the big spoon, which honestly went to Josva more often than it did anyone else.

"So needy," Josva mumbled, but Tyler could hear the smile in his voice. "Just like your wife. Gods, I have the neediest lovers in all of Midgard."

"I'm needier than Jenna," Tyler insisted as he pulled Josva's arms tighter around himself. He smiled contentedly when Josva's lips trailed down his shoulder slowly. "Now tell me about how much you love me."

Josva chuckled, his strong hand rubbing a soothing circle against Tyler's stomach. "Oh, my little baby. I love you with every snowflake that has ever fallen from the sky. I love you deeper than any ocean. My love for you is as endless as the ring around my arm. Today, tomorrow, and every day, you are the love of my life."

Tyler wasn't expecting that. He'd expected Josva to laugh it off and move on, but he'd said the words with such sincerity that they sent shivers of delight up and down Tyler's spine. He melted against Josva, blushing furiously.

"And I love you twice that," Tyler assured his husband, who laughed loudly.

"You know better than to lie to a king, little one," Josva said amusedly.

Satisfaction spread throughout Tyler at the overwhelming security he felt here with his husband. Sharing the bed with only Josva last night had somehow simultaneously felt completely different from anything he'd ever experienced and like he'd been doing it since the day he was born. All they'd done was sleep, holding each other's bare bodies close while their dreams overtook them. Tyler missed Jenna's presence beside them, but he felt complete with just Josva there as well.

"The wind is dying down," Tyler said after a moment of realisation.

His husband lifted his head, continuing to soothe his fingertips along Tyler's bare torso as he listened. After a moment, he kissed Tyler's shoulder before sliding out of bed.

"I do not think so. Come with me," he said to Tyler as he walked over to the window.

Tyler's eyes widened when Josva unlatched it, pulling open the thick wooden shutters that blocked out the cold. What Tyler saw when the window opened, however, shocked him so much that he stumbled out of bed, hurrying to his husband's side as he ogled at the open window.

Snow shielded their entire view into the outside world. The print of the wooden boards was still pressed into the frozen wall that the blizzard had left behind. They were completely snowed in. Josva smiled, walking over to the fireplace and pulling one of the arm chairs over to the snow-blocked window. He sat, pulling the awestruck Englishman into his lap.

"Does it not snow this way in England?" Josva asked curiously, starting to trace little symbols into the snow with his fingertips.

"I don't think so," Tyler replied quietly, watching his husband's strong and scarred hands doodle in the snow. "What are you drawing?"

"I am writing, my love," Josva corrected. They both paused as the realization struck them. "Our alphabets are different?"

"Apparently," Tyler said with a chuckle. "Write your name with your alphabet, and I'll write it with mine. I'll try, at least. I don't know much."

Josva nodded, and they both dug their warm fingertips into the freezing snow with great enthusiasm. They both grinned when they were finished, observing the similarities and differences in the simple name.

"I think I like yours better," Tyler decided.

"Yours is so curly," Josva said with a smirk. "Not at all like runes."

"We call ours letters," Tyler told his husband.

"How is your name spelled?" Josva asked curiously.

The large Viking watched in childlike wonder while Tyler clumsily wrote his own name. He smiled when Tyler finished.

"You like it?" Tyler asked with a smile.

"It looks so weird," Josva replied with a grin. "Look at all those loops. My gods." Tyler laughed, letting Josva wrap him up in his arms and snuggle him closer. "But the sound of your name is beautiful, and so are you."

"I love you," Tyler replied easily.

"I love you too," Josva murmured, resting his chin on Tyler's shoulder as he studied their names written in the snow. He reached out after a moment and brushed them off before writing three words in runes.

"What does that say?" Tyler asked curiously.

"Just our names," Josva said. "Josva, Jenna, Tyler."

Tyler's knowledge on writing was really limited, so he couldn't add much. Instead of adding words, he sat forward and drew a heart around the three names. His husband hugged him tighter when he sat back.

"When I take you raiding, do you truly plan to come back?" Josva asked quietly.

Tyler's eyebrows furrowed together in confusion as he turned around and met his lover's insecure gaze. "Of course I do. I wouldn't leave you. Why would you ask me that?"

Josva sighed. "I do not want to lose you. I worry. You were not brought here for me, but the idea of losing you now that you are mine scares me. It would feel like losing Jenna, and no matter what the gods have fated for our wife, losing her would destroy me. You two are the loves of my life. I need you here with me."

Tyler held Josva's bearded cheek in his hand softly, pressing their lips together. Their foreheads remained touching when the kiss broke.

"You are mine too. I would never leave you or Jenna. England is such an unhappy and empty place. With you, I feel fulfilled. This is my home now," Tyler informed Josva seriously.

"Home," Josva repeated quietly.

"You are my home," Tyler confirmed. "You and Jenna."

Josva kissed him again softly, nodding his understanding. "And you are mine."

Before turning to face Josva, Tyler closed the shutters once again. He climbed out of Josva's lap and held his hands out to the Viking.

"Come on. Back to bed," Tyler told him quietly.

Josva took his hands gently, allowing himself to be led back to their soft bed. They climbed beneath the covers, wrapping themselves up in each other. Tyler kept his forehead pressed against Josva's, stroking his cheeks softly.

"Joshua?" He asked quietly.

His husband hummed contentedly, running his thumb along Tyler's bottom lip as he lifted his dark eyes to meet Tyler's.

Tyler blushed underneath the Viking's adoring gaze. "Remember when we said we'd learn to touch each other after Jenna was pregnant?"

"I do," Josva replied with a faint smile.

"Can we skip a tiny step first?" Tyler whispered.

"What step?" Josva whispered back with a knowing smirk, making Tyler's blush darken.

"The pregnancy part," Tyler whispered back.

Josva chuckled, sliding his hand down Tyler's chest and around his waist. "Oh, my love. How can you be so sure Jenna is not already pregnant? Only time will tell."

"Does that mean yes?" Tyler asked hopefully.

Once again, his husband chuckled, but his hand slid down Tyler's side until he could pull Tyler in closer by his hips. "Little one, have I ever told you no?"

"No," Tyler replied quietly with a contented smile. "Not once."

Josva yawned, closing his eyes. "Then today, you get your first maybe."

Tyler's cheeks flushed. "A maybe?"

He was instantly embarrassed for having said anything to begin with. This wasn't supposed to be rushed. Why was he trying to move so quickly? His humiliation kept growing and growing, making him tempted to shy away from Josva.

"Only until we have spoken to Jenna about it first," Josva replied sleepily, soothing Tyler's nerves instantly. "We have only just started to be intimate with the three of us. It might be too soon to leave someone out. I want to though. I want to touch you like Jenna did."

Immediately, Tyler felt relieved. He hadn't done anything wrong. Josva wasn't mad at him. He wanted it too. He just wanted to make sure everyone was on the same page before they tried anything. A contented smile crossed Tyler's lips as he burrowed himself against Josva's scarred chest, wrapping his arms around the older man.

"I like that idea," Tyler agreed against Josva's warm skin. He pressed a soft kiss there. "Tell me a story instead," he requested as he settled into the bed, closing his eyes softly.

Start the song. It's Odal by Wardruna. (The lyrics are super relevant if you can understand them or find a translation.)

"So needy," Josva teased as he held Tyler closer. "Well, Asbjørn, long long ago when Yggdrasil was new, Odin became thirsty for knowledge. As the god of all our gods, he knew he must obtain all the knowledge the nine worlds had to offer if he was to rule properly. But of course, great gain comes with great sacrifice."

"What kind of sacrifice?" Tyler asked curiously.

"He has sacrificed much, my beloved," Josva explained seriously. "When Odin first learned of the runes, he had to endure unbearable pain. He hanged himself from a tree, thrust a spear into his side, and went without food or water for nine days and nights. He died then, but has since been revived with his newfound knowledge. Knowledge makes us stronger, little bear."

Tyler smiled, but remained silent as he allowed his husband to continue his tale.

"Odin made his most precious sacrifice when he gave less, however," Josva spoke calmly, trailing his fingers through Tyler's hair gently. "Amongst the roots of Yggdrasil was the Well of Urd. The well was guarded by Mimir, who drank its water greedily in order to obtain all of the knowledge in the nine worlds. He knew all, and shared with none."

"He learned everything by drinking water?" Tyler asked dubiously, making his husband chuckle.

"Yes, love. He was selfish with this knowledge, however. When Odin asked for a drink as he was passing through, Mimir denied him. He would not share the water. Odin asked again, knowing how powerful this water was. He craved this knowledge that he could then pass on to the people of Midgard, and he was willing to sacrifice for it."

Tyler found himself shifting closer to Josva, watching his eyes in wonder. "What did he give?"

"He gave what was requested of him," Josva explained, pulling Tyler even closer as he began to massage his back with calloused hands. "The moment Mimir asked for it, Odin plucked out his own eye, and presented it to the shadow man."

Tyler's eyes widened. "His own eye?"

The amazement and horror on Tyler's face seemed to amuse his husband. "Oh, yes. He carved it out willingly and handed it over. Only then was he permitted to drink from the Well of Urd."

"So your god has only one eye? How does he see Midgard so clearly?" Tyler asked as he melted against Josva.

"Hugin and Munin," Josva replied simply, as if that should make complete sense to Tyler. When he simply blinked, Josva explained. "Upon Odin's shoulders sat two ravens, Hugin and Munin. Each day, they travelled Midgard, collecting what was tasked of them before returning to their master. Hugin was tasked with retrieving thoughts. Munin collected memories. This allowed Odin to share with us what we felt and thought and saw and remembered. It gave him even more knowledge, and strengthened our bond with him."

"I love your gods," Tyler admitted, tracing the tattoo on Josva's arm as he did so. "They feel so real, like I could run into one at any moment."

"You could," Josva informed him calmly. "Gods visit us in our dreams and walk Midgard in many cloaks. This is why we must be kind to strangers. You never know when it is a cloaked god begging on your doorstep. It could be a sailor passing through, a wanderer, one of our servants. For Odin's sake, Jenna may very well be Freya. This is why we must spoil her to the best of our ability."

"Well, that and because we love her," Tyler pointed out.

Josva laughed. "Oh yes. I almost forgot. She is my world, just as you are."

Almost as if on cue, the bedroom door opened. Jenna smiled when she saw her sleepy husbands wrapped up in each other. Tyler smiled back at her through a yawn as Josva continued to massage his back.

"Hello, Freya," Josva said with a lazy grin.

Jenna laughed as she closed the door and climbed up onto the bed, still wrapped in a thick woolen dress. "Hello, my baby." She kisses Josva slowly and softly, holding his bearded cheeks in her delicate hands. As soon as the kiss broke, she was kissing Tyler. He smiled into it, feeling whole now that they were both here with him. "And my little baby as well."

"I missed you," Tyler told Jenna as he helped her to climb under the covers beside him. He blushed when Jenna took the role of the big spoon, kissing his shoulder blade.

"I missed you too, precious boy," Jenna said softly, wrapping her arms around his waist while Josva shifted to hold both of them.

Josva yawned once again before resting his forehead against Tyler's and kissing his nose. "Do not worry. I kept our little one safe and sound while you were protecting our babies."

The warmth of Jenna's thick dress made Tyler start to doze off. The room around them was growing colder as the fire died down, but he was warm when he was pressed between his lovers. He lazily slung an arm around Josva's waist, pressing a kiss to his lips.

"Our little one is sleepy, my beloved," Josva told Jenna quietly.

Their wife chuckled. "Did you wear him out while I was gone?"

"No. Am I allowed to?" He asked as he nuzzled his nose against Tyler's, making him smile.

"Of course. He is your husband. Are you comfortable with touching each other on your own?" Jenna asked gently as she trailed her fingertips along Tyler's side.

"Yes, of course we are," Josva said just as Tyler quietly admitted, "We don't really know how."

Jenna hummed her understanding. "I will teach you. Do not worry. Besides, if you are both going raiding in the Spring, you will need each other for this."

"That is true," Josva agreed. "We will be away from Jenna for so long. It is a lonely time."

Jenna sat up just enough to lean over Tyler and kiss Josva. "You will not be alone, my love. You will have the most precious lover to bring with you."

"Yes, I will," Josva agreed, making Tyler blush.

Jenna yawned. "Let us sleep for a while, and then I will teach you both how to give each other pleasure. The babies kept me up all night."

Tyler was already nearly asleep, drawing nearer and nearer to unconsciousness with every gentle touch his lovers pressed against his skin. "I love you both so much," he whispered to them.

"I love you too," they both promised him.

Falling asleep with both of his Vikings in bed with him was much more satisfying than just one of them. There was nothing to fear and no reason to have bad dreams. Nightmares would never reach him when he slept beside a warrior and a goddess. He was absolutely sure of that.