dustofstars | A New Life

A New Life

Robin couldn't remember the last time he had slept so peacefully. It wasn't only his body that felt relaxed, but his heart and soul. Perhaps as a result of so many years spent alone, Robin felt an ardent need to be as close to Lagertha as possible when they were alone together. So while they slept, he enjoyed holding her in his arms.

He still couldn't believe that they were finally in Storybrooke together, that they could truly start a life together, and he looked forward to every moment.

Their first morning in Storybrooke together, Robin was just beginning to wake, his fingers gliding slowly through her hair, though his own eyes remained closed for the moment.

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It was the most pleasant part of life to become accustomed to once again: to fall asleep and awaken in the arms of a man she loved. Every muscle and tendon in her was utterly and completely boneless, relaxed to the utmost degree. Were the boys to need them now, Bjorn would need to see to them himself. She was just beginning to wake up, feeling the sunlight filter through and warm the curves of her face. Instead of rising as she normally would, she shifted herself to turn into him, and bury her face in the hollow of his neck.

There, she smiled quietly, and pressed a gentle kiss against his skin. The way he stroked her hair was so soothing that she was strongly considering the option of falling back asleep for some time.

Surely it was not terrible to simply want to be for a little while longer before they ventured out to explore this new place? At least, she did not think it was.

Robin's eyes still remained closed, on the cusp between waking and sleeping, and it was a beautiful euphoria with his love tucked in his embrace. As it should be. Them. Together. Always. He hummed low in his throat when her lips met his skin, and for a moment, his hand stopped, his palm resting against the back of her head as he kissed the bridge of her nose tenderly.

He was hesitant to even say, 'Good morning,' as if doing so would invite the morning to come, and would thus require them to vacate the bed, which he was adamantly opposed to at the moment.

Cuddling like this, either one of them could easily drift off again, then wake, then drift again, and for the first time in a very long while, he didn't mind the thought of not simply greeting the day the moment the sun rose. He had far more important things to attend to, like the woman in his arms.

Both of them were thus unwilling to break this beautiful silence, which lilted with the delicate chords of a ballad between them, rather than hung heavily or cloyingly. Lagertha had never felt such bliss in her life. She would not surrender it to the first rays of the newly-arrived dawn without resistance. Which manifested in the way she twined their legs together and nuzzled her golden head against his cheek. Life might be like this until time without end, and she would still wish to cling to moments like these with all of her strength.

The melody continued to play throughout the languid, easy silence between them, and she smiled again. She reached for one of his hands and laced their fingers together, and raised his to her mouth so as she might brush a soft kiss across his knuckles.

Not once did her eyes open, as the urge to drift off became more and more of a temptation with the longer they remained here like this. For the first time in years, she did not feel the need to rise at first light, either. The mere thought of it merely increased the pleasant languidness she felt, and sent her that much closer to the threshold of sleep.

In this beautiful place on the edge of dreams, Robin realized that the woman in his arms was truly everything to him. She was his heart, his soul, and his life, but more than that, she was the sun lifting his own heart to greet another day. She was the moon tucking his soul away to sleep. She was the stars that cast a light through every darkness that might envelop his days, his thoughts. She was the breath he drew in, and held against his lungs, reluctant to relinquish the vigor she gave him.

When her lips pressed to his knuckles, he responded positively, nuzzling against her cheek, to let her know he enjoyed it, and that she made him happy. He found a soft patch of skin just below her chin, and his own lips pressed idly, yet tenderly to it. There was nothing more than gentleness attached to it, knowing they both preferred the comfort of each other's arms right now.

FInding a place to tuck his head near where her pulse pounded close to his ear, Robin let his breathing begin to even out once more, his body growing heavier with the sleep that tugged him away again. He could feel her drifting, which was further incentive to sleep, to be with her in that dreamscape.

Being in this state, caught in limbo between languidness and dreaming, was incredibly pleasant. Because she had not been able to lay and simply be like this in a long time, true; but also because she was not alone. Even in sleep, he never left her. It was a thing she loved about him. She was never alone, and never left behind in anything. They were always together, and there was never a time when she felt otherwise. As she was the breath in his lungs, so was he in her own. His heart and hers were one now, belonging to both rather than to either one of them.

Though she is no poet, she thinks of him as spring which has followed the harshest of winters. And he is most welcome in her life and in her heart for it.

As he nuzzled her, she returned the gesture gently, falling and teetering over the edge of sleep in the middle of it. Her breath grew deep and measured, and her body went quietly still within his arms. Even in her slumber, there was a smile upon her face. And in that sleep, it would be as though they dreamt the same dream. They were both never separate; not even in their dreams.

His sleep was peaceful, laced with thoughts of her and the many things he wanted for their future. This being a dream, some of those thoughts became a bit more exaggerated than they would ever be in real life, but it was pleasant to envision the many wonderful days ahead of them, celebrating the changing of seasons, exploring new things, new places. Perhaps even having another child together. They'd already spoken of it, and he truly wouldn't mind if it wasn't possible for them, but a part of him still ached with hope, wanting that for the both of them.

A smile played on his own lips as he slept, an arm still wrapped protectively around her, even when he shifted in different positions. When he finally began to stir again a few hours later, he tucked his head beneath her chin, eyes closed as he pressed a kiss to the center of her chest.

Were such joy the will of the gods, she would welcome it with the whole of her heart and being. She was many things, but found the greatest joy in a happy family life. Both as a wife as well as a mother. So far removed from the pain of the past, she could think that her time with Ragnar may have simply naturally run its course, and that this was where she was meant to be. Truly, the happiness she felt even whilst in the thrall of slumber was evidence enough of that. She was lucky to have been given the gift of this chance, and of this man's heart.

When he stirred hours later, the smile was still curving her mouth upward. As though they were in sync, she shifted and stirred also, wrapping her arms about him while he was being so tender with her. Lagertha's eyelashes fluttered, and she was the first to open them and blink the lingering sleepiness away. Her smile broadened, and she bent head head to press a gentle kiss against the curve of his forehead.

If only it were possible to never leave this bed. It would be an extremely tempting prospect.

Never before had Robin so often thought of simply wanting to stay in bed. He was a man of action, and being a parent also necessitated his early rising, generally, though he had no need to worry about that today, with Bjorn looking after Roland. It warmed his heart that the boys had bonded so well so quickly, and he liked that this morning could just be theirs, belong only to himself and his love.

She made him want to simply stay here, wrapped in her arms, exploring anew the soft curves of her body, and even the places where life had hardened her, places which he could kiss and soften, perhaps, with hushed words of love. The moment her lips pressed to his forehead, he finally began to open his eyes, stroking her hair tenderly.

"My love."

As a matter of fact, there were the tell-tale sounds of a mock sword fight drifting up from downstairs. The skittering of feet, and joyful yelps and laughter. Bjorn was clearly having a ball being an older brother once again, and she could not be gladder for it. The boys had bonded wonderfully and in short order. Such was all the pair of them might have ever hoped for. She smiled, and once again pressed a kiss to his brow.

There was no rush at all to either move or greet the day. Never before had she been able to do this, and she would never take the privilege for granted. No, she would instead enjoy and cherish every last moment they were given to remain right here in bed, comfortably pressed against one-another. Lagertha smiled once again as he spoke, and shifted her arms to twine them around him.

"Min elskede." She could not help falling into the habit of using an endearment from her mother tongue for him. She was still learning the intricacies of English, but even in that case, she still preferred how the words "my beloved" sounded in Norse.

After Marian had passed away, there was so much to deal with on an emotional level; not just the grief of her death, of knowing that they would never be together again, that Roland would never know his mother, but he also had to contend with the guilt at feeling that her death had been his fault. Perhaps he should have stopped helping others and settled down somewhere in a cottage, tucked far away from those who wanted his head. But it was in his blood, and Marian had encouraged him, and fate had its own plans. Subsequently, he had never imagined Roland would get to experience the joy of having a sibling of any sort, so to be here now, to have this life, was beyond anything he could have ever dreamed.

Lagertha had, in essence, given him his heart back. He didn't even know how to convey that with words, as nothing he could say would bear the weight of his love for her.

He would show her, everyday.

While he might not have known the precise words she used, it was clear that it was a term of affection, and he could hear her heart wrapped around those words, could feel her love as he shifted to kiss the lips which had breathed life into those words.

Briefly, Bjorn had known the joy of being an older brother once again with Ragnar's newborn son. It had perhaps hurt him to be parted from them, but he had since bounced back now that he had a brother once again to play with and protect. And for her part, Lagertha felt as though an immense weight had been lifted from her shoulders as well as her heart. Both because Robin had re-entered her life, and because Ragnar had finally and permanently exited it. Now was a different chapter in both of their lives. She would always hope that he was as happy as she was right now in this very moment.

He would always have a spacial place with her, though she was in love with someone new. And that someone was much better suited to the person she had become.

There would never be a day which would pass in which he was not aware of her love for her. She had learned many lessons. Not taking anything or anyone for granted had been the most important.

As he leaned over to kiss her, she sighed and drew her fingers softly along the curve of his spine while she softly pressed her mouth to his, reciprocating the gesture.

He would always know, and would never doubt that right here was where she belonged and felt happiest.

He was glad for all of them that the boys were getting along, but selfishly, he was glad for his son, knowing that Roland needed it, even though he never would have thought to ask. For Robin, it was also a relief just to know they could do this, and their families could blend together well.

As they remained tangled and connected together, Robin enjoyed exploring the softness of Lagertha's flesh with his fingers, letting them glide up and down her spine and hips. It didn't matter how often he had touched her, he found something new to lavish and adore with a combination of fingers and lips.

"You're everything to me."

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A New Life

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