“I brought something for you,” Thori said quickly, as if afraid Njord would send him away before he could finish. “I needed to. But don’t think I liked being away from you. I couldn’t—I couldn’t stop thinking about you. Every day since I left, all I could think about was you. About sleeping next to you and sharing my thunder with you. To be yours.”
He sounded so vulnerable. So sincere. But it couldn’t be.
“Thori,” Njord breathed.
“I would’ve come sooner,” Thori said again, reaching for a wooden box the size of a large helmet. “But I had to make a journey first. To the northern mountains of Asgard.”
Carefully, he nudged the box toward Njord.
“For you.”
“What is it?” Njord asked, still with this grumpy tone in his voice he didn’t like himself.
But he couldn’t help it.
“Open it,master.”
Gods, Thori knew exactly how to wrap him around his little finger. This had to be a cruel joke, or more likely a trap. But Njord couldn’t deny Thori anything, and he couldn’t resist. So, he opened the box to find something wrapped in silks and furs.
A helmet, Njord thought again.Why is Thori bringing me a helmet?
Carefully, he pushed the furs aside, and his breath caught. This wasn’t a helmet. It was an egg, large and pale blue-white and covered in delicate crystalline patterns that caught the light like frost. An ice dragon’s egg.
“Jökull came to me in a dream. She showed me where to find this and asked me to bring it to you. I know it can never replace her, nothing could, but—”
Njord sank to his knees, pulling the egg against his chest, and pulling Thori close too. He needed to touch, needed to feel that this was real and not some figment of his imagination.
“You fetched this for me?”
Thori pressed closer, melting into Njord’s embrace easily.
“Well, the mountain giants weren’t thrilled, but Mjolnir and I convinced them to give it up.”
“Who’s Mjolnir?” Njord asked irritably, his mind filling with the images of young warriors trying to impress Thori.
But Thori only chuckled.
“The hammer I snatched from the Bog Mother’s chariot. A named weapon made by theSvartalfar. It really complements my fighting style.”
The hammer, of course, was a gift intended for Thori at his birth but never delivered. And now that Njord was looking properly, he could see fading bruises on Thori’s shoulders and arms, dark marks speaking of hard-won battles.
“You fought against the mountain giants?” Njord asked slowly. “Alone?”
Thori shrugged, all warrior’s pride and princely nonchalance.
“I couldn’t risk anyone learning about the egg.”
A warm and molten feeling spread through Njord’s chest, burning away the hollow ache that had plagued him for weeks. Thori had ventured into the desolate mountains of Asgard. Had battled giants. Had risked his life to bring Njord the egg Jökull had told him to fetch.
“You brought me Jökull’s gift,” Njord whispered against Thori’s hair. “You fought mountain giants and defied your parents to come back to me.”
“I gave you my promise.” Thori looked at him earnestly. “And I couldn’t stay away from you if I tried.”
Njord kissed him, pouring all his longing into it, and Thori opened up to him with a small sound of relief.
“Come to bed with me?”
“Yes.” Thori nodded emphatically. “Yesyesyes.”
