Page 33 of Heart of the Mountain King

Rask's chest was full to bursting.

"Yes," he said, nosing against Sten's hair. "Very lucky."

"Not sure I could ever get used to this," Sten murmured, shifting. "In a good way!" he added at Rask's jolt of alarm. "Well, unless you’ll tire of me begging for seconds and thirds."

"Never," Rask assured him. "Rask build Sten own room here if Sten wish. Visit whenever Sten like."

"My… own room?" Sten asked, stilling.

"Yes," Rask nodded, assuming this meant Sten was intrigued by his offer. "Traveling up Rask's mountain very difficult, especially for one so small."

"I confess it's not easy." Sten chuckled, his touch trailing along Rask's forearm now. "But if I'm hiking all the way up here for a visit, I'd far rather sleep in your bed if it's all the same to you."

Rask frowned, confused. "If — "

"With you," Sten interrupted. "Preferably after we've fucked. Would that be alright?"

Oh. Rask grinned. "Yes, very much. Rask not wish to assume."

"Your cock is presently buried in my ass-ume, and I’d certainly like to think it won't be the last time. At least, I hope not," Sten said, flexing around Rask again.

"Rask's stone not soften if Sten keep doing that," the bergsrå warned.

"Sorry, couldn't resist," Sten snickered, then sobered. "You know I can't get up here to visit during Mistide, right? Probably most of the winter after that, too. Not until the snows melt enough the path up here is clear. Oh! Unless I can get the trappers over on the other side of the lake to make me some of their snowshoes…"

"Rask ask if hamnfolk help too," Rask decided, nodding. "If Sten promise only travel when safe. No more hiking in storms."

"Hey, it’s working out pretty well for me so far,” Sten chuckled, hand settling warmly on Rask’s forearm where it lay over Sten’s belly. “But alright, fine. As long as you promise me I'll spend all my nights here in your bed, so we can work on making up for Mistide's lack."

Oh, Rask liked that idea very much, and yet —

"Sten gives Rask great treasure, but asks so little from Rask in return."

Sten went quiet for a moment, leaving Rask cursing that their positions meant he couldn’t see the man’s face from here.

"You…called me a treasure," Sten finally said in a small voice, swallowing harshly. "Earlier."

"Yes?"

"It's been a long time since I felt like anyone's treasure," Sten confessed. "If ever. I… That's not so little a thing to me, Rask."

"Then Sten stay here," Rask said as lightly as he could. "Stop partnering with fools."

"Yes, well." Sten chuckled as he settled more comfortably into Rask's arms. "Guess we're all fools about something at one time or another."

"Sten not fool," Rask argued.

"Coming up here that first time, I had no way of knowing if I’d be welcome. In fact, I was half convinced you'd eat me for daring to disturb the great and mighty bergsrå," Sten countered. He cocked his head and hummed. "Come to think of it, I guess I was sort of right."

Rask chuckled, pulling the brave little human closer against his chest.

"What are you doing?" Sten laughed. "I thought we weren't supposed to move!"

"Rask couldn't resist," Rash said, echoing Sten. "Rask happy."

"Ah." Sten snuggled deeper into the bergsrå's hold. "Good. Sten is too."

Pressing a kiss to that slope of bare shoulder, Rask's grin grew impossibly wider. Delighting in the warmth and satisfaction filling his entire body; in the beautiful, bold, clever little human in his arms; in the simple bliss of the pleasant dreams they'd spun together.