Chapter Text
Koth alternates watching the snow fall outside and watching Eiri. She’s restless for her, which doesn’t look a whole different from not restless. She can be pretty hard to read but he’s learning her little tells.
Like the slight tightening of her fingers against the fabric of her tunic. As if she’s trying hide that she’s trying to warm them. Or how she occasionally shifts her weight, something she only ever does in the cold.
It didn’t really bother him in the distracting way. He’d barely notice if he wasn’t looking for it. He’s not sure how he feels about her grin and bear it approach though. It had its benefits, at other times, in other places.
“Hey,” he says and waits for her to look over at him; she’s not smiling, another sign of her discomfort and one she only displays when they’re alone together.
“Come over here.”
She doesn’t ask what he wants, just pads over to him, steps light without her heavy boots on. She doesn’t even come to a full stop in front of him before he grabs her by the waist and pulls her into his lap.
She blinks in confusion. He gathers up her cold hands in one of his and presses them up against his chest. He manages not to flinch from how cold her fingers are. She probably can’t even feel them.
“Stay here for awhile,” he says, turning up the end of the sentence so it sounds like a question.
“Okay,” she says, pressing a soft kiss to the base of his throat.
When he’s sure she’s not going to move her hands, he wraps both arms around her, pulling her close against him, sharing his warmth.