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The moonlight shone through the window bathing the tangle of bodies in the bed in soft light. The man in the middle, the youngest of the four let out a sigh of frustration at not being able to sleep. He spent a few more minutes trying to get comfortable before he gave up, extracting himself from the bodies tangled around him as gently as he could so he didn’t wake his sleeping lovers. He dressed quickly and quietly before slipping out of their room and wandering down to check on the horses.
He ran his hands over each of the men’s horses, petting them and whispering to them as he checked them over. He couldn’t help replaying the events from earlier in the day in his mind. He was accepted without hesitation in Mercia by Aethelflaed and her men. Welcomed warmly by Ragnar and respected by his followers. Yet, still after all these years Sihtric was mostly scorned by the Saxons of Winchester.
No one would dare say anything when Uhtred, Leofric or Finan were around, but every now and then Sihtric would hear the occasional snicker from the palace guards. That afternoon he had hard one of the clergymen sneering about “Uhtred’s heathen slave boy” approaching the palace as he slid up to wait for the others nearby. He had grinned at them and touched his hammer pendant as he went past, but the encounter had stayed with him for the rest of the day. Sihtric knew he was free from his father, he had been for years now. He had gained wealth and reputation being sworn to Uhtred, his arms and fingers adorned with rings and armbands. He knew his lovers hadn’t seen him as slave or a boy for many years. Every now and then an unsettling doubt creeped in, today it had settled in deep.
Sihtric was so caught up in his thoughts he didn’t hear the footsteps approaching him and was startled when he heard Leo softly call his name and run his hand gently down Sihtric’s back.
Sihtric closed his eyes and let out a sigh as he melted, leaning his back against Leo’s solid chest. “I didn’t mean to wake you” he let out softly.
The older man let out a grunt in response as he brought his arms around and rubbed his hands up and down Sihtric’s upper arms. “Why did you sneak out baby boy?”
The younger man unconsciously flinched at the pet name. His back went rigid and the tension was clear in his clenched shoulders. “Sihtric?” the older Englishman tried again.
When the man didn’t answer Leofric stepped back, gently but firmly using the shoulders in front of him to turn the other man around to look at him.
“Sihtric” Leo started, hoping the younger man would look at him. “What happened today?”.
Slowly Sihtric brought his eyes up to meet Leofric’s, he licked his lips and seemed to gather himself before he spoke. “Leo, do you ever think we are too different?”.
Leofric was blindsided by Sihtric’s question, his scarred face forming a deep frown. He wrapped his arms around Sihtric’s waist and drew him in tighter.
“No, no Sihtric. We aren’t too different. Where we come from, what we believe, how we speak, they are just parts of us. In the end we are all just people.”
Sihtric felt a smile grace his face at that, he appreciated how easily Leo could break down a problem to its most basic form with so little effort. He lent his forehead to rest on Leo’s chest.
The taller man bowed his head down to kiss the crown of Sihtric’s dark hair. “Ba…Sihtric? You know you can always speak plainly with all of us?” There was a small nod of Sihtric’s head against Leo’s chest.
“You can say it Leo” Sihtric mumbled as he turned his head, putting his ear over Leo’s heart.
Leo smiled as he looked down at the fierce warrior he loved seeking comfort from him.
“Come back to bed baby boy, before Uhtred razes the city to the ground looking for you.”