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The celebration was still in full swing in the courtyard below, the sounds of loud laughter and occasional cheering drifting up even to the highest towers of Bebbanburg, where Finan and Sihtric had chosen to make themselves at home.
The latter had wasted no time before collapsing onto the large bed that stood opposite an already lit fireplace, not even bothering to remove his filthy armor.
Finan smiled fondly as he passed him on his way over to where some of the servants had placed the bowl of water he had requested, dropping a kiss on the braid atop his head.
He could feel Sihtric's eyes on him as he removed his own armor piece by piece, deliberately taking his time. Only when he was down to his breeches and each piece of leather was set neatly aside, did he pick up the bowl and carry it over to where his lover was still watching him despite his eyelids drooping.
"Seems like some things never change", he said, setting the bowl down on the wooden chest at the foot of the bed.
Despite being considerably younger than his counterpart, the Dane always seemed to favor sleep after a fight, whereas Finan usually had enough energy left to celebrate well into the next day should the opportunity present itself.
Sihtric merely hummed, allowing his eyes to slip shut as Finan took his hand to work open the clasps of his bracer so he could slide it off.
It was discarded carelessly, the sound of leather hitting the floor registering somewhere in Sihtric's exhausted mind before Finan's hands returned, calloused but gentle fingers brushing over his arms as he removed the fabric wrapped around his elbow as well.
For a moment the touch lingered, a soft kiss placed near a small bruise that was forming where the skin had just been bared, then Finan moved on to his other arm, repeating the process with the same care.
Sihtric found himself drifting off before several kisses placed along his temple down to his cheek caught his attention, much to his dismay.
He grew aware of his lover's touch, allowing the Irishman to help him sit upright even though he couldn't help a dissatisfied huff at being disturbed.
Finan chuckled quietly, guiding his Dane’s head to rest against his shoulder while he started undoing the fastenings that held his armor closed at his shoulders.
"You could help me out a little, you know?"
Finan didn't expect much more than a grumble in response but to his surprise the younger even cracked one eye open to offer him a thoroughly unimpressed look.
"You didn't need my help two nights ago. Or the night before that."
And he wasn’t wrong. Finan rather prided himself on his skill when it came to ridding his lover of his rather unnecessarily complicated armor.
Sihtric settled against him more comfortably, the small smirk on his face making it clear that he really had no intention to help.
Finan managed regardless, slipping the armor off with the aforementioned practice and a good deal of manhandling that Sihtric seemed less than happy with.
Only when that piece of armor joined the rest on the floor did Finan reach for the bowl, wringing out the rag he had placed inside it earlier.
He shifted Sihtric to lie in his lap, resting one hand on his cheek in silent warning before gently running the rag over his face to wash away the remaining blood and dirt.
Sihtric sighed softly, turning his head slightly to place a kiss against Finan's palm.
A series of loud cheers interrupted their peaceful silence momentarily but neither of them minded much. When they were together they slipped into their own little world, far away from prying eyes and social expectations.
Besides, it was always nice to witness such joy, especially after staring down death mere hours ago.
Finan dipped the rag back into the water, running it down Sihtric's neck where dark ink still stood out against pale skin before bringing it down to his chest slowly.
There was no ulterior motive that night, no, there would be enough time for that when Sihtric wasn't drifting so close to sleep.
They were older now, the youthful desire to feel with every part of them that the other was alive and well no longer as burning as it had once been.
These days Finan contented himself with making his lover feel cared for in ways that were familiar only after sharing many years together.
The Irishman knew that Sihtric craved gentle touch when he was exhausted from fighting, soft and reassuring words whispered into his ear as he drifted off, whereas Finan needed nothing more after a fight than to hold Sihtric, make sure he was alright.
Though the older certainly did enjoy watching soft candlelight glisten upon pale skin, casting dark shadows along the sharp outlines of his love’s muscles.
Sihtric's face was beautiful in times like these, utterly open and trusting, without creases of worry between his brows. With his lips, slightly parted, soft and inviting, his long dark lashes fluttering against pale cheeks each time Finan brushed a sensitive spot.
They had shared far too little time together these past days.
Finan was almost certain his Dane had already slipped into dreams by the time he finished his task, settling him on the bed more comfortably and pulling the furs and blankets up to his shoulders so the cold couldn’t touch him before he made quick work of washing his own skin clean of blood and grime.
“Come to bed”, Sihtric requested, a dissatisfied huff following his statement, “I wish to sleep.”
“Then sleep”, Finan replied smugly, gathering Sihtric’s armor up from the floor just to annoy the younger by taking far more time than necessary.
If they had been open, Finan was sure the Dane would’ve rolled his eyes.
“Fine”, he conceded but Sihtric was not one to let such matters go easily.
And sure enough when Finan eventually made to join him on the bed, the younger had spread out so much that there was no space left for him.
At first the Irishman tried to simply move one arm and leg out of the way but when Sihtric stubbornly refused to budge he had to resort to more desperate measures.
Soon enough Sihtric was laughing beneath him, tears falling down his cheeks as he tried to escape Finan’s relentless onslaught. He swatted at his lover's hands uselessly, too breathless to even hope to win this fight.
“I yield!”, Sihtric finally managed between giggles, his eyes still bright as he looked up at the Irishman who kept him pinned down with his full weight.
A small blush brought color to his fair skin and Finan found himself mesmerized, as he had all these years, when his thumb stroked over the other’s sharp cheekbone. Mismatched eyes still stared into his own, always so beautiful they still took his breath away.
Especially in the ethereal glow of the candles, so similar to the moment he had first seen the other.
All this time together and he still felt just as enthralled as he had the first time he had laid eyes upon his lover. If not more so.
Finan couldn’t help a fond smile as he united their lips.
He felt Sihtric’s hands on the back of his neck, fingers grasping before settling on merely cradling his head.
The Dane had been rather unhappy with his most recent haircut, having been fond of his longer hair for several reasons, but it would grow back eventually.
A moment of distraction was all that it took for Sihtric to flip them over, purposefully grinding his hips down.
Mischief glistened in his eyes as they broke apart to catch their breath, Finan’s hands settling warm and solid on either side of the Dane’s bare waist. But the latter seemed to have no intention of taking this any further, settling down on Finan’s chest with a shit-eating grin.
“Godless bastard”, Finan muttered with a fond smile.
Somehow, Sihtric always got what he wanted in the end, not that the older minded too much.
“You love me”, Sihtric pointed out, closing his eyes with the clear intention to return to his rudely disturbed sleep.
“Perhaps but that doesn’t make you any less heavy.”
Sihtric sighed, exasperated, but settled against Finan’s side instead, his head resting atop his chest, right where his heart beat strong and rhythmic.
Comfortable silence settled over the pair, Finan running his fingers up and down his lover’s shoulder gently.
“What do you think comes next?”, Sihtric asked quietly, placing a lazy kiss on Finan’s chest.
It was a valid question. All the time they had known their Lord, Bebbanburg had been the final goal. An aspiration that had always remained somewhere in the far future so much so that being there now had yet to sink in fully.
Would there be anything after this?
“Now comes peace”, Finan replied, hopeful. They both knew that there would always be another battle awaiting them somewhere but for now at least they could pretend that this was it.
“Osferth should be here”, Sihtric spoke again, his voice heavy with grief.
Finan could merely nod. He still didn’t have the words to speak about their baby monk’s death.
“And Clara and Rypere, Beocca and Thyra. The Lady Gisela. So many lay dead now…”
“But we are not”, Finan replied and perhaps that was all the comfort that he could give. They were alive still. They had each other and together they would go on as they always had.
“And in our memory they live on every day. As long as we keep them in our thoughts they are never truly gone.
Finan placed a gentle kiss atop the Dane’s braided hair.
“Now sleep, love.”
Finan commanded gently, wishing to steer the other’s thoughts away from such a dark place. There would be time to grieve soon. Now they had to rejoice in their victory while it lasted.
“I love you”, Sihtric whispered, turning his face further against Finan’s body.
“I love you too”, Finan muttered, his hand shifting to the soft curls at the back of Sihtric’s neck.
He would not sleep for a long time yet, he never did with the rush of battle still so fresh in his mind but to hear Sihtric’s soft snores as the Dane somehow settled impossibly closer towards him even in sleep certainly made up for lying awake an entire night if that was what it took.
Finan really did hope that it was peace awaiting them here. That finally they would have a lasting home, far from Saxon kings that demanded too much and people that dared come between what he and Sihtric shared.
They had endured much, Finan liked to believe that they deserved some rest.
Here, in the ancestral home of their Lord, he hoped they would finally find their peace.