Archive of Our Own ^beta

Astrid yawned as she opened Henry’s suitcase. She knew she could wait until tomorrow to sort through the laundry from the trip they had taken for their anniversary, but it would seem like so much more work if she left it until then; thus, her decision to at least get it sorted now, even if she was rather tired. 

Shaking her head at the utter chaos that was her husband’s luggage, she began tossing dirty clothes in the hamper, keeping the lights toward one side and the darks on the other, and carefully checking pockets as she went since Henry had the bad habit of forgetting to empty them. 

She was almost finished when she pulled out a light jacket Henry had hardly worn, but still insisted on bringing along because the weather had been so unpredictable. Doubting there was anything in the pockets, she checked anyway and was surprised to discover a perfectly round pebble. She stared at it for a moment, wondering how it had gotten there, when she felt her husband’s arms slide around her waist.

“I thought you were tired,” he murmured, resting his chin on her shoulder.

“I am,” she replied, “but I just wanted to get a head start on this, make it easier for tomorrow.” She slipped from his arms and kissed his cheek before passing him the pebble she had found. “Toss this for me, would you?”

“Never,” he declared adamantly, dramatically holding it to his chest.

She looked at him incredulously. “You put that in your pocket on purpose?”

“Mm-hmm,” he nodded, pulling her back into his arms.

“Why?”

“You remember that lake you liked so much,” he queried.

“Of course.” It had been a lovely place, so idyllic with not another soul in sight and she hadn’t wanted to leave.

“Well, unfortunately, my work requires us to live in the city,” Henry reluctantly stated, “so I can’t grant your wish of wanting to move there, but I thought it might be nice to have a little piece of it here with us.”

“You’re such a romantic,” she remarked, laying her head against his shoulder as she thought about how it was these little sweet nothings that made her fall in love with him in the first place. He truly could make the smallest moment, the tiniest thing, special.

“But you love it,” he whispered.

“I love you,” she clarified, capturing his lips in a kiss. “Yes, I liked it there,” she admitted, “But what made it so special was that I was there with you. That’s all I need to be happy.”

At her statement, Henry’s grin was a mile wide. “Come here, you.”

-o0o-

Astrid had been kind enough to drive on the way back to the city. Henry was exceptionally grateful as he believed he had come up with a solution for the problem he was facing with his latest design and needed to get his thoughts down before he forgot. Of course, one idea led to another, which then resulted in the rather sappy poem he had just completed and promptly read aloud to his wife.

“My, what a mind I’ve married,” she laughed. “And this is why you asked me to drive? So you could write that drivel? I knew I should have refused.” Her grin belied her words and warmed Henry’s heart.

“What can I say,” he shrugged. “You inspire me, my sweet.”

He delighted in making her blush and couldn’t help but smirk at his success.

“If that’s what I inspire, I question your sanity,” she shot back.

“That would imply it was there in the first place,” he grinned before letting the conversation move on to other topics.

As they talked, he found himself sketching her in the waning light, her expression happy and playful. He wished he could add more detail, but the uneven pavement they were driving over made it hard enough as it was. Still, it was a striking likeness. His favorite part, though, was the slight bump that was barely visible beneath her dress.

He cherished these moments together, even though they happened all the time. Maybe it was due to his past. Even his relationship with Astrid had had its ups and downs, and there was that one incident that had left him thinking that this life would forever be beyond his reach. But they had eventually smoothed things out between them, with a little help from Dagur and Mala, resolving it all with a kiss and a proposal. He promised himself then that he would never take for granted what they had together. 

What they had was something special. It was love and trust and something else that he had never been able to put a name to. He knew that Astrid would always be open and honest with him, as he was with her. They practically read each other’s minds, and spending time together was so easy. It was a balm to his soul.

It was beautiful.

Astrid was beautiful.

And every day, he found himself more and more thankful that she was his.

-o0o-

Having gotten their little girl settled in her crib, Astrid headed back downstairs to find the table already cleared and Henry humming in the kitchen as he did the dishes.

“Thank you,” she said gratefully, grabbing a towel and starting to dry.

“Of course,” he responded, smiling at her softly.

That smile did something to her, and she found herself saying, “For more than just doing the dishes. For everything.”

“I’d give you the world if I could,” he declared, leaving the dishrag in the sink and awkwardly wrapping his arms around her while leaving his hands free, seeing as they were wet. “You’re sure you’re okay with this,” he inquired worriedly, vaguely waving one hand. “I know the offer to expand my company was a good one, but-”

“Shh.” She pressed a finger to his lips and received a kiss on it for her efforts. “I’m so proud of you for sticking to your principles,” she said earnestly. “You wouldn’t have had as much control if you chose to expand, and your loyalty to your existing customers is to be commended.” She leaned into him and continued. “We have more than sufficient for our needs, and those who say otherwise,” she shrugged, “well, who needs them?”

“I don’t,” Henry proclaimed, leaning back enough that he could swoop down and steal a kiss. “All I need is you.”

“And all I need is for you to stop dripping dishwater all over the floor,” she playfully replied.

“But I didn’t get any on you,” he pointed out.

“True…”

“So, do I get a reward,” he asked hopefully.

She eyed him warily before caving, giving him a kiss…on the cheek, which left him pouting. Bending down to wipe up the mess he had made, she muttered, “You’ve made me go soft.”

“I think you always were,” he commented. “You just didn’t know how to show it.”

“Maybe,” she reluctantly conceded, secretly pleased that he saw her that way.

Later that night as they were cuddled up in bed, Astrid couldn’t help but think about how content she was with how her life had turned out, and it was all thanks to Henry. He had given her so much. Hope when it felt like all was lost. Love when she thought she’d never find it. And their little daughter, who was the sweetest little something she could ever imagine.