Snow was falling off in clumps from the trees that surrounded the large cabin home. It was well into spring and the sun was warm causing the snow to melt from where it clung into the few remaining piles that hid in the shadows. Sudden snowfalls were not uncommon in the mountainous area in which Odin and Skadi resided and this would likely not be the last snow they saw this spring. Skadi was coming from the deep woods with her recent hunt slung over her shoulders, a medium sized horned creature. Odin was minding the small herb garden when he saw his wife approach greeting her with a smile.

"It seems you were lucky, your efforts did not go to waste." Odin bellowed from the garden cheerfully.

"Kallistos aided my bow, nothing more to it." Skadi shrugged leaning the creature onto a wooden table they kept outside to clean the game.

Odin pushed open the wooden gate that separated the garden from the rest of the yard to come join his wife. "Come now, you do yourself a disservice. Gods are gracious yes, but I've seen no finer huntress than yourself. Certainly better with a bow than myself. Never had the eye for it."

Skadi was quite for a moment in prayer. Thanking the beast for it's sacrifice, the gods for their favor, and the mountains for her harvest. Once finished she took her knife from it's hold and began to carefully clean the beast of it's hide. "Thank you for your sweet words, but you shouldn't disservice yourself either. You have other qualities worth appreciation Odin." She smiled warmly before pecking him on his sun kissed cheeks.

Odin blushed, the years had done nothing to dampen the fire he felt for her. With each season her radiance only brightened and he felt blessed each and every day to have her. Skadi was concentrating on her knife work only catching Odin's loving gaze after wiping some sweat from her brow. "What are you looking at Odin. Do I have something on my face." She laughed giving him a bright smile.

"Yes you do have something on your face." Before she could answer Odin leaned in to kiss her.

"Watch yourself, my hands are a mess." She laxly protested before leaning into the kiss herself. "Suit yourself, you're doing the laundry then. She muttered between their breaths.

"I'm better at folding anyways." Odin laughed pulling back from his wife.

Skadi returned back to her blade giving Odin a wink. "True." Seeing his wife hard at work Odin left her for a moment to help. Gathering a pan of water, a bar of soap, and some rags for her to clean her hands with when she was done setting it on the counter beside her.

It wasn't until she finished her work later into the day that Odin thought to disturb her again calling her in to their home. By now clouds were beginning to cover the sun which had felt so warm throughout the majority of the day. He had anticipated the weather already having a fire warming the house and hearth getting ready to cook when she came inside. The least he could do was cook what his wife had so graciously procured. Skadi came into the house as the wind began to pick up outside, the clouds now totally blotting out the sun.

"I felt some water on my back as I was coming in. I don't know if it'll be snow or rain." She said stepping inside. Her sleeves were rolled up carrying a plate of meat for Odin to prepare. She laid the plate on the counter and gave him another one of her warm smiles. "I think I'm going to take a bath while you cook if you don't mind."

"Not at all, it should be ready when you're done." He called out to her as Skadi began to make her way to the bathroom stretching out her tired limbs. He listened to her run the bath, and happily began to prepare their meal. The wind really was picking up outside now. He could hear it harshly blow against the windows of their cabin sending large droplets of water against it's pane. Normal weather for this time of year he thought. In like a lion, out like a lamb. He didn't mind the noise at all. It was nice ambiance to go along with the fire inside, and the sizzling of the pan. He sauteed the meat with a little tallow, along with some herbs, onions, and mushrooms he had picked from his garden earlier that day before lastly giving it a final touch of red cooking wine to seal all the flavors together.

By the time Skadi emerged from the bath with fresh clothes for the evening Odin was plating their meals. She looked far more relaxed now that she was able to soak away the dirt and stress from the day. Her eyes lit up seeing the meal waiting for her on the counter and rushed to her husband happily slapping his back hard with admiration. "It smells divine Odin, and I'm sure it'll taste divine too!" Excited she grabbed their plates and settled into the dining table by the bay window. He joined her and the two ate hungrily in silence until Odin broke the speechlessness. "We really must be hungry, we've hardly said a word this whole time."

Skadi looked up from her meal giving him a cheeky grin. "Sorry about that, I really was hungry. That's what I get for skipping on my mid day meal, I just really wanted to get that meat hung on the dry rack in the shed."

"No reason to be sorry Skadi, I know you worked hard today. There's more in the pan if you're still hungry."

As they talked the rest of their dinner away the forest outside grew dark for the evening. The sound of rain keeping them company the entire time. Despite how cold and damp it was out there, the cabin inside remained warm with the hearth and two eventually retired to the couch for the evening to snuggle.

It was then he thought to bring it up, something that had been on his mind for a while now. "Skadi dear?"

"Hm?" Skadi turned her head down towards Odin who she was spooning. "Yes?"

"Have you ever thought about wanting to share our love and our life with someone else. What I mean is, have you ever thought about having children with me?"

Skadi contemplated the question, taking her time to answer. Her eyes closed and carefully thinking over her thoughts with a relaxed expression on her face. "I have. I have thought about it, but I neither wanted to push the idea or deny it. I always thought if we were meant to have children you would mention it like you just did and it would happen."

Odin seemed happy at the response looking up at his wife and giving her a thoughtful smile. "You make me so happy, happier than I ever been on my own in this cabin. You bring warmth to my heart and hearth and my love will always be yours. For a long time I never thought about children because you've always made me feel so happy and fulfilled, but now as I'm getting older I've grown to want to share that love. Maybe I was too selfish before I didn't want to share you with anyone else, but it would be a crime not to share our happiness now don't you think?"

Skadi seemed equally pleased at the thought sharing in her husband's desires for a family. She never felt the overall desire one way or the other to have a family when she was younger, but a lot have things have changed over the years that she's been with her husband. A child or children to share their happiness with. What a nice thought. "I'm imagining you as a father now. The infants pulling at your beard. You might have to trim it up so they don't."

Odin beamed up at her excited. "Do you really want to then? Is this something you would like to do?"

Skadi hushed him running her fingers through his long white hair. "When I married you we became family. Tied by a bond of love for eternity. You were all I ever wanted or needed, but the idea of having an even larger family with you, sharing our love with the world by having children of our own sounds too wonderful to pass up."

Odin's bliss could not be contained. He rolled over into his wife's chest and hugged her with all of his heart and she returned the hug.