If smirking right before kissing her was cheating, Bragi already didn't have a chance at keeping those rules. If he had known this was a rule of hers, he would have given up on them all right there. But he didn't know her rules yet. They had just started officially. He looked forward to learning them, and breaking them where it was appropriate. Bragi chuckled lightly and shook his head. He bit down on his lip. “I'm not sure.” Bragi said furrowing his brow, as he thought this possibility through. “Maybe if you keep reminding me, that answer might come back eventually.” He smirked. His eyes crinkled in the corners like they may or may not know one of the secrets of the universe.
“Jidun” Bragi tried. Then he wrinkled his nose and shook his head. “It sounds too much like a Djinn. The symbolism there doesn't really work right.” His fingers met behind her back, as his arms wrapped all the way around her waist. He held her while she thought, and a feeling came over him that Bragi had never experienced, but that he'd often heard it about. He smiled. “Juliet...” Bragi tilted his head a little and peered at her. “Plus it would mean youthful.” He laughed. “Hmm.” Bragi raised both eyebrows and then grinned. After he finished being amused by this, the grin turned softer. “I'll consider it.” He loved that name. It was perfect.
The moment somewhere a finger hit a string, Bragi noticed. He took a breath that was almost a gasp, and while his arms were still around her, Bragi's head turned towards the sound. The sound that was the beginning of more than sound. She didn't have to tell him to listen. The moment they had started getting it all together, Bragi's feet had stopped. It had been too long. It had been so long since he'd last had a soul. They were on the other side of the tavern, but Bragi could smell resin. He could feel the smooth wood, and the strings, and above all he could hear. He could hear what song they were going to play before they started playing it. A skald hit the first chord, then another hit a different one, and Bragi smiled and a tear ran down his cheek. It was like finding his oldest, dearest friend alive after years of separation. He breathed in sounds for a moment. The skalds didn't have the right melody. They didn't think they needed to find it. They weren't playing together then, but that was only because they didn't realize a piece was missing. Bragi knew what piece.
The moment ended, and Bragi looked back at Idun. She was a goddess of music too. She just didn't realize it. The most important one really. She made it start. She was the rising action of every conductor's arm, and Bragi was grateful, because without her, he couldn't start music. Without her, Bragi didn't start. He grinned. “I know how it ends, but I'd enjoy hearing it. And I believe you owe me a dance. Hold on.”
Bragi disappeared into the crowd. Then reappeared a few seconds later with an instrument of his own. He gestured towards Idun to start, and then Bragi fingers hit the strings, and he filled in the missing piece. The music came together and found its harmony.