"I wasn't spying," Idun informed him, and even though she attempted a saucy expression to play against her words, it faded away instantly with a laugh. It was too cold to emote that much. That was terribly ridiculous. She'd save the look for when they were home. Seeing him right there, holding her so very, very close, it made it impossible for Idun not to long for their hall, their room, their bed. It was all so very new, but it was still theirs. She was missing that. Her actions had forced them both away from what was theirs. "But I'll agree to your terms. A standard agreement seems very reasonable. Just don't put anything funny in the small print. I'm actually going to read this agreement before signing."
She could manage teasing, even if the faces wouldn't exactly match. A smile was the best she was capable of, but it felt like a great deal in that moment. And then her smile was forced to fade. As Idun continued speaking, and Bragi began to frown, all the smiles in this terrible place fell beneath the weight of all the cold, grim white. It made her sad, but Bragi's words made it worse. He confirmed what she was uncertain of, and though she nodded slightly, it pained her because he'd looked away. Only for a moment, but he still looked away. "We...fought," she whispered, trying the words on for size. Her brow furrowed once again. It was such a struggle to push her thoughts through the fog, but she tried. She needed to remember.
They needed to move on.
"Oh." Idun exhaled carefully and found herself pressing even closer to her husband. There was hardly any space left between them to begin with, but it was still too much the moment she recalled their fight. "All the warmth was dragged away finally, and the snows came. And I was upset because...you had places to go sometimes. And I wanted you to myself. And we fought. And I left." With every word, the next became a bit more difficult to say. This was all her fault. She had caused him so much unnecessary pain, and still he'd stayed by her side. His lips had turned blue. He was going to give up, just like she had given up, and then they would simply be ice together. This was all her fault.
Idun shook her head again. She blinked against the threat of tears that hadn't formed yet. There were no tears left, but she blinked them away anyway. A trembling breath slipped out, and then Idun kissed her husband again, because she felt very desperate now that she was remembering. Losing him wouldn't have been an accident. It would've been her fault, and the loss would've killed him, too. "I think...I was trying to clear my head. Because of the upset and the anger and the jealousy. I kept walking. I wasn't thinking at all." It was a terrible explanation. Bragi's response was far better. She laughed sad, quiet laughter as he smiled, but the weight of his words pulled her back.
"I am so sorry, Bragi," she whispered. "You're my husband. I shouldn't have left. I won't again. I'd rather fight for you. Even if I'm fighting with you, I'd rather fight for you than walk away. We'll get better at this. I'll get better at this. You're wonderful. I won't have you talking about my husband that way." She managed a smile again. "I love you desperately, forever."