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hecohansen31 · 4 years

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The Princess & The Hacker

Hacker! Sihtric x Sex Worker! Ealhswith (Modern AU)

Chapter (1): The Ice Cream Shop

(A/N): Hello there, lovelies!

Excuse the very idiotic title, and I also want to put a disclaimer that this is one of of my first time writing a character x character fic, and I hope you won’t hate it!

I also want to thank @volvaaslaug, who has helped me a bit through the initial creation of this fic and who has heard all my annoying talks about this pairing, so special thank you to you (and I hope you won’t regret not lowering your expectations!).

I do think that there’ll be more chapters, if you like it, so please make sure to let me know so that I can see if people are interested about sequel!

Feedback is always welcome, in any way shape and form: it makes my heart beat stronger and my fingers write faster

SUMMARY: When Eahlswith is a victim of a revenge porn scheme, she is given a rather interesting contact, an hacker, that might solve all her problems, and do much more.

WORDS: 4,3 K

WARNINGS: Mention of Sex Work, Revenge Porn, Sex, Mention of Past Child Abuse, Hacker, Incorrect Techonology Knowledge.

Ealhswith had thought that that day wouldn’t have been different from the previous one.

And the one before that.

It’d be just another client, a simple lousy fuck she’d fake enjoying for the sake of finishing early and go back home earlier so that she could work a bit more on her final thesis and then go to bed to a nice time.

The dude hadn’t been the best of her clients for sure, excessively rough.

Although she was a professional in the sex industry, this didn’t mean that she wanted to be tossed out like a doll.

Just buy a plastic one, if that’s what you like.

It’d be cheaper.

And when the he had officially finished, he had been even more horrible to her, insisting that the agency for which Ealhswith worked would have received the money, and not her.

Which was an option, but this way she wouldn’t have had any kind of tip and seeing all the effort she had done to make that prick raise…

… she felt like she deserved it.

But she was already a bit late on her own time plan and she had just flipped the guy off in her mind, pushing her clothes quickly on and setting up a reminder on her phone for the agency to have them blacklist the guy so that he wouldn’t harass any of the other girls.

She also insisted that he hadn’t paid her, yet, preferring to settle it with the agency.

So, they had to torment him in case he didn’t pay by the end of the week.

She was thankful for the agency, although they were quite tough and took most of her earning, she felt more comfortable, since they’d run check on the clients before sending the girls and were some kind of legalized organization, which meant that she paid taxes but she didn’t risk getting arrested.

And the agency was very private about both towards the clients and both towards the girls and the boys working for them, which was great because although Ealhswith wasn’t ashamed of her work, she didn’t want her family to discover it.

She had started with modelling, but then moved quickly on the sex industry since it’d get her enough money to continue on studying and keep her apartment, meanwhile she finished her studies, without having to weight on her family, since they already had their own problematics.

Many who had discovered her profession had commented about why she couldn’t have a normal job, like a bartender or a waitress, but the truth was that those jobs didn’t make enough money for her to take care of everything around her and involved much more groping than many thought.

And if she had to be groped on a daily basis, she preferred to be paid for it.

In the end, it was just a job like another.

And this meant that she didn’t tolerate any disrespect on her job.

So, when the client of that afternoon had texted her, right when she had come back from a small trip to the grocery store for some comfort food, she had been ready to tell him that he had to contact the agency to set up another problem and this number was to be used only after having set up the appointment.

But she had been soon horrified to discover that he hadn’t meant to book another appointment, but he instead had sent her a video and for a moment she had thought he had sent it to the wrong number.

And then she had downloaded it and played it.

And she had been happy to have closed the door behind her before.

It was a video of her… and him… doing what they had done that afternoon.

And her entire life fell down onto her, heavily.

He must have set up an hidden camera to record her, and she hadn’t checked since she had thought that the agency wouldn’t have allowed something like this to happen.

She had never heard any of her colleagues comment about such a situation.

And then another message had come up.

A blackmailing one.

‘Let’s meet again and this time free and if I am satisfied, I won’t share this on the whole internet’.

Her heart sunk because although he had no idea who she truly was, it was her face, the one in the video and although it wasn’t anything more than a badly made amateur movie, it would have ruined not only her career had it been published, but also her life.

Her parents would have disowned her.

She had tried to calm down the man, already feeling her heartbeat increase at the thought of that video being sent to any other people, but the man confirmed that she was the only one who had received it…

… and would remain the only one, had she allowed him to take advantage of her.

Something that she refused to do.

But had she truly any chance to refuse him?

A thing such as this could ruin a normal person’s life, but it would have been so much worse for her, since she was sure that if this got out, it would have tainted her image, not only in everyone’s eyes but also in agency’s ones.

The agency wanted their workers to have a clean and discreet façade and a video like that might have ruined that.

She hadn’t known what to do, who to talk to.

She didn’t know how to handle all of this.

She hadn’t so much technic knowledge to know whether this treat was true or not.

And eventually she has settled on calling Christine, a fellow friend who worked also in the escorting industry something that made her think she might understand and be discreet about it.

But she hadn’t certainly expected what Christine had told her after knowing about the blackmail.

“…it happened to you too?!” she seemed almost not surprised that such a thing was possible and then went on explaining that she had something similar happening to her, with a client taking photos of her meanwhile she was in the bathroom, also claiming to publish them in case she didn’t comply everything he asked of her “… sadly it is much more common than you might think”.

“But… I thought… the agency would run some checks and…” she was panicking, but the knowledge that someone else had been in the same situation helped her quite a bit.

Christine insisted on explaining much more as she came over to Eahlswith’s house, something for which she was thankful, not wanting to be alone in such a moment, and Christine was quite a relief, explaining fully her story and how scared she had been, but she had managed to solve it as she had passed Ealhswith a phone contact.

‘… he is a hacker… a good one’ she explained, calmly since Ealhswith was looking like a frightened animal “… he took care of my problem, after a girl from the agency heard about it. He is clean and not too expensive, but most importantly he does the job amazingly”.

‘Is it… is it seriously this common?’ she asked softly to her friend, once she had come down from the scare.

‘Oh sweetie, don’t you ever browse porn sites?’ a tight expression of annoyance appeared on Christine’s face ‘… revenge porn is the literal most popular shit on there, sadly’.

The following day, after assuring her blackmailer that she agreed to his ‘deal’ she had come to see the hacker that Christine had suggested her, coming to stop at a small apartment, the place where Sthric, the hacker’s name, had told her to meet him.

She had almost expected something more… sketchy, although Christine had explained her that he was ‘one of the good guys’.

But that apartment looked quite cozy and small, although it seemed every inch of an ex-fratboy’s mansion, with a few decorations hanging from a small balcony, that looked horribly misplaced, but she thought that the last thing she could do was comment on his choosing in exterior design.

She moved to the door, having been told to ring the doorbell and ask for Sihtric, but she didn’t need to do much, because right after the doorbell had been rung, a tall guy was in front of her, looking very much unlike the nerdy hacker she had expected.

He looked actually handsome and for a moment she doublechecked the address, but it was right and the guy sent her a quick look examining her, before muttering a tight:

‘… you must be Ealhswith’ the way he spoke was measured and attentive, as if he didn’t get many chances to talk, but his voice had a pretty sound to, definitely reassuring ‘… can we walk a bit, meanwhile we talk about your problem? My house suddenly is… full’.

The way he said it told Ealhswith that he wasn’t in the slightest happy of that situation.

She just nodded, surprised by the fact that he didn’t look further than her face, focusing his gaze onto his own shoes.

That was strange since she knew for sure that men whenever they were informed of her profession wouldn’t stop looking at her body as if they could already see her naked.

The previous night she had sent Sihtric a small text, explaining him her situation, wanting to know whether he would be able to solve her problem or not, to which he had answered that he’d have to see and preferred to talk with her about it, if she was free the following day.

She had expected the ‘come on’s and some flirting pick-up lines, but he had just stayed professional, not saying a word more than he needed.

Something that was echoed with the way he moved, carefully, almost as if he wasn’t used to his body’s shape, having suddenly grown into it in one night.

They had moved onto the road, him moving by her side, with a lengthy distance, so that she could have her own privacy but at the same time, she couldn’t help but have this feeling that he was observing her, although Sihtric kept his eyes on the ground

Something she was used to.

But Sihtric seemed attentive not to be caught.

“… I was on a job…” she didn’t know why she felt suddenly ashamed of admitting that she worked as an escort, although she wasn’t for sure embarrassed of it.

But she hadn’t said much, if not nothing, to anyone that wasn’t in her same business, so suddenly speaking about it made her nervous, although she didn’t have nothing to hide.

“… a client took a video without my permission of us…” was she seriously blushing about it?

“… do you know with what he might have taken it?”.

She was glad for Sihtric’s technical question and not focusing on her ‘job’, but she was extremely worried of answering negatively, thinking it might have been important, so she simply shoook her head, adding:

“I do think that he had a secret camera, since he pushed his phone on the bedside table to check the hour…” she explained trying to remember the previous afternoon, as she scanned the room in her memory “… but I didn’t notice anything”.

“Technology sadly has become more and more discreet…” explained Sihtric “… so sadly I don’t blame you for not noticing that something was wrong”.

And although she hadn’t realized it, what he said made her feel a bit less guilty for the thing that had happened, the previous afternoon.

“… can I see the video?” this certainly got her to blush “… just to see if I can detect the model of the camera”.

Easlwith nodded, although she couldn’t help but be a bit skeptic about it.

Was he doing it because he needed it, or he wanted to try to catch the glimpse of some free porn?

Still she showed it to him, without the audio, and again Sihtric surprised her with simply checking the first scene, involving a simple exchange of curtesy between her and a client, and then paused the video

“… it is a camera, but nothing professional, which will make it easy to track down” he explained softly, before he asked if he could take the phone in his hands getting out his own and for a moment Ealhswith was scared shitless that he would have forwarded it to his own phone, but Sihtric simply clicked an app on his own phone, where a list of technology materials appeared and he searched through them, finding one and then pushing a few more buttons.

And Ealhswith didn’t understand much, although she thought she was good with her own computer, but Sihtric seemed to do it like it was the most common thing.

As if it was something that he definitely did daily, quickly clicking a few more apps, eventually settling himself up in what looked like somebody’s else computer and then with a click the video disappeared from her phone.

And Sihtric closed all the apps he had opened, before muttering as he dragged lazily his thumb on the screen as if it calmed him:

“I should have finished with this” and only five minutes had passed “… I am not sure that he doesn’t have copies saved on external pieces, but I have installed a virus in case he try to download them in the computers that will immediately delete them and will threaten of denouncing him to the police”.

Ealhswith truly didn’t know what to say, unable to grasp the fact that that thing that had been truly bothering her from last night, making her panic completely and worry for the worst was now… solved and finished.

And she’d never have to hear about that asshole.

Sihtric nodded, scratching lightly the back of his head, almost as if he didn’t know what to say, eventually again settling on his phone, as a notification appeared, and he simply shook lightly his head, although a small smirk appeared on his face.

A small handsome smirk.

“… how much… how much do I have to pay you?” she asked already ready for whatever sum might come her way.

Although she got paid quite well, she knew that hackers undoubtedly risked so much that they got paid quite well for doing it, but as Sihtric finally raised his head to meet her eyes, he simply shook his head.

“… don’t worry about it”.

She had expected him to ask a big sum of money, maybe enough that she would have to maybe consider pawning a few of her family jewels.

She had expected him to ask of being paid in a natural way, asking for her body in exchange for having saved her ass.

But she certainly hadn’t expected him to simply dismiss it as if he hadn’t probably committed a few federal crimes to avoid a revenge porn vide of her getting out of some asshole’s phone.

“Se… serio… seriously?” she now felt like the quiet one, as Sihtric did nod his head, almost as if this was the usual thing, and he put again the phone in his pockets, giving her back her own one, meanwhile she wondered where the trick was.

Had he saved a copy of the video on his phone?

Did he expect her to fall in love with him, after saving her as some kind of modern Cinderella?

Men, no matter what, always wanted something from women.

They thought that simply because they paid for them of paid things for them, they owned them and they could do whatever they wanted with them, no matter that they were in 2019 and there was a Third Wave Intersectional Feminism that worked towards erasing that concept.

So, Sihtric couldn’t be different.

She knew it

“… actually…” here comes the advances and the requests “… there is an ice cream place nearby, you can offer me an ice cream there, if you feel like you owe me something”.

She was surprised and not solely because of the fact that he wanted eat ice cream in full winter, but she hadn’t ever been treated with such kindness in and outside of her line of work by a man.

And she couldn’t help but be somehow fascinated by it, almost as if she was walking on a tightrope and although it was dangerous, it fascinated her with the beautiful view that it offered, two mismatched eyes holding a shyness in them that locked in everything they might have said.

She hadn’t had a big crush on everybody since for ever, but she couldn’t deny that Sihtric certainly was an interesting type.

And yet she wouldn’t have fallen for the knight in shining armor.

She didn’t trust those in the slightest..

But she was undoubtedly curious about what made the man in front of her.

“… then show me the way to the ice cream shop”.

The ice cream shop was cutsie place where she hadn’t certainly thought of meeting the smart hacker, his black clothes completely mismatched with the colorful place which Ealhswith appreciated.

There she was finally able to breath as she realized she was free.

She wouldn’t have been blackmailed anymore for that video.

And she wouldn’t have risked her whole career disappearing just because some man decided that he wanted more than she allowed.

… and it was all thanks to the dork in front of her playing around with his spoon in the ice cream cup he had chosen.

His cheeks were a bit brightened by the presence of sugar now in his blood, although he had already talked a bit during their trip to the ice cream parlor, alongside her.

And strangely not about her line of work.

Ice cream had been the main topic and almost as if they hadn’t just met each other that morning, he had teased her for liking vanilla, meanwhile she defended her beloved flavor with all heart, insisting that although it might have been plain… it never disappointed.

‘… you almost convinced me’ he uttered lightly, with a bright smile and for a moment she had thought of having witnessed a miracle, something that had probably taken all the energy he had in his own body, because he had stopped talking there and then.

She had offered the ice cream, and he had welcomed gladly the gesture, already choosing the flavors with big eyes of a child that had been denied a treat for so long.

And that was when she understood that he had also known poverty.

If not something worse.

But she hadn’t asked anything about it.

They had sat down in a corner, as Sihtric moved like he could map out this entire place with his own eyes closed and she followed him calmly, settling herself up in front of him, as she herself started munching on the top of the straw in her milkshake.

Vanilla flavored, indeed.

Again Sihtric seemed to want to shrink in himself again, and some part of Ealhswith, a math major with a pedagogy course in her system, couldn’t help but think that it must have been some gesture that he had started doing in infancy and kept on doing as a coping mechanism.

A defense mechanism.

“… I don’t think I have said it” she commented as a few of the last clients move outside, giggling happily “… but thank you for doing what you did, I truly appreciate it”.

“… it was a pleasure” although she didn’t notice any change in his voice, but he seemed almost to perk up at the comment, almost as if he hadn’t expected it.

“… and thank you for not judging me… I know that what I do isn’t the best…” she didn’t know why she had to say that, but all her life she had felt like she was guilty of something, although she had never admitted it.

She was comfortable having sex with men, simply for money and she was comfortable with knowing that, but strangely she had always felt like this should have made her feel guilty of some obscure and horrible secret.

… and it had indeed horridly impacted her thoughts and mental health, although she refused to admit it.

“… listen I have a friend who is a sugar baby, so believe me, I don’t judge you, in the slightest” his tone was low key calm, but there was sprinkle of humor in his mouth, not against her but she couldn’t help but feel a bit calmer… and more at ease “… I am glad to have helped you”.

“Can I… can I ask you what programs you used? To delete the image… ” the question was both out of curiosity and both because you wanted to be sure that the photo hadn’t been simply hidden or such, although you were relieved by the fact that that asshole didn’t have it anymore on his phone, you didn’t want any traces to have been left on Sihtric’s phone “… I don’t know much about computers, although I did a course or two…”.

And she was low key impressed by Sihtric’s ability.

“… oh it’s mostly through remote control it’s a…” and he seemed truly surprised when she named a computer program for it, but it wasn’t the ‘my male ego was wounded by your comment my sweet maiden’ surprise.

It was honest surprised.

Almost as if he seemed a child happy of having someone who wanted to play with him.

“… you have certainly done more than one course to know that name” he mumbled “… didn’t you think about solving the problem on your own?”.

He seemed truly enthralled by Ealhswith’s knowledge and she blushed under that mismatched and intense stare, almost unwanted and uncontrolled, as if he hadn’t noticed he was staring at her that strongly.

“… I just… I know the basilar things, not the… you know…” and she lowered her voice with a conspiratorial tone “… hacker stuff”.

He giggled at that comment, a truly boisterous laugh that made her smirk a bit.

And he then proceeded to explain to her what he had done, the honesty in his tone confirming the truth behind his words, but also the way he explained it to her, was extremely proper and as if he knew all about those things.

Showing her that he truly knew his job.

‘… how do you know all this stuff?’ she had once asked him in the middle of his explanation, and he had seemed almost ashamed of it, lightly backing away as if he was scared to show himself, having taken an uncertain forward step.

‘… internet’ he simply stated, but Eahlswith sure it wasn’t the entire truth.

But didn’t push further.

‘… what about you?’ he tried to shift the attention away from himself “... interested in computer sciences?”.

“Kind off… although… I actually study math” she explained “… I want to become a teacher… I always… I always had this horrible… horrible math teacher. He always said that girls… girls weren’t logical enough to study math… and little eight-year-old me wanted desperately to prove him wrong”.

A soft smile appeared on Sihtric’s face at that, almost as if he had been told the same and could relate to that.

“… he seems like a very horrible teacher”.

“I don’t want any girl to feel like they don’t have a chance to learn math, simply because they aren’t logical enough” she muttered tightly “… I want them to believe in themselves”.

“That’s very very cool”.

Sihtric’s tone was honest and impressed.

She blushed a bit, realizing about how much she had blabbered about her life to a complete stranger, although he had been the first one to listen without adding anything or any judgement which made him easy to talk to.

But Ealhswith wasn’t truly convinced about his intentions.

But the atmosphere grew much more relaxed and calmer, and by the end she was finished with her milkshake, just as Sihtric had ordered one of his own.

She couldn’t help but almost dread the thought of leaving him behind, although she didn’t have any other reason to stay.

She wanted to honestly to try to make him stay longer, maybe invite him out.

But men weren’t much different among themselves and in the end when they discovered what she truly did, they’d try to make her to stop and then fetishize her situation till it got ‘too boring’, discarding them with the excuse of ‘not being pure enough’ for a true relationship.

Good enough.

She had gone through it multiple times when she was younger, and then she had stopped dating.

And she didn’t want to ruin the nice image of Sihtric she had in her mind.

“… I have to go…” she commented in the end, knowing that she had to send the part of her thesis to her relator before tonight.

But her body didn’t seem to cooperate instead pushing itself to remain seated in front of Sihtric, who raised his head surprised before again his gaze became focused on everything but her.

“… I do understand it” he replied, and then he seemed to have an almost conflict with himself, before he bit down roughly on his lip, taking a decision “… I… I teach at a small course… on computers… nothing truly illegal, but if you are interested in deepening this I… you have certainly the brain for it”.

She was full on blushing now and she didn’t know why she nodded, but she did.

And now strangely she had a reason to see that strange hacker again.

And her heart fluttered at that.

And she wasn’t sure it was a good thing.

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iseultdeservedbetter · 4 years

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The Princess & The Hacker

Hacker! Sihtric x Sex Worker! Ealhswith (Modern AU)

Chapter (2): The Subway

(Previous Chapter)

SUMMARY: Ealhswith broken apart between needing and wanting, she find herself more and more fascinated by the hacker with a sweet heart and the most beautiful eyes in the whole universe…

WORDS: 4,8 K

WARNINGS: Mention of Sex Work, Revenge Porn, Sex, Mention of Past Child Abuse, Hacker, Incorrect Techonology Knowledge

She watched attentively the conversation going on between Sihtric and the blonde girl.

Or it was better to say that she spied the conversation between the two.

A blonde girl with the whole new ‘age look’, comprehended with a facial tattoo of a half-moon on her forehead, with what looked and Ealhswith hoped was henna, since it was colored.

And if it wasn’t, Ealhswith, personally, would have undoubtedly wanted her money back from the tattoo artist.

But maybe she was simply acting on her idiotic jealousy.

Something that had no reason to exist since she wasn’t in a relationship with Sihtric.

And it was the last thing she needed.

Although it was the first thing she wanted for herself.

But she couldn’t deny the obvious uncomfortableness shown by Sihtric, and you slowed your movements, meanwhile you collected your belongings, rearranging your backpack a few times, before you eventually noticed that the Sihtric looked like he could use an help.

And faking of getting closer to the projector where a few slides were still going, she moved closer to hear better what they were talking about, since the blonde had stormed in, right after Sihtric had finished his lesson.

Eahlswith had actually been attending his informatic lessons both because she had been harboring a crush on the black-haired boy, but more importantly because she found them interesting.

Almost as much as she found adorable the man holding them.

Sihtric wasn’t an imposing teacher and he seemed much more an interesting life motivator, explaining the set-up of computers and encouraging his students through problem solving for suggesting to use that approach for everyday situations, other than the ones they went through at lessons.

She honestly enjoyed computer science and knowing Sihtric she was always able to exchange a few words like a true teacher’s pet, meanwhile ‘the teacher’ blushed adorably and explained rambling on about the concept and what she might be interested in, adding a few websites where she might find some more info.

He was always open and attentive to everything people had to ask him, although he seemed shy most of the time.

But whenever he was surrounded by computers, he seemed at complete ease.

And he smiled so prettily…

Ok, she had to stop daydreaming about him.

She had promised herself not to delve further in that crush she had.

And that was what she was doing.

Even more when she casually listened in to his discourse with the pretty blonde.

“… for the last time! I won’t hack in Brida’s computer for you!” shouted loudly Sihtric, enough to startle even Ealhswith, something definitely unlike his soft-spoken character, and immediately an ashamed blush coated his full cheeks as he lowered his voice “… why would I even do that?”.

“… because I’ll pay you?” suggested the blonde girl, raising a light eyebrow at him as if to say ‘are you serious, dude?’ “… c’mon, Sihtric, I know that you don’t mind doing this for Finan, so pretty please, be a sweetheart and hack in Brida’s computer from me, so that I can see if she has gotten me anything for our anniversary”.

Oh.

Shit.

Was Ealhswith a weirdo if she had just taken a breath of relief at knowing that the blondie had already a girlfriend?

“You can ask her” shot back Sihtric, as he moved to collect his own things, moving to switch off the projector “… you know… talk with her… like real people do”.

“Do I look like the type that cares about what ‘real people would do’?” replied sassily the girl, moving to push herself in front of him, to stop from leaving and Ealhswith couldn’t help but almost intervene, mostly because Sihtric seemed truly panicked, but he quickly ducked to the side of her lithe body.

“… she’ll get pissed to see you probing around in her computer, even if I am the one doing it” replied tightly Sihtric, switching off the projector and switching on the light, making Ealhswith continue her snooping faking her interest for her phone.

“… better!” replied blondie, a smart smirk on her face, her mouth becoming a soft shape, a sensual expression on her pretty face, as her light eyes shone with the artificial light of the only lampshade in the room “… when she is angry, sex is amazing”.

Ok, she had to intervene, because Sihtric looked so red that he might as well have been a few minutes from passing out.

“… Sihtric!” she called out, pushing herself to the side of blondie, who shot her an annoyed look and opened her mouth, probably ready to retort that ‘she was interrupting serious business’ “… we better hurry up or they’ll give away our reservation”.

Thank God, Sihtric’s face was shaped to normally be expressionless, so no surprise at her excuse appeared on his face, making her words effectively the truth in front of the other girl’s eyes.

“Oh” was the only thing blondie was able to utter, her mouth curling in a kitten-like expression, as she shot a ‘I-know-what-you-did-last-summer’ look at Sihtric, taking in Ealhswith and a shiver of uneasiness fell down her spine, as she wondered whether she might have recognized her as a sex worker.

The fear of being outed as such was a dear company of Ealhswith, having happened much more than she had thought when she had first started.

At first it mostly happened, when she was on ordinary habits and although no man would have straight up approached her in a supermarket with his family in toll.

But they certainly smirked like they held some kind of power over Ealhswith for their knowledge.

And those were the moments were in which she felt the dirtiest.

Although she had no reason to, because she tried to hold her head high in each moment, or self-pity would have completely destroyed her.

“… didn’t know you had a date” commented the girl, as she swiftly shifted her eyes from her to Sihtric, an obvious show of wanting to tease him further, but she quickly brought him closer to her with a teasing smirk straight up to the girl.

“… and you are ruining it” she shot back, knowing pretty well that when people were put up with their annoyingness they had to eventually back off.

Although they looked to be enjoying it as much as blondie.

But she eventually raised her hands as a sign of surrender, shaking her head, although her own mission didn’t seem to be finished, as she moved a small card towards Sihtric, with an IP address on it.

That you took, before Sihtric, could and threw away, somewhere in the small room that Sihtric rented in the local oratory, since he knew the priest that worked there, being’ a friend of a friend’ as he had told her, as soon as he had noticed her weirded out look at the whole place, at the first lesson she had attended.

‘I was just worried that I’d be set on fire if I walked in’ she had retorted, stealing a small look from Sihtric, and the man himself had commented that ‘if my friend Uhtred can walk in, so can you, believe me’.

“I’ll leave you to it” blondie’s smile was now more of circumstance as she moved out of the way with a swagger in her step, almost as if she had been wounded by the words of Ealhswith and was now redoubling her flare attempts to impress everyone on her walk.

“… thanks” uttered Sihtric once she was out of earshot, scratching his neck, as his entire body did again that futile attempt at appearing much smaller than it truly was “… Skade is a rough type, we call her ‘the witch’ among us”.

“That seems like a cool nickname truly” she returned loudly “… and you are welcome, I was worried that you might magically transform in a tomato, seeing your red face and unfocused stare”.

“I blush that much, don’t I?” shot back loudly Sihtric, as he sucked on his tongue, a mute sound escaping his mouth as he fought to keep it in.

And you fought to keep in your thought of how adorable Sihtric truly looked.

Time to change the subject.

“… oh by the way” she then moved to get something out of her bags, showing Sihtric a small wrapped up gift she had bought with herself to that lesson “… I thought of you, when I saw it”.

Sihtric looked truly surprised, and although many faked being truly surprised by some gifts, there was some kind of childish innocence in the way he took in the gift, leaving it in Ealhswith’s hands for a moment longer than it was proper and the woman quickly had to push it onto his hands, gently closing them around the wrapped object.

“You shouldn’t have” and he meant it.

He didn’t understand in the slightest why you felt like giving him that small thoughtful piece.

“… oh, don’t worry, I actually… I was actually at a used books market a few days ago and I thought that you might have liked the theme” Sihtric didn’t look less convinced “… ok I’ll admit it, I mostly bought it because I want to read it too, but before… I need to know if it historically accurate”.

The joke was a bit strained, but Sihtric’s curiosity got the best of him and he opened quickly the present, being careful with the paper, which was something that was strange for his big hands, but somehow the man had never acted like he truly knew of his strength.

Guarding it attentively, almost as if he was some kind of Hulk, ready to explode.

Almost as if he hid something.

But she tried not to push him for it, it was obvious that he felt uncomfortable still so she tried to keep herself smart and sharp around him, extremely attentive at what she said and the way she acted.

But at the same time, she couldn’t deny that she felt comfortable with him.

It was as if they were dancing on opposite sides of a tightrope, one wrong step and they would have fallen out, but at the same time they both played this game.

She had found the book meanwhile she was browsing a used books bookstore for some university books, since they were usually cheaper there, and she had found the book interesting.

She had immediately linked it to Sihtric and his lessons, when he had explained that Ada Lovelace, mathematician and daughter of Lord Byron, had been the first programmer of the whole history.

Before electrical computers were ever born.

And she had thought about Sihtric when she had found a book about her life, already adding the money for it as she paid for the books she had found, thinking about how happy Sihtric would have been of receiving it.

And right now, as he looked painfully awkward and uncomfortable, she couldn’t help but think that maybe she had thought wrong.

In the end there wasn’t much she knew about Sihtric.

She knew what he let go: that he was a shy hacker, who liked hosting lessons about computer science, being an awesome teacher and interested in knowing more and more.

And he certainly wasn’t somebody who backed up from a challenge, no matter what.

She might not have known much about him, but she admired him.

Sihtric finally managed to unwrap the wrapping paper, and although the moments before had been painfully awkward, his eyes shone with happiness as he took in the name of the book, definitely childish excitement appearing in his face, as for a moment his eyes met hers.

And he seemed truly happy.

“… how did you…” he was a bit of too taken aback to answer properly and talk, and she couldn’t help but smirk lightly at that cute embarrassment coating his face “… Gosh, this is honestly amazing”.

“I do hope that you know how to read…” she shot back, trying to diffuse the heavy air that now was set between them “… because if not there was an adorable books with drawings and…”.

“I do like this one” he laughed, as he turned the book between his hands “… but you shouldn’t have”.

“You let me come here for free lessons, so don’t worry, I do think that this makes us equal, in paying and such…” she said, knowing that although many paid to attend Sihtric’s lessons, he had insisted on her not paying him, since she was a university student.

‘And that gives you a special discount’ he had joked, one of the rare times it had happened, and Ealhswith had been honestly surprised by the fact that he hadn’t tried the ‘you get a discount because you are pretty’ or ‘you get a discount if you get me off’.

Which was putting her even more on edge.

She liked this guy, although she wouldn’t let it get far.

And he hadn’t still shown what he wanted to do with her.

Because every man wanted something from her.

She just had to figure our what Sihtric wanted.

“… you shouldn’t have” repeated Sihtric, but he still set the book down, as he searched for her eyes to express his true gratefulness and she was the one left embarrassed and uncomfortable, unsure of what to say.

“It’s a small thing” she muttered “… and don’t worry, I actually saved up this week since my car decided to break and I got to use the subway and such. Certainly, saved up on the gasoline…”.

And Sihtric’s eyes had become then focused and she had detected something that had made a shiver fell down on her face.

“… you take the subway tonight?” he asked, as he started to also get ready “… want some company?”.

And then he had finally done that misstep.

“I can take care of myself” she simply answered, not knowing truly how much where those words came from “… don’t worry, I have done this for a very long time, I don’t need any knight in his shining armor coming to…”.

“I didn’t mean it that way” Sihtric took a small step back, and Ealhswith felt guilty.

She had been trying to desperately push him in a far corner, but she hadn’t had much territory and much to work on to start, since Sihtric didn’t seem to have any of the flaws that made other men act like true idiots for her.

He didn’t think that being a sex worker was only something ‘fun’ and neither he had a ‘convert the whore’ complex.

But he might have had a ‘knight in shining armor’ complex.

And yet she immediately felt bad for accusing him that way.

She must have sounded like a hysterical bitch…

“I actually didn’t mean to imply anything about you not being able to take care of yourself…” he explained and as much as Ealhswith hated that his words sounded desperately true “… I just wanted to spend some time with you”.

Shit.

Shittest shit.

She didn’t know if she preferred him as misogynist asshole or as a genuinely interested human being.

Either way she was thoroughly screwed.

Which was something she should have been used since she did it as a job.

“Oh” that was all that she was able to utter.

“I must have sounded like a creeper…” and as soon as he had opened up about himself, he was back to that defensive stance he always had, making Ealhswith inevitably feel guilty for her behavior, but words wouldn’t rush out of her mouth “… I just… Gosh, you probably have things to do…”.

“I have a thesis to avoid” she commented, finally having regained her voice, able to word out the phrase because it regarded something mundane on which she could find her focus on “… so… I’d like to spend more time together, if you… I mean if you don’t have better things to do”.

“I actually have a date”.

Shittest shit, again.

“… understood” she replied, unable to think about the fact that maybe she had sounded too eager for everything, which evidently made him uncomfortable, even more if he had a partner on the side.

“… but I have a bit of free time before it, if you want” he explained softly, almost if he hadn’t noticed Ealhswith’s surprise.

As if he hadn’t just given the worst news ever.

And she seriously needed to stop crush on him.

“I have to take the red line” she sputtered out, again focusing on mundane things instead of the fact that the guy she had been crushing on for a few weeks had a partner, probably somebody who made him smile enough to make his beautiful mismatched eyes shine and that made him feel at ease.

Ealhswith had truly been an idiot for thinking that her, a sex worker with a problematic relationship with math could be his type.

She barely liked herself.

He certainly couldn’t have liked her.

“Oh, I also have to take it” he commented, completely not noticing her uneasiness “… till the last stop so we can share our busy time for a bit”.

She simply nodded, pushing herself slightly away from him.

The fact that he said he wanted to spend time with her didn’t mean that he necessarily meant that in a romantic way.

In the end he might have found interesting their convos, but they didn’t chatter together daily.

They didn’t know anything about each other.

Although Ealhswith could have sworn of having confessed him everything, he hadn’t opened up that much with her, and there must have been a reason behind it.

A partner seemed a pretty obvious reason.

Gosh, why hadn’t she thought before about that?

Still, although she was painfully awkward by the recent discovery, she tried her best to have a polite conversation with Sihtric and she was glad when their talk moved onto the lessons: if she was enjoying them and if she had checked out the sources and books he had suggested, having searched a few links between math and computer science for her.

And then moving onto what had happened to her car, something that did help her focusing on one thing at the time and ground her on more terrene thoughts.

Even more when she discovered that the tube of the red line would have had a delay of thirty minutes, making her wait in its hallway till the entire thing was set up and basically rebuilt again for technical problems that had brought themselves up at the last minute.

Leaving her to stand in a painfully awkward conversation with Sihtric, the man seeming quite annoyed by the last-minute problematic, but not enough for somebody who had a nice date.

And Ealhswith’s noisy ass had to comment.

“… don’t you have to let your date know?” she hadn’t meant to sound noisy or bitter, but still it caught Sihtric’s attention, as his eyes set up on her, making a shiver come down her spine, with a playful intensity that made her nervous “… about the delay”.

“I do think she can wait” there was a glint of sadness in his eyes, still, although he held the tight answer.

And she thought that he might not exactly be looking forward to his date.

“… you can get a cab, if you have to go, I seriously can handle myself and my thirty minutes wait” you tried to convince him, wanting him to get away from you and at the same time to stay with you for those minutes.

To choose you over whoever he had to meet.

Although it was a horrid thing to wish.

“I don’t think that she’ll stand me up” he commented, again that blackish tone in his humor that made you feel almost as if he was teasing you withholding some knowledge.

“… never be late for a date” she chastised him, but he just shook his head.

“Let’s just say that you can never arrive late at a date in a cemetery”.

And that shook Ealhswith to the core, turning to face Sihtric.

Who instead turned his head to the ground.

“… oh”.

Couldn’t she have seriously come up with something smarter?

She was finishing a degree in math for God’s sake!

But no matter how smart or how dumb you were, love fucked everybody up.

“I am visiting my mother at the cemetery” now he seemed the one who had to babble everything up “… I do it every month, at least once, to change the flowers and check in with her, although it might sound crazy”.

Ealhswith was silent a moment too long and this was a mistake.

Because Sihtric started to ramble, distancing himself from her physically and mentally.

“… yeah, I know that what I just said might have made me sound like a creeper” he muttered, biting his lower lip, nervous and tense, enough that she couldn’t help but notice a slight tremble in her hands “… but I swear I have no bad intentions”.

“You asked me an ice cream in exchange of deleting a video that could have potentially ruined my life” she found herself muttering, finally able to reply with the doubt she had had for her whole life “… I don’t think that you are even capable of bad intentions”.

Sihtric seemed taken aback.

And Eahlswith had to ramble a bit more.

“You might have this ‘cool emo’ look but believe me I do know that you are as soft as a teddy bear, inside” she should have shut up her mouth “… you aren’t a bad guy Sihtric, although you might think you are. And believe me I do know an awful lot of bad guys”.

Dudes that thought that just because of the job you did, it was alright to call you names or take advantage of you in any way, form or shape, rendering you the shell of what you had been.

“… thank you” it was again worded as if he didn’t deserve it and it took everything in Ealhswith not to simply hug him on the spot, not because she had a crush on him or his expression was sadder than a kicked puppy.

But because he seemed like he could use a hug.

“… so I don’t find you creepy for visiting your mom” she explained softly, suddenly realizing the heaviness that had fallen between them, bringing them closer, as if they had been tied with weights around their bodies and thrown at each other.

The hit was inevitable.

“… and I am sorry to hear about your mother”.

Sihtric scratched his head, showcasing he wasn’t comfortable, but still nodded his head in an acceptance of your thoughts.

“She had a… a sickness and the troubled life that my father brought her in certainly didn’t help” again that sad smile and then he wetted his lips, and Ealhswith noticed that they were horridly chapped and she thought about getting him a lip balm.

She seriously should have considered sticking her nose in her own business.

But yet Sihtric’s confession brought her to realize he had opened up with her, something that had obviously made him feel on the short end of the stick, uncomfortable and awkward and if Ealhswith had learned anything in her line of job, it was that sharing information always required two people.

“I understand it…” she bit her own lips, trying to focus on the words of her declaration, because if she thought about them too much, she would have lost herself “… my brother, I have a younger brother, he… he kind of… he had leukemia, we found it out when he was five and from then on it was a downward road…”.

She damnably refused to face Sihtric’s face.

“He is a sweetheart and he is so so active when he isn’t in the hospital, but he has spent so much time there that… it was expensive on my family and it is the main reason why I joined the sex work world, to support myself on my own and not weight on my family… but…”.

Shit, he would have thought she was a creeper had she started to cry.

“Is he…?” instead that was Sihtric’s question, a clear sign of worry in his tone.

“No, no, he is in remission… he has been for five years, but cancer can be a bastard, can’t it?” she was choking on the words, perfect…

… she must have sounded so pathetic.

In her line of work, she wasn’t allowed to even shed a tear for herself, so the fact that she was doing it right now, made her feel like utter shit.

What would have SIhtric thought?

That she was some crazed mad woman.

“… I am glad to hear that” he said instead, and awkwardly he gained the distance she had pushed between themselves “… is it… is it alright with you if I hug you?”.

And she didn’t know why she nodded immediately, something that made her probably seem even more pathetic.

He had just confessed that his mother had died, and he was visiting her at cemetery and yet she was the one who was being hugged close.

Sihtric wrapped up in her arms, awkwardly at first, but then she also leaned in it, calmly and softly, his head lightly easing up on the crook of her neck, meanwhile she was faced with his chest, because of the height difference.

And then the subway’s natural noise appeared.

And they were startled apart, by that, red-cheeked and with their eyes on their shoes.

They entered the tube in silence, soon discovering they were alone, which made the entire background seem like the one of a post-apocalyptic movie, making them both share a hysterical laugh.

“… thank you” she commented immediately “…and sorry for being an idiot”.

“I don’t think that you are an idiot” Sihtric’s voice was as calm water before the storm, unrelenting and strong, but also calm and brewing inside “… you are one of the smartest person I know”.

“Don’t even try to start” she threatened him jokingly “… I am barely able to function”.

“… and yet you are the best human being I have ever talked with”.

The confession knocked the air out of Ealhswith and honestly her first instinct was to run the shit out of there, but she couldn’t, hence she was pushed to look at Sihtric in the face, straight up to him and not a single trace of dishonesty was marked upon his face.

And she was broken apart and undone again.

“… what is your secret, Sihtric?” her voice was barely a whisper, as she found herself moving closer to him, a moth driven to a flame truly because no man can truly be that perfect without a skeleton in his closet.

“I might have a small crush on you” Sihtric’s comment was so honest that it definitely shattered anything that she might have known “… but you must think that I am some kind of creeper, I just… I just felt like I needed to let you know, so that you won’t feel forced to comfort me or…”.

And if there was one thing that according to Ealhswith never failed was the physical contact.

And she kissed him, since she was a mess with words.

There was a reason if she studied numbers.

And the kiss felt good, it felt much better than torturing herself with the thought of what Sihtric truly felt with her.

And he seemed to understand her, completely, as he gently moved to reciprocate the kiss, shy as he always appeared, and yet so strong and stable in himself that she anchored herself to him, almost desperately, as the kiss deepened.

And then the intercom announced her stop.

And she awkwardly separated from Sihtric, knowing that she had only a few minutes till she had to get off the subway, and that she could have used them to run away, as fast as she could, and never turn back.

But she might have acted like a coward.

And if there was one thing she wasn’t, was a coward.

“… I do know that you said you had a date, but… would you like some company after it?” Ealhswith was a mess, she was definitely appearing like a huge creeper to him “…I mean… this might… I should shut up”.

“I’d like that very much” simply replied Sihtric, moving closer to her, to kiss her lips swiftly, one more time “… never in a million years I thought that I’d get a date with you”.

“Oh, believe me, sweetie… I thought the same”.

#Ealhswith #Sihtric #Ealhswith x Sihtric #Ealhswith/Sihtric #Ealhswith\Sihtric #Ealhswith Imagine #Ealhswith Fic #Sihtric Imagine #Sihtric Fic #The Last Kingdom #TLK #The Last Kingdom Fic #TLK Fic

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magravenwrites · 3 years

Text

Requests are CLOSED!

Rules:

Please send in your request as an ask!

If you don't specify a pronoun, I will write fem!reader.

I will write character pairings as well as 'x reader'. Just let me know which pairing you want written/made.

Prompts can include song prompts, or be general prompts, but I ask for you to be as specific as you can, so I can try and write something you will like!

I will write for platonic relationships as well as love interests!

I will be accepting requests for moodboards, imagines and fics/oneshots.

I will write pretty much anything - fluff, angst, au's, crossovers and smut... 😉

I will also write for potentially triggering topics, relevant warnings will be included. I don't aim to romanticise these topics in any way, they are serious topics and will be treated as such.

You can find a list of fandoms and characters I write for below the cut.

If you would like to request something for another fandom or character that isn't listed, just send me an ask and I will do my best to complete it for you!

Bridgerton:

Anthony Bridgerton

Benedict Bridgerton

Colin Bridgerton

Simon Basset

Daphne Bridgerton

Eloise Bridgerton

Penelope Featherington

Marina Thompson

Downton Abbey:

Matthew Crawley

Tom Branson

William Mason

Bertie Pelham

Henry Talbot

Thomas Barrow

John Bates

Atticus Aldridge

Mary Crawley

Edith Crawley

Sybil Crawley

Rose MacClare

Anna Bates

Lucy Smith

Grishaverse:

(I have not read the books yet, so works will be mainly based off the show)

Kaz Brekker

Jesper Fahey

The Darkling/General Aleksander Kirigan

Matthias Helvar

Malyen 'Mal' Oretsev

Inej Ghaffa

Alina Starkov

Nina Zenik

Harry Potter:

Harry Potter

Ron Weasley

Bill Weasley

Charlie Weasley

Percy Weasley

Fred Weasley

George Weasley

Cedric Diggory

Neville Longbottom

Draco Malfoy

Oliver Wood

Seamus Finnigan

Dean Thomas

Hermione Granger

Ginny Weasley

Luna Lovegood

Young Sirius Black

Young Remus Lupin

Young James Potter

Young Lily Evans/Potter

Young Tom Riddle

The Hunger Games:

Peeta Mellark

Gale Hawthorne

Finnick Odair

Katniss Everdeen

Johanna Mason

Annie Cresta

Marvel:

(I am not up-to-date on all Marvel films/series, so please bare with me)

Steve Rogers/Captain America

Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier

Sam Wilson/Falcon

Loki Laufeyson

Thor Odinson

Peter Parker/Spider-man

Bruce Banner/Hulk

Clint Barton/Hawkeye

T'Challa/Black Panther

Scott Lang/Ant-man

Peter Quill/Star-Lord

Drax

Dr Stephen Strange

Vision

Nick Fury

Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow

Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch

Gamora

Maze Runner:

Thomas

Newt

Alby

Minho

Gally

Chuck

Frypan

Winston

Teresa

Narnia:

Peter Pevensie

Edmund Pevensie

Prince Caspian X

Mr Tumnus

Susan Pevensie

Lucy Pevensie

Poison Study/Glass series:

Valek

Ari

Janco

Leif

Yelena

Opal

Iris

Pride and Prejudice:

Mr Darcy

Mr Bingley

Elizabeth Bennet

Jane Bennet

Sense and Sensibility:

Colonel Brandon

Edward Ferrars

Elinor Dashwood

Marianne Dashwood

The Last Kingdom:

Uhtred

Finan

Sihrtic

Osferth

Aethelstan

Alfred

Aldhelm

Gisela

Stiorra

Thyra

Eadith

Aethelflead

Ealhswith

Throne of Glass:

(I have not read the last book yet so please bare with me)

Dorian Havilliard

Chaol Westfall

Rowan

Lorcan

Celaena Sardothien-

-Aelin Galathynius

Manon Blackbeak

Asteria Blackbeak

Elide Lochan

Lord of the Rings:

Aragorn

Legolas

Gimli

Frodo

Sam

Merry

Pippin

Boromir

Éomer

Elrond

Arwen

Galadriel

Éowyn

The Hobbit:

Thorin

Balin

Dwalin

Fili

Kili

Bofur

Thranduil

Bard

Tauriel

Poldark:

Ross Poldark

Francis Poldark

Drake Carne

Sam Carne

Jeffry Charles Poldark

Dwight Enys

George Warleggan

Demelsa

Caroline

Rosina

Elizabeth

Morwenna

Peaky Blinders:

Tommy Shelby

John Shelby

Arthur Shelby

Michael Gray

Ada Shelby

Polly Gray

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jade-masquerade · 4 years

Text

the altar is my hips

Written for @tlkfanficfest 2020 for the prompt “it was never about pleasure for Eadith until Finan”

Eadith has been many things.

She’s been the daughter of an ealdorman and a disgrace, called a lady and a whore, and served as a sister and a spy.

She’s been pushed out of her home and has stood at the side of a self-declared king, stripped naked and been draped in jewelry and silks and velvet, treated as property and played nursemaid to a princess.

She’s been told to shut up and look pretty, commanded to call men all sorts of names abed and ordered to simply lay there, pushed down and taken from behind.

But never, ever has she done this, and for someone who has seen so much and been so many places, Eadith can’t believe it’s this of all things that suddenly makes her nervous.

Nervous, but curious, and—

“Oh,” she sighs when she doesn’t have words for this anymore, doesn’t think anymore as Finan’s tongue glides between her legs.

It’s a far cry from the fantasies she had as a girl about silly things, of handsome lords and a castle of her own, of an elaborate courtship and true love, dreams that had been long ago snuffed out by the men who’d used her for their own gain, their own pleasure, but this is better than she could have imagined then in all her naivety. Money, power, reputation, their whims are endless; it’s never been about her… until now.

This isn’t even a proper chair she sits upon, rather an overturned barrel of some kind, yet she finds that fitting because there is nothing proper about this at all. She’d caught a glimpse of a bed in the corner, the only real furniture, when Finan had thrown open the door and led her inside, but she had tried to push that thought away as he’d pressed her up against the door and kissed her, and it had been completely and swiftly driven from her mind once he’d lifted her skirts and sunk to his knees, crossing her ankles behind his back.

Whatever it is, she’d be rendered boneless without its sturdy frame to hold her up, and Eadith grips the edge as she leans back, her body arching beneath his touch. She’d thought his beard would tickle, but instead it’s a delicious scrape against her soft skin, a contrast between the smooth heat of his tongue and its rugged coarseness.

Finan stops her every time she tries to reach for him, and maybe it’s the strangeness of that more than anything that confuses her about this.

“Just enjoy, all right?” he says, his voice muffled from where he kneels between her legs, but she swears it’s deeper too, raspier, and the sound sends another burst of heat spiking through her.

She reaches down then to touch the parts of him he’ll allow, her hand in his hair, palms sliding over the muscles of his shoulders, fingernails digging into his back as his mouth passes over her again and again, the pressure just right, just where she wants it. She’s wetter than she’s ever been in her life, she’s aware of that much, even with his hot, slick tongue against her cunt, and he flicks it almost lazily now while it makes her feel anything but.

Eadith was glad he’d waited til now for this, whatever it was called, with the way her chest heaved and her body writhed; any sooner and she would have been in agony with her battered ribs. God knew she wanted more than the stolen kisses they’d shared along the road from Winchester to Coccham, hidden in forests and behind barns and the shadowed corners of taverns, but the thought that he’d been sweet enough to wait was as foreign as the pleasure slinking down her spine.

Those kisses had only been teasing, she knows now, a taste of what he’s really capable of, and that knowledge makes her greedy, and she wants more, all of it, all of him. He seems to read her mind, something that seems to be becoming all too frequent nowadays, or maybe it’s just in the way she cants her hips, or how she tugs at his hair, spurred on by her desire. Either way, his palm slides to the inside of her thigh to join his mouth and pushes her legs further apart. His hand is large and warm, his touch firm but gentle, and she can’t help the squeak that escapes her as his fingers find the spot just above her slit.

Eadith attempts to tame her voice—Coccham is not large, and the feast to celebrate their lord’s homecoming still continues on despite their absence. For Finan to leave while the ale still flowed, to ask if she’d like help to change her bandages when they both knew full well it had been days, thankfully, since she’d needed that… Well, that had been also something of a revelation to her, too. Though she knows the others suspect, it’ll still be embarrassing come tomorrow’s breakfast to face Sihtric’s sly smiles and Osferth blushing and Uhtred’s brusque japes if they somehow managed to overhear the kinds of obscene noises that threaten to spill from her throat.

Finan seems to have no such qualms, however, and to be determined to do the opposite instead. She claps a hand over her mouth to stifle her moans, and he reaches up with his free one and eases it away, and they continue back and forth until she laughs, the sound breathless and airy, and she can’t remember feeling this way with a man before either, so flippant and carefree and liberated.

He relents and presses a finger into her, and she lets herself gasp at that, and the sound is utterly wanton in the way it seems to hang in the air in this small space, yet it makes this feel even better somehow. Other men had seemed not to care if she did little more than lie there or make any noise at all, and in fact, many appeared to prefer it that way, but Finan seems encouraged by it, groaning in response when she does, the vibration reverberating through her sensitive flesh.

“Yes,” she moans next, and that’s even better than better, especially when it prompts him to slide another finger into her. She only wishes she could hear him too, the sound of that brogue she’s come to crave, how sometimes it drops to a growl or a deep rumble when he whispers in her ear, and the ribald things he says with it, if his mouth wasn’t otherwise occupied.

“Don’t stop,” she pants in a desperate voice that doesn’t even sound like her own, so full of passion and want, not at all like the feigned pleading and praising she’s used to providing to make her partners feel sated and pleased with themselves when they’d done so little for her.

That’s all a world away from this, though. If anything hurts now, it’s because she’s too aroused, too wound up, with the way she burns for his touch and how she’s clenched tight around his fingers, the fabric of her skirts cloying around her hips and the bodice of her dress too taut across her breasts. She feels her legs tremble, and her breath catch, but there’s no hesitation, no worry anymore.

It’s all pleasure, only pleasure, sheer and sharp, divine and irresistible, and he curls his fingers and then it’s shuddering through her as she peaks, fluttering around his hand and against his mouth.

“That ought to help with the pain,” Finan says, his voice serious but his mouth curving in a smirk, his mouth that had just been on her, his mouth that he now uses to lick clean his fingers.

He rises and kisses her, and Eadith tastes herself on him, tangy and slightly sweet.

“Of course, I’ve always known wine to do the same,” he adds hastily, looking uncertain for all his eagerness before, glancing at the closed door from which behind they can hear the revelry continuing on late into the night, as though Eadith might have thought that would have been a better use of her time instead. “Or it might have to wait til morning, but there’s a field a short ride away full of poppy, too, and Ealhswith makes a strong poppyseed tea—”

“No.” Eadith grabs his hand, and now he seems more than content to let her spear her fingers through his beard, work the laces out of his tunic, run her hands down his chest, and she makes sure he catches her eye when she smiles. “This is perfect.”

#TLKFFF2020 #The Last Kingdom #Eadith x Finan #Eadith #Finan #My fic #Finan x Eadith

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nxrdist · 4 years

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𝕺𝖆𝖙𝖍𝖘 𝖔𝖋 𝕷𝖔𝖞𝖆𝖑𝖙𝖞||TLK Fic|| FinanxOC||Seven

AN: This story is basically writing itself at the moment which is great. I intended so much more to happen in this chapter and somehow it ended up being an absolute emotional roller coaster instead. Though some important stuff does still happen. (I may just be subconsciously delaying Gisela’s death. I do love her so much.) Anyway as always your thoughts are always appreciated :)

Story Summary: Tove chose to surrender rather than be killed, after Sigfried was defeated at Beamfleot, giving herself up to the mercy of the Saxons. Thanks to Finan’s intervention, her life is indeed spared and she is brought into Uhtred’s service. With the sting of defeat fresh on her tongue and her new life fighting for the Saxons secured; Tove is left wondering what tricks the Gods have in store for her next.

Words: 5660

Æscengum was where King Alfred intended to defeat Bloodhair. Upon receiving word, the Bishop sought out Uhtred to convey their King’s decision and request for troops. Together they stood on the top terrace landing to one of Lunden’s Roman houses looking out over the city. They were not alone as Finan was also there, but the Irishman was content to listen in silence while they spoke.

“Æscengum!” Uhtred barked.

Erkenwald shot a scathing look in Uhtred’s direction and rebuked him for his amused tone. Predictably, Uhtred did not seem to care much for the Bishop’s admonishment, merely waiting for the sour man to continue, and he did.

“Our Lord King,” he began. “Has called for you and some of your warrior to join him. If the safety of this city is ensured in their absence.”

“It is,” Uhtred assured.

Though his Lord did not indicate it aside from his quick response, Finan knew Uhtred was galvanized that Alfred had finally called for him. It had been weeks since Danes had first been spotted, yet all Wessex had done was assemble their army and wait.

“Haesten will not attack?” Erkenwald pressed.

“He won’t.”

Their conversation continued apace for a few more minutes, with the Bishop questing Uhtred until he felt certain Lunden would be safe. The matter then settled, Erkenwald took his leave of their presence, having no desire to dawdle in the pagan’s company. Uhtred and Finan watched him walk off -the waiting priests trailing behind until he was out of sight.

“Æscengum?” Finan commented mildly then.

“It is between Harald and Haesten’s forces,” Uhtred responded dryly. “They’ve marched their army across Wessex and accomplished nothing.”

Finan hummed absently. “Æthelred?”

“Perhaps.”

“Will Harald go there?” Finan asked, knowing the answer.

Uhtred shot Finan a meaningful look.

“I didn’t think so.” The Irishman chuckled.

Silently both men contemplated the merit or lack thereof to the supposed plan. It was spectacularly unlikely to succeed given that with the West Saxon army virtually out of their way, Bloodhair could simply continue to raid as much as he liked. Of course, to defeat Alfred had its draw, but the Danes were not the sort with an appetite for sieges, and to attack Æscengum would be a siege. That burh was relatively small and lay in the heart of Wessex, where it served to protect Winchester from the east. It had high strong walls and palisades, and if Harald had half a brain, he would leave Alfred to sit behind them while he enriched himself.

Finan soon found himself wondering what Tove would have to say about the plan when she heard. Surely, she would see the flaws and balk at its absurdity. The thought of it brought a small smile to his face.

“I’m going to ask Tove to stay behind,” Uhtred said suddenly.

Finan looked at him sharply. “She won’t like that.”

Uhtred’s answering look was hard. “Probably not.”

It was not difficult for Uhtred to read in Finan’s face that he wanted to ask why but was reluctant to question his judgment.

“I’ll need someone to stay with Gisela and the children.” Supplied Uhtred.

“No other reason?” Finan ventured.

“They get on well.”

Finan nodded. That much was true as the two had bonded over being pagan Danes among the Christian Saxons and were friends. Though there was another reason that neither Uhtred nor Finan was willing to directly voice. While it was their nature that the Danes squabbled routinely amongst themselves, Tove had not faced any Danes on a real battlefield since joining Uhtred’s household, and he felt somewhat cautious of putting her in such a position.

It was not because he doubted her loyalty to him or capability as a warrior. More specifically, he did not want to put her in a position that might cause her to hesitate and, therefore, be injured or killed. Uhtred knew avoiding that eventuality with Harald breathing down Wessex’s throat would not be possible for long unless he was defeated. So, despite knowing Tove would likely curse him for keeping her away, he would do what he could for a time -as her friend and Lord.

Several hours before the sunset, Uhtred found her seated on a bench in the yard wiping dirt from her face with a damp cloth. Since the night Finan had brought her back from the woods, Tove was changed, and Uhtred had noticed -though it was subtle. Not only had she returned to her more cheerful self, spending time again with the other warriors and with Gisela, but he perceived some of the heaviness she carried since Scaepege had been lifted from her shoulders. Finan had not shared the details of that night with Uhtred though it did not take one of much wit to determine the improvement was thanks to him. That was why Uhtred had chosen to share his plans with Finan before seeking her out. He trusted that had the Irishman any reservations about his decision, he would have voiced them then.

Tove let out a laugh at something Sihtric had said as Uhtred approached them. She sat next to Osferth, who Uhtred noted, was also covered in dirt with Sihtric across from them. All three seemed to be rather enjoying themselves.

“I slipped!” she exclaimed.

“You can’t lie to me,” Sihtric teased. “I saw it. Osferth used your own trick against you. Kicked your foot right out from under ya!”

“What’s this I hear? Tove Ødgersdottier has been beaten by a monk?”

Sihtric jumped at the chance to recount the story. Speaking with hardly concealed amusement, he filled in his Lord on the details of Osferth and Tove’s spar. She threw a weak glare at the half-Dane when he chuckled at the part where Osferth had copied the move she had used to win their first practice duel. Using his shield, he had pushed hard, causing her to stumble, thereby allowing him to kick a foot out from under her. When Sihtric had finished, Uhtred chortled good-naturedly.

“You cannot fault him for having learned from your style.” Uhtred pointed out.

Sihtric nodded and attempted to console her. “It is a clever trick.”

“Aye.” Tove agreed. “And you did well, baby monk.”

Having kept quiet up to that point, Osferth smiled and thanked her. Inclining her head slightly, Tove smiled in return.

“You are unhurt?” Osferth asked.

“Do not worry for me, friend. A sore backside will not slow me down.”

Before Osferth or Sihtric could reply, Uhtred interrupted. “I need to speak with you for a moment, Tove.”

Nodding, she got to her feet and followed her Lord without question. He led her out of the yard towards the armory to stow away the training staffs. There was only a young man inside when they arrived, and he left after replacing his stave in its proper place. Tove lingered momentarily, glancing at Uhtred, before going to set the staffs on their rack. Uhtred was not one to hesitate for lack of words though, he felt the need to choose them carefully for the news he was to deliver.

“Lord?” Tove asked when the silence became intolerable to her.

Brow crinkling some, he scratched his chin.

“Is everything alright?”

Uhtred dropped his hand, focusing on her face. A faint concern shadowed her otherwise calm expression as she awaited his answer.

“I received word from Alfred.” Uhtred paused before clarifying. “It is the king’s wish that I join him at Æscengum.”

Pointed as his words were, they also seemed meant to convey more than their obvious meaning. What meaning was, was not readily apparent to Tove. She made no effort to conceal her confusion from him.

“This is good news, is it not?”

“It is. The sooner Bloodhair is dealt with the better. But-” Uhtred heaved a sigh. “I need you to stay here.”

Comprehension dawned on her and a small frown rose to her lips.

“I want you to guard Gisela and my children. It will be you, along with Cerdic and a few others.”

“I understand, Lord.” Said Tove in a carefully calm tone, which surprised Uhtred a little.

Tension Uhtred had not realized he carried, released in his shoulders. “It is because I trust you to see that they are safe.”

Tove’s answering smile was gentle, and she bowed her head with respect. “I will.”

Uhtred nodded, and taking that as her dismissal, she left without another word.

After exiting the armory, Tove wandered aimlessly through the streets. All around her were Lunden’s citizens going about their daily life with little care for what happened out in the wider world. Part of Tove wished that was her lot, but her subconscious knew she would not be content with that sort of life. Both of her parents had been warriors; she and Kåre took after them in that regard. If she found a man and settled down, Tove imagined she would still be a warrior even then. So, the realization that her friends would be heading off to battle without her was a difficult one to swallow.

Of course, they would keep each other safe, but not being able to be there, all Tove was liable to do was worry. It occurred to her that that must be how Igna felt every time Kåre sailed. She did not like it.

That evening Tove chose to visit with Gisela and Ealhswith at Uhtred’s house for the chief purpose of avoiding any of the pre-battle enthusiasm that surely accompanied the news they would be riding out on the morrow. Blessedly the women avoided talking about it in her presence, which told her they already knew she’d be staying behind. It didn’t surprise her, considering Uhtred was likely to have informed Gisela who would be staying to guard the family, and Ealhswith could have learned from either her or Sihtric. Regardless of how they knew, Tove was thankful not to be surrounded by the whooping and shouting that was likely happening at the tavern.

They chatted idly about various mindless topics for several hours before Ealhswith decided it was time to get her children to bed. After bidding them goodnight, she gave Gisela and Tove both a quick hug and hurried off. Tove was then left alone by Gisela for a brief time as she put her own children to bed. When she returned, Gisela looked somewhat drained.

“I can leave if you’re tired.” Tove offered.

Gisela gave a short laugh as she took the seat beside Tove. “You’re fine; this one is determined to keep me up awhile longer anyhow.”

Tove’s grey eyes followed Gisela’s hand to her heavily pregnant belly.

“Do you think it will be a girl?” she asked.

“Definitely not. He kicks just as young Uhtred and Osbert did. It will be a boy.”

“When we were children, Kåre, always complained of our mother disliking him because she would not give him a brother.” Tove chuckled, but her face held a sadness.

Gisela put a reassuring hand on Tove’s arm. “I am sure he misses you too.”

“He thinks I am dead,” she said dryly. “At Scaepege...His best friend, Halvar, he was there. I spoke to him, and Halvar told me they all thought I was dead when they heard of the Thurgilson’s defeat.”

The dark-haired Dane frowned. “Was Kåre with him?”

Shaking her head, Tove took a sharp breath. “I was too thoughtless to ask.”

They were silent as Gisela rubbed Tove’s arm comfortingly.

“He tried to convince me not to come here -to stay for his child’s birth. Kåre has never had an interest in Wessex. He does his raiding in Frisia or Ireland.” Tove paused. “Perhaps so long as he thinks I am dead, he will stay away.”

Gisela looked deep in thought when Tove finished speaking, and they were both silent for what felt like quite a while but was, in reality, only a few minutes.

“Uhtred.” Gisela began carefully. “He would release you from your oath -if you asked it of him.”

Tove looked at the older woman in evident shock.

“My husband is not unkind. He knows what it is to be parted from home and loved ones,” she added.

To ask such a thing had never crossed Tove’s mind. If it had been posed to her months ago, she might have considered it, but now she found she could not. Not when just the thought of her friends going to battle without her caused her such great distress, and to think of never seeing them again felt impossible.

“I have never thought Uhtred unkind. He spared my life when many would not have,” Tove said firmly. “But I would not ask for that.”

“Not even to see Kåre or your sisters?” Gisela asked.

“Perhaps one day, when we have gone north, retaken Bebbanburg, it will be possible to see them, but I cannot part from him now.”

The knowing smile on Gisela’s face was odd to Tove, but she felt glad that the Lady seemed to understand. Not much later, Uhtred returned from the tavern, and Tove returned home.

Instead of being at all restful, her sleep that night was filled with fragmented dreams of battle. Some of them were of Beamfleot. In the first of those, she reached Njal in time to save him from Finan’s blade, only for her former Lord to turn on Finan and disembowel the Irishman before her eyes. Another version featured her brother in Njal’s place. There was also her dodging Finan’s shield and killing him upon realizing he had slain her Lord. Then came the skirmish in Frisia, where she first killed a man, except it was not a random soldier; it was Osferth or Sihtric, or Uhtred, or perhaps all of them at once. The face of the dying man had seemed to change before her very eyes as she stared down at him past her bloodstained hands.

By far, the worst of them was of a battle that was entirely unfamiliar to her. She was engaging a huge man who wielded a vicious war axe when she heard her name being called from across the field. Desperately Tove yelled back, telling the caller to hold fast. For a time, she struggled against the giant, who was determined to split her head open. Every time Tove thought she had him or that she might simply escape, he was there again. The calls were growing more urgent, but she couldn’t get away. Her shield was lost. All she had was Mercy, her short sword, and Fate, her long blade. He just kept coming and she was starting to tire from dodging.

Finally, an opening appeared as the behemoth swung his axe sloppily, missing her entirely; Tove was swift enough to take advantage of his mistake. Quick as she could, Tove thrust Mercy into the man’s belly, causing him to drop the axe as she twisted her blade on its way out. Not thinking twice about the dying man, Tove shoved pasted him and sprinted through the throng of battle towards the voice. Upon catching sight of the body lying prone on their back, her heart felt like it had stopped, and she sat up in bed, the sun shining through her window.

Despite knowing the dream for what it was, Tove was disturbed by it. Feeling an intense desire to assure herself of her friends’ safety before their imminent departure, she washed her face and dressed with haste. On her way to the stables, Tove made a point to try not to think of it though she could not help wondering whose cold dead eyes would have been staring up at her had she not woken.

Osferth was there already, loitering outside when she arrived. Having seen her approach from a distance, he called out a greeting when Tove was near enough to hear. She responded in kind, intentionally slowing her step to calm herself some before she reached him. The young former monk was whole and unharmed; it had been foolish to fear otherwise.

“I did not think to see you here,” Osferth said.

Tove arched a single brow at him. “Did you not expect me to see you off?”

He flushed, though whether at the mild joking implication in her tone or for feeling somewhat chastised by her words; it was unclear.

“Where are the others?” she asked, to deflect from her friend’s moment of embarrassment.

“Lord Uhtred is awake. He sent me to make sure the stable hands had the horses ready by the time he arrived.”

“Sihtric and Finan?” Tove asked.

“Likely still in their beds,” Osferth replied. “Both consumed a horrifying amount of ale last night.”

Tove nodded absently. “When are you to leave?”

“Before the mid-day meal or once everyone has arrived, whichever is sooner.”

The sight of Osferth had calmed Tove’s nerves considerably, but she felt the uncharacteristic anxiety would not be wholly banished until she had set eyes on all her friends.

“I could fetch them?” she offered.

“If you like.” Osferth chuckled. “I doubt they’ll be very agreeable.”

“Then I shall be doing you a favor,” Tove said.

Osferth nodded. “I will let Uhtred know when he gets here.”

She thanked him and set off towards Sihtric and Ealhswith’s home. It took Tove only fifteen minutes to reach the house walking at a leisurely pace. Sihtric’s daughter Elflæd was sitting outside playing with a home-made straw doll when she arrived. The dark-haired girl who looked so like her father smiled at Tove when she saw her.

“You’re here to see my daddy.” The girl observed astutely.

“Is he awake?” Tove asked lightly.

A sly grin spread across Elflæd’s face, which only served to make her look more like a miniature female version of Sihtric, and she whispered. “Mommy threw water on him.”

Tove chuckled. “Did she?”

Elflæd nodded excitedly. “Dolly and I laughed for a long time, but daddy didn’t think it was funny.”

“I’m sure he didn’t,” Tove said. “Is your mother inside?”

“She’s feeding Tellan!”

“I’ll go see them then,” she said and ruffled Elflæd’s hair before entering the home.

Ealhswith was at the kitchen table attempting to spoon porridge into her defiant son’s mouth with a look of utter defeat. Tove paused in the threshold to watch as the fussy Tellan smacked the spoon from his mother’s hand. She had to stifle a laugh when Ealhswith just stared at the offending piece of cutlery.

“I would say good morning, but I see that it is not,” Tove said once she had control of herself.

The Saxon lady looked up at her in slight astonishment. “I didn’t even hear you come in.”

“I should have announced myself.”

“No, no! It’s alright -you are always welcome. Are you looking for Sihtric?” Ealhswith asked, bending to retrieve the spoon.

“Yes.”

“Just a moment.” She stood and went to the stairs to call for him. “Sihtric!”

There was some shuffling above them and a muffled groan. Ealhswith looked at Tove and rolled her eyes for dramatic effect, but she was smiling.

“Here come and sit. Have you eaten?” Ealhswith asked, pausing on her way back to her seat. “I can get you some. I made plenty -though it seems half of it will end up on the floor.”

“Uh no, but you don’t need to trouble yourself,” Tove said, nodding her head towards Tellan as she took up a seat across from Ealhswith. “I see you’ve got your hands full.”

Before Ealhswith could answer, heavy footfalls came thumping down the stairs and a bedraggled Sihtric appeared -his hair and tunic were both damp. Tove covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing audibly at the sight of him. He stopped at the foot of the stair, throwing her an irritable look, then continued to the table where he plopped down into the seat next to his wife.

“You’ve no one to blame but yourself,” Ealhswith said to her husband.

Sihtric just groaned, dropping his head into his waiting hands. Ealhswith gave a long-suffering sigh before turning her attention back to their son.

“Are you sure you won’t eat?” The question was directed at Tove.

“No, I just came to check Sihtric was awake. I still have to go by Finan’s,” Tove replied. “Perhaps I’ll ask Gisela if she’d like to come for the evening meal, though?”

“Yes, that would be-” But Ealhswith was unable to finish her sentence due to Sihtric’s abrupt interruption.

“You’re going to Finan’s?” he asked.

Confused, Tove replied affirmatively.

Sihtric’s face paled, but he did his best to play it off. “I can get him. I’m sure you have...guard duties to get to.”

“I have no duties until everyone departs.” Tove eyed Sihtric suspiciously.

“Then I’ll come with you. Who knows what state Finan’s in,” he said.

And before she could reject the offer, Sihtric was on his feet heading for the door to pull on his boots. Tove glanced at Ealhswith, who only shrugged at the half-Dane’s strange behavior. By the time the women had exchanged their goodbyes and made their tentative plans to meet for dinner, Sihtric was standing outside waiting. There was tension between them as they made their way through the street, but Tove didn’t know what could be causing it.

It was no strange thing for her to go by the Irishman’s home after a night of drinking, so for Sihtric to insist on joining her was odd. Tove sent a few scrutinizing looks his way, but Sihtric made no comment. So, she walked alongside him in silence until they reached Finan’s house when he turned to her.

“I’ll go in first,” he said with no room for argument.

Tove frowned in response. Sihtric hovered next to her for a moment and she looked at him expectantly. Vainly perhaps, Tove hoped he was about to explain what the problem was but instead, Sihtric just looked at her carefully. She was about to demand some answers for his peculiar attitude when a crash sounded inside the house.

There was no time for Sihtric to stop her as Tove swiftly sidestepped him to push the door open. The curtains were drawn, so the small home’s interior was dim when she entered the main living area accompanied by Sihtric. Their eyes adjusted and the two looked around for anything that could have been the source of the sound. There was nothing; cups and platters were set in their place, chairs were pushed in, and Finan was nowhere to be seen. Though, they did spy that the door to the bedroom was slightly ajar.

Without thinking, Tove headed for the door. This time Sihtric was prepared to stop her, though, and he put a hand on her arm to halt her progress. She shot him a dirty look.

“What?” she snapped, rather fed up with his behavior.

“I don’t think he is alone.”

The suggestion gave Tove a pause, for she felt utterly obtuse not to have considered it as a possibility before surging into the house. Her only thought after the dreams she’d had was to ensure her friend was alright. Flushing a deep scarlet, Tove shrugged Sihtric’s arm off and stepped back from the door. Sihtric went inside, leaving the door open behind him; Tove did not peer in. She could hear Sihtric inside the room, attempting the rouse Finan. Then came a female voice, and for a reason she couldn’t explain, Tove instantly felt compelled to leave.

Outside, Tove stood with her back to the house, staring into the street. The concern that had briefly filled her drained away only to be replaced by something she couldn’t quite place. Whatever it was, Tove pushed it down. It wasn’t the first time in her life she’d found a friend in bed with someone. There was no reason to be bothered, Tove told herself. It was just Finan. Yet somehow, she had never thought of him being with someone nor had she seen him with anyone either, and she had been part of Uhtred’s household warriors for almost a year. Or perhaps, she’d just never noticed it? Tove frowned at that. It was unlikely; Finan had become her best friend and they spent quite a bit of time together.

Voices could be heard coming from inside the house. One of them Finan’s distinctive Irish lilt, then Sihtric and a female. Tove involuntarily stiffened when footsteps came up behind her shortly after the talking stopped, but it was only Sihtric. His expression was searching when he first met her eyes.

“He’ll meet us at the stables in a while,” Sihtric said.

Tove nodded.

“In the meantime, I’m starving. Come on.”

And Tove allowed herself to be led back to his and Ealhswith’s home -the dream and her worry forgotten.

The previous night’s events were cloudy in Finan’s mind, but he did recall the woman serving him and the others ale most of the evening. She was reasonably pretty with her ashy blonde hair, dark eyes, and an ample figure. Throughout the night, she had smiled at him and perhaps they spoke a few words in passing, though that conversation was lost to the fog of ale. What he could remember more clearly was bidding Sihtric goodnight when he returned from taking a piss and leaving with the barmaid. How that had come about, he wasn’t wholly sure. In his next full memory, they were at his house; she walked ahead of him towards the bedroom, leading him along with a mischievous glint in her eye.

The next thing he knew, she was lying naked beneath him moaning too loudly, clutching his shoulders, but it wasn’t her -at least not in his mind. His inebriated brain hadn’t seen the tavern wench. Instead, he had been gazing down at Tove writhing beneath him with her near-white blonde hair haloed around her head, moaning with pleasure as he made love to her, and staring intently into his eyes. He leaned down to brush a tender kiss to her lips, but when he pulled away it was the barmaid again. Any further details of the night beyond that had slipped through his fingers. Finan grumbled to himself, imagining the whole encounter must not have been that outstanding if it did not cut through the haze.

Having finished dressing, the barmaid emerged from Finan’s room. She still looked somewhat disheveled, but at least she was adequately dressed, though there was no reason to worry over it as Sihtric and Tove had already gone. Her smile faltered at the sight of Finan splashing water from a bowl onto his face. He didn’t acknowledge her at first as he stared blankly at the still water.

“Are you alright?” she asked tentatively.

Finan started not having realized her presence. “I’m fine…”

She went to place a hand on his shoulder, but Finan’s voice halted her.

“Look, we had fun an all, but ye do not need to make it what it is not,” he murmured.

Her breath stuck in her throat. She stepped back, squared her shoulders, and smoothed her expression. That was not the morning greeting she had expected to hear after how tender and passionate Finan had been with her, but whatever his reasons were, she supposed she’d just have to accept them.

“I’ll just be going then.”

“That, is probably best,” Finan replied, still not looking away from the bowl.

He was alone then staring into nothingness and pondering. The vision of Tove was seared into his mind. Every time he closed his eyes, it was there. Of course, Finan had always recognized she was beautiful, not to would have been to lie, but as their friendship grew, he tried not to think about her beauty. It was more difficult though, after the woods when in the glow cast by the fire, he could have sworn for a moment he had in fact come upon one of the fair folk. And the heat he had felt emanating from her when he had rested his hand on her knee had stayed with him long after the contact was over.

In a sudden burst of frustration, Finan smacked the bowl away only vaguely hearing it smash against the far wall. He couldn’t do this. Feeling this way was wrong, but it was only becoming more difficult to ignore. Perhaps that was what had spurred his drunken self to seek out a distraction? Well, he thought wryly, it clearly had not worked. Finan cursed under his breath in his native tongue. He needed to pull himself together. They were riding out in mere hours and he could not afford to go to battle in an unfocused state of mind.

Mentally, Finan shook himself before setting about packing the few things he’d need in a sack and heading for the stables. When he reached his destination, there were already some people congregated around outside. Among them, he spotted Tove with Osferth, Lord Uhtred and Gisela. She leaned effortlessly against the plank wall of the stable, engaged in a seemingly serious conversation with Uhtred and the others. Averting his gaze, Finan searched for Sihtric, but before he could locate the dark-haired Dane, his name was called. He looked to see Uhtred waving him over.

Unable to ignore his Lord, Finan walked over. Gisela was appealing to her husband regarding the extent of her guard when as he strode up. It seemed she felt Uhtred was being a tad excessive. Tove wore a look of amusement, whereas Osferth appeared to be considering the Lady’s point.

“Tell these three that ten men are a perfectly reasonable guard,” Uhtred said.

Finan arched a brow, exchanging looks with Osferth who shrugged, and Tove who in turn offered a placating glance to Uhtred.

“And what is the alternative?” he asked.

“Six is enough,” said Gisela.

“With three on and three off at any one time.” Added Tove.

“Seems fair to me,” said Finan.

Uhtred sighed. Seeing that he was outnumbered, he relented. “Alright, but Tove will stay at the house.”

Gisela smiled, and Finan had a suspicion the Lady had intended her to do just any way. The decision made Uhtred excused himself, with a swift kiss on his wife’s cheek, likely to check on some other business. Leaving Finan with the remaining three.

“I’ll meet you at the gate when they are ready to leave,” Gisela said to Tove.

The shieldmaiden indicated her agreement with a nod. Gisela threw a look at Osferth before she departed.

“I’ve got some things to check on,” Osferth added before heading off as well.

Tove watched Osferth hurry off with a curious look. She was sure she’d seen him complete his preparations earlier. Shrugging it off as the monk just being odd, she turned to scrutinize the Irishman’s appearance.

“I see you are well,” Tove said.

“Aye.”

“That is good.”

Finan felt an uncomfortable tension between them, but he was unsure of how to break it. Though Finan hadn’t seen her, he knew she was there with Sihtric at his house and didn’t know what she had seen.

“Did you know?” Tove asked, seeking his gaze.

“Know wha’?” he responded in mild surprise.

“Yesterday Uhtred told me I was to stay behind as part of Gisela’s guard. Did you know?”

Finan avoided her eyes when he answered. “Aye. He did tell me tha’.”

He could see her nod out of his periphery, but she made no verbal response.

“I warned him ya’ wouldn’ be happy.”

Tove hummed. “I am only unhappy to see my friend -friends- go to battle without me.”

Finan looked at her earnest grey eyes and wondered how he could dare hope for more from her. The many practical reasons she could not possibly want him aside; how he could even let himself be with her after Laoise. The grief of that ill-fated infatuation no longer stung, but its shadow was long and full of warning. Finan had not allowed himself anything more than a passing fancy for a woman since his exile from Ireland.

“You will look after yourself?” Her expression was pained.

“Of course.” Finan smiled, trying to lighten her mood. “I’ve made it this long, haven’t I.”

Rolling her eyes, Tove punched the Irishman lightly in the shoulder. Even though Finan hadn’t checked Gúthwine, he elected to stay and chat with her a while longer. Both were apparently reticent to part now the tension was dispelled, but when Uhtred called out for the departing warriors to saddle up, Finan was shocked how much time had passed. Tove appeared just as surprised.

“You had better get on then,” she said, pushing off the wall.

Without thinking, Finan stepped forward to embrace her and Tove returned it warmly, resting her forehead against his shoulder. He held her to him even as he felt the same rush of heat as when he’d touched her knee. When Finan finally thought he should let go, Tove held on; her fingers clutching him felt like an echo of the vision from the previous night, causing him to still. She turned her head slightly to whisper in his ear.

“Come back.” Tove released him and the heat was gone.

Finan stared at her and thought to crack a joke, but none came. In the end, he could only nod.

Tove stood with Gisela and the children at the gate to watch them go. Uhtred led the precession flanked by Sihtric, Finan and Osferth -behind them rode three hundred of Lunden’s warriors. They all looked quite well in their battle finery and Tove committed their faces to memory. It was the first time she would be parted from them since coming to Lunden, a lingering feeling of doubt twisted in her gut telling her not all would go as planned. As they approached the gate, Tove caught Finan’s eye and smiled reassuringly. He returned the gesture and waved to her, but then Sihtric pulled his attention away.

endnote; I hope it was clear from Tove’s internal dialogue that she doesn’t think Finan is with someone now. And we finally got why Finan is holding himself back with her. But I mean come on man, it couldn’t possibly work out worse than him ending up on a slave ship -could it? Laoise is pronounced (Lee-sha)

taglist: @obipoelover, @iwillboilyourteeth, @lauwrite1225, @queen-manning, @for-bebbanburg, @bells3333, @othermoony, @emily456,

#finan #tlk #finan fic #tlk fic #the last kingdom #the last kingdom fic #ool fic

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gamesofmuggles · 6 years

Text

God is a woman

Alfred x Reader

1959 words

The bishop was escorting you, your hands were tied in a knot stopping the blood to go through. "The more you move, the more it hurts" You give him a dark look, if you didn't want to live anymore you would have spit on his face. You were scared. Since Aethelwulf died you didn't know how the new prince will be right to you. Guards opened the big doors where the prince was seated in his throne, whispering words to his mother Judith. She was the most beautiful woman you ever saw. "Sir" he bows and so does you, you noticed he looks even much younger closer. "What is the mater?" "I found this woman teaching.." Bishop said, pulling you in front of him. "Teaching?" Prince Alfred repeats, glancing at you. "To young children, to young GIRLS; teaching English." You manage to see a small smirk on Alfred's face. "And when did she learn English?" "I learn.." "She.." as soon as you opened your mouth, he pulled the cord on your wrist and make you drop on your knee. Prince Alfred stood up immediately "Leave the girl alone" "English is not something to teach, especially by a woman." With a precarious step, he got closer to the priest. "I was perfectly clear about my wish" "You did Sir, It is not -" "This girl is not your responsibility anymore. You may go." Hurt and insulted, the bishop leaves the room adjusting his hat with shame. Alfred kneeled facing you. "Someone detached the girl" Domestic realized your wrist, you sight out of the pain. "Thank you, my lord"

"Do you have a name?" You giggled " Everybody has one, my lord" He sighs, embarrassed. "Of course, I mean what is your name." "Y/N sir" The sound of your name looks to please him. "You're brave" "I'm brave for my people. There are so much to know and so little who did. " "I must say, the domestic here may need your help." "My help sir?" "Would you consider coming one time a week here? To teach?" Twenty minutes ago you felt all the anger in the world, and in one discussion, Prince Alfred offered something you didn't even though about. He didn't know you, how could he put his trust in you? "My Lord is too good, I cannot refuse his offer" "Mother?" he turned to her, she was listening everything from behind, a smile on her face. She comes closer. "Let me escort you while we discuss Y/N", she put a soft grip on her son's shoulder, a sign of being pleased.

Days passed, and you put on your neatest dress for the occasion, she was still disappointed to go to a place like that, but that's all you had. When you arrived, Judith was waiting for you. She guides you to a room with a few books and tables made of woods. "I'll inform the few women interested that you're ready" you nodded feeling anxious to have this kind of position towards them. When they arrived, you quickly sympathize with them and assure that you're no one better than them. The time went fast and they went back to work. As you cleaned a little bit the room, you felt a presence watching you. "I just wanted to know how it went" "Even greater than I expected to" "I'm glad" You stared at each other in silence, you wanted to talk to him but he was still so intimating. "The manuscripts are so useful, thank you for the that" "Do you want to bring one home?" "I don't know if my father will agree to that." "Why is that?" "I rather should found a decent husband" "Oh," he said softly. "Well, you can stay and read all you want." "I can't accept all this generosity my lord" "Don't make me ordered it to you" he chuckled and you could see he was definitely your age, even with this massive crown on his head. "I'll accept it then, thank you" you bowed. "My lord, your mother asking for you" "I must go, have a day Y/N" "You too, your grace"

You didn't think about anything else all week, you wish you had more occasion to go to Alfred's, every time he was so sweet and soft. This day you bought a new dress with your petty saving, it was still not enough but you were proud of it. When you arrived, as usual, a beautiful woman in a velvet red dress was escorting Judith. "Oh Y/N, let me introduce to Princess Ealhswith" "Nice to meet you" you bowed to her, and you felt the urge to run away. Was she Alfred wife? "Y/N teach English to our domestic" "That's admirable" she smiles, you smile back and excuse yourself to go to your safe place, for whatever reason tears were flooding in your eyes. "Are you alright?" Alfred was standing in the doorway as he used to every time. "I'm fine" he didn't seem convinced. "You have to help me" You wipe your tears away. "I'm hiding from my mother and Princess Ealhswith," he adds "Oh, well, you should not hide from your wife." He scoffs, "She is not my wife" You smile, it was stronger than you. She was not his wife. "What do you want me to do?" "Would you like to escape from this castle with me?" He was serious, and it surprised you. "Me? But I have to teach and.." He grabs your hands, and pull you from the room "Come on". Still holding your hand, he leads you out of the castle to the stable, only there he released his touch. "Do you ride?" "I do" "Perfect" You looked at your dress, you hated that, you really did. He gives you the most beautiful black horse you ever saw. Properly set you followed him out of the castle, his people surprised to see him ride away with a stranger. After a while, you were in the countryside, after attached your horse to a tree, you seat beneath it. You look at your dress, she was ripped at the bottom, you sigh. "It was a new one" "I noticed," he said turning to you "You look great in it." You didn't know what to reply and start picking up the grass in a nervous gesture. "Why are you hiding?" "If I'm not here enough, maybe I'll not have to marry her" "I see that even the Prince can make his own decision about that" "I don't know what I want, but I know what I don't" He looked like an ordinary boy, without his crown, in a black coat, his long hair messed up with the wind. "I should be the one staring at you," he said and you immediately blushed. "I apologize" "I like having you around Y/N" This was the only time you truly believe someone when they told you that. "I like it too" He smiled widely at you and like it was not an important matter, continue to talk about everything. "I will escort you to your home it's getting late" In a silent ride, you arrived in your little house. You pray for your father to be still at work, what would he say if he saw you with the Prince of Wessex. "I will see you soon." "Be kind to Princesses Ealhswith" "I'm always kind" he leans to kiss you on your upper cheeks.

The next week, you arrived almost too happy it was almost scary, your stomach spasms to the excitement and the wait between your last meeting. After your teaching, you waited for him a couple of minutes but he didn't show, all the joy disappear and you tried to clear your mind, he was probably busy. You grabbed a book and sit near the window to have the light. You only noticed you've been here for a long time when it was dark in the room and you're eyes accommodated to your reading. You were mad at Alfred not that he promised to come every time, maybe he was doing this just to be polite. You blow a few candles and closed the books, ready to leave. "Y/N!" Alfred was running towards you. "I thought you left hours ago" "I- was reading," you said dubiously to say you were waiting for him. "You can't go home it is dark outside" you laughed to that. "Alfred I'm not 5, I can go walk home by myself" "North men arrived, I was in consultation all day" "Again?" He nodded "Are you afraid?" "No. My grandfather told me everything I have to know. And you?" "I'm not properly scared of them, we don't have the same way of life, that's why we are scared of them, they choose violence because they don't know nothing else" "I still can't risk you to walk alone tonight" he looked around to see if someone was here. "Stay here tonight" "Excuse me?" "We have room for you to sleep in" For a second you guessed he was going to propose to stay in his room, but of course not, what a stupid idea. "I can't, I don't have any.. I need to.." "You're always so modest" "You're the only one in my life who's intimating me" "Am I?" Alfred was so close to you, your fingers were both hesitating to grab each other, but like a dance, they didn't. "Alfred?" Judith arrived and he pulls away from you. "Mother, Y/N is staying tonight, it's too dangerous outside" She looked at you and then Alfred, she was no stupid, she could feel the tension in the atmosphere. "Of course she can stay"

After asking to eat with your friends in the kitchen, one of them show you a room and leave fresh white clothing on the bed. "You know, we heard Alfred talk about you sometimes," she said before closing the door. "Really?" "I don't think he'll ever get married to Princess Ealhswith as long as you are here" she leaves you alone and you changed, it was way sheerer than you thought. The clothes didn't leave much to the imagination. You burn a candle and continue to read your manuscript, it was difficult to even for you. You heard a knock on the door, you step close to it, at the second knock you opened it, only enough to pick outside. "It's me" You opened it to Alfred with his hair attached, a new look. He quickly closes behind him. As he turned, you felt his eyes wondered on your body. You quickly close your arms to hide your breast. "Don't hide from me" He gently pulls your arms away, looking in your eyes. "I love you" You waited so long for him to say that and you could have wait even more, but the reality of you in a small room away from him catch you. "You can't love me, I am no one" "Not to me, please, believe me" "You're the only one I trust" His hands grab your face, rubbing your skin with his thumbs. "You are beautiful" He kissed your lips and pulled your body closer to him, the touch of your barely naked skin against him was burning. It intensives as he detached your piece of clothes revealing you. He kissed your skin, your neck and you hold tight to him on your footstep completely dedicated to him. How could he be rough and soft at the same time? and then he lay you on the bed, with a twist you put your body on top of him. "I love you too" Still, on his laps, he brings his body closer, making just one. "Will you be my wife?"

#vikings #vikings love #wessex #alfred #vikings alfred #alfred x reader #vikings alfred imagine #alfred imagine #vikings imagine #alfred the great #alfred the great imagine

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hecohansen31 · 4 years

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The Princess & The Hacker

Sex Worker! Ealhswith x Hacker! Sihtric (Modern AU)

SUMMARY: When Eahlswith is a victim of a revenge porn scheme, she is given a rather interesting contact, an hacker, that might solve all her problems, and do much more.

WARNINGS: Mention of Sex Work, Revenge Porn, Sex, Mention of Past Child Abuse, Hacker, Incorrect Techonology Knowledge.

‘The Ice Cream Shop’ (1)

‘The Subway’ (2)

#Ealhswith #Sihtric #Sihtric/Ealhswith #Sihtric\Ealhswith #sihtric x ealhswith #Ealhswith x Sihtric #Ealhswith Imagine #Sihtric Imagine #Masterlist #TLK #The Last Kingdom

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iseultdeservedbetter · 4 years

Text

The Princess & The Hacker

Hacker! Sihtric x Sex Worker! Ealhswith (Modern AU)

Chapter (1): The Ice Cream Shop

(A/N): Hello there, lovelies!

Excuse the very idiotic title, and I also want to put a disclaimer that this is one of of my first time writing a character x character fic, and I hope you won’t hate it!

I do think that there’ll be more chapters, if you like it, so please make sure to let me know so that I can see if people are interested about sequel!

Feedback is always welcome, in any way shape and form: it makes my heart beat stronger and my fingers write faster

SUMMARY: When Eahlswith is a victim of a revenge porn scheme, she is given a rather interesting contact, an hacker, that might solve all her problems, and do much more.

WORDS: 4,3 K

WARNINGS: Mention of Sex Work, Revenge Porn, Sex, Mention of Past Child Abuse, Hacker, Incorrect Techonology Knowledge.