#but the Norwegian took me off guard

[langernameohnebedeutung]

sometimes Lovecraft is actually funny in his xenophobia

[roryzlittles1ut]

Backstage Pass: R!Euronymous X Fem! Reader.

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Warnings: Protected Sex, Fingering, Mixture of Gentle and Rough Sex, Mentions of smoking/drugs, Dom!R!Euronymous, Sub!Reader, Mentions of Drinking, Slight Manipulation (idk if imma add this ngl).

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Your friends dragged you to a Mayhem concert, though you weren’t really into metal. You were a tiny bit annoyed, as your friends acted like wild animals. Everyone was screaming, head banging, smoking, drinking, doing drugs, some even secretly having sex. You rolled your eyes as the metal band slowly emerged from backstage. One of the members really caught your eyes though, Øystein Aarseth, the leader of the band, and the lead guitarist.

“Alright, settle the fuck down. You guys ready to hear some true, Norwegian, black, fucking metal?” He yelled, the whole crowd screaming loudly. You stared at him, feeling so flustered as you lost words. He glanced down at the crowd and noticed you. He started playing his loud music as the singer, Pelle growled in the microphone. You didn’t care about anyone else, just him.

Øystein continued to play the guitar as the music got louder, almost making your ears bleed. It didn’t bother you at all, all of your attention was on him, just him. He winked at you as he slowly approached you, getting on one knee, but still playing his guitar loudly. “What? Never seen a metal head before?” His voice was deep as his blue eyes sank into your eyes.

You blushed as you tried to figure out the right words to say. He smirked slightly and grabbed your chin, his thumb caressing your soft skin. He tilted his head to the side as the light glared on his face paint, making it noticeable that it was coming off. “I-I..it’s not that. I’ve just never been to a concert before.” You said shyly, not knowing how to exactly react. He chuckled and got back up on his feet, walking away as he played the guitar again.

You felt weak in the knees. Your friends squealed at the whole band, saying how bad they wanted to fuck one of them, even Øystein. You shook your head and looked away. Then, after the concert, a security guard walked up to you. “Hey, Miss. Mr. Aarseth wants to see you backstage, he says it’s important.” Of course you couldn’t miss this opportunity, so you followed the security guard backstage.

Once you guys reached backstage, he was sitting on the couch in a manspread manner. The security guard walked away, closing the door. Øystein got up as you stayed quiet. He grabbed your cheeks with his rough, veiny hands as he stared into your eyes. “Oh..you look like a little princess who needs help, or maybe something else.”

Your eyes went wide as you blushed, feeling him pull you closer to him. He chuckled a bit in amusement. “Did that get your attention or something? You stupid whore. All of you girls are the same, but you seem..a bit different.” He brushed some hair out of your face with his index and middle finger, being gentle with you. It was prettty odd, but you did like his touch. “What do you want? You’re the one who invited me here.”

His eyes widened slightly at your words, then he let go of you. “Alright..I want a little favor from you.” He whispered into your ear, giving it a soft kiss as he slowly plopped back on the couch. He sat back in his manspread way, staring at you up and down. “What?” You said, a little nervously though. He sighed softly and looked away, shaking his head.

“No, seriously. What is it? Because I could really be heading home now.” You crossed your arms, staring at him. Øystein slowly brought his eyes back up to yours. He pinned you against the wall and started taking off your clothes. “Be a good girl..” Your eyes widened slightly as you blushed.

As he took off your clothes, he pushed you back onto the sofa, taking off your panties. He leaned in and started demolishing your pussy, nuzzling aggressively into it. You can feel his nose against your clit, making you moan loudly out of ecstasy. His tongue made you see stars as he swirled his tongue around your aching, wet pussy. You also didn’t expect him to just do this to you so fast. He seemed so desperate.

You placed your hand in his hair, your fingers getting tangled in it. He grabbed you from underneath your thighs, picking you up as he plopped down on the couch. He still had your pussy pressed up against his mouth, but now you were sitting on his face. He roughly slapped your ass, making you let out a squeak. “Never been eaten out by a metal head hm? How does it feel you fucking dirty girl?”

You whined softly and squirmed, no words coming out. It felt so good, too good. He pulled away from your clit and looked up into your eyes, shoving his middle and ring finger inside of you. You gasped again, your eyes widening. “Oh my gosh!” You whined again. He chuckled as he felt how wet you were, moving his fingers in and out of you roughly. “Mm..so wet. You’re just aching for my cock.”

He stopped and shoved his fingers in your mouth. “Come on, be good and taste yourself.” His eyes were locked into your deeply. You sucked on his fingers. He pulled his fingers out of your mouth and took off his pants and boxers, his cock sprung out of his pants. You gasped, not expecting him to be so huge. He shoved one finger inside of your pussy as he leaned in, sloppily making out with you.

“I want this so bad, I want you so bad. You looked so lost and pathetic in the crowd. I could’ve gotten off stage and fucked you right there.” He whispered into the kiss, moving his hand a bit faster. You whimpered, blushing so much as you felt close to your orgasm. He felt you clench against his fingers before pulling out. “No no, not yet. I need to have my cock inside of you when you cum.”

He stroked himself for a quick second as he grabbed a condom, putting it on before placing you down on the sofa. He shoved himself in your tight heat, making him groan. “Oh fuck. You’re so tight.” He thrusted into you in a slow, steady manner, placing his hands on your waist. He grabbed a cigarette from the table in front of the sofa and lit it with his lighter, tossing the lighter to the floor. He took a drag, starting to fuck you a bit harder and faster.

You squealed as you felt him arrange your insides. You felt a bit flustered, and he loved it. He groaned, fucking you harder. You started tearing up a bit, and Øystein noticed. He tilted his head to the side and slowed down. “Can’t take it anymore? Aw, you’ll get used to it.” He smiled a bit and took another drag of his cigarette, starting to slowly move a bit faster. He let out a grunt as you let out a whimper.

He tossed his cigarette aside, squeezing your breasts roughly. “So fucking fluffy and smooth. Like that?” He smiled and kissed your neck before kissing your forehead. “I-I’m gonna cum~..” You murmur shyly, gasping for air. That just fueled the fire. He moved harder and rougher. “Then..cum for me. Be a good girl.” He moaned into your ear, letting out a soft chuckle. He lifted you up and placed you on top of him, squeezing your ass as he fucked you with no mercy.

You moaned loudly, making him cover your mouth. “Shh, the rest of the guys are here. I know you love being fucked by me, but don’t be so loud.” You nod quickly, whimpering into his hand. You were so close to your orgasm again, your eyes rolling back. He wrapped another hand around your waist, moaning in a quiet manner. Then, it hit you hard. He our orgasm made you do star struck. You almost screamed, but he held your mouth tighter.

“Shh, shh, good girl, good fucking girl.” He chuckled and kissed your forehead, slowly pulling out. He gently placed you back down on the couch, taking off his condom and putting his pants back on. “I’ll take you home, don’t worry.” He smiled a bit and played with your hair. It was like he completely forgot he just fucked your brains out, as you slowly fell asleep.

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AN: I know it’s been so long, but I have lost almost all of my motivation and decided to get it over with. It’s kind of like the Mike story, and this is pretty rushed so, I hope you..enjoy at least :3

[zaewriteshere]

Late Night Confessions

AO3 Link

“Fade, if you ever run out of nightmares, seek me out. I will gladly share mine.”

Deadlock’s words kept on being repeated over and over in the dream seeker’s mind.

It wasn’t often that somebody offered their own suffering and trauma to Fade, much less eagerly or even so nonchalantly.

It took her off guard.

She didn’t expect to take her on the offer as well.

---

When Fade joined the Protocol, while she knew and was warned that it would take a while for her to gain the trust of the agents, she didn’t imagine just how hard it would be to even have a singular person she could consider a friend.

Sure, she was certainly in Omen and Cypher’s good books, as far as she could tell, but besides them… Nobody was very much willing to be close to her. 

During missions, the other agents would not lose too much time during communications, and that was probably the only time they spoke to her. 

She wasn’t going to lie, it stung. She was aware that what she had done was wrong, but she also didn’t know any better. Now she did, and was willing to do anything and everything to make it up to those she wronged.

The other agents were not as eager as the dream seer however. So, when new agents came after her arrival, she started to gain hope.

Unfortunately for her, her introverted nature and her resting bitch face didn't play in her favour most of the time. 

She did manage to make a neutral acquaintance out of Harbor, since she was working for Realm as well before joining the Protocol. They managed to bond over it, and for a while, it was enough for her. 

When Gekko came around, she thought she could bond with him and his little critters, just as she did with the newest addition to the controllers. 

Unfortunately, Fade wasn't right. The newest initiator was immediately told about the nature of her powers, and that was enough for him to be weary about her. 

It kind of aggravated her, this tendency that the other agents had with her. Maybe it was coming from a place of care, but she felt truly isolated, more so now than ever.

Her frequent nightmares certainly didn't help her situation, forcing her to stay awake for longer and longer as she consumed more and more coffee each day. 

Of course this behaviour didn't go unnoticed by Cypher, and most importantly Sage. The latter immediately pulled her aside as she started to question the dream seer about her lack of sleep and addiction to caffeine. 

So, Fade had to put all of her cards on the table and be honest about what exactly was the price for her to commune with nightmares. Empathetic, the healer offered her help in those sleepless nights, or to be there to assist in case she couldn't stay awake any longer.

Fade simply shrugged at the offer, not truly believing the Chinese agent's words. She was used to empty words and promises about her situation, after all.

It was too much to ask.

It was always too much.

She didn't hold it against anyone, however.

It was often too much even for her, so could she really blame anyone but her ?

When the new agent, Deadlock, joined Valorant… Well, Fade and her didn't really interact with each other much, if at all. She heard rumours about her upbringing, and there was always… 

This shadow looming around the sentinel. 

The dream seer knew what it was.

The newest agent was filled with nightmares, just like her. 

It made her wonder what her bad dreams looked like.

Unfortunately for her, she was too introverted to ask. It was also hard to tell if this question would be taken well or not ; even though the Norwegian agent was blunt and didn't mince her words, Fade wasn't really wanting to ruin her chances with someone so soon. 

By a stroke of luck, Deadlock's first missions always included the dream seer as well, and they got to know each other through them. 

Once back from the third mission, Deadlock finally spoke to her for the first time since she became a member as she was about to go out of the Falcon : 

“Fade, if you ever run out of nightmares, seek me out. I will gladly share mine.”

She didn't even get the chance to reply before the sentinel exited the aircraft to go to who knew where. 

To say that she wasn't expecting the offer would be an understatement. 

She didn't think that anybody else offered this since she joined the Protocol all those months ago. 

It intrigued her. What did Deadlock see in her ? Or was it just in the hopes of getting rid of what haunted her ?

Either way, she kept the offer in mind. 

So much so, in fact, that Fade regularly found herself thinking about those same words, and stealing glances at the new agent.

She thought – and hoped – that she was being sneaky about this change of behaviour.

Unfortunately for her, Cypher noticed.

“My, my little dream seer, you seem to have taken an interest in our newest addition, hm ?” He observed, his tone teasing, a laugh in his voice. She tensed, then forced herself to relax, knowing very well she wouldn’t be able to hide anything from the spy.

“I’m just curious, that’s all,” She answered, not meeting his gaze. She heard him hum in contemplation, before he seemingly dropped the subject.

He probably knew that he wouldn’t get anything out of her that easily.

She sighed to herself, shaking her gently. 

She would need to either be more stealthy in her staring, or come up with a reason satisfying enough for the sentinel to not continue poking at her motivations.

One evening, the dream seeker was just walking around the base, bored out of her mind, when she heard a muffled scream coming from one of the rooms. 

Worried about a colleague being in a state of danger, she rushed to the source of the noise. 

Slamming the door open, she quickly scanned the room, fist clenched and ready for a fight.

When she saw nothing out of the ordinary, she looked around for her colleague.

Finally, Fade noticed a figure curled up beside the bed, shaking as she heard quiet sobs. 

She would recognise this blond hair anywhere.

The fact that Deadlock hadn't taken note of her arrival until now was alarming to the dream seer.

“Deadlock ?” She hesitantly called out, slowly inching closer. She didn’t see any change in behaviour.

So she repeated herself once again, louder this time while trying her best to not startle the Norwegian woman. 

It wasn’t until she slowly and gently put her hand on the sentinel’s shoulder once she sat down that she finally took notice.

She gasped, startled, as she was trying desperately to wipe her tears away. 

They both knew that the initiator saw them, however.

The blond probably just wanted to save what remained of her dignity.

Wordlessly, the brunette assessed the situation of the woman in front of her.

She seemed shaken up, her lips still trembling and her eyes still watery. Shaking from head to toe, it was obvious what had happened.

Despite being someone who was used to communing with nightmares, Fade wasn’t someone who knew how to comfort someone after a nightmare. 

Not knowing what to say, she stayed quiet, staring into blue eyes.

“Did I wake you up ?” Awkwardly asked Deadlock, finally tearing her gaze away from hers.

“I don’t tend to sleep very often, don’t worry,” She replied, trying to sound reassuring. Realising that she didn’t give a clear answer, she quickly added : “And no, you didn’t wake me up. I was already awake when I heard your scream.”

Her interlocutor winced, curling up on herself tighter. 

Alarmed at such different behaviour than she’s used to seeing in the woman next to her, the dream seer felt herself panic internally.

So, she decided to try and help the way she knew how : 

“Want me to try to commune with it ?” She enquired hesitantly. 

She didn’t answer immediately. 

“What would it do ?” She retorted, glancing back at her.

“Sometimes it can help to face your biggest fears, or nightmares, in a controlled environment,” Fade answered, trying to appear nonchalant. 

She wouldn’t want to admit it, but seeing the sentinel so vulnerable and scared did something to her.

She didn’t like the sight.

The woman took a moment to consider it, alternating between looking at the initiator and the void.

After a while, she slowly nodded, hesitance clear in her eyes but determination written on her face. 

“Alright, let’s do this,” She announced, trying to sound confident.

“I have to warn you, it is intense. We’re going to go deep. It isn’t for everyone,” She replied, her tone serious.

Deadlock paused.

“Do you think I’ll be able to handle it ?” She questioned, searching for something in her mismatched eyes. 

She took her time to consider her answer.

She could be truthful, and say that she didn’t know. 

No one could, after all.

But telling her that she knew the Norwegian was strong would not be a lie, either. 

She decided to play cards on the table.

“I don’t know. It depends for everyone, and making assumptions will be detrimental,” She saw the hesitance in the sentinel’s gaze. “What I do know is that you are strong.”

“I just hope that I’ll be strong enough,” The woman muttered, looking away from Fade.

“If you don’t feel ready, or in the right mental state… Hell, even if you don’t want to, just tell me. It’s okay, since there’s no time limit for it,” She finally stated, trying to sound empathetic.

It was not like she wasn’t empathetic, she had just a very hard time expressing herself as well as her emotions. 

Nodding, Deadlock didn’t immediately give her answer.

The dream seer could feel her weighing the options presented for her.

After another minute of silence, she locked gaze once again.

The hesitance in her eyes was gone, replaced by a determination and sense of will at its purest.

There it was, she could finally see the sentinel she grew attached to and respected.

Nodding as she let a small smile creep up on her lips while she gestured the sentinel to lay down on her bed. 

Doing as told, the Norwegian was clearly very stiff and tense. 

“I’ll need you to go to sleep, so please relax and close your eyes,” The initiator said as gently as she could.

“Will you be there ?” She immediately asked, panic clear in her eyes.

That was new.

Never before had someone asked if the dream seer would be present to help them through their subconscious struggles.

Taken aback, she studied Deadlock’s expression carefully.

She could see worry, fear… But also desperation, as if she was terrified of going to sleep alone.

Considering her options, she took a moment to think.

Fade technically could be present in the dream, but if she wasn’t used to it and could easily get overwhelmed by the intensity of the host – in this case, Deadlock – if she wasn’t careful. 

“I’ll be there if things go south. I’ll always be watching over you though, promise,” She replied, trying to sound confident and reassuring.

She felt like she was doing a very poor job at that, but she decided to ignore that feeling.

The sentinel smiled weakly, before slowly relaxing onto the soft bed and evening her breath as the initiator watched quietly. 

Once asleep, she didn’t make a move immediately, simply watching over the agent peacefully sleep.

It was dreamless – she could feel it – but there was something about it that she couldn’t quite pinpoint. 

“Nightmare,” She called out with a whisper as now she could feel their presence in the room. “I’ll need your help.”

“Like you always do, dear host,” They giggled while Fade could feel their presence wrapping around her body.

She suppressed a shiver.

“Go on, touch her. I’ll help you, like I always do,” She could hear the smile in their voice, but she complied despite uneasiness.

It didn’t take long for the demon to take action upon Deadlock’s dreamless slumber. 

Slowly, the dark room changed form, morphing into a familiar area ; the Valorant Protocol HQ. 

The sleeping sentinel wasn’t alone in her dream as the dream seer heard the familiar but alien noises of Gekko’s critters. 

She expected to see the cute and goofy looking little friends, but when the initiator looked over the direction of the noise, she felt her eyes widen.

That wasn’t what Wingman normally looked like. 

His appearance was now pure nightmare fuel, his then tiny cute claws were ginormous, and he all but looked like a monster. 

Was this the host’s vision of the little Wingman ?

Speaking of which, she was staring in disarray and horror at the monstrous form, terrified out of her mind.

Was this always what she dreamt about ? 

Wingman being the monster that she always thought he was ?

What a saddening sight.

Fade heard gunshots, and some grunts of pain.

Deadlock was shooting at the monstrous form, and the dream seer could tell it wasn’t what she was supposed to do.

But she guessed that it was a reflex, how she’s always dealt with it, how she was coping with her nightmares.

She thought about how to proceed and communicate that violence wasn’t the answer in this case without disturbing the natural course of actions.

“Deadlock, you have to stop shooting, you’re only making things worse,” She tried, unconfident in her communication.

“I’d like to see you face something like this,” She immediately replied, shooting her last bullets in her panic.

She then braced for impact as the monstrous version of Wingman leaped on her, sensing her fear and aggression.

She was screaming in pain and in rage, and Fade knew that she wouldn’t get through to her like this.

Deciding to take a physical form, she appeared next to the two of them.

They both barely paid her any mind at all, too engrossed in their fight. 

She took a while to gather her bearings, the fear and anger overwhelming her for a minute or two.

She needed to focus.

“Deadlock,” She started as they both froze, slowly looking at her in sync. Ignoring the weirdness of the movement, she continued, trying to hit at the solution. “With aggression you are just going to repeat what always happens. Try something else.”

“I’d like to see you try with this creature trying to eat you alive,” She muttered, wincing when Wingman bit down more on her arm.

“Look at him. He’s just as scared as you are,” The initiator continued, gesturing vaguely to the beast.

After a while of staring at each other, it finally seemed to click for Deadlock as she understood what she was supposed to do. 

She slowly relaxed onto the hard concrete floor, and as if on cue, the monster changed appearances, morphing into the wingman Fade was used to seeing.

Now on her belly, the little critter looked up at the host curiously, as if assessing her once again. 

She could tell she was doing the same to him. 

Slowly, the radiant creature presented his hand to her, as if he wanted her to shake it.

Hesitantly, the sentinel did so, and the dream seer could tell the dream was ending as Deadlock was awakening. 

When they both opened their eyes, she immediately locked gaze with the Norwegian agent, a small smile on her lips.

“How do you feel ?” She asked after a minute of staring.

She didn’t get an answer right away as the woman looked lost in thoughts, assessing her state.

“I’m… Okay. Better,” She finally replied after a while. 

“Good, good,” She nodded, about to leave her side to let her sleep, but she was stopped as her hand got grabbed.

“Will you stay ?” The new sentinel asked, a hint of desperation in her voice.

She didn’t answer immediately, weighing her options.

She could accept and risk having a bad dream if she fell asleep – which she did not want to happen – or she could leave and risk Deadlock having another nightmare.

While the chances of the latter happening were slim to none after this small session, she knew that the woman wasn’t asking her for reassurance, but mayhaps company.

She shrugged in acceptance, laying on the bed next to the blond. 

Keeping her distance, she gasped softly when the other immediately wrapped her strong arms around her and nuzzled her nose into the crook of her neck. 

“Thanks for helping me today,” She said, sleepily.

“No worries,” She replied after a hot minute, not knowing what to do with herself.

She relaxed a bit when she could feel the other agent sleeping peacefully, and resigned herself to just watch her sleep as she could feel Nightmare’s presence in the room.

Fade didn’t know how this relationship would blossom, and frankly, she didn’t really care.

All she knew was that she probably got herself a good friend that night.

[skwigelfskwisgaar]

"You're not even trying to understand me!"

Toki had another meltdown, and by the time Swisgaar had seen Toki for the first time that evening he was full on speaking Norsk because he was overwhelmed and upset.

And Pickles looked at Skwisgaar because, unlike other times, Toki wasn't speaking in a language he could understand. Toki looked at Skwisgaar and lit up - possibly because somewhere in his head he recognized that Skwisgaar would be the only one to understand him and his babbling.

So Skwisgaar kept still as Toki pulled Skwisgaar away from the rest of the band and plopped them both down on the couches, so he could feel safe and comfortable. It hurt him, inside, to see Toki like this. Toki was so much more handsy and cuddly and needy - whether because in his head he knew the band was more affectionate than they let on or because it was how children in general found comfort, Toki pressed himself against Skwisgaar as he hugged him really tight.

"Toki, what's wrong?" Toki let go slowly, before looking at Skwisgaar.

"My Deaddy Bear lost an eye and..."

"That's all, little Toki? There's nothing wrong with that - it's a simple fix." He went to pick the bear up from Toki's lap, only to have Toki stop him.

"Deaddy Bear looks... like him." Toki then made a weird arm movement that took Skwisgaar off guard. It looked like he was trying to mimic a fencing move he'd seen Charles do before -

Oh. Stabbing. Magnus.

"What do you want to do with Deaddy Bear then?"

"... I was told to not destroy it by Pickles. But I want to."

"Here. We can get rid of this Deaddy Bear and find you a new one." Skwisgaar went to grab the stuffie again, a bit more firmer this time, only for Toki to pull away again. He clutched it close, despite avoiding looking at it and shook his head.

"No. I want to rip it up."

"Deaddy Bear didn't do anything."

"But he did! You're not even trying to understand me!"

"I want to, Toki." Toki looked at him, now surprised. Still clutching Deaddy Bear, he tilted his head inquisitively and asked, "How so?"

"Will ripping up Deaddy Bear make you feel better?" Toki finally let's go of the stuffie, and looks at it. The arms where the stitching held up as he tried to rip it apart. The eye dangling by a few threads. The plush and soft body that he had clutched so fiercely when Skwisgaar tried to pull it away.

"No."

"What would make you feel better?" Skwisgaar placed one firm hand on Toki's shoulder as he saw the gears turning in the Norwegian man's head. As if a realization struck him.

"Fixing hims eye."

"Goods. Lets Pickle takes Deaddy Bear and wes can go hang out whiles Deaddy Bears gets whats de eye fixes, okej?"

"Can wes watch de Moomimtroll?"

Skwisggar nodded, a soft smile on his face.

[mariacallous]

Dear Hvaldimir,

I know this is not your real name: It’s simply the name that kind Norwegians gave you when you first turned up off the northernmost coast of Norway just over four years ago. (Hval is Norwegian for whale.)  

Now, you’ve been spotted off the coast of southwestern Sweden. Since you can’t identify yourself, we can’t be certain, but beluga whales comfortable with humans are an absolute rarity in that region. Your arrival there highlights the extraordinary work of military animals. You and your fellow animal warriors are, in fact, indispensable. 

Hvaldimir, your many fans still remember how, one day in April 2019, you simply turned up, presenting yourself to Norwegian fishers in the Norwegian Sea. You seemed to be looking for human company, and as soon as the fishers took a closer look, they discovered your harness. “Equipment of St. Petersburg,” it read in English, and it had a mount for a GoPro underwater camera. Had you traveled from Russia? The Russian city of Murmansk is very close to where you made contact with the Norwegians. Marine experts—real and self-appointed—suggested you’d been trained by the Russian armed forces.  

Andreas Fahlman, the research director at Sweden’s Kolmarden Zoo, told Swedish National Television that the visiting whale may in fact be you, and that mammals in the employ of the Russian Armed Forces are trained to, for example, “guard a naval base or certain vessels. But it’s also about finding different objects underneath the water’s surface.” 

Russia, like the United States and other countries, has a long history of using animals in its military operations. Indeed, animals employed by armed forces everywhere work hard. The Romans infamously thought the Alps would keep them safe from intruders, but they hadn’t reckoned the possibility of Hannibal enlisting elephants. With the aid of nearly 40 elephants and more than 30,000 troops, the Carthaginian general and his men succeeded in crossing the mountain range and advancing on Rome.  

Horses, of course, have been central to battles for as long as war has existed. Though they’re still used for mostly ceremonial purposes (such as the fine displays of British military horsemanship during the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and the coronation of King Charles III), most mounted regiments have been turned into mechanized regiments, where soldiers travel in vehicles such as armored personnel carriers. But such is the military’s affection for its most crucial animal colleagues that originally mounted regiments (known as cavalry, from caballus, the Latin word for horse) that they’ve kept their names.  

Dogs—“four-legged fighters”—have been similarly central to war efforts, and no technology to date can do what they can. “You’ll find U.S. military working dogs serving wherever American troops do,” the U.S. Defense Department’s four-legged fighter webpage explains. During World War I, for example, dogs joined some 6 million horses and mules and tens of thousands of horses and camels in the war effort. Pigeons carried messages better than the technology of the day was able to, and cats caught the rats proliferating in the trenches. Canaries and mice warned of toxic fumes. Today, animal fighters’ training is every bit as rigorous as that of human soldiers, because they have to be equally good.  

“Since they took on the risky tasks of initial entry or first reconnaissance of sensitive places, they were really highly respected team members,” Belgian ex-soldier Bram Couwberghs, who served with German shepherds and Belgian Malinois in Afghanistan and Lebanon (and at home on counterterrorism operations), told me. “And they’re really an excellent search asset for weapons caches, hidden IEDs, luggage at airports, containers in ports, and goods hidden in places like ships and trucks.” So central was the military dog Cairo’s effort in the killing of Osama bin Laden that his handler, a Navy Seal named Will Chesney, went on to write a book about him. 

Marine mammals such as you, Hvaldimir, are intelligent and made for life underwater, which makes you as indispensable to naval operations as dogs, horses, and their fellow terrestrial animals are to army operations. Your entry into military service, though, is more recent. For nearly six and a half decades, the U.S. Navy has trained sea lions and bottlenose dolphins to explore the undersea environment, search for targets of interest to the military, and “engage” those targets, which might mean marking the location of a mine, attaching grabber devices to underwater objects so they can be removed, or patrolling ships against undersea saboteur divers. No robot has this skill set either.  

The Soviet Union launched a similar program in the late 1970s, nearly two decades after the U.S. Navy did. “Within the next year, the Soviets could train marine mammals to be used in military operational systems such as diver assistance and equipment recovery in the Black Sea. The next steps, possible within 2 years, might be training of the animals for more sophisticated tasks such as placement of packages on ships, as well as for use in areas outside the Black Sea,” the CIA wrote in a top-secret 1976 memo, which has since been declassified. 

“Recent evidence indicates that a Soviet capability to train the animals for use in the open-ocean [sic], at least in limited military and intelligence-gathering roles, may now be available,” the memo added. It had been a rocky road for the Soviets, who were so short on marine mammal expertise that they enlisted the services of some of their country’s outstanding circus artists, who wereused to performing with seals. In the end, the Soviet Navy did manage to (forgive the pun) get an undersea mammal program off the ground at its Sevastopol base. Around this time, the U.S. Navy had also begun training beluga whales, which can swim deeper and live in colder waters than dolphins or sea lions, and later the Soviets added beluga whales, too. 

The rest is well-known: the Soviet Union collapsed, and Ukraine (including Crimea, with its port of Sevastopol) gained independence. Even though the Soviet Navy could keep operating at the port of Sevastopol, the aquarium there was taken over by Ukraine, which repurposed the animals for service among children with disabilities. After Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014, the Russian Navy relaunched the mammal program. Just before the February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Navy is reported to have put two dolphin pens at the entrance to Sevastopol. Before that, it had put its dolphins to work at its Syrian base in Tartus. Submarine analyst H. I. Sutton surmises that the intelligent mammals’ role consisted of counter-diver operations. As Sutton discovered shortly after you—Hvaldimir—turned up in Norway, Russia’s Northern Fleet had also established whale pens at its Olenya Bay base, not far from the Russian-Norwegian border.  

Yet, despite being essential to military operations, military animals get shockingly little recognition. To be sure, both the U.S. and the Soviet marine mammal programs were classified for a long time, but military dogs and horses are well-known. Yes, military animals have starred in documentaries and films, including Dog (released last year), which features a U.S. Army Ranger, played by Channing Tatum, and Lulu the Belgian Malinois as they travel to the dog’s handler’s funeral. And yes, more than 70 extraordinarily brave dogs, and pigeons (and one cat, but no sea mammals) have been awarded the prestigious PDSA Dickin Medal for Gallantry. This January, Bass—a U.S. Marine Corps four-legged special operations warrior who has served in Somalia, Iraq, and Afghanistan—became the award’ 75th recipient. The Belgian Malinois was recognized for his bravery in carrying out “350 explosive sweeps and 46 missions to capture high-value targets,” especially his clearance of a mined building while under attack by Taliban fighters. 

But apart from a touching memorial to military animals in London’s Hyde Park, the U.S. War Dogs Memorial in New Jersey, and a few small memorial sites around Europe, there’s little permanent tribute to animals’ extraordinary contributions to our defense efforts and the many lives they’ve saved.  

The animals, of course, have no way of knowing whether they serve a democratic government that merely needs to defend its territory or a dictator keen on invading its neighbors.  

That’s why, Hvaldimir, you’ve done a good deed by unwittingly achieving worldwide celebrity. Thanks to Hvaldimir, a global audience is now aware of the presence of working animals in armed forces, whether on behalf of allies or adversaries.  

We’re all hoping you’ll be able to make your way back to the Norwegian Whale Reserve, the fjord turned into your home by generous Norwegian institutions and citizens, but your apparent excursion to Sweden has served as a useful reminder of the hundreds of animals who toil in obscurity in armed forces around the world without getting so much as a news mention.  

[xtruss]

Sy Hersh Slams ‘Stupid’ NYT Story on ‘Ukrainian’ Trace Behind Nord Stream Blasts

— Ilya Tsukanov | Saturday March 18, 2023

Gas leak location on Nord Stream 2 — Sputnik International © Photo: Swedish Coast Guard

The veteran investigative journalist best known for blowing the lid off major US government lies, from Watergate and the My Lai Massacre to the Syrian gas attacks, penned a series of explosive Substack pieces last month revealing direct US complicity in the Nord Stream pipeline attacks.

Seymour Hersh says he has even more details corroborating the Biden administration’s involvement in the Nord Stream sabotage attacks, but cannot share them for fear of outing his sources.

“Biden authorized the blast. And the people involved know what he did. You know what orders came. I know a lot more about this than I want to say. But I have to protect the people who talk to me,” Hersh said in an interview with Austrian media.

“I know what I wrote is true. I know that it is right. I know the meetings I have described and the details of what happened in Norway. I’ve been involved with the intelligence community for 50 years,” the 85-year-old veteran journalist said, addressing the smear campaign being run against him by the legacy media in the wake of his bombshell Nord Stream-related publications.

Commenting on the story put out by The New York Times and German media earlier this month claiming that a "pro-Ukrainian group" without links to any state blew up the pipelines using a rented commercial yacht, Hersh called this version “stupid,” “unbelievable,” and a “crazy story with no sources.”

The veteran investigative journalist, one of the few in the contemporary US media landscape who still believes in the media’s role as the fourth estate, also took aim at the legacy media for ignoring his story in fealty to power. “If 90 percent of editors were fired, we’d be much better off, because they’re so afraid to write anything critical of Biden, thinking they’re going to put a Republican back in the White House,” he said.

Hersh said the attack on Nord Stream was a “signal” to the Western Europeans from Biden – that if they didn’t “want to go all the way” in the conflict with Russia, the US would cut them off. “He did it. And the price for that will be very high in Europe. Europe will not have the gas it needs and you will have to pay more for it,” he said.

Hersh, a sympathizer of the Democratic Party when it comes to social, environmental, and immigration issues, characterized Biden’s foreign policy as a disaster, with Washington’s badmouthing of China and Russia ultimately helping to “weld the two of them together.” As for the crisis in Ukraine, the journalist expects the NATO proxy conflict to fail. “Russia is going to win this war,” he said.

Seymour Hersh published his first piece on the Nord Stream attacks on February 8, detailing how US Navy divers laid the explosives that blew up the pipelines in June 2022 under the cover of NATO’s BALTOPS drills, with a Norwegian Navy P8 surveillance aircraft triggering them to explode three months later. Hersh subsequently wrote several follow-up stories with additional information and historical context.

US and German media rolled out their own stories this month, citing intelligence officials, claiming that a “pro-Ukrainian group” without any ties to Kiev blew up the pipelines independently using a rented yacht. Moscow dismissed these stories as “disinformation” designed to divert attention from the real perpetrators, and repeated long-standing calls for thorough and transparent probes into the acts of terror.

[kilikina34512]

Cease This Temper Tantrum

Just a drabble/one-shot that I wrote with the goal of just writing. I love the idea of Loki being Loki only for someone to put him in his place and bring soft!Loki out. I hope you like the fruits of that thought.

Pairing: Loki x Asgardian Avenger reader

Summary: As you guard Loki, you get fed up with his rantings and decide to put him in his place by giving him what he needs.

Warnings: none really, insults? Asgardian disguised as Google translate's Norwegian.

Word Count: 886

It had been twelve hours since Loki had been contained since the Battle of New York. The invasion had been exhausting to deal with, let alone all of the repercussions of it. Now, you sat, guarding his prison cell. Once S.H.I.E.L.D. was satisfied and everything on Earth had been sorted out, he was set to return to Asgard with Thor, but you knew that wouldn't be for quite a while. With that in mind, you'd been assigned to be one of his guards. You knew why they'd chosen you along with Thor to be the primary guards, but it still irritated you. You wanted rest and you couldn't catch a nap for another six hours when your duty was over. Instead, you are trying to read your novel, not that Loki was making that easy to do. 

"Release me from this cage, you mewling quim," Loki yelled as he banged his fist against the glass wall. This wasn't the first insult he'd thrown at you since you'd come down to watch over him, but it was the least creative.

You couldn't help the chuckle that escaped as you responded, "Seems the mischievous god has run out of creativity. Natasha told me you called her that. Here I thought you of all people would have no need to reuse your insults."

The glower on his face made you smirk despite your high irritation with his endless attempts to get under your skin. As he turned away to head for the cot on the opposite side of his cell, you heard him mutter, "Kjerring..."

Oh, no he did not.

You laughed, bending over at the force of doing so. He'd caught you off guard by calling you an old hag in the native tongue. Before you could consider if this bit of knowledge would be beneficial or harmful, you uttered, "Kronidiot, jeg kan forstå deg." King of all idiots, I can understand you.

Loki spun around, looking at you startled. "You are of Asgard."

"Indeed I am," you smiled.

"Then you of all people should be releasing me. I am your prince, I command you to release me!"

"I do not see a prince in front of me, I see a child."

"How dare," you watched as Loki began to spew more and more insults at you, winding himself up all over again. You'd had enough of it. You were exhausted, your body ached, and if he spoke one more loud word, your head might explode. 

"Enough," you commanded, silencing Loki who was still ranting.  "Cease your temper tantrum and be done with it.  You give me a headache."

You watched the god bristle, but his eyes lit up.  That was all it took to confirm your theory. 

"Your Hulk gave me a headache, it seems fitting to return the favor, even if it is not to the beast himself," he replied. 

"You do not wish to return the favor, you crave attention."

Your claim made Loki pause.  You could see his full body stiffen at the statement before he began to pace while attempting an air of indifference that you could see straight through.  "I know not what you mean.  It is my every desire to make you all suffer."

"It is not," you countered.  "It is your desire to be seen, to have attention.  I have spoken with Thor, I have heard part of your story," you were cut off by Loki's insistence that you know nothing of him.  "Stop," you said softly, but sternly, not really surprised when he listened.  "I will join you in your cell and give you what you seek, but your behavior must cease.  You will listen or you will not receive what you crave."

You watched Loki internally debate with himself before he stepped away from the glass wall with a single nod.  Giving the god a stern look, you entered his cell, closing and locking it behind you just in case you were wrong. 

You weren't.

Six hours later, Thor came into view of the glass wall, a look of shock on his face.  You sat in the corner of the cot, your novel in your left hand, read aloud to Loki who was laid back on the cot with his head in your lap, your right hand running through his curly, onix hair as he silently stared up at you.  

"Lady Agent," Thor called out to you.  You could never get him to use your actual name for some reason despite him using the other Avengers' names.  "has he used his silver tongue to entrap you inside?"

"Not at all," you responded with a small smile.  "We're just enjoying a good, classic novel."

"My lady has been telling me the story of Wuthering Heights," Loki adds, his voice soft and relaxed.

"And you've been so good the whole time," you praised as you smiled down at the god in your lap, making him practically preen and light up.  Thor watches from the other side still, completely perplexed at how you were able to cause such a drastic change in Loki that he's unsure if he should relieve you from your guard duty or not.  In the end, he decides to just take up post on the opposite side of the room and observe as you continue to shower his adopted brother with gentle scratches through his hair and your soft voice reciting the words of one of your favorite classics.

[the-iceni-bitch]

53, 65, 100 w/ Nomad Steve?

53) “Is that a tattoo?”

65) “Pull my hair!”

100) “Call me selfish, but I don’t ever want anyone else to touch you.”

Ahh, nomad!Steve with a tattoo kink and a bit of a possessive streak? With hair pulling?

Nonnie, it’s like you came up with this to torment me specifically.

Smutty smut, no minors!!

You groaned as you tried to take off your shirt, your ribs creaking and a jolt of pain shooting up your side where Sam has caught you.

This almost never happened. You were faster than Wilson, and prided yourself on your ability to dodge every strike he tried to land and turn him into a frustrated mess. You thought you could handle him and Nat at the same time but she was so fucking sneaky that her slap caught you off guard and gave Sam the chance to land a solid kick to your midsection that had sent you flying across the mat.

You could still hear him apologizing as you winced, chewing your lip as you tried to assess whether anything was broken.

“Hey Y/N... what the fuck happened to you?”

“Rogers, perfect! I can’t get out of my shirt.” You said, turning to the giant and flapping your useless arm at him as he looked at you with concern.

“Ok, what do you want me to do exactly?” He said, cocking an eyebrow at you as he watched you struggling.

“Just... just fucking rip it off.” You huffed. “I can’t move my arm.”

He grunted as he stepped forward and gripped your shirt in his hands and shredded it easily, smirking at you as you let out a relieved sigh.

“Oh god, that’s it.” You moaned, rolling your shoulder and pressing your palm to your side as you started moving to the freezer to grab an ice pack.

“Wilson finally manage to land a hit?” He asked as he gazed at you, shaking his head when you hissed at the sensation of the ice on your ribs.

“Yeah, but only because Romanoff fights dirty.” You scowled, sinking onto the bench and lying down as you did your best to take deep breaths.

“Yeah, I could’ve told you that.” He said as he sat next to you. “Is that a tattoo?”

“What?” You said before realizing he’d never seen you with this little clothing on before. “Uh, yeah it’s a tattoo.”

“It’s beautiful.” He muttered, his hand reaching out hesitantly as if he wanted to run his fingers over the skin below your breasts but stopped himself at the last second. “What is it?”

“It’s a rosemaling.” You muttered, watching him closely as his eyes raked over the intricate pattern. “Norwegian folk art.”

“Can I see the rest of it?” He asked, his eyes dark as he gazed at you, his fingers still itching to reach for your chest.

“Steve, I’d have to take my bra off.” You mumbled as you chewed on your lip.

You’d never seen him like this. Sure, you’d joked with each other and flirted with no real intention before but this heavy exchange was different. Your breath was coming in shallow little pants and you could feel arousal soaking your panties as he scooted closer to you on the bench.

“That’s fine.” He grumbled, his gaze still tracing the path of the ink where it disappeared below the fabric.

He reached out and tugged at the zipper at the front of your bra, his eyes moving to yours as he drew it down slowly, inspecting you closely for any sign of hesitation or discomfort. You just bit your bottom lip and dropped the ice pack to the floor, your injury completely forgotten as he freed your breasts.

“Jesus Christ.” He hissed, running his thumb over the swirls of ink that ran between and under your breasts, tracing the swell of your tits and making you throb with need as you arched into his hand and let out a moan. “How long did this take?”

“Five hours.” You murmured, trying to focus on his questions as the sensation of his fingers on your skin overwhelmed you.

“God, that’s amazing.” He growled before pulling you into his lap and nuzzling himself into your skin.

You gasped as his tongue flicked out to run over the tattoo, the flat of his tongue tracing the curve of your breast as he followed the pattern over your chest. He groaned as he felt the slightly raised ridges of ink against his lips, his mouth insistent against your breasts as he worshipped the art of your skin.

His arms wrapped around you, pressing you into his face as he worked you over. You tangled your fingers in his hair as his beard scratched at you and he trailed over your ink with his lips and tongue. You cried out when he suddenly laved his tongue over your nipple before sucking it between his lips and making you clench around nothing.

“Fuck, Steve! I’m gonna come!” You whined as he moved to your other nipple and repeated the same process.

His only answer was to growl against your chest and press you into his lap as you swallowed a scream, your grip on his hair growing painful as your pussy fluttered wildly and your whole body shook. He held you tightly as you came down, panting against your chest.

“You have any other ink, sweetheart?” He purred as he finally felt you relax, your breath returning to a regular rhythm while you sank into his lap and he started to press soft kisses up your chest until he was mouthing at your throat.

“Yeah.” You grinned as his teeth scraped over your jaw. “Why? You wanna see?”

“Don’t fucking tease me gorgeous.” He growled. “Where is it?”

“Right leg.” You whimpered as he pressed you against his growing erection.

He moved to cover your mouth with his as he tore your leggings off you, his tongue curling against yours in slow smooth strokes as he laid you down on the bench and ground against you. He pulled away to sit up over you, leaving you breathless and needy as he gazed at your thigh.

His breath hitched as he took in the delicate pattern of vines and flowers that covered your entire leg, disappearing under the fabric of you panties as it moved up your hip. He ripped your panties off and traced over the ink lightly with his fingertips as he ran his tongue over his lower lip.

“Beautiful.” He whispered, taking a beat to gaze at you, your spine twisted to the side as you stared up at him.

You gasped as he ran his hand over the back of your thigh, teasing his thumb over your glistening pussy where it was peeking out from between your legs.

He let out a feral growl and then ripped off his clothes in a frenzy. Your mouth started watering when you got a look at his cock, thick and veiny and you weren’t totally sure you could take all of him but damn if you weren’t gonna give it a try.

He hooked his hand under your knee and spread your legs apart, using his other hand to tease his tip against your puffy lips. You let out an obscene moan as he pushed into you, arching your back even more as he slid his tip into your warm cavern.

“Shit, Steve, keep going!” You whined as he kept pulling you down on his length, your pussy fluttering wildly around his length as he stretched you open, a slight sting accompanying the immensely full feeling af being stuffed to the brim.

He hissed through his teeth when his hips met yours and you started mewling and whimpering like an idiot as you adjusted to him.

“Jesus Christ, you’re so fucking tight.” He muttered, pulling out of you halfway before sliding back in again at a deliciously slow pace.

He pulled out of you again but this time snapped his hips forward viciously, making you scream. His hands kept running over the tattoo on your thigh as he fucked you, his gaze trained on the tattoo under your breasts as your tits bounced with each thrust of his hips. You whined when he hooked your knee over his shoulder, spreading you open even further as he bent over you and ground his pubic bone against your clit.

“Oh fuck, Steve!” You cried as he did the same thing and you started clenching around him with each push of his hips. “Pull my hair! I’m so fucking close!”

He bent over you and pressed his face to yours, his lips tugging at yours insistently until you opened up to him. His hand gripped the hair at the back of your skull and wrenched your head back as he shoved his tongue down your throat.

“Do it. I wanna feel you come all over my cock.” He murmured against your lips as you sobbed with pleasure.

You shrieked as your entire body went rigid before vibrating around his cock as you squirted all over his abs and your eyes rolled back in your skull.

“Shit.” He growled as he buried his face in your neck, his cock throbbing inside you before he filled you with thick white ropes of his cum, fucking it into you with a series of staggered thrusts as the two of you collapsed against the bench.

“So,” you panted as he smothered you under his body weight. “You like tattoos?”

“Love tattoos.” He murmured, pressing his lips to the hollow behind your ear before sitting up and giving you a sloppy grin.

“Maybe I’ll let you watch when I get my next one.” You sighed as he pulled out of you, aftershocks still coursing through your body.

“That may not be the best idea.” He chuckled darkly as he went to grab a towel, biting his lip when he got a view of his cum leaking out of your swollen pussy. “Call me selfish, but I don’t ever want anyone else to touch you.”

You rolled your eyes at him, catching the towel he tossed you in mid-air and running it over the inside of your thighs.

“Well, unless you’re gonna give me the tattoo Rogers, I don’t really see how that’s gonna be possible.” Your ribs were starting to ache again, making you wince.

He didn’t have a chance to respond before Nat came strolling into the locker room like nothing was happening, laughing lightly as Steve dove behind the line of lockers and let out a steady stream of curses.

“Goddamn it Romanoff!” He swore at her while you rolled your eyes and tossed his sweats over the lockers to him. “Ever heard of knocking?”

“Ever heard of not fucking in the shared locker room?” She said with a shrug as you wrapped a towel around yourself and gave her an apologetic shrug. “Hey Wilson! They’re finished, you can finally pee!”

——————————————————————————

A/N: Welp, this has officially killed me. I’m gonna go shower now and cool down. 🥵🥵🥵🥵

[mrsalwayswrite]

To Call Forth Love - Chapter 10

I’m sorry its taken me so long to update. I haven't had much time to write lately due to....well, life. But here we are and its long, so hopefully that makes up for the length. 

Side note- the Norwegian used is from Google translate so....

Warnings: swearing, mild sexual content, Lothbrok family dynamics (yes, its a warning), threats of violence

Words: 15,700 (yep, my longest chapter yet. I packed ALOT into this beast)

Tag List: @youbloodymadgenius @evelynshelby @pomegranates-and-blood @heavenly1927 @zuxiezendler @punkrocknpearls @love-all-things-writing @southernbe @ecarroll1978 @breezykpop @deans-ch-ch-cherrypie​

Series Masterlist

"Where are we going? I thought we were going to your flat?" 

 Gyda slyly smiled at Kari, sitting in the passenger seat of her bright yellow Porsche. "Change of plans."

 Kari stared at her friend. "I'm scared to ask."

 "Torvi asked for female reinforcement. So, we are going to keep her company."

 "Ok…. But where is that?" 

 "At the brothers' house." The blonde answered nonchalantly as she made a quick right-hand turn. "It's tradition. Kind of a last family summer party before it's too cold to swim anymore. They have a pool in their backyard."

 Kari felt her stomach drop. Ivar had told her he lived with his three other brothers. Gyda had her own flat while Bjorn and Torvi owned a house nearby. Whenever she tried to ask Ivar about his home, he would shrug off the question or ignore it completely. Eventually she just stopped asking. Curiosity certainly reared its head when she wondered what his home was like. For how much money meant nothing to him, she guessed it was massive and expensive. Maybe he knew she would not fit in and that was why he never brought her? Even through his speeches of wanting her to be his girlfriend, he knew she would not fit into his lifestyle. Why else would he keep her away? It was a valid truth that she had come to terms with. Even if she found herself secretly desperate to ease into his life, she never would. 

 "Of course, they do…." Kari rolled her eyes at the notion that obviously, there was a pool in their backyard. It fit the stereotype in her mind. Then she thought about what Gyda just said. "Wait. Do you have a swimsuit with you?"

 Gyda raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow at her while keeping her eyes on the road. "Don't worry, I've got you covered. Torvi brought an extra of hers for you."

 "You had this planned, didn't you? We never were going to your flat, were we?"

 "I don't kiss and tell."

 "Yes, you do. There was that guy you hooked up with two weeks ago that kept sending you dick pics after."

 "That guy was way too proud of his dick. I mean it wasn't even that big."

 "I don't want to hear this again." Kari groaned, tugging on her diamond earring. She enjoyed Gyda but she had learned far more about the woman's sex life than she had any desire to know. 

 "Okay, fine. And yes, Torvi and I planned this. Ivar doesn't know you're coming."

 "Why?"

 Gyda smirked. "Because he's been so secretive and only Hvitserk has seen you two together. Besides, the rest of the brothers want to meet you. We may be at each other's throats most of the time but we do care for one another."

 The brunette let her friend's words sink in. Hvitserk had mentioned the others wanting to meet her, but she had not fully believed it. Sure, she wanted to meet them and was curious after hearing Ivar talk about them, but why would they be interested in her? She glanced down at her clothes, the capri leggings and tank top that were practically a signature look for her. For once, she wished she dressed nicer regularly. "I wish you had said something before."

 "You wouldn't have come then. You'd have created some excuse why you couldn't come." Gyda pointed out the obviously painful truth without remorse. 

 Kari slouched in the passenger seat, butterflies doing somersaults in her belly. Slowly, she pulled her ponytail down, letting her hair hang loose past her shoulders, running her hand through it absent-mindedly in hopes it looked decent. 

 At a red light, Gyda looked over at her with a bright smile. "It'll be fun." 

 "I don't know…. isn’t it supposed to be just family?"

 "Ubbe sometimes brings his girlfriend but yeah, it's usually just family."

 There was another long silence before Kari spoke again, unable to fully conceal her nerves. "You should drop me off and just go. I don't want to intrude."

 "You're not. I'm bringing you because there is always way too much testosterone." Gyda groaned, then reached over and swatted Kari's leg. "What are you so worried about?"

 "What if they don't like me?" She whispered. The weight of her confession hung over her like a dark cloud. 

 "What?"

 She kept her gaze out the window. "The…. the others. What if they don't like me?"

 Gyda laughed. "Kari, don't worry. They will love you. I promise. And if they say anything fucking stupid, I'll slap them or Ivar will stab them. See? Simple."

 A smile grew on Kari's face. "That shouldn't make me feel better…. but for some reason it does." Maybe she had already spent too much time with various Lothbroks if the idea of people resorting to violence made her feel better. 

 "You aren't alone, if anything we'll steal Torvi and Asa away and have a girls' party."

 "Asa? That's her daughter, right?"

 "Right, and Hali is her son. I swear that boy is going to be a miniature version of Bjorn."

 "I've never been around kids much." 

 Gyda chuckled, waving a hand dismissively. "They are great, Asa is a sweetie who prefers to cuddle in someone's lap. It's Hali who is a bit wild but all his uncles love to play with him. He'll probably be swimming in the pool the whole time anyway."

 Still staring out the window, Kari thought about everything Gyda had said. Of course, she was still nervous about just showing up to a family event unannounced, even if she was sort of being kidnapped by Gyda. Some of her nerves faded away with the knowledge that Gyda and Torvi both wanted her there. She really would not be alone. She had friends. She had people that wanted to spend time with her. Hopefully Ivar would be pleased to see her. His potential reaction was the only real wrinkle in her fluctuating confidence. 

 "Okay. I can do this." She said aloud, wondering if she was trying to fully convince herself. 

 "Good, cause we're almost there."

 Kari stared out the window as they approached a gated community. Gyda showed her ID to a guard who chatted with her like they were old friends. As the yellow Porsche drove by the houses in the community, Kari just stared in awe. She had seen houses, mansions was a better term, like these before but it always amazed her that people lived in them. What did they do with all that space? All of the homes were set back from the road so Kari only caught glimpses of them but it was enough to remind her how out of her element she was. 

 Finally, they pulled up a long driveway to a massive two-story house. It was white with an insane number of windows, and a huge garage attached on the left side. On the right side looked like an expansive addition that made Kari wonder why they needed more space. The roof was made of some slate gray tiles, with a balcony above the front door and ivy draping elegantly over the corners. There were various sized potted plants and shrubbery around the front of the house and leading down the sides. Several European beech trees were strategically placed in the front yard to block most of the view from the road in an attempt at privacy. Whoever the grounds keeper was, for surely they had one, needed a raise. 

 Kari could only gape for a long moment, unable to move as she took in the immaculate, beautiful house. To think this was where Ivar lived and he always came over to her tiny townhouse. It was a struggle to tamper down the post embarrassment. 

 Gyda started talking as she parked in front of the house. The only other vehicle in sight was a silver four-door Audi, that Kari recognized as Torvi's. "Aslaug chose the house for them. When she isn't traveling for work or staying at their family home in Norway, this is where she stays. So, she insisted on this place. Something about the natural sunlight and old aesthetic blending with the new vibe. Or some other shit. I can't remember."

 "Huh." Kari said as she followed the blonde out of the car. She noticed there was no mention of the father, Ragnar, and wondered where he stayed but knew it was none of her business so she kept her question to herself. Maybe Ivar would explain it to her. 

 Gyda opened the solid, wood front door, waltzing in like she had done this a million times. Kari took two steps in and froze. The vaulted ceiling in the foyer was enough to stare at but it was the large chandelier that caused her to stare. The way it caught the afternoon light through the many windows and gently cast it about was truly gorgeous. This view was worth owning the house for itself, in her opinion. 

 A tugging on her arm made Kari squeak as she found herself suddenly being dragged along like a ragdoll. 

 "You can stare later, Torvi is waiting for us." Gyda stated, a large purse over her shoulder and her heeled boots clicking on the shiny, wood floor with each step. 

 Kari caught glimpses of other rooms as they passed down the long, straight hallway. A living room with a TV that took up most of the wall it was on. A kitchen that would make any celebrity chef drool. Pictures and awards displayed along the walls in the hallway that were obviously put up by their mother.  

 The two finally stepped out into a room with glass walls, where the pool and expansive backyard lay before them. Most likely what used to be a porch before being enclosed. Still being pulled along, Kari followed Gyda through a side door onto the stamped concrete that surrounded the pool and lounge area. A pool in a rectangle shape dominated the area, a diving board on the far end. A quick glance around showed a jacuzzi on the other side, closer to the house, the water bubbling like a cauldron. There was a large grill, several short tables and lounge chairs spread over the stamped concrete. At the far end was an adult size statue of the Buddha with two flowering pots on either side of him and some kind of cheap, plastic crown on his head. 

 The backyard was several acres wide and at least that many in length. Trees and large shrubs blocked the views of the neighbor's properties and made the place feel almost like a hidden oasis. Further down in a corner was a lovely gazebo with a cobbled stone path leading to it and gardens decorating the way. 

 "Gyda! What took you so long?!" A distinctly male voice called out. 

 "I had to pick up a package." She called back, pulling Kari into full view of the others. 

 The brunette gave a small, self-conscious smile at the many pairs of eyes that she could feel land on her. Before she could really get a good look at who was around, a shout of her name startled her. 

 "Kari!" Hvitserk jumped up from his lounge chair, wearing only dark green swim trunks, and walked over to her with a beaming smile. 

 "Hey…. OH!" She started to greet him only to be swallowed into a hug and spun in a circle. Unable to deny him, she hugged him back and laughed. It was funny since last time she saw him, he was in business attire, coming to check on her per Ivar's instructions. Now she could not help but notice his toned body. His form reminded her more of a runner, while she was used to seeing Ivar's muscular torso. A couple tattoos on Hvitserk caught her eye and she wondered if all the brothers had them. 

 When he finally set her back on her feet, he kept his hands on her shoulders, green eyes twinkling with a mischievous glint. "I didn't know you were coming here."

 "Yeah, I didn't know either until Gyda told me on the way."

 He chuckled, glancing over her head to his half-sister. "Yeah, not surprising."

 "Uh huh. Watch yourself, boy. I could still beat your ass if I wanted too." Gyda quipped. 

 "Maybe fifteen years ago. You don't have a chance now."

 "Keep telling yourself that, Hvitty." She teased, then yelled at Torvi. "You got it?"

 As soon as Kari was released by Hvitserk, she could sense a pair of sharp, blue eyes boring into her. Skin prickling under the sensation, she hesitantly looked up and immediately met Ivar's intense gaze right away, as if subconsciously her mind already knew where he was without having to search for him. 

 Reclined back on a cushioned, lounge beach chair, he wore loose black sweatpants, instead of swim trunks, under his leg braces, but without a shirt. His tattoos were a stark contrast on his skin and shamelessly on full display. Her fingers twitched with the urge to trace them again. It was his penetrating gaze though, the lack of emotion on his handsome face, that made her wonder if being here was a bad idea. 

 Before she could make a run for it, Gyda grabbed her arm as if sensing her desire to flee. "C'mon, let's get changed."

 With one last glance at Ivar, she followed behind Gyda and Torvi, who had joined them, back into the massive house. They headed to the kitchen and Gyda pointed out a bathroom across the way. 

 Placing the beach bag on the kitchen counter, Torvi dug in it for a moment before murmuring a quiet "here it is" and handed Kari something. "Here. I bought this forever ago but never wore it. Bjorn said he didn't like the colors."

 Kari took it, guessing it was the promised swimsuit, and peeked down at the two pieces of clothing in her hands. "Um…. where’s the rest of it?"

 Laughing, Gyda rolled her eyes. "Get in there and change or I'll do it for you."

 With a concerned look between the swimsuit in her hands and the two blondes staring at her expectantly, Kari finally conceded defeat and stepped into the bathroom. It was only a half bath, with a toilet and sink, but it was still roomy and felt fancy somehow. The mirror above the sink was large and there was a small, pretty flowering plant on the counter that upon inspection, turned out to be real. 

 Quickly, she changed out of her leggings and tank top and into the swimsuit, figuring it was best that way, like ripping off a band-aid. Plus, if she stopped moving, her nerves would get the better of her and she would somehow find a way to sneak home. Even if she had to crawl through a window. A smile grew on her face remembering Hvitserk's enthusiasm to see her. That had honestly surprised her but she found she did not mind. Hvitserk seemed like a good guy and the little bit of time they had spent together, she felt comfortable with him. He was funny and caring. 

 Then Ivar's blank face came to mind and all of her excitement slipped away like water down a drain. There had been no acknowledgement, not even the hint of a smile, only a hard stare that made her anxious and self-conscious.  

 Taking a deep breath, she tried to remind herself what Gyda said. At least the two Lothbrok women wanted her here, and apparently Hvitserk was happy to see her. That was what she needed to focus on and not Ivar's reaction.

 Once done changing, she finally took stock of what Torvi had leant her and gasped.  

 "Oh no. No, no, no. Hell no."

 She stared down at the wide-band bikini. The top and bottom both had alternating white and light pink stripes, strangely reminding her of cotton candy. The design was certainly something she would never pick out for herself but she did not hate it. The real problem was the way half her ass cheeks hung out of the bottoms and more of her breasts saw the light of day than they ever had before. Never had she been so exposed. Even swimsuits she bought in the past were never this revealing. Her gaze immediately zeroed in on her fuller hips and thighs, fully exposed. Faint whispers that sounded like her mother's taunts echoed in the recesses of her mind as she stared at herself. There was no way she could go out in this. She would rather wear her leggings and tank top than have anyone see her wearing this. They would all laugh at her. 

 "Kari? You done yet?" Torvi called through the door. 

 "I'm…. I’m not coming out in this!" 

 "Let us see it first!" Gyda shot back. 

 "But…." Kari tried once again, unsuccessfully, to tuck her breasts into the bikini top. "It's padded!" 

 "Open this door, Kari." Gyda demanded, suddenly sounding closer. 

 She took one more look at herself, feeling the embarrassed tears welling in her eyes. With a deep breath, knowing she could not escape Gyda just yet, she opened the door. Immediately her blue-green eyes scanned to make sure it was only Gyda and Torvi in the kitchen before she further opened the door so they could see. 

 "Shit, Kari, you look great." Gyda said after giving a wolf whistle. 

 "Half of my butt is hanging out and most of my boobs. I can't wear this out there." She said, almost panicking now. 

 "No, they aren't, you're overexaggerating."

 "Kari," Torvi said kindly, drawing the brunette's frenzied attention, "you're more curvy than I am and let's be honest, your ass and tits are bigger than mine. I'd kill to have a body like yours. You look beautiful. But if you're uncomfortable, I think I have a cover you can wear over it."

 "Please." She replied softly, hating how she sounded like a fearful child.  

 Torvi smiled at her. "I'll be right back."

 Swiftly, Kari stepped back into the bathroom before Gyda could say anything. Her nerves felt alight and not in a good way. Grabbing her phone, she scrolled through her Pinterest, anything to distract herself from this nightmare. If it was just Gyda and Torvi seeing her in this, she might have been uncomfortable but she could tolerate it. Even with Ivar she might have shied away some but he always made her feel so desirable that she doubted her nerves would have lasted long. It was the thought of prancing around in this in front of the other brothers, men she had never met, that made her stomach twist into knots and her breathing quicken painfully. 

 Finally, a gentle knock on the door and a quiet, "It's me," had Kari open it to take the cover from Torvi. It was a solid white oversized V-neck cover with a simple pattern around the neckline. Without wasting a moment, she slipped it on over the bikini, immediately feeling better. The hem of the cover touched the tops of her thighs, higher than she would have liked, but it was better than before. 

 She looked up, running her hands over the cover. "Thank you." 

 Torvi smiled softly with understanding. "I understand. I don't wear swimsuits that show my stomach anymore. Stretch marks." She shrugged casually, moving back to slip onto an island stool. 

 Kari trailed behind her with her bundle of clothes and purse. Without a word, Gyda slipped into the bathroom to change, leaving the other two waiting for her. It was now that Kari really took note of Torvi's swimsuit; it was a classy black and white one piece with thin crisscross straps across the back. The blonde could easily wear a bikini and look amazing in it, but it made Kari feel marginally better that she was not the only one self-conscious about her body. Perhaps that was why Torvi shared about her stretch marks?

 "Is it…." Kari started then stopped, leaning against the black marble countertop. Surveying the grand kitchen for a second, hoping to gather her thoughts, she took a deep breath before continuing. "Is it okay that I'm here? Gyda said this is a family event and I don't want to intrude."

 Torvi turned to face her fully, green eyes gazing at her before she shrugged again. "Normally we try to keep it just family, Ubbe sometimes brings Margrethe, but I doubt anyone will be upset you're here. Honestly, the brothers keep asking about you, so now maybe they will finally shut up and stop teasing Ivar."

 Kari fiddled with the hem of the swimsuit cover. "He didn't seem happy to see me."

 "Ivar?" At Kari's nod, Torvi snorted. "I don't think it's you he's upset with. He's a very private person, as I'm sure you know. If I took a guess, I'd say he was keeping you hidden."

 "But why?"

 "Look, I've known the Lothbroks for about ten years and during that time, I've seen Ivar go through some ups and downs…. well, as much as he lets anyone see. I mostly heard it from Bjorn. Point is, he's allowing you into his inner circle. Hell, you're probably at the center of his inner circle. I saw how he acted with you at the yoga studio. You mean something to him. It's no secret he wants you to be his girlfriend. Maybe he is worried that you'll meet his family and decide we're too much or that you find one of his brothers more attractive or easier to deal with? He pretends to be super confident but it wouldn't be the first time that a woman chose one of the others over him."

 Every time Kari heard that, her heart broke once again for Ivar. How many times had he been overlooked because of his legs? Or his harsh demeanor? Something that she was beginning to realize was just to protect himself, to keep others at arm's length. It made her want to hug him and never let him go, to remind him he was more than just his disability. That he was worth being cared about by more than just family. 

 Kari must have been lost in her thoughts for longer than she realized. Suddenly she was drawn out of her inner musings by Gyda coming out of the bathroom, having changed into a plant print cutout tankini. Of course, looking like she just stepped out of a magazine cover. There had to be something in the Lothbrok blood for everyone to be this damn attractive. 

 "Are we ready?" She asked, her large bag in hand, presumably with her clothes in it. "Kari, you can put your stuff in here for now."

 Torvi touched Kari's shoulder. "Don't worry. If anything, you are here to keep me and Gyda company, okay?"

 Kari smiled, finding herself reassured and grateful for the two women. "Thanks." She slipped her clothes and shoes into Gyda's bottomless bag. They stashed their bags in the glass room and then headed back out into the backyard. 

 Soon as they stepped out, a little girl came running over. Torvi swept her up into her arms gracefully. She turned to Kari with the little blonde girl on her hip. "This is Asa. How old are you, Asa?"

 The little girl stared at her mom before shyly tucking her face into the crook of Torvi's neck, while her blue eyes stayed on Kari. After a moment, she held up two fingers. 

 "You're two?" Kari asked. When the little girl shyly nodded, Kari's smile widened. "I wish I was that old. It's nice to meet you, Asa. I'm Kari."

 Torvi pressed a quick kiss to the top of her daughter's head. "Did daddy let you play in the pool yet?"

 Asa shook her head. 

 "Alright, let's go kick his butt. He did promise, didn't he?"

 That made the little girl giggle and Kari could feel her heart melting slightly. She was just too cute and most likely spoiled by all her uncles. Even her swimsuit was a purple halter top and green bottom with a little skirt that was very The Little Mermaid-esque.  

 A happy scream followed by a splash drew Kari's gaze to the pool. A young boy resurfaced laughing loudly. Bjorn, she recognized, was in the pool also, but turned to look up at Torvi as she approached with Asa on her hip. 

 "Let's go sit down." Gyda slipped her arm through Kari's and pulled her along to where there was a grouping of lounge chairs. Ivar, Hvitserk and a curly-haired blond reclined with beers in hand. 

 Kari could feel Ivar's gaze tracing over her form as she approached, like fingers trailing over her skin leaving a fire in its wake. She sneaked a peek at him, only to find his ardent gaze on her. She blushed and kept her eyes downward. At least he did not look impassive anymore, but she still felt hesitant. 

 "Hey boys. What are we drinking this time?" Gyda questioned. 

 Hvitserk turned the beer bottle to show the label. 

 "Ew. I don't why you drink that shit. I'm going to get some wine. Kari, you want some?"

 "Ah, sure." She murmured.

 "Good. You boys be nice to my friend, especially you Ivar." With that Gyda walked back towards the house but not before giving Kari a subtle wink.

 "Take a seat, Kari." Hvitserk gestured to an open chair next to him. 

 For a split second she considered slinking into the seat, anything for the attention to be taken off her, but realized that was not what she actually wanted. It had been two days since she had seen Ivar and the last time they hung out, it was when he returned from his trip to Italy. He had picked her up the next day to take her out to eat but he ended up spending the majority of the time on his phone, yelling into it in a foreign language and seeming on the verge of throwing his phone or punching a wall. She ended up ordering take-out for them that they ate at her townhouse but he was too wired to really relax and left soon after. The next two days he had been busy with work so they could only text. The one time they managed to Face-Time, she could not help but notice his bruised knuckles and when she asked him about them, he said he did some boxing to release stress. 

 With butterflies doing somersaults in her belly, she took a step closer to stand near Ivar's lounge chair. Tugging on the hem of her cover as she quietly spoke. "Hey, Ivar. Can I sit with you?"

 "Oh, you're acknowledging me now?" He snapped, never removing his severe blue eyes off of her.  

 She blinked owlishly, surprised by his sharp tone. Her stomach dropped to her feet and she could feel an embarrassed flush rising on her cheeks. "Yeah, I'm sorry." She whispered, dropping her chin, unable to meet his eyes anymore. This was all a mistake, she knew it. This only sealed her poor decision. 

 Shifting to look back at the house, she wondered if she should find Gyda and beg to drive her back home, or if she should find the closest bus stop. Before she could take a step away, a calloused hand snatched hers in a firm grip. Startled, she looked down to see Ivar holding her hand. Her eyes jumped up to stare at him in shock, confused by his conflicting actions. In those vivid, expressive eyes she could easily read the regret in them. Without her conscious decision, her heart softened. 

 "Sit." He said quietly, what most likely meant to come out commanding but sounded more as a plea. She nodded and allowed him to guide her onto the wide lounge chair next to him. 

 A furious blush warmed her cheeks when Ivar wrapped an arm around her waist, tucking her into his side and pressing a quick kiss to her temple. What she assumed was his nonverbal apology. 

 "Hey, this is Sigurd." Hvitserk said, gesturing to the unknown blond sitting with them. "I don't think you've met him yet. Ubbe had to take a call, so you'll meet him later."

 "Hi, it's nice to meet you." She said, looking at the other Lothbrok. He had light blond, curly hair in frazzled braids and brown eyes. At first glance she would not have guessed he was one of the brothers, but she figured genetics were always weird. He had a lean body similar to Hvitserk with a tribal tattoo sleeve and a Thor's hammer necklace laying on his bare chest like the other brothers wore.

 He silently raised his beer bottle at her, still stretched out in his chair like a lazy cat in the sun. 

 Thoughtfully she peered up at Ivar, keeping her voice low. "I'm sorry, I didn't know Gyda was bringing me here otherwise I'd have told you. She literally didn't tell me until we were pulling up."

 "It's fine." He murmured evenly, but Kari got the feeling that was not how he truly felt. 

 "Do….do you want me to leave?"

 He sighed, his grip around her tightening for a moment, before he seemed to relax. "No. I'm glad you're here. It won't be boring…." a wolfish grin grew as he slid his hand up her exposed thigh sensually, ".... especially if you take off this cover and let me see what's underneath." 

 "No!" She squeaked, grabbing his roving hand before it could migrate further. 

 He chuckled. "Come on, kitten…. just a peek?"

 "Ivar, no."

 "Why not?"

 "Its…. it’s scandalous."

 Hvitserk raised his hand, a devious smirk on his face. "I want to see."

 She covered her face with her hands, embarrassment flooding her. "Oh gods, this was such a bad idea." Then she had to rapidly grasp Ivar's hand as it slipped under the swimsuit cover to caress her hip and trace her bikini bottom. "Ivar…."

 "Fine." He slipped his hand back out but splayed it over her exposed thigh. "You can show me later."

 Thankfully, Gyda reappeared with a glass of white wine in each hand and another blond male in tow who carried the wine bottle. He had short, cropped hair and a muscular body that spoke of many hours in the gym. Kari wondered if this was the brother that Ivar regularly worked out with. 

 "Why are you sitting with Ivar? I brought you here! I'm even bringing you wine!" Gyda teased, handing a glass to Kari. 

 "You also dragged me here unknowingly. Wine is the least you could do." Kari said without thinking, making the others laugh. 

 "You know damn well you're happy to be here." Gyda winked then took the open lounge chair next to her. "Right, I'm guessing you've been introduced to Sigurd." She flicked a hand in the curly-haired Lothbrok's direction followed by vaguely gesturing to the last unknown brother. "Now this pain in my ass, over here, is Ubbe. Ubbe, this is Kari."

 Sitting between Hvitserk and Gyda, Ubbe rolled his blue eyes but leaned forward to shake Kari's hand. "It's nice to finally meet you."

 "Yeah, likewise."

 Ubbe sat back with an impish glint in his eyes. "So, you're Ivar's girl?"

 "Um…. we’re just..." She started, unsure what to say to his family. 

 Ivar broke in, his single word answer almost coming out in a growl. "Yes."

 She whipped her head to look at him, only for him to stare her down as if waiting to see if she could refute his claim. Logically, she knew she should say something, argue that they were only friends. Yet any rebuttal died on her tongue under his fierce gaze. Instead she chose to sip on her wine generously.  

 "Right." Ubbe finally said, watching the two with an amused look. 

 Sigurd scoffed loudly before taking a swig of his beer. 

 "Something you want to say, Sig?" Ivar turned narrowed eyes at his brother.

 The curly-haired brother smirked, seeming to debate saying anything. Finally, he sat up and his gaze zeroed in on Kari. "How much does he pay you to fuck him?"

 The reaction from those around was instantaneous. Next to her, Ivar tensed, ready to spring up and fight his brother. A sharp reprimand of "Sigurd!" came from both Gyda and Ubbe while Hvitserk pinched the bridge of his nose. 

 Something rose up inside Kari though. She understood enough to know about the animosity between Sigurd and Ivar. His comment felt more like a cruel jab at Ivar than her. She was just the pathway to try and cause torment between the brothers. But if no one else was going to stand up and defend the dark-haired Lothbrok, she would. 

 So instead of taking his words personally, she just smiled sweetly at Sigurd, placing a hand on Ivar's thigh as she responded. "He doesn't. I'm happy to do it for free. Besides, he has something you never will."

 "And what's that?"

 "A cock big enough to pleasure someone….is that why you go through girlfriends so quickly?"

 The rising tension evaporated in a flash. Gyda snorted so hard she almost dropped her wine glass. Hvitserk threw his head back laughing while Ubbe tried to cover his smile with his hand. Kari was sure her eyes were comically wide as what she said without thinking sunk in. Her face flushed and she pressed her face against Ivar's shoulder. Sure, she had meant to defend Ivar but she had not meant to be so crass. The statement seemed to fly out of her mouth before her brain could catch up. 

 Next to her, Ivar laughed as he nuzzled her. She squirmed under his onslaught but also at realizing she just insulted one of Ivar's brothers. Even if it was the one he liked least of all. For a fleeting moment, the idea she had just made herself an enemy crossed her mind. 

 When she sneaked a peek, Sigurd quickly drained the rest of his beer and walked away murmuring something about getting another one. 

 "I think you'll fit in, Kari." Ubbe stated, still trying unsuccessfully to hide his amusement. 

 Kari was unsure of that. She quickly took a large sip of the wine to settle her fraying nerves. What had she been thinking? It hurt to hear Ivar's brother being so blatantly cruel to him and if this was a regular occurrence, no wonder Ivar wanted to spend most of their time at her place. 

 "I didn't realize you liked my cock so much, kattungen." Ivar whispered salaciously into her ear, drawing her back to the present. His tongue flicked her earlobe, making her jolt. "I think I'll have to give you a reward later."

 She shivered at his tone, her core clenching without resistance. It was unfair how just at his husky tone alone, her body betrayed her desire. But they were in public though, in front of his family no less, so she willfully attempted to cool the heat warming her veins. With a smile, she tried to nudge him away from her but he was too strong, only tightening his grip on her and laying a quick kiss to her neck. 

 "I can't believe I said that." She whispered, hoping only he heard her. 

 He smirked, an unmistakable fire in his eyes. "It was sexy as fuck."

 Thankfully, Torvi came over to join the group, a welcome distraction for Kari as she was sure the fire in Ivar's gaze was enough to set her ablaze and further stoke her own heat. 

 Torvi settled into Sigurd's now absent spot. "What did I miss?" 

 "Kari said Ivar's cock is bigger than Sigurd's." Hvitserk stated smugly. 

 Torvi stared at Kari with a tilt of her head and an amused grin. "Really? And how did we get on the subject of dicks already?"

 Some of the group laughed as Kari covered her face once again, mortified that she was the center of attention because of what she thoughtlessly said. She had the sneaking suspicion none of them would ever let her live this down. 

 "Alright, enough. Come on, it's girl time now." Gyda grabbed Kari's hand and dragged her to her feet, much to Ivar's obvious chagrin. She scoffed, meeting her half-brother's gaze. "I'll give her back later."

 The three women wandered over to some open chairs further down from the guys and closer to the Buddha statue. Gyda carried the wine bottle and her glass while Kari carefully held her own glass. Torvi snatched a beer from a nearby cooler as they meandered over. Gyda settled on a single, lounge chair adjacent to a cushioned two-person seat which the other two sat on. 

 "Alright, we have a very serious matter to discuss. Your answer may or may not break our friendship." Gyda started, leaning forward as she pointed a single finger at the brunette. 

 Kari found herself straightening in her seat, hand clutching her wine glass tighter. 

 Eyes intent, Gyda's voice dropped conspiringly. "Who is sexier: Steve Rogers or Bucky Barnes?"

 Shock rendered Kari momentarily speechless. At Gyda's serious tone, she had imagined a topic that would involve confessing a secret, not…. not a movie franchise. "Um…. Bucky." She hesitantly answered. 

 "Yes!!" Gyda shouted, throwing her arms up and almost spilling her wine. "I knew I liked you! Ivar, she is mine now!"

 Kari laughed at her enthusiasm; all concern having vanished instantly. "I take it you like him too?"

 "Hell yeah. I would willingly choke on his cock or he could pound my pussy to pulp and I wouldn't complain either way."

 Torvi shook her head, a hint of a smile tilting the corners of her lips up. "Something's wrong with you."

 "You prefer Steve?" Kari inquired, once she recovered from choking on air at Gyda's blunt statement. Her friend always had a way of surprising her, and giving her second-hand embarrassment.

 Torvi shrugged. "A tall, handsome blond. That's my kind of man."

 Peeking over at Bjorn who was still playing in the pool with both kids, Kari hummed thoughtfully. "Huh. Makes sense."

 "No wonder you are with Ivar if you prefer Bucky Barnes."

 "But we aren't…. together." Kari fixed her eyes on her wine, knowing her answer sounded lame even to her own ears. 

 Gyda patted her leg. "You keep telling yourself that."

 "We're just friends."

 "No, you aren't."

 "Kari, it's fine." Torvi shot Gyda a look. "It's between you two, it's not really our business."

 "She's our friend!" Gyda whined, throwing herself back in her seat dramatically. 

 "And she will let us know if something changes. Including telling us if Ivar does something stupid and we need to kick his ass."

 Kari giggled as Torvi tapped her beer bottle against her wine glass. "I promise. Hvitserk already made me swear too."

 "Good. So is Ivar really that good in bed?" 

 "Gyda!" Kari exclaimed but laughed at how shameless her friend was. 

 Torvi thankfully changed the topic of conversation to Ubbe's birthday coming up next month. Asa wandered over, wrapped in a green and brown towel with long ears sticking out that made her look like baby Yoda. When Sigurd eventually appeared, Hali dragged him to the pool where they jumped in together. Not long after, Hvitserk joined them, doing a cannon-ball with the splash almost hitting the ladies. 

 Kari chatted with Torvi and Gyda for some time, enjoying herself immensely. The topics varied, but she never felt unincluded. More than once, she glanced over, only to find Ivar's gaze already on her. After the third time, he tipped his head to the side and patted the spot next to him. A not-so subtle invitation or demand, depending on how you looked at it. 

 A smile teased her lips and she nodded. She started to rise, with her second glass of wine in hand, when the sound of a loud "shit" from Gyda distracted her. 

 "What is she doing here?" Torvi quietly asked with an undertone of frustration. 

 Curious, Kari followed their gazes towards the door leading into the glassed-in porch. She was met with the sight of two blondes emerging in matching, white swimsuits that barely seemed to cover anything. Both strutted as if they were on a runway, while chatting with one another. 

 "Kari, go sit with Ivar." Gyda encouraged, snatching her hand and leading her back without a moment's hesitation towards where Ivar and Ubbe were still sitting. The wine was left forgotten on the side table. 

 "What's going on?" Kari asked in a hushed tone. 

 "Drama. I can't believe that bitch brought her. What was she thinking?"

 "Gyda?"

 She clicked her tongue but hurriedly whispered back. "That's Ivar's ex."

 Surprise made Kari almost stumble but she managed to catch herself at the last second. Further explanations had to wait because they came upon the brothers at the same time the two blondes did. Soon as Kari was close enough, Ivar held out his hand, a sweet gesture, but she could see the tension and anger in the set of his shoulders and the thin line of his lips. Silently, he guided her to sit between his spread legs, arms banding around her waist and pulling her indecently close. For once though, she did not complain. 

 "Hey, baby." One of the blondes said in a sickly-sweet voice as she pressed a kiss to Ubbe's cheek. "Sorry we're late."

 "It's fine." Ubbe slowly answered as he shifted his gaze to the other blonde. "I didn't know you were bringing someone."

 "This is supposed to be family only." Gyda snapped, having dropped into her seat next to Ivar and Kari. 

 The blonde, who stood next to Ubbe still, narrowed her eyes at Kari. "Then why is she here?" 

 "That's Ivar's girlfriend." Ubbe answered.

 "Uh, hi, I'm Kari." She decided to speak up, hoping introductions would somehow break the rising tension. At her words, Ivar momentarily dropped his head to kiss her shoulder. Unsure if his actions were encouraging or reprimanding, she laid her hands over his, which were still wrapped around her. 

 "Hmmm…. Margrethe." She replied flatly, with a pinched look, as if talking to Kari was beneath her. "I'm Ubbe's fiancé."

 The other blonde smiled pleasantly as she looked Kari in the eye. "I'm Freydis. It's lovely to meet you."

 "Yeah, nice to meet you too." Kari managed to say around the suddenly tightened grip around her waist. She would be a liar if she said she was not intimidated by Freydis. While both women were beautiful, something that seemed required to be in the presence of the Lothbrok family, Freydis was a step beyond that. With her doll-like features, lovely blue eyes and flawless skin, she was gorgeous. Kari could feel all her own insecurities screaming at her in the presence of Ivar's ex. How the youngest Lothbrok went from someone as stunning as Freydis to as girl-next-door as Kari, she had no idea….and it made her uncomfortable. 

 "What the fuck is she doing here?" Ivar demanded, ignoring Freydis' presence completely.  

 Margrethe rolled her eyes as her hand slowly stroked across Ubbe's shoulders. "I get bored and wanted to spend time with my best friend, so fuck off." She turned her head to look at Freydis beside her. "Come on, let's get something to drink." 

 After a quick kiss to Ubbe, the two headed back towards the house but not before Freydis glanced back at Ivar and Kari one last time. 

 Once they were far enough away, Gyda rounded on Ubbe, not even bothering to contain her ire. "Fiancé? Really, Ubbe?" She sneered. 

 "Hell no. I haven't proposed. I damn well don't plan to and she knows it."

 "Why are you still with her? She's a greedy bitch."

 "Gyda, I know you don't like her but she's still my girlfriend."

 "Who the fuck knows why." 

 Ubbe turned his attention to Ivar. "I swear I didn't know she was bringing Freydis. I'd have told her not to come then."

 "As long as she stays the fuck away from me, I don't give a shit." The dark-haired Lothbrok growled at his older brother. 

 The residual tension in the air was painful to abide in. It felt like a caged animal, pacing, waiting, ready for the moment to unleash a terrorizing attack. 

 "Hey, I have a question." Kari blurted out, unable to take the way the tension made her skin feel like it was being sunburned. Once Gyda and Ubbe shifted to watch her, she posed her question. "Ah, well, I've been wondering for a while but why don't you guys have bodyguards or something?"

 Ivar snorted, brushing her hair over her shoulder to press his face into the crook of her neck, making her squirm although he did not relent his position. 

 It was Ubbe that answered with a wide grin. "Eh, we don't need them. We can handle ourselves."

 "But you guys have drivers, isn't the next step to have bodyguards?"

 "You worried for us?" Ivar whispered, nipping at her skin, only to soothe the spot with his tongue. 

 "I'm serious."

 "Let's just say we know how to protect ourselves. Besides, no one is stupid enough to come after us." Ubbe concluded, raising his beer in a mock salute.

 Gyda snickered. "This is why I stay out of the family business."

 "You've no issue spending Father's money though." Ubbe retorted in a jovial way. 

 She shrugged and sent Kari a playful wink. 

 A minute later, Bjorn, Torvi and Asa came over, taking open seats with Asa sitting in Torvi's lap. Even though Kari had met Bjorn before, it still shocked her to see how much larger he was compared to the other brothers, both in size and physique. Now sitting next to Torvi, he appeared larger. With his long, braided ponytail and shaved sides, a short beard and sharp, blue eyes, he seemed quite formidable. Kari wondered briefly if that helped with the family business. 

 "See Kari there, she is the one who teaches yoga." Torvi softly said to Asa. 

 Asa peeked over at Kari, shyly smiling, still wrapped in her towel but with a juice box in hand. 

 "I bet if you ask nicely, she might show you something." Torvi said then looked up at Kari. "Lately she loves watching me do yoga at home. It's cute when she tries to do it with me."

 Bjorn chuckled, slinging an arm over the back of his wife's chair. "And usually falls down onto her face."

 "Hey, she's trying!" Torvi defended, elbowing Bjorn in the side.

 Looking at the little girl across the circle of seats, Kari smiled. "Want me to show you something I've been working on? I'm not very good at it though, so if I fall over, you can laugh at me. I'll be laughing at myself too."

 Asa nodded fervently, eyes wide in anticipation. 

 "What do you say?" Torvi tapped her daughter's nose. 

 Asa looked up at her mom then back to Kari. "Please." Even though it came out sounding more like "peas".

 "Sure. I need to stretch some first." Kari stood up and immediately had to slap Ivar's hand away that prowled down the curve of her ass. She tried to glare at him over her shoulder, only to be met with a mock innocence. Overly aware of the eyes on her, she chose a spot nearby in the plush, green grass, trying to keep her nerves to a minimum. Carefully, she warmed up her muscles, doing a few simple stretches so as not to hurt herself. Honestly, she was nervous since she never did advanced poses in front of others. It was not that she was unable to, for she did them frequently at home on her own time. It just felt like she was vying for attention or trying to show off when she did advanced poses in view of others. Conflicting memories of her grandmother's encouraging voice fought with her mother's reprimand in her mind as she stretched. 

 "What are you going to do?" Gyda called over, returning from retrieving her wine glass and bottle. 

 The question pulled her from her mind's internal war, bringing her back to the present. "Um, it's called the super soldier."

 "Oooo, I like it already."

 Once stretched, Kari stood frozen for a moment realizing she was going to need to take her cover off to do the pose. 

 "Kari, you look sexy as hell, now take the damn cover off." Gyda called out. 

 Kari hesitated, fears and insecurities rising afresh within her. 

 "Do it or Ivar will get his ass up and help you. I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

 "I hate you." She mumbled but gave in. Slowly, she walked back over to the circle of chairs, pulling the white cover off and dropped it on the lounge chair Ivar still sat on. Her eyes briefly flickered up only to meet Ivar's smoldering gaze. Instantly, she could feel herself flush. Hoping no one noticed, she moved back to her grassy spot. A loud wolf-whistle came from the direction of the pool, most likely from Hvitserk but Kari ignored it, knowing if she thought about it too much, she would make a run for it. Mentally preparing herself, she pulled her hair back into a bun on the nape of her neck, then faced the group but kept her gaze downward, too scared to look at them. 

 After taking a deep breath, she bent over to lay her hands flat on the grass without bending her knees. Next, she hooked her right shoulder behind her knee and extended her left arm for balance. She took a long, deep breath before continuing onward. Then she lifted her left foot and grabbed it with her right hand, still tucked behind her right leg. After another deep breath, she pulled her left leg up until her knee was pointed towards the sky. She held it there for three breaths before slowly releasing her leg back down and carefully straightening back up. 

 A small round of applause greeted her when she straightened. 

 "Another!"

 "You go, Kari!"

 "Do another one!"

 Blushing furiously at the cheers, she leaned forward into downward facing dog. Carefully, she slid her hands forward until her elbows touched the grass with her ass still in the air. Taking a deep breath and hoping she did not make a fool of herself, she engaged her core and kicked her legs up so she was doing a handstand but still on her elbows. Once she felt stable, she pressed her legs together and slowly bent her knees until they were almost parallel with her forearms on the ground. Feeling the burn in her core and arms, she hoped she could finish the pose without falling on her face. Next, she lowered her legs, knees apart now and big toes touching until her feet touched the top of her head. She could not help the smile that stretched across her face as she held the pose for a couple seconds, making sure to breathe slow. Scorpion pose was one she was still trying to master on her own, let alone in front of others. If anything, this felt like a victory for her. Methodically she unfurled, bringing her legs up and then back to the ground. 

 When she finally stood up, brushing the grass off her forearms, it was to another round of applause.

 "That was amazing!" Torvi said. 

 "I was thinking sexy as fuck!" Hvitserk exclaimed, a smile on his face from where he now stood, leaning against Ubbe's chair. 

 Self-consciously, Kari tugged on her swimsuit, making sure everything was tucked into place, as much as it could be, before pulling her hair out of the bun. She walked back over to the lounge chair quickly and yanked the cover back over her body. 

 "I'm going to wash my hands." She said without meeting anyone's eyes, skirting around the group and heading towards the glassed-in porch. 

 Laughter erupted behind her as she approached the door but she ignored it as she walked inside. She padded through the porch, stomach twisting in knots, and turned into the kitchen. Her feet stuttered to a halt as she noticed Margrethe and Freydis standing there with bottles of something in hand. For a split second she thought about turning and heading to the bathroom but it was too late as the two blondes noticed her intrusion. 

 "Hi, I just need to wash my hands." Kari explained. After a moment's hesitation, she walked around the opposite side of the massive island from them and towards the kitchen sink.

 "So, you're Ivar's girlfriend?" Margrethe stated with a mocking undertone. "I didn't think someone like you was his…. type."

 "Margrethe…." Freydis chided. 

 "What? Look at her. I mean she's got tits and an ass, and I guess she could be pretty but that's it."

 "I'm sorry." Freydis apologized kindly. After a long, awkward pause where the kitchen was silent besides Kari washing her hands, she asked, "How long have you and Ivar been together?"

 "Um, we aren't…. we’re just friends." Kari found herself admitting, as she finished drying her hands and turned around to see them both staring at her. Though Freydis had a gentle smile on her face, Margrethe looked nothing less than the cat that caught the canary and planned on lording it over everyone. 

 "Oh?" 

 "See. Told you, Dis. He is still single." Margrethe smugly said, flicking her hair over her shoulder. "He's just playing the game."

 "Game?" Kari muttered aloud. 

 Freydis set her glass down and came around the island to stand in front of Kari. Her blue eyes were bright as they met Kari's. "You seem like a nice girl and clearly the others like you too. So, I'll be honest because I don't want you to get caught up in the Lothbrok drama and get hurt. Okay?"

 "Okay."

 "Ivar and I are getting back together. We're just taking a break right now. Truly, I know we are destined for each other and he agrees. We had a bad fight and needed some space but he loves me just as much as I love him. So, I know he will come back to me when he is ready. I'm so sorry to tell you that you're just the rebound girl. I'm sure he likes you but that's as far as it will ever go. Gyda likes to try and mess with the brothers' love lives so I am sorry if she dragged you into this without telling you the whole truth. It's not your fault. I am sure Gyda lied to you and probably Ivar too. But it's good for you to know now. I don't hold it against you if you've have had sex with him but just know your time with him is limited, okay? How long have you two been 'friends'?"

 "We met last month." Kari whispered, dread and despair a writhing mess of snakes churning in her stomach. Air refused to fill her lungs, leaving her struggling for breath. 

 Freydis sighed. "It probably will be soon then. Just take advantage of the things he purchases for you, so when he leaves, you can have something to sell if you're in a pinch. Yeah?"

 "Ah…. sure."

 "Good. You seem like a nice girl. I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this."

 "It's…." Kari choked back a sudden sob. "It's alright. Thank you."

 "Of course, we girls need to look out for each other. Is there anything I can do for you?" She inquired, sounding so genuine in her desire to help, her gaze imploring and lips in a faint, comforting smile. 

 "No…. no. I just need to check my phone. Have you seen Gyda's bag?"

 "I think she left it on the porch." Margrethe helpfully added, never having lost the smug grin on her face as she watched Kari with a hawk-like intensity. 

 "Oh, right. Thank you." Kari shifted back and forth on her feet, body primed to run, to flee before anyone could see the tears that welled pathetically in her eyes. 

 Freydis reached out and squeezed her arm, a brief exchange of understanding, then strutted back around to grab her drink and follow Margrethe to the porch and outside. 

 Once alone, Kari pressed a hand over her mouth to try and stifle the sob that lodged itself in her throat. She knew it. Everything Freydis said made sense. 

 Without a second thought, she rushed around the island and onto the porch, quickly locating Gyda's bag. She scooped her purse and clothes out only to hurry back inside. A quick check of the time and she figured she might be able to catch a bus, but in this gated community, there was no way buses came through so she would end up walking somewhere. Feeling the sting of tears in her eyes, she sniffled, trying desperately to hold them back. She looked up the nearest bus stop on her phone, pleased it was only a few blocks away from the gated community. 

 Once positive she knew where she was going, she stared down at her clothes on the counter, wondering if she should change before leaving. It would certainly look odd for her to be walking down the street in the swimsuit cover and sandals in such an upscale neighborhood. Then she thought about any of the Lothbroks finding her trying to leave and pushed the potential oddity of her attire from her mind. It appeared there was a gas station nearby when she found the bus stop, it would be simple to change there quickly. Somehow she could give the swimsuit and cover back to Torvi…. but not today. Right now, she needed to leave. 

 She tried to shove her clothes into her purse, only succeeding by making it look like an over-inflated balloon but it worked. Lastly, she reached to grab her phone off the kitchen counter but froze. Ivar bought it for her. Freydis' words came back to her about taking advantage of the things he bought for her. Bile burned the back of her throat at the idea. She promised herself she would not be one of those girls to him. Slowly, she retracted her hand, forming it into a fist by her side. Ivar could give the phone to Freydis or throw it in the trash for all she cared. Even with the feeling of her heart being ripped in two, she refused to take advantage of him or his money. She was a better person than that. Or so she hoped. 

 Worried someone would come in soon, she tossed her purse over her shoulder and swiftly headed towards the front door. She passed through the hallway she entered in, but the pictures and awards blurred before her eyes as the repressed tears threatened to make an appearance. Hastily, she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand but knew it was ultimately futile. 

 "Kari?" 

 Her stride never faltered towards her escape, even after hearing Hvitserk call her name from what sounded like the porch. 

 "Kari? Where are you going?" His voice came from behind her, probably standing at the entrance of the hallway now. 

 "I have to go." Kari said, not bothering to turn around, unsure if he could even hear her. She could barely hear footsteps behind her over the sound of her sniffles and ragged breathing. It did not matter since she was close to her escape, just a couple more moments. Her hand touched the handle, just beginning to pull the door open when Hvitserk's hand appeared in her direct line of vision and slammed it closed. Although the sound was muffled, it echoed in her mind like a gunshot. 

 "What's going on?" Hvitserk stood directly behind her, his hand still firmly planted on the door as if to prevent her from even considering leaving without permission again. 

 "It's nothing." She murmured, staring down at her feet. 

 "I seriously doubt that if you are trying to sneak away while crying…. what happened?"

 "Nothing. I just…. I just want to go home."

 "Okay." He shifted to lean his shoulder against the door, ducking his head to try and catch her eyes. "Does this have to do with the yoga stuff?"

 "No. Just…. please, Hvitserk."

 "You need to tell me something. Look, I'll give you a ride, we can leave right now but you have to tell me what happened."

 She swallowed thickly, still refusing to look at him. It was taking all of her willpower to keep the tears at bay. At any moment she felt the tears would come forth with all the power of a hurricane, reducing her to a sniveling mess on the floor, nursing a broken heart. It was all her fault though. How could she have believed someone like Ivar Lothbrok would actually be interested in her for more than just a one-night stand. She was just a challenge for him, someone to pass the time. Then once she gave in, once they finally had sex, he would walk out of her life and back into Freydis' arms and bed…. where he apparently belonged. 

 "Kari?" Hvitserk softly prompted. 

 "It's…. I just have a better understanding now…. of where I stand…. of my purpose here."

 "Your purpose?"

 She sniffed, wiping her wet eyes once again before the tears fell. "I'm just a rebound girl….and that's alright. I get it. But I just want to go home now." 

 "Fuck. Freydis said that, didn't she?"

 "It doesn't matter. Can you please just take me to the bus stop, I can get home from there." She knew she was begging but she did not care anymore. 

 "Kari, give me that." He grabbed her purse from her and tossed it onto a wooden side table. His hands held hers in a manner that was comforting verse restraining. His thumbs rubbed along the back of her hands as he softly spoke. "Look at me, you know it's not like that."

 "It doesn't matter." She shook her head, even as her hands gripped his tighter, the feeling being the only thing keeping her from falling apart at the front door. "I shouldn't have let Gyda bring me here. I should have made her drop me off."

 "Kari…." He began but was interrupted. 

 "Hvitty?" Ivar's loud voice boomed from the kitchen. "You better not be trying to fuck Kari!"

 Kari flinched at the sound. The facade of strength she fought to maintain evaporated like smoke. The tears she had been trying so desperately to withhold slipped free, rolling down her cheeks like a cleansing rain.  

 "Over here!" Hvitserk called back, releasing her hands but not moving away. 

 Ivar's measured gait could be heard coming down the hallway like the footsteps of doom. 

 "What the fuck is going on? You disappear to find Kari and then…." His voice trailed off as he entered the foyer, piercing gaze zeroing in on her tear-stained face. What sense of jovial teasing transformed into enraged fury. When he spoke next, it came out in an animalistic growl that bespoke impending violence. "Who fucking hurt you?"

 "I'm fine." She mumbled, wrapping her arms around herself. Her chin rested on her chest, tears still streaming down her cheeks. "I just want to go home."

 "Freydis….and I'm betting Margrethe also said something to her." Hvitserk snitched, leaning fully against the door. He watched both Kari and his brother as if ready to intervene at a moment's notice. 

 Ivar snapped, stepping closer. "What did they say?"

 She was unsure who he directed his question to but she still shook her head, refusing to look at either brother. Hearing his wrath, it only made her heart ache more. All of this was a show, it had to be. Why would he truly care? The sound of his heavy gait coming closer brought a fresh wave of silent tears. 

 Moving to her other side, he cupped her cheek. When she resisted looking at him, he shifted his hand to grab the back of her neck, forcing her gaze to meet his. A tempest swirled in his icy blue eyes. "What. Did. They. Say?"

 "Why does it matter?" She questioned, bottom lip trembling as a sob rose from her chest. 

 "Because they hurt you."

 "But I'm no one. I don't matter." She shook her head, pressing a hand over her mouth to contain the cries bound to escape at any moment. "You're just going to get back together with Freydis when you get bored with me."

 His eyes widened as if she had sucker-punched him. His mouth dropped open for a moment before he collected himself, the maelstrom rippling under his skin on the verge of breaking free. "Did they say that?"

 "Freydis said…. she said you two were just taking a break….and I'm the rebound girl."

 "Fuck. Fuck!" Ivar stepped away, running his hands through his loose hair. In an instant, he grabbed the decorative bowl off the entrance table and threw it. The shattering against the wall reverberated in the foyer followed by Ivar's guttural shout. "FUCK!" 

 "Ivar." Hvitserk softly said, warily watching his younger brother. 

 "I'm going to kill her. Fuck! I can't believe she would fucking say that!" Ivar ran his hands through his hair again, looking on the verge of ripping the strands out. The ferocity in his eyes was unmatched as he glanced down the hallway, clearly wanting to go after his ex, then shifted back to Kari, who remained silent and unmoving. "What else did she say?" He barked at her. 

 "You're destined for each other." She confessed after a moment's hesitation. 

 Ivar stormed over to her, devouring the ground beneath his feet as he invaded her space. Standing before her, he cupped her face, eyes imploring her to believe him. "Freydis is a crazy, jealous bitch. She manipulates to get what she wants. Don't believe a word out of her fucking mouth. Fuck! Please, Kari, don't cry. I'm right here, kitten."

 His words seeped into her mind, slipping in through the cracks and delving deep into her soul. His words alone should not have reassured her like they did. Between his pleading eyes and his gentle touch, her few walls surrounding her heart crumbled, unable to fight him. She believed him, even before her mind fully recognized it. 

 She lightly placed her hands on his bare chest, one directly over his heart, feeling the rapid tempo under her fingers. "Promise?" She whispered wetly. "You're not just…. I’m not just a rebound girl?"

 Ivar groaned, pressing his forehead to Kari's. "I swear. I never thought that about you." 

 And she believed him again. The truth falling from his lips resounded in the very core of her being. It made no sense how she knew, but somehow, she did. 

 After a long second, Hvitserk pushed off the door from next to them. "I'm going to head back and keep an eye on them. Kari, if you still want a ride just text me, alright?" 

 "Thank you, Hvitty." She reached out and snagged his hand, giving it a quick squeeze. With a smile, he responded in kind before heading down the hallway towards the backyard. 

 Soon as Hvitserk started walking away, Ivar grabbed her hand and led her in the opposite direction. They hurried through a short hallway to arrive at a closed door. Impatiently, Ivar thrust the door open and pulled her into a room, slamming the door shut behind them. She had a brief moment to scan the new room and notice the two walls with floor to ceiling bookshelves packed full and the couple couches near a large window. 

 Before she could do anything, she shrieked as she found herself suddenly yanked back, her body colliding with the closed door. Immediately Ivar's mouth claimed hers in a hungry, feverish kiss. His body pinned her to the door, hands kneading her hips. It was all she could do to just breathe. Her hands clung to his broad shoulders, desperate to stay above the waves of passion-fueled desire that surged unchecked within her. 

 Ivar withdrew his mouth from hers, but only to place kisses over her cheeks, washing away her tears with his affections. "Don't listen to her. Her and I. We are through. I will never go back to her. She has been sniffing around but that ends tonight. I won't fucking let her talk to you again. I fucking swear it."

 "Ivar…." She whined, tilting her head. An open invitation which he took. 

 He swooped in, continuing to speak between leaving open-mouth kisses on her neck. "It's you. It's you I want. It's you I think about all the time. Fuck, kitten, you have no idea how much I want you. And seeing you do those yoga poses in that swimsuit…. fuck! You looked so goddamn sexy; I got a hard-on just watching." He grabbed her thigh, lifting it up and curling it behind him, pressing himself against her core. At the touch of his hardened length against her, she whimpered. "Do you feel that? That's for you, søte Kari."

 She could not help but roll her hips, grinding against his erection, body automatically seeking friction. 

 "Yes! Fuck." He growled against her neck. "Come here."

 She whined when he released her leg, letting it fall down to the floor. Her breathing was unsteady already, heart hammering away in her chest. A part of her knew she should stop this, open the door behind her and walk out to avoid the temptation. Yet when his hand latched onto hers once again, tugging her towards one of the couches, she followed willingly, unable to deny the sweet sin that was Ivar.

 He dropped onto the couch and settled her into his lap to straddle him. As she settled, he grabbed a handful of the cover over her and yanked it off, tossing it haphazardly onto the floor. Her first instinct was to cover her chest, but as her arms moved to do that, Ivar guided them behind his head. His gaze drunk in the curves of her body, an unashamed starved look in his eyes that made her shudder as it further ignited the fire in her belly. 

 "Kattungen min." He whispered reverently. "Fucking hell, so gorgeous. No one else gets to touch you like I do. Got it? You're mine." He started lavishing her chest and neck with his mouth, alternating between his lips and tongue. 

 She knew she should feel more self-conscious straddling Ivar's lap in only the swimsuit that barely covered all of her assets; but it was as if his touch banished the thoughts away. Instead she felt beautiful and cherished. 

 He palmed one of her breasts and the moan that escaped her was pure wanton. Hands tangled in his long locks as her hips ground harder against his erection in response. His leg braces were only an afterthought that did not impede her actions. 

 "Ivar, please."

 "That's it. Fuck, you're so beautiful. I can't wait to fuck you senseless."

 Suddenly he shifted under her, his hand fumbling between them. Her mind barely took notice as he sucked the skin between her breasts, something that would definitely leave a mark. Next thing she knew, his cock was freed, standing at attention between them. 

 Before she could protest, he spoke up. "I know you're not ready." He slid it under her, pulling her hips back down. At the sensation of his cock rubbing her slit with only the thin barrier of the bikini bottom between them, she threw her head back with a whine. Desire roared through her like a freight train as his cock rubbed against her soaking core. 

 "You like that, kitten?"

 "Yes." She sighed out, head tilted back as she rolled her hips. 

 "Good, my turn." He reached behind her and promptly untied the straps of the bikini top behind her back. 

 "Ivar!" She tried to cover herself but he swatted her hands away. 

 "Trust me."

 Once she relented, he laid a hard kiss to her lips then tugged the top over her head, the band behind her neck without a tie. She desperately wanted to cover herself, now before him feeling on full display. But it was the look on his face that stilled her movements. 

 "Guder. Du er utsøkt. Faen. Den vakreste kvinnen." He murmured with adoration and awe dripping off each word. 

 "What did you say?"

 Instead of answering her, he lowered his face to her chest and captured one of her perky nipples in his mouth. His other hand moved to grab one of her ass cheeks, encouraging her to keep riding him. 

 All breath vanished from her lungs. All thoughts and insecurities fled under his touch. Her hands tangled in his hair, keeping his mouth on her. All she could feel was him. All she wanted to feel was him. Gasps and moans slipped from her as she allowed herself to be overtaken and drawn into an ocean of pleasure. 

 She could feel herself rising higher and higher, riding the wave. Her mind was becoming delirious from fire in her veins and the motion of her hips rocking over his exposed cock. 

 To her surprise, Ivar grabbed a handful of hair at the back of her neck. "That's it, beautiful. Fuck. Let's see what that bendy spine can do." Carefully, he pulled on her hair, not in a painful way but as if to guide her. Willingly submitting herself, she bent her back, following his lead. When her chest was parallel to the ceiling, he stopped pulling, keeping her suspended with her back arched. 

 Ivar groaned loudly, thrusting against her. She met his action, too absorbed in the bliss to care about decency. 

 "All the dirty, fucking things this makes me want to do to you." He licked a scalding line up her sternum, only to swirl his tongue around one of her nipples, making her mewl as she continued to move her hips faster. "Come for me."

 "Yes, yes." She chanted. "Ivar, please."

 "Keep begging, kitten. Let me know how much you want my cock."

 As her climax hit, the tightening coil in her core sprung loose, her mouth dropped open in a silent scream. Wave after wave rolled over her. She could feel Ivar grunt and thrust a few more times beneath her before retracing his cock and spurting onto her exposed stomach. After he released her hair, letting her rise back up to face him. Their eyes fixated on one another, chests heaving as they struggled for breath. 

 Gently, she reached out and touched his cheek, a shy smile on her face. Then, when he made no move to pull away, she leaned forward, uncaring of his cum slipping down her stomach, and drew him into a lazy, slow kiss. He responded, lips melding to hers in a way that was full of softness and contentment. After a moment, she felt him reach behind him for the blanket laying on the back of the couch and wipe her stomach off, all the while never abandoning their kiss. 

 Once she was clean, he dropped the blanket to the floor and somehow managed to keep their lips locked as he guided them to lay down on the couch, their bare chests pressed together and his arm under her head, legs tangled. 

 "Do you believe me now?" He eventually asked, leaning back but only far enough so the tips of their noses almost touched. 

 "Mmmm?"

 "That it's you I want. Freydis and anyone else can go fuck themselves for all I care."

 She bit her bottom lip and dropped her gaze. "I don't understand why."

 "What are you talking about?"

 "I mean…. Margrethe said I'm not your…. type."

 He snorted and muttered under his breath, "fucking bitch".

 "But she's right." Kari pressed onward, her hand running up and down his side as if to ground herself. "I mean, I could never compare to Freydis…. or Torvi or Gyda or any of them. They are all beautiful and….and in perfect shape. I'm not. My thighs and butt are too big and I'm maybe pretty but that's it."

 "You're right. You're not my usual type. But those girls, I'd fuck them and then never look their way again. You though, fuck, I can barely take my eyes off you when you're around. And these," he reached down and grabbed a handful of one of her ass cheeks, making her squeak. "I love them. And these thighs, fucking hell, kitten, I want you to suffocate me with them when I finally eat you out."

 She gasped, a bolt of electricity shooting through her at the image. 

 A devilish grin grew on his face, his hand stroking her ass cheek. "You like that idea? My tongue teasing your folds before slipping inside of you. Your thighs wrapped around my head as I feast on your pussy."

 "Ivar." She whined, unable to stop the sudden roll of her hips. 

 "Soon, sweet Kari." He chuckled darkly, ceasing her movement by melding their hips together. "And your tits, gods, they are perfect. I could stare at them all day."

 She giggled even as she flushed under his praise. "I'm sorry for doubting you. I guess, I'm still just surprised you'd…. well, that you want me."

 "You are mine. You're my woman." He stated resolutely, gazing directly into her eyes so she could see how serious he was. 

 "But we aren't dating…."

 "Doesn't fucking matter. You're mine. And one of these days you'll change your mind and stop playing this game of trying to keep me away."

 She sighed, wishing it would be that easy. Before he could continue with that argument, she changed the subject. "You know, I think we exceeded our kiss quota for the day."

 He snorted. "I didn't see you complaining earlier."

 "That's true. Do you think we should head back out?"

 "If I see Freydis or Margrethe right now…." His voice trailed off, but the fury from earlier lingered in the unspoken threat. 

 "I know. We don't have too. I'm okay right here." 

 A grateful smile on his lips, he kissed her quickly then rolled her onto her back and laid his head on her chest. They relaxed like that for several minutes in silence, her hand running through his hair, just enjoying the feeling of complacency and peace between them now after their fight. If you could even call it that. 

 Finally, she spoke up in a hushed tone, a random question coming to mind. "Do you ever get in the pool?"

 "No."

 "Oh." Was all she could say after his sharp, barbed answer. Clearly it was a subject that was not open for discussion. Her mind wandered, wondering what happened to cause such a response from him. An uncomfortable tension hung over them after his response. Something she was not sure if she should try and dissipate or ignore for now. 

 After a minute of continued silence, he kissed her chest, letting his lips linger there as if using the extra time to mentally prepare himself. Before she could tell him it was none of her business, he spoke. His tone was quiet and, in anyone else, almost shaky. 

 "I…. I used to try when I was younger. They'd put me on one of those stupid floating things and pull me around or someone would hold me. Then, when I was about seven…. Sigurd and I got in a big fight earlier that day. He claimed I broke one of his toys. Fucking asshole. I was sitting by the pool, this in our childhood home in Kattegat, I liked to watch things float on the water. Sigurd walked by me and….and pushed me over the edge."

 She gasped. "Oh Ivar…."

 "Ubbe jumped in and pulled my half-drown ass out." He nuzzled against her skin; his tone having lost the insecurity as he reassured her. "I'm alright, Kari."

 She drew his face up and gave him a long kiss, their mouth connecting with a deeper need and alleviation. "Remind me to thank Ubbe when I see him next."

 He rolled his eyes. "Don't. He's never let me forget the fact."

 "Still."

 They laid there for some more time, wrapped up in one another and content in the peaceful stillness. She could not help but think about the memory Ivar shared with her. How far back did that resentment go between the brothers? Had there ever been a time where they cared for one another? And how bad was the animosity between them if one was willing to kill the other, even as children? If her arms tightened around him, neither one mentioned it as they continued to lay there. 

 A loud knock on the door followed by a yell through the door of "are you two done yet?" disturbed their peace. 

 "Hvits, fuck off!" Ivar called back, burrowing his face between her breasts. 

 "Do you have clothes on at least?!"

 "I do!" 

 Kari swatted the back of Ivar's head at his admission. Leaning up slightly, he gave her a cheeky wink before laying his head back down. 

 "Well cover up, I'm coming in!" Hvitserk yelled through the door. 

 "Ivar, get up." Kari softly said, a panic setting in at the brother coming in and seeing them in this suggestive position and her topless. 

 "No." He mumbled. 

 Before she could shove him off, he snatched the throw blanket off the floor and threw it over his head to cover her chest. As she began to protest, the door cautiously opened. In an instant, she tried to spread out the blanket over them as best as she could, keeping the blanket over her chest and spread it somewhat over their torsos. Although how much good it did was questionable. She peered over to see Hvitserk standing in the doorway with an amused look before shaking his head and stepping in, closing the door behind him. 

 "What the fuck do you want?" Ivar asked, muffled by the blanket and his face still pressed against her skin. 

 Kari raised her gaze to the ceiling for a moment then mouthed to Hvitserk, "I'm sorry."

 Hvitserk winked at her before answering. "Bjorn and Torvi want everyone together before they leave. Sounds like they have an announcement or something."

 "Are the bitches still here?"

 "Yeah." Hvitserk sighed. 

 "Then no."

 "I'll go." Kari softly said. "It must be important."

 "No, you aren't." Ivar nipped at the side of her breast, making her squirm. 

 "Well everyone is waiting on you two." Hvitserk pointed out as he watched, clearly entertained if his broad grin said anything. 

 "I'm coming."

 Ivar pulled the blanket back slightly to stare up at her. "Why the fuck do you want to see them?"

 "Is it….is it terrible I want to show Frey…. her that I'm still here. That no matter what they said, that I'm not going anywhere."

 A positively, feral grin spread over his face. He swooped in and pressed a devastating kiss to her mouth, not letting up until she thought she would suffocate from the intensity of it. "Let's go." 

 He started to rise up but when she squeaked and tried to clutch the blanket to her, he froze. 

 "Hvits, leave."

 "You sure I can't stay?" His smirk grew as he caught Kari's eye and watched her flush deepen. 

 "GO!" Ivar bellowed, glaring at his older brother. 

 "Fine. I'll wait out here for you. If you're not out in three minutes, I'm coming back in." Hvitserk stepped outside and closed the door behind him. 

 Ivar carefully slid off of her, standing up beside the couch, the blanket in hand. His predatory, blue eyes remained trained on her form, raking over her body like a sweet he wanted to devour completely. A familiar warmth awakened in her core, even as she shyly glanced away, covering her naked breasts with her hands. 

 "Fuck, you're gorgeous. On second thought, I think we should stay. I need another taste of you and to hear you moaning my name for everyone to fucking hear."

 She squealed, quickly skirting away from him before he could pounce on her. "Ivar, no!" Yet, miraculously, he managed to snag an arm around her waist and drag her back against his chest. 

 "Should we make an announcement of our own?" He asked, running his nose along the shell of her ear, chuckling under his breath when she shivered against him.

 "What do you mean?"

 "That you're my girlfriend. That this just-friends is shit."

 "I…." She balked, eyes wide and heart beating a painful staccato in her chest. “We…. we can't."

 "Why the fuck not?" He grasped her breasts, rolling her peaked nipples between his fingers. 

 She practically swallowed her tongue, biting back the moan lodged in her throat. When she was positive she could control her voice, she replied. "We've talked about this. I'm just…. I’m not ready."

 "But you'll practically let me fuck you?"

 At his harsh snap, she tried to push out of his embrace, unwilling to have this conversation in their current predicament or maybe have the conversation at all. The innate desire to flee rose up in her but she tried to force it down as she squirmed in his arms. He held her firm, not giving up an inch, her body flush against his own. 

 "Ivar!" 

 "What aren't you telling me?" 

 She hated both herself and him in the moment as she ceased her escape attempts. She hated him for continuously pushing her, for ignoring her words and trying to force her where he wanted her to be. Even more though, she hated herself. If she had kept away from him, however unlikely that was, if she did not have to hide, then none of this would matter. If she could be honest, truly honest, he would most likely reject her. And that was why she hated herself most. Because she was selfish and wanted his attention and affection, even knowing if he knew who she truly was, he would walk away. 

 Carefully, she turned her head to meet his stormy eyes. "I promise one day I will. I just…. can we please just enjoy this? What we have? I just need…. time."

 He stared down at her for a long time. She wondered what he read in her face when he finally gave a resigned sigh. "Fine. I'm telling people you are my girlfriend though."

 "You're unbelievable."

 "I think you like that about me." He matched her smile with his own before letting her go.  

 She quickly found her bikini top, noticing Ivar not-so-subtly adjusting his sweatpants. She slipped it over her head but when she went to tie the straps, a pair of calloused hands covered hers. Without a word, he tied it behind her back. Once done, his hand slowly prowled down her back to lightly smack her ass. 

 "Hey!" She whipped around, only to see a Cheshire grin on his face. 

 "That's my sexy ass."

 "Oh my god. Unbelievable." She muttered to herself as she snatched up the cover and pulled it over. She looked down at the blanket piled on the floor. 

 "Leave it. I'll deal with it later." He took her hand and walked with her towards the door. When they opened it, a still-shirtless Hvitserk stood leaning against the wall across from them. 

 "Took you two long enough. Damn. Almost came in and threw Kari over my shoulder to get you out." 

 Ivar spat something out in their language that made Hvitserk roll his eyes. Before they could move further down the hallway, Hvitserk reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, freezing her in place.  

 "Hey, whatever they said. Just try to ignore it. We all want you here. Hell, all of us would kick them to the damn curb if Ubbe would let us. But Ubbe and Bjorn have already approved of you."

 Ivar scoffed but Hvitserk kept his gaze on hers, letting her know he was serious. 

 "Just know, we're on your side."

 "Thank you, Hvitty." She squeezed his hand, warmth blooming in her chest at his words.  

 "Either one of them tries to talk to her, I'll strangle them." Ivar growled, starting down the hallway, towing Kari behind him. 

 "You can't kill them, Ivar. Mother said murder is wrong."

 Ivar laughed, looking over his shoulder at his brother. "Mother still loves me."

 "Yeah, yeah, we all know you're her favorite."

 "Can you blame her? Look at me. I'm far superior and more interesting than the rest of you."

 "Keep telling yourself that."

 Kari could not help but smile at their teasing, a mock argument that sounded like it had been executed many times before until now it was said out of fondness and mock sibling rivalry. 

 The three walked back outside through the glassed-in porch. On the way, she noticed her purse back next to Gyda's bag and wondered if Hvitserk moved it there for her. Outside, everyone else sat on chairs or lounge chairs that were grouped in a haphazard circle, obviously waiting for the remainder of the group to join.  

 "What took you so long? Thought we'd have to send a search party to find you." Bjorn called out as the three approached. 

 "I got 'em. The library reeks of sex though." Hvitserk said, dodging Kari's swing. 

 Ivar guided her back to the lounge chair they had been sitting in earlier, tucking her into his side with a hand laying possessively on her hip. Hvitserk sat on her other side instead of pulling a new chair over. She tried to ignore Margrethe and Freydis who sat across from them, keeping her eyes trained on her lap, fiddling with the hem of her cover.  

 "Ok, now that we're finally all here." Bjorn said, standing up with Asa in his arms. "We just wanted to tell our family the good news in person."

 "Torvi is pregnant!" Gyda blurted, staring at her sister-in-law in shock. 

 "Fuck! Gyda!" Bjorn groaned. 

 "Daddy said a bad word." Hali looked over at his mother from his spot next to Sigurd. 

 "Yes, he did, thank you, Hali." Torvi replied smiling then addressed the group. "I'm about two months along. So right now, we are only telling family, so please don't share this with anyone else yet."

 "Wow! A third! Congrats!" Ubbe started, others immediately echoing their own congratulations and well-wishes. 

 Kari jumped up and moved to give Torvi a hug after Gyda. "I know we haven't known each other long but I'm so excited for you. You're an amazing mother."

 "Thank you, Kari. Maybe your own time will come soon." She shooting her eyes over to Ivar for a second then meeting Kari's again. 

 "Oh, I don't know." She blushed at the thought. After another brief hug, Kari returned to her seat. 

 "How old are you?" Hvitserk asked suddenly. 

 "Um, I turned twenty-five this summer."

 "Ha! Still the baby of the group." Sigurd laughed, pointing his beer bottle at Ivar.  

 "Hey, nothing is wrong with an older woman. We're in our sexual prime." Gyda defended. 

 "She's not that much older." Ivar retorted, his hand skimming up and down Kari's thigh. "Just a year."

 "And a few months. You're turning twenty-four after the new year." Ubbe helpfully added with a grin. 

 "Fuck off." 

 "Mommy, Uncle Ivar said a bad word now."

 "Yes, he did, Hali. I think it's time for us to go. Say goodbye to everyone." Torvi said. After a round of goodbyes and hugs to all the uncles and aunt, the small family headed back through the house to head to their own home.

 "Did you know Ivar is younger than you?" Hvitserk asked conspiringly, once conversation started around them again. 

 She tilted her head as she looked at him, slowly answering his question. “Yeah…. we talked about this a while ago."

 "Good. Do you want kids?"

 "Hvits, what is this?" Ivar butted in. 

 "Just testing the waters to see how she feels about having my babies. You know they'd be beautiful." Hvitserk chuckled when Ivar glared at him. 

 "Be nice you two or I'm moving." Kari chided. 

 "Yes, mom." Hvitserk said, sneaking a kiss to her cheek before jumping away. He turned around and pointed at her as he walked backwards. "One day you'll have my babies!" 

 She laughed, shaking her head. She could practically feel the smoke coming from Ivar's ears. Before he could burst a vein, she leaned closer to him and laid her head against his shoulder. "He knows I'm yours."

 "He fucking better or I'll beat his ass to remind him." Ivar murmured, nuzzling her temple. 

 She relaxed against him, looking around the backyard. Hvitserk and Ubbe had started some kind of wrestling competition in the pool, both looking like they were trying to drown each other. Gyda and Ivar called insults from their seats. Sigurd was texting on his phone but occasionally looking up and making a comment. At one point he caught her eye and gave her a brief nod, which she smiled back, hoping any animosity between the two of them from her earlier comment was gone. She purposefully ignored the whispering between Margrethe and Freydis, taking a note from Ivar's book and acting as if they did not exist. 

 Looking at the Lothbrok family around her, she smiled at the group, still amazed she found herself in their midst and how welcoming most of them were. For almost two years she had been alone in a new country, thinking that was what she wanted. Now though, she wondered if she had just been missing a group that accepted her without question. 

 She peered up at Ivar, heart swelling with gratitude and affection. Without second guessing herself, she kissed his cheek and leaned back against his shoulder. He hummed, placing his own kiss to the top of her head. 

 She wondered if she should just give up fighting this, whatever this was between them. Maybe it would work out. Maybe everything would not fall apart as soon as the truth fell from her lips. Maybe he could accept her past and who she was. 

 Silently, she shook the thoughts away. It was still too soon to tell and if she was honest, she did not want to lose this. 

 Or lose him. 

[vanilla-vivillon]

Happy Wesper Week! We are doing a Wylan POV because I can’t write charm at all. This is a modern AU bachelor party. The grisha powers exist but everything else is made into there real life equivalent

TW very brief mentions of sex trafficking.

What am I doing here? Wylan thought to himself

When his boyfriend Jesper insisted on throwing there good friend Matthias a bachelor party Wylan thought maybe they would go to a nice bar or play some party games

Not get crazy drunk, Not set fire to the Dutch Garden, not get chased by cops, not perform a gas station heist and not catch one of his best friends making out with a gas station cashier

However it seemed the universe didn’t care for the thoughts of little ole Wylan Hendricks

“Let’s get this party started!” The Australian yelled

Wylan had to remindhimself he loved his boyfriend Jesper

“Can you not shout?” Matthias, the groom to be, begged

Wylan, Jesper, and there friends Kaz and Kuwei were throwing a bachelor party for Matthias

It took a lot to convince the Norwegian that this was indeed a great idea

Wylan had never been to a bachelor party before but he was excited for his boyfriend who adored them

“Do we really have to go to this bar Jesper?” Kaz groaned seeing the crazy bright neon sign

After years of knowing Kaz Brekker Wylan could tell that Kaz was cursing Inej for telling him to come

Nevertheless the boys all walk in and start ordering shots

“Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug!” The boys chanted egging on Kaz and Matthias drinking contest

Well it was mostly Jesper and Kuwei chanting Wylan after having a couple drinks was staring at the twinkle in Jespers eyes

He really was beautiful Wylan thought to himself

Wylan attended the University of Amsterdam to mostly escape his father.

There he met his lifelong friends

Matthias a grumpy international exchange student who grew up in a very prominent and dangerous cult in Norway. He wants to be a Norwegian ambassador

Nina Zenik, a heartrender turned corpse witch who was actually a russian spy back in the day. Now she’s working to become an ambassador

Inej Ghafa, she started a non profit to help stop sex trafficking whitch takes her all over the World but she used to. be an acrobat and after that worked with Kaz as his spy

Kaz Brekker, someone who Wylan after years of knowing him isn’t quite sure if there truly friends, or the semi illegal activities he gets up to. Wylan thought his hacking days would be done after University but Kaz has built an online criminal empire

Kuwei Yul Bo a scientists apprentice from China. He was currently working on his masters degree along side Wylan.

And Jesper. How to describe Jesper Fahey. He was an exchange student from Australia. A fabricator with a gift with Guns. While Jesper loved his pistols he actually works for a nonprofit dedicated to gun safety and regulation

After a highly illegal heist on there trip to Norway during college they all bonded as a group

Especially Wylan and Jesper

Jesper with that twinkle

Jesper with that laugh

Jesper with the way he looked at him now

After many more drinks Kuwei had the idea of the century

“Yooooooo y’know what’s a good idea?” Kuwei said bringing his head up from where it was previously glued to the table

“More shhhhhhhhhots?” Jesper suggested clearly as drunk as Wylan

“A couple blocks away is The Dutch Garden, wanna see some prrrrrrrrrrretty flowers?”

Fun fact this is a real place in Amsterdam

Wylan turned towards Kaz expecting him to veto it then and there but to Wylans shock and horror Kaz said “Hell yeah”

“But, but, it’s super late it’s gonna be closed!” Matthias spluttered out

“We can sneak in from the back fence” Jesper said

When Jesper drank his Australian accent whitch had soften over the years of living in Amsterdam came through in all of its glory

When Wylan first met Jesper he thought he was completely out of his league

And that damn accent drove Wylan Insane

While Wylan was contemplating the wonder that was Jesper Llewelyn Fahey it seemed the group made a decision without him

And Wylan thought for the first time in this bachelor party

What am I doing here?

“C’mon Wylan just climb!” Kuwei whisper screamed at Wylan

The drunken lads had made it to the Garden and had found an area where there was a fence they could climb with relative ease

All of the others made it to the other side

Except Wylan

“Don’t you want to seeeeeee the flowwwwwwwers?” Kaz insisted

If Wylan needed any more proof he was the soberest man out of all of them Kaz saying the word ‘pretty’ that isn’t referencing Inej was a clear sign

“Baby pleeeeease” Jesper begged

Oh

Oh no

Not that face

Wylan thought of himself as a sensible person who doesn’t succumb to pressure easily

But when his boyfriend made that face

Where his cool grey eyes went big

And his face had a slight flush to it

Wylan

Broke

“Fine! But if we get arrested it’s on you guys!”

With the ease of a spider who’s leg got chopped off by a middle aged housewife who’s husband is cheating on her climbing up a wall Wylan somehow got across

It wasn’t pretty

And it wasn’t gonna make Kaz proud

But it was completed

Panting Wylan on the ground said “I think this is my biggest accomplishment”

“Not…. Putting away your father? Or growing past your Internalised homophobia? Or writing your first essay on your own?” Matthias suggested clearly bewildered

Hey so i know Wylan can’t actually read. But seeing as this is modern day and plenty of dyslexic people can read with help, I figured that Jan would refuse to take Wylan to a doctor or get him help with his dyslexia believing it was weak making Wylan unable to read. Buuuuut when he’s older it makes sense to me he does learn. I’m not trying to invalidate his experiences or “fix” him but for the sake of a modern AU I had to change some things.

“Nope. It’s climbing this fence” Wylan laughed as Jesper helped him up

“Everyday you remind why your my favorite human” Jesper said with a laugh

“Ewwwww it’s like you guys like to remind how I’m the only single one” Kuwei said with a throwing up motion

“Thanks Jesp- wait human?” Wylan asked confused

“Well my favorite thing is Milo of course” Jesper winked

“The- the goat in Russia?” Kaz inquired not quite wanting to believe what Jesper was saying

To Wylans knowledge Kaz, Inej and Jesper did some job in Russia before he ever met them

“Why of course” Jesper slung an arm around Wylan who was not quite sure how to feel about this goat

Kaz went to go look at some purple flowers and contemplate his life choices

“Oh my god guys…….” Matthias started “the flowers! They’re- they’re”

“Cmon Matty, share with the class” Kaz said apparently bored with the purple flowers

“They’re so preeeeeeeetty” Matthias eyes welled up with tears

“Oh Saints tell me he’s not crying” Kuwei Moaned

Jesper walked over to where Matthias was stroking a hydrangea

“They are soooooooo pretty” Jespers eyes also Welled up with tears

“Fuck this shit” Kuwei said taking out a lighter and cigarette

“Hey! Smoking is very bad for you Kuwei!” Wylan lectured

“Wylan. I’m an inferni. Smoking foesnt affect us” Kuwei rolled his golden brown eyes

“Yeah but we’re in a highly flammable garden! And the rest of us aren’t inferni!” Wylan said

It seemed during Kuwei and Wylans arguement Kaz had also joined the cult of flowers that Matthias and Jesper were fixated on

“Wylan stop smoke shaming me!” And the scientists went back and fourth

“KUWEI YOU PIECE OF-“ Wylan started then sniffed the air “is that, is that smoke?” Wylan asked

“Holy shit dudes there’s a fire!” Kaz yelled pointing at where the cigarette Kuwei droppped

It seemed that the cigarette lit fire to a big wall of flowers

“This is why I never wanted a bachelor party!” Matthias moaned

The boys could hear voices coming towards them

Then all of the men looked at each other

And all of them yelled “RUN!”

All of them starting sprinting to the fence

And Kaz with his limp scrambled up that fence the fastest

Guess his determination to not get caught was strong

Wylan started climbing as fast as he could whitch wasn’t very fast

“Cmon Merchling!” Jesper said at the top reaching out a hand to his boyfriend

Wylan took it and stared at the steel eyes that had first enraptured him years ago

“Hey Stop!” Looking back Wylan and Jesper saw three security guards running towards them and yelling at them to stop

Jesper yanked Wylan up and they both fell off the fence in a pile

Jesper took Wylans hand and they all started booking it to Wylan’s car

Wylan who had sobered up in the whole endeavor determined that he was probably sober enough to drive

Piling in they all shoved themselves in the car

Wylan turned on the gas and starte to get the car back on the road

“I can’t believe we ran from cops!” Matthias said in between panting

“That was awesome!” Jesper exclaimed from the passenger seat

Wylan laughed

He had never been a spontaneous person

It seemed this night was a lot more fun then he thought

Until he heard the sirens

From the backseat Kaz turned

And three police cars were zooming towards them

“I am not going down for arson!” Kuwei yelled

“Wylan stop driving like a grandma and go faster! There gaining on us!” Kaz screamed at Wylan

“I can’t there’s a stoplight!”

“Run it!” Jespers shrill voice screamed at him

And Wylan did what he swore to never do

He took a deep breath

And ran that light as fast as he could

They were flying

Wylan had never seen how fast he could make his car go

Turns out it was fast

Wylan used some of his dads money to buy a sports car just to rub it in Jans face

With the top off and blood rushing through Wylans head he had never felt more alive

His boy beside him

His friends behind him

“WOOOOOOOOO!” Kuwei yelled throwing his hands up

Jesper joined Kuwei as the car sped down the street

Matthias was looking a little green

“Matty you okay back there?” Wylan shouted back at the Norwegian

“No!” Matthias shouted over the roar of engine and Jesper and Kuweis yips and yells

Some point during this Kaz called Inej

“Inej I hate thissssss!” Wylan couldn’t hear what Inej said back but from the pieces Kaz gave it was obvious

“No im not drunk!……. Psh of course those aren’t sirens…… Inej we might’ve bended the law but I swear it wasn’t my fault!…….. alright bye. ….I love you to….”

After what seemed like an eternity Wylan finally lost the police

Laughing the Wylan pulled into a gas station for refill

Wylan stepped out of the car and began to refill his car and thought for the millionth time what am I doing here?

“Wylannnnnn” Kuwei moaned

“What Kuwei?” Wylan said already exasperated

“Wylan I’m hungryyyyyy”

“Then go grab some chips or something!”

“But I don’t want to pay for it!”

“Then I guess that sucks for you!”

“You got like a million dollars from stealing me from Norway! You owe me!”

Ghezen Wylan hated drunk people

“Let’s perform a heist on the gas station!” Matthias said apparently done feeling sick

“What? No! We aren’t stealing from the gas station!” Wylan lectured

“It might actually be fuuuuuuun Wy” Kaz begged

The rest of the party were already getting out of the car ignoring Wylans protests

“We will do a simple distract act, Kuwei will go in first and lead the cashier away, and then we go in and steal chips” Kaz explained

It seemed even drunk Kaz could scheme

“This is insane!” Wylan exclaimed

“You said that about rescuing Kuwei from the Norwegian government but that ended up great” Matthias replied

They were gonna do this with or without Wylan

With a sigh Wylan thought what am I doing here?

Kuwei had gone in and had given the single

Wylan had walked in after pretending to look at some sodas and after Kuwei went into the back room with the cashier Wylan sent a quick text to the rest of the guys to come In and get raiding

Like clockwork Matthias, Jesper, and Kaz went in and they started ransacking the place

Wylan was in charge of Sodas, Matthias was in charge of Chips, and Jesper was in charge of Candy

Kaz had the most important job of all

He had to hack into there computers and wipe the security cameras

If Kaz couldn’t do that then Kaz would have to actually hack into the computers from his phone

It almost suprised Wylan how quickly efficiently, and quietly, a bunch of drunk guys could ransack a gas station

Wylan did feel guilty for a moment

But then he remembered how the CEO of the company the gas station is owned by has had multiple sexual misconduct allegations and Wylan felt better

Wylan got all the soda he could carry and rushed back to the car dumping them in the backseat

Soon after Matthias followed then Jesper and a little while after Kaz

Wylan did a quick headcount “wait where’s Kuwei?”

Wylan checked his phone

No texts from him

Shit shit shit

“Someone has to go back in” Kaz said

“I’ll go after him” Wylan said with a sigh

He loved Kuwei like a brother

But like an annoying little brother constantly getting himself in messes

Wylan Walked in and saw the e cashier wasn’t back

Wylan walked through the store and then heard something towards the men’s bathroom

Walking closer to the door the noises were getting a bit louder

Wylan opened the door slamming it against the wall

There stood a wide eyed Chinese kid and from the green uniform Wylan guessed was the cashier

The cashier who was standing between Kuweis legs. Kuwei who was sitting in the edge of the bathroom sink

There’s arms were around each other

Wylan was confused

What was Kuwei doing?

Oh

Oh

“Get your ass in the car Kuwei!” Wylan yelled

Kuwei gave whispered sorries to the cashier while collecting his jacket he apparently threw off

Wylan dragged Kuwei by the arm outside the store

“Kuwei. When we say distract the cashier, that means distract, not make oht with him!” Wylan lectured

“Cmon Wylan you saw him, he was cute!”

“Your drunk Kuwei!”

“Aren’t we all a little drunk in life?”

“That makes absolutely no sense” Wylan said with a sigh “just go to the car”

Kuwei happily skips away

Wylan had just dropped off Matthias at his and Ninas apartment after dropping off Kaz and Kuwei

Leaving just Wylan, Jesper, and an unhealthy amount of snacks in the car

“Hey Wylan” Jesper said

“Yes Jes?”

“I love you”

“I love you to Jesper”

“No wylan” Jesper took Wylan’s face in his hands

“I really love you” Jesper Pushed a ginger lock away from Wylans face

Jesper then reached into his pocket and pulled out a rumpled purple flower and tucked it into Wylans hair “I really really really love you”

Wylan blinked. Jesper was so drunk.

Wylan gave Jesper a soft smile and placed a kiss on his mouth

“I love you to Jesper”

And suddenly Wylan knew exactly what he was doing there

Finnally finished this in the Nick of time! @neilperryisalive I hope you enjoy this! I was seriously worried I wouldn’t be able to finish it but I did! I’ve never written Wesper but I really enjoyed it. My ask box is open and I take any Grishaverse requests

[ladyloki76]

You’ve Got To Be Kitten Me!

The idea had been brewing at the back of his head for quite some time now. At first he worried that she wouldn’t take it well. Close herself off from the bit of affection she had slowly allowed through. She was a work in progress, but she tried; and that was all that mattered to him. She tried. So he thought perhaps a present was in order.

They had a little cabin on Midgard, deep in the woods of Norway. It was about as far as one could get from New Asgard and still be in the same country. Things were still new, after all.

They were both rather crap at blending in in a town. So this cabin was perfect for them. They used magic for almost everything, and Loki had never felt so free. Still, he did go into town to pick up things once every few weeks. Fresh pastries from a bakery they both loved, books from a used bookshop that he loved and candy for Sylvie. And while Sylvie loved candy, that wasn’t exactly the present he was looking for.

There was a farm supply store there as well, Loki had bought some apple tree saplings there in the spring. He didn’t need to go there for anything in particular, but he figured it helped to keep up appearances, so to speak. He wandered the aisles, looking at the interesting bits and bobs, trying to think of a good present when a little ‘mew’ caught his attention. He kept walking, trying to ignore the little ‘mew-mew’ that was getting more and more plaintive. Finally he felt the tiniest tug on his pants leg. He stopped carefully before looking down. The littlest gray Norwegian Forest Kitten looked up at him, ‘MEW!’

There was a warm chuckle behind him. “It seems the last of Frigga’s kittens has chosen ye.”

The color drained from his face at the old man’s words; his mother’s name would always hold power over him.

“F-Frigga you say?” He swallowed, leaning down to pet the curious kitten. “It’s a good name, strong.” He nodded absently, continuing to pet the now purring kitten.

“Aye, my granddaughter seemed ta think so. Big into mythology that one, been begging my daughter and son-in-law ta move them ta New Asgard.” He chuckled fondly. “Fancies herself a modern day Valkyrie.”

Loki listened politely, still petting the little kitten.

“Ah, don’t mind me, yammering on ‘bout my family.” The old man chuckled. “That’s the last of Frigga’s kittens an we retired her from breedin’, she’s to be a pampered Queen now.”

Loki grimaced as the tiny kitten began to climb his leg, little razor claws digging in as he inched his way ever higher.

The old man chuckled, “M’ Lars, by the way, owner of this shop.”

Loki nodded, “Luka-“

“Friggason, aye, I remember when ye bought them apple trees last spring. How’re they doin’?”

Loki was so rarely caught off guard, he simply nodded. He looked down and gently plucked the kitten from his leg and cradled it in his arms. He swallowed before looking back up at the old man. “You have a sharp memory, Sir, and the trees are doing well, I hope to see some blossoms again next spring, I know it will take several years for them to bear fruit.”

Lars nodded. “Aye, ye have chickens & a few goats out there too, right?”

Loki tried to hide his smile, Lars knew damn good & well he had chickens and goats. He bought supplies for them from time to time. And rat traps once, more for appearance’s sake than anything.

“Why don’ ye take Frigga an her last babe there. We’ve been callin’ him ‘Loki’ on account as he was the smallest, but the most mischievous one in tha litter. Smart as whip, wouldn’t be surprised if he could learn voice commands.”

Loki blinked in shock, looking down at the kitten in his arms. “Loki?” He whispered, little Loki looked up at him and mewed happily.

“Aye, winter’ll be coming sooner than ye think, Frigga will keep the rats and mice outta yer little barn.” Lars nodded happily, as if it was settled.

Loki nodded, holding the kitten securely to his chest. He smiled slowly, “I think that sounds like a wonderful idea Sir, I was just trying to think of a gift for my,” he paused briefly, “girlfriend.” He flushed.

Lars grinned, “What young lady could resist a mama cat and her wee babe? Let me go in the back, Frigga’s in the office, where he’s supposed to be, by the way.” He winked at the kitten who just mewed back. “I told ye he was smart as a whip.”

Loki nodded, smiling like a fool and not bothering to tell him HIS young lady might take offense to him coming home with two new pets. But she did enjoy spending time with the goats and even the hens, gathering eggs every morning.

Soon Lars was helping him load Frigga’s carrier into the backseat of the small electric car he owned. It was more like a small dog carrier, due to how large Norwegian Forest Cats were. Still, you could hear Loki’s indignant mews from inside the carrier as well. Along with the two cats, Lars gave him a litter box & some litter, and a bag of the food Frigga was used to. Also her vet records were all up to date as she had just been spayed. Loki thanked him profusely and made a mental note to make some good fortune come his way, and perhaps a visit from a Valkyrie for his granddaughter.

The shadows were growing long when he finally pulled in front of the small cabin they called home. Sylvie stood from where she had been sitting on the porch steps, clearly waiting for him.”I was beginning to wonder what had happened to you? Thought maybe you hightailed it to greener pastures, not that it would have mattered to me.” She shrugged, as if it mattered not to her.

Loki took her hand, squeezing it gently. “Forgive my lateness, I ended up talking to Lars for quite some time.”

“Lars who owns the farm supply store?” She asked, her nose scrunched up.

“You knew his name was Lars?”

“Well of course I did, I do pay attention to people.” She stuck her tongue out.

Loki chuckled. “Well, my observant little vixen, Lars has given us a gift.” He lifted the carrier out and brought it to the porch. “Meet Frigga and Loki.” He opened the carrier and Frigga stepped out, regal as any Queen; Loki scrambled out, his eyes wide and saw the drawstring of Sylvie’s hoodie and sprang at her face.

Somehow she managed to catch the kitten before he landed on her and she held him out at arm’s length looking at him in shock.

“Darling…are you alright? I know I didn’t—“

She looked at Loki, her expression horrified. “Is he another one of US?!”

Loki couldn’t help the laugher that escaped from him. He tucked her hair back behind her ear. “No, Darling. They’re just cats.”

Frigga fixed Loki with a look that would have made him uncomfortable, had he been looking at the cat. She curled up against Loki as he and Sylvie played with the kitten. This was a good family.

[makotoscoffee]

Ing's Fairytale AU

Let me set the mood.

HI GUYS I'M FINALLY SHARING THIS AU THAT I CAME UP WITH IN JANUARY! alsp shout out to @creepth we wrote a lot of it together!

This AU's aesthetic mixes the styles of medieval fantasy (how Brujo @illjustpretend draws it,) 1800s Scandinavia, and Norwegian fairytales.

Laurent is dressed in blues and muted cool tones (he also braids his hair in various ways,) Makoto is in reds, yellows, and browns, and Dorothy in pink.

Before I can tell you about it though, I need to familiarize you with a Norwegian fairytale character called Espen Askeladd (Espen "ash lad") (imagine Cinderalla but as a country boy.) In the stories of Espen Askeladd he is often underestimated and mocked by his older brothers, but while they get rejected by princesses and chased by trolls, Espen uses his wit, curiosity, and clever thinking to win any challenge in his way. He's kind, smart, and adventurous, that's why he's our hero!

(some iterations of Espen Askeladd↑)

Now, Laurent is sort of an Espen Askeladd-type. He's young and heading out for adventure after his mother died and there was no reason for him to stay home. On his journey he gets help from a witch named Shi-won and a merchant named Kudo. He travels to this big town where he meets the beautiful princess Dorothy.

She immediately falls for him because he doesn't try to win her over with money or bribes like other men and he's funny and charming. He cons his way through the King's challenges and is awarded her and half the kingdom. The two get married, and after the King dies they are in line to be king and queen. One day, Princess Dorothy is out in the woods riding her horse, when she is overmanned and killed by a band of robbers. When the news reach Laurent that his princess is dead, the prince shuts himself in his tower and refuses to come out. Sunlight shines through the bedroom window, but there is no light in the room. His world has gone dark and bleak.

Years later, a young knight rides his horse into town. He befriends some townspeople down at the tavern, who tell him tales of the young prince who disappeared. The brave knight, Makoto Edamura, decides to seek the prince out to hear more about this story. No one had ever actually tried to break into the castle, everyone understood how deeply the prince was hurting. Laurent, whose hair has grown long like Rapunzel's, is unrecognizable.

Makoto convinces him to come into town to see him spar (he was challenged to a duel because he's new in town.) No one recognizes the prince in his disguise. Watching Sir Makoto duel cheered him up a bit, and he couldn't help but stare when he took his helmet off and ran his hand through his hair. Later that night they go out to the tavern and Laurent can't help but catch some of the merry mood. Seeing Makoto talk and laugh with the townspeople made him feel warm inside. He sneaks back into his castle that night and sleeps like a baby for the first time in years.

The next day he comes down in the morning wearing his proper attire, the royal staff is surprised to see him like this. He doesn't answer any questions, no one dares to ask them anyway, but he requests that they bring in the "handsome knight that won the duel yesterday." Makoto is very nervous when he arrives at the castle escorted by Laurent's guards, and was surprised to see the prince avoiding eye contact (is he blushing??) as he says "you were really good."

Later that night, Makoto recieves an invitation for dinner at the castle. The two become good companions, they talk about all sorts of things and all sorts of nothings. One day, after many months of knowing each other, they're laying in a meadow looking up at the blue sky. There's a gentle breeze blowing, and little wildflowers all around them. "Can I kiss you?" Makoto asks, and Laurent's face turns red. He'd never been saught after before, he felt so silly when he could barely let out a "yes..." After their kiss, Makoto had never seen Laurent this happy.

Soon they had a big royal wedding where they invited everyone in the town to come celebrate. Laurent wears both his wedding bands on his finger. The sun has returned into his life 💛💐

[a-model-of-propriety]

“It’s Enok, Actually”

Well, enough people were interested, so here’s the little Enok fic I wrote in like fifteen minutes! It takes place after Walton’s second voyage, so I am painfully aware that it may never happen (mist if my anxiety boi dies i’ll never forgive you /j), but I wanted to do something for my boy other than just talk about him and scream about other people’s lovely arts.

CW for unintentional deadnaming

Enok wound his way down the street, dodging the various passers-by without giving his movements a second thought. After the years spent in London, he was used to the bustle of the busy roads. As he made his way to the even more crowded marketplace, he counted off in his head the things he needed. He definitely needed more bread and milk, and his tea supply was getting dangerously low. Hmm, maybe he could spare a bit of his pay for some goat cheese. It wouldn’t taste anywhere near as good as home’s, but it was certainly better than whatever abomination these cow-obsessed people thought was “real cheese.” Oh! He also needed more paper, he hadn’t written to home or any of his old crewmates in ages, and Corbin would kill him if he didn’t keep him updated. He’d have to stop and pick some paper up on his way–

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” a woman exclaimed as she bumped into him. Between the sudden end to his train of thought and the shock of running into someone else – though not uncommon, it always took him off guard – it took Enok a moment to realize the woman had apologized in Norwegian.

“Nothing to apologize for,” he replied cheerfully. “Happens all the time around here.”

“You speak Norwegian?” she asked. “Thank goodness! I don’t speak a bit of English and I’ve been looking all over for someone, but I’ve not been able to find anyone that can understand me! Could you perhaps help me find who I’m looking for?”

Enok spared a slightly mournful glance towards the marketplace, but quickly turned his attention back to the girl. He’d still have plenty of time to do his shopping later. “Of course. Do you have your friend’s address?”

“Yes, it’s on this letter. ‘Soho,’ it says.”

Hmm, maybe her friend lived near him? Or perhaps they lived closer to Winston… “Could I see that letter?” The woman eagerly handed it to him.

Wait… that was his address on the letter! And the handwriting, that was his too! He glanced up at the woman again, studying her face. It certainly wasn’t the same childish face he remembered handing him those mangled gloves all those years ago, but he could still see traces of that face in the one in front of him. Could it be…

“Else?”

She started with surprise. “Yes, that’s my name,” she said warily, “but how did you…?” Her sentence was cut off by a soft gasp. She took a step closer to him, studying his face in turn, brow furrowed in concentration. Her next word was no more than a whisper, but he heard it loud and clear. “Synnøve?”

He cracked a smile through the bittersweet ache in his chest. “It’s Enok, actually.”

[lost-in-the-80s]

Winter Memories pt. 2

Pairing: Axl Rose x reader

Words: 3,156k

Summary: The pressure of making a new album is finally hitting Axl. To get rid of some stress he decides to take a trip to Norway, however, he did not expect to meet a mysterious woman there.  (smut + fluff)

A/N: I am back with part two!! Let me know if you liked it! Sorry it took me so long! There will be some lines in norwegian again, the translations will be below in italics.

Warnings: Mature content, swearing and unprotected sex. (Use a condom, guys!) ​​

Tag list: @roger-taylors-car​​ @ladieswttda​ @teasid​ @metalheartofgold​ @slashscowboyboots​ @ginny-rose-sixx​  @rumoured-whispers​ @normatural​ add yourself to my tag list :)

Tagging who showed interest for a second part: @sugwinter​​ @vinylvintage​​ @fosterchild-3203​ @littlemisscare-all​​ @ultrabithc​

Part 1

A year passed after that weekend. December arrived and Y/N got ready to spend another weekend at Anna's cottage.

As she packed her bags, she couldn't stop thinking about Axl, the mysterious redhead she had met the year before. He never left her mind, not even for a day.

But finding him would be impossible, so she ignored her heart's pleas that begged her to go to the United States to look for him. Her best chance was to hope he was in the cottage.

During the flight to the mountains, anxiety washed over her body. It was the longest two hours of her life. Her stomach was full of butterflies, as the memories of that night filled her mind.

Taking a taxi she asked the driver three times to go faster, ignoring the fact that the track was slippery with snow.

As soon as she reached the cottage she strode toward the front door, hoping to see him already waiting for her. But he wasn’t there.

After asking Anna she was sure, he wouldn’t come. His name wasn’t on the schedule list, nor had been since that weekend in December.

Han må ha gått videre med livet sitt, og du fortsetter å tenke på ham. She thought to herself.

He must have gone on with his life and you silly keep thinking about him.

Y/N tried to stick to her routine schedule, but spending twenty minutes on a bus to go skiing seemed too tiring. So she spent the entire Friday in her room, reading and whining about her life.

The next morning she woke up late and walked slowly down the steps. She had decided to have breakfast and go back to the airport, catch a flight to Oslo and try to forget all of that. Staying at the cottage brought too many memories to her mind.

“God morgen, Anna” She said calmly.

"Good morning, Anna."

“God morgen Y/N" The lady replied smiling.

"Good morning, Y/N."

Looking at all the breakfast options, she just couldn't feel hungry, so she took a big mug of coffee and sat at a table, sighing when she realized she had sat at the same table he was at the previous year.

After a few minutes, Anna came over, pulling the chair across from her to sit down.

"Hva skjer, Y/N?" The lady asked, touching the younger woman’s hand on top of the table.

"What's going on Y/N?"

“Det er ingenting, Anna, du trenger ikke å bekymre deg.” She gave a weak smile.

"It's nothing, Anna, you don't have to worry."

"Det er ikke gutten?"

"It's that boy, isn't it?"

Y/N looked out the window, avoiding the lady's gaze.

"Han så veldig trist ut dagen han reiste."

"He looked really sad the day he left."

She looked at the lady, seeing compassion in her eyes.

“Ikke bekymre deg, Anna. Jeg klarer meg. ” She smiled, trying to look convincing.

"Don't worry, Anna, I'll be fine."

----

During the next two years, she improved. She focused on work and was able to be distracted from her own thoughts.

She had a few boyfriends during that time, but she couldn't help comparing them to the redhead, and given his color and brilliance, all the others became gray and opaque.

During the nights, his face appeared in her dreams, they were always together and happy and she hated waking up every day and knowing that it would never go beyond that, a dream.

Sometimes she could even go a week without thinking about him, but then something simple reminded her again. Like when she wore the sweater she was wearing that night.

She felt stupid, it was ridiculous to feel that way after so long, especially for someone she only met for a weekend. But every time a rock song played on the radio, she remembered him.

He had said he worked with rock and she always wondered what he meant by that. Was he a band manager? Or was he a member of one of the bands that had already crossed her ears? She would never know and maybe it was for the best.

"Y/N!"

The sound of her name made her look up from the papers she was signing.

It was Hanna. She had moved from the United States to Norway the previous year, working in the office's accounting. The two became close very fast and today they were best friends.

"Hanna..." She looked up smiling.

“Guns n Roses will be playing here in June!! I can't believe it, I thought I would never see them live again! ” She gave little leaps of joy.

"Hmm that’s great, I'm happy for you," Y/N said, smiling at the girl one more time before going back to work. She didn't listen to much music so going to concerts and festivals was not quite her style.

"Come with me?" She crouched down in front of the table.

"Oh I don't know, you know I don't like these crowded places."

"Please. I don't want to go alone. ” She made puppy eyes, staring at Y/N.

"Do not look at me like that!" She pointed her index finger, but Hanna was persistent. "Ah, fine, I'll go with you!" She gave in.

"Yess!!" Hanna celebrated as she stood up doing a victory dance.

Y/N started laughing, making the girl stop.

"What's it?"

She pointed with the pen. Looking back, Hanna saw her boss shaking his head as he looked in her direction.

"Shit!" She scratched the back of her neck, sitting on the chair in front of Y/N’s table. "Do you think he's going to fire me?"

"No ... but he'll think twice before inviting you to the Christmas party this year." She giggled a little.

"Thank God..." She breathed a sigh of relief.

"What day will the concert be?" Y/N asked, going back to signing papers.

“June 10th. I'm going to buy tickets today after work, I'll bring yours tomorrow.”

Hanna looked like a child when she was happy, which always relaxed Y/N's serious mood.

"All right." She prolonged the first word, writing the day on a post-it note.

---

June 10th arrived and Hanna made sure they arrived two hours ahead to get a spot close to the stage.

Wearing denim shorts and a black T-shirt, she accompanied Hanna across the field until she reached the edge of the stage. At least she would be able to see the show up close.

The hot afternoon sun went down and a cool breeze came with the night, but Y/N's irritation didn’t fade away. The band was almost an hour late for the concert and every few minutes someone was bumping into her, making her wish she had stayed at home.

The stage lights came on and a guy with black curly hair came on stage, playing a riff that sounded wonderful to her ears.

Kanskje jeg vil glede meg over denne konserten. She thought to herself

Maybe I’ll enjoy this concert.

Soon the rest of the band members appeared and she became convinced that it would be a good show. That's until the vocalist entered the stage.

He was wearing tight white shorts and a leather jacket, his hair in a red bandana and her heart missed a beat.

Her mouth was slightly open and she put her hand on her chest, to make sure her heart was still beating.

It was him. Axl. The guy from the cottage.

He funnily ran and danced around the stage and his voice sounded so different from what she remembered. But there was no doubt, it was him.

"What's it?" Hanna screamed near her ear when she saw that her friend was not moving.

"It's him!"

"Who?"

"The guy from the cottage!"

She had told Hanna about the event, although she had never mentioned his name.

"Axl Rose??" Hanna's eyes widened, looking from Y/N to Axl and to Y/N again. "Holy shit!"

For the rest of the concert, Y/N couldn't take her eyes off of him anymore. But he hadn't noticed her. They were on the side and he spent more time in the center.

But then the guitar solo started and the same guy from the beginning took over from Axl, who started to leave the stage.

He was smiling, laughing at something and then his eyes shifted to the right and he saw her. The smile disappeared completely from his face and stopped walking.

The two stared at each other for a few seconds before he walked over to the edge, making the fans next to Y/N scream out of control.

"Good to see you." He smiled, lowering himself in front of her.

She nodded, smiling, not being able to form words.

Fans around her started trying to push her to get closer to him, the screams making it impossible for her to understand what he had said.

He could tell by her face that she didn't understand, pointing sideways with his thumb and making a sign with his fingers that meant later.

"Backstage later." He spoke again and she could read his lips, finally managing to assimilate the information.

She nodded quickly, giving him a thumbs up.

After the solo, the band played a few more songs before finishing. At every chance he got, Axl came over to her, singing while looking into her eyes, making a huge smile come over her lips.

When the show was over she pulled Hanna by the hand, heading backstage. Where a security guard at the entrance made her stop.

"Hi, I'm Y/N, Axl is waiting for me." She said with a small smile.

"Identification, please."

"She showed him the concert ticket."

"This is the common ticket, I’m sorry Y/N, but you can’t pass."

"Wait! Y/N? ” A man in a red button-down shirt appeared behind the security guard. "Are you Y/N?"

She nodded.

"Let her in, Axl wants to talk to her."

"What about this one?" He pointed to Hanna.

"She’s with me!" Y/N said, taking her friend's hand.

"Let her in too."

The security guard made room, letting the two pass.

"Come, this way." He started walking down several corridors. "I'm Doug Goldstein, by the way." He turned for half a second offering them a small smile.

"We're here," he said after almost a minute of walking.

Opening the door there was a spacious room with several couches, all the members of the band were there, except him. There were other women in the room, some on the lap of the band members.

"They are groupies." Hanna whispered in Y/N's ear.

"What is it?"

"They like rockstars, travel with bands and sleep with them."

Y/N nodded, understanding what she meant. "Lucky for them, they are very cute."

"Aren’t they?" She laughed softly.

"Hey, I saw you two at the gig!" A tall, blond guy said getting closer.

"Oh my God, Duff McKagan noticed me during the gig!" Hanna said, putting her hand on her forehead as if she was going to pass out.

Duff laughed.

"And you are?" He offered his hand for them to shake.

"My goodness!!" She gave a little squeak. "I'm Hanna and this is Y/N." She shook his hand. "I shook Duff McKagan's hand!!" She looked at Y/N. "Do you believe? Me?" Hanna pointed to herself.

Y/N and Duff laughed.

"Is she always that excited?" He asked as he shook Y/N's hand.

"She is a huge fan." She said laughing.

"I am! I am! I even have a T-shirt signed by Slash. I paid

200 bucks on it.” She said the last part with a little remorse for the money spent.

"We can get you another one, I can ask the guys to sign it for you." He smiled a little and Hanna smiled, nodding quickly.

“So you are the famous Y/N! Axl has talked about you for years! ”

Before she could answer she heard his voice saying her name.

Looking to the side, Axl was standing in the hall, wearing only his shorts while a towel was slung over his shoulder.

Det forblir varmt. She thought.

He’s still hot.

He nodded, indicating that she should follow him, so she did.

After a few steps, Axl stopped, opening a door that had his name written on it, and letting her in first. As soon as he closed the door, her lips were glued to his.

Their kiss was hot as summer rain and urgent as if they only had a few seconds to do it. Her hands touched his face, bringing him closer, while his hands infiltrated in her hair, gently pulling the strands at the top of her neck.

A small moan left her lips and he smiled during the kiss, pulling away just long enough to say, "God, how I missed that sound."

He moved his hands to her waist, starting to walk farther into the room, taking her with him.

"Axl." She sighed his name when their lips parted.

He moved away from her a few inches as he stroked her face with his right hand, the left one remaining on her waist, keeping her close.

"Fuck, you haven't changed a thing." He looked at every detail on her face, as if he wanted to memorize it.

"I missed you." She smiled, touching his face.

Axl closed his eyes, focusing on the feeling of her touch.

"I missed you so much, you have no idea." He opened his eyes, kissing her again.

The kiss grew hotter and when she realized Axl's hands were on the hem of her shirt. She lifted her arms, breaking and kissing and allowing him to remove the garment.

He let out a small growl in the kiss when she pulled his hair gently and he lowered his hands to her ass, squeezing her flesh before he propelled her upward.

Y/N intertwined her legs around Axl's waist and he started to move towards a sofa in the living room. He laid her down gently, removing his lips from hers just so that he could make a trail down her neck, slowly going into the valley between her breasts.

She moved her hands to her back, unclasping her bra and allowing Axl to enjoy her nipples. He took one of them to his mouth, sucking lightly by biting the skin while his fingers played with the other, causing a small moan to come out of her lips.

Y/N moved her hand towards Axl's shorts, feeling his already rigid erection over the fabric, making him moan and look her in the eyes. His gaze was filled with lust with a touch of malice, his pupils dilated.

Continuing his kisses to the south, Axl stopped at the waistband of her shorts, unbuttoning the garment and removing it from her body. His fingers caressed her core over her panties, making her gasp.

He slowly removed the last piece of clothing from her body, applying soft kisses to the extension of her leg, until the material was finally free and she was completely exposed to his gaze.

He stood up, removing his white shorts, tossing them on the floor before removing his sneakers in a hurry. He wore no underwear and the sight of his free and throbbing member made Y/N bite her lower lip while she sat down.

Axl climbed onto the couch, kissing her again. She moved her hands to his shoulders, pushing him to sit on the sofa, his back against the armrest when she climbed on his lap, making him smile mischievously.

Y/N touched his member, running its length a few times before collecting some of her juices with its tip and positioning it at her entrance.

Slowly she started to go down, keeping her gaze fixed on Axl's, she felt him fill her completely, letting a small moan leave her lips with the sensitivity.

She started with her movements, going up and down. Axl's hands found her hips, squeezing them firmly and guiding her movements until she reached a steady rhythm.

"Axl" She moaned his name, throwing her head back and allowing the sensation of pleasure to take over her mind.

"Fuck, you're so beautiful." He moved his lips to her now exposed neck, making her moan even more.

After a few minutes, Axl started to move his hips, meeting her movements, hitting her G-spot with strength and precision, making a loud moan leave her lips.

"Yes, moan for me, baby." He moved his thumb to her lips, allowing her to suck it, and he grunted at the sight.

"Axl ... I’m going to ..." Her breathing was rapid when she uttered the words between moans.

"I know baby. Cum to me. ” He said, moving his right hand to her clit, applying precise movements that made her moan even louder, if that was possible.

A cry with his name filled the room when she reached her peak, rolling her eyes and feeling her legs tremble with the wave of pleasure that spread through her body.

Axl's hands cupped her face, bringing her close to him as they continued to move. He enveloped her in a deep kiss and her hands tugged at his hair, knowing it was his weak spot.

"Oh, fuck." He groaned after a few minutes, parting their lips, but staying close enough that their noses would bump up every few seconds. "I love you." He said looking into her eyes, his thrusts becoming sloppier.

"I love you." She whimpered due to sensitivity, she could feel her walls tightening for another orgasm and she scraped his back with greed when a long moan left her lips and she closed her eyes.

“Fuck… Y/N.” It was all that Axl could say before they could both be hit by another orgasm, his jets filling her while her walls tightened his member, their juices mixing inside of her.

Sweaty and out of breath, all that could be heard in the room were their heavy breaths.

She leaned her forehead against his, holding his face with both hands as he hugged her.

"You don't know how much time I spent looking for you." He whispered.

She opened her eyes to meet his gaze.

"I hired a guy, but he never found you." 

She removed some locks of his hair away from his sweaty forehead. "I went back to the cottage the following year, but you weren't there."

"Shit, I was on tour." He giggled a little.

"When I was told we were going to play here, I couldn't help but hope that you would come."

"Well, I'm here now." She smiled sweetly, kissing his lips.

“Come to America with me? I don't want to be away from you anymore. ”

She stopped for a few seconds, thinking about his proposal.

"Please." He pleaded in a whisper.

Slowly she started to nod. “Yes, I will go with you! I don't want to be away from you anymore either. ”

The two smiled at each other before engaging in another passionate kiss, glad for finally being together again.

[skwigelfskwisgaar]

❛ you know you can always talk to me. ❜

It had been a terribly long day for Skwisgaar as he had decided that Toki's part were finally up to his standards, and now he was busy recording his own parts. Skwisgaar let out a frustrated sigh when he missed a note in a galloping sweep as they did a key change - it was supposed to be the first part where Toki and Murderface finally came out and did a duet as he played an emotive solo. It wasn't meant to be overly complicated, it was meant to be a showcase of the strings.

He stopped in his frustration, before stepping out. The entire time Nathan sat in the producer chair as he provided inputs from his end. Out of the 67 takes Skwisgaar did only 6 of them were good enough for Nathan but not Skwisgaar.

He plopped down on the couch and took a quick sip of some cold beer that got brought in a few minute previous to his final attempt.

"You know. You can always talk to me. Uh. Anytime."

"Amnst it against band politik to cares?"

He tried to make it seem like he wasn't bothered. But he was - Toki and he had.... something. He always knew he'd finally find a musical soulmate who could match him on stage, and Toki.... well Toki was Toki. It infuriated him when he didn't put as much effort. Before everyone else had arrived a few days prior for practice, he tried to explain to Toki that it was a personal desire of his to see Toki try.

And Toki for once smiled and thanked him for seeing him as someone worthy of playing with him.

Maybe his Norwegian wasn't as good as he thought. Regardless, Toki pinned Skwisgaar in a hug before he broke it off to look at Skwisgaar with that admiration that drove him wild. He didn't even realize how he ended up where he was with Toki under his hands, pliant and willing and kissing him back before he ripped himself off of the younger man.

Toki and him looked at each other with a dark hunger, before Toki apologized for crossing that boundary. Skwisgaar felt caught off-guard and had been stewing in his head for days since that incident. Thankfully for Toki, Pickles walked in and began warming up before Skwisgaar could even retort back.

"Amnst a problem I needs help wit."

[chaoticpuff17]

A Dangerous Game

part 29

masterlist

Hello darlings! Enjoy some time with the maknae line! It’s a bit of a filler, but it’s leading up to the good stuff. I think it’s down to Jin or Hobi for my next fic so let me know. drop a comment. send an ask. message me. I’m always happy to hear opinion, ideas, thoughts. Let me know what you think! Love you guys!-- chaotic puff 

Namjoon was if nothing else a man of his word. Jungkook was returned to his position as her babysitter much to both of their relief. She got the company she had been craving, and Jungkook was happy to be back watching over her. While doing jobs for his hyung was exciting, the maknae had been on edge not keeping an eye on her, with no one keeping an eye on her. The last time he wasn’t there to keep an eye on her, everything had gone to hell. He didn’t want that happening again, not when she was finally back to her old self. It didn’t hurt that returning to being her guard came with an extensive amount of pumpkin bread.

The kitchen though was strictly off limits. Namjoon had had a conniption fit after Jungkook had let her use the kitchen and she’d managed to slice her finger while preparing lunch for the two of them. He’d even called Jin in to take a look at her convinced she needed stitches when it was only a little cut. It was easily bandaged and healed in no time. But none the less Namjoon had banned both she and Jungkook from the kitchen until further notice.

But that did not stop the pair from getting into trouble in other ways. There was the pumpkin carving incident, trying to give Moni a bath, reorganizing Namjoon’s half of the closet, and their latest project was redoing the master bedroom much to Namjoon’s unending horror. Her latest life goal was to make married bliss as uncomfortable for him as possible, and as none of her antics defied his rules or caused actual harm, there was nothing he could really do about it without being completely unreasonable. It helped that Jungkook was completely up for any and all mischief she wrought.

The mischief helped her to forget the phone that was burning a hole through the very old, very expensive urn that sat in the piano room. She’d hidden it there and prayed to every deity she knew of that Namjoon or any of the maids wouldn’t find it. She didn’t want to know what Namjoon would do with her if he found out that Mark had slipped her a phone. So instead she filled her monotonous days with mischief to keep everyone including herself distracted.

But messing with Namjoon, while delightfully fun, did not mean that Namjoon couldn’t mess with her as well. Two could play this game, and Namjoon was not one to be beaten. This involved fixing ties which he was perfectly capable of tying himself and far more time in the evenings spent with him. He’d taken to pulling her into the library to read with him when she had already been peacefully reading in the piano room, coming home to have lunch though they both knew this took time away from his very busy schedule, but he knew it annoyed her, so he did it. He put her in charge of planning their dinners, though he quickly found that to be a mistake when she had the kitchen bring lutefisk. To say that Namjoon hadn’t been a fan of the Norwegian dish had been an understatement. The look on his face had been worth the empty belly that night.

She and Jungkook were lounging in the piano room on that particular morning when Taehyung waltzed in boxy grin lighting up his face.

“Hyung!” Jungkook cheered his own bunny grin coming out. “What are you doing here?”

“I am here to help noona find a dress.” He announced.

“What dress?” She asked from her position on the piano bench. “I don’t go anywhere. And if you hadn’t realized, my wardrobe is already ninety-five percent dresses and skirts. I’m lucky that there were even a pair of slacks in there.” She scoffed gesturing to the comfortable pair of pants she’d chosen for the day.

“For the Christmas party.” His look clearly told her that she should know what he was talking about. “You’ll probably need one for the New Year’s gala as well.”

“The what now?”

“Oh yeah.” Realization dawned on Jungkook’s face. “We have the annual gala coming up. Something about Christmas makes all the local gangs come together. It’s mostly to pay tribute to Namjoon hyung. The gala is for the local gangs. The Christmas party is for us.” He explained.  

“And you need dresses for both.” Taehyung added.

“So we’re going shopping?” She asked brows still furrowed in confusion.

Taehyung’s grin was far too gleeful for comfort. “Oh no, noona. We’re bringing the shopping to you.”

And much to her eternal horror, he did.

She was ushered away to her original bedroom where a parade of dresses were awaiting her far more expensive than she ever dreamed of wearing. And she could with very little hesitance say she was overwhelmed. Had they brought the whole boutique with them? It certainly seemed like it to her.

“I only need two dresses.” She pointed out staring wide eyed at the assortment.

“Yes, but it’s all so pretty.”

“Plus, you can make a dent in hyung’s wallet.” Jungkook pointed out smile devious. He was very aware of her endeavor to annoy Namjoon to death, and was completely on board. They’d even on occasion gotten Jin and Yoongi to join in. Yoongi had been a part of the pumpkin carving incident, albeit reluctantly. Jin was involved in the remodeling, gleefully so.

Taehyung dove right into the racks of dresses searching through the fabric looking for the perfect dress for both parties.

“Is there a single dress in there that isn’t designer?” She asked watching Taehyung fascinated by how excited he seemed to be.

“Of course not.” A new voice scoffed from the direction of the door. There stood Jimin holding a bottle of champagne with a gentle smile on his face. They’d managed to smooth things over from the incident with the bludgeoning. The pumpkin bread didn’t hurt either. “How can the king of the crime world’s wife be seen in anything less than designer?”

“Jimin!” Taehyung cheered popping out from the sea of fabric he had immersed himself in. “Come look at these. Which one do you think would be good for noona?”

“Are we looking for the Christmas party or the New Year’s gala?”

“Both. But I think the dress for the Christmas party could be a little more casual than the gala’s dress. That one needs to be spectacular.” Taehyung explained. “I’m thinking Gucci. Maybe Dior?”

Jimin hummed in agreement handing over the champagne to Jungkook who was sitting with a very bemused Y/N. Who was very quickly handed a glass of champagne. “You can’t go dress shopping properly without champagne.” Jimin explained throwing her a smile.

“Or ass kissing.” Taehyung shot back.

Jungkook leaned in grinning from ear to ear. “We’re here to do the ass kissing.”

“Am I even needed for this?” She whispered almost afraid to dampen the excitement of the two other men.

“I think you’re required to play dress up.” He whispered back. “Just go with it. Jimin hyung and Taehyung hyung know fashion better than anyone else.”

“Which begs the question of why I’m still here?”

“To be a pretty pretty doll.” She scoffed shoving his shoulder lightly as she took a large gulp of champagne. “You’re going to be the prettiest princess at the party.” He continued.

“She’s not going to be a princess!” Jimin scolded throwing a playful glare over his shoulder. “She’s going to be the queen.”

“And all the peasants are coming to pay tribute.” Taehyung added coming over with a dress to compare the color to her skin tone, holding it up to her face. “Everyone that didn’t come to the wedding will be at the New Year’s gala.”

“There’s a peace agreement for the gala.” Jimin explained. “And since Namjoon hyung is the most powerful man in the country, let alone the city, everyone has to pay respects to him. He makes the rules.”

Her brows furrowed thinking over the information that they were giving her. “It sounds important.”

“It’s a busy night.” Jungkook confirmed. “Especially for hyung. He prefers the Christmas party. That’s just for Bangtan.”

“And we prefer the gala. It’s more fun for us.” Jimin chimed in his expression positively devious. “Hyung is too busy to police our activity.”

“Even Hobi-hyung lets loose.” Taehyung agreed. “It’s because of the peace agreement.”

“And no one who isn’t Bangtan can carry a weapon. They’re searched at the door.” Jungkook explained. “Hobi-hyung spends the entire week leading up to it doing security checks and making sure everything is ready to go for the big night. Then night of Yoongi hyung gets him so drunk he can’t see straight.”

“Yoongi does?” All three men nodded with solemn expressions. It was a well-established fact around here that Yoongi could outdrink all of them, and no one should under any circumstances even attempt to try to keep up with him when he got going. “And Hoseok lets him?”

“Hobi hyung usually goes home that night with one of the girls.” Taehyung shrugged showing Jimin another dress for a second opinion. “Everyone does.”

She leaned over to Jungkook again. “Do I want to know?”

“No.” He shook his head a light blush dusting his cheeks.

“What about this one?” Jimin asked holding up a red dress. “For the Christmas party?”

Taehyung practically pranced over to examine the garment before turning to her. “Go try this on.” He yanked her up from her seat shoving the dress into her arms and shoving her in the direction of the closet. “Go. Go.”

She did as told if only to avoid being shoved any more than necessary. “I’m going. I’m going.”

She walked back out a few minutes later doing in a sarcastic little turn to show off the dress, a floor length green number that was lovely, but the boy’s faces said otherwise.

“No. Take it off.” Jimin grimaced.

“That bad?” “It’s not for you. Better on the hanger.”

She turned back around and was only just taking off the dress when Taehyung walked in with another dress in hand.

“Taehyung!” She shrieked trying to cover herself.

“Try this one.” He tossed another dress at her not seeming to care that she was half naked.

“Out!” She yelped clutching the sparkly black fabric to her chest.

The response to this dress was just as non-enthusiastic as the first had been. Their reactions to the next five dresses were less than enthusiastic. They’d debated over a white dress, but eventually decided against it.

“How about this one?” She asked stepping out in a red midi length dress that hung off her shoulders. “Please tell me this one is good?”

“I like it!” Jungkook cheered already on his fourth glass of champagne.

“Spin.” Jimin ordered twirling a finger at her. “It’s wonderful on her figure.”

“And it’s a good color!” Taehyung agreed. “That’s the Marchessa one right?”

“I don’t know.” She groaned tiredly flopping onto the sofa with Jungkook. “Please tell me this is over?”

“You still need one for the gala.” Jungkook pointed out no sympathy in his tone.

Jimin and Taehyung were already looking at the more glitzy gowns ignoring her bellyaching and searching for something god knew what. She had never been a fan of shopping and the constant stream of dresses was beginning to get tiring.

“Go change out of that.” Taehyung ordered. “Hang it up. We’ll have it pressed for the party.”

“We still need shoes.” Jimin reminded him as she slumped her way back to the closet and to the mound of discarded dresses. “Namjoon hyung will take care of the accessories. He probably have jewelry all ready to gift to her. I’m thinking hair up for the red dress.”

“I’m thinking this for the gala.” Taehyung held up a floor length gown sporting a v-cut neckline and gold shimmering down from the shoulders to just below her hips in the front but farther down the skirt in the back. “It’s perfect, and it will make her boobs look great. And it’s Gucci.” He proclaimed proudly.

“You have seen enough of my boobs today.” She warned walking back out in her own clothing again. “That is lovely though.”

“And why has he seen your boobs today?” All of their heads snapped to the door where Namjoon was standing looking them all over frostily.

“Would you believe me if I said it was an accident?” She asked smiling nervously.

“Was it an accident?”

“Yes.” She nodded frantically not wanting to be the cause of Taehyung’s untimely demise. “Complete accident. No need to do anything drastic.” She waltzed over placing a soft kiss on his cheek to placate him. “Should we have tea?” She suggested painting on a bright smile. “I think someone needs to get some food into Jungkook anyway. He’s had a lot of champagne.”

She took Namjoon by the arm leading him out of the room chattering about mundane things while signaling behind her back for the boys to retreat and quickly.  

part 30