Vikings Imagines

Decisions to be made Part 2

I watch as Hvitserk waves his arms up and down as he's telling me a story about his brothers fighting, his voice cracking as he stifles laughter. I laugh until my eyes are watering, the mead getting to my head. When he finishes his story he goes for another barrel of mead, stopping to pull some furs from their chair on the way back.

"Here, wrap this around you. It's cold out there." He drapes the fur around my shoulders before holding his hand out for me to take. I gently place my hand in his and follow as he guides me out the door. He takes me close to the edge of the cliff before letting go of my hand and putting his arm around my shoulders. We both exhale as we take in the beauty of the fires glowing and dwindling streets of Kattegat. All the ships are docked, silently bobbing on the rippling water. The sky above is completely clear, the moon and stars illuminating the ground around us. The air is cool and crisp, just cold enough so that we can see our breath as we breathe. The wind has stopped, leaving it silent except for the sounds of wildlife in the forest and the crackle of the torches on the cabin. I sigh and rest my head on Hvitserk's shoulder, admiring the beauty of the night. He pulls me tighter to him before tugging at the fur around me and pulling it around him as well. He turns and smiles at me once we're settled in together.

"I'm glad you decided to stay tonight" He says, still looking out at the city and water. I see him smiling from the corner of my eye, and I can't help but feel my stomach stir. The air around us is tense. It's never felt like this before, but I can't say it doesn't excite me. I feel Hvitserk's fingers softly grazing mine beneath the fur. I bite my lip as he gently intertwines our fingers, pulling my hand into his. "I have a confession to make" He says, breaking the silence. I look up at him and his eyes meet mine, twinkling as they always do. I raise my eyebrow at him, my stomach practically flipping. "I was hoping you'd stay with me tonight. You've been on my mind a lot lately. I know I already said I missed you, but I don't think you get it. I've really really missed you. It's like the world is a little dimmer when I don't get to see you everyday." His eyes flicker back to the water, his thumb rubbing circles on my hand.

"I've really missed you too. You've always been my best friend. It isn't the same when we don't make time for one another." I rest my head on his shoulder once more, closing my eyes and breathing him in.

All the sudden I feel his hand beneath my chin, pulling my face to his. I feel his warm breath fanning over my face, his lips brushing against mine. He rubs his nose against mine, the closeness sending chills down my body.

"Can I kiss you?" He whispers, his hand now cupping my cheek.

I simply nod my head, warmth filling my belly. His lips press against mine softly and I kiss back. I turn my body to his as he pulls me to him, his hands wrapping around my waist. I push my fingers into his hair, gently stroking his neck with my thumbs. Our tongues meet, causing us to deepen the kiss. I can feel his heart pounding, our chests pressed together. Hvitserk's hands roam my body as I melt into him, completely at his mercy. He pulls away, leaving me breathless, and kisses my nose before pulling my head into his chest.

"Well we've certainly never done that before" he chuckles, causing me to smile. I look up at him with sparkling eyes, feeling things I never thought I would feel for this man before me. He laces his fingers in mine once more and leads us back inside the cabin. He walks straight to the bed before sitting, pulling me to stand between his legs. He looks up at me with a playful smirk and grabs my hands, holding them in his.

"I hope you don't think I expect anything, Eydis. I'm actually quite tired." His eyes twinkle up at mine as he watches my mouth.

"I wouldn't ever think that, Hvitserk. I'm tired as well, and I have to go home tomorrow. Some rest will do me good." I smile at him as he removes his boots and crawls under the covers. I remove my cloak and shoes and climb in bed, but not before placing a quick kiss on his lips. He smiles at me as we situate ourselves in bed. I drift off tho sleep while Hvitserk holds me. I can't believe this is happening.

———

We awake the next morning just after sunrise. After putting out the fire and getting our shoes and cloaks on again, we tiredly walk back to town together holding hands until we neared the already bustling streets. As we near the great hall we begin to walk a little slower, each silently dreading the fact that our time together alone is over. Hvitserk stops and puts his hand on my shoulder, gently pulling me closer. He looks into my eyes and a small smile plays at his lips.

"I want to see you again soon, okay? We have to talk about whatever happened last night, not that I'm complaining." He says with a wink, causing me to giggle.

"We will, I promise." I say with a smile. He gives me a quick kiss on the cheek before pacing in to the great hall.

I stand in the cold morning air clutching my cheek, my mind racing. I exhale harshly and turn to continue home, but stop and notice Ubbe leaning against the corner of the outside wall with a horn of water in his hand, raising an eyebrow at me. When he sees that I finally notice him he puts his hand up and waves slightly. My cheeks redden and I awkwardly give a quick nod back, rushing away in embarrassment and silently cursing at myself.

My mind tosses around the idea of a romantic relationship with Hvitserk on my walk home. I can't stop thinking about that kiss. That magical, soft, confusing kiss. He's always been so close to my heart, but I didn't think he could ever make me feel this way about him. I bite my lip and smile as I near my home, pulling my cloak to my chest as I skip towards the door.

"Mother? I'm home!!" I enter our cabin and pull my cloak off, throwing it on the table in the center of the room. I stretch my neck to look around as I take my shoes off and begin untying my dress. "Mother?" I call again, now walking from room to room. The house is empty. I knit my brows together in confusion as I walk to my room and pull the curtain over my doorway. I let my dress fall to my ankles and step out of it, picking it up and setting it on my bed. I pull a simple blue dress from my trunk and slip it on, followed by a thick leather belt around my waist. I quickly run my fingers through my messy hair and push it behind my shoulders. I walk back out of my room and hop around as I slip my shoes back on while standing. I throw the cloak Hvitserk got me over my shoulders and I rush out the door and walk towards the fields behind the house. I walk a few minutes before finding my brothers towards the back end of the fields pulling crops. I hold my hand over my eyes to shield them from the bright morning sun as I near them, both of them smiling and standing up as they notice me.

"Eydis! Good to finally be graced with your presence." My brother Halstein says sarcastically, wiping the sweat from his brow. I stick my tongue out at him and step closer.

"Have you seen our mother? She wasn't at home." I say, nervously tapping my foot. Both Halstein and Torvald stop what they're doing and come closer, confusion written all over their faces.

"No, she hasn't been out here. She was home when we left. She was talking about father. She kept asking why he was taking so long to go fishing." Torvald says, worry in his voice.

"Shit" I say loudly, turning on my heel. I walk quickly back toward the house, checking inside once more. My brothers set out towards the beaches and fishing holes to make sure she didn't wander there looking for our father. I check each room one more time before rushing back out of the house and walking down the road back to Kattegat. If she isn't down by the bay, she's got to be headed there. I pull my cloak tightly, briskly walking through the cold air.

Finally I turn a corner and see my mother walking back towards home. I exhale in relief, briskly walking towards her. I pull her into my chest and hug her tightly. I pull away and examine her, realizing that she has a companion walking her home. My eyes dart up to his face. Ubbe?