#pullthetrigger

Thora did make it up to you. At least Ingrid was more than happy with her plan to make it up to all of you, or it looked like that when the limousine stopped in front of you as you waited for the Uber Thora promised you. You raised an eyebrow and looked at her with a suspicious glare, she bit her lip, amused by Ingrid's excited gasp.

“Courtesy of Hvitserk" she giggled “Only his brothers' girlfriends use it sometimes, but he thought it would be fun" she winked at you “And... We're invited to the Valhalla VIP with free drinks" she looked proud of herself when she finished. Ingrid groaned and hugged her.

“I love you, I love you, I love you" she repeated “You're the best!"

You sighed, already regretting putting on your favourite top and skirt to go out that night. You supposed you'd end up in your local pub, with some pints, maybe a group of guys that would pay for your drinks and go home at half past two.

“And, as I anticipated the faces Y/N would make" Thora giggled “I invited Erik".

You couldn't help but chuckle then. Erik, a blonde guy from university, had been messaging you like crazy for the past few weeks, and your friends were completely convinced that he liked you.

“I..."

“Shut up, get in" Thora shook her head, pushing you inside the car when the driver opened the door.

You admitted it was cool. Thora opened a champagne bottle and it was warm and cosy inside, even if the LED lights were a bit annoying for you. The music and your friends' laughs relaxed you enough to start laughing with them, taking pictures and videos to send to Astrid, who stayed at her girlfriend's house that day and couldn't be with you.

But as soon as the car stopped your mood dropped again, as the one that opened the door wasn't the driver.

Hvitserk offered his hand to a giggly Ingrid, who smiled widely and jumped out of the car, looking at the club with widened eyes. To be fair, Valhalla was one of the most exclusive nightclubs in town, you had only entered once, and it had been pretty cool, but...

Once Thora was out of the car and after Hvitserk kissed her softly, he turned to offer you his hand, which you ignored as you got out by yourself, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Hello, Y/N" Hvitserk laughed, far from being upset or bothered “You look especially good tonight"

You opened your mouth but closed it again when you saw Thora's pout. She had made you promise you'd behave that night.

“Hello, Hvitserk" you sighed in defeat “Thank you for the..." you looked back at the limousine, and Hvitserk smiled widely.

“It was my pleasure" he winked at Thora “I hope it warmed you girls up for tonight"

You rolled your eyes when they started making out.

“Come on" Ingrid elbowed you “Let her enjoy! Besides, if Erik is inside..."

“She should have brought Henry Cavill to outweigh all of this"

She giggled.

“Well she did bring us to the Lothbrok's local" she raised an eyebrow “They are closer to Henry Cavill than Erik"

“Hell no" you frowned.

It was the first time a doorman let you inside without looking you up and down and narrowing his eyes at your ID. Hvitserk just nodded at him before pointing at the three of you, and you entered the club feeling everyone's eyes on you.

“You have free drinks and food over there" Hvitserk pointed at the other side of the club, behind a velvet rope and some of the biggest men you had ever seen. The VIP had its own bar and some couches with low tables. It had a pool table, a dartboard, some slot machines and an entrance to its own private terrace.

You could see some people inside, but couldn't see their faces properly.

“This is great" Ingrid muttered “But I need to go to the toilet first"

“We'll be at the terrace" Hvitserk put his arm around Thora's shoulders. And before you could say anything, Ingrid dragged you away as you narrowed your eyes at the couple.

“You look ready to murder half of the people in that place" she giggled as she pushed you into the toilet “Thora looks ready to enjoy her night, I already am enjoying it and you have to try and do the same"

“I'm trying" you groaned, leaning onto the sinks as she locked herself in one of the stalls “I swear I am, but I just can't believe it! How many people you know that send a fucking limousine to pick up the girl you're hooking up with and her friends and then invite them to a club with free drinks? It's like they own this place! Did you see how much people were queuing at the door? We would be with freezing our asses off out there if Hvitserk hadn't decided to have sex with our friend!"

You could hear Ingrid laughing inside, but she had the decency to try and hide it.

“I'm sure they own at least a bit of this place, they own half of the city" she replied “As long as we're on their good side, we'll be okay, they're practically royalty! Think about how well they'll treat us tonight!"

You scoffed, raising an eyebrow.

“Am I the only one that thinks that's really unfair? Just because they have money they can do whatever the fuck they want?"

“Life is unfair, Y/N" Ingrid sighed as she left the stall, walking to the sink to wash her hands “Listen, they're not that bad, okay? Hvitserk is pretty nice! We don't even have to mingle with them, just enter the VIP zone and chill with a couple of drinks until Erik comes to cheer you up a bit"

__________________________________

Ingrid's plan was good, you couldn't deny that. It didn't sound that bad to stay away from them, you even felt like you were robbing them of their own space, which felt good.

But, that wasn't the doorman's plan.

When Ingrid tried to cross at the other side of the velvet rope, she was stopped by that man's arm.

“No one can enter without an invitation" he said dryly. He had long, white hair and a white beard, and he looked very annoyed when Ingrid smiled politely at him.

“We do have an invitation"

He rolled his eyes, sighing and crossing his arms.

“I don't see anyone inviting you"

“We came with Hvitserk, he said..."

“I said that I don't see anyone inviting you" he stopped her again when she tried to look inside for Hvitserk, but this time he pushed her away, making you gasp and grab her to help her stabilise.

“Hey, don't you even think about putting your hands on my friend again!" you yelled at him, narrowing your eyes. Ingrid widened her eyes and grabbed your arm, trying to pull you away from him.

The man looked down at you, clenching his jaw.

“Disappear. Now. Or I'll kick you out of this place myself"

“I'd like to see you trying" you scoffed “Who the fuck do you think you are? You can't go around pushing people around, especially when my friend was asking you nicely"

“Who the fuck are you?" he narrowed his eyes at you.

“We" you replied, ignoring Ingrid as she tried to push you away “Are Hvitserk Lothbrok's guests, and he probably won't like you treating us like..."

“I couldn't care less about the feelings of two of Hvitserk's whores" he interrupted you “I just know you're wasting my time, and if you keep bothering me I will make sure you don't enter this place ever again"

“Oh, sorry for interrupting such a busy and interesting job, I'm sure you have so many things to do" you rolled your eyes. The man opened his mouth to speak again, but he was interrupted by someone else stopping next to him.

“Is there any problem, Whitehair?"

You turned your head to see Ivar Lothbrok standing there, leant on his crutch and looking directly at you. He looked different, dressed all in black and with his hair braided instead of the simple bun he usually wore for university. His bright eyes looked even more blue than you remembered, and he raised an eyebrow in amusement when you glared at him.

“These two" Whitehair nearly spat at your feet “Want to enter, sir, they say they're your brother's guests"

“Is that so?" He raised an eyebrow “I'm sorry, love, but my brother overbooked his night, he's kind of busy out there" he pointed at the terrace “Me, on the contrary..."

“We're Thora's friends" Ingrid insisted, her voice trembling softly and her hand tightening around your arm.

You clenched your jaw, trying to avoid slapping him and erasing that amused smirk off his face. Ivar didn't stop looking at you.

“I know you" he frowned slightly “I've seen you in class"

“Yes" you shrugged “It surprises me that you know me, I thought that you couldn't be bothered by mere commoners that sit around you in your classroom"

Ingrid gasped behind you, but Ivar laughed, shaking his head as Whitehair clenched his fist.

“Don't worry, Whitehair, this little girl is not a threat"

“What did you just call me?" you stepped closer to him, narrowing your eyes and pressing your lips together, hoping you looked a bit more intimidating than you felt. But Whitehair stepped between the two of you, pushing you away softly as Ingrid called your name so you'd step back.

“You can let them in" Ivar shrugged, amused by your reaction “They are fine, even if I have my doubts they'd fit in"

“I don't want to enter your stupid VIP zone, I'm not interested on spending my night surrounded by the peaky blinders wannabes that think they're better than us for having money, you can shove your money and your free drinks up your ass"

“Y/N please let's just go" Ingrid muttered. Ivar's smirk faded slowly.

“My brother told me you didn't like us" he tilted his head “I thought he was exaggerating, but you clearly have something against me, strange knowing we've never talked before... In any case, don't worry love, you can turn around and leave to mingle with your people... What did you call them? Oh yes, the commoners"

“Fuck off" you raised your voice, and just stopped when Ingrid pulled you away. Ivar laughed as you stepped away, following your already nervous friend. You would have loved to spat, slap and kick him until he stopped smirking in that annoying way.

“What's your problem?" all colour had disappeared from Ingrid's face, she widened her eyes and shook her head “Are you crazy? You can't yell at Ivar!"

“Why not? His stupid bodyguard pushed you! And he was making fun of us, he's a fucking asshole, he deserves way more!"

“It's Ivar!" she scoffed in disbelief “He's literally the worst in that family, Hvitserk might find you funny and he might not mind you acting like a bitch, but Ivar? He can destroy you, and he will"

“He's just a kid with money that has watched The Godfather way too many times" you rolled your eyes “He's what, one, two years older than us?"

“He's killed people, there are rumors about him torturing people until they beg to die, don't play with fire, Y/N, you can hate on him all you want, but try not to tell him directly"

“See? Everyone treats them like royalty and they end up believing they're royalty, he's a normal guy like you and me, he just believes he's the king because people treat him like it, that's what has to change"

Ingrid rolled her eyes.

“Fine, but neither you nor me are going to change that, so now let's order a drink and forget about him okay?"

_____________________________________

She looked almost relieved when Erik arrived. He had brought a couple of friends with him and that was more than enough to distract Ingrid. You were already on your second drink and ranting about how much of an idiot Ivar Lothbrok was, and Ingrid seemed more than happy to push you into Erik's lap to keep talking.

Erik was cute. Blonde hair and grey eyes, with pink lips and a nice body, the only problem was that he was unable to have a proper conversation. He wouldn't argue nor make interesting points to what you were saying, he would only nod and smile with a simple: Sure! Whatever you say! accompanied with a small smile. A smile that showed you he wasn't paying attention.

“I honestly think he's a dick" on your third drink and after he invited you to a shot, you were now more angry than ever, and kept glancing to the private zone in which he smoked and drank, surrounded by girls and big men that looked even more unpleasant than him. He had met your eye a couple of times, and both times he had smirked in that infuriating way that made you see red “He's even fucking smoking! No one is allowed to smoke inside!"

“No one but him" he chuckled “He's the boss, he can do whatever he wants"

“That's so unfair! Am I truly the only one that thinks this?"

“Probably not, but you're the only one bold enough to say it out loud" he winked at you, and his lips came way too close to your neck “That's what I like about you, you're feisty, that's sexy"

You frowned at him just when he started kissing your neck. It wasn't unpleasant, but you weren't particularly distracted by it.

“I'm not feisty nor sexy, I just have common sense" you rolled your eyes. Erik ignored you, his lips travelling up to try and meet yours, even if you turned your head to look at Ivar again.

What shocked you the most was to see he didn't have a girl on his lap, nor he seemed interested in any of the girls that sat on the velvet couches around him. He almost looked bored, sipping on his beer while his blue eyes scanned the room.

“Should I be jealous?" Erik chuckled into your ear, startling you.

“What?"

“Many girls say Lothbrok is hot" he shrugged, scrunching his nose. You almost rolled your eyes again at him, some straight boys seemed to feel an aversion for talking about other men, maybe thinking that would affect their masculinity “I do not see it, personally, it would be bad for my reputation if you rejected me for a boy that can't walk" he laughed, and you raised an eyebrow.

“First of all, he can walk" you scoffed “With crutches but he can walk, I do not care about his legs or his disease, I can see why people could find him attractive, he has nice eyes and his face is..." you interrupted yourself, shaking your head “He's an asshole, an idiot, an infuriating, stressing dickhead that believes he's the king of the world, that has nothing to do with his legs or anything like that, you can be Mister Norway for all I care, but being an idiot invalidates any physical attractiveness you might have"

Erik smiled politely, his lips getting closer to yours.

“Sure, beautiful, whatever you say"

He kissed you then, and even if you were tempted to push him away, you let him kiss you. It wasn't the best kiss of your life, but at least it wasn't unpleasant. When his lips travelled down your neck again, you turned your head again, just to meet Ivar's eyes, fixed on you.

__________________________________________

You were never late. You always left home with enough time to get to class and sit on your favourite seat before anyone else entered the classroom. That gave you time to open your laptop, read some of the notes you had taken during the latest class -the ones that you always promised you'd read over the weekend but never did- and even reply to some texts before Alfred (and the rest of your classmates) arrived. But that day Astrid's girlfriend had spent the night, and as she was in her last year of the local cooking school and made the best breakfasts you had ever tried in your entire life, you were late.

Thank God you always showered before breakfast.

You met the Scandinavian History professor at the door. He looked at his watch and raised an eyebrow at you in disapproval, but after you shot him an apologetic smile, he gestured for you to enter the classroom before him. Muttering a thank you, you quickly entered, immediately scanning the room in search of your favourite seat.

Which was taken.

You glared at Alfred, who sat next to the girl that was now occupying your seat, and he shrugged with a pout. That day every single person enrolled in the course had decided to attend, of course.

You sighed in relief when you spotted an empty seat, but the sigh nearly turned into a whine when you saw who sat next to it.

As the professor seemed not to be in his best mood and as you considered it would be too impolite to leave the classroom when he had offered you to enter before him, you walked slowly to the empty seat, ignoring the people's stares and especially ignoring Ivar's little smirk when you sat down next to him.

The professor started talking, and you opened your laptop and pretended not to even know about his existence as he kept staring at you. Finally, you looked at him with your lips pressed together. His ocean eyes, framed by long, black eyelashes, seemed to mock you as you glared at him.

“What?" you whispered, narrowing your eyes at him. Ivar shrugged, and looked back to the blackboard, where the professor was writing some dates in silence.

You stared at him. He had his laptop opened, but he wrote on paper. Even if his handwriting wasn't the best, he wrote quickly as the professor spoke, Ivar's eyes never leaving the paper and he seemed to remember every single thing he was saying. He even added some things, and his concentration was hypnotising for you. As you always sat a few rows behind him, you never actually saw him in class, and thought he'd probably be scrolling down his phone or distracted on his laptop, like the majority of your classmates.

Suddenly, he raised his head, looking at you with an eyebrow raised. Fuck.

Quickly, you looked away, to your empty word file that you had opened to take some notes. Clearing your throat, you typed on your keyboard the dates and the names the professor was saying, even if you had missed some things, you'd just google it afterwards, as always.

You didn't need to look at Ivar to know he was smirking again. Clenching your jaw, you tried to ignore his mere presence while he kept writing down his notes, he seemed to go faster than you, which annoyed you to no end.

It was during the third time you were caught staring at him, after surrendering and accepting the fact that you weren't focused and it would be better to just wait and ask for Alfred's notes during lunch, when he finally parted his lips and whispered, so low that you were sure you were the only one hearing him:

“See anything you like?"

You pressed your lips together, not really understanding why you wanted to yell at him and his annoying smile so bad. Well, he's an asshole.

“No, thank you"

“Do you find me more interesting than the unification of Denmark by king Harald Blåtand?"

“No" you rolled your eyes, and Ivar chuckled.

“Seems like it" he shrugged “Are you trying to copy my notes then? If you ask me nicely, I might give them to you"

“I would never ask you for anything" you narrowed your eyes at him, trying to keep the volume down to avoid annoying your professor more than you had already done.

“Good, because with those manners, I wouldn't give it to you" he rolled his eyes “In any case, you look distracted" he looked briefly at your screen, a few words typed around the file you had opened with no connection or context whatsoever “And you got that date wrong, the one about the Jelling runestone... Are you thinking about going back to that idiot's bed so soon? Is that why you were late this morning?"

“Shut up" you glared at him “I woke up in my own bed, for your information, but that's none of your business" you moved your laptop away from him so he couldn't see the screen.

“I should have guessed that, you look too uptight to spend the night in someone else's bed" he shook his head, almost like he was disappointed, but the amusement in his blue eyes told you a different story.

“Excuse me?" you gasped, maybe a bit louder than you intended. Your reaction only seemed to amuse him even more, his eyes returned to his notes and he kept writing, almost like he forgot you as soon as he tore his eyes off of you.

When you looked away though, you were aware of the stern look the professor sent your way, so you had to swallow your anger and go back to your notes, typing the new words and dates that had appeared on the blackboard. Finally, the professor shook his head and sighed, continuing his explanation. You could feel Ivar chuckling next to you, but you kept your mouth shut and focused on ignoring him for the rest of the class. You knew that next time the professor would expel you from the classroom for disturbing him if he saw you distracted again. Not Ivar, though, he wouldn't even dream of scolding his favourite student, the brilliant Ivar Lothbrok.

_____________________________________

“He called me uptight, Alfred!" you scoffed, still very annoyed, as the two of you sat down on a lovely table next to a window inside your favourite café near university. It was a relaxing place, where you usually read or studied, or listened to your favourite playlist as you worked on some essays. Always accompanied by your favourite sandwich or a cinnamon roll and a cup of tea. That day, though, you weren't especially relaxed.

Alfred looked amused as you ranted about how much of an idiot that boy was.

“To be fair, Y/N, you're not too likely to spend the night in someone else's bed, especially Erik's... Why the hell did you even kiss him?"

“What's that supposed to mean?" you frowned, crossing your arms “And hey, I can hook up with whoever I want, Erik is not that bad!"

“It means" Alfred shot you his diplomatic smile, the one he always used when he was about to say something you wouldn't like but that you needed to hear and hoped you wouldn't hate him afterwards “That you are not the type of person that would sleep in a guy's bed when you have class the next day, and you definitely wouldn't stay until after he's awake" he shrugged “It's not inherently bad, it's just not you, especially if that guy can't maintain a proper conversation with you... Seriously, Erik?"

“What's so wrong about him?" you scoffed “Everyone rolls their eyes and shakes their head when I mention Thora shouldn't be fooling around with Hvitserk Lothbrok but I hook up with someone and suddenly they're not good enough?"

“It's not that" Alfred shook his head with a sympathetic smile “You never talk about him, not as much as you do when you actually have a crush on someone, and I've seen you talking to him, you look bored, you even yawned the last time!" he laughed “Besides, Erik doesn't have a good reputation, Hvitserk might be a jerk sometimes but at least there's no rumours of him taking advantage of drunk girls"

“Now who's being unfair?" you raised an eyebrow "I do find him interesting, he's very different from me, so we can learn a lot from each other" you shrugged "And, those are just rumours, there's also rumours about Hvitserk Lothbrok killing people and I don't see anyone freaking out"

Alfred shrugged again.

“All this 'opposites attract' thing is fine, Y/N, but you actually need some common ground for these things to work... And you have no common ground with Erik, you just have some free time and are scared of loneliness"

You gasped.

“Who asked you to psychoanalyse me?"

“I'm not..." Alfred sighed “I'm just saying that I don't think that guy is good for you, I care about you, you're my best friend and I want you to be happy and find someone, like I did" he smiled softly “But I guess, you need to make your own mistakes to keep learning"

“You sound like my grandfather" you rolled your eyes, not letting the conversation become too deep. The familiar itch in your throat and the burning of the tears in your eyes were too much to handle in public, especially in front of Alfred.

You noticed he stared at you for a couple of minutes after you ended the conversation and started scrolling down the digital menu before the waitress came to your table, with a smile on her lips.

Your eyes scanned the prices, biting down your lip. They had to raise the prices for the food, which you understood as it was a small, family-run business, but it was becoming more and more difficult for you to eat there and pay the bills every month.

Alfred looked at you again, and sensing your hesitation, he ordered your usual favourite before you could open your mouth. When the waitress left, you glared at him.

“My treat" he winked at you. He didn't add anything else, luckily, but you knew what he was thinking. You made a mental note to invite him to the cinema or something like that when you were able to pay for it.

“Thanks" your shy smile told him you weren't truly annoyed or angry at him.

“I could talk to Ubbe, maybe he could tell me when there's an open position and I could give him your CV. It's not your dream job, I know, but they pay very well and..."

“I'd rather starve" you replied, rolling your eyes. Alfred laughed then, assuming the defeat with a shrug.

“That pride of yours, Y/N, is your worst enemy"

_________________________________

You snuggled in your couch with your laptop on your lap, your favourite sitcom playing in the background as white noise while you typed on your keyboard. A warm blanket kept you cosy and your eyes half closed while you researched some things for class. Thora was in his room, alone or with Hvitserk, you didn't really know because you arrived after her. Astrid was with her girlfriend and Ingrid texted you earlier telling you that she would be going on a date with a guy she met on Tinder and that she'd be back for dinner.

Even if you were trying your best to appear completely fine with the fact that you now practically spent your days all alone, looking for temporal jobs online that you could balance with your classes and not really knowing what to do with your future, so they would keep going with their lives without having to stop to check on you constantly, some days were harder than others.

That day, after the fight with Ivar Lothbrok and his bodyguard from the weekend and the little conversation you had with him in class, especially after having lunch with Alfred, who seemed to know what you were thinking and feeling all the time, you were particularly sensitive.

A part of you wanted to call Erik, knowing he'd come if you asked him, but he wouldn't offer comfort, just sex, and for that you already had your vibrator, which would probably offer you way better results.

And, to be honest, you weren't in the mood to deal with him.

The doorbell rang. You hesitated, thinking that as you weren't waiting for anyone, maybe if no one opened that door they'd leave. But you instantly regretted it, sighing before pausing the series, leaving your laptop on the couch and standing up, checking your reflection on the mirror next to the door before opening.

And your jaw dropped in disbelief when you found those eyes you were starting to hate looking at you.

“Hello" Ivar smiled mockingly at you, bowing his head softly and tilting his head.

After blinking a couple of times, you parted your lips and licked them before speaking.

“What are you doing here?" you blurted out, scoffing "How did you get our address?"

He laughed then, almost like you had said the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard.

“I came to collect my dear brother" he shrugged “Our mother asked me to, and I figured he'd be here, it's not the first time I've been forced to find out an address to take my brother away from a girl's bed"

“I don't know if Hvitserk is here" you crossed your arms, but a groan and a loud giggle coming from Thora's bedroom answered you.

Ivar raised an eyebrow at you and shrugged.

“I think that was a pretty good confirmation" he pushed the door open, and you had to step back into the flat again so you could put some distance between the two of you. Ivar entered the living room leaning on his crutch and closing the door behind him. You gasped in disbelief and turned to look at him.

“I didn't say you could wait inside"

“I invited myself" he shrugged, walking to the couch and sitting down, leaving a black backpack on the floor next to it “As you're being a terrible hostess"

“I'm not a hostess" you argued “This is my home, Lothbrok, I'm the boss here, not you, so drop the cockiness"

“Will you at least offer me a drink while I wait for my sex-addict brother?" he pouted, ignoring your words.

“No" you closed your laptop.

“I'm thirsty, I'd like a glass of water" he tilted his head, his wide eyes fixed on yours and a small smile curving his lips.

“Then you can get up and grab one yourself, I'm not your servant" you shot him a fake smile, immediately rolling your eyes. Ivar's smile faded. This time your smile was genuine, a strange feeling of triumph replacing your annoyance for a few seconds “You're not so brave and cool without your bodyguard, are you?"

“Whitehair is waiting for me in the car" he shrugged “I figured I'd leave him there as you two clearly don't get along"

“Nice, well, I'm not your lapdog and I will not wag my tail, bark and sit when you order me to, so don't treat me like it, you're in my house, here it doesn't matter how much money you have, or how dangerous and important you think you are"

Ivar looked a bit annoyed now, which he deserved, in your opinion, because he had been annoying you for the entire day.

“You're obsessed with my family's money" he rolled his eyes “Hvitserk told me you hated us for some reason"

“For many reasons" you rolled your eyes “I don't hate you, I'm just tired of everyone treating you like you're some kind of royalty around here, it's just... Indifference"

“I don't recall even talking to you before this weekend" he shrugged “And here you are, acting like I just killed your entire family and forced you to watch, I feel like this" he pointed first to you and then to himself “Is personal, love, almost like one of my brothers fucked you and then never called you back when they promised they would" he frowned “If that's what happened let me tell you, you're not the first nor the last one going through that, you'll get over it" he winked at you and you let out a forced laugh, shaking your head.

“As if I'd ever believe anything that came from you or anyone from your family"

“Trust me, we can be very convincing" his smirk, that smirk you hated with your entire being.

“You love to think you're the big bad guy that everyone is scared of, right?" you replied “It's ridiculous"

Ivar hummed, nodding before leaning on his crutch and standing up. You stepped back, suddenly a bit intimidated by him hovering over you, watching you like a hawk that is about to catch a squirming rabbit.

“I don't love to think it" he muttered “I am"

You rolled your eyes again and opened your mouth to reply when someone cleared their throat.

Hvitserk looked amused when you looked away from Ivar. Thora was beside him, her eyes widened and a confused expression on her face.

“I didn't think you'd actually come up here, brother" Hvitserk chuckled “At least you had time to get to know us a bit better, Y/N"

You stayed silent, because the only thing you had on your mind at that moment were insults.

“Hurry up, we're late" Ivar pushed his brother to the door, and only turned around to grab his backpack and open it, throwing a few paper sheets on your table “The notes I took during today's class" he pointed at you “i think you need them more than me" the smirk again, this time accompanied by a wink.

When the door closed behind them, Thora looked like she was about to burst out laughing and you were seeing red.

“Who does he think he is?" you whispered, glaring at the notes he just left on the table.

“I don't know Ivar that well, but Hvitserk said he'd like you"

“Oh, yes, he loves me" you rolled your eyes, sitting on the couch again, she sat next to you with a small smile on her lips.

“If we get married you'll be my maid of honour and Ivar would be Hvitserk's best man"

You turned your head with narrowed eyes.

“Are you getting married?"

Thora laughed, shaking her head.

“It was a joke, Y/N"

“Well, it's the unfunniest joke I've ever heard"

She kissed your cheek.

“I'll make dinner, should we watch Shrek?"

___________________________________________

Thora hadn't stopped gasping and widening her eyes since she entered the Lothbrok house. Hvitserk had left her in the kitchen, promising he'd be back very soon with some cash and then he'd take her out to dinner. Of course she knew about the Lothbroks' reputation, what they did and their wealth. But she never imagined she'd experience it so closely. Of course her friends had advised her not to go out with Hvitserk Lothbrok, whom, they said, was the most accessible but one of the worst ones in that family. But he had been nothing but sweet and charming to her. It probably wouldn't last, but his green eyes had captivated her enough to make her say yes to a few dates with him. She just didn't expect to visit his family house so soon. 

Fortunately, no one seemed to be around. She had already met Ubbe, Hvitserk's older brother, and on their second date they had gone to a concert in which Sigurd, his younger brother, had played with his band. She had seen his mother, Aslaug, in some of the charity events she had organised, and his older half-brother, Björn, had been the visible face of his father's business for years, so she could recognize him anywhere. But they still intimidated her. 

The worst part would be encountering Ivar. Hvitserk's little brother alone was more intimidating to her than all of his older brothers together. She hadn't met him yet, she had only seen him from afar. Especially while partying or during university events. It seemed almost impossible that Ivar and Hvitserk were so close, while Hvitserk was playful, teasing and charming, Ivar was dark, intimidating and rude. Hvitserk insisted that his little brother wasn't that bad, that it was just that the world and people hadn't been especially kind to him, so it was just his way of protecting himself.

But, in Thora's opinion, his legs and crutches weren't an excuse to be a dick to everyone. 

“Here I am, beautiful" Hvitserk smiled widely at her as he entered, a laptop under his arm and winking before hopping on one of the stools next to the kitchen island "Would you mind if I send a couple of emails before we leave? Ubbe hasn't stopped annoying me with it for the entire day and I would rather not have any interruptions during our date" he smiled apologetically at her, and Thora couldn't help but smile back, nodding. 

“Of course, take your time" she smiled “It's still early, we have time"

That wasn't exactly true. In fact, it was a blatant lie. She had promised her group of friends she'd be back in their apartment for their weekly night of pizza and movies, but... They'd understand, right? 

“Good" Hvitserk smiled “I'll drive you back home, so you don't need to worry about taxis or anything like that" 

Thora bit her lip to hold back a smile, and looked away so she could hide her excited expression. 

Just when she was opening her mouth to reply, she heard it. 

The crutches. 

Hvitserk raised his head to look at his brother. Neither of them had heard the front door opening and closing, but Ivar had just arrived home... Two hours earlier than he was supposed to. 

“Hello, Ivar" Hvitserk smirked at him, feeling Thora tensing up and moving close to him “You're early" 

“Didn't think you'd be home" Ivar muttered as his iced eyes roamed around Thora's figure “And that you'd have company" 

“Be nice, Ivar" Hvitserk sighed.

“I don't think my brother has introduced us" he moved like a serpent, and while his movements were slow, Thora feared he'd jump over her at any moment. 

“I'm Thora" she cleared her throat. Never mind how anxious she felt in his presence, she refused to let him know that. 

“Nice name" Ivar nodded slowly, a smirk on his lips “I look forward to seeing you around here, Thora" and his eyes went back to his brother “I hope she doesn't end up like Margrethe" 

Thora frowned. She had heard about Margrethe. She was once the most popular girl in town, fooling around with all of the Lothbroks for a while, and then was Ubbe's girlfriend before he broke up with her. 

“Ivar" Hvitserk sighed. 

His brother pouted with an innocent expression and looked back to Thora one last time before he turned around, leaving. 

“Ignore him" Hvitserk shot her a charming smile “He enjoys getting on my nerves, he won't bother us again" 

Thora nodded, biting her lip as Hvitserk pressed send on the second email and closed the laptop, turning to kiss her softly. 

“Let's go, then" 

_______________________________________

“I can't believe she stood us up" you scoffed, shaking your head and staring at your phone “For a guy" 

“Thora hasn't dated in like forever" Ingrid shrugged, laying back on the couch with her eyes fixed on the TV “It's normal that she wants to spend time with him"

“But it's Hvitserk" you raised an eyebrow “Like... It's the last guy she should be dating" 

“She's a grown up, she can take care of herself, Y/N" Astrid chuckled. 

“I don't like his family" you pressed your lips together “They act like they own Kattegat, they walk around barking orders to everyone else and expect them to comply, the police know they're not clean and they won't do anything! It's just unfair" 

“They're almost royalty" Ingrid sat to grab the gin bottle you had left on the table “No one is brave enough to stand up to them and no one wants to, they practically built this city"

“But how?" you narrowed your eyes. 

“Does it really matter when it has benefited most of the population?" she shrugged “My father told me that before Ragnar came here Kattegat was much smaller, it barely had any trading and all the money went to Haraldsson Industries, Ragnar built this city"

You rolled your eyes. You honestly couldn't understand the devotion most of the people would show that family, just because they had money! You remembered all those articles you had read about them, that went as far as to call them "the king and princes of Kattegat", even though Ragnar Lothbrok hadn't stepped foot on Kattegat in years. In university, only two of the brothers continued their studies, and you had some classes in common with one of them. 

When you had arrived in Kattegat to start university you already knew about them. Björn and Ubbe Lothbrok were famous in all of Europe, and their younger brother Hvitserk -now Thora's... Friend- had been the protagonist of some of the biggest scandals you had ever read about. Parties in Saint Tropez, Sicily, Ibiza, Mykonos, Dubrovnik...  Hvitserk always was in the middle of the scandals, which his brothers tried to clean as quickly as possible so no one would learn the name of the lady that surrendered to their brother's charms. Ubbe was the only one you held some sympathy for, he looked nice and sweet. You hadn't had that much contact with his older half-brother and had avoided Hvitserk as much as you could. 

Sigurd wasn't that close to his brothers, he spent his days at university, where he studied music and composition. Instead of a yacht in the Mediterranean, Sigurd could be found in the auditorium, rehearsing with his band or practising his next recital. You had never talked to him, and had no intention of doing so. 

Ivar was the worst, with a difference. 

Being a student interested in politics, history and geopolitical issues, you had some classes with him, who studied a mix of politics, history and Scandinavian studies. He didn't even need those studies, he already had a secured position in his father's business, being the brightest of them. And you didn't ever know why he bothered to attend the classes, as he always looked bored and had gone as far as to correct the professors and roll his eyes at their explanations. It was like he believed himself to be better than everyone, and even if he didn't pay attention in class, he had the highest grades, which also annoyed you to no end. 

Some people said Ragnar also had a daughter, Björn's sister, that lived in Hedeby, a town not that far from Kattegat, with her mother. As you didn't know her, you couldn't have an opinion but if she was half as... Irritating as her brothers, you were fine with not knowing her. 

But what bothered you the most about that family was their money. It was impossible to gain that much money with a normal business like the one they ran, and everyone knew they also had business with drugs, ams trafficking, blackmailing... But no one did anything. They had played dirty for a ridiculous amount of money and you had to keep searching for jobs to help pay rent and groceries and were always running low at the end of the month. 

“Y/N, you can stop stabbing the ice cream now" Astrid sounded amused, and her voice startled you. Looking down, you saw the bowl and the spoon buried in it so deep that you almost folded it when you took it out. 

“Look, if you're eventually right and Hvitserk does break Thora's heart..."

“When he breaks Thora's heart" you corrected, narrowing your eyes. 

“Whatever" Ingrid rolled her eyes “If he does, you will have our blessing and our help kicking his ass" 

You didn't reply, your eyes going back to the forgotten tv, a bit annoyed because they didn't seem to care about the fact that Thora was out there with a criminal. 

When the movie ended, the three of you went to bed. You had sent a couple of messages to Thora but she didn't reply, and as neither Astrid nor Ingrid seemed too interested in your anti-Lothbrok ranting, you made a late FaceTime call to your best friend as soon as you laid down in bed. 

Even if it was past midnight, you knew Alfred would be awake. He accepted your call and looked a bit tired as he greeted you with a smile. You could see he was still in his office. He worked for Ubbe Lothbrok, which was one of the reasons why he was the only one you held some sympathy for. Ubbe seemed to adore Alfred, and he was quite happy with his job, which allowed him to continue his studies. 

“Isn't it a bit late for you to be working?" you frowned. 

“I prefer to work at night, Y/N" he sighed. It was true. When you lived with him he always studied at night, he always said he preferred the silence and the quietness of the night, helped him to focus. You kind of understood him. 

“Yes but..."

“No, Y/N, I'm not being exploited at work" he chuckled “Elsewith is visiting her parents, so between staying here and being productive or being alone at home..."

“You could come here" you pouted. Since he moved in with his girlfriend and you moved in with the girls, you didn't see him as much as you'd like to. It was really strange to go from seeing him every day to seeing him a couple of times a week in class. 

“I wouldn't dream of ruining one of your girls' nights, Y/N" he smiled fondly at you.

“Well it was already ruined" you scoffed, looking away “Thora left us to go fool around with Hvitserk"

Alfred's eyebrows raised with interest. 

“They're together?"

“No, they're just... Fucking around, and no one will listen to me when I say this is going to end badly"

“I think your prejudice is talking for you here, Y/N" he chuckled “Look, I know these people more than you, they're not that bad. I don't have that much contact with Hvitserk, but I'm sure he's not that bad"

“I don't trust him, he's got a reputation..."

“But Thora is a big girl, Y/N, just like you, and she can take care of herself, don't sabotage your friend's relationship just because you think you know better than her" 

You pressed your lips together, finally realising no one would support you against them. Only time would prove you right. 

“I'm hungry" you frowned, looking at the clock. Would it be too late to go to the kitchen and eat a sandwich? You had barely eaten that night, too distracted hating on your friend's boyfriend “I'll run to the kitchen, wait" you left your phone leant on your bed as Alfred nodded and focused on his laptop again. 

But as soon as you stepped out of your room, crossing the hallway to reach the kitchen and already thinking about the sandwich, you heard giggles and low voices. 

Thora sat on the counter, a blonde guy with long hair stood between her legs, but fortunately they both were still dressed. They kissed and touched each other in a way that almost made you gag. Until Thora saw you, stopping immediately as a soft blush covered her cheeks. 

“Y/N, hi" she smiled, widening her eyes. The guy turned around and you were face to face with Hvitserk Lothbrok. His green eyes fixed on you and scanned your face and body with a smirk. You had to admit he was handsome, and that he had a different vibe than his brothers. 

“Y/N" he bit his lip, visibly amused “I've heard a lot about you, it's nice to meet you" 

“Hi" you raised an eyebrow, looking at Thora “I wish I could say the same" 

Hvitserk chuckled as Thora sighed, shaking her head with a small smile on her face. 

“I just wanted something to eat and I'll leave you alone" you shrugged, opening the fridge and trying to ignore Hvitserk's smirk. 

“I know you have harsh opinions about my family" he shook his head “But I hope you don't mind if I spend the night" 

“I was going to ask you, but I thought you were already asleep" Thora smiled apologetically. 

“I was talking to Alfred" you shrugged, opening and closing the fridge a bit more forcefully than you intended. 

“Oh little Alfred" Hvitserk looked very amused at your annoyance “Yes, Thora mentioned more than once that the two of you are close" 

You ignored him, taking a plate to start making your sandwich in silence. 

Thora looked at Hvitserk and pointed at the living room with a small smile, knowing you'd be much open when he left. 

“Are you mad at me?" she bit her lip and tilted her head at you. You narrowed your eyes at her “I'm sorry I didn't come to our weekly girls' night, I'll make it up to you" she smiled apologetically, and you tried to avoid her gaze. 

“You know what I think about the Lothbroks, Thora" you muttered, not really wanting Hvitserk to hear you. It was one thing to be distant and another one to be blatantly rude. 

“Yes, but Hvitserk is really nice" she pouted "I swear, Y/N, he's nice, sweet, charming, funny..." 

You widened your eyes and raised an eyebrow, finally turning your head to look at her. 

“Don't you dare fall in love with him" you pointed your finger at her. She giggled and shook her head, putting your hand away. 

“I'm serious, Y/N, if you gave him a chance and got to know him a bit more, you'll be surprised, I think the two of you could get along very well if you tried"

“Look, if you want to date him, it's fine by me, I don't care if you bring him home as long as you don't have sex on the couch, the couch is sacred, but don't force me to spend time with him and most importantly, when he breaks your heart don't come crying at me because I will only say 'I told you'"

Thora smiled widely, giggling as she leant in to hug you. 

“I love you, you're the best friend ever, your couch is safe" she kissed your cheek “I know you will be there whenever I need you, you can't fool me" 

You rolled your eyes when she finally stepped back, with a small smile on your lips. You quickly finished the sandwich, turning to the fridge again to put the food back and giving her a last look before kissing her cheek and leaving the kitchen. 

“Good night, Y/N" Hvitserk, sitting on your beloved couch, smirked at you “It was a pleasure meeting you" 

You sighed, but shot him a forced smile before going back to your room. 

“I like her" Hvitserk chuckled when Thora joined him on the couch “Ivar would love her" 

Back in your bedroom, you listened to Alfred ranting about the latest essay he had to hand in and how hard it was for him to find new sources as you ate the sandwich, but you had only one thing in your mind. 

The Lothbrok's were shady, and as you seemed to be the only one that saw it, you had to be the one opening everyone's eyes. 

_____________________________________