#thorkell x reader

The man laughs, it seems to be all he does whenever he’s in your company, cupping his hand to dip it beneath the water and scoop some over his head. Your eyes follow his every move, maintaining sight of his forearm and wrist, his thick fingers and the strands of blonde hair that flatten over his forehead while they’re wet. He pushes them back and they immediately fall forward again, an action that wins a giggle from you.

With a never fading smile, he repeats the motion. Pushing his wet strands back, sliding his hand across their surface, they rebel and return to their home across his forehead. He sighs in mock exasperation, hands no longer cradling his head but instead spread out far beyond the sides of the tub.

“Now you see why I must wear the headband.”

Why is there a swell of warmth in your chest over the boyish smile of this man over twice your age? It curls around your heart like the steam in the room and the smoke from that still fading candle.

This feeling is very inappropriate. 

He’s a warlord who will likely conquer your village and overtake your father. He came here to inflict harm and to claim that which does not belong to him. Swallowing thickly, you sigh and further settle against the side of the tub. There is no response you can come up with to match his wit while hiding your true feelings so you rest a moment, dipping your fingers into the basin and wiggling them gently to warm them up although the room feels far from cold. 

Silence never sits well with Thorkell, nothing but the splashing of water filling his ears. He wishes it were the music and liveliness of an inn, something your small village is missing, but he’ll take listening to you speak in lieu of such things. 

“Do you know what your father told me about you the first day I met him?”

It was gracious he allowed you to enjoy the quiet for even a few minutes. You pretend to think about his question for a moment and then shake your head.

“Haven’t a clue.” A shrug, your shoulder lifting to your cheek. “Did he not offer marriage? My assumption has always been this is why he’s made me come and perform such uncouth tasks for you.”

Clearly you’ve piqued the man’s interest. He raises a blond brow. “No. Although if you believe he’d be willing t–” you shoot him a glance that makes him stop, his tongue stilling in his oversized mouth for just a moment before a sly smirk crosses his face.

“You know how much I like it when you get that fierce look in your eyes.”

You nod coolly despite the beating of your heart. He’s complimenting you? Admiring the tenacity you keep so well hidden beneath your smiles and obedience?

Thorkell liked you from the first time he encountered you, staring curiously at him from across the largest banquet table your people could find. You asked him no questions nor paid him any actual mind when he attempted to smile and raise a mug of ale in your direction, choosing to turn your attention to the children who misunderstood the excitement and celebrated the arrival of the people who may eventually raze the only home they’ve ever known once they no longer need it. 

That was many moons ago, more than the warrior has bothered to continue to count. You came to his chambers that very first night to bathe him, as you were clearly instructed to do, silently and seething with rage. You could likely have concealed it from someone who had seen less of it but he knew instinctively, this man. 

“Kill me if you must but I’d far prefer a kiss from one as fair as you,” he teased.

You dumped water over him with the same expression you wear now but you kept your eyes pinned to the wall instead of glancing at the nude man. Now this was greatly amusing to Thorkell. It also affirmed to him that he did not merely like you but found himself charmed by the lack of warm welcome and determined to bring back what he saw earlier that day sitting across from you.

In the present day, you aren’t bothered by the sight of his unfathomably large, muscled, scarred form nude. Or so you think until he does as he’s doing right this moment, stretching and spreading his long legs out and over the edge until water drips to the floor beneath them. His flaccid cock floats upon the water. You catch sight of it and look away quickly, backing away from the tub to grab the bucket and return to the stove for more hot water. 

Thorkell stops you, reaching to place a hand over yours. His fingers curl around your hand and the handle of the bucket both. “He told me that you wished to someday leave this village.”

You hum, aware he regales all visitors with that tale in hopes one of them will take you off of his hands and alleviate the strain upon his stores and finances. Your father loves you, of course, yet things are only growing more and more strained as the Danes advance. The future has never felt more uncertain, yours or that of your entire family. 

Even before the arrival of your unexpected visitors you longed to go. There’s another side of the landscape your eyes can make out yet you’ve never touched, further away than you can even consider walking by yourself. There are oceans and snow covered hills; grasslands and fertile soil and more than the simple rocky lowlands of your dreary homeland according to the stories the Northmen have told you. More than green, more than gray, more than any of us.

There’s a limitless world out there for those bold enough to take it.

“He told you the truth, Thorkell the Tall.”

The man chuckles, your sarcastic formality leaving him thrilled. His thumb rubs over the back of your hand and each of your knuckles.

You should rip yourself away from the touch of his hand, filthy bloodied paw that it is, yet you stay in place. The rapidly cooling water sloshes when he shifts, the room alongside it when Thorkell makes his way to the edge of the tub to lean over it and loom over you. The candlelight has grown down to a dim flicker, no longer bright enough to highlight his chest or the proof of prior battles that cross it. 

Not that you need the reminder, you can conjure them on your own. Even in the dim light you see him looking at you, a handsome face beginning to be etched by the delicate lines of age with scars that match those on the rest of him nearly touching yours.

“I could take you out there to see it all,” he offers in his best attempt at a whisper. His voice still fills every corner of the room. You shake your head, wiggling your hand beneath his to try and loosen the grip. 

“I cannot leave unless it’s with my husband.”

“Then I’ll talk to your father and arrange our marriage.”

That humourless laugh surfaces once again, your hand shaking beneath his. 

“Will you take me by force if I say no, just as your men have done to many others?”

Thorkell chuckles, astute enough to tell that even if you mean to wound him, it’s merely a scratch. But if you want to play rough, he’ll play right alongside you. 

He’s always carried an inkling you’d prefer it that way to begin with.

“It has never been I who has forced you to do things against your will,” he squeezes your hand and releases it with a mighty groan, shifting in the tub again so that his arms and head dangle over the edge.

It stings to recall that first night all those moons ago when you were forced to face this humiliation. To fill a basin for a man you saw as a predator felt like only staving off your own damnation, the ruination of farmlands and homes. A temporary means to an end.

That once venomously pervasive belief has softened over time and with the lack of aggression from the invaders toward your village.

You realize that while Thorkell is a bloodthirsty, senseless, loud brute he is intelligent. He can tell a story unlike any man you’ve ever met and his tales have always been fantastical. There’s a gentleness beneath his brash exterior, proven in the way he holds your hand not only right now but every other time he has. He hungers for more but don’t you do just the same, wishing to feel the grass of another pasture beneath your feet?

Sighing, you lean back against the side of the tub. The water must be cold now, the candle burned out completely leaving only moonlight to shine through the room though he makes no effort to take his leave. His cock floats ominously, his body relaxed and heavy beside you. 

Would this man truly marry you to give you the life you seek?

“And how would you treat your wife, Thorkell the Tall?” 

The water splashes while he lifts himself up to sitting, one arm remaining out of the tub so he can cup your shoulder in his large hand.

“Same as I treat all women,” he boasts as blunt as ever, gently shaking you which makes you laugh, attempting and failing to shrug him off.

You know he hasn’t taken a lover in your village since arriving, something many of the women have taken offense to despite their husbands if their incessant complaining in any indication.

“I’ve not heard any rumors of your treatment. Care to tell me more?”

Curiosity has always been your strength and weakness both. Fortunately, he’s eager to indulge you regardless. 

“You’ve not heard a single tale about how the women weep when I leave their villages?” He chuckles, lowering his head so that it is over yours once again. “ ‘O Lord, please protect the heathen who showed me Your face while using his tongue’ they cry in the streets.”

You may be unwed but you are no fool and the innuendo is not lost on you. Your face runs hot though you can’t quite place why, chest squeezing.

“So you’ve had many women then?”

The older man smirks, droplets from his hair sliding into your lap and falling into the empty water bucket beside you. 

“I’ve had my share,” he admits, hand sliding up your shoulder to wrap around the side of your neck and head. The delicacy of his touch sends a shiver down your spine, his thumb rubbing a small line across your throat. “Yet not one inspired me to claim her as my wife.”

Conquering is truly all he knows how to do, isn’t it? You scoff and Thorkell feels the vibration against his digit, removing and replacing it with his lips. He places a kiss against the hollow of your throat.

“Northman,” you warn, though the bite in your voice dies to find new life as a breathy sigh when he kisses your neck again. His facial hair scratches against your soft, unblemished skin causing goosebumps to sprout across it. 

“Stop me then, sweeting.”

The term of endearment ensures that your head and heart are no longer communicating, thoughts slipping away like petals on the wind. Your body reacts instinctively to his touch, head tipping backward to allow him access to more. He chuckles against your skin, tongue now laving over the irritated skin left behind from his kisses and the scratch of his scruff. 

“You didn’t answer my question,” you remind impatiently, air escaping your lungs in short puffs. “And I don’t wish to ask it again.”

His hand once again slides from your neck to your back, palm resting between your shoulder blades to pull you closer toward the tub and subsequently his insatiable mouth. It’s easy to forget how large he is yet right now it’s all you can think about - how engulfed you feel by his presence much less his hands. 

“You’ve not let me finish,” he pokes right back in your direction. That large hand slides down your back, his long arm hardly stretching to reach your ass to cup it and give it a playful squeeze. You protest but realize it’s futile, raising yourself up slightly so he can slide his hand fully beneath the backs of your thighs. Thorkell smiles down at you, his other arm now dropped over the side of the tub to cup your chin alongside your behind.

“I cannot promise that I would be able to give my wife a life free from suffering,” he starts. ”I am a warrior. My call will always be to battle no matter how badly she may desire that another truth exists.”

Nodding is all you can manage, averting your eyes from him. Is it strange to find a man so much older and worn than you this handsome? Is there something wrong with you? With the heat in your veins and the throb between your legs? 

Is it evil of you to crave to live this life with him? You can picture it - not here but far away, the vision of his homeland that his stories have created form the blurry outlines of the dream. Long after he’s taken you around the untamed and unowned world and shown you all it has to offer, every hilltop and cavern.

Questions and uncertainties rush by in your head, so quickly you can hardly make sense of them. 

The warrior stares at you curiously, lifting your head to meet his eyes. You’ve chosen to let him finish uninterrupted and he takes advantage of it.

“I would give my wife my heart no matter how far the wind carries me from her side.”

Despite the creeping fears dwelling within your worried mind, you smile at him. It’s soft, even a bit tense, exposing that you are afraid to believe a dream as outlandish as this could come true. The ghost sensation of his lips across your throat returns and you reach for it, running the side of your index finger over the sensitive skin. 

Thorkell realizes where your mind has gone and takes advantage, reaching for your hand and pulling it into the tub. You gasp as your sleeve soaks up a bit of the water, attempting to pull it back yet finding yourself unable to be free of his grasp. Keeping your eyes locked on him, you don’t dare look and see what he’s doing lest you react strongly and alert his men posted outside of the room. 

When you touch something entirely unfamiliar that does not feel like water, you dare sneak a glance and gasp sharply upon realizing he’s flattened your palm across the width of his cock. He chuckles at you, molding your fingers around what he considers his most impressive weapon. 

“And this would be all for my wife.” 

Wrapping his hand all the way around yours, he squeezes and hisses at the softness of your skin. Your palm does not cover even half of his girth, fingers far from touching each other. There is no indication that you wish not to touch him so he continues on, using your hand to slowly stroke his shaft.

“I’d never take another lover if I had my wife,” he serenades you with a humorous note floating through every word, leaning over the tub to look you up and down with a grin. “Although I believe my wife may be a bit too small to take all of my cock.”

That same flushed feeling from earlier returns to your face, the ache between your legs encouraging your thighs to defiantly squeeze together to give you a bit of relief. He glides your hand smoothly from the bulbous tip of his head that leaks fluid he rubs back down the rest of him, thumb resting on the outside of your wrist to keep it steady. Breaths leaving him in soft pants that mirror your own, your brows knitting together when you mewl softly with need.

A mischievous light shimmers in Thorkell’s narrowed eyes now that you’ve openly displayed how his teasing makes you feel. 

“I would like my wife to try, though,” he rasps, throat dry and blood rushing from his head to his painfully hard cock. “To try to take me.” 

You didn’t need the clarification, still you nod and swallow.  There’s no hiding from a direct conversation now. You’ve been confronted. 

There remains a lingering concern that he doesn’t mean it though lust fogs your thoughts too strongly to make you really take a step back and consider if this is real. Your hand moves up and down his cock, his hips gently bucking up and into your fist while cool water splashes around his hips and onto your forearm. 

“Would yo–would you do that for me?” He asks, grunting between each word. His complexion grows more pink with every passing second and you find it adorable that a man of his size flushes in such a manner when he’s being pleasured. 

You gaze into the bathtub, able to barely make out the tinge of red from his throat clear down to the deep flushed pink of the head of his cock. It’s such a strong contrast to dark scars and honed muscle that you whimper again, biting your lower lip and resting your cheek against his fingers.

“Would I do what for you, Thorkell?”

An impure part of you likes to hear him speak in this way, especially about you. Your body. Your pleasure. The visiting invaders have never been shy about sex and their conquests, speaking about them in front of polite company like priests and women alike but you’ve never quite seen this side of the man next to you.

Thorkell only speaks of fighting. The yearning of his blade for blood is all you believed he was capable of feeling until this evening.  

Now you see the man whose heavy, full balls slap against the bottom of your fist each time he thrusts upward to meet his stroke with your hand for who he really is. You see that his passionate blood runs hot for more than just battle just as he sees that you aren’t meant to be a shepherd’s wife. 

“Stretch yourself upon my cock?” The words come through gritted teeth, his body tensing and voice doing the same. “Allow me to fuck you until even the gods know my name you’ve been shouting it so often?”

Lack of experience aside, you get the distinct impression that he is soon to lose his mind to his pleasure. His chest heaves and the water around him no longer ripples but behaves like a wave capped stormy sea with each determined thrust of his hips, his remaining eye shutting tightly. 

“Yes,” you mutter.

Without further hesitation you reach into the tub and wrap your free hand around his and your other hands to increase the pressure of the grip on his shaft. He moans loud enough you know that the men on the other side of the door have to know what’s happening but you don’t care. 

“Yes, if I am your wife I will let you take me however you like.” 

The words leave you in an anxious jumble, your lower lip wet with saliva and eyes heavily lidded as though it hurts to open them fully in your aroused state. 

“I will not merely allow you to fuck me Thorkell, I will beg you to.” 

You pant, brows knit together expressing how painful the ache of your curious cunt has become. It would be a lie to say you are completely unfamiliar with your body, you’re aware of how to soothe this pain but both of your hands remain locked around him. 

“There’s nothing I desire more than to feel you inside of me.”

One look at your face tells him that you mean it. It’s almost hilarious how wide your pupils are blown and how spit slicked your lower lip is from gnawing it like a starved beast. Thorkell doesn’t laugh though, he merely focuses on chasing the feeling in the lower half of his body. 

“Then inside you I will be,” he assures, tipping his head back while his jaw slackens and falls open. His release spurts all over your hand with another mighty groan announcing its arrival, white coating your knuckles and the cuff of your shirtsleeve. 

You let go of him, backing your top hand away slowly though the one around his shaft remains there locked in his grasp. Awkwardness keeps you anchored in place, patiently waiting for him to say something; anything. 

“I’ll speak with your father in the morning.”

He rises from the water and you nod, eyes wide. He meant it? You may really someday learn what’s just beyond what your eyes can see? 

Thorkell bends at the waist and holds onto the edge of the tub, staring down at you with that same grin he never quite conceals no matter what. He’s so good natured for someone so violent. 

“Go lie down on the bed, my wife, and I will give you a taste of what’s to come.”

Tonight was the night, you knew it when Thorkell convened you in his personal tent. He pretended that you two have some things to share about the next battle. Liar. But his lies didn’t bother you. Of course they didn’t. 

-You wanted to see me, Thorkell ? you asked innocently. 

The sexual tension was definitely there. Thorkell was barely naked, only wearing thin pants. You could admire his enormous shoulders, connected to his generous chest and abs. He truly was a giant.

-Actually, I wanted to see you tonight, he responded with a strange smile on his face.

It was a hungry smile. Oh god, you thought. He desired you so badly. You approached him, slowly, but surely. His eyes opened wide when he saw you innocently pull your tunic so he could see your breasts through the fabric.

-Fuck this, he growled by taking off the banda he always used to wear. Do you want to do this with me ? Now ? 

-Isn’t it why you wanted me to come ? 

-I wanted you to come to me, but I would add that now, (y/n), I want you to come for me. 

You couldn’t wait any longer. You barely jumped into his powerful arms, and he adjusted the grip so your cunt and his cock were meeting deliciously. Immediately, you could tell that it was huge. His lips crushed on yours, and you appreciated the kiss like it was your first. 

-Take off your clothes, he ordered. I’ll do the same. Where do you want to do it ? 

-On your bed, you responded without hesitation. 

The blankets just called the two of you. It was sweet and warm. 

-(y/n), sit on my face. You can’t imagine how many times I’ve pictured myself doing this with you… 

-Will you shut up ? you said, falsely irritated. 

With no pity for him, you took out his breath with your flesh. It was now your turn to skip a beat : Thorkell ate you like you were his last meal ever. His middle finger pushed his way into you as he caressed your clitoris with his large tongue, circling it. Your legs quickly started to shake over him, but he supported your weight easily with his arms. You could feel the pressure of his hands on your thighs. You ended up coming on his satisfied face a few seconds later. 

-That’s it, baby, he said while tasting you even better. You taste divine, just like I’ve imagined you would.

As a response, you caught his blonde hair in your hands, so you can pull them to help you push your body on his insatiable mouth. He chuckled a little but understood the assignment. 

-Will you now fuck me like your guards told me you will ? 

-What did they tell you ? he asked, while wiping his shiny mouth.

You went down from his chest so you were on the top of him. You could feel his tip waiting to slip into you.

-They told me that… You were a beginner, with no experience…

Thorkell frowned like a kid. It was nearly cute until he said : 

-When I’me done with you, I’m gonna cut their heads off, I swear. But for now, let me prove them wrong. 

Without any warning, Thorkell pushed him into you with no mercy. His hugeness made you scream. He didn’t seem to care and started to pound into you. You could tell he was in pleasure by his eyes literally devouring you. He caught your breasts in his large hands and started massaging them. 

-Fuck, you sighed. You’re so good. 

-Tell it again, he ordered.

-You’re doing it so well, Thorkell the Tall. Love your dick so much. 

Thorkell literally shivered when he heard you calling him by his nickname. He continued to fuck you until, your legs started pressing around his. 

-Gonna come, babe ? 

And before you could answer, he pushed you off him. Surprised and frustrated, you looked at him with an angry look. 

-Get on all fours, (y/n), I beg you. I’m gonna finish you this way.

With lust in your eyes, you obeyed. You felt his cock fill you again and again. In this position, he could fuck you faster and harder. Paradise. 

-Oh my God ! you said after he roughly smacked your butt. 

-Move on it, babe. I wanna see your perfect ass wiggle on my cock before I come on it. 

With tears slowly filling your eyes, you obeyed and took all the pleasure he could give you. After all, creating this story about the guards wasn’t a bad idea. Thorkell took your breasts back in his hands, and pressed them softly. It became hard for you to catch your breath and he noticed it. 

-Stop resisting me, he said. Let it go around me. 

-I just… I’m gonna… 

But you couldn't finish your sentence because your orgasm catched you like a hurricane. Your walls squeezed around Thorkell’s cock, and he let go a satisfied sigh. He slipped him out of you and started jerking himself. You wanted to help him. 

After noticed you moved to go towards him, he gently pushed you on the bed. 

-No, babe, stay like that. I'm coming on your ass, that’s what I want. 

You said nothing and felt his cum spurt on your body. You were recovering from your second orgasm. 

Gently, Thorkell took you in his arms and placed you under the heavy blanket. You could fall asleep just now, what happened just got all your energy. 

-How was it ? he asked by caressing your hair. 

-Hm…Not bad. Maybe I’ll consider meeting you again… 

Thorkell put on his animal gaze. If you two didn’t just had sex, you could tell that he was ready to eat you alive. Now. 

-What about tomorrow night ? I can’t wait to fill this pretty chatty mouth with my cock. 

"I imagine there aren't many men worth your effort, Thorkell the Tall," you return impassively.

"Those are pretty nice words to give your lover's killer," Thorkell banters with you far too easily.

Resolutely, your hand closes around the shaft of the axe in the corpse, and it takes you great effort to pull it free. Besides the incredible heft, there is nothing special about it. But still, you trace its blade almost lovingly, fingers smoothing down from iron steel to the pine finish. You pay the blood no mind.

The enemy warrior doesn't tense, doesn't stiffen, nor show any sign of threat. You don't imagine you pose any to the likes of him, even with a weapon in hand. You tilt your head back to gaze upon his face as you lift the weapon towards him in offering. "That man was my husband, but I have yet to take a lover in this lifetime."

Thorkell pauses only a moment before accepting his axe. "Yet?"

You smile at him coyly. "If you so wish, I yet have a life ahead of me. I choose to be optimistic."

"Yer placin' your life in my hands?" He rumbles now, scratching his head with a slow forming grin. He’s peering at you closely now, and you can only hope you’ve got his attention.

"I was one of the many slave wives of this hall, but it was me you saw seated at my master's side. I can be valuable to you, if you wish to buy me."

"And who's to sell you then if your master rots at my feet?"

"My cost is them." You step closer to the giant, catching his gaze and purposefully drawing it towards the women still trembling on their bellies. They certainly haven't escaped his notice, nor his followers'. "You nor your men are to lay a finger on them. Allow them the choice of their own freedom, and in return I am whatever you wish of me. My fate lies with you now, Thorkell the Tall."

“Any of them English?”

You tilt your head curiously but answer him all the same. “No. Each of us are a spoil of conquest. Our homelands are elsewhere.”

Thorkell hums to himself and rests his axes on his shoulders. He seems to be mulling over your words, and you’ll take that for what it is, holding your head high and not allowing yourself to tremble after coming this far. Coming this far means nothing if it ends in naught. You are not scared of this warrior. You are not scared for even your own life. Your last few years have been hell under your former lord and way he treated you. Your only peace has been the kindness shared between the other wives and servants, so failing to save them is the only thing you fear. If you can do this for them, even if it leads to more suffering or your own death so be it. You will stand tall.

“As you wish then.” A weight leaves your shoulders for a bare moment, but he continues, and it begins to thump and patter as you try to keep a calm expression. His cheer remains untouched; there’s something deeper in his eyes now that calms you somewhat, though you don’t quite understand. “I like ya. Not like most dames, I’ll give ya that. So, I’ll give ya the chance to prove yerself.”

“To prove myself?” 

The warrior turns his back to you and slams both axes into the wood of table, shafts held aloft from how deep the blades sink in. It’s loud, frightening the other women into short shrieks as they curl in on themselves. “Men! We’ll be resting here tonight and taking advantage of their fine hospitality. Anyone who touches the women here will be responsible for the stain on my honor and will answer to me. If ye be so bold, I look forward to it. We'll rejoin Askeladd in the morn.”

Some of his men laugh, cheer. Others look chastened, intimidated. You resonate with both. You imagine there are few who would find themselves at perfect ease with such a formidable fighter.

Thorkell turns to face you, grin still in place, and you find yourself cast in his shadow.

“Show me to yer dead lord’s chambers. They’re ours for the evening.”