â Ëâ⧠ଳâ.ŕłŕż*:シStill Watersâ Ëâ⧠ଳâ.ŕłŕż*:シ
Summary: Every evening, they watch you batheâbut it is Ivar who wants you the most...
Warnings: mdni!, smut!, voyeurism, violence, blood/injury, sexual tension, insecurity, virgin!ivar, m!receiving, choking, fear of drowning, fluff, teasing, norse mythology, romantic
Pairing: Ivar x reader
Word count: 4k
You made your way down to the lake, just as you always hadâwhen the sky burned with the last light of the day and when you knew no one else would be there. The water was yours at this hour, a quiet place to think, to escape.
You glanced around, cautious as ever, before pulling the linen dress over your shoulders and letting it slip to your ankles. The cool evening air kissed your skin, and for a brief moment, you hesitated before stepping forward. Your toe dipped into the water first, adjusting to the temperature, before you sank in completely, letting it envelop you.
But you werenât alone.
The sons of Ragnar had been watching. They always did.
Perched on the hillside, hidden by the trees, they waitedâjust as they had many times before. They heard you singâbeautifully.
Ubbe exhaled a slow, appreciative breath. "What a body⌠like a goddess." His voice was hushed, reverent, as if speaking too loudly might shatter the illusion of you before them. Your skin glistening under the the faint sun.
Hvitserk grinned, eyes hungry. "I want to have her."
Laughter followed.
"Only in your dreams," Sigurd mocked, smirking. "She will be mine."
But Ivarâhe said nothing. He only watched.
His brothers words faded into meaningless noise as his blue eyes traced the way your skin glowed under the dying sunlight, the way water clung to your curves, how your hair slicked against your shoulders. He had heard men in Kattegat whisper about you, speak your name with longing. Even Jarls had asked for your hand, and yet, you had refused them all.
Why?
Ivar clenched his jaw, lost in the thought of you. Of your hands. Of how they might feel on him. He didnât just want you. He wanted to own you, to make you his, to be the only man you ever looked at.
The crude voices of his brothers pulled him from his thoughts.
"She needs a real man," Hvitserk chuckled, nudging Ivar with his elbow. "Not some cripple who crawls around like a baby."
Ubbe smirked. "You think you have a chance, little brother?"
"Pathetic," Sigurd agreed. "You wouldnât even know what to do with all that body of a woman."
Laughter erupted again.
Ivarâs jaw tensed, his grip on the dirt beneath him tightening. Then, without warning, he lunged.
"Iâm going to kill you." His voice was a growl, low and full of fury.
The hilltop became chaos. He and Sigurd tumbled downward, fists and nails clawing at each other, their bodies rolling violently down the slope. When they finally hit the foot of the lake, you gasped.
"Guysâ?"
Neither of them heard you.
Blood smeared across Ivarâs face, his breathing trembling as he shoved Sigurd back. But Sigurd had landed the worst blows, his lip curling in triumph.
Then he saw you.
Still half-submerged in the water, your arms wrapped around yourself, eyes wide in shock.
Sigurd stiffened. His smug expression faltered.
And without a wordâhe turned and ran.
Ivar remained where he was, panting, his chest rising and falling in sharp, erratic breaths. Blood trickled from his brow, mixing with the dirt on his skin. His hands trembled, though with pain or rage, you werenât sure.
"Shit..." he muttered, dragging a hand across his face.
For a moment, neither of you spoke.
You waded toward the shore, fingers wringing water from your hair before reaching for your dress. As you pulled the linen over your shoulders, you finally looked at himâreally looked at him.
Ivarâs blue eyes burned as they met yours.
And for the first time, you wondered if he had been watching you all along.
His hands, still clenched into fists, trembled slightly as he wiped at the blood on his brow. But it was no use. The wound on his forehead was still fresh, and the crimson streaked down the side of his face, mixing with dirt.
You hesitated for only a moment before stepping closer.
"Youâre bleeding." Your voice was softer now.
Ivar scoffed, looking away. "I know."
He didnât move as you knelt beside him, the damp earth cool beneath your bare knees. His exhale faltered when you reached out, tearing a strip from the hem of your dress. The sound of fabric ripping made him glance at you, eyes narrowing in confusion.
"What are youâ"
"Hold still."
You dipped the cloth in the lake, wringing it out before bringing it to his face.
At first, he flinched, his entire body tensing as if expecting a blow rather than kindness. His lips pressed together, and for the first time since you'd known of him, he looked uncertain.
You had seen Ivar be ruthless, cruel even. You had heard the things people whispered about himâthe monster, the cripple, the son of Ragnar with no legs but the sharpest mind, the coldest heart. But now, with the way his breath stilled as you wiped the blood from his brow, he looked...different.
Almost vulnerable.
"You shouldnât let them get to you," you murmured, carefully dabbing at the cut. "Sigurd only taunts you because he knows it gets under your skin."
Ivar let out a small, breathy laugh. "And you think I should just let him?"
"I think you should make him eat his words when it matters, not when heâs goading you like a child."
Ivar swallowed, he stole a glance from your lips to your eyes.
You were close. Closer than anyone ever got to him. He could smell the lake on your skin, the faint trace of something floral that lingered in your hair. His brothers had laughed at the thought of him ever touching a woman like you, but here you were, your fingers pressing so gently against his temple, your expression filled with something he didnât quite understand.
Care.
His head dipped as he tried to say somethingâanythingâbut the words got stuck. His usual sharp tongue failed him.
"There," you said, finally pulling back, eyeing your work. The bleeding had stopped.
Ivar exhaled through his nose, his hands flexing at his sides as if resisting the urge to grab onto something. Maybe onto you.
"You should get back," he huffed, his voice quieter now. "Before someone sees you with me."
You tilted your head. "And why would that be a bad thing?"
He swallowed again, but he didnât answer. Instead, he looked down, suddenly focused on the dirt beneath his fingers.
Ivar, the man who could spit venom at anyone who dared cross him, looked almost bashful.
And something about that made you smile.
And worse, you were still there.
You should have left by now, should have gathered your things and disappeared back into the village, but instead, you lingered. Watching him.
"You always watched me, hm?" you asked suddenly, mustering his face. A hint of laughter colored your tone.
Ivar stiffened. His fingers curled into the dirt.
"What?"
"You and your brothers." You smirked, shifting your weight as you sat back next to him. "You think I didn't notice? You think I donât know when Iâm being watched?"
He forced down a lump in his throat. He should have denied it, should have laughed it off, should have said something cruel to push you away like he always did with others. But he couldn't.
Because you were right.
"I..." he started, but the words broke off, sticking to his tongue like honey. His teeth locked in shame, looking away, humiliated by the warmth creeping up his neck.
"I wonder," you mused, drawing a slow circle in the dirt beside you, your voice teasing, "what does Ivar the Boneless think about when he watches?"
His head snapped toward you, eyes widening.
"What?"
"You heard me." Your lips curved into something wicked, and then, with intent, your fingers found the front tie of your dress, idly toying with it. "Youâve seen me like this, havenât you? Every evening. Floating in the water. Undressing."
The knot at your chest was loose from earlier, and with the way your fingers played with it now, it threatened to come undone entirely.
Ivarâs throat went dry. His hands stirred with impatience, as if he didnât know what to do with them.
"Stop," he rasped out, voice hoarse.
"Stop what?" You leaned inâyour voice a secretive whisper. "Making you think about all the things youâve imagined?"
He wanted to tell you to stop, to tell you that you were being cruelâbut he couldnât. Because he had imagined. More than once. More than he would ever admit.
"You think I don't know what goes through a man's mind when he watches a woman like that?" you murmured, still toying with the tie, still watching him unravel.
His nostrils flared.
"I have neverâ"
"Never?" You lifted a brow, unconvinced.
"You think I am like them?" he voiced out. "That I sit there and talk about you like they do? Like you are nothing more than something to be taken?"
The intensity in his voice startled you.
"I would never." He whispered, like he couldn't bear the thought of hurting you. "You are not like other women. You areâŚmore."
Something shifted in the air between you.
He was looking at you like you were something untouchable, something he had wanted for so long but had never dared to reach for.
"You are beautiful." The words left his lips so quietly, as if he wasnât sure he should say them out loud. "Too beautiful."
Your breath caught.
"I have always wanted you to be mine," he admitted, almost in defeat. "Even when I knew I could never have you."
His voice was raw, the usual confidence stripped away.
"But you refuse everyone. Even the strongest men in Kattegat. I know you are not easily won."
Your chest rose and fell, a strange heat curling in your stomach at his confession.
"And yetâŚ" you tilted your head, "you still wanted me?"
Ivar let out a reluctant breath. His fingers twitched, like he wanted to reach for you but didn't dare.
"I still do."
You movedâshifted closer, swinging one leg over his lap until you were straddling him. He inhales sharply, his hands gripping the grass at his sides as if it was the only thing grounding him.
"W-What are you doing?" He stammered, his voice unsure.
You smiled, amused by the rare glimpse of hesitation in him. "What does it look like?"
Your fingers found the front tie of your dress again, but this time, you werenât playing. You tugged at it, undoing the knot until the fabric loosened. It slipped over your shoulders, baring soft breasts beneath.
Ivar clenched his teeth, his eyes darting anywhere but at youâat the trees, at the ground, at the blood still drying on his fingers.
You laughed, a soft, sweet sound that made his stomach tighten.
"Donât be afraid, Ivar." Your voice was gentle, teasing, but there was something else in it, something that told him you werenât mocking him.
He swallowed hard. "Iâm not afraid."
"Then look at me."
He hesitated, but when you placed your hands on his, guiding them to your breasts, letting him knead them, his breath left him in a sudden exhale.
His eyes were piercingâwide and almost disbelievingâin awe.
"Is this what you imagined, hm?" You murmured. "While you touched yourself?"
His entire body went rigid beneath you. A deep, vibrating breath left his lips, and his hands almost jerked away, but you held them there, pressing them firmer against you, as you bit your lower lip.
His face burned. His grip was anxious, timid, as if afraid heâd do something wrong.
"IâŚ" He swallowed again, looking utterly spoiled by the weight of your words. His lips opened, but no response came.
You smirked.
"Don't be ashamed, Ivar." You whispered, leaning in so your breath ghosted over his ear. "You don't have to lie to me."
It was intoxicating.
"Hm," you murmured, letting your fingers ghost down his arms before settling on his wrists. "Have you ever done this before?"
His hands jittery against you.
You saw the way his throat tightened, the flicker of something raw and vulnerable in his expression. Then, slowly, he shook his head.
"No," he admitted, almost a whisper.
Your smile was soft, teasing, but not cruel.
"I thought so."
His brows twitched together, as if he wanted to argue, but before he could, you took his hands and placed them on your waist, guiding his fingers to settle against the curve of your body. His grip was stiff at first, uncertain, but you gave him time.
You cupped his face. His skin was warm beneath your touch, a contrast to the cool evening air.
"Relax." You smiled at him warmly. "It's okay..."
You leaned in, closing the space between you, and thenâtenderlyâyour lips met his.
The moment your mouths touched, he made a noise.
"Hmh."
It was almost startled, awkward, as if he didnât quite know what to do with himself. His lips were tense beneath yours at first, unsure, like he was trying to figure out how to move, how to breathe.
You pulled away just enough to look at him, your breath ghosting over his lips. His pupils were blown wide, his cheeks flushed.
"I-I want...to taste you."
His gaze flickered down, and you could see the way his throat bobbed again, the way his lips parted slightly as if the thought alone was overwhelming.
You noddedâsmiling.
But he wanted it.
Slowly, hesitantly, he leaned forward. His lips brushed over the curve of your breasts, a whisper of a touch. Then, gaining a bit more confidence, he kissed again, firmer this time, his calloused hands kneading your delicate flesh.
You hummed in approval, threading your fingers through his hair, encouraging him.
His tongue flicked out, hesitantly circling the hardened peak. When you sighed at the feeling, he grew bolder, wrapping his lips around it fully, sucking softly.
"Ivar," you moanedâfull of lust.
Ivar exhaled sharply through his nose, gripping you tighter. His tongue worked over your nipple, flicking and teasing before he bit downâharder than expected.
You gasped, and he immediately pulled back, looking up at you in a panic, his lips slightly swollen.
"Did Iâ?"
"No," you reassured him with a smirk. "I like it."
Your fingers trailed down his arm carefully before finding his other hand. His grip was still hesitant, still unsure of what to do, of how far he could go. You took it gently, guiding it up, pressing his palm against your throat.
He froze.
His blue eyes flew up to yours, searching, his breath uneven. His fingers trembled against your skin, but he didnât tighten themâhe just held you there, as if he wasnât sure he should.
"You want me to choke you?" His voice was quiet, volatile.
You nodded, your pulse fluttering beneath his hand. "Yes."
His brows furrowed slightly. He swallowedâtongue darting out to wet his plump lips.
"Youâre sure?" His voice was softer this time, almost boyish in the way he asked, like he needed your permission to do this.
You pressed his hand a little firmer against your throat. "Iâm sure."
Carefully, he applied the slightest bit of pressure.
Your eyes fluttered shut for a moment, savoring the feeling, and when you opened them again, he was staring at you. Watching every reaction.
"Like that?" he murmured.
"More."
He swallowed again, his fingers tightening just a little more. But the way your lips parted, the way your body reacted beneath his handsâit made something glint in his expression.
He was still hesitantâuncertain, but when he squeezed just a little harder and heard the way your breath toreâ
"IvarâŚ"
His name, falling from your lips in that soundless moan, sent a jolt through his body. His grip on your throat tightened instinctively before loosening again, as if he was afraid heâd go too far.
"Fuck," he whispered, almost to himself. His free hand playing with your breastsâkissing them.
"You look so beautiful with my hand wrapped around your throat," he whispered, his voice raw, needy. "Like you were made for me."
You whimpered as his grip tightened again, just for a second, your thighs squeezing around his lap in response.
"You like that, donât you?" His voice was jagged, like he was almost surprised. He let out a small laugh, but it was desperate, crushed.
"You like it when I squeeze your pretty throat while you moan for me?" He teased.
You nodded, gasping when he pulled you closer, pressing you flush against his chest. His lips were right by your ear now.
"Tell me you wanted me, just as much as I wanted you." He growled low.
"I needed you so much, Ivar." You obeyed, moaning breathlessly, as he moaned in response.
"Gods, I want to ruin you," he rasped, his voice shaking with need.
You pulled back slightly, suppressing a smile. "Ruin me, Ivar."
He looked wrecked. Flustered, desperate, like he couldnât believe this was happening.
You kissed him again, slower this time, coaxing him into it. His fingers dug into your waist as if anchoring himself. He tried to mimic the way your lips moved against his.
You felt itâthe way his body strained beneath you, the way his breath stuttered when your hips circled just slightly against his heat. Even through the layers of fabric between you, you could feel him hardening, his arousal pressing against you as if betraying everything he was too shy to say aloud.
"You like that?" You teased, rocking against him slowly.
"You have no idea..." Ivar let out a choked noise.
"So excited, hm?" You taunted, your lips brushing against his ear as your fingers trailed down his chest, tracing the ridges of muscle beneath his tunic.
He swallowed hard.
"Waitâ" His voice was hoarse, but he didnât push you away.
Your fingers reached the front tie of his pants, playing with the knot, tugging at it just slightly, just enough for him to feel the shift.
Ivar let out a shaky exhale, his head tilting back just a fraction, his lips partingâbut he was rigid, every muscle in his body coiled like a bowstring about to snap.
"You donât have toâ" He hesitated, hands flexing against your waist. His voice was quieter now, more vulnerable. "I donât... I donât know what to do."
You smiled, leaning in to press your lips against his jaw, just beneath his ear.
"You donât have to do anything."
You felt itâthe hesitation, the fear beneath the arousal, the unspoken terror that this was all some cruel joke, that at any moment you might laugh at him, just like his brothers did.
"I'm afraid you will laugh at me."
But you didnât.
Instead, you kissed him.
Slow, deep, your lips moving against his with purpose, swallowing every unsteady breath, every noise he tried to bite back. Your hand pressed against him more firmly, your palm teasing along the outline of him, feeling how hard he was, how much he wanted thisâwanted you.
"I would never laugh at you, Ivar," you purred against his lips, as you traced the outline of his hard length with your fingertips.
He shuddered.
And thenâfinallyâhe let you. Your eyes never left his.
You tugged the knot loose, feeling how his stomach tensed beneath your fingers. He looked downâpanting.
His whole body was stiff, every muscle locked as you reached inside, weapping your fingers around his cock for the first time.
Ivar gasped.
A sharp, choked sound left his lips, his head falling back against the grass as his hands scrambled against your sides, not knowing whether to pull you closer or push you away from the sheer overwhelming sensation of it.
"Godsâ" he groaned, his breath shuddering as you gave him a slow, testing stroke.
You giggled at the sight of him, utterly undone beneath you.
"Youâre so sensitive," you mused, stroking him again, watching the way his hips jerked ever so slightly into your touch, his body betraying him. "Have you never been touched like this before?"
Ivarâs eyes squeezed shut, his lips parting around another helpless, shaky breath.
"N-No," he admitted, his voice barely audible. "Never."
Your smile widened, something warm curling in your chest at the realization that thisâthis momentâwas his first.
"So hard for me," you whispered, your thumb caressing over his leaking tip, watching the way his thighs tensed, how his brows knitted together in helpless pleasure.
A broken, needy whimper left his lips, and you laughed softly, leaning down to brush your lips against his ear.
"You sound so beautiful when you whimper for me, Ivar."
His breath hitched sharply, his hands grasping at your waist, but he was powerless beneath you, lost in the sensation, lost in you.
"Wouldnât it drive your brothers mad?" You teased, your lips trailing kisses along his jaw. "That of all the men who have wanted me, of all the Jarls and warriors I have denied, I did it for you? That I only ever wanted you?"
Ivar let out a shaky moan, his lashes fluttering. "W-Why?" he whined, almost like he didnât believe you.
You smiled as you worked him gently in your hand.
"Because I hopedâ" you whispered, your lips almost touching hisâ"that one day, we would be this close."
His entire body trembled.
He swallowed, his gaze flickering away. "But I amâ"" He hesitated, jaw tightening. "I cannot take you like other men could."
His deepest fear.
"Believe me, you are taking me better than any man ever could." You responded.
He was stiff again, shoulders squared like he was bracing himself for somethingâmockery, rejection, pity.
"Ivar," you purred against his lips, "I donât want them. I never have. I want youâjust as you are."
"You really mean that?"
You nodded.
You wrapped your fingers more firmly around him, stroking him in a slow, teasing rhythm, feeling the heat of him, the way he twitched in your grasp.
"How often have you imagined this, Ivar?" You whispered, your lips brushing against his neck.
He let out a soft, strangled moan, his hips flinching slightly into your hand before he forced himself still, his grip on you tightening.
"Iâ" He swallowed hard, struggling to get the words out. "Every time."
You smiled against his skin. "Every time?"
"Every time you bathed," he admitted, his voice wrecked, shaking. "Every time I watched you, every time you let the water touch your body, I imaginedâ"
He groaned as you squeezed him slightly, your thumb circling over the sensitive tip, feeling the way his body reacted to you, how easily he was unraveling.
"Imagined what, Ivar?" You teased, your strokes slow, torturous.
He let out a desperate breath. "Imagined thisâyour hands on me, touching me, making me feelâ" His voice faltered, his head tipping back as another soft moan escaped him.
You kissed along the line of his collarbone, smiling against his skin. "And did you touch yourself while thinking of me?"
Ivar whimpered.
His grip on you was bruising now, his fingers digging into your hips as if he was trying to hold himself together. His cheeks were burning.
"Yes," he admitted. "Every night."
Your stomach tightened at his confession, heat pooling between your thighs.
"Poor thing," you teased, pumping him just a little faster, feeling how thick and heavy he was in your hand, the way his body twitched with each slow stroke. "You must have been so frustrated, watching me, never being able to touch me."
"Gods...yes," Ivar moaned, his hips bucking slightly into your grip, completely lost in the feeling.
"And now Iâm here," you murmured, your lips brushing against his jaw, "touching you, making you feel good. Just like you imagined."
Ivar let out a broken sound, "Better," he choked out, "better than I ever imagined."
He was beautiful like thisâcompletely unraveled, completely at your mercy. Lips and cheeks flush.
You lifted your hand to your lips and spit into your palm, watching as Ivarâs eyes widened, his breath hitching sharply in his throat.
"Gods," he groaned, his hips jolting slightly at the sight.
You smile at him, as you wrapped your slickened hand around his dick again, and he whimperedâa soft, broken sound as you spread the wetness along his length, mixing with the arousal already leaking from his tip.
"Look at you," you teased, your lips ghosting over his, "so desperate for me."
"Iâ" Ivar gasped, his forehead pressing against yours, his body shaking as you pumped him slowly, teasingly. "Please."
"Please what?" You kissed him, slow and deep, swallowing the strangled moan that escaped him as you worked him in your hand.
"I donâtâ"" He broke off into another shaky whine as your thumb brushed over his tip, gathering the wetness there. "I donât knowâI justâmore."
"More?" You kissed down his jaw, then his throat, letting your lips linger against his heated skin as you continued your slow strokes. "Youâre begging so lovely."
Ivar barely had time to react before you sank to your knees in front of him.
"Gods," he whispered, his voice breaking.
You glanced up at him, eyes filled with desire, before pressing a slow, teasing kiss to his tip.
Ivar moanedâa wrecked, desperate sound, his hips bucking slightly before he forced himself still, his fingers curling into fists at his sides.
"Have you imagined this too, Ivar? My mouth on you?" You murmured, your breath warm against his sensitive tip.
"Yes," he gasped, his voice raw with need.
Ivar cut off on a moan the second your mouth wrapped around him, his whole body jerking.
"Godsâfuck," he gasped, his voice wrecked, shaking. His head tipped back, his lips parted as he sucked in a ragged breath, his entire body trembling under the new, overwhelming sensation of your wet, hot mouth around his aching cock.
He was thick, flushed deep red at the tip, already leaking with arousal that smeared against your lips as you sucked him in deeper. The veins along his length throbbed under your touch, his cock twitching every time your tongue flicked over the sensitive head, every time your lips tightened around him.
"Pleaseâ" He moaned louder as you hollowed your cheeks, sucking him deeper. His fingers twitched at his sides, like he wanted to grab your hair, to guide you, but was too afraidâtoo lost in the pleasure to even think properly.
"Youâre soâfuckâso wet," he groaned, his hips twitching, betraying his restraint. "Feels too goodâfeelsâ"" He choked on a moan as you swirled your tongue along the underside of his cock, tracing the pulsing vein there before taking him even deeper.
"Love how you taste," you moaned on him, your voice thick with arousal.
He whimpered. Sweat started beading at his brow, his chest heaving as he watched you through lidded eyesâcompletely ruined, completely yours.
"I canâtâ" His voice was strained, desperate. "IâfuckâI donât know how muchâ"
You smirked up at him, your lips wrapping tighter around him as you sucked hard, taking him even deeper.
Ivar mewled, his hands flying to your hair before he could stop himself, his hips jerking forward as his cock throbbed in your mouth.
"Fuck!" he gasped. "IâI'mâ"
You hummed around him, and that was all it took.
"Gods," he groaned, his head tipping back, his jaw slack with pleasure. "YouâYouâre so beautiful like thisâlips wrapped around my cock."
You let him take control, let him guide you, your nails digging into his thighs as you relaxed, letting him use your mouth like heâd always dreamed.
"So warm. So fucking perfect."
You moaned around him, your eyes locked onto his, and Ivar lost it.
"Iâfuckâ" His breath broke off, his whole body tensing as his cock throbbed against your tongue. "IâI'mâ"
With a strangled moan, his hips jerked forward one last time as he spilled into your mouth, his hot seed hitting the back of your throat in thick, pulsing waves.
"Gods," he groaned, his grip in your hair tightening as he rode out his orgasm, his breath coming in sharp, desperate gasps.
You swallowed all of it, sucking him through it, drawing out every last drop as he rode out his high.
He was panting, his chest rising and falling in sharp, uneven breaths as he tried to recover from what you had just done to him.
And yet, as you pulled back, licking your lips with a knowing smirk, his eyes never left yours.
You gazed up at him with something softer nowâaffection laced with glee, admiration mingling with desire. He looked wrecked, his skin had turned rosy, his lips partedâhis icy blue eyes blown.
âšâ Ëâ§ď¸ľâżâŕ¨ŕ§ââżď¸ľâ§ Ë ââš
Slowly, you rose to your feet. Your dress slipping down completly.
His pupils dilated.
"So beautiful," he breathed, his voice hoarse. His fingers twitched at his sides, as if aching to reach out and touch. "I have only seen you naked from afarâŚbut nowâup closeâ" His breath caught. "You are more perfect than the goddesses themselves."
His hand lifted, tentative, his fingertips brushing the air between you, but just as he was about to make contact, you pulled back with a playful smirk.
"Only if you come and take a swim with me."
Ivar blinked, the haze of lust in his eyes sparkling with something else.
"What?" he asked, as if he hadnât heard you correctly.
"Come," you pushed, stepping backward toward the lake, your bare body illuminated by the fading sunlight. "Join me."
Ivar hesitated, his expression shiftingâdesire warring with something elseâFear.
"I can't swim."
Your smile widened. "Then I guess youâll have to trust me."
And with that, you turned, stepping into the water, disappearing beneath the surface, leaving him sitting thereâstunned, breathless, and aching to follow you.
Ivar looked at the waterâs edge, his body still tense, his breathing still unsteadyânot just from what had happened between you moments ago, but from what you were asking of him now.
His sharp blue eyes followed you as you floated effortlessly on the lakeâs surface, your naked body half-submerged, the water lapping gently against your skin. The soft glow of the setting sun cast golden ripples across the water, making you look almost otherworldly, like some goddess who had lured him into her grasp.
And he wanted to go to you. But his body betrayed him at the thought.
He had never been in the water like this. He knew his brothers could swimâhad watched them play and dive when they were childrenâbut he had always been left on the shore, watching, knowing he could never move the way they did, knowing the water would pull him down like a stone if he ever tried.
"Ivar," you called softly, your voice warm, inviting, as you swam back closer.
You reached out, your fingers barely brushing his hand. "Do you trust me?" you asked.
His jaw tightened. His gaze moving between your face and the dark water around you, breathing heavy, unsteady.
"Iâ" He hesitated, his pride warring with the deep, unspoken Dread buried in his chest. "I donât know."
You laughed, but he didnât. He was watching you too intently, his blue gaze sharp, as if he was truly wary of you.
"What?" you pressed, raising an eyebrow.
Ivar exhaled sharply through his nose. "You are like a SjĂśrĂĽ," he muttered.
That made you pause. "A SjĂśrĂĽ?"
"Yes." His voice was low, deliberate. "Beautiful. Enchanting. But dangerous." His fingers curled into the grass. "Luring men into the waterâŚwhere they never return."
"And what if I that is exactly what I want?" You chuckled, wading deeper, watching the way his throat bobbed as he swallowed.
He huffed, looking away, but not before you saw the hint of something heated in his gaze. "Then you are even more dangerous than I thought."
You rolled your eyes before you smiled again, soft and reassuring. "Come on. You will float. Trust me."
"You are really not going to let this go?" He asks.
You shook your head laughing.
His muscles were taut, his whole body coiled with resistance.
"Ivar," you said again, reaching up to gently cup his face, tracing along a scar on his cheekbone. "You just need to relax your body. I promise, I wonât let you sink."
He wanted to let go.
And with youânude, beautiful, and patient before him, looking at him like he was worth trustingâhe wanted to try.
Then, with a sharp inhale, he reached for the hem of his tunic.
His movements were stiff at first, hesitant, but then his clothes fell away, piece by piece, revealing him to you. He was strong, all lean muscle and sharp angles, his pale skin marked with old scars.
But it was his eyes that caught you the most. The way he looked at youâlike you were something unreal, something he didnât quite believe he could have.
You reached for his hand.
"Come," you whispered.
Ivar swallowed hard, his fingers twitching before finallyâfinallyâhe took yours.
You pulled him forward, guiding him into the water, the lake cool against his skin as it rose past his knees, his thighs, then his waist. He stiffened immediately, his grip on your hand tightening, his breath coming in short, panicked bursts.
Then, suddenly, his feet left the ground.
His body jerked, instinct kicking in as he grabbed onto you with both hands, his muscles locked with tension.
"I knew this was a bad ideaâ" he gasped, gripping you as if his life depended on it. His hands clutched desperately at your waist, his legs tensing beneath the water as he triedâfailedâto find something solid beneath him.
"You are screaming like a little girl!" You teased, as he shot a dark look at you.
"Don't look at me like that, you can't kill me or else we will both die." You laughed, your arms wrapping instinctively around him as he clung to you. He moved fastâscared.
"If you push me down, Iâm gonna drown right with you, Ivar!" you giggled, your voice full of warmth, of laughter.
"Thatâs not funny," he hissed, his voice a little higher than usual, his body stiff against yours.
You chuckled, holding him close, feeling the frantic thrum of his heart against your chest.
"Ivar, look at me...don't overthink it," you whispered, rubbing soothing circles along his back. "Just...feel."
"I can't relaxâ" he started, but you cut him off with a soft press of your lips against his jaw.
"Iâm here," you whispered. "I wonât let anything happen to you."
Slowlyâso, so slowlyâyou felt him begin to unwind. His grip on you loosened, just a fraction. His breathing steadied, just a little. His body, still tense, still hesitant, began to trust the way the water held him.
You smiled.
"See," you murmured, your fingers threading into the damp strands of his hair. "you're floating."
Ivar exhaled slowly, his eyes locking onto yours.
And then, you kissed him.
Softly at first, gently, as if pulling him further into ease. But as you wrapped your arms around his neck, pressing your bare body against his, the kiss deepened, his lips parting beneath yours as he melted into you.
A low, shaky moan escaped him as your hands tangled in his hair, his arms tightening around your waist, pulling you closer as if you were the only thing keeping him from sinking.
And maybe, in a way, you were.
You could feel his heartbeat against your own, no longer franticâjust there, steady and real.
For a long moment, he didnât speak. He just held you, as if letting the silence say what he couldnât.
Then, in a voice so quiet you almost didnât hear it, he murmured, âIâve never felt this way before.â
You pulled back just enough to look at him, your thumb brushing over his lower lip. His eyesâso piercing, so intenseâwere softer now.
"What way?" You asked gently, your hand resting against his shoulders, feeling the slight tremble in his muscles.
He swallowed, his gaze darting away for a second before finding yours again.
"Like...like I could be wanted," he admitted, almost ashamed. "Like I could be...enough."
Your heart clenched.
âIâve spent my whole life hearing what I canât do. What I am not.â His jaw tensed, and for a moment, you saw the familiar hint of angerâof painâbeneath his expression.
"A cripple. A burden. A man who will neverââ He cut himself off, shaking his head, his throat working as he swallowed back the rest of the words.
You cupped his face, gently, firmly, tilting his head so he had to look at you.
"You are everything," you whispered, your voice fierce, certain. "and I have wanted you for so long."
His breath hitched, his blue eyes searching yours, as if trying to find any trace of dishonesty.
"But...how?" His voice was so small, so unsure. âYou could have anyone. Even great Jarls have asked for your hand. But youâŚâ He hesitated, licking his lips. âYou always said no.â
You smiled, tilting your head as your fingers trailed down the sides of his face, your touch gentle, cherishing.
"Because the Norns wove your name into the threads of my fate," you said softly, your gaze never wavering. "Odin himself could have offered me his throne, and I would still choose you. Not for power, not for gloryâbut because my soul has known yours since the beginning, as if we were forged together in the same fire that birthed Yggdrasil."
His lips parted slightly. The look on his face like in disbelief.
He stared at you, as if seeing you for the first timeânot as a prize, but as something sacred.
"By the gods..." he breathed, voice rough with wonder.
"If the Norns truly wove us together, then let them bind me to you in every life to come. I would face RagnarĂśk a thousand times if it meant I could find you again."
Ivar inhaled deeply, like he was trying to commit this moment to memoryâyou and him in the water, wet hair clinging to your shoulders like silk, the feeling of your skin against his, your warmth, your words, your love.
"You are everything to me, Ivar." You whispered against his lips.
ËăăăăâŚăăă.ăă. ăâËă.ăăăăă . âŚăăă ăËăăăă . â â. ŕżŕż
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