#tlk modern au

[kingslionheart]

Mnemosyne's Elysium — Chapter One

Alfred’s first peaceful night in ages is shattered by a call from the last person he wants to hear from—his ex, Uhtred. Annoyance is the least of his problems, as a haunting past reemerges to torment him all over again. He knows doom will be unavoidable, whether he likes it or not.

Alfred x Uhtred Modern AU

Word Count: 8,044

[fan-goddess]

Just tickling…

Authors Note: I’ve spoken to the artist, and they asked and gave me permission to write this. But I highly recommend to go check out the original art piece, the link for is here. This is pretty much the story/written version of this

Summary: You’re in the middle of being worshipped to heaven by your husband, only your daughter can’t sleep…

Warnings: Hints at smut, innocent child, religious talk,

Tags: @slytherincursebreaker

It had taken nearly half an hour to get your daughter to finally get into her bed and fall asleep. You tried reading her her favourite stories, you tried tucking her in bed with todays favourite teddy bears, you even tried promising her with a day with only her uncle Finan and uncle Sihtric, which you know would’ve only made Osferth sigh and worry about if you were forced to tell him.

Though by the end, after all that, all it took for her to close her eyes and sleep, was for you to promise that for tomorrow instead of her normal Honey Loop cereal, she got to have pancakes with chocolate chips and a drizzle of honey on top. You were already dreading the sugar high you know will absolutely happen, but at least for now you could finally get into bed and sleep and cuddle next to your loving husband.

“Is she finally asleep?” Osferth asks as you close the bedroom door behind you and get into bed.

“Yeah… just to warn you though, you’ll need to buy some flour in the morning love. May have needed to barter with her and it included chocolate chip pancakes with syrup…” You smile as you burrow into your husbands warm bare chest and sigh with relief.

You can feel the vibrations of his laugh as he chuckles lightly. “That’s our girl! Taking after her mother!”

“Excuse me mister!” You exclaim, hitting him jokingly on the chest with the back of your hand slightly. You go back to cuddling his chest, but as you feel your eyes begin to droop, the feeling of Osferths lips trailing the skin of your exposed shoulder, certainly begins to stir you. “What are you doing Os?” You mumble, smiling slightly as you become more vigilant the closer his lips get to the inner curve of your shoulder.

“Just showing appreciation to my gorgeous wife, and our daughters oh so beautiful mother…” He murmurs, turning the both of you over so you’re on your back, and he has better access to your lips. The sound of your lips smacking filling the room as the two of you hold each other.

His hands move to the edge of your sleeping shorts, and slowly take them off so your left half bare to him under the sheets. “Such a wonderful perfect wife…” Osferth smiles as his hand begins to trace circles on your clit, and he greedily takes in your pleasure stained face.

He suddenly stops, much to your annoyance, but your mood certainly brightens as his hands move to take off his own underwear and now totally bare himself to you, the sight of him never not a turn on for you.

Osferth makes no hesitation in entering you, groaning deeply at the feeling of you automatically clenching your walls on him, as if you were attempting to pull him deeper inside of you. “Always amazing you utter goddess…” He murmurs leaning forward to kiss you deeply whilst you moan softly.

“Careful sweet husband… is your faith not monotheistic?”

“You of all people my wife should know I abandoned the reigns of my faith long ago… and I shall abandon them once more as I worship you tonight…” If those words didn’t affect you in some way, then there must be something wrong with you, as when you heard them you could feel yourself become somehow more aroused than you already were.

His thrusts though, soon find themselves becoming rougher and rougher, as the tip of his cock hits that part deep inside of you that you yourself could never reach. At the sudden sensation though, you automatically clench down on him in pleasure and dig your nails into the skin of his shoulders slightly, smiling at the sound of his light groans hitting your ears.

You can feel yourself becoming close, a feat Osferth always manages to achieve with you, always leaving you satisfied and wanting more. The knot in your lower stomach becomes tighter the harsher Osferth pushes himself inside of you, and your arms once digging into his shoulders move to the sheets to clench between your fists for stability.

You’re almost there, you know Osferth only needs to thrust a couple times before you-

“Mummy, Daddy? What are you doing?”

The room immediately turns stuffy and panicky as both you and Osferths heads snap to the direction of your daughters voice. Your cheeks feel as if they’re on fire as a harsh blush takes over not only on your face, but your husbands aswell. She looks so innocent, just standing there in her new pyjamas and holding her stuffed bunny that the two of you got her for her birthday.

“Mummy and daddy are tickle fighting!” Osferth exclaims. From the corner of your eye you can see the deep blush spreading to his neck, and if the moment wasn’t so serious you would’ve made a joke. Instead, you glare harshly at his sudden used excuse while he looks back at you sheepishly.

“A tickle fight! Can I join-“

“NO!” This time, the both of you exclaim it as quick as you can. The panic clear in each others eyes and voices, and yet your daughter is still oblivious. She still continues, to your and Osferths relief, to just stare at the both of you with a bright smile on her face.

“It’s a… grown up tickle.. fight… it’s not for you! Because-“

“Because it’s very very advanced!” You chime in. You almost regret saying no at the sight of your dejected daughters face and the small sad “Oh…” She makes at your and Osferths stumblings, but then you remember the situation you’re in, and you certainly don’t feel as bad as you did before.

“Well I hope you win mummy, because daddy’s winning!” She chirps in, looking happy once more before leaving and closing the door behind her, to hopefully go back to her bedroom and sleep. Still, you and Osferth anxiously wait with held breaths until it’s been long enough, and soon the two of you are giggling in a mixture of shock, shame and disbelief.

“Oh my god…” You mutter in disbelief, both your faces still red, though what once was due to pure horror and shock now stay that way due to pure disbelief and amusement. “I probably need to go check on her…” Osferth removes himself from you, the passion once prominent in the room now quickly depleted after the incident. You place a quick kiss to Osferths forehead before putting on your sleeping shorts once more and heading to the direction of your daughters room.

You peak in slightly, and your heart instantly warms at the sight of your daughter sleeping soundly in her bed cuddled up to her rabbit. The soft blue of her nightlight casting a light glow that washes over her, while the sound of her light snores make it to your ears. “Night night little one…” You whisper by instinct, not even really caring if she heard you or not, as you close the door back up and head back to your room.

This time, both you and Osferth actually go to sleep. Giving into the need for rest as you cuddled with each other, relishing in the warmth the two of you provide each other with.

“Love you…” You hear murmured quietly in your ear.

“Love you too handsome…” You instinctively whispered back with a small smile.

[towriteloveontheirarms]

Under the mistletoe (modern!Osferth x reader)

synopsis: Your friends are tired of watching you and Osferth dance around each other, so they push you to do something about all that tension.

warnings: fluff, afab reader

word count: 1.3k

taglist: @hopelesswritergall

(If you want to be tagged in the `kissing booth AU´, for a specific character/fandom or in general let me know in my asks, comments or DMs)

Dividers by @animatedglittergraphics-n-more

"Ugh why did we wait this long to redecorate?" You whine as you stretch to pull some tinsel of one of the busts in the waiting area of the tattoo and piercing studio. "It's the end of January. Whose idea was it to decorate this much in the first place anyway?" All four of your coworkers give you a look, their eyebrows all different levels of raised. Low laughter follows through the studio and you raise your hands in defeat. "You know we only waited so you would have to help." Sithric whispers in your ear teasingly as he pushes past you to get to a box that was already half filled. "Next time I have an idea like that keep me from it, please. I'm begging you." You reply with a smile. In truth you enjoyed these tasks almost as much as you did working in the studio. There was laughter and music at all times and the customers were great as well. Even if you joined much later than the others, who had helped Uthred build the studio basically from the ground up, they immediately welcomed you and took you into their little family. Bending down to pick up a full box to take it to storage, you feel a cough bubble up your lungs. Immediately Osferth is by your side to take the carton off your hands. "Here, let me take that from you." He says in that usual, kinda quiet and husky voice of his.

"Thank you." You rasp in return. As he actually takes the carton though your hands touch accidentally, making both your faces heat up and the box nearly fall as you look away from each other. Over the antics neither of you notice the other three men rolling their eyes and sharing a look that signified the start of their mission. Too long they had to watch Osferth and you dance around each other. They were tired of the shy glances and flushed faces and whining about how perfect the other was only to never act on the feelings that were harbored and cared for like a delicate flower.

Despite your complaints the five of you make quick progress. However, with the last full box disappearing, so do three out of five people in the studio. Even more suspicious is that the person you are left with, is Osferth. Not that you would complain about that, not considering the multiple times you had, it simply seems like just the thing your friends would do to nudge you two closer together. Oh and how right you were with that thought. The two of you look through all the rooms to find nothing out of the ordinary aside from your friends obvious missing. At least until you lean in the frame of the door leading outside. A cigarette in hand as you brainstorm what could have happened, when said doorframe gives the answer. Above your heads hangs one last decoration element. A fucking mistletoe. As if on command both Osferth's and your face heat up and you get physically unable to look at each other. "I... We don't have to do this if you don't want to..." He offers in a quiet, uncertain tone. "Yeah, I just wanted to say the same." You give an awkward giggle. "On the other hand it is a tradition, right?"

"And no one would want that kind of bad luck we would conjure by not doing it. I mean..." Osferth adds on.

"Yeah, no, that would definitely be unwanted." You shake your head enthusiastically.

There is a pause for a moment, where Osferth watches your lips wrap around the cigarette bud, to suck in the nicotine, closely. Just like your eyes rest on his to witness the borderline sinful way he tugs the lower lip between his teeth. Then as if on cue both of your eyes shoot up to lock in an intense gaze. A gaze that leaves no questions about what is about to happen. He has you under his spell by those blue eyes, that make you feel like you are about to drown in them. You barely dare to lean to the side to stump out your cigarette in the ashtray, in fear of breaking the moment.

"So..." The beginning of the sentence dies in your throat just as quickly as it began leaving it.

Neither of you has to say anything more either, as through it all you hadn't even realised, that the two of you had started moving closer subconsciously.

You take that last step that separates the two of you towards him and rest your hands on his shirt. The warmth of his skin gets transported even through the soft fabric of the ugly Christmas sweater to your fingertips, warming them nicely against the chilly wind blowing around you. Your eyelids flutter and only seconds before his lips finally brush against yours for the first time they close entirely. The kiss is much like you. A shy connection, that only lasts a second before being pulled away from. Yet it ignites a fire in you and so you give Osferth barely a second before you go in for a second kiss. One that is not so gentle and shy. Despite his surprise, his hands pull you closer by the waist while simultaneously pushing you up against the large glass window. Both of you grasp at each other to keep as close as possible. Drunk on the way your lips pressed against and devoured each other. Every oh so little feeling and missed chance to kiss ever since you first laid eyes on each other flows into the vehement and quite honestly desperate embrace. Unprompted Osferth opens his mouth a bit further, so you take the chance to let your tongue dart out, to lick over his lower lip and into it. Instantly it is met by his own tongue. The way it dances with yours and explores you like no one before, like he wanted to know and memorize every deepest part of you, makes a swarm of butterflies soar up and run riot. You pull each other impossibly close, there is no need for air between you or inside of your lungs. No world around you. No feeling of time. It is all replaced by the electric feeling of him. You are unsure if it is minutes or mere seconds until you get broken up by someone clearing their throat loudly behind you. For all you know it felt like hours. All the more dismayed is your expression when you turn around to see who has interrupted the two of you in the best moment of your life so far.

"At first it was cute, but can you seriously get a room? Some of us want to have a smoke without watching you basically eat each other." Finan commented dryly.

"You can hardly blame us. In the end this was your plan, wasn't it?" You shoot back in a half defensive half chuckling tone. "Yeah, yeah. Just blame us, it's alright. I just hope you know we'd do it again any day if it meant ending that horrible, horrible tension between you two love birds." Your friend answers with an unapologetic glimmer in his dark brown eyes. Behind you Osferth slips his hand inside yours to intertwine your fingers. The beat your heart skips at the touch reminds you of what you were doing just a minute ago, what you desperately wanted to get back to. You give his hand a short squeeze and then lead him towards one of the rooms in the back. "You know what? Remind me to thank y'all for it later, but now you'll have to excuse me. Osferth and I were kind of in the middle of something." You turn around to see where you are walking. The last sound you can hear from Finan is a low groan, as Sithric who seemingly just joined him asked what was happening. Then the door locks and you two are finally alone again. A fact that you use without hesitation, to crash your lips against each other in a hungry kiss once more. One thing was sure, it was definitely one of the first for many more to come.

[little-moonbeam-666]

Christmas Shenanigans - Modern!Osferth

After several weeks of writing, it’s finally here! 15.4k words!!!!!! I may have went overboard with this!!!! Modern Osferth has made his appearance! Thank you so much to @dothrckis for giving me the many ideas that formed this masterpiece!!! Everyone, enjoy!

Warnings: SMUT, rough sex, fingering, dry humping, mutual masturbation, oral (both), almost getting caught, actually getting caught, talks of prostitution, THAT FUCKING CROSS (you’ll understand once you read it), Osferth is definitely out of character but I don’t care, Finan being a very protective older brother.

 “Y/N, where the hell are ya?!” your brother spoke into the phone, his Irish accent becoming thicker with his anger. You sighed, holding your phone between your ear and your shoulder as you pulled on your pants from the night before and quickly threw on your coat. Turning and glancing at the man on the bed one last time, you grabbed your purse and booked it, not wanting to be there when he woke up. “Y/N! Answer me, dammit!”

“Finan, I’m fine. I’m on my way home. I’ll be there in like twenty, ok?” you groaned, pulling your coat tighter around your body as you made your way out into the parking lot of the cheap motel and scurried towards your piece of shit car.

“Fine. But you better come straight home.” he ordered.

“Yes, mom.” you said sarcastically before hanging up on him.

You quickly got into your car before digging around in your purse and fishing out your keys. You turned the car on and cranked the heat, cursing the cold December weather before pulling out of the parking lot and making your way back to your brother's house. The ride wasn’t long enough, soon pulling into the driveway and debating whether or not you should even go inside. Finan was usually a gentle soul, but when it came to protecting you he could be rather intimidating.

You turned off the car and grabbed your purse, taking a deep breath before stepping out of your car and heading towards the house. Your hand froze over the doorknob before you forced yourself to go inside. The door hadn’t even clicked shut before Finan was hounding you.

“Care to tell me where the fuck you’ve been?! I was up all night worried about you but you turned your fuckin phone GPS off!” he yelled, following you as you made your way into the living room and plopping yourself down on the couch.

“Does it matter? I’m here now!” you said, giving him a big fake smile in an attempt to quell his anger. Unfortunately, that didn’t work.

“Yes it fuckin’ matters! What if you’d been hurt, huh? What then, Y/N?!” he practically screamed. You frowned, looking down at your hands in your lap. You hated making him worry about you.

“I’m sorry.” you mumbled, digging through your purse and pulling out the envelope from the night before and handing it to him. He reluctantly took it and looked at you suspiciously.

“What’s this?” he asked, looking at the envelope in his hands before locking his eyes on yours.

“There’s enough there to pay the electric bill and my half of the rent.” you said, giving him no further details. His face dropped before sitting next to you on the couch, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees.

“I thought you stopped doin’ tha’, Y/N.” he murmured, sounding disappointed. His voice was so quiet you could barely hear him. You looked over at him but he wasn’t looking at you. He was staring at the envelope in his hands.

“We needed the money, Finan.” you whispered.

“We will find you a job, Y/N. A real job. I refuse to let you keep whoring yourself out to random men for a little bit of cash.” he said, still sounding disappointed but his words were firm. There was no room for argument. Then his tone perked up a little bit. “Plus, I need you here to help me with the heathens.”

“The heathens?” you questioned, giving him a confused look.

“Mhmm. You remember my old college buddies, right? Uhtred, Sihtric, and Osferth?”

Of course you remembered them. They were hard to forget. Especially since you’d had a teeny tiny crush on Osferth since the very moment you’d met him. Your brother had been a sophomore in college and Osferth had been a freshman. You were still in highschool at the time but Finan had come back home for the holidays and brought Osferth along with him. You practically locked yourself in your bedroom the whole two weeks they were home because you were too shy to face him. Afterwards, he’d been around quite often and you kind of became friends. You hadn’t seen him in a couple years but your heart still jumped into your throat at the mention of his name.

“Yeah, I remember.” you said quietly.

“They’re gonna come spend Christmas with us! So I need you here to help keep the damage to a minimum.They behave better when you’re around.”

You couldn’t help but smile, knowing he was right. His friends really did try to stay on their best behavior when you were around. 

“Fine. But you know I’m only going to encourage their bad behavior, right?” you laughed, nudging your brother with your elbow.

“I expect nothing less.” he said, a huge grin on his face.

A few weeks had passed and Finan had managed to find you a job working at the diner downtown as a waitress. He had also made you take your car to the shop to get it fixed, so for now he was driving you. You had only been there for about a week but you’d gotten the hang of things pretty quick thanks to Eadith, another one of Finan’s friends from college. The redhead had taken you under her wing and made sure you thrived while at work. 

Your shift was nearly over and it was almost time for closing up when the bell over the door chimed, alerting you to someone coming inside. You turned and grinned, seeing your brother. But not only him, he was followed by his merry band of heathens.

“There she is!” Uhtred exclaimed, holding his arms out for you. You practically ran to him, jumping into his arms and giggling as he lifted you off the ground. Uhtred had always been a constant presence in your life since Finan had met him. You considered him another brother, but it had been several months since you’d last seen him.

“Oh my god! It’s so good to see you! I missed you so much!” you exclaimed, hugging him tight before he set you back on your feet.

“I missed you too, Y/N. It’s only been three months but you’re acting like it’s been years.” he laughed.

“And what about me, little leprechaun? Didn’t you miss me at all?” Sihtric joked, sticking out his lower lip and making you laugh. It had been just over a year since you last saw him. You quickly let him engulf you in a bear hug before pulling back and looking at his face.

“I missed you too, but call me ‘leprechaun’ one more time and I’ll kick your ass.” you laughed. He held up his hands in surrender and agreed.

“Fine. No Irish jokes… but only because it’s Christmas!”

You smiled at him once more before letting your eyes drift to who stood right beside your brother. It had been at least two years, maybe three since you’d last seen him and he was still just as gorgeous as you remembered him to be. His blonde hair swept to the side, a silver chain with a cross hanging around his neck, bright blue eyes, perfect lips that you just wanted to…

“Y/N, are you still with us? You zoned out for a second.” Finan laughed, eyeing you suspiciously. You quickly nodded your head before he spoke again. “You remember Osferth, right?”

“Of course I do!” you said, smiling and turning to the man in question. “And of course I missed you too, Os! It’s been way too long since I’ve seen you!”

He opened his arms and pulled you into a hug, your arms immediately flinging themselves around his neck. You could feel your heart fluttering erratically in your chest as his arms squeezed tightly around your waist. You nuzzled your face against his sweater covered shoulder and breathed in deep, inhaling his scent and committing it to memory before you reluctantly let go.

“You’re right, it’s been way too long, Y/N. I need to come see you guys more often.” he said, his blue eyes locked on yours. You expected him to look away first, but he didn’t. He only smirked, causing you to quickly look back at your brother. You weren’t even sure if you heard it, but you could’ve sworn you’d heard him chuckle at how quickly you looked away.

“So, I’m almost done here. Just need to clock out and then we can go home.” you said quickly, needing to escape Osferth’s gaze so you could breathe properly.

“Sounds like a plan, sis.” Finan said, moving to sit down at a nearby booth, the guys all following him as you went to the back and clocked out. You gathered your purse and your coat, ready to finally go home and spend time with your boys. When you went to round the corner you could hear them talking… about you. So you stayed just out of sight to listen in on their conversation.

“So what’s Y/N up to nowadays? Any boyfriend to speak of?” you heard Sihtric ask. You rolled your eyes. Definitely no boyfriends recently.

“Nah, none that I’m aware of at least.” Finan said. “But don’t go gettin’ any ideas. Hands off my baby sister.”

“Let’s be honest here, Fin. Y/N would eat me alive if I ever tried to hook up with her. Plus, the way I see it, she’s only got eyes for our boy, Os!” Sihtric laughed, trying to keep his voice down so you wouldn’t hear.

“Me? What makes you say that, Sihtric?” Osferth chimed in. You could tell he was smiling just by his voice.

“I hate to admit it, but Sihtric’s right.” you heard Uhtred say. You scoffed, realizing they were all basically scheming against you. 

“Osferth, she was practically undressing you with her eyes! She wants you bad, man. Did you really not notice?” Sihtric exclaimed, laughing at the end. 

“Jesus Christ! Would you lot shut the fuck up before she hears ya’? She doesn’t like Os like that. If she did, she would have told me. She tells me everything for fucks sake! She’s not crushing on Osferth. End of fuckin’ story.” Finan said, clearly not wanting to talk about the prospect of his little sister crushing on one of his best friends. Oh, if he only knew the truth. You chose this moment to come around the corner as if you hadn't just been listening in on their conversation.

“Ok, I’m ready to go!” you said happily. You couldn’t help but notice the way Osferth smiled at you, his cheeks flushed as he let his eyes give you a once over when Finan wasn’t looking.

The ride back to the house wasn’t too terribly long but it felt like forever. You were crammed in the backseat of your brother's car, your thigh and side pressed tightly against Osferth. You could feel the heat of his body through your clothing, leaving a hot burning in your belly. Every once in a while you could feel his eyes on you and you’d just give him a quick smile before looking out the window again. Your heart was hammering in your chest and you were practically holding your breath the entire ride home.

You all but jumped out of the car as soon as your brother pulled into the driveway, hurriedly making your way into the house before the guys could even get out of the car. Once you were in the safety of your own room you felt like you could breathe again. You weren’t sure if it’s the fact that your crush on Osferth wasn’t as subtle as you thought it was or the fact that your entire side was pressed against said man the whole ride home. 

You decided taking a shower was your best bet at calming the burning heat that still hadn’t faded. The scorching hot water took your mind off of him long enough to actually shower and get clean. When you were done, you dressed in your dark red fuzzy pajama set, the one that Finan hated because he said it showed way too much skin.

The high waisted shorts left nothing to the imagination, covering about the same amount of your ass as a pair of cheeky panties. And the matching cropped tank top stopped at the middle of your ribcage and hugged your boobs perfectly. You could faintly see the outlines of your nipples through the fuzzy fabric.

You towel dried your hair and lotioned up your legs before making your way downstairs. By the way it sounded, it seemed that the boys had already broken into the beer that you and Finan had stocked up on over the past couple weeks.

They all turned to look at you as you made it to the bottom of the steps. You could tell Sihtric and Uhtred were trying to avert their eyes, lest they become Finan’s personal punching bags. Finan looked like a disappointed father, rolling his eyes and sighing while he rubbed his temples as he tried to ignore your choice of clothing. Then there was Osferth, who tried to avert his gaze but failed, his gaze lingering on your very exposed legs before roaming up your body, stopping briefly at your chest and his eyes going wide before reaching your face. You smirked and watched him turn crimson, quickly looking away and taking a long swig from his beer.

You just waved nonchalantly to the guys and made your way to the kitchen where you grabbed a glass and the bottle of whiskey, pouring a shot's worth of the amber liquid before grabbing the eggnog out of the fridge and filling your glass. You took a sip and grinned, feeling the warmth of the alcohol blooming in your belly.

When you went back to the living room where the guys all sat, you perched yourself on the couch next to Osferth, quickly making yourself comfortable against the arm rest and throwing your legs over his lap. You could feel his thighs tense up under you but he quickly relaxed and let his arms rest on top of your legs. You smiled to yourself, absolutely screaming on the inside at the feeling of his hands resting on your bare skin. The heat spread across your skin, and not just because of the crackling fire in the fireplace next to you.

“Y/N, we were just discussing the sleeping arrangements. Uhtred and Sihtric are gonna be in our main guest room that has the two full size beds. And Osferth can take the other guest room with the king that shares your bathroom. I figured that baby monk would be the most respectful when it comes to sharing a bathroom with ya’.” Finan said, explaining the sleeping arrangements to you.

“That’s perfectly fine with me.” you said, smiling at your brother before looking at Osferth and giggling. “That means we’re practically roommates while you’re here, Os!”

“Sounds good to me.” he grinned, gently squeezing your knee. You had to distract yourself from his touch and turned to look at your brother.

“So are we still getting the tree set up tomorrow?” you asked, raising your eyebrow.

“That’s the plan. So we can decorate tomorrow night if you want.” he said, taking a drink from the beer in his hand.

“Sounds like a plan, brother!” you said happily, grinning at him and taking a long gulp of your drink. “I can also make that spiced apple cider that you and Uhtred like so much.”

“Oh my god, Y/N, you’re a fucking angel!” Uhtred exclaimed, making you laugh. The last time you’d made your secret recipe apple cider, Uhtred drank almost all of it and didn’t manage to get out of bed the next day until dinner time.

“I know.” you said happily, flashing him a grin.

Neither you or Osferth moved for the rest of the evening, just enjoying everyone's company. One by one, the others made their way to their beds and bid you goodnight. You reluctantly got up, removing your legs from Osferth’s lap. You stood up and stretched, making a show of it and letting your arms stretch up above your head as you yawned. You could practically feel his eyes on you before you made your way to the steps.

“Are you going to bed or are you going to sit down here by yourself?” you laughed, heading towards the stairs and looking back at him over your shoulder.

“I’m coming, I’m coming.” he said, finally getting up off the couch and making his way over to where you stood. He grabbed his bags that were at the foot of the stairs and followed you up. You knew he was staring at your ass, but that’s exactly what you wanted. You wanted him to stare at you, to let his thoughts be filled with you, to crave you the same way you craved him.

“Well this is you.” you said, stopping in front of his door. You smiled and pointed to your door right down the hall. “And I’m right there if you need anything.” 

“I’ll keep that in mind, sweetheart. Since we’re sharing a bathroom, mind if I take a shower?” he asked, smiling at you. You had to force yourself to keep a neutral expression, the thought of him being naked in your shower making your heart hammer wildly in your chest.

“Go for it, baby monk. I think I’m heading straight to bed.” you said. To enjoy the company of my vibrator.

“Well goodnight then, sweetheart. I’ll see you in the morning.” he said, flashing you a smile before opening his door and entering his room.

You quickly made your way to your door before yanking it open and closing it behind you. You looked towards the door to your bathroom that was currently closed and you could feel the heat rising in your chest. After a moment of silence you heard the shower turn on.

It was like a lightbulb went off in your head, realizing you had the perfect opportunity to get Osferth’s attention. You quickly crawled into bed, kicking the covers towards your feet. You leaned over and yanked open your side table drawer, reaching in and wrapping your fingers around the silicone rabbit vibrator you kept hidden in there. You smiled to yourself as you got yourself situated and kicked off your shorts. This was gonna be fun.

Osferth was quick about taking a shower. He tried his best to distract himself from thinking about you, but it just didn’t work. That view he had of your ass going up the stairs was permanently etched into his brain. Fuck. He figured he’d at least wait until he was comfortable in bed to relieve himself of his not so little problem. He’d just stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist when he heard it… heard you.

He listened closely, holding his breath and making sure to not make any noise as he stepped closer to the door that separated the bathroom from your bedroom. Listening carefully he could hear a faint buzzing, wet squelching, and a very quiet moan. He could feel his cock twitch at the sound and mentally cursed himself.

What was he doing? He couldn’t do this! Finan would kill him if he ever found out. Fuck, this was so wrong! He quickly made up his mind, deciding to behave himself and went to turn and go back to his room when your voice caught his attention.

“Mmm oh fuck! Osferth, yes!”

Your sweet, quiet whimpers of his name had his mind spinning, unable to fathom that you were in your bed masturbating while thinking about him. He knew he shouldn’t but his body moved of its own accord. His hand reached for the doorknob and very carefully turned it, pushing the door open only about two inches. His breath caught in his throat at the sight, you whimpering pitifully as you chased your own orgasm, writhing on the sheets, your skin glowing in the moonlight.

His eyes raked over your body, noticing how you’d pulled your top up to expose your breasts, your nipples hard from the cool air and your arousal. Your legs were spread wide, giving him the perfect view of you using the toy to fuck your cunt. The toy gleamed in the moonlight every time you pulled it out of your leaking cunt, only to shove it right back inside you, all the way to the hilt. 

He knew it was wrong but his hand wandered down to his now painfully hard cock, palming himself over the towel. Within seconds he knew that he needed more friction than what he was giving himself. He dropped the towel to the floor and let his fingers wrap around his length, slowly stroking himself as he watched you.

Your quiet moans were music to his ears, the sweetest melody he’d ever heard. He so desperately wanted to hear more but he couldn’t risk barging into your room and fucking up the whole situation, or worse, Finan finding out. So he stayed put where he was, watching you silently from the other side of the bathroom door while he pleasured himself.

He had no idea how long you’d been at it but he could tell you were getting close. Your whimpers and moans became higher in pitch and more frequent, so much so that you were having a hard time catching your breath. He watched in awe, stroking himself faster while he imagining just how tight your cunt would be around his cock.

Your hips lifted higher and higher off the bed with every thrust of the toy, desperately chasing your high that seemed like it was just out of reach. Your breathing was ragged and sweat covered your body, the room becoming almost unbearably hot. You were so close, the vibrations on your overly sensitive clit making you want to scream. You refrained, only because you didn’t want to wake your brother, Uhtred, or Sihtric. 

You were about to give up, thinking that he hadn’t heard you and he just went to bed and you would just try to get his attention tomorrow. Then you heard it. A slight shuffling on the other side of the bathroom door. Without stopping your play time, you turned your head towards the bathroom door that was now cracked open. Osferth stood behind the door, his cock in his hand as he watched you fuck yourself.

Osferth almost panicked when your pretty eyes met his. He was about to turn on his heel and run straight to his own bedroom and pray you didn’t actually see him, but that’s when you did it… You smirked at him. You fucking smirked at him when you caught him watching you. His eyes stayed locked on yours, the eye contact driving you over the edge.

“Osferth! Yes! Oh my god!!!” you moaned, keeping your eyes on his until your eyes were forced shut by the intensity of your release. Your legs shook violently as the vibrations extended your orgasm, your loud whimpers of his name reaching his ears.

Your high seemed to last what felt like forever, but you eventually came back to, letting your eyes slowly open again. You quickly removed the toy from your abused hole and turned it off, throwing it to the side to be cleaned later. Your breathing was still heavy as you tried to catch your breath and your mind tried to catch up with your body. 

A small click made you turn your head back to the bathroom door. Yours was still slightly cracked open so it must’ve been his. You got up on shaky legs and quietly moved to the bathroom and pulled open the door. His side was indeed shut. You smiled to yourself and was about to walk out when something caught your eye. A few wadded up tissues in the trash can that definitely hadn’t been there earlier. You had to slap your hand over your mouth to keep your giggles to a minimum. You couldn’t have been more proud of yourself than you were at that very moment.

The next morning you had managed to get yourself up before anybody else, feeling oddly refreshed with a bit of a bounce in your step. You’d decided to make the guys breakfast, pulling out everything you needed and getting to work. You had just flipped the bacon when a pair of arms snaked around your waist, pulling you flush against their naked chest and making you squeak in surprise.

“You’re playing a very dangerous game, little girl.”

Osferth.

“I’m not the one who was watching someone masturbate from a crack in the bathroom door.” you sighed, failing to keep the smile off your very flushed face.

“I think you wanted me to watch you, sweet girl. You fucking smiled when you saw me watching  you and then you came mere seconds later, like a bitch in heat.” he growled into your ear. His hands moved from your stomach to your practically bare thighs, his fingers lightly grazing your soft skin, dangerously close to where you so desperately needed him. You could feel your heart racing in your chest and your entire body felt like it was on fire. You never in a million years would have imagined Osferth would be so forward with you, but you weren’t complaining. You took a shaky breath before responding.

“And what if I did? Is that such a bad thing that you’re who I think about at night?”

Not only could you hear him chuckle, but you could feel the vibrations from his chest being pressed firmly against your back and his fingers digging slightly into your thighs. Before he could answer you, you slowly turned around in his arms, letting him cage you against the counter. His hands now rested on the counter on either side of you, leaning over you. Your hands were lightly placed on his shoulders and your eyes kept darting between his face and the silver cross that hung around his neck, the shiny metal contrasting with the pale skin of his chest.

“Y/N, your brother would kill me.” he stated, closing his eyes as he gently rested his forehead against yours. You only rested there for a few seconds before pulling away to look up at his face. He stared down at you, his lust for you evident in his eyes..

“So you do want this as much as I do?” you asked. He just nodded his head. “Then what’s the problem? We’re both consenting adults and can make our own decisions. Finan doesn’t own me, Os. He can’t stop me.”

“We just… we shouldn’t.” he said, his hands gripping your hips tightly as he tried to keep his composure.

“Can you just answer one thing for me, Os?” you asked, looking up at him through your lashes. He nodded. “Did you think about joining me at all last night? Even for a second?”

“Every goddamn second, princess.” he grumbled, leaning down slightly. His nose brushed against yours and your eyes threatened to flutter shut. His lips were only a breath away from your own.

Loud footsteps coming down the stairs forced you two to quickly jump apart and separate to opposite sides of the kitchen. You quickly resumed tending to breakfast, taking the bacon out of the pan. Meanwhile at the other end of the counter Osferth was pouring himself a cup of coffee.

Finan quickly appeared in the kitchen, smiling when he saw you making breakfast.

“I knew I smelt bacon. You’re the best, baby sis.” he said happily, wrapping an arm around your shoulders and kissing your temple quickly before joining Osferth and getting some coffee.

You and Osferth stared at each other with wide eyes while your brother's back was turned, panic obvious in both of your expressions. This was gonna be a long fucking holiday.

You were unusually quiet during breakfast, your eyes only leaving your plate to glance at Osferth from across the table. Every time he caught you staring, he’d smile before taking a bite of his food. Thankfully the guys didn’t notice, and if they did they didn’t say anything.

After finishing breakfast and cleaning up, the rest of the morning was a blur. Everyone was getting dressed and going over plans for the day. 

“Ok, so after we get the tree set up we can put up lights on the house and then later we can all decorate the tree.”  Finan said, obviously excited.

“So…” you started. “You’re gonna be the one crawling up in the attic to get all this shit down, right?”

“Have I ever made you crawl up in the attic?” Finan said, rolling his eyes. You couldn’t help but laugh knowing he was gonna do all the hard labor.

“True, but I need one of the guys to go shopping with me. I need to get stuff to make the cider and I was gonna get stuff to make apple pie too.” you said, cutting your eyes at Osferth and catching him grinning at you.

“I’ll go with you. I’m sure these oafs can survive without me.” he joked.

“Fine, you can steal Os from us while you’re shopping. But only because you said you’re gonna make apple pie.” Finan laughed. You couldn’t help but smile, realizing your plan was working.

“Thanks, bro.” you said, walking over to your brother and kissing him on the cheek. Then you turned to Osferth who was seated on the couch. “Come on, Os. You’re mine until further notice.”

“I’m more than ok with that.” he said, standing up to go grab his coat. As he passed you he sent you a wink. You quickly told your brother and the other goodbye before you grabbed the keys to Finan’s car and headed out the door, Osferth right on your heels. You were just starting the car when he turned to look at you.

“You just couldn’t wait to be alone with me, could you, princess?” he chuckled, his bright eyes staring into yours.

“Oh shut up. You know you wanted to get me alone, too.” you smirked, beginning to drive down the road. 

The entire ride to the grocery store he was teasing you, letting his hand rest on your thigh and laughing when it made you press on the gas a little harder than you intended. And once you were actually in the store he was even worse. His hands grabbing at your hips as he moved past you, even going as far as to let his hand brush over your ass a few times. He only smirked at you while he watched your face turn red.

By the time you’d made it back to the house, Osferth had nearly driven you to the point of insanity. You were so riled up that you couldn’t even think straight. You were grateful for the sudden distraction when you walked into the house. Boxes were everywhere, the fake tree was assembled in the corner of the living room, Sihtric was on the floor and tangled up in a string of colored lights, and Uhtred and Finan were singing along loudly to Elvis’ Blue Christmas while they pulled out multiple boxes of ornaments.

“Os?” you questioned, not taking your eyes off the guys in the living room.

“Yes, angel?” he asked quietly, finally taking in the scene in front of him, his eyes going wide.

“I thought you said they could survive without you.” you giggled, finally making your presence known and making your way over to Sihtric to help untangle him from the lights.

“I thought they could!” he said, holding up his hands in defense.

“Hey, we didn’t burn the house down or anything! I think we did alright!” Uhtred laughed. You just smiled, finally managing to get Sihtric untangled from the lights.

“Well why don’t you guys continue… whatever this is,” you said, waving your hand sporadically around the living room, gesturing to the chaos they’ve created. “And I’ll go to the kitchen and get started on the pie and cider.”

You didn’t wait for a response as you took the groceries to the kitchen and got to work. You weren’t sure how much time had passed, but you had just bent over to put the pie in the oven when strong hands gripped your hips from behind. You froze, carefully closing the oven door and standing up.

“My brother’s in the other room, Os. Behave.” you said, attempting to move out of his grasp and failing.

“He’s too busy, love. They’re all too busy to even notice that I’m missing.” he said, gently turning you around in his arms. You couldn’t help but smile up at him when you saw the grin on his face as he held you close. “Plus, I brought something with me that you might enjoy. Thought maybe we could get some use out of it.”

“And what exactly did you bring, Os?” you questioned, raising an eyebrow at him. 

He stepped back for a moment, reaching into his pocket to grab something. Your heart sped up as you saw what was in his hand. Mistletoe.

“Osferth…” you whispered, feeling the nerves creeping up your neck. 

“You can always tell me no, princess.” he said, reassuring you that he wasn’t going to pressure you. You stayed silent, confirming his suspicions. “But I was robbed of the opportunity to kiss you this morning and I’d like to rectify that situation right now. And I know you won’t tell me no. You want this just as badly as I do.”

He said no more as he smirked at you before stepping closer to you and letting one arm slide around your waist, pulling your body against his. Slowly, he raised his arm to hold the mistletoe over both of your heads. You glanced up at the decoration before your eyes darted to his lips. Not a word was said as he leaned in slowly, his nose brushing yours. He paused for a few seconds, giving you a chance to back out should you truly not want this. But, of course, you stayed still and waited for him to make the first move.

He gently pressed his lips to yours, savoring the little whine you made at the contact. His other hand came down to grasp at your hip, dropping the mistletoe in the process, when you immediately kissed him back. Your lips moved in tandem with his, slowly, just enjoying the feel of each other. You placed your hands on his chest, one hand fisting the soft material between your fingers and the other fiddling with the silver cross that hung around his neck. You choked down a moan as his tongue darted out to flick against your lower lip. You opened your mouth to his advances, letting his tongue slide against yours sensually. As his mouth worked against yours, one hand slowly slid down to grab your ass while his other was splayed against the small of your back.

“Os…” you whimpered between kisses, feeling yourself begin to get wet.

“Hmm?” he hummed, moving his attention from your lips to your neck, peppering small kisses across your delicate skin.

“We need to stop.” you whined, unable to make your words sound convincing. He just chuckled, continuing to place kisses across your neck and jaw before moving to the other side.

“No we don’t. I told you already, they aren’t gonna come looking for me.” he mumbled against your skin.

“No, I mean… fuck.” you trailed off, not knowing how to explain your current situation. He pulled back and looked down at you with concern.

“What’s wrong, love?” he whispered.

“We have to stop because… fuck, if we continue like this…”  you said, still struggling to tell him the truth.

“Tell me.” he encouraged, giving you a smile.

“God damn it, Osferth. I’m fucking horny, ok?!”  you whisper yelled. His eyes went wide in shock but his smile was bigger.

“Are you really?”

You just nodded your head, almost too embarrassed to look at him. You could feel his now half hard cock twitch against your stomach, causing another wave of arousal to flow through your body and thoroughly soak your panties.

“Os, please.”

He simply smirked at you and shifted a bit, slotting one of his legs between yours so his thigh was pressed directly against your hot center. You gasped at the contact and looked up at him, your arousal swirling in your eyes.

“Take what you need, princess.” he encouraged, his bright eyes staring down at you. You stared at him in shock, not believing what he was asking you to do.

“You can’t be serious.” you whispered, your eyes still wide.

“Oh, but I am, sweet girl. I want you to grind your needy little cunt on my thigh until you make yourself cum.” he said, his hands squeezing your hips and dragging you closer to him, which in turn forced your aching pussy to drag against his thigh. You slapped a hand over your mouth as you let out a squeak of surprise. 

You said nothing, letting your hands grip his shoulders and slowly looked at him. He raised his eyebrow at you, a silent question to ask if you were gonna start moving or if he would have to move you himself. You knew he’d let you go if that’s what you truly wanted, but in all honesty, you wanted this. You glanced at the doorway, hoping you two wouldn’t get caught. Taking a deep breath, you slowly rocked your hips and began to grind yourself against his leg.

“Such a good girl.” he whispered, leaning forward to kiss you again.

You kissed him back and rocked your hips harder. He smiled against your lips and let both of his hands slip down the back of your leggings, feeling your hot skin in his palms as he squeezed your ass and helped you grind against him. Your leggings did practically nothing to separate you from his leg. You could feel your clit begin to throb, the feeling of the rough denim of his jeans rubbing against your wet pussy proving to be the perfect amount of friction.

“Os… fuck, Osferth.” you whimpered, separating from his mouth to bury your face against his neck. You could feel your legs beginning to shake, the pressure becoming too much too quickly.

“Are you close already, sweet girl? You wanna cum?” he teased, pulling you harder against him to help you reach your climax faster.

You nodded your head against his shoulder and whined pitifully. You could feel yourself slipping further and further into submissiveness as you desperately chased your release. It was right there. You could feel it, but you couldn’t quite reach it.

“Os, I can’t cum like this.” You whined, continuing to hump his leg.

“What do you need, Y/N? Tell me what you need from me, love.” he said against your ear, his hot breath making you shiver.

“Your fingers… please.” you moaned, trying your best to keep your voice down.

He gently pulled away from you, searching your eyes for any sign of reluctance but he found none. All he saw was pure lust and yearning. You whined at the loss of contact, feeling your orgasm slipping further out of reach. He took his hands off your ass, letting one hand grip the counter behind you and letting the other trail to your front, teasingly sliding his fingers along the waistband of your leggings.

“You sure this is what you want, princess?” he asked, gently sliding his fingers beneath the fabric and teasing your heated skin.

“Please.” you begged, your eyes beginning to brim with tears at the complete frustration you felt. You needed release and you needed it now.

His hand moved down, his fingers immediately delving between your folds rub over your sensitive clit. The grin on his face could put the Cheshire cat to shame.

“You’re so fucking wet, baby. This all for me?” he teased, letting his long middle finger move down to circle your dripping entrance. You whined, your knees almost buckling at the feeling. He chuckled under his breath before pushing his finger inside, instantly curling to find that spongy spot inside you.

“Osferth, yes! Fuck! Yes… all for you. Need you so bad.”  you whined, grinding down against his hand. 

He quickly added a second finger and moved them faster, his palm now rubbing hard against your clit while he fingered you. You could feel your orgasm building back up much quicker than before. Osferth must have felt your walls beginning to pulse around his fingers because he chuckled.

“Oh, sweet girl, you really need to cum don’t you? Do it. Cum on my fingers, baby!” he encouraged, his eyes locked on yours. 

His words were enough to send you over the edge, the coil snapping and sending a blazing fire through your body as your orgasm consumed you. Osferth leaned forward to kiss you and his free hand shot from the counter to wrap around your waist, holding you against him as you shook in his arms. You moaned into his mouth as you tried to kiss him back but your orgasm was too strong. His lips barely muffled the sounds of your moaning and whining as your high began to fade. 

You finally stopped shaking and were trying to catch your breath when he gently pulled his fingers from your core and brought them up to his mouth, sucking them clean and groaning at the taste. You could feel a small, almost painful tug in your lower belly at the sight. His eyes practically rolled back as he swallowed down your taste.

“You taste amazing, babygirl.” he said, grinning ear to ear. You could feel your face grow hot at his words. 

You were about to open your mouth to say something but you heard footsteps, making both of you jump apart. You quickly turned to the ingredients on the counter to make the spiced apple cider. Osferth quickly picked up the forgotten mistletoe off the floor and leaned against the counter next to you, pretending that he was helping.

“Y/N, Sihtric’s tangled in the lights again… we need help.” Uhtred laughed as he appeared in the doorway. His eyes darted between you and Osferth, giving the two of you a suspicious look but didn’t say anything as he walked away. Osferth turned and gave you a quick smile before following Uhtred out of the room.

The rest of the afternoon went smoothly, Osferth keeping his flirting to a minimum since your brother and Uhtred were practically attached to you at the hip. You would send him sweet smiles whenever they weren’t looking and he would send one back with a cheeky wink, making you blush.

You supervised while the guys climbed up onto the roof to hang the lights, basically holding your breath until each one of them was safely back on the ground. Decorating the tree was next. You all spent almost two hours making sure the tree was properly decorated while sipping on the spiced apple cider you had finally made. Osferth even found the perfect excuse to touch you, picking you up in his arms so you could put the star on the top of the tree. Thankfully the others didn’t notice the way the two of you were blushing when he put you back down.

Late evening came around much quicker than anyone wanted, but it was almost one in the morning when everyone finally retired to bed, drunk on the spiced cider you had made. You had actually gone up to your room about a half hour earlier than the rest, leaving you lying awake in bed, wondering if Osferth would come to you tonight. You were beginning to think he was just playing games with your emotions when your bathroom door creaked open. Os peeked his head around the door and you couldn’t help but smile.

“I thought you weren’t gonna come see me.” you admitted, cutting your eyes at him but trying not to laugh.

“Did you really think I wouldn’t at least come say goodnight to my girl?” he said, making your heart do backflips as he walked over to sit on the edge of your bed. You couldn’t keep your eyes from roaming his bare torso, lingering on how low his pants hung on his hips.

“Your girl?” you asked, a twinkle of hope shining through. You so desperately wanted him, even if Finan wouldn’t approve. Even in the dark you could see a faint blush covering his cheeks.

“Well yeah, I mean… after earlier I just assumed…” he stuttered, clearly nervous about the subject. It was honestly adorable seeing the normally confident man get all flustered over you.

“I’m glad you assumed, Os. I wanna be your girl… so much.” you whispered.

“Good, cause I’m not letting you go, angel.” he answered, leaning down to press his lips against yours. You attempted to wrap your arms around his neck but he quickly pulled away. 

“Os-” you started, but you weren’t able to get anything out before he cut you off.

“Not another word, love. I need to go do something really quick and I need your sexy ass to stay right here while I do it, ok?”

You just nodded in agreement, letting him peck your lips one more time before getting up and disappearing through the bathroom door. You could faintly hear his footsteps before hearing him leave his room and go downstairs. Your brows knit together in confusion, not knowing what he was up to. About ten minutes passed before you could hear him enter his room again and make his way through the bathroom to your bedroom.

“So do I get to know what you were just doing?” you asked, sitting up and revealing the silky pink chemise slip that you were wearing specifically for him. His eyes went wide for a moment and roamed greedily over your body before answering.

“Of course, love. But we need to be extra quiet, ok?”

You bit your lip and nodded excitedly, sitting up and following him out of the room. The two of you tiptoed down the stairs, being sure to stay quiet so you wouldn’t wake the others. At the bottom of the steps Osferth took your hand in his and gave it a squeeze before guiding you to the living room. 

Your jaw dropped at the sight before you. The fire in the fireplace had been stoked back to life and the decorated tree was lit to perfection. A nest of blankets and pillows laid directly in front of the tree, catching your eye. There were even two mugs of hot chocolate sitting on the coffee table. Everything looked so perfect you could almost cry. You turned to Osferth only to see him already smiling at you.

“Osferth, what is all this?” you asked. 

“I wanted our first time to be special. You deserve that… and so much more. I would’ve preferred a little more privacy but this will have to do for now.” he said almost sheepishly.

“Baby, this is perfect.” you said, leaning up to peck his lips before walking over the very cozy looking blanket nest he’d made by the tree. You immediately laid down in the middle of it and stretched enticingly, your arms up over your head as you arched your back.

“My love…” he said, staring at you in awe while he slowly made his way closer to you. “You’re so fucking beautiful.”

“Come here.” you said, grinning and reaching an arm out towards him. 

He did as you asked and kneeled down on the blankets so he was hovering over you, that damned silver cross dangling in front of your face. You’d never admit it out loud, but that chain turned you on. Without saying another word you let your arms wind around his neck and pulled his face to yours. You kissed him without a second thought, wanting him more than you’ve ever wanted anything in your entire life. He pulled away only to look down at you with a nervous smile.

“Can I make love to you, sweetheart?”

You could feel yourself blushing as your heart did backflips and your pussy clenched around nothing, wanting him inside you.

“Please, Os. I need you.” you whined, reaching a hand down between your bodies to let your fingers rub over his hard cock that was straining against his pajama pants. He groaned and shut his eyes, enjoying the feeling of you finally touching him.

You had to hold back a moan at the feeling of him twitching under your fingers. He was big… bigger than you expected and you knew that the stretch of him filling you up would be to die for. You grinned up at him and squeezed your fingers around his length, causing him to throb and buck against your hand.

“Y/N, my love, don’t tease me.” he whispered, moving to sit back on his knees, just out of your grasp. 

You smirked and sat up, slowly pulling the silk chemise up and over your head, revealing to him that you weren’t wearing anything underneath. Laying back down you brought your hands up to your breasts, squeezing them and gently rolling your nipples between your fingers.

“Does this count as teasing, Os?” you asked, batting your eyes at him.

“You know it does, princess. Fuck, you’re gorgeous.” he said, pushing his flannel pajama pants down and shimmying out of them. You couldn’t help but glance down at his cock before staring up at him with lust in your eyes.

He moved to lean over you again, his lips capturing yours in a slow, passionate kiss. You moaned into his mouth, wrapping your arms around his neck and carding your fingers through his hair as you felt his tongue slide gently against yours. He sucked gently on your tongue before nibbling on your lower lip, making you whimper.

Slowly, he trailed his kisses from your mouth to your neck, eventually landing on your breasts. His tongue slowly traced around one hard nipple before engulfing it in the wet heat of his mouth and suckling gently. The feeling of his mouth sucking on the soft flesh made you moan loudly. His hand immediately came up to cover your mouth, reluctantly pulling his mouth away from you.

“You need to stay quiet, love. Don’t want Finan and the others comin’ down here and finding us, do we?” he asked, his hand still placed firmly over your mouth. 

You shook your head, wide eyes staring up into his. He slowly removed his hand from your mouth before diving back down to your chest, taking your neglected nipple into his mouth, giving it the same treatment as the previous one. You brought your own hand up to cover your mouth this time as he gently nibbled at the hard bud and rolled it between his teeth. 

Soft whines and pants left your mouth as he began moving his kisses south, the cold metal of his cross dragging across your stomach. He nipped and sucked several bruises onto your ribcage and hips before moving even lower and softly kissing the top of your mound. He glanced up at you, mischief shining in his eyes along with the bright Christmas lights. His hands gripped both of your knees before gently nudging them apart. You let your legs fall open and bit your lip upon feeling the cool air hit your wet center.

“Holy shit, baby.” he whispered, maneuvering himself to lie down on his stomach so his face was mere inches from your heat. His hands smoothed up to the juncture of your thighs, letting his thumbs graze over your damp folds before spreading you open. “My god, you have such a pretty pussy.”

“Os, please.” you whined, wiggling your hips in an attempt to get him closer to you. 

“You want me to lick your pretty little cunt, baby?” he teased, inching a bit closer.

“Uh huh.” you mumbled, nodding your head.

“Words, princess. Need to hear you say it.” he chastised.

“Osferth, oh my god, please! I need you to eat my pussy!” you whined, not caring how desperate you sounded.

He smirked before leaning down and pressing a quick kiss to your clit before letting his tongue delve between your folds to lick a long stripe through your wetness. You shamelessly arched your back and let one hand reach down to grip his dirty blonde hair to guide him exactly where you wanted him. He let you move his head as you bucked your hips against his face, his tongue switching between circling your weeping hole and flicking your swollen bud. He pulled back only slightly to smile up at you.

“You taste like heaven, my love.”

“That’s a bold statement coming from someone who grew up as a preacher's son.” you joked. He couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Hmm, maybe. But you’re downright sinful, baby.”

“Then you must be the devil himself.” you moaned out as he teasingly licked through your folds again. He softly kissed your clit one last time before crawling back up your body until his face was level with yours.

He kissed you, gently caressing your tongue with his, allowing you to taste yourself. A moan escaped your throat as you kissed him back. You could feel his hard cock trapped between the two of you, leaking precum onto your skin. He gently rocked his hips against yours, his long shaft sliding wetly between your folds and nudging at your puffy clit. You groaned and pulled away, biting your lip and knitting your brows together at the pleasurable sensation.

“Y/N, I want you so bad.” he groaned, his eyes shutting tight as he continued to rut against you, covering his cock in your slick.

“I need to be fucked, Os. I need you to fuck me and make me yours.” you whined, your hands absentmindedly stroking and playing with his hair. 

“I’ll fuck you so good, angel. Gonna ruin you for any other man.” he growled, pulling his hips back and lining himself up with your entrance.

“Do it, baby. Fuck me… claim me.” you begged, spreading your legs wider and bucking your hips in an attempt to get him inside you.

“Just one more thing before I do, princess.” he said, one hand grabbing your chin to make you look into his eyes.

“What is it, Os?” you asked, eyes wide. You could see uncertainty flash across his face for a second before taking a deep breath.

“I love you, Y/N.” he whispered, letting his thumb stroke over your chin.

You sucked in a breath and felt your heart jump into your throat. Tears threatened to come to the surface but you held them off as you smiled up at him.

“I love you too.” you whispered back, unable to keep the grin off your face.

Not another word was said as he braced himself above you. His eyes were still locked on yours and you gave him a small nod. It was all the answer he needed. He slowly pushed himself forward, sinking into your heat until his hips were flush against yours. You both moaned entirely too loudly at the feeling. With every breath you took you could feel his tip pressing against your cervix, making your walls twitch around his length.

“Oh god, you feel so fucking good, baby.” he moaned, leaning down to nip and suck at your neck. You threw your head back against the pillow and let him mark you.

“Osferth, I need you to move. Please, baby.” you begged, letting your nails dig into his shoulders as you began to grind your hips gently against his. 

“Easy, princess. I wanna savor this.” he said, slowly pulling almost all the way out before carefully sliding back in. Your eyes rolled back and you moaned softly.

Slowly he picked up his pace until the soft sound of skin slapping bounced off the walls. His cross chain dangled in front of your face, the Christmas lights from the tree gleaming brightly off the silver. You were a moaning mess, your back arched impossibly high as you tried to get closer to Osferth. His soft grunts and groans in your ear were making you impossibly wet. You could hear every slick, wet sound as he continued to thrust into you. You could feel that familiar blooming of heat in your belly, but you weren’t ready for this to end. Before he could comprehend what was happening, you managed to flip him onto his back. 

“Don’t look so worried, Os. I just wanna play.” you giggled upon seeing his stunned face.

“What are you planning on doing to me, love?” he questioned, raising an eyebrow at you.

You didn’t answer, gently sliding yourself off of his cock and shifting backwards until you could lay on your stomach between his spread legs. You let your fingers wrap around his length and used your own slick to glide your hand up and down. He moaned quietly, refusing to take his eyes off of you while you worked him. His eyes fluttered as you squeezed with every upward stroke. While he was preoccupied with trying to keep his eyes open, you leaned forward and kitten licked the tip to taste the bead of precum that had been leaking from his slit.

“Holy shit!” he moaned, letting his head fall back against the pillows.

You chuckled lightly to yourself as you wrapped your lips around the head of his cock and suckled lightly, letting the tip of your tongue prod at his slit and practically purring when he oozed more precum. You leaned further down, taking more of him into your mouth and choking slightly as his tip hit the back of your throat. He quickly tried to pull you off of him, afraid that he’d hurt you, but you slapped his hands away and continued. You took a deep breath through your nose and relaxed your throat as best you could before slowly pushing forward until your throat finally relaxed enough to receive him without gagging.

“Baby, oh my fucking god, Y/N!” he moaned, his pupils dilated and his eyes blown wide with lust as he looked down at you swallowing his cock whole. “Nobody’s ever, fuck, oh god, no one has ever… fuck… taken me this deep before!”

You would have laughed at his already fucked out state if it wasn’t for his dick down your throat. Remaining relaxed, you slowly pulled back up, but only until just his tip was still in your throat. You locked eyes with him as you guided your mouth back down his length, your throat receiving him again. You continued this slow pace, enjoying watching him try to keep his composure. He was failing miserably.

On one particular push down his length, you purposefully swallowed around him, letting your throat constrict around his cock. The poor boy almost screamed. He was so loud you were honestly afraid he’d wake up Finan. You pinched his thigh in warning to keep quiet.

“I’m sorry, baby, but you’re throat is squeezing the fucking life out of me.” he groaned. His almost incoherent babbling was making your pussy wetter than you could even fathom. “Angel, my love, oh god, please! I need to be inside you, Y/N. Mmmm fuck… wanna make you cum on my cock while I cum deep inside that pretty pussy. Please, baby!”

You decided to take mercy on him and gently suctioned your lips around him as you pulled him from your throat. Your lips suckled at his tip for a moment, just to tease, finally leaving him with a soft pop. You didn’t even have the chance to catch your breath before Osferth had you pinned beneath him in your original position. He stared down at you and smiled.

“Osferth.” you whispered.

“Y/N.” he whispered back, his grin growing wider.

“I love you.”  you said, bringing your hands up to wrap around his neck.

“I love you too, princess. And I’m gonna do everything in my power to prove it to you.” he promised, finally lining himself up with your hole and pushing inside to the hilt. 

You realized you would never tire of this feeling. He filled you up perfectly, almost like he was made specifically for you. His cock stretched you out in the best way possible, leaving you in the most euphoric state between pain and pleasure. A loud moan left your lips when you felt his tip pressing against that tiny spongy spot inside you. He quickly put his hand over your mouth and you looked up at him with wide eyes.

“We need to stay quiet, princess. Do you think you can do that?” he asked. You quickly nodded your head even though you knew you would be a whining, moaning mess beneath him in no time. 

He reluctantly removed his hand from your mouth before pulling back and thrusting back in. He wasted no time in picking up his pace. You were more than wet enough to take him completely. You bit your lip and furrowed your brow in an attempt to keep quiet. The sight nearly drove Osferth insane. You looked so fucking innocent beneath him while he split you open with his cock. His eyes drifted from yours down to your chest, watching the way your breasts bounced as he pounded into you. He could feel your walls twitching around him, constricting him tighter and tighter. He knew it wouldn’t take much more to send you flying over the edge. He reached a hand down between your bodies to rub at your swollen clit. As soon as he touched you, you nearly choked on your own scream. 

“That’s it, baby. I know you’re close.” he purred, rubbing harsh circles on the little bud, abusing it to the best of his power. He was absolutely losing it, having you whining and moaning beneath him. “Cum for me, Y/N! Come on my cock, baby girl!”

His words mixed with his perfectly timed thrusts and his finger rubbing harsh circles on your clit had you moments from bliss.

“Mmm Osferth! I’m- oh fuck, I’m gonna cum, baby!” you whimpered, staring up at him with unshed tears in your eyes. The pleasure was just too much.

He set a brutal pace, slamming into you, his moans mixed with yours and reverberated throughout the room. You could feel the coil rapidly begin to wind tighter and tighter while flames licked up your back. Within seconds the molten inferno broke loose and in a last ditch effort to keep quiet you bit down onto his shoulder to muffle your scream.

“Oh, Y/N! Fuck!” he growled, making a few last hard thrusts before stilling, pinning his hips tightly against you as he hit his high. You moaned softly at the warm feeling blooming in your belly, his cum shooting deep inside you.

The two of you stayed like that, wrapped in each other's arms as your breathing returned to normal. You couldn’t even hold your eyes open as you came down. You could hear him chuckling above you and forced your eyes open to see his blue ones locked on yours.

“Aw, is my baby girl all blissed out? Did I fuck you that good?” he cooed, grinning ear to ear. You simply nodded, barely having the strength to do that. He gently pulled his cock from your abused and swollen pussy, making you hiss.

“Os…”

“Shhh, baby, I know you’re sensitive. Just let me hold you and then I’ll carry you up to bed, ok?” he murmured, moving to lay down next to you and pull a blanket up over your bodies. 

He immediately gathered you in his arms and pulled you against his chest. You breathed in his scent and smiled. He smelled like sex and cinnamon… an oddly satisfying scent. He angled his head down and nudged his nose against yours affectionately, making you giggle before he pressed his lips against yours in a sweet kiss. You had no idea how long the two of you had laid there just kissing one another.

“Finan’s gonna fucking kill you, baby monk.” an amused voice said. You both turned and looked to the doorway where Sihtric leaned against the doorframe, a smirk on his lips.

“You think I don’t fuckin’ know that?” Osferth groaned, pulling you closer and nuzzling his face in your hair. Sihtric must have noticed the panicked look on your face because he just laughed.

“Y/N, sweetie, I’m not gonna tell him. Your secret’s safe with me.” he swore. “But next time you two might wanna keep it down…. You weren’t exactly quiet. And maybe don’t do it so out in the open where anyone can find you. You’re just lucky it’s me that came down to get a drink and not Finan or Uhtred. If it was either of them… well… Osferth wouldn’t be breathing right now.”

“Thank you, Sihtric. We really appreciate it.” you said, giving him a sleepy half smile.

“Anytime, Y/N. Now I’m gonna go back up to bed and pretend that I didn’t see any of this.” he said, turning and making his way back upstairs.

“Maybe we should go back upstairs, love.” Osferth suggested. You gave him a tired smile and nodded your head in agreement. You’d already pushed your luck tonight and didn’t need Finan or Uhtred killing your boyfriend. Boyfriend? You liked the sound of that.

Osferth carefully helped you up, guiding you to sit on the couch while he gathered the blankets to take to the laundry room. You made a mental note to do laundry as soon as you woke up so Finan wouldn’t question why all of the extra blankets needed to be washed. When he finally returned you stood up and moved to grab your chemise that was still on the floor but he beat you to it, holding it away from you.

“Nope. You’re staying naked, baby. I’m not done with you.” he smirked. With that, he grabbed his pants off the floor before scooping you up in his arms and carrying you back upstairs to your room and making sure to lock both of your doors.

The next couple weeks were torture for you and Osferth, only able to find comfort in each others arms after everyone had gone to bed. He found every excuse in the book to touch you whenever he could, passing it off as innocent gestures. Grabbing your hips to slide by you in the kitchen, his knee brushing against yours when you sat next to him on the couch, even wrapping his arm around your shoulders while you were all engaged in conversation. Sihtric would send you both knowing glances anytime he’d catch you staring at each other. You just hoped that Finan and Uhtred didn’t catch on.

Today’s excuse was that he was going to give Finan a break and pick you up from work. Finan, none the wiser to the relationship you had with Osferth, willingly handed over his keys and let Osferth take his car to go pick you up. He thanked God for a chance to finally be alone with you as he pulled out of the driveway. Nothing could have brought him down from how happy he was… except what he saw when he pulled into the parking lot.

A man much taller than you had you cornered against the brick wall of the building. He couldn’t see your face properly in the dark but he realized you hadn’t seen him pull up. He quickly parked the car and watched the scene unfold, not quite sure what was happening.

He swore he could feel his heart beginning to shatter in his chest as he watched the guy try to lean into you, only for you to pull away. Osferth felt like he was going to be sick but couldn’t look away. The thought of you cheating on him hurt him more than he ever thought it could. The two of you had only been a thing for a couple of weeks… hell, he wasn’t even sure if he was allowed to call you his girlfriend. You guys never really specified what you were.

The tightness in his chest forced tears to his eyes, the thought of losing you almost too much for him to handle. He quickly blinked them away and continued to watch you. He was about to just leave and tell Finan to come get you, but then you pushed the man away. Osferth could see your face, your mascara streaked down your face where you’d been crying. You went to walk away but the man grabbed your arm and yanked you back to him. You looked absolutely terrified.

Oh fuck no.

Before Osferth could even think about his actions he got out of the car, storming over to where the man held on to you. He could hear you screaming at the man to let you go. He came up behind the man and grabbed the back of his shirt, pulling him away from you and slammed him face first into the brick wall next to you.

“Keep your disgusting fucking hands off my girlfriend!” he screamed at the man as he crumpled to the ground. You couldn’t help but watch, completely stunned at Osferth’s actions.

“Your girlfriend? This must be new because she was with me just about five weeks ago.” the man said, wiping blood from his nose. Os thought about it for a moment, realizing that was about three weeks before he arrived. 

“Well she’s with me now, so fuck off.” Osferth growled, staring down at the man. “I ought to break your goddamn hands for putting them on my woman. If I catch you near her again I’ll fuckin’ kill you.”

Your heart was still racing from the encounter and seeing Osferth so worked up. You didn’t know whether you should be scared or turned on. Because honestly, you were getting kind of wet from watching him defend you. And he called you his girlfriend. He thought of you as his girlfriend and that couldn’t have made you happier. 

“Come on, Y/N. Let’s get you home.” he said, coming up to you and wrapping an arm around your shoulders, guiding you across the parking lot to Finan’s car. He opened the door for you and closed it behind you, quickly going to the other side to get in.

“I’m so sorry you had to deal with that.” you whispered, looking down at your hands.

“You’re apologizing to me after that dick had his hands on you? Look at you, baby. That motherfucker could have seriously hurt you and you’re saying sorry? Don’t apologize to me, princess. I’m just sorry I wasn’t here sooner to prevent that from happening.” he said, reaching over and grabbing your hands in his. He sounded so genuine, so emotional. When you looked up you could see tears in his eyes.

“Os, why are you crying?” you asked. He chuckled, letting one hand come up to wipe away the unshed tears.

“It’s stupid…” he said, suddenly feeling nervous. 

“Tell me.” you encouraged, using the back of your sleeve to wipe away the mascara that had streaked down your cheeks.

“I thought… I thought I lost you.” he admitted, looking away. 

His words hit you like a ton of bricks. He thought you had cheated on him. 

“Oh, baby, no!” you cooed, reaching over and grabbing his face to make him look at you. “I would never!”

“I know you wouldn’t.” he said quietly. “But who was he?”

You could feel your heart jump into your throat and you released his face, sitting back in your seat. You weren’t sure you were ready for this conversation, but you guessed it was now or never. Taking a deep breath, you began to speak.

“He’s someone I used to sleep with.” you said quietly. You watched his brows scrunch together in confusion. He looked like he was thinking over your words for a moment before he spoke.

“Is he one of the guys from the motel?” he questioned. Your eyes went wide.

“How did you know about that?”

“Did you really think Finan dealt with that by himself? He had us all on a group chat. Me, Uhtred, and Sihtric. We all know, baby. And none of us judge you for it, I swear! But Finan… he was so fucking scared that you’d end up on an episode of Dateline or something. We all reassured him that you were a big girl and could take care of yourself, but he’s your big brother. He loves you so much and he was so scared that one of those men would take you from him. Hell, I was scared too. It was always a possibility that one of those nights you just wouldn’t come home. Every time Finan called me to vent about you not coming home until the early hours of the morning, my heart dropped. I always thought it would be the call saying that we had a funeral to go to.”

By the time he was finished talking, his tears flowed freely. He was genuinely scared to lose you. Your heart broke seeing him like this.

“I had no idea that you knew about all of that.” you said, trying to keep your own tears from falling. “I’m here now and I’m not going anywhere. That part of me is all in the past. I don’t do that anymore. But, yes, he was one of the guys. He assumed that because I spent one night with him for a little bit of cash it meant that I would be interested in more. He couldn’t have been more wrong.”

“I should fucking kill him.” he said, hands shaking in his lap as he watched the scumbag stumble his way to his car.

“Os, that wouldn’t solve anything. Just take me home.” you begged, not wanting him to get in trouble.

Without another word he turned the car on and sped out of the parking lot. You could tell he was pissed off and scared, still running off the adrenaline and anxiety. You were halfway back to your house when you spoke.

“Turn left up here.” you said quietly, but you knew he heard you.

“What? But Y/N, that’s a little side road that leads out of town.” he tried to explain as if you didn’t already know that.

“I’m well aware of that, Os. Just do it. Please.” you whispered.

He did as you asked, turning down the mostly abandoned side road, tall trees surrounding you on either side. He drove for another five minutes in silence before you spoke again.

“Pull over.”

He didn’t question you, pulling off to the side of the road and turning the car off. The two of you sat in silence, neither of you knowing what to say. His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, seemingly too afraid to let go. You knew he was stuck in his head, still worried that he would somehow lose you. You were determined to show him exactly who you belonged to.

“Osferth,” you started, getting his attention. He glanced over at you, looking comparable to a wounded puppy. It broke your heart. “You know I love you, right?”

“Of course, baby.” he said, a small grin finally appearing on  his lips. “I love you too.”

“I know you do. Which is why I wanted to come out here.” you said. He looked confused so you continued. “Can we move to the backseat?”

You could see the realization dawning on him, his eyes going wide before nodding his head.

“Yeah… yeah, we can move back there.” he stuttered out, making you giggle slightly.

You climbed in the back and he quickly followed you. Before you could say anything else, his lips were on yours, making out with you like a horny teenager. You moaned into his mouth, letting your fingers tangle in his hair as you quickly straddled his lap to get better leverage on him. You yanked his head back, exposing his neck and began trailing your kisses down his jaw to the pulse point on his neck. You nipped the sensitive flesh before sucking on it hard, making sure to leave a pretty bruise. 

The sound that left his lips made your heart flutter. In the two weeks that you’d been with him, you’d never heard him make this particular sound. It was light and airy and filled with need. It was honestly the prettiest sound you’d ever heard. He whimpered. 

You pulled away to look at his face, seeing him already staring at you like a deer in headlights. He must’ve surprised himself when he whimpered. He didn’t speak, but his hands gripped your hips hard, as if he thought you’d disappear if he let go. You held eye contact with him and slowly rocked your hips against his. His eyes shut tight and his head lolled back as he let out a near pornographic moan.

“Baby?” you said quietly, getting his attention. His eyes opened to look at you, still looking lost. You knew immediately what you needed to do. “Do I need to remind you that I only belong to you, my love?”

He nodded his head eagerly, eyes blown wide, not quite trusting his voice at the moment.

“Please, Y/N. Show me you’re mine.” he moaned, bucking his hips against yours.

“Tell me what you need, Os.” you whispered, grinding against him.

“Need you to ride me, baby.” he whined, the look in his eyes practically begging you to fuck him. You’d never seen him so desperate before. 

You smiled down at him before pulling off your coat and your work shirt, throwing them to the floor, exposing your breasts that were contained by your lacy bra. His hands immediately cupped your boobs in his hands, gently kneading and squeezing them. Your hands found the edge of his sweatshirt and t-shirt, quickly pulling them up over his head in one go. Moving off his lap, you quickly unbuttoned your jeans and shimmied them down your legs. Your panties came off only seconds later. His hands worked just as fast on his own pants and underwear, sliding them down and letting his hard cock slap up against his stomach.

“C’mere, baby.” he said, quickly pulling you to straddle his lap again. His hands wandered up your back to the clasp of your bra, expertly unsnapping it and tossing it aside. Meanwhile, your hand reached down between your bodies to slowly stroke his length.

“I need you inside me, Os.” you moaned, lifting your hips and positioning his tip at your entrance. His hands grabbed your hips and slowly pulled you down onto his cock. 

You moaned loudly and let your fingers dig into his shoulders as you let yourself fully settle on his length. You breathed heavily as your walls twitched, attempting to adjust to his size. His hands smoothed gently up and down your ribs as your breathing returned to a more normal pace.

“You’re mine, Y/N.” he growled, burying his face in your tits and mouthing over the soft flesh before finding a pert nipple to suck on.

“Yours, my love. Only yours.” you said, beginning to slowly grind your hips. The feeling of his hard shaft slipping wetly against your walls had your eyes rolling.

His fingers dug into your hips, helping you to slowly begin bouncing on his cock. His tongue swirled around your nipple, causing it to pebble under his skillful touch. Your whimpers and heavy breathing were loud and echoed throughout the car. You continued to ride him, ignoring the slight ache in your thighs when you started moving faster. He gave your nipple one last hard suck before letting it slip from his mouth. He threw his head back, moaning unashamedly.

“Y/N, oh fuck! Your pussy feels so fucking good. So tight… so god damned wet.” he groaned, holding your hips still and slamming into you from below.

“Mmm my pussy was made just for you. I belong to you, Os. Only you.” you moaned, your hands gripping onto the seat behind him for dear life. He slowed down his thrusts, pulling you to sit fully in his lap.

“Lay back, angel. Put one foot up here” he said, gesturing to the top of the backseat. Then he patted the top corner of the driver's seat. “And put the other one right here to keep you nice and spread open for me.”

You did as he said, moving off of him to lay back against the seat and spreading your legs, bracing them where he told you to. Before he could move to lay over you, you reached your hand between your legs and let your middle finger run up and down your slit a few times to gather your wetness before rubbing light circles over your clit. You could hear him groan at the sight. You moaned obscenely loud, mostly for show just to rile him up a little bit more. You could see his cock twitching as he watched you.

“C’mere, Os. Need you to fuck me.” you whined, making grabby hands at him until he leaned over you so you could wrap your arms around his neck.

“Gonna fuck you so good.” he said, lining himself up with your entrance. “You’re mine, princess. All mine.”

He quickly thrust all the way inside of you, causing you to squeal and buck your hips against his. You watched a smirk appear on his face as he pulled back and thrust back in, getting the same reaction from you. You struggled to keep your eyes open, but you managed. You didn’t want to miss a single moment.

“Osferth!” you moaned, letting your hands move to grab at your breasts as they bounced with his thrusts. His eyes were trained on your breasts as you played with them.

“Mmm that’s it, beautiful. Play with those pretty tits for me.” he groaned, fucking into you even harder than before. 

You did as he asked, letting your fingers pinch at your nipples while you tossed your head back in ecstasy. You could feel your wetness beginning to drip down your ass to stain the seat beneath you but you couldn’t have cared less at the moment. Your hips jolted and your eyes shot open at sudden overstimulation. Glancing down you saw that Osferth had reached his hand between your bodies to rub harsh circles over your bud.

“Os, oh my god, if you- fuck! If you keep that up I won’t last much longer!” you managed to squeak out. He only chuckled, rubbing at your clit a bit faster.

“I know, baby. I’m not done with you. When we’re done here I’m gonna take you home and we’re gonna take a nice, hot shower together where I’m gonna fuck you again. And after that, I’m taking you to bed and making love to you all fucking night. So it’s alright if you finish, Y/N. You can cum whenever you want to, princess, because it won’t be the last time you cum tonight.” he growled, his thrusts getting faster, as were the circles on your clit. You couldn’t contain the scream that left your lips as you felt the sudden heat in your lower belly, the coil threatening to snap at any moment. Your hands gripped his shoulders, attempting to ground yourself and failing miserably. You were already falling.

“I’m gonna- oh fuck! I’m cumming!” you moaned, digging your nails into his shoulders as he pounded into you at a breakneck speed.

“That’s it, baby! Make a mess on my cock!” he encouraged, his own thrusts becoming sloppy as he approached his high.

“Yes! Fuck yes! Osferth, oh my god!” you screamed, your eyes shutting tightly as the heat consumed your body. Your legs shook as they instinctually wrapped tightly around his waist while your orgasm consumed you.

“Oh god, my beautiful girl! So fuckin’ pretty when you cum for me! Holy shit! Fuck!” he moaned, pressing his hips tightly against yours, making sure not to waste a single drop of his seed.

Your highs slowly began to fade and you finally let your eyes flutter open only to see Osferth smiling down at you with a dopey grin on his face.

“What are you smiling at, my love?” you asked, reaching up to stroke your fingers over his cheek.

“My girlfriend.” he smirked. “My beautiful, gorgeous, perfect girlfriend.”

“Osferth, I love you so much.” you whispered, a smile gracing your features.

He gently pulled out of you, causing you to wince at the oversensitivity. He used his t-shirt to gently clean you up before pulling on his hoodie and pants and helping you redress. Both of you climbed back in the front seats, giggling every time the two of you made eye contact. 

The drive back to the house was short but the two of you managed to make yourselves look presentable before walking inside. Finan, Uhtred, and Sihtric all looked towards you as you both entered the living room.

“What took you two so long? I was expectin’ ya’ home like an hour ago.” Finan asked, raising an eyebrow at the both of you.

“It just took a bit longer to close up today and we got talking and lost track of time.” you hurriedly explained, giving your brother a smile.

“Glad to see you two getting along so well.” Sihtric smirked. Your eyes went wide and you had to force your jaw not to drop at the sheer audacity this man had. He only chuckled at your shocked expression.

“Whatcha mean, Sihtric? I think they’ve been gettin’ along jus’ fine.” Finan said, completely oblivious to Sihtric’s insinuation.

“Oh, nothing. They’ve just been spending a lot of time together. Not saying it’s a bad thing. I’m happy he seems to be keeping her occupied.” Sihtric answered. Meanwhile Uhtred’s gaze flickered between you, Osferth, and Sihtric as he tried to piece together what Sihtric was talking about.

“Look, I’m tired. I’m gonna go to bed. Goodnight, boys.” you said, quickly turning on your heel and hauling ass upstairs, leaving Osferth with the others. You could practically feel that your face was on fire as you made it to your room.

It was about forty five minutes later when Osferth finally peeked his head into your room from the bathroom. He said he made the excuse that he was gonna give you enough time to shower before heading up to bed which is why he took so long. But it wasn’t long after he appeared that you dragged him to the bathroom to ensure he kept his promise of taking you in the shower before taking you to bed. And he definitely came through with his promise.

The next morning you had been woken up by the feeling of soft kisses against your thighs and a wet tongue parting your folds. You gasped and lifted the blanket, only to see Osferth smirking up at you.

“What on earth do you think you’re doing, Os?! The guys will be up soon!” you rushed out, not wanting to get caught in Osferth’s bed, but his mouth just felt too damn good.

“What does it look like, angel? I’m having breakfast.” he said, giving you a cheeky smile before diving nose first back into your core and making you squeal.

“Osferth! Oh fuck!”

Out in the hallway your screams of pleasure were muffled, but they were clear enough that they had your brother absolutely seething with rage. It took both Uhtred and Sihtric to hold him back and keep him from busting into Osferth’s room.

“Give me one good fuckin’ reason I shouldn’t go in there and kill him!” Finan argued, staring down the two men who blocked his doorway so he couldn’t get out.

“Hear me out, brother, but Y/N loves him. And he loves her. We shouldn’t come between that.” Sihtric tried to reason with him but with no luck.

“My best friend is fucking my baby sister! Am I supposed to be ok with that?!” 

“No one is asking you to be ok with it, just to accept it. You don’t have to be happy about it. You can be angry.” Uhtred said, holding up his hands like he was facing a cornered animal that was ready to attack. Finan huffed in annoyance and paced back and forth, not liking the situation one bit.

“Did the two of you know about this?” he asked, pointing at the two men blocking his doorway.

“No, I didn’t know a thing until just now. I had my suspicions but I never knew for certain.” Uhtred said. Finan’s gaze flicked over to Sihtric, waiting for an answer.

“Don’t be mad.” he started. “Yes, I knew.”

“How long have you known?” Finan asked, rubbing his temples in an attempt to calm down.

“About two weeks. I caught them… uh… in the act. They were downstairs at like two or three in the morning lying beneath the Christmas tree. I promised Y/N I wouldn’t tell you. I just wanted to give them time to tell you themselves.”

“You’ve know for two fuckin’ weeks and didn’t tell me? God fuckin’ dammit!” he yelled, still pacing his bedroom.

“Look at it this way.” Uhtred started. “Y/N was on a rough path and all of us were worried about her. At least if she’s with Osferth we know she’s safe. He’ll protect her. We’d all rather it be him than some random dude she’s meeting up with at a shitty motel, right?”

Finan thought about it for a moment, realizing that Uhtred was right. If you were with Osferth, you’d be safe and protected and loved. And he wouldn’t have to worry about you so damn much. But if Osferth ever hurt you… god help his soul.

“Fine. Now let me go get some damn coffee.” he grumbled as the other two stepped out of his way. Thankfully your moans had quieted by the time he made his way past both of your rooms and downstairs.

It was maybe a half hour later when you and Osferth made your way down the stairs, only to be met with three pairs of eyes staring at you.

“Osferth, you fucking dog!” Uhtred laughed.

“What? What are you talking about?” Osferth asked, acting confused. 

“Don’t act coy. We know. Finan knows, brother. We had to talk him out of killing you earlier this morning. You two aren’t necessarily quiet.” Uhtred explained. You could feel your face grow hot before your eyes met Finan’s.

“Finan…” you started.

“Does he make you happy?” Finan asked, cutting you off. You couldn’t help but smile and move to Osferth's side, wrapping your arms around his waist and hugging him tight.

“I’ve never been happier.” you said, giving your brother a smile in hopes he wouldn’t kill your boyfriend.

“Osferth.” Finan said, finally addressing him.

“Finan.” he answered simply.

“Out of all the women in the world it just had to be my sister, didn’t it?” Finan chuckled, shaking his head in slight disbelief.

“Yeah, man, I guess it did.” Osferth said, pulling you close. “I love her, Finan.”

You could feel your heart swell at his words and at the sight of Finan finally calming down.

“I know ya’ do, baby monk. But if you ever hurt her-” Finan started, pointing an accusatory finger at Osferth.

“You’ll kill me?” he laughed. “I’ll come to you myself and beg for you to end my life if I ever hurt her.”

You could only grin, resting your face against Osferth’s shoulder as he joked with the guys. Everyone was happy and nobody was getting killed… at least not today. And to think that tomorrow was Christmas, well, you couldn’t have asked for a better Christmas present.

Tags:  @sirenofavalon​ @aryacahill​ @letmeseeyoustripp3d @slytherincursebreaker​ @justxpaulina​ @linevondensternen​ @tessgiggles​ @stillinracooncity​ @nma-nekronauta​ @dothrckis​ @definitelycrazyowl​ @schniiipsel​ @buttercup--bee​ @bloodyvalentine93​ @thelittleswanao3

[maii777]

Effect

( modern!sihtric x reader )

summary: visiting a party with your boyfriend Sihtric ends with a dramatic event that has a effect on both of you.

warnings: alcohol, fight, blood, sexual content (+18)

word count: 2,2K

🫧🐺

Every month Uhtred was hosting the biggest party known. Everyone knew there is always happening something off, a fight, a break up or just drunken people laying everywhere.

You didn’t attempt to those party’s before with your girls, you where more the friend group type to go to the cinema or make a movie night with snacks and tee.

But as Sihtrics girlfriend you knew the day would come that you go there.

So you stand in front of the mirror finishing your look with some fake lashes. As you look at yourself you feel so sexy, your dress being short with no straps holding it and a slit that mostly shows your hip completely. You feel very much wearing less clothes then you have on.

It excites you to think about your boyfriends face when he sees you, teasing him with that dress.

You feel your cheeks burning up at that thought, rolling your eyes and taking a breath in to come back to reality.

As you look at your phone, seeing messages from your girl group chat about how sad they are that they couldn’t join you tonight, it knocks on your door.

You open the door and see Sihtric leaning in the doorway.

„Your escort service is here, lady“ he says with a cocky smile. And you stare him up and down. His tattoo showing from neck to the side of his head, his hair is braided and his beautiful miss matched eyes always making your knees weak. Wearing a black shirt, his sleeves are rolled up, the buttons are opened at the top reviling his chest and his mjölnir hanging from his neck underneath his shirt.

You both match together in completely black, looking like some hot mafia couple.

You are ready to go waiting for him to make room for you. But he is completely staring at your dress, that reveals almost your ass cheek.

„You can’t go out like that“ he says with worry

„Why? Your with me the hole night“ you says smiling at his actions, knowing your plan worked.

„yeah but people will stare at your body.. it is only for my eyes“ he says putting his hands on your hip, pulling you close. His cologne hits your nose, loving the scent of it. You put your hands on his chest looking up to him „I’m all yours babe“ and his lips meets yours with a loving and sloppy kiss, he taste like cigarettes and mint. You holding his shirt thigh moaning into his mouth as his big hands move down to your ass, giving you a spank that makes you squirm, his lips forming a pleased smile at your reaction . Kissing your lips again, he looks deep into your eyes.

„Okay, let's go otherwise we won't be able to get out of here“ you nood at him, closing your door and taking his hand into yours as you both exit the building.

Arriving at the house it already look completely packed, loud music and colorful lights coming from the building.

In front of the door Sihtric halts „after you my lady“

You smile at him shy, your hands grabbing back at him to find his hands again, he holds you hand and his other ghosting over your hip.

You go through the entrance hall searching for Osferth or Finan in the big living room. The people make all room for you, seeing Sihtric behind your back.

Then you see Osferth waving to you standing next to Uhtred and Finan in the kitchen. You go over to them greeting them. Sihtric leaving your touch, hugging his friends.

„The party is amazing, are you not worried that something will break?“ you ask Uhtred and he just laughs „they already broke everything important, so I don’t care anymore“ he says laughing. Finan gives you all a shot „Sihtric I am so happy you are finally here with your better half, I hope that will give you some control to not drink to much you can’t even handle“ and the boys all laugh before downing the shot.

The sharp taste when it runs down your throat making you burn as you scrunch your face .

Sihtric talks with Uhtred for a while, watching you drinking with Finan and Osferth. You play some drinking game and some other people joining you.

The time flys and you feel getting tipsy, laughing at every toast Finan says and Osferth already pouring in the next drink.

Sihtric hugs you from behind, looking at the drinking circle you three made.

„I think you need some water, babe“ and you nood.

He loves taking care of you. When he gives you water, you drink it out immediately.

„Can we go dance?“ you say turning your head back to Sihtric, you feel his grip getting harder.

He doesn’t like the idea of you dancing in that dress in the middle of the room.

„You know I don’t like to dance, sweetheart“ he says sounding sorry.

Osferth mentioning that he doesn’t feel so good, also looking a bit pale.

Finan claps at the back of Osferth „We can dance that will sober you up“ laughing at Osferth.

Sihtric trust his friends more than anything so he nods „then go dance with them, I will watch you sweetheart“ he says giving you a kiss on the head.

You take the two boys with you to the middle of the room, Finan shows you some funny dance moves he has and Osferth just existing, dragging his body some way to the music.

You feel yourself so loosen, moving your hips to the music with your eyes closed, feeling amazing.

You don’t notice that every other guy is looking at you, Sihtric of course noticed that the whole night.

He clenches his hand on the beer can, not really listening to the guy next to him . His anger growing at the guys looking at your body, but he doesn’t want to stop you of having fun.

He tries controlling his anger and you know that. You had seen Sihtric losing control over his anger before, when a guy cat called you on the street ending up giving that guy a good night punch.

For a moment you open your eyes, seeing Sihtric standing trying to hold together.

You both lock eyes and you feel aroused him looking at you like that, like your his and he is yours.

And then you see Osferth and Finan both next to Sihtric. Osferth pulling Sihtric after him, he just looks back at you, not wanting to leave you alone with drunken people.

You wonder what happened, remembering Osferth felt sick before from the liquor.

As you feel someone tapping at your shoulder and you turn. When the cat is gone the mice come out.

You look confused to the guy in front of you, tall and short hair that is braided, wearing a black shirt.

„hey are you alone here?“ he says smiling down at you.

You just look at him not giving any type of communication and you turn around and leave him.

You press yourself trough the crowd of people and you notice that he yells after you

„hey mysterious girl“

At the front door you turn and he nearly bumps into you at your sudden halt.

„What do you want“ you say with not expression, kinda pissed of that he didn’t get the hint.

„I want to get to know you“ he says smiling and he rubs his neck with one hand.

„I have a boyfriend“

„and? I think that isn’t a excuse“

You roll your eyes and get out of the house, the fresh air sobbers you up almost completely.

In front of the house in the grass the guy grabs your arm

„hey wait can’t I really get your number?“

You try to tear your arm out of his grip, when you hear a familiar voice.

„Hey stop touching my girl“ and Sihtric stand in front of you blocking the guy from you.

„Oh so she didn’t lie..“ the guy says letting go of your arm immediately and shrunken in front of your boyfriend.

„Why the fuck would she lie“ Sihtric yells at him, you notice that he snaps at that.

„I don’t know man, girls are like that“

And you don’t know what is going on in Sihtrics head but all he sees red. All that night the guys looking at you and controlling his anger but this was his last push. You take a step back.

Without a warning Sihtric punches the guy in the face, his nose bleeding. You stand there holding your hand in front of your mouth, when everything happens so fast.

Sihtric told you to take distance before so you do, always.

Sihtric continues punching him, Finan coming from out of nowhere getting Sihtric off that guy.

Osferth now looking better than before calming Sihtric down, but Sihtric only watches your reaction. His huge rough hands are covered in blood.

You take his hand and you feel he gets more calm.

After that Finan drops you of at your apartment with Sihtric. You both walk up in silence, he holds your hand thigh, not looking at you the hole time.

When you open the door you let him in first.

Your apartment seems smaller when he is here. He sits at your couch that also seems tiny now.

„ I clean you“ you say looking in your bathroom for some medical stuff.

You stand in front of him taking his hands, cleaning them. He feels burning hot. You wipe his face and then go down to his chest where are also tiny splatters of blood.

He looks up at you, his hands on the side of your ass. He looks so innocent and you feel it clenching between your legs.

His hand goes under the slide of your dress, his hand taking your bare ass cheek, massaging the flesh.

You point his chin up and looking down at him

„You know that was hella hot what you did for me“

He breath out sharply smirking „You know I would do anything for you“ he says with a hoarse voice, looking up into your eyes.

He immediately stands up capturing your lips in a hastily kiss.

You put your arms around his neck as his hands go under your ass pulling you up, your legs hugging around his body perfectly, holding you thigh to his body.

You both exchange messy kisses as he carries you to your bed and puts you down.

You unbutton his shirt hurriedly as he rapidly pulls your dress off. You lay there in only your underwear. His mouth wanders down from your mouth to your neck bitting and sucking on your skin as his hands knead your breasts. moans escape your mouth as he leaves marks on your skin.

He growls at you when his fingers feel the wetness between your legs. He pulls your underwear off and throws them somewhere in your room.

He kisses a trail down your body. As he puts your legs onto his shoulders, to keep you in position.

He kisses your inner thigh „All this just for me“ he says as his tongue licks in between your folds. You exhale sharply as he fucks you with his tongue, soft moans escaping your mouth . Like a man starved he eats you out, his nose is perfectly centered at your clit. You moans get louder as you feel your first orgasm rolling in.

You hand taking his hair, pulling harshly and moaning his name, that makes him growl between your legs. You see your vision go blurry and a loud cry escape your lips as your scream his name.

He comes up to you cupping your cheek and kissing your lips lustfull, you taste your own arousels on his tongue.

Your hands opening his belt and he pulls his trousers and underwear off as you catch your breath.

„I am not done with you babe“ he says smirking and you fall over him, kissing his lips hastily.

Your on top of him and feel his huge dick throbbing against your center.

„Now it’s your turn, getting taken care off“ you say smirking as you hold yourself steady on his chest as you directing his hard huge cock in your entrance. You both moan looking in his miss matched eyes while you slide down his huge length.

As you start riding him he puts his hands on your hips, helping you. The only sound in the room is your moans and the slapping sound of your two body’s.

As you feel your second peek coming in you look into his eyes, you both don’t break the eye contact. You slap him in the face as you ride him harder and you see how his jaw tightens.

„slap me again“ he says as you slap him harder. He starts whimpering and you slap him each time harder, you feel how this drives him wild. His hands lacing over your ass and you whine at the pain.

He starts moving his hips more to your motion and slaps your ass harshly. You moan his name as you reach your climax. Your walls tighten around his huge length making him come. You looking each other into the eyes as you finish both.

You collide onto him. He hugs your body and kisses your head as you both take your breath.

After a few minutes you stand up from him going over to your bathroom door, looking over your shoulder „want to take a shower?“ with a innocent smile.

And Sihtric immediately stand up following you under the shower.

——————

Authors note:

That was my first fan fiction and I hope you liked it! I would really appreciate some feedback.

Thanks for reading :D

[arcielee]

My heart. 💔

This was such a unique and interesting take for a modern AU for The Last Kingdom. I was rapt from the beginning to the end. The chemistry you created between your OC and Finan just held onto my heart with the way you described it:

She was made for him. Their connection so innate, so intuitive from the first glance to the first touch. He believed she was a blessing to his mundane and lonesome existence, the bloom of spring after a brutal winter.

And the gothic flare to it, the witchcraft interlaced with your narrative was brilliant. It really allowed you to create and build up moments that gave a sense of relief.

He could feel the magic work through him, the blood receding from his veins as he grew cold. The tightening hold that choked him for so many centuries was loosening, the grip around his neck fainting until it eventually let go. The burden of the curse was turning into dust, the remnant pieces drifting away from the Irishman’s skin with the wind pushing them to the flames, burning their essence on hellfire.

In conclusion, this story was just beautiful and heart wrenching. I will now go drown in my tears. 💜

timeless | final chapter

author’s note: this is the end of the road! to the ones who have been reading this story and who stuck around, i’m sending you all my love! thank you ❤️ hoping the ending will be just as enjoyable :) Lots of love and stay safe 💕

       With a tidal wave drowning him at sea, Finan had woken up from his nightmare in a fright.

Body drenched in sweat, heart ragingly palpitating in his chest, the Irishman was catching his breath as the moon’s glow shone behind him, the timid light casting itself across the bedroom.

He felt pressure behind him, weight on his right; Becca had been pulled away from her sleep at the agitation shaking the bed. She quickly reached for him, her hand stroking his back as she leaned against him, bringing him to her.

“Finan-”

Chest heaving heavily, his stare remained straight into the void, his mind’s cloud slowly dissipating as his view acclimated to the darkness around them. 

“Finn, love- are you alright?” She was gentle, knowing all too well not to either panic or rush. “Was it her?” 

He reached for her, his fingers grasping tightly.

She moved around to sit in front of him, hands on his cheeks, as to direct his haunted eyes back to her. It took a moment, but he eventually fell into reality, the colour of her irises becoming the rope he hung onto.

“I-I’m fine.” He knew she didn’t believe him - he simply ignored it. He adjusted his sight, blinking and rubbing his eyes. His hand then rested on hers in reassurance, calmer. “I’m alright.” His breath had caught up and slowed down. 

“It’s the first time she reaches out to you… She must have had something to say.”

“Nothing she hasn’t already said to you, love. It’s alright.” He kissed the heel of her palm and lingered into her touch. She could still sense his budding agitation, and so she dropped the subject. 

Instead, she gently pushed him to lie down as she followed. 

Face to face, she wrapped her arms around him, her leg following suit as she placed it around his waist, bringing him closer. He nuzzled his face against the pillow and the crook of her neck, breathing her in. All the while, she brushed through his hair, soothing him into sleep once more.

He had his arms curled around her as well, and his lips pressed on her neck - soft pecks that made her close her eyes in surrender.

His hand wandered around her naked body, the pressure increasing through every inch until it settled on her stomach. 

She grew worried, feeling his fingertips grasping her as if they lacked air and needed it.

“Finan… What did you see?”

He was hesitant to answer, and so instead he said nothing, and kept himself in place as he caressed her skin tenderly, his eyes down and away from her.

She closed her own once again, the feel of his warmth bringing her peace despite the tumultuous awakening they were pushed into. 

“Finn-” She whispered his name, the letters floating in the air, a siren looking for her sailor.

His eyes brimmed with tears when they met hers. 

He moved, making it so he hovered above her while she lied on her back.

He leaned down and trailed gentle kisses from her lips down her body before meeting her again. Their hands joined, fingers interlaced, resting atop her head as he closed in the distance further, the budding strength of her body gently molding into his.

They locked eyes, the silence speaking the thousand words.

He nudged the tip of his nose with hers before caressing her lips and losing himself in the feel of her, forever tethered to her.

Through life and beyond death.

       It was the crack of dawn when they hit the road, the sun slowly peeking through the horizon.

Still half asleep herself, Finan had taken the wheel, driving out of London and back to Bamburgh. Only days after his reunion with Thora, the goddess had sent her messenger to Becca; it was the falcon appearing at her windowsill that told her it was time, before it flew back North.

Her family’s place was further out so they decided to rent a room in town for a closer distance to the castle.

She was able to gather all items that would be needed for tonight; all that was left was to go back to the source, to Finan’s last place alive before the curse was enacted at his first death.

The drive was a quiet one, the radio playing through its schedule and embellishing the background. 

Becca was falling in and out of sleep throughout the trip, her body having grown more and more tired the past couple of weeks. The effect of the sacrifice spell still seemed to have taken a toll on her, a lingering shadow in the dark.

They had been holding hands while he drove. Finan had quietly insisted, wanting every second of today to be near her, touching her. Fingers interlaced, she would smile to herself whenever she felt him stroke the top of her hand. 

If she wasn’t asleep, she would spend her time awake looking out the window, the calmness of their surroundings helping her remain so as well. 

“You okay, love?” They were half-way through, still morning as the sun was yet to reach its highest peak of the day.

She turned her head to him, sporting a lazy smile. “Mhmm.” 

He brought up their joint hands to his lips, placing another kiss on top of their hold. She kept the small grin, appreciative of the silent gesture.

Still watching him, she bit the inside of her cheek, the upward curves of her lips still present. “What is the first thing you want to do after tonight?”

He had a beam across his face as he pretended to be in thought; he already knew his answer, having pondered over it more and more in the last couple of months. 

He didn’t, however, get the chance to respond as she quickly stopped him.

She pulled her hand away urgently and placed it straight to her chest.

He frowned, confused. “Bex?”

“Stop the car.” She gulped, swallowing saliva as she held onto herself. “Stop-” She remained still, the car still moving though slowing down, while she tried to catch her breath. “Finn, stop the car.” 

She had opened the door just as he was pulling by the side of the road, and fell to her knees, not even able to step a bit further away from the vehicle.

Nausea gripped at her insides - she thought her nerves, or at least motion sickness, had taken the best of her.

She then threw up, her lungs coughing for air. 

Finan ran to her side, worry etched to his core. 

With her head facing the ground, she didn’t see him but knew he was there by the way he had gently pushed her hair behind her as well as resting his hands on her, stroking her back through her episode.

Hurting at her stomach, tears welled in the corners of her eyes and echoed through the sound of her strained sobs.

Once it was over, with her breath heavy in her throat, she leaned backwards and rested against Finan’s knees.

From her back, he placed his left hand on her shoulder while caressing her hair with his right, pushing the strands backwards. “Are ya feeling better?” His voice was tender, softly spoken to her ear. 

She could only offer him a nod, her head turned to her right, as she struggled to speak.

“Here.” He handed her a water bottle, which she happily took and cleaned up. “There is a stop along the way we’ll make. Are ya gonna be okay?”

“Y-yea.” He helped her get up, her hands gripping his jacket while she tried to find her footing. They remained still for a moment, the Irishman watching her carefully. She found her seat again, on the passenger’s side, and leaned backwards against the head rest with her eyes closed.

Without a word, he followed and resumed their drive until they reached their rest stop.

They got out of the car; she waited against the door while he went into the store attached to the gas station to pick up a few items.

Some short minutes later, he came out and walked back to her with hasten steps.

“What’s the surprise?” She teased while watching him rush back to her. He tried to smile, wanting to push past the discolour of her cheeks.

He was about to open the bag as she leaned over, perusing the contents that were inside. She chuckled while eyeing him, amused to see he could have almost emptied the store. “You really went all out, didn’t you?” 

He only shook his head, snickering as well. She picked out the saltines, and quickly opened them before swallowing a whole of them.

She fell back against the car, relief traced across her features. Finan watched her, amused at the way she was devouring her snack.

Though the grin eventually faded, switching to concern. 

He approached her and pushed locks of her hair behind her ear. “Bex…”

Her name hung silently in the air, unable to sing any further.

She met his gaze with a small smile gracing her dried lips. “I’m okay.”

He sighed heavily. “You’re not okay, love. The colour’s drained from ya- Was it the spell? Is it still making you tired? Or is it-”

“I think it’s a combination of everything.”

Another exhale, he nodded quietly.

He then placed his hands on her shoulders and placed the softest of kisses on her forehead. His arms trailed down to her back, rubbing to calm her as he pulled her against him. “Are ya feeling better at least?”

She dropped the saltines back in the bag before hugging him. “Just a little bit.” She tightened her hold around his waist and stayed still for a few minutes, letting the breeze carry them in this scene.

She hid her face in his chest, breathing him in, content; if she could, she would stay like this forever.

But unfortunately, time was of the essence. 

Today was the day and she could not miss the window of opportunity.

She reluctantly pushed herself away and ran her fingers through her hair. 

He gave her one last kiss, his lips pressed to her cheek, and walked to the driver’s seat, looking back at her.

“You ready?” 

       As they entered the small bed & breakfast room they had rented for their stay, Finan had gone straight for the bed and sat down at the edge, exhaustion draping over him.

Becca closed the door behind them watching him as he lied down and stared at the ceiling; a small smile escaped her lips. 

She walked over to him and stood between his legs. Feeling her in front of him, he sat back up, a grin plastered on his face. 

He silently placed his hands on her hips, his thumbs circling the skin under her shirt. Her own fingers threaded through his hair, their gaze entwined in a silent waltz.

He leaned closer towards her, lifting her shirt further up until she felt his lips pressed against her stomach, right above her navel. She giggled at the feel of his beard tickling her.

He lingered, tightening his grip ever so gently to her body.

In exchange, she tugged at his hair when his warm breath hovered above her skin. 

She then sat down on his lap, straddling him. He wrapped his arms around her just as her hands rested on his cheeks. She brushed her nose with his before sharing a tender kiss. He pulled her closer, flushed against him.

His fingers sought her out under her shirt as they traipsed towards her back. The gesture made her sigh between their lips, shivers running down her spine. 

She broke the kiss, entertained by his mood. “Are you trying to undress me, Irishman?” 

He chuckled as he quickly pulled her back to him. “Is it that obvious?”

“Unless you have another explanation as to why you’re tugging at my shirt?”

“Just examining ya. Making sure ya are well.” He teased, still holding onto her as he trailed his mouth down to her swollen breasts. 

She could only giggle, her small fit of laughter mixed with her reply. “Of course, that makes perfect sense.”

He pressed his lips against her covered chest before suddenly turning around and making her land on her back against the mattress. She met him with a gasp, taken by surprise, and yet the grin plastered on her face could not escape. “Finan!” 

He met her gaze, the mischievous glint in his eyes as apparent as the sun. “I’m sorry, love. It’s a better view from up here.”

“You are incorrigible!” 

The rumble of his laughter vibrated against her skin as he settled on top of her, placing kisses all over her exposed flesh.  

She fell into the ticklish sensation, not able to stop the fit of laughter that dressed the room - until hunger softly grumbled inside her.

Hearing the disruption, he lifted his head up with a smirk captured on the corner of his lips. “Someone’s a bit peckish.”

She sat up as he pulled away. “You bring it out of me, what can I say?”

“How about some room service?”

“I’d love that.” She softly kissed him, simple and loving.

He got up and turned around to reach the phone that was on the dresser, opposite the bed.

While on the line, with his back facing her, she quietly started to undress. She stripped her clothes off, quietly throwing them on the floor, before she slipped under the covers and waited for him.

Once he hung up, he turned to find her with her back against the headboard, sheets covering her body though she teased him with her right leg exposed to him, knee bent in temptation. All the while, she wore a sly smirk, her teeth biting her bottom lip. “We can keep ourselves busy until the food arrives.”

He matched her stance as he removed his shirt and unbuckled his pants before jumping on the mattress, earning a laugh out of her lungs.

He pulled the covers off her, exposing her bare upper body to him before he found her lips.

She wrapped her arms around him, smiling into the kiss and giggling at his eagerness as anticipation seeped through her as well.

       Not long had passed since their arrival into Bamburgh.

Finan was first to wake up from their nap, where the afternoon light peaked through the curtains. 

He carefully readjusted himself, not ready to leave the bed. 

He sat up, sitting against the headboard and looked to his right - Becca was still deep in her sleep.

He started to gently stroke her hair, his mind adrift to tonight, to tomorrow, to the day after that.

The soothing feel of his touch slowly brought a smile to her face as she was waking up from her slumber. 

She quietly lifted her eyes up to find him lost in his thoughts, his head tilted to the ceiling; chest bare, cross dangling on his chest, bed sheets covering his lower half - what a sight, she thought. 

She let him be, where his hand was still tangled in her hair. 

It felt too good to stop. 

A low satisfied moan escaped her. The soft noise caught his attention as he dropped his head to her, his mouth curved upwards in a lopsided smile.

She stretched her left arm, caressing his cheek before her fingers settled on his necklace, gently calling for him. “Come back down here.” 

Without a word, he laid down and turned so his chest was pressed against her back. He wrapped his arms around her, settling comfortably before instinctively reaching for her stomach, his palms caressing her.

They stayed this way for a few minutes, bathing in utter quietness.

She pushed herself further against him, loving the way their limbs molded so harmoniously into one another. Following her, he lifted his head just high enough to press soft kisses along her shoulder to the crook of her neck. His hand then started to wander up and down her skin, hiding under the covers. He could never get enough of the softness of her flesh; she was warm against him, her complexion glowing more fervently than usual under the sunlight.

“We had a son…” His voice startled the atmosphere, though he spoke with a low undertone.

“What? W-when?” She turned around within his embrace, facing him with furrowed brows.

He chuckled and shifted to lie on his back, his right arm still holding onto Becca.

“It was a dream…” His gaze landed on the ceiling once again as he kept going. “There was a wee boy running around with a wooden sword, outside somewhere. It felt like we were having some kind of picnic at the cottage house or something.” 

She was grinning as she followed the tracks to his daydreaming.

She turned to lie on her side, her elbow against the pillow with her left hand supporting her head. “A boy, huh?”

“Our boy.” His eyes went to her as he brought her closer, every inch of their bodies pressed to one another.

“One hell of a dream you had there, love.” Fingers traipsed along his jawline, her own mind wandering.

“Can ya blame me?” The smirk on his face had made her quietly laugh against him. She was overwhelmed by the thought, by the desperate need of wanting it all, now. 

“We have a boy.” She mumbled her words joyfully in the air, mesmerized. 

“We do.” The way he smiled at her left her heart stumbling across the pavement, still taken aback by the way he could take her breath away. “I can’t wait.” She bit her bottom lip as she spoke up, giddy. “What else happened in your dream?” She placed her leg over him, using his body as an anchor as she hung on to him.

He shrugged - there wasn’t anything else to say. “Nothing, it was peaceful- just us…”

She started trailing kisses along his arm to his shoulder, nipping at his skin tauntingly. “Were we trying for a second child at least?”

“You menace.” He spoke with a crooked grin and placed his hand to her abdomen, gently caressing her. She turned to lie on her back without looking away from him; his palm rested carefully on top of her, not letting go, as he quietly searched for her eyes. Searching for the silent words that raced around her irises, dancing so intimately and only for him. The thought of moving on with his life, the mere inkling of even the possibility of having such a life with her, overwhelmed him, imminent to burst at the seam. 

She grew timid, heat creeping up to her cheeks. She approached until she met his lips, sharing a slow kiss - a gesture that left them chasing after one another.

Becca eventually had to break away, though remained reluctant in her endeavor. “We should get going soon…”

He sighed, knowing they did not have a choice. “I know. Just…” He kissed her once again and spoke between their breaths as he slightly strengthened his hold on her. “Just a few more minutes.” He was quietly begging, desperate to make this very moment last a little bit longer. 

She silently agreed, placing her hand on his.

He inhaled, a sudden heaviness in the pit of his stomach crawling inside him. “Will it be safe? The spell…” He asked gently, frowning. He still touched her, his fingertips stroking timidly her burgeoning puffiness.

“I don’t think the gods will harm us.” His worry, etched across his features, she retraced them in the hopes to calm his nerves. “She is here to help. She’ll make me stronger.”

Her words eased him a bit, his gaze never wavering away from her. 

She was in awe - the intensity of his eyes always left her breathless, swimming in the vastest of ocean without ever feeling lost or incomplete.

Her thoughts were swirling inside her mind, still conjunct with the earlier minutes.

She was abruptly shaken out when something caught her attention.

He saw the gears in her head, the look in her eyes portraying shock and confusion. She pushed him away, hand against his chest, to widen her view. 

“Wait, did you say wooden sword?!”

He laughed, his voice booming within the walls of their room. Unable to catch him, he had quickly jumped out of the bed and ran to the bathroom. She called for him, completely dumbfounded, and could still hear his cackle on the other side of the door.

“Finan!”

       The sun hit its pinnacle of the mid evening hours.

While waiting for Bamburgh castle to reach its closing hours for the day, they had decided, in the meantime, to spend their remaining time walking around the small town.

The normalcy of the moment had taken over, making them partially forget what was waiting for them in the coming hours. 

The trail they had taken eventually led them towards the waters, the waves of the beach reaching the shore in a fiery dance, its feet tip tapping across the sand’s surface.

The couple pulled themselves away from the dying crowd, wanting their own privacy as they settled on the ground. 

Side by side, she laid her head on his shoulder as she brought her knees up, the best she could, against her chest. Finan placed a small peck on top of her forehead before looking towards the sea, memories of his past flooding him like a storm.

As for Becca, she could only think of tonight; her mind had wandered, fear taking its opportunity to sneak back and rest heavily on her chest. She felt it in the back of her throat, the lump lodged with strength as it shook her, forcing tears to grip the corners of her eyes.

The dread weighing on her shoulders had pushed her away from him. She turned to look at Finan, the man still left in deep reverie himself.

It wasn’t just revisiting the lifetimes he’s lived anymore. The path had taken him to ponder over what he would do next - as of tonight, he would be a free man.

He could finally live the remainder of his life and find peace at the end. And he would be living it with her, the only woman he had fallen for in the last millennia. 

What would come next was finally his choice.

He was brought out of thought when she spoke, her voice quivering against his shoulder. 

“Finn… I’m scared.”

He tilted his head to her, understanding the intent behind her words.

He remained silent, letting her speak further. 

“If-” She took a second, breathing in deeply. “If I fail and the spell doesn’t work-” She closed her eyes, biting down her tongue before proceeding, desperate to let her words out the way a bandage is ripped from the skin. “I’m scared that if I fail, you would grow to hate me. To resent me and leave me…”

He furrowed his brows. “Why would ya think that?”

“Because I would have given you false hope.”

“Nothing will ever change the way I feel about you.” He pressed his forehead against hers. “I swear it.” His hand rested on the back of her head, palm caressing her hair, before he placed a kiss. “I’m grateful you were willing to try.” He gingerly pulled away, catching the glimmer of tears in her eyes. “Despite the obstacles we kept encountering… Ya did not give up on me.” The recollection of memories of the last year had suddenly washed over him, a haunting of a ghost. “I could never hate ya for it.”

The was solace in his words; she tried to find them.

“What about when I die, and you are still here? Would you resent me then? Would you curse me ‘till the end of days?” She tried to lighten the mood with her last words, even though her heart wore her heavy.

“You have power, Bex. I can feel it.” Once more, she dug for the comfort in his voice, searching for warmth so she could hang onto it. “Believe in it.” He reached for her amulet, holding it gently in his hand. “Believe you can channel this and break me free.” The soft undertone shaking his cords sent shivers down her spine. The letters of his speech shared between their parted mouths, she grabbed onto them and squeezed them tightly.

“I’ll try.” 

She promised herself she would. She had also told herself there was another way at this. A way she wanted to share with him.

“But if it doesn’t work, will you let me join you?” He frowned, confused. A quiet crooked smile tainted her right cheek. “Will you let me curse myself, so you won’t be alone anymore? So, we could spend forever, together?”

She rendered him speechless.

It had to come this, and it saddened him. How could he become the reason someone else was willing to give up everything for a poor soul like himself?

“Our love could be timeless. Wouldn’t that be romantic.” Once again, she tried to lighten the grimness around them, the curve of her lips faintly spreading across her face while hiding the depth of her confession.

He chuckled at her attempt. “It’s a tempting offer… And I love you for even thinking of risking ya life for me.” The smile faded away from him. She could see where he was going; it was too obvious. “But I can’t let you do that.”

“Finan, I want to do it. If it comes to it, please let me do this.” Tears pricked her cheeks, grief-stricken. “Don’t make me live in a world without you. I don’t want us to be apart.” She whispered her plea against his breath, silently crying.

He felt her cheeks wet as he kissed her, both desperate and sorrowful. 

Even if it meant desecrating the order of nature - the one thing a witch should never do - she would give it all up for him. 

He pulled her backwards until they lied down, not caring that they were resting on the sand. 

His arm curled around her shoulders, she hid herself within his embrace and let her emotions silently erupt out of her. Her fingers grasped onto his shirt, her knuckles whitening at the force of her hold. 

The sound of the waves had become background noise, made for their ears only.

The crowd was dying down, the people walking away as the day was coming to its end with the sun sliding under the water by the horizon.

His head was up to the sky, the warm hues colouring his sight.

His heart was breaking. 

Part of him hated himself for having started all of this, or at least for having encouraged their relationship right at the start. It shouldn’t have gone the way it did - he tried to convince himself but knew, in the end, it was futile. He was hooked on the first night, and then again when he purposely encountered her, and once more the first ride to Bamburgh, and every day since. 

But that other part, the one that fell for her, that loved her with such depth, could not see it any other way.

She was made for him. Their connection so innate, so intuitive from the first glance to the first touch. He believed she was a blessing to his mundane and lonesome existence, the bloom of spring after a brutal winter. 

He had stumbled along the way since he met her, but she stuck to him no matter what and it left him overwhelmed.

Their little moment was interrupted. 

The cries of a falcon hovered above them, its wings flapped against the breeze of the ocean before it settled behind them, perched on a rock. 

Becca pulled away from him, both sitting up as she tilted her head to see the bird.

She clenched her jaw, eyes closed.

She breathed in, calming her nerves, before turning back to Finan. With a reassuring smile on her face, she placed her hand on his cheek.

“It’s time.”

       They were waiting inside the castle as tourists scurried away at closing time. And as he knew his way around, Finan had made sure they would be able to sneak away, turning into ghosts within the walls. 

It took a while, not that they were complaining. 

Only when the moon was ready to reach its peak did they finally leave their hiding place and made their way outside.

And it seemed the falcon had been waiting for them. 

Becca followed the bird, making them cross the inner ward until it flew further up, reaching the flagpole above the Keep. They followed suit and reached the highest point of the property, where the view of darkness surrounded them with only the moonlight guiding them.

The bird gave its last call before flying away, leaving the couple to start.

Becca sighed, her heart rapidly beating inside her chest. 

“Ya ready?” His words rang in her ears. She looked to him, partly terrified at the upcoming moments that would unravel.

Midnight was approaching. 

They shared one more kiss, lingering within each other’s embrace for a little while longer. She held him, hands to his cheeks, and quietly whispered into his lips. “I love you.” 

A faint smile flourished across his face.

“You can do this.”

She nodded at his words and proceeded. 

She looked through her bag and started taking out a vial of salt - blessed by the high priestess of her coven. Back up to her feet, she looked to Finan, wanting a quick glimpse of him. She then continued, using the salt and marking the ground with runes in a circular motion, following the path of time as her mind fell into focus. 

And then the circle was sealed with intersecting lines, the final touch to call the goddess. 

Once complete, she cleaned her hands, the palpitations in the pit of her stomach growing heavier.

She took a deep breath, a slight tremor apparent in her lungs. “Now comes the part where you need to step inside.” She stretched her hand out to him as he followed her instructions, taking his place in the center.

Becca stood still for a second, squeezing her hold on him, before eventually letting go, a cold sensation suddenly wrapped around her palm.

She fetched the remaining ingredients - a candle, her dagger and the totem representing the hex. 

As she held the last item in her hand - a ball of rope, tightly tied into a knot with its loose ends ever so slightly peeking out from each side - her breath shortened in her lungs. 

She was holding Finan’s liberation in the palm of her hands. The knot was a simple representation of his lifeline, stuck in a loop, his true path blocked. 

All she needed to do was to re-manipulate reality, to untie the knot and set him free.

She placed the candle at her feet and approached Finan, her knife and totem in hand. “This is going to hurt.”

“Don’t worry about me, love.” The softness in his voice captured a smile at the corner of her mouth.

She lent him the knot as she took his left hand, palm up, and carefully used her dagger to cut through his skin. A subtle hiss escaped his lips; she clenched her jaw, her heart trembling. She then helped him close his hand, the blood dropping straight onto the knotted rope, staining the texture with his essence.

She repeated the process with her own hand. She was about to cut her own skin when Finan stopped her, gently placing his unmarked limb on her own. “Let me.” He took the dagger as she remained quiet, and let him cut her palm. Despite the gory gesture, there was a certain tenderness to the act.

The blood seeped from the bruise, falling onto the other side of the totem. 

Becca whispered under her breath as she watched the knot’s colour change. “Blood of the cursed, blood of the blessed.” 

Once the totem soaked under its rain, she fetched a small piece of cloth. He took it from her hand and ripped the piece in half, wrapping her wound first before she repeated the gesture for him.

She then tilted her head up to Finan. The look in her eyes let him know it was truly time.

He brought the back of her hand to his lips, sharing the softest of kiss. And without letting go of his hold, she leaned in, pressing her own lips into his. 

She backed away out of the circle and sat on her knees.

The ball on her lap, she placed the candle in front of her and called for light.

The stem lit, its fire casting shadow around its body.

She exhaled, a heavy breath to calm her nerves. 

She picked up the totem, the object resting between her hands.

“We begin.” She spoke with a firm tone, her back straight, her mind focused.

And at her words, the seal came to life, the salt burning as flames decorated the ground. 

Finan remained in the middle, quiet and watchful. Trepidation stemmed from his fingertips, the throbbing pain in his hand completely ignored.

The language of the gods slipped smoothly across her tongue, her voice carrying out as she called for her favour, the heftiness of the plea echoing through her bones and shaking the earth underneath.

The fired seal grew taller around Finan, leaving her to become almost a mirage to his eyes; she was channeling the energy of the flames, the particle of embers lacing their way through her fingertips and colliding with her magic in an unparalleled percussion.

The knot levitated a few inches above her hands, the threads of the spell woven subtly through the air and holding the item in place. Glowing in the dark, a faint golden sheen, it was the shimmer of the lighten strings that came to life as they danced around her fingers while the young witch was, once again, invoking the celestial power - the one she anchored to her own strength, to severe the link. 

To untie the knot and reverse the coerced bond that was, to set free the man that was wronged.

As the chanting boomed through the core of her being, shining violet seeped through her irises, settling as a new inhabitant. Her amulet, heated chain around her neck, held a similar path, its purple hue creating light around her. 

A faint breeze rushed around him, heightening the flames that imprisoned him on the seal.

Slowly, the totem started to detach itself from its confine, unfastening its intricate knots.

She was trembling. 

A tremor, a subtle shake like the earth, transcended through her bones. 

Channeling the powers of a god, for her mere mortal flesh - it was too much. 

It was working, but the weight of such strength echoed through the vibration of her body.

While he could hear her, the sound of her voice standing in his ears, he also saw the toll the ritual was taking on her.

She was about to crumble, thinly cracked at the seam.

The nosebleed was apparent, trickling down over her lips to her chin. 

Her breaths grew heavier, her dizziness taking hold of her mind, of her eyes.

And yet, she couldn’t forfeit. 

She heard her name, his voice calling for her with terror and anxiety rushing through him.

He tried to move, to run to her, but she stopped him, pushing him back with her mind’s eyes.

One step out and everything could be lost. 

The knot still floated, following the trance of her chant, like a snake swaying to the flute of its master.

Her voice grew louder and louder through the air.

The chain of her necklace burnt her skin, the stone fracturing through every repeated syllable of her spell.

He could feel the magic work through him, the blood receding from his veins as he grew cold. The tightening hold that choked him for so many centuries was loosening, the grip around his neck fainting until it eventually let go.

The burden of the curse was turning into dust, the remnant pieces drifting away from the Irishman’s skin with the wind pushing them to the flames, burning their essence on hellfire.

And then - the totem resolved, the knot unknotted.

It was done.

The ritual completed.

Everything became dark once again, the blaze gone, the wind vanished. The rope lying flat on the floor.

Only Finan and Becca were left.

Weakness overtook her muscles; she almost crashed to the floor as she was catching her breath.

She leaned over, using her hands as an anvil against the ground to hold herself from complete collapse.

Only her lungs serenaded the empty air.

Finan stood still, dazed. Overwhelmed.

She saw the trickle of blood falling on the stones beneath her. She wiped her nose with the back of her hand, the traces vivid on her limb.

When trying to get up, Finan ran to her, helping her.

Once she was on her feet, she held on, her fingers grasping at his shirt, her eyes back to normal.

Her amulet had reached the ground at her movement, the chain broken. 

He frowned as he bent down to pick up the necklace.

He watched it, silent. The gears in his brain working through a thought.

“You gave up your magic for me?”

“A small price to pay.” It was a tired smile that graced him.

She did it.

She broke the curse like she had promised.

He was a free man.

As their new reality dawned on them, a small laugh escaped him. 

She followed suit, a grin forming on her stained lips as joy reached the pit of her stomach.

On a high, she ran to him, and he caught her in his arms, embracing her figure tightly against his chest.

“You did it.”

He whispered against her hair before crashing into her lips for a fervent kiss. With his arms curled around her, he had lifted her from the ground. 

She squealed, taken by surprise. A light giggle had escaped the back of her throat from excitement. 

Her feet touched the ground again, though they hadn’t let go of each other yet with their lips still tangled, heated. 

Just a few more seconds of bliss.

“Let’s get out of here.” She spoke, breathless. 

He smiled, a beam so bright, biting at her bottom lip before pressing his lips again against hers, and then pulling away.

The last thing he felt was the touch of her hands in his as she stepped back to clean up the mess around them.

He felt a sudden stiffness in his neck. He rolled his head around to dissuade the discomfort until he became lightheaded, the vision in front of him blurring.

It was almost blinding him when he heard Becca call for him, his name turned into a question.

He shut his eyes tight, trying to get a hold of himself when he felt a wet trail running down his nose.

He felt his muscles grow weaker, as if they were depleting.

When opening his eyes, he met a distorted horrified look on Becca’s face.

He tried reaching for her but couldn’t feel his body move until the weight of it dragged him down.

“Finan!”

She caught him as they both fell to the ground. She called him over and over again, trying to reach his consciousness.

He couldn’t speak, his voice - gone. 

But his perishing sight was set on her, his ears aching at the pain; she was yelling, screaming at the top of her burning lungs with tears furiously streaming down her cheeks.

“Bex?”

She looked down at him, frowning, her chest heaving. Her hand caressed his face but could not see her name coming from his lips.

“Bex, love?” 

His voice stood as clear as the night sky above them.

She lifted her head up and saw him standing in front of her, confused. “What happened?”

She bit her tongue.

She then got up to her feet, her body trembling.

“Y-you di-”

How could she finish her sentence? The weight of the word stood heavy on her heart, unable to ring it out into the world. 

It held such destruction, a wrecking ball destroying everything around them.

The look in his eyes was enough for her to know he understood.

He shattered, his heart breaking into pieces.

A sob caught in her throat. “I-I’m so sorry- This wasn’t supposed to h-appen.”

Denial, hefty in its wake, she fell to the ground again, her mind working a resurrection spell - anything to bring him back.

But of course, it wouldn’t work.

She reached for her amulet but clutched at the ghost of it when she saw the stone on the floor.

Bewildered, eyes wide, she lost her breath as she whispered under the last of it. “What did I just do…”

She was powerless, and so, she was unable to save him.

“It’s okay…” There was no harshness in his tone. “We’ll be okay, love.” He needed her to believe it, his new reality squeezing itself between them.

She snapped, looking back up to him.

“No, it’s not okay! We need more time- I needed more time w- with you.” The lump in her throat was lodged tightly, invoked.

He approached her, hand to her cheek in a soft caress, ignoring the empty sensation. “Ya are an incredible woman.”

She scoffed, angry.

“Not enough to make you live out this lifetime.” Tears trailed her cheeks again, quivering from anguish. She leaned into his attempted touch, trying to feel his warmth. She hesitantly met his gaze - his hues still managed to give her such love, she could feel herself crumble from inadequacy. Undeserving. “We were doomed from the start, weren’t we?”

The disillusion of it all was killing her on the spot, torturing her.

“Finn-” 

Words evaded her, sentiments unable to speak out.

“I know.” 

He wasn’t angry, nor was he furious.

He simply mourned; sorrow reached the deepest parts of himself, from the marrow to the surface.

She collected herself - or at least, she tried. She wiped her tears, not able to look at him anymore, ashamed of her failure, and backed away to stand up again.

“You’re free now… You can find peace.”

He swallowed heavily. “Is it really peace without you?”

Eyes shut tight, she was silently crying again.

The thickness of melancholy wore her like a coat, suffocating her in this unruly heat.

He reached for her again, desperate to touch her and comfort her, to wipe her tears away.

He found he wasn’t able to feel her.

Nor could she.

He tried again, his hand trailing down to her stomach as he leaned against her, attempting to feel her breath against his lips, any sign of movement at all.

It was faint, almost undetectable. 

Unfocused, he wouldn’t have felt it.

“Finan, I-I love you.”

Shaky, destroyed, broken.

The wind was knocked out of her, completely gutted. 

“I love you too.” It was a mere whisper, loving and inconsolable in its undertone. 

And then, he was gone.

His ghostly presence vanishing as if, for all the cruelty in the world, he was never here at all.

She held onto herself, the best she could, but found no strength.

She collapsed on the ground, head resting atop his lifeless body as her cries shook the waves of reality.

       The next week was a blur. 

She was a corpse walking amongst the living, an icy dread in the middle of the warmth of budding summer.

“Don’t you think it’s a little bit rash?” 

Her brother was by her side, his eyes reading the engraved tombstone; it was the day of the funeral, and they were three.

The sun was at its peak, ignoring the welting sorrow that beat down on Becca.

She stood in her family plot, gifting Finan his final resting place. 

Marcus spoke without looking at his sister. He couldn’t comprehend the latest decisions she had been making. “Quitting your job, leaving the city, and moving here? There is nothing here.”

“He’s here.”

He finally turned his head to her, and she never wavered, her sight focused still on the stone in front of her. “Becca.” He grieved for her, saddened by the drastic turn of events that broke his sister.

She said nothing more, so he quietened down, his sight returning to the headstone, in prayer. 

The words etched across the grave were simple, each without true meaning when read separately. Only once meshed together did they hold such sorrow, such grief for the widower, the abandoned lover.

She dropped her head, unable to hold on any longer. “I don’t think I can do this without him.”

Hand on her shoulder, she looked to her right just far enough to see his caring touch. He spoke up with an ache; he was hurt to see her like this. “You’re not alone.”

She ignored his remark, her teeth clenching from past anger trying to crawl its way back. She breathed in deeply, calming herself, and fell back into her torment. “Without him, I am.” She still hated herself for having created such deception, enraged at herself for having failed so immensely. “I scarified my powers for him and… it was all for nothing.”

Her brother hoped his words would bring her comfort. “Your family are still witches.” She turned her head to him, wondering over the meaning behind his words. “Your brother still is. Anything you need, magical or not, we’re here for you.”

She pushed his hand away from her. “Why was I so stubborn?” All the fights and arguments were haunting her, left her to wonder if she had been that blind to believe she would succeed without consequence. “I-I should’ve listened to him. To you, a-and everyone-”

“Don’t.” He stopped her, reaching for her hand and gently pulling her his way. “Don’t do this to yourself.” He forced her to look at him, to meet his gaze as he spoke with solace. “You gave him what he needed. Be thankful it worked.”

“But he didn’t need to die.” Tears brimmed over her eyes; it was the first time she had spoken that word, the dreaded destructive letters clouding her. “That was not part of-”

He interrupted her, as she needed to understand it wasn’t her failure. “The gods can be cruel.”

She shook her head in disagreement. “It wasn’t them.” She ran her fingers through her hair before they settled on her chest. “It was her. That damn bitch-” She bit on her tongue; rage born like embers in a fire pit. “She won.”

Marcus pulled her against him, hugging his sister tightly as she broke down. She was clutching onto the gold cross, the Celtic knots imprinting in the wounded palm of her hand.

She was a powerless woman, no longer a witch. 

She lost everything in the fire. 

She cursed herself for what she had caused, for having been tricked and for having failed him. 

Thora had won, and there was nothing to be done to reverse it.

       Six months had passed since then.

Bamburgh was grey and dark, the clouds gathering as they prepared to cry over the townspeople. 

Becca couldn’t care. 

She had been staring at the tombstone, Finan’s name stretched across it.

She hadn’t recovered and she knew she never would. 

She mourned the loss with such gravity, life blooming in front of her became a cruel joke.

Standing in front of his grave, her body yelled for her to sit; her feet were sore and swelled as the weight of her womb grew heavy. 

Their child was restless, tired and hungry. How could he know, though, what his mother was going through? That she had forgotten him, for a mere second, to mourn the loss of his father? 

She looked down, bringing her hands to rest over her pregnant stomach, to calm the boy. 

She knew it was time to go and yet, she couldn’t move.

And the breeze changed direction, as if it was running away from something.

“Good riddance, I say.” 

Becca didn’t need to look to know who stood next to her.

“Thora.”

“Niece.”

The sound of her voice already irritated the young woman; it was by undoing the curse that Thora came back to haunt the earth.

A warning she never saw coming.

“What do you want?”

The red-haired woman stood tall, arched brow and staring at the cursed man’s grave. “You took something of mine.”

Becca still didn’t turn to her, trying to control her rage. “He was never yours.”

Thora scoffed, unrelenting. “Maybe not, but that child-” She never finished her sentence, a strong pressure suddenly gripping at her.

Her niece violently turned her head to her, almost hurting her neck in the process. Anger seethed through her entire being. “Don’t you dare threaten my son. Do whatever the hell you want, but you leave me and my child out of it.” She had been grasping onto Thora’s wrist so tightly, inflicting such pain, she could break the bones like a twig. “You’ve done enough damage.” The elder tried not to look too shocked at the sudden act, remaining composed the best way she knew how. “Now get out of here and leave us be.”

At Becca’s last words, the gods had spoken; the sky rumbled, ready for battle against each other. The mischievous and chaotic Loki against Freya, protector of witches and goddess of love. 

Thora let go, shaking her arm away from her niece, a smirk underlined across her face. 

“I’ll see you in a hundred years, then?”

Becca sneered. “No, you won’t.” And she knew she wouldn’t. Not because Thora would live that long, but because the hex had been destroyed the night of the ritual.

It was foreseeing her future that made the elder witch decide to tether herself to the curse she created. 

It was because she knew one of her own would one day break it that she let it happen. 

Abiding time, and waiting patiently, until six months ago.

Thunder struck the skies, rumbling the earth in anger. The witch cheated death, and she would not go unpunished. 

Becca stood her ground as she watched her elder walk away, a smirk of conquest painted across the witche’s dry lips.

The widow was tricked - to be believed that the warning she had seen was telling her the curse would hit her in retaliation, as it had no way to die. The pushback from her family came from knowing the truth - that their ancestor would come back from the dead.

The subtle kicks inside her brought her back to her grief. She was due any day now, and her heart broke at the thought of going through childbirth without Finan by her side, of going through the rest of their son’s life without his father.

She held onto her stomach again, rubbing away the ache caused by the baby’s movements. 

She teared up, whispering her goodbye for now, and reluctantly walked away just as the rain started to mist over the village.

The words floated through the cold air, their echo hopeful in its distance. 

“I’ll see you on the Other side, my love…”

---------------------

a/n: for those who are familiar with The Originals, the knot is a reference to the Sanguinis Knot :)

xoxo,

@gemini-mama, @fangirlninja67

[finanmoghra]

Charming Irishman

pairing modern!Finan x reader

summary an irish pub opens in front of your flower shop, and you can't resist that charming irish who owns it.

warnings smut, finan in general

word count 4.1k

gif credit

a/n guys english isn't my first language and i've never wrote smut in eng, so forgive me for any mistakes, i tried my best. also i suck with small talk so maybe things will happen "fast"

-

It's a typical thursday at Winchester, you are heading your way to your flower shop as you always do in the mornings. That street is so habitual to you by now, the tiny coffee shop, the record store, the stationery shop, and oh, that irish pub of course. That place used to be a lot of stuff until 4 months ago when some men bought the place and open an irish pub right in front of your shop. You don't talk like it's an annoyance, everythings is quiet as usual for a pub during the day, but you're not so sure about the night.

The thing is, a month or two ago, a dark-haired man walked into your shop, with a smirk on his face, you have seen him around, principally that smirk, you noticed that he worked at the pub but when you first heard his voice with the strong accent you assumed that he was the owner. At the first time, he asked for your help to buy some flowers for his sister, whose were moving back to the town, he explained in an attempt to start a conversation, you suggested him pink roses and while you prepare the bouquet, he introduced himself as Finan, and as you assumed, the pub owner. You had a samll talk before he left.

Two weeks after that, Finan started coming over every week, usually on thursday, like today, and you always have his order almost ready by the time he shows up. You two got along very easily, he was all flirty over you, politely, however. You started to have longer conversations as the weeks passed by and was in one of those that he explained why the same order every week. His mother was struggling with some problems and when he showep up at the family dinner with flowers for his sister, he noticed that she got a bit emotional, so now he takes 'em every week to cheer her up. You couldn't resist thinking he's such a sweet guy after that, even though you try not to give attention to his flirts, you can't deny that you enjoy his company, he has been saving you from boredom and entertaining you on monotonous days, as he casually shows up on days other than thursdays.

The hours fly by and when you realise, you're hearing the front door bell ringing and a familiar figure walk in.

— Hi Finan, it's been a time since I've seen you. — you say with a little smile on your face.

— Hey Y/N! Did ya miss me? — you could tell that damn smirk was on his face even if you weren't looking.

— Miss your jerk face? Never. — yes, you did miss him.

— I'm gonna take it as a compliment. — he winked at you — Sorry about my absence, it's been a busy week.

— St. Patrick's Day, I presume.

— Yeah, we have some weeks until then, but as an irish, I have to make a proper celebration, ya know. — he tapped his fingers at the counter while looking at you — And talking about pub stuff, ya should come for the happy hour tomorrow.

As consistent as his visits on thursday, it is his invitations.

— I'm gonna think about it. — you say as you finish the bouquet, you won't admmit but you always leave some things to do when he arrives so you have more time to enjoy his company.

— C'mon, ya always say that! Ya have to meet the pub and the boys wants to know ya better!

The boys whose Finan is talking about are, Sihtric and Osferth, who both work with him, and Uhtred, they're Finan's best friends who he is always talking about. You kinda know them from seeing around but never really talked to them.

And, he's right. You always says the same thing, but in your defense it's been a bit hard to resist all these flirts, and you fear getting closer to him and ending up with a broken heart. You're sure he's a sweet, kind and cool guy, but also he seems to be quite womanising as well.

— I swear I'm going to think about it. — a smile grew up on your face as you realise he got puppy eyes

— Really? — he asks.

— Really! — you roll your eyes although you're smiling to him.

You two got engaged into a conversation and don't even see the time passing.

— Damn it! I'm really late, I have to go now. — he says after having a look on his watch.

You were ready to say something when he gets close and pecked you in your cheek. — Bye, lady. — he says as he walk away.

You could feel your cheeks getting warm and you froze but managed to say something before he leaves.

— You may see me tomorrow.

He didn't say anything but you know he was wearing that smirk.

-

Finan's visit at your store is not the only constance in your thursdays, actually you reunite with your former roommate and best friend, Ealswith, at thursday's nights. You two meet when you were both on college and had started living together after some time, it's been a while since you two live separetely, but you two still really closer, thankfully to the girls' night.

You two were really enjoying the night while having some wine and snacks, listening to music and soon that topic came up.

— He came over today, as usual, invited me to go to the pub tomorrow, I said I was going to think.

— As usual. — Ealswith mumbles.

— Stop it. — you smack her arm — And he kissed me before leaving. At the cheek! — I say before she get too excited.

— C'mon! You should go, really. You can no more act like you don't like him, it's so obvious.

— I cannot go! You know it.

— I know what? By the way you tell me, he's into you! And he wants to know you better out of your workspace.

You start to argument but Ealswith cuts you. — Don't say you afraid! You need to stop assuming things, maybe he's all flirty because he likes you.

— I- argh.. — you hide your face in your hands, you know she's right.

— Hey, hey! Look at me. Tomorrow you will close the shop, go to your home and I will meet you there to help you get ready, I'm going with you so if anything goes wrong or you don't feel well, we go home, right?

— Don't you think he's gonna find it, I don't know, weird to bring someone?

— I'm pretty sure he will understand you not going alone, and hey, maybe you can set me up with one of his friends. — she winks at you and you both start laughing.

— Okay, alright then.

-

So as planned, Ealswith showed up at your house to help you get ready as you were too nervous, it took a while but you could finally decided what to wear. It was nearly 6 p.m when you asked for a cab and it didn't take too long to arrive so in a few minutes you were at the pub.

You could feel your hand a bit shaky before walk in, but Ealswith noticed and hold it 'til you calm down.

You entered the pub and looked for that familiar figure, you couldn't find him but you managed to find Osferth, who waved at you and called Finan's attention to you.

— Hey Y/N! Are ya really here? — he greets you, laughing a bit

— I told you would maybe see me today!

— Don't blame me for being surprised. — You rolled your eyes at his answer, still smiling. — Ya brought a friend, hi!

You intruduce her to Finan and after that he takes both of you to their table, and properly presents you to the boys.

— What do ya ladies would like to drink? — he asks as we are all settled down.

— Just a pint, it's good. Right? — you turns to Ealswith and she nodded.

— One more round then! — he says to the waiter close to our table.

— It's good to finally meet you, Y/N! If you didn't work here in front I would think that Finan made you up. — Sihtric says and makes Uhtred and Osferth laughs and Finan roll his eyes.

— Yeah, it's nice to have an opportunity to see if everything Finan says about you, it's true. — Uhtred takes part.

You can ser Finan's cheeks a little bit red and you smile at this. — Well, I hope he have only said good things about me. — you answer kinda shy yet.

— Trust me, not a single bad thing. — Uhtred says.

— Except from you never accepting his invitations. — Osferth says and Finan smack his arm. Poor boy.

— It's good for you all to meet Y/N, and it's good for me to finally see the face of the mainly topic of our talks. — Ealswith says and you can feel the blood rushing to your cheeks as it get warm up.

— Hope you've heard of us too. — Sihtric winks at her.

-

Anyone who passed by your table would think you were all friends for years, you got along easily and the night was being so fun, you were really enjoying their company.

After some time, you and Ealswith excused yourselves and headed the way to the toilet.

— God! He's so into you, more than I've thought. — she exclaimed at the moment you were out of their sight.

— Do you think? — yeah, you noticed how he looked at you since you arrived, but you didn't want to assume something.

— You know I say this because I love you, but stop being a fool! He fell down for you, I can say it for sure by what his friends said.

You couldn't argument with her, the signs were there and you have to admit that this is all you have wished for.

On the way back to the table you told her to go ahead and you were just back her. You stopped at the bar and asked for water, and while waiting you felt someone approach, you prepare to deal with a drunk guy who's trying to get along with some woman, but actually you feel chills when you heard that voice.

— May I say ya look stunning tonight?

— I would appreciate it, yeah. — you smile as you turn to him. You may be dreaming about that voice and smirk for days long.

— It's everything alright? — Finan asks.

— Yeah, just needed a bit of water before going back. — the bartender hands you a glass of water and you thanks him.

— So, what ya think? — he points to the place.

— You did a good job here, it's a nice place for sure.

— I'm not even going to ask about my friends 'cause this is something for Ealswith to answer. — we both shared a laugh.

— She and Sihtric got along very well, I see.

— Don't blame her, he can be very persuasive.

— So does she.

You two spent some time talking alone, just sharing things and getting more closer to each other.

When you two decided to go back to the group table they were all laughing of something.

— What's happening? — Finan asks as he pull a chair for you on his side.

— We were just telling Ealswith about one day after we started here and you crossed the streets so many times trying to get a reason to go to Y/N's shop. — Sihtric answers, still laughing.

— We're surprised you didn't notice him, Y/N! — Osferth says. — Otherwise I think you'd be scared of him.

— Good I didn't notice though. — I reply laughing at Finan.

— Alright, alright, stop talking about me.

You got a bit lost at the conversation when he stretched his arm across your chair and you could feel his fingers running through your undressed shoulder.

-

It was nearly midnight when you and Ealswith decided to go home. You said goodbye to the boys, saying it was nice to meet them and on the way out, Finan decided to go along with you.

You were at the pub entrance waiting for the cab Ealswith asked for, you could feel Finan catching your hand into his, he pulled you closer to say:

— It was a good night.

— Yeah, it was. — you said with a low voice just for him to hear.

— Hope we can repeat it, or maybe just the two of us. — he winked at you.

— I would like that, for sure.

You two were getting really closer when Ealswith call you out. — Y/N! It's here.

— See you thursday. — you smile at him, you walked away but turned back when remember something. — I almost forget it. — you handle him your shop card, but at the back you've written your personal number.

He catched it and you didn't think so much before approaching just to peck him in the lips for a few seconds before leaving.

— This woman will drive me crazy. — he speaks to himself when you've already leave.

-

Another week just started, you spent your weekend betwen spending some time with your friends trying to keeping up with everyone's lives and chatting with Finan. The last part taking over your weekend.

Things were getting a little bit more serious since you kissed him goodbye on friday and you allowed yourself to be open to a possible romance. Finan's flirty personality stayed the same, he would do it at any chance it was given to him, and you like it, it's good to feel that somebody wants you.

You were talking to your friend, Aethelflaed, on the phone about Finan and you jumped when you heard the sound of the door bell thinking that could be him but you turned around and saw a boy with curly hair into your shop.

— Morning! How can I help you?

— I'm Aethelstan, I'm here for the assistant job, we've talked on the phone. — the boy says, a bit shy.

— Oh, right, Aethelstan! I'm sorry I was a bit distracted. — you shake hands with him. —You've mentioned you are studying biology, am I correct?

— Yes, you are.

— So I think the flower stuff is gonna be easy, I just need to show you some other things and then you can have your first day here, and at the end of the day we discuss if everything is going alright.

-

The kid learnt the things pretty well, that was good because it's been a busy day so far.

You were checking some things at the computer when you saw a familiar figure at the other side of the street, he had just arrived, it seemed.

— Aethelstan, I'm going out quickly, pay attention if someone comes in. — you say a bit loud as the kid was at the back of the store.

You crossed the street before he get into the pub. — Finan,hey! — you call his attention.

—Y/N, hi! — he comes closer to hug you quickly.

— I just wanted to ask what are the plans for St. Patrick's day?

— So ya're planning to come?

— Only if it's seems cool enough. — you give him a smirk

— I won't say more than this, but if ya come ya gonna experience the best party of your life.

— I don't know if I believe, but I'll give you try.

— You should bring Ealswith! — you jumped when you heard Sihtric, he showed up from nowhere. — I'm sorry I have to steal your man but we got work to do.

You felt the warm on your cheeks after he called Finan "your man", but you didn't say anything, actually you liked it.

— See ya later! — you hear Finan says before being dragged by Sihtric. You blowed him a kiss before he entered the pub and then you went back to your store.

-

It seemed that an eternity have passed before friday arrives. It was a busy week and you barely saw him, even on thursday, he came but was in a hurry.

It was a good week, although. Aethelstan really helped you, you just found out that he and Finan are neighbors, they both live at the same building. The poor boy had to listen you talking about Finan a lot during that week, especially when Ealswith and Aethelflaed came.

You were actually doing nothing but counting the hours for you to go home, and Aethelstan noticed it.

— You know you can go home and let me finish stuff here, I can close the store.

— Are you sure of this?

— Yeah, it's not a big deal, you can trust me.

He was right, it was not a big deal.

— Okay then, thanks Aethelstan! See you monday.

It didn't take long for you to arrive at home, of course you had decided your outfit during the week, you were only waiting for Aethelflaed and Ealswith to come so you could get ready. Once the girls arrived and you all got ready, your home was a mess after this, you took a cab to the pub.

The pub was more crowded than usual, you notice that once you arrived, but it wasn't hard to find Finan as he and his friends were at the same place as the last week. You greeted everyone before getting a seat at his side, you introduced Aethelflaed to them and also met Uhtred's fiancé, Gisela, she was a kind woman, you hope you get more chances to hang out with her.

The night was going really well, you and the girls have danced a lot, you ordered too many green drinks, that you weren't sure of what it was, you were all having fun, there wasn't a moment when someone wasn't laughing. You felt really happy between them all, it was good feelings that you have made new friendships like them.

-

Things went a little wild when Finan intercepted you on your way back from the toilet and took you to his office upstairs. He closed the door behind you, his arms now rounding you.

— Oi! Calm down, my dear. — you said, not knowing exactly how to deal with him so close to you.

— I cannot, not when ya are out there being so beautiful, I can't stay away from ya anymore. — you feel chills when his hands squeeze your waist, pulling you closer to him

— You don't need to. — you gave him a smirk, but it didn't last too long as he got even more closer and catched your lips in his.

You felt breathless, it was even better than you thought, his lips were soft but rough over yours. His hands sliding down on your hips, it was a sign that things were getting hotter. When both of you were running out of breath, you could feel him break the kiss but leading the way of his lips to your neck. You gasped with the sensation, he sucked that point behind your ear.

You could feel his hardness against his trousers as he grabbed your arse, you started to feel the need to get rid of your clothes and when you took your hands to Finan's shirt he took a step back. You didn't understand why he would do that.

— Look, I really want ya, but I'm not doing in the right way. — he could see your confusion. — I didn't plan for this to happen here, so what ya think about going home with me, uh?

— I don't want to look desperate, but please, take me home. — you kissed him before you two settled down and go downstairs. You found Aethelflaed on the way and told her where you were going before leave.

The way on the cab was.. something. His hands running through your thighs all the way to his home, you were glad it was close. As soon as you entered at his flat, he pinned you on the door, kissing you hunger than before. He picked you up, your thighs now almost undressed under his touch as he leads you to his bedroom.

— Ya have no idea how many times I've thought about ya, about your lips against mine. Ya are such a dream, Y/N. — he says as he laid you on his bed, making sure to touch every inch of your body.

You pulled him closer enough to whisper on his ear. — And you have no idea of how many nights I dreamed about you touching me like this.

He kissed you hard, hands undoing the zipper of your dress and soon you were only wearing a black lace matching underwear. The look he gave you made you feel like you were burning inside.

— It isn't fair that you are all dressed yet. — you said running your fingers through his, still dressed, chest.

— This won't be a problem anymore. — he smirked at you as he started to unbutton his shirt. It didn't take so long until both of you were only on your underwear, you not so much as he took your bra off, sucking on your breasts, before going down on your body, starting to run his mouth on your inner thigh while playing with the laces on your panties before taking off.

You let a moan out when his lips pressed on your sweet spot, he went dived onto you, sucking on your clit, making you feel like you were in heaven.

— Finan, please, more! — you groaned when you felt his finger rounding you before enter you. You couldn't control your moans, praising him as his fingers curved inside you, hitting that spot. You couldn't contain your hands from pulling his hair when you came on his mouth.

You only had time to take a deep breath before Finan was all over you, kissing you breathless, your taste on his tongue. He parted the kiss, smiling at you as he brushes your hair off your face.

— Are ya ok? For another one?

— More than ok! — you answer laughing.

He took a condom from his trausers, rolling on and soon he was back over you. He kissed you as he was slowly entering you, and both of you were groaning loudly. His name leaving in between your lips like you were praising him, the sound of your hips colliding getting louder as he slammed into you. He was relentless, hard and fast on you, your nails scrapping his back, your thighs gripped his hips making he going deeper.

— Fuck, Finan! — you groaned loudly

He flipped you, now you were on top so you started riding him, rolling your hips over his causing to hit your spot. He grabbed your arse and you layed down over him, meeting his lips again, going up and down on him, now with his hands controlling the rhythm. You felt you were close so you started moving faster, soon you were clenching around him, moaning his name as he came right after you.

He slowly pulled out of you, and you fell at his side, breathless.

— That was... I don't even know. — you say between breaths, laughing with him.

— I'll be right back. — he kissed you on your cheeks before getting up, he pick up his boxer and then disappear into some door. He came back with a towel on his hands and get on the bed again. — Now let me take care of ya.

You were already sleepy but you smiled at this.

After he clean both of you, he pulled you so you could lay on his chest, his arms holding you close and all you could do was relax.

— Ya're too good to be true, mo grá. — he left a kiss on your forehead before fall asleep with you.

[tovalhallaandback]

Just thinking about how we were ROBBED of any yule/Christmas content in TLk. Specifically in Season 5.

[oops-it-happened-again]

Chapter 4

Izzy reports to her friends and decides that she can't just passively bear all these new developments.

-> Chapter 3

Words: 1355

Warnings: mention of virginity, mention of injury

“Where is Osferth?”

Izzy stared at the screen in confusion; as promised, she’d joined a video call with her friends to assure them that no shadowy monster had appeared out of the darkest corners of the city to drag her to its secret lair.

Instead of her friend, though, she was looking at Uhtred’s handsome face for the second time in one evening.

“He’s in the shower,” she informed him, feeling oddly defensive. “He’s a funny one—I twisted my ankle, and he bodily carried me home.”

“Why is he in the shower? What did you do to him? He’s not…he’s never…Oh…” Uhtred looked positively flustered.

“I’ve done nothing to him,” Izzy cried and winced when a side-step drove a lance of dull pain up her leg.

“Where are you?” Ethel interrupted, pushing into the frame forcefully. “Are you…cooking? Did Edith not warn you?”

“I’m not allowed to cook for the man who’s borne me like a babe in his arms? Are you insane? As long as you don’t explain yourself to me, I’ll do as I see fit.” Izzy hissed, giving her sauce a provocative stir with an old, wooden spoon.

Then her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “What do you mean by ‘he’s never…’?”

“Don’t tell her, it will only inflame her further,” Ethel warned thunderously.

“We’re all pretty convinced he’s never been with a woman.” Uhtred cackled.

“Stop telling people that,” Osferth interrupted, standing in the doorway like the wrath of God. “She’s not interested in that!”

“Oh, but she is! She definitely is,” Izzy contradicted and gave him a sweet smile over her shoulder. “Please sit down in the living room. I’ll be with you in a second.”

Turning back to her phone, she saw Edith join at last.

“How are you doing, babe?” she asked, leaning against an open window.

“Turn up the volume woman, I can’t hear anything!” Finan cried from seemingly a good distance away.

“Osferth let her get hurt!” Uhtred jeered.

“Is he standing outside?” Izzy interjected, but everyone just made a dismissive hand gesture as if the answer was evident.

“Did he?” Finan then bellowed. “Are you both all right? Do you need someone to come over?”

“I twisted my ankle,” Izzy corrected, raising her voice almost comically. “I’m perfectly fine, and so is your precious friend. We’ve come to no harm. Now, before dinner gets cold…”

“You’ve cooked dinner for him?” Edith slammed her open palm against her forehead in wordless disbelief.

“Well, someone has decreed that he’s to stay with me,” Izzy commented in an increasingly snarky tone. “I might as well make it worth his while, shouldn’t I?”

She was about to end the call, her thumb already hovering over the red button, when she hesitated.

“The way I see it, people have come to defend and protect us even though you’ve disparaged them adamantly. The least I can do is show the man some kindness—I know not what wrongs they have inflicted on you, and I doubt you’d tell me in their presence, but they’ve been nothing but good to me thus far.”

“You have a good heart,” Edith sighed. “And I fear it might lead you astray. You do not know the circumstances of his birth, and he doesn’t know yours. Do be careful!”

“Edith,” Ethel gasped. “That is not your secret to allude to.”

“The Baby Monk is a good man,” Finan yelled through the open window behind Edith. “He won’t hurt her—stop putting dreadful ideas in the woman’s mind.”

“He might tell her if he so wishes—it’s hardly a secret,” Edith, ignoring Finan, replied with a lopsided shrug. “We just want you to be careful! It’s too easy to fall into something that will…put you in danger, body and mind. Not Osferth himself, of course, he’s…as good as they make them. In theory.”

“Your enemies seem to be mine already anyway,” Izzy laughed wryly. “Fate is unpredictable, and I might have been foolish to think that I could outrun mine. If my past came for me tonight, would you desert me? Hide?”

“Of course not,” Ethel burst out, vexed by the mere thought.

“What past? Are you in peril?” Uhtred shoved himself into the frame once more from below. “Osferth must be told at once!”

“Not tonight, no,” Izzy chuckled. “I’ve never been safer than I am in this very moment, I think. Good night.”

“What past?” came the echo of another voice from behind her. “Are there people who wish to hurt you?”

Blowing up her cheeks, Izzy turned around slowly. “Only if you think matrimony is evil.”

“It can be—do you wish to be married?” Very carefully, Osferth pried the ladle from her hand and set it down beside the bubbling pot.

“Oh yes, I do. Not to a man my father picked for me, though, and not on another’s terms. But enough of that—tell me about yourself!”

Izzy was unsure why she so yearned to know more about a man she’d been warned not to get too close to, but she couldn’t control her boundless curiosity which had thrown her into many an unfortunate situation before.

As he stood in the oblique light of her cheap kitchen lamp, she had to admit that it couldn’t have been the baggy, beige sweatshirt or the ill-fitting, ripped jeans that had caught her attention.

“I haven’t given much thought to getting married, I’m afraid,” Osferth replied tersely, and Izzy automatically wondered how much of her conversation with her friends he’d overheard. “My father, if you need to know, would never dream of organising a match for me.”

“Shouldn’t be too hard,” Izzy said as she started to heap pasta onto the only two plates she owned in this flat—she took a perverse pride in their plain, blue enamel.

When she turned back around, the epiphany hit her like a gut punch. He looked kind and tender, and the fact that he had eyes like a summer sky didn’t hurt either.

In a quiet, lanky way, he was compellingly handsome, but his closed stance—arms crossed, brow puckered in mistrust—made him look much more fragile than his height suggested.

Edith’s warnings echoed through her mind—Izzy decisively pushed them aside.

“Let’s eat; I still don’t know what’s going on. There seem to be a lot of secrets in this place I will have to dig up,” she sighed as she walked past Osferth, woefully aware of the tiny flinch he tried to suppress when her arm brushed across the back of his hand.

“There are no secrets. I know that Edith calls us ‘The Lost Boys’ behind our back. Uhtred and Ethel dated for a while, but she’s decided to prioritise her career. I take it you know that she’s married to another. Finan and Edith had a thing, then she took off to study medicine abroad. His next girlfriend died in a rock-climbing accident. Sihtric is coming to terms with the fact that he and his girl have grown apart.”

He exhaled loudly. “And I’m just me.”

“Is what they say true?” Izzy asked, aware of how unbearably direct that question was, but she couldn’t focus on the revelations he’d imparted while his beautiful eyes were still drilling holes into her forehead. “Do you not hold with womenfolk?”

“I’ve kissed girls before,” he replied defensively. “I have! But…the schooling I’ve had, the life I’ve led—let’s say women were a rare blessing, and…”

“Do they make you nervous?”

“A little,” he admitted.

“Do I make you nervous?”

Her gaze was calm and steady even if slightly amused as she sat down on her couch again and looked up at him expectantly.

Izzy didn’t know what had come over her—she usually wasn’t the kind of woman to flirt randomly with men she’d only just met, but something about his demure demeanour and candid eagerness to please moved her to insanity.

“Are we asking the hard questions then? Before dinner?” he sighed, shuffling his feet against the worn carpet as if unsure whether he should sit down by her side or remain standing. “Very well!”

Thank you for reading!

If this is something that could interest you, please let me know!

Read this on Ao3

-> Chapter 5

[halfmylife]

Sorry I’m Late

Pairing Modern!Finan x Reader

Summary You were supposed to be meeting someone for a blind date however but after about an hour you realise you’ve been stood up. That is until a certain stranger comes to save your night.

Warnings None

A/N This is based on a writing prompt by @creativepromptsforwriting except I decided to make it Modern!TLK because the idea was too cute!

You had been excited for your date, which was unusual. Typically you’d always shove the idea of dating far away from you, especially when your friends had pushed men your way. Yet tonight was different. Your friend had insisted that this guy was perfect for you. And for whatever reason, you agreed to a blind date. You really had been excited.

About an hour ago.

As time passed you found yourself feeling more and more defeated. The date hadn’t shown, or even bothered to message, so you assumed he might still turn up. You’d enthused to the waitress how excited you were when you first arrived but every ten minutes she’d look over and give you a sad look. Hardly the evening you were expecting at all.

You’d had maybe two glasses of wine. One for nerves. The other to pass the time. That was more than you had intended to drink the whole night. The waitress had even been kind enough to bring over some complimentary food for you to nibble on whilst you waited.

There had been a gentleman at the bar, about half an hour into your waiting. He was handsome enough from your viewpoint, with dark hair and a beard. You were sure you heard him speak with an Irish accent too. You were convinced he might be your date but it seemed less likely.

The pair of you made eye contact a few times and he even smiled, though you knew he wasn’t your date, part of you wanted to approach the bar and spend some time with him. You couldn’t help yourself but try and listen in to his conversation when he ushered over the waitress that had been serving you. Unfortunately you couldn’t make anything out.

You look at your watch. 8:03. You were supposed to meet at 7.

Tonight had not been your night. You were starving but too embarrassed to eat alone. Worst of all, you couldn’t imagine the embarrassment of walking out alone after being sat by yourself for an hour, drinking wine and waiting for no one to turn up. It was your only option.

It was decided. You couldn’t wait around any longer. So after leaving quite a generous tip, you went to grab your back and coat.

“Sorry I’m late!” You half jumped at the voice. The man from the bar stood in front of you, chucking his own coat over the back of the chair as you stared at him in awe. “Let me.” He moved to the side of you, a hand on the back of your chair. Confused, you took a seat once more and let him push you in.

You ignored any looks that were sent your way by the surrounding time, looks of pity you were certain. The only thing you could focus on was the man now sat in front of you. Surely he wasn’t your date. He seemed confident, too confident. Grabbing the menu in front of him, he opened it immediately and leant forward.

“I couldn’t just let ya walk out alone and hungry.” He whispered, giving you a wink.

“You really don’t have to.” You spoke quietly as you titled your head, he was already glancing over the menu figuring out what to eat.

“Do you have any other plans?” The only other plans you had were a date with an awful movie and a tub of ice cream. “Didn’t think so. Don’t let one prick ruin your night.”

“I’ll try not to.” You said with a half smile. Perhaps this night might go in your favour. After all, the man across from you was handsome, annoyingly so.

“Are we getting starters?” His eyebrows were raised as he watched you, anticipating your answer like it would make or break the evening.

“Of course we are.” You shrugged as though it was an obvious choice.

“Ya seem pretty set on that.” He laughed, plopping the menu down, having made his decision regarding food.

“I have been sat here waiting for an hour.” You argued, trying to laugh it off. This had not been the way you had anticipated the evening going but you could not help but revel in the moment.

“You make a fair point.” He raised his hands in defeat, smiling towards you. “Starters it is then.”

After ordering food and another glass of wine, the conversation soon started to flow. Finan had introduced himself and spent the entire evening trying to cheer you up. Truly he didn’t have to do much, the man was far too charismatic for his own good and there was a certain energy to him that just had you melting.

This date couldn’t have gone any better. Especially as he even offered to pay. Sure there had been some arguing but he was far quicker than you were and ended up paying for the whole bill, including the tip.

“You should’ve at least let me split it.” You muttered as you stepped outside, pulling your coat around you. The night was now dark and there was a chill in the air. “As a thank you.”

“There’s no need to thank me.” He wriggled his shoulders into his own coat, walking beside you but leaving very little space. You hadn’t stopped smiling since the pair of you first spoke and even as you were leaving the restaurant you couldn’t help yourself.

“If you hadn’t sat with me, I would’ve probably had a miserable night, drowning my sorrows in ice cream.” You admitted, though you were grateful that hadn’t been your night. In a way you didn’t want it to end.

“Sometimes there’s nothing better than a tub of ice cream.” He shrugged, keeping pace with you. Your shoulders rubbed against one another as you walked down the street, sending a shiver down your spine. “And who’s to say you can’t still do that?”

“After that dinner, I think I’m way too full for anymore.” You laughed. It was true between the pair of you, you had eaten far too much. A whole three courses was a lot but worth every second, though perhaps the choice of outfit now felt a little suffocating.

“I have an idea.” He said suddenly, stopping a little before continuing on. Your expression dropped as you waited for him to continue, wondering what on earth this idea might be. “If you want to thank me, how about a second date? We can even include ice cream.”

“You know the way to a woman’s heart.” ice cream was the least tempting part of that offer. A charming Irishman stood in front of you, one you hadn’t even expected to meet, saved you from an awful night of loneliness and was now asking you on a second date.

“I certainly try.” He cocked his head, flashing you a gorgeous smile. “So how about it?”

“Okay, yeah.” You were sure your face had turned a vibrant shade of red as you felt the heat from your cheeks. “Yeah I’d like that.” He pulled something from his jacket, handing it to you.

“Here’s my number.” It was written on a napkin from the restaurant. You wondered at what point he had decided that he’d give you his number. It didn’t matter you took it all the same. “Message me the moment your home safe and we’ll sort something out.”

“Okay, cool.” If you weren’t blushing before you were certainly blushing now. “I’ll see you soon.” And just like that, your night had been saved.

[xluminaheart]

It irks me that two characters I love in part for their portrayal of being disabled / chronically ill have their conditions consistently erased in fan works because it gets in the way or whatever. I’m not saying it needs to be the focus of every work or even any work but I really wish people would stop pretending it didn’t exist because it is such a big part of their existences

[mrsarnasdelicious]

Cage Fighter\Escort Sihtric

Sihtric is a good fighter, but it does not quite cover the bills

And he is absolutely stellar in bed, so he knows where is strengths are

A bi boy who loves sex, he has zero issues getting paid for it

Tho he is super down to do a few of his friend pro bono

He is a cocksucker to the bone! Giving head is at times enough to get him off.

He is a sloppy boy who loves his face fucked or sat on

Has sex with Uhtred to appease him when he fucked up

Teaches Osferth how to suck dick

Gets rented for a bachelorette party of one of your friends

Refuses to sleep with the bride

Guy ain't a homewrecker unless it comes to Uhtred (He doesn't wreck what Osferth and Finan have. Everything he does with one of them he does with consent and permission of the both of them.)

He'll sleep with any of the single bridesmaids pro bono. He has already been paid after all.

You take him up on it

You take him home and fuck his brians out

He'll defo come back for more.

It's all for free, he just does it because he himself derives pleasure from it

He gets pleasure from pleasuring you

He'll call you randomly 'Got plans this weekend?' 'In that case, make sure the pantry is full and you have stocked up on condoms, because we won't be leaving your bed until monday morning'

And he will keep good on his word

And holy fuck is it a weekend to remember

Eventually you kinda start calling him your boyfriend

At that point he might as well be You go on dates, he is over at your place more often than not and you wear his jumpers when he is not with you

He still does both his job One more safely than the other

He always wears a condom when with a client and gets STD tested every month or so.

The fighting, though... He sometimes comes home to you absolutely banged up

And you take care of him

You take care of him when he gets his arse beaten in the ring, when he gets injured during training and once or twice when a client crosses his boundaries

His stuff slowly moves from Finan's attic to your place

And before you know it he has officially moved in

You're waking up next to his beautiful snoozing face and go to sleep in his arms

Sihtric is a light snorer, but it gets heavier if he has facial injuries after a fight

He is a champ at sleeping in!

But will never object to morning sex Sit on his face to wake him up and his day will start amazingly

He always says I love you before going to sleep

He spends a lot of time working out and he looks it

Though he sometimes does get over the weight limit with this and then he has to 'make the cut'

This is not a good time for Sihtric

He is so moody when he has to loose a set amount of wait in a set amount of time

He needs your love during these days

Lots of enegry intensive sex

But also very unhealthy eating habits

Though once he's made the cut, he is good to go hog wild again

Which he absolutely will

You always try to keep him sane during those days

For which he is very grateful

Eventually he asks for your hand in marriage

He doesn't make big fuss, he's just gotten you a cute lil ring which he gives you

Hoping you will wife him up

YES HE TAKES YOUR LAST NAME

He can't wait to distance himself from the name Kjartansen as soon as he can manage

He is defo that male wife!

A R M C A N D Y

[morosemagick]

Say You'll Remember Me | Finan x OC One Shot

For @emilyhufflepufftlk

The door opens for Sigrid to go next, and as her eyes look up the aisle, the groom looks towards her. Their eyes meet and her heart drops to the pit of her stomach-

because the Groom is marrying someone else.

TAGGED:

@solinarimoon ​ @magravenwrites ​ @lauwrite1225 @93xdiagonxalley @trenko-heart @cibs @blah-blah-blah-bla @lizblogging @gudvina @muddleofnervouswords @medievalfangirl @persephones-journey

[little-moonbeam-666]

Baby monk is going from this:

To THIS:

in the new Modern!AU Osferth fic that I’m writing. You guys aren’t ready for this.... I’m not ready for this haha.

Thank you @dothrckis​ for the amazing idea and for basically being my coauthor on this one lol

[unusual-raccoon]

Modern!Osferth Headcanons

(Plus bonus drabble)

Guess who's rewatching The Last Kingdom for the 63rd time? I'll give you a hint - it's me! Guess who also had the brilliant idea at midnight for a modern babysitter!Osferth x Uhtred idea? Also me.

So, without further adieu, here are some modern!Osferth rambles/headcanons:

Osferth is still devout in his faith. It keeps him sane in a way, it's been a touchstone for most of his life. He's in between jobs and living alone.

He doesn't have much in the way of family. His father got his mother knocked up when she was young, and his father was married.

His mother was sickly and died when he was young.

He spent a lot of time in orphanages/churches under the care of nuns (Has been praying the gay away ever since) until he was taken in by his uncle.

His uncle Leofric, worked as a Prison Officer in London, got stabbed in the neck and killed during a riot when Osferth was only fifteen.

He has a sizable chunk of change in his name from a wealthy father he never knew. (He refuses to touch a dime).

Osferth spent a lot time in soup kitchens (eating & volunteering), spent many a year cutting his own hair to save money (forgive his bowl cuts), and just overall scraping by on odd jobs and the like.

He reconnected with his half-siblings as an adult, or tried to. He and Edward don't really get along (he thinks Edward is a terrible father - not that being a bastard gave him much ground to stand on). He and Aethelflaed absolutely clicked right away.

He is the bestest uncle to Aelfwynn!

Very good with kids, he is a big baby himself at heart, but also super independent because he's used to doing things on his own.

Aethelflaed is super supportive of Osferth (she just think's he's neat) and runs the "Osferth needs a DILF" fanclub

Have I mentioned he is very good w kids, loves trashy romance novels, can cook quite well, is modest about it (secretly thinks he'd be a kick ass housewife)

--- (How he's gotten involved with Uhtred)---

he met Gisela at the soup kitchen - it's a hike for him, but nothing compares to the loving atmosphere.

Was secretly intimidated by her.

Accidentally thought he had fallen in love w her when she showed him pictures of her babies and they made meals together and she asked him about his life - then he realized he has not known motherly affection in a long timeeee ;_;

Gisela would tell him about her lovely little family and how Stiorra was a nightmare to potty train in comparison to her brother

Gisela would show him pictures of the family and he would 'ooh' and 'aah' over pictures of the babies - promptly reminded he is gay when he saw a picture of her husband.

He'd been devastated when he discovered she had passed. She had been to the soup kitchen in a few weeks and he'd sent a few texts to see if she was well, but had merely chalked it up to being a mom of two youngsters.

He misses the funeral service, but figures it was private and reserved for family only.

Osferth, himself, imagined he landed somewhere between a work friend and gum stuck to the bottom of her shoe.

Still, he kept her in his prayers every night.

They hold a small gathering in the soup kitchen amongst other volunteers that have heard the news of Gisela's passing.

He mourns in his own way, and figures he should be better at it by now.

Still, he manages.

Until he sees Gisela's family walk into the soup kitchen...

Bonus Drabble:

Uhtred is a young, freshly widowed (fuck cancer) single dad to two beautiful children. Young Uhtred (Junior) is four and Stiorra is two. He misses his wife dearly and as a result ends up revisiting many places that remind him of Gisela.

He ends up at a soup kitchen where she often volunteered, the soup kitchen was supported by a local church and while Uhtred had his gripes about Christianity, his wife never did. Gisela loved all people, sometimes with a warm embrace, sometimes with a stern rap of her little knuckles.

The place is small and cramped and he recalls the scent of whatever's being doled into bowls because it used to stick to Gisela's clothes. It's warm in the air and heavy in his lungs, like thyme and bay leaves and sweet carrots and his heart aches.

There's a man - well, a boy who doesn't look older than 17, gangly, awkward, flaxen hair that spirals around his head like a halo, bowed as he chats with an older woman while he pours a heaping ladle's worth of soup into her bowl. The boy's face is familiar, vaguely. There's a spot next to him behind the counter where Gisela should've been.

A woman on line lets him ahead with a sympathetic face - the kids are with him, Stiorra held on his hip, her arms around his neck, and Junior holding his hand. He feels mortified, guilty.

Uhtred tries to back away, feeling terribly out of place and mourning every inch of the woman he loved. When the boy behind the counter spots him, his eyes are blue, startlingly blue - it's like a peek of the sky through a blanket of fog. A soft, angular face like looks like it belongs in a Renaissance painting with high cheeks and sharp cheekbones and pink rips.

Someone else waves them over, Junior gets a bowl, Stiorra does too, the woman that serves them tries to give one to Uhtred but he politely declines.

They sit, they eat. He blows on the little spoon for Stiorra and offers a small smile when she demandingly tugs on his hair, squirming, doughy little fist swinging for the spoon. Junior is able to handle eating on his own, like a big boy, (mostly).

Uhtred is cleaning the kids up and preparing to leave when he noticed someone had come over.

"Um, excuse me, sir," A timid voice begins, high and boyish, pale long fingers wring the sleeves of an aged brown sweatshirt, "I don't mean to - a-are you Uhtred?"

Uhtred stares warily at the boy, at his flaxen hair and ears that have since turned pink.

"Yes," He answers flatly, and he instantly feels cruel for the way the young man winces.

The nuance of conversation bypasses the children and Junior's hand springs up with a wave, as he says, "Me too!"

The boy smiles a timid, growing thing - less afraid.

"You volunteer here?" Uhtred asks though he knows the answer. Gisela had spoken of the friend she had made at the soup kitchen, and realizes why the boy's face seemed familiar. He'd never been bothered by it, his Gisela was a lovely woman and charmed many.

"Um, yes, sir, I...do." The boy answers, he swallows thickly, Adam's apple bobbing along the pale, elegant stretch of his throat.

He casts considerate blue eyes over to the children, to Junior who babbles about wanting to visit Thyra and Beocca, and to Stiorra who is dozing against Uhtred's shoulder...

"I," The boy begins, slim, pale hands listless as he tugs on a loose thread in the sleeve of his sweatshirt, those high sharp cheekbones that appeared chiseled from marble, redden, his lips, his very pink lips twitch with words unspoken, "My deepest condolences."

Gods, how many time had he heard that same sentiment over the weeks since his wife's passing? How many people had meant it? Uhtred's nostrils flare with every breath he struggles to take in and out with the fissure of pain that splits his chest.

He clears his throat roughly. He blinks away tears that makes the earnest blue eyes of the boy standing across from him dance like sapphires.

"Thank you," He says, it's a genuine thing that bubbles up without him meaning for it too. Many people loved Gisela, it was an easy thing to do, but it finally felt as though someone knew. Knew the agony of losing her. Like the sun had been torn from the sky.

His phone buzzes in his pocket, it's Hild. It could be a thousand things, a lapsed permit or zoning issue, the company has had enough hiccups, let alone after the death of his wife.

"I need to-" Uhtred motions to his phone, the boy nods politely.

"Of course," He says instantly in understanding.

He's still holding Stiorra when he stands, it was late and raining and it's too loud inside the hall.

"I can watch them," The boy offers, sort of perking up like a moping flower kissed by sunlight - it only becomes obvious then  how tall he is. Rightfully, he should be distrustful. He struggles, but his phone buzzes in his hand another time and Uhtred reluctantly hands his daughter over. He watches as the boy gingerly supports her weight, Stiorra's open mouth drooling on the boy's shoulder. He sways gently with Stiorra in his arms, bending and shifting like a reed in the wind.

"Uhtred?" He hears the boy call gently, "do you think you could help me keep an eye on your sister?"

"I can!" Junior answers eagerly.

"Clever boy," Uhtred can picture his son's wide smile, "I can be so forgetful - Oh goodness, where has she gone?"

"Right there," Junior begins to giggle, "Where? Uhtred are you trying to trick me?"

"There!" Junior squeals in laughter that Uhtred hadn't heard in weeks. It's a balm for his soul.

Uhtred answers Hild's incoming call, the phone pressed to his ear.

"How are you holding up?" Is her first question, he strives to be noncommittal with just about everyone but Hild. So, when he answers, he does so honestly, openly. He can hear the tightness in her throat.

"Did you want me to order something? I can be over in," there's rustle over the speaker, "twenty."

He smiles, he loves her all the more for the effort.

"Not tonight, but soon," He swears. He knows, despite everything he's going through, there are still people in his corner, his sister, Beocca, Hild: his relentless supporters.

"I know you're going to ignore me because you always do-"

"-I do not"

"But, have you considered hiring a sitter?"

"Hild," He sighs, he'd abhorred the idea for a time. His own fragmented upbringing left a general distrust of strangers that was easy to default to under duress.

They bicker for a bit, back and forth was their way and the normalcy alleviates some of the ache in his chest.

He wants to reject the idea of needing help, of shouldering responsibilities alone, of being anyone's burden. He rubs at his eyes, a cool sheen of rainwater on his skin.

Inside the soup kitchen, the scent of thyme and bay leaves and sweet carrots is in the air, the warmth in the room fells buttery in the comfort it provides. He can hear his son's voice, laughing, can hear other laughter too.

Stiorra's asleep on the stranger's shoulder. Little hands drowsily clinging to the brown fabric of the sweatshirt.

Hild's voice rattles in his head.

The boy's smile is wide, unbidden, so very youthful. He see's Uhtred and his smile dims, a coy curl of his lips lingers, like an echo, throat bobbing, tongue catching on pink lips, eyes like sapphires still dance.

"Papa!" Junior yelps, delighted, clinging to Uhtred's leg in an instant, "I counted more than Oz!"

"He did, I'm afraid - you're too clever for me." The boy answers, a sheepish way about him, he sways like a reed, right on over to Uhtred's side. Stiorra is very carefully handed over.

"Did you?" Uhtred asks, "How high?"

Junior makes a pensive little face, beside him, the boy, Oz, mouthes fifteen exaggeratedly.

"Oh! All the way up to fifteen!"

"Fifteen?" Uhtred gasps, "Auntie Hild isn't going to believe it."

The children had already been ready to leave before Hild had called and it doesn't take much to tug the lapels of his coat around Stiorra and hold out his hand for Junior.

The boy offers a polite smile, pink mouth pressed together, the scent of thyme and bay leaves and sweet carrots hanging on his sweatshirt, a patch of drool on his shoulder where Stiorra had slept.

"Well, um, goodnight." He says eventually, crouches down to bid a separate farewell to Junior. He rummages through the pocket of his sweatshirt, and pulls out a biscuit wrapped in wax paper.

"I nicked this from the kitchens," He admits, Junior looks affronted, scandalized, but the boy laughs, "It was supposed to be my treat for after, but," Junior's eyes go terribly wide, hopeful, "You did count to fifteen - so, I suppose, you've earned it."

"He can't, he's-" Uhtred begins, but that gangly boy looks up at him from the floor with smiling sapphire eyes and pink lips and says "It's gluten-free."

Uhtred feels...odd.

"Are you allergic as well?" He asks as Junior asks endlessly if he can eat his treat now.

The boy flushes, "Er, no, I-" He rises to his full his height smoothly, hands pushed off the faded knees of his jeans, "I grabbed it after I saw you come in, Gis-" His jaw tightened, tendons flutter under the pressure, "Another volunteer mentioned how someone in her family also had Celiac's..."

The odd feeling persists, its pressure, its hands stemming the flow of blood the open wound the passing of wife had left in him.

"Anyway, I-I only wanted to pay my respects," the boy sighs, flaxen head hanging before he offers a small, sad smile.

"Wait." Uhtred calls, his voice carves through the air.

The stranger turns towards him again, fluorescent lights catch on the delicate braid of a golden chain just barely visible around his neck, tendons jump in neck and the chain dances like motes of sunlight.

"What's your name, boy?"

Those pink lips part in a gentle smile.

"Osferth, sir." He answers.

"Osferth," He repeats sagely.

Hild's voice rattles in his head. Uhtred extends his hand and the boy examines it before shaking hands with him. The touch is soft and lingers in his palm like silk.

"Good to finally meet you."

This was just a silly little headcanon/drabble (1.8k still counts as a drabble, right?) idea, but like, idk, i might be tempted to add more?

[ivyithink]

me shipping these two is like 95% memes and jokes, because they the god’s perfect idiots and making fun of them makes me happy. but i am actually quite fond of them, for better or for worse (it’s worse), and that’s why stuff like this exists

for those who need some comfort after the hurt: here you go, a modern!au where no one dies at fifty! you’re welcome and also i’m very sorry