Alex Høgh Andersen Imagines

Blessing

Pairing: Ivar x Reader

Word count: 3,017

Warnings: angst, fluff

Requested: No. This was for @Geekandbooknerd's writing challenge. I had the prompts "It was you the whole time.", "It's okay. You can leave. They all do.", & "Did you mean the things you said?"

Summary: What happens when Y/N is forced to stay away from her best friend? Does she listen? Can she listen? Or does she fight?

At first, growing up in Kattegat was difficult. You were painfully shy and that made it hard to make new friends so you kept to yourself most of the time... until you met the one person you've never been able to hide from... Ivar. When you were smaller children, you would watch each other from afar, neither of you knowing what to do or say to the other, so you just kept your distance. Once you were a little older and able to start understanding things more, you understood that what was going on wasn't right. The other kids were making fun of both you and Ivar, although for different reasons, you knew it was still wrong. This is what drove you to start talking to him in the first place, and once you did, you two became nearly inseparable. That is... until your father realized just exactly who you were spending so much time with.

"But, Father, he's not like you think..." you try to explain to him one night.

"I won't hear it, Y/N. You are to stay away from him, do you understand me?" your father said in his most authoritative tone.

"He's my best friend... you can't take that away from me... He's the only one I have!" you nearly shout at him.

"You can make other friends. I don't want you anywhere near him" he commands you. Feeling the tears welling up in your eyes, you stood and left the table to go to your room. You didn't understand how your father couldn't see that Ivar was really a good person. He always made sure no one hurt you and that if you needed anything, it was taken care of. The next day, you went about things as normal hoping that you wouldn't run into Ivar. You always took a walk through the woods at some point during the day, but this time you decided to go a little farther and walk up the side of the mountain. Rounding a corner on the path, you thought you were just hearing things until you walked closer and realized that you were actually hearing the sounds of swords clashing together. Letting your emotions get the best of you, you rush towards the noise thinking someone was fighting and maybe you could help in some way. But when you ran into the clearing, you came upon something you did not expect to see... two of the princes battling in the center of the clearing and Ivar off to the side, seeming to delight in watching his brothers attacking each other and waiting his turn. His eyes snapped up to yours as you rounded the corner. The brothers stopped their swordplay when they noticed Ivar's movement and where he was looking, turning their attention to you as well.

"Oh... it's just you," you say in relief.

"Just us?" you hear one of the older brothers laugh, you weren't sure which one, Hvitserk you think because the voice wasn't as deep, but you were still focused on Ivar.

"Yes...?" you say in confusion.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ubbe asks.

"Well, I was walking and I heard the sounds of the swords so I thought someone might be in trouble. That's why I rushed in. I didn't think it would be you up here practicing," you explain.

"As if you could do anything to help someone fighting," Ubbe laughs. "You shouldn't be up here anyway," he tells you with a harsh glare as he starts to take a step towards you.

"Leaver her be, brother," you hear Ivar tell him.

"What?" Ubbe asks him.

"I said leave Y/N be. She didn't know we were here," Ivar explains to him. "Did you, Y/N?" he asks you, turning his attention to you.