livin' the fangirl life

janille.29.single. { goofy | clever | sarcastic | caring }{ fangirl | traveler | writer | lover }{ ♫ ♪ dancing to my own tune ♫ ♪ }currently not accepting promptsprompt count: 8 |

[nellyharrison]

“I was looking for you.” “You have found me,” I replied, adjusting the parcels in my arm.  “Is everything well?” “Yes,” Uhtred nodded.  “I have a proposal for you.” “I am already married, lord, as are you,” I joked, smiling when he let out a laugh. “You have spent too much time with Finan,” he retorted, teasing me for the joke.  “But it is clear you both are stronger together.  You are strong enough on your own, to be sure.  Beamfleot proved that, to any that may have doubted.” “Such as you?” I wondered. “Yes, such as me,” he acknowledged.  “I believed you strong.  A woman could not have survived in Islond under Sverri as long as you did without strength.  I did not know how strong, or powerful, or capable you were, but you have proven yourself.” “Thank you, lord,” I said, bowing my head. “When the time comes that I must call my men to battle once more, I would like you to join us as healer and warrior,” he told me.  “It would be an honor to have you fighting beside us.” “The honor would be mine,” I assured him.  “I should tell you, I have promised to be by Aethelflaed’s side should she need me.  I hope my allegiance to her does not change your offer.” “It does not,” he promised.  “It seems we are both bound to Wessex and Mercia.” “It is a blessing to be held in such high esteem, is it not?” I wondered. “It is both a blessing and a curse, I believe,” he admitted.  “We are still not truly our own people.” “Is anyone really their own person?” I countered.  “We are all bound, in one way or another.  You and I are bound by our duty to the people of these lands and their leaders.  Even Alfred is bound to follow the word of God.  Protecting Wessex and Mercia means protecting our families, our friends, and all of the innocent people that depend on us.  There are worse fates to be saddled with, are there not?” “You are right,” he nodded.  “I still wish for the day when I will reclaim Bebbanburg.” “I will wish for it too, lord, and be by your side when that day comes,” I offered, returning his grin with my own.

Chapter 9 of "My Heart Is In You" by NellyHarrison

[nellyharrison]

“See, Osferth, she is fine,” Sihtric declared as he and the monk turned warrior walked up to them.  “Though I am surprised you are walking.  Unable to satisfy her, Finan?” “Oy, watch it,” Finan warned him, pointing a finger in his face. “I have seen your wife walk just fine after many a night spent with you, Sihtric,” I stated, managing to keep my expression neutral as I looked over at him.  “Perhaps you do not know how a woman appears after she has been truly satisfied.” Osferth chuckled to himself at the insult, Sihtric pouting while Finan howled with laughter.  “You will think twice before opening your mouth now, eh?” Finan teased Sihtric, laughing some more when he stormed off.  “Ah, go follow him, baby monk,” he requested, Osferth giving me a quick grin before chasing after Sihtric. “Should I apologize to Sihtric?” I wondered, glancing up at my husband. “Absolutely not,” he shook his head, looping his arms around me as my hands settled on his shoulders.  “The arseling had what was coming to him.  Besides, now they know I can satisfy my woman.”

Chapter 9 of "My Heart Is In You" by NellyHarrison

[nellyharrison]

“I have lived many lives before this one,” I admitted, looking down at my hands.  “Before I became Finan’s wife and he taught me to be a warrior, I was the concubine to the Viking trader that enslaved Uhtred.  Before that, I was a slave to one man for many years, brought to many parts of the world.” “Extraordinary,” Aethelflaed replied in awe. “But in my first life, the life that was stolen from me by Vikings, I was a princess of Irland,” I revealed, swallowing dryly before looking to see her reaction.  “I believe the reason why I fought so hard to protect you in Beamfleot is because I did not wish to see you go through the same pain I did.  I would not wish to return to my first life, not when this life has brought me to Finan and given me my son, but I knew the heavy cost of letting it go.  I did not wish that for you.” “I understand now,” Aethelflaed nodded, reaching over to place her hand over mine. “In no life before this one did I find true love,” I stated.  “I cannot imagine the loss you are feeling.” “Erik is still with me,” she assured me, her small smile bittersweet.  “Your son.  He is not Finan’s?” “No,” I shook my head.  “He has Viking blood, but Finan has accepted him as his own, and we will give him brothers and sisters someday.” “Finan is a good man,” Aethelflaed mused, glancing down at our hands as she became lost in thought.  I gave her the time she needed, my hand turning over to hold hers and give it a supportive squeeze.  “I fear my husband is not such a man.  If he were to believe a child I bore was not his, he may lash out.”  Her eyes met mine, where I could see the hope that her meaning was understood. “Erik is still with you,” I muttered, repeating what she had said, but with a new meaning.  She nodded, and my eyes widened slightly. “You have already served me in a way I am unsure I will ever be able to properly repay, but it would be a great comfort to know that I could call upon you should I ever need your service again,” she explained.  “You are the woman I trust most, Melkorka.” “I am honored to have earned such a title,” I stated, a little stunned but genuinely touched.  “And I will strive to continue deserving it whenever I am needed.”

Chapter 9 of "My Heart Is In You" by NellyHarrison

[nellyharrison]

“A part of me wants to ask what you have been through, if only to put to rest everything I have seen in my nightmares.  The other part of me fears it is worse than what I could have imagined.”  I reached over to take his hand, pulling him towards me.  Instead of sitting in the other chair, he knelt beside me, resting our hands in my lap as I cupped his cheek to meet his eyes.  “When we were negotiating your release, Sigefrid said he had claimed you and grown tired of humping you.  Uhtred had to keep me from killing the bastard in his own hall.” “I did not let him hump me,” I assured him, swallowing dryly as I thought back to my first night in Beamfleot.  “He tried and I nearly sliced off his manhood.”  Finan laughed abruptly at that, bowing his head and kissing my hand as I smoothed my fingers through his hair.  “You have already learned the worst I had ever experienced, before we met in Islond.  Beamfleot was a challenge because I had you and Olafr that I was desperate to get back to.  The rest will fade in time.”  He lifted his head and turned back up to me, but his heart still looked heavy.  “What troubles you, mo thaisce ?” “If you had stayed in Coccham, none of this would have happened to you,” he stated.  “You would have been safe if I had left you with Olafr.” “It was my choice to be there that day, Finan,” I reminded him.  “I wanted to be by your side as you faced battle, and I knew there was a risk of something going wrong.” “A risk, yes, but not this,” he argued, shaking his head.  “I am glad you asked me to teach you to defend yourself, but I never wanted you to need to use those skills.” “Those skills saved my life and the life of Aethelflaed, “ I told him, running my fingers through his beard to rid myself of some nervous energy as I thought of the battles I faced when we were apart.  “I killed a man.  One of Sigefrid’s men.  It is part of why he took me in the first place.  I think he believed he could enact revenge in another way, but I fought to keep that from him too so he threw me in a cage.  I kept you in my heart through it all, mo chuid den tsaol, fighting to make it to this day when you and I would be together again.” My heart swelled at his awestruck look, tears welling in his eyes when I cupped his cheek.  “You were made for me,” he realized, a breathy laugh escaping me before I leaned forward to kiss him sweetly.  A single tear fell from the corner of his right eye as both fell shut, my thumb brushing it from his cheek when I pulled away.

Chapter 8 of "My Heart Is In You" by NellyHarrison

[nellyharrison]

“ M'fhíorghrá ,” I heard from behind me, my heart skipping as I turned from the touching reunion.  Finan was sheathing his sword as he closed the distance between us, my quaking hand releasing my dagger to embrace him when he lifted me into his arms.  I buried my face into his neck, tears springing to my eyes as I felt him rubbing my back.  “I have you now.  I have you.”  I exhaled shakily before I started crying, softly and silently, still trying to find my voice again.  He brushed his hand along my hair, kissing the side of my head and my cheek before I turned to meet his lips with mine.  A soft sob escaped me when he pulled away, his thumbs brushing away my tears as his nose nuzzled mine.  “Are you hurt?” I shook my head, taking a slow breath before pulling away slightly to look at him.  I gently tilted his chin up, checking his neck where the Dane had held an ax.  Finan chuckled and grasped my hand, lifting it to kiss my knuckles.  “Worry not about me, mo laoch álainn .  I had you to protect me,” he recalled, holding my hand against his heart as his other hand settled on my waist.  There was some scuffling nearby, causing us to both turn towards it, our expressions blank as Osferth, Sihtric, and Uhtred stood watching us.  “Am I not allowed a moment with my wife?”  They bumped into each other as they went to leave, my forehead falling against Finan’s chest as I laughed.  It had been so long since I had laughed that I could not help but cry as I did so.  He must have heard the hitch in my voice or the slight gasp at the end of my laugh, his arms wrapping around me to hold me tight as long as I needed him to.

Chapter 8 of "My Heart Is In You" by NellyHarrison

[nellyharrison]

When the door opened again, I jumped to my feet, worried I was going to have to fight once more.  “You do not have long,” Erik stated, my brows furrowing until Finan walked through the doors, looking around for me as they closed behind him. “ Mo chroí ,” he muttered, walking over to where I had frozen by the bed.  He paused in front of me, his hands lifting to cup my face, drawing me out of my shock.  His eyes were glassy as they met mine, his thumb brushing along my cheek.  “Oh, mo shíorghrá ,” he breathed, leaning his forehead against mine.  “I thought I had lost you.”  I exhaled shakily as tears welled in my eyes, my hands gripping his arms before he wrapped them around me.  “We will bring you home.  Uhtred has arranged it, but we need time.”  I pressed my face into his chest as I felt the first tear fall, knowing I was going to have to be without his embrace once more.  “I will have to leave, but I will come back for you.  I promise.”  I nodded against him, my arms wrapping around him as he pressed his lips to the top of my head.

Chapter 7 of "My Heart Is In You" by NellyHarrison

[nellyharrison]

I began sleeping to pass the time, my body growing weak but my will strong.  I had been just easing back to sleep when I heard voices below talking in hushed but frantic tones.  Turning to look towards the entrance to Aethelflaed’s room, I saw someone remove the block and push the doors open.  I shot upright when I heard shouting, and grunting, and then I watched Erik rush in and yell for Dagfinn to hold her.  There was more grunting, this time in pain, followed by shouting between Erik and what sounded like Haesten. “She is precious!” came Erik’s clear shout, the silence following enough to make my stomach twist.  More was said, but I could not seem to make it out.  I watched as Haesten and Dagfinn left her room, Erik remaining for a few minutes to talk to Aethelflaed.  When he did leave her room, he made sure the doors were locked, and then spent the rest of the night keeping guard himself.  When most of the men had gone to sleep, he remained awake, his eyes wandering up and seeing my watchful eyes.  “You were right to protect her.”  I inhaled slowly through my nose, then turned to face the ceiling, my eyes falling closed as I easily drifted to sleep.

Chapter 7 of "My Heart Is In You" by NellyHarrison

[nellyharrison]

I had insisted she sleep closest to the wall, and I did not regret this decision when Sigefrid entered our room and grabbed me by the hair.  I gasped as I awoke, my hand reaching up to grab his wrist in an attempt to save my scalp the pain. “I am here to claim my prize, enchantress, and see if you are as mute as they believe you to be,” he growled in my ear, dragging me from the bed.  I desperately kicked out, hitting Aethelflaed who shot awake and screamed my name.  “Shut up!  My brother says you are to be left untouched, but she is mine.” “Get your hands off of her!” Aethelflaed demanded, rushing towards him and trying to pry his fingers from my hair. I noticed the dagger in Sigefrid’s boot, and with quick thought I grabbed it, pressing the tip of the blade high on his inner thigh as a warning.  He froze, Aethelflaed doing the same before they both looked down at me.  I inched the dagger higher, my nostrils flaring as I stared Sigefrid down.  He let go of my hair, stepping back as Aethelflaed helped me to my feet. “The only reason I let you live was for my pleasure, whore,” Sigefrid warned me.  Light suddenly flooded the room as Erik and his men burst through the doors, their hands on their swords.  “Give me the knife,” Sigefrid demanded.  I shook my head, keeping it pointed at him before gesturing towards the door.  With a roar, Sigefrid stormed past his brother and out of the room.

Chapter 7 of "My Heart Is In You" by NellyHarrison

[nellyharrison]

That seemed to be what roused Erica, her body shifting in their arms and causing their smiles to drop slightly.  Erica’s nails gently scraped up and along the nape of Stiles’s neck, causing him to shiver, while her other hand gripped Scott’s tighter as she lifted it towards her chest, pressing him tighter against her back.  She let out a dreamy moan, the sound shooting right through them both.  Scott found himself burying his face in her hair, breathing her in before growling softly when Stiles lowered his head to lay soft kisses on Erica’s exposed neck.  She let out a whimper, her body squirming needily as she slowly started regaining consciousness. “You smell good,” Scott whispered behind her. “Tastes pretty good too,” Stiles added, continuing to kiss up her neck.

Chapter 14 of "Come Along", Part 5 of Super Friends for Life! by NellyHarrison

[nellyharrison]

I glanced back, noticed the three Vikings approaching us, and begged Aethelflaed to get up as I pulled her to her feet.  We kept running, but they were faster.  I faced them, keeping Aethelflaed behind me as I held my dagger out in front of me. “She’s a fighter,” one of them chuckled.  “I like them fiery.” “You will not touch her,” Aethelflaed insisted, my hand reaching back to squeeze hers before I slashed at one of the men when he got too close.  My eyes widened when I saw the gash on his arm, his shout of pain followed by a command to take us.  The man next to him charged me, grabbing my wrist to try to disarm me, but I remembered something Finan had taught me.  I dropped the dagger from that hand, catching it with the other hand before stabbing the blade into his leg.  He yelled as he fell to the ground, but when I turned to face the other man, he was throwing a punch that knocked me to the ground.  “Melkorka!” the princess screamed, the sound distorted as my head was ringing. “Why do you Saxon women always have to be so difficult?” the man that had punched me asked, rubbing at his knuckles.  I realized I had dropped my dagger, my eyes blinking to clear the spots dancing before them as I felt around the ground for it.  “It would be simpler if you did not fight us when we came for you,” he mused, glancing over at the princess.  “Leave with us, and I will let her live.”  Aethelflaed looked over at me, my eyes meeting hers as I slowly shook my head, urging her not to go with him.  My hand continued moving along the forest floor until I found my dagger, my fingers wrapping around the hilt before pulling it closer to me as I tried to get to my feet.  “Fight us, and I will kill her here and now,” the man threatened, making his way towards me.  He grabbed my hair from the back of my head, yanking my head back with a sneer.  “I imagine someone will miss this pretty face.” I breathed heavily through my nose, anger filling me before I let out a rough exhale and plunged the dagger into his chest.  His eyes widened, looking down to find the blade buried deeply inside of him and watching as I ripped it from him.

Chapter 6 of "My Heart Is In You" by NellyHarrison

[nellyharrison]

He was exhausted, and after everything that happened that day, he knew he could benefit from the rest, but his body was a livewire.  At first, he thought it was just all of the new power that came with being an alpha.  Then he realized it only started feeling overwhelming when he touched Erica.  Now, everything about her was distracting him.  The press of her body against his, the smell of her hair filling his nose with each breath he took, the beat of her heart acting as a metronome that his own heart was striving to match if only to feel in rhythm with her.  He had no idea what to make of these feelings, not because they were foreign, but because they had never been this strong, this uncontrollable.  A part of him wondered if he would benefit from stepping away and giving himself space to breathe, but the mere thought of being away from her caused his stomach to turn. Eventually, when he was finally able to fall asleep, thinking about Erica turned into dreaming about Erica.  He wondered if this is how it happened with Stiles.  One minute, he was a confused mess wondering when his best friend became someone totally different to him, and the next, he was falling.  Falling hard, falling fast, and falling so deeply he was certain - and hopeful -  he would drown in her.  When he woke up hours later and found her still sleeping with her left hand splaying over his on her stomach, he accepted his fate and decided to enjoy it while he could.

Chapter 14 of "Come Along", Part 5 of Super Friends for Life! by NellyHarrison

[nellyharrison]

As I reached Finan, he finally turned to look at me, the air rushing from his lungs as his mouth fell open at the sight of me.  With a soft chuckle, he shook his head, showing our shared disbelief that we had not only found each other but made it to this day.  At Beocca’s instruction, I placed my hand over Finan’s, my eyes following as the ribbon bound our hands together before looking up and finding him still watching me.  He kept my attention the rest of the wedding, his dark eyes locked onto mine and making the ceremony pass in a blur.  I managed to say my part when Beocca directed me to, and before I knew it, he was declaring us husband and wife. My arms wrapped tightly around Finan, a soft laugh escaping me when it struck me that he was my husband.  We were bound, not just by love, not just by duty towards each other, but now by God.  I belonged to a man again, but by my choice, and knowing fully well that he belonged to me too.  As our eyes met, and his hand cupped my cheek, I could not help but cry joyful tears before his lips captured mine in a sweet kiss.

Chapter 6 of "My Heart Is In You" by NellyHarrison

[nellyharrison]

“I’m not your mate, Erica,” he stated. “W-What?” Derek sighed, his jaw clenching as he thought back to the moment she was brought back to life.  “Being an alpha means that all of my abilities are stronger, more powerful.  That works with the mate bond too.  Alphas are able to sense when they’ve met their mate, usually much sooner than a beta, and way before humans figure it out.  How much I care about you hasn’t changed, and when I didn’t feel that pull that an alpha should feel towards his mate, I didn’t know what to do.  Maybe that’s why I was such an easy target for Jennifer.  I was confused and vulnerable, and she saw that and took advantage of me.” “You should have told me,” Erica told him.  “The moment you realized we weren’t mates, you should have told me.  Then you wouldn’t have had to hide Jennifer from me- from any of us.” “I know,” Derek nodded.  “But I didn’t want to lose you.” “I chose you, Derek!” she snapped.  “I chose you as my alpha.  I chose you to be loyal to, and to fight for and with.  You didn’t trick me or trap me into being your beta, and I never had any expectations about who my mate would be.  Okay?  So the only way you could lose me is by betraying my trust and my loyalty, which is exactly what you did.” “I’m sorry,” he sighed.  “I know that probably means nothing coming from me right now, but I am sorry.  I should have trusted you the way I’ve always trusted you.” “You’re so frustrating, you know that?” she grumbled, rubbing her forehead before brushing her hair out of her face.  “You’re smart enough to know better, but for whatever reason, you can’t seem to get out of your own way to do better.  You let your fear and insecurity cloud your judgment, and we all end up paying for it.” “I know,” he accepted, his head bowing.  “You deserve better.” “You’re damn right I deserve better,” she nodded.  She walked over to him, lifting his head up with a finger so he couldn’t avoid her glance.  “So be better.”

Chapter 13 of "Come Along", Part 5 of Super Friends for Life! by NellyHarrison

[nellyharrison]

I sighed happily when he leaned down to kiss me, my hands splaying over his heart as I melted against him.  “If I am made this weak by your kisses, I worry for my stability when I experience more.” “You should worry,” he joked.  “If I do it right, you will be very unstable by the time I am finished with you.  I expect your legs to be wobblier than a newborn foal and my name to be the only one you can remember.” “Finan,” I breathed, my cheeks growing ruddier before he silenced me with another kiss. “Get a room!” came a voice nearby, Finan looking up to glare at Sihtric while I hid in his chest again. “Get lost!” Finan shot back, shaking his head before leading me back inside.  As the door closed, all I heard was Sihtric’s howling laughter.

Chapter 6 of "My Heart Is In You" by NellyHarrison

[nellyharrison]

With their tokens in hand, they each lowered themselves into their tubs, gripping the sides tightly before settling in the cold water. “By the way,” Stiles stammered, glancing over at Scott.  “If I don’t make it and you do, you should probably know something.  Your dad’s in town.”  He glanced back at Erica, whose brows furrowed at the look in his face.  “And, uh, take care of her.” “Stiles,” Erica muttered. “Always,” Scott promised him, his eyes shifting back to Erica just to see the stunned look on her face before adding to Stiles, “Right back at you.” “Always,” Stiles agreed.

Chapter 12 of "Come Along", Part 5 of Super Friends for Life! by NellyHarrison

[nellyharrison]

“Your son does not look like a Saxon,” Thyra observed, watching me carefully. “His father was a Viking,” I told her.  “Sverri the trader, of Jutland.” “I remember hearing his name at Dunholm,” Thyra recalled, picking at the bread in her hands.  “How did you come to have a child with him?” I inhaled slowly through my nose, my eyes darting to Gisela, who nodded when she sensed my hesitance.  Thyra was Gisela’s family, and family of Uhtred, who I had come to trust completely.  If I could not trust Thyra too, who could I trust?  “I was stolen from Irland and sold to him years later as his concubine,” I explained.  “But he is gone now.”  I had to remind myself of this anytime I thought of my time as Sverri’s concubine.  It was a verbal touchstone, a comfort that I brought myself whenever my mind drifted to that period of my life. “Good,” Thyra stated, taking a bite from her bread.  “Any man who believes he can own a woman like she is a possession should freeze in Niflheim for eternity.” “Finan assures me he is burning in hell for all he had done in life, but Niflheim sounds like a suitable alternative,” I replied, smiling when Thyra laughed in response. Just like that, the hesitance between us vanished, and I had made a new friend.

Chapter 6 of "My Heart Is In You" by NellyHarrison

[nellyharrison]

“He needs to try and slow his breathing,” Jackson advised. “No shit!” Erica snapped. “I can’t.  I can’t,” Stiles shook his head, holding his hand over his chest when he started hyperventilating. “Erica, kiss him,” Lydia suggested quietly to her. “What?” Erica gaped. “Trust me!” Lydia insisted. “Fine!” Erica replied, moving closer to Stiles and gently cupping his face.  “Shh, shh.  Batman, look at me,” she coaxed.  “Shh, look at me.  Shh, Stiles.”  His eyes met hers and for a moment she forgot he was in the middle of a panic attack.  She forgot that Jackson and Lydia were standing right next to them, watching their every move.  She forgot that Scott was out there with the alpha pack, doing whatever was necessary to get his mom home safe.  She forgot about all of it and only saw him.  Stiles.  Her best friend.  Her first crush.  The boy she had spent the better part of a decade falling in love with over and over again. Their first kiss had been one of urgency, in case anything went wrong and she lost her chance.  The kisses in between had been of discovery and learning each other in this new way.  But this kiss was something else entirely.  As she held his face firmly and pressed her lips to his, it was like coming home again.  Not the home she grew up in, not the home she made in Derek’s building, but the metaphoric home.  That feeling of comfort and completion that could only be achieved by finding your true place in the world.  This kiss answered all of the questions she’d had about them, silenced all of the doubts she’d told herself over the years, and reminded herself of that little girl that felt her heart skip a beat over her scrawny, dorky best friend for the first time.

Chapter 12 of "Come Along", Part 5 of Super Friends for Life! by NellyHarrison