Merry WIP Wednesday for those who celebrate
Come athelnar fans, come get your food!! FINALLY a real interaction between those two --- not before Floki makes an appearance!
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The Beta tries in vain. His head snaps to the left as Helga kneels next to him. He buries his face in her chest and she pets his hair, ever encouraging. She whispers something in his ear and lets out a soft giggle, and Floki follows her suit with his distinctive acute titter.
He faces him again, and squares his shoulders up. Ragnar playfully squares his as well.
āRagnar, I came here to ask you if I could be the first one to hold your child, this timeā
His voice trembles as he says so, just as his eyes almost canāt meet his, but his body is finally immobile, as if this would increase his chances of Ragnar saying yes.
The Alpha thinks of toying with him, tease him a little, but he senses the hopeful tones in the coupleās mixed scent and decides against it. He is happy and so should be his people.
With a loud howl, his friend springs forward and hugs him, his bony arms circling his middle like a child. He aligns their necks together and scents him with enthusiasm, the rumbling of his purs reverberating in his chest. Ragnar openly laughs as Floki chants his thanks in his ear like a prayer to the Gods. He laughs with his eyes squeezed shut, until his entire body hurts, and when he opens them again Athelstan is leaning over a column of the hall, his head tilted to the side as he regards them with his usual soft smile. Ragnar has to squeeze Flokiās body tighter to keep himself from falling apart.
āYou heard the news so late?ā
He asks him later, after the Beta couple has gone to Aslaug to touch her still flat belly. He tries to play it as a joke, but he knows his face is hard, scent bitter. The Omega lightly scoff and shakes his head, before taking a loud gulp of his beer. Itās not even midday and heās already drinking. Itās unusual.
Ragnar says so and takes the cup away from him. He watches as Athelstanās lips close over nothing and for a moment the air seems to still in between them. The manās jaw is set in a strange line, his scent unnaturally mute. His eyes are vacuous, pointed downward and to the side, lost somewhere in the wooden planks of the hall ā It reminds Ragnar of when the Omega was still a slave and had things to complain about, things a normal slave couldn't say to and about their master, and for that forced to remain silent. He is displeased, and ashamed.
Why, why are you, speak to me, why why why, talk, explain, say it say it, say the truth!
The moment lasts for one instant, and Athelstan smiles again, has even the guts to shove the Alphaās shoulder with a fist.
āThe Gods forbid I get enough sleepā
Ragnar grins as a reflex, but his stomach feels like it's harboring a large stone in its pit.
āYou and Aslaug have been blessed with the gift of fertility. Freyja must really love you twoā
Do you? Do you love us? Do you love me?
Does Freyja love you too?
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