@lauwrite1225 made a joke that Sigtryggr was Aethelstan's gay awakening and this came to me, don't @ me y'all 😩
"He's handsome isn't he?" Aethelstan jokes under his breath with a smirk on his face. When Osbert does not reply, he clarifies, "Your sisters husband."
"Don't be an arse, Aethelstan."
"What, you do not agree?" He eggs on, leaning his head towards to Osbert's shoulder as he continues to tease, "I think it's his hair. Danes always take such wonderful care of themselves. Just imagine how much they care for their lovers-"
"I swear, keep talking and I will throw you from the balcony-"
"I have heard Danes are more likely to be... promiscuous than Christians, and are not picky with their lovers," Aethelstan is smirking at he speaks, his ale giving him enough liquid confidence to taunt his lover in public, "How many women do you think Sigtryggr has lied with," Aethelstan turns his body a little more towards Osbert as he whispers his teasing words more seductively, "How many men he's lied with-"
"If you wish to go lie with him instead, then be my guest," Osbert growls back lowly. His anger only making Aethelstan more aroused than ever before.
"What I wish is for you to take me somewhere where we cannot be found," Aethelstan smirks, waiting for Osbert to look back at him. Their faces, their lips, now only inches apart, "Show me how well you can take care of me."
Osbert tries to act angry, but instead the youngest Uhtredsson is too busy staring at Aethelstan's lips, "I should be punishing you for such intolerance instead."
This is a short scene between Aethelstan and my OC Luana from my 'fire in her eyes' series and takes place a couple of years before the start of season 5. You don't need to have read any of my other work. For those who are unaware, Luana is around the same age as Finan and is in a long term relationship with a Saxon woman named Rowena.
MASTERLIST
Word Count: 725
Warnings: coming to terms with their sexuality, denial of feelings
Luana sat on a fallen tree trunk, looking out at the river, watching the traders pass by as she sharpened her sword. It was almost summer, the air warm despite a spring breeze, flowers carpeting the river bank and the trees a lush green.
She heard the sound of footsteps approaching behind her, looking over her shoulder to find Aethelstan walking towards her with a contemplative look on his face.
‘Alright bastard?’ she asked, returning her focus to her sword, a slight smirk on her lips at using the teasing nickname her and Osferth had given him.
The teenager gave her a small smile, coming to sit beside her on the fallen tree. He let out a long sigh, looking out over the water.
‘May I ask you about something?’ he asked after a moment, an anxious and slightly pained look on his young face.
‘Sure,’ she answered uncertainly, placing her sword down beside her so she could give him her full attention.
‘You and Rowena are… together, right?’
Luana let out a small chuckle. ‘Well, it’s hardly much of a secret anymore.’
‘You love each other?’
‘Is it still too much for your little Christian brain to comprehend, two women loving each other?’ she teased. Aethelstan rolled his eyes, used to her teasing. ‘Why do you ask?’
He looked down at his hands in his lap, picking at his fingernails anxiously. ‘I was just wondering… how you knew you liked women?’
‘I always knew really,’ she answered with a small shrug. ‘I never understood my sisters’ crushes on our father’s warriors growing up, or saw the appeal of finding a husband. I always knew I was different in that way, I guess, but I didn’t really understand until I was about your age. Rowena didn’t realise until she was much older – probably not until I had kissed her half a dozen times did she actually admit she liked women,’ she added with a snort of laughter.
‘Is it hard? Being different?’
‘Yes and no. It was easier for me; I am a Dane and grew up with a father who loved me no matter what. It was harder when I came to serve Lord Uhtred and lived in Coccham. Me and Rowena had to hide who we truly are from a lot of people, including her family which I know was hard for her. Christians…,’ she sighed, trying to think of the right words, ‘they have so many more rules than we do, so many sins. It is better here, most people are Pagans and do not give us any trouble.’
‘I can’t imagine anyone giving you trouble, you are very…’
‘Intimidating?’
‘I was going to say absolutely terrifying,’ he chuckled, which made Luana smile.
‘People back in Coccham may have been too afraid to say anything to my face, but I know people whispered behind my back.’
‘What did you do?’
‘Nothing,’ she shrugged. ‘I don’t pay attention to Christian cowards who can’t even tell it to my face. And neither should you.’
‘W-what?’ he stammered, looking at her wide eyed. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I only mean to say that if your heart belongs to someone, you shouldn’t allow anyone else’s judgement to deter you.’
‘Are there… are there rumours about me?’ he asked worriedly, glancing around them.
‘No, not at all. But I see how you look at Osbert. It’s clear you-’
‘You are mistaken!’ he snapped angrily, standing up abruptly. He hung his head and apologised immediately, letting out a groan and beginning to pace up and down. ‘I just… I shouldn’t feel like this.’
‘Love can never be bad, Aethelstan,’ she told him gently. ‘There is so much hatred in the world. So much death and destruction. We need more love.’
‘So what should I do?’ he sighed, coming to sit beside her once again.
‘Talk to Osbert. No one else’s opinion really matters. It might not always be easy, but from what I gather love never is.’
He let out a breath and stared out at the water. He seemed deep in thought, his eyebrows knitted together.
Luana was just about to say something when he turned and pulled her into a hug, taking her quite by surprise.
‘Thank you,’ he murmured. ‘I’m glad I talked to you about it.’
An idea for an Aethelstan x Osbert angst prompt(s):
11 “are you ashamed of me?”
39 “is your image really more important than us?”
No pressure if you don't want to!
💛
Are you asking if I'm okay cause all I do is write angst or because I oooze of neverending existential dread?
Because answer is no, I'm never okay LMAO.
Thank you for this tho, i love writing these morons 😭💜
"Why do you do this?"
"Do what?"
"Make everything about you!"
Osbert stops stomping away and turns around to confront Aethelstan. He's tired and covered in dried blood split from fighting the three assassins who tried to take his life, but rather than go straight to the ale house to celebrate he follows Osbert to the buhr after the youngest Uhtredsson had announced he would not celebrate Aethelstan's victory with the others. He does not like constantly feeling like he's fighting with Osbert over nothing.
He cannot tell if they're growing up or growing apart anymore.
It's driving him mad.
"Nothing is ever about me," Osbert scoffs as he walks back towards Aethelstan, "You've made that very clear-"
"I thought you would be proud of me, I defended myself-"
"You got lucky-"
"What does that matter?! I am alive and I proved myself today," Aethelstan tries to explain as he closes the distance between the two of them, Osbert all but a simple touch away now, "Why can't you just be proud?" Osbert doesn't reply, his eyes glancing down, "Are you ashamed of us?"
"What? No-"
"Do you not..." Aethelstan licks his lips as he speaks lowly, "Do you not love me anymore?"
Osbert stares Aethelstan in the eye for a few moments and then scoffs, "You would ask me that? Truly?"
"You treat me as if I've wronged you, but I haven't," Aethelstan shakes his head, taking one step away, "Whatever grief you may have with your father, I am not a part of it-"
"Must you always bring him up?!"
Osbert groans and starts to walk away again, Aethelstan chasing him to his room as he goes, "I would not feel the need to, if you did not always use him as your excuse to cast your anger towards me!" Aethelstan huffs; angry, and though he cannot see Osbert's face he knows the other man is angry too, "Is your father's image of you really more important than us?"
Osbert stops moving, hovering in a corner as he shakes his head. Aethelstan takes a deep breath, waiting for a reaction, but when none comes he scoffs.
"I do not love you because you are the Son of Uhtred, you know," Aethelstan sighs with a shake of his, turning to leave as he heads for the door. He pulls it open, and turns around one last time to say, "I love you because you are Osbert."
Not giving Osbert a chance to reply, Aethelstan slams the door behind him and goes to the alehouse to celebrate his victory without him.
