synopsis : as punishment, askeladd orders thorfinn to guard you, askeladds daughter, overnight. you try talking to him in the dark.
a/n : OMG WHY ARE THERE BARELY ANY GOOD VINLAND SAGA FANFICS?? i need good fanfics dudeee
wc : 1.6k+
you didnât need a guard.
especially not him.
but your father thought otherwise.
âkeep her alive. thatâs your punishment,â askeladd had said, tossing thorfinn a glance like it was a joke. âsheâs more valuable than you.â
and so, thorfinn sat now outside your tent, knife glinting faintly in the moonlight, his profile sharp and cold. he didnât move. he didnât speak.
thorfinnâs presence was impossible to ignore, even in the quiet of the night. the pale light of the moon traced the hard angles of his face, highlighting the sharpness of his jawline and the tense set of his lips. his skin, slightly weathered from years of battles and harsh winds, held a faint sheen of sweat, a reminder of the relentless intensity that defined him. dark locks of hair, unruly and thick, hung in front of his eyes, occasionally brushing against the curve of his cheek like restless shadows. despite the stillness, you could almost see the storm inside himâan ocean of rage, grief, and something far more fragile that he refused to reveal.
his hands, calloused and strong, rested lightly on the hilt of his daggerâa weapon as familiar to him as his own breath. the blade caught the moonlight now and then, a quiet shimmer that betrayed the cold precision with which he wielded it. fingers twitching subtly, he never fully relaxed; every muscle seemed ready to spring into motion at a momentâs notice. the way he held himself spoke of a warrior born for battle, yet there was an unmistakable tension
he just watched.
and waited.
you lay awake, voice low but mischievous as you finally broke the silence.
âyou hate this, donât you?â
no answer.
you smirked to yourself, shifting beneath the blanket.
âdonât worry, iâm not that scary. though, you do look like youâre about to kill someone.â
still nothing.
âhey, do you even know what a smile is? or is that forbidden on guard duty?â
you heard a quiet sigh, but no words.
âyou know, you could at least say âgoodnightâ or something. itâs polite.â
no response.
âfine, be that way. iâll just assume youâre practicing your brooding face. very intimidating.â
after a pause, his voice came, dry and low:
âi donât have time for jokes.â
you laughed softly.
âsure you donât. but hey, youâre stuck here with me all night, so you might as well try.â
silence.
another pause.
âare you always this moody, or am i just special?â
you heard a faint shuffle as he shifted, but he said nothing.
âmaybe if you talked more, youâd scare off the bad guys better. silent types are overrated.â
no reply.
âor are you waiting for me to fall asleep so you can sneak away?â you teased.
a deep breath, then his voice, rough but low:
ânot a chance.â
you laughed softly
âsee? you care a little.â
âdonât get used to it.â
âtoo late,â you said with a grin. âiâm already planning our next adventure â or at least figuring out how to annoy you more.â
he didnât answer, but you thought you caught the faintest twitch at the corner of his mouth.
âyou know,â you said, âguarding me canât be that bad. you get to stare at me all night.â
âiâd rather stare at the moon.â
âsure you would,â you teased. âbut iâm more interesting, right?â
his voice, almost a growl this time:
âdonât push it.â
you smiled, warmth spreading despite the cold night.
silence again, but something unspoken hung in the air between you.
âso, still planning to run off in the middle of the night, or have you finally decided iâm not worth the trouble?â
he didnât answer, but the slight twitch of his mouth told you he heard you.
âyou know, for a guy who looks like heâs about to stab someone at any moment, youâre surprisingly good company.â
a low grunt was his only response.
âthatâs it? no clever comeback?â you teased. âi thought you were supposed to be the quick one.â
he shifted, boots scraping the dirt. âwords are wasted on you.â
âouch,â you said with mock offense. âyouâre cruel.â
âiâm honest,â he muttered.
you laughed softly. âsame thing, really.â
another pause, then you ventured, âyou ever get tired of being so serious all the time?â
ânever,â he said flatly.
âhm, sure,â you said, smirking. âthatâs what i thought.â
he gave a soft snort, almost a laugh, but caught himself. âdonât make me regret this.â
âtoo late,â you whispered, but it wasnât harsh. more like a challenge.
the night wrapped around you like a secret, filled with quiet words and stolen smiles. for all the darkness, it was the first time you felt the cold guard soften, if only just.
âso,â you said, nudging the tent flap open a crack, âwhatâs your next brilliant plan? stare at me all night until i fall asleep?â
âmaybe,â he said, voice low but not unkind.
âwell, youâre doing a terrible job,â you teased.
the night was deep and still, the only sounds the faint rustle of leaves and thorfinnâs steady breathing.Â
âhey,â you whispered, poking your head out of the tent flap. âyou know, this guard duty doesnât have to be so boring.â
he glanced at you, eyes narrowed but curious.
âwhat if we went and got some food? together,â you suggested, voice low and teasing.
thorfinnâs lips twitched like he was trying not to smile. âyou want me to break orders?â
âmaybe,â you grinned. âbut think about it. itâs late, everyoneâs asleep. no one would even notice.â
he shook his head, but there was a flicker of amusement in his eyes. âyouâre reckless.â
âand youâre a little boring. perfect balance,â you said.
he sighed but took a step closer. âfine. but if we get caught, youâre explaining it.â
âdeal.â
you didnât move right away. you watched him, how the moonlight hit his face sharp and cold, like stone that didnât know how to soften. and yet⊠here he was. agreeing to sneak off with you for something as simple as food.
âyou knowâŠâ you let the words hang there as you walked beside him, voice low but teasing. âyou agreed to getting food pretty quick. i think you like spending time with me. you just donât know how to say it.â
his shoulders stiffened. for a second, he didnât even glance your way.
âno,â he said finally, flat and blunt as always. âi just donât want to listen to you complain all night.â
you smiled anyway, leaning forward slightly as if your grin alone could chip away at his walls. âsure, thorfinn. whatever helps you sleep at night.â
he said nothing, but you saw the twitch of his jaw, the barest flicker of something behind his eyes.
you fell into step beside him as he led the way through the quiet camp. the fires had burned down to low embers now, the silhouettes of sleeping men scattered in the dark. only your footsteps and the faint rustle of grass marked your path.
âyouâre not denying it though,â you said softly after a moment.
this time, he did look at you. just once. his gaze was steady but unreadable. âi donât need to.â
that stopped you.
the air between you shifted. heavier. warmer. like silence suddenly meant something.
for a heartbeat, you forgot what teasing even felt like.
then, as if remembering himself, he turned away again, cold and unreadable. âyou talk too much.â
you blinked, trying to steady your voice as you caught up beside him again. âand you listen too much.â
his jaw tightened.
you smiled wider, choosing playfulness over nerves. âsee? we make a good pair.â
he didnât argue.
which, in thorfinnâs world, felt dangerously close to agreement.
you followed him down the small hill where askeladdâs men kept spare supplies. your footsteps were quiet, but your thoughts were loudâtoo loud. you shouldnât have said half of what youâd said. shouldnât have felt half of what you were feeling. he was only here because your father forced him to be.
yet⊠he stayed.
you let the silence linger, choosing to let him think youâd let the conversation die. but inside, you couldnât stop watching him.
he moved like a bladeâsilent, sharp, efficient. every step was controlled, every glance a calculation. he didnât waste words. didnât waste anything.
except, apparently, time on you.
âwhereâs the food?â you whispered, scanning the small storage crates.
âthere,â he answered simply, crouching near one of the crates and pulling out a wrapped bundle of dried meat and flatbread.
you knelt beside him, close enough to feel the faint warmth radiating off his skin. he smelled faintly like smoke and earth.
âyouâre good at this,â you murmured.
he frowned slightly. âgood at what?â
âtaking care of things you donât want to.â
his fingers stilled on the bread. you wondered if that was too much. too close to the truth he didnât want to hear.
before he could answer, you leaned back, trying to soften the moment. âwell, lucky for me, iâm charming enough to make it tolerable.â
âhm.â
âthat was almost a laugh.â
âno, it wasnât.â
âi think it was.â
âstop talking.â
you laughed softly, but your voice lowered, almost fond now. âmake me.â
his hands froze on the food.
the silence came backâdifferent this time. thicker.
you swallowed, glancing down. âsorry.â
he shifted, not meeting your gaze. âyouâre⊠not like them.â
you frowned slightly. âwho?â
âyour fatherâs men.â
you watched him carefully. âis that a good thing?â
he hesitated. then said, quieter, âmaybe.â
you didnât realize how long you stared at him until he stood abruptly, bundle of food in hand.
âcome on,â he said, voice low. âbefore someone wakes up.â
you followed, heart racing for reasons you couldnât name.
back up the hill, you found a quiet spot behind a low tree where the camp couldnât see you. you sat together, not quite close, not quite distant, sharing stolen bread under the stars.
you chewed in silence for a while, glancing at him now and then. thorfinn ate like he foughtâquiet, focused, quick.
but something about the night, about sitting beside him with no one else around, made everything feel⊠different. like neither of you had to pretend.
âthis feels like trouble,â you whispered softly.
he glanced at you. âit is.â
you smiled faintly. âgood.â
he shook his head like you were impossible but didnât move away.
the night stretched on, and for once, you didnât mind the silence.
because even without words, you knew he was listening.
and for now, that was enough.
@ lveisagi, please do not copy, translate, or repost my work. all rights reserved.