@barnes-lothbrok and I came up with a somewhat spontaneous idea to do a little winter-themed Vikings fandom prompt event. Maybe we can inspire some of you to create short stories and artwork that we can enjoy in a cozy place, wrapped in blankets, with hot drinks and yummy cookies.
Here are the words [which we tried to keep basic so they fit canon as well as modern AUs]:
The Rules:
● The event is for anyone who wants to participate. There is no need to be a follower.
● Please use #norsetalesforwinter if you post your creation. You don't have to tag one of us, but you're welcome to do so so that we can more quickly become aware of the entry
● Fandom: Vikings only
● Characters/Pairings: Free to choose
● The event is open for fanfics and fanarts.
● For fanfics, try to keep it around 1000 words (but no punishment awaits you if you go beyond)
● Please use warnings if your work contains anything that might trigger others.
● You can use one of the prompts or combine them. It's totally up to you. You can make it an extra challenge by using them all in one story.
● You also can participate as often as you want.
● Deadline: Let's keep it a December project - 31.12.2022
● Don't forget to have fun
| Title: Little Goatie
| Pairing: Ivar x Heahmund
| Words: ~2000 🙈 [AO3]
|Summary: Heahmund has a present for Ivar that he considers very questionable at first. Only when he takes a closer look at it does it bore deeply into his heart.
| Warnings: None - It's just fluff with a bit of humor.
| Notes: My participation for the Norse Tales for Winter Challenge:) It is dedicated to @vaire-gwir. I hope this little story will serve you as a plushie on your long journey home. One day we'll find you a real one that's squishy enough! Until then, we have to go on many more adventures together ♥.
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The apartment door was pushed open with a swing and fell noisily back into the lock. Shoes were carelessly brushed off the feet and left on the spot in the hallway. The jacket along with the scarf followed next. They landed on one of the dressers on the way to the living room. The coat rack didn't get any attention. Ivar was in a hurry. He had no time for neatness - never, actually.
The steady sound of his crutch hitting the floor echoed through the hallway as he walked toward the first room to his right. In the doorway to the living room, Ivar stopped for a moment, peeked in, and let his gaze wander searchingly across the room. He didn't find what he was looking for, but something else made him pause for a moment, confused. With a shake of his head, he averted his gaze, as he had another matter on his mind at the moment.
"Heahmund, you still there?" he finally shouted through the apartment, hopes high that he hadn't come back too late.
"I'm in the kitchen, love," came the prompt reply, and Ivar exhaled in relief. He immediately turned and made his way into the room where his lover sat at the counter, a steaming cup and his laptop in front of him.
"Let me guess, hot milk with a hint of cinnamon?" Ivar asked without hiding his disgust at the content of the cup as he bridged the distance and came to a stop next to Heahmund.
"Yes, of course. It calms my nerves best before a trip," Heahmund said as he typed three last words in his mail before pressing the send button and finally closing his laptop completely. When Ivar was next to him, he immediately put his arm around his beloved's waist and pulled him closer.
Ivar bent down a little, at first wanting only to press his lips against his boyfriend’s temple, but Heahmund stood up and gave him a tender kiss as a welcome instead. Immediately after the kiss, Ivar wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, which made Heahmund laugh out loud. Knowing how much Ivar hated milk, he didn't take offense, but went straight for another kiss, this time on the cheek.
"I have to leave in a few minutes, unfortunately. But I'm happy you made it home in time for some goodbye kisses." Heahmund already disliked being away from Ivar for a few days, but his job, which he also liked a lot, forced him to take business trips now and then. Now, once again, he had to travel to another country for eight days straight without Ivar being able to accompany him.
"Some torture, you mean?" Ivar said with a grin, before leaning forward again, surrendering to his fate with a spark of love in his eyes. He leaned his crutch against the counter and wrapped both arms around Heahmund's neck. Their lips touched only feather-lightly, caressing each other in delicate nudges. They lingered like that for a while, enjoying their togetherness, before Heahmund broke away with a sigh and briefly stood tall to plant a kiss on Ivar's forehead.
"I should get going." Heahmund drank the last bit out of his cup and went with it to the sink to clean it directly and then dry it and put it back into the kitchen cupboard. Ivar watched the scene with a grin, but refrained from commenting.
With the laptop under his arm, Heahmund made his way to the living room, but stopped in the hallway, his eyes darting alternately to Ivar's jacket and shoes.
"Are you serious, my love? How many times..." Heahmund turned to Ivar, but was stopped mid-sentence as a finger settled on his lips.
"Shh. Save your energy. I was in a hurry. Does that count as an excuse?"
"Actually...not, no. It would have taken you just two seconds…" Heahmund handed Ivar his laptop to hold it for a moment while he took care of what he perceived as chaos in the hallway, neatly setting Ivar's shoes aside and hanging his jacket on one of the designated hooks, scarf included.
"I can't believe it," he muttered, snapping his fingers against Ivar's temple, who had the audacity to just stand by and grin, leaning on his crutch. "You're like a savage..."
"I know," was the simple reply, which earned him an additional slap on the butt as Ivar turned around to continue his way to the living room. Once there, he placed the laptop on top of Heahmund's suitcase, knowing that he shouldn't even try to pack it himself. His boyfriend had a very precise system, which he would only destroy if he would try to help.
With one finger Ivar pointed to the coffee table. "Why is there a goat plushie on the table?" he asked, the confusion about the little thing evident in his voice.
Heahmund turned his head to look at the little fellow and a smile appeared on his face. "I saw it at the mall and it reminded me of you...of us in a way."
The look on Ivar's face only became more confused due to this explanation. "Why is that?"
"Goats are just as stubborn as you are," Heahmund began his explanation as he tapped his index finger against Ivar's temple. "They're strong-headed, always on the go to bash each other's heads in."
"And that reminded you of me?"
"Absolutely!"
Ivar rolled his eyes, but grinned back at Heahmund. He knew there was a pinch of truth in it. He could be damn stubborn and often got into heated arguments faster than he himself would have liked.
"And what about the us part?"
"It's more of a 'me' thing. The noise the goats make always sounds to me like they're complaining a lot..."
"Oh yes, that suits you perfectly," Ivar interrupted Heahmund directly, who in the meantime had stowed his laptop into his bag and now turned back to Ivar and headed towards him.
"See, that's why this little fellow represents us perfectly." Heahmund positioned himself behind Ivar and wrapped his arms around him, letting his chin rest on his shoulder.
"But for what reason did you bring it home? You could have brought me a real present instead. I wouldn’t have mind to get something useful." Neither of them were collectors of stuffed animals, which is why Ivar's confusion hadn't completely faded. He leaned against Heahmund, putting his hands over those of his beloved.
"It's useful!" came Heahmund to the goat's rescue. "If you miss me, you can cuddle with it," he continued and kissed Ivar on the neck shortly after, which made him shiver pleasantly.
"Why should I miss you, huh? With your constant complaining about household stuff and neatness, you're miserable to be around. You just said it yourself." He turned his head to face his beloved, his eyes and voice full of mischief.
"Because I keep you warm at night," Heahmund said with a smile and poked Ivar in the side, making him squeal.
"So I can set this thing on fire then?" This suggestion brought him another poke in the side before he laughed out and Heahmund lured him into another kiss.
With a heavy heart, Heahmund packed up the last of the odds and ends and left the apartment less than ten minutes later. Not without many more brief kisses and Ivar's promise that he wouldn't do any harm to the goat.
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Two hours later, Ivar had made himself comfortable on the couch. Cookies and tea next to him, a series on the TV, which he followed halfway attentively. The other half of his attention was on his cell phone. He was scrolling through apps at random and waiting impatiently for Heahmund to send him a message that he had arrived at his destination in one piece.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the goat plushie staring at him the whole time. Shaking his head, because he still couldn't believe that Heahmund had spent his money on such nonsense, he turned his eyes toward it.
Half an hour later he got up to warm himself some food in the microwave. On his way back he stopped by the plushie to grab it, carrying it with him back to the couch. As he looked at it more closely, thoughtfully touching and tossing it from side to side, he noticed that there seemed to be a pushable button in each of the hooves. Curious, he got to the bottom of the matter and found a switch hidden in the belly, which he switched to on.
Immediately after pressing the front left hoof, Heahmund's voice rang out.
"Don't forget to wash the dishes, love. Things don't get cleaned up on their own."
After a brief moment of puzzlement, Ivar began to laugh and he looked with amusement in his eyes at the little goat, which returned the stare with its lifeless beady eyes. He could clearly hear the grin that Heahmund must have had on his face during the recording, and it was beginning to rub off on him.
"What an idiot," he spoke to himself, inwardly filled with love for the man who always managed to get into his heart and to make him soft.
Curious, he pressed the next hoof.
"Don't get crumbs all over the couch, and if you do, there's an invention called a vacuum cleaner. You don't need a driver's license to operate this one."
Again, Ivar let out a laugh, before he looked down, caught. With a quick flick of his wrist, he swept the already scattered crumbs of the cookies on the blanket to the floor. At best, these would disappear into the long fluff of the carpet, never to be seen again, without him actually having to do any housework.
With a big smile on his face, Ivar pressed the next of the two remaining ones.
"I love you just the way you are my messy little slob..." For a short moment Ivar thought that the message was already over, because he heard nothing more, until Heahmund eventually continued. "But please keep the chaos at bay anyway. I'd rather have my hands on you when I get back than in the cleaning bucket."
This message made his smile grow even bigger and his fantasies briefly went on a journey, coloring his cheeks a delicate red.
Without hesitation, he pushed the last remaining button and already a second later his heart warmed up and his eyes became watery.
"Sleep well, my love. I will be here by your side, protecting you from anything that tries to haunt your dreams."
It was their good night ritual that had become a daily habit over the past few months. Not a day went by that Heahmund didn't whisper those sweet words in his ear as they lay in bed together, often in a tight embrace, all snuggled up. It had helped Ivar to get a grip on his previously frequent nightmares and moreover, to fall asleep with a feeling of security.
Still amused, and deeply touched at the same time, that Heahmund had actually taken the time to record him this kind of messages, Ivar hugged the stuffed animal tightly for a moment and buried his face in its soft fur. He felt ridiculous that he was cuddling with a plush toy, but at the same time so full of love and somehow also so close to Heahmund. He already missed him and despite the somewhat funny messages, Ivar could also feel Heahmund's love for him. It was audible to him in every little syllable and it made him replay all the messages again.
He allowed himself a brief moment to dwell in his happiness before setting the little goat beside him and reaching for his cell phone to send Heahmund his love in return.
