"I know we haven't talked for two years but I think we're still in love."

chapter IV, act II ✧ 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌

", sun," Nero grinned, sitting up on the bed, her knees apart as she rested on her heels.

The girl brushed Hvitserk's hair off his forehead with slight touches of her fingers before poking his cheek. She had woken up in an incredibly good mood, she would see Ubbe and Sigurd... and Ivar.

He only groaned in response, turning his face away from hers, he looked peaceful, and after the past night, that was an amazing improvement. She got up and began readying herself, braiding her hair and pulling on her usual linen tunics. Once she was done, she fastened her belt, allowing it to hang down her stomach and leg.

"Wake up, Hvitserk," she huffed, plopping down on the bed and slightly pushing him, the boy finally gave up and turned to look at her, smiling a little before rubbing his eyes, the corners of her lips curled up at the sight.

He reluctantly stood, wishing he could instead spend the entire day in bed with her, and in fact, he could, but he knew she was eager to see the others, to see how they were holding up after all the tragedies that had been entailing their lives.

She stared at him while he tried to get himself together, throwing his furs over his body and rubbing his face with his hands.

"Why are you looking at me that way?" he sighed, noticing her eyes on him and turning around to face her, one hand on his hip, she laughed at his pose, "Huh?"

She shrugged, throwing her head back a little, he smiled and pounced on the girl, pushing her back on the bed as he began poking her sides, causing the girl to roar with laughter as she crawled further into the bed, fearing that she would fall off and trying to get away from his grip.

He laughed as well, finding joy in making the girl smile and for the moment, he didn't have to worry about anything besides the two.

"Let's find your brother's, Vit," she squealed in between ragged breaths, her chest rising and falling quickly. He nodded, pecking her lips before throwing her over his shoulder, her body seemed to have adapted to the many times he had done it, the position was now... comfortable.

Walking out, he headed where Björn had said the boys were relocated. The girl only drew patterns on his back, gasping when he kicked a door open. He put her down and laced an around her waist, but not for too long as Ubbe shot up from his chair and ran towards the two, "Hvitserk! Nero!"

"Welcome home," Sigurd smiled, hugging the girl and pulling off the ground as she giggled, how they had missed that giggle. Ubbe then moved towards her, holding her face in his hands and kissing her forehead, she had never grinned so widely.

Nero glared at Margarethe, who waved kindly at her. The wolf didn't trust the girl, not one bit, gods forbid if the two ever encountered each other alone.

Vit looked at the blonde woman, his gaze loving, "I heard you freed Margarethe, you want to marry her, I'm glad."

Oh, yeah, Hvitserk was so glad. Nero almost scoffed.

"Just don't keep her all to yourself," Hvitserk ran his rand along the slave's cheek before moving to settle down.

Nero wasn't hurt... nor mad at his words, she understood, understood too deeply what went through his mind. She sat by him, smiling as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her into him.

The boys knew that the two would become even closer after the raid. Ubbe was smiling at the sight of his family, but his heart felt empty, they were orphans now, "It's good to have you two back. Have you heard about mother?"

"Yes." Vit breathed out and Nero nodded, kissing his shoulder in a caring and calming manner, "Well... you and I Ubbe, we jumped under the ice because of her, so I don't quite agree that we should kill Lagertha because of it."

Vit's sadness turned into remorse, anger. The oldest brother looked at him in understanding, Sigurd did the exact same, "Ivar thinks we should."

"Ivar's crazy, you know that."

"Crazy why? For wanting to avenge the cold-blooded murder of his mother? Of the only people in his head that accepted him regarding his legs?" she barked at him, her eyes moving to Sigurd as the boy had nodded at his brother's statement. Vit looked at her wide-eyed, but yet he understood her words.

"Maybe we should wait," Ubbe murmured, trying to calm the girl down and reaching out a hand for her, which she gladly took, he rubbed his thumb across her palm and she breathed out, still pissed.

"Until we avenge our father. Someone has to rule Kattegat when we are away," Sigurd reasoned, and she nodded her head, they had valid points.

"And if we kill Lagertha, we have to kill Björn," he continued, dropping the girl's hand, she shivered, snuggling closer to Hvitserk, who had begun chuckling. She hated the idea of killing Björn, she hated the idea of killing any of the Ragnarssons.

"Well... maybe you couldn't do it anyways," the laughing boy dared, and though Nero didn't wish to lead him on, she had to agree, Ubbe was too bound by family, he couldn't kill Björn, much like he couldn't kill Ragnar.

"Would you want to test me, brother?" he thundered, even if his voice was calm, everyone could see his rumbling chest. Vit looked down at Nero in his chest, she looked up at him meekly and shrugged, his eyes went back to his older brother and he did the exact same — he shrugged.

The two stared at each other, Ubbe's eyes shining with coldness as Hvitserk's shone with cockiness and playfulness. Nero shook her head in disapproval, boys, she grabbed Vit's cup from his hands and downed his ale, even if she didn't quite enjoy the taste.

She stood up and smoothed out her clothing before heading for the door, she wished to see her father, his estate of mind wasn't necessarily the best at the moment. Just as she did so, Vit held onto her arm and pulled her into him, holding her chin with his hand as he placed a soft kiss on her lips, one that she quickly reciprocated before being reminded that almost all Ragnarssons were there with them.

"What?" she heard Ubbe and Sigurd squeal from inside the cottage as she bolted outside, her cheeks flushed red.

Floki forced the girl to help him build a chariot, which resulted in the two being completely isolated from the rest of Kattegat for some time. Ubbe and Hvitserk stopped by often.

Ubbe came around to update the wolf about his wedding only to get her to roll her eyes, she hated the girl, and he truly found amusement in that.

Hvitserk stopped by to entertain himself with how much the girl hated building things, they had become even closer as friends.

"Do you think it is wrong of me, to enjoy Margarethe so much?" he questioned, the girl kept on hammering one of the wheels, sparing a look at him from her crouched position.

She huffed, impatiently, "Yes."

"But I had enjoy—"

"Because she is weak, annoying, too obedient, and will betray you over fear," she growled, interrupting him, she wasn't jealous of the girl, but she was hurt that such girl had tricked Sigurd and Ubbe, bringing them into all of this in the first place.

Hvitserk laughed.

They had somewhat understood they simply weren't meant for each other in any way other than friendship. And he went back on thinking of Margarethe, and she went back on thinking of Ivar.

She worked on the chariot for days, she knew not how her father could giggle doing such job. She was truly made for war, she sighed and dropped her head.

She was tired but they were almost done, she fell to her back as she finally finished forging the metal piece her father needed, "If I wanted to forge I would have become a blacksmith, Floki" She groaned, throwing the perfect piece at him.

He giggled, picking it up and placing it in front of the 'chair' that sat in the middle of the chariot.

He walked around it, tapping on the wood to see if everything was firm and strong. Pleased with his work, he walked towards his daughter, looking down at her. She looked up at him in discontent before bursting into laughter at his face.

"Can I go around and become a part of society again?" she questioned, her back not for once leaving the ground as she began finding comfort in the grass. The day was soon becoming night and the hill was soon enveloped by the usual fog.

"Tomorrow." he smiled, she only nodded, closing her eyes briefly. He turned his back to her before speaking once again, "Can you make sure all is right?"

"Yeah," she huffed, standing up and looking at the stars for a moment while he walked away. She would never get tired of them, of their beauty.

A weak chuckle escaped her lips as she checked all parts of what she and her father had just finished building. She tugged and pulled but everything seemed perfectly fine, much like everything else Floki had ever built. Nero climbed on her horse, her legs secured as she allowed her back to touch along its spine. She looked to the side, smiling slightly at the white horse her father had brought there.

Her arms fell on each side of her horse, she knew it was completely tame, calm, much unlike her. Nero breathed in and out, working with Floki was tiring, and even though she hated building things, she still loved spending time with him.

Her mind wandered to Ubbe... Sigurd... Hvitserk... Ivar. She hadn't seen Ivar ever since she arrived, part of her hoped to never see him again, she knew her feelings would flood back into her like a broken dam.

"What is it?" her mind began running spinning, and for a moment she thought Odin would appear out of nowhere and speak to her. The voice resonated in her head, bringing chills up and down her spine, she knew who it belonged to, she recognized its power. Her father merely answered and put the boy on the floor, so he could see his new legs, his future and as said by Floki, his wings.

Time was suddenly so slow. She saw him. How could he have this much power over her? They had been away from each other for so long, for too long, and yet, she felt even more love for him than on the day she departed. Her chest thundered. She climbed off her horse, immediately regretting it as with each weak step she took, her knees shook more.

This had to be the work of the gods. At that moment the word love was reinvented to her. She finally understood that her father was right. She had been made for him. History could devour his name, but she would forget her own before forgetting his.

They had been in love before. How could they not have been? Nero sat with Ivar's legs laid on her lap and she ran her hands along his prominent bones, soothing his pain. Ivar played chess with Nero when everyone else was too afraid to because she had fought in war so young.

Nero kissed Ivar's knuckles when he got into his countless fights with Sigurd. Ivar pulled Nero close to his chest when she required constant attention because she feared everyone would leave her like her parents had.

Nero stood up for anyone who thought less of Ivar because of his legs. Ivar allowed Nero, and only Nero to pull him in his cart and when people stared at her for being an outsider he told her they were looking at him for being a cripple.

Floki had mentored them right out of their minds and straight into each other.

They were just kids back then, but they were just kids now. They grew old and grew apart. Nero and the other brothers began getting along just fine and she was soon part of the family, part of the group. They would destroy whoever dared to hurt her just as she would do the same. The five stayed up until morning, hunting, fishing, drinking, talking, and her feelings began to hide under their friendship.

He looked at her and he was sure something... shifted. The girl looked like the ultimate act of rebellion, of recklessness, she looked like something that shouldn't be seen by mere mortals. His chest heaved with the effort of breathing in her presence.

Odin laughed at the two from his throne in Asgard.

Floki smiled, he almost felt like an intruder in the forest. The mist seemed to have worn off in the air around the two, their bodies and souls were twirling with feelings and emotions, he knew this was All-father's doing. Both of their eyes were glazed with so many emotions. Their irises hid under the shadows of the forest.

They looked divine.

Her mouth watered at the simple sight of him. She could have looked at him forever.

His body responded to the sight of her in ways unimaginable to him. How he sought to hear her voice, to feel her touch.

"Ru—" before he could even continue the girl had already launched herself at him. Floki roared with giggles as he watched the interaction. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her knees on each side of his legs as she pulled him close to her, tears leaving her eyes as she did.

His arms wrapped around her waist tightly almost as if it was his second nature, almost as if he feared she would disappear.

She hated how he hadn't looked for her, how he didn't try to see her.

"Ivar, you bloody bastard," she cursed, punching him on the shoulder and finally pulling away, she rubbed her eyes with her hands and smiled, the biggest smile he had ever seen, the prettiest smile he had ever seen.

This must be love. This must be more than love. He thought, hearing her say his name with a curse while tears slipped down her eyes and she laughed. She looked beautiful.

She didn't know if she wanted to kill him or be so close to him that they would eventually become parts of each other.

She had missed him so much, too much. Yet she only noticed that when she came to face him again. His eyes were bluer than she had remembered, and the small scar on his cheek seemed to ask for her to trail her fingers over it. The smile he had on his face made her wish it would never leave.

Her head spun with thoughts of him.