You jumped above water, stroking your hands over your wet hair before turning around to Ivar who sat at the edge of the lake. He hated water more than anything, because of his legs. So he had to watch instead of joining you. He was playing with a strain of grass, blue eyes scouting the surface to you, the corner of his lips slowly traveling up before he put his finger up, gesturing you to come out of the lake. You bited your lip, swimming over to more steady ground to stand on before stepping out, slowly uncovering parts of your naked body as you stepped out. His blue eyes followed every curve of your body until your feet stopped before him. You dropped down on his lap and he grabbed your face, kissing you hungry. He could only watch you swim, watch you have fun and now all of the sudden you were here and that was something he always seemed to enjoy. And how much you loved swimming, coming back to him did the same to you.

'Y/n, get up!' He sounded so angry, like he yelled already ten times against you. You groaned, ignoring the heat radiating from your body while the goosebumps crossed your arms. 'Y/n!' He hissed. You forced your eyes open, feeling sleepy again. He sat before you on the ground, arms crossed over the edge of the bed. Although his voice sounded so angry, his eyes looked so concerned.

'What?' You asked weak. He tilted his head and stroke his fingertips over your sweaty forehead.

'You are burning up.' He stated. You closed your eyes again, feeling like your body just ran a day long. 'When did you start to feel like this?'

'Late last night.' You muttered.

'And why didn't you tell me?' His voice had some kind of an possessive angry edge, like he was planning on punishing you for not telling him. You forced your eyes back open and looked in his blue once.

'Because you are not that gentle, what we have is not that real.' You whispered hoarse. He licked his lips before pushing away from the bed, dragging his body through your house. You turned to your back, ignoring the pain that cramped through your body. By the gods, from where did this came? It took him a while before he returned, with a bucket of water and some cloth. He pushed it all the way to the bed. 'Ivar.' You protested softly when he pulled up to the bed.

'Don't even start!' He warned you angry. You muttered something, looking how he wetted that cloth before gently pushing it against your forehead. A relieved sigh leaved your body as you closed your eyes again. You felt your body drown in the sleep again under the soft pressure of him cooling down your head. 'You think this presents nothing but you're wrong.' He whispered. Thinking you were too far off that you wouldn't hear. But you did.

When you woke up he was still there, working on his bracers beside you on the bed. You turned away from your side and he directly looked down, frowning his eyebrows on your sleepy gaze. 'How do you feel?' He asked.

'Good enough for you to amuse somebody else.' You waved your fingers slowly towards the door. He clenched his teeth for a moment, throwing his bracers to the end of the bed before turning around to you.

'You hate this? Me taking care of you?' He guessed. You slowly breathed in before shaking your head.

'It isn't your position; I should be taking care of you.' You whispered. He squeezed his eyes together, only blue stripes looking down to you as he laid on his stomach.

'For now it is like this.' He just answered, stubborn like always.

'Why?'

'Because,' he rolled his eyes, looking away from you to the little room you laid in. 'I care about you.'

'You have a strange way of showing it sometimes Ivar.' You forced a smile on your lips, although it was a weak one he relaxed a little. He laid his fingertips on your forehead and softly stroke a strain of hair away.

'Enjoy it while you can, if you are all better again you have to do as I say.'

'I'm just to nothing more. I can handle you.' You agreed. He sighed , shaking his head again.

'How do you feel?' He asked you for the second time.

'Not much better. I think I swallowed some water from the lake.' You guessed. What else could it be?

'Then you won't swim again.'

'Never?'

'Never.' He placed a kiss on your forehead before pushing up. You weren't used to this, this kind version of him. You were used to Ivar the Boneless, a ruthless king, commanding you around. This was not that and you enjoyed it, hoping this would change things between the both of you. He pulled a plate on his lap with some food.

'I'm not hungry.' You protested softly. He looked back down to you, warning you with his strong gaze. You forced your body up and he kind of helped you with it. You looked down to the food, he took a piece of bread and held it up. You quickly jerked it out of his hand. 'Go not too far.' You muttered, not wanting him to feed you or anything. You chewed on the breath, looking to the slim fire burning, feeling your eye lids already go heavy again. 'You don't need to be here Ivar. 'You whispered, slowly letting your head sank against his shoulder. He chuckled, almost coldly. '

Like you can command me to do something.' He laughed. It made you chuckle almost to. You turned your head and studied his face for a moment.

'You really care?' You asked. He turned his head, noses hardly distanced from each other. He looked into your eyes for a long time before lifting his hand, cupping half your face.

'I may be a ruthless king but every king has his weak spot, you're mine, you always have been.' Was that a love confession? You hardly got time you wrap your head around it as he placed a soft kiss against your lips. 'Rest, I need you strong.' He whispered. You looked into his strong eyes and just nodded, like you always did. Only it felt different this time.