The prompt is: "I wish we could live together already".

Warnings: mentione of raiding, mentions of sexual assault

Months had gone by in which Hvitserk and you had managed to keep your relationship a secret from the whole of Kattegat.

You had met each other during a raid, and you had instantly developed a connection.

It hadn't been more than a physical attraction at first, but over time you had grown together, starting a relationship.

During the raids you had practically lived together, sharing a tent, a bed, and a lot of body warmth.

When you had first met Hvitserk you had immediately known that life with him would be complicated, nevertheless you knew you needed him in your life.

When it had all started it was more of a game to you, sneaking into his tent at night, every night.

But you had gradually grown more and more intimate, staying longer, eating together in the mornings and even sharing secret but longing kisses.

You could see while men had their way with the village girls whose village they were raiding Hvitserk never even looked once, which seemed entirely unlike him.

You noticed how he always seemed to be near you, in raids or just at the camp you stayed in.

You loved his company and attention, far more than you wanted to admit, so you let it be, with a smile on your face.

You also profited greatly, since the son of Ragnar was an important part in making strategic decisions, and since you were near him you were able to hear all of it.

When another decision of where to continue raiding was made you sat with the others, listening carefully while cleaning your blades.

One of the earls wasn't present, but you didn't care, he'd have to be informed some time then.

After the decision had been made Hvitserk looked at you carefully.

The discussion wasn't finished, but they wanted the earl to be there.

"Go get the earl Kalf to join us", he had asked, gently caressing your arm, but you had been taken aback by what he had said.

He ordered you around in bed sometimes, but that didn't mean he could order you around without even a please or thank you.

"Just because you've been in between my legs doesn't give you the right to tell me what to do!", you told him, your voice low but full of disbelief as you looked at Hvitserk.

He had a frown on your face, staring at you, while that frown turned to awe.

"Hvitserk?", you had asked after a few minutes of silence from his side, before he awoke from his daze, shaking his head.

"Yeah, I'm sorry I'll... go get him", he had said and stumbled away quite fast.

That day he had avoided you, but when he saw you he always had that look of admiration on his face.

When you visited him in the evening you asked him about it.

"I didn't think I'd ever want to settle down with someone", he said to you, and your attention was on him immediately.

"I mean obviously I thought I'd eventually settle when I'm older, but I didn't think just yet", he added as he toyed with one of the sleeves on his tunic before reaching for his ale and taking a large sip of it.

You loved the way the hair fell from his braids over the day, looking like a mess in the evening.

His braids were always sloppily done, which made you smile when you saw him.

Or maybe it was he who made you smile.

You moved further towards him until you stood in front of him by the makeshift table in his tent.

"What I mean is that I think I've fallen in love with you and I don't know what to do about that", he said, his head making a slight nodding motion while he encouraged himself to say it.

When he was finished talking he sent you a quick unsecure smile before again reaching for his ale, but you were quicker, catching his hand in the act of reaching out.

You didn't know what to do then, but out of instinct your fingers interlaced with his before you had the chance to think about it.

Hvitserk's attention fell onto your hands and you could see a very faint hopeful smile appear on his face.

You cupped his face with your free hand, leaning forward and upward to bring your forehead against his.

"I think the same of you, Hvitserk", you said before one thing led to another as you once again ended up in bed with him.

From then on you lived in his tent with him until the raid was over and you had to return home.

But before you came back to Kattegat you had a serious discussion about what would happen if everything turned back to normal.

"I think we should keep what we have to ourselves when we get back", Hvitserk told you when he opened your braids as you were sitting in front of him, letting his hands run through your hair.

You had begun to make and to loosen each other's braids in the mornings and before you went to sleep.

"What do you mean by that?", you asked, turning to face him even though he wasn't finished yet.

"Well, I mean, that maybe people shouldn't know about... us", he answered you, his face showing how unsure he was, and that he knew it wasn't something you would want to happen.

"You mean you want us to live in Kattegat as if nothing happened? As if we don't know each other, as if we don't care about each other?", you asked, emphasizing the word 'care' to not have to say what you actually meant, 'love', and your shock slowly but surely turned into anger.

Sitting up slightly you began to rip open the braids Hvitserk had made for you this morning, hurting yourself in the progress by ripping out some hair, but it was a very small pain in comparison to what you were used to.

"Yes, I mean, at least for the beginning. We can sneak around, because I need you, but I don't want my brothers or mother to know", he told you, confusing you further.

"Why?", you asked as you stood up to move further away from him.

By the look on his face you were sure he had seen that you wanted distance between the two of you, a hurt expression lingered on his face, but he kept his distance.

"I don't think my brothers would understand", he said softly, before moving to the table to find his cup of ale.

"You want us to hide so your brothers won't judge you?", you asked, and your anger was again prominent in your voice.

"No, I... I have turned into a different person during the time I lived with you. You know it, I don't sleep with anyone but you, I've... I've settled for a relationship with you, and I'm happy", he said and he said that last word with so much meaning and surprise that you had to smile a little.

"I want us to be together, I want to marry you someday, but I don't want to tell my brothers yet. I love them, and I know they wouldn't understand and laugh at me, maybe say you've bewitched me", he said as he raised his cup in a motion towards you before drinking from it.

"I will tell them when the time is right, and I want to ask you to support me in my decision", he told you.

You had to agree, your feelings for Hvitserk were too deep to decide otherwise, and you trusted him.

Thus began the sneaking around, neither your family nor his having the faintest idea about the two of you.

The fact that every time you were with Hvitserk felt rushed and the knowledge that you would have to leave soon only because he wanted to keep it secret hurt you more than you were able to admit.

Nevertheless you and everyone else saw a change in Hvitserk, he seemed more mature, laid back and happy.

After another weeks going by you paid one of your daily visits to a small hut he had bought at the edge of the city and that you had grown to call home, meeting Hvitserk there, like usual.

You talked, kissed and took it further until the two of you were splayed out in in bed under the furs, holding each other.

"I think I'll tell my brothers soon", he whispered into your hair, pressing a soft kiss to your hairline.

It brought a smile onto your face and he leaned back, breathing out and pulling you closer against his chest.

"Marry me", he said as he looked up towards the ceiling.

Sitting up slightly you shot him a look of confusion.

"What?", you asked him, your heart beating faster than ever.

He couldn't have meant what he said, he still kept your relationship secret from the rest of the world after all.

"I want you to marry me", he answered as his eyes fixed on your face, a slightly anxious look in them.

He was serious.

"I... you haven't even told your brothers about me yet, why do you ask that now?", you asked him.

"This has nothing to do with my brothers", he answered as he put a hand on your back, moving his thumb in circles over your skin.

"I love you and I want to marry you", he told you, his voice calm and serious, and your heart fluttered as your eyes filled with tears.

You nodded quickly before grinning at him, kissing his shoulder before putting your head to rest there.

"I'll marry you", you grinned, happiness spreading through your body like a positive kind of poison.

You felt Hvitserk again kissing your head before leaning back down to breathe out in a deep chuckle.

"I wish we could live together already", he said and you smiled again.

"We already have, remember?", you asked him, referring to the raid that had started your relationship.

"I know, but I miss it. I miss you... like that... always in my reach...", he said as he began to kiss the skin on your shoulder, angling the kisses to your neck, jaw and mouth.

"Hvitserk", you laughed as he moved you to lay on your back before continuing what you had started, this time taking his time with you and showing you just how much he loved and needed you.