imagines || alex andersen & ivar the boneless

15. ivar

today was just one of those days. ivar was in an extra cynical, angry mood, and i was very tired and frustrated.

one of the reoccurring topics of our arguments today, was my inability to become pregnant, with him as my husband.

i knew it wasn't his fault, and i hated to make him feel guilty about it, but i longed to be a mother, and i knew, deep down, he longed to be a father, yet i never brought up the conversation, but he always did, finding a way to accuse me of something.

i entered our hut and thanked the slave who had run me a bath, and she was heavily pregnant, due to give birth any day.

i'd freed her, but she chose to often stay and help me, due to us being very close friends.

once in the bath, i found myself looking at her stomach longingly, where there was a very prevalent bump, "how long now?" i asked with a smile, happy for her.

"a few days, i think." she said, gently resting a palm on her bump, something i had always wanted to do with my own child, but i would never cheat on ivar to do so.

"you must rest, then." i said and she nodded, but knelt down beside my bath.

"i want to talk to you about something." she started softly, and i nodded for her to continue, "i think you should have the baby." she said.

"what do you mean?" i asked, reaching out and holding her hand.

"you should look after him-"

"it's a boy?" i asked, cutting her off and she nodded.

"the seer told me." she said, "but, you should look after him, you're a much more capable mother, you and ivar can do it together, but this baby's father is dead. i don't want to look after it on my own."

"you won't be on your own, you'll have lots of people to help you, you can find a new husband." i said, and her face suddenly displayed pain as she gripped my hand tightly, breathing out heavily.

"are you alright?" i asked worriedly.

"it's starting." she whispered, so i quickly got out of the bath and pulled on a cloak, before helping her onto the bed and running outside.

"helga!" i called, noticing her a short while away, and she turned to look at me, "help, she's giving birth."

helga ran over and joined me back inside the hut to help the girl, "breathe." helga encouraged softly.

the baby was wrapped up in a blanket in my arms, his mother very weak, much to my upset.

"please." she whispered, "you have to look after him."

i nodded, tears falling out of my eyes as i pressed a kiss to the baby's head, before handing him to helga and grabbing the girl's hand, holding it tightly for a few minutes before her breathing stopped.

i sobbed, standing up and running out of the hut, going to the woods.

"why're you crying?" i heard an all to familiar voice scoff behind me and i turned around, anger in my eyes as i looked at the man i supposedly loved.

"fuck off." i spat.

"no, i mean it. she just gave birth, why aren't you happy for her?" he asked, before realisation hit him, "oh, you're upset that's wasn't you, that you don't have a baby." he scoffed.

i rolled my eyes, "no, actually she died just after giving birth. the baby's now mine, she wanted it to be." i said, then turned to run away, speeding up when i heard ivar call after me.

i returned to mine and ivar's hut and i walked in, seeing helga sat in my bed, holding the baby.

"thank you, helga. i'm sorry for running off." i sighed, gladly taking the baby out of her arms when she offered.

"don't worry, y/n. she was your best friend, you're allowed to run off." helga said, running my back.

"where's ivar?" i asked, as he wasn't in here.

"ivar came and held him a while ago." helga looked to the baby in my arms, "but he left i think to go to hvitserk's hut."

i nodded, thanking her, "you can go, it's okay. i'll look after the baby." i said, "thank you so much for all you've done today." i smiled to her, giving her a one-armed hug, as my other arm was supporting the baby.

"stay strong." helga said, standing up, "i will send a slave girl in to be here if you need her." she said and i thanked her again before she left.

i carried the baby as i walked to hvitserk's hut, but stopped outside when i heard him talking to ivar.

"i feel so bad that i can't give her children of her own." i heard ivar sigh.

"then don't get angry at her for wanting them. support her and help her to look after this baby, it's a gift from the gods." hvitserk said and i walked into the hut.

"ivar." i said softly and he crawled over to me, "come on."

i smiled to hvitserk and he returned it, before i walked back to mine and ivar's hut, ivar crawling alongside me.

"i'm sorry." he mumbled, sat on our bed as i sat next to him, still holding the baby in my arms.

"it's alright, ivar." i leant over to press a kiss to his lips, before placing the baby in his small bed, and smiling at the slave girl as she went into the next room.

"we have a child." he said quietly and i nodded, laying down in bed next to him, his arm gently going over my waist.

"we do."