Work Text:
The ship swayed gently in the shallow waters of the Greek pier they were moored at, the sun shining down at them, making it hard to do much physical labor.
The ones who fared best in the heat were Einar and Thorfinn, who had spent the most time in the slightly warmer climates of England and Denmark, but Gudrid, who'd spent all of her life in one of the coldest places on earth, suffered, so her chore was to simply fix a tear in one of the spare sails while everyone else unloaded the goods, ready to be sold the next day.
Even the dog was doing her chores despite how hot she must've been under her fur. Then again, the chore was to just lay in the slightly cooler shadows with Karli.
She glanced over her shoulder at everyone, and her eyes stayed on her husband for longer, watching him groan and use a spare cloth to wipe some sweat off of his brow after he'd put down another heavy crate.
Gudrid smiled at him, but then noticed something, or someone, a group of young women, about her age if she had to take a guess, giggling behind their hands as they pointed.
Just one of them seemed to keep her eyes on Einar, who'd completely discarded his tunic, but the others kept their eyes fixed on Thorfinn, and kept playfully nudging one brunette, probably daring her to go speak to him.
Gudrid groaned, rolling her eyes as she wiped some sweat off her brow. She really should be used to this by now, but she wasn't. She hated it.
It happened almost everywhere they went, but especially in Miklagaard. She was sure it was at least partially because he was a northerner; she'd noticed how different men from different parts of the world could look, and blonde hair especially seemed pretty rare in the places they'd recently traveled through, but of course, even if you put all that aside, he was just a very handsome and attractive man.
The woman the others were daring to go was certainly beautiful, with a flowing white dress more customary for the people of this land, shiny red jewelry hanging from her neck and her ears, and long brown hair but in an elaborate hairstyle that made it fall over her shoulder.
For one moment Gudrid thought about how terrible she probably looked, struggling in this heat like she was, and in the next moment she wondered what kind of person that woman was, if she could read, cook, or sew, if she was kind and humble, or proud and arrogant.
Then she grumbled... surely she couldn't sail or navigate. She probably wouldn't be able to make Thorfinn smile like she could.
Oh, what was she doing? Gudrid groaned at her own thoughts, watching as the woman detached herself from her group of friends and approached Thorfinn where he was working. They were out of earshot, so Gudrid couldn't hear how they greeted each other, but she could see the look in that woman's eyes and the warm and friendly smile on Thorfinn's face as he did his best to manage the language barrier.
She tried to touch his arm, but he took a step back, though it wasn't because he understood the implications of it. He just didn't like to be touched most of the time, at least not by strangers.
The fact that Thorfinn was so clueless about it all was somehow the worst part. It made it difficult for Gudrid to think of ways to bring up this issue since he genuinely thought that it was just friendly conversation, and she didn't want it to seem like she didn't trust him, because she did.
She trusted him, she loved him, and she knew that Thorfinn loved her as well, so it really was ridiculous that she was feeling this way, and she knew it.
She turned back to her work, fixing a few of the uneven stitches, trying her very best to focus only on that, but she kept on glancing back up at Thorfinn.
They just... kept talking.
She saw the woman glance at her, but her gaze didn't linger, like she couldn't possibly be anyone important to him. It just made Gudrid even more upset about the situation, messing up another stitch.
She looked down at it. By the time she was done, it would be even more messed up than before she began.
"Thorfinn." She called. She really didn't need to, but this was also an excuse to get the woman to back off.
"Yeah?" He turned quickly, his eyes lighting up a bit more when he looked at her, and Gudrid felt herself settle down a bit.
"Can you come help me with this?"
He said something to the woman who blinked at Gudrid, confused. And even when Thorfinn stepped onto the ship again to approach her, her eyes followed him.
Gudrid had been focused on that and hadn't noticed that Thorfinn was already beside her until she rested on her shoulder.
She looked up at him, forcing a smile.
"Sorry, I keep messing up."
"It's okay; do you think it's the heat? Even I'm a bit disoriented."
"Yeah, that, and I'm also just bad at sewing..."
"Yeah, it's alright though; just take a break; it's not something urgent after all."
He'd crouched beside her now, smiling so gently. He was just so good. It was no wonder every other woman wanted a chance to win his heart.
"Gudrid."
"Hm?" She turned her head to face him again, having looked solemnly at her hands for a few moments.
"Seriously, don't feel bad about it, okay?"
He saw her sad look, and he thought that it was because she felt guilty that she couldn't finish her chores.
"Yeah, okay." Gudrid nodded, but then put a hand on Thorfinn's arm, stopping him from leaving even though he hadn't moved to do so. She felt a bit of pride that he let her do it when he'd stopped out of that woman's reach.
She glanced up, and sure enough, she was still there.
"Give me a kiss."
"What?!" Thorfinn gasped, immediately flushed. She could be so spontaneously affectionate and commanding at times; he really shouldn't be surprised, but he struggled a bit more with it when it was out in the open like this. "Now? Here?"
"Yeah, it's just a kiss." Gudrid mumbled.
"It's just... I'm technically working. I think that lady over there wants to buy something." Thorfinn said, gesturing to the woman still waiting for him, eying Gudrid a bit more carefully now.
So that was the excuse she had come up with to talk to him.
"Then kiss me and get back to work." Gudrid grumbled. "What's wrong with it? You don't want her to know that you have a wife?" Gudrid asked, letting her true feelings spill a little, but Thorfinn just seemed so confused.
"What? Gudrid, is something wrong?"
"Just forget it." Gudrid shook her head, turning back to the sail, wondering if she really wanted that break or if she wanted to at least try to distract herself by working.
Gudrid flinched when a soft and delicate voice pierced the air, seeing the beautiful woman grow a bit impatient; after all, Thorfinn had probably told her it would only be a moment.
"Sorry, I'm—" Thorfinn was about to stand, but then he hesitated, looking at Gudrid before he gently brushed her hair out of her face and kissed her on the cheek, whispering a quick "Sorry" in her ear before he left, surely just apologizing because he hadn't given her a proper kiss.
It did what Gudrid had wanted it to do, though. The woman seemed dejected, and she left a few minutes afterwards, obviously without buying anything.
Gudrid couldn't help but be a bit childish and stick her tongue out at her when she left, but she didn't even see it, and it didn't help Gudrid's mood at all.
Thorfinn came and sat himself beside Gudrid in the evening. It was just the two of them, and Gudrid immediately leaned into his warmth.
He was quiet, looking down at her with that silent worry that made her feel so much more terrible about what she'd felt that morning.
"Gudrid, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Ah..." Thorfinn sighed, looking up at the sky. "I don't really believe you, but... I can't force you to tell me what's wrong. But this isn't the first time, is it? It feels like you randomly get very upset sometimes. Will you tell me if it's something I'm doing wrong?"
Gudrid sighed, burying herself in his neck, breathing in his shell, which she had recently learned did something to help calm her down.
"It's complicated." Gudrid answered him, her words muffled as he began to run a hand through her hair. "But it's not—Thorfinn, it's because..."
"Gudrid, please talk to me. I hate to see you this way."
Gudrid sat up straight again, pulling herself away from Thorfinn. She looked at him, a bit unsure, but he truly looked so worried.
They'd been married for two months, and even though they'd been friends prior to that, he'd still had a hard time picking up on exactly what she was feeling. Of course he'd been able to tell when she was sad, happy, or angry, but he was still so much more aware of it now, so that was probably why he pressed her a bit harder now, having felt that something was wrong the last couple of times this happened.
She sighed, rubbing her face, feeling so annoyed.
"That woman today..." Gudrid began, but she didn't know how to continue.
"Who? Iris?
"Seriously? You got her name?"
"She... gave it to me when she approached me."
"Right." Gudrid grumbled and saw Thorfinn shift a bit more uncomfortable. She was sure he felt like he was about to get scolded, but that wasn't her intention at all. "She was beautiful, wasn't she? And was she kind too?"
"Uh..." Thorfinn hesitated, or maybe he was momentarily at a loss for words. "I don't get it; what does that have to do with anything?"
"Because that's what she wanted you to think about…” Gudrid grumbled, earning a raised eyebrow from Thorfinn. She knew that didn’t make sense to him.
"What do you mean?”
"Thorfinn… she didn't want to buy anything; she wanted you; she walked to you to flirt with you because you're good-looking. And that's why she walked away after you kissed me, because she saw that you were taken." Gudrid finally told him, looking anywhere but at him as she talked.
"What? G-Gudrid Hold on, you sound so sure, but... is that really the case?"
"It is." She nodded. "She wanted to touch you, right? And she didn't like it when you didn't pay attention to her."
"But... lots of women do that, Gudrid." Thorfinn said, and all Gudrid did was stare back at him while he figured it out.
She saw the realization dawn on his slowly, and after a few moments, Gudrid finally spoke again.
"And I know that you don't realize it; that's why it's been so hard to say. You're so kind, Thorfinn, and I don't want that to change, and I don't want you to think that I don't trust you around other women, but..." Gudrid looked away, blushing from shame. "Sometimes I- I get jealous, and I just can't help but compare myself to them."
"No, no, don't do that." Thorfinn sounded panicked, taking her hand into his and holding it so tightly, like he was hoping he could show her all his love through that gesture. "Gudrid, there's nothing to compare. I would never think of another woman the way I think of you. I promise you."
"I know that; I've never doubted it, Thorfinn."
"But then... why?"
"I guess I'm just insecure about a lot of things, and I want everyone to know I'm your wife, but... yeah, it doesn't make sense, and that makes it so frustrating. I hate it; I'm sorry."
Thorfinn shook his head at her apology.
"What can I do?"
"Hm... make sure they know you're married? Most women will back off after that.
"Most? Not all?"
She remembered a woman a few weeks earlier, who'd given Gudrid such a nasty glance when she'd gone and held Thorfinn's hand, and then just continued to compliment him and flirt with him right in front of her. Some women really were without shame.
"No, unfortunately not all..."
"So... every time a young woman approached me... I should go and kiss you?" Thorfinn scratched the back of his neck, a blush beginning to form on his face and ears. This was something he asked sorely for her sake, and Gudrid finally smiled.
Of course it didn't have to be kisses all the time. Sometimes it would be enough if he held her hand, played with her hair, held her in some way, or even just introduced her as his wife, but... yes, Gudrid also had to work on it herself.
"I wouldn't mind getting that many kisses from you, but that'll be too much for you, won't it?" Gudrid asked with a smile.
"Yeah... probably." He nodded.
"Right, sorry about today."
"It's okay, now that I know I wish I had kissed you properly."
Gudrid's smile widened, holding Thorfinn's hand a bit tighter. Sitting here and talking to him about all of it helped ease it all. It was like a wave on the beach, slowly, time after time, erasing what was drawn in the sand.
It was because he listened. Never once did he try to make Gudrid feel bad about thinking this way.
He was just so good. How did she get so lucky?
"Well, it's not too late."
"What?" He blinked, "But she's not here anymore."
"Thorfinn." She groaned his name. Right, what had she expected? She already knew that he didn't pick up on blatant flirting.
"Oh!" He seemed to realize it, looking in her eyes, and he couldn't help but chuckle at his own cluelessness. "Oh right."
He raised his free hand to her face, cupping her cheek gently and looking at her with those warm and gentle brown eyes, in the way that he only looked at her.
He didn't need to pull her in; Gudrid leaned in herself, actually kissing him instead of having him kiss her, but that was far from both of their minds.
He was so warm against her, and he was sure that he was blushing bright red as he usually did when their kisses were anything more than a peck on the cheek. It made Gudrid smile into the kiss.
When they finally pulled apart, Gudrid smirked up at him. "That was better."
He chuckled, placing his forehead against hers, continuing to share his warmth. It was funny, and despite that, Miklagaard's hest didn't become anymore unbearable.
"I really do love you, Gudrid. I'm sorry you sometimes feel inferior to other women, because you're not. You're..." he breathed. "You're one of the most beautiful and amazing people I've ever met."
She felt her breath hitch, not only because of the reassurances he gave her, but because she knew it always took so much of him to speak his feelings so openly.
"Mm, yeah, me too." She nodded against him, bringing her free hand up to play with the hairs at the back of his neck, continuing to look into his beautiful eyes. "I guess that's just one of the very, very few cons of having such a handsome husband."
"Alright, don't overdo it." He closed his eyes, chuckling gently.
She knew he didn't see it; then again, he didn't need to; everyone else did.
The insecurities she'd had earlier seemed so distant now as she sat here, nuzzled against her husband in this way.
She was sure it wasn't the last time she'd be feeling this way, but now Thorfinn knew that it was an issue, and Gudrid knew that she'd feel alright once he just kissed her and held her like this.