Between Brothers

Authors note: This will start a few years before season 4B, after Ragnar disappears and before he returns. I have watched Vikings since season 1 and always thought grown-up Bjorn was handsome, than I saw grown-up Ubbe and thought he was equally as good looking. Thus an idea is born.

Reviews are always read and appreciated!

The large buck did not know he was being pursued as it grazed quietly in the opening of the woods.

His meat would feed a small family for a few weeks, his pelt would make a warm garment for the winter and his skull, a fine decoration for the great hall.

The huntress, a young female of about sixteen said a silent pray to the God Ullr before drawing her bow and leveling it with the neck of the buck. It would kill him instantly, severing his jugular.

She took a steadying breath and pulled back on the bow...

Laughter and the sound of splashing startled the buck. He raised his head and sniffed the air, whirling around to see Thyra crouched in the tall grasses. He took off before Thyra could let her arrow fly.

She shouldered her bow and stomped toward the lagoon where the splashing had come from. She was not surprised to find who was her noisy culprits.

Ubbe, Hvitserk, and Sigurd Lothbrok were play fighting and splashing around in the lagoon as Ivar the Boneless looked on from the stony bank. They were all naked from the waist up showing their young mans physique. Before, Thyra had paid little attention to the appearances of the boys she had grown up with but lately she was finding it harder to concentrate around them, especially Ubbe.

'We have a guest' Ivar purred causing his brothers to turn their attention to Thyra.

'Join us Thy!' Hvitserk called smacking the water and soaking Sigurd.

'I am out hunting. I would have had a nice buck too if it wasn't for your mucking about!'

'Oh I think we have made her hot and bothered with our mucking about' Ubbe grinned to his younger brothers.

'Perhaps you should cool off?' Ivar said off-handily before turning and giving her a mischievous smirk.

'Oh no I am not going in there' Thyra pointed toward the water which would no doubt be cold as Summer had yet to visit Kattegat. 'It will be freezing'.

'It is refreshing' Sigurd called before nodding his head toward her signalling his brothers to begin their approach.

The three began to make their way out of the water toward her as she backed up as Ivar looked on with glee.

She was shaking her head, 'I said no!' she was trying to remain impassive but a giggle escaped as she anticipated the start of the game.

They had no foot gear on and she would be able to outrun them she guessed. As their feet touched the rocky shore she turned to run and ended up face to chest with the oldest Lothbrok brother.

'Going somewhere Thyra?' Bjorn Ironside smiled down at her. He was half-dressed also and soaking wet. Thyra could feel the chill coming off his pink skin.

'Back to Kattegat' Thyra side stepped him but he was in front of her again in a flash blocking off her escape route.

'Why not join us? It has been too long since you have spent time with us'.

Thyra felt her face heating up as she tried to keep her eyes level with Bjorn's instead of traveling down the expanse of his chest to his chiseled abdomen.

This is why she had been avoiding them.

'I am busy today'.

'Too busy to spend time with us? That is upsetting' Ivar looked to his brothers who nodded their agreement.

Thyra laughed nervously as she felt the brothers closing in on her. She made one last attempt to side step around Bjorn but he caught her with one muscular arm.

'Not so fast little girl' he playfully chided her before hoisting her up over his shoulder.

'No Bjorn put me down!' she struggled in vain against him as she felt her face heating up at their close contact.

'Take care of this for her' Bjorn pulled off Thyra's bow and arrows from her shoulder and back and tossed them at Ivar who caught it with ease. Naturally he began to fiddle with it.

'It is going to be cold!' she cried trying to wiggle out of his grasp.

'Only for the first few seconds' Ubbe laughed.

Bjorn walked into the lagoon. Thyra tried to get higher to avoid the cold water that was lapping at her feet as the Lothbroks laughed.

'I am going to get you all!' Thyra screamed before Bjorn casually tossed her into the water.

She went under, the water was indeed cold, stinging her skin and stealing the breath out of her lungs but it felt good against her burning body. She rose from the water trying to look as dignified as possible as the young men howled with laughter.

'You look cold Thyra' Ivar giggled.

She made a feeble attempt to splash him from his perch on the bank earning a higher pitched giggle from the crippled boy as it fell short, very short.

'That wasn't so bad!' Ubbe was by her side throwing an arm around her shoulders and pressing her against his muscular frame.

'I am freezing! I will probably catch a chill and die now and it will be all your faults'.

Hvitserk rolled his eyes, 'you are so dramatic Thy...such a girl'.

'I am a girl thank you very much' Thyra spat her tongue out at him as her and Ubbe passed him making their way to the bank.

'You are, that is for sure' Ubbe commented as his eyes went down to Thyra's chest as they strained against the cold, wet fabric of her tunic.

Thyra's cheeks reddened as she realized what Ubbe was looking at and she wrapped her arms around herself earning another laughing fit from Ivar who saw everything.

'Here, so you don't catch a chill' Ubbe draped his tunic around her shoulders as his brothers watched their interaction.

Thyra pulled it closer around her, 'thank you' she then snapped her attention back to the others who were still staring at the pair. 'What are you looking at!?'

Bjorn and Hvitserk shared a knowing look as Ivar stared intently at her burning the image of her wet and tight clothing around her developing body. Sigurd just looked confused.

'I think you should take Thyra back to Kattegat. We do not want her to catch a chill and die as she put it' Bjorn suggested.

Thyra knew he was mocking her. 'You will be sad when I am gone' Thyra called earning a small smile from the eldest Lothbrok.

Bjorn would not deny that. He watched her grow up and maybe it was wrong, but there was no denying that Thyra was developing into a beautiful woman and he looked forward to seeing her everyday. But lately, she had been avoiding them.

'Come, mother would be displeased if we let you get sick' Ubbe touched the small of her back lightly, she turned and headed up the bank. Ubbe turned to silently thank his older brother before grabbing her bow and arrows from Ivar and scrambling up after her.

The first few minutes into their journey back to Kattegat was silent.

Ubbe wondered if Thyra was really mad at them or, him. He remembered how embarrassed she looked when she caught him staring at her chest. 'Are you angry with me?' Ubbe broke the silence.

Thyra turned her dark eyes up at him, water droplets still clung to her long lashes. She looked startled and confused.

'No' she shook her head. 'Though I should be' she offered a slow smile. 'Why do you ask?'

'Well it is true what Bjorn said. You have not been spending time with us. Why?'

Thyra gripped Ubbe's tunic tighter trying to find something to say. She could not admit out loud that she was having thoughts about Ubbe and sometimes, Bjorn.

'I have just been busy. Your mother has been keeping me close by, teaching me how to be a woman so one day I will make a good wife'.

'Do you want to be somebody's wife?' Ubbe asked feeling his heart beat speeding up.

Thyra hesitated, 'I hadn't thought about it'.

Ubbe was not satisfied with her answer but he knew not to push her. Thyra could have a wicked temper.

Aslaug was sitting on her throne, drinking wine like she always did when Thyra and Ubbe entered the great hall.

Aslaug regarded them shrewdly. 'Shall I even ask?' she rolled her blue eyes at them.

'No mother' Ubbe said before directing Thyra to his sleeping quarters.

Thyra had been in Ubbe's sleeping quarters many times before, but today it felt different to be there. Ubbe threw a fur blanket at her, 'warm up in this, I will have one of the slaves dry out your clothing'. He began to undo his wet breeches causing Thyra to gasp and he stopped abruptly. 'What?'

'You are going to undress here?'

Ubbe looked around before turning his blue gaze back toward her. 'Yes...these are my sleeping quarters'.

'But I am standing right here' Thyra felt her body burning up again.

Ubbe smirked, 'you have seen it all before'.

'But that was different...things have changed'

When they were younger, it wasn't uncommon for Thyra to run in and catch the boys in various states of undressed as they practically lived half-clothed in the hot summer months.

'What has changed?' Ubbe was curious.

'We have. We are adults...things have, er developed' Thyra's face was growing hotter by the moment. Ubbe was relishing in her being uncomfortable. Rarely did he see Thyra at a loss for words.

'I am a man now and you are a woman. We are old enough to make adult decisions...do adult things' he raised a brow. Many nights he spent thinking about Thyra and how it would feel to make love to her. When that happened, he'd seek out the attention of one of the slaves girl who were all too willing to lay with a son of King Ragnar.

Thyra's eyes widened as Ubbe spoke. Was he admitting he had feelings for her, did he wish to sleep with her?

Ubbe began to approach Thyra, slow, cautious steps as though he was approaching a wild animal. He was unsure how she would react but right now, he just wanted to feel her skin against his. He watched her eyes growing bigger as her cheeks reddened but she did not move away. He stopped inches from her and reached out, brushing a strand of her dark hair out of her face and running his finger down her cheek.

'I just need to touch you Thy' he said softly running a finger across her lips. She inhaled, her lips parting slightly. Ubbe leaned down, his left hair snaked around to her neck, gently bringing her closer as his right hand went to her waist. Thyra closed her eyes, today was the day she was going to have her first kiss.

'Are you going to have sex?' Ivar called in a sing song voice causing them to both jump back from each other as though they had been burned. He was lying in the door way looking up at them.

Ivar laughed harder as Ubbe ran at him, angry and embarrassed. 'I will kill you Ivar!' they disappeared from view leaving Thyra standing there, gasping for breath and holding the tunic closer to her body. She had almost kissed Ubbe...

Next chapter will be up in a few days. The next chapters will be longer as this was an introductory one.

Please let me know what you thought!

-Sheba16