Miraculously, he manages to arrive at the Saxonate building on time the next day. He can't say it was easy but he managed to do it, and he is proud of himself.
He enters the building and approaches the front desk immediately. After informing the young man about why he's here, he exchanges meaningful glances with one of the guards by the door. The guard comes closer, and the receptionist tells Ragnar to follow him.
The guard starts walking and Ragnar does as he's been told. They pass some sculptures on their way, and he, being the curious man he is, stops to examine a few odd ones. Many are woman figures, actually. He runs his fingers along the face of a man, and, judging by their looks, he isn't surprised its touch is rough. These aren't the usual white, smooth-looking sculptures you see in museums ‒ these are grey and brown and look like they were formed out of sand. They look like a time-capsule from ancient times, like a fading memory owned by someone who is desperate not to forget them.
When the guard leads him into a dimly-lit room, he immediately spots the loosely dressed man sitting on a huge, cushy couch in the center of the space. He quickly scans the room, finding that there are only a few tripods and camera equipment in here besides the couch and the man sitting on it in kingly splendor; otherwise, similarly to the whole building, the room shows its old-fashioned architecture with great pride.
"Ragnar Lothbrok is here, sir."
"You can leave us now," the man addresses the guard who, with a nod, steps out of the room, and closes the door. "Won't you join me?" He pats the couch next to himself.
Ragnar eyes him suspiciously. The man's beard is shorter than his and lighter in color, and his face seems welcoming but also portrays a great deal of determination. Whether good or bad, Ragnar can't decide yet. However it may be, he slowly makes his way over to the couch and sits on the other end of it.
"I am Ecbert King, owner of the Saxonate company. Please just call me Ecbert." He extends a hand which Ragnar takes and squeezes lightly. The man returns his arm to the back of the couch. "Yes, I know there was an actual king with that name," he shakes his head with a smile, then his face goes stern. "I suppose my parents were just as ambitious as I am."
Ragnar smiles dishonestly.
"So, to business then. I hope you enjoyed your stay yesterday and rested well. Did you like the hotel?"
Ragnar smirks and rolls his head down. It's a question the man obviously wasn't expecting an answer to, as he continues on with his speech. It seems like he had previously thought about what he was going to say when Ragnar arrives.
"I freed up my calendar for today, I wanted to work with you personally. Let me share my ideas."
So he does, and Ragnar pays attention. It's a short talk ‒ mainly consisting of Ecbert doing the talking ‒, and their dynamics don't really change either when they get to the actual photoshoot part.
They finish in no time, less than the other few photoshoots he's been to, but more meaningful too: he feels a deep energy surrounding the two of them the whole time. It's not necessarily romantic but it could turn into that, not friendship-like either but it could turn into that; and not enemy-like but right now their relationship seems to be the nearest to this last one. It is just that, he decides: a sense of similarity and understanding between them, and lots of potential neither one of them can identify just yet.
At the end of the meeting, Ecbert hands him an envelope in which Ragnar finds a ticket for a plane leaving tomorrow at 9 am. He smirks at the man and leaves the room and the building as well.
Sadness washes over him, a kind yet unbeknown to him. On his way back to the hotel, he types a message to Athelstan.
@RL: Mr Bigboss sends me back home first thing in the morning.
@RL: But I was planning on showing up again at your doorstep uninvited :(
After making his way through the hotel lobby once more, widening his shoulders as much as possible to show his dominance, he enters his room, and grabs his camera bag. Now it's time to make a video about this place. Well, not the hotel but the city.
As he's closing the door behind himself, he hears his phone beep, so he pulls it out excitedly.
@AA: Well, what's your plan for the rest of today?
His stomach flips and a triumphant smile creeps up to his face which he can't get rid of for a while after. He doesn't even know why he's feeling triumphant. Where did this word even come from?
@RL: I have to make a video about the city. You know, it's my job.
As he's galloping down the stairs, he's practically flying, and once he's out on the street and starts the camera, he can't help but film himself with that comically big smile on his face.
When his phone beeps, he stops filming right away and checks the message.
@AA: I can join if you'd like.
@RL: Meet me at the station ;)
He doesn't even know what's up with that winky face ‒ there's nothing even remotely sexual about this message ‒ but he couldn't help himself. It just felt right, putting it there.
He takes his time filming the area, knowing that it will take some time for Athelstan to get here. As he slowly makes his way over to the station, he already feels satisfied with the content he's made. Of course it's not enough yet for a good video but he can certainly work with this city, capturing several interesting spots in it.
It could turn out pretty well if he filmed Athelstan arriving too, he decides, so he works out where to place the camera so that both of them would be in frame, and then he tries to act it out a few times to make sure it looks the way he wants it to. A few passersby watched him suspiciously but he had gotten used to it. Then he sits down beside the camera and waits. He's pretty good at that if he wants to.
Soon he sees a vehicle pull up and he jumps up simultaneously when he sees Athelstan get off. He starts the recording and stands where he's previously planned out he should.
Athelstan approaches him hurriedly and he instantly pulls him into a big hug. They hold it just a bit too long for it to be casual ‒ and Ragnar might have smelled the guy's hair (it was delicious) ‒, so they loosen it up a bit after a while, but Ragnar doesn't let go entirely. Only after looking deeply into Athelstan's smiling eyes with just a short distance between them does he drop his arms and run to stop the recording (which he kind of forgot about).
They rummage through the city, and Athelstan actually makes the video more interesting in many ways, one of them being that he seems to know an excessive amount of information about its history which he is generously sharing.
After a while they find a nice-looking café where they decide to sit down and drink something. Ragnar sets the camera down to the side and orders a coffee, telling Athelstan how he must try the coffee at his favorite place back home one day.
They laugh and talk about silly things, and Ragnar finds he hasn't felt his carelessly joyful in a while.
He also finds, after they pay and leave, that the camera ‒ which he, by total accident, set down in a perfect angle ‒ recorded the whole thing. This realization brings him even more joy because this means he'll be able to rewatch this any time he wants to. And, as a bonus, if he cuts it right and speeds it up, it'll make an awesome little shot he can do a voiceover for.
Then he also has to realise that the camera, having been up and running this whole time, now signals a threateningly low battery. After telling this to Athelstan, the man's happiness fades a little bit.
Reality has this terrible way of interfering, doesn't it? When you seem to forget about it and feel light as a feather, floating in the air, it comes knocking and drags you down back to earth.
Ragnar sighs. "Well then. This has been fun."
"It has. I'm glad I could join you."
Ragnar stops in front of the man ‒ he's so close to him now, and soon they'll be so far from each other ‒, and a sentence comes out of his mouth before he can even think about it: "You should come back to the hotel with me." It sounds less as a gentle invitation and more like an order, and Ragnar regrets it came out this way, but Athelstan doesn't seem to mind.
The smile returns to his face and nods. "Gladly," he says, and follows Ragnar back to the fancy building.
This time the two of them cross the lobby full of judging gazes, and Ragnar feels empowered by the presence of this adorable Englishman.
After he opens the door to his room, Ragnar doesn't even wait for them to fully enter before he cups Athelstan's face with his big hands and, pinning him to the wall, kisses him. A wave of relief washes over him when Athelstan, after a little pause of surprise, kisses him back.
Ragnar shuts the door with his leg, and navigates them all the way to the bed where he pushes the man down but he falls as well. He giggles into Athelstan's mouth which makes the man giggle too. Ragnar rolls on top, and starts unbuttoning the tidy shirt underneath him and placing small kisses along the way as he does so. When he gets to the last button, he folds it open and traces the revealed skin with his lips. He unbuckles the belt and unzips the jeans too, and feels the hotness radiating from under, but then Athelstan pulls him back up, so he tugs down the man's jeans while kissing him.
Athelstan runs his fingers under Ragnar's t-shirt, pulls it over his head, and as he takes a look at his now naked upper body, Ragnar feels the man's cock twitch against his thigh.
He grins and whispers in Athelstan's ear: "You want me real bad now, huh?"
"I wanted you all day," he whispers back as he grabs the waistline of Ragnar's jeans.
When they both manage to get naked, they roll around on the bed for a while, their bodies pressed together, kissing passionately, and biting on Ragnar's end (but the other man's enjoying it, judging by his moans and hardness).
At some point, Ragnar gets up and finds a condom and a bottle of lube in his bag. Turning back to the man waiting on the bed, he sees something in his eyes he doesn't like so much, so he approaches with carefulness and kindness.
He climbs on top of Athelstan slowly but just watches, and asks, "What's the matter?"
"I, uhm‒ nothing..."
"Come on," he whispers in his ear, pressing some kisses on his neck while waiting for approval of further actions.
"Well, as I said, I haven't done this in a long time. I'm simply worried. And, uhm..."
"It's okay, it'll come back easily. You can't forget this," Ragnar winks and presses a quick kiss on those charming lips.
"It didn't come up but... you know, I haven't done this at all," Athelstan gestures in the small distance between his bodies.
"You haven't had sex before?"
"No, I have... not a lot but I have. I meant I haven't done this exactly."
"You haven't been with a man before?"
"I haven't been with a man before."
Ragnar smiles. "I'll be gentle. I'll take care of you."
Athelstan smiles back and nods. Ragnar can see in those blue eyes that he believes and trusts him. He kisses him deeply and presses his whole body as close to the other man's as physically possible, and he wishes they could stay like this forever.
A thought enters his mind, and it's the only thing he can think of when he cums: Athelstan said he's waiting for the right person. He smiles widely, cums hard, and feels more satisfied than ever, probably.
They fall asleep in a very similar position later, both of them satisfied and content and happy, and they wake up in a completely different one.
Ragnar slaps his phone with his fingers to stop the sound, and as he opens his eyes, he feels something poking in between his ribs and doesn't feel an arm. The latter is, he realises, because Athelstan is lying on it, and presumably has been lying on it for a while now. Even though he can't exactly identify the poking as he has his back to Athelstan, he assumes one of the man's bones is causing it. He's got a few sticking out, for example his pelvis, the effect of which he comes aware of now that he thinks about it: an aching in a certain area of his thighs every time he moves it even the slightest. He has almost forgotten how this feels, it's been a few months since his last time with a man.
Of course, this night was something different; he feels joy basically radiating from his heart and the satisfaction deep within isn't only because he's had the best orgasms last night in a while. No, this was something entirely different. It still is. Will it last?
He surely is going to try to make it last.
He struggles for a few minutes with freeing his arm, and turns to face Athelstan upon success who is lying in a very odd position (which explains why Ragnar woke up so uncomfortable). Beaming at him through a heartfelt smile, he starts gently stroking his hair and shoulder.
Athelstan slowly opens his eyes and blinks at Ragnar sleepily.
"Good morning, beautiful," Ragnar whispers.
Athelstan smiles sheepishly and rearranges his body parts to be able to snuggle up to Ragnar more comfortably. "Good morning," he mumbles into his chest.
"I really hate to rush things, Sleeping Beauty, but I have to leave soon. I wish I wouldn't have to."
"Nooo," Athelstan whines and wiggles impossibly close.
Ragnar giggles. "They're going to kick us out of the room."
Athelstan huffs, and Ragnar shivers from the feel of the breath on his bare skin. He rolls onto his back and sits up. After rubbing his face, he gets out of bed, and Ragnar watches his full ass with a big grin.
"Hey," Ragnar calls, making Athelstan turn back, and his grin grows ever bigger. "I think there's still time for a shower."
Athelstan smiles back at him with a suggestive face before entering the bathroom. Ragnar doesn't waste any more precious time to follow him.
Their hot shower together (like, hot as in sexy, but also hot because, really, Athelstan, you seriously need the water to be that hot?) took more time than they expected (they weren't really paying attention to that little detail), therefore after getting out, Ragnar packs his stuff nearly at light speed, while Athelstan is desperately trying to help by folding his clothes, but in reality, it just slows down the process. Ragnar is grateful nevertheless.
He checks out with Athelstan by his side, and the receptionist eyes them in a weird way which Ragnar suspects is because of their freshly-fucked looks and Athelstan not being an official guest but she doesn't mention any of it.
Once they're out on the streets, Ragnar looks at Athelstan and with a smile intended to be charming, he asks (or demands): "Come with me to the airport?" And Athelstan, of course, gives in happily.
The only reason Ragnar asked this is that he wants to spend with him as much time as possible. He is training his mind to be able to handle the situation he dreads when it comes ‒ the point where they need to say goodbye. And it comes faster than he expects; they find themselves at the airport entrance in no time, and he can't postpone it any longer as his flight leaves soon and he has to register his luggage and he has to get on board... and he has to say goodbye.
It's not that he doesn't want to go back home to his family and friends, because he does, he really does, he loves and misses them, but he also doesn't want to leave Athelstan behind. He needs him in his life. He needs him by his side. However, it has been only two days ‒ and today's few hours ‒ they spent together, he shouldn't be feeling this intensely after just such a short time, so he doesn't say anything because he really doesn't want to mess this up.
He turns to Athelstan and looks into his sad eyes. "So," he says.
"So," Athelstan answers. They look at each other some more. "You really have to go," he adds, and it sounds just as much of a question than a statement.
"Yeah," Ragnar huffs. "You should come visit soon," he suggests because this is the gentlest way he can put it.
The man smiles like you smile at a child who has yet to understand the ways of the world. "I might."
Ragnar nods with a stern face. He gets it, at least he thinks so; if nothing else, he gets that the man doesn't intend to come visit.
"You have my number, right?" Athelstan asks. "Call me when you land safely. I'll be praying for you."
Ragnar's lips grow into a smile. "Sure. Planes rarely crash anymore but thanks anyway."
"I just have this fear‒ I don't fly."
Ragnar just shakes his head and pulls the man into a loving hug. They hold it all the while a lady voice is announcing that this is the last call for the flight to Norway, then they let go.
"Goodbye, Athelstan."
"Goodbye, Ragnar."
And Ragnar turns and walks away. That was it.
{ next part: between 11-13. }