The ball was everything Eva had hoped for. She was having a great time dancing the night away with the people she loved, taking an endless amount of photos and eating good food. It was the first time she felt secure and comfortable in her own skin in public, the turning of heads definitely helped. She could care less about what everyone in the room was thinking because the only person's opinion she cared about was one moving around in a wheelchair by her side.

Ivar wasn't sure about the dancing and music that was being played, but the food was great and he made sure not to get food on his fancy clothes. Ivar definitely noticed the male attention Eva had caught, Ivar glared back at the boys who shamelessly stared. Though most of the night Ivar was too lost admiring Eva's beauty to start any trouble.

Ivar was sitting at the table drinking a fruity concoction just watching Eva dance with Elaine and Joseph. He had no idea what kind of dance they were doing but was not ready to join in any time soon. Ivar would never have guessed that Eva could move her body so well to the upbeat music, it was a shocker to everyone. She knew how to swing her hips and move her arms as if she owned the dance floor. The light reflected off her dress, making her sparkle like a star in the night. She was magnificent and she didn't even know it.

The music changed into a slow melodic tune and people started to pair up. Joseph bowed to Elaine in an over-exaggerated manner and Elaine curtsied in reply laughing, Joseph pulled her in close, swinging her around the dance floor in an upbeat salsa fashion of dance, out of rhythm with the slow song. Ivar just laughed at the two having a good time, secretly wishing he wasn't crippled so he could do the same with Eva.

As the music changed Eva was about to make her way to Ivar for a quick break but Avery blocked her path.

"May I have this dance?" he offered his hand.

"Where's Natalie?" she questioned, unsure if she should accept.

"I think she's making out with Tony in the far corner," Avery shrugged.

Eva chuckled and accepted his offer and they slow danced softly to the music.

"You look beautiful tonight, Eva," he smiled.

"You're too kind," she replied, "not too shabby yourself, Avery."

Eva peaked over his shoulder to check on Ivar, he held her gaze as she swayed in Avery's arms. She could see he wasn't upset like she expected but he was definitely holding a good poker face. She winked at him, that caused him to break his facade and smirk at her in reply winking right back.

"I think my pride has been hurt that I got rejected for a giant in a wheelchair," Avery smiled, "but none the less, he's a lucky guy."

Eva looked up at that and laughed, "It's better to be on his good side, trust me Joseph can testify to that."

"I'm willing to take a chance. Date. Next Friday. I'll pick you up at six," a hopeful smile gracing his lips.

"I'd love to really Avery, but I have to be brutally honest and say that I'm not really interested in dating anyone. A few months we will all graduate and probably never see each other again."

"You never know,"

"Fine, I'll agree on one condition, that it's strictly friendly only."

"No deal."

"I may also be interested in a crippled giant I chose over you already."

"Deal."

Avery didn't want to force her hand if she was actually into someone else, crippled or not. Friends he could do. Instead of things going awkward like Eva expected they both laughed and continued like nothing had happened. Joseph then came and literally ripped Eva from Avery's grasp as he pushed Elaine into his arms. Elaine flushed red but shamelessly held onto Avery in a vice-like grip, and made a stocked face at Eva, suppressing herself from squealing.

Eva laughed as Joseph smoothly pushed and pulled her to his own imaginative rhythm and she just followed his lead.

"Darling Eva, I've never seen you so happy," Joseph grinned, "my good looks really has made you delirious, not that I cannot blame you."

"Boy, I saw your jaw dropped when I walked into the room earlier," she replied with confidences.

"Yeah because I thought I saw my grandma for a moment... but it was just you," he chuckled.

"Whatever," she rolled her eyes.

"Kidding, you really look beautiful tonight! If Ivar's lustful stares aren't obvious enough I don't know what is," he winked.

"I plan on making use of those gazes tonight," she joked

"Get it girl!" he yelled, "be safe, protection first my innocent child."

"Joseph, shut up! I was kidding," she laughed, "thanks for bringing Elaine, I haven't seen her so happy in a long time too."

"It's because the hottest senior asked her to the ball!" he teased, "anything for my two favourite sisters," he smiled wrapping her into a warm hug.

They continued to laugh and teased each other whilst dancing, meanwhile Natalie had appeared out of thin air next to Ivar.

"Ivar," she purred.

"Stay away from me."

"Aw baby, don't be like that. I missed you," she went to grab for his face, but Ivar gripped her hands tightly in his.

"You're hurting me Ivar," she cried.

"Stay the hell away from me and Eva, whore," he spat.

"Whats so good about miss prissy? I bet she hasn't shown you a good time like I have."

"Piss off, Natalie. Do not make me repeat myself again," his voice full of malice

Ivar's icy stare scared Natalie and she quickly retreated but not before slapping Ivar and flipping a bird at him for good measure.

"Handicap!" she screeched.

'Lucky bitch' he thought as he stared daggers at her retreating form.

The song has changed to another slow jam, and the dance floor was becoming more full.

Ivar turned back to seek out Eva only to see her making her way towards him. A big cheesy smile on her pretty face, her mood was so contagious that he instantly smiled in return. Natalie, long gone from his mind.

"So I reject some hot rugby player to bring my crippled, pain in the ass to the ball and he hasn't danced with me once all night," Eva huffs teasingly, standing in front of him.

Ivar's large frame is so tall that his face is at par with her breast even in a wheelchair. His eyes stray to her boobs before it moves back up to her now rolling eyes. He laughed and grabbed onto her hand, walking hand and hand with her on like proper gentlemen.

They found a spot on the edge of the dance floor and Eva faced him and held both his hands in hers and she swayed with him. Ivar who had never danced before was a little shy but Evas' ever-growing smile was boosting his confidence with each passing second.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Eva asked

"Watching you move your hips like that, I could watch you all day!" he winked.

"Pervert!"

"Only for you, sweet cheeks," he winked.

Ivar yanked on her right arm so that she would fall into his lap, she squealed in reply and wrapped her arms around his neck to balance herself.

"All you had to do was ask and I would have done it, ya brute Viking," she said as she made herself comfortable. She moved her legs so they dangled off the left side of his lap and he wrapped his arms around her waist staring into her hazel eyes, as he moved them in slow circulation motions with the song.

"Well it is about time, all the other men get to snag a feel with my date while I and sit and watch."

"I'm very proud you didn't make a scene with your jealousy for once," she grinned.

"Why should I feel threatened when you brought the hottest guy to the ball?" he teased.

"Did Elaine seriously tell you that?" a blush coating her cheeks.

"She did not have to, I know how ruggedly handsome I am," he winked, "I am Ragnarsson after all."

"If your father looks anything like Travis Fimmel, he definitely is something," she teased.

"So you like old men? not to boast or anything honey, but I am over a thousand years old despite my youthful looks," he smirked.

Eva pretended to throw up over his shoulder and she could feel his taut body shaking under her weight in laughter.

"Smooth, too bad it's kind of true," she faked disgust.

That caused him Ivar to tickle her sides, and she just about fell off his lap. Ivar quickly caught her and brought her tighter against his chest. She laid her head on his shoulder, enjoying the warm embrace she had missed, Ivar kissed her hair and couldn't help but feel like the luckiest man in the world.

Eva had decided there and then that she would quit the bickering and fighting with Ivar over non-sense if she could help it. She just couldn't understand why he got under her skin more than anyone else when he was the one who always looked out for her. When he was the one who made her feel loved like no other.

"I love you, Eva," he whispered in her ear.

Eva's heart stopped in her chest. She couldn't explain the feeling but it was like a fire was burning her from the inside out. It was the second time that she had heard it but it felt like the first. She couldn't help the large grin on her face. She pulled back a bit from his embrace and kissed his cheek with her pink soft lips.

"I love you too, Ivar," she breathed.

"I know you do," a sympathetic smile on his face.

Eva could tell he was about to kill the moment once she saw his face.

"How?" her face pointed as if to say I dare you to tell me how I feel.

"No one puts up with a crippled bastard who is more a burden than a blessing for this long unless they love that person, just like my mother," he somberly chuckled. "I can not speak for anyone else, but you I am certain of and maybe Nick the good bastard."

"Elaine only tolerates me because she loves you, Joseph just wants to learn how to become a Viking otherwise he would not stick around too other than that he loves you also."

"You are very observant, old man," she patted his face, "though you look, you do not see."

Ivar faced away from Eva, feeling vulnerable about his feelings for her.

She held his head in her hands and lifted it till his crystal blue orbs were gazing at her hazel green ones. He could see that she meant business with her posture and her hardened eyes.

"It's true, I would have kicked you out by now if I didn't love your crippled arse. But I am not your mother who feels an obligation to love you. I didn't feel obligated to take you to the ball, I would have gone with Avery if I wanted to. I am a free agent, no one tells me what to do or what to feel Ivar. I don't love you out of pity, also I could care less about your legs. It is true what they say in the old tales, your legs have made you who you are a strong-willed, hard-working, crazy but a courageous man. I never thought I'd never like a dominant, bossy, temperamental, brute let alone, love one."

Ivar was losing himself in her honey orbs, couldn't help but fall more deeply with every phrase that left her soft pink lips. Her eyes had softened tremendously, showing her vulnerability but also her sincerity in her words.

"Ivar, I can truly say that ever since you came crashing into my life I have never been happier. In all my eighteen years I've never felt so loved and appreciated even though we constantly argue like an old married couple," she laughed as moisture gathered in her eyes.

"Even though you caused mayhem the first night you officially invited yourself over and met my family, Elaine is part of my life now."

A tear escapes and Ivar was quick to brush it away with the back of his large hand.

"Do you know how much, love you've filled my heart and soul with? I literally thought no one could love me because I felt like the people who were supposed to do that didn't. But an even bigger step for me was to love someone else even though I feel like it's so foreign, but it seems so natural when it comes to you."

By this point, everyone dancing around them had completely dropped off the face of the earth and it was only Ivar and Eva in their own universe again.

Eva smiled with tear stained cheeks

"Ek ann þér, Ivar the boneless."

Ivar sat in silent shock for what felt like hours but only a few seconds. Eva just continued to smile, she couldn't care less if she didn't pronounce it right she knew he had understood her loud and clear.

Ivar felt a foreign tidal wave hit him hard in his chest, his bosom was filled with a warmth he had never felt before. Ivar couldn't explain what he felt, but he knew that the beautiful little she-devil was the cause of all these warm tingly feels he was getting as of late. Ivar definitely loves to fight, but he loved harder when it came down to it. He knew she was telling the truth, as her eyes showed her vulnerable heart at that moment.

Ivar pulled her her beautiful face into her hand and kissed her softly on both cheeks, her forehead and brought her into a tight embrace.

" Ek ann þér, Eva Ek ann þér," he said smoothly, joy overclouding his voice.

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*'Ek ann þér' is Old norse for I love you. Ivars native tongue :)