Helping with a closet - Hakon & Freyja

Sofie had been planning this all out for weeks. She had been much more behaved than she normally was. So people would think that maybe, just maybe she was starting to grow up a bit. Oh how wrong they were, if fact she had been working on a plan to get her sister Freyja and Hakon to finally get together. She wanted them to trust her, and listen to her when she started to get her plan into motion. If she had been pulling pranks just the day before then she knew that the two of them would never listen to her or even give her the time of day. If they didn’t give her the time of day, then all of this would be for nothing, and that just could not happen. She had been put far too much into this to let them ruin it but not listening and not believing her. Sofie wanted them to be together too much, she could see that they cared for eachother. They were just too scared to act on it maybe, at least she was pretty sure that had to be the reason. It was why she hadn’t told Aleinn she liked him yet, she was too scared about what would happen if she did. Plus she was sure she would mess it all up anyways. However she was young, she had time to figure this stuff out. Freyja and Hakon were getting old, and if she was ever going to get nieces or nephews they needed to get on the ball.

So sofie worked up a plan to trap them in a room at her home. She would tell Hakon that Freyja needed him and needed him quick. Maybe come in all upset and crying, then have him follow her home. Where she would already have Freyja locked up in a room. She would open the door and then shove him inside, then lock them in until they talked and worked out their problems. If and when they figured out that they liked one another, she would let them out. It was truly simple in her head. Getting Freyja locked up would be far easier than Hakon. She just had to hope that he would listen to her when she went to his home. If he did that she would have this all in the bag. Smiling to herself, Sofie got up and headed down the stairs. All of her other sisters were gone but herself and Freyja, and they would be for a while too. “Freyja, can you come help me for a moment!” she shouted out from close to the room that could be locked. She smiled when Freyja came down and looked at her, before her sister could say anything however, she opened the door and shoved her inside locking her in. “I’ll be back soon, and I’ll have a guest for you too!” she said to her sister before leaving the house and walking to Hakons.

The walk wasn’t long, for he didn’t live very far away from them. Pinching her cheeks a little bit to make them red and flushed she started to bang on his door.”Hakon! Hakon open the door, Freyja is in trouble” she said as she hit the door and willed herself the cry. If this worked she would one step closer to getting them together. She just prayed he listened to her.

Hakon was simply minding his own business, moving leisurely around his house as he got ready for the day. He was just about ready, and he paused to scratch Fenrir’s ears before he left the house for the day. The old dog sighed in contentment and Hakon smiled softly before he stood and walked outside. He went to the small furnace outside his forge and added charcoal, then lit it. He watched it flare up in satisfaction. He was just about to head into his shop when he pauses, hearing a frantic banging at a door. He turns back to the fire. Probably his neighbors, nobody ever came looking for him at his house.

But then he hears Sofie calling his name and he sprints around the side of the shop toward his house, sliding to a stop beside her. He’s instantly on guard when she says Freyja is in trouble, his heart pounding in his chest and his whole body tense. An accident at the docks, maybe? Or something else. He grabs Sofie’s shoulders hard, but somehow controls himself enough that he doesn’t shake her. “Where is she? What happened?”

He can barely contain himself to wait for her answer, but if he doesn’t know where Freyja is, then he can’t help her. He has a medium-sized knife at his belt if he needs it, and for a moment he considers running to his shop and grabbing something bigger. But there might not be time for that. He waits impatiently for her to answer him, anxiety thrumming through his veins. He always knew everything he cared about would be ripped from him.

Sofie is a little shocked when Hakon appeared by her side and not at the front door like she had thought he would. He must have been at the shop instead of home. Oh well at least he heard her and is now here. However she was then grabbed by her shoulders rather roughly by him. He looked to be in a panic, and she almost felt bad, and she almost gave herself away.  “Where is she? What happened?” she heard him say and she put on her best scared face before she spoke. “She’s at home! We have to hurry!” she tells him as she moves back to get his hands off her. She then grabs his hand and takes off running, dragging him behind her as fast as she can.”You were the first person I thought of, so I came as fast as I could. I just hope she was okay alone!" she yells back at him just before letting go of his hand and heading inside. “FREYJA!” she yells as she grabs his hand again and drags him over to the room she had left her sister in. So far this had been way too easy, but with how scared Hakon was acting she was almost feeling bad, almost.

Ripping the door open as fast as she could she grabbed Hakon and shoved him inside before locking the door shut and leaning onto it. She had been scared Freyja would have tried to grab at her, but it looked like she grabbed Hakon instead of her. Which when she thought about it, it made her laugh. “Wow this was way too easy.” she told them from outside the door. She then let out another laugh before talking more.”As you can see Freyja’s problem was I locked her into this room. So she isn’t hurt.” she tells Hakon. “Sorry for lying,with how scared you got I almost changed my mind and didn’t do this. However you both are in need of a awaking. You both like eachother, I can see it. Others can see it, but I don’t know if you are both scared or what...but I’m not letting you out until you have some real conversations together.” she told them as she moved away from the door a bit. “Maybe this wasn’t the nicest thing for me to do...but I wanted to help so I am. I approve of you both...this is my way of saying it.” she said to them both before taking another step away.

“I’ll be back in an hour or so, so work this out so you can be happy, and I can know that love is real other than mom and dad!” Sofie says last before walking over to the other side of the room for a moment. When she heard talking she smiled and walk outside. She wasn’t going to go far, just far enough for them to talk without her there. It would be rude of her to listen in on them and this kind of conversation. She wouldn't want someone to do that to her if she ever told Aleinn she liked him. Sofie just hoped they talked about things and didn’t spend the whole time trying to get out.

Hakon was easily keeping pace with Sofie, and he would have sped ahead of her but he didn’t know where in the house she was or what was going on, and he didn’t want to be walking into an unknown situation. He was worried but he wasn’t foolish. He follows Sofie toward a door as she shouts her sister’s name, and then before he can even realize what’s happening she’s shoving him through the door and he hears it slam shut behind him. His wide eyes immediately find Freyja, unharmed, sitting on a wooden crate. “Thank the gods,” he stammers, striding quickly toward her. The panic is ebbing away quickly now, replaced with humiliation and annoyance as Sofie’s words start to register in his mind.

His first instinct is to draw the knife from his belt and try to put it in the crack between the door and the wall, to see if he can lift the locking bar, but the knife is too thick to fit through the small crack. He sheaths the knife and beats his fist on the door once. “Or maybe I’ll melt your sword down and use the steel for ship fittings!” But Sofie’s voice has faded and he knows she’s probably just laughing at their threats, anyway. Hakon whirls toward Freyja as she speaks, and he’s still a little tense as his eyes sweep over her quickly, assuring himself again that she’s fine.

He sighs deeply, closing his eyes and running a hand over his face. His eyes are slightly amused as he looks at her again. “Odin’s eye, Freyja, she was crying.” He laughs, remembering how just moments before he’d thought he wasn’t a fool. The joke is on him, because he certainly is one. He struggles to calm himself, and after a few moments he sighs and the tension drains from his shoulders. “I’m fine, but I thought you weren’t,” he murmurs, embarrassed. He shifts uncomfortably when Freyja asks him if Sofie has been bothering him about them, too, and then he nods.
“She has. Any idea where she got this nonsense in her head?” He sits on a container beside Freyja, grinning over at her, eyebrows raised. “And don’t think that just because I was worried you were dying, I’m going to be nice to you today.” It’s then that the idea hits him, and he leans toward Freyja with a wicked little grin. “We have to get her back, Freyja, tricks seem like the only thing she understands. If we make her think she’s right, and then reveal that we tricked her somehow, maybe she’ll stop sticking her nose in places it doesn’t belong.” He tilts his head, then jerks his chin toward the door. “Or if you have the knife I made you, the blade on it should be thin enough to fit through the crack by the door and lift the locking bar.” He leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and wonders what he’s gotten himself into.

Hakon felt like a fool because he should have known Sofie was tricking him, and yet he would never expect her to use Freyja’s safety to get to him. If anything, though, his reaction would have given him away. He could play it off as concern for his friend, but Sofie already suspected that his feelings for her sister ran deeper than friendship, and Hakon would never admit to her that she was right. But he didn’t need to, because she’d tricked him into revealing the truth of it. His fear when she’d said Freyja was hurt had been genuine, and even though he was annoyed at Sofie, more than that he was glad that Freyja wasn’t actually hurt.

He snorts, shaking his head, and waves off Freyja’s apology. “I should have expected something like this.” He shrugs and gives her a crooked little smile. “Although I’m glad it was just a joke and you’re not hurt, she’s still going to end up without a sword, whether it’s in the ocean or on a ship.” He shakes his head again when Freyja tells the story about Tora getting lost in the woods when they were children. “And that didn’t teach her you can’t joke about people’s safety?” He sighs and leans back against the wall, stretching his legs out in front of him. “At least so far it’s never led to anything tragic, but it easily can. She needs to learn a lesson.” Not only that, but Hakon is embarrassed that Sofie seems to have figured out his true feelings, and he’s worried she’ll tell Freyja. Once she knows, of course, Hakon won’t deny it to her, but he isn’t ready to admit anything to her just yet.

He smiles over at her with a small chuckle when she says she’d think he was dying if he started being nice to her. He places his hand over his heart, tilting his head to the side, and grins over at her again. “Still beating,” he assures her. He manages an offended look when she says she doesn’t have her knife, but a small smile soon cracks it. He can’t blame her for not grabbing it when she was planning on relaxing for the morning. Besides, he’s starting to warm up to the idea of pranking Sofie back. Gods know she needs to be taught a lesson, and better that lesson come from him and Freyja than from someone who actually wants to hurt her. He knows Freyja has a good sense of humor and that she won’t be mad at her sister for long, and honestly Hakon would rather be pranked by Sofie than have Freyja be hurt. He’s already sort of forgiven her, although he still wouldn’t say no if he got the chance to melt her sword.

]b]“That’s the general idea,”[/b] he confirms when Freyja asks him. When she says she’s in, his grin widens and he settles back onto his crate. He’s content to spend the next hour or so relaxing, trading insults and jabs with Freyja. There are worse ways to spend a morning. He can see she’s uncomfortable when she suggests they practice, and he gives her a warm, reassuring smile. “We can practice, if you want. I’m not very good at making things up like Sofie is.” He scoots over on the container and pats the spot next to him, then raises his eyebrow and cracks a joke to try to make her less uneasy. “Unless you’d rather sit on my lap?” His voice is light and taunting. He knows she’ll have no problem sitting next to him, she’s sat next to him countless times. But never before have they been consciously flirting, and Hakon is suddenly hyper-aware of himself and of Freyja. He takes a deep breath and gives her a look of supreme innocence. “I won’t bite or anything,” he promises with a wink.

When she asks if they’re doing this or not, all he does is raise an eyebrow and pat the spot next to him again. He watches as she approaches, but then he looks away quickly and feels a little bit of heat rise to his cheeks. Freyja is his friend, and the truth is that his feelings for her run a bit deeper than that, but he’s barely had time to come to terms with it himself. He’s almost wishing he’d never even brought it up, but he still believed Sofie needed to be taught a lesson. And honestly, maybe it would be nice to flirt with Freyja a little? Their friendship is so easygoing already, he doesn’t think a bit of harmless flirting to prank Sofie will harm it.

Hakon looks up as Freyja reaches him, and although he’d made a wisecrack about her sitting in his lap to get her to relax, he hadn’t been expecting her to actually do it. He can’t hide the surprise in his face, but he recovers quickly enough to wrap his arm around her, settling his hand lightly on her waist. He raises an eyebrow, gauging her reaction, ready to move his hand if she gives him even the slightest sign that he’s gone too far. He chuckles when she asks how she’s doing so far, and shoots her a small, teasing smile. “Let’s just say it’s a good thing we’re practicing.” He fully expects a light punch to his shoulder for that remark, but it’ll be worth it.

He watches the grin melt from her face as she grabs his right arm and pulls it closer to her face, and he gives her a puzzled look before she speaks. He’d almost forgotten about that burn. “I work with fire, how do you think I managed it?” Hakon wears thick leather gloves when he forges, but sometimes sparks from the forge or from the hot metal he’s hammering fly up past the gloves and land on his skin. He’s so used to it by now he barely notices when it happens, and his muscular forearms are riddled with pale, long-healed burns. He gives her a scandalized look when she says he isn’t very good at blacksmithing, and his next remark is out of his mouth before he can stop it. “I’m going to be a shipbuilder. I’ve heard it doesn’t take any great skill.” He’s laughing halfway through the sentence, ripping his arm from Freyja’s grip and cowering behind his upraised forearm.

Hakon has a warm, rich laugh, although it’s rare, but he seems to laugh much more when Freyja’s around. Once he’s finished laughing he shifts on the crate, leaning back against the wall behind him, and settles Freyja more comfortably on his lap. Since they’re probably going to be sitting like this until Sofie gets back, he might as well be comfortable. He grins up at her, his eyes--one blue and one hazel--glinting with mischief. “Comfortable?” His tone is light and mocking, just as it almost always is when they’re teasing each other, and with a smirk he bounces his knee to jostle her.

Hakon’s slight nervousness is quickly evaporating. He should have known that flirting with Freyja would be this easy, but maybe he’s just never thought of it before. He’s only recently been bludgeoned upside the head by Sofie telling him he likes Freyja, so he’s had no reason to try and analyze their every interaction. And with her perched on his lap, his arm around her waist, he decides he isn’t going to try to understand this, but just to enjoy it. It’s only to get back at Sofie, he’s well aware of that, and so he isn’t going to read too much into it.

He chuckles and shakes his head when she says she needs a lot of practice. “Lucky for you, I’m very good at flirting. I’ll teach you.” He can barely keep a straight face, because he’s remembering the one time she’s seen him flirting with another woman, at her mother’s birthday party. And together they’d chased the girl off by ignoring her, so by what she’s seen, Hakon is not, in fact, very good at flirting. He could tell she was beginning to relax, which put him completely at ease now. They might as well be just standing at his shop or in the shipyard teasing each other, really. The interaction is barely any different, except that she’s sitting on his lap and it’s closer than they’ve ever been before.

He watches, slightly amused as she inspects his arm, noting the myriad small burn scars that litter it. Most of them are older now, he’s gotten better at predicting when sparks will fly and avoiding them. But sometimes, they simply can’t be avoided, or the metal doesn’t behave exactly the way you expect it to. It’s a simple occupational hazard, but he doesn’t mind it. He laughs at her remark and returns her serious face with one of his own. “Well then, there goes my plan to turn my entire shop into one giant forge that I can stand in to work the metal better. I won’t do that, just because you asked me to.” He straightens his shoulders a bit, tossing his head like a girl tossing her hair. Of course, his  black hair doesn’t swing because it’s tied back into a messy bun. “Obviously I’m the ideal person to be locked in a closet with, second only to a horde of mice.”

He grins at her outburst. “I think I’m hilarious.” He corrects her lightly, then pauses, tilting his head and adds, “And handsome.” He snorts. “Aren’t you supposed to be the one flirting with me? This feels like I’m flirting with myself.”

He laughs as he bounces his knee and she falls a little closer to him, grasping his shirt to keep herself from falling. But Hakon has also tightened his grip around her waist, and his other hand goes up to her shoulder to steady her. “Of course I’m rude. Nice people are terrible. You would hate me if I was nice.” He can feel her gaze on his face as he’s smiling up at her, and his brow wrinkles in mild confusion for a second before she speaks again. He raises an eyebrow at her and she continues, and he can’t help but laugh as she says she’s never noticed because she’s always rolling her eyes at his rude behavior. “It can be hard to notice if you aren’t very close my face. People never think someone’s eyes will be two different colors, and people almost never notice something if they aren’t looking right at it.” He winks up at her, smiling.

He looks up at her, his face very serious, when she asks if this is how you flirt. “Maybe don’t say my arms are gross in front of your sister? Try… Awe-inspiring, maybe? Or wonderful? And maybe I should say something nice about you? Rather than talking about your wicked personality and acid tongue,” he manages to look hurt, “I should say… Hmmm.” He considers, tilting his head as if finding something nice to say about her is an immense struggle. Finally, he grins slyly, struck by sudden inspiration, and his eyes gleam with mischief. “That your hair is the color of gold when it’s just cooled from the forge’s flame?” He asks, raising his eyebrows for her approval.

He raises an eyebrow at her, managing to look hurt at her monotone voice before he smiles up at her. “I’m trying, but you just don’t want to listen to me. How can I teach someone who doesn’t want to learn? And obviously the problem isn’t my teaching, just look at how good I am with apprentices.” With that last remark, he finally breaks out laughing. There’s no way he can bring up his one failed apprentice and not laugh. He finds that he likes having Freyja sitting on his lap, and he hopes maybe Sofie won’t come back in exactly an hour. Maybe she’ll get distracted and give them a little extra time. Sitting here with her, locked in a dark closet with only Freyja and wooden crates for company, is surprisingly pleasant.

He’s smiling already at her remark about saving his life again, and he nods his head, his eyes wide and serious. “It seems like I’m a very lucky man to have such a smart woman for a friend. You’ve saved my life twice just this morning!” He chuckles at her remark about the splinters up and down her arms, and he gently takes her hand that’s sitting in her lap and holds it up so he can inspect it. Her forearm is strong and tan, the skin smooth and with no splinters, as promised. “Nope, no splinters. You’re very talented.” He places her hand back in her lap and twines his fingers with hers, looking up at her with raised eyebrows. “I know my arms are gross and my hands are probably disgusting, but can you contain your disgust long enough to hold my hand? To trick Sofie?” His hands are warm and callused and his grip on her fingers is light, so she can easily pull her hand away if she wants to.

He grins as she says she was always fond of mice. “I figured since you’re fond of me, you must be fond of other vermin as well.” Hakon tells her, his eyes wide and very serious, but a small smile playing with the corners of his lips. When she says he’s doing a good job flirting with himself, he throws his head back and laughs. He’s still chuckling as he levels his gaze at her as she continues. “Please, feel free to interrupt. Sofie isn’t going to believe this if I’m the one talking about how amazing I am.” He absentmindedly strokes his thumb along her hand. Hakon has little experience with showing physical affection, but his stroking of Freyja’s hand is almost an automatic thing. He finds he likes holding her hand. It’s nice, calming even. It’s so easy to be around her, even if she’s sitting on his lap and they’re scheming vengeance.

He wrinkles his nose at Freyja’s question about how much can Sofie know. “She knows enough, believe me. You should have heard her talking about Haskell. It was horrifying.” His shocked reaction is only partially faked. He really had been embarrassed by the way Sofie talked about his friend. “Obviously he isn’t training her hard enough if she has time to notice how sweaty he gets.” He grinned up at her as she said she was proud of the very things he’d chose to tease her for. “Those happen to also be some of my favorite things about you.” He winks quickly. He notes her raised eyebrow, and receives her compliment with a mocking incline of his head and a smirk. He’s about to retort when she continues, and a look of horror crosses his face when she suggests the word dreamy. He starts to shake his head but she’s already continuing, and he sighs in relief. He watches as she taps her chin with her finger, and is sort of startled to discover that he wants to be holding her hand again. He hopes that when she’s done, she’ll twine her fingers with his again.

“Muscular is better,” he agrees, nodding, and although she’s giving him a sideways look he returns her grin. She leans into him again and he adjusts the arm that’s around her waist so his grip is just slightly tighter than before. The brief silence that followed was relaxing, he would even go so far as to say peaceful and natural, and he actually closed his eyes for a moment to enjoy it. He opens them immediately when she speaks, and tilts her head as he considers her words. “Of course you’re staying here until she answers the door, if you weren’t, what would be the point of even sitting in my lap in the first place? Besides noticing my eyes, obviously.”

Hakon pauses, thinking for a moment, and grins wickedly up at her as an idea takes root. “But if you want to trick her even a little more…. We could tell her we’ve been secretly together for months, and she’s figured it out?” He looks up at her, trying his best--and failing--to keep a straight face. “But of course that means we’ll have to sell it even more. So you can tell her, and while you’re telling her I can,” he pauses, hesitating, afraid that his suggestion will make things awkward again. “Kiss you? Here, or here? And if we’re lucky, if we have a good angle my lips won’t even need to touch your skin.” He lifts his hand to gently poke first at her cheek, then her neck. “And then she’ll probably be so embarrassed she runs away, so we’ll be free to go about our days.” He drops his hand, settling it in his own lap, a few inches from Freyja’s leg. He isn’t brave enough to dare to try to hold her hand again, not after he’s suggested he kiss her.

“No hammer,” he promises with a chuckle, then his face grows serious. “Just a knife.” But he can’t keep the straight face for very long at all, not when she’s looking at him with that easy smile on her lips, and he finds himself wondering just what it is about her that makes him feel this way. She’s so easy to just be around, to be himself without his walls, and yet he still feels safe. He can’t decide if she’s a strength or a weakness, and he’s a little afraid to examine it too closely. “I’m going to Kattegat with Haskell--did I tell you that yet? I might look for an apprentice there.” He smirks up at her. “So no need for me to terrify Tora.”

He falls back against the wall as she jostles him with her shoulder, as if she’d used a lot of force and he wasn’t strong enough to withstand it. He looks down at their clasped hands as she squeezes his fingers, and his answering squeeze is automatic and gentle. He rolls his eyes at her remark about being able to stomach it for a little while. “While we’re on the subject of how much I disgust you, is there any other horrifying parts of me that I should be aware of?” His tone is slightly mocking, and he can’t keep his offended face for long.

When he levels his head to look at her, he notes the smile on her lips and feels a sudden tightening somewhere in his belly, which he does his best to ignore. His face turns very serious when she suggests that making up adorable pet names is one of her hidden talents. “Oh? Well then, let’s see what you can do.” He raises his eyebrows, waiting, then can’t resist getting a quick taunt in. “I bet it’s not as good as my bit about your hair.” He laughs at her horrified expression when he tells her about Sofie, then shakes his head to dismiss it. “As far as I’m aware, Haskell is ignorant of her observations, so no harm done.” He chuckles when she lists the things that make her herself. “Well, I’ll thank the gods for your love of rodents, since without that we obviously couldn’t be friends.”

He suppresses his smile as she twines her fingers with his again, and resumes stroking his thumb softly along her hand. “If you’re still thinking, does that mean I need to keep thinking, too? Should I add something about your smile?” He brightens for a moment. “I’ve got it. You smile brighter than the sun. Thank Sofie for that one, since apparently I look at you like you’re the light in my darkness.” His tone turns extra sarcastic at the last bit. “Apparently since we’re only friends, I shouldn’t look at you like I actually enjoy your company.” Hakon twists his face into an angry scowl, but it quickly breaks into a smile. “Better to use her own words against her. Do you think she’ll notice?”

When he feels her wiggling around, his automatic impulse is for his other arm to wrap around her waist to steady her, but once he realizes she isn’t falling, he quickly removes his one hand and grabs hers again. His other arm stays draped across her lower back, his hand resting on the curve of her waist. He notes how she returns his grin automatically, and when she laughs at his suggestion his smile widens even further. He notes her raised eyebrow and raises one in return, mirroring her expression, and he tenses slightly, still afraid his suggestion will drive her off. He relaxes when she says it could work. “Just enough to make it convincing, but people always see what they want to see.” He shrugs. “I doubt we’ll even have to work that hard. And if you stay sitting like you are now, your side to the door like that, I should just be able to touch my face to your skin. From this angle, she probably won’t notice if my lips are actually touching you or not.”

Eyes glinting with mischief, he bounces his knee to jostle her again, his hand tightening around her waist to ensure she doesn’t fall. “Do you have any other ideas? You know her better than I do.”

Sofie had been pretty proud of herself that all this had actually worked out the way she wanted to. The way Hankon freaked out, and just followed after her like a man on fire did make her feel badly about what she had done, but at the same time she didn't. They were both great people and she really didn't want anyone else with her sister, well no one but maybe Haskell. However she could see the way that Hankon looked at Freyja, even if he never wanted to admit it to himself. The looks, and the feelings were still there on his behave. She wasn't as sure with her sister as she was with Hankon, but she knew that they had been close. They were good friends, and good friendship could lead too good other things. In the end, the bottom line of this all, she was doing it so they could both be happy. She wanted them both to be happy because she cared about them both a lot. Sofie would never tell Hankon to his face, but she already viewed him as a big brother in her life. She had always wanted one, and had adopted him as one in her own little weird way. She was honestly worried he would think she was weird, so that was another reason she didn't tell him about it.

She had just pushed them into the room and locked the door. Sofie could hear them threatening her and just rolled her eyes as she walked away. She stayed close to hear if they would try to break out, but when she heard that they weren't going to, she went to make sure none of her sisters would be coming home and coming into the house. She hoped that they would at least give everything a chance, and give each other a chance. However she wasn't going to hold her breath. With her luck, when she opened the door she was going to be attacked by the two of them. That was not something she was looking forward too happening. Sofie left them alone for a good forty or so minutes before walking over to the door and opening it. She had given them a little space to talk to one another, and had know idea what they talked about. However she had a wooden practice sword in her hands so she would be ready to attack if she needed to do so.

The sight however she was greeted to was her sister on Hankon's lap, and she was almost sure she heard Freyja call him Honey Plum which was super gross if you asked her. Looking at them for a moment she tired to see if they were both fucking with her, but it looked like they were enjoying one an others company. A large smile slowly took over her face as she looked at them more. She knew she had been right this whole time and they liked each other."I knew it!" she says to them first. Sword still in the air and ready if she needs it, she is not stupid. "Look I know you're both most likely mad at me, but did this with good intentions..." she tells them before bitting her lip a bit."I care about you both and just want you to be happy....after everything with dad...Freyja gave up her dreams to take care of the family...and after what I know you went through as a child Hankon...i don't know...I don't do emotions...but I just wanted you to be happy." she said to them before shrugging and feeling awkward a little bit. Something she didn't like at all. "So are you together now or just fucking with me?" she asked them before smiling. "Because if you are, it won't be gross to kiss right? she was happy for them, but she was also smart. She as the queen of faking and tricking.

Strange as it was to admit it, Hakon was momentarily disappointed when the door opened to reveal Sofie, wooden practice sword in hand, because he knew that his quiet morning trading taunts with Freyja was drawing to a close. However, he was a busy man and had several projects he wanted to finish before his trip to Kattegat, so his disappointment was quickly overshadowed by relief and annoyance. He remembers the way she lied to him to get him to come, the real fear he'd felt at the thought of something bad actually happening to Freyja, and it's easy to recall his anger. She's claiming her intentions were good, but that doesn't make up for the fact that she lied to him about the safety of one of his best friends. He jumps to his feet nearly as soon as the door starts opening, his hands still on Freyja's waist as he sets her on her feet, and he's reaching for one of the light, empty shipping containers nearby.

He simply shoves the box over, creating a very loud and hopefully distracting crash that will give Freyja a chance to reach the door. Is it strange that in all their time locked in the closet, they'd never actually come up with an escape plan? They must be stupid or something, because really there's nothing to stop Sofie from locking them in here again. He simply stares at her, dumbfounded, as her words finally register in his brain. There are times when Hakon is act first, comprehend later, and this was one of those moments. He isn't sure if he should laugh at her or scold her, because he's still very annoyed that she lied to him about her sister's safety, and so he decides to hopefully buy them some time to come up with a plan that doesn't involve actual kissing, because as much as he's sure he would enjoy it, he doesn't want to pressure Freyja into doing something she isn't comfortable with for the sake of a prank.

He crosses his arms, raising his brows in shocked disbelief as he stares at Sofie like she's suddenly grown a second head. "You are not in the position to be making demands right now. You lied to me." The look on his face is one of pure disappointment. He wants to add more, he really is angry, but he doesn't want to actually reprimand her because she's Freyja's sister, not his. He hasn't even spared a glance for Freyja yet--he finds it hard to look at her right now, remembering the way she felt on his lap and how easy it was to simply hold her hand, to joke with her like this was any other normal conversation. Sofie's arrival has sort of ruined his mood, he only hopes Freyja is still on her game, so he can simply follow her lead.

Sofie Still had the wooden sword up and ready after she spoke to them, but as soon as she was done, they were both moving around like crazy. Hankon pushed a crate that had been in the closet out and then Freyja was storming past her before she could even stop her. “I cannot believe you locked us in a closet for an hour and thought we’d… what, thank you? when you let us out?” Freyja said to her and she grabbed an Axe, Sofie looked at her sister with wide eyes and got ready to defend herself with the sword, but was glad, and mad at the same time when she watched her sister hack the lock off the door. Well she wouldn't be able to use this plan ever again. Plus she was mad that she thought Freyja was about to come after her with an axe for gods sake. Freyja dropped the Axe on the table and then went to stand next to Hankon “You locked us in a closet, Sofie!” Freyja yelled at her next, and she just rolled her eyes at them both. No shit, she as well aware she locked them in a closet.

Sofie looked at them, they were both mad at her. She could see it clearly, and she knew it was going to be this way. That's why she brought the wooden sword. Sofie was not about to get her ass kicked by them because she had been trying to help them out. Nope, she wasn't stupid. "You are not in the position to be making demands right now. You lied to me." Hankon said to her too, she had caught that before all the craziness with the axe had happened. The idea that he was super upset with her for lying made her feel bad a little bit, but she pushed her own feelings away just a bit and looked at them as they gave her dirty looks. “Your intentions are irrelevant when your actions are shitty, Sofie. And what we are,” Freyja said to her first and she raised and eyebrow at her as she waited for her to go on. “is still none of your business. I'm not kissing anyone to prove anything to you.” she said to her next. Sofie let out a laugh at them. She figured that they weren't going to actually kiss in front of her, but she was also not an idiot , and they should know that. That gross ass nickname she heard her sister call him was pathetic if they were trying to pull one over on her.

Then Freyja took a few steps closer to Hankon and placed her hand on his arm, she watched the whole exchange with calculating eyes before she nodded to him and said You can yell at her if you like.” to him. Sofie just rolled her eyes even more. If she had to keep this up, they were going to roll right out of her head. She was the master of tricking and pranking, so they were going to have to do a lot more then sitting on each others lap, using dumb nicknames, and touching one another. "Fine fine, don't kiss. I don't care." she tells them first before rolling her eyes at them again. "But I'm not dumb you two. Clearly I think about things a lot, if I was able to plan this out. So don't think you can fool the pranking queen!" she tells them next before deciding to address the other things they had said to her too."I shouldn't have scared him, and I guess I'm sorry you got freaked out that way Hankon." she tells him looking serious for a moment before adding in a shrug.

She didn't want to admit fault, but maybe she could have gone about things differently? "And just because you don't understand my intentions, it doesn't make them shitty. " she tells Freyja before going on. "I know your mad, but I'm not sorry about meddling so I wont say so. You both are always working nonstop on things, and I'm not the only person who knows you like each other....if you too are really together then good, I'm glad. You both deserve happiness, if not then whatever, I tired to help. So I most likely wont get involved again, but no promises however." she tells them next and lets out a huff of air at them both. "But go ahead and yell some more if it will make you feel better. I have other things to do today, and don't want to be here all day." she tells them as she crosses her hands over her chest. She hoped that they were really together, and that this would actually bring them happiness, however Sofie knew better. They were both very stubborn people, and Hankon hide his feelings like she hide he own. The likely hood of them actually getting together while locked in the closet was small. They were more likely to plot her death or their revenge. It would have been what she would do anyways.

Hakon feels a sick sort of satisfaction, watching Freyja hack the lock off the door with an axe. He's still so angry at the whole situation, but mostly at Sofie. Didn't she know what her meddling could cause? Didn't she realize that his friendship with Freyja was far too important to jeopardize over something silly like his feelings? He would do anything for Freyja's happiness, but the one thing he won't do is do anything to endanger his friendship with her. Nothing is worth that, not even Sofie's pranks and definitely not his own feelings. He glares at Sofie, only shaking his head when Freyja says he can yell at her, too. He isn't a man of many words, and although he has a quick temper, he's also quick to control it most of the time. He only shakes his head, shooting Sofie a look of pure disappointment. "I don't want to hold up her day the way she held up ours." He shrugs as he looks down at Freyja, at her hand resting on his arm.

"I guess that's the difference between an adult and a child." He turns his full attention to Freyja now. He doesn't even want to look at Sofie right now. He gives Freyja a small smile, and hopes she'll see that she's supposed to keep playing along. "Are you still coming over for lunch?" He slides a hand down to the small of her back, pulling her closer to his side. He hopes she'll be alright with this, since it's about as close as they were in the closet, anyway. Hakon ducks his head and presses a soft kiss to her temple, the smell of her hair nearly enough to overwhelm him, and he gives her a small smile as he releases his hold on her. The expression quickly slips from his face as he walks past Sofie, purposely avoiding looking at her as he leaves. He closes the door softly behind him, runs his hand over his face with a heavy sigh, and heads back to his shop.