Thanks to Ike/Letefan whose review gave me the idea! I have a lemon in mind, you'll know when, it is already half written. Tell me if I should submit it (in that case I'll edit the chapter.

Teddy Bear

"Here we are!" Tormod nearly yelled when he caught sight of the inn, and the teenager's cheerful voice filled the mercenaries' hearts with relief.

Sothe almost shouted in triumph as well but eh settled for a big grin instead. Others didn't care all that much; Gatrie began a little happy dance in his big blue armor while Mia jumped around, delighted. Well they couldn't be blamed after all; they had walked for miles and miles after that goddessdamned battle on the great bridge, never stopping to eat or rest. They were all tired as hell, and the sight of the small but cozy-looking inn was enough to warm their hearts.

"Yay! A real bed!" Boyd cheered.

"And food!" Gatrie added, grinning.

"And a bath!" Mia laughed. "One for each of you, guys, I can't stand the smell anymore!"

Sothe laughed along with everybody. She was right, though, a pack of wet dogs wouldn't have smelled worse than some of the men. The young thief caught up to Mist, who was looking happy herself albeit a little dizzy. "Is everything okay?"

"What? Oh yes... I'm just a little tired," the girl answered truthfully.

"You gave everything you had in that last battle," the boy nodded. "It's only normal that you feel exhausted. By the way, you were pretty much the dangerous opponent back there, I was impressed."

"Really?" Mist's deep blue eyes lit up at Sothe's words. "I think I'm doing better with a sword, Stefan and Zihark taught me a few tips and I train with Mia whenever I can, but-" Mist's sentence was interrupted when she yawned. "Sorry..."

"No reason to be sorry, you can barely stand on your own you're so tired. A good night's sleep for you, horseriding beauty," the green-haired teenager chuckled.

"I guess you are right," the valkyrie nodded absently, not even registering what he had called her. She swayed even more as her hand went up to rub her eye.

Sothe was quick to catch her before she fell over from exhaustion. "Hey, stay with me!" he joked as he wrapped his arms around the girl's waist to support her. "Come on, the inn is only a few feet from here, have faith!"

Mist yawned once again and she nestled her head in the thief's neck, closing her eyes halfway. "No... need sleep now," she mumbled lazily. Then she surprised Sothe by wrapping her arms around his neck. "Will you be my vaillant steed?"

"No way I"m carrying you around, I have an image to maintain!"

"Please?" The pleading tone, albeit sleepy, was Sothe's undoing. He had never been able to resist her for long – or even resist her at all for that matter. Mist was just too... Mist, there was no other word. She was cute, lovely, and the kindest girl he knew. Those were the main reasons why he allowed her to climb on his back and resume sleeping against his neck. Sothe gave Mist a piggy-back ride to the inn, and she was already asleep by the time they got there.

"Hey Tormod, give me a hand will you, open the door," the thief asked quietly so he wouldn't wake Mist up.

His mage friend gave him a weird look, but when he caught sight of the sleeping girl, he grinned. "My, my, what have we got here?" teh redhead chuckled. "A thief playing gentleman? This is unheard of! Oh I should go get Volke and-"

"Just open the door, you loud-mouthed oaf," Sothe growled between his teeth as he shifted Mist's weight on his back.

"Say the magic word," Tormod chided.

Sothe normally would have lost his cool and jumped on his friend to give him a sound trashing, but tonight it sounded very childish to the green-haired one. He just sighed, irritated. "Listen, Tormod, I don't have the time for your jokes, Mist is tired and she needs rest. Just open the door."

Tormod was taken aback by his friend's serious, almost adult tone of voice. The calm and collected reaction was not the one he had been expecting, but the mage did his best to look unphased. "All right, all right, don't get mad," he grinned sheepishly. "Geez I was only kidding, Sothe, can't a man have some fun every now and then?"

"Ask me again tomorrow," Sothe answered as he walked through the door Tormod was holding open.

The thief walked up the stairs – the inn had three floors. Mist weighed next to nothing on his back, he could have gone on carrying her for miles if needed. Her legs were soft under his palms, too, as soft as a baby's, yet he could feel the powerful muscles underneath the skin. Wonder if she'd let me touch a bit more, Sothe smirked to hmself, his roguish instincts awakening. I'm such a bad boy... here she is, all cute and helpless, and all I can think about is what it would feel like to touch her. Goddess, she's only... what? Sixteen? And I'm seventeen?

"Ah... rooms at least," Sothe muttered as he saw a few doors hanging open. He walked into the first room on his left, and he put Mist down on the bed.

The valkyrie yawned a little and opened her bright blue eyes halfway. "Sothe?" she caleld out quietly.

"Here Mist, you can sleep all you want now," the thief smiled and he patted her hand. Mist used this to her advantage to grab his fingers. "Mist?"

"Don't go... you're warm," the girl mumbled, half asleep. Her smaller hand squeezed his rough one and tugged at it. "It's cold..."

Sothe fought with himself. If Ike walked in and found him sleeping next to Mist, the thief was toast – big brother was not one to joke about those things, especially when it involved little sister. But he was tired too, and Mist's warmth was appealing. "All right, I guess," he finally said as he gave her hand a squeeze back.

Mist smiled and scooted over to give him more space. But as soon as the boy's back hit the mattress, she scooted back to wrap her arms around his chest, and he did the same to her waist. Body warmth, he thought calmly, that's it until Mist nuzzled her nose into his neck and gave a sigh of comfort. Sothe nearly blushed; he wasn't used to being this close to a girl and, he realized with horror, his young body rather liked the new sensation.

Sothe quickly let go of Mist to flop over onto his stomach, hoping the valkyrie was too sleepy to have noticed anything about his body's reaction.

"What's wrong?" she asked him.

"I've got a, ah... backache?" the thief tried quietly, grinding his teeth a little. "Yeah, a backache... that last battle really did a number on me."

Mist propped herself up on her elbow. "Really? Why did you carry me on your back then?" the girl asked, worry overcoming sleep. "You should have told me it hurt."

Sothe mentally kicked himself. "Well you were... so light and all," he muttered lamely. "I don't think you made it any worse than it already was."

"Still..." Mist's voice trailed off. Sothe thought for one dreaded minute that she had figured out what was happening, but then he heard the mattress creak as the girl moved her weight on it.

Sothe nearly jumped when he felt hands upon his back. "Mist? What are you doing?"

"Sshhh... just relax." The nimble hands began to move to his shoulderblades, and the thief wondered what Mist had in mind; but he found out she wanted to give him a massage when she rubbed nape and shoulders. His first thought was to protest; he didn't deserve it and she didn't have to do it for him. But the way her experienced fingers worked on his tense nerves and muscles was too soothing to be ignored, and thus he was reduced to plain content silence. Moreover, it helped to settle his mind on something different from what his body wanted. Sothe was too lost to notice Mist tugging his shirt up to massage his very skin.

The young man thought he was melting under the roaming hands as they travelled from his shoulders to his lower back then up again. He could feel Mist sitting on the back of his thighs, so near, and he moaned into his pillow.

"Does it feel good?" the healer asked, never stopping.

Hell yeah, keep it up, but I know how to make it even better... But Sothe only nodded. "I think that ache is gone now," he almost purred.

"That ache? You have another one?" Mist blinked.

"Well, yeah." Sothe rolled over so she was sitting on the front of his thighs and he sat up. Before Mist could register, Sothe's rough but gentle lips were on hers and his arms guided her to sit into his lap.

Mist had to grab onto his shoulders to keep her balance, but she never made any move to brak away from the kiss. This only served to fuel Sothe's self-confidence and he hugged her harder, intensifying the kiss when she began kissing back.

Eventually, they had to part for air, but their eyes never left the other's.

"That was... incredible," Mist blushed.

"I'm glad you think so," Sothe answered as he tightened his embrace. He bent to kiss her neck and, feeling bold, he added under his breath. "Because there's more."

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"I'm hungry," Rold whined pitifully as he walked alongside with Tormod to the room they were supposed to share with Sothe and Mist, who had already gone to bed.

"You'll eat tomorrow, I need sleep," the mage retorted.

"You need sleep, I need food." The archer's stomach agreed wholeheartedly.

"Fine then, go down to the kitchen alone."

Rolf glanced back at the dark corridor and gulped. No way he was going down there all alone. "W-well I think I'll be fine," he said fearfully. "I'm not that hungry, after all."

"There, you see." Tormod grabbed the handle but before he could open the door, Rolf tugged at his sleeve. "What is it now? I won't go with you to the kitchen, Rolf, just forget it."

"Ssh! Be quiet! Listen, do you hear anything?"

The mage shrugged and was about to tell his friend hunger was making him hallucinate; but then he caught it. Sounds were coming from inside the room. It sounded like ruffles, creaks and... moans?

Tormod jerked his hands away from the handle as if he had been burnt. "Well, erm, I'm actually a bit hungry too," he gulped. "Say, why don't we go to the kitchen for a little midnight snack?"

Rolf was only too happy to comply, and before long the two were off. The stayed clear of the room for the rest of the night.