A/N:

Hello everyone! It's been a while *cough 2 years cough* but I'm back as promised :) Thanks so much to everyone for the reviews and well-wishes. This might be the kindest, most insightful fandom ever. Thank you for sticking with me.

I hate to take up a bunch of time with a long author's note, but a few important things:

First off, I have a beta reader!1 A big, special thank you to Candyfiendnomnom for beta-reading this for me. You are amazing! 3

Second, this story will finally be earning its sexy M rating :) I've debated how to go about this on ffnet, because there are some rules about this and I've seen entire fics get purged... so the version I'm posting here will not be getting too graphic. If you are interested in reading the steamy version I have an account by the same name over on Archive of Our Own, where I'm simultaneously posting this very same fic :)

Here u go! |ʘ‿ʘ)╯

Bradas hissed as he sank back into the cooling bath, fluctuating between being annoyed, elated, and aroused. It was not a favorable combination.

He needed a few minutes to think and let the lukewarm water cool his head. What was he supposed to do now that she'd come in here and whispered in his ear to 'show her what he liked?' How was he supposed to court her properly when she did things like that?

She was probably sitting smugly in bed, waiting to see what he'd do next. He entertained the idea of going into their shared room and doing just as she'd asked. He scrubbed his face with his hands and let out a shaky breath. There was nothing he wanted more, but…?

But what was she expecting? Was now the right time, or was it better to wait? There was nothing more risky than treading upon courtship traditions. He'd never been with a human woman before, let alone an actual outworlder.

This was not a fight - this was not something he could dive into without thinking.

It was difficult to determine the next step, especially when she was so far removed from any traditions familiar to him. If they were in Gnaar Mok, among the settled Dunmer, they'd probably have to go through a long and complicated courtship before getting as close as they already had. Gifts, meeting the family, chaperoned visits – at least that's what the decent Mer did.

Ah, but he wasn't quite a decent Mer, was he? A bastard commoner with Ashlander blood had no reason to start acting like a noble.

He knew little of Jackie's world, but he was sure that she came from noble stock. She may have insisted otherwise, but the signs were all there. Jackie had never fought before coming to Skyrim, had never worked with her hands like peasant women did. She was educated and had enjoyed a good deal of freedom that peasant women did not. A few weeks ago it had made sense to court her as one would a highborn lady, but tonight's little display had convinced him that it was the wrong approach.

"Mephala," Bradas groaned. Flings were easy, but he'd never been very decisive when it came to actual romance. The only relationships he'd had were casual, and he always pulled back before they got serious. It was too late to do that with Jackie, and he didn't want to. He simply couldn't contemplate it.

He knew a great deal more than she did when it came to fighting and travelling, but in this, she was the one with more experience. She'd been engaged (or 'engaged to be engaged') before, to some worthless human back home.

That thought was actually enough to calm him down enough to get out of the bath and dry off. Thinking about Jackie's ex-paramours was enough to cool his blood, evidently.

Bradas got dressed and walked back to their room, ignoring the glare from the innkeeper as he tracked up the stairs. What would he do when he returned to their room? What should he do?

As he stood outside the door of their shared room, it occurred to him that he was overthinking things. Jackie was… special to him, but she was still a woman like any other.

And if any other woman he was involved with had pulled such a dirty trick, he'd go into that room and give her exactly what she'd asked for. He grinned wickedly as he opened the door.

He wasn't at all surprised to see Jackie on his bed, but he was surprised to find her fast asleep. There was a mixture of disappointment and relief; it seemed the decision was made for him. She'd probably been planning on something, but he'd taken too long to get out of the bath.

It was… surprisingly endearing. She didn't even stir when he slipped under the covers next to her. The bed was cramped and warm, but he felt like being close, anyway. He shifted her so that her back was pressed against his chest, and carefully pressed his face to her shoulder.

It was easy not to worry when she was so close, warm and smelling like the soap she used in her hair. They'd had so few opportunities to rest together while they travelled.

Perhaps, he thought as his eyes slipped shut, he needed to trust her when she told him that they could do whatever they wished together. She would understand if he misstepped, wouldn't she? Jackie was nothing if not understanding.

He was pulled from his thoughts by a little snore, and his chest warmed when she nuzzled closer to him in her sleep. Bradas nuzzled into her hair and sank into a peaceful sleep.

.

.

.

Jackie woke up in a cramped position. It took her a few seconds to realize that she was in Bradas' bed, and that he was simultaneously spooning her and crushing her into the wall.

"Bradas," she wheezed. "This bed is too small for the both of us."

"Really? I'd say it's the perfect size," said a surprisingly alert voice from behind her.

"Because you're not the one getting squished- oof." He tightened his arms around her and flipped her, not unlike a ragdoll, so that she was laying on his chest. "There's another bed in here, you know," she griped, not really meaning it. He smiled and sat up to place a kiss on her chin.

"But you're in my bed. What was I supposed to do?" he teased, lifting a hand to brush the hair from her eyes.

She leaned over to give him a chaste kiss on the cheek, wary of morning breath. "Morning," she murmured. He looked up at her through inky lashes. Pretty eyes, she thought, and inwardly kicked herself for falling asleep so early.

So much for her 'scheme' last night. She supposed that kind of thing only worked if you weren't perpetually tired from travelling.

She sighed and sat up to get off of him, but he kept a firm grip. Somewhere in the back of her sleep-addled mind, Jackie realized that she was seated snugly in his lap, and that an arm was wrapped around her waist to keep her firmly in place.

"Good morning," he said, voice low. He reached up to pull her messy braid over her shoulder, hand brushing her neck in the process. "It seemed like you had a plan for me last night," he murmured, heavy-lidded eyes darting to her lips.

"Oh, did it?" she asked, trying not to laugh. "I don't think I remember anything like that…"

He smirked and unclasped the tie in her hair, deft fingers undoing her braid. Jackie stayed still as he worked, trying to keep her breath steady as she realized how close they were. Was this finally going to happen?

Bradas had been so careful not to push any boundaries, and it looked like she finally had him where she wanted him. Almost.

He continued to play with her hair, smoothing it down and curling the ends around his fingers. It was nice, but not exactly what she was hoping for. She leaned forward and gently pressed her lips to his. Softly. Carefully.

His hands drifted down to the hem of her nightdress, which was already halfway rucked up her thighs.

"What do you like, Jackie?" he asked, fingertips tracing up and down her bare legs. "Show me."

And then, because Jackie was apparently living in hell, a loud, mournful wail pierced the air. Something was going on downstairs.

Bradas shot up, immediately on his guard. The wailing became a little louder and he pulled away, hands snatching up the knife he'd left on the nightstand.

"What the hell is going on down there?" Jackie hissed, coming close to actual tears of frustration. She yanked her nightclothes back down her legs with a little more force than necessary. There was nothing like deranged screaming to ruin a good mood. It was still going on, and now there was a commotion down by the bar.

"Sounds like… crying," he said gruffly, awkwardly sliding into his armor. "We should see what's going on."

"Yeah." Her brain agreed, but her body did not. Unfortunately, one could never be too careful in a place like Windhelm. "Yeah, you're right."

He gave her an apologetic look. "I could bring you off quickly, if you'd like-"

Oh, so now he was willing to get a move on? "Jesus Christ," she groaned, hopping up from the bed to find some clothes. The wailing had turned into heart-wrenching sobs at this point. The last thing she wanted was to fool around to this soundtrack. "Let me get ready, I'll go down with you."

Bradas sighed and pulled her close for a moment, the touch frustratingly platonic. "Another time, daelha."

"Somebody had better be dead," she muttered under her breath.

As it turned out, someone was dead.

The source of the crying was a older woman named Tova Shatter-Shield. By the time they dressed and came down to the bar, she was being ushered out by her daughter and a few others.

"You shouldn't have done that, Viola!" The innkeeper was scolding another woman with white hair - Viola Giordano, Jackie had to assume. The woman whose home she'd broken into just yesterday.

"I wasn't trying to upset her! But we need to know what's going on. If it hurts someone's feelings, then so be it!"

"Have some sympathy! Her daughter is dead," the other woman chided.

"And he'll just keep killing until we find him!" Viola protested.

Jackie frowned up at Bradas, who watched the interaction with a flat stare. "What is going on down here?" he asked, hands crossed over his chest.

"Another woman's just been killed!" Viola was quick to answer. "And I'm the only one around here who seems to care!"

"Another woman?" Jackie asked, suddenly concerned. "Tova Shatter-Shield's daughter?" She hadn't really ever thought about it, but of course it made sense for there to be serial killers in Skyrim. Just like at home.

"Her too, but that was weeks ago. Someone in this town has been preying on women and it has to stop," Viola said. "There's a new body just outside in the graveyard, lying out for everyone to see! It's despicable."

"That doesn't mean you had to upset Tova," the barkeep interjected.

Viola sniffed. "I was just asking if she remembered anything. I certainly didn't mean to make her cry."

.

.

.

Out of pure morbid curiosity, Bradas and Jackie made their way outside to look. As promised,a gruesome scene awaited them just down the steps from the inn. Jackie gasped and squeezed Bradas' arm when they saw it: a young woman's body lying in a puddle of blood. A few guards were standing around like they were trying to figure out what to do next. An older woman was examining the body, but Jackie could guess that Skyrim didn't have advanced CSI technology.

"Another reason to hate Windhelm," Bradas muttered darkly. "We should leave as soon as possible."

"Yeah," Jackie agreed, voice weak. People walked down the street, gawking a little at the body but still going about their day like usual. "Aren't they gonna… move her or something?"

He didn't see how it mattered. As far as he was concerned, their plans in the city had been cut short. He didn't wish to stay in Windhelm for another moment, but before he could tell Jackie that, she was already walking over to a guard to ask him questions.

"What happened here?" she was asking before he could stop her. The guard looked at her through the slits of his helmet.

"Another girl killed. This is Susanna from Candlehearth Hall. She served me a drink just a few nights ago, but I can't say I knew her."

"Another girl?" Jackie prompted. "This has happened before?"

"Susanna's the third. It's always the same: young girl, killed at night, body torn up."

Jackie winced. "Aren't you investigating the murders?"

"We are stretched thin as it is with the war," he replied. "Nobody has the time to spend on this. Not pleasant, but it's the truth."

Bradas watched Jackie's face as her expression shuttered. She looked like she was trying to stop herself from saying something she'd regret later, and he hoped she'd succeed - they'd had enough trouble from local guards these past few weeks.

"Well… what if someone else had the time?" she finally asked.

"If you want to help, ask some of these gawkers if they saw anything useful. I'm going to examine the body before the rats can get to it."

Bradas raised a brow once she finally turned to him. "Do you really want to get involved?" he asked quietly.

She nodded, eyes wide and concerned. "Is that okay? You can go inside if you want."

He sighed. How could he not help when she was making that face?

They talked to a few stragglers outside, and didn't find out much other than that Susanna's coin purse hadn't been taken. The guard wasn't surprised at all, and said as much when they went back to talk to him.

"There might be more to this, if you don't mind me helping out some more," Jackie offered.

"Look, friend. If you think you can do better than the Legion of Guards, be my guest. You'll need to talk to Jorleif, though. We can't just let anyone go around claiming to be on official business. If he's willing, then we'll talk."

As soon as they left the graveyard, Jackie whirled around and scoffed. "What a jerk. 'If you think you can do better than the Legion of Guards, be my guest,''' she said, making an unflattering mockery of the guard's voice. "Says the guy who thinks they don't have time to investigate a murder."

Bradas huffed a laugh despite the gravity of the situation. Maybe it said something about him, but he rather liked Jackie when she was annoyed.

"You don't have to come with me," she offered. "I know this isn't what you wanted to do today."

"You're right," he murmured, leaning in close. If they hadn't been out in public, he might have kissed her. In the middle of Windhelm, however, that wasn't an option. "I think you know what I'd rather be doing today."

She laughed softly, cheeks turning a pretty pink. "Oh, yeah?"

"Yes, though I fear the screaming has cooled me off for a while," he snorted.

"Not to mention the dead body."

"That, too." In truth, the whole situation seemed to bother her too much to simply let go. Besides, there was the chance that someone would pay them if they did solve the crime. "It'll go faster if you have my help," he sighed. "And I suppose it wouldn't do to let a murderer run around here, would it?"

"No one else is gonna do anything," she agreed, rewarding him with a real, radiant smile. "Thanks."

If Jackie thought screaming spoiled a good mood, then walking into a secret room filled with decaying skeletons was even worse.

Their investigation led them to Hjerim, the late Friga Shatter-Shield's home, and then right back out again. The smell was sickening, worse than Jackie had ever experienced - and she'd come across some terrible stuff in Skyrim.

"This is like a screwed up episode of Law and Order," Jackie groused, taking a deep breath of cold, fresh air as soon as they made it outside. She'd grabbed a couple of journals and pamphlets on her way out - evidence, or so she thought. She'd also found a strange little amulet in a desk in that secret room. She wasn't a professional cop by any stretch of the imagination, but anything from a crime scene could be important, right?

Bradas gave her a baffled look. "If by that you mean that this is vile - then yes."

"I can't believe I'm living in a world without police procedurals," she sighed, turning the amulet in her hands. "What do you think this is?"

Bradas leaned in close to inspect it. "A magical object, most likely," he murmured, breath warm on her cheek. "Perhaps the steward will recognize it. Shall we go back to the Palace of Kings?"

"Mh-hm. Let's do that," she said, glancing up and down the cobblestone street. It seemed fairly empty out here at this time of day, so she stood on her toes and placed a kiss on Bradas' cheek.

"Why, Jackie," he murmured, crowding her close to the stone wall of Hjerim. Her mind kept wandering to this morning, even as they followed blood trails and talked about dead bodies. It probably said something terrible about her that she could forget all of the gruesome stuff in favor of kissing Bradas. "Are you flirting with me?"

"Who, me?" she asked, pretending not to notice that he was herding her into a narrow alleyway between Hjerim and the stone fence. There was a little voice in her mind telling her that she should be focusing on solving the crime, but it was easy to ignore when he was this close, warm and solid and smelling like the oils she'd put in his hair last night.

He tasted like their hurried breakfast of spiced apples and cider. He ran a hand through her hair and tilted her head up to capture her lips in a warm, wet kiss, before pulling away to whisper in her ear. "This is not a good place to be doing this," he murmured, breathing unevenly.

"You're totally right," she said, and pulled him down by the collar to kiss him again. All thoughts of blood and murder had been ejected from her brain in favor of making out with Bradas in an alley like a horny teenager.

"Really," he panted once they separated again, "really not the time or place. We could get caught." And then he swept in again press her against the stone wall and lick his way inside her mouth. He was clearly not worried at all - he might have even liked the idea of someone coming across them like this.

That… wasn't actually a surprise.

But he was right; Windhelm barely tolerated the Dunmer, and getting caught making time with a human behind a dead woman's house was probably not a good idea.

He pulled away and pressed his forehead against hers. "You…" he began, but didn't say anymore.

"Guess we got a case to solve," she said breathlessly.

"It would be easier if you'd stop distracting me," he accused, placing a kiss on the corner of her mouth before drawing away completely.

She laughed, warm and kiss-drunk. "Says the guy who pushed me into an ally to ravish me."

"Ravish you? Is that was I was doing?" he asked with a little smirk.

"Well, I was sort of hoping," she teased, knowing that they needed to quit fooling around, but angling for another kiss anyway. Now that they'd started it was really hard to stop.

"Not in this Azura-forsaken ally," he snorted, but she could tell he was definitely thinking about it. "Let us at least wait until we're inside."

"So high-maintenance."

He gave her a teasing little grin as he grasped her hand and led her out of the narrow way, giving a little squeeze before letting go. "A little wining-and-dining wouldn't go amiss. I may also require jewels."

"Wine and jewelry, got it," she laughed.

"Now, about this amulet."

"Huh?" It took her a moment to remember what he was talking about. "Oh, yeah, the amulet." She passed the little bauble to him and he let it hand from his hands. "You think the steward will know what it is?"

"He may," he hummed. "Or perhaps we could just sell it, instead. We could catch a high price for this."

"What? It's evidence," she objected.

He lowered the amulet and gave her a mischievous grin. "After we find the killer, obviously."

"The journals," she sighed, trying not to find him too charming. "We'd better read what they say."

.

.

.

Bradas enjoyed studying all manner of magic, but Necromancy was a school of learning that he'd never had any desire to delve into.

Whoever the Butcher was, he realized, was murdering women to harvest their body parts for some terrible ritual. The journals were disturbingly specific. Bradas read their contents aloud, but trailed off when he came to the list of body parts required for the spell.

"Ligaments? Bucketfuls of blood?" Jackie repeated, face pale.

"That's enough of that," he said, snapping the journal shut. There was really no point in reading more. Not very much made him ill, but this… whomever this killer was, they needed to be stopped.

"I didn't know Necromancy was real," she told him. "Wait. Is it real?"

"Very much so. You've fought the dead before."

"That's Necromancy?"

"Of a certain kind, yes. The draugr are brought back to this realm through loyalty to their masters. This kind of magic, though… it's much more complex. Bringing a soul back to life is impossible, but some fools still try."

Jackie shook her head. "No way. Don't tell me this is like… a Frankenstein situation. We already have to deal with dragons-"

"Frankenstein?" he repeated. "This magic is familiar to you, then?"

She shook her head, eyes wide enough that he could see the whites around them. "Dr. Frankenstein used science to bring the monster to life, not magic."

Bradas found himself intrigued by the tale. He sometimes forgot that Jackie had an entirely separate basis of knowledge, a head full stories from her own realm. "Just what did he do?"

"Gosh, I don't remember the exact story. Um, he collected body parts from a grave and sewed them together. Then he strapped him to a table during a storm and let lighting strike, and…" She shrugged. "The monster came to life."

Bradas frowned. It was all so… unspecific. Incomplete. "Lightning? That can't be all."

"We read the book in high school but I don't remember it very well. I have to say I'm a little more familiar with Young Frankenstein," she said, eyes bright with laughter. He suddenly got the feeling she was teasing him. It made him want to pull her close and kiss her again.

"You'll have to tell me more of this young Frankenstein later," he told her, only barely stopping himself from pulling her near again. "We should tell the steward what we've found and wash our hands of this."

It was not so easily done, however. As always, Bradas and Jackie were sent to speak to a guard, and then to a museum, of all places: Calixto's House of Curiosities. The owner, Calixto, let them know that the amulet they had found was actually called the Wheelstone - and was traditionally carried by the court mage.

A reasonable suspect, Bradas thought. Only someone with years of experience could hope to even dream of raising the dead, and a court mage fit the bill.

So back to the Palace of Kings they went, but just before they reached the steward, Jackie pulled on his sleeve to get his attention.

"They're probably gonna throw this guy right in the dungeon, aren't they?" she whispered - and it was one of the sillier things she'd ever asked him.

"He's a murderer," he pointed out.

"Maybe," she murmured. "We've only got circumstantial evidence, and the guards obviously don't care about due process. If we tell the steward now he'll just lock the court mage up and call it a day."

"That's rather the point."

"But what if he isn't the guy?"

Bradas heaved a sigh. "His amulet was in Hjerim. What more do you need?"

"Maybe we should talk to him," she suggested. "See what he has to say."

"Jackie," he sighed. His sweet, soft-hearted daelha.

"Back home, you don't put someone in jail unless you're sure they're guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. I'm just not convinced it's him," she said.

"And if he attacks us?"

Jackie arched a brow. "You're not scared of some dorky court mage, are you?"

"Dorky? What does - never mind. No, I am not afraid of a court mage," he scoffed.

"I mean, if he gets violent we can always just… you know."

"Kill him?" he supplied.

Jackie shrugged. "Well… yeah."

Bradas snorted. So much for his lover's tender heart. "Let us go see the court mage, then."

. . .

Nothing could ever be straightforward, Jackie thought, standing out in the bitter night and keeping watch over the Stone Quarter. Bradas was shivering by her side, looking just about as cold and miserable as she felt. They were tucked into a corner, hard to see, but they had a pretty good view of the courtyard.

"Thirty minutes," Bradas grumbled, probably regretting going on this adventure with her by now. She felt a little guilty for dragging him into this.

Playing detective was only fun until you had to stand out in the blistering cold to stake out a killer. Jackie spared a thought for her stepsister back home, who had been attending the Police Academy before she'd been transported to Skyrim. Coco would have been much better at this than she was.

She shook her head and focused on the present. The court mage, Wuunferth, had insisted upon his own innocence and predicted that the killer would be out here tonight. Jackie wasn't sure, but it didn't hurt to explore all possibilities before accusing a guy of murder.

After Bradas' imprisonment in Cidhna Mine, she didn't want to be the one to throw someone in prison without a really good reason.

Footsteps echoed across the empty courtyard, pulling her from her thoughts. It was just a lady out for a walk. Jackie frowned. It didn't seem smart to walk around late at night when a serial killer was at large… but then again, she shouldn't have to be worried about being killed in her own city.

Jackie huffed, her breath floating into the freezing air. The world was a complicated mess for women in just about any dimension, it seemed.

The woman in the courtyard, whoever she was, meandered toward a cart in the market. She shivered and wrapped her furs a little tighter around her shoulders as she searched for something - something she'd forgotten at the cart, maybe?

Whatever it was, it seemed that the lady wasn't having any luck finding it. She stood up straight, shook her head, and made her way back to the other side of the market. It all seemed pretty innocuous as far as late-night outings went.

But then something interesting happened. A figured cloaked in black made their way to the market after the woman, shockingly quiet and light on their feet. Bradas tensed beside her, and then it was all happening so fast-

A knife, a pale hand darting out to grab the woman's hair, a terrified shriek-

"Hey!" Jackie yelled, and the attacker paused-

-just in time for Bradas' arrow to strike him in the shoulder. The assailant let go of his victim and scrambled away from her. "Stay here," Bradas told her, and then he was gone, running swiftly toward the killer.

In the meantime, Jackie jogged over to the woman to make sure she was alright.

"Talos help me," she was panting, furs dropped uselessly on the ground. Jackie held out a hand and helped her up. "I think - I think you might have saved my life!"

The night ended, of course, with Bradas killing Calixto of Calixto's House of Curiosities.

It was pretty anticlimactic, all things considered. The guards came out to look at the body, and they reported back to the steward and received a meager reward. The effort was worth it, Jackie thought, as long as they got the right guy.

"I need a drink," Bradas announced as soon as they stepped outside of the Palace of Kings. "Something warm."

"Hot chocolate," she said, a little mournfully.

"Hot rum," he corrected, taking her elbow and leading her down the steps. He was unreasonably warm. "And preferably served by someone who doesn't give me hateful looks."

"So… not by our innkeeper," she guessed, leaning into him. She felt tired, but he always seemed to have excess energy after a fight.

He looked down at her with a smirk. "I've heard there's tavern in the Grey Quarter. The New Gnisis Cornerclub…"

Oh, that club - the one that Sadri had invited her to yesterday. "You want to go?" It was only fair. He'd done what she wanted to do today, and it had been sort of miserable.

"Only if you come with me," he said, glancing around before wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

"Yeah, let's go," she said, leaning into his warmth. She'd get a second wind. Probably.

. . .

The New Gnisis Cornerclub was packed full that night. Bradas hadn't been surrounded by so many of his own countrymen in one place since he'd crossed the border into Skyrim so many months ago. He hadn't been particularly close to anyone by the time he'd left home - many of his close friends had already moved to the city - but it did his heart some good to see so many of his fellow Dunmer in one place.

"Oh, my gosh," Jackie murmured from beside him. He glanced down to catch a pleased little gleam in her eye. "They're singing a song other than Age of Aggression-slash-Oppression? This might be my favorite tavern in all of Skyrim."

"You would like Morrowind, then," he said in her ear. She shivered and played at giving him a reproachful look.

"Well, maybe someday we can visit." And wasn't that a thought? Bringing Jackie back to Morrowind with him - assuming he ever got the urge to return. It wouldn't be difficult to do it with the coin he had now. Would she like it there, he wondered? Or would it be harder to be one of the n'wah in a country even more afraid of outsiders than Skyrim?

He bought them a bottle of wine and pushed the thought aside for later. He wasn't quite ready to contemplate returning to Morrowind with Jackie on his arm like a prize, a foreign bride - or how the idea didn't seem like such a bad one.

He needed more alcohol.

"It's so much better here than at the inn," Jackie sighed, taking eager little sips from her cup. "They must be watering the drinks down or something."

"I've even heard the Nords say it's better here," he told her, bumping her arm with his. Normally he would be drinking a little more, socializing with people he hadn't met yet, but right now he found that he preferred to stay at her side.

Wine and mead was flowing on this night, and he was more than happy to partake. Another song started, this time a common ballad they liked to sing in Mournhold.

"What are these songs?" Jackie asked, leaning in close to ask. "I really like them. I miss… I really miss variety. In Skyrim it feels like the same old songs, over and over."

"We don't go to the right taverns," he laughed, feeling daring enough to sling an arm over her shoulder. She grinned and scooted closer, looking up at him through inky black lashes. Ah, but she was a pretty thing, and always so charming when she was tipsy. Bradas thought of her this morning, eager in his lap, under his hands.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked, smiling as though she already knew.

"That perhaps I could convince you to dance, if the right song was played."

"Ah, Miss Jackie!" a voice cut through their conversation, and he looked up to see a merry Dunmer greeting them. The man held an ale in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other, clearly already deep in his cups. "So this is the someone you were telling me about yesterday, hm?"

Jackie straightened up. "Oh - Sadri! Hi! Bradas, this is Revyn Sadri. Um, Sadri, this is Bradas Sarayn."

"Hello," he said warmly, and shook hands with Bradas. "Greetings, daesohn. I met your lovely lady in my store. It's very possible she saved my hide yesterday."

"Why, Jackie, you've been busy," Bradas said, grinning widely at Jackie's embarrassment. So she'd been talking about him, had she? Wasn't that sweet. He couldn't wait to tease her about it later.

"It wasn't a big deal," she said, cheeks turning a lovely shade of pink.

Sadri glanced between them. "Ah, I won't bother you two any longer. Here, sera, your next round is on me," he said with a wink in Jackie's direction. He departed from them with a smile and a jaunty little wave.

Jackie, who seemed to know just what was coming next, sank down in her seat and covered her blushing cheeks.

"You talk about me," Bradas teased. "Did you miss me while I was off retrieving the dragon bones? Jackie, what a romantic you are."

She groaned and smacked his arm. "It's not like that! He asked me out and I said I was already seeing someone."

"'Seeing someone?'" he repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Does that mean something different to your people? Because I'm seeing several people right now, in this pub."

"You know what it means. You just want an ego boost."

He smiled at her over his cup.

Jackie leaned in close, her dark eyes sparkling with laughter. "Oh, I see how it is. Do you want me to tell you how cute I think you are?"

"Handsome," he corrected, already intoxicated by her closeness - and the drink, too, probably. What were they doing here, anyway? Why were they not at the inn, in their room? He hadn't been thinking ahead when he'd wanted to check out the Cornerclub.

"Oh, Bradas, you're sooo handsome," she deadpanned. "And so brave and strong. What a man!"

"That's a little more like it," he laughed. He reached out to tuck a stray hair behind her ear, tipped her head up, and placed a chaste kiss on the corner of her mouth. She sighed as they parted, sweet as a maiden from a love song - and oh, no, he really was drunk if he was starting to wax poetic about her charms… but it felt so nice to be here, with her, floating together in the warm haze of alcohol. "Would you like to dance?"

"I don't really know any dances here…"

He glanced out to the pub, where couples swept merrily across the dance floor with varying levels of grace. Sadri, who nearly steered his partner into a barstool, stood out in particular. He snorted. "You're not the only one."

.

.

.

Jackie, who had taken a few entry-level ballroom dance classes (she'd spent two aimless semesters in community college, after all), managed to keep up with Bradas and follow his lead. Despite a questionable start to the morning and a long day of investigating, it was some of the most fun she'd ever had in Skyrim.

Maybe the most fun she'd had, ever.

It could have been the music, or the wine, or just the fact that he was surrounded by other Dunmer, but Bradas looked like he was having the time of his life. He held her close while they danced, as good a lead as he was a fighter. She barely knew what she was doing but he managed to make it fun, guiding her to and fro on the dance floor, planting kisses on her cheek when the mood struck him.

The rest of the night was a blur. They danced and drank the night away, and somehow ended up back at the inn just as the sun began to rise. Jackie didn't remember most of the trip there, just that he didn't stop touching her on the way back - whether it was an arm slung over her shoulder, or a hand steady on the small of her back.

They collapsed into bed together, but not exactly in the way she might've hoped. She was too tired and drunk to mind, though, and let herself sink down into the soft cloud of sleep. If she wrapped his hand in hers to hold it through the night, well… she was allowed to do that now, wasn't she?