Finally, the get-together we've all been waiting for is here in this nice, long chapter. :)

** WARNING: HEAVY AMOUNT OF SEXUAL CONTENT IN THIS CHAPTER **

Argis was fuming. No, that's an understatement. He was livid, seething with white-hot rage. Was he angry with Signe? Not really. Honestly, he couldn't blame her; he'd given her nothing but mixed signals all along. No, he was angry at himself. Here was the love of his life, having all but dangled herself in front of him, and he had put her off for the sake of carrying out his romantic plan. His heart was pounding, his mouth was dry. Signe was flaunting herself in front of the dark-haired mercenary, and the mercenary liked what he was seeing. He watched the man get closer to Signe, watched him put his hands on Signe. Why wasn't Signe pushing him away? Wasn't she afraid of letting men get too close? Didn't she want Argis anymore? What in Oblivion was she doing? He saw the man lean down and whisper something to her, which made her blush. He stood up, and began to draw his sword from his sheath. It's now or never, Argis, he thought. He couldn't let this happen; he had to make his move now, romantic plans be damned.

"Housecarl, calm yourself. It isn't up to you who your Thane does or doesn't see." Vilkas hissed.

"I'm not going to watch the woman I love get taken advantage of by some dirty sellsword." Argis growled, and shoved Vilkas out of the way with his shoulder. "Back me up or don't – either way, he's gonna get a broken arm." He stalked over towards Signe just in time to see her being led away by the mercenary.

Signe saw a flash of dragon scales and golden hair, and the black-haired warrior was suddenly up against the wall, with Argis' gauntleted hand wrapped around his neck. "Get the fuck out of here." Argis growled menacingly, his implacable features leaving no question as to the threat. The man looked as though he was going to challenge Argis, but when he noticed Vilkas and Farkas standing on either side of Argis, he gave up and went on his merry way. Argis pulled off his gauntlets and tucked them into his belt, before advancing on Signe.

The next thing Signe knew, she was being carried over Argis' shoulder like a sack of potatoes, past party-goers who wolf-whistled and threw playful taunts at them. The hilarious sight of the beautiful Dragonborn being hauled out of the inn, over the shoulder of her irate housecarl would be talked about for weeks.

"Argis put me down!" she yelled, pounding him on the back with her fists. As soon as the doors to the Bannered Mare were closed behind them, Argis did put her down. Just as she was opening her mouth to speak, however, Argis cradled her face in his hands, tilting it up to his face. Her words died in her throat when his face inched slowly closer to hers, until she could feel his warm breath tickling her lips. Heat coiled in her belly, and she shivered against him.

"Argis, I'm sor –" But Argis cut off her words as he brushed his lips against hers. She gasped softly; the touch of his lips against hers caused searing bolts like lightening to travel through to her core, rendering her knees weak. Her hands began to shake as she slipped her arms around his waist, and then the tremor made its way up her arms and into her whole being, until she was a trembling, nervous wreck before him.

He pulled his face back just a bit to search her eyes, to convey without words how he felt. The heavy, emotional atmosphere sizzled and crackled between them, causing their hearts to gallop and their lips to quiver.

"Shh." He whispered as his fingers and thumb caressed her face, the other hand softly stroking her back. His eyes were soft, glassy, and full of emotion. "It is I who is sorry. I nearly let you get away." He pressed his lips to hers again, this time in a hungry, searing kiss.

Signe whimpered against his lips as his kiss set her whole body tingling, igniting a fire inside of her. He threaded his fingers in her hair, inadvertently pulling more strands loose. His fingers felt wonderful in her hair, each caress of his fingertips sending sparks of electricity down her scalp, adding to the overall effect he was having on her. Never did she realise that a kiss could induce such feelings in her; she could feel herself turning to jelly. Her chest was tight with emotion, her heart beating rapidly. She felt tears gathering in her eyes; here was the moment for which she'd been waiting for so long, the moment that she dared never to dream of. She hadn't dared to believe that Argis reciprocated her feelings, that she deserved a man like him.

He pulled her harder against him, and when he pushed his tongue into her mouth, she gasped in surprised pleasure. He kissed her with desperate and passionate ardour, as if trying to convince her through his kiss how much he needed and wanted her. She was clumsy at it; she didn't know what to do, so she just followed her instincts, and pushed her tongue against his. She was amazed that each stroke of his tongue caused her nether regions to become hotter and wetter, in anticipation of the final act. Her breaths came in heavy pants as heat pooled between her legs, and she instinctively pushed her hips against his. She couldn't believe this was finally happening, and that he truly did want her as much as she wanted him.

Argis broke the kiss to trail kisses down her neck, occasionally nipping gently. Signe tightened her grip around his body, ignoring the blunted dragonscale decorations digging into the soft skin under her arms.

"Argis…" she whimpered softly, and the tears fell from her eyes. Argis was rubbing and squeezing her back now, his hands inching lower until they grasped her rump in a possessive grip. Signe felt like she could pass out at the overload of sensations coursing through her system, and she whispered his name repeatedly, like a mantra. She reached a hand down to rub the hard rod that was pressed against her groin, earning a hiss and a growl from Argis.

"I want you - to - be - mine." He growled, between kisses along her neck and jaw.

"I always have been yours." She whispered, for fear that it would sound like a sob.

"Gods…Signe, I'm sorry I treated you the way I did. I was afraid – "

Signe cut him off by placing a finger against his soft lips. "Let's not talk about it now. Let's go home, and you can follow up on your word to help me lose my virginity!" she said, laughing softly between her tears.

"You remember that?" he gasped, surprised.

"Yes, of course I do! I thought you had forgotten."

"Not in your life, sweetheart."

Argis dropped one arm, and let the other one smooth down her arm to capture her hand in his. They began to descend the steps of the inn to the empty market square below, and almost as an afterthought, Argis swept her up into his arms to carry her bridal style. Signe whooped with delight, giggling all the way home with Argis trotting as fast as he could go without jostling her too much. Argis was grinning from ear-to-ear, and he gleefully shouted, "My Thane!" into the air, causing Signe to laugh even harder.

When they arrived at the door to Breezehome, Argis set her down on her feet, and wrapped his big arms around her from behind. Signe fumbled with the key in the lock, flustered at the sensation of Argis' breath and beard on her neck, and his large hands rubbing slowly over her belly. She could feel his hardness rubbing against her rump, and she hissed in frustrated sexual desire. He desperately wanted to clutch her breasts but he would wait until they got inside; she meant too much to him to be fondled in public like a common whore.

Finally, they were in. Argis pulled her into his arms once again, and kissed her tenderly, much more tenderly than the first kiss. His hands shook as he stroked her face and her neck, overwhelmed with emotion and need. At last, they were together, and by being together, it made them realise that they'd lived their whole lives incomplete – they were two halves of a whole, and the air crackled with electric tension as they bonded.

Signe deftly undid the clasps and buckles of his cuirass as he pulled her hair tie out of her hair, letting his fingers slip through her soft waves. He pulled away from her to lift the cuirass above his head, and he set it down gently on the chair beside the door. Next, he removed his greaves and his boots. Signe watched mesmerised, still not quite comprehending the truth of it – she was going to make love with Argis, the man of her heart's desire. Her hands shook with wanton excitement, her heart galloping. Fresh tears sprang to her eyes, and she bit her top lip to stop it from quivering.

"Come here, my darling." Argis whispered, pulling her close. She buried her face in his chest, inhaling his unique scent as he stroked her hair. "Why are you crying?"

"Because, I…" she bit back the rest of the words, too afraid to speak them. "I am nervous." She said instead.

"Well, if it makes you feel better, I am nervous too." He smiled, kissing her head.

Argis lifted her once again, and she wrapped her arms about his neck. The feel of him without his armour against her inner thighs caused the spears of hot lust coursing through her to increase, and she sighed. She watched Argis' smiling face as he carried her up the stairs, stroking his cheeks all the while. I love you, she wanted to say. He carried her across the landing, and into her bedroom. Carefully, slowly, he lowered her onto the bed. He suddenly felt clumsy and unsure what to do – he'd slept with plenty of women in his life, but none were innocent like her. None were pure and untouched, inexperienced like her. That thought alone set his blood racing hotly through his veins, his instincts crying out to claim her. He could fuck a barmaid hard and fast, but this woman, the woman that he loved – he would treat her like a fragile flower, making sure that her first time was as blissful and comfortable as could be. He looked at Signe lying there looking expectantly at him. Her lips were quivering, her nostrils flaring. Tears leaked out of her eyes, and she stroked his arms and his face with shaky hands. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes shiny.

"You are truly beautiful." He whispered, caressing her cheek with one hand, the other hand propping him up on the bed above her. He gently lowered himself between her legs, allowing her to feel his hardness pressing against her mound. "So lovely." He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers, and moved his hips in an upward motion just the subtlest amount. Signe felt it though – she gasped against his lips, the pressure mounting in her womanhood increasing. Argis resisted the urge to repeat the action, instead he trailed kisses down her neck, over her collarbone and between her breasts. He hooked his fingers along the décolletage of her dress to get access to her soft, white breasts, first looking up at her to gauge her reaction. She nodded just slightly, smiling warmly through her tears. She stroked his hair and his shoulders as he planted soft kisses along the skin of her breast, noticing with delight how her breathing came in short pants. He tried to pull the material just far enough to get at her nipple, but it seemed the pretty dress would be stretched out of shape. So, propping himself up on his elbows, he reached underneath her to pull the laces undone, and slipped her dress over shoulders. She pulled her arms free of it, and by the gods – the sight of her lying there so vulnerable, with her milky soft breasts exposed to him nearly undid him.

"Sweet Dibella…you are perfection." Argis stroked the skin on her chest and between her breasts, almost too afraid to touch the untouched skin of her nipples. He gazed reverently at her for a moment, feeling his throat constrict with emotion. If this woman didn't agree to marry him, he would find a dragon and get himself killed as quickly as possible.

"Please touch me." Signe whimpered, pulling his hands over her breasts. She moaned, arching her back into his palms as he gently kneaded her breasts, and when he rolled each nipple between thumb and finger, she felt like screaming. She pulled his sleeves, and he took the cue and removed his top. She ran her hands up his broad, masculine torso, revelling in the feel of the soft hairs covering it. Oh how she'd badly wanted to do this in Rorikstead! She let her hands trail back down to the button of his trousers, eager to get at her prize. But Argis removed her hands, pinning them above her, cinched at the wrists in one of his big hands. He kissed her sloppily for a moment, subtly grinding his hips against her aching womanhood. Growing more confident, she bucked her hips against him, needing more friction. Argis made a choked huff sound, fuelling Signe's desire even more. He let go of her hands then, and pulled the rest of her dress off in one smooth motion.

"By the gods, you've got no undies on!" he exclaimed, pleasantly shocked. Signe laughed at his surprise, and used the distraction to yank open his trousers. But he was too quick – before she could get her hands on his hard cock, he pulled back. "Uh-uh-uh, not yet." He laughed, and she growled. He gave himself a moment to take in the beauty of her soft, lily-white thighs and her naturally hairy mound, his cock twitching in anticipation. She looked so vulnerable and pure, yet so sensual and sexual, and he shook his head in wonder. Most women he'd slept with liked to shave themselves, which he found boring – he also saw it as a sign that these women were constantly thinking about sex, and preening themselves for the sake of a man's – or another woman's – pleasure. The thought of Signe being innocent in this way made his balls ache. She was pure, and she was his.

He reached one hand down to trail his fingers up the inside of her soft thigh, watching her face all the while. And when he got to her groin, she tried to meet his fingers but he kept his fingers going, all the way up over her belly, back up to her breasts. He leaned down to take one of her nipples into his mouth, just gently flicking his tongue over the hard bud. She hissed, her hands grasping his head tighter. He let his hand caress back downwards again, and finally, they arrived at her centre. He knew she was aroused, but by the gods…she was soaked. He slipped his middle finger over her very swollen clitoris, and she bucked wildly against him, crying out something unintelligible. The sounds she was making caused his cock to throb painfully in his trousers, and it was time for them to come off. With one hand, he pushed them down as far as he could, and Signe pushed them down the rest of the way with her feet.

Once he was out of his pants, he returned his full attention to his worship of her body. He dragged his tongue across to her other nipple, giving it a bit of love before trailing wet kisses down her abdomen. He wanted her so badly, that part of him wanted to ram his cock in and fuck her senseless, but the care he had for her overrode the urge. He wanted to ease her into losing her virginity with gentle love and care, for he knew it would likely cause her pain at first, no matter how wet she was. But he would get her as ready as he could – he would find all of the spots that made her squirm, and she'd be begging for him by the time he entered her. So he continued his torturously slow ministrations.

Signe was in a state of bliss. She lay there contentedly, stroking his hair and his shoulders as he drew kisses over her skin, and rubbed and caressed her with his hands and fingers. She noticed that when a particular touch on a certain place would make her feel good, he would linger there for a while, before moving on to another spot. They discovered her body together; like two adventurers scouting out a new, unmapped territory for the first time. She let her eyes close for a while, enjoying the contrast of his soft lips and his ticklish beard against her skin. When his lips arrived at her hips, his tongue drew lazy circles in the hollow between hip and belly, and she bucked her hips in pleasure.

She knew he had his pants off, and she really wanted to see his naked bottom half. She clutched his hair and tried to pull him up, but he was having none of it. He did speed up a little bit however, and moved downwards. His tongue and his teeth grazed her groin, and she gasped, her back and shoulders arching. She had heard of men kissing women between the legs, and her nether lips seemed to quiver in anticipation. But the devil avoided it. Instead, he sat up, and lifted up her leg to rest it against his broad chest and held her foot. What is he doing? She thought. At least this position gave her a view of his – "Oh Mara! It's so big!" she cried, her eyes wide. She reached her hand forward, snatching it in her fist before he could protest.

"Signe…" he hissed thickly, bucking into her hand as she stroked him. It feels so hot and so hard, she thought. She found beads of pre-cum appearing on his tip with her thumb, and he groaned loudly as she spread it around. Suddenly, she felt wet warmth on her big toe. Her eyes flew upwards, to see Argis licking and sucking her big toe ever so gently. How this felt erotic, she didn't understand – she didn't care to understand. All she knew was that it felt incredible. One hand lazily stroked her thigh, the warmth of his palm enhancing the blooming heat in her body. He grazed his teeth gently over the ball of her big toe, causing ticklish pleasure to shoot up her leg and into her core. He drew his hand downwards to lovingly stroke her soaked folds and her engorged nub, and she stroked his cock in time with the gentle thrusts of his hips. Argis kissed his way up the inside of her leg, caressing and stroking every part of her that he could reach with his hands.

Finally, he arrived at the junction between her legs, and wasted no more time – he pressed his long tongue into her folds. She cried out loudly, her voice high pitched with a mixture of pleasure and panic. Oh gods, I hope I don't smell or taste bad, she thought. Argis looked up at her as he dragged the flat of his tongue upwards, and noticed the look of worry on her face.

"Don't worry, my love. Just relax." He entwined his fingers with hers, and she watched him kiss her passionately down there, licking and using his lips. She studied the way his eyebrows knitted in concentration, his shiny, thick tongue, and the outline of his soft lips working. He withdrew one hand from hers, to gently push inside her passage. She groaned breathily when it pressed against that certain spot, and she felt him smile against her. He closed his lips around her clitoris, sucking very gently, before flicking his tongue over it rapidly.

Suddenly the pleasure became too much to bear – the slowly-building pressure exploded past its boundaries, her pleasure boiling over, and she cried out his name hoarsely. Her hips bucked involuntarily against his face as he continued to lick her, continued to gently push his finger in and out of her, taking her through until the aftershocks left her pussy. She found herself overly sensitive after her first ever 'man-made' climax, and she pushed his head away as she laughed.

"I don't even know what to say." She giggled huskily.

"You don't have to say anything. But I will say something – you are the sexiest woman in the world." His voice was husky with desire, and the sound of it caused Signe's desire to soar once again.

She took his erection into her hand once again, and guided him to her entrance.

"Are you sure?" he asked, hesitating. She nodded, though she was extremely nervous. He was very large, and she was rather small. They would need to be patient.

Argis pushed the tip of his cock into her, and held it there for a moment so that she could get used to the feeling. He watched her face for signs of distress, but so far, she seemed to be handling it. He pushed in a little bit deeper, and thrust gently. He still wasn't even half way inside of her, and he already felt his brains turning to mush. He wanted desperately to sheathe himself inside of her fully, but he didn't want to hurt her.

"It's ok. Keep going." She whispered, lovingly stroking his back and his arse. As well lubricated as she was, she couldn't help but tense up.

He pushed in further – she winced in pain. He was of quite considerable size, and she was very tight, being a virgin. She knew it was normal for it to feel this way at first – she'd never had anything apart from her own finger in there before, and Argis stretched her further than she had imagined.

"I'm sorry." Argis whispered against her neck, holding still once again.

"Don't be." She knew the pain wouldn't last, yet the shock of him inside of her made it hard to relax. "I just need to relax." She tried to keep her tone light, but Argis could hear the anxiety in her voice.

He lifted his head to look at her, and kissed her softly as he pushed deeper still. Signe relaxed herself as much as she could, and encouraged him with her caresses and her kisses. And when he was finally fully sheathed inside of her, they both let out a breath they didn't know they'd been holding. He held himself still inside of her, giving her a chance to adjust to his size.

Gradually, they found a slow, gentle rhythm. Argis cradled her protectively in his arms, resting his forehead against hers as they moved together. "I'm sorry." He whispered again, and Signe kissed his lips. She couldn't contain the tears of love that spilled from her eyes; her whole being buzzed with heavy emotion, and she felt she could burst. Each of his thrusts caused spears of desire to shoot upwards and outwards, the feeling unlike anything she'd ever imagined it could be.

She clung tightly to him; he was her anchor in this tidal wave, and she never wanted to let go. No romance novels she'd read adequately described the depth of love she felt. Her heart sang with adoration for this gentle giant; he was being so caring and considerate. She could sense how hard it was for him to restrain himself, which made it obvious that he was doing this for her, for her comfort.

Once Argis was satisfied that she was enjoying it, that the pain of her first coupling was gone, he began to move a bit faster, a bit deeper, while still keeping it slow and gentle. Signe met his thrusts with her own, gripping his arse hard. She wanted him to go faster, go harder, but Argis worried that if he did, she'd be sore afterwards. But Signe urged him on, driving her hips against his until he felt his control slipping – the desire to be gentle made way for more primal urges; his loving kisses became ferocious, his teeth catching her bottom lip and nipping none-too-gently at her jaw as he increased the speed of his thrusts. Signe's cries became higher in pitch, and she dug her fingers into him, arms holding on tight. Their movements became frenzied, frantic, their whispered words of encouragement and comfort turning into shouts of how good it felt.

And just when it seemed that the floodgates couldn't open any wider, Argis gripped her cheeks and said, "I love you, beautiful Signe."

Signe let out one sob as his words hit home, her nostrils flaring as she cried. "Oh Argis…I love you too. I always have." Argis exhaled loudly with a happy smile as he continued to pick up the pace.

Soon, there was no more room for words - the only sounds were the sounds of flesh slapping against flesh, their panting, their grunts and groans of blissful effort. The sounds he was making enhanced the slowly-building tension coiled in her lower abdomen, until his increasing grunts and moans caused Signe's climax to rush up at the speed of a freight train. When Argis reached between them to rub her clitoris, she tipped over the edge. "Argis!" she shouted, convulsing under him as he held her tighter, before his movements faltered and he spilled his seed inside her, hoarsely whispering unintelligible love-words in her ear. He all but collapsed on top of her, panting and dripping sweat. Signe pulled his face to hers, and he placed sloppy, heavy kisses over her face.

"I will love you forever." Argis whispered, stroking her face lovingly.

They stayed like that for a time, just caressing and whispering words of love and affection to each other, enjoying the feeling of skin contact, getting to know one another on a deeper level. Eventually, nature called, and Argis lifted himself off her, his flaccid member slipping out of her, bringing their combined fluids out with it.

"Eww." Signe joked, feeling the warm liquid dribbling down her bum cheeks. Argis laughed, and pulled her upright with him.

"I'll go to the privy, and then I will return with sustenance." He said, kissing her cheek softly. "By the gods, Signe, I love you." He said again, pulling her into another cuddle before he reluctantly stood up. "I'm really bursting to go." He said, hurriedly pulling on his trousers and tunic. Signe laughed heartily as she watched his antics.

When Argis left the room, he seemed to take all the warmth with him. Signe crawled under the covers to get warm, and curled into a ball. Pleasant exhaustion swept over her, and when Argis returned to the room with a tray of food, he found Signe to be snoring softly, fast asleep. He chuckled softly, and quietly placed the tray of food on the little table in the corner. He took off his clothes, loving the fact that he could sleep naked with her now. He carefully snuggled up behind her, and draped his arm around her. His emotional soft heart swelled in his chest – how good it felt to be able to feel her pressed up against him, naked, and how good it felt to be able to press his nose into her neck and breathe her in.

Signe woke up a little while later, to feel Argis' hard, muscular body pressed against hers, his hands stroking her hip and her arm. She breathed a satisfied sigh, enjoying the sensations he was causing in her. Goosebumps prickled her skin as he caressed her, and she hummed softly. At her sound, she felt him grow hard against her rump, and her desire flared to life. She subtly pushed her rear against him, earning a low groan from him. The stroking of his hand became more urgent, and he slipped his other arm under her neck to hold her closer. Argis couldn't resist the silken feel of her skin against his member. He rubbed it against her rump, and then he lifted her leg and pulled it back so it rested over his leg. She arched her back to give him better access to her, and he rubbed the head of his cock gently over her sex. She felt somewhat raw, but it mattered less than the bolts of desire zapping through her.

"Mmmh…" she moaned, gripping his arm. He reached around with his other hand to rub her clitoris gently, and her moan increased in pitch. He chuckled into her neck as he pushed his tip inside her tight passage, once again pressing in slowly. She didn't tense against him this time – she was much more relaxed about the whole thing. She reached an arm behind her to clutch his head as he increased the depth of his movements, her soft grunts and moans urging him on. She lifted her leg higher and arched her back further, indicating that she wanted him to push deeper. Gods, his head felt fuzzy with lust and he just wanted to pound into her, but he was afraid that she was still tender.

"Is it alright?" he asked her.

"It feels wonderful, my love. Divines…it's more than wonderful." Her words came out as halting grunts, and her walls became tighter and wetter around him.

Sensing her imminent climax, he pulled out of her, and manoeuvred her so that she straddled him. Ye gods, the way the candlelight flickered over her shining skin made his heart swell painfully. He ran his hands over her arms, her neck, and down her chest, over her breasts. Her skin was silky soft, just as he'd always imagined. "Come here." He whispered, holding the base of his erection for her to slide onto. She lifted her hips, and she gently lowered herself down.

She slowly ground her clitoris against him as he gently thrust, panting with need as the tissue of her womanhood swelled yet again. She leaned forward so that she could rest against him, her head against his chest. She listened to the beat of his heart – it was faster than usual, owing to his lust. She placed soft kisses against his sweaty skin as Argis caressed her, causing goose bumps to rise all over her arms and shoulders. His hands never stopped moving the whole time, making Signe feel warmed by his love, from the tips of her toes to the top of her head, and from the marrow of her bones to the outermost layer of her skin. He placed his fingers under her chin to lift her face, and they gazed smilingly at each other as they increased the depth of their movements.

Signe pushed herself upright once again, so she could run her hands along his broad chest and torso. She sped up the grinding movements, placing her hands on his chest for support. Her third orgasm for the night snuck up on her before she had a chance to stop it, and she shuddered on top of him. Argis gripped her hips; the contracting of her walls tipped Argis over the edge too - and he thrust one, two, three times, and shot his seed far up inside her.

She traced circles in the sweat-soaked hairs as she listened to his panting. It all felt so familiar to her, as though they'd always been together. So this is what love is like, she thought. "I feel like I have been waiting for you forever." She sighed, speaking her feelings aloud.

"I'm sorry." He squeezed her tighter.

"Argis, why did you keep me waiting for so long?" she looked up him, her eyes twinkling mirthfully.

"I – I kept pushing my feelings away, because I thought that if I allowed myself to…oh Talos, it sounds so stupid now." He sighed, and continued stroking her skin, causing goose bumps. She didn't press him for an answer. "Once I was unable to continue running from my feelings, I wanted to make our first time together special. I was going to wait until we were home in Markarth, so that I could have you all to myself uninterrupted for at least a week, and I was going to cook all of your favourite meals and read you your favourite stories as you rested your head on my lap. Here in Whiterun, you have so many friends, especially the Companions, so you have a lot of people expecting things from you…you know what I mean." He blurted.

"Oh, my sweet Argis. Our first time was special, this is special. The plans that you had for Markarth sound lovely, and yes, people know me here, but I can lock the door. I can tell Lydia to turn people away. I am happy as long as I'm by your side, and I am at home whenever I'm with you, because home is where you are." She pushed herself upwards and kissed him tenderly. "I love you, Argis the Bulwark."

They lay together for a while longer, just caressing and talking softly, until Argis' tummy rumbled, reminding him about the food he'd brought in. His eyes flicked to the front pocket of his pack, and the thought of what was in there made his heart skip a beat and his tummy flop. No sense in wasting more time, he thought. He brought the tray of food to the bed, and then reached into his pack.

"Whatcha got there, handsome?" Signe said, crunching a bit of apple.

"Um…" Argis hunched over his pack for a moment or two, letting a few deep breaths in and out as he clutched the Amulet.

"Argis?"

She heard him mutter something under his breath, before pulling the chain over his head. He stood up and faced her with an incredibly endearing look of sheepish worry on his face. He waited for Signe to say something, anything, but she simply stared at the Amulet, with her mouth hanging open.

"Well?" Argis croaked, hands shaking. "Say something, Signe."

Signe took a quick moment to look him over – he was standing there naked, with the Amulet around his neck, a stricken expression on his face. It took her a moment to register what the Amulet signified. Her heart jumped into her throat, hope and joy filling her soul. "I-is that an Amulet of Mara?" she whispered, her hand at her throat.

"It might be." he was grinning now, and climbing onto the bed at her feet.

"Well…let me see it, come closer." He was climbing towards her, his hands on either side of her. When he was at her thighs, he straddled her.

"Interested, are you?" he intoned playfully, though the emotion of the moment was clear in his voice.

"I am." She grasped his rapidly stiffening member. "And you?"

"Gods…I'm not wearing this bloody thing for its properties, am I." he joked, and leaned forward to kiss her as she stroked him.

They laughed together, feeling fit to burst with happiness. He sat down next to her and pulled her into his embrace. "As much as I want to make love to you again, let us eat and then sleep. We'll need all of our strength for the coming trip back to Markarth."

"You're right." She reluctantly withdrew her hand from his hardness, and placed it on his chest instead. "But we will need to visit my parents on the way, tell them the good news. What a shock they'll get - they don't even know their daughter has found someone yet!"

Argis felt a pang of nerves, but he was looking forward to meeting the people who brought up such a special, unique woman. They sat there in bed, and polished off every last morsel on the tray before they fell asleep, limbs entwined.

The next morning, they awoke after a heavy-limbed, exhausted sleep. Despite that they were tired, they'd both never felt better in all their lives. They took their time in rising out of bed; they spent a good long while just discovering the fine details of each other's bodies, and making slow, tender love. They found each other's scars, their ticklish parts, their softest bits. They talked about their childhoods, from the pets they'd had to their favourite games.

"What I'd give to be a child again, just for a day." Signe sighed.

"Hmmm. I guess when we have our own children, we can enjoy their childhoods…" he let his words trail off, to hang in mid-air.

When they floated down, they struck the core of Signe's heart. "Children? When we have – " she sat up, her eyes wild with excitement. "I've always wanted to be a mother." She smiled sheepishly, searching Argis' eyes.

"Me too." Signe laughed, and poked him in the ribs. "I mean a father! Not a mother, I want to be a father!" he laughed as she tickled him.

"Come on Daddio, let's get up. I'm bloody starving!"

"You're always hungry."

"Yes, except now, my favourite food isn't your cooking, it's you!"

EPILOGUE

Four weeks later on a blue sky day, Signe and Argis married at the temple in Riften, surrounded by their friends and families.

Signe felt somewhat lethargic, and well aware that her menses were overdue by two weeks. Argis took her to bed in their room at the Bee & Barb, leaving the guests to drink all the mead and ale.

"Are you alright, Signe? You've been quiet tonight." Argis said, stroking her hair.

"Well, I am very tired. But…there's a reason for it." She smiled, eyes twinkling. She took Argis' hand and placed it over her lower abdomen. "I'm going to be feeling a bit flat for a while, Daddio."

Argis flew out of bed, plucked Signe up into his arms and spun her around. "Signe!" tears of happiness streamed down his handsome face, and she plastered him with kisses.

Roughly 38 weeks later, Signe - on all fours - with her mother, Silje, on one side and Argis on the other side of her, pushed out a squawking baby boy. She looked down between her knees at the slippery, red little darling, his fists shaking. She immediately collected him into her arms, and Argis helped her to turn and lay on her back. Tears of joy and relief streamed down her sweat-soaked face, as she clutched the baby to her chest.

Silje kissed her daughter's head and told her she was proud of her, and then she left the room to give the new family some privacy.

No words passed between mother and father at first; they stroked their newborn babe, kissed his little hands and his little chubby cheeks. They watched, amazed, as the newborn squirmed his way over to her breast and latched on, suckling hungrily.

"Hungry, just like his mother." Argis said, and they both laughed.

He watched through tear-filled eyes the woman he loved helped their baby son to adapt to the world around him, nourishing and nurturing him as though she'd always known what to do. He mopped her face, gave her water, and cuddled his new family close. He sighed in contentment, and he knew that his world was complete.

That concludes this little love story. I hope you enjoyed reading it. Please let me know what you thought of it! :)