This chapter's title is from the song Black and Blue by Miike Snow. Also, this story gets smutty like…pretty instantly…(I couldn't help myself :P)…anyway, the whole story is rated M, for good reason, so if you're not into that sort of thing, then you can't say you weren't warned.

Black and Blue

How long has it been, shall we get into it again?

Catia stood in front of Mercer Frey, who was apparently the Guild Master. Who knew? Nobody thought to inform her…well, she supposed she could have asked, but…heat of the moment and all that.

The look on Mercer's face was…indifferent. Catia blanked her face too, letting no emotion show.

"So, you're the one that Brynjolf has been going on about?" He asked, his voice gruff. "Here's how it works around here." He proceeded to prattle on about gold and playing by the rules. She tuned him out.

Rather, she was thinking about the last time she ran into Mercer. The only other time she ever met him. It was in Solitude, she had that job on Vittoria Vici and had spent most of the day scouting out the best possible locations to carry out the assassination. It was a rather tiring endeavor, to be honest.

She slipped into Proudspire Manor, after she had finished her rounds of the city. She had given Jordis a few days off, couldn't have the little pup following her around while she was on business for the Brotherhood. The house was almost completely dark as she crept upstairs to her bedroom. Her tenure at the Sanctuary had taught her to move quietly at all times.

Once in the dimly lit room she began to slide out of her armor, peeling the snug leather from her body until she was down to her under garments. She breathed a sigh of relief as she moved to climb into the bed.

Her calm immediately disappeared as she caught the slightest movement from the corner of her eye.

In a matter of seconds she had a blade in hand and pointed at the general region of the intruder's heart. She wasn't comforted by this though, as his sword was gently touching the tender skin on her neck, his easy movements making it known that he was no stranger to the shadows.

"Well, we seem to be at an impasse." The man said, his voice hoarse and dark.

Catia laughed a bit, "But see, you're in my house, uninvited, so I have the upper hand."

"So it would seem, of course, I could have your throat slit and be out of here before you even have a chance to call the guards." He countered

"Who says that a) you would be quick enough and b) that I even need the guards." Catia shrugged slightly, her blade scraping against his armor.

"I thought that I recognized Brotherhood armor." The man lowered his weapon, motioning towards her discarded armor. Catia mirrored his actions, slowly and less certainly.

"And you are?" She raised her eyebrow at him, "From the Thieves Guild, I presume?"

"Mercer Frey." He spat the name at her.

Catia stared at him for a moment, trying to think of Astrid ever mentioning any of the Guild by name. Delvin Mallory was the only name she knew, so she shrugged, "Oh, yes. Of course." She deftly hung her sword back on the rack, "I have a rather big day tomorrow, you see, so if you could please let me get to bed and also put my stuff back?" She frowned, looking longingly at her bed.

"Don't they teach manners in that forsaken group of murderers?" He asked, incensed.

"We don't really talk much." She shrugged. "Besides, you're the one who broke into my house." He continued to stare at her and once she realized that he wasn't going to take a hint and leave, she finally gave him an answer. "Fine. The name is Catia Lione. Are you enjoying the view, thief?" she asked, referring to her state of near undress.

Mercer slowly raked his gaze over her mostly bare skin, "Yes, quite."

Catia felt her ears burn and her stomach flip, not in an unpleasant way. The rogue look he was giving her was making her heart race, in a good way. He looked devious and dark and those were her two favorite qualities in men….and it had been a long time…

"Well, you are in my house, stealing my stuff…I think I should get something in return…" She smiled sweetly, inside she was cringing at the way the honeyed words fell from her lips, it went against everything that she normally was.

Catia wasn't sure how she ended up there, but suddenly she found herself pressed up against the thief, her fingers deftly undoing the buckles on his armor as he kissed her fully on the mouth. His warm hands leaving tantalizingly hot trials over her cool skin.

Rationality started running rampant in her head. This man is a stranger…yes, but he's in the Guild, that makes it okay? They're like our cousin faction... It had been a frighteningly long time since she had any sort of intimate human contact and rational thought seemed to be quickly leaving her mind. Mercer's hot breath on her neck made the decision for her.

She made a noise in the back of her throat as he nipped at the sensitive parts of her neck, the stubble on his chin tickling her skin lightly. Catia was only halfway through with undoing the buckles on his armor when he impatiently tossed her on the bed and quickly discarded the jerkin himself.

He pinned her to the bed and kissed her roughly as she ran her hands over the muscles in his abdomen. She enjoyed the feel of his toned muscles and he groaned quietly as her fingertips dipped softly under the waistband of his trousers. Catia quickly classified her decision as a great one as Mercer's nimble fingers danced softly over her skin, easily removing what was left of her undergarments.

He made a noise of appreciation as he cupped her breast before tracing the curve of her hips. She wiggled under his touch and quickly moved to undo the buckles of his pants. He discarded the pants and they slid to the floor with a dull thud. Catia hooked a leg around his hip and pulled herself up to meet him.

Mercer teased her for a bit before sliding into her with a forceful push. She moaned as his movements were deliberate and commanding. He bruised her lips with another rough kiss. His hand snaked down her body, lightly, enjoying her lithe movements, before slipping down and touching her more sensitive areas. She arched up at the touch and bit down hard on his lower lip.

The sharp pain elicited a guttural noise from the back of Mercer's throat. He drove into her harder. Catia tensed up at the increase in pace, her legs tightening around his narrow hips. He pinned her hands down above her head with one of his hands, his other free to roam over her breast and exposed skin.

He brushed the hair from her face and kissed her again. She made an indecipherable noise as she arched up into him, every muscle in her body tensing up just before rather fierce release that left her nearly trembling. Mercer pushed in a few more times before his own guttural and elegant release, she was sure-

"Lass?" She was wrenched from her memories by Brynjolf's melodic voice, she could feel heat building in her cheeks and mentally cursed herself for replaying that particular meeting, again. It was a memory she visited often.

"Mph." she replied, as if she had actually been paying attention. Mercer gave her a knowing smirk before returning to his desk.

Brynjolf began to tell her about the Goldenglow job. Don't burn the place down. Try not to kill anyone. Don't get caught. Don't make the client mad. This place sure did have a lot of rules.

"Tonila will set you up with some new armor, whenever you're ready." Brynjolf told her, clapping her on the shoulder.

She gave him a toothy smile, "Thanks, Brynjolf."

He showed her to the bed and chest that would be hers in the Cistern and she set about putting the few belongings she had brought with her away. She had felt happy about being accepted into the Guild, convinced that it would be easy to avoid Mercer. Of course, that was before she had found out that he was the Guildmaster.

She pulled off her boots and stretched out, languidly, on the bed. It had taken a lot of reflection for her to decide to come to the Guild. Her last trip to the Sanctuary had been disastrous and after an exploded torture room, she had fled the place, unable to return. She still felt a pang in her heart at the thought of Astrid's betrayal and the subsequent deaths of nearly all her surrogate family.

"Well, well, I have to admit, I'm a bit surprised to see you here." Mercer's gruff voice sounded from somewhere to her right.

Catia lazily rolled her head to the side to find him casually leaning against the wall, arms crossed across his chest. "You can thank me later." She told him, turning her head back and letting her eyes close.

Mercer made a noise of irritated amusement, "You should watch your mouth." He warned.

She raised an eyebrow, not opening her eye and smirked at him. "Sure thing, Boss."

Suddenly he was standing closer to her bed, staring down at her. "I'm curious as to why someone from the Brotherhood would want to join the Guild. Similar tactics, completely different line of work." He told her, his voice quite. "I only allowed you in because I never get caught, except for once, by you."

"I'm incredibly astute about these sort of things." She opened her eyes to level him with an intense stare.

Even though the lighting was dim in the Cistern, it was still better lit than her room had been that one night. She took stock of his features. An angular face with a surly brow and dark eyes, his hair, chin length and shaggy, and his mouth, derisive, and currently twisted into a wry smirk.

"Yes, well, if you manage to make it back from Goldenglow, alive, I may be inclined to agree with you.

"When, not if, I make it back from Goldenglow, in perfect health, you will owe me a drink." She informed him, closing her eyes again.

Mercer let out a bark of a laugh as he turned from her and made his way back to his desk.

a/n Well, there's chapter one…what do you all think? Chapter 2 is already done, just need to edit it (and make sure someone wants to read it) before I post it

xCecelia