DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Inheritance cycle nor any other characters or plots that belong to Christopher Paolini.

CHAPTER ONE: ARYA POV

Her eyes follow him as he passes through the crowd of people shaking his hand and clapping him on the back. To those around him he was the hero today; the man who made sure all their hard work wasn't done in vain. She could see the slight slouch in his shoulders and his messed up hair giving away his exhaustion. You don't work with someone that closely and not notice the little things.

Today had been a big day for him. Even though he would insist the recognition be shared with his team, he had single handedly taken down the most recent drug cell they had been following. After a malfunction in the comlinks and GPS's the KnightHawks were forced to stand down on their raid. Not going to let such an opportunity be lost on a technical mishap he went ahead with the plan and dropped in, taking out a warehouse full of goons, rescuing a hostage and downloading a file of important contacts..

He's currently talking to his team of misfits, as he likes to call them. Each of them having a special place in his adopted family. After working with each other for several years, it was the only way to describe them; family. Hoot, the tech analyst and weapons manufacturer, seemed to be talking to him about the mishap from earlier today and judging by his wondering eye and the disheveled mop of hair on his head he was looking for a way out of the conversation.

"Eragon", Arya calls out.

His eyes find mine and he gives me a thankful smile. She motions for him to come over to the bar where shes standing. I see him excuse himself as Hoot turns to another computer junkie and begins his story again. He makes his way over to her and she feels her stomach do summersaults, his grin making me feel warm all over.

" Thank you, you have no idea how much I needed a saving", he sighs while placing his forehead on my shoulder. Gestures like these have become routine with them, our closeness never being an issue. Well, almost a nonissue.

Rubbing the base of his neck Arya feels him relax just a little.

"Hmmm, please don't stop".

" If I keep going, you re going to fall asleep and I don't think the party guests will appreciate that", She tells him

"You know I hate these things", he stands up and straightens out his sports jacket, " I was only doing my job, and you would have done the same thing".

"No, because unlike you, I actually follow orders when I'm told to stand down"

" What was I supposed to do, let them kill that hostage and do nothing?" he's getting worked up, just another sign I know he's tired.

" Eragon that's not what im saying, and you know it" Ary grabs for his forearm and tries to make him calm down. " you did an amazing thing today, and people just want to commemorate you for it, so let them".

" I don't want to talk about me and this day anymore", she can see he's wanting to leave.

"Hey, follow me" grabbing his arm and pulling him out of the observation room.

We make our way up to the roof.

"Hi" he says nudging her shoulder. "How are you doing, after today"?

" I thought you said you didn't want to talk about today" arya laughs

"I don't in regards to ME, but when its you I always want to talk". He's looking fully at her and I don't know what to say. Normally in moments like these they go back and forth and are fine. But I she cant seem to find the words.

"I'm ok, Im good" she says

"Good"? he repeats, he's mocking my answer but I don't care.

"Eragon" her palms are getting sweaty, "do you think about us"?

"Us, in what way"? he's laying on his back with his hands behind his head

Arya plays with the buttons on his jacket, "You know, if I had never shut you down when you asked me out"

"Arya" he leans up onto his elbows

"Today, when you dropped into the warehouse, you didn't have a comlink and I didn't have a way of communicating with you" she could feel herself getting upset and turns away from him "I was genuinely scared for you and I froze. I didn't know what to do"

"hey, hey, im fine ok" he pulls her so shes leaning against him

"yeah I know that now, but look eragon" she grabs his hand " we've been in every situation imaginable, ones far worse than this. But there was something about today that just had me worried"

"Worried? Arya that word isn't even in your vocabulary" he jokes

"eragon im serious, during todays debriefing all I could think about was 'what if eragon had been shot, what if I couldn't get to him in time, what if -' "

"Arya listen to yourself, you sound like some-"

"I know that eragon, im not supposed to be all emotional and feely, normally that's meant for you" I quirk a brow and smirk as he nudge's my shoulder

"Look at me, im sorry I scared you, but I don't regret what I did. Todays mission was a success and we saved a life" he smiles at me

" I know, but that doesn't change how I feel"

" How you feel, what are you talking about"? he giggles

"You Eragon, how I feel about you" She stands up and can feel him right behind her

"You make me feel crazy, and I cant do anything about it because im to late and you don't feel the same" her body is shaking, she cant believe shes saying all this. So much for stepping outside to get some air and calm down.

" Stop" murmurs eragon

"eragon please let me- "

"hey, you listen to me " eragon grabs me by my shoulders and turns me so im looking at him "seven years is a long time to wait for someone, and you cant expect any guy to wait forever"

My heart starts to sink because we've had this conversation before except I was on the other end.

"But I'm not just any guy. I've always been your guy" he takes her chin and and forces her to look at him," Seven years is also the perfect length of time to fall in love with someone" His face is getting closer "and to figure out their quirks, and you my dear girl are full of quirks" then his lips are on mine.

His lips are soft and he waits for her to react, which doesn't take long. He's grabbing the back of her neck and forcing our mouths together like he cant get enough. She lets her tongue sneak out and caresses his upper lip to which he groans and welcomes it into his mouth. They carry on until they are both fighting for breath. O Foreheads pressed together they look into each others eyes and she wipes a tear from his cheek.

"youre such a sap"

"but im your sap" he grins