He awoke when the first ray of sunlight entered through the window. It was hard to break the habits of his day-to-day routine, which had included waking with the sun ever since he was a student at the university. There was always so much to do, and wasting daylight was a capital offense. However, he did get a shock when he realized he'd fallen asleep fully clothed under the covers with Fjori, something definitely NOT normal. In fact, this was the first time he'd ever shared a bed with a woman, and it set his heart pounding as he studied the face a mere few inches away from his own.

It was rare that he got such a good view. He'd never been one for staring, and normally he'd have to look up slightly given Fjori's height. Lying down, however, she was finally at eye-level. In sleep, the powerful warrior looked so peaceful. Had he ever noticed she had such beautiful, full eyelashes? And the gentle rise and fall of her body under the blankets made for such a contrast to her normal, sharp movements. Seeing her like this made his heart fill with an indescribable emotion. He could get stuck watching her sleep for a long while, but there was work to do.

He attempted to ease out of bed, but she seemed to latch onto him as soon as she felt the absence of his body heat. He contemplated for a moment what he should do, and finally decided to reach out and brush the stray copper strands of hair from her face. "Fjori…"

"Hmm?" she responded vaguely, not fully awake. He was starting to realize that she was a pretty deep sleeper for a mercenary.

"It's time to wake up," he continued, trying not to grin at her.

Slowly, her hazel eyes opened. It took a moment to focus on what she was seeing, but when she realized it was the face of Quintus, she smiled radiantly. "Are you sure I'm not still dreaming?"

He snorted in amusement, continuing to caress her cheek. "That's a pretty cheesy thing to say coming from you."

She frowned. "Fine then. But you're the one who's being extra touchy-feely this morning."

At that remark, he abruptly removed his hand. She didn't care for that reaction, and grabbed his wrist to keep him from leaving. Firmly, she guided it back to her cheek, pressing his entire palm against her skin, rosy from the warmth. "I didn't say I disliked it."

"I should get ready, or I won't have the shop opened in time," he began, but was interrupted when she pulled him down by the shirt so her lips crashed into his. She was acutely aware that he reciprocated quickly. The idea that she could push this further was still on the table.

"Can't I convince you otherwise?" she whined, sticking out her lower lip in a pout. "Yesterday did not go the way I anticipated, and it may be a long time before I come back. I would much rather leave you with something to remember."

"You mean you want to…now?" The man stammered a bit and blushed, fighting the urge to retract his hand once more. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy the feel of her soft skin, but it seemed like it would burn him. "What if Lydia shows up?"

"The door's locked, isn't it?"

"I mean, it is, but… I don't know…" He worried his bottom lip with his teeth as he weighed the risk and reward.

Maybe she was pushing her luck. She didn't want it to feel forced, and he did look conflicted. Gently, she lifted his chin to look into her eyes. "As I said, Quintus, only if you want to. Tell me 'no', and I drop it, no need to explain. Just know that my stance on the matter is absolutely yes please."

She watched the options continue to bounce around in his head before, much to her delight, he lowered himself back onto the bed. "It's hard to resist you…" he muttered, now running his fingers through her orange locks and twirling absently around his finger. It was still hard to understand why she found the shade so repulsive. Her bath had given it a luster that left it looking far closer to a polished metal than rust. He couldn't imagine her any other way, and it made him feel warm inside. "I'd have to be a damn fool if I let this chance go, and I'm tired of letting chances pass me by. I want you, Fjori, like I've never wanted anyone, and if you want me too, then…"

"You can have me. You can touch me anywhere you want," she offered breathlessly without the slightest hint of jest. Removing his hand from her hair, she guided it down to her chest, resulting in a bashful flush. "We don't even have to go through the whole thing if you don't want. If you just want to touch me for a while, just to get used to it, that's fine for me too. I don't want to push you too fast."

"Can…can I take off your dress?" Quintus was licking his lips nervously, but kept his hand on her breast, marveling at the feel of the soft mound in his grasp.

"Yes please. Or better yet, allow me. You can undress me another day when we have more time for you to try and figure out the fastenings!" Fjori suddenly broke away from his grasp and rolled off the bed, eager to shed any barrier necessary that interfered with receiving his touch on her skin. After a few seconds of unfastening the bodice of the dress, she released it to pool at her feet, revealing a body bare save for undergarments. The first thought that came to his suddenly foggy brain was that this muscular, thick-built woman had pale skin that could rival any noble lady back in Cyrodiil. The feminine beauty the mercenary could exude just by standing there was an astonishing contrast to the armor-clad form he'd been accustomed to seeing. He could have stared at that sight all day, but she was already flouncing back to the bed. "Better?"

"Yes. But…" His brain seemed to be on overload. So much exposed skin and curves, he felt a bit faint due to the previously forbidden sight before him. Sure, he'd tried to imagine what she looked like under her clothes, but this was so much more. "I don't want to take on too much at once. Would it be silly if I asked…" He didn't quite finish, and she noticed his eyes remaining trained on her face. He must have felt reassured by her expression, because he swallowed and tried again. "Could you slide back under the covers and just let me get used to your top half? Is that a strange thing to ask?"

Fjori quickly complied, arranging the covers around her waist. "I don't exactly know much about how this goes for normal people, but it is hardly an offensive request. Take all the time you need. In fact, how would you like to proceed?"

Quintus knew better than to get right to the punch. He'd never been with a woman before, and he wanted to take his time and enjoy every part of this, even more so because of the special woman who was sprawled out in his bed. He finally chose to start by running his hands across her toned stomach. He marveled at how much muscle she had in her arms and abs, by no means the Imperial ideal of beauty. To hell with the Imperial ideal. This was a real woman, so much more than those simpering ladies back home could ever be. Somehow, the notion that Fjori could probably snap him in half but chose to be gentle and submissive under his touch made it all the more appealing in his mind.

"So soft," he murmured in reverence. "I had no idea…" She was warm, and he could feel her breaths expanding in her ribs. For a warrior, she was uncharacteristically vulnerable like this, and the intimacy of the moment left him in awe. She bared herself for so few people, and that he should be so lucky as to be given this… He swallowed hard past the lump in his throat.

Fjori just hummed in contentment as she leaned back against the headboard and soaked it all in. This was so…slow. But that was a good thing! It wasn't like her past lover had ever been so enthralled with her, and Quintus's treatment of her body made her heart flutter. The way he looked at her…it made her feel things she'd never felt before, things that were both pure and dirty at the same time.

His gentle hands continued to wander, mapping her torso, until his thumb rested on a long, narrow scar marring her side. "Battle injury?"

Her eyes snapped open. "Yes. From one of my first jobs. I still had much to learn." Did he think that was unattractive? Nords were a tough, hardy people who didn't mind roughness in their women, but perhaps Quintus didn't have those ideals.

She got her answer when he tenderly pressed his lips to the old wound, as if kissing it away. "I'll have to map out your entire body and find the rest of them, won't I?"

Those words were enough to make her gasp. "Quintus?"

"I want to know all of you, Fjori." Emboldened by her pleasured response, he roamed further up, hands tickling her sides, until he had both breasts in his hands. He gently squeezed, running his thumb over her nipples still hidden under the fabric. His heart was thundering in his chest so loudly he was certain she could hear it. It was getting harder to breathe as the anticipation built.

"Mmm, take it off!" she pleaded. He was eager to obey, and unfastened the strings holding her bra in place. However, before he removed it, he paused. He, Quintus Navale, finally had a woman in his bed and was about to be greeted by the sight of her bared breasts, which she was offering willingly. No more conjuring imagined images of her while feeling like some disgusting pervert and touching himself as he lay in bed alone. Holy Dibella, this was hard to believe, but he wanted it so badly it hurt! Quite literally. He had swollen from just his hands' exploration so he was straining against his smalls. It was hard to think clearly in the heat of this moment, but surely with Fjori he wouldn't regret going this far later. He'd been cautious long enough.

Finally he pulled the bra aside, unashamedly ogling her relatively full bust as if to burn the sight into his memory. His fingers continued to skim over them, making the woman beneath him squirm.

"Divines, you are…incredible. Gorgeous. You like this?" he ventured in broken phrases. HE certainly was, but he wanted very much to hear the same from her, all of her past history considered.

"Yes!" she cried, pushing her chest up further into his hands. He couldn't help it then. He leaned down and kissed her right on the cleavage, then ghosted more kisses up to her neck. When she'd done that to him yesterday, it had made him melt. With any luck it would be the same.

"Mmm, Quintus…" Her delighted moans made him harder than he was before, throbbing with arousal. Who knew sounds could add so much to the experience? To his dismay, he began to realize that if he wasn't careful, he'd finish very soon like the complete rookie that he was, and quite possibly all over his trousers.

"Fjori, I…I can't continue unless I take off these pants," he admitted sheepishly between gasps.

If it was possible, her eyes seemed to dilate further. "Please do. I want to see you!"

At last the moment had arrived, the time when he would expose himself for her judgement. He was instantly nervous, though given her current state he figured she wouldn't exactly be hyper-critical. Why, just yesterday she was running her fingers along his receding hairline and telling him she loved him no matter his self-proclaimed shortcomings in the appearance department. Surely this would be fine too, it was just new and therefore uncomfortable. Getting up from the bed and unfastening his trousers with shaky hands, he took a deep breath and looked to her for encouragement.

She saw the tension in his body, the way his eyes darted between her and the wall nervously as he fidgeted with the waistband. Her face, which seconds before had been consumed with lust, softened at the sight. "It's okay, Quintus. Whenever you are ready, and not a moment sooner. We can wait if that's what you wish."

"No, I…I want…for you…" And finally he pulled them down along with his small clothes. That was it. He was exposed in the most intimate of ways. Hopefully she would think him adequate. Guys were always judged on their size, and he wasn't sure just how he stacked up. Would she like what she saw as much as he liked what he saw, or was he a disappointment she would try to mask?

"By the Nine! Come here, love," she insisted, gesturing for him to return to the bed. There was no hint of disgust at all, only eagerness in her voice and pupils blown wide in desire. Those eyes did fall between his legs, unashamedly studying his anatomy, but she genuinely seemed to like how he was endowed. Leaving his shirt on, he slipped out of his pants legs and meekly obeyed, the roles now suddenly reversed. He knelt over her hips, unsure of what exactly she had in mind for him. "May I touch you?" Her voice was soft, tender, all asking and no demanding.

"S-sure. If you want to, I mean." Quintus's face was bright red. He internally smacked himself for how prudish he was behaving. Even if he hadn't confessed to it yesterday, anyone would figure him for a virgin the way he was acting.

"I really do want to. With what you are offering me, I can't help but want to get my hands on it."

His jaw dropped at this frank statement, eyes wide as saucers. "It's…decent then? Compared to, you know…"

She looked at him sharply. "It's you, so it's everything I could want. If you must know, you're an inch or two shorter and a bit more slender. Perhaps it's a Nord versus Imperial thing, but I really don't give a damn. You can't possibly know how much I look forward to enjoying it along with the man it belongs to." This assessment made the air remain trapped in his lungs. Fjori was so blunt, but that just meant she wouldn't just say things to preserve his feelings. She wanted him, however strange that seemed.

"I…umm…you…" Quintus babbled, still staring at her in complete shock.

With an amused smirk, she carefully reached out and grasped him. The pressure around his neglected length felt beyond good, and her hands seemed to be the perfect fit as they wrapped around him. He let out an involuntary moan at the foreign touch, which he quickly attempted to suppress with gritted teeth. He felt himself blushing, as if he could turn any more red. Surely that wasn't a manly reaction, especially to such a simple provocation…

Fjori of course noticed. She leaned down so her forehead pressed against his. "Quintus, love, don't hold back. You have no idea how much hearing your pleasure turns me on." She paused, reaching down with her other hand to curiously cup him. His sharp inhale and arched back was reaction enough. "Tell me, is it your instinct to remain quiet because you've always had to? Did you often masturbate?"

That came out of left field, and he bumbled for an answer. "N-not often, but, but sometimes..."

"Show me how you do it. Take my hand and show me."

His face went beet red. "Well, I always use lube so it doesn't hurt..."

"Do you have some?"

He nearly died. "I-in the nightstand over there. Small green bottle."

"If you grab it for me, I'll make it worth your while," she smiled pleasantly.

For her, lying topless on his bed with that reassuring smile, he'd do anything no matter how embarrassing. He was too far gone, and he knew it. Nodding enthusiastically, he scrambled to grab the vial in question, uncorking it as he resumed his position over her. "Here, hold out your hands." Now it was her turn to obey, and she let him drip a cool, slick substance onto her palms. She rubbed them together to spread it out, then returned to grasp his length. His response was another breathy gasp.

"Now what should I do?"

"Like this," he mumbled, reaching down to guide her hand up and down. Her hands were rough from wielding a sword, but the lube kept her motions smooth as she provided delicious friction against the sensitive skin. Sounds of pleasure were dragged from his throat with each motion. It didn't make any logical sense that it could be better than when he did it to himself. Could it really just be the knowledge that it was an incredible woman like Fjori offering her services to please him that made it beyond amazing?

Ultimately he let go, allowing the woman free reign to pleasure him. His breathing had turned ragged, and to his embarrassment several gasps and moans and feverish utterings of her name escaped him as he braced himself on the headboard. When he looked at her through half-closed lids, he saw the joy on her face as she worked, something that didn't make much sense given that she was getting no attention at all. Did pleasuring him actually make her that happy? In any case, he doubted that Benor fellow ever earned that expression. It only added to his high. Already he could feel himself tightening in preparation for his release. Right, with his stamina, it wasn't going to be long…

All of a sudden, she stopped. He nearly cried out in frustration. So close… "Can we shift positions?" she questioned urgently. "I don't want you to fall."

"How do you want me?" Any hesitation he once possessed had flown out the window as the hormones took over.

"Sit back against the headboard."

He scrambled to obey, ignoring the dull ache between his legs. In the split-second he was situated, she was on him, straddling his body and pressing him against the backboard as her hand resumed its energetic ministrations. She pressed her mouth against his, swallowing his renewed exclamations as he quickly climbed once more. It was all so much. The heat of her body, the intensity of her kiss, the way she had him trapped between her body and the bed with no escape, the possessive grip of her hand around him as she tugged and twisted, it all fanned the flames of his passion until it overwhelmed him. He managed to pull his mouth away just in time to cry out her name before he lost control, thrusting wildly into her hand and knocking his head back against the wood. There was a moment where everything went blank beyond pure pleasure. Hands down, this was the hardest he'd ever come.

He wasn't sure how long he remained blanked out. He was vaguely aware that she'd crawled off of him, heard the rustle of fabric as she'd gotten dressed, and by the time he was able to open his eyes, she was halfway down the stairs. Confused, he sat up. Her dress was still lying on the ground… Looking down at his own clothes, he realized with no small amount of disgust that he had dirtied his shirt quite nicely. Then, there was the jingle of the door to the shop opening. He panicked, the rush of adrenaline enough to clear his head from his post-orgasmic fog. Gods, he couldn't be caught like this! Quick, a rag to wipe up, and then his pants…

"Morning, Lydia. Sorry it took a few moments, I was just getting ready."

"Where's Quintus?" Lydia's familiar voice inquired.

He was currently trying to rip his soiled shirt off, but Fjori simply responded "We both stayed up pretty late. He's still getting ready too."

"You were both getting ready at the same time?" Lydia's voice was clearly suspicious. Great. The housecarl was on to them…

"We fell asleep in our clothes. He just needed to get a fresh shirt. Of course, he was a perfect gentleman and didn't look while I got changed." Well, he had to hand it to Fjori, she hadn't actually lied yet... "Give me a few moments to say goodbye and get my armor on. Meet you in the plaza in five minutes?"

"All right, so be it. Don't dally." There was another jingle, and the latching of the door, right as he finished fastening his pants. Almost immediately thereafter, Fjori came bounding back upstairs.

"I'm sorry to leave you like that. I heard someone knocking."

"I was afraid of that," Quintus grumbled wearily. Why was he feeling so tired?

"Yes, yes, this is the part where you say 'I told you so'." She apparently was full of energy as she began to gather her armor and strap it on.

"I told you so." Quintus slumped onto the bed. "Hey, Fjori-"

"I can't keep Lydia waiting too long, so I'll have to get going. I'm sorry we couldn't draw it out longer, but you looked like you were enjoying it, weren't you?"

Quintus watched as she threw her discarded dress back into her pack without even bothering to fold it. "I've never felt anything so intense," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "I mean, it was over so soon, but I-"

"Good. I admit, I'm kind of disappointed that I couldn't give you everything, but hopefully next time we can take it even further. This was just a preview, after all."

"It…was?"

"Yeah." Now everything was loaded, and all her armor was put on. She clanked over to him and held him for a moment in her steel grasp. For some reason, the cold, unfeeling metal bothered him this time. Where was all the heated affection of mere minutes ago? How could the mood change so quickly? "I'll hurry back as soon as I can." Her kiss was little more than a hurried peck on the cheek. "I love you, and I really enjoyed this morning. Thank you for sharing it with me." Before he could reply, she was already on her way to the stairs.

"Fjori!"

She paused at the top of the stairs, hand grasping the railing and one foot suspended as she moved to take the first step. "Yeah?"

And suddenly, Quintus didn't have the heart to beg her to stay for just five minutes and talk. She had better things to do than listen to him try to come to terms with what had happened. He didn't want to worry her when she had a world to save. Instead, he swallowed his plea. "I love you too. Please be safe."

She smiled. "I will." With that, she was gone, leaving him alone with his thoughts, an unmade bed, and a dirty shirt on the floor. This didn't feel nearly as good as it had before.