A:N: Woo, yay for a writing spree!
This is possibly where my geeky-ness really shows. I bought Skyrim for Christmas, and it's very safe to say the thing stole my soul. I'm heartbroken that you can't marry Serana, Eola or Sapphire in vanilla Skyrim, but this is Sapphire-centric. Or, you could say 'Sapph-ic' :D.
...Someone slay me.
Not
Disclaimer: Bethesda owns this. If I owned this, I'd... I dunno... Ooo, I'd make the Companions werehyenas instead of werewolves!
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The Riften market wasn't known for being a trustworthy place. The Jarl knew it, the merchants knew it, and any patrons with intelligence knew it. Anyone with a lick of sense knew that they could be buying something one minute and floating face-down in the sewage pipe the next. That was why the Dragonborn, a smart-mouthed, sharp-tongued woman, made sure she was well in with the Thieves Guild.
She was a woman who respected morals. Being a thief was contradictory to that, but it wasn't like she was a murderer. Zeera didn't waltz into poor homes and slit throats. She got in, swiped what could easily be missed, and slinked out without trouble.
According to herself, she was a hero, in her own rights. She only took from the rich and often helped the poor.
Sapphire didn't mind the slight woman. In fact, she thought she was very honorable, especially for a thief. Sapphire wasn't too fond of how bipolar the woman seemed at times, but she was likeable enough.
At times.
Today, Zeera was assigned to ride up to Solitude, swipe a flawless ruby from the Radient Raiment, and return it as quickly as possible, though she was taking her sweet time. That was one of the things Sapphire wasn't too fond of - the woman was arrogant, proclaiming that she could move when she wanted too, and no one was budging her until she wanted to.
Zeera was seated against the low stone wall surrounding the marketplace, talking with Madesi, the Argonian. He knew just who she worked for, but didn't seem to mind. Zeera liked him, and, since he didn't have the easiest job in the world, made sure he was left alone. In fact, most of the Dragonborn's friends knew just where she got as much coin as she did, but they didn't say a word because she was honorable.
No one gave half a damn, since she was 'Dragonborn'. Because she had a talented tongue, she got herself out of a lot of trouble, and that pissed Sapphire off more than anything.
She grit her teeth and stalked closer to the woman in scaled armor. "Don't you have a job you should be doing?"
"Yes, milady, I do," she replied, voice smooth and calming. That voice was what caused guards to turn around and ignore her. She might flash a coin every now and again for stubborn guards, but for the most part, her honorability kept her hands clean. "But I think that the Guildmaster deserves a break now and again, don't you?"
This was a game the woman played at.
She would slack off, then smart-ass her way out, making the other person look like the bad guy.
And she would get away with whatever she wanted. Because she was a wealthier thief of virtue, she was more respected than any other members of the Thieves Guild. And damn if it didn't annoy Sapphire. "Yes, Guildmaster."
"Good girl," the woman crooned. She often spoke to those she ticked off in chastising tones, and Sapphire was growing sick of that tone she used specifically for her.
More than once, Sapphire sat on the wrong side of the bars because Zeera found something to blackmail her with and she didn't take her seriously. But, then, each time, Zeera would get 'lonely' after a few hours and come pay her considerable fines. She and Sapphire never talked other than to bicker, but Zeera had taken quite a liking toward the temperamental woman, or so everyone said.
At first, she and Sapphire got along. But, then, Mercer was killed and Brynjolf ruined Sapphire's life with his decision to promote the Dragonborn.
Since Zeera had become Guildmaster, she had only gotten more intolerable. She sat down all sorts of new rules that made moving around without violating a rule practically impossible.
"Don't steal from the poor," she snarled through gritted teeth when Sapphire tried to swipe a golden ring from Snilf.
"Respect and give to the poor. It's not their fault they have a rough life," Zeera stated nearly five minutes later, when Edda came begging for a coin. The damned woman unlatched her enchanted silver ruby necklace and gave it to the woman, making sure a guard saw. "Not only is it good for your rep, but it's just the right thing to do," she said into Sapphire's ear, breath hot and distracting.
The other thieves didn't mind the rules. They followed them wordlessly, often staring at Zeera in amazement, like she deserved her own shrine in the Temple of the Divines.
Don't frame people who have families to support. Only take what can be missed. Never kill someone who doesn't deserve to die. Never report a person to a guard using their vampirism or loupism as proof they're 'evil'. These rules ticked away at Sapphire's sanity.
What was that one book called? The Thief of Virtue?
Zeera's 'virtue' had shone through multiple times. "I do not stand for discrimination. Do not steal from beastfolk, they've got enough trouble as it is," she announced in the Ragged Flagon's cistern. The Khajiit caravans were visiting Riften, and she had bought a month's worth of supplies from them with a smile. Brynjolf and the others practically applauded her. Sapphire rolled her eyes and went back to bed.
Sapphire stormed off and returned to the Thieves Guild after being scolded once again. Zeera would continue chatting with Madesi until noon, catch a carriage up to Solitude, and swipe the ruby without hesitation. Then she would ride back, be congratulated on another job well done, and call it a day.
All because she was Dragonborn.
0-0-0
Zeera was known for being a smartass throughout most of Skyrim. In other places, she was seen as a Divine in human form. In others, she was seen as someone who was initially amazing, but was then seen as a pain in the ass.
Such a place was Sapphire's house.
Normally, she stayed in the Guild, but she needed to breathe in something other than the stench of ale now and again. Her house was the perfect place, a small building a little way's down the road from Riften.
It was hidden in bushels of underbrush and trees, bears deterring most adventurers. Only the true impossible-to-kill pest could find the wooden building, and not even they could get through the many locks that barricaded Sapphire's doors and windows.
Zeera found a way in anyway.
"Get the hell out!" Sapphire shouted, brandishing the ebony dagger she kept beside her bed.
"Last time I checked, I was the Guildmaster, and you're the follower," she retorted, reclining in the wooden chair she perched herself in. "And, like I've said before, if you can pick the lock, you're welcome in. A weak lock just keeps the quitters out."
"Those locks aren't weak," Sapphire spat. "I made sure of that myself."
Zeera's eyes flashed and Sapphire groaned internally. She had found a reason to make some sort of immature joke. "Then let's just say I'm good with my fingers. If you don't believe me, I could always-"
Sapphire launched the knife. She knew it wouldn't hit, but it would shut the Guildmaster up, at the least. Zeera sidestepped at the last second, clearly showing off, and grinned. She wrapped her lithe fingers around the black-hilted knife that had been lodged into the wall and pulled firmly. It popped out, her fingers tracing the intricate design pattern. Sapphire swallowed and sat up, knowing that she wasn't leaving anytime soon. Either of them.
"Sapphire," Zeera chided, dangling the dagger in front of the girl's face. "I know you trust me not to flinch, but that was dangerously close."
The thief stuck her chin up, glaring at the woman. "I was actually hoping it would hit."
"Why would you want to do that?" Zeera asked, feigning shock. "According to Brynjolf, you've got a thing for me."
"Yeah, well that thing's a poisoned blade."
Zeera tossed the knife to the side of the bed, slinking closer to Sapphire and sitting on her knees. Sapphire, dressed in just her underclothes, tried to shuffle the animal skins higher onto her body, but Zeera tugged them back down. "You hiding it on yourself? Going to kill me when I'm not paying attention?"
Her eyes roamed the exposed skin, Sapphire shamefully clutching the blankets. "Well, I don't see anything," she pouted, sitting back.
"Hand me my clothes, please," Sapphire mumbled.
"No," Zeera smirked smugly, knowing that she was the feline in the game of cat and mouse. "You might have that poisoned blade hidden in one of those pockets. And I can't be too careful. You've already said you wanted to kill me, after all."
Sapphire growled, not caring if she was practically naked. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stumbled away, Zeera sitting back and enjoying the sight. The Guildmaster really was pushing it. Sapphire had told her the sad backstory out of spite weeks ago, hoping it would make the Dragonborn let her be. It did quite the opposite, and Zeera sometimes pushed the limits.
The Guildmaster knew Sapphire had... issues with situations like these, but what set her apart from all others was that she didn't care. Not that anyone else knew, but it was just so like Zeera to not give a damn when others tread carefully.
Sapphire should have been very cautious and kept an eye on Zeera the entire time, but she was too annoyed to think straight.
What had started out as a mutual dislike quickly boiled into a hot, filthy mess. Zeera had only recently figured that out, and gods, was she enjoying it. She sat on Sapphire's bed and reclined lazily, staring at the ceiling. "This is such a small bed. Not much room for fun. And why were you sleeping at noon? Unless you weren't sleeping. Naughty, naughty girl."
Zeera continued making crude statements as Sapphire got dressed. She hoped her armor and hood would hide the flushing of her cheeks and face, but doubted it. Sapphire slumped back onto the bed, still hiding her face.
"Oh, you pretty thing. Why are you hiding your face? You're not using the gift Dibella granted you with." Zeera gently pushed Sapphire's hood back.
She was taken aback by just how gentle the woman could be. The pale Breton was normally all rough edges and blunt blows, and Sapphire was surprised her hands could be so warm. "See, now don't you feel better?"
Sapphire nodded. Another rule - don't disagree with the Guildmaster's compliments. She hated being disagreed with, especially when she was being halfway nice. Zeera never came out and made that rule, but it was implied.
"I'm not being too pushy, am I?"
"No," Sapphire lied. "I think you're not being pushy enough!"
She gathered her strength and shoved the Dragonborn off the bed, pinning her against the stone floor. Sapphire knew that the petite woman had immense strength and wouldn't hold still for long, but she had the element of surprise. The Breton writhed in annoyance beneath the Nord. She held still after a moment, one arm trapped between herself and the floor and the other threatened to be broken in Sapphire's hold. "Alright. Talk."
"You treat me like I'm a child!" Sapphire snarled. "You tease me, but then you act like I'm some fragile little princess and make sure my feelings aren't hurt!"
Zeera continued smirking smugly. "So what do you want me to do about it?"
"I want you to do one thing or the other! Either be a bitch so I don't feel guilty about hating you or be considerate for once!" Sapphire yelped in surprise as Zeera squirmed out, unharmed, and twisted herself so Sapphire was in the bad position.
"You want me to do bitchy?" Zeera twisted Sapphire's arm.
"No," she whimpered.
"So you want me to do nice," she said, releasing Sapphire. "Easy enough."
Sapphire regretted swinging a punch towards Zeera, and really regretted the stinging knuckles she had. She didn't hate the surprised reaction Zeera had, or how she had pinned the Dragonborn with her own rules.
Zeera brought her fist back and was probably about to bust in Sapphire's nose, but she stopped dead.
"Nope. You just promised you'd be nice," the thief stated, smirking smugly.
For a moment, she thought Zeera would break a rule for the first time in... forever, but she lowered her hand. The damned smile was on her thin lips again, and Sapphire knew that the woman was plotting something again.
"Zeera," Sapphire crooned, mimicking the tone Zeera used too often. "If the others find out about this, do you know how much that would hurt me? And you can't do that, since you promised to be nice."
Zeera growled. "Yes. But I think that a few rules can be broken now and-"
"Don't give me that!" Sapphire snapped. "If we just keep this between ourselves, do you have any idea how much trouble we can both avoid?"
"Yes," Zeera squeaked. She was Dragonborn, and she was the Guildmaster, and possibly even involved with the Dark Brotherhood. But she was also right where Sapphire wanted her for the time being.
Alone.
Trapped in a locked cabin in the middle of nowhere.
Stuck metaphorically by her own laws she would never violate and physically by a sexually frustrated thief.
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A:N: Fin.
Questions? Comments? More complaints to Bethesda for making kickass chicks you can't marry without mods? Any sort of opinion, pleeeeease leave it in a review. Reviews make me happy and me happy makes for more fanfiction.