** MILD SEX THEME IN THIS CHAPTER **

I hope this story is alright so far; I've never written a story before, let alone a fanfic. But I am having a good time! :)

Lydia busied herself in the kitchen area, slicing and dicing bits of fruit, cheese and bread for Signe to nibble on. She asked Erik to carry the jug and the cup of water up the stairs, gesturing for him to go first so she could get a good look at his arse. Nice…I'll be asking this one to stay the night, that's for sure, thought Lydia.

Argis watched Signe as she slept; noticing how her laugh lines and worry lines almost disappeared in sleep. His eyes trailed over the edges of her lips, and a pang of longing and desire hit him with full force. Bitter thoughts entered his head, and he clung to them, chewing on them to keep the romantic feelings at bay. I vowed to protect her, and she's lying here recovering from a poison dagger. How in oblivion did I not notice the massive orc approach her? 'The Bulwark indeed' she had said. Some protector I am. And here I am, my hands are shaking and my heart is hurting. I am in no fit state to be her housecarl.

Signe dreamed – she didn't dream of the usual things like dragons, trolls, or the mists of Sovngarde; she dreamed of Argis. She dreamed of his rough hands tending her bruised cheek, and she dreamed of his laugh. She dreamed of the way he captured her in his arms when she escaped the mine; the relief and emotion on his face leaving nothing to the imagination. She dreamed of his unique scent, and how it felt like home. "I love you, Argis the Bulwark." She whispered to the dream-image of Argis. She dreamed of his arms wrapped tight around her in bed, at the Frostfruit Inn. In the dream, they were bare; as naked as the day they were born. She remembered feeling warm skin pressed flush against her back, her rump and the backs of her thighs, desire flaring to life from her core outwards. Her breathing quickened, and suddenly, the feeling of the body against hers and the muscled arms holding her tight wasn't enough. She squirmed slightly, trying to turn herself around, when she felt him grow hard against her rump, followed by a sleepy, soft growl. She wriggled around until she was facing him, and he immediately pressed her back to the mattress. His lips found hers as she curled her legs around him, feeling his hardness pressing up against her wet heat. "Please, Argis…" she moaned, grinding her hips upward. But the contact she so desperately wanted disappeared, leaving behind the feeling of a soft blanket in its place.

Her eyes flew open, alighting on a very red-faced Argis. She blushed at the memory of her erotic dream, hoping that she didn't talk in her sleep, but the fact that Argis was blushing too made her think she had let something slip in her sleep. She grimaced up at him, waiting for him to say something.

Argis couldn't be one hundred percent certain, but he was sure it'd been his name that she moaned moments before she woke. At the same time, her back had arched; revealing a hint of the milky-white skin that wasn't covered by her bandage. His pants tightened uncomfortably around his groin in response, and he swallowed thickly. Is she having a naughty dream, with me in it? He immediately felt shame; how could he feel aroused when she was in such a vulnerable state? Never before had a woman been able to conjure up such an intense lust for something so seemingly innocent. The harder he tried to suppress his feelings, it seemed, the hotter he became for her.

"H-how are you feeling?" he stammered huskily.

"I feel much better, thanks, a bit weak but okay. Could you help me to sit up, please?" she said, in a whispery voice. Argis slid on hand under her upper back, and the other one he placed under her elbow. He gently lifted her, and with the hand he'd held her elbow with, he shoved a few pillows behind her back.

"Thank you." She smiled.

Argis, not wanting to break the physical contact just yet, took one of her hands and squeezed it gently. "I'm sorry." He whispered, feeling riddled with guilt.

Her eyebrows knotted in confusion. "What for?"

"For not preventing the attack. I shouldn't have left your side."

"Argis, don't you dare. Don't you dare apologise for something that wasn't your fault. I am a capable warrior; the fault is my own. I was too busy trying to impress you with my archery skills instead of listening for danger around me."

Argis shook his head, smiling, and stroked her cheek with his fingertips. "Signe…" He whispered, searching her eyes. Signe's eyes reddened with emotion, her nostrils flaring. She opened her mouth to say something, but Erik and Lydia appeared, carrying water and food, and the moment was broken.

Lydia and Erik sat down at the little table in the corner of her room, and Erik began to tell Lydia about their adventures on the way to Whiterun. Signe's attention drifted; the feel of Argis' hand wrapped protectively around hers was causing her chest to ache. His thumb absently traced circles, and she almost wept at the tenderness of it. She thought of the way his fingertips had caressed her cheek, and the pain in her chest increased. I can't let myself believe that he's attracted to me; if I give in, I'll only make a fool of myself, she thought. Still, she held onto his hand for as long as he remained seated next to her. She studied his features as he listened to the conversation, occasionally putting in his two cents worth. With a pang, she remembered the drunken words he had spoken the previous night, before they had fallen asleep. 'I can help you with that,' he'd said, referring to her admission about her virginity. And the way he'd chuckled and held her tight against him when she'd said she would pick him to be her first. Was he humouring me, or did he just not want to take advantage of my drunkenness? She sipped the water that Erik gave her, and nibbled the nibblies in the bowl that Lydia had plonked on her lap. Eventually, she felt exhaustion wash over her, and the comforting sound of her friends chatting quietly lulled her to sleep.

When next she opened her eyes, the morning sun was shining through the cracks in the roof. She smiled, happy to be in her favourite home. She loved how the light shined in through the cracks and through the windows of the simple wood home. She rolled from her side onto her back to stretch, and landed against a warm body. Her heart skipped a beat when she simultaneously realised Argis was in her bed, and his arm flopped sleepily over her stomach. Argis grunted softly, his eyes remaining closed. Signe let him drift back into sleep, content to be trapped under his heavy arm for as long as he left it there. She began to feel less unsure of herself – realising that perhaps he did care for her, after all. With this hint of empowerment, she boldly lifted her hand and oh-so-gently laid it on his forearm. She slowly exhaled the breath she'd been holding as she indulged, noting every detail that she felt under her fingertips. She caressed him very slowly and softly, running her fingers over the ridges of his muscles and smoothing down the dark-honey hairs. Her heart hammered wildly in her chest – apart from her drunken coma wrapped in Argis' arms the previous night, she'd never slept in bed with a man before. She'd never enjoyed waking up in a man's arms, or touched a man in such a loving way before. With Farkas, she had come close – lingering gazes and longer-than-friendly hugs which could have become something more but never did; he was a man-whore, always shagging anything with tits and a heartbeat. She cared for the silly man, but not in the way she felt for Argis. Farkas was her best friend, but Argis – he was home. He was safety, he was happiness and belonging. She allowed herself to discover her feelings, tendrils of conscious thought taking stock, investigating, processing. She concluded that yes, she did have some very intense emotions towards him, and that yes, she did want him. She wanted him to be her first, and her last.

Did she love him?

If feeling giddy whenever he was near, her loins flaring with hot desire when he touched her, her heart sick and sore when they were apart – if those feelings meant love, then yes – she loved him, very much. She let the tears leak silently out of her eyes as she accepted her feelings, and she unconsciously clutched his arm tighter. Oh, Argis. I do so hope that you feel the same.

As it happened, Argis was having the same conversation with himself at the same time. He kept his eyes closed, as he didn't want to startle her. He didn't want to break the spell – he knew she was like a scared rabbit when it came to men, to love. He enjoyed the feeling of her soft hand on his arm, and listened to the way her breathing came in short pants, her chest heaving. He cracked one eye open to see a stream of tears falling down her face, her face crumpled in sadness. He propped himself up with one elbow, and the hand that was draped over her now pressed lightly against her cheek. "Signe…what's the matter?" he softly said.

"I – oh…I'm just being silly," she tried to smile through her tears, and Argis' throat constricted, "I suppose I'm just emotional because I'm recovering." She rubbed the tears from her eyes and her temples, and pushed herself into a sitting position, and Argis pulled himself back a bit.

"If…if you want to talk – I know I'm not a big talker, but I'm a good listener." Argis said, brushing her hair back from her neck. She sighed, tilting her head slightly in enjoyment of his touch.

Just then, there was a light tap on the door. "Signe? Are you awake?" Lydia.

"Y-yes…" Signe smiled at Argis, and gave his cheek a playful squeeze. Lydia entered, carrying a tray of food and some fresh water. "Farkas is here to see you. He heard what happened just now."

"Farkas! Okay. Give us a few minutes to gather our wits about us." She swung her legs out of the bed, and slowly stood up. She was slightly wobbly and weak, but figured some tucker and a mug of tea would help her to feel much better. She wondered if the tea leaves she'd bought from an argonian trader were still alright – she wanted to show Argis.

"Who's Farkas again?" Argis growled, trying to hide the jealousy on his face. Signe suppressed a smirk; his jealousy was another good sign, really.

"I told you about him a while ago; he's one of the Companions; one of the twins. He's a good friend." Signe leaned forward to stroke Argis' temple just once, but couldn't resist the urge to rile him up a little. "And devilishly handsome."

Argis scowled, and hastily shot out of bed. Signe looked askance at him, and gasped in surprise when Argis gripped her hips and pulled her against him. "In that case, you had better put something less…" Argis bit his bottom lip as he scrambled for the right words, "…intimate…to wear. I don't want this 'devilishly handsome' hero ogling my Thane, bandaged or not." His voice was rough, his eyes dark with lust. "My Thane." He whispered, squeezing her hips. Signe couldn't help the barely audible whimper that escaped her throat, and she fisted his shirt. My Thane, she repeated in her head, smiling inwardly.

"In that case, you had better get into your armour – the sight of your chest hair poking out of the top of your shirt is making your Thane decidedly distracted, housecarl."

Argis growled softly allowing his hands to run slowly up her back before he abruptly let go of her. "Get dressed, woman."

He turned, and began to strap on his armour, and then left the room to give her some privacy. Signe's knees wobbled as she dressed herself, and her hands shook. She knew none of that had to do with her recovery; it was caused by that sexy wall of muscle. She felt wet and uncomfortable between her legs; she ached for him, but there was no way that she would ever make the first move. She hoped that he'd been serious when he'd shown interest in helping her lose her virginity, and she hoped that he remembered. She hoped that if he did remember, he would do something about it very soon.

She walked carefully down the stairs, but was almost bowled over by Farkas. He swept her up in his arms, planting a sloppy kiss on her cheek before setting her down again. "Signe! I just heard what happened, and I had to come straight away. Are you hale?" he said, cupping her face.

"Yes, I'm fine. All better!" she smiled, gently removing his hands. His touch always caused her nerves to fray in a good way, but it didn't come close to how Argis made her feel. Argis only needed to look at her and her whole body would buzz, making her knees weak.

Signe introduced Farkas to Argis and Erik, and then Farkas filled her in on the happenings at Jorrvaskr. He told her that there was plenty of work for her when she was ready. She had an agreement with them; considering that she was the Dragonborn, she wasn't expected to remain at Jorrvaskr full-time.

"Say, me and some of the lads will be having a few drinks at the 'Mare the night after tomorrow, if you all want to come? It's Ria's birthday!" Farkas said.

"Oh yeah, I knew her birthday was coming up! How old is she? Twenty-six?"

"No, she's turning twenty-five. Just come along after the sun sets. I gotta go now – I'm off to bludgeon some bandits that are hiding out in Redoran's Retreat. See you the night after tomorrow." Farkas pecked her cheek, and Signe saw Argis narrow his eyes.

"Well, good luck on your job – I have to go up to the Skyforge today, so I might see you when you get back if I'm still up there." She winked conspiratorially at him, and he chuckled and left.

Signe and Argis at the rest of their breakfast, and then she took Argis for a walk around Whiterun, and then to meet everyone at Jorrvaskr, and then finally she took him to the Skyforge. Argis was excited to meet the famous smith and see the amazing forge, and Signe's heart thumped with nervous excitement in anticipation of Argis receiving his surprise.