So, I'm back! Yeah, I know, I never update on time, but I still do it occasionally, so that's a good thing, right?
Well, thank you for still sticking around (really), and here's chapter 20! Drop a review and tell me what you think, how you feel about the new rating, etc.! I'd love to hear it(I was actually thinking that if this story gets 100 reviews I might add a special bonus chapter after the actual story ending).
"Let's fight some giants!" Was the first thing she wanted to say when she saw him, but, for all her bravado and fiery eyes, she couldn't do it. Instead, she froze before him and stared. Hard.
Malvina took him in, in an attempt to try to understand what could have possibly prompted her subconscious to conjure such a dream about him.
She looked at him sceptically, took in his tense jaw and hard, serious eyes and, truthfully, did not know how to proceed. Well, that was a first in a long while.
She never did like how he managed to bewilder her like that- especially since he did it so effortlessly, almost as if he wasn't doing anything at all.
Almost as if he had done nothing out of the ordinary to make her forget what she wanted to say.
Alright, sure, so he'd looked at her like that many times before, when he felt that she had wronged him in some way- but she'd never had to force herself not to stare at his lips while he curled them down just so before, and never had she been that aware of his very unique appeal. Obviously, he must have done something.
He frowned, and she was made aware that, at the present time, she was the only one acting strangely around the other.
Maybe it really wasn't his fault, she theorized wearily.
Maybe it was all because of that stupid, stupid dream created by her even less brilliant imagination.
Either way, she didn't like it, which meant it was just the right time to distract herself from her thoughts. A change of subject never did come hard for her.
"You know…Now that I think about it, your hair looks different. I think it's because it grew longer." She ended up saying, without much reason, and came close to inspect him with narrowed eyes before she even realised she did. It was not unusual for the woman to get so close, but despite that, Miraak felt acutely uncomfortable under her careful gaze. It also wasn't particularly uncommon that she should blurt out the first, most random thought she had, as she did; but it worried Malvina slightly that the only thing she could process at the time were his looks.
Instinctively, the Nord ran a hand through his hair, taking a few strands in between his fingers. "Strange, this hasn't happened in some time." Against all odds, she did not only distract herself, but actually distracted Miraak in the process as well. He examined himself curiously; somehow intrigued by the change. It was understandable- changes to his body in the physical realm were interesting to observe, no doubt about it, no matter how much he despised his mortal state. And there were no guarantees he, or anyone else would ever catalogue such a phenomenon any other time soon.
Malvina's thoughts were on anything but the informational side of her observation, though, not that she could be blamed.
Between that strangely non-violent look on his face and his newly-ruffled hair, Miraak managed to look almost… handsome. And, of course, after that traitorous idea got in her head, it was only too easy for her to remember her dream again, almost as clearly as she's first had it. The images shook her, badly, and she bit down on her lip to stop herself from staring too obviously at the man's broad shoulders, the same ones she'd pictured pushed against her thighs and spreading her to ease his reach.
The mere thought of it had her face burst into flames, much to the Breton's horror.
Oh, damn it all, she had finally lost her mind.
"Is it that abnormal to see me like this?" Miraak asked, a bit defensively, upon noticing her odd expression. "It's not as if it had grown like this overnight." He was right, of course, but that was beside the point.
After all, it was only the night before that she'd dreamt of him between her legs, which was the real cause of her crankiness.
"Why…" He stalled, checking to make sure he wasn't seeing things. He wasn't. "Why are you red in the face?" The Nord raised an eyebrow.
Holy aedra, he'd noticed?
That…could be troublesome.
If the dangerous, cunning glint in his eyes was any clue, he was already working out all the possible reason behind her behaviour- and there was just no way that could end well.
Alarmed, she tried to steer the conversation onto safer territory. "Just…shut up and let's go kill something." She huffed, marching outside without bothering to check if he followed. Miraak did follow her, all the while giving her an amused look.
"You wouldn't happen to like it, would you?" He asked over her shoulder, and the woman jumped, not having expected him to catch up so quickly.
'Stupid, long-legged Nords…'
"Of course not!" Malvina scoffed. "As if…" But his breath ghosted her neck in a way that was very hard on her senses, and she felt her face grow even hotter.
"My apologies." He muttered sarcastically against her ear, not at all convinced by her breathy tone. "I must have imagined it."
Still sceptical, he did eventually back off and fell back two steps behind her, as he usually did, not that he was actually done with her- having Nocturnal's favour just wasn't enough around the man. "Before I forget-" He added casually. "- you should watch your hands better." He smirked wickedly, not that she was in the least affected by it, no sir, there was no way- but, Divines, did those lips look kissable. Before she could embarrass herself further, she remembered his words and had the sense to look confused.
Miraak just smirked larger, his bottomless eyes staring down at her. "You fiddle with your thumbs when you lie." And the simple fact that he somehow managed to sound so smug and dispassionate at the same time was simply unfair.
Scowling again, Malvina turned her back to him, because, gods damn it, she was blushing again! He had no right, no right to do that to her!
"There's a giants' camp not too far from here." She said between gritted teeth, eager to get things moving along. "There's a bounty ready for anyone capable of getting rid of the creatures and their pets."
"Dully noted." He commented dryly.
Malvina turned her head to glare at him, but did not stop moving. "This time, you are going to help in the fight, or so help me Sithis, I will skin you in your sleep." Alright, so she was a bit too aggressive, but she was a very frustrated, very angry woman.
Miraak was actually impressed- her chilly tone managed to send a shiver up his spine. So she really was the accomplished killer the rumours spoke of.
Interesting.
When they reached the giants, he wisely did not back away from the fight, and silently acted like the distraction and the shield he knew Malvina needed to be able to take down her foes without being hit. And, even if she insisted on him wearing plain, steel, almost useless armour and she'd stolen his favourite dagger, with their combined efforts the camp was cleared in one easy attack.
Malvina observed the mess they made and smiled.
She took one of the mammoth's tusks and almost didn't even bother to check the giants- short of cutting off their toes, they rarely carried anything worthwhile, and the corpses of the giants before them were in a particularly bloody, dirty state.
"Why bother with the tusk?" Miraak asked as they set to go back to collect the bounty. The Breton, having had forgotten her earlier ire after the good exercise the giants and the mammoths provided her with, kept her smile when she answered.
"I'll store it in Breezehome for the next time I pass here on my way to Riften. There's an Argonian there who needs one, and is willing to pay for it." She rearranged her pack and secured her daggers against her hips- she'd decided to wear some dark, leather armour for the day, with many buckles and straps everywhere. Miraak disliked it immensely, for it moulded against her skin even tighter than her other ones, and it made it very hard for him to ignore the way she filled it out.
"There's no hurry." She drawled, oblivious to his trail of thoughts, and moved decisively forward. "I'm planning on spending at least a month or so in Solitude and spoil myself before I'll be making any more trips."
Her companion tore his eyes away from her swaying hips and stared at the back of her head insistently. "And when do we head there?"
Malvina shrugged nonchalantly and slowed down so they could walk side by side. "In two days, probably, unless something major happens." Being able to act superior and lead the way was one thing, but she didn't like talking to people she could not see properly- no matter how many formless friends she had, and no, the ghosts were no exception, they were still see-through.
"Major?" He was actually a bit curious what she meant by that.
She laughed. "Nothing less than a siege upon the city, dragons, or another bastard trying to destroy the world as we know it and sending his minions to kill me."
Alright, that was not an obvious jab at all.
Still, the way she rolled her eyes in exasperation at the thought was amusing. "Does that last thing happen often?" He asked, only half-jesting.
The Dragonborn of legend only groaned.
"More so than you would think."
Miraak only chuckled and fell back behind her.
Seeing her irritated expression, he found he regretted nothing.