Chapter 20

Tirdas passed by much in the same manner as Morndas. Brie was awake well before dawn but this time she lounged in bed, daydreaming about a certain watch captain with captivating blue eyes. She thought about how much she wanted to feel his lips again, and just the thought of kissing him made her feel all too many things at once. The heat between her legs grew and, on this particular morning, she had enough time to take care of her urges.

The physical release was very much appreciated since it had been a long time. Within a couple of minutes, Brie's legs stiffened as she came and she quietly moaned Lex's name, wishing that it was his hands that touched her instead. But her imagination was vivid enough and as she finished coming down from her high, she let out a few shaky breaths. Then she stared up at the ceiling of her apartment with flushed cheeks while waiting for her breathing to return to normal.

Gods, her thoughts whirled. I want to see him naked so bad... this is not a good way to start the day...

Brie had to laugh as she slowly got up from her bed with shaky legs. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes for a moment and stretched her arms above her head with a loud yawn. It was funny to her that just a few short months ago all she had cared about was her next heist. But now, thieving was the farthest thing from her mind outside of catching the Grey Fox and she actually looked forward to going to work each and every day. It helped that her current love interest happened to be her Captain.

That's a minor detail, Brie mused as she started to get dressed. The work itself is interesting... sorta.

When Brie was fully dressed and had donned her armor, she slowly wandered downstairs and slipped her boots on before exiting her apartment. Today, she felt like walking around a little, her intentions innocent enough as she struck up a conversation with a couple of beggars. After inquiring quietly for around twenty-minutes and finding herself getting no solid leads, Brie abandoned her investigation and headed towards the Watch Tower to grab something to eat before her shift and see what Lex was up to.

Like the day before, when Brie entered the hall only a few guards were up early. Some of them had just returned from their night shift and a couple of men greeted Brie when she passed by. She returned the sentiment as she glanced around, searching for a familiar face, but she knew it was still early. So, she once again retrieved a pot of tea and took a seat at one of the small wooden tables to wait.

Eventually, Brie got herself a bowl of porridge and started to eat it. The more time passed and Lex did not appear, the more disheartened she became as she grew tired of waiting. When she was finished eating, Brie returned her bowl to the kitchen with a sigh, earning a confused look from the chef.

"Sumin' wrong girlie?"

"No," Brie replied glumly. "Not really."

"Well, see you later," Gerald replied, and he scratched at his chin with a confused expression as he watched Brie slowly walk away.

"Bye..."

Brie was startled as she rounded the corner and almost walked head first into a shiny metal chest piece belonging to none other than Lex.

"Brie! Goodmorning... did you eat yet?"

"Oh," Brie replied, and she craned her neck to look up at him. "Yeah, I did..."

"No worries, I know I'm late this morning. Shall we?"

"You don't wanna eat?"

"I'm alright, I don't want to delay our watch," Lex replied smoothly as they started to walk towards the tower's exit.

"Alrighty."

The morning consisted of patrolling the Arboretum and ending near the Green Emperor Way before lunch. Nothing eventful happened, which disappointed Brie. She was itching to run after someone, anyone, just to find some entertainment, but nothing happened.

There was a silence between her and Lex that nobody seemed to acknowledge. Whenever Brie looked at him, Lex appeared to be in deep thought and even looked a little stressed out. However, whenever he caught her staring his frown would evaporate and he'd give her a dazzlingly handsome smile.

"It's rather boring today," he commented lightly, and Brie nodded as she kicked at a pebble while staring down at the ground.

"Yep. Terribly boring..."

"I think it's just about lunch time... I'm starving."

"Let's go then," Brie replied lightly, and she began walking.

She looked forward to lunch with the anticipation that they could at least eat a meal or two together. But as soon as they entered the Watch Tower Brie silently cursed under her breath when she heard Lex's name being called again, and he had to excuse himself once more. So, Brie ended up eating alone, and this time she returned to her watch alone, and she silently patrolled the Temple District for around half an hour before Lex finally showed up.

"Brie, I'm sorry."

One look at Lex's face was enough to melt Brie's heart. She gave him a small shrug and a smile.

"You don't have to apologize. You're more than just a guard."

"I know but we're partners, I shouldn't have let you go alone."

"Lex," Brie chuckled, and she gestured around the Temple District with one arm. "I'm not exactly in any grave danger."

"I know, but-"

"Don't make me kiss you, Lex!" Brie cut in, and she stared up at him with a passionate expression.

Lex's eyes widened and he nervously glanced around, but nobody was within earshot.

"That's not a good threat," he replied, and he nervously rubbed his neck. "It's the opposite of a threat, actually."

Brie started to laugh, and a grin spread across Lex's face. He was glad to see her smiling as he assumed that she was feeling a little left out every time he was called away somewhere else.

"Come on Captain, something exciting might happen near the University and we're missing it," Brie said sarcastically, and she rolled her eyes when Lex lightly jabbed her side.

By dinnertime, Brie was thoroughly looking forward to having the last meal of the day with Lex. They quickly strode towards the Waterfront district, making good time since Lex was terribly hungry now.

However, Brie should have known better. As soon as she took a sip of her ale the door opened and a guard strode inside. His eyes roamed around the room, searching for someone in particular, and Brie ducked her head, wishing Lex's armor wasn't so obnoxious.

"Captain," the guard called out, and Lex turned around with a confused expression.

The guard strode forward and bent down to whisper something in Lex's ear. The noise inside the inn was rather loud and Brie strained to listen to their conversation but couldn't. Behind the bar, Ormil eyed everyone curious, watching as Brie sighed and took another sip of her ale with a moody expression.

"Alright, I'll be right there," Lex replied quietly, and the guard took his leave.

Brie knew that Lex was looking at her, but she refused to look up and continued staring down at the wood grain of the bar with feigned interest.

"Brie..."

"Just go, Captain. Duty calls."

Lex opened his mouth to say something more but thought against it. He slowly stood up from his stool and nodded to Ormil, who gave him a sad smile in return. Then he squeezed Brie's shoulder.

"I might not be able to come back in time tonight."

"It's fine, really," Brie replied quietly, and she rubbed at her cheek with a shrug. "I'll manage."

"See you tomorrow."

"Sure, maybe."

Lex frowned, and for a moment he stared at the back of Brie's head, watching as she knocked back the rest of her ale. He exchanged a silent glance with Ormil.

Go, Ormil mouthed silently, and he gave a small wave of his hand.

"Brie, did I ever tell you about the time I accidentally ended up on a pirate ship?

"Accidentally?" Brie asked, and she cocked her head to the side. "Ormil, how does one accidentally end up on a pirate ship?"

"I'll tell you," Ormil replied smartly.

Lex quickly exited the Bloated Float Inn feeling frustrated that he couldn't spend more time with Brie. He was glad that Ormil would at least entertain her during dinner, but then she'd have to patrol the Waterfront without him for the rest of the night.

I guess it can't be helped, he thought with a small sigh as he began walking towards the gate. This is what I get for going away for so long. Everything's fallen apart.

Lex knew that Brie understood how important his work was, but he couldn't help but feel like she was still a little hurt by his absence, and rightly so. As he made his way back to his superior officer in the South Watch Tower, he made up his mind to make things up to her as soon as they had a private moment, even if it meant pushing his emotional boundaries.

She deserves to have my undivided attention... Gods I can't wait to kiss her again...

Lex spent the rest of the evening held up in a meeting with other Captains and Generals. He didn't return to his room until well past midnight where he collapsed on his bed as soon as he had pried his armor off and was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Brie laid in bed on Middas, wishing she could just go back to sleep. She wanted to work, but it wasn't enjoyable to work alone. Although patrolling the Waterfront last night had given Brie the opportunity to do a little snooping without Lex tipping anyone off, she didn't get much information and she would have preferred to have finished up her shift with her Captain, like always.

However, after much thought, Brie came to a conclusion and found the energy to get up. She took a quick bath, got dressed, and donned her usual armor, which now felt like a second skin. Then she buckled the strap of her belt on and, after making sure her sword was secure, exited her apartment into the bright morning light.

It had rained lightly the night before and so Brie was careful not to slip on the slick stone while she walked and avoided splashing through any puddles. Within ten minutes she arrived outside the door to the Watch Tower and she entered it entirely expecting not to see Lex like she had the last two days.

But this time, Lex was sitting at a table, waiting for Brie. He watched as her gaze swept over the room and a look of surprise crossed her face when she spotted him. She eagerly strode forward, reaching the table within moments, and her smile was contagious as she plopped down on the chair across from him.

"Do my eyes deceive me?" Brie teased.

"You're funny, Brie."

"I know I am, I'm hilarious."

"You know I really am sorry," Lex continued softly. "I felt terrible that I had to leave you last night."

"Awe shucks," Brie replied dramatically, and she shot him a sly grin. "It's alright, Captain."

Lex resisted the urge to roll his eyes as Brie batted her eyelashes at him and he quickly stood up from the table. The chair loudly scraped against the stone floor and his armor chinked lightly as he started to walk towards the kitchen.

Five minutes later, Lex re-appeared with two steaming plates of food. Brie eyed the sausage and eggs with suspicion as he slid the plate towards her and sat down.

"Tuck in."

"What sort of porridge is this?"

"You'll want to eat something more substantial than porridge today, Brie."

"Oh?" Brie replied curiously. "And why is that?"

"We're going to be interviewing some people today."

"We are?"

"Yes," Lex replied briskly, and he took a bite of his toasted bread. "There's been a lot of suspicious break-ins lately, but no belongings have been stolen."

"Curious..."

"Indeed."

Brie really had no idea what was going on. She had done some snooping around but had gotten no solid leads. She was curious to talk to the victims of the break-ins and even more excited to be doing something out of the normal patrolling routine.

While they ate, both Lex and Brie were mostly lost in quiet contemplation. Lex was consumed with the need to both figure out what was going on with the break-ins but his other half battled with his desire to be with Brie. As he sat across from her, he couldn't help but stare. The urge to reach up and touch her face was suddenly so overwhelming that his arm twitched and he hastily looked back down at his plate when Brie looked up at him with a quizzical expression.

"Everything alright?" She murmured.

"Yes, of course," Lex stammered, and he avoided looking directly at Brie for the rest of their meal.

When they were ready to start the day, Lex led Brie in a different direction, towards a series of homes located in the Temple District that had been broken into. However, mysteriously nothing of value was missing according to the owners. This piqued Brie's interest, but she had to wonder if the break-ins were just a distraction from something far more elaborate. However, because she had no serious leads, there was really nothing to go off of. Still, she knew from her past encounters with the hostile and violent thief that anything was possible, and just the thought of running into her again sent a shiver up Brie's spine.

I'll be a happy girl if I never have to see that woman again.

Lex gestured for Brie to follow him, and they started walking down a small alley that would get them to the first house quicker. A small thought crossed Brie's mind and she quickly glanced behind her, making sure that they were truly alone before she made her move.

Lex heard quiet footsteps and felt something on his right shoulder. Before he could react Brie had him turned around and pinned him against the wall. She was surprisingly strong for a small Elf and her hands were firm as she grasped him by the neck. Brie closed the gap between them in a matter of second and while reaching on her tippy toes she firmly pressed her lips against his in a passionate kiss that took Lex's breath away.

All thoughts evaded him as Lex melted into her touch. He leaned in, wrapping his arms around Brie's waist, and he eagerly kissed her back. The sounds of their heated kisses echoed in their ears and after several long moments, Brie reluctantly pulled back with a grin and her cheeks were bright red.

Lex's cheeks were equally red as he gasped for air and stared down at Brie with an incredulous expression.

"B-Brie," he stammered, feeling his heart pounding in his chest.

"I'm sorry," Brie replied hastily, and she quickly stepped back, watching as Lex nervously glanced around. "I couldn't resist."

Lex started to laugh, and he reached up to brush his fingers through Brie's hair. Brie beamed up at him, and she happily leaned into his armored chest as he quickly leaned in and planted one last kiss on her soft lips.

"It's okay, I've wanted to kiss you all week," he murmured in a low, deep voice.

When they had composed themselves, Lex continued walking, with Brie right by his side, and their fingers brushed together lightly just before they reached the end of the alley-way. Lex glanced down at her, his expression unreadable as their eyes met, and then he smiled and motioned for her to follow him up the stairs to their first house.

"Ready?" He asked.

"Yep. Let's go, Captain."