Chapter 19

Brie was up at the crack of dawn on Morndas. Despite the fact she still felt tired, she was unable to get back to sleep. Instead, she bolted out of her warm bed like it was on fire and raced downstairs to take a quick bath before heading to work.

It's just Lex, Brie mused quietly to herself as she lounged in the steaming hot water. But now things are... different. He's more than just my Captain...

Just the thought of how their dynamic had changed sent a shiver up her spine, and Brie quickly dunked her head under the water. She felt too many things all at once; excitement, nervousness, uncertainty. She knew the seasoned Captain was dealing with some heavy stuff from his past and the last thing she wanted to do was push him too far.

Patience... patience... Brie repeated as she scrubbed the flowery soap into her scalp. Patience... gotta be patient even though I want to jump his bones so badly...

A blush crept up her cheeks as her thoughts went into dangerous territory and so Brie dunked her head under the water one last time to rinse the soap from her hair and then scrambled out from the tub. She snatched up a towel and hastily rubbed it along her body, ignoring the heat she felt between her legs as she got dressed and squeezed into her custom-made armor. She paused to rub her fingers along the smooth leather material, and a lump rose in her throat as she remembered the day Lex had given it to her.

I was a part of the one thing he hates the most and yet he still went out of his way to do something nice for me...

Brie quickly shook her head and snatched up a comb to brush her hair. When she was finished, she strapped her sword around her waist and shoved on a pair of boots before heading to the front door of her apartment. She paused to inspect the ceramic bowl on her counter and was disappointed that the two apples residing in it were spoiled as her tummy rumbled.

Guess I'll have some porridge instead, Brie mused as she entered into the street and locked the door behind her.

It was a mild-weather morning. A little bit of fog had settled in but the sun was just beginning to peak out from behind the mountains, illuminating the dew-covered street in its warm glow. Brie walked quickly, her mind far away as she knew now by heart how to get to the guard's tower without really thinking.

When she arrived inside the tower, Brie was not surprised to find the dining hall mostly empty. She knew she was early even for Lex and so she got herself a pot of tea from the cook and plopped down at one of the unoccupied tables to wait for him to show up.

However, only a few minutes later she heard a familiar voice and a fully-armored Lex rounded the corner with another general in tow. They talked in a hushed tone and then Lex nodded and took the paper from the man's outstretched hands. He folded it up neatly, tucking it away out of sight, and they exchanged a few words. Brie sipped her tea and watched them with silent curiosity.

As Lex turned around, he was surprised when he spotted Brie's pretty little face nearby. He couldn't help but smile back as she grinned at him and he quickly walked over to where she was sitting.

"You're up early," he greeted softly, and Brie shrugged.

"Couldn't sleep."

"I can't imagine why," Lex teased, and his gaze moved towards the kitchen. "Porridge?"

"Please."

"Coming right up."

Brie wanted to leap up and kiss Lex's handsome face, but she refrained herself and he strode away for a few minutes to go get their breakfast. When he returned, he took a seat across from Brie and slid one of the bowls of porridge towards her. Brie eyed him for a moment before tucking into her meal. On the outside, he looked calm and collected. But what she didn't know that on the inside Lex was a mess of nerves, and he was barely keeping his composure.

I thought I'd be stronger than this but the moment I saw her face I almost lost my emotions... why does she have that effect on me?

Their eyes met briefly, and Brie smiled at him as she took a sip of her tea. Both were silently praying that the other couldn't hear the loud pounding of their hearts within their chest. They quickly ate their breakfast and decided to start their patrol early since there was nothing better to do.

Brie was quiet as she dutifully followed Lex towards their usual starting point in the Arboretum. It was turning out to be a good day as Brie gazed up at the white fluffy clouds that lazily crept through the sky and sucked in a deep, crisp breath of fresh air. When they had fallen into the same pace, she glanced up at Lex with a fond expression.

"Did you sleep well?" She inquired.

"I guess so..." Lex replied, and Brie could have sworn she saw him blush. "It was a bit weird sleeping alone again."

"Oh, yeah... it was kinda weird, wasn't it?"

Lex nodded in response and they lapsed into silence again, but it was comfortable. They didn't feel a need to talk that much as they patrolled the Arboretum, occasionally sending small glances each other's way which sent small shivers up Lex's spine. He found it increasingly harder to concentrate on his job the more his thoughts drifted to their encounter last night. Her soft lips had left a burning mark on skin that had lingered long after he had left her apartment. He had laid in bed for hours and despite how tired he was from the day's travels, he had been unable to shake the high volume of emotions that came with finally confessing his feelings to Brie. Her response had been utterly endearing and yet he still felt intense pressure to do well and be the man she needed her to be. It was a duty he was entirely unfamiliar with.

If Brie was feeling the same way she didn't say anything. The rest of the morning went by fairly uneventful and before they knew it, their stomachs were both growling for lunch. Brie laughed and patted her belly.

"Porridge isn't terribly filling."

"You're right, shall we?"

"We shall," Brie replied softly, and the expression on her face made Lex's chest ache.

Brie wanted to hold her Captain's hand, but she knew it would be inappropriate and so she kept her distance as they departed the Green Emperor Way and started heading back to the Northeast Watch Tower for lunch.

The moment they walked through the door, someone called out for Captain Lex. He quietly excused himself from Brie and shot her an apologetic look before walking off with another higher up. Brie was unbothered, she knew he was a busy guy, and so she wandered off to the kitchen alone and ordered up a big bowl of stew to chow down on while she waited for Lex to return.

However, by the time she was finished eating Lex had not returned, and Brie was feeling a little bummed they didn't eat together. But she kept her comments to herself and gathered up her dishes to return to the kitchen. She exchanged a few words with a couple of fellow guards and then wandered towards the tower exit while wondering where her Captain was.

Just as she was heading outside, Brie heard a shuffling of metal and she spun around to find Lex struggling to catch up to her.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Hey Captain," Brie replied warmly, and they both stepped outside. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, for the most part. Just business as usual."

"Gotcha," Brie replied, and they lapsed into silence while they walked.

The air between them, however, was anything but quiet. Throughout the rest of the day it took every ounce of Brie's energy not to pounce on Lex and kiss him. It was proving to be a harder task than she had anticipated. Lex was feeling the same way, and while it also made things difficult for him, his desire to remain professional while they were on duty overpowered everything. It made for an interesting atmosphere between the Captain and his partner. The unspoken emotions between them was electric.

Nobody else seemed to really pick up on any of this and the rest of their shift progressed as normal. They encountered few problems and by the time dinner time rolled around Brie was thoroughly bored and ready to have a hot meal and a cold bottle of ale to wash it down.

Lex was thinking the same thing and when six o'clock finally rolled around he wrapped up the lecture he had been dishing out to two young troublemaking kids and turned towards Brie. She stood close by with her arms crossed as she leaned against a low stone wall. She grinned when she spotted him staring.

"Finished?"

"For now," Lex joked, and he ran a hand along his neatly tied back hair with a small sigh. "I'm ready for dinner."

"Sounds good to me," Brie laughed, and she pushed herself away from the wall.

The pair began making their way towards the gates leading to the Waterfront. The sun was starting to set and the sky was alright with beautiful hues of blues, purples, and pinks. Brie gazed upwards while they walked, soaking in the sight, and she glanced over at Lex when she felt his eyes on her.

"You've been busy today, Captain."

Lex grimaced at the particular way Brie said Captain and took a deep breath.

"Yeah, there's been a lot of petty thefts going on lately, especially while we were gone."

"Oh?"

"My superior is wondering if it's something to distract us from a much larger problem."

"Hmm," Brie replied, her expression thoughtful as they strode up the wooden drawbridge that led to the Bloated Float Inn. "I could do some digging around."

"I don't know if I want you to do that," Lex replied quietly as he beat her to the door and held it open. "I worry about... about you, especially with what's happened in the past."

"I'm a big girl, I could handle it," Brie teased, and she tried to square her shoulders so she looked more intimidating.

It had the opposite effect. Lex looked down at her for one long moment and then he started to laugh.

"Don't laugh at me," Brie whined, and she pouted her bottom lip. "Looks can be deceiving."

"If you say so, sweetheart."

Lex's smile immediately faded as he realized what he said. Brie blinked and stared up at him with a mild look of surprise and she opened her mouth to say something cheeky back but Lex quickly ushered her towards the bar.

"Don't say it," he whispered firmly, and he lightly pinched her arm.

"Captain you're so mean," Brie huffed, but she was grinning from ear to ear as she plopped down on the stool. "You can't call me sweet things like that in public."

"I d-didn't mean to, it just slipped out."

Brie's teasing was relentless. Lex groaned, wishing he could sink into the floor and disappear. He had never been more relieved to see the golden-haired Ormil than he did that night and he let out a huge sigh as the Elf sidled up to them.

"What in the world is going on with you two?" He greeted slyly, and Ormil shot them suspicious glances.

"Nothing," Lex cut in before Brie could say anything. "What's the special tonight, Ormil?"

"Rack of lamb with all the fixings."

"We'll have that, please."

"Alright, then. Ale?"

"Please," Brie replied sweetly, and she rested her chin against her hand with a smug little grin. "Lex really needs one."

"Oh?"

"Brie-"

"Don't worry Captain, I would never say anything... incriminating."

The expression on their faces were priceless. Brie was almost bursting at the seams with the joy of Lex's slip up. The pet name he had used had filled her with an indescribable feeling and she loved how embarrassed he was to have let it slip out, and so casually. Lex was white as a ghost, but inside he was struggling not to reach across the bar and embrace Brie right then and there in front of everyone. It was a desire that both excited and scared him and so when Ormil brought out two bottles of ale and placed one in front of him, Lex couldn't help but take a few generous sips. Brie was right, he really did need it to help calm his nerves.

By the time Ormil brought their dinner around, Lex was looking visibly more relaxed. He leaned with one elbow against the bar and his other hand idly trailed down the bottle of his ale, creating lines in the condensation. He chatted with Brie, who had leaned in closer to the Captain a little bit while they waited for their food. Their interactions didn't go unnoticed by Ormil in the slightest but he kept this knowledge to himself, content to just enjoy watching things as they naturally played out.

Once dinner was happily consumed, the guards took their leave, and Ormil watched them go with a wistful sigh before returning to his work.

Brie sucked in a deep breath and glanced around the Waterfront, which was oddly beautiful at night when it was quiet. The water made small lapping noises against the shore. It was a comforting sound to Brie's ears and for a long moment, they simply stared at out Lake Rumare, admiring the moonlight that cast a beautiful glow across the dark, rippling water.

"It seems so peaceful," Lex commented quietly.

"Doesn't it?

Suddenly there was a crash from behind and a drunken Nord struggled to stand up from the broken remains of a wooden crate he had smashed when he fell on it. Lex and Brie looked at one another and then they laughed and wandered over to the man to help him up. Lex scolded him for being so intoxicated in public and they sent him on his way home with a warning.

The rest of the night was spent wandering around the Waterfront, talking about nothing in particular as they made their rounds. When it was finally time to leave, Lex offered to walk Brie home and she happily obliged him, hoping to pull him inside for a quick kiss session when they arrived. However, as they passed by the Watch Tower, a young recruit came running after them and he called out for Lex.

"Captain, Captain!"

Brie sighed quietly but said nothing as Lex turned around to regard the young man.

"Yes?"

"Captain Avidius has been looking for you, sir. He wishes to speak with you urgently."

"Oh, alright."

The young recruit awkwardly stood by for a long moment until Lex thanked him for the message and dismissed him. When he was out of ear shot, Lex turned towards Brie with furrowed brows, but she simply shrugged it off, pretending she was unbothered.

"You've been gone for a long time, duty calls."

"Thank you for understanding," Lex sighed, and he smiled down at her. "I guess I'll... see you tomorrow then."

He wanted to lean down and kiss Brie but he couldn't bring himself to do it and Brie didn't try to touch him either. Despite the fact, it was completely dark out and they were alone there on the street, it made Lex too nervous. So, he gave a small cough and shuffled his feet back and forth for a moment before he finally took his leave.

"Goodnight Brie."

"Goodnight Captain," Brie replied quietly, and she shot him a smile before wandering off.

Brie knew she was getting ahead of herself. While they had been spent a lot of time together over the last couple of weeks, she had to remind herself that they were now back in the City, and Lex took his work very seriously. It was a part of him she never desired to change and would always respect his boundaries. But she couldn't help but feel a smidge disappointed that they couldn't have at least stolen a few secret kisses when no one was looking.

Oh well, Brie thought to herself as she entered her apartment and kicked her boots off. Patience... patience... patience...