Primrose slowly opened her eyes again. The once well-sized flames of the campfire now burned dimly. The air was cold but not as cold as it was hours ago. There was no howling wind to be heard. Just the cracking of the small fire.

'The storm must be over.'

She felt a lot better than she did a few hours ago; perhaps a good cry was the thing she needed the most. Primrose turned slightly to look at Olberic leaning next to her, fast asleep. She leaned over and picked up his end of the tunic that they had made into a makeshift blanket and gently adjusted it over him. She stared at his peaceful, sleeping face and took this quiet moment to admire the man next to her.

Despite being well-known as a talented knight, it was no doubt Olberic was handsome. In each town they had stopped at thus far, Primrose would catch eyes flocking to him as much as they flocked to her. His tall physique, strong features and the air of which he carried himself with, left many a woman in a daze. She would be lying if she said she wasn't one of them when she initially bumped into him at the Sunshade bazaar.

It was true, that she had met many a man, but none quite like him. He was kind, caring, inspiring- a natural born leader. He held his honor to his life, and yet he would constantly put the well-being of others before himself. A trait that was becoming rarer and rarer in these times. She couldn't help but grow an increasing admiration for the man. A man, much like her, who lost everything at the hands of another. He claimed he lost his sole reason to wield a sword and yet...he remained so true to himself. His name was known around the lands and talks of his skill were unprecedented enough to strike fear into the hearts of those who opposed him.

And yet, Primose thought. Yet never did he seem to abuse this power. Yes, he was indeed quite different than her frequent visitors back at Sunshade, whom only boasted fabricated stories in quests to exploit their egos, liquor, and women. He was a real man.

Olberic stirred for a few seconds before he elicit a soft snore. Primrose lips spread into a warm smile.

'But who knew the Unbending Blade of Hornburg snores?'

She continued staring at him. Admiring his masculine features as the light from the fire danced on the crevices of his face. She couldn't help but catch herself thinking about his personal life from time to time. Apart from his reputation as one of Hornburg's blades and his current quest after a man named Erhardt, she knew not much. It was this moment she realized, she had shared way more with him than he had with her.

She oft wondered if he had lovers in his past. She wondered how he treated them, what they were like. She wondered if he held them the same way he was holding her now. She knew that the situation they were in, well, it would probably never occur again - hell, it wouldn't have even occurred where it not for a blizzard threatening her life in the first place. She knew all that. But still, she wondered. She wondered what his lips would taste like.

Heat flushed her cheeks as she caught her own thoughts.

'What's wrong with me? What am I thinking? I have a mission. A mission to kill the men who took my father from me. And before that, we have to find the others! I don't have time for this nonsense! I should wake him... '

A strand of his usually neatly slicked back hair fell onto his eye. Primrose felt her heart beating faster and faster with temptation each passing second.

'My life...My sole reason for living is for revenge. That's why I'm here. I've told myself this for years. Yet...'

Primrose tucked the strand of hair behind his ear. She narrowed her eyes at his soft expression. Her emerald orbs landed on his lips.

'Yet why...why am I feeling conflicted? Why do I...have these thoughts? These...emotions? It doesn't make any sense...My sole purpose is for revenge. Nothing more, nothing less..'

Primrose leaned in slowly. Her heart beating loudly. Her mind was saying one thing, but her body was acting on its own accord.

'Yet...maybe...maybe for a simple moment...yes...just for this one moment, it could be a different-'

Primrose closed her eyes. She slowly placed a gentle, light kiss on Olberic's lips. She pulled away and cast her eyes down. She had so many questions for herself, that she wasn't even sure she could answer.

"Tell me, do you always kiss men in their sleep?"

Primrose whipped her head around to see Olberic, in the exact same position she left him in seconds ago, only with his onyx eyes staring intently back into hers.

"O-Olberic! You were awake?!"

She immediately began to move away, but Olberic didn't let her go. He put his arm around her, locking her into place. Her heart was pounding now. She wasn't sure if it was due to being caught, or the intensity of the gaze that Olberic was boring into her with.

"I-I'm sorry...That was incredibly out of bounds. I-"

Primrose avoided his gaze. She wasn't used to feeling embarrassed and being a flustering, babbling fool was most definitely not her image. Usually, she would try to make light of the situation by turning it into a tease, but right now, she could hardly keep her own head on. A fierce blush seemed to have made it's home on her face permanently.

"I apologize. I didn't mean anything by it. I...I am well aware you only see me as a comrade and traveling companion, not as a woman. It was simply a gesture of...of thanks. For saving me. Y-you see..in the Sunlands, kissing is actually a manner of expressing gratitu-"

"Primrose."

Primrose's heart slammed into her chest. His voice was deep and rough, most likely the outcome from being asleep. His half-lidded eyes hadn't moved their gaze off her for even a second. She gulped.

"Has anyone ever told you talk far too much?"

"Excuse m-"

Before Primrose could finish her statement, Olberic pulled her into a kiss. A tender, passionate kiss that left her absolutely breathless. He placed a gentle hand behind her neck. Primrose was frozen; it took a few moments for her to process what had just transpired. She closed her eyes and just as she was about to kiss back, he pulled away slightly, leaning his forehead on hers. Emerald eyes bore into Onyx for only moments, before she broke away. She couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes. Her face was on fire and this was too much for her to bear.

"I don't see you as a woman? Where in the Flame's name did you get that preposterous idea?"

"Y-you've never given in to any of my advances! You have no problem conversing with other women, yet with me! Y-You only ever refer to me as a 'vexing woman'..."

"That you are. More vexing than any other woman I've had the misfortune of meeting in all my years. Not to mention the most stubborn."

"Why you-!"

"And the most beautiful."

Primrose paused. Olberic placed his hand under her chin and lifted her gaze to meet his. Her emerald eyes could see the sincerity reflected in his own.

"Beautiful. Caring. Strong. You fight so hard, you withstand so much. For your family. For your father. Noble. True. You've told me that I inspire you, yet I would have to say you equally inspire me. You don't swing your dagger without a purpose. You swing it with courage and faith."

Primrose could only stare into his eyes as he held her close. His voice only growing softer. It was almost a whisper at this point. Her heart was beating so loud, she was afraid he would hear it. Suddenly, Olberic loosened his grip on her. This time, he broke the gaze and cast his eyes down.

"But, I am not blind to reality. It is no secret that we are both on a similar path. A path paved with tragedy, pain and...blood. You seek to hunt down the men who killed your father. I seek to find the man who took away my liege and country. My purpose. I know this and I know not that you have room in your heart for anything but revenge. You've stated it, time and time again. I am the same way."

Primrose looked down. She couldn't answer that. He was right. Nothing he was saying was foreign or untrue and yet, why did her heart hurt so much as he said it. Olberic took her silence as an agreement to his words.

"Perhaps...it would be best...if we forgot this all happened in the first place."

After a few moments of silence, Olberic looked up to see daylight had filled the cave from the outside. He placed the tunic on Primrose again and began to turn away. This time it was Primrose's turn to not let him go. She grabbed onto a piece of his undershirt.

"What if I don't want to forget?"

Olberic's eyes widened. It was an answer that she didn't expect to give, and he did not expect to receive. As if treading cautious waters, he slowly turned around to meet her gaze.

"What are you saying?"

"W-what if…..if at the end of our journeys... when all is said and done and we found our respective truths, we did have room in our hearts...for something...if we did...what would become of...this moment?"

Olberic smiled at her. Perhaps the first time he's genuinely smiled in ages. He looked at her with warm eyes and an embarrassed grin.

"Well, I'd hope to get caught in another blizzard with you immediately."

Primrose grabbed him by the collar of his undershirt and crashed her lips into his, pinning him down to the floor. No longer a kiss of tenderness, but one of passion and unspoken ardor. Olberic slowly wrapped his arms around her. They kissed fervently, with pent-up hunger, frustration and attraction taking control. Primrose moaned into his lips, which only drove Olberic up the wall. He turned her over so that he was on top. He stopped suddenly to look into her eyes, catching his breath. Primrose breathed heavily, her eyes beady with emotions.

"Please, if only for this moment...then don't stop."

Olberic had patience, far beyond the measure of many, many a man. But the sight of Primrose under him, begging him with those gorgeously tantalizing eyes of hers, sent him over the edge. Olberic crashed his lips down on hers again and hoisted up one of her thighs around his waist. Primrose wrapped her arms around his neck, eliciting another soft moan.

"HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO?!"

Primrose and Olberic stopped dead in their tracks to look up. That was the sound of Alfyn's voice and it had come from the outside. Primrose and Olberic quickly, yet reluctantly, let each other go before scrambling about outside with burning faces.