Berodyn woke up the next morning with a hangover to rival all hangovers. His mouth was dry and his chin quivered with the effort of trying to control the urge to vomit. The next thing he noticed was that he was alone in the bed. He sat bolt upright, regretting doing so when his head spun dangerously. Gods...Sassa, what have we done? A mixture of emotions ran through his heart at the thought of what they had done - though it was quite probably the best night of his life, he was afraid of what it would mean for their long friendship. His heart felt heavy in his chest, and shame made his nausea more insistent. With a groan, he realised that he wasn't going to be good for anything unless he got rid of the heaviness in his guts. He gingerly stepped out of bed and headed straight for the ensuite, thanking his lucky stars that he managed to score the Emperor's Suite - the only room with its own bath-and-toilet room.

He flipped the dunny lid just in time for the involuntary projectile, and after successfully voiding the entire contents of his stomach, he took a few minutes to hug the bowl and pant with exhaustion. It seems I can't handle my booze like I used to, he thought ruefully. He cleaned up his mess, and steeled himself to find Sassa. He figured she was probably downstairs organising breakfast. As he dressed himself, he caught sight of himself in the mirror. Desire flared through him at the memory of Sassa's image in the mirror, her ass pointing up in the air waiting for him. He shook the feelings away, and then headed downstairs.

"Good Morning, Sir. I trust you slept well?" Corpulus said, smiling as Bero approached.

"That I did, thanks. Great room up there! Say, have you seen my companion?" hope and dread warred within Bero's heart as he waited for the answer.

"Aye. She's over at the market. Told me to tell you to meet her there."

"Thanks, friend. See you in a bit." Bero turned on his heel and headed out towards the market, his stomach fluttering nervously at the thought of seeing her. His eager feet broke into a jog before he caught himself and slowed his pace, trying his hardest not to look - or feel - like a love-sick schoolboy. But then he saw her standing there - her hair was still loose, and she was dressed in that decidedly revealing hide armour. He saw her throw her head back, laughing at something the fishmonger said. A hot flare of jealousy surged through him before he once again caught himself - he had no need to be jealous just because some guy made her laugh. Nevertheless, he couldn't stop himself from calling her name to redirect her attention to him.

"Bero!" she chirped, smiling coyly. His heart skipped a beat at the way the sunlight shone through her hair, giving her an almost angelic appearance. Her cheeks were pink, whether from embarrassment or from the warm sun, he couldn't be sure.

"Whatcha doin' here?" he said, trying to keep his voice even as he stepped into her personal space.

"Oh...I needed a bit of fresh air, and I wanted to check out the marketplace. Wanna get some fish? We could wander outside the walls and cook some over a campfire..." she suggested airily before biting her lip, looking worried.

Bero studied her face for a moment - he knew her so well, and he knew that look she had. She was expecting an unfavourable response, even though hope shone in her eyes. He cursed himself mentally for the way his heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't help but want to make her happy despite his hangover. "Sure." he said, after a long pause. She visibly sagged with relief, and he couldn't help but smirk at the way she tried to suppress her happy smile.

"Alright. Well Mr Fishy here said he'd give us a good price, being that I'm so sexy an' all - "

"What!?" Bero growled, causing Sassa to flinch a bit. With an angry snarl, he turned to make a beeline for the fish monger, but Sassa pulled him back.

"I was joking! Gods, Bero! So you and I fucked last night, and suddenly you're acting like the possessive husband!" she gave him a light shove as she finished her sentence. She expected him to retaliate in some way, but he simply stood there gaping at her with a hurt expression. "Bero..." her tone softened, and she reached up to touch his face.

"Don't." he said, catching her hand before she could touch him. "Just tell me - was it just another good fuck to you, or something more?" he whispered, still holding her hand. It was in this moment that he realised he never wanted her to be with anyone else; he wanted her to be his.

She gazed into his pleading eyes for a few moments; their future depended on her answer, right here and right now. If she told him how waking up in his arms had been the happiest moment in her adult life, it might scare him off. If she told him a lie - if she told him that last night was great fun but that was all, he would feel hurt, and their friendship would be over. What to do? She opened her mouth to give him her answer when she was interrupted.

"Ahem...you still want that fish, m'lady? Ms Vicci here is waving her coinpurse at me, so make up your mind." croaked Addvar, the fishmonger.

She took Bero's other hand and took a deep breath. "Yes, I would still like to purchase that fish." she said, not taking her eyes from Bero's.

Bero narrowed his eyes at her, still waiting for her answer. "Well?"

"Come on. I'll get us some more things to eat, and we'll head out - " Her breath left her lungs when Bero suddenly pulled her against him, hard. He wrapped one arm around her waist, and the other hand grasped the back of her neck. Sassa could smell the faint traces of their lovemaking mingled with his uniquely masculine scent, and her breath hitched.

"Sassa, don't avoid the fucking question. How do you feel about me after last night?" he growled softly, against her earlobe.

She garnered her courage and before she could chicken out, she pressed her lips against his in a slow, sensual kiss. Her heart filled with glee when she heard his soft groan, and she pulled back to see his lust-filled expression. "Does that give you an idea?"

"Not really. It could mean that you just want to take me back to bed for another session of debauchery - " This time, she interrupted him by slipping her tongue into his mouth. A few wolf-whistles could be heard around them and she pulled away, suddenly embarrassed. Bero simply grinned evilly at them, as if to say: 'She's all mine.'. He returned his attention to her and said, "That still does not answer the question."

"Okay...see how I'm wearing a chain around my neck?" she said, fingering a chain with shaky fingers that he hadn't really noticed before. "Pull it out." her voice quivered, further betraying the confident act she had tried to put on.

He did as she asked, and lifted the pendant from beneath her armour. His heart filled with a mixture of happiness and dread, and he couldn't hide the shocked expression on his face. "You - it - ahmm..." Sassa laughed at his sudden inability to speak properly - it wasn't very often that Bero was lost for words. "I...M-Mara? Amulet. Amulet of Mara." he stammered huskily, his eyes wider than she'd ever seen.

"Yes, that's right. When I woke up this morning in your arms, I realised that I was feeling something that has always been missing from my previous...endeavours." she whispered, clutching him tighter.

"Oh? And what's that?" he said lowly.

"That it was the first time I wanted to stay in a man's arms, and for those same arms to be around me when I wake up every morning for the rest of my life."

Bero placed both of his hands on her cheeks. "R-really? Me?" his voice was husky and deep, and it caused shivers to run down Sassa's spine.

"Yes, you. You were fast asleep this morning and I didn't want to disturb you, so I snuck out and went straight to the shops to buy this Amulet of Mara." she said, giggling softly. "Are you interested?"

"Am I interested? Put it this way. The next time we pass through the gates of Whiterun, you will be Mrs Hlervu and there will be a weird-looking half Dunmer, half Nord baby in your belly." he growled, as his hand snaked down to clutch her hip. "Now let's go do this damn picnic of yours somewhere secluded, so that I can make that last part happen."

Sassa laughed breathily, and after purchasing some extra items for their lunch, they hurried through the city gates. After ten minutes of searching, they found a reasonably secluded area and set about making a small fire to cook over. Sassa lost herself in thought as she cooked their fish, and by the time the fish was ready, Bero was lying naked on the blanket - apparently he wasn't hungry for fish at that moment, and suddenly, neither was Sassa.

G'day friends! Sorry for the long wait for an update - it's a busy life, being a Mum of three! So there you have it - let me know what you think, and whether I should write another chapter full of baby-makin', marriage-bed sexytimes! :D