Hello again! Just a quick warning/heads up (minor spoiler alert), this chapter contains more mature themes than what's been present so far in the story. I've omitted some small parts due to this website's rules on mature content (I'm not entirely familiar with them, but I'm playing it safe), however if you'd like to read the uncensored version I also upload to Archive of Our Own. Hope you enjoy the chapter!
Serana was thrown back violently. She felt an incredible heat, followed by an overwhelming force rip her away from Arven's side. She had been hunched down next to him, staying as close as she could despite the immense pressure emanating from the Daedra's beacon. She needed to do something for him, provide him with some level of support, so she did the only thing she could think of.
Yet, her support was ended as she was suddenly, forcefully, removed from his side. Meridia had cast her out effortlessly. She felt as if she had been struck by the tail of a dragon, knocking her off her feet and away from Arven. She ended up rolling across the ground, back through the large double doors leading into the interior of the keep before those doors suddenly slammed shut. She was left winded and in pain, but she immediately stood back up, anger and shock written across her face.
"My lady! Are you alright?" A moment later and Lydia was at her side, ready to help her if needed.
"I'm fine, thank you Lydia," Serana replied. She held a hand to her sternum, feeling for any damage. There was pain, but everything seemed to be in one piece. But more importantly, she had been shut out from Arven.
Already some of the guards had moved to re-open the door, following orders from Irileth. But they couldn't make the reinforced doors budge. Not even an inch. Lydia went to join them after checking on Serana, and even with half a dozen soldiers all pushing, their strength amounted to nothing.
"What in the hells just happened?" Balgruuf asked as he walked up besides the guards, adding his shoulder to the door to lend his strength. The light from Meridia's Beacon was seeping through the cracks in the ground, and even now it still made it hard for Serana to see.
"I don't know. That bitch just tossed me out," Serana replied. The anxiety she felt earlier had intensified severely, manifesting as a deep pit in her stomach. She needed to be past those doors, at Arven's side. Yet she felt powerless in the presence of the Daedra. A small part of her psyche summoned her past, briefly reliving moments where she was previously at the whims of another Daedra. Yet she cast those aside. She had no time to linger on such things. And she would never let herself be subject to a Daedra's sick desires ever again.
Stepping up to the door Serana went to lend her strength to the guards trying to force it down, yet she felt a searing heat come from the wood when she got too close. It seemed as if Meridia was trying to keep her back, specifically.
With a deep scowl on her face and her hatred at the Daedra building up, Serana took a few steps back and planted her feet firmly on the wooden floorboards beneath her.
"Stand aside!" She commanded. The guards looked behind themselves to the source of the command, but as soon as they saw Serana each one ducked for cover. Serana was standing with one hand outstretched, sparks of lightning dancing between her fingertips.
As soon as the door was unobstructed, Serana sent out a blast. The lightning struck the door yet it was stopped an inch beforehand by an invisible barrier. The same barrier that was radiating so much heat towards her. It absorbed the blow leaving the wooden doors without so much as a scratch. The only result from her magic was the men and women around her blocking their ears to protect themselves from the noise reverberating around the room.
Irileth looked back to her, her lips moving as she went to call out to Serana but any words leaving her mouth were drowned out by another blast. Serana had raised her other hand, a defiant yell coming from the woman as she sent enough energy to blast apart stone straight at the door. The barrier absorbed it once again. Yet, this time, Serana's eyes could just barely see scorch marks on the wood. While the ward had stopped most of her magic, it couldn't stop all of it.
A few more shouts came her way, but she blocked them all out. Instead she held both her hands out to either side. She felt the magicka flowing through her body, from her heart out through each of her extended limbs. She summoned as much magicka as she could handle while still maintaining some level of control over it, feeling it pool in her fingertips. Lightning arced from her fingers down to the floor erratically as her energy built leaving marks on the floorboards before she held both her arms out before her, palms facing towards the door.
The last time she summoned this much magicka was against Durnehviir. It caused her to be inaccurate, as the sheer volume of magicka was unwieldly for just about anyone living in a human's body, even if they were no longer mortal.
Yet, while she missed Durnehviir, the target in front of her was kind enough to be impossible to miss. The room had been evacuated, guards scrambling for cover as even those without any magical talents could feel the energy in the air. Lydia and Irileth had left the room with a look of shock on their faces. Awe at Serana's sheer power, mixed in with a healthy amount of fear. The only person who wasn't struck in such a way was the Jarl, who gave Serana an encouraging cheer before Irileth yanked him out of the room.
"I'm not losing him again," Serana whispered under her breath. "And if you hurt him, I swear I'll destroy every last shrine of yours on this planet, you shining bitch."
Then, planting her feet solidly into the ground, Serana blasted down the door. She unleashed her magic at the same time as Arven destroyed Meridia's Beacon. As the wooden doors were obliterated, splinters erupting like shrapnel, the violent light from the destroyed Daedric artefact erupted into the keep. That, along with the volume from Arven's defiant yell and Serana's incredible magic, was enough to stun everyone within the keep, forcing them to shut their eyes and cover their ears to try and maintain some level of balance and orientation.
Serana herself stumbled back, raising one arm to block the incredible light that almost physically hurt. She felt disoriented from the intensity, not to mention physically drained from summoning and releasing so much magicka in one blast.
As she slowly stood to her feet, her ears ringing and vision blurred, she found that the room had once again filled with guards. As they were all removed from the noise and light they were able to rush in much faster and they quickly burst out onto the balcony, running towards Arven.
Arven himself was lying flat on his back. Serana couldn't see from how far away she was, but he was prone. Unmoving. As she looked at him in shock, the healer that Arven had requested knelt down at his side. She raised her hands over Arven's torso and a bright golden light erupted from her hands.
"Wait!" Serana called out. She started to sprint out towards the balcony, shaking her head to try and reorient herself. A few seconds later and she came to a stop by Arven's side, crouching down opposite the healer from the temple, Danica.
"Wait, did it work?" She asked, looking over Arven's body. "You'll hurt him if he isn't mortal again." The healer likely knew this, Serana thought, but she didn't want to risk Arven suffering any more damage after his encounter with Meridia. She looked over his figure. He seemed mostly fine, except that his eyes were closed, and his leather gloves had been burnt away.
Each of his palms had suffered severe burns to the point where the skin was blackened. Raw muscle was visible, and she cringed ever so slightly at the sight. However, after a quick glance around she couldn't spot the object that would've done this to him. There was no orb in sight. She could only find small shards littered around the place.
Oh Gods, he destroyed it.
That explained the bright burst of light. But taking the brunt of such a thing at close range, if he was a vampire, would be just about deadly. Trying not to get stuck in her thoughts she only just realised that there was a crowd of people surrounding her, waiting on her. The priestess was also looking to her, as if asking for permission to do something to help him.
Serana grasped one of Arven's limp hands, her other hand readying a small amount of restoration magic tuned specifically to heal the undead.
"Use the slightest bit of magic on him and see how he reacts, okay?" Serana said to the priestess. Then, together, they both attempted to heal Arven.
As Serana's fingers got closer to Arven's skin, she immediately saw his skin start to lose its colour, becoming dry and withered within a moment. She pulled her hand back, the pit in her stomach lightening ever so slightly. She then looked to the priestess Danica, who's magic didn't seem to harm him at all.
There was a momentary leap of joy inside of Serana, but she ignored it for the moment. Arven still hadn't opened his eyes. She focused, listening out intently and she could barely hear the sound of his heart beating away. Yet it was incredibly faint.
"Heal him, now! Please!" She almost felt like a fool for stopping Danica earlier, but she had to be sure. She shuffled back slightly as the restoration magic erupted from Danica's hands, bathing Arven's chest in the dull golden glow. Arven's body accepted the magic, yet she couldn't hear much of a change. His heartbeat remained soft. It was too slow.
Serana looked to Danica, who had sweat trickling down her forehead from concentrating. She was clearly pushing out as much magicka as she could, yet it wasn't enough. Her magic seemed weak compared to what Serana would normally expect. While she had grown accustomed to Arven's mastery of restoration, there were few mortals within Skyrim who could even come close to matching it.
So Serana got closer again, kneeling adjacent to Arven as she placed one hand on his torso, with her other hand grabbing her own wrist of the hand sitting on top of the warrior.
Danica looked to her, shocked. She instinctively went to pull away.
"Don't stop, keep healing him," Serana said even as her skin started to burn from being so close to Danica's restoration. Then, focusing herself, she brought up the rest of the magicka she had within her body and pulled upon the centuries of training she had in her pursuit of mastering magic. She used two spells at the same time. Her hand on Arven's torso erupted with an incredible amount of restoration magic. That golden glow filled their immediate surroundings and within a second Arven's body was flush with it.
Her other hand, grasping her wrist, channelled undeath restoration. She used it as a barrier, sacrificing her hand momentarily while trying to shield the rest of her body from the damaging effects.
The crowd around them took half a step back, most shocked at what they saw. Essentially everyone in the room knew that Serana was a vampire by this point, and seeing such a thing left most of them confused and at least slightly worried. The only person who wasn't at all shocked was Lydia, as she was one of the few who had a rough idea of the depths of Serana's feelings for Arven.
Serana maintained the spell for as long as she could, even as her hand was burning. She felt herself starting to lose fine control of her fingers, her skin burning away. Yet even still, she maintained the spell. She kept it up even as Danica's hands were shaking from exertion, even as both of them were reaching the very limits of their pools of magicka.
She did everything she could to keep the spell active until she saw Arven's lips part, and he took a breath. A wide smile of joy and relief broke out over Serana's face, yet a moment later a wave of fatigue crashed over her. She suddenly felt incredibly dizzy, lightheaded. She stumbled slightly, her body starting to fall to the side. Yet she was swiftly caught, arms surrounding her and preventing her from hitting the floor.
Arven sat up immediately as Danica only just managed to get out of the way in time. He saw Serana's eyes fluttering, almost as if she was about to lose consciousness, so he instinctively reached out and grabbed her. As he did he saw the state of one of her hands. It was similar to his own, which were blackened and badly damaged, although his were showing the signs of healing.
Shit, Serana. What did you just do?
He was oblivious to those around him as he grabbed her injured hand, immediately flooding it with undeath restoration magic. He felt it burn at his hand, but he was too focused to realise exactly what that meant. He just inhaled, letting the fire in his soul stir as his body's natural regenerative abilities limited the damage he took somewhat. The spell was maintained until Serana's fingers started to twitch, the woman beginning to stir slightly in Arven's arms. As she did he placed a hand on her cheek, tapping her lightly.
"Hey, Serana. You okay? What happened?" He asked, unable to make eye contact until Serana slowly opened her eyes back up.
As she did, she found herself stunned momentarily. There was a brief moment where she wasn't sure if she was truly awake. As she looked back at Arven, staring deep into his eyes, she saw that familiar blue. That deep, piercing blue that she used to lose herself in. The colour that signified Arven's return to the world of the living. The return of his warmth, and the return of the man she thought she might have lost forever.
She just looked at him, stunned. Unable to speak.
"Everything okay?" Arven asked, his lips curling up into a slight smile. As Serana remained silent he was just about ready to tease her. Such a thing came naturally to him, even as they were still surrounded by a crowd who were yet to see the colour of Arven's eyes.
Yet any teasing would have to wait. As soon as Serana realised that what she saw was real, that Arven was one again a human, she reached up to him.
"You're back…" she breathed. "Oh Gods." Strength flooding back into her body, she flung her arms around Arven's neck. She squeezed him tightly, so tightly that any other person would've snapped from the pressure. But she had Arven back, and she was never going to let him go again. The force of her jumping on him caused Arven to fall back onto the floor, but he didn't mind. Arven just immediately wrapped his arms around her once more, returning the hug as his face leaned against hers, Serana's wine-red hair filling his vision. He could've sworn that he felt Serana shaking ever so slightly.
Yet, it was cut short as the sound of the Jarl clearing his throat reminded the two that they weren't exactly alone. The two paused as Arven looked around them for the first time since waking up. He only then realised that the guards who had assembled to provide what support they could were all looking at the pair, various smirks and grins plastered across their faces.
He then looked to Serana, who just gave him the smallest of shrugs in apology. Arven shook his head slightly, pushing himself to his feet before offering a hand to pull Serana up alongside him. He inhaled deeply, feeling his lungs fill with air as his heart beat powerfully within his chest to a strong, steady rhythm.
As he stood, Balgruuf approached him.
"So, it worked then?" He asked, looking at Arven.
The Imperial looked back, nodding ever so slowly. "It seems like it," Arven said as he looked down at his hands. They were still burnt, but after channelling regular restoration magic for a few seconds those burns continued to fade away.
"I think I'm a mortal again," Arven stated, unable to stop an incredibly wide grin from breaking out across his face.
At his side, Serana was looking at him. She was silent, but her mind and her heart were both going crazy in this moment. She turned to the Jarl, giving him the briefest of looks, as if pleading with him. As she did a few guards who personally knew Arven came up, clapping him on the shoulder while offering their congratulations. Danica also stepped in front of Arven, doing her duty to ensure she was okay. Yet Arven just offered his thanks, reassuring the woman that he was fine.
Thankfully for Serana, the Jarl picked up on her intentions within a second.
"Alright, that's enough of that. Everyone, get back to your posts or back to your beds. The Dragonborn has to rest, no doubt," Balgruuf barked out. The guards immediately obeyed, the balcony becoming busy for a moment as men walked off, some gossiping and making sly jokes about what they all just witnessed.
Lydia stepped up to Arven's side, looking at him with a brief smile. "Are you okay, my thane? Do you need anything?" She asked.
Arven turned to her, ready to reply, but the Jarl interrupted them both. "He'll be fine, Lydia. I'm sure he just needs some rest and a proper meal," Balgruuf said.
The Jarl then stepped up to Lydia, guiding her away with a hand on her shoulder before whispering in her ear softly enough that only she and Serana could hear. Arven, with his senses now dulled, couldn't.
"Perhaps it's best if you stay in the keep tonight, Lydia," the Jarl suggested.
As he did, Serana grabbed Arven's arm and pulled him away, hurrying off with him. She essentially dragged him for a few steps, but it didn't take long for Arven to catch on, and the pair started to briskly walk out of the keep.
"Come on, Arven. Let's get you home," Serana said to him, her voice barely a whisper. Her chest was flooded with emotions, and she needed to get to a private place before she could feel safe in letting them all out.
As soon as they emerged from the keep, the Sun still some hours from rising, she leaned up against him. One hand held Arven's own, and her other hand wrapped around his arm, Serana resting her head on his shoulder as they walked side by side back towards their house.
Arven had dozens of words come to his lips. He had so many things he wanted to say in that moment, but he needed to wait. There was an unspoken agreement between the two of them, and he needed to fulfil that first before anything else. As they walked side by side in the cold night air, he felt a small shiver come to him. He felt the cold once more. Even Serana noticed him shivering slightly and she looked to him, an incredibly beautiful smile crossing her face. It seemed like such a small thing, yet it signified something they'd both been anticipating for quite some time now.
Eventually they reached Breezehome and Arven opened the door for Serana, letting her inside. She stepped in first before turning around to look at him, reaching up to discard her cloak and toss it over a nearby chair. With the two finally alone, Arven closed the door behind him, the dull sound barely reaching his ears. That'd take some more time to get used to. He'd been a vampire for just long enough so that the overstimulation of all his senses was normal. Now, being human again, it felt like everyone was whispering, muffled. Like he was hearing everything through a thick cloth.
But that didn't matter. He was human again. He was alive again.
Arven closed his eyes, taking in another deep breath in his home, just because he could. He savoured the taste of air, the way his lungs longed for it. Ached for it. It was funny, how something so simple could be so missed. However, any other thoughts he had were quickly erased, and for good reason.
A few meters away from him, Serana was standing. She was looking straight at him. After taking a few steps towards him, she reached out. Her fingers traced along his arm, reaching his hand where she found the fresh scars from the burns he had acquired during the cleansing. Her fingers eventually moved down until they interlaced with Arven's own, squeezing his hands tightly.
He felt how cold her skin was again. It was almost soothing.
But as soon as she felt his own skin. As soon as she felt the warmth coming from him again, a warmth she had been craving, she bit down on her lip and tried to contain her composure. Ultimately, she failed as tears started to well up in her eyes.
Raising a hand, Arven cupped her cheek – wiping the tears away with his thumb. "Hey, hey it's alright. I know you're happy, but there's no reason to cry," he said with a half-cocked smile. If he was being honest with himself he'd admit that he was struggling with his emotions. He'd barely had a second to think to himself, let his new situation truly sink in. But one of them had to be strong. At least that's what he thought.
Serana tilted her head back, offering him a smile in return. But there was something else behind that smile. It was pure, but there was a deeper, more intense longing hidden away. Something she'd been suppressing for some time now, waiting for Arven to become human once more.
And he'd been supressing the same urges.
Without another word between them Serana rose onto the tips of her toes. She threw her arms around his neck, pulling Arven in close as she forced her lips onto his. He didn't resist. The first kiss was brief, passionate yet fleeting. Arven felt the air being stolen from his lungs as a shock ran through his body, the feeling of Serana's lips on his own jolting him awake in a unique fashion that he hadn't felt before.
When she pulled away Arven immediately found that he didn't want her to, his lips following hers for just a moment until they parted and he looked back into her eyes. Arven had previously thought that he was getting used to her beauty, but time and time again he was proven wrong.
He just couldn't believe how incredible Serana was, in every single way.
"You have no idea how long I've waited to do that, Arven," Serana said as she reached up to brush some of his messy hair out from his eyes. But one kiss wasn't enough. No, that just gave Arven a taste, stirring something up inside of him.
This time he initiated the kiss, stealing her lips before she had a chance to react. He placed his hands on her hips, fingers digging in slightly as he pulled her closer. Then, with the taste of her lips on his own once more he wrapped his arms around her back, holding her close for a second before one hand then slid further down to her thighs. With his fingers digging in ever so slightly he lifted her up effortlessly.
A second later and he had her suspended, holding her in the air as she wrapped her thighs around his waist. This kiss was the most passionate one Arven had ever had. Serana pushed her lips against his with surprising force as she ran her hands through his hair, pulling him closer. Her body was pressed against his, as if trying to remove any gaps between them that might have existed. Her hair fell across his face, feeling ever so slightly ticklish, yet such a sensation was beyond overwhelmed by many others present in Arven's mind right now.
The embrace continued as Arven started walking towards the stairs. Eventually he had to pull away, his lungs screaming, burning for air. Serana's eyes widened in shock for a moment as she realised that he needed to take a breath, chuckling nervously as she muttered some sort of apology.
Arven just let out a small chuckle in response, that huge smile breaking out across his face once more while he once again took in Serana's beauty. She had a small amount of his saliva on her lips, a product of their second kiss being slightly messy. Which was to be expected, all things considered. But seeing that alone made him want more. This time he placed a hand on the back of her head, only needing one arm to keep her light figure supported as he pulled her in for another kiss.
As the pair walked up the stairs their embrace graduated from an awkward, first embrace into something far more heated. Serana had one hand on his back, clawing at him, grabbing him, while her lips parted and her tongue danced out to meet Arven's own. She pulled on his waist with her legs, and before long felt a heat – and an urgent need from below his belt pressing up against her.
There was a momentary awkward pause as they reached the door to Arven's bedroom, the man fighting the urge to touch every part of Serana's body with the need to get the damn door open. By the time he found the handle he tossed the door backwards with too much strength, snapping a hinge before carrying Serana inside.
She went to make a remark, but before she knew it she had been tossed back, landing on Arven's bed. There was a slight moment of disorientation as she hadn't expected it, considering how lost she had become in that kiss, but she was quickly brought back to reality.
Arven was standing at the foot of the bed, tearing off his shirt and tossing it to the side before he climbed onto the mattress, directly over the top of her. He couldn't help but stare at her in that moment. Lying on her back, her wine-red hair had spread out beneath her figure, her stunning eyes looking straight back at him. He found himself being hypnotised, intoxicated by the sight. That incredible figure resting beneath him almost taunting him, coaxing him to explore each and every part of it.
"How are you so beautiful?" He breathed out, his own messy hair hanging down over his face as his hands were at either side of Serana's shoulders, holding himself above her.
In response Serana reached out, running her fingertips over his bare chest. She did so twice; the first time gently, then the second time she traced over the same lines with her nails scratching against his skin. Just hard enough to cause the slightest amount of discomfort. But in this context? It felt good.
"You talk too much," she offered back with a cocky smile. Just after she did she felt Arven seize her wrists, forcing her hands down to either side of her head. A moment later and his lips were on her neck, kissing along her delicate skin, down to her collarbone. An answer which she had no issues with whatsoever.
She writhed beneath him, feeling his weight on top of her. Her lips had parted, a long, sweet sigh escaping from her which just spurred Arven on even more. She went to speak, yet her wrists were suddenly released before she felt Arven grab hold of her shirt and rip it apart. Buttons went flying and she immediately complied, wriggling out of her shirt before her hands then went down to Arven's belt.
Arven suddenly had the briefest moment of clarity, pulling away from Serana for a moment. She looked to him, confused.
"Hey, wait," he started, catching his breath. "Is this okay? I don't want to rush you into this, or pressure you," he said.
Serana let out a slight chuckle, grinning at him as she shook her head. "Are you kidding? I'm not waiting another fucking second for this you dolt," she said. She then pulled him back in, forcing another kiss on his lips. It only ended as she caught his lower lip between his teeth, nibbling on it before pulling away.
"But, thank you for checking," she whispered to him. "Now take your fucking pants off."
Those words only served to spur Arven on, that fire deep within him burning away harder. It took moments for them to strip all clothing, all barriers that would've laid between their figures. And as soon as that happened Arven lay on top of Serana. There was a momentary pause, with each so close to something they had longed for, that they had anticipated for such a long time. But in that moment, with just the two of them alone and his humanity back? There was no barrier left in his mind that stopped him from doing whatever he pleased. Nothing to stop him from ravaging her. And that's exactly what he did.
He left no part of her body neglected. His fingers roamed over every part of her. He tasted every part of her, studying how she reacted to each and every touch. Feeling her body twitch, hearing her take in a sharp breath whenever he found just the right spot. And those reactions only spurred him on, a chain reaction where he wasn't going to stop until they were both thoroughly, entirely exhausted.
Serana's voice echoed throughout Breezehome as the two finally embraced each other. She just simply couldn't get enough of how Arven made her feel utterly complete, both emotionally and physically. And Arven just couldn't keep his hands off her, refusing to let go of the woman he cared for so much.
Until the morning came, the two shared that embrace together. Arven's bed became a mess only a few minutes in, yet each one had a near endless pool of stamina to draw on, and hours to spend getting to properly know the other. Serana's memories all blurred together, her brain barely functioning as she rode a wave of sheer pleasure for long enough that she lost track of time. From the moment they were truly together for the first time, she was entirely his. Through every moment of that night, they each wanted for nothing, as they each had the thing most dear to them right there in their arms.
While everything was a haze, a blur of passion that merged together there was one memory that each shared, however. One that remained crystal clear, even throughout the haze of passion that drifted in their minds from the moment Arven broke his door and tossed Serana down onto his bed.
That memory of sitting upright, holding Serana in his arms as she controlled the pace. One of her arms wrapped around his broad back, her other hand resting on the back of his head as she stared into his eyes. She felt that pressing need from him building up to a climax for the first time that night; one of many to come. And as her hips writhed about in his lap, as he held her in place, Serana feeling truly safe in his grasp, she looked deep into his eyes.
Staring into his blue eyes, she breathed out the words she had been holding onto for so long.
"I love you, Arven," she whispered to him. "Gods I've wanted to tell you that for so long."
An impossibly bright smile broke out onto Arven's face as he heard that, and he was unable to resist the allure of her lips once more for another kiss. But he broke it off after only a second, as he still needed to give her a proper reply.
"I love you too, Serana," he told her. "More than anything in this world."
It took a couple of hours before the two took any sort of break. They both eventually ended up in a heap, Serana sitting on Arven's hips, lying down on his figure while Arven's chest was rising and falling, his skin glistening with sweat. Neither of them knew the time, and neither of them cared.
Arven let out a soft murmur, looking at Serana as she laid across his chest. He offered her a smile before his head fell back onto the pillow, a groan now coming from the man.
"Gods, I'm thirsty. I need to go get some water," Arven said, preparing to push himself up. Serana disagreed with that idea, though, placing one hand on his shoulder to push him back down.
"Nope. You're not leaving here just yet," she said. Then, she held a hand up above Arven's hand, summoning an icicle that hovered above Arven's head.
"Open wide," she said before she then heated up the ice, causing a stream of cold water to fall down towards Arven. It splashed on his face momentarily before he opened his mouth, drinking the water until the ice was fully melted.
Raising a hand to his face he wiped away some of the water, looking to Serana with a disapproving frown.
"Really?" He asked.
"What? You said you were thirsty," Serana replied, moving about until she was cuddled up next to him, hugging the side of his body with one of her legs draped over his own.
"Sure, but – ah nevermind," Arven said before he rested his head back on a pillow, closing his eyes. He was far too content, too happy to complain about Serana toying with him a little bit.
Serana traced lines around on his skin with the tip of her finger, humming softly to herself. Arven in turn pulled her closer, lying on his back with Serana resting in one of his arms, his free hand gently stroking her hair. After the night they just had sleep was finally starting to catch up with him. However, another thought came to Serana's mind.
"Hey… can I ask you for a favour?" Serana asked.
Arven looked to her, slightly confused. "This seems like a strange time to ask for one… but sure?"
Serana shrugged, seeming almost shy in that moment. "Well, I didn't want to ask earlier and ruin the mood."
Arven raised a brow. "It would've taken a lot for you to manage that, Serana. What do you need?"
Serana raised herself slightly, pushing herself up with one arm so she could look down at Arven. "Well, to be blunt… you aren't the only one that's thirsty. I might be just a little parched. More than a little bit, truth be told."
Arven's eyes widened. "Oh! Right, of course you are. Do you want me to get a vial now?" He asked, raising himself up. However Serana firmly pushed him back down. She was getting rather fond of doing that.
"Really? I think we're a little past me drinking your blood out of a vial, Arven," she said. A moment later and she had mounted him once more, the sheet falling off her slender figure. Arven blinked a few times, momentarily stunned as he took in the view.
"Really? Haven't had enough of a look yet?" She said, playfully teasing him. "And it's much, much better from the source, as you'd know. Actually, wait… you only drank out of vials, didn't you?" She asked.
Arven shook his head. Looking back on this moment, he'd see it as a time where an innocent white lie might've been the preferable route.
"No, not the first time. Lydia cut her neck open for me after I turned, so I know what you mean," he explained. Serana just looked at him, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly.
"What?" Arven asked.
"Lydia, hmm? So you sunk your fangs straight into her neck?" She mused, folding her arms across her bare chest.
"I… yes?" Arven said, only just now realising that he might've messed up.
"Remember what I said a moment ago about killing the mood?" Serana asked. She looked at him, almost glaring before that look broke out into a childish smile. She then laid down on top of him, her hair falling across his face and chest.
"Kidding. But, if you're okay with it, I'd much rather drink it from you," Serana said. "Only if you're okay with it, though. You can say no, please don't just do it for my sake if it makes you uncomfortable."
Arven reached up, moving some of Serana's hair out from his eye so he could see her better. "It's you, Serana. Of course it won't make me uncomfortable. I'm guessing you don't want to drink it from my arm again though, right?" He asked.
Serana shook her head, then leaned down to press her lips against his neck, on the opposite side to where he'd gotten scars from having another vampire tear out his flesh. She gave his skin a soft, gentle kiss before her fangs ever so slowly pierced his neck. They slid in effortlessly, sharp enough that Arven barely felt a thing. He only knew she'd started feeding due to the sound reaching his ear.
The first time he heard it that sound had made him squeamish. Yet now? It didn't bother him in the slightest. He placed a hand on the back of her head, gently stroking her hair as she fed from him for the first time in what felt like months.
As she fed, Serana had her hands on Arven's shoulders, and her grip was subconsciously getting progressively tighter and stronger with every passing second. It wasn't until Arven tapped her on the back that she realised, pulling away with a shocked expression.
"Sorry!" She quickly said. "Sorry, I think I got a little carried away."
"Just a little?" Arven remarked, his lips curled into a smile. He raised two fingers to his neck, going to heal the wound, but Serana grabbed his wrist and stopped him.
"Nope. I can do that for you," she interjected.
"But that'll burn you," Arven replied.
"You just gave me your blood, silly. It's the least I can do," Serana said before she held two fingers to Arven's neck, healing him within a second as her skin burnt from the magic. She didn't flinch or show any discomfort though. After, she raised her hands above her head, stretching out before running her fingers through her long hair. The entire time she had Arven blatantly staring at her figure.
"Gods, I forgot just how good you taste," she breathed. Flexing her hands, magicka started to spark between her fingertips as she felt the power from Arven's blood rushing through her body. The effect that his blood had on her felt even stronger now than it did previously, somehow.
"Better now?" Arven asked, his hands returning to Serana's thighs as she remained on top of him.
"Better. Much, much better. That woke me up. Your blood gives me so much energy, I could swear it actually makes me stronger," Serana said. Looking down at Arven, her smile turned into a rather suggestive one. Drinking someone's blood was a rather personal affair. That, combined with their current… situation, had Serana's thoughts lingering on the past night that they had just spent together.
Grinning, she grabbed Arven's wrists, pinning them down at his side.
"You know, I think I need to get a bit of revenge from earlier," Serana breathed.
"Revenge?" Arven asked.
"Mmhm. You seemed to enjoy pinning me down, tossing me about," Serana replied. "And that blood has me feeling… worked up."
Arven tested her strength momentarily, but he found that she was using quite a bit of her own power to keep his arms down. She wasn't just playing, she was using enough force that no mortal would be able to break free.
She leaned down, brushing her lips across his cheek before reaching his ear.
"Now you're going to lie there and behave while I burn through some of this newfound energy, understand?" Serana stated. Instead of waiting for a response, she kissed him once again on the neck where she had just fed. She then moved his arms up above his head, forcing one of his wrists on top of the other. Arven put up a little bit of a struggle, making her work for it, although he didn't come close to properly fighting back. He hardly wanted to.
With his arms above his head, Arven then let out a slight gasp as he felt a shocking cold. Serana had frozen his wrists together with her magicka, locking them in place against the headboard of his bed. She then placed both hands on his chest, effectively pinning him down.
And once again, Arven's memories became a blur as he and Serana embraced the other. The only difference being, of course, their swapped roles. That didn't last forever, though. While he was happy to let Serana take control for a little while, he eventually broke free and took over once more. He simply found it irresistible, with Serana's naked figure so close at hand.
By the time the two of them were properly exhausted the light was starting to shine through a window in Arven's bedroom. Normally his window was properly covered by a curtain; Arven had made sure that it didn't let any light in when he was a vampire. But during their activities, things in the room had been… knocked about. As soon as the light shone in on the pair, who were both spread across the bed in a tangled heap, Serana immediately withdrew behind Arven.
A soft groan came from her as she reached for a sheet, pulling it up.
"Arven," she started, her voice trailing off.
He turned to look at her, raising a brow as she hid herself underneath the sheets. "You alright there?" He asked.
"Sunlight," she murmured. "Go fix it."
Arven looked over to the window, confused for a moment. It was only then that he realised he had a small amount of sunlight shining directly onto his hand. He raised his arm, looking at the light with a gentle smile creeping across his face as he felt the warmth from it once more. That pleasant thought was interrupted by Serana's foot, kicking him lightly under the sheets.
"Fine, fine," he muttered. Standing up, still entirely nude, he walked over to the window, fixing the curtains and making sure no sunlight could enter the room.
As he did, he felt Serana's eyes staring into him from behind. He felt momentarily shy, for some reason. He didn't exactly know why, Serana had seen every part of him in the previous few hours.
"I could get used to this view, you know," Serana remarked as she made no attempt to hide her gaze.
Arven rolled his eyes, walking back over to the bed before collapsing in a rather unceremonious heap right next to Serana. She shifted about from the movement, the mattress moving underneath her.
"This isn't a dream, is it?" She whispered softly, looking over to him.
"You're the illusionist, you tell me. But I surely hope it isn't," Arven replied.
"By the way, this might be an excellent time to take that day off we've been talking about," Serana mentioned.
Arven looked down to her, raising a brow. "Oh yeah? And what would we do all day?" He asked.
Serana placed a hand on his cheek, pulling him closer. "Oh please. Even you aren't that dense," she said with a hint of a smile before she kissed him again. A much more gentle kiss than most they had shared in the previous hours, yet she loved it all the same.
"I'll admit, it's pretty damn tempting. But I think I need more than just a single day," he said. "Might be better to wait until we have that house off in the woods somewhere, nice and isolated."
Serana's smile grew a little bit wider, refusing to take her eyes away from his. She almost felt hypnotised as she looked into his eyes again, her favourite shade of blue looking back at her.
"Hey," she started. "Say it again, would you?"
"Say what again, exactly?" Arven asked. He was fairly sure he knew what she was after, but it couldn't hurt to make her work for it just a little.
She placed a finger against his chest, poking him softly. "You know exactly what I want to hear, Arven. It's rude to keep a woman waiting, you know."
Arven chuckled to himself briefly. He placed a finger underneath her chin, lifting it slightly. "I love you, Serana. And I'll say it as many times as you'd like," he said before kissing her once more.
Serana lingered on that kiss for a moment longer before pulling away. "I love you too, Arven," she replied before closing her eyes, and relaxing against him with a sigh.
"Didn't believe me the first time? Or are your memories a bit scattered?" Arven jested.
"No, nothing like that. Although it is a bit of a blur," Serana responded before placing a hand directly over his heart. "I just needed to make sure those words came from here, and not someplace down lower."
"I mean… a bit of both, maybe?" Arven said, almost posing it as a question. In return, Serana held a finger against his ribs and zapped him lightly.
"So, what now then?" Serana continued after a moment. "I know we shouldn't lie down here forever, but I'm struggling to think of anything that could motivate me to get up."
"Well… there's something I need, actually," Arven prompted.
"What, something more tempting than I am right now?" Serana asked, pressing her body closer to Arven as she said so.
"Oh, that's tough," Arven replied, looking up at the ceiling as if deep in thought.
Serana pushed herself up, looking down at him with a rather unimpressed look. "Someone really needs to teach you how to talk to women, Arven," she said, poking at his side gently. "If you don't give me a damn good reason for wanting to leave this bed, I'm about to zap you relentlessly."
As if right on queue, Arven had a sheepish smile come to his face as his stomach grumbled. It was loud, and he instinctively placed a hand over his lower abdomen.
"I might just be a little bit hungry. I haven't really eaten in… well, in a while," he explained.
Serana's eyes widened for a moment as the realisation set in. She knew nothing about transitioning back to being a human, but Arven hadn't eaten anything solid in far too long. There's every chance he'd be starved, potentially malnourished.
What's worse, it was actually a good excuse, and she could hardly zap him from that.
"Alright, fine. We'll go get you something to eat," Serana said, reluctantly sitting up properly and throwing her legs over the side of the bed. "But you need a bath first."
"I do?" Arven asked. Now that he was focusing on it, he was famished, and wanted to eat as soon as he could.
"You're covered in sweat, and we just spent the last few hours with each other. I know your senses are dulled, but trust me," Serana replied. Arven couldn't exactly argue that point.
Arven let out a sigh, following behind Serana as she stood up and walked outside of the bedroom door. He only then saw the damage he'd caused to the door the night before, but he found that he barely even cared.
"Alright, fine. A bath sounds nice, actually," Arven said.
So a few minutes later, he was relaxing in the bath, hot water cleansing his skin of sweat while he tried his best to relax. Yet he wasn't alone. He had Serana in his lap leaning back against him, and she seemed to be in an even better mood than he was.
"This was your plan all along, wasn't it?" Arven asked.
"I'd hardly call it a plan. More, a spur of the moment decision," Serana said. "Plus, since I made this bath for you I think it's only fair, no?"
Arven responded by wrapping his arms around her waist, relaxing back against the bathtub as he did so.
"You'll hear no complaints from me, Serana," he murmured.
"My my, tonight really is a night full of firsts, isn't it?" She quipped in response.
Arven let out a grumble of disapproval, but he was far too content to care. He closed his eyes before he exhaled, speaking the draconic word for 'fire' softly under his breath to heat up the water a little bit more, while being careful not to warm himself up too much. Serana looked over her shoulder at him as she did so, studying him.
"You really don't seem to struggle with that anymore," she commented.
Arven looked down, peering through one open eye. "What do you mean?" He asked.
"Being the Dragonborn. You almost seem… content with it now," Serana explained.
Arven shrugged, leaning his head back while closing his eyes once more. "I suppose so. Talking with Durnehviir helped me actually understand how my soul works. And now that I'm human again? Being the Dragonborn doesn't seem like that big of a deal. It's just a source of strength I can pull on," Arven said, feeling that power deep in his gut, idly rumbling while waiting for him to call on it.
"Well, I'm glad. You'll need that strength, especially after turning back into a mortal," Serana commented.
"I don't think that'll be much of an issue. I was strong as a vampire lord, sure. Quick as well. But with the amount of souls I've absorbed, I'm confident I could keep up with just about anyone now. As long as I embrace it all," he replied.
"You think so?" Serana asked, her fingers idly roaming across Arven's forearm. "You think you could overpower me, even without being a vampire?"
"Didn't I demonstrate that a few hours ago?" Arven commented with a sly smirk, earning him a soft jab in his side from Serana's elbow. "The only area I'm weaker in now is magic," he said, extending a hand as he summoned a small amount of conjuration magic. Of course, without his enchanted gloves or vampiric blood, his conjuration was far weaker than it used to be. Slightly better than before due to constant practice as a vampire, but still weak.
Serana's hand moved over his own, softly correcting his magic in the same way Arven did for her when she was trying to grasp restoration magic. "Don't worry, I can teach you. Besides, your strength is what we need against father. That, and your voice. I've never witnessed a single person wield as much power as you can when you shout," Serana said. She was being truthful. While her destruction magic was masterful, she knew that she couldn't match Arven's Thu'um. Seeing him cripple Durnehviir with a single shout was proof enough.
"You haven't even seen half of what I can do, either," Arven replied.
"Oh? You can do more than just breathe fire and yell things down?" Serana asked, her voice carrying a hint of playfulness.
In response, Arven grasped Serana's hand, lifting it up in front of her. He then whispered softly, quiet enough so that Serana could barely make out the words. A second later and she no longer felt Arven's fingers intertwined with her own, as everything from his forearm down turned into a shimmering mist that seemed to retain the shape of his arm, yet passed through her effortlessly.
"I sure can," Arven replied as he moved his hand through Serana's own, back and forth. It felt a bit strange and it wasn't something he did often, but turning ethereal had saved him in the past. Although there had been more than one occasion where he'd stubbornly taken a blow rather than shout, given his past hesitation to accept what he was.
"You can turn ethereal?" She said, her voice sounding shocked.
"Sure seems that way," Arven said as his arm slowly returned to its physical state, his fingers entwining with Serana's once more.
"I don't even understand. How can you do that by speaking a few random words?" Serana asked. The Thu'um seemed to defy everything she knew about magic, everything she had studied. She was partially confused, partially fascinated, and partially angry that such powerful 'magic' was hidden behind a mostly lost, ancient language.
"Beats me. I never really tried to comprehend it. I only needed to know enough to be able to use it," Arven said. "I don't actually understand the language logically. I just… feel it, I suppose."
"You never thought to learn how to properly speak it?" Serana asked.
Arven shrugged. "Didn't want to focus on it for any longer than I needed to," he offered.
Serana tilted her head off to one side, humming. She understood of course, given his past anxiety over it. But it still frustrated her slightly. So, she decided to change the topic. There had been a question hovering on the brink of her mind for quite some time now. Although before the night they had just spent together, the question was slightly different. More wondering if something were true, rather than when it came to be.
"Hey, Arven," she started, exhaling softly as she rested her torso back against him entirely. Her head was on his shoulder, her hair covering most of his chest as she allowed herself to completely relax. "When did you know?"
Arven looked down at her, curious. "Know what, exactly?" He had an idea, but he wanted to make sure.
"When did you know for sure that you loved me?" She asked. She didn't make eye contact; she felt slightly too vulnerable in that moment. But she still wanted to know.
Arven had a soft smile cross his lips. "I… well, there were moments when I realised I cared for you far more than I'd ever thought I would. I was confused initially, when you showed some level of care or concern whenever I got hurt. When I get injured, most people are worried if I am still able to do a job. Still able to protect them. You seemed to be more worried if I was okay for my own sake, no one elses. That was new," Arven replied.
He hadn't started to answer the question, but Serana wasn't about to stop him. She just kept one of his hands in her own, squeezing it gently while resting against his frame.
"And since it was new, that confused me. Then later on, hearing about what your parents put you through in order to become vampires made me irrationally angry. I still vividly remember holding you when we had that fight outside of Fort Dawnguard. You were upset, and I wondered for the briefest of moments why that bothered me so much. All I knew is that I wanted to comfort you," Arven continued. He was almost rambling at this point, but it felt good to say it out loud.
"And your incessant teasing, nagging. Trying to remove my helmet, taunting me, staying close to me. If it was anyone else I would've been driven mad a long, long time ago. Yet with you… I couldn't get enough of it. You took me to Oblivion, and I didn't even care because I was with you. And by that point I had put so much faith in you. I'd never allow anyone to come with me when I fought dragons. Partially because I didn't want anyone else getting hurt, but mostly I just never trusted anyone to cover for me. Yet somehow… by that point I trusted you with my life. And you're the only person I've ever had that level of trust in," Arven said. His voice was growing quieter as he spoke, turning into more of a whisper as time went on.
Serana tilted her head up, looking at him with a gentle smile. She reached up, placing a hand on his cheek, her thumb gently stroking his skin. But she didn't interrupt him.
"But to answer your question, I knew for certain shortly after I'd turned. You were doing your best to guide me through everything, and you told me that you'd have even given up your own vampirism to save me, if you could have," he said, looking Serana in the eyes. "It shocked me, knowing that you'd give up so much to save me. I was trying to rationalise it, make sense of it, so I thought it myself 'what would I give to save her if the situation was reversed'? And when I thought about it hard… I knew I would've given the same answer you had. I'd do anything for you, Serana. I've never had anyone care for me like you have before. And somehow, the first woman to do so just happens to be the most confident, remarkable, gorgeous woman I've ever met."
His answer was rewarded with a kiss. With one hand on his cheek, she guided him closer, her lips showing an impossibly bright, wide smile moments before she kissed him. It wasn't full of passion like other times their lips had met throughout the night. It was incredibly tender. Soft. As she pulled away, Arven savoured the sensation of her lips against his, along with the feeling in his stomach he got whenever they kissed.
"Thank you," Serana said, her voice barely above a whisper. "No one's ever talked about me like that, you know. I don't think I've ever heard words so sweet."
Arven shrugged, ever so slightly embarrassed. "You deserve them. Every one," he replied.
"Can you say it again?" Serana asked. Arven knew what she was after this time, but he felt like making her work for it a little.
"Oh no, not yet. Now it's your turn," he said. "Don't think for a second I'm not asking you the same question now."
Serana pouted, her cheeks slightly inflating as she looked up at him. She looked cute. Incredibly cute, but Arven didn't waver. He just shook his head slightly before she then turned back around, huffing.
"Alright, if you insist," she exhaled as she relaxed back against Arven once more.
"It was when you died," she said. It was a blunt, honest answer, and Arven could've sworn he felt her shiver slightly when she said it. "But there was something long before that happened. That moment was just what made me realise it."
After she spoke Arven looked down at her, his eyes prodding her for more information.
"You aren't getting off that easily," he said with a smirk.
"Oh fine," Serana replied, trying to fight off the slight embarrassment she felt. "Well, there was always something different about you. I normally keep people at arm's reach. Most of the people I knew previously wanted to get to know me almost in a political sense. The daughter of the head of the most powerful vampire family in Skyrim. But you, you were so different from what I was used to… I couldn't help but be curious. And that curiosity ended up with me getting to know you. Wanting to learn more about you, the way you think, the way you see the world. After being alive for so long I thought I knew how the world worked. How people work. Yet, you proved me wrong," she started.
"And before I knew it, I just couldn't get enough of you. I wanted to study you, test you, learn from you. But I didn't accept that I had feelings for quite some time. I told myself I was interested in you purely in a platonic way. That there wasn't anything deeper. They were all lies. And then you died, and I realised the truth," she said. She paused for a moment afterwards to collect her thoughts. Thinking of that time, watching the life leave Arven's eyes was a horrid memory for her for multiple reasons.
"I was falling for you, hard, but I didn't realise it until that moment. I remember walking with you in the Soul Cairn, asking you about your family. When you told me that they wouldn't care about what I was, I just had these childish thoughts of actually meeting your parents. It feels stupid, but… I had this warm feeling in my stomach at the thought of you being so proud introducing me to them. I told myself I was just hung up on the idea of having a welcoming family, that's why I enjoyed the thought so much. But no, I loved the thought because it was with you. I felt… safe whenever I was with you. I felt like I had a home." she said.
As she spoke she felt Arven's forearms wrap around her waist, pulling her in and squeezing her tight. Making her feel comfortable. Safe.
"Then, when you died, I felt a pain so terrible I couldn't even comprehend it. The torture I went through to become what I am now was… horrific. But even so, seeing you die was one of the worst things I've ever experienced. And I knew that I loved you then, because I would've given absolutely anything in this world to bring you back," she continued. Her hands came to rest on top of Arven's as they remained wrapped around her waist, and she felt him gently kiss her head as she spoke, a small gesture that filled her with warmth.
"And how could I not love you? You're selfless to the point of detriment, incredibly stubborn and an absolute fool at times. Yet you're incredibly caring, kind… all while being the strongest and by far the most incredible man that I've met in centuries. If ever," she said.
"Is that enough to satisfy your curiosity, Arven?" Serana asked as she looked back at him, hiding behind a small layer of sarcasm to hide how vulnerable she felt. But she was just met with an incredibly warm smile as Arven offered her a gentle nod.
"More than enough," Arven replied. He felt that this was no time to tease her. Not when they were being this honest with the other. "Thank you for saving my life back in the castle, Serana. I know I was in a dark place back then, but… I couldn't be happier that I'm still here. That I'm with you."
Serana looked back to him. Arven raised a finger, moving hair from her eyes as he looked into them. Her eyes were slightly glassy, but they were incredibly beautiful.
"I love you, Serana. More than I ever thought was possible," Arven said.
Even though she had heard it already, Serana couldn't stop herself from reacting to those words. She caught a lump on her throat, her smile growing impossibly bright as she looked at him with all of the love and admiration in the world. They each gave the other a look that they would've thought impossible months ago, as they each felt a connection deeper than anything they knew existed.
"Thank you for being the one to wake me up, Arven. I love you too, and I forever will."
One more chapter down, closing in on the end of the story. This chapter has been a long, long time coming, and the delay was partially due to me being rather pedantic about it. I had re-written parts countless times, so hopefully the end product came out well! Once again, thank you all very much for your support, and I hope you all had a great holiday period over the new year wherever you are!
