It was a cold, dark night when sleeplessness sent Bolli out into the city. He had finished the last bottle of ale in the house, his estranged wife slept alone upstairs, and the least he could do was go back to the inn and restock. When he left the house, however, he was surprised to see a leather-clad figure crouching at the door next to his. The hooded figure looked up from the lock it was picking, and Bolli could see their shoulders tense.
“What are you doing?” he asked harshly, storming over to the thief as they stepped backwards. Before he could say any more, the hood dropped, revealing the familiar, blushing face. He froze, his arms dropping to his sides as the Breton moved closer to him.
“Hi, Bolli,” she said softly, her eyes on the ground.
“Nadia,” Bolli whispered, reaching shakily for her arms. She allowed him to touch her, and looked up wordlessly. “What…what are you doing?”
“I’m working.” Nadia gestured back at the door halfheartedly. “Brynjolf asked me to come back. He said he could use my skills, and Markarth was getting a bit too hectic for my liking.” Bolli’s fingers tightened on her arms, and he pulled her away from the rows of houses. This wasn’t the girl who gave septims to the beggars, who spent extra money at Grelka’s stall so that she could get closer to leaving Skyrim, and who protected Marise from Hemming and Sibbi’s teasing. If she was working for the Guild, he feared that he was losing the part of her personality that he had fallen in love with, and that had set her apart from practically everyone else in Riften.
“You can’t work for the Guild,” he said firmly, resting his hands on her shoulders. “You’re better than that.” Nadia laughed wryly, taking a seat on a barrel nearby.
“Am I,” she scoffed. “It’s not all bad work. Sometimes we help people out. I give a lot of the money I earn to people who are worse off. It’s just another source of income.” She sighed, glancing around at the foggy town. “…Do you want to talk somewhere more privately?”
The two retreated to the fishery, curling up together on the floor of the office. Bolli finally wrapped an arm around the shorter girl, and she relaxed into his side.
“Where have you been?” he asked. “Why didn’t you write to me?”
“I couldn’t,” Nadia insisted, though the apology was clear in her eyes. “I was figuring things out for myself. Like I said before I left…we let this go too far.” Bolli sighed, pulling his hat off so that he could wipe his brow.
“Do you really believe that?” When the girl remained quiet, he studied her face, trying to figure out what he saw there. “I cared about you, Nadia. I still do. You have to know that.”
“I do,” Nadia replied softly, squeezing his hand. “But that doesn’t change what this is. You have a wife, a business…you have too much on the line to let me jeopardize it.” Bolli frowned, confused.
“You think you’d jeopardize it?” he asked, alarmed. “Nivenor won’t leave me. She’s the one with more to lose.” Nadia shook her head, leaning forward on her hands.
“We can’t do this forever, as much as you’d like to. She’ll find out.”
“She already knows.” Now the Breton looked up, eyes widening, and Bolli pulled her closer. “It doesn’t matter. We talked about it. You left town, and that was the end of it.” Nadia closed her eyes, biting her lip hard.
“Bolli…this doesn’t help. Especially now that I’m back.” She pulled away, moving a safe distance away, but Bolli only leaned forward.
“Nadia.” He looked at her as meaningfully as he could. “You’re worth it. Do you understand me? You can work with the Guild if you want, but…having you back feels like a gift from Mara, and I’d hate to see you get hurt. Please…please be careful.” Nadia finally smiled, and the sight was enough to send Bolli’s heart fluttering.
“…The job can wait,” she sighed, leaning in to kiss him.
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timeasmymeasure
F!DB/Bolli: "The Things He Lacks" 13/?
Date: 2015-07-04 03:08 am (UTC)“What are you doing?” he asked harshly, storming over to the thief as they stepped backwards. Before he could say any more, the hood dropped, revealing the familiar, blushing face. He froze, his arms dropping to his sides as the Breton moved closer to him.
“Hi, Bolli,” she said softly, her eyes on the ground.
“Nadia,” Bolli whispered, reaching shakily for her arms. She allowed him to touch her, and looked up wordlessly. “What…what are you doing?”
“I’m working.” Nadia gestured back at the door halfheartedly. “Brynjolf asked me to come back. He said he could use my skills, and Markarth was getting a bit too hectic for my liking.” Bolli’s fingers tightened on her arms, and he pulled her away from the rows of houses. This wasn’t the girl who gave septims to the beggars, who spent extra money at Grelka’s stall so that she could get closer to leaving Skyrim, and who protected Marise from Hemming and Sibbi’s teasing. If she was working for the Guild, he feared that he was losing the part of her personality that he had fallen in love with, and that had set her apart from practically everyone else in Riften.
“You can’t work for the Guild,” he said firmly, resting his hands on her shoulders. “You’re better than that.” Nadia laughed wryly, taking a seat on a barrel nearby.
“Am I,” she scoffed. “It’s not all bad work. Sometimes we help people out. I give a lot of the money I earn to people who are worse off. It’s just another source of income.” She sighed, glancing around at the foggy town. “…Do you want to talk somewhere more privately?”
The two retreated to the fishery, curling up together on the floor of the office. Bolli finally wrapped an arm around the shorter girl, and she relaxed into his side.
“Where have you been?” he asked. “Why didn’t you write to me?”
“I couldn’t,” Nadia insisted, though the apology was clear in her eyes. “I was figuring things out for myself. Like I said before I left…we let this go too far.” Bolli sighed, pulling his hat off so that he could wipe his brow.
“Do you really believe that?” When the girl remained quiet, he studied her face, trying to figure out what he saw there. “I cared about you, Nadia. I still do. You have to know that.”
“I do,” Nadia replied softly, squeezing his hand. “But that doesn’t change what this is. You have a wife, a business…you have too much on the line to let me jeopardize it.” Bolli frowned, confused.
“You think you’d jeopardize it?” he asked, alarmed. “Nivenor won’t leave me. She’s the one with more to lose.” Nadia shook her head, leaning forward on her hands.
“We can’t do this forever, as much as you’d like to. She’ll find out.”
“She already knows.” Now the Breton looked up, eyes widening, and Bolli pulled her closer. “It doesn’t matter. We talked about it. You left town, and that was the end of it.” Nadia closed her eyes, biting her lip hard.
“Bolli…this doesn’t help. Especially now that I’m back.” She pulled away, moving a safe distance away, but Bolli only leaned forward.
“Nadia.” He looked at her as meaningfully as he could. “You’re worth it. Do you understand me? You can work with the Guild if you want, but…having you back feels like a gift from Mara, and I’d hate to see you get hurt. Please…please be careful.” Nadia finally smiled, and the sight was enough to send Bolli’s heart fluttering.
“…The job can wait,” she sighed, leaning in to kiss him.