“I was merely suggesting that it might be nice to put ourselves up in some privacy together, without the looming presence of your house guest or your housecarl, for that matter. And without the presence of Mercer’s memory…” his eyes drifted to their corners, as if he could see Riftweald manor from here. “It was a lark anyway, a fantasy. I feel about as good as you do about living so closely under Maven’s thumb – as if her new title doesn’t put us too close for comfort, as is.”
Ever since he had agreed to aid Ulfric in recovering his political stature, Audric would occasionally entertain the idea of having Maven deposed, preferably in a public and humiliating fashion.
“Well, I need to get to bed; I’m really and truly tired.” Brynjolf stood and offered his hand, pulled Audric to his feet. His eyes traveled slowly, predacious, along Audric’s body. “That armor looks better on you than it does me.”
“I don’t know about that.” The memory of the first time they’d donned the Nightingale armor together was still crisp in his mind. “Nocturnal’s uniform does you more favors than you deserve.”
The two of them walked together, back into the city and at a leisurely pace along the canals until they found themselves in the low light of the lantern by Audric’s door.
“Goodnight, Bellamy. Get some rest. I’ll pawn your numbers off on Karliah, this time.”
“Thank you.”
“And when next you decide to go gallivanting off to places you don’t belong, tell me.”
“Why, so you can try to stop me?” Audric chortled.
Gently, Brynjolf placed his hand on Audric’s neck, the pads of his fingers weighing against his skin. “So I can worry about you properly.”
Audric stood, in mild confusion, and watched until Brynjolf faded into the shadows before he finally turned and unlocked his front door.
Ulfric was sitting in the kitchen, writing in a journal. As Audric’s eyes found the points of him, his thoughts became a snarled tangle of like and dislike, of admiration and loathing, of pity and antipathy. Unknowing, Ulfric looked up from his work and even afforded him a slight, tentative smile. “Good evening.”
Audric nodded and passed into his bedroom. He slipped out of his armor out of eyesight. “I was expecting a lecture,” he admitted at length.
“Whatever for?”
“I was much longer than I said I’d be.”
Ulfric considered this in silence, thoughtful, discerning. “I was...troubled, by the protracted absence, but I saw you come up the south road.”
As Audric crawled into bed, he wondered what else Ulfric had seen; moreover, he wondered why it bothered him so.
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timeasmymeasure
"Divide and Conquer" Ulfric Stormcloak/M!DB, 6f/??
Date: 2013-08-28 05:16 pm (UTC)Ever since he had agreed to aid Ulfric in recovering his political stature, Audric would occasionally entertain the idea of having Maven deposed, preferably in a public and humiliating fashion.
“Well, I need to get to bed; I’m really and truly tired.”
Brynjolf stood and offered his hand, pulled Audric to his feet. His eyes traveled slowly, predacious, along Audric’s body. “That armor looks better on you than it does me.”
“I don’t know about that.” The memory of the first time they’d donned the Nightingale armor together was still crisp in his mind. “Nocturnal’s uniform does you more favors than you deserve.”
The two of them walked together, back into the city and at a leisurely pace along the canals until they found themselves in the low light of the lantern by Audric’s door.
“Goodnight, Bellamy. Get some rest. I’ll pawn your numbers off on Karliah, this time.”
“Thank you.”
“And when next you decide to go gallivanting off to places you don’t belong, tell me.”
“Why, so you can try to stop me?” Audric chortled.
Gently, Brynjolf placed his hand on Audric’s neck, the pads of his fingers weighing against his skin. “So I can worry about you properly.”
Audric stood, in mild confusion, and watched until Brynjolf faded into the shadows before he finally turned and unlocked his front door.
Ulfric was sitting in the kitchen, writing in a journal. As Audric’s eyes found the points of him, his thoughts became a snarled tangle of like and dislike, of admiration and loathing, of pity and antipathy. Unknowing, Ulfric looked up from his work and even afforded him a slight, tentative smile. “Good evening.”
Audric nodded and passed into his bedroom. He slipped out of his armor out of eyesight. “I was expecting a lecture,” he admitted at length.
“Whatever for?”
“I was much longer than I said I’d be.”
Ulfric considered this in silence, thoughtful, discerning. “I was...troubled, by the protracted absence, but I saw you come up the south road.”
As Audric crawled into bed, he wondered what else Ulfric had seen; moreover, he wondered why it bothered him so.