The girl had been gone for over a week, and Vilkas was ready to put a hole in the wall of Jorrvaskr with his bare fist. That annoying elf with her glossy hair and dark eyes had occupied too many of his thoughts, he needed to find a distraction. It was bad enough when she was flitting around Jorrvaskr, all slender curves and smelling of pine, and cozying up with everyone but him. He hadn't been able to stop himself from goading her, just to see a blush rise in her cheeks or get her pretty lips to fall open in outrage.
Vilkas couldn't say whether he liked the Bosmer or not, but by the gods he wanted her. Then she had disappeared – with his brother, no less – and he'd slowly driven himself insane over the past few days thinking of the two of them together.
He slammed his hand on the table in frustration, then surged to his feet, deciding to go hunt something, anything, instead of sulking around Whiterun. He was reaching to push the door when it swung open toward him instead, revealing the object of his obsession. She was laughing over her shoulder to someone behind her, her whole body relaxed and open, and not looking where she was going.
Merrill walked straight into Vilkas, her breath leaving her with a little oof, and before he knew it his hands were wrapped around her arms, squeezing with entirely too much force.
"V-Vilkas," she gasped, and the fear in her voice tugged on something dark inside him. He liked hearing her say his name like that. He glared at her, silent, unwilling to let her go now that he'd caught her. There was that blush, crawling up her neck and staining her cheeks; Vilkas fought the urge to smile.
"Brother?" Farkas sounded confused and a little wary, hovering just outside of the hall.
"So good you've returned, my brother, and with the new blood still in one piece," he answered, without taking his eyes from Merrill. "Now, if you will excuse us, I have something pressing to discuss with her."
Farkas sidled into the hall, shifting his gaze between the two of them, and quietly asked, "Merrill? You will be alright?"
She slid her eyes away from Vilkas and he instantly lost patience with his twin. Turning his head, he nearly roared at Farkas.
"I said leave!"
Farkas raised both his hands in a placating gesture and turned toward the stairs. He and the girl both watched him retreat, until the hall was empty of anyone but them.
He looked back to her first, and was mesmerized by the pulse of her blood pumping through her neck, considered laying his tongue over it. Then she whipped her head back around, her whole face transformed with anger.
"What the hell do you want, Vilkas?"
You, he thought, but chose not to answer, hoping to aggravate her even more. It worked, Merrill began to struggle against his grasp, bringing her hands up to push at his chest and tossing her hair. He shook her a little, almost playfully, and reached with one hand to knock her helmet off. The armor hit the floor with an awful clatter, making her jump and frown up at him again before she wrenched her other arm away. Vilkas let her go willingly, thinking to give chase.
But she only took a few steps away, and then stood her ground, rubbing at where he had gouged her with his fingers and looking expectant.
"Well?" she asked again.
"Where did you go with my brother?" he growled, trying to keep his voice low.
"That's none of your fucking concern!" she snapped back, tossing her head again.
"It damned well is! He is my twin and you are my shield sister, when the two of you disappear like that I have every right to know why!"
Her eyes flashed with defiance, the look shooting straight to his loins. For an instant he thought she would take a swing at him, and was almost disappointed when she didn't.
"That's too bad, Vilkas, because I'm not telling you a single fucking thing." She lowered her voice to a purr, "and that part about being a shield sister was almost funny. You have done nothing for me the entire time I've been a companion except try to piss me off, and I'm fucking sick of it. Make your peace with me or stay out of my way, either way I owe you nothing."
This prompt is just too freaking awesome! Part 2/?
Vilkas couldn't say whether he liked the Bosmer or not, but by the gods he wanted her. Then she had disappeared – with his brother, no less – and he'd slowly driven himself insane over the past few days thinking of the two of them together.
He slammed his hand on the table in frustration, then surged to his feet, deciding to go hunt something, anything, instead of sulking around Whiterun. He was reaching to push the door when it swung open toward him instead, revealing the object of his obsession. She was laughing over her shoulder to someone behind her, her whole body relaxed and open, and not looking where she was going.
Merrill walked straight into Vilkas, her breath leaving her with a little oof, and before he knew it his hands were wrapped around her arms, squeezing with entirely too much force.
"V-Vilkas," she gasped, and the fear in her voice tugged on something dark inside him. He liked hearing her say his name like that. He glared at her, silent, unwilling to let her go now that he'd caught her. There was that blush, crawling up her neck and staining her cheeks; Vilkas fought the urge to smile.
"Brother?" Farkas sounded confused and a little wary, hovering just outside of the hall.
"So good you've returned, my brother, and with the new blood still in one piece," he answered, without taking his eyes from Merrill. "Now, if you will excuse us, I have something pressing to discuss with her."
Farkas sidled into the hall, shifting his gaze between the two of them, and quietly asked, "Merrill? You will be alright?"
She slid her eyes away from Vilkas and he instantly lost patience with his twin. Turning his head, he nearly roared at Farkas.
"I said leave!"
Farkas raised both his hands in a placating gesture and turned toward the stairs. He and the girl both watched him retreat, until the hall was empty of anyone but them.
He looked back to her first, and was mesmerized by the pulse of her blood pumping through her neck, considered laying his tongue over it. Then she whipped her head back around, her whole face transformed with anger.
"What the hell do you want, Vilkas?"
You, he thought, but chose not to answer, hoping to aggravate her even more. It worked, Merrill began to struggle against his grasp, bringing her hands up to push at his chest and tossing her hair. He shook her a little, almost playfully, and reached with one hand to knock her helmet off. The armor hit the floor with an awful clatter, making her jump and frown up at him again before she wrenched her other arm away. Vilkas let her go willingly, thinking to give chase.
But she only took a few steps away, and then stood her ground, rubbing at where he had gouged her with his fingers and looking expectant.
"Well?" she asked again.
"Where did you go with my brother?" he growled, trying to keep his voice low.
"That's none of your fucking concern!" she snapped back, tossing her head again.
"It damned well is! He is my twin and you are my shield sister, when the two of you disappear like that I have every right to know why!"
Her eyes flashed with defiance, the look shooting straight to his loins. For an instant he thought she would take a swing at him, and was almost disappointed when she didn't.
"That's too bad, Vilkas, because I'm not telling you a single fucking thing." She lowered her voice to a purr, "and that part about being a shield sister was almost funny. You have done nothing for me the entire time I've been a companion except try to piss me off, and I'm fucking sick of it. Make your peace with me or stay out of my way, either way I owe you nothing."