Wilhelm gives a booming, cheerful laugh, thunking two racks of ribs onto their empty plates, and he and Miri exchange a grin as they tuck in. "Ale-basted bear," Wilhelm says. "Best eatin' you'll find in the countryside, or so I like to say. A good hot meal before a long, cold trek. Does the spirit good."
"It smells wonderful," Miri sighs, and Vilkas nods, already halfway into a rib. Bandit-slaying always makes him hungry.
Wilhelm grins. "Glad to hear it. Now then," he says, and shuffles around behind the bar until he comes up with a room key, putting it between them. "You two are the back room right here. I expect we won't be getting any more visitors this time of night, so I'm going to bed. I'll be across the hall if you need anything, so don't be shy, just knock. And you can leave your plates, we'll get them in the morning."
"Thank you," they echo, and Wilhelm nods and waves, and then closes his door.
They sit and finish their meal in silence, but it's a companionable one, rather than the strained silence from earlier. Vilkas is glad that Miri seems okay. Knowing what he knows now, he probably would've chosen to take the quicker route and avoid the ghosts of her all-too-recent past; it would've been a more difficult trek, maybe, but nothing the two of them couldn't handle. But he's at least relieved that she doesn't seem too shaken up. Maybe they'll do that on the way back.
"Oh," Miri groans, "those were so good. Wilhelm was right. Definitely makes up for this afternoon."
...Or maybe they'll stick with the path they already know. "Aye. We'll have to stop in for some more on our way back."
"Yes!" She pumps her fist in the air. "For sure. And I'll pick up the tab next time." Vilkas startles, and she grins. "Didn't think I'd notice, huh? You were very sneaky-kind. As usual."
Well. He can't exactly deny it. "It's nothing," he says. "I don't want you to worry about it."
"I won't," she says. "I have plenty of money."
"Enough to buy the house on the corner?" Vilkas asks. When she hesitates, he grins. "Then let me. It's fine. Kodlak would give us a stipend for this if we asked, in any case."
"Vilkas--"
"I'm sure." He pats her shoulder. "Save your money. I know you've got plans for it."
"Don't you?" she asks, and he shrugs. "Not really," he says. "No wife, no kids. I like living in Jorrvaskr, for the most part. I make a decent living, working for the Companions, and Kodlak saw that I started getting paid as soon as I was old enough to take on real work." He smiles. "So, no. I'm fine. Eat your free ribs."
She grumbles a little, but after a minute she nudges his side, gives him a funny little smile. "Thank you," she says. "I'll be looking out to get you back, though!"
"Have my back on the road, and that's more than enough." Vilkas stretches, letting out a jaw-cracking yawn. A bellyful of food and drink and a long day is making him pleasantly drowsy--probably not enough to sleep, but he'll certainly be able to rest quietly for a bit. "Are we ready to turn in?"
"Definitely!" Miri takes the key and heads for the door, Vilkas following after her after leaving a few septims on the table in thanks. He hears her startled noise, but it doesn't really register until he's standing behind her...
And staring at an enormous double bed.
"Oh," she says. "He, um, must not have realized that we weren't--"
She breaks off, and they look at each other. "...I hate to wake him," she says. "Do you need...?"
"No, it's fine," he says quickly. "You take the bed. I don't need to lie down."
She frowns. "But you'll be more comfortable, won't you? You do relax at night, right?" She looks at the bed and back to him. "I don't think I crowd, if you want to just...split it."
Vilkas looks at the double bed, and looks at Miri, chewing on her lip nervously. Looks back at the bed, which seems smaller when he's staring it down. Or maybe that's just him.
"...Alright," he says. It'll be a longer night for him, having to rein his wolf back with her scent everywhere, but he knows she's trying to do him a good turn. "If you aren't sleeping well, just let me know and I'll move."
FILL: Vilkas/F!DB: "Lovers' Knot" 27/?
"It smells wonderful," Miri sighs, and Vilkas nods, already halfway into a rib. Bandit-slaying always makes him hungry.
Wilhelm grins. "Glad to hear it. Now then," he says, and shuffles around behind the bar until he comes up with a room key, putting it between them. "You two are the back room right here. I expect we won't be getting any more visitors this time of night, so I'm going to bed. I'll be across the hall if you need anything, so don't be shy, just knock. And you can leave your plates, we'll get them in the morning."
"Thank you," they echo, and Wilhelm nods and waves, and then closes his door.
They sit and finish their meal in silence, but it's a companionable one, rather than the strained silence from earlier. Vilkas is glad that Miri seems okay. Knowing what he knows now, he probably would've chosen to take the quicker route and avoid the ghosts of her all-too-recent past; it would've been a more difficult trek, maybe, but nothing the two of them couldn't handle. But he's at least relieved that she doesn't seem too shaken up. Maybe they'll do that on the way back.
"Oh," Miri groans, "those were so good. Wilhelm was right. Definitely makes up for this afternoon."
...Or maybe they'll stick with the path they already know. "Aye. We'll have to stop in for some more on our way back."
"Yes!" She pumps her fist in the air. "For sure. And I'll pick up the tab next time." Vilkas startles, and she grins. "Didn't think I'd notice, huh? You were very sneaky-kind. As usual."
Well. He can't exactly deny it. "It's nothing," he says. "I don't want you to worry about it."
"I won't," she says. "I have plenty of money."
"Enough to buy the house on the corner?" Vilkas asks. When she hesitates, he grins. "Then let me. It's fine. Kodlak would give us a stipend for this if we asked, in any case."
"Vilkas--"
"I'm sure." He pats her shoulder. "Save your money. I know you've got plans for it."
"Don't you?" she asks, and he shrugs. "Not really," he says. "No wife, no kids. I like living in Jorrvaskr, for the most part. I make a decent living, working for the Companions, and Kodlak saw that I started getting paid as soon as I was old enough to take on real work." He smiles. "So, no. I'm fine. Eat your free ribs."
She grumbles a little, but after a minute she nudges his side, gives him a funny little smile. "Thank you," she says. "I'll be looking out to get you back, though!"
"Have my back on the road, and that's more than enough." Vilkas stretches, letting out a jaw-cracking yawn. A bellyful of food and drink and a long day is making him pleasantly drowsy--probably not enough to sleep, but he'll certainly be able to rest quietly for a bit. "Are we ready to turn in?"
"Definitely!" Miri takes the key and heads for the door, Vilkas following after her after leaving a few septims on the table in thanks. He hears her startled noise, but it doesn't really register until he's standing behind her...
And staring at an enormous double bed.
"Oh," she says. "He, um, must not have realized that we weren't--"
She breaks off, and they look at each other. "...I hate to wake him," she says. "Do you need...?"
"No, it's fine," he says quickly. "You take the bed. I don't need to lie down."
She frowns. "But you'll be more comfortable, won't you? You do relax at night, right?" She looks at the bed and back to him. "I don't think I crowd, if you want to just...split it."
Vilkas looks at the double bed, and looks at Miri, chewing on her lip nervously. Looks back at the bed, which seems smaller when he's staring it down. Or maybe that's just him.
"...Alright," he says. It'll be a longer night for him, having to rein his wolf back with her scent everywhere, but he knows she's trying to do him a good turn. "If you aren't sleeping well, just let me know and I'll move."