Brynjolf looked over the small map once more, the dim lights of the Cistern were wearing on the man. Something about Gweneith being gone for so long seemed to sway his mood. He knew why, of course, but he didn't want to say it aloud. Everyone here had already made subtle comments about how stupid the man was, telling a woman he was in love with her after only a few weeks, they didn't need help. He stood up from the map with a sigh, wondering why he allowed himself to do that at all. He knew she was not ready to hear it and yet he said it anyway.
She had been gone for longer than he spent time with her. That single kiss they shared was going to make appearances in his dreams for a while. Mercer walked behind him, chuckling. "Pining over her again? It's a good thing she didn't come back." He looked to the map. "She isn't joining, so she's not bound to our rules, Brynjolf. She is also a killer. And an Elf. Did we need another one in our midst?"
"She's not like that." His head whipped to Mercer, brows furrowed. "She is not like that at all."
"I feel like you are just putting her on a pedestal. He shook his head. "Which is dangerous. Look, she has a decent-ish head on her shoulders and she does know things we don't when it comes to not being seen, but she pretty much dropped off some tips and split. That is the best thing that really could have happened." Mercer placed his hand on the desk, turning to Brynjolf who was easing slowly albeit hesitantly. "Listen, I'm saying this because I care. She's not coming back. This was just a distraction for her. We're your family and she was just a girl, right? We don't need her."
Brynjolf looked down, chewing on his cheek for just a moment. "I didn't need her, Mercer, I wanted her. A love that you need isn't love. But, yeah. I probably ran the lass off. I was stupid for telling her so soon. Just when I looked at her I couldn't help it."
"Ah, well. You have never been a fool about many things. I suppose it was time. Tell you what. We will do the goldenglow job tomorrow, so tonight we will hit the Bee and you can forget about her. That woman that now runs the orphanage, I mean, she is pretty cute, right?"
Brynjolf looked to him with a soft, sorrowful look. He watches Mercer snake an arm around his shoulder and start to pull him along. "Not... Really."
Mercer laughed. "Well no matter, you just need to bang the other one right out of your head." They walked to the trap door together. Brynjolf just went with the flow, knowing that Mercer wouldn't relent until he went out drinking with the man. "After you." The man exhaustedly climbed, then pulled the chain out of reflex.
"Shit!" Brynjolf looked up, watching someone jump from the sliding stone to solid ground. His eyes widened, knowing by the way she moved it was Gweneith. The figure stumbled, then fell with a harsh thump. He ran up the stairs, looking down to the black cape that surrounded the woman. He leaned down, helping her to roll over, seated on the cold ground. His eyes met hers, soft reds curiously looking at him buried under messy bangs on blond.
"Lass..." He was both hopeful and fearful in the same breath. "You can't stand on the rock." He breathed out a sigh of relief. "I would have caught you, but it won't always be me."
"I was looking for the button. Then well... I found it but sort of just stared at it for a while. I was nervous about seeing you... Because I-" Gweneith looked up into his eyes. Her eyes flicked behind him, seeing Mercer emerge up through the hole. Their eyes met for a split second and she saw a hint of anger in them. "I should go. I..." She scrambled to her feet, dusting the dirt off the thieves guild armor she still wore. "You were busy with guild business. Mercer is here so it was probably pretty important."
"It is." He spoke behind Brynjolf, with a gruff stern voice. "Thank you for understanding." He watches Brynjolf stand up, turning to him and mouthing words the man did not seem to care too much about. "Always good to see you, though. I'm sure Delvin will want to send his regards to Astrid."
She faked a smile to Mercer, then nodded slowly. Brynjolf turned quickly to her and locked eyes. He swore he saw something in them, begging for a moment of his time but retreated swiftly. She was never out there, and it seemed like today was no different. The slate of her expressive eyes was wiped clean. She took a step back and a deep breath. "Sure. No problem. Always willing to help a family member." She looked to Brynjolf then, her teeth shine as she faked another smile. "It is my pleasure. You... Have a great night. Be careful. Can't have the recruitment face of the guild hurt."
"He might be sore tomorrow and sleep late but he will be fine." Mercer cut him off before he could speak, seeing the man's mouth open. Mercer then watched her nod and swiftly exit. She was running away from them and Brynjolf's hand extended for a moment before looking back to Mercer.
"What was that?" He blinked at the guild master.
"She needed to go." He looked to Brynjolf. "I'm just lookin' out for you. She is bad for this." Mercer walked to his side as the stone slid into place behind them. "She messes your head up. The point was to clear her out of it. You can't do that with her here." Mercer laughed a little.
"She doesn't mess up my head. I'm clear around her." He sighed, looking off in the direction she ran. "Mercer, I'm in love with her. No matter what I think, she thinks or we actually do. " Brynjolf shook her head. "If I sleep with another woman or hell, Mercer, a hundred, I will still look at her with the reverence I had today."
"What is this woman to you?" He chuckled. "Everything I know about her is just that she is a cold blooded killer and is silent around us, unless she was talking about being unseen. You can't have anything in common."
Brynjolf rolled his eyes. "You'd be surprised." He looked to Mercer. "She is like... A good sweet melody. Goes down smooth, easy to sit with. Makes me smile, and... She will surprise you. She quite literally can sneak up on you. Makes you feel things. She is beautifully sad, but there is a hopeful baseline there." He looked to Mercer. "I... Almost believed I might never see her again."
Mercer grit his teeth without allowing it to be seen. He looked to Brynjolf with a sigh. "You really aren't going to give up?" The ginger's head shook softly. "Even though Delvin told me she was never going to feel the same?"
"Look. Love isn't about getting something back. I know how our world works but I'm not in this to gain something from her. I want to see her smile but I will never demand something from her." He looked to Mercer. "I wish you hadn't sent her away, but who am I to demand anything?"
Mercer groaned a little. "You are a high ranking member of a guild."
"A guild not doing so well..." He reminded the man.
"... And she is just a low member of an organization that is in complete shambles."
"That's her family." He looked to Mercer before moving through the doors to the Bee and the Barb. "Why are you this hard on her?"
"If she can't do anything for us she is a waste of space in your mind." He was blunt, as always. "We have work to do and you've just been playing around with her."
"I'm not playing around." Brynjolf looked into Mercer's eyes. "She is doing something for me. Knowing her makes me want to be a better man. She makes me work harder. So if anything you owe her a thank you." Mercer walked from Brynjolf without a word. The man was left alone then looked to Talen-jei who approached. "Oh, hey."
"Did you want to join her? She is on the second floor." The Argonian pointed to the stairs. "She looked a little strange, huffing when she came in, but looked disappointed."
"Wait... Her as in her, her?" The Argonian nodded pleasantly. Brynjolf looked to the stairs, staring for a moment as Talen continued.
"Yes. She is very nice. I enjoy when she is here. Gweneith is her name?" Brynjolf absently nodded. "She looked tired so I assumed she just got here and was waiting for you."
"Aye." He looked down to Talen with a hapless smile and placed both firm hands on his shoulders. "I am going to meet her." He glanced back to Mercer, the man's eyes following. "But if he asks, I got a mead to go and said I had an angle to explore, alright?"
"Oh..." He looked into Brynjolf's eyes. "She brought me a jewel for a ring and asked nothing in return, of course I will." Brynjolf raised a brow, then looked up to the second floor before pushing past the man and climbing the stairs probably faster than he meant to. His eyes hit her sitting alone at a small table. She was drinking what he could tell was that same drink, quickly it was becoming her own. He walked slowly to her and she didn't even bother to look up.
"Please... Whatever you want just not today." She sat the cup down she was toying with.
"Alright Lass, but I just wanted to make sure you were okay." He tapped the table and she hurriedly looked up to him, eyes widened.
"Brynjolf. I thought... Well..." She stood up, wiping her hands on the sides of her pants and then looking into his eyes. "What happened to Mercer?"
"He is downstairs talking to girls." He chuckled a little, leaning into her a little more.
"Oh, so... Your guild business was getting tossed and finding girls." She shook her head, lightly laughing.
"No I wasn't-"
"Hey, it's none of my concern though, right?" She shook her head. "You are a grown man, you can do whatever you want. It's important for me to say this aloud." She looked down to her cup. "You have no obligation to me."
"No, I don't." He took her hand with his, pushing her attention back to him. His fingers rubbed the back of her hand, warmly. "I'm not here to find someone, even for the night. I came because Mercer needed me to. He wouldn't admit it, but the man is lonely. Had I known you ran here though, I would have came straight away. I figured after Mercer, you would be gone. Man can get defensive over us. Did you need us for something?"
"I..." Her feet moved closer, looking up at him. Her hands moved cooly to his chest. She took a deep breath. "Didn't need a thing. I wanted to see you." His face eased as he looked down to her. The man leaned in a little bit stopped before their lips touched.
He whispered softly. "You wanted to see me?"
"Desperately. It's been two weeks. I sort of missed you. I understand if you are busy, even if it is just bolstering Mercer's ego or..." She averted her eyes from him. "Finding women." There was a vague smirk on her lips as she looked up to him. "She best be pretty though."
He could not help but to chuckle. "I told you, lass. I am not here to find a woman."
"Then why did you come up here to find me?" She raised a brow and he made a point to generally point towards her.
"Aye, that is a good question. I... Just wanted to see you again." His words brought a soothing calm with them. She relaxed and then pushed herself into his arms. He held her close, kissing the top of her head after nuzzling into her soft hair.
"Brynjolf." He hummed, the rumble in his chest pleasing to her ear pressed against it. She was struggling with this all, finding the way to tell him in the face of her fear. The Bosmer glanced up without moving her head and the Nord squeezed her a little tighter, locking her in his warmth. The act alone made her smile. The way she was feeling had not been entirely foreign to her but the level of respect given, had been. He was attentive and caring, taking into consideration all of her feelings before he allowed himself to just act. It did not go unnoticed that he was leaning in for a kiss but stopped himself before it happened. She wondered if she had been taking his feelings into account as he had been. Something deep within her chastised her for using the man, knowing what she knows about the situation. "I want to join the guild."
His eyes popped open, dragging him kicking and screaming from this fantasy he was playing in his head. The one where she was fully on board with being her true self again. He lifted his head from hers, relaxed his grip and let his hands fall down her arms. He only then noticed the armor she wore and the light bit of makeup she had on that wasn't entirely pristine any longer. He felt a twinge in his chest from the possibilities of that simple, tiny, seemingly insignificant, detail. "Lass, you really needn't tease me to get back at me for what happened."
"Wasn't teasing you." She whispered. "Nazir told me that I can do both. He believes in me. I can't say I see why, but he does. I take his opinions very seriously." Her eyes danced from one side of his face to the other. "I'm an asset. Do you not... I mean, when you said there was a place..." Her eyes flinched for a moment. She shook her head firmly. "Look, I'm not oblivious to how people usually feel about me. Mercer is a big part of this. If it is too late, I understand. I am content where I am, but my family seems to think I could be happy doing more. It wasn't something I thought for myself. I mean, happy again. How? But I will have to admit when I'm here I do feel something akin to happiness. When I leave I'm sad." She shook her head. "But, forgive me. I should have realized this sooner. I should have realized a few things sooner. Not that it would have mattered. Not really. I'll be gone in the morning."
He hummed, looking into those eyes. His mind raced with many things, none of which were as bleak as to even Hazzard the guess of the reality her mind took her to. "Lass, I'm not sure what you are thinking, but stop. Clear your head. Look at the facts. I beg you to join. I keep seeking you out. I keep finding you. I can't ask you to understand how I'm feeling. I know the things you have been through and I know you aren't... There is no, perfect polite way to say this... You are not in a state where I'd be comfortable if you acted any other way towards my advances." He gave a soft smile, rubbing the woman's arms. "You may never be. That is okay. It doesn't change what I feel or think." He pushed her soft hair from her face, glancing into her eyes with a warmth that permitted her to smile openly. "Are you serious...? About joining."
"I... Was." His brow twitched wondering if it was too late. Had he missed the small window? "I... Like how I feel about myself here. I can do this. But Mercer..."
He pushed her gaze to him. "Mercer is just looking out for me, lass. He's scared that I've put too much into this. I understand his concern." He chuckled helplessly. "I did tell a girl whom I barely knew that I am hopelessly in love with her."
Her expression softened, cheek leaning into his hand. "You never said hopelessly."
"Well I meant to." He poked her nose. "I... Suppose I did not. Couldn't risk chasing you away more than I already have." He smirked for just a moment, then took in a deep breath. "He is just worried about me is all. Tried to convince me you would never even come back."
"Generally that is good advice." She found herself now detangling from their closeness. Motioning to the seat across from her as she took her own, her eyes were on his. "I'm not sure I could have the hope in me that you do in the same situation." She paused, picking up her cup. "But I guess I do. With my family, and when I was with him..." She downed the rest of her cup, Brynjolf widening his eyes as he sat.
"Easy there, Gwen. You don't drink much. I want you fully aware so you don't think I took advantage."
She opened her mouth, letting the burning sensation leak from her. "I... Don't see you that way. If you wanted to take advantage we would be doing it right now." She looked up to him with a brow raised. He was staring at her, an adorable little blush on the bridge of his nose.
"Lass, you are something else. I admire how confident you are, in the face of everything. I also will treasure this trust you put in me."
"But I didn't..."
"You did. You gave me your trust that I am not a certain kind of man. A certain kind of man you hate. You trust me enough not to prove you wrong." He tapped the table. She sat in his assessment for a moment before he cleared his throat. He felt her bit of reluctance and uncomfortable demeanor, choosing then to change this subject. "I'm going to hit Goldenglow tomorrow."
"No, we are." She spoke with such certainty, which was a turn on for him. He swallowed hard and leaned back, staring at her with his emotions written all over his face. "So... Torch some of the bee hives, sneak in and get the bill of sale. Any information we need to get from the man and come back. Easy. For us, anyway." He chuckled. "Is... Vex going to hate me after this?" His soft chuckle turned swiftly into a roar of laughter, prompting her to smile in her comfort.
"Oh lass... Vex will be upset, but hate you? This is a big job for our little guild. You pull this off she might dig up old contracts that we've given up on." He wiped his eyes and exhaled slowly. "We have a lot of work. Delvin thinks it is a curse, actually. But when you are here we get more stuff done. It's nice. Like a good luck charm. You're making me look real good."
She looked to her empty cup, flushed half from the liquor and half from him. "You... Already look great, Brynjolf." Their eyes met and he leaned over the small table. "I... Would be lying if I told you I'm not attracted to you. That I haven't thought about maybe taking advantage of you. That Nazir said I am so tense I probably should, no matter your feelings for me."
"Oh, well I like Nazir then." He chewed on his lower lip for a split second. "But you can't do it, can you?" She shook her head sheepishly. "And that's partly why I love you. I wish to the divines I hadn't." She leaned in, folding her arms on the table with a questioning look. "Oh, I'd have you in the bed with your thighs around my head and listening to every sweet sound you made until you were a quivering puddle of mess and rapture."
Her skin was glowing in the thoughts of that. She cleared her throat, desperately trying to get the scene out of her head. It sit too nice with her, but she was focused on him within it far more than her own much needed release. That had been a little surprising. She felt right now just being too close to the Bee hives might set them ablaze. She managed to look at his eyes, the man himself clearly thinking about it as well, leaned on the table for support. She had to get a grip of herself, almost feeling like a good slap might set her straight. "I want that, but I also refuse to hurt you."
"Then leave me to my fantasy." He took a moment to look down to the table. "So... Let's just forget my libido and your ability to stimulate it and go over this plan. We'll go in the morning."
"Yea." She leaned a little closer, placing her hand on his. "Stay here with me tonight."
"Wait... What?" He left his hand under hers but stared at her as if she were crazy.
"I want you to sleep next to me again. It is peaceful when you do."
"Aye, lass, but after the conversation we just had..." He huffed, trying hard to breathe in the face of this. "Aren't you playing with fire?"
"Isn't this what you asked me to do during the job?" They both chuckled nervously, his hand laced his fingers with hers. "I'm okay with a little danger, I thought you would have known that." She squeezed his hand lightly and he nodded.