Chapter Text
Victolia, who Farkas had nicknamed simply 'Lia' back when she'd first joined the Companions, was enjoying the rare quiet morning at Jorrvaskr. She sat in a dark corner sipping on the coffee her brother had sent her from Cyrodiil, enjoying the added relief it provided for her hangover. She had taken a couple of potions to help too, but coffee was one of those comforts from home that always put her in a better mood.
But beyond a few luxuries that could only be grown further south like coffee and cocoa for making chocolate, Lia preferred her life in Skyrim. She was no Nord, but a dark haired, fair-skinned Imperial, and she still fit in quite well amongst the Nords and other Companions. Actually, she had come to Skyrim specifically seeking out the Companions as soon as she was old enough and prepared enough to properly leave home.
She and Ria had become instant friends (which Farkas said was funny because their names rhymed) and over the years the rest of the Companions had become just as dear to her as well. Kodlak had seen leadership potential in her and named her his successor. Once she got over the shock and grief of losing Kodlak, she had been honored to take up the mantle of Harbinger.
Then she'd discovered she was the Dragonborn and life had gotten more complicated, but her shield-siblings had always had her back. Last night had been spent celebrating her return from finally defeating Alduin. It had been the largest celebration Jorrvaskr had seen since back when Kodlak was still alive. There was food and dancing and singing and drinking till the late hours of the night. Lia wasn't sure she'd ever drank that much, and she'd been one of the more reserved ones.
Farkas had pulled out his lute, and even Vilkas had gotten drunk enough to pick it up and play a song... his lute playing wasn't anything to write home about, but hearing Vilkas sing was something else... especially since he'd decided to sing 'The Dragonborn Comes.'
Vilkas had been her shield-brother when she had to delve into Blackreach to retrieve the Elder Scroll and then he'd stayed with her when she'd gone back to the Throat of the World to face Alduin.
Back before Alduin's defeat she had been intentionally trying not to think too much into the way he'd looked at her on those missions... or into the reliable way he'd always had her back...
Ria and Farkas always had her back too, but there was something about getting Vilkas's approval that made her heart skip...
Especially when he smiled proudly at her... like he had when they made it back to the surface of Skyrim with the Elder Scroll. Lia had been so happy to see the sun again after days underground that she had turned and hugged him...
When she went in for the hug she was thinking it to be no different from the excited, friendly hugs she and Ria would frequently share after a victory... but the way Vilkas's arms had gone around her waist was much different from a hug she would have shared with Ria... or even Farkas...
She'd been glad neither of them had beast blood anymore because she definitely didn't need Vilkas hearing how he made her heart race... especially since he'd then seemed to realize his mistake, let her go and apologized, looking rather embarrassed with himself.
Not knowing how else to save face, she'd begun occasionally teasing him just a little after that... maybe it could be considered flirting, but she'd tried not to think of that at the time... whatever it was, Vilkas's usual response had been to look amusingly embarrassed and to shrug it all off.
...Although... he had been the one to hug her before she'd flown off with Odahviing just a few days ago...
She'd had a little too much on her plate to put much stock in any of it at the time... but now that she was home and alive... after hearing him sing of her legend... remembering his embrace and his words that afternoon was giving her goosebumps...
He'd said something fairly typical about wishing her a glorious fight, and she'd been about to get onto Odahviing's back when he'd reached out for her... he'd pulled her back into a tight hug, and, "just please come back to me, Harbinger," he'd whispered just above her ear before he let her go, and then she'd flown off...
At the time she hadn't allowed herself the distraction of looking back... now she wondered what she'd have seen if she had...
Her tired and confused thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of heavy, sluggish footfalls on the stairs... moments later her heart jumped as a very groggy looking Vilkas made his way upstairs.
Lia watched as he winced in the light that was coming in through the windows and tried to compose herself. He brought a hand up to shield his eyes, looking absolutely miserable.
"Potions for your hangover?" She offered in a gentle voice, just loud enough for him to have heard her.
He looked up with a slight start, squinting into the dimly lit corner of the hall where Lia sat. "Aye, please," he nodded once he recognized her. He kept his hand up to shield his eyes as he made his way across the hall to her, and then sat, grimacing, in the chair beside hers.
"Start with the Cure Disease potion," she said quietly handing him the small bottle...
He downed it quickly, looked for a moment like he might be sick, but then recovered with a quiet groan.
"Now a Minor Healing potion," she said, handing him a second bottle.
He started on that one a little more slowly but then finished it off quickly as the potions started taking effect.
"My thanks," he sighed, leaning back in the chair.
"No problem," she smiled, "want some coffee?"
He raised an eyebrow thoughtfully at her and then nodded.
...Divines help her, now that she let herself notice it, he really was an attractive man...
Of course, so was Farkas, she told herself as she grabbed her own mug and made for the kitchen... but Farkas didn't make her pulse race like this...
She poured them each a fresh mug of coffee and headed back to the hall to find Vilkas still slouched tiredly in the chair. He opened his eyes as she approached and accepted the coffee with a grateful smile and a nod.
Lia sat back in her own chair and just watched with a slight smile as he began to sip from his own mug.
They sat in comfortable silence for several moments before Vilkas set his mug back down with a sigh.
"Ysmir's beard, I don't think I've been that drunk since I was a whelp," he admitted.
"I've definitely never seen most of you that drunk," she smirked.
"I actually don't even remember the last time I was drunk enough to blackout," he shook his head.
"You blacked out?" Lia's eyebrows rose in surprise.
"Aye, the last thing I remember was you showing us that dance from Cyrodiil," he chuckled sheepishly.
"Oh..." she said quietly... an entertaining —possibly mean— idea for a prank began forming in her mind... she began debating if she should actually try it...
She might have also had a little too much fun over the years helping Farkas pull the occasional prank... and getting pranked by Farkas and returning the favor...
"What did I do?" Vilkas asked slowly, raising his eyebrow in obvious concern at the smirk that was forming on Lia's face.
Oh, this was too easy... she had to...
"You put on quite the show," she said with a teasing smile.
"Oh no..." Vilkas mumbled.
"You took Farkas's lute and sang a beautiful rendition of my song," she grinned.
Vilkas was already shaking his head with a hand to his brow...
Now for her outlandish exaggeration to the story... "and then you got down on a knee and poetically swore your undying, eternal love for me..." she told him teasingly.
She had expected him to jump in his chair in shocked confusion and begin panickedly denying it and apologizing, and then she would laugh and tell him she was joking... she was expecting to make him stutter and to see that amusing embarrassed expression he wore when his face flushed and he couldn't meet her gaze...
...But he didn't...
Instead, Vilkas just leaned back in his chair, his hand still clapped to his face, then he took a deep breath and let it out slowly...
"I see," he sighed, then he lowered his hand and looked up at her...
Lia's breath caught in her throat as his gaze met hers... he looked serious actually...
...Oh gods, he believed her... and he wasn't denying it?! This prank was backfiring on her...
"Is that why you got up early to have hangover cures and coffee ready for me?" He asked with a teasing smirk...
"I... n-no... I... I..." Lia felt her face heating up.
"Apologies, Lia," he smiled, one of his rare, genuinely happy smiles that made her heart skip... "I had intended to say such things to you in private... I hope I didn't embarrass you too badly..."
"Y-you... didn't... wait... you... you i-intended what?" Lia stuttered breathlessly... she had to have just misunderstood him... right?
To her shock he chuckled quietly...
"What's the matter, love?" He asked, reaching out to take her hands with a smile, "did you not believe I was serious?"
Oh gods, what had she gotten herself into? She had to tell him the truth...
Didn't she...?
She looked down at his hands holding hers and took a deep breath before looking back up into his eyes. She needed to tell him... but she wanted to know...
"Wh-why don't you... start over, and... tell me what you intended to say...? N-now that you're sober..." she suggested sheepishly, feeling a blush creeping up her cheeks.
"Aye," Vilkas smiled, "I don't know that anything I had planned was especially poetic," he said with a slight shrug, "but, truly, I love you, Victolia..."
...Lia's heart jumped and her brain tried to process... she’d thought she was joking… she thought it was an outlandish idea, but… he loved her… Vilkas… loved her…
…and gods, the way he said her whole name was sexy...
He licked his lips nervously, watching her expression as he continued, "...I have had the honor of being your shield-brother as we delved into the darkest depths under Skyrim, and then climbed to her highest mountain peak..."
...He reached up to brush a strand of her hair out of her face and then let his hand linger beside her cheek...
"...you have amazed and impressed me time and time again... I actually have fond memories of Blackreach, because it was time spent with you. I..."
...Then he paused and reached to the collar of his shirt...
Lia's breath caught in her throat and she thought she might pass out.
An amulet of Mara...
Vilkas had just pulled an amulet of Mara out from under his shirt...
She had been joking with him, and he'd been planning to propose to her... this was beyond backfiring... she felt like an absolute ass...
How could she fix this without hurting him? He was the last person she ever wanted to hurt, especially like this...
Then he reached back to take both of her hands again, looking into her eyes… "I would be glad to stand by your side until the divines take us," Vilkas whispered hopefully, "i-if you'll have me..."
...His voice gave her goosebumps... his hand holding hers, gently running his thumb across her knuckles was making her heart race... and his intense, pale blue eyes looking at her so warmly was making it almost hard to breath... and yet it all felt so good... so comforting...
How was it that this man could make her feel so nervous and safe all at once? How was it that she could go to the darkest, coldest, and most miserable parts of Skyrim but still enjoy it because he was with her?
Suddenly, the answers all hit her...
"I will," she breathed, part of her feeling as stunned as Vilkas looked as the words came out of her mouth.
His look of surprise quickly shifted to one of pure joy and it made a warm, excited feeling swell in Lia's chest. She did the first thing that came to mind then... she leaned forward and kissed him.
Vilkas was quick to kiss her back. His hand went back to cup her cheek and they shared a sweet, tender kiss.
When their lips parted, a slightly more wolffish grin spread across Vilkas's lips and he pulled her forward. Lia's heart raced as she let him pull her into his lap. His arms went around her waist, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and his lips were back on hers.
This, Lia realized, this was what she'd wanted... all this time that she'd been trying not to pay attention to feelings that didn't involve defeating Alduin... without realizing or thinking about it, Vilkas had caught her attention, then earned her trust, and then won her heart.
"I love you too," she breathed as their lips slowly parted.
Vilkas's response was to lean in and kiss her again... and again… and again…
She would tell him the truth of her backfired attempt at a prank later…
And later, as they made their way to Riften for the Temple of Mara, he would laugh and agree that it was the best outcome to a backfired-prank ever.