Chapter 26 Misunderstanding
Astrid tossed and turned, trapped inside a nightmare she couldn't escape. Sweat clung to her skin. Her breaths came in short, uneven bursts like someone running for their life.
In her dream, Alex dying.
Bleeding and half burned.
Reaching out to her.
"Astrid… run…"
His voice cracked as flames swallowed him whole. She tried to grab his hand but it slipped away. His figure burned into ash. His final scream echoed inside her skull.
No… no, Alex!
She jolted violently. Her eyes flew open.
The room was dim, lit only by the faint glow of light leaking through the wooden shutters. Dusty beams crisscrossed the ceiling above her old, familiar, and unmistakable.
Delphine's bed.
Her heart dropped.
"What… what happened…? Why am I… here?"
Her voice trembled without meaning to.
She sat up, gripping the blanket with trembling hands. Her chest felt tight, as if invisible chains were wrapped around her ribs. Then in one brutal rush of memory she remembered.
Alex.
"Alex!!!"
She shot to her feet so fast the bed creaked loudly. Her bare footsteps thudded across the wooden floor. Panic surged through her veins as she ran. She didn't even bother with the door handle she slammed it open, breathless and terrified.
"Alex!!!"
Her voice cracked, raw with fear.
The main room of the inn was warm with the early morning bustle crackling fire, wooden bowls clinking, the smell of bread and roasted meat drifting softly. A few travelers turned their heads at her outburst, startled.
And there
Sitting casually at a table with Delphine, talking as if nothing in the world was wrong
Alex lifted his head.
His eyes calm. Alive. Whole.
Perfectly fine.
Delphine stopped mid-sentence, turning as well.
Astrid froze on the spot.
Her knees almost gave out from the wave of relief that crashed into her. Her vision blurred not with sleep this time, but with tears that hadn't fallen yet. Her lips parted, but no sound came.
Alex blinked, surprised. "Astrid?"
Delphine raised an eyebrow, noticing Astrid's pale face, her shaky shoulders, her messy hair sticking to her damp temples.
She had clearly been crying in her sleep.
Clearly suffering.
Delphine raised one eyebrow, her lips curling into a smirk as she took in Astrid's appearance golden hair tangled wildly, cheeks flushed, eyes still trembling from the nightmare.
"Well, well… look who's awake," she drawled, arms crossing over her chest. "The little crybaby."
Her tone wasn't cruel just sharp and teasing, the same way she always poked at Astrid whenever she got too emotional.
Astrid stiffened, embarrassed heat rushing up her neck. She tried to brush her hair back behind her ear, but her hand was still shaking.
Alex glanced over and couldn't help letting out a soft laugh, warm and gentle. His eyes softened immediately the moment they met hers.
"Hey, look," he said, lifting a brow in playful amusement, "Sleeping Beauty finally woke up."
His voice carried a comforting lightness, as if he wanted to ease her embarrassment.
Astrid's heart thumped painfully.
Beautiful? He called her beautiful jokingly, but still…
Alex leaned back and raised his hand toward the innkeeper behind the counter.
"Uncle, prepare anything Sleeping Beauty wants to eat," he said with a casual confidence that made the innkeeper snort. "I'll cover it."
Then Alex shifted his chair a little to the side. His movement was smooth and natural, but intentional. With a bright smile so sincere it could melt any fear he patted the wooden seat right beside him. His palm tapped twice, clearly inviting her.
"Come here, Astrid."
For a moment, Astrid couldn't move. Her heart clenched again this time with relief and warmth.
He's alive…
He's really right there…
She stepped forward slowly, almost cautiously, like she was afraid he might disappear if she moved too fast.
But inside, their emotions could not be more different.
Astrid looked at Alex with a fluttering chest, seeing him not just as a companion, but as a man someone strong, kind, someone who made her feel safe in ways she didn't understand. Every smile he gave her felt too bright, too warm.
But Alex…
Alex saw her differently.
To him, Astrid was a comrade-in-arms. A reliable partner in battle. A friend whose loyalty meant the world to him. She was the only person who truly worried about him without expecting anything in return. In Alex's eyes, she was precious but not in the way she hoped.
He was the "hero" of this world now, burdened with fate and responsibility. He never imagined himself standing equal with someone like her. Romance felt like a luxury he had no right to reach for.
Just having Astrid beside him sharing his road, fighting alongside him, believing in him was already more than he ever expected.
And that was enough for him.
Even if it wasn't enough for her.
Astrid lowered herself onto the chair beside him, the wooden seat creaking softly under her weight. The warm orange glow of the late afternoon sun streamed in through the inn's windows, casting long shadows across the floor and bathing the room in a soft, golden haze. Dust particles drifted lazily in the air, dancing in the sunlight as if the world itself were quietly settling down for the evening.
But Astrid's heart was anything but calm.
Her cheeks burned hot, her pulse fluttering like a trapped bird. She clasped her hands tightly in her lap, fingers twisting nervously. Her eyes flickered to Alex for a brief second just long enough to see his relaxed posture, the gentle smile he wore and then she immediately tore her gaze away, whipping her head to the side as if the sight itself was too much to bear.
Images from the morning slammed into her mind.
Her arms around him.
Her face buried in his chest.
Her sobs soaking into his clothes.
Falling asleep on his shoulder like a child seeking warmth.
By the gods… did I really do that?
Did I look stupid in front of Alex?
Her shoulders tensed, and she hugged herself subconsciously, as though trying to hide her embarrassment behind her own arms. She angled her body slightly away from him, hoping he wouldn't notice how red her ears had become.
And Alex…
Alex watched her from the corner of his eye, and he couldn't stop the warmth spreading across his chest. The last time he saw her, she was fierce, determined, standing tall as the Dragonborn who bore the weight of fate. Now seeing her flustered and vulnerable like this it was almost surreal.
Two weeks.
Two long weeks without her.
He never realized how much he'd missed her until she burst into the room earlier, screaming his name like the whole world was falling apart. Knowing she was that worried about him… it felt unreal. Like something too precious to be true.
But even with that warmth, Alex kept a careful distance in his heart.
Astrid wasn't just anyone.
She was the Dragonborn chosen by destiny, blessed to carry the voice of dragons. She would someday influence kings, sway armies, perhaps even bring peace to the civil war tearing Skyrim apart.
And him?
He was just a traveler. A wanderer gifted with strange power. A nobody compared to the destiny etched onto her soul.
He leaned back slightly, letting out a quiet breath.
Romance?
That would be foolish.
Astrid would soon belong to the world to its hopes, its needs, its battles. She would be too busy, too sought after, too important. And he… he would only drag her down.
So Alex kept his heart still.
He kept his smile gentle.
He kept his voice light, even though deep down, her presence made him feel like he could breathe again.
Just having her sit beside him safe, alive, and so close he could feel the warmth of her body was enough.
More than enough.
Alex slowly exhaled, shoulders relaxing as a soft, resigned smile touched his lips. He told himself it was fine more than fine. Even if Astrid someday rose so high that she forgot about him, even if she eventually had no time for a simple traveler like him… he wouldn't be angry.
He already had something else.
A new purpose.
A new joy.
To explore the vast, beautiful world of Skyrim its forests, mountains, cities, cultures… that was enough for him now.
And yet, when he looked at Astrid, sitting shyly beside him with the afternoon light brushing her golden hair, gratitude welled up inside him.
He tilted his head slightly toward her, his expression softening.
"Hey… thank you," he said quietly, sincerely. His fingers curled into his palm on the table, as if grounding himself. "You really worried about me. I don't think anyone else in this world does."
Astrid blinked.
His gentle tone his eyes looking at her with that vulnerable sincerity hit her like an arrow to the heart. She inhaled sharply, her chest tightening.
She misunderstood instantly.
Her face flushed in a deep shade of red that crawled all the way to her ears. She straightened subtly, brushing her hair behind her ear with trembling fingers.
"I-I… I mean of course," she stuttered, forcing herself to meet his eyes for just a second before looking away again. "You're… one of the most precious people to me."
Her voice cracked with embarrassment, and she immediately covered her mouth with her hand.
Alex felt warmth spread through him, like a small fire lit beneath his ribs. But he masked it behind a calm, composed expression. It wasn't that the words didn't matter they did. Deeply.
But she had said one of.
Logically, it made sense.
He had saved her life. Anyone would value their savior.
He didn't allow himself to hope for more.
Still… it felt nice.
Alex leaned a little closer. The chair legs creaked softly as he shifted. He brought his lips near Astrid's ear so close that the warmth of his breath brushed her skin.
Astrid froze.
With a low whisper, smooth and careful, he said:
"Hey… I have a surprise for you. Come to my room tonight, okay? I don't want others seeing it it might start rumors."
Astrid's heart stopped.
Her whole body went rigid, like a statue carved from stone.
Her face turned crimson instantly. Her breath hitched. Her fingers tightened around the edge of her seat. On the outside, she forced herself to remain upright and composed but inside, her mind detonated.
A surprise?!
D-Does he mean… that?
I-I'm not ready!!
But… i-if that's what Alex wants, then
Her throat bobbed as she swallowed hard. She lowered her eyes, unable to speak without shaking.
"Mmhmm…" she managed softly, barely a whisper.
Alex pulled back with a satisfied smile. "Great."
Across the table, Delphine narrowed her eyes like a wolf watching two youths do something dangerously suspicious. She leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, irritation all over her face.
Then she made a loud, exaggerated throat-clearing noise.
"AHEM. Ah yes…" she said dramatically, rolling her eyes. "The beauty of youth even with a giant disaster approaching."
Alex glanced at her, completely unfazed, and gave her a simple thumbs up.
"Oh, don't worry," he said confidently. "I'll give it to Astrid."
Delphine had just taken a sip of her drink
and immediately choked.
She slapped her chest, coughing hard, eyes widening in horror.
Alex blinked.
Astrid blushed even harder.
And Delphine's brain went straight into the gutter.
She clearly thought Alex meant something intimate.
Her face twisted into a mixture of disgust, shock, and reluctant acceptance.
She took a deep breath and muttered under her breath:
"I am NOT going anywhere near that room tonight… at all. Let them… do whatever they're planning. I don't need to see that."
Meanwhile, Alex was only thinking about the Daedric armor he had prepared carefully for Astrid.
No intimacy.
No hidden meaning.
Just a gift.
They continued eating the warm glow of late afternoon turning the inn's interior golden. Plates clinked softly, travelers chatted in low voices, and the crackling hearth filled the silence between them.
Each of them Alex, Astrid, and Delphine ate quietly…
…while thinking three completely different things.
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