first kiss

their first kiss was by alduin’s still-smoldering corpse.

they were both still high on adrenaline from the long fight, but with the realization of what had just took place quickly sinking in faster than those of the injuries they had sustained or exhaustion they faced.

‘we did it... we actually did it!’ the dragonborn clapped a hand over her mouth in disbelief, hiding her growing smile. she giggled, looking at miraak, and then back at the remains of the world-eater. her own heart and soul were still soaring, basking in the fleeting moments of the ecstatic feeling that followed absorbing another dov ’s soul.

dropping her sword and throwing her arms wide open towards the sovngarde sky, she laughed. loud and boisterous, almost manic as it echoed across the empty expanse. ‘WE DID IT!’ she hollered at the multicolored brilliance, affirming to the stars above that she had done the impossible, yet that was asked of her nonetheless.

unable to resist the grin growing across his own face as he removed his mask, a lingering symbol of alduin’s hold, and tossed it to the ground before he leaned his head back and laughed along with her. for the first time in millennia, he laughed . her joy was infectious to him, where once he would take his victory in silent triumph, doing little more than perhaps spitting on the bones of the world eater.

the last dragonborn spun and cheered alongside the first, a celebration with only the silent gods as witness. she looked at him then, the one that came before her, long ears twitching in delight at the warm sound of delight she had never truly heard before. she whooped once more and ran towards him across trampled snow.

miraak caught her in his arms, letting his own weapons hit the snow-covered ground as he effortlessly picked her up by the waist and spun her around. she laughed again, her eyes crinkled at the corners and her were cheeks tinted rosy both from the cold and the exertion of the fight.

even exhausted and matted with grime, sweat, and blood, she was... beautiful . miraak thought this as he set her down, her hands still gripping his forearms as she giggled breathlessly. their eyes met, and his breath caught in his throat as she caught her own. her smile was as brilliantly blinding as the sun, instantaneously warming any chill that had seeped in the first dragonborn’s bones.

he didn’t think about what he did next.

he leaned forward, closing the space between them, and moved to tuck a strand of her golden curls behind a pointed ear before cupping her jaw in his gloved hand. the high of being so close to death yet surviving gave him courage and a forwardness that, with her, he didn’t know he had. he gently tilted her head upwards, stroking his thumb along her sharp jawline as he did so.

she moved seemingly without hesitation, dropping her arms and wrapping them loosely around his waist.

miraak, however, had no idea what to do with his other hand, so he settled on resting it on her upper arm.

she gazed up at him expectantly with large, bright green eyes; eyes that held no trace of the fear they once had when facing the world-eater. there was only quiet mirth, and something else that he couldn’t quite place- later, he would realize it was love .

her lips were parted slightly as her smile softened, and he took that as the silent invitation he was wishing for.

he really, really didn’t think about what he did after that.

he kissed her.

he did think about one thing in that moment, however- once he finally pulled away, how quickly she kissed him back .