Childhood Friends to Lovers ❤️
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I just wanted to clarify this because it's an important part of their story.
Up until N was nineteen-twenty years old, the relationship between her and Brynjolf was entirely platonic. He's five years older than she is, and for many years they simply loved each other the way one'd love a sibling, or best friend, or someone who's become family. 🥹
It wasn't until much later that N realised she'd developed a crush on her best friend... and she absolutely hated that she'd done so.
What if it ruined a perfectly good friendship? What if everything became awkward? She'd never experienced feelings like that before and felt scared at first. Sure, she'd read plenty of romance novels, but reading about love and suddenly feeling it were two very different things, no?
Likewise, Brynjolf wasn't any less confused. Over time, he noticed something shifting; not just in her, but in himself as well. At first, he had no idea what to make of it either.
Graudally, their conversations grew softer. Progressively, their glances lingered far too too long. Familiar touches slowly became more intimate than either of them cared to admit and rather enjoyed. Spending time together stopped feeling like two lifelong friends and started feeling like something neither of them could quite put into words...
Of course, Brynjolf had his share of casual relationships before then. But at some point, they simply stopped feeling right. Now a grown and beautiful young woman, N found herself completely uninterested in anyone else, blissfully oblivious to the attention she occasionally received while trying to untangle her feelings for the one person she never wanted to lose.
This is, above all else, a very, very slow-burn romance. ❤️ By the time they finally become a couple, N is 24 and Brynjolf is 29.
Their relationship evolves over nearly two decades, changing naturally as they grow older. The romantic arc begins in the chapters "Among Thieves," - is interrupted by "The Missing Years" for story & plot reasons, and ultimately reaches its conclusion during the story's final arc, shortly before my events line up with those of the original game.
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