Shattering His Solitude
A His Dark Materials Fanfic
A/N: Wow, this is the first fanfic I've written in quite sometime. It just popped into my head and I felt like putting it down and uploading it.
It's Marisa/Asriel, because it's one of the most captivating pairings ever. It's set pre-trilogy, when their affair had already been established. I just wanted to establish a lighter moment between the two. So, I suppose it's fluff, really. As fluffy as Asriel and Marisa can get…
And this is a oneshot, by the way.
Disclaimer: They're not mine, they're Philip Pullman's.
The moment Lord Asriel entered his study he knew something was amiss.
To the man, his study was always a place of sanctuary, somewhere where he could pursue his theories without any sort of pressure or contact from the outside world. A place for a man to have his desperately needed solitude.
And yet, as he stepped inside, he knew something had shattered his solitude. There was something different in the air, but he couldn't place it. Even the regal leopard at his side, his daemon, Stelmaria, was sniffing the air. He shook it off, finally, deciding it was probably just a bout of paranoia brought on by an incredibly long day. Giving lectures amongst the stuffy scholars at the Royal Artic Institute was always enough to dull one's senses. He tossed off his snow-covered coat, letting it drift to rest upon a black leather chair. The study itself was cluttered, filled with artifacts he had collected himself or required. His books lay everywhere, and his desk was covered in papers. In the darkness, the room was lit only by firelight, and the only things that remained uncluttered were the black leather couches and armchairs.
As he crossed the room to his desk, he realized what he had found amiss. In the light of the fire, as he stood behind the couch, it was clear there was a figure draped across it. He saw a soft, inward curve of a waist, an intoxicating swell of a hip, the shine of shimmering dark curls. And perhaps, what gave the intruding woman away, was the flash of golden fur he could see wrapped daintily around her neck.
He stalked around the front of the couch, Stelmaria at his side, and regarded the unexpected sight of Marisa Coulter, draped across his couch. In one hand, she held a book, some nonsense about Skraeling culture that he didn't know she was interested in. In her other hand was a bright red apple, that looked like it had hardly been touched. And around her neck, her golden monkey daemon was settled comfortably.
"Marisa," He greeted, and she glanced up. She didn't look at all surprised to see him, as if she had heard him come in. "How did you get in here?"
"Thorold let me in," She said, dismissively, sitting upright and closing her book, "Edward left early for his trip to… You know, I don't know where he went, it doesn't matter. Point is, he left early, and I thought I'd come by and see if you were here. Which, you obviously weren't. I thought I'd take advantage of your hospitality and your library."
"Well, it certainly is a pleasant surprise," Asriel growled, sitting beside her. He leaned toward her, an arm snaking around her waist to pull her closer to him. Stelmaria fell back luxuriously on the carpet, purring a greeting to the monkey, inviting him to join her.
But, Marisa laid a hand on Asriel's chest, soft pushing him away from her.
"Not now, Asriel, I'm hungry." She waved him off, raising that shiny red apple to her lips. She took a bite… Well, if it could even be considered that. It was more like a tiny nibble. Her teeth scraped across the apple, taking a microscopic piece of the fruit's skin and flesh, letting it disappear behind her lips. It was a graceful sight, and she looked as if she wasn't eating at all. If one looked closely, the fruit was covered in tiny nibbles.
Asriel looked at her incredulously, glancing from the fruit back to her sparkling eyes.
"Do you get any nutrition by eating like that?" He chuckled.
"This is a very ladylike way of eating," She frowned, taking another miniscule bite.
"I'm sure it is," He said dismissively. His warm hand found its way to her hip, sliding up to rest on her flat stomach. He was almost certain he felt her shiver beneath his touch. "Is that why you weigh next to nothing?"
His desire for her was clear. After all, here she was, sitting in his study, and she had been waiting for him. And she even had the nerve to dress in such a mouthwatering, form-fitting crimson dress. Even with all this temptation, she was still adamant on making him wait, in favor of that apple in her hand. And he would torture her relentlessly until she dropped the fruit and came into his arms.
"That is none of your business, now please, let me finish." Her frown grew deeper, marring her pretty face. Her smaller hand closed over his, and plucked it from her stomach.
"How long must I wait?" He growled, an almost dangerous tone to his voice. That usually excited her, "It could take days."
"Come off it, Asriel." She growled back at him, a different danger in her tone. It was probably the closest to sod off that would ever come out of the cultured Marisa's mouth.
"This, my dear Marisa," He began, as he reached for her. But, instead of reaching for her body, he plucked the apple away from her lips and bringing it to his own. "Is how you eat an apple."
He opened his mouth, taking a roaring bite of the helpless fruit, ingesting nearly half of it in one fell swoop.
Marisa's nose wrinkled in obvious disgust as he dropped the thing back into her hands. The golden monkey even retreated from his earlier position, where he had been stroking Stelmaria's soft fur, and ran to his human's shoulder.
"Crude." She grumbled, standing gracefully from the couch, not giving a look to Asriel, "Well, it's safe to say I've seen enough. I'll be on my way now, Asriel." She turned to leave, but he knew she was only teasing him. She would never leave like this.
He followed her, swifter than she, and ended up gently pinning her to the door. His front was pressed against her back, keeping her between him and the oak of the door, rendering her helpless. The monkey had hopped from her shoulder, and now Stelmaria was circling him, purring.
Asriel bent his head, his lips at her ear, and his hands slid to her hips, sliding slowly up her sides.
"Leaving so soon?" He growled in her ear. Now he knew he felt her shiver beneath him. She took a moment, and a deep breath, before turning around and pressing their lips together in a searing kiss. His hands still kept her firmly against the door, and hers wove into his short hair, nails grazing his scalp.
And for the remainder of the night, the apple lay forgotten on the floor, both of their bite marks glimmering in the firelight.