Midnight Affairs

As camp was made for the night and almost everyone had gone to bed, Selena packed up her things and left. She had buried all feelings about the deaths of her family but now she couldn't stop the waterfall of tears and her sobs of anguish. She felt terrible for walking away and leaving her friends, but she needed to leave. She began to run but stopped dead as soon as she saw a black figure leaning against a tree, a sleek bow tip protruding from it's shoulder.

"Where are you going at this time of night?" It was Nathaniel, the last person she wanted to see and in her current state of mind too. "Nate, please, I just need to go. I am sorry for walking away but I can no longer deal with this burden. The pain of loss is etched deep into my soul, and no mage or potion can heal me". Nathaniel walked up to her and went to hold her but she shrugged him off. He noticed that she refused to look at him. "Lena please, look at me". Lena? LENA, who in Maker's grace gave him permission to call me that? "Lena? Excuse me Ser, but I did not say you could call me that". Selena emphasized the word 'you'. Nathaniel looked shocked. "Excuse me? Is this going where I think it is going?" Selena balled her fists. "Your Father murdered my family. I thought I could go on and not cry. But no, I cannot. Your bastard of a Father killed my amazing Father, my beautiful Mother and my kind brother. I don't think you are like him, but every time I look into your misty grey eyes, I see him. Taunting me, threatening me. Maybe I should have killed you instead of getting you conscripted".

Nathaniel cursed under his breath. "Are you asking my permission to cry? I am not like that horrid man. He disgraced the Howe name. And what do you mean you 'think' I am not like Rendon? You know damn well that if I wanted you dead, you would be by now". Selena's sobs and words deeply grazed his heart. He knew her words were most likely due to her being upset but they still hurt nonetheless. "Please, just leave me. Tell the others I died if need be. I no longer care". Nathaniel tried to take her hands in his but she turned her back on him. "Now I know that isn't true. You care deeply for them, and they for you, well maybe not Morrigan, but you know what I mean. Do not turn your back on them. If you must cry then do it now, let out all your pain". Her next words tore a jagged hole through his already aching heart. "Let out the pain? Why do you think you are still here? Oh I will let out all my pain, on you".

He cursed again, aloud this time, tears of anger threatened to fall. Selena grabbed his arm and yanked him onto the floor. She began to smack him, not hard but fast, each blow making his heart wrench. Why was the woman he loved doing this? He wondered if it was because she wished to do this to Rendon, but never got the chance. She cried out, increasing in volume and length each time, her tears dripping onto his armor. He wanted to help her somehow, even if it was only giving her a rag to dry her tears. Her mint green eyes swelling up and becoming red made him yearn to sit up and hold her tightly.

"I HATE YOU, NATHANIEL, I hate you with every fiber of my being. Leave now! It's you or me. You bastard Howe!". His heart felt like he would throw it up. She didn't mean that, she couldn't...Maker no, please, don't let her mean that. "Do you really mean that Selena? Look at me, please". Her bloodshot eyes met his pent up teary eyes. "Oh Andraste's bloomers, I do not know anymore!" She stood up and he got back up too. He began to walk away from her, if she felt the same way she would try to stop him. She slunk back against the tree he was before. "I love you Nate, but my mind won't let me forget your surname. I don't hate you, I hate a man that I already killed. His blood will always be on my hands. That is why I should never have asked you to come along with me". Nathaniel's blood was on her hands, well, his Father's but they shared the same blood. He stopped and looked back. "I love you too Selena". He increased his strides and walked away.

Selena muffled her now extremely loud sobs, her chest hurt and her head span around, the grass and foliage around her merged into a watery, clouded mess in her vision. She put her head between her knees and prayed:

"Maker, please let me have your infinite strength, just for this moment.

I cannot do this alone.

My heart hurts. I pushed away the one man who I feel safe with.

I judged him for his name, his blood.

He is not his Father, he never was.

I need him, I love him.

Nate..."

He heard her prayer and turned on his heel. He made a decision and walked up to her, picking her up and putting her back against the tree. He muffled her startled moan with his lips and hungrily bit her pale neck. She howled and he stated, in a deeply seductive tone. "You wish to release your anger on me? Then do so". He put his neck to her mouth and she ripped off his chest plate. She scrunched up his thin linen shirt in her hands and bit his neck hard, he viciously growled at her. Her hands sought out the scorched skin of his back under his shirt. As she tore at his skin, his core temperature hit fever-pitch and his hips began to push against hers. Selena pulled off her leather trousers and her thin underwear and Nathaniel placed his hands on the hem of her tunic and he tore it off. Her breast band joined the clothes pile soon after. She pulled his breeches off and put a hand between her legs and one between his. He just watched her, fascinated by what she was doing. He'd seen a woman touch herself before, but Selena meant something to him, so he really relished seeing her do that, and for him. She rubbed her cerise jewel and his hand soon joined hers. He put a finger in to test her. Her gentle hums increased when he put another finger in and then another. He loved feeling what was happening to her, soon she could no longer hold back and she tightened against his fingers and her moans hit a soprano note.

Breathless, Selena winked and began to rub him, his frustration/arousal was clear against her hand. "I needed to be punished too, I have been a bad girl haven't I?" Nathaniel didn't answer her, he licked his hand and let her lick it too. She didn't taste anything, but to him, she gave him a sugar fix, almost sinfully sweet. His vision was clouded and he kissed and nibbled her naked shoulder, moaning into her skin. Soon her rubbing became painful and he stopped her. "Hey, I got my punishment...oh. I see what you want. Oh bad Nate". She dropped down onto her knees and began to suck him. He was already dangerously close to the precipice of oblivion, so he braced himself against the sturdy tree trunk, his strong hands against the mahogany. Selena increased her speed and her tongue focused around the tip, wrapping around it. Nathaniel groaned, she was untying the knot of pleasure in his stomach. He stopped her and she looked up, giving him a 'butter wouldn't melt look'. She nodded and he realised she wanted to taste him too.

She tilted her head back and took all of him with no visible problems. His sounds became a song to her ears, a song of passion and love. The last string of ultimate pleasure snapped and he growled, her ear drums reverberated with the sound, and she loved it. She cleaned him up and he almost collapsed onto her. She memorized his taste, it was like pure honey. He managed to sit next to her and he put his head against her shoulder. His world span and it felt euphoric. Selena knew it must be very late now, so she kissed his cheek and stood up, only to be pulled back. Nathaniel pointed to a thick tree stump and feigned authority. "You. Bend. Over. That. Tree stump. Now". Selena's look told him she doubted he could do anything after what she had done to him, he would happily prove her wrong. "Yes Ser". She mock-saluted him, stood up and walked to the stump and bent over it, bracing her arms. He walked behind her and traced a line from her chest to her thighs. He entered her and his hands rested on her smooth skinned breasts.

The angle she was at made her howl, now she knew why he had asked her to do that, it felt incredible. Their love-making sounds would probably wake their companions, but neither cared, euphoria overthrew their rational minds. His thrusts increased in speed and both growled and she roared at him. No more rational Nathaniel tonight. He roared back, he was letting her know of the hierarchy, he was the dominant Lion, and she his devoted Lioness. She agreed to that willingly but wanted to push back against him, make him even more sensitive. He shifted his position and let her do that, it wouldn't just make him more sensitive. The spot he thrust against pulsed, and it violently shook with his next move. Selena's back arched up and as soon as she backed up, to turn her head and kiss him, it undid him. She kissed him to muffle the loud sounds he made, and he bit her lip. He pulled out and grabbed his torn linen shirt to clean himself, he ripped a fresh piece off and Selena cleaned too. Both virtually collapsed against the tree.

"Maybe we should get back to camp now". Selena had a point but Nathaniel brushed her off. "The world is revolving in front of my eyes honey. I doubt I could see properly, let alone walk straight". She laughed a bit. "Neither can I". Both smirked and cuddled.

"Did I tell you that I love you?" He stifled a yawn. "Yes, but hearing it again is wonderful. I'm sorry Nate. I don't hate you, I had no right to say those things, or hit you". Selena's eyes welled up again. He put his finger to her lips. "I know you don't hate me darling, I wasn't exactly nice to you either. I am truly sorry my love". She hushed him and held him.

"I love you too, my dear Nathaniel".