Elissa thought she heard her name.
Low and light, whipped up in the breeze and around the fire. She looked over at the row of tents but no one had stirred. Neither had Morrigan moved from her own ramshackle shelter and Sten remained still as he watched over the camp.
Perhaps she had misheard and she went back to her journal.
Then she heard it again.
Musical and unmistakable.
Leliana.
The bard had gone to bed early, as soon as the sun had gone down and they'd eaten their evening meal. Which had saddened the warden a little, she'd hoped to hear more of her stories, even if she told her the same ones she knew she'd enjoy them. She knew she'd enjoy the lilting quality of her voice and the the way her lips formed the words. The way her eyes sparkled and the way she watched Elissa, sometimes moving a little closer and sometimes letting her head rest on Elissa's shoulder as she spoke.
They had become so close over the past few months.
She heard it again, hinging on a moan Elissa thought, but that was ridiculous.
Maybe she was dreaming.
Stem didn't seem to have heard, and didn't react as the young woman got up and headed over to Leliana's tent. It was set up next to her own every night now, they could hear each other through the thin material whenever they had nightmares. While Elissa dreamt of darkspawn and the arch demon, Leliana dreamt of Orlesian guards and Majorline. Some nights they whispered to each other through the tent, soothing each other after nightmares or just talking because they couldn't sleep.
She moved closer to Leliana's tent.
Perhaps she was ill.
There was another moan, muffled, then a gasp and Elissa realised the truth of the matter.
Elissa was torn between diving into her own tent, or in with the bard. She couldn't just stand there all evening though, while Sten ignored her and watched the clearing. While her friends slept.
While Leliana touched herself.
She almost groaned out loud herself and moved then, into her own tent, wondering if she should have disturbed Leliana somehow, wondering if she would still hear her. Wondering if she should do something.
She heard another soft gasp and Elissa closed her eyes, lying back against the bedroll. The idea of Leliana thinking about her while touching herself – Maker she had no idea how wet she was from that alone. All heat at her centre and electricity down her spine. The Orlesian was beautiful, Elissa had assumed she would have no chance with her. Not in the middle of a blight, or with Elissa being a Grey Warden who could die saving the world. Not with Leliana's faith, or her past. It seemed like there was too much between them to have anything.
But here she was, pulling her boots off and her breeches down and pushing her small clothes aside to press her fingers into the slick heat because in the next tent Leliana was doing the same. Because Leliana was thinking about her while pressing those long pale fingers into her body. Because Leliana was moaning her name. Because Leliana was beautiful, and sweet and honest and wanted Elissa as much as she wanted the bard.
"Fuck," she groaned, too loud, because she heard a soft voice call out to her.
"Are you unwell Elissa?" Leliana said quietly through the thin tent walls. Her voice a little hoarse and breathless and Elissa swallowed.
"Fine, fine," she squeaked, stilling her fingers.
"Are you sure?"
She nodded, forgetting for a moment Leliana wasn't in the tent with her, before managing to reply.
"I'm fine Leliana, go back to sleep," she said, a little breathless herself, fingers still moving slowly over her clit. The excitement of knowing the redhead could hear her if she were too loud added to her arousal as it pulsed through her.
"Good night chérie."
"Good night," Elissa managed to say, trying not to moan aloud once more as Leliana using Orlesian words made her want to cry out. Made her want to learn more Orlesian just to understand what the young woman was saying.
There was a chuckle, she thought, not Leliana. Perhaps Alistair on the other side of her, though his tent wasn't as close. She didn't dwell on it though, bringing herself to a quick climax with her fingers on her clit and her hand over her mouth imaging it was Leliana the entire time.
xxx
Elissa walked with Alistair at the head of their little group the next day. She had mostly avoided Leliana for a couple of reasons. She couldn't decide whether or not to pursue some sort of relationship with the bard and she couldn't stop thinking about the way she had moaned her name the night before. Every time she looked at her she tried to imagine the way she would've looked in her tent, touching herself, fingers sliding into her body and over her skin and she would trip over her words and her feet.
It was pretty obvious she wasn't going to be able to concentrate walking with Leliana, so she walked ahead of her with Alistair, listening to him chat about Templars and Wardens. She didn't hear a word he said though as she tried to work through her feelings.
Leliana was beautiful and bright but broken. Elissa could see a familiar hurt in her eyes when she looked at her. Something that had lessened when she had killed the woman's former mentor Majorline but remained in the background, as if it had darkened the edges of her soul. Elissa knew the feeling. Killing Howe had lessened the grip of agony around her heart but her soul still felt shattered in a way she wasn't sure she could ever resolve.
Leliana would understand.
Leliana would hold her as she talked, as she wept. Leliana would love her as she loved her.
She loved her?
She smiled, feeling a little lighter and Alistair frowned at her.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"Fine, just fine," she said. "I'm just going to speak to Leliana," she said. "Carry on without me for a bit."
Alistair nodded, oblivious to any of Elissa's thoughts, lascivious or otherwise. She paused as Sten and Morrigan walked passed her, in the middle of an argument, Zevran and Wynne chiming in behind them. She fell into step with Leliana, smiling wide at her. The bard frowned, slowing when Elissa did so that there was a little distance between them and the others.
"Is everything well Warden?" she asked, and Elissa smiled, "you have been avoiding me this morning."
"I had some thinking to do," she replied. "I didn't mean to make you think I was avoiding you Leliana."
The bard nodded and they walked together in silence for a little while.
"Sleep well last night?" Elissa asked finally, unable to help herself. A slight blush appeared on Leliana's cheeks and she looked away from the warden for a moment. Elissa grinned to herself.
"Yes, thank you," Leliana said, schooling her features easily as they ambled behind the others. "And yourself?"
There was something in the tone of her voice that made Elissa blush too and she chuckled as Leliana gave her a beautiful but innocent smile. This woman was breathtaking but hardly naïve.
"Very well yes," she said giving her a huge smile in return and moving to walk a little closer so their bare arms brushed together. She felt a shiver go through the bard, or perhaps herself, it was hard to tell when she was so close to the woman she desired. She was by no means a virgin but the feelings she had for Leliana eclipsed everything and everyone else.
"Sweet dreams?" Leliana asked with a sly look.
"Oh very, yes." Elissa replied, "most pleasurable."
"You are terrible," the bard said, with a giggle. "You heard me?"
She was blushing bright red now – a delightful colour on her usually pale cheeks – but did not seem offended.
"You were hardly quiet my dear," she said. "I heard you moan my name across the camp."
"I am sorry, I had not intended for you to hear me," she replied. "I hope you are not offended."
"Hardly," Elissa scoffed.
She grabbed Leliana's hand, whirling her around until she was facing her, bodies pressed together tight and close. The bard gasped but didn't try to pull away, their noses almost brushing with how close thy were and Elissa could just lean forward a fraction and kiss her.
She didn't though, holding back.
She had been so sure before, walking with Alistair and remembering the sounds the red head made when she touched herself. So, so sure.
"Leliana," she murmured.
"Yes Elissa?" the bard replied, voice a little breathy but a cheeky smile on her face and Elissa chuckled before leaning forward ever so slightly and kissing Leliana on the lips gently.
"Damn you," she muttered but kissing her harder, pushing her back up against a tree. "I heard you," she said. "I heard you and wanted to jump into your tent and between your thighs."
"Elissa!" Leliana laughed. "Why didn't you?"
"I wasn't sure I should."
"I wanted you to."
"Do you still want me too?"
"Of course I do ma chérie," Leliana said, wrapping her arms around the warden, pulling her closer so her leg pressed between the bard's thighs. She groaned, arching her hips up and Elissa kissed her again, dotting pecks up to her ear.
"I speak a little Orlesian you know," she said. "Je t'adore. Vous êtes belle au-delà de comparer."
Leliana giggled at her translation and her clunky pronunciation.
"A little, I said," Elissa grumbled. "Enough to impress most pretty Orlesian noble women."
"I am impressed mon cœur," she replied, pressing her hips up into the press of Elissa's hard thigh between her own, gasping at the contact.
"I don't know that one."
"I will tell you," Leliana said, "in time."
They kissed again, hard and hot, Elissa pressing her hands into the bard's short red hair, pulling her even closer to, moving her thigh against Leliana's centre and listening to the soft moans she made. It was intoxicating, and she wanted so much more, but they didn't really have time. Soon the others would come looking for them and Elissa did not want to be found like this, she didn't want to share Leliana like this or at all.
"We should stop," she murmured into the bard's neck, nipping at the skin there before kissing across her jaw.
"Don't you dare," Leliana gasped. "Please."
She started to move a little quicker against Elissa's leg, taking the warden's hand and pressing it against her breast. She wasn't shy in what she wanted now and Elissa pushed her hand beneath the leather of her armour. Her breast was warm, and she found her nipple hard beneath her breast band.
"Please, Lissa," she groaned and Elissa played with her nipple, feeling it tighten further Leliana's breathing coming faster and harder as she moved on the hard muscle between her leg, every movement pressing her clit harder and she moaned again, a few more Orlesian words slipping from her pretty red lips that the Ferelden couldn't quite catch nor translate.
Leliana came with a harder shudder and a soft cry, hiding her face in Elissa's shoulder as she whimpered out the last of her pleasure. She held her tight, dropping her thigh and letting her come back down from her quick high. She finally looked up and smiled at the young warden, face flushed and eyes a little glassy.
"You are amazing," Elissa told her, "tonight I will properly pleasure you, from head to toe and you will know exactly how I feel."
Leliana kissed her, hard and wanting, spinning the young brunette around and pressing her against the tree.
"If we had time, I would tell you now, make love to you as you deserve and as I desire mon cœur, mon amour," she said.
"I know that last one," Elissa whispered, kissing her back. "Je t'aime."
"Truly?" Leliana said.
Elissa nodded and the bard laughed light and beatitful, the warden feeling something inside of her shifting and settling, something slowly knotting back together. Her soul perhaps. She wasn't sure.
Then Sten was calling for them and Leliana was stepping away. She instinctively went after her, wanting to return to the warmth of her body.
The warmth of her love.
"Later," Leliana said, quickly straightening her armour and smoothing down her hair.
Elissa wanted to do nothing more than mess up the red locks and compromise the careful innocent facade the young woman so quickly put together before the Qunari joined them but she nodded and gave her one last kiss on the cheek.
Later.