Just Desserts

Zevran looked suspiciously at the strange pink substance in the bowl in front of him. He prodded it gently with his spoon. It was strangely sticky.

"Go on, it's not going to hurt you." Elissa leaned forward in her chair and tucked a loose strand of hair back behind her ear.

The little street-side café was surprisingly deserted, with only a few patrons clustered at the counter. They sat at one of the few tables at the edge of the sidewalk beneath a bright red umbrella, their chairs nestled close together. The table was draped with a long, white tablecloth and the edges of the fabric rippled in the breeze; the only thing that was keeping the day from being utterly stifling. To look at Denerim now, it was hard to believe the damage that it had suffered not so long ago.

"If it is like any of the other so-called delicacies of Ferelden, I have every reason to be afraid."

Elissa dipped her spoon into her bowl and raised it to her mouth. "Don't you trust me? I'm hurt."

"Ah, but that is precisely what has kept me alive so long." He knew he was just delaying the inevitable, but, one had to play the game. Besides, he loved the little pout that she made when she was pretending to be frustrated with him.

She was thinking now—her brow crinkled just so—and he had to hide his smile.

"Shall we wager on it then?" Her eyes glinted with a hint of mischief. "If I get you to try it before my bowl is gone, then you owe me a boon of my choosing."

"And, if I resist your attempt?"

"The same from me, of course. Are we agreed?"

He chuckled. "Like I could say no to you, querida." He laid his spoon down on the table with careful precision. "So, I am at your mercy."

She smiled, as warm as the sun above them, before filling her spoon once more. She licked it clean slowly as she watched him. Those eyes, so brown and beautiful; the way she looked at him… He sighed happily. He didn't stand a chance.

"Hmm, if that is your game, dulzura, then I most thoroughly approve. Although, I do not think that you will be able to entice me. I am very patient, you see."

"Of course you are." Her left hand dropped to his thigh as she swirled her tongue over the spoon once more. He twitched almost imperceptibly at her touch, but she noticed, her lips quirking upwards into a tiny smirk.

"I don't know why you're so reluctant." Her hand slid closer, and he could feel himself responding under the heat of her gaze. "After all," she raised another spoonful to her lips, "it's sweet and creamy and delicious." Each word was another flick of her tongue.

The humidity was making her hair curl in soft ringlets against her neck and Zevran couldn't resist brushing then away with a fingertip. "Querida, we could always leave now and finish this somewhere more private, yes?" He could play this game too. She shivered lightly, and he pressed his leg closely against hers.

Her fingers stroked his inner thigh delicately through his leggings, so close to where he wanted her touch, but not close enough. He was incredibly grateful for the tablecloth that was keeping his lower half hidden from view.

"Just one bite, Zev. That's all." She filled the spoon once more and brought it near his mouth before sliding it into her own.

Zevran tapped his chin lightly. "Perhaps, if there was some way to just have the smallest taste—a hint, at most—you would be able to convince me."

"I think that can be arranged." She leaned in and kissed him, gentle and soft, her hand still teasing his thigh. His lips parted beneath hers and her tongue touched his, bringing with it a sweetness of strawberries. Her fingers ghosted over him at last and he deepened the kiss for the briefest moment before pulling away.

"Very well. I will try this silly dessert of yours." His voice was a warm whisper in her ear.

Zevran reached for his spoon, but Elissa shook her head before scooping some up with her own. She held it up for him, just out of reach, so he had to lean forward to take it into his mouth. The motion brought him into direct contact with her hand and a jolt of desire coursed through him just as the confection hit his tongue. The sensation of cold was strange at first—she was watching his expression with an amused grin—but, he was overwhelmed by the warm smoothness as it melted, the burst of fruit. It was like nothing he'd ever experienced before. It was fantastic. And, the fact that her hand was… well, that went without saying.

"Tell me, are you sure that this is, in fact, an invention of Ferelden?"

"Yes, I'm quite sure." She raised her eyebrows at the spoon and he nodded. Elissa fed him another mouthful as he thought.

"Well, I suppose that I must admit defeat, then. What boon would you ask of me?"

She smiled and teased him lightly beneath the table cloth. "I think you can guess."

Zevran circled his arm around her shoulders and drew her close, pressing a light kiss against her temple. "Of course, querida. I would be most happy to accommodate your wishes… but, after I finish my ice-cream."

Her peal of laughter made his heart swell to bursting. "I love you, Zev."

He was the luckiest man in Thedas. "And, I love you, my dear Warden." There was no doubt in his mind.

A/N: This was a response to a Cheeky Monkey challenge to write a happy ending for Zevran (and an attempt at atonement for 'Homecoming' LOL).