It had been a lifetime since Sebastian Vael had given into worldly temptations. It was years since he had even thought about doing so. It was a different man entirely who had felt those inclinations. The man he became during his time as a Chantry brother was a man transformed by the Maker, who had devoted everything to His service. All that, though, was before the Vael family's murder changed everything for Sebastian. His unwavering loyalty to the Chantry was shaken. Even Grand Cleric Elthina could not persuade him from seeking justice for their deaths.
And that was how he met Marian Hawke. She sauntered into his life and never left.
As smart, strong, witty and brave as she was beautiful and good-hearted. They didn't always see eye-to-eye, especially when it came to the growing mage/templar tension in Kirkwall. She wasn't afraid to argue with him about it— loudly. Vehemently she defended her baby sister's right to her freedom. She challenged Sebastian, in more ways than one. She had flirted with him early on, so deftly that he didn't even notice at first. Her scandalous words would ignited the skin of his cheeks, but it was the devilish smirk on her lips as she spoke them, and the fire in her eyes that had inspired hours of prayer to the Maker for strength. Yet it was her eagerness to help others, with no regard for personal gain or even her own safety, that had him questioning his place in the Chantry. She fascinated him, drew him in. He knew that she threatened to complicate his simple existence, but he could not pull himself away from her.
Marian admired Sebastian Vael's steadfast spirit and resolve from the moment they met. As such, she respected his devotion to the Maker and his Chantry vows. At least, physically she did. But she was blunt about how she felt. Life was too short to screw around. And Sebastian… He drove her crazy. They could argue for hours about mage rights, and neither of them would give an inch. He knew what he believed and he was unwavering. There was a strength that surrounded him, his every action and thought. It was intoxicating. Not to mention his Starkhaven accent, his sun-kissed skin… those eyes.
Hawke had heard more than once that the surface dwarves who came from Orzammar found it difficult to adjust. They feared that they'd fall into the sky above. That was how Marian felt when she stared into Sebastian Vael's sky blue eyes. As if she'd get so lost in them that she'd be pulled in and disappear forever inside.
He was a rock, immovable and constant. But there was also a gentleness, goodness… A light. Inside him, shining outward. He was sweet and kind. He had an innocence to him not born of naïveté, like Merrill did. It was there because he had decided to look at the world and see it for its potential. He brightened those around him with his sincerity. Even Fenris brooded less with Sebastian nearby, gently reminding Fenris of the self-worth his past had robbed him of. That light was infectious. It pulled Marian in and wouldn't let her go.
So truly, she had respected Sebastian's vows. She hardly ever touched him outside of combat, and when she did she never lingered. When she did flirt, she did it from a safe distance. Still, she wouldn't be quiet. She made her feelings known, because he was worth it. There was an attraction between them, but she knew that her feelings ran deeper than that. And she knew he felt it as well.
Even if Sebastian had never given up the Chantry life for Marian, his devotion only endeared him to her more. The irony of that now was not lost on her, but they had run out of time. The conflict between the mages and templars escalated in the wake of the Viscount's death. The constant fighting between Knight-Commander Meredith and First Enchanter Orsino would bring tensions to a head any day now. Kirkwall was on the brink of a full blown war. Grand Cleric Elthina and Marian "Champion of Kirkwall" Hawke were the only figures holding things together.
Sebastian could no longer dance around the subject, no longer skirt the issue, no longer suppress his feelings. It was now or never. If tomorrow they were all slain by this Blighted conflict, Sebastian couldn't be without Marian another day.
So Elthina married them, uniting them forever in the eyes of the Maker. Sebastian struggled with his decision to break his vow to the Chantry, but he swore to the Maker that his marriage vow, he would never break. Whatever happened after this, whether Marian became Kirkwall's Viscountess, or Sebastian took back the Starkhaven throne, they would be together. Varric, of course, came to celebrate with them, as well as Fenris and Isabela, Aveline and Donnic, Merrill— even Anders. When Bethany arrived with news that she was given leave from the Gallows to attend, Marian threw her arms around her sister and cried with joy.
Their friends promised that Marian and Sebastian would have this one night to be together in peace. They planned to patrol Kirkwall all night, assisted by Aveline's guards and Varric's "contacts", ensuring that all Kirkwallers behaved themselves until daybreak. So after the ceremony and reception were over, Marian and Sebastian were left alone for their brief honeymoon.
Standing in their bedroom, Marian Hawke and Sebastian Vael were frozen in time. Everything between them leading up to this had been so physically restrained, all their passions denied. Finally, they had permission to ravage one another as they wanted.
And they were frozen stiff.
Where were they supposed to begin? The flirtatious banters, the heat-filled gazes, the fleeting touches lit with sparks— these were all that they had been allowed. This constant repression had only built up a thundering volcano of lust between them that had been threatening to erupt for years. And now?
After all that, here they were so overwhelmed with pent-up longing that they didn't know where to start. Time was frozen, and Marian stared into the sky in Sebastian's eyes. She melted at the love she saw in them, wanting to finally be joined as one with him. Yet the first move had to be his, she knew. Even on their wedding night, breaking his oath of celibacy was a delicate matter. She could see his hands shake with nerves and uncertainty. He looked to her for reassurance, so with an encouraging smile on her face, she simply reached out her arms to him in invitation. After a moment's hesitation, he cautiously began approaching her. With each step he took Marian's skin grew hotter, as if he were a flame threatening to burn her. Or maybe it was she who was on fire, and his proximity was fanning the flames and making her burn brighter.
When Sebastian reached her he timidly placed his hands on her hips, a blush covering him from his neck to his ears. He struggled to come any closer to her, so Marian came the rest of the way, hooking her arms under his with her hands resting on his back. She nuzzled her face into his chest, taking in the ever-present scent of oak he gave. She felt his arms wrap around her waist and pull her in even closer. Their bodies pressed together at last, Marian gave out a contented sigh. For a moment they just enjoyed holding one another.
Sebastian's nerves were calmed some by her soothing presence. Gradually, he became aware of the affect she was having on him, the heady feeling of having her pressed against him. Sebastian took advantage of the small boldness his desires granted him. He glided his hands up her back to the lacing of her bodice, and began carefully unravelling each layer of ties. His fingers massaged little circles into her skin as he exposed it, evoking a throaty purr from her that encouraged him further.
Marian went to kiss Sebastian's chest, but was not satisfied when her lips met the fabric of his shirt. She circled her arms to his chest and began unbuttoning his doublet. She slid it off of his shoulders with his help, and let it fall to the ground. Then she grabbed the hem of his tunic, and Sebastian held out his arms so that she could pull it over his head and toss it aside.
As Marian kissed the warm skin of Sebastian's chest, she watched his eyes become more and more clouded with desire. She enjoyed the look on his sweet face when her hands reached down to untie the string of his trousers. In response, Sebastian slowly slid Marian's dress off her body, deliberately gliding his thumb over her breasts, across her nipples, along her ribs and down her abdomen. Her breath hitched at the touch of his fingers. Then the dress and trousers dropped to the floor. The newlyweds stood in only their smalls, staring into each other's eyes with needy anticipation.
Together, they slipped off their drawers and kicked them aside. The air was thick with lustful heat, and they struggled for breathe as they took in their spouses in their full glory for the first time. Marion had always been able to glimpse some of Sebastian's muscular form through his clothing, but now that he was free she could truly appreciate the power his form possessed. She wanted to trace her fingers over every taut muscle and melt into his strong embrace.
Sebastian had seen Marian fight with a rogue's agility and flexibility. He could only guess at what Marian's lithe body was like without armor shielding her from his gaze. Of course, each time his imagination began to wander, he was quickly consumed with the guilt of his sin and submerged himself in the Chant of Light. He had thought she was his temptation, a test of his devotion to the Maker. He had wasted so many years blinding himself to the Maker's plan. She had been Sebastian's destiny all along. Now she was his for all time, and he wouldn't be guilty anymore. He memorized every detail of her soft, smooth skin, her toned muscles and her delicate curves.
Marian's eyes, half-lidded in desire, found Sebastian's just as desperate and full of longing. Marian placed a hand to his cheek, her skin warming his and driving him wild. "Sebastian," she breathed. Each syllable dripped with yearning, her naked breasts heaving as she inhaled and exhaled. He laced his fingers together in her hair and pressed his lips to hers. No more words were spoken. They had said all that was needed, the time for words had passed. His inhibitions dissolved into the haze of carnal need they swam in. He didn't want to rush their first night together, she deserved more than that. He would hold out as long as he could, But he was quickly reaching the limits of his restraint. He wanted to consume her, to engulf her. He wanted them to disappear into each other.
As Sebastian kissed her, Marian began testing how far she could push him before he succumbed to his desires. She slowly pressed the rest of her naked body against his. He moaned deeply as all of his blood rushed downward, and Marian could feel his arousal. She could see him struggle to maintain his sanity as he deepened their kiss, his skin pulsing and heart pounding. With a mischievous grin at her power over him, she lifted herself on her tip-toes and flicked her tongue across his lips. When she did it a second time his tongue met hers, hungry and warm. As they drank in each other, Marian wickedly lowered her heels back to the floor. All the while she ran her body lightly across the length of him, teasing him, humming in delight.
This finally sent him over the edge, making him lose his battle for restraint. He grabbed her hips, lifting her so that she straddled one of his thighs. The floodgates of their passion and longing gave way, and they let the intensity of their yearning wash over them. Together they gave into all they had so long kept bottled up, letting it burst forth from them. Holding her up, Sebastian flourished wet, hot kisses along her jaw, down her neck, across her collar bone and up her throat. Her stomach fluttered as she ran her fingers through his wavy hair and dug her nails into his shoulders.
Almost stumbling, he sat on the edge of their bed with her still atop him. Smirking, she pushed him onto his back and kissed him slowly, deeply. She traveled from his throat down to his chest, grazing a nipple with her teeth as she went. Her tongue drank in his flushed skin, and he gave her approving, primal rumbles from deep in his throat. When she found an area where her touch made him inhale sharply and throw his head back, she would linger there and worship his body, enjoying his reactions to her. When she found the rare spot where he was ticklish and he twitched in shock, she would tease him mercilessly and make him convulse, giggling at his expense. She licked her way down his muscled abdomen before sitting back up to straddle him once more.
With her hands on his chest, she slowly, tortuously lowered herself down the length of him. She watched with pride as his body shook, and a look of raw, animalistic hunger consumed him. She took in every inch of him until their hips met again, then smoothly lifted herself back up almost as slowly. Her hips rolled as she continued up and down, and Sebastian moved his hips to meet hers. They found a seamless, sensual rhythm on which they rode currents of electricity.
Sebastian cupped Marian's breasts with his hands, rubbing her nipples with his thumbs. Up and down, back and forth they moved, like the going and the coming of the tide. Sebastian took in the sight of Marian, her skin wet and blushed with heat. He needed to be closer to her, feel more of her. He swiftly grabbed her wrists and sat up to meet her, throwing her arms over his shoulders. Sebastian touched his forehead to Marian's before engulfing her mouth with his once again.
Marian wrapped her arms around Sebastian's neck and pulled him in, tangling his lips and tongue with her own. He kissed from her mouth to her ear, and as they moved together, any part of her that he couldn't claim with his mouth he claimed with his hands. His touch roamed down her back, across her hips, over her thighs. He heard her answer him with loving purrs of satisfaction.
The sickly-sweet scent of sweat filled the air, fogging their minds until they were in a haze of lust and limbs. Their passions had been caged and hidden deep down for so long, but now they were unburied, unchained and free. They hastened their rhythm, and Marian's breath caught in her throat. She leaned in to kiss Sebastian, but her ragged breath left her mouth agape. The hot moisture from her lungs tickled his neck, and her breathless, almost silent whimpers of pleasure filled his ear, driving him wild with the need to bring their passion to completion.
Sebastian rolled Marian onto her back, pressing his lips to her shoulder as he thrust into her with feverish need and hunger. She wrapped her legs around him, grinding her hips into his to deepen their pleasure. Her nails dug into the muscle of his back as he pushed them further into a mounting thunderstorm of carnal bliss. Marian's legs trembled and her cries of delight became more desperate for her end. The music of their moans sang through the air, accompanied by the sounds of flesh against flesh. Sebastian's thrusts quickened even further and the pressure built between them, rising until it reached its crest. They came swiftly to the edge of ecstasy, before tumbling over into oblivion together. The intensity of their climaxes crashed down on them like a waterfall, and their bodies convulsed as their love culminated within them.
As aftershocks of sensation washed over them in waves, Sebastian rolled onto his back and pulled Marian on top of him. She collapsed with her head on his chest, and they rested in stillness. There bodies pulsed, and only their gasps for air kept the room from total silence. They held each other, bathing in the contented afterglow of their rapture. Still aching, Marian used what little strength her limbs could muster to lift her head and gaze into her loving husband's sky blue eyes. The smile he saw on her face allowed no doubt in his mind: this woman belonged to him with every fiber of her being, just as he belonged to her. And that was worth anything in this world. She pressed her lips lightly to his, and though they knew that neither of them could move just yet, their honeymoon was far from over. With love like this, one night was all the time in the world.