Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age or any characters. They belong to Bioware and all respective owners. Lyrics used belong to the song "Breathe Again" by Sara Bareilles. The cover by the Statesmen on the Voices Only 2013 Volume 1 played on repeat as I wrote this. Give them some love.
Happy birthday Raven! All the best to you my friend-Miranda
"All I am,
All I need,
She's the air I would kill
To breathe."-Breathe Again
A shaky gasp caught in her throat. Once, twice…three. There! Oh. All Morrigan felt were hot lips blazing a trail down her pale throat, gentling mouthing at the sensitive flesh. The witch had known others, but the carnal desires were quickly sated and then forgotten; the partners dispatched or sent on their way. Love was not an emotion she was used to…it was as foreign to her as the woman currently setting upon her.
If you had asked her a fortnight ago if the lithe rogue, with her sunny disposition and love of shoes, would end up in her tent about to act on their mutual desire…Morrigan would probably have set them ablaze as she laughed scornfully. How could someone even deign to suggest Leliana of all people would ensnare her so? Certainly not the witch herself but damn it all if the bard was not doing just that right now.
"I can feel you thinking. Just let go, Morrigan. Let yourself feel for once." The words were whispered softly against the hollow of her throat. Morrigan swallowed hard.
"Tis not something I can do, bard. You should know that by now. And we-we should not be doing this. What would your warrior say should she see you here with me, hmm?"
Leliana pressed forward, brushing her body up along the mage. Morrigan tried to hide a shiver but the smirk adorning the red-head proved otherwise. A frown tugged at pinched lips. "Leliana."
"Morrigan. Quit thinking. Kallian will not care. What we had…it was nothing more than a few mere twinges of feeling. I admired her for her bravery and tenacity and she me for my skills. But we both agreed that starting something between us was unwise. Besides, she and Zevran have this thing betwixt them. So, no, my warrior is not going to be a problem; she was never mine to give."
Morrigan's golden hues locked onto darkened blue. "Still, regardless of your stance with the Warden, I doubt she would be pleased should we have a…dalliance. She is no fan of mine."
A thin brow rose jauntily. "Since when is Kallian my keeper? She is my friend, and our leader, but she does not control my actions. And for the record-she cares a great deal about you. She cares for us all and that is why she leads."
Morrigan softened a bit at Leliana's words, knowing them to hold some truth. Kallian Tabris was a colossal pain in the ass, but the elf had a heart of pure gold. Her penchant for helping every bloody person in trouble she met both frustrated and perplexed the witch. Morrigan had never felt beholden to anybody for any reason, save maybe her mother but that was a story for another day.
She licked her lips, reaching up to brush a dark strand back from her eyes. A warm hand, slightly calloused from use beat her to it. The fingers lingered gently, trailing down the cheek to the sharp dip and down until they slid to cup a pointed chin. A brush of a thumb had Morrigan's lips opening slightly.
The beautiful rogue looked to Morrigan, a slight smile tweaking her lips. Morrigan swallowed at the fondness shining behind cerulean seas. "Enough stalling, ma cherie. It may seem brazen of me, but I have wanted this for a while. You have always intrigued me. This caustic façade you routinely hide behind…I want to see you Morrigan."
Gold glistened in the dim light of the tent. "This is me, Leliana. This is who I have always been. No honeyed words or promises will change that."
That damnable smile again. "No, Morrigan…this is not you. Perhaps it is a part but I do not believe this is all you are. You have not had a chance to be anything other than this but, if you will allow me, I want to be privy to the Morrigan I truly believe you to be. The question is…will you let me?"
Time seemed to slow down, to stop. Morrigan searched the rogue's face for duplicity, finding none save this warmth and affection that the woman had never seen directed to her. It was the same look Kallian bestowed Zevran when she thought he was not looking. This openness, this raw energy radiating towards her gave Morrigan a weird feeling. Her heart…it…throbbed. A little like what she imagined a heart attack would be, but less…painful? But still just as dangerous.
"What if I do not know who I truly am?" Morrigan's whisper sounded hollow to her own ears. It was not like her to be so honest about her feelings, so open and vulnerable. But Leliana did not bat an eye at the fragile words. Instead, her face moved close to Morrigan until they shared a breath.
Eyelashes fluttered minutely. Lips were so close Morrigan could feel a ghost of their touch…it left an ache, a longing, deep in the recesses of a heart locked so far away. "Then we shall find her. Together."
A beat; a breath. Shaky and harboring sobs that had not place in this sacred of moments. "Yes." So decisive, and final. Morrigan was good with her words, just not the practicality of the process and certainly not in the act of release. But as the word fell from slack lips, sure ones covered her own and the witch knew something had changed. Maybe her heart would end in shreds and tragedy would follow this play but Morrigan found herself helpless in this onslaught. With Leliana by her side, she found herself feeling a little more optimistic about her future. Maybe, just maybe…she would find herself.