The rusty creak of a hinge came splitting through the silence, causing Zevran to jolt awake. His body tensed as he rolled over, instinctively reaching for daggers that were nowhere to be found.
Zevran stilled as he heard footsteps drawing nearer. He was now determined to keep as quiet as possible, though he supposed it would make no difference; his aching and unprepared body would stand no chance against an attack in this narrow section of stables, which was currently serving as his bed. And surely there would be an attack... the person must be an enemy. What else could they be, given the fact that he was laying in a storehouse, stocked only with abused and abandoned souls, who, on top of that, had been trained all of their lives to kill?
Zevran remained pressed in the prickling hay, attempting to control the vigorous beating of his heart.
Some assassin I am, he thought bitterly.
Overcoming the fear, the elf prepared his body to react, readying himself for the attack that would come in mere seconds.
But keep still, very still, until the moment comes…
A hand, cold and worn, but softer than he expected, grazed his cheek. All of Zevran's preparations flew from his mind as he sprang up, searching for the face that matched the familiar touch. In the grimy darkness, his amber eyes met a pair of stormy grey ones, illuminated by a single flickering flame on the wall.
"Rinna," he exclaimed softly, his panic almost instantly fading away. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."
"Hmm?" she replied, as she took Zevran's head in her hands and began braiding his hair. "Quite the assassin you are, no?"
Damn. How is it that she can read my mind, even now?
"You shouldn't be here. Not tonight," Zevran breathed, not daring to speak any louder.
"What's so special about tonight?"
Zevran arched an eyebrow. "You know perfectly well that we have our evaluation tomorrow. To become real assassins."
"Yeah, but what does that even mean?" she asked. "We've killed before, no? What makes this test any different?"
"Well, for one, if we pass, we'll be moved out of these quarters. It's a pity, really, I was actually starting to enjoy being crammed into a stable with three other bodies on top of me."
Rinna laughed, a soft and bubbling laugh that resonated throughout the whole stable. Zevran could listen to the sound all day; it seemed to flow into his ears and melt through the rest of his body, ensnaring his senses in a blissful warmth.
"And here I thought that was something you would enjoy."
"My dearest Rinna," he almost chuckled. "Normally I would, but given the fact that they were broken, starving, and tortured bodies-"
"Why aren't they here now?" Rinna interrupted.
"They died," Zevran said simply. "A few days ago, on the job. Lucky I am, really."
There was a moment when neither of them spoke, and Zevran took the time to rest his head on his partner's shoulder. The minutes passed on in silence, only broken by the occasional rustle of hay or dull thud of wood. Zevran closed his eyes; it was hard to imagine that her mere presence had completely changed the mood of the stable. The quiet was no longer eerie, but serene; the dark was no longer a shadow concealing an enemy, but a comfort, allowing him to rest.
"Not that I don't appreciate beautiful women stroking my hair," he finally muttered. "But really, you shouldn't be here."
"Hey, someone told me to take my pleasures when I could..."
"Aho, look at me, eating my words."
"You and the rest of the Crows."
It was Zevran's turn to laugh. "No one else is together tonight-"
"No? Assassins are trained to be quiet, Zev," she said with a sly smile. "I half-expected Taliesen to be here when I walked in.
"Taliesen?" Zevran murmured. "I guess I wasn't really thinking about it."
"Well, we can invite him next time," Rinna whispered into his ear, her lips grazing the surface of his skin.
Zevran bit his lip, trying to contain the burning desire rising inside of him. He turned to face his partner; her mouth was now only inches away from his, her lips quivering.
Unable to resist any longer, Zevran pulled Rinna's narrow frame into his own, and their mouths found each other's hungrily.
"We don't need him," Zevran breathed, as they pulled apart.
"Now there's the Zev I was looking for," she said before their lips met again.