Hawke slowly descended the large stoned steps away from the Viscounts Keep. Her friends were behind her a few paces, giving her the room she clearly needed when she exited the throne room in haste. The wounds on her legs began to throb with each step she took, but she didn't care. Nor did she mind the wind as it blew open the torn cloth of her tunic. She cared little for struggle her lungs endured after nearly being punctured by the Arishok's blade, and she easily ignored the bodies that the city guard was only just now beginning to clear from the streets. Her only thought was to get home, and she prayed to the Maker she would be there.
Shutting the door to the estate, essentially letting the others know she wished not to be disturbed, Hawke wearily made her way through the first floor. Instructing Bodahn she wanted no interruption, and ignoring the gasps he'd made at the sight of her, Hawke gripped the rail tightly as she used what little energy she had left to make it up the stairs to her bedroom. She opened the door, the familiar scent of leather, cinnamon, and sex welcoming her, but Isabela was not waiting for her as she had hoped.
Literally peeling the blood soaked garments from her body and dropping them wherever she stood, Hawke stepped out of her clothes and into the washroom. Dipping a rag into the fresh bowl of water Bodahn always provided for her, she slowly began to remove the dirt, ash, and blood from her face. A few scrapes flawed her cheeks and forehead, and she followed the trail of one large gash from her neck down to her chest. Wincing at the pain as she cleaned her wounds, Hawke stopped only when she reached the purple bruise on her breast. That mark was not from the fight.
A smile dared to curl her lips as she remembered receiving the mark from Isabela just last night. How long ago the memory felt after everything that had happened since. Still, she held on to it, wishing she could relive last night over and over again.
Their sparring had never been this intense before, and Hawke saw the opening she was looking for. The quick drop of a flask, the dexterous maneuver behind Isabela, and with ease she had the pirate's arms pinned behind her. Normally Isabela would counter with swiftness of her own and Hawke would end up on her back, but not this time. Instead the darker skinned woman turned her head slightly over her shoulder and taunted Hawke. "Now that you have me, what are you going to do with me?"
Her relentless taunting and teasing had always made Hawke blush, shaking her confidence, and she'd walk away. But not this time. The warmth that spread through her at Isabela's words, at the feel of the woman's back pressed into her chest... No. This time would be different. This time she would give in to her body's desires. "Isabela," she said her name with a whisper, the rest of her words lost in her throat from fear. Hawke had never been with a woman before, and she was beyond intimidated to even think that Isabela would be her first.
As experienced as she may have been, Isabela had never heard her name spoken with such love and fear combined. She turned to look into Hawke's eyes, needing to know the woman was sure before taking that final step with her. "Hawke?" Isabela questioned, gently sliding the back of her fingers down her cheek. "I know I can be a general pain in the ass with my teasing, but are you sure? Do you really want this?"
Hawke cursed her trembling hand as she brought it to Isabela's face, needing to brush her lips with her thumb. She wet her own dry lips before leaning in and pressing her mouth to Isabela's soft, full lips. The feel of her piercing below her lower lip tickled Hawke's chin as her tongue glided along lips that were not her own, crossing a barrier she never had before. Isabela wasted no time allowing Hawke entrance to her mouth, and the two began exploring the taste of each other.
That kiss was unlike any Hawke could ever have imagined. She was no virgin, having been with men in her travels, but none of them felt like this. The perfect velvet strokes that Isabela skillfully applied to her tongue, her lips, caused a sudden feeling of need and want coursing through Hawke's body. Isabela's hands began to roam, first gently tangling in the dark tresses of Hawke's hair, and then down her neck to her back, all the while continuing the gentle, passionate kiss. Hawke felt her flesh rise from a chill that was not from cold, but from the heat of Isabela's touch, and Maker be praised she wanted more.
Hawke found herself touching her lips as she continued to look in the mirror. Only yesterday there was warmth there, even tenderness. There was an exploration and kindness she could get lost in for days. Now as she looked around, she was cold, empty, and she wrapped her arms around her naked body and exited the washroom.
Her eyes drifted to the bed. It was impossible to shake the image of Isabela laying there, naked, waiting for her. She had offered Hawke the chance to explore, to experiment, to discover what felt right or wrong to her, and Hawke had accepted. Moving timidly to the empty bed, Hawke sat on the edge, as she had done last night, and remembered the perfect silhouette of the tan-skinned beauty upon her white sheets.
"If you'd feel more comfortable in your robe, keep it on," Isabela suggested, laying on her back with her hands folded behind her head. "As you can see I don't really have a problem with nudity."
That much was certain, as Hawke took in Isabela's naked body for the first time. Her clothing normally left little to the imagination, but now Hawke found herself in awe at how beautiful the woman really was. Her dark skin complimented the darker circle around the nipple of her breast. A small well kept patch of hair caught the rays of sunlight in such a way that Hawke was fascinated by it. Would she look just as beautiful unclothed? She doubted it, though she never really compared herself to Isabela until now.
"Hawke," Isabela's voice brought her out of those thoughts, as if she knew what Hawke was thinking. She removed one arm from behind her head and patted the space on the bed next to her. "The view is much better up close," she said with a wink.
Unsteady legs brought Hawke to bed, and she sat beside Isabela. Her eyes continued to move from Isabela's gaze to her breasts, more so because they were so large that they demanded attention. Seeing no easy way to do anything from this position, and gathering as much courage as she could muster, Hawke moved so that she was now straddling Isabela, and leaned down to kiss her neck.
"Oh I like that," Isabela purred at the sudden bravery that had consumed Hawke. She tiled her head back, exposing more of her throat for Hawke to explore. Quickly Hawke learned that the more she licked and sucked, the louder Isabela's moans became, and the thought that she was enjoying herself at all had boosted Hawke's confidence.
Meeting her lips once more, Hawke distracted Isabela with her tongue as she moved her palm along her large breast. Grazing a nipple on the first pass, Hawke felt Isabela buck her hips involuntarily. Why she hadn't realized before that Isabela would enjoy everything any man had done to her, Hawke didn't know, but she was thankful she had come to that understanding now. Another pass of her hand, and then a brief yet hard pinch, caused Isabela to move her hips again, and Hawke couldn't help but smile.
Pulling away from now swollen lips, Hawke trailed kisses down Isabela's throat to her collar, and then down her breast, until she took that perfect dark nipple into her mouth. Flicking at first with her tongue, followed by a gentle suckling, and finally nibbling with her teeth, Isabela was squirming delightfully underneath her, causing friction between their legs that sparked the heat growing between them. Isabela may have wanted more, judging by her thrusts and the way she arched her back, but Hawke didn't stop. Finding that she rather enjoyed the different gasps, moans, and screams she could cause Isabela to make just from her mouth alone, Hawke only stopped to switch to the other breast.
Staying true to her word of allowing Hawke to explore, Isabela was powerless under her touch. Her hands clenched around the sheets beneath her as Hawke's breath teased her already sensitive flesh. Back raised, hips thrust forward, Isabela tried to offer every hint that she wanted more, but Hawke was either ignoring her, or enjoying herself far too much to care. Isabela assumed it was the latter, and she couldn't wait until it was her turn to show Hawke a few tricks.
The sheets were still a mess from the previous evening as Hawke sat upon them, running her fingers along the indentations where both she and Isabela gripped tightly when pleasuring each other. All of the actions performed on each other could have easily been done by any man, but there was something more when it had been the two of them. Was it like that for every woman who had a similar experience? Or was it just Isabela, and the way she carried herself with such confidence that had made it much more enjoyable?
Hawke didn't know, having nothing to compare it to. But it was different. More intimate, more love instead of male lust. Even at his gentlest, no man could have offered her a similar feeling; that much she was now certain of. Being brought to the highest peak of pleasure possible by someone who shared a similar body as your own was just different, and if asked to explain it to someone who hadn't experienced it, there would be no words. Could you explain color to a blind man who had never seen? Impossible.
She reached for the pillow and brought it close to her, inhaling the combined scent of Isabela and herself. If she closed her eyes, Hawke could still hear the soft cries of ecstasy her friend made when she had climaxed. It was a beautiful sound, one she would never forget.
It took little more on Hawke's part to send Isabela over the edge. When she had dared to bring her hand down between the both of them, Hawke could feel the heat between them and the readiness of Isabela for her touch. It was arousing, to realize she had given Isabela even this much pleasure, but when her fingers began exploring, Isabela found it impossible to keep still. Hawke followed the pace Isabela's hips set, and it was only a matter of seconds before Hawke felt Isabela's body tighten from within.
At first Hawke assumed Isabela was flattering her with how loud she had been, and warmth flushed her cheeks when she thought of the servants just downstairs. Isabela only laughed through panting breaths, assuring Hawke she had no need to fake anything with her, and she would prove to her just how easy one could be taken to a place of bliss by a woman's touch. Hawke was more than ready for Isabela to do whatever she wanted; her own desire had grown to a suffocating need listening to Isabela climax. The pulsing heat between her legs begged for attention, and Isabela was happy to give it.
Her skin still tingled from her orgasm as Isabela untied the cloth that held Hawke's robe together. The beauty of another woman never got old, and Isabela now took in the sight of Hawke still straddling her hips. Warm hands moved up Hawke's stomach to her breasts and palms glossed over her nipples. Repeating the maneuver on the way back down, Isabela stopped her hands at Hawke's hips, and using her amazing skill of dexterity and strength, she flipped Hawke on to her back on to the bed.
Isabela however did not sit on Hawke's lap. Nor did she pay any further attention to Hawke's breasts, save for a teasing nip and suck just below her heart that was sure to leave a mark. Having already felt Hawke's heat between her legs, Isabela immediately went to her knees and began running her tongue along Hawke's entrance. The sweet taste and scent of her only encouraged Isabela to lick faster, enjoying the way Hawke was now breathless, hanging on to the edge.
Dragging her fingers along Hawke's inner thighs, Isabela continued exploring the sensitive flesh with her tongue. Expletives she had never heard Hawke use poured out of her mouth between breathless moans and gasps, and Isabela smiled as she moved slightly upward to Hawke's most sensitive spot. Moving the tip of her tongue in a circular motion, Isabela was rewarded with shuddering movements and stifled screams as Hawke drew a pillow over her face.
Replacing her tongue with the tip of her finger, Isabela crawled onto the bed, removed the pillow, and pressed her lips against Hawke's. They rode out the orgasm together, Isabela's gentle strokes inside Hawke's mouth matching the way she continued to caress Hawke between her legs. Eventually the moans became whimpers, and Isabela pulled away to grin at Hawke.
Unable to take any more stimulation, Hawke brought her hand down on top of Isabela's. Not wishing to end the connection completely however, Hawke lifted her head to capture Isabela's mouth once more. Soft, gentle kisses continued until exhaustion finally pulled them both into dreams.
Hawke had never imagined that Isabela would leave her after that. It was clear feelings were useless as far as Isabela was concerned, but Hawke had no control over that. Still she hadn't seen the betrayal coming. Whether intentional or not, Isabela had chosen one path over the other; accepting the more adventurous and dangerous route over one she had begun to build an emotional foundation with.
And that was what Hawke could not understand. What had she done wrong? Where in time from yesterday until today did she become unimportant and no longer a friend? She would've protected Isabela, thought she had proved that by telling her to keep the stupid relic to save herself, and still the pirate had fled, leaving Hawke to deal with the consequences and scars, both physically and emotionally.
All Hawke could do now was pull her weakened legs up into her chest, wrap her arms around them, and allow the tears to finally fall. Not only did her body ache, but her heart was broken, and she only wished both pains would end soon. She was the Champion now after all, there wasn't time for such sadness and self-loathing. Kirkwall would need her cheery positive attitude in the morning, and she would give it to them. Whatever the world needed from her it got, no matter how she was feeling on the inside.