The forge was silent, the fires tamed for the night. Cassandra stood at the foot of the stairs, silently wishing the scout would finish her report and leave. The next chapter of Swords and Shields was calling, and the anticipation Cassandra felt was almost shameful.
She'd peeked. She shouldn't have peeked. It had been such a temptation, especially after all the hints Varric had been teasing her with, in his narrative and in their conversations. She should've known better, he'd practically offered to read it to her. Just one look, that was all she'd promised herself that morning. It was evening now, and that little hint had been lurking in her thoughts all day long.
The scout saluted, and Cassandra returned the gesture despite not having heard a word for the past few minutes.
He'd written… smut.
Turning to climb the stairs to her room, Cassandra paused on the landing, lost in thought.
The knight-captain reached out and grasped her lover's tunic with trembling hands. There was a single beat where they stared at one another, before she crushed her mouth against his. Stifling a groan against Evaline's throat, Connic clutched her close and half carried half pushed her up onto her desk, papers scattering every which way.
"The door...it's-" Evaline gasped, breaking off to kiss Connic, "It's not locked."
Connic eased himself between her spread legs, fingers fumbling with her laces. Evaline shifted her hips, grinding herself against Connic's hand.
"I don't care. I don't care who sees us."
Still frozen on the landing, Cassandra bit her lip and flicked a look round the forge to assure herself that no one else was there.
It was embarrassing to realize that her heart was pounding, and her face was flushed.
Taking a shaky breath, Cassandra climbed the remaining stairs to her bedroom, and began stripping down. Slipping into her nightshirt, Cassandra plucked the book from its place under her pillow, curled up on her bed, and began to read.
"Let them watch me serve you." Connic breathed against her neck, lifting her easily with one hand while the other slid Evaline's pants down. Again he teased her sex, Evaline jerked her hips forward, a contented smile spreading across her face.
"You're perverted", she whispered into Connic's ear, dealing the lobe a sharp nip.
"Maker." Cassandra stared at the page, feeling warm. Varric had outdone himself.
"You drive me to perversion," Connic said, fingers sliding into the Knight Commander's wet slit.
That was… vulgar. Cassandra covered her face with one hand, feeling the warmth of her blush.
"Connic!" Evaline's hands gripped his shoulders like a vise. Connic curled his fingers, let Evaline's thrashing hips drive the pace. She was beautiful, coming apart at the seams under his touch, abandoned to her passion.
How could Varric write such a thing?
Cassandra slid a hand across the plain linen of her nightshirt, gently rolling one nipple between her fingers.
Unwinding Evaline's hands from around his neck, Connic pulled her shirt down further and kissed a trail down her chest, stopping to lick and suck on her nipples. Evaline arched into his mouth, Connic's free hand pushing her closer. With a gasp, Connic pulled himself away from Evaline's breasts, and sank onto his knees.
Cassandra caught her lower lip between her teeth, cheeks flushed as she tweaked her other nipple. Warm, wet heat pooled between her legs. Eyelids at half mast, Cassandra slid her hand slowly downwards, eased her legs apart.
The first touch of Connic's tongue sent shivers up Evaline's spine. Connic groaned, a hungry, desperate sound, and bent to his work. Evaline's hands gripped the edge of her desk, the hard wood cutting into her palms. Connic knelt before her, dark head buried between her legs, fingers and tongue stroking, caressing. Devouring. That was the proper word.
A small gasp slipped from Cassandra's lips, fingers rubbing slow circles round her clit.
Need burned in Evaline's heart, stronger than she'd ever felt. Connic's callused, broad hands curved up around her shaking thighs, holding them farther apart.
"Seeker?"
Cassandra's eyes snapped open, her fingers fumbled and the book's hard cover caught her in the sternum.
Varric stood at the head of the stairs, face flushed. Cassandra snatched her hand up from beneath the rucked up edge of her shift.
"How- how long have you been standing there, Varric?" Embarrassment flew through Cassandra's body. To be caught like this by Varric of all people!
"Not...not long. Maker. See- Cassandra." Varric's hands fluttered at his side. "Maker's breath."
The last was quietly exhaled, almost a prayer.
Cassandra had never heard the usually flippant dwarf speak with such reverence.
It was the only thing currently saving him from the humiliated wrath bubbling in Cassandra's heart.
Meeting Varric's gaze with defiance, Cassandra's breath hitched in shock.
Varric was watching her as though she was the only person in the world, the last drop of water in an endless desert.
"Why are you here, Varric?" Cassandra breathed, trying to sound stern and failing.
Varric gestured towards the discarded book, lying splayed on the bed. "Came to tease you about Swords and Shields. Didn't expect you'd be…"
Fire seared Cassandra's cheeks, scorching all the way down her neck to the tops of her breasts. Varric's gaze followed the blush down, stopped and flicked back to her eyes, hectic red spots blooming on his own face. For the first time, Cassandra noticed the curve of Varric's erection, outlined against his breeches.
"I interrupted you in the middle of the good part. I'll go." Varric rasped, turning on his heel.
Cassandra's heart stuttered in her chest, and instead of letting Varric leave, she stood on shaking legs and crossed the room in two quick steps.
"Varric."
Varric's shoulders stiffened, as he turned to face her, Cassandra could see the way his guard slid up, the wariness in his posture.
Standing barely a foot away from him, Cassandra suddenly felt at a loss for words, stared instead, let her eyes slide from Varric's eyes, down to his mouth, then to the pulse which thumped in his throat, along the wide, sturdy shoulders and broad chest.
Almost shyly, she let her gaze drop down to the obvious erection straining Varric's breeches. A dark blush suffused Cassandra's face. It was because of her, from watching her get off.
"How does it end?" Cassandra asked, her voice low and throaty.
"What?" Varric met her eyes, confusion rippling across his face.
"The story. What happens next?" Cassandra said, stepping closer to the dwarf.
Varric stared for a moment, before a wicked smirk bloomed on his face. "You can't just start in the middle, Seeker. Begin at the beginning, right?"
Closing the space between them, Cassandra bent down and dragged Varric up by his collar, pressing her mouth against his. Cassandra felt a slight shudder as their lips met, a bright, electric jolt that sizzled through her body. Varric braced his hands against her shoulders, slid one along Cassandra's neck to curl into her short hair.
His mouth was warm, and soft, Cassandra thought distractedly. Stubble scraped against her chin as she pressed herself closer, deepening the kiss' hungry edge. Varric's fingers tightened in her hair, a sharp but not unwelcome pain that made her moan against his mouth. Cassandra nipped at Varric's lower lip in retaliation, felt his hips jerk, and smiled.
Varric's hands slid down to her hips, and pushed. They separated with a gasp, and Cassandra stumbled as Varric walked her backwards toward her bed.
Soft, open mouthed kisses against her sternum sent Cassandra's fingers tangling into Varric's hair, urging him closer as he nuzzled her breasts.
"Down," Varric said, broad hands on Cassandra's hips, stroking down to her ass. "Sit down, Seeker."
Bonelessly, Cassandra sank down onto her bed, and found herself almost at eye level with Varric.
Scooting back towards the wall, Cassandra reached out and brushed her hand along Varric's jaw, smirking as he turned his head into the touch, lips caressing her palm.
Allowing her hand to trail downwards, Cassandra barely brushed the fabric over his cock with her fingertips, enjoying the way Varric's breathing hitched.
"What was the next part, Seeker?" Varric asked, leaning in to kiss her again, nudging her head upwards to kiss and bite down her neck.
"Connic- Ah! eased himself between her spread legs, fingers fumbling with her laces. Evaline shifted her hips, grinding herself against Connic's hand," Cassandra said, arching up into Varric's touch.
"You have it memorized, Cassandra?" Varric said incredulously. "I'm impressed."
Varric eased a hand down between them, fingers pressing against the warmth of Cassandra's cunt through the fabric tangled around her waist.
"Not wearing anything beneath this, are you?" Varric sighed, straddling Cassandra's thigh. "I can feel you, Seeker. Hot and wet, nothing between my fingers and your pussy but flimsy cloth."
Cassandra squirmed against Varric's fingers, pushing herself against his teasing fingers.
"Should I ask if you care that anyone could come up those stairs, Seeker?" Varric grinned, sliding his hands along Cassandra's thighs, rucking her nightshirt up around her hips.
"Anyone at all could just walk up and see us, see the way you rut against my hand," Varric said, the callused pad of his finger rubbing Cassandra's clit.
"I don't care," Cassandra bit out, grinding her hips against Varric's hand. Propping herself up on one arm she snagged Varric's collar and tugged, smearing their mouths together.
"I don't care either," Varric mumbled against Cassandra's mouth. "Let them watch."
Varric's fingers continued their stroking, sliding along the slick folds of Cassandra's cunt.
"Varric," Cassandra groaned, shifting her hips.
"Yes, Seeker?"
Varric coaxed one finger into Cassandra's wetness, then another, staring as her head lolled back and her hips jerked violently.
"Fuck," Varric breathed, resting his head against her collarbone.
Cassandra's fingers scraped along Varric's back, digging into his shoulders. Varric fucked her with his fingers, every stroke brought a surge of heat and wetness from Cassandra's pussy as she ground her hips down against his hand.
It was so good, Cassandra thought. Varric's fingers and the solid bulk of him above her. Every movement, every curve of his fingers brought her closer to her orgasm.
"Varric. Varric," Cassandra gasped out, Varric's warm mouth sealed around one of her nipples, sucking.
"Want me to stop, Cassandra?" Varric asked, looking up at her with serious eyes.
"Don't you dare!" Cassandra exclaimed, sending him a mock glare.
"What do you want?" Varric smirked at her, eyes knowing.
"I want you to fuck me with your mouth, your tongue," Cassandra said, feeling her face heat up.
Varric's eyebrows climbed up his forehead, and a self satisfied smirk twisted his mouth. The look was distinctly rakish, and something in Cassandra's chest fluttered.
Settling back on his haunches, Varric's eyes raked over her, hunger burning behind them.
"Say that again, Seeker?" Crooking his fingers, Varric rubbed his thumb over Cassandra's clit, relishing the way every muscle in her body went taut.
"Damn you!" Cassandra gritted out between clenched teeth. Varric crooked his fingers again. "Fuck me with your mouth."
Varric offered her another saucy grin, and withdrew his fingers from Cassandra's pussy, which earned him a glare. As the dwarf stood up from the bed, Cassandra felt a shiver of pleasure course through her body. Lying spread out in front of Varric, nightshirt hiked up above her waist waiting for the caress of his mouth felt decadent, and more than a little perverse. Especially considering the largeness of the erection straining against the laces of Varric's breeches.
Propping herself up, Cassandra reached forward and undid his laces, enjoying the way Varric sucked his lower lip between his teeth with a sharp inhalation as her fingers touched the skin along his hips.
"Explore later, Seeker," Varric said, catching Cassandra's hands as they began shimmying his pants down. Lowering himself to his knees, Varric hooked his hands behind Cassandra's knees and yanked.
"Oof!" Before she could scold him, Varric had leaned in and hoisted Cassandra's hips upwards, her legs draped over his shoulders.
The dwarf gave her ass a companionable squeeze, before bending his neck and-
Oh Maker. The dwarf had a cunning tongue, Cassandra thought, as Varric's tongue was joined by his clever fingers.
Cassandra's hands clutched at her sheets, the violent quivering of her thighs pressing Varric closer as he licked and stroked her cunt. Everything blurred together, the world reduced to where she and Varric joined, the calluses on his hands rubbing against her thighs.
Pulling away, Varric kissed and nibbled the soft flesh of Cassandra's inner thighs, breath coming in harsh jerks.
Looking up from beneath heavy lidded eyes, Cassandra's breath caught in her throat at the sight of Varric between her legs. With his hair dishevelled and his mouth slick and wet, he looked as debauched as she felt.
"Maker," Cassandra sighed, a slow smile spreading across her face.
Varric gasped against her, did something with his mouth, and Cassandra's entire body went rigid, her heels digging into Varric's shoulderblades, a strangled groan breaking loose from her throat as her back bent in an arc off the bed. Varric's fingers dug into her thighs, her ass, as she shook and ground her hips against him.
Abruptly, Varric's free hand dropped from her hip, and shoved his pants further down his hips, freeing his cock. While his tongue and fingers worked, Varric's free hand clenched around his hard cock, and stroked.
"Varric," Cassandra said, the name more a question as she watched the rise and fall of his fist, and the way his hips gently shuddered.
When she said his name, Varric's hand sped up.
"Varric," Cassandra said again, "You should- ugh!"
Varric slid his slick fingers out from her pussy, and licked his fingers clean.
"I should what, Cassandra?"
"Fuck me."
The small loft fell silent as Varric's hand stilled its caresses, and he stared at her slackjawed. Satisfaction warmed Cassandra's breast. It wasn't often she could reduce Varric to speechlessness, and when had a man last looked at her with such naked lust? Maker, the power was heady.
Cassandra unhooked her shaking legs from Varric's shoulders, and leaned forward to grab hold of the sash he still wore.
"Strip, dwarf," she commanded, ridding herself of her nightshirt.
Tossing it aside, the white fabric draped over the stair rail like a flag. Varric's hands were still on his sash, the knot only half undone as he gaped at her newly naked body.
With a roll of her eyes (fonder than she wanted to admit), Cassandra yanked Varric's sash free and set herself to undoing what buttons remained done up on his tunic. So close to him now, she could smell his sweat and her scent. Capturing Varric's mouth again, Cassandra almost forgot to finish undressing him.
He tasted like her.
Broad, rough palms greedily skated their way across her flesh, fingers tracing any scar they came across, running up and down her back in long strokes until a light, nearly ticklish trail along her ribs brought his hands to her breasts.
The red silk tunic Varric favoured slid off his shoulders with ease, Cassandra's hands followed its path down, along Varric's warm skin, the heavy thatch of ruddy chest hair that tapered down his stomach to his groin. She had expected him to be soft, and he was, but underneath it was sturdy muscle. Drawing her mouth from his, Cassandra sucked kiss marks against Varric's neck, felt the skip of his heartbeat against her lips.
"Andraste's ass!" Varric swore, pulling himself from Cassandra's grasp and sitting down on the bed to remove his boots and the tangle of his breeches.
Biting the juncture of his shoulder and neck probably wasn't helpful, Cassandra reflected, but the noise Varric made was entirely worth it.
Finally rid of his clothes, Varric curled his arms around Cassandra's body, maneuvering her onto his lap.
Straddling Varric's lap put their height difference into sharp contrast. It also gave Varric an excellent view of her breasts, which Cassandra appreciated as he began to lick, suck, and nip them. The heavy, hot weight of his cock lay trapped between them, and it took little coaxing for Cassandra to rise up on her knees and take him in hand. Varric froze as she positioned the head of his cock properly, and lowered herself slowly downwards.
Cassandra felt her eyes roll back, as Varric's cock stretched her open. When she finally sank all the way down, her head lolled forwards, braced against Varric's upturned face.
"Maker," Cassandra whispered, wriggling her hips experimentally. The slight movement drew a groan from Varric, and a little upward thrust.
"Fuck," Varric's fingers tweaked her nipples, pulling and kneading them, sending red hot jolts of pleasure-pain down right to where their flesh met. "Move, Cassandra, Maker's grace please. Move."
The sound of Varric pleading was new, and novel, Cassandra thought, enjoying the sound more than was likely proper. But nothing compared to the noise he made when she did start moving.
The wet sound of fucking echoed in the small loft, as Cassandra put her long, muscular legs to good use. They found a rhythm quickly, though it stuttered and hitched on occasion, as sensation became too much.
The feeling of being fucked, being filled by another person, by Varric was enough to spread liquid warmth through Cassandra's veins, urging her to go harder, faster. His hands on her hips, her fingernails digging into his shoulders, holding on for dear life.
Too quickly, Cassandra lost the rhythm, grinding her hips down with wild abandon while Varric breathed out her name, mixed with filthy exhortations to fuck herself harder, to use him and come, please come.
With a grunt, Varric gathered her in his arms and rolled them over onto the bed, hiked Cassandra's long legs over his shoulders again, and shoved a pillow under her ass.
Cassandra stared up at him raptly, admiring the beads of sweat that drip down Varric's forehead and slide down his neck. The first rolling thrust after they readjust is wonderful, Varric goes slow, long languorous strokes that don't resemble the frantic fucking of before. It's like fire along Cassandra's veins, an agonizing slow burn that elicits a whimper of all things.
However embarrassed she might be at such a noise, Varric jerked as though electrified, and sucked a love bite onto her thigh, sliding his free hand down between them and stroking slow circles around Cassandra's clit.
"Maker's ass," Cassandra muttered, teeth clenched and muscles straining. "Varric, please!"
"Fuck," Varric groaned, hips speeding up.
Time stretched out, taut and sharp. Cassandra flung her arms around Varric's shoulders, crushing him closer as her hips snapped against his, and his hand. Sinking her teeth into Varric's shoulder, Cassandra's body shook and jittered, clenched tight around the sweet hardness of Varric's cock.
"Maker, yes. That's it, come for me," Varric crooned, still rubbing circles against Cassandra's clit as she rocked against him.
Cassandra ground hard against Varric's hips, rutting against him, until the rising tension in her body snapped like a twig, a sharp, bright burst of pleasure followed by languor.
With a sigh, Cassandra went limp against the pillow, Varric breathless above her, cursing through his teeth as his hips moved in a ragged rhythm, stammering and suddenly stopping, still as a stone.
"Fuck. Fuck," Varric went boneless, sagging down onto Cassandra's chest. Sweat pooled between them.
Threading her fingers through Varric's hair, Cassandra drifted in the drowsy afterglow of good sex. Varric's heartbeat and her own pounded in sync. Soft lips pressed an even softer kiss against her collarbone, the flutter of eyelashes tickled her sensitized skin.
Varric rolled over, and yelped.
"The hell- oh," Wiggling, Varric dislodged Swords and Shields from where it was digging into his kidneys.
They stared at the book, and burst into helpless giggles. Cassandra buried her head in one of her arms, hiding a ridiculously wide grin.
"You knew, didn't you?" Cassandra asked, propping her chin on Varric's chest. One of his large hands cupped her skull, slid a slow trail down to her lower back where it rested as though it belonged there.
"Knew what?" Varric said, entirely too innocently.
"All the teasing remarks, the hints about this next chapter?" Cassandra scoffed "You practically offered to read it to me."
"Well, smut isn't my usual territory," Varric said. "Too cutthroat by far. But for a publication run of one? I'll risk it."
Cassandra paused to consider the implications of what Varric had said.
"You're an ass," she said fondly, a contented smile on her face.
Varric chuckled, and patted Cassandra's hip. "Interested in knowing how the story ends, Seeker?"
"Later, perhaps," Cassandra said sleepily. "I have an idea, anyways."
Dragging the rumpled blanket up over them, Cassandra settled herself more comfortably against Varric's warm body.
"It's a happy ending, Seeker," Varric said with a lascivious eyebrow waggle.
"You really are incorrigible, Varric," Cassandra sighed. "Thank you for the book."
"Anything for my loyal fan," Varric said, mischief in his voice.
Cassandra grumbled against Varric's chest before propping herself up on one elbow to plant a kiss squarely on his mouth.
"Varric. Shut up," Cassandra said, sinking back down to her place nestled against his chest, Varric's heartbeat strong and comforting in her ear.
"Your wish is my command," Varric said into Cassandra's soft hair.
Heaving a sigh, Cassandra decided to ignore him, and shut her eyes. With Varric's hand stroking her back, she drifted off surprised at how normal it felt to be held in his arms.