A/N: Warning NSFW. Thank you to all my lovely reviewers, to whom I apologise for the short chapters, my inspiration seems to come in short bursts. I swear, I'm trying to make them longer!

A Long Answer

Fenris stared at her for a moment. He didn't know what to say, or rather, did not know how to say it. His mind completely blank, his body answered for him. His hands gripped her shoulders and pulled her against him, their lips meeting in a sweet, lingering kiss. He felt her hands snake into his hair, encouraging him to deepen the kiss. He breathed deep, revelling in the scent of her. They stayed locked against each other until he felt her shiver against him.

"You are cold." He said as he pulled back, ignoring her whimper of protest.

"A little." She admitted. He stood up, offering her a hand and a smile. She took it, and offered a smile of her own. The sight of it caused a warmth to bloom in his chest. Maker damn him, but he lived for her smiles. He led her to the balcony, helping her down before lithely dropping down himself. He took her hand again ton lead her to the main room, marvelling internally at how her touch caused him no pain.

In the main room he urged her to sit as he stoked up the fire. She giggled as he handed her a blanket. He also decided she was giving him an unnerving, knowing look.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that." He asked. She giggled again.

"You're being adorably chivalrous. It's so sweet of you."

"Is it so strange that I wish you to be comfortable?"

"A little." She replied, and he blushed, ashamed at the truth of it. He did not have a compassionate nature. She rose from her chair and approached him by the fire. "I'm not a plant, Fenris." She said with an indulgent smile. "I won't wither and die if touched by frost." Her hand came to rest on his shoulder, and he leaned into her touch.

"I know." He sighed. "It seems I am making a habit of protecting mages." He pulled her into his arms. "At least this time it is by choice." He murmured into her hair. It felt right to hold her there, encircled in his arms, safe and sound and his. He felt her head tilt up, and he lowered his mouth to hers. It started soft and sweet, as she melted into his embrace. Its intensity slowly began to rise, the kiss becoming hungry and passionate, their bodies pressed together as they panted with their need for one and other.

With a clatter, his gauntlets fell to the floor, allowing him to truly touch her as one hand curled in her hair, the other tracing down her back, over the material of her dress to grip the back of her smooth thigh as it was lifted onto his hip. He moaned as her pelvis ground against his aching arousal. He trailed kisses down her neck, hearing her gasp and moan as he nipped lightly at her tender flesh. One hand deftly unhooked the fastenings of her vest, shaking slightly as he felt a hesitant tongue flick against the sensitive shell of his ear. When her hands went for his breastplate, he grabbed her wrists, pushing them away gently.

"I think I should do that." He said huskily. "I would prefer less damage this time." She giggled shyly.

"I'm sorry; I got a bit carried away." He chuckled darkly as he placed his plate and jacket on a nearby chair.

"Considering what I did to your clothes, I believe we are even." He said as he pulled her against his now bare chest, gasping at the pleasurable hum her touch brought to his markings. She jerked back.

"I'm not hurting you, am I?" she asked, her eyes brimming with concern. He pulled her back, his hand cupping her jaw as he looked her in the eye.

"Merrill." He said seriously. "Yours is the only touch I have ever known that did not bring me pain." He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. "In fact, your touch feels -" he pulled her hand to trace down the markings on his chin and neck. "-rather exquisite." She bit her lip, feeling herself quiver at the huskiness of his voice and the desire in his eyes. She traced her hands down the markings on his chest, enjoying the way her magic reacted to the lyrium.

Her inquisitive fingers found their way to the waistband of his breeches, and she hesitated only briefly before her slender fingers traced lightly over the outline of his hard cock. She suppressed a giggle as it twitched under her touch, and she slowly brought her fingers up to delve under the tight leather.

She marvelled at the smoothness, enjoying the pleasured sigh that escaped her lover's lips at her touch. The leather was tight, and she removed one hand to undo the laces of his leggings, freeing him. She barely noticed him bracing himself against the mantelpiece as she lowered herself for a better look. Her hands continued to rub and trace the smooth skin as she examined it, fascinated and a little alarmed to find lyrium there.

"Are you…studying me?" questioned a panting Fenris. She looked up at him cheekily.

"Maybe." She replied as one hand slid down to caress his smooth sack. She continued to look up at him even as her pink tongue flicked out to lick at his tip and he groaned. Her mouth teased him even as her hands continued to slide over his engorged length. He resisted the urge to grab her head and push, knowing that this was most likely new to her and it was best she go at her own pace.

His resolve crumbled as she took more and more of him into her mouth, lapping and sucking just the way she had read about in Varric's dirty novels. Calloused hands gripped her hair, encouraging her to take him deeper. Suddenly the hands were gone from her hair and latched onto her arms, pulling her up roughly.

"Dress off. Now." He commanded in a gravelly whisper, haphazardly assisting as she hastily pulled it over her head. His mouth found her breast as his fingers delved into her smalls, finding her delightfully wet. She moaned above him as one and then two fingers entered her, each gasp of pleasure going straight to his aching groin. He tugged her smalls down, and then gently lowered her down onto her discarded blanket, his fingers still massaging her hot, wet channel.

Trailing kisses down her abdomen, he paused to inhale her sweet, musky scent before gently lapping at her engorged nub, tasting her as his hands removed her leg coverings, the full expanse of her porcelain skin now laid bare as she writhed beneath his mouth. She moaned and cursed in elvish as his tongue plundered her depths, the pleasurable ache in her nethers building with each flick of his tongue.

"Fenris" she gasped, feeling her need become too much to bare. "Please, I need you inside" she moaned in desperation. Needing no more encouragement, he pulled himself above her, drawing her into a passionate kiss as he pushed into her tight entrance. She moaned his name again as she felt him fill her, an indescribable feeling of fulfilment washing through her as the man she loved slid into her.

As much as their first coupling had been rough and violent, their second was sweet and tender. Fenris took her in slow, measured thrusts, his mouth plundering her lips, chest and neck. Her moans filled him as she nipped and sucked at his ears and neck, her hands tracing the lyrium lines of his back.

Slowly their pleasure built to an incredible crescendo, his thrusts becoming faster and erratic. She cried out as she came, her nails digging into his back and her thighs gripping him tightly as waves of pleasure rolled through her. He followed soon after, gasping as he released into her. They lay together before the fire, panting, neither willing to let the other go.

After a time, Fenris recovered enough to carry her to the bed, where he held her curled up against his chest, a satisfied smile on her face as she fell asleep. He lay there watching her sleep, not aware of the smile on his own face. As his eyes grew heavy, he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, whispering in her ear before finding sleep himself:

"I love you, Merrill."