AN: After some debating, I kept this one in. It was sweet and needed, and really shows the bond forged between Marric and Asha. One of many bonds, really. And, yeah. It's for mature audiences.


He had carried her up the ramp earlier that night, the rogue nearly incapable of moving herself at this point, having thrown back far too many drinks in her little corner of the bar while he watched from up above. His approaching had startled her, but they settled into the conversation easily, as if they were friends from a long time past. Names were exchanged, common courtesies were met, and now he was laying her down on the bed in the room he had rented. She only laughed, sitting up and taking off her clothes slowly. It was half inebriated joke, and half timid curiousity. In her drunken stupor, she wanted nothing more than to see if he would repeat his actions of their first meeting; if he would kiss her, and send another wave of addicting confusion through her.

Something cleared her mind a little; the brush of his fingers on her skin. It was there again, a gentle friction between his skin and the many scars that littered her form. Her breath caught as he trailed those fingers lightly around the swell of one breast, roaming dangerously close to one sensitive and erect nipple before falling down along her side to her hip. Fel-green eyes snapped to his own, a voice registering in the back of her mind that he was now on top of her, his raven black hair mingling with her own crimson strands.

"Marric..." She was almost ashamed of the fear laced in that single name, the cruel blush of shame creeping across her cheeks. He merely smiled, his fingers overlapping and then tracing her lips as if in wonder before he spoke. "Mallac. For tonight, please call me Mallac. It was my name before the change." Then he kissed her, a tender contact that both calmed and aroused her. When he pulled away at least, it was only to mutter an agreement as his nose brushed her jaw, lips parted to brush along her neck. "I'll stop if you tell me to, Ashadel."

His fingers briefly entwined in her own before he was touching her again, drawing slow lines down her arm, to her side and then to her hips where his hands kneaded for a few moments. Eyes of pale blue scoured her, hiding anger at the blemishes marking her skin easily. With his hands on her hips, his lips began to trail along her flesh, drawing low groans as he explored her neck and collar. It became evident why his hands were where they were when she tried to arch up against him, his firm grip holding her down until the message was clear. This is for you...

Lower still his lips trailed, planting soft kisses along the swell of one breast. A soft whimper left her as he lapped at one erect nipple, a smile creasing his lips as she shuddered and closed her eyes, yielding further to him. Taking the small bud into his mouth, his hand left her hip, gripping her other breast and lightly kneading it, delighting in the soft mewls that left her.

Her fingers slid up along his clothed arms, breathing ragged as the digits tangled in his lengthy hair. She glanced at him, meeting his eyes briefly until the contact was broken and his touch trailed further down, gentle nips given to her stomach and inner thighs. He stopped as her legs snapped closed, a look of honest confusion offered. She shook her head, a trembling apology given through mere eye contact.

Words, for once, were lost to the rogue. At the same time, they seemed completely useless when he so easily understood even the smallest movements she managed. Once again he moved, parting her legs and drawing fingers daringly close to her moist netherlips, grinning impishly at her near frustrated whimper when they would dance away to circle the sensitive flesh of her inner thighs. Over and over he goaded her, teasing her until she had closed her eyes and taken a deep breath in order to hold back the desire to slap him.

The breath was released in a sharp gasp as his teeth gently nipped the lips of her sex, her fingers gripping the sheets tightly while he repeated the action a few more times, varying the placement to keep her surprised. Another whimper left her when his tongue trailed the same path he had just nipped, and she was sure she heard him chuckle when her hips bucked, forcing him to hold her down as he explored deeper, always trailing close to the hidden pearl and yet never coming quite close enough. "Fucking tease..."

When he gingerly sank first two, then three fingers into her, she moaned out loud. His tongue finally found and eagerly teased the tiny nub of nerves while his fingers slowly pumped in and out, drawing along the bundle of nerves within her on each withdrawal. A sharp grunt halted her hand as it moved to cover her mouth, his eyes clearly forbidding her from muffling her noises as he drew his tongue rather roughly along her swollen clit, tearing a near shriek of pleasure from her.

She wanted to cry, the pleasure was so intense. His fingers and tongue worked in unison with her, drawing whimpers and moans from her as easy as drawing a fishing line in from the sea. An ache began to form, growing stronger with each pulse of his fingers until she was fairly clutching at those digits with her walls, moans giving way to small pleas for release. He drew up alongside her, cradling her against him as he slipped a fourth finger into her, stretching her walls and running his thumb along her pearl until all at once, he was pressing both nerve bundles.

Her moans became muffled against his lips as he silenced her orgasm with a kiss, not stopping her as she bucked against his hand. In fact, he drew it out, bringing her over the edge not just once, but twice, leaving her panting and writhing in his arms. When she finally stopped convulsing, his lips left hers, kissing her forehead and cheeks lightly.

Ashadel felt... weak. His hand trailed along her back, soothing her even further until she was lost to a dream, asleep in his arms. Marric smiled, drawing the blankets up around them and holding her securely against him as he followed her into sleep.

When morning dawned, and Marric finally awoke, it was to an empty bed. On the pillow beside him, just out of reach of his raven hair splayed over the pillow, was a crimson rose, held in place by the weight of a gold coin. He chuckled, running fingers over both of them, and his eyes closed once again. In the streets below, Ashadel gave the inn a final glance, her eyes drifting to where the room would be placed if there was a window before she turned on her heel, drawing her cloak over her head as she pushed through the crowds in Murder Row.