Chapter 14: Tension

A knock on the door wasn't enough to wake Ahimee from her broody thinking. She had moved around the room multiple times trying to put her erratic thinking to rest. For the moment she had settled on the warm stone in front of the still crackling fireplace, she had been continuously seeing to the fire. The continuous pattern of her thoughts was going back and forth between the horror of dying and prayers to The Creators, so placing another log in the fire was a welcome break. The crackling of burning wood was also a welcome background noise.

Another knock was enough for Ahimee to at least acknowledge that someone wanted to come inside and a humming sound escaped her lips. The door creaked open and Ahimee simply turned her head to see Zevran slip into the room. When her beloved closed the door it clicked but Ahimee had already gone back to watching the fire.

Zevran walked softly over to her and carefully placed his warm hands on her shoulders. Ahimee rolled her shoulders a small bit and Zevran leaned in so close she could feel his breath brush her pointed ear.
"You are so tense, my dear." He whispered as he started to slowly move his hands over her shoulders, massaging them just the way she likes it. Ahimee let him be for the moment, she was still trying to comprehend what tomorrow would bring. However Zevran's fingers were something not even she could simply ignore.

"We'll have to remedy that, won't we?" Ahimee said and looked up at Zevran with a playful smile and Zevran bent down to meet her lips whilst Ahimee could feel his hands wandering down her body. The kiss was a careful one, as it sometimes was at first, but Zevran parted his lips slightly and allowed Ahimees tongue to wet his lips. Zevrans fingers found some skin and Ahimee trembled because of the contact and her tongue slipped away from Zevrans mouth.

Ahimee broke the kiss and turned around to face Zevran and her smile grew wider, he noticed and matched it with his own charming smile. The smile Ahimee loved. They were still on the floor when Ahimee leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck and met his lips once again.

However, it didn't take long for her hands to wander down his armor and finding buckles to unclasp and knots to clumsily undo in her lust. She was, perhaps, a bit to accustomed to her partners clothing considering she even with mind clouded could find the clasps pretty easily. Zevran was too since he found the knots to undo even quicker than her, only breaking their passionate kiss to breathe.

Ahimee was lying in the darkness and was simply staring at the shadowy figure next to her in the soft bed. She was holding his hand and was stroking the back of it with her thumb. Something she had discovered had a calming effect on her during the restless nights. If it depended on her beloved Zevran or just holding hands was perhaps a mystery.

She had slowly started thinking of tomorrow again but she had decided to try not to so she was concentrating on Zevran instead. Ahime carefully brought up his hand and pressed her lips against it. Her heart ached of the thought of losing him... she loved him so much.
"Still awake?" Zevran whispered and Ahimees eyes widened in surprise.
"I didn't mean to wake you..." Ahimee whispered back and he rolled over to face her properly. He kissed her on the forehead.
"You should sleep mi amor." Zevran said quietly and Ahimee smiled even if it was probably not visible in the darkness.
"I'm just thinking about tomorrow." Ahimee whispered back and Zevran pressed his forehead against hers.
"Facing down a huge dragon would be worrisome for anyone." Zevran said in a joking tone and Ahimee laughed softly even if he was so close to the truth it was horrifying. However her eyelids were getting heavy with sleep-deprivation. Perhaps she would get a couple of hours of sleep before facing down the huge dragon.
"Perhaps..." Ahimee mumbled as she didn't dare to tell him what awaited her.
"I think you will flourish." Zevran said this time in a very concluding tone.
"Really?" She replied and wanted to hear this motivation.
"You survived the Antivan Crows twice, my dear; I have no doubts in you." Zevran replied and Ahimee sighed lightly.

"I love you, Zevran." She said without consent of the previous subject, she was going to slip into her dreaming any second now. There was some silence in between, as if he had to think about what to say. Ahimee didn't blame him; she knew he was not used to her random outbursts. Perhaps he thought it was just some kind of sleep-talking, but she was awake... barely. Perhaps she was dreaming. Perhaps she would just wake up in her tent and tomorrow she was going to stand eye to eye with some crazy noble and not a furious dragon.
"I... I love you too." Zevran said and Ahimee moved a little bit forward and kissed him lightly. When she was lying down again and placed her head on her pillow she fell asleep.

Ahimee never let go of her beloved's hand, not even in her sleep.