Nquisition

Armor and breakfast Nquisitiveness

A story for lovers of dwarves and irascible older men.

Disclaimer: As usual, Adan and most characters are property of Bioware from their DA: Inquisition game. Zheevá is mine (pronounced zhee VA'). Some spoilers. Conversational spoilers. Some profanity. Romance.

Part 23

"Adan, you don't have to help me with this." The dwarven woman stood patiently as the seated alchemist simply grunted and continued working out how the buckles on the chest armor worked.

"Never said I had to, said I wanted to know how, arse."

"You could just watch me do it, rock licker." She rolled her eyes at him, but let him continue. When he finished, he leaned forward to capture her, nibbling her ear.

"If I know how to put it on you, I know how to take it off." Zheevá laughed, smacking him lightly on the shoulder before grabbing his beard for a brief kiss.

"Now that I understand! OK, jacket next, the belt over that, then the sash just above that. The gauntlets go on last, but I'll just carry them til after breakfast." She grinned mischievously, letting him work her arms into the jacket. "Unless you have a thing for leather gloves. If you do, I'll wear them until breakfast."

He picked up her belt of tools and began fastening it over her jacket. "Can't say I haven't gotten rather fond of leather, but that's mostly because of how it fits you, minx." He tightened the belt until she nodded, then buckled it before tugging her forward to nibble her ear again as he murmured, "Save the leather gloves for when we have some time."

Zheevá gave him a suggestive smile, but he just began trying to work out how the sash went on her. "Sodding thing, this doesn't look that complicated when you're wearing it. And what are these stiff plates sewn in?" Giggling, she took his hands and led them through the complicated wrapping and knot.

"Those give me some protection in case someone gets a shot at my kidneys, old bear." She picked up her head wrap out of the few remaining items on the bed.

"Want to give this a try?" Adan reached out to run his fingers through her hair with a sigh.

"Sod it, I like seeing your hair."

She lifted up the hair at her temples, slipping her hand under his. "You may not mind the white hairs, old bear, but I'd rather people not think I might be getting old and slowing down. And in a brawling type fight, it also keeps someone from getting a handful of hair to hold me by, and it provides padding under my leather cap when I'm in the field." The dwarf leaned against his chest to nibble his ear. "Just think of it as something to look forward to when we're alone, salroka."

Slowly, she led his hands through the complicated wrapping, tying it off and tucking the end neatly under, but his hands lingered to stroke the fabric, eyes thoughtful. "Wishing we could stay in my room today?"

He chuckled, fingers stroking her cheek, lingering on her lips as she grinned at him. "Just thinking about how long today will be, though I probably need the…rest, salroka." His eyes challenged her for a moment before he pulled her closer for a long hug. "You've got important meetings today, though, and you won't be able to skip dinner again, not to mention letting them nobles carp at you tonight. Want a hot bath waiting?"

Zheevá buried her face in his neck, inhaling deeply. "Mmm, with you in it preferably."

"That could be arranged, though I won't promise it'll smell of orange and cloves."

She giggled, and they held each other for a few moments longer in silence. Then she stepped away a little self-consciously and began arranging her weapons while Adan stood to pull his robe on and fasten it, watching her conceal small knives all over herself with amusement. "Andraste's ass, just how many weapons do you carry on you, woman?"

"Hopefully enough for anything." She slid two small sheathed daggers into the back of her sash, then strapped her favorites, retrieved earlier from the headboard while the alchemist smirked at her, over her shoulders. "Though I don't expect to need any of them today. Can't imagine needing one in a meeting with Cullen, even if I'm not looking forward to it."

He dug his boots out from under the couch while he listened. "Why not? I thought you liked the commander, but you always seem a little uncomfortable around him."

She groaned. "Because, salroka, I used to help smuggle lyrium and even processed some of it. Watching him trying to break his addiction to it, even if his didn't come from the Carta, reminds me…"

"That what you did cost somebody the same pain? So he makes you feel guilty? Talk to him about it and get it over with." His shrewd bluntness made her groan again. "It isn't as if you had a lot of choices, arse, at least compared to the people who chose to take it."

"Sod it, you cranky rock licker…Alright, though he's so businesslike most of the time, it may be a while before I get a chance that makes any sense." Adan finished lacing his boots and stood, and Zheevá made a face at him. "So, going to walk down to eat breakfast with me, or planning to slip down the backway to grab food at the kitchen to take to your workshop like normal?"

"Arse, of course I'll eat with you, but your table's normally for your senior people." He closed the distance between himself and the dwarf, tilting her face up to meet his eyes. "Or did you think I was going to pretend nothing was going on between us?" Her answer was a silent shrug. "If last night wasn't enough to convince you that I love you, I guess I'll just have to try harder tonight, salroka."

Her hand closed over his and tightened for a moment, then her normal mischief was back in her eyes. "You know, that sounds like an incentive to not believe you, old bear." He snorted. "And of course they'll make room for you at our table. Half the time, Bull doesn't eat with us, and Sera and Dorian almost never have breakfast with us. At least the nobles don't usually show up in the Great Hall before mid-morning, so we don't have to worry about being 'proper.' Come on."

Part 24

Contrary to her prediction, everyone except Cullen, Cassandra, and Vivienne were already there when the pair entered the Great Hall. The reason for the unusual enthusiasm for breakfast quickly became obvious as they discovered two chairs open between Leliana and Varric and the majority of the table smirking at their approach.

"Sod it," Zheevá murmured softly to Adan as they approached. "Maybe we should both have snuck down to the kitchen." He grumbled, but made a point of helping her into her tall chair next to Leliana before taking his chair silently, glaring at Iron Bull's smirk.

"Good morning, Inquisitor!" Leliana practically chirped, she was so cheerful as she passed a basket of warm bread rolls to Zheevá. "You must have been very tired from your trip; you went to bed so early last night. Did you sleep well?" Her eyes gleamed with mischief, but the Inquisitor just took the basket, selected a couple of rolls and handed the basket to Adan who was beginning to scowl.

"Very well, thank you…when I slept." Zheevá began to butter the rolls nonchalantly, ignoring the low grumble beside her. "I'm oddly tired still this morning, but ravenous."

Dorian threaded his fingers together under his chin, grinning at her in turn. "Oh, my dear Cadash, was something keeping you up last night?"

Zheevá snagged several small sausages from the next platter before passing it on to the glowering alchemist, deadpanning a completely innocent face when she answered. "Oh, nothing was keeping me up last night, Dorian," then popped one of the small sausages into her mouth whole to Dorian's amusement.

Josephine had a hand over her mouth, smothering a giggle. Iron Bull grinned and shoved a jug of steaming coffee in the Inquisitor's direction. "It's about time you relaxed and worked off a little tension, Boss. You were so antsy in Halam'shiral I thought you'd chuck all three of them off the balcony of the palace…" Zheevá launched a roll at his head, and he just guffawed as it bounced off his head.

Varric piped up, leaning back with a mug of coffee cradled in his hands as he peered around Adan to smirk at her. "You certainly look much more…relaxed this morning, Cadash, for someone who didn't get much sleep. I'd have to guess you approved of your evening's entertainment."

"I can't remember an evening I enjoyed more, Varric." She popped another sausage into her mouth, licking her fingers slowly, one by one, as she grinned back at him.

"Maker's breath, woman!" Adan growled irritably at the suggestive banter.

"What?" She wiped her fingers on her napkin, pulling the alchemist closer by his beard to briefly kiss his cheek as he glared. "I could lie and say it was a dreadful night, but since it's obviously going to be the topic of conversation this morning whether we like it or not, is that really what you'd want me to say, old bear?" He started to growl again, then stopped, perplexed, then shrugged, addressing himself to his breakfast with a trace of a smile. "I thought so."

"Far be it from me to argue with Your Worship." Leliana, caught unprepared, sprayed coffee toward the empty seat across from her before she could cover her mouth, choking, while Zheevá gave him a sharp jab to the ribs.

"Keep that up, rock licker…" Adan noticed that Blackwall, directly across from him, was trying to surpress a smirk.

"What?"

"Lady Josephine, I do believe the Inquisitor's quarters must be infested with some sort of biting insect." Blackwall instead addressed himself to the ambassador, while looking back and forth between Zheevá and Adan, his eyes clearly on their necks, and Josephine, who'd been pounding Leliana's back, began giggling again. Adan just snorted.

"If you tell me you're surprised she's a biter, I'm going to suggest she needs someone watching her back who can see the high dragon about to land on him."

Blackwall grinned at the acerbic response. "No, I'd have to say I'd be much more surprised if she wasn't." Cadash glared at both of them in mock anger. "I'm not sure whether to offer my congratulations or condolences. I'll go with congratulations since that seems safer." He winked at Adan as Cadash made a rude gesture at him.

"I notice you aren't commenting on the fact he bites."

"Was that supposed to be a surprise either?"

Leliana had recovered, and leaned closer to whisper something to Cadash who chuckled before adding cryptically, "Oh, yes. Some things are worth waiting for, Nightingale. Especially alchemy."

Afterword

I apologize this one took so long; I had a terrible case of writer's block on this chapter. The next chapter may take a little longer than normal as well.

Dear friends of mine are the inspiration for the flavor of Zheevá and Adan's relationship, a couple whose relationship took me years to begin to understand and appreciate.