A/N: Well here we are chap 20 dear lord… Well here we go.
Disclaimer: I make no money from this, and I own nothing.
Warnings: Minor depression and some fluff maybe lemon but not much
Last chapter:
"Varhen's pulled his wings to his back as tightly as he could to keep them hidden as he walked next to Alistair on their path towards the Pearl."
Chapter Twenty: Breaking Them
They rounded a corner and up the steps stood a man Varhen didn't recognize but knew in a strange sense, he felt pain shoot through him and shot a look towards Zevran. Zevran's face had become guarded but Varhen could feel the pain radiating from him. Looking back up he saw several other's come up to stand with the man Varhen heard several other's behind them although the movements were soft he heard them. Looking closer Var spotted the traps at the foot of the stairs then his eyes travel back to the semi-stranger.
"I see…" Zevran muttered pain still flowing from him to lick at Varhen, who was fidgeting badly. He shot a look towards the other and came up to stand next to his Warden, a protective gesture that the assassin in front of them would mistake for something else.
"Well, well, Wardens, the Crows send their regards once again." The lead man stated, Varhen shook his head slowly why did he sound familiar? Zevran used a concealed movement to give Varhen's hand the softest brush, a reassurance more for him than the Warden but still it helped both sides.
"The first time didn't work so well, what makes you think that it'll work this time?" Alistair stated crossing his arms over his chest and in his dragon bone plate armor he looked formidable. Everyone in the party nodded encouragingly but the Templar realized what he'd done and silenced himself blushing.
"Well, Talisan, did you volunteer for the job?" Zevran asks Varhen has never heard this tone from his lover and his ears twitch and try to catch the sound better while still staying down, He sounded… Sad, but also determined but more in a resigned sense. This was the voice of a man who was about to kill a friend, Varhen remembered the tone from when he'd had to kill Tamlin.
"I volunteered of course! When I heard the great Zevran had gone rouge I had to see it for myself!" Talisan answered cheekily swaggering a few paces in a way that was clearly flirtatious, Varhen held back a growl. Zevran looked over toward Varhen when he felt a wash of possessiveness and anger run through the smaller male, and smiled.
"Well you came and you saw." Zevran replied his face going back to being blank as soon as he looked away from his lover. Talisan looked rather miffed for a moment before a smile stretched across his lips. Varhen was reminded of a twitchy tailed cat, but shoved the resulting mental image away trying not to snicker.
"You can come back, Zevran, anyone can make a mistake and we can make up a story. Come on Zev." Talisan saw the immediate effects of his words, the knight twitched and looked at Zevran closer the mage became nervous and looked toward their leader while Zevran was shocked letting it clearly show through his mask. The leader himself, Talsan realized with relish looked pained and scared.
"Zevran, this is your path to choose, I will not stop you if you wish to go." Varhen murmured this as he drew a dagger and held onto the sharp blade holding the pommel out to Zevran a clear offer to slit his throat. Zevran looked pained as he looked from Talisan to Varhen when he saw the blade his face blanked and he blinked. Varhen would die to keep him happy? Dear Maker what did he do to deserve this man?
"I'd never let that happen. I swore I was yours without reservation." Zevran said his eyes flashing as he took the dagger turned it around with a deft twitch of his fingers and pressed the pommel into his lovers hand. Closing his hands around Varhen's single one and kissing the others knuckles, savoring the look of utter relief, and joy flooding through the bond. The sudden rush of surprise and that feeling that still startled and made Zevran edgy suddenly grounded him and made him feel the happiest he'd felt in a long time. Saddening at what he had to do he looked back up at Talisan.
"I'm sorry my friend, I'm not going back to the Crows, and you should have stayed in Antiva." Zevran's face fell as he looked up at his old friend not wanting to do this he pulled his daggers as Talisan sneered in obvious disgust and anger. He glared at Varhen and suddenly the Chimera felt a spike of fear as Talisan's gaze settled on him.
"You've gone soft! Ah oh well… get them!" Talisan hisses slipping forward with the grace of any assassin. Varhen pulls his blades to deflect the blows that went flying at him, barley deflecting the first onslaught, but settled into the pace. Zevran went to disable the traps, and in a moment of breath Varhen rolled back and cut two throats of the Crows that had tried to close off their escape.
He hooked a foot under a bearclaw trap and kicked it at Talisan who moves out of the way and the trap closes around another Crow's leg, the man was put out of his misery by Alistair and Varhen's fight continued. Talisan was aiming at him why? Suddenly he found out, he'd felt fear spike through him and his eyes shot over to Zevran he saw the Antivan tare through the last assassin, but then a fire erupted in his shoulder and he lurched off his feet and toward Talisan's waiting blades.
"NO!" Zevran screamed sprinting at Talisan only for the other Crow to turn as if he'd planed this, and when Zevran collided with him they fell into a battle that was clashes of bloody blades and screams of steel against steel. Varhen had landed several blows to put Talisan to shame, but Zevran wasn't defending he was going for an all-out offensive, giving Talisan no time to strike out.
"I'll kill you!" Zevran snarled slashing and dancing in a deadly rhythm that Talisan matched step for step. The Crow smiled his blade flashing teasingly as he dueled his deluded 'friend'. He smirked and snickered as a scream rent the air as the poison on the crossbow bolt finally took hold on Zevran's newest play toy. Zevran's eyes flickered and a pained look flashed over his face but he refused to lose to this Bastard, Varhen needed him to survive.
Varhen felt like everything was on fire, it was like his most painful memory had been forced on him again. The marks blazed and his body burned and his bones felt like they were shattering, his muscles felt like they were tearing. Wynne ran up and was trying to calm it all, but the contact of magic made the pain double and he couldn't hold back the scream it ripped from him. He tried to grasp onto the pain fearful he'd distract Zevran, but not sure how to pull back such feeling.
"You'll never feel him again! That poison was shipped to us as well as it's recipe, it kills any kind of bond a Chimera forges with someone. It also kills them in the process. It is a painful way to die if you're an elf or human too. It basically makes your body relive it's most painful memory and will persist and increase the pain until you have no pulse. Oh, and magic, only makes it worse." Talisan snickers as Zevran looks scared and suddenly just draws back and retreats from the fight, dropping his blades by Varhen's side he pulled the younger elf into his lap, petting the wild strands of void black from a snow white face streaked with tears and silver Valisan.
"Varhen, look at me… Dear Maker…" Zevran actually looked scared Varhen's eyes couldn't focus and even his touch wasn't soothing his Warden, and that's when it hit him, more so the lack of it. He should feel his lover's agony, instead he felt nothing, he felt empty… He felt like crying.
"Z-zev… Don't c…cry…" Varhen weakly hissed between waves of pain seeing his Antivan break down hurt, it hurt even more than the blank nothingness he felt coming from the man he so dearly loved. Zevran blinked sure enough he was crying, and Varhen had seen it. He looked at his lover as he jerked in pain and then glanced over his shoulder, Talisan was shocked into stillness. He hadn't though Zevran truly cared.
"There has to be an antidote." Alistair stated Zevran's thoughts aloud pulling at his short hair in dismay. Talisan sneered but his hand drifted to his pocket and Zevran lunged anger flowing through him, he'd get that cure and he'd kill Talisan if it was the last thing he did. He only had one blade but still Talisan's slowness had allowed him his mark, a deep gash running across his chest that had him collapsing just as Wynne fired a spell at the crossbow man that had hurt their leader. He didn't finish the kill only grabbed the vial holding the liquid that was a strange purple that was labeled Chimaera's Bane cure and ran back to Varhen praying this was it.
"Varhen you have to listen, open your mouth and drink this.." Wynne soothed seeing Zevran was too wild to really calmly approach the situation. Varhen felt like he was dissolving in acid but jerked as he nodded trying to unclench his jaws, when he managed to Zevran poured in a small amount of the cure but just then a spasm rocked Varhen and most flew back out as he sputtered trying to breath, panic and fear evident in his eyes. Zevran just shook his head took a large dose of the cure into his mouth and kissed the young elf thanking the Maker when the young man swallowed after he pulled back.
"Thank the Maker…" Alistair muttered Varhen's shaking finally stopping and his breathing evening out as the cure took effect. Varhen looked up blinking at Zevran as the man above him shook with relief, but suddenly movement caught his eye, in a flash he made the decision and had leapt up and turned Talisan's blade back on him, skewering him effectively. A pain seared through him and he collapsed back down a whimper leaving him as he just tried to not move. Shade whimpered and whined trotting in circles around Varhen, growling at Talisan's corpse then trotting back around his master.
Zevran moved to his lover completely shocked, Talisan was… dead, and had tried to clip off his head while he tended Varhen. Shade let out a nervous whine as he looked up at Zevran, who just patted his large head and knelt next to Varhen. The pale man was trying to take calm even breaths but the constant flick of his ears and tail tip signaled something was wrong. Running a hand over the fluffed appendage Zevran tried to calm all the confusion rushing through him. Varhen stirred at the touch moving just slightly to look up at Zevran, his vision was blurred but he could feel just a faint feeling of foreign but familiar emotions trickling into him. Zevran was confused.
"Zev… I…" Varhen didn't know what to say, he'd just killed Zevran's friend. His fear of Zevran finally leaving him spiked painfully and his breathing nearly stopped, was this his Chimera side? The shear agony of merely thinking of losing Zevran was astounding, but for it to literally happen? He didn't understand all the fear and confusion swirling through him, what was he to do when the man he loved looked so… Blank? Pain and panic became more apparent as he couldn't sense much over the bond, although he'd never actively sought to use it he now felt like he needed it and it was weak near nonexistent. He felt like his heart was caving, maybe the cure was only another poison? Or maybe he was dead and dreaming before he was guided across the beyond?
"I… Varhen calm yourself, I swear I'm not leaving." Zevran stopped talking after feeling most of the faint panic and pain dissipate but he just couldn't think straight relief and confusion swam through him, he was free but Talisan was dead. He sighed and struggled to order his thoughts for a moment before giving up. "I need some time alone Varhen. I'm going to go back to the Arl's estate I'll send someone to take my place but I… I just need some time to think." He whispered quickly getting up when Wynne came over to see if she could finally heal the young elf.
Zevran slipped away the confusion giving way to a war of conflicting emotion, rage, joy, and despair were only a few. He quickly wove through the streets easily avoiding the common people and nobles alike until he came back to Eamon's little mansion. Leliana took one look at him and knew something was off.
"Is something wrong Zevran?" Leliana asks the former Crow who just sighs and tells her she was needed and to meet the rest of the party at the Pearl and that she should not worry about him he was fine. Walking away still worried Leliana slips through the roads quickly using the path the Ex-Crow had described and met the party where the fight had taken place.
"Oh no, what happened?" She asks eyeing the weakly trembling Varhen who was having sever spikes of pain every five or so minuets. Wynne sighed and explained the lack of Zevran's presence had allowed the poison's after effects to swing into full effect, but it couldn't be helped. Leliana asked again and Alistair filled her in on the whole story. In the end she came over to Varhen's side and began petting his twitching tail and smoothing the ruffled feathers. Varhen relaxed slightly but the pain running through him refused to dissipate for another hour.
"I think I can move now, although I feel like I got caught under the hooves of a spooked Halla." Varhen sighed accepting help from Alistair and nearly falling over as he became light headed and nearly fainted. Alistair held him up worry etched clearly on his youthful features. Varhen gave a weak grin trying to comfort the young Ex-Templar. It didn't work.
"Maybe we should send you back Varhen, if you need I'll carry you." Alistair states it was something Varhen smiled at. Alistair was a good leader he just didn't realize it. All the qualities were there, caring for his allies, courage to face his enemies, love for his country and its people, and strong in both spirit and body. Alistair was an altogether good man, which was what great Kings were made of. Varhen shook his head, not ready or wanting to go back, Zevran needed time and so did he. He needed time to think through his strange emotional turmoil that nearly losing Zevran had caused. Just the thought had caused agony to rip through him, Varhen came to a conclusion quickly; losing Zevran would not end well for him.
"No, I don't need nor do I want to rest. I need my time to sort through this emotional storm, and Zevran also needs his. His friend just died Alistair, and I killed him, he needs time and space." Varhen stated wobbling after taking a few steps to test if he was ready to move. After a few moments of wobbling around on slow to steady legs Varhen was both determined and ready to move, after all the bodies had long ago been looted by Leliana.
After reaching the Pearl Varhen leaned against the wall near the door for a while after their arrival. He was taking deep slow breaths to combat the drain and slight pain the traveling had caused him, he half wondered if flying would be easier but dismissed the thought rather quickly. There were not enough clouds for him to consider doing that and casting a shadow that would cause people to look up.
Although, looking up Varhen had a pretty good feeling by tomorrow cloud cover would roll in, most likely midday today, it felt like a storm was coming in, a big one and quickly. Regaining his lost stamina Varhen stood and walked in with his group keeping Shade right next to his side, both to lean on in case he weakened and to keep the hound out of trouble.
"Here I believe this package is for you?" Varhen asked handing a small package over to a dwarf courier who looked at the package as if it held something more valuable than diamonds. Varhen tried to keep a blush from his cheeks as several male whores wolf whistled at him and made very lurid suggestions. Leliana didn't help matters by telling him that they were right and he did look like he needed cheering up.
"I don't need that kind of cheering up, Leliana." Varhen lightly snapped blushing badly as he backed out of the rather, eh, 'respectable' establishment. Walking back to the market took a lot out of Varhen and he had to repeatedly tell Alistair he was not going back yet and they had a job to do, and he'd poke out his eye if he dared pick him up. Alistair relented finally but kept a close watch on the pale elf. They walked to the Guard Captain and talked with him and discussed the situation concerning the Mercenaries at the Pearl and Varhen quickly agreed to help the coin not a down side to aiding an officer of law that wasn't trying to get them hanged.
After again marching to the Pearl which again resulted in Varhen panting and needing a short break they walked in and Varhen easily talked the men out of a fight and out of the Pearl. When Alistair had asked how he'd managed it Varhen only grinned and said a silver tongue was an asset to any rogue. When some of the whores near them snickered Varhen blushed scarlet and quickly turned tail and walked out of the Pearl heading back to the Market to the Captain.
"We did the job…" Varhen states quietly wheezing as he rubs at his chest feeling like he was out of air and his chest was constricting into a tight ball. The Captain asked but Varhen smiled and said he was fine it was just a passing effect from a poison he'd been attacked with earlier. The Captain had then asked if he needed a healer but Varhen had said he had one already look him over and he'd be fine.
"Well if you're interested in another job there are some ruffians in the Gnawed Noble Tavern, however, the management doesn't mind a bit of 'Sport' as she called it." The Captain seemed annoyed but resigned and let Varhen walk away towards the Tavern, even if the pale elf seemed too pale to be healthy. Walking into the tavern Varhen saw Nobles littered throughout the area. Going to the back they found the Crimson Oars.
"Excuse me but you have caused a disturbance, and I have been told by the Guard to ask you to leave." Varhen stated leaning on Shade as he wheezed because lack of air, Wynne drew closer but Varhen waved her away, he knew magic would not help. He needed rest but for now that was not an option. The man laughed in Varhen's face.
"We're the Crimson Oars! We're paying good gold and we're not leaving. Now sod off you blind knife ear." The man chuckled further as Varhen was gripped by a sudden coughing fit. Slowly straightening Varhen glared daggers at the man breathing slightly uneven thanks to the coughing fit.
"I am not blind and I am not scared to draw my blades and show you exactly how good my eyesight is." Varhen growled drawing Reth from its sheath to prove a point. The man scoffed and drew his own sword trying to intimidate Varhen into backing out. Varhen snickered and faked a collapse then surged to his feet slipping under the other's sword and bringing up his blade and pressing it to the warrior's throat. The man drops his blade and stumbles back into the wall, but Varhen moves with him, keeping the blade at his neck.
"Want to rethink leaving?" Varhen growls thankful when this time it doesn't sound weak. Nodding the man gathered his men and left, Varhen was grateful and ended up leaning on the wall as another coughing fit hit him. He sunk to his knees holding himself up with the wall. He let Shade lick his face and Wynne try to heal him but he only needed rest. He weakly slid his sword back into its sheath before relaxing into the wall.
"Alright let's just walk around and see if we can find that one man's father as well as find that other man's sister. And as many other supporters as possible." Varhen finally managed to stand after a half an hour of waiting, but walking proved taxing and he had to lean heavily on Alistair who lead him to a chair and sat him down not yet leaving the room the Crimson Oars had been causing a racket in.
After another half an hour Varhen was no longer breathing heavily and some color had returned to his cheeks. Looking up he was startled to see Alistair leading a few nobles into the room. Quickly explaining one was the sister and the other the father, and Varhen slowly relaxed forgetting his hood was down his ears flicked up and the wide eyed expressions told him immediately what he'd done. He flinched and went to pull up his hood but the female moved forward. Flinching Varhen cringed back but froze as he felt gentle hands run over his ears, a feeling of contentment filled Varhen and a soft purr filled the air.
"This is surely a work of the Maker to bring back a Chimera at a time like this…" She breathed in wonder awe filling her voice and eyes as Varhen risked looking up. She blushed and pulled away mumbling apologies when she spotted Varhen's blush and uncertain fidgeting.
"Well, to avoid any further embarrassment… My son described you in great detail although you have changed since then... May I ask how I can repay you for saving his life?" Varhen looked at the man, he had a surprised awe in his eyes and it still made Varhen uncomfortable. Varhen thought back to saving the young man, he had been tied to one of the torture devices and looked horrid and had been slightly delirious. The fact he'd been described remotely accurately was surprising but Varhen would not say that.
"Help against Loghain would be greatly appreciated but there is nothing I would ask for the deed that was done. No man, elf, or dwarf deserves to be treated like that." Varhen muttered pulling at his hood absent mindedly wanting to flick it up over his ears. The female then asked after why she'd been brought here and Varhen pulled out a ring from a small pouch on his hip and handed it to her explaining the man he'd found in Arl Howe's dungeon. With anger flashing in her eyes she not only gave Varhen a gift but her allegiance at the Landsmeet. Looking at the small but beautiful dagger Varhen realized this was more for show even if it was wicked sharp, it was too small… Unless used as a throwing knife. Looking up at the father he noticed he was looking at him critically.
"My family has many tales concerning your people… One of which speaks of the release of the Shadow Door. The barrier that kept the strongest and most dangerous of your race's enemies sealed away. When the Door was destroyed the shadows broke free and swept through killing any Chimera they could find. They destroyed the Sanctuaries so how is it you live?" The man looked skeptical and eyed him with uncertainty as if admitting this out loud had been difficult. Varhen shrugged caught off guard that a Noble knew these tales.
"I truly have no idea I was just a Dalish hunter until an unfortunate event lead me to be saved by Duncan, the Grey Warden commander until he was lost with our other brothers at Ostagar when Loghain quit the field. I was attacked when weak by a blood mage after that I woke up with the ears tail and fangs. After another encounter with another Blood Mage I sprouted wings and was momentarily stuck as a large cat with feathers." Varhen was too tired and for some strange reason he felt this man was alright, he was okay to talk to. The man now looked astounded as well as impressed.
"You've only had your Chimera side awakened for a few months?" He asks astounded. Varhen let out a weak chuckle and shifted his position. Looking at his slightly shaking hands he shook his head.
"Less. Much less time. A few days, I've been a Chimera for maybe four. That's only the time I've been awake anyway." Varhen weakly chuckled because the last part, he'd hurt more in the last few days than the rest of his life put together. Except the emotional pain from everything that was something he had a hard time believing could be shoved on him in a short few minutes. Looking up he saw interest in the eyes and felt inclined to show exactly what he was.
Acting on his instinct he stood and pulled off the robe letting his wings flare around him and his ears to flick back then up to catch some stray sound. His tail flicked and his eyes took in the Nobles surprise and wonder with amusement shining in their silver depths. Then suddenly Varhen felt a cold chill run up his spine. Instinct kicked in hard and he turned so his back was pressed to a corner as his eyes flickered about frantically looking for… Something.
Then it caught his eye at first it was just a flicker, a shadow from the fire but then it moved and Varhen felt a cold fear sweep through him. Whatever it was it felt evil. very few times Varhen had condemned anything, the things he had condemned as pure horror driven nightmares were things he had only ever seen in nightmares.
Nothing in life could be completely evil there was never a complete extreme. This thing that was moving along the edges of the room was though. Varhen felt a chill run through him, and he had no idea why but he growled, low threatening. He heard Alistair ask him what was wrong and the Noble just watched him and followed his line of sight.
"A Shadow." The Noble muttered paling as suddenly the shadow moved again this time taking form and now stood there was no definite shape, but the black form suggested a short person in a stooped position. At first Varhen was uncertain of weather the thing was a threat, but suddenly it moved and so did he. It had moved toward the Noble and Varhen found himself moving in the way and getting slammed into the ground by the black blob.
Fighting it he had a sudden mental image of a wooden spear driving through a shadow much larger than this and the shadow dissolving to a puddle of black ink like liquid. Varhen concentrated on that image of a wooden spear pushing the shadow back with his feet as he raised his hands above his head as a floor board came undone and morphed into a long spear that Varhen then drove through the shadow.
The shadow dissolved into a inky mess Varhen being glad he had moved in time to avoid the black puddle. Varhen started coughing again and tossed the staff away not wanting any of the black goo near him while he was weak. Sitting against the wall the Noble laughed weakly as he moved to kneel by Varhen.
"Grey Warden, and last Chimera I owe you two life debts now. I'll support you in the Landsmeet as well as send soldiers to your aide if called. May this day never be forgotten. The Shadows know you're alive, if you need help against them the only thing I can tell you is look to the elements." With that the Bann left looking stunned. Varhen gulped air for a short while before looking around for Shade who trotted up to rest his large head on Varhen's lap as the shaking elf pet him. After a few tense moments Alistair shook his head and sat down next to Varhen looking at the puddle confused.
"What was that? One moment your backing against the wall in a panic the next that Nobles saying something about shadows then you jump and seem like something hit you. Then you were struggling against nothing, or at least that's what I thought until you stabbed it with that wood spear and turned whatever that was into black goo. How'd you do that?" Alistair rambled looking completely and utterly confused.
"I have no idea I saw an image of whatever that was stabbed with a wooden spear and just kept the wooden spear in mind as I reached out." Varhen sighs rubbing Shade's ears soothingly even though he was the one in need of comfort. Varhen was handed his cloak and slipped into it still sitting on the ground. Getting up slowly they walked out of the room Varhen leaning heavily on Shade as they talked to a few more Nobles before Varhen and Wynne left to go to the Estate and Leliana and Alistair went to get the payment from the guard captain.
When they finally got back to the Arl's estate Varhen was shaking, pale, and slightly green. The knights saw their savior like that and rushed him worried words and calls for Bann Tegan being shouted out as they crowded Varhen. By the time a ruffled looking Tegan was dragged in by a fearful guard. Wynne looked ready to hit a few knights with her staff and Varhen looked like he was about to hurl all over their shiny boots.
"I need to get to Varhen, excuse me, please mo- I said MOVE!" Tegan gave up formality and politeness for order when he was ignored and the knights scrambled to obey, Tegan saw what had the guards on edge. Shade, Varhen's Mabari was snarling up a storm and the already taxed elf was struggling to keep the aggravated war hound down. Tegan moved forward and stopped meeting the hounds eyes trying to portray his desire to help the elf not to aggravate his injuries further. Shade relaxed but he watched Tegan carefully.
"Bann Tegan." Varhen wheezed attempting to be polite having put a lot of breath into keeping his Mabari at heel. Tegan smiled warmly and moved to his side slipping an arm around Varhen's waist then pulled the corresponding arm over his shoulder's to help support the other's weight. Varhen looked surprised but did not object to the help as Wynne lead them to his rooms, where Zevran was.
Zevran had been leaning against the wall looking out at the city only wearing his leather pants and lose cotton shirt. He jumped when the door slammed open and reached for the dagger lying within reach on the bed but stopped seeing Varhen hanging off of Bann Tegan and Shade with his hackles raised as if Varhen were under attack. Mind blanking with horror he was by Tegan and Varhen in moments. His mind was a whirlwind, all he had wanted was time and space to think about what had happened but once he'd thought it through he felt like an ass. He'd left Varhen alone when the other probably hated himself for Zevran's reaction. If Zevran knew Varhen the other was more than likely thinking Zevran hated him for killing Talisan, now Varhen looked like walking death, what had he done?
"Zev…?" Varhen raised his head walking from the door to his room had drained him even with Tegan taking most of his weight he felt like he wasn't getting enough air, and like his chest was getting squeezed inward. He felt weak all his strength and stamina had left him so he was like an Elder on his death bed. It reminded him, his whisper of the Antivan's nick name of a moment he could barely recall.
When he saw his lover he forgot what had happened earlier, forgot that he had needed space, forgot everything and used his last bit of strength to pull away from Tegan. Tegan allowed him to with worried watchful eyes as the young elf pressed his forehead to Zevran's shoulder and clutched at the older elf's shirt as if the man were a life line. As soon as his eyes closed as his hands fisted the older elf's shirt he fainted. His body would have collapsed had Zevran not reacted quickly and had wrapped his arms around his lover careful of the delicate wings.
"Varhen …" Zevran whispered uncertain of what had happened he looked up at Tegan who had moved when the young elf had collapsed but relaxed seeing Zevran could handle the other smaller man. Wynne let out a sigh and explained to the now slightly anxious looking Ex-Crow Varhen was suffering the after effects of the poison and the book might explain why he was being effected so badly. Zevran only nodded and placed his submissive on the bed after the other two left leaving him with an aggravated Shade and one knocked out lover.
Stripping out of his shirt he stripped Varhen down to just his deer skin leggings then crawled onto the bed uncertain if he should be near the other, if he had earned the right to after the way he'd run off. Varhen whimpered in his sleep and one of his hand blindly reached toward him and Zevran's mind was made. He ay have run then, but he would not run again. He laid down next to the smaller elf surprised when the warm body snuggled closer to his, Varhen's hands resting against his chest as if to assure himself of his mate's presence. Zevran wrapped his arms around his mate and fell asleep. Shade curled up by the door and kept guard as his master slept with the assassin.
A/N: Hey I know they have slight OOC-ness going on but think; Zevran does act more tender after the relationship has gone through; he's more tender and fluffy. I'm allowed to twist it further when they are alone.