Disclaimer: I own none of the recognized characters. I am merely borrowing them to satisfy my muse

Chapter 25

A scratch on stone. A sigh. CJ was awake, groping for her knife in an instant.

"Fighter, it's just me." Bull.

"You've got to stop doing that, Bull." She exclaimed, rolling over to look at him. He was standing by her fire, taking off his armor. But he was having difficulties. CJ stood up and went to him, her fingers pushing his aside to work at the stubborn strap. "One of these times, I'm not going to be able to stop before I attack."

"Do you try to attack Tommy when he comes running in?"

"He's usually crying." She answered. "That wakes me up first, and I'm expecting him." She got the armor removed, and then set it down on a chair. "How are the Chargers?"

"Tired. And cranky. Krem managed to cause a rock slide this afternoon. The others were not pleased to be caught in it."

CJ laughed. "No, I bet they weren't."

Iron Bull drew her to him, kissing her deeply before hugging her. "I've missed you, Kadan."

CJ returned the embrace, resting her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. "It's only been two days." She exclaimed.

"Two days of imaging what you look like. Feel like. Taste like." He retorted. "Two agonizing days."

CJ laughed. "You've already seen me in my small clothes." She exclaimed. "That hardly left much to the imagination."

"I've got a very good imagination, Kadan." Iron Bull said, his voice low. "Let's see how close I was. It is my turn to explore you, remember?" He stepped away from her and sank down onto her bed. "You got to watch me strip. I want to watch you."

For a second, fear was dominant in CJ's mind, but it was very quickly overruled by excitement.

Hesitating only a moment, CJ began to unbutton the night shirt she was wearing. Iron Bull's gaze never left her as she removed each article of clothing. When she was naked except her necklace, she stood there, feeling awkward. Iron Bull wasn't saying anything, just staring at her. She fought the urge to cover herself.

"Come here." He ordered. CJ came closer. "Keep coming." She was in between his legs now, practically chest to chest. "You are so beautiful." He whispered. "So beautiful." He cupped her face, kissing her deeply. As he continued to kiss her, his hands began to move lower. Ghosting over her shoulders, her back, they paused on her butt, squeezing it gently. CJ let out a gasp at that, allowing Iron Bull to deepen the kiss. Then his hands were on her breasts, rubbing, massaging them gently. CJ was unprepared for the heat to shoot through her at that.

"So beautiful." He placed kissed down her jaw and neck, paying attention to any spot that caused CJ to shiver. When his mouth encircled a nipple, CJ jumped as if she had been electrocuted. "Like that, do you?" He mumbled, continuing to suckle her as a hand played with her other breast. CJ could stop the moan that escaped her as he sucked harder, teeth scraping lightly, causing pain that was instantly soothed away with gentle licks.

"That feels really good." She exclaimed. He wrapped his arms around her, twisting effortlessly to drop her on her bed.

"I am going to taste every inch of you, you understand?" His voice was low as he looked down at her. CJ nodded, feeling desire course through her. She hadn't really believed him before when he said that she was beautiful, but the look on his face now, she didn't doubt him a bit.

He rained kisses down her body, hands trailing and touching, massaging here, lightly pinching there, doing whatever he could to elicit a noise from CJ. As he reached the scars, she tensed, a wave of self-consciousness sweeping over her. She automatically tried covering them with her hands.

"Move your hands." His voice was low, husky as he gave the order.

"I," She began but didn't move her hands. Before she could react, Iron Bull had taken them in his and tied them to the top of her bed. She stared at him, for a moment feeling very exposed.

"I never want you to hide yourself from me." He exclaimed. "Never." CJ tested the bonds. It was firm, but not tight. She could still twist her hands, move them slightly. Not like in the past, when she had been bound so tightly that her wrists were rubbed raw. He was watching her carefully, analyzing her reaction, no doubt.

"Now what are you going to do?" She asked boldly, and was surprised when her voice came out low. Aroused.

"Now?" He quirked an eyebrow at her, and gave her a smirk. "Now I'm going to taste you." CJ didn't have much time to think before he had spread her legs, exposing her to him.

"You smell amazing." He muttered and then nipped her thigh. CJ let out a startled yelp, hips bucking from the bed. Before she could scold him, he had moved his head forward.

Oh that man was talented with his tongue!

A pressure was building in CJ's lower stomach. "I'm gonna-," She tried fighting it.

"Come for me, Kadan." Iron Bull exclaimed. "I want you to come for me."

And she did.

CJ had never felt anything like that before. It stole her breath and her sight. "That . . . . was amazing!"

"You haven't felt anything yet, Kadan." And he brought her to the brink of another orgasm.

By the time Iron Bull finally collapsed onto the bed beside CJ, she didn't know how many times she had come. She'd lost count. Her lower body ached, muscles sore because they weren't used to that kind of action, but it was a good sore. Not the pain she had come to associate with sex.

"Was that as good for you as it was for me?" Iron Bull pulled CJ to him, and she curled up into his side.

"Better than I ever could have imagined." She exclaimed.

"I never thought about it, but there is a difference." Iron Bull commented. CJ sleepily turned her head to look at him. He was staring at her ceiling, one arm behind his head, the other wrapped around CJ.

"Difference?"

"Between having sex and making love." He answered. "I've had a lot of sex. You know that. I've never hidden that about my personality. But I've never made love to someone before. Before you." CJ didn't know how to respond to that. "I like the difference." He tightened his arm slightly, hugging her to him. "Go to sleep, Kadan. You need your rest."

CJ placed a kiss on his chest. "So do you."

"Do that again, and neither of us will." Iron Bull said, his voice dropping low.

"Good night, Bull." She laughed.

"Night, Kadan."

CJ fell asleep quickly.

"NO!" She hacked at the darkspawn in front of her. "Get back!" There were too many. Darkspawn and demons and red Templars. Inquisition soldiers were dropping faster than their enemies. "No!" Krem was cut down in front of her, blood quickly spreading from the axe wound on his head. Sera lay not far away, eyes wide but unseeing, an arrow sticking out of her throat. "DAMN IT!" She screamed, plunging her knife into the creature in front of her. But it didn't fall. That blow should have killed it! Why wasn't it dead?!

"Help!" That was Solas' voice. "Fighter, help! We're being overrun!" CJ whipped around, spotting Solas, Varric, and Cole standing back to back, trying to fend off the attackers. "Help us!" But she was too slow. They were slaughtered right in front of her while CJ was unable to do anything but watch helplessly.

"MAMA!"

CJ's blood ran cold. Tommy couldn't be here. There was no way he could be here! "MAMA!" She found him then, in Corypheus' grasp. The demon grinned at her, holding the terrified child high in the air. "MAMA!" The boy screamed.

"TOMMY!" CJ yelled. "TOMMY! I'M COMING!"

Corypheus sneered at her and pointed behind her. CJ couldn't help but look. The dragon was coming towards them, fast. In that instant, CJ realized what he was going to do.

"NO!" She screamed as he launched the boy into the air. "NO! TOMMY!"

"Kadan, wake up!"

"Mama! Wake up!" CJ awoke with a yell, catching sight of the child perched on the side of her bed, his face wet with tears. Before she even thought about it, she had pulled Tommy to her, hugging him tightly, trying to assure herself that it was just a nightmare. Only a nightmare.

"Mama's got you," She exclaimed, hugging and rocking the child. "Mama's got you." Her voice hitched as tears slipped down her cheeks. "You're safe. Mama's got you." She whispered. "You're safe." CJ was unprepared for strong arms to come around her, bundling her into Iron Bull's lap like she had done to Tommy.

CJ didn't know how long they sat like that, before both she and Tommy were calmed down.

"Bad dream, Mama." Tommy whispered. "Had bad dream. Mama bad dream too?"

"Mama had a bad dream too." She answered.

"Mama?" His tone was questioning. "Why naked? And why Bullhead naked?"

"Bullhead?" Iron Bull repeated, his tone shocked.

CJ couldn't help it. She began to laugh.

"What did you just call me, Kid?" Tommy twisted in CJ's arms so he could scowl up at Iron Bull.

"I not Kid. Cole Kid. I Little Man. You Bullhead. Why you in Mama's bed?"

"Bullhead? Who told you to call me Bullhead?!" Iron Bull spluttered.

"Sera!" Tommy exclaimed. "Why you in Mama's bed?" He repeated. "Have bad dream?" CJ was too busy laughing to interrupt Tommy's interrogation. "You Mama's bed-buddy?" That stopped CJ's laughter as she choked on air. That phrase shouldn't be coming out of a four year old's mouth!

"You learned that from Sera too, didn't you?" She exclaimed. Tommy nodded. "I'm going to have to have a word with Sera." She muttered.

"You and me both." Iron Bull cut in. "Bullhead?"

"Really, that's not the worst name she could have come up with." CJ laughed.

"Oh yeah, bed-buddy?" Her face flared red.

"We are not calling each other that." She exclaimed.

"Why not? It's got a nice ring to it!"

"Fine. Bullhead."

He let out a disgruntled noise. "All right. I won't call us bed-buddies if you don't call me Bullhead. Do we have a deal?"

"Deal."

"Deal!" Tommy exclaimed. Iron Bull and CJ laughed. "Sleep by Mama?" Tommy questioned, a yawn almost swallowing the last word.

"Of course you can sleep by me." CJ shifted off of Iron Bull's lap, intending on carrying Tommy to his bed. An arm around her waist stopped her.

"Where do you think you're going?" Iron Bull asked.

"Tommy wants to sleep by me?" She was confused. "I was going to his bed?"

"Or you both could stay right here." She blinked in surprise.

"You," She trailed off. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." He replied. "Now lay back down."

Tommy had no problem obeying. He nestled in the space between CJ and Iron Bull, falling asleep quickly.

"Thank you." CJ whispered, her eyes already closing.

"You are welcome, Kadan." He was silent for a while. CJ was almost asleep when he began talking. "I've never spent the night with someone before, just sleeping. Before you. Never just wanted to lay by them. Hold them. It's always been sex and then gone. Done. That's all the encounter was. It was good enough for me. And then you come along, and weaseled into my mind without even trying. And all of a sudden, just sex wasn't good enough anymore. I'd never understood why other beings were so focused on finding 'the one'. Falling in love. Having runts of their own. What was the big deal? But then a feisty little human wielding two knives pinned me to the ground and tied me up. I hadn't been tied up since I was a kid going through training. No one had been able to get the better of me like that. I wanted you then and there. Wanted to take you right in the dirt, but I didn't. From that moment on, you've always been in the back of my mind. I kept expecting you to approach me. Want to try riding the Bull for yourself. But you never did. Most people, when they are attracted to me, start looking at me like I'm an object. A tool to satisfy their desires. It's what I was trained to do, read people. Manipulate them into doing what I wanted. But not once did you ever look at me as if I were a tool. You saw me as me. And more than that, you saw me as a friend. A true friend. Equals."

He tightened his arm around CJ. She didn't react, knowing that he thought she was asleep.

"And I began to understand what the big draw was. And I didn't want to keep having meaningless sex. I wanted to be with you. Only you. And that scared me. Scared the shit out of me, really. Because, now that I care about you so much, what if you didn't feel the same? When I was pulled into the fade, it made those fears worse. As bad as it was there, I kept picturing if you were there too. What if a demon possessed me, and I killed you?" His voice shook slightly. "Damn it." He took a deep breath. "But it doesn't matter. I made it back. We're here. For this moment, we are safe." CJ fell asleep after that, unable to stay awake any longer.