Chapter 35: Written in the Sand

**NSFW**

Are we last call kissing or will we be reminiscing with each other for the next forty years?

Are we written in the stars, baby, or are we written in the sand?

12:22 Haring; 9:31 Dragon

It hadn't been just a storm that delayed Hawke and company from returning to Kirkwall. A full-force blizzard had swept through the valley, creating chaos in its wake. Half of the halla herd had disappeared into the depths of the forest, forcing clan members out into the maelstrom to bring them back to camp. Two sentries were recovering from hypothermia, with four others suffering the effects of frostbite. And one of the families had nearly lost everything when one of their sail lines snapped and exposed the entire household to the elements.

The last event had been late the night before, with Ellana draining herself to hold back the wind while everyone else pitched in to set the avarel to rights. Even with Anders and Keeper Dashanna's help, the young mage had depleted her energy. Varric, himself freezing, exhausted, and soaking wet, had needed to carry her back to her home. She barely remembered fueling the stove, stripping her ice- and snow-covered clothes, and crawling into bed with the dwarf before the oblivion of sleep overcame them.

But as the fog lifted from her thoughts when she began to wake the next day, Ellana was acutely aware that she was, in fact, tangled up skin-to-skin in bed with Varric.

They had come so close to this moment while cooped up, waiting out the storm. But something always stopped Varric from acting on his desires, and Ellana had to be content with the fact that he hadn't left to join the others in the guest wagon.

Basking in the warmth of the dwarf's embrace, Ellana allowed herself a moment to just enjoy what she had been given. The blizzard had finally blown itself out sometime before dawn, with the sun casting a warm glow against the sails of her avarel. Outside, she heard the sounds of her clan getting back to their daily routines. And heavy footsteps wading through the snow towards...

"Hey, Varric," came Garrett's voice from the trap door. Ellana prayed to all the gods that he wouldn't come in. So, of course, the latch flipped and the door opened. "Mahanon says we...can...um... Come back later. Yes. I'll do that."

"Go away, Hawke," Varric grumbled from somewhere beneath the covers. His breath was hot against Ellana's throat, and the light growth of a beard brushed her skin.

"Ok. Going now," Garrett confirmed, and she heard the door shut and his steps leading away from the avarel.

Ellana waited, taking one, then two deep breaths before her body began to shake with a suppressed laugh. Unable to hide his own amusement, Varric chuckled, the ripples of his mirth reminding them both of their current state of undress.

Daring to move, Ellana pawed at the blankets until their heads were exposed. In the filtered light, she could see that Varric's hair had fallen out of its tie and onto his face. He peered at her through the golden locks, amber eyes locked with her own.

And she knew. He wouldn't stop himself this time. The question in his gaze was clear, and her tiny nod of approval was all Varric needed.

He shifted slightly, and she felt him against her, hard and ready. Varric throbbed against her thigh, and Ellana arched her hips in invitation. He paused, just for a heartbeat, to give her one last chance to tell him, "no."

"Please, Varric," she whimpered, reaching up to thread her fingers through his hair. And like a man starved, he complied.

Varric's mouth covered her own as he moved and buried himself inside of Ellana. His tongue and lips moved in slow, lazy, perfect synchronicity with his lower organ, and she moaned against his mouth as her body slipped around him like a glove.

"Maker's balls, I'm an idiot," he swore, breaking the kiss and moving to nibble the tender flesh between her neck and shoulder. Ellana wasn't sure why he was cursing himself, but Varric had become fully awake and attentive.

His hands roamed across her body, brushing her nipples, skimming her belly, and finally wrapping around her hips and gripping tight. Varric raised himself to his knees, keeping Ellana joined to him, with her shoulders pressed against the bed and her ass hitched up in the air. The angle sent ripples of pleasure across the length of her body, and Ellana unconsciously hooked her legs around Varric's waist as she arched against him.

"Holy ff..." she started to say as he began to thrust against her, controlling the speed and hitting as far inside of her as he could go.

"...fuck," he finished for her, slipping one hand up her back to pull Ellana against him as Varric's knees buckled underneath. She was in his lap, his face buried between her breasts, and she shook against him as the first waves of an orgasm ripped through her system.

She wanted more. She wasn't done. He wasn't done. As the first high began to subside, Varric released his grip on Ellana and fell back onto the bed with a playful grin.

"Done so soon?" she teased, grinding her hips and earning a groan of pleasure for her efforts. When Varric's eyes came open again, he grabbed a fist full of her hair, and pulled her down for a thorough kiss.

"Show me what you've got," he taunted back with a smirk. And so she did.

Ellana moved her hips – only her hips – sliding up his length until only the head remained covered inside her folds. And then she sheathed him, slowly and tantalizingly, with Varric squirming below her. She repeated the action, alternating the speed at which she took him until the tingle of another completion began to build.

"Shit, Lana," he groaned, taking back control and rolling her over again. "I'm about to..."

"Yeah, me, too," she managed to confirm as Varric covered her, sheathing himself again and again. The pace was faster. Frantic. She came for him, and Varric held Ellana against his shoulder as she cried out. He shuddered his own finish with a gasp of pleasure, and they collapsed on the bed with Varric's head nestled into the crook of Ellana's neck.

She wasn't sure how long it took for the world to stop shaking, but as awareness came to Ellana, she noticed Varric staring down at her.

"Storm's passed," he said quietly, brushing a thumb across her cheek affectionately. She managed a gentle smile, and lifted her face for a quick kiss.

"Yeah," she agreed. "You'll be leaving soon." Ellana should have felt sad, but she knew the time would have come eventually. No promises, he had said once before. But... "We'll be returning to Kirkwall next spring," she added hopefully.

"This changes everything, doesn't it?" he wondered aloud, finally rolling off of her and curling her up next to him.

"No," she disagreed. "It just adds another layer to what we already had. We'll still write. Still be friends."

"You'll still be in danger," he added.

"It's the world we live in, Varric."

He sighed heavily in agreement, pulling her closer against his side. For the moment, Ellana was content to simply listen to the sounds of his breathing and feel the beat of his heart beneath her hand.

"So, who was it?" he asked lazily, breaking the silence.

"Hmm?" she wondered with rising curiosity, but too wrapped up in him to move.

"Your first. I need to buy him a drink."

Ellana's chuckle was long and low, sending a new rush of contact along their connected bodies. Shifting her weight, she leaned up on one elbow to look down at him, running her fingers through the downy curls on his chest.

"Is that what kept stopping you?" she wondered, voice mingling curiosity and seduction. "You thought I was..."

"Innocent, yes," he responded with a light cough of surprise. "It's a big responsibility for a man when there's feelings and shit involved."

Her hand wandered lower, finding him hardening as she traced a finger across the tip. "'Feelings and shit,' huh?" she teased, reaching further and cupping his sack. "How terribly eloquent of you."

"My mouth wants to do other things," he admitted, lifting his head to capture her nipple between his teeth. "And my brain doesn't work with your hand around my..."

She squeezed gently, cutting off Varric's words and replacing them with a groan of pleasure.

For the next few hours, words weren't needed. Enough time had already been wasted, and Ellana planned to make the most of Varric's last day with the clan.

.oOo.

Outside, as the noon sun beat down on the camp, Garrett Hawke caught sight of the Lavellan hunter and beckoned him to come over. As Mahanon came closer, the rogue unsheathed the blades on his back and held them out hilt-first to his friend.

"This wasn't part of the bargain," the elf mentioned, shaking his head.

"Take them," Garrett insisted, and Mahanon reached tentatively for the daggers. "Keep her safe for him."

"Always," replied the hunter, taking the gift and returning to his task. Hawke watched him go with a sigh. They had been his favorite blades. But the price of his friend's happiness was worth much more than the cost of a wager.

**Author's Note** Because of the circumstances keeping Varric and Ellana apart during the remaining events of DAII, I wanted to give them a moment of their own before returning my focus on the main characters. There's still a LOT of ground to cover for the Amell Chronicles (it will likely be close to 100 chapters,) but I've decided that everything post-Meredith-becoming-a-statue will get put into a separate story when the time comes to conclude this one. Chapter/lyric credit: "Written in the Sand" by Old Dominion