Violet stood in the main hall of her old home. The place was a mess. Debris crunched under her feet and cobwebs drifted from the ceiling. Someone had scrawled MAGE in dark red paint — she hoped it was paint — across the floral paper of the living room wall. Light fixtures were broken and furniture had been knocked over — it seemed the house had been looted several times over. Whether the intruders had been official or mercenary, she couldn't tell, but it didn't matter. It was a miracle Varric had been able to rescue any of her belongings at all. In retrospect, she should have taken his refusal to discuss the house a bit more seriously.

The upstairs was just as ransacked as the lower level. As they poked around in the bedrooms, she could feel her companions' concern; their plan to distract her had gone awry. Fenris hovered beside her, while Sebastian studied her with open worry in his eyes. She lifted her chin slightly. She wouldn't let them down. It was bad, yes, but she had been warned enough to expect it. It was just… hard to see. That was all. She wouldn't think about how long her mother had spent selecting just the right shade for the draperies in this room, that now lay torn and trampled on the floor. She wouldn't. She turned on her heel and stalked back down the stairs.

"I just want to look into the library before we go," she told them, her voice steadier than she'd feared it might be.

She led the way, shouldering the door open with some difficulty. She stepped inside, prepared to see the floor strewn with heaps of ruined books. She did not expect a brilliant flash of bluish white light that circled twice around her head and then disappeared.

"Please tell me you saw that." Violet swallowed hard. The after-image of the wisp — for such it must surely have been? — danced before her eyes.

"Yes," growled Fenris.

"I did as well," Sebastian said in a tight voice. "Are there more of them, do you think? And where did it go?"

"Beats me," said Violet, moving cautiously forward and turning to scan the room.

They found no further creatures, and very few books worth recovering. Finally Violet sighed. "It's like we were never even here. The estate was trashed just like this before we moved in."

Fenris studied her from under his hair for a moment. "Well, now it is done. Shall we go find some trouble in Darktown?"

"Maker, yes," she answered. "Let's go stir something up."

"His face, Fenris, when he realized you were right behind him — I wish you could have seen it." Violet climbed quickly up the ladder to the cellar, invigorated by their foray into Darktown. It may have been a bit tame by their old adventuring standards, but it was such a welcome break from living under house arrest. Even after all this time, Darktown could be relied on to provide a fight if you looked hard enough.

"Aye, it was a sight. His lads won't be harassing anyone for 'protection money' again, either," added Sebastian.

Fenris gave a short dry chuckle as he followed them up the cellar stairs. Yes, thought Violet, all three of them felt better. She and Fenris both enjoyed a fight when life got difficult — if you couldn't hit your problems, go find something you could hit. It wasn't a lifestyle that worked everywhere — and it had led to some terrible joint decision making over the past year, and more than a few bitter fights between themselves — but it was perfect for Kirkwall. She hadn't been sure how Sebastian would feel about their headlong rush to find themselves trouble for the sake of trouble, but his color was high and his eyes were bright. He seemed to have caught their enthusiasm.

"Oh look, no one even locked us out," observed Violet, happy to find the cellar door moved when pushed.

"Convenient," agreed Fenris.

"Not nearly as convenient as the fact that the kitchen is right across the hall." Violet peeked into the kitchen and found it empty, aside from a pie cooling on a rack and bowl of dough set to rise on the sideboard. "No one here — even better!" She washed her hands in the basin before going through the cupboards in search of tea and snacks. The men followed her washing example as she sat out half a loaf of bread and some cups on the worn wooden work table in the corner, and dragged the enormous iron kettle onto the hearth to heat for tea.

Varric's cook had stocked an astonishing array of both culinary and medicinal herbs in the corner cupboard, and curiosity compelled her to investigate. She pulled herself up onto the counter to dig through the jars on the top shelf. There was a dazzling array of spices, in addition to the herbs, plus jars of dried and powdered elfroot and valerian. Violet pulled these down for later, suddenly remembering the day she'd made marshweed tea for Sebastian. She turned to tease him about it, but the words died on her lips.

Sebastian and Fenris were seated side-by-side on the wooden bench by the table. Sebastian was worrying over the cut above Fenris' eye. "It looks like you managed to re-open this" he said, reaching out to lightly brush back his hair. Violet tried not to bristle. She had tried to look at it herself earlier, and Fenris had ducked away from her hands.

"It needs to be cleaned," Sebastian was saying. "May I?"

Fenris acquiesced with surprising grace. Violet bit her lip. At least he'd let someone do it. She should be glad. She turned back to the cupboard and resolutely resumed cataloging the spices while Sebastian gathered up a cloth and a bowl. He filled the bowl from the kettle, though the water couldn't be more than tepid yet. By the time she climbed down off the counter, Sebastian was arranging Fenris to face the light. With great care and delicacy, he cleaned the wound and the surrounding skin, even wiping dried blood out of the roots of his hair.

Fenris just… melted under his hands. Violet didn't think he realized it, but his eyes half closed and he leaned in, his knee brushing Sebastian's. It made an odd little lump in her throat, seeing him relax into being cared for, how comfortable he was with Sebastian's touch.

Violet wasn't the only one who noticed. Sebastian gave her a quick look and an odd little smile, though he said nothing as he continued to work. When Fenris' face was clean and dry, he lowered the cloth but otherwise didn't move. The room was silent as the two men sat, faces only inches apart. No one stirred.

Sebastian licked his lips before he spoke. "May I kiss you?"

Fenris' eyes flew open in surprise. He swallowed. "I…" It was a moment before he seemed to remember. He flushed, glancing at Violet from under the edge of his hair.

Sebastian said softly, "I don't think she will mind. Do you mind, Violet?"

"No," she tried to say, though at first no sound would come out. Then, firmer, "I do not mind."

Sebastian smiled, a smile so slow and kind and yet wicked at the same time that Violet shivered. He leaned in, almost close enough to brush his lips against Fenris', and then he waited.

There was a long moment when no one breathed. Violet was just feeling the tingle of panic — it was all going to go sideways, Fenris would never speak to either of them again — and then Fenris pounced.

They kissed once, twice, and then Fenris was sliding his hand along the curve of Sebastian's throat to his collarbone, coming up onto his knees so he could drive Sebastian back against the table. Violet couldn't look away, couldn't even blink. Sebastian's face turned up to Fenris, his throat bared, almost in a gesture of submission — it was beautiful, they were beautiful, and she didn't know if she wanted to freeze so they'd forget she was there and keep kissing forever… or try to join in.

Or maybe she shouldn't be there at all?

Just as she was deciding she really needed to do something — clear the room or clear her throat, she wasn't sure — Sebastian reached a hand out towards her. She stepped forward to take it, and he pulled her to his other side, sliding his arm around her waist. She watched another moment, catching herself in their rhythm before pressing her own lips to the juncture between his neck and shoulder.

When the kettle started to whistle, they all started.

"Should we take this somewhere else?" Sebastian suggested.

"Maybe we should," said Violet. "I don't know where Varric is or when he'll be back, but this isn't something I'd like to have appear in his next book."

"Anything but that," Fenris agreed. He uncoiled himself and stood.

She had been half afraid that speaking would break the spell, and that Fenris would run away the moment he realized what was happening. But he hadn't. Something of the recklessness of their Darktown fight still played in his eyes, and there was no sign that he wanted to flee. Instead he offered Sebastian a hand to pull him to his feet.

"A wise woman said to me not long ago," said Sebastian when he'd closed his bedroom door behind them, "that it was a good idea to talk things through instead of jumping in blindly. I happen to agree." He smiled at Violet.

She tried to return the smile, but her heart was in her throat. What was happening? How could this even work? She hoped he knew what he was doing.

He turned to Fenris, and said gently, "I know that your experiences have made things… complicated. I want you to feel comfortable."

"I — it is easier if I am not touched unexpectedly," said Fenris, his eyes flicking back and forth between them.

"We can ask permission, or wait for you to initiate," said Sebastian gently. "Can't we, Violet?"

"Yes, of course," she said. If he meant that only Violet's touch made him nervous, at least he hadn't said so. He seemed less shocked by this turn of events than Violet was herself. Of course, both of them had more experience. She had never been with two people at once, but she trusted Sebastian to go gently, and Fenris… Fenris looked hungry. She shivered.

"Then shall we pick up where we left off?" Sebastain suggested. Fenris stepped in quickly to claim his lips. Violet watched for a moment, considering. She didn't think Fenris was going to invite her to touch him. But if they put Sebastian between them… maybe this could work.

She slid her hands down Sebastian's back and began tugging on his shirt to untuck it. He gasped against Fenris' lips when she snaked cold fingers around to splay them against his stomach. Fenris grinned, and helped her pull the shirt all the way off.

Sebastian had a knack for asking for permission, she discovered, adding heat rather than taking them out of the moment. His voice purred in their ears as he asked Fenris if he could touch here, or there — could he pull up his shirt, or please, might he loosen these ties? He did the same for Violet at each stage as he undid the clasps on her robe, slid it over her head, touched her breasts. His voice took on a pleading note that seemed to bring out a fierce response in Fenris, whose touch grew more demanding.

"You overestimate my stamina," Sebastian gasped finally. Violet and Fenris had been passing him back and forth between them, Sebastian turning to kiss one, then the other so that everyone had a share of attention. Clearly both men had played this way before, and she followed the rhythm that they set. But Fenris was starting to push, and she could feel Sebastian tremble under her hands.

"Let's find out where that limit is, then," said Fenris. He did something that Violet did not see, and Sebastian gave a cry.

"I'm not seventeen anymore, Fenris! Have a little mercy."

"I think not." Fenris' voice was heavy with heat.

Sebastian found Violet's mouth and kissed her fiercely as Fenris' hands worked at him, and it was only moments until he moaned into her mouth as he came. She and Fenris bore his weight between them as his knees buckled. He rested his forehead against hers while he recovered his breath. Then he kissed her and promised "Your turn is coming," before stepping away from her and slipping to his knees before Fenris.

"Fenris, may I —?"

Fenris didn't wait for him to finish asking. Violet had been excited before, but watching Sebastian take Fenris into his mouth was… she didn't have words for what it did to her. She sank back on the bed as she watched, Fenris fisting his hands into Sebastian's hair as he dropped his head back, going rigid with pleasure. He came in perfect silence.

Still on his knees, Sebastian came to kiss Violet, his mouth tasting of Fenris. He peeled her out of her smallclothes, then spread her out on the bed, trailing his fingers down her body with teasing strokes. She whined, twisting her hips to try to direct his hands. He smiled, pressing a kiss to her thigh before relenting, and slipping a finger into her heat. She pushed againt it, already flying so high she knew it wouldn't take much… She looked up then, and saw Fenris. His gaze burned as he watched her, and she bit her lip.

Fenris moved closer to lie on the bed beside her, and it was all she could do not to grab for him. Instead she buried her hands in the bed cover, gripping the fabric tightly. He saw the motion, and smirked, just a little. He trailed a fingertip very lightly across one of her breasts and she arched up to meet his hand. With a teasing look, he pulled away until she was still again, then ran his thumb gently along her bottom lip. She swallowed hard. Slowly, he pushed that thumb into her mouth. Her eyes closed involuntarily as she sucked his finger, losing track of everything for a moment as the taste of salt and the tang of metal hit her tongue. Sebastian's fingers shifted inside her, Fenris was warm and rough againt her tongue — and she was falling, burning, flying as she came.

It took a moment for her to recover. She was catching her breath when she heard Sebastian's voice.

"Fenris? Are you alright?"

Violet opened her eyes. Fenris hadn't moved, but he seemed miles away. His eyes were wide and fixed on a point somewhere over her head. His brands pulsed faintly, and the metallic flavor on her tongue grew stronger. Lyrium. Somehow she had pulled lyrium out of his skin.

She pushed herself back in horror, and struggling to sit upright. Sebastian called Fenris name gently, careful not to touch him. After a moment Fenris shuddered and returned to the present.

"I am so sorry," Violet whispered. "I didn't know I could do that."

His lips twitched as though he were attempting to smile, though he looked pained. "I believe it is by design."

"That's… horrible. Oh Maker. Did I do it before, when we…? I must have."

He nodded, but did not meet her eyes.

"No wonder you don't want me to touch you." She looked briefly at Sebastian. His eyes were full of sympathy. So much for his idea to bring them all together. Neither of them could have anticipated this, though Violet had a sinking feeling she should have.

Violet shifted up to her knees but carefully kept her distance. "Fenris, I would never do that to you on purpose. I won't do it again."

He swallowed. "I appreciate that."

She sat back on her heels. "Sometimes I wish Danarius was still alive so we could kill him again. That asshole has so much to answer for."