The Confession

Harvestmere, 9:30 Dragon

The Gnawed Noble

Alistair stood nervously outside of Bridget's room. How long he had been standing here, he was not sure. After Zevran's pep talk, Alistair had been infused with so much confidence, however, the closer he came to Bridget's quarters, the more that newfound confidence waned. Oh, what was he thinking, he couldn't do this! Why would he want to risk his friendship all on some silly idea of a budding romance? Alistair closed his eyes and sighed. Maker, he never thought he would be in this situation. The last thing he ever expected to happen was to fall in love with Bridget, but he had. Despite every rational part of his brain screaming at him not too, his heart betrayed him. He fell in love with her smile, her laughter, the tantalizing sway of her hips, the sparkle of her eyes, the freckles that gently dusted her cheeks. He loved her hair and how it glowed like strings of pure gold in the sunlight, her kindness and innate need to help anyone who needed it…she was everything he had ever hoped to find in a woman, in a partner and so, so much more. He was so lucky to call himself her friend, and the possibility of losing that friendship if he told her his true feelings scared him to no end.

Just as he was about to turn around and return to his room like an injured pup with it's tail between it's legs, Bridget's bedroom door opened and she nearly walked right into him as she moved to exit. Alistair's breath hitched in his throat as nerves flooded his stomach. He couldn't escape now; it was obvious he was standing outside of her door and not simply walking by. He smiled nervously at her and hoped that she wouldn't ask him what he was doing…but Alistair had no such luck. He stared into her questioning eyes and didn't even hear her ask him what he was doing outside of her door. Bridget raised her eyebrows at him and waved a hand in front of his face.

"Alistair? Did you need me for something?" she asked again.

Alistair blinked and nodded. There was no going back now.

"Ah…yes. I was wondering if we may speak. Privately." He said softly.

Bridget furrowed her brow, curious what he would want to speak to her about and nodded.

"Sure, I was about to take Zeus for a walk. Did you want to join me?" she asked.

Before Alistair could respond, Zevran appeared. Alistair wasn't sure to be grateful to the elf or extremely frustrated with him. He grinned like a Cheshire cat and whistled for Zeus. The hound bounded towards him and gratefully accepted the dried piece of meat Zevran had to offer.

"I was just coming to ask if I could borrow Zeus for a bit. I wanted to take a stroll with Leliana and thought the pup might like to accompany us. We'll take good care of him, I swear it!" Zevran exclaimed.

Bridget smiled and shrugged.

"Go ahead, just keep him away from the meat stalls in the market, he'll never leave unless he gets the largest piece of mutton there is!" she replied.

Zevran nodded and turned on his heel. As Bridget stepped back into her room and Alistair followed, he noticed that Zevran winked at him and gave him a thumbs up. Alistair rolled his eyes and followed Bridget into her room. He closed the door behind him. He took a deep breath as he deftly locked it as well. This was it; he couldn't leave now. He had to tell her. Tomorrow was never promised and if anything happened to either of them, Alistair knew for sure that he would regret never letting Bridget know his true feelings. He took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and turned to face his love.

Bridget stared up at Alistair expectantly. Butterflies swarmed in her stomach, and she chewed on her bottom lip nervously. She did not know what Alistair wanted to discuss with her, though she certainly hoped it was what she had wanted to discuss with him for some time now. She took a deep breath and raked her eyes over the man who had captured her heart in the palm of his hand. He had healed a deep wound within her…Bridget was so afraid to open up, so afraid to lose anyone else after that fateful night when Howe betrayed her family. And yet, she fell for Alistair, and she fell for him hard. The endless jokes, his contagious smile and laughter, the way the firelight warmed his eyes by the campfire as they shared their pasts and bonded over having such responsibility thrust upon them. The logical part of Bridget's brain scolded her fiercely. She knew that her feelings were only a distraction, she knew that she should not have fallen for Alistair…but her heart was louder than her brain. Despite the entire universe being against them, love had still managed to sneak it's way into both of their hearts. And here, amidst all the fighting and all the darkness, a beacon of light shone through it all. As the silence transitioned from seconds to minutes, Bridget was the first to break it. She looked up at Alistair and gave him a small, shy smile. Bridget pushed some of her hair behind her ear and asked,

"You wanted to talk to me about something?"

Her voice drew Alistair out of his thoughts. Maker was he nervous! Amazing how he could stare down a Hurlock and not even flinch at the grotesqueness of the Darkspawn, yet the thought of confessing his love for Bridget had him quaking in his boots! Alistair cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Umm…yes. About that…" he trailed off.

Despite Bridget's own nerves, she recognized that Alistair would need a little coaxing to relax and converse with her easily. She studied his form and the candlelight in the room betrayed his nervousness. She noticed a very slight sheen on his forehead and bit back a smile.

"Are you sweating?" she asked seriously.

Alistair blushed. She never missed a thing, his love. He stumbled over his words as he tried to find an excuse.

"Ah, no. I mean yes…I mean, well…I am a little nervous, not that this is anything bad or anything like that I…"

Alistair sighed. Who was he trying to fool? He didn't have the courage to tell Bridget how he really felt, for he knew deep down she probably did not feel the same. No way could he be lucky enough to have earned her affection. Blubbering an excuse, Alistair turned to leave, but stopped abruptly when he felt Bridget's hand in his. He looked over his shoulder to see Bridget smiling up at him sweetly.

"You can tell me anything, Alistair. You know that." She said softly.

Alistair closed his eyes and sighed. It was now or never. He took a deep breath and turned to face Bridget. With a shaky hand, he gently caressed the side of her face and marveled for a moment at just how soft her skin was. He gazed into her sea blue eyes and took a leap of faith into their deep depths.

"I know how this might sound, and I know that we have not known each other for very long, but I can't take this anymore, I feel as if my head is going to explode every time, I'm near you and I can't form a coherent thought!" he exclaimed.

Bridget smirked and placed her hand atop Alistair's. She gave it a gentle squeeze.

"So, I take it the exploding head feeling is…good?" she laughed.

Alistair chuckled nervously.

"I am not being as eloquent as I had hoped when imagining this scenario in my head…but what I'm trying to say is…I've come to care for you, very deeply, Bridget. You're an amazing Warden, a wonderful friend, and the most beautiful woman I have ever known, inside and out. Without any hope to gain anything from helping others, you choose to help them regardless of if they can return the favor. In this war-torn world that we live in, that's such a rare and wonderful thing to see. Despite everything I've found myself falling for you in between all the fighting, the late nights keeping watch at camp, the trips into the forest for firewood. It started as a mere curiosity at first, but I soon found myself looking for any and every opportunity just to be in your presence, by your side. You complete a part of me that I did not realize was empty and now…now that I have met you, now that I have gotten to know you…I can't nor will I imagine my life without you. I love you, Bridget."

There, he had said it. The words were as easy to say as breathing, a second nature. Before Bridget had a chance to respond, Alistair continued.

"I know that you have loved and been loved before. I haven't forgotten Willem, nor am I asking you to forget him. If you aren't ready to move on, I will respect that wholeheartedly. But know that I will always love you and I will wait an infinite number of days, months, or years for the opportunity to win your heart."

Bridget's heart swelled as a tear fell from her eyes and rolled down her cheek. Alistair was alarmed at first, but she quickly calmed him down.

"And you say you aren't eloquent." She whispered.

Alistair smiled as Bridget moved closer to him. She hugged him tightly and rested her chin on his chest as she gazed up at him. Alistair held his breath, awaiting her response.

"Forces of the universe outside of our control brought us together, Alistair. While I do agree that this probably was not the best time to fall in love…I still did. You have captured me, Alistair Theirin. I am completely and humbly yours, forever. You restored in me what I thought I had lost when my family was taken from me. You showed me that it was not lost at all, just misplaced for a little while. I will forever be indebted to you for that. I love you, Alistair. Wholly, deeply, irrevocably. I am yours."

Alistair grinned broadly and hugged Bridget tightly. He lifted her off the ground and spun them both around briefly before he gently placed her back on the ground. Bridget giggled as she felt more tears fall from her eyes. She couldn't be happier than in this moment. Alistair dipped his head to hers and claimed her mouth in a soft kiss. It was brief and chaste. Alistair broke the kiss and blushed deeply.

"I um…I know this might be a little fast but…I want to spend the night with you. Our moments together, they're so fleeting and I want to share this with you, while we still have the chance."

Bridget held the side of Alistair's face in her hands and tipped her head to the side.

"Now, Alistair. Don't play coy with me. You knew you weren't going back to your room tonight." She replied seductively.

The tips of Alistair's ears turned pink as he chuckled.

"Weeeeellllll, I certainly hoped I wouldn't have to go back to my room." He admitted.

Bridget giggled again and drew Alistair in for another kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and turned her head. She opened her mouth willingly, invitingly, pressed her body against his to bolden his resolve. Bridget certainly intended for him to stay with her the entire night and, considering the sun had only just set, they had plenty of time to spend together. Alistair let his eyes close as he held Bridget tightly to his chest. Their kiss deepened and their tongues found each other for an intricate dance. Once the kiss broke, they both took a deep breath of air. Alistair bit his lip and pushed a lock of hair behind Bridget's ear. He brushed his nose against hers affectionately.

"You know I've never done this before…I mean I have a basic understanding of things, and Zevran forced his own 'advice' upon me earlier. I just, I don't want to disappoint you. You deserve to be loved, and I have no experience in that. I'm afraid I might be all thumbs and,"

Bridget placed her finger to Alistair's lips and shushed him softly.

"Your heart will guide you, Alistair. Listen to it. What's it telling you to do right now?" she asked.

Alistair blushed as he pondered his response. He didn't want to sound too vulgar, though his mind was swimming with all kinds of things he wanted them to do.

"For now, I don't want to stop kissing you."

Alistair went in for a kiss, but Bridget playfully dodged him. She smiled at him playfully and raised her eyebrows.

"And then what?" she asked coyly.

Alistair smirked and then became thoughtful.

"Hmm…well, I thought we might play a game of cards, we could always pull the map out and plot our next destination, let's see…"

Bridget rolled her eyes and laughed. She held onto one of the four posters of the bed and leaned against it. She pursed her lips together playfully and tilted her head to the side.

"Why don't you come sit on the bed with me?" she suggested.

Alistair watched as Bridget climbed atop the bed. Her oversized tunic slid off her shoulder, baring it to him. Nerves flooded his stomach once more as Alistair joined Bridget on the bed. He sat next to her and turned to face her. The candlelight bounced around the room romantically. Bridget sat on her knees and leaned towards Alistair. She took his face in her hands and kissed him deeply. And for a long while, all they did was kiss. Bridget was determined to let Alistair be in control, she didn't want to push him to do something he was not ready for, though it was hard for her to resist the urge to lead. Their lips found other areas of their faces and necks, and Bridget discovered that Alistair's earlobes were very sensitive. He released a soft moan when she nibbled on his ear and she made a mental note to return more attention to that area later. She was surprised when she felt his hand that had been at her waist gently slide upward. Bridget smiled against his lips and broke their kiss. She took his hand in hers and urged him to continue to slide it upwards. She sucked in a breath as his hand rested over her breast. Alistair released a soft groan as he began to gently knead it in his hand. Bridget shivered slightly as his thumb brushed her mound, the fabric of her tunic setting her skin aflame.

Bridget gazed into Alistair's eyes as he deftly moved his fingers to the ties of her tunic. He glanced at her briefly to silently ask for permission, to which she nodded eagerly in response. Alistair took a shaky breath as he pulled at the strings to Bridget's tunic and let it fall from her shoulders. He grunted softly as her breasts became exposed to his hungry eyes. For a long moment, Alistair just stared, marveling in Bridget's beauty. Her breasts were ample and full and the pink mounds were perked and ready, begging to be kissed, sucked, and licked. He brought his gaze back to her eyes and claimed her mouth in a heated kiss, this time taking both breasts into his hands and kneading them both. Bridget moaned softly into Alistair's mouth as she ran her fingers through his honey-colored locks. She could feel her desire pooling low in her belly and wanted nothing more than to have Alistair completely, but she had to be patient and draw this out for as long as she could. Soon enough, Alistair trailed his kisses from her mouth to Bridget's throat, and then to the tops of her breasts. Before he could go any further, Bridget stopped him and pulled her tunic back over her shoulders. She slid off the bed and stood gracefully.

"Have you ever seen a woman completely bare before, Alistair?" she asked.

Alistair shook his head.

"No…but I feel like you're about to change that." He replied.

Bridget looked over her shoulder at him and gave him a playful wink.

"Oh, how you know me so well." She stated.

Alistair grinned as Bridget slowly slid off her leggings. She bent down slowly to remove them from her ankles, teasing Alistair with a nice view of the back of her thighs. Since her tunic was too large for her, it didn't ride up all the way when she bent over. Bridget bit her lip nervously as she straightened and let her tunic slide off of her arms and fall to her feet. She heard Alistair take a sharp intake of breath and felt his eyes on her. Bridget felt her face flush. She knew her skin wasn't as perfect as it once was as she carried scars and bruises from the many scrapes and battles they had been in, but Alistair saw no fault, no error in her body at all. Bridget turned around slowly and bared herself to her lover. The intensity of Alistair's gaze made her blush deepen, and she could only imagine what thoughts were running rampant in his head.

Alistair raked his eyes over Bridget's body and felt his already hardened member twitch with desire. Maker…she was beautiful. Her frame was slender, yet strong. Those tantalizing hips were curvy, and he loved the swell of her breasts. Her stomach was flat and toned and the curls of her womanhood were a golden color and looked smooth. She was the very image of beauty and grace, in his opinion. And so, so beautiful. Bridget smiled seductively at him and placed her hands on her hips.

"Hmm, I think you're overdressed just a bit, don't you?" she asked.

Alistair stuck his tongue in his cheek to bite back a grin. He stood from the bed quickly and pulled his shirt over his head. He tossed the garment to the side easily. Bridget took a moment to admire Alistair's physique. Though she had seen him shirtless before at camp while patching up wounds here and there, she never had much of a chance to admire just how fit he was. His shoulders were broad, and his arms were thick and strong. A light dusting of hair coated his chest and trailed down his toned stomach, turning a little darker before it disappeared into the top of his breeches. He moved his hands to the laces of his breeches, but Bridget moved forward and shook her head as she placed her hands on his to stop him.

"Ah, ah…I can do that for you." She stated in a sexy whisper.

Alistair's breath hitched in his throat as Bridget kissed him deeply, then slowly began to trail her kisses south. She kissed and sucked at his throat, earning another pleased groan. She bent down to splay kisses all along his chest and gently nibbled on the skin here and there leaving small reminders of her love behind. As Bridget progressed her ministrations, she moved to sit on her knees so that she was eye level with Alistair's front. She noted his apparent arousal and gazed up at him. She licked her lips seductively as she slowly began to unlace his breeches. Alistair's throat went dry. Maker…if Bridget was going to do what he thought she was going to do…he wasn't sure if he would be able to keep himself in check. He wanted this to last for as long as he could, yet already he was having trouble concentrating on saving his climax for when they were joined. Bridget slowly released the last lace and looked up at Alistair. She gave him a rather saucy smirk before she gripped his breeches and yanked them and his smalls down to his knees. Alistair trembled slightly as the rush of cool air struck his member. He blushed deeply and looked down at Bridget, a shot of desire coursing through him as he did. The image of her on her knees before him was enough to make him finish right on the spot. Alistair was no fool. He knew what was coming next. He stretched his arm up and gripped the poster of the bed as Bridget gently ran a finger along his length. Alistair sucked in a breath.

"Do you remember when we spoke about lampposts in winter?" Bridget asked him softly as she continued to inspect his arousal.

Alistair nodded, unable to find his voice. Bridget smiled up at him.

"Well, it is winter…and I've never licked one before, so to say. But I think I'd like to try it now, would you?"

Alistair took a deep breath. Damn this woman and her teasing! He looked down at her and couldn't even speak, his throat was so dry. Alistair merely nodded again and held his breath in anticipation.

The feeling was better than anything he could describe.

Bridget's mouth was warm and wet, inviting and silky smooth. Alistair groaned loudly as she slowly, purposefully ran her tongue along his length before she took him into her mouth again. Alistair felt his head loll back as he groaned again. He gripped the post tightly as his other hand made it's way towards Bridget's head. He gently held it in place and snaked his fingers through her hair as she continued to do the most devilish things imaginable with her mouth and tongue. Alistair swallowed and groaned again as Bridget continued to please him with her mouth. She gracefully slid her tongue along his length and knew just how to swirl and flick it to send waves upon waves of pleasure coursing through his body. He felt her fingers deftly dance up the back of his thighs and moaned loudly when she gripped his bottom and gently dug her nails into his flesh.

"Maker…Bridget…" Alistair breathed.

He sighed and huffed as he looked down to watch his love do the most sinful things he could imagine. He thought for sure he would not last another moment, but Bridget stopped and smirked up at him. She placed her lips to his hip bone and took the skin there delicately between her teeth. She bit him playfully before she trailed her kisses back up his stomach and chest. Once she reached his mouth, she kissed him softly and then rested her forehead against his.

"So…was it everything you imagined?" she asked playfully.

Alistair blushed and grinned.

"Honestly, love, you've made me speechless. And that's quite a feat considering I always have something to say." He replied.

Bridget giggled and kissed him softly. She broke the kiss before it became too heated and gently pushed him back against the bed.

"Sit." She ordered.

Alistair kicked his pants and boots off the rest of the way and scooted towards the middle of the bed. The covers were of a warm red and golden thread and were soft against his skin. Alistair watched eagerly as Bridget climbed on top of the bed and crawled towards him. The way the candlelight bounced around the room gave the illusion that her hair and skin were both glowing. Bridget was simply a goddess before him, a mere man. What he had ever done to deserve her, he did not know, yet he was so grateful that this was happening between them. Now, in this moment, Alistair had never been happier. Bridget straddled her lover and wrapped her arms around his neck. She gently caressed the side of his face and placed a sweet kiss to his forehead.

"Are you ready?" she asked him softly.

Alistair couldn't find his voice, but nodded eagerly. Bridget bit her lip as she positioned herself over his member. Alistair breathed deeply, he could already feel the heat radiating off of her entrance. Bridget slowly lowered herself onto Alistair's length and groaned and winced slightly as she took him in. Alistair, afraid he had done something to hurt her, was quickly put at ease once Bridget had taken him completely.

"Mmm…oh Alistair…" Bridget whispered breathlessly.

After a moment, Bridget began to slowly, sensually rock her hips towards her love. They kissed each other deeply, and Alistair took the opportunity to play with her breasts. He broke their kiss and then kissed her neck and throat, the space between her collarbone, and the valley of her breasts as she arched her back into his kisses. Bridget closed her eyes and moaned as she continued to rock her hips towards Alistair. Maker it would be so easy to just let go and dive into that pool of ecstasy that was waiting for her…but not yet, not yet! She wasn't ready to give in just yet! Bridget played in Alistair's hair as she kissed him deeply again. She could feel a fine sheen of sweat forming on her own body. She began to move her hips a little faster, pulling herself closer and closer to her release. Bridget shifted slightly so Alistair could lay back against the mattress. Now that she had more movement, Bridget picked up her pace and rode Alistair fast and hard. Alistair groaned loudly as he gripped Bridget's hips tightly, in sheer awe of the image of her bouncing and riding him.

"Oooh Alistair…I…I…"

Bridget felt her entire body tremble and shudder. She shrieked with pleasure as her release cascaded through her body. Her thighs quivered as she fell forward slightly. She caught herself with her hands on Alistair's chest and grinned as she kissed him deeply. Bridget broke the kiss and pushed her hair back as she panted to get her breathing back to normal. Alistair stared up at her in awe.

"Did…did you…women can too?" he asked curiously.

Bridget laughed and leaned forward to place a sweet kiss on the wing of his nose.

"Yes, we can. But only if we have a very good lover." She whispered as she gave him a saucy wink.

Alistair smiled proudly and raised an eyebrow.

"Well then…I guess I'm better at this than I originally thought!"

Bridget giggled as she lifted her bottom and rolled onto the mattress. She lay next to Alistair and smiled at him expectantly. Alistair became nervous again as he moved over her. He rested his forearms against the mattress and moved to position himself at her entrance. Bridget drew her knees up and wrapped her legs around Alistair's waist, encouraging him to press on. Alistair took a deep breath as he slowly entered his love and released another guttural groan at the warm wetness that greeted him. He knew he would not last long, especially after everything that Bridget had done to him at this point, but he was determined to make her finish one more time before his own release over came him.

And he did.

Alistair's thrusts were slow and tender. He kissed Bridget deeply and ran his hands over every inch of skin he could. They both became cartographers and charted every groove, every dip, every scar on each other's skin. Alistair became creative and would draw his hips nearly all the way out before he delved back into Bridget's depths, earning several moans of pure pleasure from his love. Once Bridget trembled again and called out his name, Alistair finally relinquished control. He pumped into Bridget erratically, but softly as he didn't want to hurt her. As his name spilled from her lips like the chant, Alistair panted and continued his ministrations until his own release finally came. His entire body stilled and then shuddered as he felt his hot seed spill into Bridget. Alistair groaned loudly as he came, whispering endearments into Bridget's ear as he gently caressed her face. Alistair reluctantly pulled himself out of Bridget's depths and rolled onto his back to catch his breath for a moment. He then turned on his side to find Bridget on her side propped up with her elbow. She grinned at him sheepishly and Alistair sighed happily. They then giggled and snuggled up next to each other.

"Maker…I never knew the things a man and a woman could do could feel so good." Alistair stated.

Bridget grinned devilishly and lifted her head from his chest. She kissed him softly and nudged his nose with hers.

"Oh darling, that was only a fraction of what we can do." She replied seductively.

Alistair raised his eyebrows, intrigued.

"It's a good thing a Warden's stamina replenishes quickly, then." He stated.

Bridget laughed and kissed him once more.

"Indeed, it is." She replied.

As the night progressed and the candles about the room began to melt and burn down, the two Wardens turned lovers continued to talk, make love, and forget the outside world for just a little while. For now, in this stolen moment of time away from all their friends and responsibilities…the pair were happy and content in each other's arms. No one could take this night away from them. It was like a gentle dream, and once the pair finally had exhausted themselves completely…Bridget found herself drifting to sleep without the help of the sleeping drought. For the first time since the fateful night of Arl Howe's betrayal, Bridget felt at peace and dreamed not of nightmares and dark things, but of the man beside her and the life that she hoped they would one day share.