Chapter 4: The Butterfly Effect

Hawke awoke a few hours later to see Fenris sitting up at the edge of the blankets, back and head bowed; rubbing at the bridge of his nose with thumb and forefingers. Carefully, he propped himself up on his elbows so as not to startle the elf.

"Fen? You okay?"

"I…I can't sleep." He replied, his voice pained and a little melancholy.

Hawke sat up, drawing up behind Fenris and reaching out to touch his arm reassuringly. "Troubled thoughts?"

"Hrmph." Was the only response, but it was enough to communicate to the mage that he was both correct and that Fenris had no desire to talk about them any further.

"Hey." He called softly. "Look at me."

Hawke couldn't really see Fenris in the deep gloom of the tent but he could just make out his silhouette and the dim limn of his white hair as he turned and faced him. With a flick of his wrist, the mage brought the ambient light up just enough to be able to see his lover seated next to him, as well as the somber look he wore.

He then reached out and framed Fenris' face with hands, pulling him close enough to kiss him gently. Fenris didn't respond at first, but then slowly began to return the affection as Hawke nipped at his bottom lip; enticing his lover to open his mouth. Hawke meant it to be loving and sympathetic, to also wordlessly communicate to his partner that he didn't need him to say anything else. Within moments however, he was suddenly left stunned by the passion with which Fenris countered him. He didn't speak but instead conveyed his need, his desperation for comfort and understanding, by unexpectedly climbing into Hawke's lap and devouring his mouth with unmatched ardor. Hawke shuddered, wrapped his arms tightly around the slender elf, and recklessly drank of his kisses.

Mariner groaned in frustration and buried his face in his arms. He'd been dreaming again and had seen The Wolf; the great black beast that had haunted his life since the beginning and the butterflies that always heralded his arrival. But like so many of his encounters with this particular vision, this one was slightly different than the last. The Wolf was bounding through a snow-covered field, the butterflies taking on the character of light flurries drifting down from a vast and overwhelming sky. In the distance, a fortress rose above everything on the side of a ragged mountain. Wind-torn banners flapped in the high winds but he didn't feel the biting cold, rather, the unobscured sun beat down at his back and made the world around him feel like a wool blanket that had been resting on the stones of an open hearth. But it ended as it always did. He tried to follow; tried to call out to The Wolf. It had turned towards him and in a moment, he had almost known its name, such as one does in dreams. But then he had awoken with a start and forgotten it again.

The young elf sighed, rolling onto his back and scrubbing at his face with mild aggravation. It was still very late, not yet dawn, and the sounds of the ocean waves just a few meters beyond his tent were incredibly soothing. A whish and a hush, followed by the patter of droplets in the sand. And then his ears pricked at another sound, even closer that the water, in the tent next door. It was a breathless kind of sound and then a stifled …was that a…moan? Mariner suddenly flushed with embarrassment. Apparently, it would seem that his two new companions were…intimately engaged. The rustling of clothing was unmistakable, replaced by a muddled curse and then what had to be the mage purring compliments to his partner. Mariner had guessed that the two were close when he'd met them earlier that morning but he hadn't actually realized that they were close.

"Maker, Fenris, quit teasing me!" Came the muffled groan that was shortly followed by a light chuckle; low and rough, very much like the other elf's deeper voice. Mariner automatically went still and quiet, throwing his blanket up and around his head as he had been in the habit of doing back in the caravan. After all, when one usually lived in such close proximity to others as encampment required, the occasional sounds of love-making were neither shocking nor unfamiliar. He hadn't, however, quite expected to hear such noises from Hawke and Fenris, of all people in the world. A few moments passed before he then figured he should try to settle and wait for it to pass but instead, Mariner found himself listening to their exchanges, which were oddly intriguing.

"Touch yourself for me. I want to see you." It was Hawke's husky voice, smoky and rich with growing arousal. Mariner shivered as goosebumps began to spread across his arms at the sound. No one had ever spoken to him like that, though he had imagined it from time to time. How beautiful it would be to lie with a man who spoke to a lover like that.

It was answered with a growl before Hawke spoke again. "Don't look at me like that. I want to watch you make yourself come." A pause, "I want to see how you touch yourself; how you like it the most." Another pause and Mariner started to picture the two of them kissing between each phrase. "While you think of me," he continued. "Watching me, watching you."

An answering sigh of pleasure likely meant that his lover was obeying him and it caused Mariner to blush. He'd never been particularly privy to others' intimate conversations; just the gasps and cries of the act itself but he didn't mind it really. They likely thought that he was long since asleep anyway, and he would be, if not for images of an accursed wolf and a mountain glen he'd never seen before now.

"That's it, love." Hawke's voice once more filled the silence. "Play with me."

A muffled groan, musical with a ardent sigh, drifted to Mariner's ears; a very alluring sound that made the younger elf wonder just exactly what it was that Fenris was doing that would cause him to make such a noise. Hawke certainly knew how to tease intense responses from his elven lover, if nothing else.

"Hawke…" Came the breathless moan again, broken and uneven.

"I'm here. I've got you." The other replied softly. "Keep going, just like that. By the gods, you're beautiful."

Mariner stared intently at the ceiling, his ears growing hot with a mixture of abashment and arousal. He felt like such a voyeur! But he also didn't want to give away the fact that he was awake and aware of them. The sounds between them were so needy and so plaintive, it seemed cruel to put a stop to them. Which, he had no doubt, would happen if he made enough noise to get their attention. Surely, he could do no harm by simply listening, though.

"No…" Fenris growled abruptly. "Don't touch me. I'll…" He groaned again. "I'll come."

A series of murmurs then erupted through several beats of a fist smacking the ground, which was then overtaken by a wanton cry of release. The words that quickly tumbled out of the mage as a result told Mariner that, firstly, Hawke had not done as Fenris had asked and secondly, that he was finding it necessary to soothe his lover through his orgasm.

"Oh, yes. Fen. That's it. That's just perfect. Come for me. I told you, you're beautiful."

A soft sigh was slowly exhaled, and then, "What are you doing?" Fenris' voice was filled with sedated passion and panting.

"Licking it off of you." Came the answer, slightly amused. "I love how you taste."

"Hm." Was immediately answered with more rustling of cloth and a muted gasp.

"Sorry." Hawke chuckled, a little more brightly. "I didn't realize you were ticklish."

"I'm not ticklish." Fenris bantered back.

"Yes, you are." Hawke chided him before apparently moving away, given the amount of shuffling and scraping that could be heard. Another crackle of leather and a fastener being unclipped.

"What are you doing?" The question was repeated. This time, Mariner thought he could detect some reticence in the other elf's voice.

"What does it look like?" Was the answer and Mariner could practically hear the smile on Hawke's voice.

"Don't." Was the hesitant reply.

"Why not?" This time a frown.

"It's too soon." Fenris sighed, "Just… give me a minute."

A long pause ensued and Mariner imagined them staring at one another; he could almost feel the tension through the canvas walls before Hawke apparently decided on his answer.

"Mmmmm…. No." he stated.

"Venhedis!" Fenris nearly shouted the elven curse as a there was a dull crash followed by the sounds of a struggle. Mariner could hear the other elf gasping and thrashing on the blankets, however, as his lover began doing something to him that caused all their caution to fly to the wind.

"Stop, stop, stop…" he chanted, "Hawke! I can't, I can't…" he groaned again, but then his chants and pleas changed suddenly from desperation to desire. "Yes, oh Maker, yes… If you don't stop –" the statement was cut off by a frustrated hiss.

Mariner swallowed and continued to stare unseeing up at the ceiling of the tent. He had no idea what position Hawke and Fenris were in at this particular moment but it sounded as though the mage had the other pinned to the floor and was doing some rather amazing things to him. Fenris, at least in short time Mariner had known him, had not seemed to be an overly talkative kind of fellow but in Hawke's arms he became somewhat more…garrulous, one might say.

"Fasta vass."

"Shh…it's alright." The mage teased, "Don't tell me you're upset with me now? You told me to stop."

"Argh, enough." Was Fenris' huffed response, followed by a sigh as Mariner detected the first groan of passion from the mage. "Though, I do like how hard you get for me."

Mariner flushed at the mental picture of what Fenris must now be doing to the mage and tightened his hold on the blanket over his head, suppressing an urge to shiver. For some reason, just listening to the two men in the other tent was hotter than anything he'd experienced before. Granted, it was a pretty low bar to clear in his case, as Mariner had remained still largely untouched beyond a few fleeting experiences years ago. And he'd never been taken by another; had never allowed it, though he had wanted to in the past. But every potential partner he'd ever encountered just hadn't been…right. For some reason. He couldn't explain it and it was incredibly frustrating, though it did nothing to dampen his current curiosity.

"I want your mouth on me." Hawke's husky voice came out as a choked sob. "Is…is that alright, Fen?"

"Hmm? Oh, I should think so."

Different kinds of butterflies danced in Mariner's head at the thought of what Fenris was about to do to the mage. He'd seen a few of the asha of his caravan do this before and many of them certainly enjoyed it, if their conversations were to be believed. The ash obviously did, either way. His fellow ashvani, on the other hand, had always been rather circumspect on the topic. If they did it or not, they'd never really talked about it. Another bit of rustling and then Hawke let out a gravelly, "Yes!"

The mage groaned, low and husky before he started to pant and whisper. It seemed as though he was trying to be quieter than before but the sounds he made were no less arousing for doing so. A long sigh drifted up to the Mariner's ears, soon followed by a few short breaths.

"What is it?" Fenris asked.

A slight chuckle, "You're quite…uh… talented at this. I fear I'm… too close."

"So, let me swallow you." Puzzlement showed through the walls.

"No." Was the very direct reply.

"Why?" His elven lover sounded even more confused.

"Because I…I want to be inside of you." The whisper was so low, so tentatively shy, that Mariner almost wasn't sure he'd heard the words right.

"I see." Fenris replied, though there was something odd in his tone. He almost sounded…apologetic?

"I mean…" Hawke started again, like he was trying to explain why he would be asking for something so outlandish when, as far as Mariner understood it, his request was soundly in the realm of the easily anticipated.

"You don't have to justify yourself, Hawke. It's alright." Fenris interrupted him before he could get much further. "Come to me, then."

"Fen." Hawke's voice held all the tenderness and adoration in the world and it almost brought tears to Mariner's eyes to hear him speak with such gentleness to his lover. "I just…I need you. I need you close to me. I want to feel you around me."

The rest of his words were muffled by a kiss.

After a short time, Mariner heard Hawke's voice once more. "Lie back. I'll take care of you."

There was the sound of tapping on glass, a stopper being pulled, some more shifting about on the piles of bedclothes, and then near silence. Mariner took in a breath and held it. A slight moan made him grip the blanket now threatening to suffocate him if he didn't pull it off of his mouth.

"Are you ok?" Hawke sounded a little concerned.

"Yes." Fenris' reply wasn't forced, though it seemed like it might be too much for him to talk just now. "More." He demanded.

His moan turned into a growl which was then cut off into a cry. "Right... there..." He panted. Then a slap of skin against skin. "Enough, I'm ready for you."

"Are you sure?" Hawke once more asked. There was no verbal answer, only sounds that Mariner could imagine what he wanted of them.

A strangled cry broke the silence, so tortured that he didn't know who it came from, followed by a harsh groan. "Maker, you're so fucking tight." Hawke whispered.

"Just move." Fenris all but snapped at him right before Mariner heard the unmistakably rhythmic sound of two lovers fully pairing. There may not have been any bed to creak, headboard to bang against thin walls, or other furniture to give them away, but the beat of flesh against flesh, and body bracing against body, had their breaths coming in the same unified tempo.

Soon enough, Hawke was plying the most marvelous noises from Fenris' mouth. The other elf's words were quiet and whispered into his lover's body but he moaned, and sighed, and then he did something that Mariner had never pictured the well-armed and armored elf ever doing. He started to beg. He begged his lover to go faster, to take him harder, to let him feel his need and his desire for him. And by their ever-increasing cadence, Mariner presumed that Hawke was all too happy to oblige.

Within minutes, words between them were lost as both lovers began to moan and keen; making every carnal sound there was to make before startling Mariner with the strength of their cries as they found release together. Fenris, as the younger elf noted, cried out quickly and then seemed to gnaw on his moans has he rode out his climax pressed against his lover's weight. Hawke, conversely, built into his cry with softer growls and exclamations before a crescendo to his peak and final howl of ecstasy. Everything after that fell into silence as they stifled any other sound they might have made with deep, lasting, kisses.

Mariner did not fail to notice that he was breathing hard and even sweating. He cursed himself, feeling like a fool and a bit like a pervert, though still not knowing what else he might have done instead. As the other tent fell completely silent and the sound of the waves returned, he harshly pulled the blanket off of his head and squeezed his eyes shut tightly, rolling over onto his side with his back facing the wall.

If he had any more dreams tonight, they were going to be…interesting.

But dream Mariner did.

At first, he couldn't see anything. There was only darkness and distortion, even when he thought his eyes were open. But he could feel. Soft wispy silk beneath his palms, his body stretched out onto a pliable mossy embankment. Cool air wafting against his skin and his face pressed into the delicate cushion of something downy but yielding. Mariner sighed, vaguely aware that he was naked but unconcerned about it. On some level, he was also aware that he was dreaming but he was surprised at how lucid he felt, how real the touch of the world was against his skin, and how sensitive to it he was quickly becoming.

But then, he had the sudden realization that he was not alone.

With a gasp of shock, he felt the press of another's body against the length of his; felt warm skin at his back and the light puff of hot breath at the nape of his neck. For a second, he thought he should be afraid, that he should leap up from his prone position and flee into the woods that surrounded them. But then, even more strangely, the other spoke.

"Hush, da'len. Do not fret. You are safe in Setheneran. I've been waiting for you all night."

This voice was unlike any he had ever heard. Deep but gentle, with such a polite and moderate timbre that Mariner almost immediately felt at ease. He relaxed, even as he felt the other slide further over him, resting what felt like a solid and well-toned chest against his back and entwining his arms around him so that he easily held Mariner in place.

"Who are you?" Mariner whispered into the grass, somehow unable to turn and see who was there.

"You know me, lethallan. You have always known who I am." He could feel smiling lips brush against his ear, inducing an involuntary shudder.

"I…don't…" He breathed.

"Yes, you do."

Mariner began to tremble as the other's body gently rocked against him. Whomever he was with was undoubtedly male, as the ashvani could also feel him growing hard where the other's hips rested against the back of his thighs. Again, Mariner thought that he should be resisting but he simply couldn't bring himself to. There was something in this man's voice, in his touch, that soothed him and restrained him at the same time. His face grew hot as he arched into the other's weight, simply to feel more of him where they lay together. It was apparently the right response as the other sighed into his hair while fingers delicately danced down his side and splayed across his hip.

Tender kisses began at his neck and moved down to his shoulders, where a tongue started lightly licking off the salt of the sweat that had dried on his body from his earlier frustrations.

"I do know you…" Mariner breathed, shivering beneath the other's touch. "I do know you."

"Elgara vallas, da'len. Melava somniar. Tel'enfenim" (The sun sets, little one. It is time to dream. Do not be afraid.)

"I am not afraid." He was almost surprised at the words but he certainly meant them. The man behind him was touching him so sweetly and the dream was so beguiling, Mariner had no interest in defiance.

"Good."

Mariner spread his thighs beneath the body that covered him and arched his lower back, as if he knew what he was doing. He heard his would-be lover let out a strained breath and felt his hand as it reached around his hip, more than eager to coax further sounds from the ashvani by sliding his palm over the soft mound of his sex. When the pad of the other's index finger found the velvety lips and then the tender skin around his opening, Mariner couldn't help but twitch and reflexively try to twist away.

"You're already wet for me." That sultry voice whispered into his ear, taking the time to lick his way down from the tip and nibbling along the ridge of the pinna to his neck.

Mariner could not seem to formulate an answer other than to bend his knee enough to try and get some leverage so that he could get a better sense of where the other was. With one hand, the ashvani tentatively reached back over his head as the other was placing more open-mouthed kisses on his neck and shoulder. His fingers first encountered the long point of an elven ear, followed it down to the side of the other's head, and took immediate note of the fact that this male was completely clean-shaven and had no hair whatsoever on his head that Mariner might attempt to touch or take hold of.

He felt, rather than heard, the bemused laugh his explorations had caused. "You will have to hold on to the stones and the grass, ma vhenan. You cannot hold me just yet."

"Hold…the stones? Why must I…"

Mariner did not get to finish the question as his entire body suddenly went rigid with the sensation of the other slowly sliding his length inside of him. The ashvani honestly did not know how to respond, as the feeling was so entirely alien to him and was so unexpected. To his shock, it wasn't at all painful despite the fact that he had never been penetrated before and while his lover was being careful and gentle, he wasn't giving him much time to adjust to their joining either. Mariner's eyes snapped shut as he fought the urge to cry or pass out from the intensity of being held down, mounted, and taken by an ash who so clearly seemed to know exactly what to do to pleasure him in this state. As the other completed their connection and slid fully into him, he heard the male stifle a feral growl into his back. Everything felt tight, and hot, and the cock that had him pulsed with need.

"You are mine, vhenan. Do you understand that?" The male hissed as he was finally sheathed completely inside of the ashvani.

Mariner snarled at him but it only seemed to amuse the other further. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Why…what are you doing this?" Mariner's words had almost no force behind them and ended in a breathless moan.

"Because I must." The other replied, shifting so that he could pin the ashvani's wrists to the ground beneath them. "Because your spirit has called to me and I cannot deny or escape you."

The male almost entirely pulled himself out before slowly thrusting back in with a firm but considerate stroke. "Now, I want you to say it."

Mariner moaned and arched his back. The feeling of the other inside of him was indescribable. A hard, thick, shaft filled him, and in this position, was just the right size for him. Every time the other pulled back and then thrust into him, it felt as though he stopped just short of his womb.

"Say…what?" Was all the ashvani could manage.

The male's fingers left his wrists to grip onto his hip hard enough to leave marks in his pale skin. "My name. Say my name, so that I know you know me."

His tone was harshly whispered but his voice never wavered as he began to move in earnest. The male reached around the ashvani's hip, delving into his body again with the pad of his finger and caressing the little stop just above where they were joined. His rhythm was immediately forceful and unrelenting and he pressed into the hardened nub in time with each of his vigorous thrusts.

"Oh…gods…" Mariner gasped in utter rapture. He could barely form words as the other thrust again and again, compelling him to open up further as they mated in the hidden depths of the Fade. Under any other circumstance, he would have found the entire situation bizarre and even a little lewd, but as it was, it simply didn't occur to him to care.

"I..I'm…" His back arched in mindless desire. He couldn't think, couldn't gain a foothold in reason as the world spiraled away from him, couldn't even piece together what it was he was supposed to do. All he knew was the feel of the strong body on his back, the impossibly hard length inside of him, the passionate, supplicating, moans of the one taking him, and then…

"Solas!"

Mariner's orgasm caught him by surprise and he came hard and fast, nearly breaking out of his lover's grip as screamed the word that rushed into his mind unbidden. He didn't know what it meant but it tumbled out of him as his body shook with wave after wave of delirious joy. Moments later, he heard the other let out a shout that was muffled in between his shoulders as the male began to spill his seed all the while holding himself deep in his body. Together, they rode out of the undulations of the climax; Mariner going white-knuckled as he dug his fingers into the clusters of moss and wildflowers and his mate holding their bodies tightly together by wrapping one arm around his mid-section and the other across his chest. When the ashvani finally felt the last of the male's reflexive thrusts begin to settle, he all but collapsed onto the ground with the other still on top of him.

Mariner thought that he heard him say something but he couldn't understand it. It sounded like Elvish but with an enunciation that didn't make sense. Like something old and forgotten that only lived in texts to be read but never spoken again. He then felt his companion move away from him and with some difficulty he stirred and opened his eyes.

Just in time to see a blaze-orange butterfly alight from his hand and into the dappled canopy above.