ZEVRAN
The alienage's daily bustle resounds outside the thin, hovel walls. Along with the rising chatter comes the first spark of morning sunlight, peeking through the cracks in the distant curtains, and the ever enticing aroma of fresh baked fruit and bread.
But none of that matters to me right now.
All that matters is Serena now lies asleep in my arms.
We arrived in Kirkwall late last night after our most recent venture into the Deep Roads. So weary were we upon our arrival, we barely possessed enough energy to remove our clothes and armor before collapsing in bed together.
Almost.
Serena stirs in my grasp. Shifting. Groaning.
She starts to turn away, but I pull her close, back to my chest. Her cool skin on mine once more.
"And where do you think you're going, hm?" I ask, resting my chin on top of her head again.
"Zev, I've got chores to do," she whines, her voice still muffled and hoarse from sleep, adding a marvelous, sultry factor to it.
"Ah, good. Then, if that's all it is, they can wait." I squeeze her close.
"Zevran!" She lightly smacks my pecs in chide.
I chuckle. "Allow me to enjoy this for another moment longer, my dear warden. It has been far too long." I snuggle up tighter yet.
Serena relaxes. Her fighting spirit dampened by my successful persuasion.
Thoroughly convinced, she cuddles up close again, surrendering to my embrace, and at last offering her own.
I've waited so long for this.
Dreamt about it.
For years.
It is still hard to believe it is real. So how could I not try to take advantage, when the chance presents itself?
Certainly, I can be forgiven for such. Guilt-inspiring tactics or no.
And if not, oh well. If there is a price, I'll gladly pay it.
I run my fingers through her dark hair, relishing in its familiar softness, while one of her hands repeatedly strokes repetitive circles across my skin.
The sensations are a marvel. Proof that what I'm experiencing now could not be a dream. Although, I can't help but regard it as such.
"I missed this," Serena whispers, low, almost reverently. Her tone mirroring my own internal delight.
"Oh? Just this?" I tease.
Serena shakes her head. "You know what I mean," she mutters, and I can already imagine her playfully rolling her magnificent teal eyes at me.
"Do I now?" I pretend to play dumb, still unsatisfied with the answer.
I want to hear it.
I want to hear her say it.
That she missed me.
Not just this.
Serena looks up at my face, a slight smirk on her oh-so-tempting lips. "I missed you," she says. "There. Are you happy now?"
"Very." I grin, then bend down and kiss her slowly, endearingly. An effort she returns.
Our winding tongues melt in the combined heat. The warmth infusing me to my throbbing core. Its gentleness achingly sweet, moving—divine.
Maker, forgive me, it will never be enough. I will never get enough.
Serena breaks off from the kiss and stares up at me, huffing, panting, fighting to catch her breath. Something I didn't even realize I hadn't been doing—breathing—and my body tingles with renewed desire, seeing the longing, permeating her dreamy, oceanic gaze.
I smirk and roll us both over, so I'm now lying on top of her. "Hm. Perhaps I should seize upon this rare opportunity to dare a repeat of our excursions in the cave, hm? Only this time, we can enjoy ourselves thoroughly and not in the shadows of a tunnel."
Serena laughs. "Ever the opportunist, aren't you?" she jokes, interlacing her fingers with mine.
"Forever," I answer.
And then I claim her lips with fervor once more.
"Is this really necessary?" I grouse, as Serena and I amble our way through the Hightown square, baskets of food and other commodities in hand.
Serena glimpses back at me, her intrigued, narrowing eyes seeming surprised and confused by the protest.
"Fenris is a grown man! Certainly, he's capable of fetching sustenance on his own?" I gesture to our two full baskets. "I can think of so many better things we could be doing now instead." I leer her over suggestively to get my point across. The memory of our earlier lovemaking still fresh, but nowhere near enough to quench the thirst I've suppressed for her all these years.
Serena grins and shakes her head at me. "I think you significantly underestimate Fenris's ability to take care of himself," she retorts. "If we leave him alone for too long, he'll finish off all his reserves and depend only on wine to get by!"
"I've heard of worst diets." I shrug. "They do say wine is excellent for the heart!"
"I doubt they mean by the bottle." Serena snickers, refocusing straight ahead.
Ah, well.
It was worth the attempt.
This clearly is not how I'd envisioned spending the rest of our day, following our rigorous morning exercise.
After helping her complete her many daily chores and meditation practice, I'd hoped for some more quality alone time with her. A chance to truly relax and indulge our most base desires, as many times as deemed necessary.
However, it seems such plans of mine must be put on hold for the moment. But in truth, I'm not all that opposed to this visit either. As for why she's so insistent on it, though, I'm torn on her possible motive I can tell she's genuinely concerned for Fenris. That alone is evident in her actions and is nothing new. However, there is something else lurking there, beneath her words. Something she's not saying.
A sense of guilt? Or duty, perhaps?
Our situation's still sensitive. Of this, I'm certain and have no doubt.
I'm also aware she must still harbor some feelings for the other two.
So, possibly, it is a mix of both?
The two of us reach the downtrodden mansion together, cutting off my silent quandaries.
Serena steps in front and opens the massive front door. Guard Captain Aveline's stomping her way down the main foyer staircase once we step inside.
"Good luck," the frowning red-head calls to us, over her shoulder, as she stomps past, shaking her head.
I quirk an eyebrow at her and watch her swift departure, out of the mansion.
Interesting. What could've upset her, I wonder?
Serena and I both exchange a perplexed look, then head up the same steps, side by side.
Fenris and Hawke's voices drift out of Fenris's quarters, into the main hall. "It's my sister. I didn't tell you, but I followed up on Hadriana's information." Fenris's voice resounds beyond his room's open doorway. "Everything she said was true. I had to keep it quiet, but I eventually contacted Varania and sent her coin enough to come meet me. And now she's here."
Serena rushes into the room at that moment, her footsteps hastened after overhearing that last bit of their conversation. "She was in Qarinus after all?" she asks, looking stun-struck.
Fenris freezes. He takes us both in with a careful, hesitant nod, coming off more tense and on edge than usual. Though, I can't fault him for it.
I've heard quite a bit about his unsavory past over the last two months we've known each other. How he was enslaved to a rather unpleasant, Tevinter magister, and hunted similarly to Serena due to the unique abilities he now possesses.
This is news about a sister, however.
"My sister left Magister Ahriman's service, and I found her in Minrathous," Fenris explains, avoiding making eye contact with any of us. "That made things more difficult. But according to the men I paid, it's just as Hadriana said: she's not a slave. She's a tailor, in fact . . . Getting a letter to her was difficult, and she didn't believe me at first . . . but she's finally come."
He stops, and his growing anxiety thickens the air.
"You're worried Danarius knows?" Hawke frowns, crossing his arms.
"The more it seems he doesn't know, the more certain I become he does!" Fenris raises his voice and clenches his fists.
He pauses to lower his head, calming himself. Appearing more conflicted and desperate than ever.
"Come with me, Serena, Hawke." He looks up at them both, pleadingly. "I need you both there when I meet her."
Serena sets down her food basket on the desk between the four of us. "Where is she?" she asks, matter-of-factly, ever the willful helper. A trait of hers I have always admired, despite their often troublesome side effects.
"If we go to the Hanged Man during the day, she'll be there. For the next week, at least," Fenris answers.
He then gulps and stares off to the side. He stays like that for a quiet moment, before daring to glimpse back up at us again, with what I can only imagine Serena later describing as 'puppy-dog eyes'.
"It would mean a lot to me," he says, lifting his chin higher, the proudness returning to his straightening form. "That's all I ask."
Well, there goes the rest of our afternoon. But I suppose there are worse ways to spend the day, and there's no reason my previous plans cannot continue tonight.
