Ashe
It was early morning and Ashe was on her way to say speak to Alistair before he left, in private. Her heart was beating a little faster than it probably should have. She walked through the corridor and tried to ignore the eyes she felt on her from the dozens of guards who stood vigilant along the walls leading up to the guest quarters where Alistair was staying.
Remember, keep it cool. Don't think about how he looks, or how his voice makes you melt into a puddle on the floor... You are a grown woman, not a fawning little girl.
She arrived at the door and she straightened her back and checked herself briefly, smoothing out her jacket and casting a glance over her back to see if her leggings still fit snugly over her legs and backside, all the while trying to pretend that she wasn't standing wedged in between two guards who could see exactly what she was doing.
She raised her hand and this time knocking on the door was more successful than the last time she'd tried only to find it empty and the King fighting Cullen in the courtyard.
After a few seconds, Alistair himself opened the door and smiled widely when he saw that it was Ashe. His eyes scanned her from head to toe, very appreciatively.
Woman, WOMAN, not puddle on the floor!
He was too damned handsome, his golden hair standing almost straight up, a royal blue vest over his white shirt, accenting his toned muscles perfectly. Ashe had to bite her lip to physically stop herself from letting a sigh of appreciation fall over her lips.
Alistair's eyes returned to her face and caught on what she was doing to her lip. His eyes darkened slightly and his whole body shifted forward. They stood there staring at each other for a few seconds before Alistair found his manners and cleared his throat.
"Lady Ashe, please come in." He held out his arm in invitation and Ashe smiled sweetly at him.
"Thank you, Your Majesty." She entered and almost jumped when Alistair shut the door behind them with a bang. Maker, her nerves were on edge. She had to play this right. Make him want more but avoid insulting him.
She stood in the middle of the room and watched him approach her. He stopped a few steps away from her.
"I wish I didn't have to leave so soon. I'd like nothing more than to spend more time in your delightful company, my dearest Ashe."
She was both relieved and a tiny bit disappointed that he didn't try anything with her.
"It won't be long before we see each other again. I seem to recall I promised to keep you company for your big birthday bash."
Alistair snorted. "I'd hardly call it that. Fereldans may not be as stuck up and weird as Orlesians but it will probably be boringly formal all the same. But I am so glad that you will be there to liven things up."
"Is it not your birthday? Are you not the King of Ferelden? I say you can celebrate however you want."
Alistair chuckled at that. "I wish, Ashe, but surely you know that it's not so simple. But I suppose... the celebrations will go on for days, maybe one night I can choose how we spend it. But it doesn't really matter as long as you're there."
Her heart pounded as he walked up to her and took her hand in his before he kissed it. She'd been kissed like this by what felt like hundreds of men during the past year but only when he did it did she feel excitement, exhilaration even. The slightest touch from him was making her... well, hot.
"I'm glad I can be of service," she said, proud that her voice was steady.
"Oh, believe me." His voice was low and sent shivers through her. "You're doing me a service just by standing in my line of sight." He pulled her to him, still holding her hand.
Notapuddle, notapuddle, notapuddle...
"Alistair..." she started but he silenced her with a kiss. Heat rushed through her, throbbed in her as his lips met hers and when she felt his tongue seeking entry to her mouth, she knew she was defeated and she let him in all too willingly. She let out a small gasp when she felt his hand on the small of her back and he pressed her to him even harder while his other hand slid down to her ass. She finally mustered up enough willpower and broke away from his lips and rested her forehead against his, both of them slightly out of breath.
"Alistair..." she started again but he interrupted her with his words this time.
"Ashe, I know I might be a little forward here, but I'm not reading this the wrong way, am I? You certainly seemed interested yesterday when I was five seconds away from fucking you before we were interrupted..." He smiled wickedly and she couldn't help smiling back thinking about it. Maker, his finger inside her...
"Listen, Ashe, I don't have any grand expectations of you, nor am I in a hurry, so don't stress, alright? I just really, really like you and honestly, you intrigue me. Plus, I can't seem to keep my hands off you."
"Well, I can't blame you for that. My ass looks exceptional." She wriggled underneath his hands which were still resting against her backside and Alistair laughed.
"Not just your ass, although you're right, it is exceptional. As is the rest of you." His hands were everywhere on her now and they moved a few steps further into the room while resuming their kissing. They knocked over a small table and it only seemed to drive him on as he grunted and pushed her against the wall beside the bed and kissed her even harder. Ashe could feel how wet she was already, the throbbing between her legs driving her crazy. She couldn't stop a moan from forcing its way out and Alistair redoubled his assault on her upon hearing it.
How in the Fade was she going to stop this? She was burning for him, wanted him, couldn't resist. His broad form covering her, his decisiveness, his hunger for her, his handsome face, the magic he worked with his hands and mouth... He was everything she could want and more.
But so was Cullen, and she'd managed to - by some power she didn't know where it had come from – resist him this far too. Maker damn her to rot if she couldn't do the same with Alistair.
She pushed him off her.
Be smooth.
She smiled at him, giving him her best sultry look. "It's not that I don't want you, Alistair. Maker, even if I tried to deny it, I think you've already noticed that my body tells you otherwise. But I'm not giving myself away so easily. You'll have to work harder than that."
For a second she thought she'd made him mad. He stared at her, breathing hard. But then he laughed and shook his head.
"Of course, I shouldn't have expected anything less than a challenge from you, my dearest Ashe." He kept the smile on his lips. "You mustn't think that I don't want to spend time or effort on you, it's just so damned hard keeping my hands off you, you're too tempting. But I will prove to you that you're more than a King's passing fancy. I guess I will just have to be patient and wait for you to come to Denerim."
Ashe stepped away from the wall and made to walk towards the door but stopped at Alistair's side when she was about to pass him. "Patience is a proof of strength and is greatly rewarded, by me of course." She ran her fingers down the length of his arm and his eyes followed her every move. "I'll see you off at the gates, Your Majesty." She smiled and blew a kiss over her shoulder as she walked up to the door and opened it, pleased with the way he stared after her. She closed the door behind her and began walking towards the war room for this morning's meeting.
Phew, that was close. Too fucking close. Too delicious...
Cullen
Cullen thought he would feel better after the King had departed, and he was of course glad to be rid of the man. But it was almost worse knowing that he had Ashe practically to himself for a dozen days and that she wouldn't let him fuck her. It wouldn't be such a problem if she didn't look so cursed tempting all the time, but she did. No matter if she was wearing a dress, pants and a shirt, a coat... Maker take him, she could we wearing a potato sack and she would still make him want to rip it off her and take her.
All he had left was her promise that she might indulge him with some stolen kisses or the like. He would do his utmost to break her will in those moments, if they ever came. The first few days after the King's departure were busy for her since she'd been forced to play host to the royal party, so she had a lot to catch up on. Cassandra and Josephine claimed a lot of her time, and he himself had no shortage of information and tasks for her either. They still had a job to do, all of them. He should actually already have traveled to Emprise du Lion on Inquisition business, but he'd postponed the trip so he'd get to see Ashe more before that.
Four days after Alistair had left was his lucky day. It was nightfall when he was returning to his office after a lengthy briefing with a few of his men in the courtyard. Ashe caught him just outside his door, pulling him with her into the dark corner between the stone wall and his tower.
"You've been a good boy, Commander. Very good, and patient. Almost too good. You haven't lost interest in me, have you?"
She looked so small and delicate trapped between him and the stone. Delicate and delicious.
"Never," he breathed. He curled his fingers around her arms and noticed that she was only wearing a thin shirt and some leggings. "Maker, Ashe, you'll freeze wearing this." It was a chilly evening to say the least.
"So warm me up then, Cullen."
He arched his eyebrows at her. "Didn't you want me to be patient?"
"Yes, and you're doing a good job, bla bla. But now I just want a little fun, and if I say that's alright then it is. Or maybe you don't want..."
He muffled her voice with his lips on her mouth and kissed her ferociously, taking her breath away. She moaned into him and he tightened his grip on her arms. Her words about how she liked it rough were burned into his mind and he would not treat her gently this time.
Let's see her try to resist what she's already admitted will undo her.
He pushed her into the stone, melting his body against hers, grinding into her relentlessly. He bit her lip and kissed and nibbled his way down her jaw to her neck. "I should fuck you right here against the wall. If you would only say yes, I wouldn't even make it into my room with you. You drive me absolutely..." He shoved his hand down between her legs. "...crazy with want." She threw her head back and moaned loudly while he bit and licked the skin on her throat and kept talking. "I would rip all these fucking clothes off and lift you up. I want to feel your legs around me."
She surprised him by pushing herself against the wall and sort of obeying him. She kept her clothes on but she snaked her legs around his waist. The friction made him hiss between his teeth.
"Andraste, you make me so fucking hard. I want nothing more than to shove my cock into your tight cunt."
"Shit, Cullen, shut up or I'll give you what you want," Ashe panted, flustered and breathless, dragging herself against him harder and harder.
"If you think I'm going to be quiet when you say that, you're so fucking wrong. I can't hold it together much longer Ashe, I have to fuck you or I'll go insane. I would give anything..." He managed to squeeze his hand inside the tight lacing of her leggings and he felt her wetness coat his fingers. "Fuck, just let me taste you at least." All he got in response were her breathy moans, growing louder with each stroke against her dripping cunt.
"I'll make every guard in earshot hear you scream in pleasure." He quickened the pace of his fingers and her legs began to shake around him. Suddenly, he pulled his hand away and let go off her, leaving her a shaking mess sagging against the wall. He was sure as fuck not going to let her come when she tortured him like this.
Her eyes were wide and she looked at him sullenly. "But you said...!"
"Now, now Ashe, don't pout like a little girl, it's very unbecoming of you. I said I would make them all hear you scream in pleasure, but I didn't say when. Now you know what your merciless teasing feels like. I still enjoy it, mind you, but if I'm not getting you, you're not getting too much fun either. Think about that the next time you come and see me." He winked at her and then he slipped into his office without another word.
His little trick worked, and every day after that, Ashe came to see him. Sometimes they couldn't get away for more than a few minutes or even seconds, just time for them to kiss and possibly touch each other in ways that were wildly inappropriate.
Cullen grew more and more frustrated, and his mood was all the more foul since the date of Ashe's departure for Denerim grew closer and closer. He didn't want to stay in Skyhold like some puppy dog left behind when she left, so he decided it was time to take that trip to Emprise du Lion sooner rather than later. No one would question him going there since he was supposed to anyway. Maybe he'd even find a girl there who he could blow off some steam with. It wouldn't be the same as getting Ashe, of course, but better than nothing. If he didn't let some frustration out soon, he'd be completely unable to respect Ashe's request for patience and he would take her anyway. And that wouldn't be the best thing in the long run. Better to fuck some farm girl who he'd never see again and then he'd be able to play Ashe's game so much better.
Ashe
It irritated her a little that Cullen had left early. She wanted him to stay in Skyhold, to make him watch as she rode off to Denerim, to Alistair. She wanted to see what he would do. Part of her wanted to give into him so badly. Cullen made her want to...
No, don't even think of it.
She was so horny she was going to burst soon. Maybe this was all a bad fucking idea. Why not just do whatever the fuck she wanted? She sighed. She knew the answer to that. Because she wanted more than just a quick fuck. What that more was, she didn't know yet, only that she wanted it.
She was still on the battlements after having watched Cullen ride off with some of his soldiers. She leaned her elbows on the top of the stone, resting her chin in her hands while looking out over the mountains. She heard someone approach her from behind but didn't think much of it, soldiers and scouts walked up here all the time. She stiffened in surprise as she felt two strong arms grab her around the waist and spin her around.
Her captor was a tall man, messy hair as black as a raven, an equally messy beard covering his face. His blue eyes were piercing. He was wearing armor and a long staff was strapped to his back, but Ashe barely noticed, she only had eyes for his face and the huge smile on his lips.
"Ashe Trevelyan, as I live and breathe. Long time no see."
She squealed in delight and threw her arms around his neck. "Greyer! What are you doing here?"
"Just passing by, couldn't resist seeing you of course," Hawke said. "Miss me?"
"Always, you idiot," she laughed and then she kissed him. Maker, he tasted just as good as she remembered. After the kiss, he leaned his head back to look at her, his arms still wrapped around her.
"I can tell," he said and grinned. "So, princess, what's new?"
"Oh, Greyer, too much to discuss here. Let's just say I'm so glad that you're not a blonde, hazel-eyed warrior. I'd think I'd die of a heart attack if you were."
Hawke raised his eyebrows and his smile shot up at one side of his mouth in that gorgeous manner she couldn't resist. "You'll have to tell me all about it then. But where's your hospitality, Inquisitor? Aren't you going to offer refreshments to a weary traveler?"
"But of course, Ser Hawke. What did you have in mind?"
He pulled her close once again. "You."