For all the clever airs he put on, Isabela was always amused by how Varric ended up in a duel to the death against her during the final rounds of Wicked Grace. And he'd always start furrowing his brows a few hands in, because he'd go in so sure he could beat her. She knew well enough to let him win a few rounds, get his hopes up, just to destroy him when his self-confidence turned into unfounded arrogance.

They were just hitting the tipping point, about five games in. He put too much money in this time after a streak of wins. And even though his mouth acted in control, it was always his eyebrows that gave it away. Isabela smirked. Everything was going according to plan.

Well, at least when it came to Varric and Hawke. She'd scared the sassy mage under the table two rounds ago and the dwarf was hitting his tipping point. But there was an unexpected element in the game tonight.

At the end of the table, only inches from her, was a chipper little elf with gorgeous, bright green eyes, her feet crossed dainty under her chair. Merrill was sitting there smiling at her cards like they were candy. Most of the time, she figured the ex-Dalish was too saccharine for her tastes. However, tonight there was this mischievous little grin on her face each time somebody dropped out.

Isabela couldn't tell if she just had good cards and didn't know how to lie, or was pulling off the most manipulative, yet wholesome looking heist she'd ever seen.

Taking her eyes off the most interesting character at the table, Isabela leaned back in her chair and nodded at her dwarven buddy, his eyebrows looking so tense they could fly right off. She asked, "Going to do anything with your turn, Varric?"

After a few flitting glances between his cards and Isabela, he grumbled and threw his cards down. "Dammit, I'm out." Even though he was glaring and crossing his arms, Isabela felt so much electric satisfaction. It sizzled under her skin. If she wasn't such a good pirate, she might have made one hell of a gambler.

Merrill pouted next to him. Bemused, Isabela wanted to see what she was up to. A cute pout like that had to be deliberate. Batting her eyelashes at Varric, Merrill said, "That's no fun." Isabela was caught off guard when those sparkly eyes looked straight at her. "Guess that just leaves me and Isabela, right?Or are you quitting, too?"

Running her tongue behind her teeth, Isabela shook her head. Not so easy, baby doll. Not that she minded seeing this new side of Merrill. "Don't think your cute smile's about to scare me away."

"You think my smile's cute?"

Isabela wasn't used to finding herself caught off guard more than once in a conversation. She also didn't know how to respond to Merrill's eyes sparkling extra while looking at her and talking about smiles. But whatever the elf's ploy was, she wasn't going to get in her head. "Not the point." Isabela gestured to the finished game in front of them and said, "Time to show your hand, better hope it's a good one."

"I dunno, but I think I did okay for myself." And then with that helpless, adorable grin Merrill flipped her cards to show the best hand Isabela had ever seen in this seedy bar. Guess the dark haired elf with had more surprises than she expected in her tiny little hands.

"Well, well, can say I didn't expect that." Isabela showed her own abysmal hand and felt her entire body liven up with interest. There wasn't much about this world that surprised her anymore, more like unfortunate possibilities that she hadn't counted on happening.

But a surprise, and a pleasant one at that, was something she didn't want to let go of so easy. Giving Merrill a once over, she said, "I have to see if you can make lightning strike twice. You in, Varric?"

"Nah, Hawke's already weeping under the table because he lost so I'll get his ass home." After standing and dragging up the drunk Hawke with him, Varric gave Isabela a pointed look. "Take care of Daisy, will ya?"

Merrill didn't look too happy about that, though she couldn't tell if it was out of annoyance or guilt. "She doesn't have to-"

"My pleasure."

Varric seemed pleased with that and led Hawke out of The Hanged Man, managing to miss other handsy drunk patrons along the way. They both waved the two off and watched the door open and close behind them.

But the second Varric's orange head was out of the way, Merrill was looking at her again with pinched lips and a wrinkled forehead. "I can take care of myself."

It made Isabela laugh, how tightly wound Merrill looked. That was more like what she expected. However, Isabela was a little too intrigued to let the elf get all awkward and tense again. She wanted to see what else was underneath. The few glimpses already made her way too interested to let the more salacious side of Merrill slip away. But she did admit, "Sure you can. I've seen you in a fight. I'm just making the grumpy dwarf feel better."

"Oh. Thank you, then."

Isabela raised an eyebrow, flicked a card with her fingers, and egged Merrill on, saying, "So are you actually good at this game or was that just a lucky draw?"

"What? Think I can't have beaten you on wits alone?"

Chuckling, Isabela leaned on the table and bit her lip. "No offense, but I doubt it."

"I take offense to that, but I'll let it go. Not your fault I have a "cute smile""

Of all things, teasing wasn't what Isabela expected. This night was only getting better and better. She even was starting to wonder what other surprises those cute, pink lips of Merrill's had for her.

Maybe this night would get even more interesting than she ever expected.

"Is that all you're going to talk about now, the fact I said you have a cute smile?"

"When you normally tell people they have nice arse or tits? I take it as a uniquely rare compliment."

Isabela bristled. She didn't like that as much as the rest of this conversation. She cut her eyes at Merrill. "There's nothing wrong with me enjoying company in my bed."

Shaking her hands in front of her innocently, Merrill looked startled."That's not what I meant at all." Then she looked down at her hands, this little blush covering her cheeks, and said, "I meant it's nice to hear you say you like my smile."

While most things about tonight were a delicious mystery, Isabela knew that kind of smile and it made her fingertips tingle. Little miss flower might just have a crush on her. Things just got so, so much more interesting. Especially when said woman wasn't bad to look at. Good company, too, albeit like a sugar rush sometimes.

In her element, Isabela brushed her foot against Merrill's. Her posture shot straight up and the blush got a little more noticeable. "If I didn't know any better, Merrill, I'd say you were flirting."

"M-maybe it's all a part of my grand scheme to beat you at cards."

Winking, Isabela said, "You starting this kind of game with me, flower? I will win every time."

"Will you? How so?"

Merrill was just making this easier and easier for her, huh? Well, either she was going to scare the elf off or get a much more evening than she bargained for. Whether it was some squirming or screaming, Isabela was open to either option. She twirled a lock of her hair with her finger. "With someone like you? All I have to do is have a drifting hand or to talk about what my tongue can do under your dress, and you're done. I'll have won."

Even though Merrill's cheeks flared, she swallowed and didn't flinch. Impressive. "Well you aren't winning right now." The little elf, exhaled, slow. Isabela watched the way her chest fell. Even though she was petite, she had to admit her body had to be beautiful under her green tunic. She did wonder how soft her skin that didn't touch routine battle might be.

But as Isabela was getting far too distracted about all the possibilities of tonight, even though she was pretty sure they'd never happen, Merrill tipped her finished hand and raised an eyebrow at Isabela. Another great damn hand. Merrill's eyes were practically gleaming when she winked at her. "So what do you want to do next?"

Okay, she had to admit that was a little hot. Her throat was a lot dryer than she remembered.

Showing her own cards, she had to accept she got her ass handed to her. Again. "How-"

"A winner never tells their secrets." Merrill's cute smile was starting to have less than a wholesome effect on Isabela. She was fantasizing about what she had to do to get Merrill's intentions to turn a little more than friendly. Cleavage and some mild flirting normally worked, but they were already past that point. "

Across from her, Merrill asked, Another?"

"I'm out of spare coin, I'm afraid." Isabela couldn't get the idea of that green tunic on her bedroom floor out of her head, though. It was time to put the ball in Merrill's court, try to feel out where her head was at. After all, this wasn't just some drunken, hot girl that she could make fall in love with her for a night. This was sort of her co-worker. She had to be a little more delicate with it. Raising an eyebrow, Isabela said,"But we can always wager more interesting things."

"Like what?"

"Each failed round, loser drops a piece of clothing?"

Merrill's red cheeks were really starting to do it for Isabela, and it was getting really distracting. She replied, a little overwhelmed."Not in the middle of the bar!"

Isabela accepted the loss. This idea of her and Merrill wasn't a real practical one. This was probably just a rare night that'd never happen again. Chocking it up to fun flirting that she'd have to work out of her system on some cute rando later, Isabel conceded, "Well then-"

"W-What if we went to your room?"

Her lips fell into an easy smile that warmed up her whole body. But Merrill just kept on surprising her, didn't she?

Cocking her head towards her back room, she collected the cards and brushed her fingers against Merrill's. "Then I guess we have ourselves a game."

When they got back to Isabela's room, she was practically drunk on the thought of seeing how far her vallaslin really went. So drunk that Isabela lost a couple rounds way too fast. She had wriggled out of her boots and top less than half an hour later. Only upside was that the red-cheeked Merrill was having a hard time keeping her eyes off of Isabela's, um, assets.

So much trouble that after losing way too many helpless rounds, Isabela finally won.

"Ha! Seems your winning streak just ended."

When Merrill grabbed the edges of her shirt, though, her hands were shaking. No matter how much Isabela wanted to toss the elf on her bed and see how long it took to make her moan, it didn't sit right in her stomach. Before Merrill started pulling off anything, Isabela grabbed her hand and shook her head. "You know, you don't have to-"

But Merrill took away her hand and peeled off the top like it offended her. "I'm not a child."

"No, you're not. I'm sorry if I ever treated you that way." Isabela took a deep breath, seeing the pale, pristine skin underneath. She could see Merrill's chest rise and fall under her crossed arms. With a soft hand, Isabela caressed her side. Though her face was still red and she looked so unsure, Merrill didn't pull away.

Tucking a hand under her chin, Isabela pulled Merrill closer and said, "You're beautiful, you know."

"Funny, coming from the most beautiful woman in every room."

"You can't mean that."

"Of course I do." When Merrill's eyes flicked down to Isabela's chest, she covered her red face with her hands. "A-And I'm not just saying that because you don't have a top on!"

"You're adorable." Letting go of her, Isabela held back her more powerful feelings about looking at Merrill and said, "But don't start this game unless you're serious about playing it through."

"Seriously? I may be awkward and small and people don't take me quite seriously. But I'm still a woman, Isabela." She unfurled her arms and held her head high. "Don't patronize me."

With that, Isabela found her fingers on Merrill's hips, pulling her in closer, whispering in her ear, "I'm not trying to patronize you. I'm trying to make sure you want this. Because I want you to end up in my bed because you can't resist me, not because you weren't sure how to tell me to stop."

"Don't."

Isabela looked directly into those bright green eyes and waited for the delicious words she wanted to hear. "Don't what?"

"Don't stop."

One gentle pull and Merrill's body was pressed against hers, and she could feel the elf's heartbeat against her own chest. It made it hard to keep teasing her, but it was so damn worth it. "And what would you like me to start doing, then?"

"Kiss me." Hovering her lips over Merrill's Isabela chose to play the asshole.

"All you have to do is say you want me."

Merrill pulled back her face and glowered. "Don't make some sadistic joke out of my feelings-"

"I'm not." Isabela got close again, running her hand up Merrill's back, pulling at the smallclothes left on her body. "Tell me you want me."

"I want you."

And that was all she needed to hear before crashing her lips down onto hers.

What a surprising night, indeed. She wouldn't mind letting Merrill surprise her more often.

/

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