"You're an idiot."
Nathaniel's face was grim.
His lips a thin line.
His forehead creased in angry frown.
Eyes narrowed.
Velanna loved it.
"Sorry." She muttered the word, she didn't know how many times she had said it by now, and not once had she managed to actually sound sorry.
The group were exhausted from the day's march, a day spent avoiding literally hordes of darkspawn. Every one of them had felt it, the worry, there were enough of the monsters to even outnumber the Amaranthine peasants, never mind its defenders. They had to get back to the keep, had to organise the defence, had to prepare for an attack that was without a doubt imminent.
All of that was distant though, far from her mind.
As was the fact that Justice apparently was tagging along. Perhaps simply due to not knowing where else to go, or due to the memories of the dead Kristoff the spirit claimed to sense...or perhaps simply due to a simmering anger at the very mention of the darkspawn. What had he called them again? 'Oppressors of the weak'? 'Unjust beasts'? She shrugged. Probably both, who cares?
Not she, not with Nathaniel so close. The man was worried, angry, upset...but mostly worried, even if he didn't realise it.
Velanna loved it.
With Sigrun out patrolling in a wide perimeter around the camp, Lynn and Justice stuck in another of their long-winded conversation at the main part of the camp a hill away and Mhairi off polishing her sword for the battle that had yet to come the pair was alone. Alone...Velanna took a shuddering breath, yet smiled, content to wait, to enjoy the moment.
Sitting upright in the grass Velanna kept her legs enough apart for Nathaniel to kneel down in between her legs, his gaze fixed on her outer left thigh, where the bandage in his hand was pressed against the flesh wound pressed down just a little too much. If he found the situation even the least erotic he didn't show it, she however...smirked.
The man pressed down even harder on her wound, making her wince. Nathaniel simply shook his head, refusing to look her in the eyes as he continued to grumble. "You didn't cast a spell...you charged it...idiot." How many times has he said that now? Velanna stifled a giggle. Five...
"Sorry."
"I would have parried the blow, I know how to fight in close combat you know...in contrast to you." His lips somehow became an even thinner line as he glared at her wound behind the bandage. "And even if I hadn't I wear armour, you don't. I would have survived even a direct hit, you wouldn't." A shake of his head, short and angry. "Idiot."
"Sorry." Velanna took a deep breath, enjoying the crisp evening air, smiling, content to wait him out. Not that he had showed any sign of stopping berating her for the last two days...
"And what if I had gotten seriously injured?" Nathaniel shook his head again, breathing hard through his nose, trying to calm himself...and failing. His calm failing, his neutrality failing, his control failing...and Velanna watching it with a mix of fascination and adoration. I'm the cause of this...I know it's horrible...but Gods I love to see it! "You could have healed me, all would have been fine."
"Sorry." She murmured the word, feeling more relaxed than in ages as she reached back and freed her hair, the somewhat damp hair tickling her shoulder blades. Should let it free more often, he'd probably like it.
Not that Nathaniel noticed, his eyes still fixed upon the little scratch that was the wound in her leg, as if willing it to disappear. "But you can't heal yourself if you're badly injured, what would have happened if it had been worse then it had been? You'd be dead that's what." He growled the words, yet they lacked the impact they had the first three times, by now Velanna understood he spoke them more out of guilt then any real anger. "You're lucky you got away so easily!"
"Sorry." Velanna smiled widely. There was no need to point out that she could easily heal the little nick over her leg just as easily as she had healed the bump on her head and the wound across her belly. Nathaniel didn't seem to understand it, or perhaps simply choosing to forget about it, needing to take care of her.
And who was she to stop him?
The smile turned into a grin.
"Why?" Nathaniel growled the question, for the fifth time by Velanna's count. "Why would you risk yourself so...stupidly!" He finally looked away from the bandage, only to glare down at the small piece of ground between the two of them. "It was foolish, idiotic, unthinking and...and...illogical!" He hissed the last word, his shoulders shaking.
"Nathaniel..." Velanna nearly whispered the word. Enough, he's hurting now...it's not fun any more. A trickle of magic...and the wound across her thigh closed.
It didn't help, Nathaniel felt the change under the bandage and let the white cloth and hand drop...the hand coming to rest on the ground as he leant forward. Not to be closer to her though, only so he could look far away with his teeth bared in a grimace. "I...you're an idiot...I should have..." He swallowed, a look of pain crossing his face, his calm...shattered.
Velanna found her chest aching.
"Nathaniel..." She spoke the name with more force this time, her left hand reaching up to rest upon the wrist of Nathaniel's hand that so recently had held her bandage, the right coming to rest upon his shoulder.
"Foolish..." He shook his head, chest shuddering as he took a deep breath, still refusing to look at her. "...I didn't want you to...perhaps the Commander was right...I...you would never have-"
The hand on his shoulder shot up, finding Nathaniel's cheek, forcing his head to turn, forced him to look at her. "Nathaniel." She repeated the word, snapped it at him, making him blink, the guilt in his eyes lifting like a fog as he found her eyes looking back. I'd never regret it.
His mouth opened to speak, but no words came, his mouth working soundlessly as he tried to protest, or perhaps to admonish her. Yet nothing came...his eyes not leaving hers, making the guilt and worry in his waver, soothing the strain within him.
She moved the hand holding his wrist.
Without the bandage in-between she felt his callused hand, it was rough and hard against her now healed wound.
The moment lingered.
Nathaniel didn't look away, something behind his eyes shifting.
Velanna felt her own prickling as she stared into his, feeling fear, want, need.
Please...I didn't meant to hurt you...and the Commander is wrong, there are darkspawn everywhere, we could...I don't want to never have had...you...please...
Nathaniel's hand slid upwards.
Velanna shuddered.
His lips found hers, gently, carefully, a nibble that made her hiss in delight even as she struggled to get close. Finding her position too awkward to take the initiative her hiss turned to one of frustration, drawing a muffled chuckle out of Nathaniel even as his other hand came forth, matching the first in its exploration...
...and then joined it in going further up, under the back of her robe...
"Ah!" Velanna gasp was muffled against Nathaniel's lips. The hand on his face moved to wrap itself around his neck, pulling him closer even as the one on his hand moved up over his shirt-clad arm, the muscles beneath flexed at her touch, a flexing carrying through to his hand...drawing a mewl she didn't knew herself capable out Velanna.
Then he pulled her closer.
Velanna nearly cried out as she fell backwards, then found Nathaniel's weight landing atop her an instant later.
He was heavy.
His weight drove the air out of her lungs.
And Velanna gasped in equal need of air as of pleasure.
His warmth, his smell, his closeness...his cheer presence against her...
Velanna felt dizzy.
Both her arms were around his neck, her legs around his waist, clinging to him for dear life as warm lips again and again dipped onto her neck, a nearly searing heat suddenly resting against her stomach.
"Please..." She gasped the word through gritted teeth, her vision swimming, feeling herself completely overtaken, dominated...and surprisingly not minding it one bit.
Nathaniel didn't answer, his hands tearing at her robe, ripping it open, making her gasp at the cool air striking her skin, then again as his came to rest against it.
She shuddered, her head lolling back, gritting her teeth for all she was worth in an effort not to cry out. "...hurry!"
Nathaniel obeyed.
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Mhairi put a hand on Lynn's shoulder just in time.
It was an odd mix of envy, grief and happiness coursing through her, driving her, but Mhairi didn't let go of the elf's shoulder as the Commander surprisingly weakly tried to tug free.
"I should..." The Commander's words were but a hiss, her eyes narrowed with an anger she truly didn't feel as she glared out from her hiding-place in the forest.
Glaring at them.
Mhairi shook her head, slowly, hoping her calm would transfer to the elf. "No...you should not."
"It's..." The elf lowered her face, her eyes screwing shut as a tense shudder ran through her, the woman as tense as a spring. "...not right..."
Ahead of them a distant gasp reached them.
"It is..." Mhairi sighed and looked over at the pair, at their faces, finding their eyes closed, their eyes were aglow with bliss though...and it stung Mhairi's heart.
She welcomed it.
"Let them have the moment Commander, please...they might not..." She couldn't finish the sentence and looked away. Oh Anders you noble fool...
Under her hand Lynn was shaking, her tone hard and dead, yet... "Precisely why they shouldn't..." The shaking grew. "...if...if..." The tone shifted, softened, shook.
The elf lowered her head in defeat, her hands hanging limply by her sides, all strength gone out of her all of a sudden.
Mhairi felt a lump in her throat but still managed a pale smile as she murmured: "You're doing right...let them have a chance..."
Another gasp ahead, making Mhairi look up and finding the pair's eyes opening, staring into one another as they moved together.
Maker...I miss him...
"B-but if..." Lynn couldn't finish the sentence, her head still low.
Mhairi moved to hold the elf by the shoulders, helping her turn around, to walk away.
Behind them they heard it, a mere murmur: "I love you..."
And Lynn began to weep.
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Thanks to Abydos Jackson for handling this with her usual grace.