Cassandra awoke, her skin burning as though a fire was lit from within, startled when she felt soft hands caressing her midriff and she looked up into familiar green eyes. She opened her mouth in wonder of what was happening only to find her lips covered by another's, her protest effectively silenced as the kiss deepened. She felt rough palms sliding over her bare breasts and arched into the possessive touch. Maker it had been so long since she had felt this. Cassandra tangled her fingers in the strands of red hair that tickled her face and pulled the Inquisitor closer as liquid heat pooled between her thighs. Soft lips trailed down her throat and she gasped as they closed over the stiff peak of her left breast, the responsive flesh deliciously tugged upwards from the suction being applied. A moan broke from between her lips as the Inquisitor's tongue flicked at the sensitized bud. She felt her thighs being parted slowly and caught the feral grin of her lover as she slid her body in-between them. Cassandra shut her eyes, her mouth panting in anticipation…
The seeker bolted upright with a gasp, her heart pounding, and center throbbing. She fought the unexpected pang of disappointment as she realized that she was alone and that she had been dreaming again. Cassandra growled and lay back on her bedroll. This was the third night in a row she had woken like this. Had Evelyn Trevelyan been a mage, the seeker would have sworn the woman had cast a spell on her. While such dreams were not uncommon for her, to have them consecutively and with such clarity was rare indeed; and never had she dreamed such things about another woman. Usually her memory recalled moments with Galyan or featured another one of the few men whom she had admired. Never had such dreams caused her to wake with this sort of need. Twice now she had resisted the urge to end the ache between her thighs, preferring to battle the temptation with a cold bath and prayer. Tonight was different, the dream had lasted longer and if Cassandra closed her eyes she could still feel the moist heat of the other woman's breath against her inner thigh. She closed her eyes, concentrating on the fleeting sensation as she trailed a hand down the length of her body, her fingers brushing the curls of her sex. She shuddered as she slowly slipped a single finger inside, gasping in pleasure and wondering how a mere dream could render her so wet. Too worked up to tease, she added a second digit and thrust deep, dragging upwards against the rigid bundle of nerves at her apex before repeating the process. Her mind replaced her hand with the rogue's and Cassandra imagined the intensity of the Inquisitor's gaze on her as the pace quickened. The seeker gasped, her head tossing side to side as she drew closer to her goal. She imagined Evelyn trailing her mouth lower and lower, her lecherous smirk, the sure flick of her tongue. The building tension snapped suddenly and Cassandra cried out as her body clamped down, her pleasure spiraling outward with the release. Eyes still shut; she gently slid her fingers free and wiped them on her outer thigh as her breathing slowly evened. She knew the relief granted only a temporary barricade against the madness that had consumed her recently. She could only hope this infuriating lust she was gripped with expended itself before the object of it arrived back at the keep or Maker help her. Cassandra allowed herself a wry smile at the thought. Something told her that the Inquisitor would be only too happy to oblige if she were ever made aware of such a thing. She turned to look at the dark sky and sighed. It was hopeless to try to for sleep again. The seeker rolled over and stood, stretching out her aching muscles before putting on her gear; at least this way she could train alone for a few hours.
Evelyn spurred her horse forward, keeping a lively pace. With any luck they would reach Skyhold as the sun set. She was anxious to see how far Varric had gotten along with the assignment she had given him and if it was worthy to make a gift of it to Cassandra. Evelyn felt her lips quirk as she whispered the seeker's name aloud, enjoying how it seemed to roll off her tongue. She wondered if the warrior would still be mad or if the letter she had sent would have smoothed things over. A part of her cringed when she thought back to how open and free she had been with her words. It had been almost a week since she had sent the letter and she'd heard nothing back. Still, if it abated the anger felt over her abrupt leaving, the Inquisitor would take what she could. She looked at the pack animals in front of her and the bulging bags of elfroot, blood lotus and embrium they had gathered. The mages in Leliana's tower would be pleased and it would be a long time before they would have to revisit the Hinterlands unless another rash of rifts opened again in the area. She heard another horse approaching to her rear and found the apostate Solas riding even with her. His voice was soft, barely discernable above the clapping of hooves.
"You did well this week Inquisitor."
Evelyn looked over in surprise at the compliment and gifted the mysterious mage a small smile.
"You are too kind Solas. I never did thank you for healing me. This is twice now you have risen to such a task, and twice I've failed to acknowledge it. Forgive me for not saying so earlier."
The elf tipped his head and studied the human beside him. She had changed from when he had first met her on the road to Haven. Then she had been angry, resentful and full of scorn for the "blessing" bestowed upon her. Her demeanor had softened slowly since that day but he could tell by her reserved bearing that she still did not trust him despite all he had done for her. He wondered what it was that put her on her guard with him. Even the templar Cullen, whose very nature held the belief that all apostates were merely abominations waiting to happen, seemed more relaxed in his company. It was of little consequence to him. The mage had not joined the Inquisition to make friends; his involvement ran much deeper than that. He was here to study the curious mark on this woman's hand and to assist in any way he could as they fought to end the dark magister and his forces. Solas felt the Herald's eyes upon him and lifted his gaze to hers; the swirling color reminding him of the fade.
"Forgive me for asking, but have your eyes always been this color Inquisitor?"
Evelyn felt her brow furrow. The elf's silence indicated that he had been deep in thought but she did not think it was concerning the color of her eyes. She shrugged.
"I do not know. I don't think I have ever really looked into my own eyes before. Why do you ask?"
Solas studied the orbs in front of him, watching the light and shadows as they played in the shifting hues of color.
"They remind me of the Fade. I was curious if such color was the result of the mark or if you came by it naturally or perhaps, it was the result of a combination of the two."
Evelyn chuckled softly and looked away, "You never cease to surprise me Solas."
The apostate looked down for a moment and then stared at the young woman again, "Is that why you do not trust me Inquisitor? Because you find me unpredictable?
The Herald turned, her horse slowing down as she pulled the reins back slightly. His directness was both alarming and refreshing. She'd had no idea her reservations concerning him had been so transparent. For a moment she let the silence hang between them as she struggled to form her reservations into coherent thought. Evelyn glanced back at the apostate, watching him from the corner of her, appreciating his patience in allowing her a moment to answer his question.
"I think that is part of it. I also think that it is because I don't know you very well nor do I fully understand the motives behind most of your actions. You are an apostate with no ties to any other group yet you align yourself with a movement that will end up shaking the foundations of Thedas. You also just happened to be near Haven when the sky ripped; I can't help but question your presence."
Solas tilted his head thoughtfully. Her reasoning had sound logic but it would not due to be kept in the outer circle of this woman's camaraderie; not if he hoped to recover the orb. He nodded slowly and looked back at the Inquisitor.
"I see. Well, I cannot blame you for feeling such. I am, by nature, a very private person and having lived on my own for so long, talking to others – especially humans – does not come naturally. I will say that my life is an open book to you and anytime you feel the need to peruse its pages you need only ask. I will pledge to answer you as honestly as I can, though some of my experiences are harder to put into words than others."
Evelyn studied the apostate, surprised by his offer. She had not expected such a reaction for her response. She found herself smiling and let her horse slow to a walking pace.
"Well, now is as good a time as any. How do you propose we begin?"
Solas felt his lips twinge into a small smile as he slowed his horse to walk alongside hers.
"I suppose I shall start with my first walk in the Fade."
Evelyn relaxed and listened as the apostate began to tell her of himself and his forays into the realm spirits and dreams. His soft voice and incredulous tales were a welcome distraction for the nervous knot of anticipation that had begun to curl as they neared the keep. She listened attentively but with a guarded ear; this was a good start but it would take more than pretty tales for her to trust this man.
0000
Cassandra recited the Chant of Light under her breath as she used both sword and shield to teach the soldier recruits their lesson in swordplay. The familiar words calmed her and allowed her to keep a clear head whilst moving from an offensive position to one of defense. The seeker moved back and forth seamlessly as she demonstrated the proper techniques for moves that could save and take life. Most of the volunteers had never held a weapon in their lives but she admired the will and resolve they showed in learning what she was teaching. She had agreed to take over for Cullen this evening as per their agreement prior to the forming of the Inquisition. He was a good man caught in a vicious cycle of withdraw from the lyrium that had been fed to him and his order. It was a thousand wonders that he had not turned from the Chantry and Andraste. She could tell his men were not happy with his absence and she smiled beneath her helm. Clearly he had been going easy on them; she would be sure to rib him for such an indulgence later. For now she welcomed the distraction it gave her away from her thoughts.
She had received a few disturbing reports concerning the Lord Seeker over the past two days that set her on edge. Cassandra had never gotten along with Lucius and he had never forgiven her for "turning her back" on the seekers when she had been called to serve the Divine. They had politely ignored each other for years, choosing to trade snide remarks and derisive glances rather than actual words. Still she had hardly recognized the man who brushed past her in Val Royeaux but the seeker had paid the slight little mind. Looking back at it she should have realized something was amiss. Cries of activity drew her attention away from her thoughts and she halted the exercise to see what was happening. She turned to see the armored figure of the Inquisitor trotting through the gates on her Ferelden pony with Sera, Iron Bull and Solas not far behind. Cassandra turned towards the recruits; glad that her helm hid the smile on her face as she looked at their awestruck faces. One thing was certain; Evelyn Trevelyan definitely knew how to make an entrance and clearly today's lesson was done. Cassandra beat her sword against her shield, her voice rising above the din of horse hooves and clanking armor, "Dismissed."
She watched as the soldiers scattered, breaking off into their own groups to whisper in excitement over seeing the Inquisitor. Cassandra looked towards the stables wondering whether to confront her commander tonight or wait until the travel weary rogue had rested from her long journey. The seeker glanced towards the rookery to see the dark shadow that loomed in the window and sighed. She had put off this conversation with Leliana for long enough and if she was going to have any confidence going forward she needed to reassess a few things. She carefully stowed her weapons and armor in the corner of the forge and unenthusiastically made her way towards the tower.
0000
Leliana had felt the seeker's eyes on her briefly and hid a smile beneath the shadow of her cowl. For days she had sensed that the former Right-Hand had wanted to talk about something but she seemed very hesitant to do so. The former bard had a small inkling as to what the topic was to be but she was not going to push the issue with the seeker, who – despite being an avid reader of smutty literature – seemed to be deeply embarrassed by any mention of such acts in person. It was an endearing trait that Leliana had loved to exploit back when she and Cassandra had first begun working together. She had confessed to Justinia years later that making the proud warrior blush was one of the few secret delights she still had left in a world wrought with chaos and death. The rogue felt the tinge of a smile ghost across her lips as her memory recalled the rich laughter her confession had prompted from the former Reverend Mother. The recall left her heart aching as a fresh wave of grief settled over her. With Justinia gone and her Warden still searching unknown lands for a cure there really was nobody left that knew the real Leliana. It had been months since she had last heard from her love and slowly the spymaster had begun to build a wall between herself and the Hero of Ferelden. After being shaken by the death of her mentor and friend, Leliana was not sure she could survive the death of the woman she loved. It was better to close herself off from the world than to risk such pain again. All who were left now were those who knew her as Sister Nightingale and as the former Left-Hand to the Divine.
She was interrupted by the one person with whom she could have been herself had she dared, but after so many years of working together at opposite ends of every issue, Leliana doubted that the Seeker could ever reconcile the many facets that made up the former bard's personality. The spymaster sighed. It was better this way, she supposed. Being such gave her a freedom she had not felt since her days in Lothering. She chuckled as the Seeker cleared her throat, her voice sounding hoarse; no doubt from shouting at the poor men below.
"Leliana, may we speak?"
Leliana turned, surprised to find the Seeker without weapon or armor. She had not seen Cassandra without one or the other in so long it was oddly disquieting. She took in this "relaxed" version of the former Right-Hand and found herself approving of the change. Thinking back to her earlier remembrance of a favorite pastime, the spymaster made a show of slowly walking around the warrior, humming in approval a she hid the chuckle that rose in her throat at the sight of sharp hazel eyes glaring at her.
"This is not quite what I had in mind."
The tone was cutting but she was satisfied with the light pink flush that tinged the other woman's cheeks, Leliana ceased her circling and leaned back against one of the weathered posts.
"Forgive me, it has been so long since I saw you so… unencumbered that I simply had to appreciate the effect. If you don't mind my saying so, you look good without your armor Cassandra."
Cassandra glared at the spymaster, trying to determine if the woman was making fun of her. It was true that Leliana had only ever seen her a handful of times without at least a breastplate on, but such a thing hardly warranted so warm a compliment. She scoffed.
"I look the same as I always have, just less… shiny."
Leliana laughed at the sarcastic comment and shook her head, "Just accept the compliment Cassandra and tell me what brings you here."
The seeker frowned, her nerves returning as she reminded herself of why she had sought out the former Left Hand. She ran a hand through her damp locks and struggled to come up with the right way to phrase her question. She was entirely out of her element and did not know how best to begin so she blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
"I don't know what I am doing."
Leliana studied the seeker, her brow furrowed as her mind worked to find the meaning in so few words but such a broad statement required further clarification.
"In regards to what Cassandra?"
The former bard watched as the tall seeker paced the narrow space in front of the stairs, the heels of her boots echoing in the silence. Leliana could sense the woman's frustration and offered a guess as to its cause.
"It's about the Inquisitor no?"
Cassandra stopped her pacing and looked at the bard; she knew she should not be surprised with the precision of the guess but it still took her off guard. She scowled as she leaned back against the wall of the rookery, turning her gaze away from the piercing blue eyes of her former counterpart. The warrior crossed her arms over her chest and nodded.
Leliana studied the tension of the seeker's body. The admission had cost her but the heart of the issue had yet to be breached. The rogue pursed her lips and cocked her head, as she chanced to hazard another guess.
"You like her don't you?"
Cassandra turned and stared at Leliana searching the familiar features for the usual tell tale amusement or knowing smirk. Finding neither she sighed and bent her head.
"It's more than that."
It was Leliana's turn to be surprised. She had suspected there was a physical attraction between the two women but had never considered that it could run deeper. Perhaps it was not so surprising; it had been years since Cassandra had allowed herself to care for anyone but for the object of her affection to be another women – that was a surprising twist, especially when she had always spurned those particular types of advances. The spymaster shook her head. A part of her ached to laugh at the irony but she knew that if she did the warrior would never seek her out again so she squashed the urge and broke the silence between them.
"Are you in love with her?"
Cassandra growled and shook her head as the dam holding back her emotions broke. She paced again, her thoughts flowing freely from her.
"No! I mean, I don't know. I've never felt like this… even with Galyan… its confusing and powerful and…. I don't know what I am doing… I don't know if I can even… go through with it…."
Leliana felt the corners of her mouth turn up at the use of the word "it"; even Cassandra could not be this hopeless. She stepped in front of the pacing woman, halting her advance as stared up into the seeker's burning gaze.
"You want her yes? Why deny yourself this small bit of happiness Cassandra? Such feelings are fleeting in times of war. If you do not act now you will regret it; she will move on and you will forever wonder what might have been."
Cassandra played the bard's words over in her mind. As usual the spymaster had struck a chord, giving name to one of the many nameless fears and doubts that plagued the seeker with regards to the current subject matter. Leliana was right, she did not want to look back and wonder what might have been nor see Trevelyan move on to someone else. She had already endured such a thing once and the pain and regret associated with those memories had done much to keep her alone for all these years. Cassandra felt some of her previous trepidation subside as her mind wrapped around this new revelation. She studied Leliana for a moment, torn between asking the question that had truly been on her mind since the bard's telling of her conversation with Varric or simply taking her leave. Cassandra decided that even though she was sure the former Left Hand would delight in such a conversation, there were some subjects better left unspoken between them. Besides if she truly wanted answers there were books she could read that would be sure to provide them, but that would have to wait; she knew what she had to do. She leaned away from the wall and flashed a shy half smile towards the bard.
"Thank you Leliana."
The spymaster felt her own lips curving upward in response to the rare sight and bowed her head slightly before watching the tall warrior walk away, wondering what she planned to do next.
00000
Evelyn removed the stifling helmet and shook her damp hair free, chuckling to herself at the things she endured for the sake of appearances. She set the warm metal on a nearby bench and began to remove the saddle from her mount. The rogue smiled as the horse butted her with his nose and she relented and gave him a few oats to tide him over until supper. He was a good animal, strong and sure-footed making him perfect for varied terrain. She had yet to name him though, nothing seemed to fit when he had been gifted to her and now, after traveling together for weeks she remained uninspired. She supposed "boy" would have to suffice for now. The noble sighed and gathered her gear, turning to make her way back up to her quarters. A hot bath sounded nice but with all the commotion she was willing to bet good coin she would not get much further than the great hall before someone stopped her.
Varric looked up and grinned as the bedraggled figure of the Inquisitor slunk into the hall. He could tell by her body language that she was trying to sneak back to her rooms unmolested but he figured she would forgive him the intrusion when he showed her what he had come up with. He motioned to the woman and saw the grimace that passed over her features. He waited until she was within earshot before letting his news spill.
"I know I've ruined your plans to sneak away in the middle of the night but I thought you would want to know that I have finished that chapter you wanted me to write."
Evelyn quirked an eyebrow at the merchant and chuckled in surprise, "That was quick. How much could you have gotten done? I wasn't gone that long was I?"
Varric laughed at her surprise, "You wound me Inquisitor. This latest chapter is longer than the last two combined! I'd hoped you would do me the honor of reading it before it is bound – let me know what you think."
Evelyn glanced down at the table, surprised by the stack of papers being nudged her way. She didn't know the first thing about his romantic serial or if what he had written would even make sense with his original story line. She leafed through it reluctantly and looked back at the dwarf.
"I'm not much of a reader. Just tell me where that scene is and I will look over that part."
Varric pointed to the 3 ribbons poking out from the pages, "Already ahead of you, I figured you would just want to get to the good stuff since that is what you requested."
Evelyn glanced at the small pieces of fabric and smiled. "Three? I only asked for one." She looked at the dwarf and rolled her eyes as he gave her a purposeful wink.
"What can I say, I was inspired."
The Inquisitor frowned slightly at the statement. She started to ask but decided she didn't want to know where the mischievous merchant got his inspiration. She grabbed the pages and tucked them beneath her gear, promising to read them just as soon as she had the chance. Amazingly she managed to escape the great hall without being further delayed. Evelyn chuckled lightly as she gently shut the door that separated her private quarters from the great hall and turned right into Cassandra. Her gear slipped from her arms and she cursed as the manuscript slipped out, pages scattering across the floor.
"Maker be damned!"
Evelyn dove at the papers quickly before the seeker had a moment to see. She could only pray that Varric had numbered everything because at this rate putting his story back together again was going to take her longer than it would have to read the damn thing. The Inquisitor's heart sank when she saw the tall warrior bending down to pick up a page that had landed by her armored boot. She watched the sharp hazel eyes scanning over the words and saw them widen with surprise.
"This is about the Knight Commander – did Varric write another chapter?"
Evelyn loved hearing the delight and excitement in the woman's voice but she could not afford to put her surprise in jeopardy. She promptly snatched the page out of the seeker's hand and shoved it back into the pile. Her mind moved quickly to find a reason why she would have Varric's pages in her hand. With any other person a lie would have come easily, but she did not want to lie to this woman so she opted for a version of the truth.
"Yes, actually. He asked me to read over it and give him my opinion."
Cassandra tilted her head in surprise. When the Inquisitor had first found her reading Varric's books, the woman had acted dismissive of the series and had teased her mercilessly about her fondness for them. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously and leveled her gaze at the Herald of Andraste.
"But you… don't read romance novels."
Evelyn silently kicked herself. She had not anticipated that the seeker would remember their conversation from so long ago. The rogue smirked and shrugged nonchalantly, knowing that she was going to pay for the next words that were going to come out of her mouth.
"What can I say, your passion for them changed my mind."
The smile that lit up Cassandra's face was a memory that Evelyn was going to cherish in the next few months to come when she forced herself to read Varric's serial from the start. The Herald cleared her throat, anxious to move away from the topic of books. She let her eyes roam over the seeker, taking her unarmored figure in. The chiseled face didn't look angry, in fact the seeker actually looked rather smug standing there on the stairs as she allowed herself to be the focus of attention. Something had changed, though Evelyn was not sure what. Normally Cassandra would never have let the rogue rake her eyes over her without injecting either sarcastic humor or embarrassed objections. The moment was broken when the warrior abruptly turned and started up the stairs, her accented voice echoing slightly against the empty walls.
"I am sure you are tired after your journey. I won't keep you long."
Evelyn followed, her curiosity expanding. Cassandra was acting odd indeed. She joined the seeker and ascended up the last flight of stairs by her side before divesting her belongings on the once clean desk. She promised herself that she would sort through her things later and turned to give the beautiful woman her full attention. She leaned against the heavy wooden desktop and watched as the seeker paced the perimeter of the room.
Cassandra took a deep breath, unsure if she was ready to take so bold a step. Her earlier conversation with Leliana had given her the clarity she needed, but it had done little to ease the knot of tension in her belly that being around this woman caused. The memory of one of her dreams came to her unbidden and the seeker flushed as a scene from one of Varric's novels came to mind.
Evelyn watched as warrior's lips twisted in a smirk before advancing slowly. She looked into Cassandra's unreadable gaze as the woman stopped right in front of her. The Inquisitor felt her body give under the gentle shove, the back of her knees hitting the large chair behind her causing her to fall back into the plush cushions. Her heart stopped as the seeker straddled her thighs and leaned forward to nuzzle the sensitive skin of her throat, the burnish voice whispering seductively against her ear.
"Do you ever dream of me?"
Evelyn closed her eyes as every nerve in her body stood at attention, her body frozen with shock; never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined the seeker crawling atop her… well, maybe in her wildest but she certainly never anticipated such a thing coming true. She hissed as Cassandra captured the sensitive lobe of her ear between her teeth and tugged, her tongue swirling against the skin; releasing the sensitive flesh before more words were breathed against her skin.
"I dream of you."
Evelyn groaned at the admission and gasped as she felt the fingers tangled in her hair tighten their grip, yanking her head back roughly as the seeker nipped and licked a searing path of heat down the column of her exposed throat. The Inquisitor dug her fingers into the muscled thighs that rested on the outside of her legs, her eyes falling shut as her body came to life; desire raging through her veins – ignited by the taste and touch of Cassandra. She slid her hands up the taunt torso in front of her, her palms flattening against full breasts as their lips met for the first time in over a week; tasting and parting only to meet again as they slowly battled for control. Evelyn felt her body tremble as need pooled and the persistent ache between her legs throbbed harder. She forced herself to break away, to stop before she no longer could. She stared up, entranced by pink flush of arousal that had spread up the seeker's neck to color her cheeks as well as the full parted lips panting, bruised and glistening from their kiss. She trailed her gaze higher to hazel eyes darkened with need and reached to brush her fingers through mused onyx locks. Evelyn stared, transfixed as words she hadn't intended on saying fell from her lips.
"Do you have any idea how beautiful you are… or how much I want you?"
Cassandra shivered at the reverent tone and captured the errant hand that brushed through her hair before placing it back against her breast, encouraging the rogue to continue touching her. The seeker trembled as nimble fingers found her peak instantly, her breath catching in her throat as the Inquisitor lazily brushed her fingertips back and forth against it. She wanted more… needed more but pride refused to let her beg. Instead she reached down between them, her fingers fumbling with the laces of her breeches. She stopped as a pale hand pressed against hers, stilling her movements as a beseeching tone broke through her lust filled haze.
"Cass…"
It was a tone that spoke volumes; in it Cassandra could hear the regret, the hesitation, and the sheer raw need that embodied the moment. It brought to life the seeker's internal struggle between the physical her body craved and the romance her heart yearned for. The whisper of her name was her last chance to decide and Cassandra closed her eyes, letting her hand fall to her side as embarrassment flooded her system. She turned away and moved to pull back when a soft hand cupped her scarred cheek.
"Stay."
The seeker felt thinly muscled arms wrapping around her waist, holding her captive as soft lips nuzzled her throat whispering her name again and again as if in prayer. Cassandra leaned her head against the rogue's, forcing herself to relax in the intimate embrace.
Evelyn could feel the hammering pulse beneath her lips as she gently nuzzled the seeker's heated flesh. She sat; dumbfounded that she had halted her own seduction. Since when did she do things like that? For months the very thought of having the Navarran like this had driven her half mad with need and for months she had turned to nothing to ease the ache such need caused. It beggared belief that all that she desired was within reach and she had turned it away. Her mind raced to find the reason, any reason and as her eyes met the seeker's she knew; she stopped because she wanted more than this stolen moment. She wanted to give the seeker that which she'd never had; the romance, the poetry, the candlelight. As much as her very nature abhorred the infernal cheesiness of such gestures the rogue could not see making love to this unique woman any other way – to do so would be to fall short of the impossibly high expectations that had been set for her and that she simply would not do. Evelyn could see the insecurity hiding behind the dark eyes that stared down at her and leaned forward, brushing her lips against the warriors.
"This is not rejection Cassandra… you need only place your hand on my chest to feel that my heart is pounding as hard as yours."
The Inquisitor licked her lips slowly before stealing a gentle kiss before moving to trace the scar that bore witness to the danger this woman had lived in most of her life as words poured from her lips in a husky whisper.
"I want nothing more than to peel off every stitch of clothing that hides you from me and taste every inch of skin but…"
She paused as she pulled away, lacing her fingers with the seeker's as she leveled the former Right Hand with her gaze.
"I want that first night to be special Cassandra… "
The seeker looked down at their interlaced fingers, and then back up into the swirling green eyes she was beginning to know so well. Her lips twisted in a self-deprecating frown.
"And this is not?"
Evelyn smiled slowly as she shook her head, "It is in an unexpected way but I did not think this is what you had in mind when you told me you yearned for the ideal."
She waited as the seeker pondered her words and watched in amazement as the pensive frown melted into a smug smile, her tone haughty.
"This is about you being on top isn't it?"
Evelyn burst out laughing and watched as the smug smile widened triumphantly followed by a low chuckle.
"Maybe."
Cassandra shook her head as she leaned down pressing her lips against Evelyn's for a brief moment before rising to stand. Her legs felt shaky beneath her and she steadied herself with a hand against the desk; her fingers brushing the stack of papers that made up Varric's latest book. She turned towards the redhead and crossed her arms over her chest.
"I don't offer myself to just anyone Trevelyan… I would suggest that next time such an uncharacteristic urge takes place you simply take what is given."
Evelyn laughed again and nodded, "Yes Ma'am"
Cassandra rolled her eyes at the cheeky retort and looked back at the stack of papers.
"Since my plans for the evening have," she paused and fixed the rogue with a sharp look, "changed, I claim the right to read Varric's latest chapter – a consolation prize if you will."
Evelyn weighed the pros and cons of allowing the seeker to read the commissioned romance before she'd had the chance to proof it. She had hoped to give it to Cassandra as a gift but perhaps this would be better. If it was good then she could claim her intentions and if it were bad she would disavow all knowledge of such a thing, knowing that the seeker would take her word over the dwarfs. Plus she would not have to read it. Evelyn shrugged and waved to the pile of papers.
"Then it is yours Cassandra although you might find the pages a bit mixed up, I'm afraid I didn't pause to put them back in their proper order."
The seeker smiled, her voice losing some of its previous gruffness as she thanked the Inquisitor. It was hardly a consolation prize but at least it would distract her from remembering the sweet kisses and maddeningly light touches that were sure to cause her to awake in what was quickly becoming an unwanted familiar state. Cassandra gathered the papers in her arms and turned to find Evelyn watching her intently. The seeker frowned, suddenly feeling self-conscious under the stare.
"Yes?"
Evelyn flashed the warrior a smile as her mind recalled the breathy words that had been panted against her skin earlier.
"I dream of you as well Cassandra."
The seeker flushed and looked away, she had almost forgotten the words she had whispered in her need. She cleared her throat and nodded as she made a move to leave, pausing as she felt the brush of fingertips against her thigh. She watched as the Herald rose and closed her eyes briefly as the woman placed a soft kiss against her lips.
"Goodnight seeker."
Cassandra's lips tingled from the light contact and she found herself smiling faintly, nodding as she returned the farewell.
"Goodnight Inquisitor."
And just as a reminder that neither of them would probably be getting the sleep their bodies needed tonight, Evelyn flashed the taller woman a warm smile and winked.
"Sweet dreams."
Cassandra gave a familiar snort of disgust as her eyes rolled. Shifting the papers to one arm she flung the other up in a mock wave as she mumbled, "Maker help us."
Evelyn watched as the warrior disappeared down the stairs before flinging herself back against the bed, folding her arms behind her head. She sighed as she closed her eyes and played back the memory of the last hour in her mind. Sweet dreams indeed.