Chapter Summary:
Curiosity builds... These two have no idea what they're in for!
Zevran turned on Nyla's favorite song and sat down with his sketchbook. His hair was still wet from his shower; Anders had barfed on him in the cab.
It was a good song, now that he could concentrate. Drawing her was a relief. He needed to do something with the shit happening in his head.
The dancing, the smiling, smirking, beckoning, displaying, inviting, artful movement and peaceful, playful expressions. Her outfit was all black. Fuck, they were wearing the same fucking jacket. He wished he could make his drawings move like she did.
The curve of her hip, bosom heaving, exerting, arms hanging loose on relaxed shoulders… clothes would ruin this picture. What does her skin look like? Freckles on her shoulders, and when she bent forward she would have a cute woman belly that hid her navel. Her nipples would be small and pink, and her breasts would be large, round, hang a little, just enough to bounce emphatically when he… the fuck did I just draw? This one was certainly his favorite thus far. He bit his lip and palmed the most annoying boner. Shhh I am trying to draw.
The sun was coming up and her song played over and over, he drew her until he ran dry of ideas and he needed more. He hadn't been this inspired in so long. Perhaps in seeing her, he would become inspired again.
Showing up early for work, Nyla was nothing if not dutiful. Lunch shift wasn't her favorite, dinner shift was more alive; people everywhere. She was there enough to be noticed, but outside enough to feel free. She loved her job. It was never lonely and always busy.
That Zevran, though. Her night was sexy; she went home and the night stayed sexy. She went to sleep feeling sexy, and she was determined to enjoy the memory of the unobtainable hotness while it lasted. Nyla knew she would forget about him at some point. Go through the motions, be curious, horny, have a few fantasies and get over it.
He's a man, a fun one who wasn't lacking in depth or beauty, and his number was in her god damn phone. It was tempting, but no, she was simply not going to toy with unobtainable hotness. He's probably got women following him around, and his phone probably has four Nylas in it, and who names their fucking kid Nyla? He's probably banging Leliana on the side too.
Fuck that. Nyla and her monogamous heart are not down. She was not setting herself up for heartbreak.
And what is he doing in my restaurant? Without even thinking, her heart leaped, oh my god... fucking... so hot... Her hands raised themselves to fix her hair, hoist her tits more snugly in her bra and her big mouth moved without permission.
"I got this one, Cass." she kept her voice cool, at least.
"Get him honey." Cassandra laughed, "He's been watching you for over an hour and guzzling coffee. Stop him before his heart explodes."
"Oh bullshit." She bit her lip and figured, if he hadn't said anything why should she? "Well, if he's been helped…"
"I'm going to physically assault you if you do not go over there. Don't want that public tit adjustment to go to waste."
"Oh my god. It's one thing to publicly adjust one's bra, Cassandra, calling it out is where the line is crossed." Nyla stomped away from her, looking back haughtily with a nod. Challenge accepted, bitch.
Zevran noticed her approaching, and again he felt like prey. Calmly closing his book, he got really angry at his boner.
He always got foggy when he sketched, immersed in his world of transferring life to paper. What the hell was he going to say to her? Hello I have been drawing you for hours and I… am at your workplace right now soaking you up for inspiration? That might work, might be creepy, and the last thing he wanted was for her to feel violated. She might not understand that she was… art.
"Hey." She spoke breathily, trying not to lick her lips, or bite them, she did both. After fucking that up, she tried not to do anything brazenly flirty. "Can I get you anything?" Voice too sultry too suggestive. Nyla, INHALE before speaking and maybe try a little subtlety. JESUS.
"Nothing appropriate, thank you. I will stick with coffee." He winked at her and sipped from an almost empty mug. She started it.
Oh my god. She melted under his smirk, bit her lip, and it was way too hot in there. Jesus.
"Blasphemes internal tonight, Nyla?" If she was going to stroll up to his table with those curves and that whole face of hers and then flirt… then he was going to have to enjoy watching her melt as he gave it right back. Her cheeks were pink and it was too fucking cute, this woman standing in front of him in that short skirt and tights with long legs to heaven.
"Yes, Zevran. Quite a few of them." Why are we not banging? She chuckled and stood with her hands on her hips, "You broke me. I'm going back to work."
"So soon! We were just getting started and Nyla is already worn out," he purred, and she was biting her lip, standing with sexy posture. Palms on her hips, pelvis tilted forward, one knee bent with one thigh half obscuring the other… She had to be doing it on purpose. She was winning the game if all she had to do was stand there!
Nyla found herself rendered speechless, but she didn't miss the way his eyes raked over her. Clearing her throat, she casually leaned over the table and got a little too close. Cleavage slightly showing beneath a white button up shirt, he flicked his eyes toward her skin for a moment and then back to her eyes, and smirked. She was leaning in to say something, so he leaned forward to hear her.
So beautiful this close, lips thick and pouty, glistening with lipgloss, he wondered what her mouth tasted like and sighed deeply. A wisp of hair that had fallen from her braid rested on her cheek begging to be caressed into place. She even smelled delicious, sweet like floral perfume. Dark eyes blinked slowly, beautiful lips parted and with a breathy tone she spoke to him.
"I'll be back with more coffee."
Zevran accidentally smiled, chuckling as she grabbed his coffee cup with a slow wink and turned away from him. Holy fuck he needed to draw her.
Watching her, the most mundane tasks became elegant. She poured his coffee, and was walking back to his table. He loved looking at her shape. What a nice shape. She knew she was beautiful; she carried herself that way. Zevran loved a beautiful woman who knows she is beautiful. Beauty should always be celebrated. They have so much in common already.
"Can I get you anything else? Something to eat, perhaps?" She placed his mug on the table gently, standing a little too close. He's made you insane Nyla. Good lord what-
"Yes, but what I want is not on the menu."
Checkmate, the knuckle of her forefinger was between her teeth in playful, excited surprise.
"Oooh you're good!" She spoke with a giggle. "Oh my god. I have things to do. Sweet Jesus." She turned and walked away, looking back at him with an expression of pure amusement and happiness; her cheeks were still pink, he needed to draw her.
Their brief interaction at the restaurant did him well for days, thank god, or he would have had to go back, and then he would have been creepy. Zevran didn't want to creep her out, he only wanted to be inspired! It had been too long since he had a muse.
Sketchbook nearly filled, his last drawing pencil was down to a nub. He could work with this. After some coffee.
Zevran headed downstairs to the kitchen, flipping through his sketchbook, pleased with his work. His recent favorite, was a recreation of his muse leaning over the table, close to him, a foot of distance kept his lips from hers. She was smirking, bosom hanging, the top two buttons of her shirt undone and giving him a little show of her smooth skin. Her eyes… he had perfected her eyes, and they looked up at him, sultry, smiling, pupils wide, cheeks flush, lower lip gently pressed beneath perfect white teeth, 'I'll be back with more coffee' is all she said, and his pants began to feel awfully tight..
"Hey Zev. Thanks for babysitting me the other night." Anders spoke from the kitchen table, eating cereal and piddling around on his phone. "Sorry I threw up on you again. I washed your clothes."
"Not a problem. You needed to unwind." Zevran yawned and plopped his sketchbook on the table. "Exams going well?"
"Very." Anders yawned as reached around Zevran and put his bowl in the sink. "It's a little late for coffee."
"Not ready for sleep yet." Zevran poured water into the coffee maker and turned it on. "Wash your bowl. I am tired of hearing Leli's shit about how Anders never cleans his dishes."
"Wow, these are lovely. Who is this?"
"Woah, private!" Zevran reached for the book but Anders held it above his head.
"But… wow, look at this. Look at the tits on-"
"Anders… I am going to hit you if you continue speaking about her this way."
"But, no, look, I mean… this is a real person? Or did you make her up? She's… hot! " Anders held the book above his head and Zevran just could not stoop so low as to jump after it fruitlessly.
"You are one tall asshole, Anders, but Zevran can still reach your testicles."
"She's fucking beautiful, though! Aw she's biting her knuckle!" He giggled and sighed, flipping another page. "Those curves! Beautiful work! I would totally hit that."
"She is a woman, Anders! A person! She is not for… for hitting!"
"Oooh so she is real! What's her name?"
"Fuck!" Zevran pressed his thumb and forefingers to his temples.
"Don't lie." Anders chuckled, flipping the page. "Ooh more nudity!" He held the book closer to his face.
Leliana came from her bedroom in her robe. "Anders, quit tormenting Zevran. Give me that!" She grabbed the book and just happened to see the page that was open in front of her face. "Oooh lovely work! Can I look?" She flipped a page without waiting for an answer.
"No, Leli, it is private." Zevran sighed and sat at the table, admitting defeat, his forehead landing on his arms. "Fucking fine, just… give it back to me when you're done, instead of handing it to Tall Asshole over there."
"I wasn't meaning to torment you. I'm sorry." Leliana chuckled and closed the book, handing it to him. "We need to talk about this, Zevran."
"What? What do we need to talk about?" Anders sat at the table with Leliana, intrigued. Zevran, the unfazeable, seemed to be fazed. Over a woman! This was too juicy.
"The other night at the club, Zevran hit it off with a woman." Leliana explained briefly. "Now he's met me for lunch at the diner she works, so he could see her… I'm not stupid, Zevran. It's alright I'm not offended. And now he's sketched her twenty times."
"Twenty-seven." Anders corrected her. "It's a thirty page book and he only has three pages left. Don't look at me that way I had to look quickly he was about to punch me in the balls."
"I still might." Zevran glared, feeling embarrassed and frustrated. "Yes, we hit it off. So what?"
"Ask her out." Leliana spoke plainly. Zevran didn't answer her. "You can't just keep drawing her and exchanging lusty smirks forever, do something about it!"
"Mmm." Zevran furrowed his brow at her. He thought about it for a moment. "Hmm. No."
"What?" Anders chuckled. "Why not? Is it because your specialty is banging and not dating, and she refused to bang you?"
"Fuck off, Anders. I am not trying to bed her." Zevran sighed and glanced up at them, agitated. "My specialty is banging, and not dating. Nyla, is too good for just banging. She is just a muse."
"Holy shit, text her." Leliana practically begged him.
"You have her phone number?!" Anders facepalmed. "Dammit, Zevran. Ask her out. Do you even hear yourself?"
"Mmm." Zevran sighed and stood up to pour himself a cup of coffee. "Still no."
"Too good for just banging. She is just a muse." Anders palms flopped helplessly to the table. "Do you even fucking hear yourself?"
"Yes, Anders, just a muse. Being with her I feel inspired, passionate, she breathes life into my creativity. Date her? I hardly know her! Why is this so confusing to you?"
"Wow. Wow... That's beautiful, don't get me wrong, but dating someone is how you get to know them. Don't you imagine… I don't know…" Anders floundered, "I mean, that's beautiful, and with a foundation like that, it could be more beautiful."
"Exactly." Leliana sighed gratefully, and extended a fist to Anders, that he met with his own triumphantly.
"I will think on it." Zevran grabbed his book and his coffee and stood.
"Listen." Leliana spoke seriously, "We notice you, we live with you, care about you. You haven't been sleeping enough. You have been drinking way too much coffee, holed up in your room listening to the same song over and over, and drawing her over and over and it's not going to fill the gap of at least trying to get to know her."
Zevran narrowed his eyes at them. They weren't chuckling or teasing, just looking at him in concern and earnest intent. Anders nodded in agreement, continuing their argument.
"We have known you long enough to know that you're in unfamiliar territory, Zev. You have stumbled upon a good thing. Take some advice. Reach out to her. You stand only to gain."
"I appreciate your concern and your care. I will think on it." Zevran spoke seriously, and went back to his room to fill his last three pages.
They just didn't understand the relationship between artist and muse. To date her was risky. If she turned out to be a terrible person it would spoil the dream, turn his art into a horrible memory, and his art was his only means of expressing his love. No, in dating her, he would ruin his muse.
Nyla hadn't seen Zevran in days. She had hoped he would come around, but at the same time, she was glad he didn't; it would help her get over him sooner. Pushing away loneliness and longing, she went to work, she went home, played video games, drank some coffee, did all of the normal Thursday night things. Still, his number was in her phone so she hid it from herself in the microwave. It simply made her feel better.
Needing serious distraction, she bought another video game for her xBox One, watched a sad movie, then an anime. She tried fucking herself silly but that didn't help, she only ended up thinking about him a lot more. Fucking grow up Nyla, with your crush, god damn! And then she resorted to writing again. Too many thoughts, too many feelings, and they were irrational and stupid.
Muse
Primordial attunement.
I request your nakedness
Bare yourself, my muse, disrobe
Disclose
Bare yourself to me - that in your nakedness, I am unclothed
There has never been a time without breath and beating heart - in your presence the experience unfolds
from conscious incompetence to conscious competence I unfold - I can see the face of another
but not my own
The dance between personal and transpersonal
Where language stops being a structure of sound: primordial attunement
I request your nakedness - that in your nakedness, I am unclothed
Nyla snapped her book shut and threw it across the room. Enough of your shit Nyla, Jesus Christ just go to bed! She laid there staring at the ceiling thinking about the words that poured from her. Did she really crave so much of him? So soon? Giving up on sleep, she retrieved her book from where it was splayed open on the floor. She wrote.