Monday came and went, Nyla worked the evening shift, and offered to work breakfast and lunch on Tuesday because they were short-staffed. She was feeling overworked, tired, and lonely. Friday couldn't come soon enough. In the middle of her day, she felt happy thinking of him; particularly his laughter and the way his canines flashed when he aimed a flirty grin at her. Halfway through her lunch shift, she broke down. Why the fuck not? Couldn't hurt to ask, probably.

Zevran?

Nyla?
Nice timing, I'm on break.

Nyla sighed nervously, wondering if she would seem too needy, too clingy; then again, fuck it .

Tacos with me tonight?

Nyla! Yes! Though, I don't know when I am through here. I can't guess the timing. Text you after?

Yes!

Nyla :)

Zevran :)

Nyla :)

My break is over!
Zevran :)

Nyla :)

"You're giggling at your phone." Cassandra teased her.

"Oh my god, quit." She blushed brightly, looked at the table for something to throw, and it was barren. "I was having a moment!"

Zevran was glad to hear from her. Two nights drawing, and he was going through withdrawals. He didn't want to nag her for her time, didn't want to extend another invitation when he had already extended one… but he had to admit, he missed her; It was pathetic, sweet, and wonderful and he enjoyed having someone to miss.

It was 9pm before Zevran was done. He felt bad, Nyla didn't answer when he texted her, and he didn't care what it meant. Come hell or high water, he was giving his Waitress her tacos. He ran and bought a variety… far too many. He didn't care, as long as what she wanted was in the bag. It was about time he bought her a taco dinner. He walked past a drug store and bought a single red rose. My Waitress likes flowers.

He knocked on her door, and chuckled at the startled shriek from the other side.

"OH JESUS CHRIST. OH FUCK… Ohh sorry, Baby!"

The door swung open and Zevran was stifling laughter and holding out a rose. She was too fucking cute in her big tee shirt and yoga pants.

"Oh… Zevran." She smiled and met his eyes. Golden eyes and yellow hair, tawny skin, oh shit I can't… Nyla melted, and melted, and melted… "Hey."

"Nyla." He smirked and bit his lip, loving the dreamy way she was staring at him. "I brought tacos, shall we eat at the doorway or may I come in?" She was floored, and it was exactly what he had wanted. He followed her in, closing and bolting the door behind himself. She walked backward, chattering nervously.

"You caught me off guard. I worked another double and I accidentally dozed off I didn't know you were coming and I stepped on the cat I'm still kind of half asleep-" Zevran put the tacos on the counter. Slipping the rose in the vase of wildflowers, he simply enjoyed her with a smile while pulling off his jacket. "I figured you had a late night at the uh… tattoo place-"

"Parlor."

"Tattoo parlor, so I put on a movie and I guess I just got too sleepy jesus why am I talking so mu-"

He grabbed her, so cute with her hair mussed from her nap, and kissed her deeply. "Get a grip, Nyla." He held her and rubbed her nose with his. So happy to see her, hear her, kiss her, hold her…

"If you want me to get a grip so badly, why are you kissing me like that?" She spoke with a giggle, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck.

"Mmm." He began walking her backwards. "That is a valid point."

"Welcome home." She wasn't sure why she said that, or how weird it sounded, and followed up with nervous chatter. "Here. To my home. Where I stepped on my cat and I really feel sad about it. Where are we going?"

"To our favorite chair, where my Waitress will relax and allow me to serve her tacos."

"Oh. You're too damn sweet. Let me help a little." She pulled away from him and went toward the cupboards and pulled out a couple of paper plates.

"Nyla's cupboards are empty?"

"I never have to wash a dish." She smiled, handing them over to him.

"Is there food in them?"

"Mmhm… I have a box of clif bars, some orange juice and water in the fridge."

"Nyla." It was as if she hadn't built a home. As if she didn't live there, it felt wrong but she seemed so okay with it; it was confusing.

"Water or orange juice?" She smiled.

"Insanity, Nyla. Orange juice with tacos?" He pinched her sides, making her jump way too far away with a squeak.

"Damnit, Zevran." She chuckled, took two bottles of water from the fridge, and they sat together. Both draped and curled comfortably on the bean bag chair.

"I did not know what you prefer so…" He pulled several foil wrapped delicacies out of the bag and into a pile. He sighed, disappointed with a chuckle, "They are not labeled, so you must bite all of them."

"Fifteen tacos won't go to waste." She smiled. "A taco is a taco, and my body is ready."

"You worked a double? How was it?" They both took a taco at random and unwrapped.

"Too much. My calves and feet are killing me. They needed the help, though. I'm going in tomorrow at two, sadly."

"Nyla you should rest! They will work you to death if you let them." He noticed her making a face after she bit into her taco. "Not good? Trade me."

"Thank you. Jesus Christ I have never had a gross taco before. I am… disillusioned."

"Ahh my Waitress does not like al pastor. But I do."

"Mm. Chicken is much better. Green peppers. Leave it to me to grab the worst taco right away."

Zevran chuckled with his mouth full, "Do not fret, Nyla, I will always be there for you if you grab the wrong taco."

They stared at each other, mouths full, sharing closed mouth smiles and a beautiful moment; that moment when you notice the truth of things, how big they are, and then you try to push it away because 'how can this be?' 'I love you' is reduced to 'I'm enjoying you', just for the sake of propriety and imagining it to be a rational adult choice.

Zevran needed to draw her, Nyla's heart was ready to pour poetry. They went for seconds.

"How was work for you today?" Nyla offered him a bite of a taco that may have been pork or chicken, but it was good; he took it and reciprocated.

"I enjoy my work very much. It can be a little too sedentary, at times. Someone had to cancel, which almost never happens, and I did yoga in the back office."

"You do yoga?" She was somehow not surprised. "I used to do that."

"I like it. It feels good, and makes me very bendy." He winked at her, and chuckled as she dropped her taco. "Nyla. Why did you stop yoga?"

"I used to be very active, until I got injured. I stopped doing most things. I did try, but I was so inactive for so long... it's really hard to get back into it."

"How long?"

"Maybe about… six or seven or eight months or something. The healing happened quickly enough, but I needed physiotherapy to prevent the scar tissue from inhibiting my movement. So several months of things like light range of motion exercises and such."

"Mmm. That doesn't sound too unpleasant."

"It was painful at times, but that's okay." Nyla shrugged. "There was a time I was afraid I would never dance again, and that was motivating. Have you had your fill? I'd like to bag these and stretch out my legs."

"Let me." Zevran cleaned up from dinner, and when he came back to her, she was curled up, blinking rapidly, and her eyes were red-rimmed and sleepy. He felt soft for her, and wanted to give her something. Sitting next to her, he handed her the xBox controller. "Rest your legs across my lap this way." He motioned, and she moved. "Closer. Perfect. Choose a movie for us. Or we can watch your cartoons, I do not mind."

"This feels very good, Zevran. I'm sorry I'm not better company." Nyla sighed and restarted the movie she was watching earlier, so he could see the beginning. She sat up so she could see him, leaning on the chair on her side, her body sinking comfortably into the contours of it.

"You are perfect company, Nyla." He rubbed his hands together to warm them, and pressed his palms and thumbs into the contours of her calves in a firm massage. She was muscular, defined, not so out of shape as she imagined; she just needed encouragement. He smiled at her soft groan as her eyes stared sleepily at the television. She yawned.

"You're too sweet. Zev? When we're apart, I forget how sweet you are, how sweet it is to be with you. My imagination tells me that I read things wrong… but then you return, and I wonder how it ever occurred to me that cuddling up together after mutually masturbating is a gesture that can be misconstrued as anything other than a product of… I'm sorry I'm dozing off and my mouth is running."

"I am enjoying you." He worked his way to her feet. "Elevating your feet after work will help blood flow away from them. They won't feel so sore and bruised in the morning."

"I will do that. That feels so good… thank you. Thanks for coming over. Thanks for the tacos." Her eyes closed and she may have fallen asleep again, she popped awake. "And thank you for the rose. I was too excited to receive it like a lady."

"Nyla." Zevran chuckled. "Let yourself sleep, it took you ten minutes to finish that sentence."

"That's funny." She chuckled and snorted. "You're funny." She let her eyes flutter closed.

Zevran stopped massaging her, hoping she might stay in the sleep she desperately needed.

"And... I god damn missed you." She popped awake and muttered sleepily. "Shit. My bed sucks now. I had this dream that you were spooning me, whispering Spanish stuff to me, and I don't even know Spanish. I mean, what the hell did you even say? Then I woke up from an orgasm."

"Sleep before you tell me the few secrets you have left." He chuckled silently and whispered. "I missed you too, Nyla."

Stretching his arm out and resting it along the bean bag chair, his hand was close enough to toy with her hair, she sighed happily and leaned subtly into his touch. He wished he had his sketchbook. She looked so peaceful, her lips set in a soft smile, breath evening out, her arms curled, resting snugly against her chest. He loved petting her, letting silky soft strands of hair slip between his fingers and fall away, so he can do it over and over. Too beautiful, Nyla.

He felt his own sleepiness as he stared at her. There was something so romantic about getting to watch her sleep. He had never given a shit about someone sleeping before, and somehow, now it was the most precious thing he could get to witness. Too beautiful, Nyla. A small black blanket caught his eye. Cat was on it, deep in sleep. He reached as far as he could without disturbing Nyla and pulled it to them.

"Sorry." He whispered to the chirping cat. "Nyla needs this." He dragged it over her, tucked it around her gently and sat back to indulge in petting her hair once more. It took too much effort to stifle his laughter when he saw the print on her blanket, 'Booty 'n Tacos' written in rainbow print down the length of it. It was too much. It was so her, and he wanted to ask her about it. Nyla is so cool. So fun. He smiled and watched her sleep while petting such soft, dark hair. The lights from the silently playing movie flickering over her features, long eyelashes casting shadows on her cheeks.

"Zev?" Nyla was leaning against him, her face inches from his. "Come lay down in my bed with me."

He hadn't realized he had fallen asleep, and he stood with her.

"You don't have to sleep in your jeans, gentleman." She spoke sleepily, crawling across the bed. She watched him in the streetlights through her window pull off his pants. He was down to his boxer briefs, and Nyla was too exhausted to make a joke about him stripping for her; the turn on, though, was undeniable. He flopped down next to her with a contented sigh. It felt so right.

"Nyla's bed isn't so bad." He whispered sleepily as she curled onto his chest as if she belonged there. "Awesome cuddling, Nyla."

Nyla woke, it was still dark. She sat up and looked around. Something had to have woken her. Cat climbed off of Zevran; the blanket thief was curled on his side, facing her. Sitting there for a few minutes in the silence, she was about to lay down again when she heard him speaking softly in Spanish. Speaking became more desperate, and he stopped. She waited, wondering if she should wake him.

Abruptly, he tossed the blanket off of himself with a groan, kicking it away and shifting to lay on his back. Okay he's having a bad dream.

"Lo siento. Lo siento." he whispered, scrubbing his face with his palms.

"Zevran?" she caressed his arm.

"Rinna!" He sat up and backed away. Backing away, off of the mattress and onto the floor. Backing away until he was against the wall. Breathing heavily, he kept touching his face, alternating between his right and left hands.

"Zevran… sweetheart, wake up. It's okay." She scrambled after him. "It's okay." She kneeled in front of him, resting her hand on his arm softly. "Wake up, love. It's okay."

He began speaking desperately in Spanish again. Nyla's spanish was always terrible, and she could pick up only a few words. They were making her want to cry' 'I'm sorry' he kept saying, 'my love', and 'Rinna'.

A woman's name? Maybe he lost someone he loved? To what? When? Or is this all just a bad dream? Nyla realised her sweet man was in the midst of a night terror. She stopped touching him, and sat silently with him as he panicked and swiped at his face with alternating hands for several minutes. He made to stand, and she pressed on his shoulders, holding him down. He struggled briefly before giving up. In trying to back away again, his head hit the wall with force; it seemed to snap him out of it.

Things were quiet for a minute, the sounds of Zevran's heavy, trembling breaths echoed around them. Nyla nudged a little closer to him, and waited until he shifted, sighing as if waking from sleep.

"Zevran?" She spoke quietly.

"Rinna?" He squinted at her, confused and disoriented.

"Come back to bed." Okay so Rinna is real. She felt tender and sad for him. She took his hand and they stood together. Nyla spoke soothing words as he stumbled. "Everything is fine, darling. We are safe."

She laid down, and guided him, pulling him against herself, resting his head on her heart. He curled against her with a sigh, his arm reaching around her waist with a soft groan, a subtle whimper. He was trembling, sweaty, and his heart was still beating hard. Nyla pulled the blankets over them, stroked his hair, brushing it with her fingertips, she kissed his damp forehead, soothing touches on his back and arms.

"Back of my head hurts. Did I do something?" He whispered, clinging to her, embarrassed, confused, not sure what happened but sure it wasn't good.

"Everything is fine, Zevran. Let yourself sleep." She held him firmly. "We are safe. Nothing bad happened."

"Thank you, Nyla." He pressed his head firmly against her, hearing the soothing sounds of her heart. The gentle intake of her breathing, soothing touches that became more soothing and sweet as he noticed her avoiding the back of his head. They slept soundly.

Nyla woke early, surprisingly feeling relaxed and rested. Zevran was still wrapped around her, sleeping peacefully and deeply. She laid still for a long time, just enjoying the feel of having him in her arms, the scent of him. So sweet; she missed waking up cuddling, it was one of her favorite things.

Sneaking away from him wasn't difficult. He was out cold, and she stroked his hair and kissed him several times before pulling away. So beautiful when he is at rest. Or… all the time. Fuck. She reached for her book; she had accidentally started calling it her 'little black book of love and desire' hearing Zevran refer to it that way so often. It made her smile. She wanted to write, and wanted coffee and didn't want him to wake up to an empty house. Suddenly, she needed a coffee maker. God dammit now he's causing me kitchen appliances. Fuck it.

Nyla pulled her hair up, put on her tennis shoes, and jogged down the street, ordered breakfast tacos and two black coffees, and walked briskly back. Thirty minutes gone, and when she poked her head in her room breathlessly, he was still deep in sleep, Cat curled up on him; it made her… feel things.

Sweaty and uncomfortable from hurrying, she took a quick shower, and sneaked into her room in a towel, tiptoeing to her closet, grabbing a clean pair of yoga pants, and a more flattering tee shirt. Poor thing must be so exhausted after last night. She slipped on her clothes, and kneeled by him, kissed him and went to the kitchen for her coffee. She heard a buzz coming from Zevran's jacket. Oh shit… does he need to be at work? She reached in his jacket and pulled out his phone. The message was from Leliana.

Are you okay? Will you get back to me when you get this, please?

Nyla swiped his phone open to reply. So sweet, how his roommates cared about him so deeply. When she opened his phone, her heart sank hard and sped up. Leliana's text didn't open, something else did.

Hey you want to come over? Bored, horny.

No, thank you for the invitation. I am seeing someone now, though. I am unavailable for the foreseeable future.

Oh! Good for you! What is he/she like?

Perfection.

LOL fair enough.

Nyla felt a twinge of guilt for reading his messages, and sat down on the kitchen floor. She couldn't help it. All she saw were the words 'come over' and 'horny' and her heart snapped in two. Then she got exactly the opposite of what she was expecting. She wanted to cry and and her hands were shaking. Perfection? She nearly cried. Oh yeah, Leliana's text.

Nyla scrolled through his list of texts. A whole slew of texts from men and women… she couldn't stand herself as she went through them from the top. Denials. He said no to them. Seven other people he denied… including men! She had no idea he was bisexual! God fucking dammit I have to tell him I went through his phone I can't keep this a secret. The part that hit hardest was the date of his first refusal. It was the night she met him at the tattoo parlor, while they were together. It was before their first kiss! Ohhh my god… Her heart could explode. Could this be true? Could she have really obtained the unobtainable hotness? Or was he talking about someone else?

"God dammit, Nyla, you paranoid freak." She whispered with a sigh. "Text her from your own fucking phone."

She sighed again and closed his phone. Nyla felt touched and she was hurting over sneaking through his stuff… but it was as if she couldn't help it. And she knew she would tell him the whole story; it was the right thing to do. She relaxed, and trusted him to forgive her. She got her own phone out.

Leliana?
Leliana?
Hey are you around?
Will you let me know when you are around?

Oh shit, you too?

I'm sorry?

Never mind, have you seen Zevran? Is he ok?

Yes, he's fine.

Why isn't the intstant-responder responding to my texts? We were worried!

He's fine. He came over last night and we had dinner, he's still sleeping. He's sleeping a long time. Rough night.

Oh no! Why?

Does he often have night terrors?

Not often, maybe once or twice a year. I'm sorry, are you both alright?

Yes… I was just curious. I didn't really message you to probe for personal details… I heard you texting his phone and I didn't want you to worry unnecessarily. I like the way you and Anders look out for him.

Of course. We have been roommates for 6 years. We all have busy lives, we have a system if we haven't crossed paths in a few days we check in.

That's really nice. I like that.

I have to get back to work, anything else for now?

Nope that was it. Talk to you later :)

Later. Thanks for checking in. :)

Nyla checked the time. 10am. Four hours until work. She needed to call in. Poor Zevran. Waking wouldn't be easy, she almost hoped he wouldn't remember last night. Today, if he was available, she wanted to be with him. Just relaxing, talking, kissing, whatever. She poked her head in her bedroom door. He was still sleeping deeply, he hadn't moved. She closed her bedroom door, put on music and left the volume down very low. She got out her journal, and sat on her beanbag chair with her coffee, lit a cigarette.

She wanted to untangle the jumble of what was happening. Writing helped. It seemed to put enough distance between herself and her feelings so she could make sense of them, thereby making her feel closer to herself.

Zevran is in my bed, he brought me a single rose, and too many tacos.
He massaged my sore limbs, and I drifted off to sleep hearing the words "I missed you too, Nyla."
He had a nightmare.
He let me hold him; it felt like so much trust.
Then I went through his phone, that was too much.
Inappropriate, but I feel more secure, more trust for him.
I feel chosen, and he chose me far sooner than was rational.
But I cheated to have this feeling.
Unfair, Nyla. You cheated at the game.

She sat back, deep in thought, sipping on her coffee and feeling drunk on love, desire, remorse, guilt and confusion.

"Shit, what time is it?" She whispered, snapping her book shut and scrambling for her phone. 11:30. What a way to blow an hour and a half; she meant to call in sooner. She threw her book across the floor. "Dammit I hate everything I wrote."

Zevran woke alone in her bed, his hands reaching for her before he knew she was gone. He sat up. Cat was on his legs, blanket snug around him, vibrator plugged into her wall. Bare walls perturbed him and he could hear her in the livingroom.

"Hi, Cass. I need to be off today. I'm fine, I just need a personal day." There was a long pause. "I'm sorry that you're understaffed, Cassandra, you're going to have to hire more people." Another long pause. "Put the goddamn help wanted sign in the window, it worked on me. Okay. Thanks, Cass. Yes I will be there tomorrow. Bye. What? Yes, the blondie. Oh my god. I said bye." Nyla laughed hard. "Okay, you're a horrible bitch. Thank you again. Okay. I love you bye."

She hopped up and stretched, her shoulders and neck popped, it was satisfying. She went to her room, poked her head in the door again, and their eyes met. He was petting Cat.

"Hey." She smiled and sat next to him, taking his hand.

"Nyla." He smiled. "You called off of work? I woke up to hear you on the phone."

"I did. How are you feeling?"

"Fine, I think. It feels… different with you. Is something on your mind, Nyla?"

"Yes, I have secrets." She reached a hand toward him, rested it on his cheek, feeling for anything weird, looking closely at his perfect, unblemished skin. Why was he scrubbing his face? She caressed to the back of his head, feeling for a lump.

"Oh." He looked at her, wide eyed. "Ow, Nyla, what the fuck?"

"Ooh ooh ooh... " She pulled away and cringed, flapping her hands a little after feeling a small bump on his head "I'm sorry, I was checking-"

"Oh. Oh shit." He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with two fingers. Come back to bed. Everything is fine, darling. We are safe. "Crap. I'm sorry, Nyla. I… I do not know what to say about this."

"No! No no… it's alright. It really is. Nothing huge happened, you backed up against the wall and hit your head, that's all."

"It hasn't happened in so long, I forgot it was a thing. This is fucking mortifying. Did I call you Rinna?" He hung his head. What must she think about me now? Fucking… shit Zevran how could you forget this and not at least warn her?

"Zevran… look at me." He met her eyes, his brow furrowed, lips pursed. "It's alright. I knew what was happening. I sat with you, you did absolutely nothing wrong. For me, it wasn't a big deal at all, I was sad for you, and glad to be there with you. It was like, ten minutes of just sitting with you. I imagine you feel like shit right now, Zevran. That is what matters to me."

"Nyla. I feel… raw, perhaps a little shaken." He sighed. "Is this why you called off today? Just because I had a night terror?"

"Yes." She suddenly felt foolish. Fuck, just smother him to death why don't you? "I'm sorry, I should have asked. I wanted to just…" she stammered, her face growing hot. "I imagined you alone all day and… you're not obligated to spend the day with me because I called off. Should I feel as stupid as I do, right now?"

"No, Nyla. I would be happy to spend today with you." He laid down, pulling her down with him. "So sweet, Nyla. No kissing, Zevran did not brush his teeth last night." He turned his head away from her advances.

"You can borrow my toothbrush."

"Gross, Nyla. Gross."

"Well, damn." She chuckled. "I figured since our mouths spent so much time together... you know. Oh! I have mouthwash."

"I will go use it. I have to piss anyway." He pulled away from her and hopped up. "Actually, quick shower, too. Back in 15."

She watched him walk away, almost drooling on herself as she watched muscular calves and a masculine gait exit her bedroom. Oh my god even his walk is fucking sexy. She pulled Cat into a hug against her, and he purred. Biting her lip, she imagined the last time he showered in her place a little too hard. Fifteen minutes went by rather quickly.

"Hey." He entered with a flirty smile.

"Hey." Nyla purred as he crawled across the bed toward her, looking exceptionally predatory.

"I wanted to say thank you. I have vague memory of you last night. When you held my hand and guided me back to bed. You are being so cool about this." He stretched out next to her on his stomach, hugging a pillow, resting his head and looking at her. He couldn't help but smile, "Nyla is very cool."

"Oh you think I'm cool now?" She smiled, getting up. "Just you wait." She came back moments later with tacos plated and warmed up, and coffee.

"Now Nyla is ridiculously awesome." He chuckled, "You remembered what I like."

"Chorizo and egg and black coffee."

"Mmhmm." He ate hungrily, watching her do the same, and his heart felt light. Her wide-necked tee shirt left her shoulders bare, complimenting her long neck beautifully; a woman never looked so damned elegant eating a breakfast taco.

Nyla waited until they finished eating and she moved the plates off the bed and sat across from him.

"Zev, I have to tell you something important, and it's a secret." She sighed deeply, looked down and found it difficult to meet his eyes.

"Uh oh, Nyla won't look at me." He spoke softly, reaching out to rest a hand on her knee. "I am here."

"It's… bad, Zev. It could be one of those… deal-breaker things. If you take my meaning."

"Enough build up, more sharing." He nudged closer to her, sipping his coffee, feeling apprehensive and a little sad. Is she seeing someone else?

"This morning when I got back from getting coffee and tacos, I heard your phone buzzing and I got concerned. Like, maybe you had to go to work or something and I looked and it was Leliana and she sounded concerned so I was going to tell her you were okay and I opened your phone-"

"Shit." Zevran palmed his face. Oh, she meant deal-breaker for her.

"Shit." Nyla mirrored him, her face felt too hot. I knew it, I crossed a line. "I'm sorry I… didn't mean to. When I unlocked your screen it took me right to the messages from last night. I saw the words 'bored' and 'horny'... I just… got drawn in like a psycho and I saw where you denied her, and then I was like, I need to just text Leliana, and get out of his private business, and I saw where you had denied several other people…"

"Oh shit." Zevran bit his lip and cringed. "Did you… read my texts with Leliana too?"

"No. Fuck, by that time I realized I could just text her from my own phone and I felt like a complete fucking jackass." Nyla buried her face in her hands and almost cried. She breathed away the tears. Remember how this feels better than holding in the lie.

"Oh thank god." He sighed. "Okay so, Nyla where is the bad part of all of this? I'm guessing, if you did not want to see me anymore, you would not have served me tacos and coffee in bed."

"Wait, why didn't you want me to see Leliana's texts?" Nyla looked up at his suddenly crimson face.

"Can I not have a single secret from you, Nyla? Because she's my dating advisor!" He had to laugh. "Sometimes I ask her for ideas on how to… do things because, I take this seriously. I could show you-"

"No no… no god dammit, I swear I'm not planning any of this, I don't need you to prove you're not banging your roommate… I already feel like a jealous psycho, which I might be, given that you're not even my…" Nyla blushed bright red. "I hate my life right now."

"Somewhere Nyla is afraid to go!" He smirked, "I like this possessive part of you. I think it's cute, I feel your care. It's not psycho."

"No, Zev. When I start looking through your things, it's not cute anymore. It's psycho."

"Ah. You do have a point, Zevran is running for the hills now." He turned away from her, and started getting up.

"You dick!" She cackled, leaped at him, grabbing him around his waist and pulling, sending them tumbling back onto the bed.

"Oooh a challenge. Nyla wants to wrestle me." He flipped them both strategically, as always careful of the tattoo healing on her thigh. "Losing battle, Nyla." He chuckled, straddling her waist, her arms pinned above her head.

"Wow. You're very strong." She giggled breathlessly. "And so on top of me right now."

"Yes. So what were you saying before? Not your what?"

"Oh my god." She struggled fruitlessly beneath him. "Nyla is running for the hills now."

"But she can't, she has to squirm in discomfort while someone lays her bare and probes her for secrets!" He let her arms go and rested his hands on her waist. "Finish your statement, Nyla."

"Oh no. Don't. Please don't." Her stomach was already twitching in anticipation of being mercilessly tickled. "You're putting me in a double-bind right now-"

"Wrong answer." He tickled her, fingers wiggling gently against her.

"Pure evil!" she shrieked and writhed beneath him.

"Nyla doesn't want to say she wants to be Zevran's girlfriend!" He tickled her, and she squirmed, laughed, pushed on his arms. "Say it, Nyla!" He grew still.

"But is it as satisfying to hear if you're torturing it out of me?" He wiggled his fingers against her again. "Oh my lord, why?"

"Wrong words again, Nyla."

"Okay okay yes, you little shit, I want that with you!"

"Wrong words again, Nyla."

"Jesus! Okay! I want to call you my-" She blushed harder as she met his smiling eyes. With a deep breath, she let it out. "I want to call you my… buh… boyfriend. My partner."