Zevran knocked on her door in giddy excitement, even though that very morning Nyla had given him her spare key to lock up on his way out. His excitement to see her had not waned, despite being with her Wednesday night, and spending all day Thursday in various positions of oral delights in her bed, on the floor, in her living room, on the beanbag chair, against the wall, on the kitchen counter, in the shower. He even woke up with her Friday morning, spooning her and purring sweetness in Spanish against her ear until she got off- that was fun as fuck. Zevran found Nyla's inexperience with sex a little comical; they had done so many things together he considered kinky, and had rarely partaken in with casual lovers. Yes, his sweet girlfriend was very confused, it was adorable, and he would gladly give her whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted it.
Nyla opened the door with a wide smile, "Hey. Oh shit. You look-"
"Oooh." He looked her up and down, almost dropping the flowers in his hand. "I had become unaccustomed to seeing you in clothes, and now this."
"Oh, you." She purred and backed away, looking him over. Black slacks and a midnight blue, button-up shirt beneath a black vest. "Wow. You look so good in blue. You're wearing jewelry. Oh my god, you're too hot!"
Zevran followed her in and closed the door behind him. Getting out his phone, he began to video her. "Look at you. Leliana would kill you for those shoes."
He panned up her body; elegant heels that made her taller than him, long legs beneath sheer panty hose. Her black velvet dress showed off cleavage, graceful neck and shoulders, cinched at her waist, flared and ending above her knee. Bell-sleeves tight to the elbow fluttered with every elegant move of her arms. Gold earrings and a necklace that almost matched his didn't surprise him. "Sexy, elegant... Zevran's girlfriend has style."
"I'm glad you like it," she chuckled, blushing and basking under his attentions.
Nyla smiled shyly as he moved closer to her face, admiring her immaculately made-up face with wine colored lipstick. Looking up at him through thick, dark lashes, ugh that lovely, angelic, flawless face! Her hair was pulled up in a loose bun with wisps of hair framing her face, and the thin leather collar she wore made him want to throw her down and bite her.
"Turn for me, amor." Zevran spoke, backing away from her. "What color panties are you wearing?"
"Guess." She turned for him, like a ballerina, arms gracefully outward, her dress flouncing high on her thighs in her brief spin.
"Lovely, Nyla… I'm guessing black, to match that garter belt." Good fucking god my girlfriend in a garter belt... No, Zevran we are leaving. Wooing. Dating. Fuuuck.
"Yes." She turned to face him again and struck a pose; her hand on her hip, one knee bent, she shrugged a shoulder and blew him a kiss.
"Lacey?" He started to feel very hot.
"Of course." Nyla giggled, sauntering closer to him, intentionally turning up the cute, flirting with her eyes. Given he was consistently destroying her brain with how utterly sexy he was, it was fun to be on the other side of that.
"I am betting it matches your bra." He smirked and stopped looking at her through the camera.
"Yes," she purred, "Want to see?"
"Yes… Well..." Zevran turned off his camera and adjusted his erection. "Pardon my adjust. No. Yes. I mean, no. Yes but... reservations, amor. We have to go. Fuck, why did you say that to me? Fuck. Let's go, put these in water, and tell Cat they are not for eating." This woman is trying to kill me.
"Did you bring me here because you like Russian food?"
"I have never had it, I thought we might explore something together."
"That's fun, Zev. I like that." She squinted at the menu, holding it up and turning it in several directions. "The menu looks… like… not tacos."
"Would you rather go get tacos?" He looked up from his menu. No sooner than he asked, her eyes lit up.
"Ooh no. I see what I want."
"Oh? Already? Show me." Zevran leaned in and their waitress arrived.
"Have you been here before?" The young waitress asked in a thick Russian accent.
"No." They both answered. Nyla looked excited, Zevran relaxed.
"Here are complimentary wodka shots. Here is bread, kraut, salt, radish and green onion. You drink wodka, with these on bread... it is like snack for your wodka!"
"Thank you!" Nyla beamed at her. "Could you please bring us some osetra?"
"You would like an egg with that?"
"Please. That would be lovely." When the waitress walked away, Nyla chuckled happily, "It is like snack for your wodka!"
"What is osetra?" Zevran looked through the menu curiously and couldn't find it. "I thought you never had Russian food."
"Front page, sturgeon's eggs. You haven't had it?" She began piling kraut on bread for both of them as he looked. "It's amazing, I haven't had it in years."
"No amor," he chuckled, put his menu down and spoke with a shrug, "My background does not have me exposed to caviar which is $200 per ounce."
"Shit." Nyla sputtered, "oh my god. I am paying for it, I should have said that. I have extra money saved and this is what I want to spend it on. I want you to enjoy it with me, I… I don't know, do you even like seafood?" Her face was hot, she felt humiliated, and she absolutely did not want to talk to an orphan about her dead parents or how she was a spoiled rich brat who never had to think about the price of anything, showered with as much love and attention as a kid could need. "I'm sorry, let's just go."
"No no… Nyla, why are you getting so worked up?" He leaned across the table to rest a gentle hand on her arm. Nyla, fidgeting and blushing, he felt for her, imagining humiliation and embarrassment. "I did not mean to say any of this was wrong."
"I feel like I fucked up, Zevran." She spoke, looking at his hand as if she were surprised it was there. "My parents were nice to me, and they had money to… to sometimes buy nice things… and… and you're an orphan, I don't know what the shit that was like. I don't want to rub my privileged life in your face-"
"Nyla. Nyla. Look at me." When he had her attention, he held her hand. "None of his will be an issue unless we make it one. And besides, just because I was an orphan, it doesn't mean I did not have loving parents."
"You did? The way you spoke, I figured you were a ward of the state most of your life or something."
"No. I just… withheld much." He smiled nervously, "I had a mother and a… and a mother."
"You said that twice." Nyla took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Her head felt a little more level, and her heart slowed. "Where are they? Do you still speak with them? Do you have siblings? Are they also adopted, or are they biological?"
"I would much rather have a happy and sexually charged dinner with you, if you don't mind." Zevran winked at her, and she melted.
"Of course." She locked eyes with him, letting the sense of humiliation and embarrassment roll off of her. She started to relax, their smiles were real. "Zev? Will you sit next to me? Instead of across from me. I want to be closer to you."
"Are you going to feed me $200 caviar, Nyla?" He smirked at her blush, getting up from his chair to take the one next to her.
"You're damn right, I am." Her skin tingled as his hand rested on her thigh. More grounded after his touch, she remembered she was sitting with her incredibly sexy boyfriend in a fancy Russian restaurant. They were about to eat osetra and have snacks with their 'wodka' shots; her excitement had returned and she almost said, I love you. Instead, she smiled at him and giggled, resting her forehead on his shoulder. You're an idiot, Nyla. Calm down and don't scare off the poor unobtainable hotness, you literally just got him.
"Too cute Nyla, your excitement." He rested his cheek on the top of her head, loving the sweet cuddly moment she was bringing him in public for all to see; Zevran felt celebrated, and he loved his muse deeply. "I love-" his heart skipped a beat and his tongue felt a little numb, "the way you smell."
Sitting up to meet his eyes, she gave him a peck on the lips, and wiped her lipstick off of him with her thumb; such an intimate gesture, making Zevran smile and blush; he could not believe this was his life.
"It's called 'Amber Aoud Absolue Precieux' from Roja Parfums. My mother used to wear it and… it reminds me of her. In a pleasant way." Nyla bit her lip. "It's comforting."
"That is a beautiful story, amor." Zevran reached for the platter of bread and kraut, pulling it closer to them. They began toying with it, realizing the waitress left them with several questions.
"The salt goes where?" Zevran laid a bit of green onion on the kraut on top of the bread.
"She said… something about the radish." Dipping the radish in the salt she laid it on her bread piled high with kraut. "This can't be right."
Zevran dipped his radish in salt and spoke, "Well. I am eating it." They both lifted their bread, sauerkraut getting everywhere as they chuckled, watching each other try to navigate their vodka snack. "It tastes like kraut on bread, and a little went down your dress." Zevran spoke and picked up his shot. Nyla mirrored him. "Cheers, amor."
"I felt it, it was cold, and it went pretty far down there. I'm not digging in my dress in public, cheers." Nyla chuckled, tossing the entire shot back while Zevran sipped his. "You sipped it. Did I fuck this up?"
"No!" Zevran laughed. "She did not specify and there is more snack left, I assumed I was supposed to save some to go with the rest."
"Ah, then I must have more wodka! Is good though, ya?" Nyla spoke with a Russian accent. Zevran chuckled, licked his lips and Nyla wanted to chide him for turning her on in public. "Smooth. Very smooth drink." The things he can do with that mouth.
"Very smooth. I saw on the menu they have several infused vodkas as well."
"Oh this should be good." Nyla opened the drink menu. "Rose. I want rose infused. God, isn't that the same thing as perfume? Whatever, I want it in my mouth."
Don't… say that… Zevran bit his lip and sighed, drinking the rest of his shot. "I wish to try bacon and habanero infused."
"That sounds disgusting!" Nyla smiled, her hand running along his leg affectionately as she laughed and leaned in close to him.
"It does! This is why I must try. It exists for some reason, it must be good."
"That is a valid point." Nyla thought about the profound truth in his words, simultaneously remembering the seaweed latte she bought several months back, "Not as valid a point as one would think."
"Oh?"
"Seaweed latte." She shuddered in the memory of how utterly disgusting it was. "It was akin to licking a caffeinated seafloor covered in- oh, thank you." The waitress began setting their caviar service. Nyla cleared her throat, bit her lip and remembered the last time she had osetra, vaguely hearing Zevran order their vodka shots.
"Nyla?" Zevran tilted his head at her, watching her stare longingly at the giant, ice-filled crystal bowl containing two small crystal bowls.
'Thanks for meeting with me, Mom. I know you're busy. I've just been so lonely lately and Alistair and everyone is so busy with school. Even Fergus said he was too busy planning for his new job. Oriana is always doing mom stuff with Oren. It feels like I'm alone all the time these days.'
'Ohhh, poor thing! I had no idea you were so lonely, honey. I had imagined you having fun with your sorority friends. I always refrain from bugging you. You're grown and, I mean, I had a needy mother and she drove me fucking crazy. We could meet more often, I can treat it like a regular appointment.'
'Really? I would love that! I really miss you, Mom.' Nyla smiled, with an upwelling of excitement to see her favorite person in the world on the regular. 'I'm glad we cleared that up.'
'God. Me too. Such a relief. I miss you too. Want to go shopping with me Saturday? I need to get fitted for new suits. I'm thinking my skirts should be longer, I'm getting older now and I'm starting to feel like I should dress more my age.'
'Oh, bullshit, Mom. Quit teaching me to collapse under societal pressure. And you don't even look your age.'
"Nyla?" Her attention snapped to him, her mother's laugh echoing in her ears, and he was looking at her with a soft smile, compassionate eyes rested on hers. "You look sad."
"I am a little," she swallowed and sighed, her heart breaking and melting, she wanted to curl up and cry.
"But not as sad as you are pretty, I would wager." He leaned in close and smirked, smoldering at her.
"You would win such a wager." Nyla smiled with a nervous giggle. Pull it together, crazy. It's just a caviar service.
"How does this work?" Zevran spoke softly, picking up what looked like a small pancake.
"First you put a little crème fraiche on the toast. And then usually just a little bit of caviar, but I enjoy a bit more."
"This spoon is made of mother-of-pearl?" Zevran turned it in his fingers curiously. "Very pretty."
"Yes," Nyla smiled, happy to share the knowledge her mother had taught her. "Metal changes the taste, so it's usually served in a glass bowl, with a glass or mother-of-pearl spoon. This place uses crystal bowls, it's very pleasant to look at. My mother would appreciate it."
"This is an elegant way to eat." He stared at her for a moment, remembering empty home, empty cupboards and paper plates… she is punishing herself…
Zevran grasped more clearly how hard her losses must have hit her. A lifetime of loving support and privilege all torn away overnight, forcing her to quit school and live as a waitress; it must have broken her, and she was still picking up her pieces. He remembered the feeling keenly, even though his breaking was far more than two years in his past.
It was an epiphany for him, and Zevran felt deeply touched; he was part of the calm after her storm, and he loved her more for it.
Offering the caviar to her, she smiled, eyes misty, and ate from his fingers; it felt like the most intimate gesture to him. He loved her soft smile, the satisfied sigh as she chewed with her mouth closed, and he stroked her cheek briefly with his fingertips.
"It's very good." Nyla chuckled, smiling at him, and she sighed again, sinking into their intimate space together, it felt like home, the urge for tears dissipated along with the loneliness. "Let me prepare one for you." With more crème fraiche and a little less caviar, she fed him. It was satisfying, her index finger brushing his lip affectionately as her hand pulled away.
"Mmm. It is… a flavor," he struggled to withhold his disgust and swallow it. Fuck, I hate that I hate this. "Like what they put on top of sushi only more… fishy." Zevran sighed and drank his water.
"It is a flavor." Nyla mimicked his accent with a chuckle and an understanding smile. "I'm sorry you don't like it. Alright, let's try something else."
"Everything is ok?" The waitress approached the table with their infused vodka shots.
"Brilliant, thank you so much. We're going to order more. Will you please give us just a few minutes to look at the menu?" Nyla smiled at her. Zevran loved the respect and kindness she showed the waitress, he imagined, a mannerism she learned from being one. Eyes on the woman's eyes, friendly, as if a human speaking to another human; it was beautiful, he needed to draw her. "She talks like you, Zev, only with a Russian accent. Everything is ok?" Nyla mimicked her accent and chuckled, picking up her vodka.
"You do accents well." Zevran picked up his shot, and they clinked their glasses together gently and sipped their drinks. "Mmm. Hot." He blinked and cleared his throat.
"Yep. Mine tastes like perfume." Nyla cleared her throat and took a sip of water. "Try it."
They traded glasses. Zevran sipped, and nodded appreciatively. "Probably good? My taste buds have been murdered, though."
Nyla sipped, slammed the glass on the table and lost her shit. "Wha…hah... hot. Zevran, why did you let me do this?" She drank water before he could tell her not to. "It's worse now… Oh god. I am going to literally die." She fanned her face with both hands flapping and tongue sticking out.
"I told you hot." Zevran could not help laughing.
"You said hot like it was just hot, not fucking hot. Oh lord. My mouth is so hot."
Don't… say that… Zevran cleared his throat, picked up the menu and tried to repress his smile and calm his giggling. "Perhaps we should spend $200 on something for you to wash it down with."
"Oh my god." Nyla laughed, leaning on him. "You're such a dick."
"I walked into the kitchen, said a simple good morning, and they both screamed like girls, cards going everywhere."
"You're shitting me." Nyla cackled, lighting a cigarette and clinging affectionately to his arm as they left the restaurant. "That sucks!"
"They were so pissed. ' We broke our record, Zevran!' Hilarious, to hear Anders scream like that. I tease him about it every opportunity."
"Who sits around building houses out of cards, anyway? That's adorable. They spend a lot of time together, it seems. Every time I talk to Leliana she brings him up. I invited her shopping but she promised Anders she would bring him lunch at school. I'm totally shipping them."
"Shipping them…" Zevran chuckled in partial understanding and delight. "As in, imagining them in a relationship?"
"Yes. I could see Lelianders married in five years."
"Lelianders!" Zevran chuckled and nodded, "I love this! I also ship them, amor. I have been for at least four years now. It is agony to watch them not date while behaving as if married."
"I'm going to meddle." Nyla smiled, wiggling her eyebrows at him.
"How? Zevran will help." He met her mischievous grin with his own.
"I don't know yet. Every time I'm around them, try to plant a little seed. Oh, I will find a way." Nyla stopped in front of a club with the door wide open. She dropped her cigarette and stepped on it. "Salsa music. I need to dance right now."
"Do you wish to go inside?" He asked as she took his hands and twirled herself around, his arm going over her head.
"No." She laced her fingers with his and guided him to dance with her. "I said, I want it right now."
Zevran pulled her tight against him. If his lady wanted to dance in the middle of the somewhat busy sidewalk, well, he was a little too tipsy to find the will to deny her.
"Oh, very nice." Her chest meeting his took her breath away. It was divine, the way he moved her. Surprising and arousing. "You wish to lead this time, I take it?" Nyla purred in his accent.
"Mmm hmm." He stepped around her, moving his hips, and she followed his lead.
Dancing with a partner was not often something Nyla was inclined to do; with grace, she allowed him to lead her, and his smirk was killing her as his eyes wandered her body. Spinning, with his arm over her head, Nyla smiled, laughed, and Zevran loved the sound of her.
"Alright love birds, move along. You're blocking traffic." A jovial sounding security guard interrupted their play.
Zevran winked and nodded at him, leading her away from the doorway of the club, dancing, twirling, stepping around each other, shaking shoulders and playful laughter as they danced all the way to the end of the block. Stopping at the crosswalk, his arms wrapping around her, he dipped her backward and pressed his lips to hers. With a surprised hum she rested a palm on his cheek, the other hand caressing the back of his neck. Letting her go was hard, as the telltale beeping of the crossing signal piqued his attention.
"My place." Zevran purred against her lips. "Only three blocks from here."
"Let's go." Nyla smiled, bending down to pull off her shoes.
"No no no… Not walking with no shoes!" Zevran pulled out his phone to order a Lyft. "You are too intoxicated to be making such decisions."
"I'm really not that drunk. I'll be two blocks away before that shit gets here." She walked backwards away from him. "Come on."
"Nyla, you are crossing the street backwards." He rushed after her.
"I looked, and the thing is still beeping, we have the right of way." She giggled and grabbed his hand and he walked briskly with her. "You're being weird."
"I'm being weird? Think of what you may be stepping on. Or in." His girlfriend was setting his anxiety on edge; it killed his boner.
"I am peripherally watching the ground." Nyla tilted her head at him with a smile. "It's okay."
"But the ground is filthy, Nyla. Please, shoes now, as a favor to your doting boyfriend."
"Your girlfriend would suffer more from walking three blocks in these heels, than by getting the soles of her pantyhose dirty."
"Then let's get a Lyft." He stopped walking after they made it across the street, she stopped to face him. Meeting her eyes with seriousness, he spoke, "This is making Zevran scream on the inside."
Nyla felt twinges of guilt for not taking him more seriously, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stress you out. I wish I had picked up on it sooner, I have more respect for you than this. I get a little excitable when I drink, not that I'm very drunk. That's no excuse for treating you poorly, but… sorry, darling. I'll do better in the future with picking up on your distress."
He looked at her with wide eyes as her hand cupped his cheek. His girlfriend apologised to him warmly while looking into his eyes, he felt her care when he needed it, and he wanted to fuck the absolute shit out of her.
"Call us a ride?" After a full minute of Zevran's intense stare, he hadn't responded to her apology. Bending down to put her shoes back on, she smiled up at him and spoke, "Come on, Zev. I'm ready to behave like an adult again."
"It got cold really fast." Nyla sat at Zevran's kitchen table and hugged herself. "I thought these long sleeves would be enough. I'm still not used to the stark difference in temperature between day and night in San Francisco."
"It takes a while to get used to, amor."
Anders' bedroom door flew open. Nyla shrieked and laid a hand over her chest. He was wearing a fluffy white robe and his face was green. "Did you just call her love?"
"God dammit, Anders!" Nyla panted, wondering how the world just kept going as if everything happening was completely normal, and there wasn't a green faced man in a fluffy robe making women shriek in the kitchen. "Oh my god. The universe. And everything."
"I did." Zevran spoke as he placed a glass of water on the table in front of Nyla, chuckling and tilting his head at her horrified face. "Drink this, amor." He said it again so they would hear it again.
"He did!" Anders turned around and looked back into his room. "Twice in the past minute."
"No shit?" Leliana's voice carried. "That's adorable!"
"Here we go." Nyla sighed, sipping at her water, her heart slowing. "Make everything stop being weird, Zevran."
"Hold on!" Leliana ran through with Anders on her heel, green faces and mischievous smiles. "It's time for us to rinse."
"Zevran." Nyla whispered. "They're in matching white robes and doing facials."
"I know! Do you see what I mean? Married!"
"Well I mean, that's not exactly something outside of the possibility of just close friendship but… Yeah, totally married." She chuckled, bouncing in her chair. "What is this water nonsense? Do you have anything more alcoholic?"
"I'd like us to sober up, I wish to go on the rooftop, and that is a rule. No belligerent drunks on the rooftop."
"Oh? Why?"
"Because we might fall off?"
"No, that's obvious. I mean why do you want to sober up and go to the rooftop instead of drinking more and not going on the roof?"
"I wish to talk on the roof. Not completely sober talk but not drunk talk either."
"Ohh. I see! Tipsy talk. Sounds fun."
"Yes. Besides, the good brandy is in my room." He smirked.
"Oh." Nyla giggled with a coquettish grin, slipped her feet out of her shoes and affectionately ran her toes along his legs.
"Okay we're coming in!" Leliana shouted from down the hall, giving them fair warning to stop making out all over the kitchen, if they needed it. Nyla slipped her shoes back on, and sat up straight. Zevran adjusted his boner. "Let me see your shoes!" Leliana spoke immediately. "I mean your outfit, too."
Standing up, Nyla stood back and curtsied.
"Ohh nice shoes. Zevran go stand by her." Leliana pulled her phone out of her robe pocket. "I need pictures of this."
They stood side by side with an arm around each other.
"Get closer!" Anders huffed. "It's not fucking prom night!"
They held each other close with a laugh, Nyla pecking his cheek.
"Cuuute! Okay pose together. Something cute-coupley." Leliana smiled at her camera, taking picture after picture, loving everything about this, loving how happy and relaxed Zevran looked. Even Nyla didn't look her exhausted and lonely self. They were perfect for each other. Peas in a pod. "She's taller than you, Zevran." Leliana teased, and Nyla picked him up around the waist to make him taller.
Anders laughed, hopping a few times in place. "That was fucking amazing. Okay give us sexy poses. You are both the sexiest. Now pose it."
Leliana withheld laughter so she could keep taking pictures, Anders hovering behind her and giggling raucously. Nyla and Zevran laughing at themselves and each other as they followed instructions. When Nyla slid her skirt up to show off her garter, Zevran furrowed his brow and tugged her skirt back down over it.
"Okay. Okay. Now." Anders began, after trying to catch his breath from watching Leliana take picture after hilarious picture of Zevran being possessive. He had no idea where he was going with this, he was just being silly, joining in the fun. "Okay. Now, just hug. A huggy picture. That would be nice."
"Nah." Nyla tried to pull away, "Thanks. I'm done."
Zevran hugged her, as always, jumping on any opportunity to make her squirm. "I want a huggy picture."
Nyla laughed and wrapped her arms around him. "Fine."
"That was lovely." Leliana smiled at her camera. "That moment when you laughed and hugged him. Give him a kiss."
"I love pictures but you're embarrassing me." Nyla cackled and buried her face in Zevran's neck.
"Awww… shy, neck-bury picture." Anders teased.
"Zevran is not embarrassed." He chuckled, satisfied by her squirming and hiding.
"Aww, Nyla, come on, show us kisses!" Leliana teased. "Just a little one?"
Nyla's response was to squeal and whine playfully, "Why is this happening to me? I want to go kiss him a lot in the privacy of his room!"
Anders saw Leliana hit record video, and he bounced a little in giddy excitement whispering, "They're adorable, let's torment them even harder."
"Look at her hiding… so cute." Leliana giggled. "Show us kisses!"
"Kisses! Come on, Zev!" Anders spoke with a laugh, "Do you love the absolute fuck out of your Sketchbook girl or not?"
Zevran grabbed Nyla around her waist, placing hands on her back, he tilted her backward and planted a kiss on her lips. It was gentle, earnest, and the room grew still in the wake of its sweetness. When they stood up at righted themselves, Nyla and Zevran's eyes locked, and Nyla's hand rose to touch her lips; such an important moment in their lives, happening way too soon where there were far too many witnesses.
Leliana watched their faces through her camera before stopping the video and taking a picture; it was so sweet she felt a twinge of envy, and looked back at Anders.
Anders winked at her and whispered, "He is going to kill me."
Leliana nodded emphatically with a whispered reply, "Worth it," and turned back around to look at the cute couple in cute outfits.
"Bitch." Anders laughed hard, hugging her from behind.
Nyla glared fiercely at them, tired of their meddling. They had already meddled enough, they had no right to push them when things were already seemingly going too fast; this was going to fuck with Zevran, and fear and trepidation rested in her heart. They both had sentiments, strong feelings, sometime she was even convinced she loved him, but it didn't make them ready, it didn't make it true. She could only imagine the chaos that kiss was going to cause.
"Let us go to my room." Zevran, rattled by his own actions, felt her tension and had no idea what it meant, other than maybe she needed to go relax before she murdered someone.
"Okay." Nyla smiled, lining up the pins to knock them down. She took off her shoes. "Thanks for the pictures, guys, but I really want to just go hang out alone with Zev now." First she hugged Leliana, and then Anders. "Anders, you're way too tall."
"He is." Zevran nodded. "The tallest asshole."
"Freakishly so." Nyla chuckled. "Don't you think so Leliana?"
"Heeey." Anders pouted.
"No, I think he's the perfect height!" Leliana spoke defensively.
"Perfect height for what?" Nyla smiled innocently. Dead silence. Nailed it.
"Fffff- for... not being short." Leliana stuttered, her face feeling hot.
"Alright, seed planted. Goodnight, Lelianders." Nyla started backing away.
Anders gasped, "Whaaat? You did that on purpose… you're shipping us!"
"We're shipping you." Nyla kept backing away, grinning ear to ear. Zevran watched, wide eyed in awe at her brilliant torment; she sounded playfully psychotic, it was delightful. "And we're going to squeal at every adorable thing you do. Then when you're really vulnerable, we're going to pressure you, and push your heads together and say now kiss! "
"Come on, girlfriend. Our work here is done." He grabbed her arm and started guiding her up the stairs, laughing when Nyla pointed two fingers at her eyes, and extended them toward his poor roommates. "Amor, they know where we sleep!"
"He said it again." Anders gasped, "wait, he called her girlfriend! OH my god you did not mention the change in relationship status!"
"I had to literally torture it out of her. I shall share more when she is not present," Zevran called back to him, ignoring a squeaked, 'wait, what?' from his girlfriend. "Goodnight, Lelianders."
"You know we are real people right? You can't just ship people. They can't ship us." Anders turned to Leliana for confirmation.
"Well, we can forbid it, but I think we may need to shake them violently to make them stop thinking it." She folded her arms across her chest and glared.
"Goodnight, Lelianders," Nyla called as Zevran's bedroom door opened, and they went inside. Zevran shut the door with a relieved sigh; he simply could not survive this combination of people for much longer.
"You can't ship us!" Anders called up the stairs. "God dammit, Zevla!"
"Oh ho ho… that little bitch." Nyla flung the door open and hollered down the stairs, "Goddamn hypocrite!" She shut the door again and smiled at Zevran, laughing. Her face fell for a moment. "Wait." She opened the door again. "Are we for real fighting?"
Moments ticked by and she tilted her head to try to understand the hushed voices below.
"No!" Anders called out.
"Stop shipping us!" Leliana yelled.
"We'll think about it!" Nyla replied, and shut the door. "That was hila-"
"Stop shipping us!" Anders called up the stairs.
"I said we'll think about it, god!" Nyla was smiling and laughing. "This is amazing."
"Sketchbook girl?" Anders called.
"Lord jesus. Hold on, sweetheart." She opened the door. "Yes?"
"Why is Leliana's name first?"
"Because she's prettier." Nyla withheld a giggle and tried to keep a straight face.
"I told you!" Leliana cackled and they walked away with a quick "Stop shipping us!"
"I love everything about this, Zevran." She giggled hard, leaning back on the door.
"It is… a mess, Nyla are you capable of having a relaxed relationship?" He chuckled, unbuttoning his vest to get changed into something more comfortable. Something was hurting, scary, and he could not pinpoint it or figure out how to even talk about it.
"Our relationship is relaxed." She walked across the room and turned on a second lamp so she could watch the show.
"It is not! It's passion and sex and kissing and telling secrets. Always intense, bouncing around between emotions."
"Zevran, I thought you liked our intensity… relaxation makes the intensity possible. Are you hurting right now? Are we fighting?" His stern gaze was throwing her off.
He looked away from her to drop his vest on the back of his chair. "I wasn't complaining about the intensity, I do like it. And I cannot tell if we are fighting, after you asked."
"We could be. I am feeling a little crazy, I missed my medication." He wasn't looking at her and missed her smile.
"Fuck." Zevran sighed, staring at the floor. He rested his hands on his hips, shirt half unbuttoned. What a deep and dark secret to withhold, his trust breached; if she had been withholding that, it must have been for a good reason. "What does that even mean, Nyla? Why do you need to be medicated?"
"I'm kidding." Nyla laughed, pulling her hair down. "I'm not medicated. Zev? Did you get hurt? Something feels… off."
He sat on a chair and palmed his face with both hands. "Fuck." Things were quiet for a moment apart from the sound of her feet on the floor as she came toward him.
"What a world, right?" Nyla spoke sweetly, her hand resting on his arm, "Are you okay?" She caressed him lovingly. "Zevran, love, will you talk to me?"
When he looked up, her eyes were soft and serious, his heart was hurting. "So much chaos and confusion. The kiss in the kitchen... I went too far, said too much. And now, hot, perfect girlfriend is looking at me with adoration and care after feigning missed medication, Nyla, I'm fucking falling hard for you, and that could have been true. You could have been withholding that secret. I barely know you, and I'm falling so fucking hard for you."
"You know me better than anyone in the world." Nyla whispered, his heartfelt speech landing in the pit of her stomach.
"Do you even have anyone else left to know you?" He demanded softly, knowing his question to be cruel but needing to force the point, needing to figure this out. Are we for real? Is this happening?
"Ouch." She backed away from him, her heart aching. "That hurt. I know lots of people, Zevran. I have been very close to a lot of people in my life. Just not in a long while, and not like I am close with you."
"I just… I feel bad for being cruel just now. With you I feel so… it has been only two weeks since I have known you… and… and… fuck, I need to slow down." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
"Slow…?" Her heart crumbled. "Do… do you want me to leave?"
"What?" He opened his eyes, saw her devastated stare and reflected on his own words. "No! No, amor, no. That is not what I meant. I meant right now, in my speaking and sharing, I need to slow down because I am getting confused. Thoughts jumbling, and… words and feelings."
"Shit. I thought you were breaking up with me." She breathed deeply to slow her heart. "I was like, well that was quick."
He chuckled softly and shook his head. "No, that is not at all what I am wanting."
Nyla smiled, "I'm glad." She watched him stand and begin to pace.
"It occurs to me that you know nothing about me. Where I have been, what I have done."
"Do you feel like I need to know your past in order to know you and see you?"
"Yes, Nyla. Perspective changes. The more I learn about you the more I feel you. I understand better why you behave the way you do, and why you are the way you are. It means a lot to me that you know my past, so I get to be known."
"I want to hear the whole thing when you feel safe enough to share. I want to know you." Nyla stood in front of him, to stop his nervous pacing. "Look at me" She waited patiently, he sighed, and met her earnest gaze. "Yes, I want to know everything, and not knowing does not change how I feel about you now." Her hand raised and fingers traced the three tattooed lines down the side of his face.
"It is a weight on me, becoming heavier the longer you don't know. I wish to tell you."
"Right now?" Nyla's eyes went wide when he nodded. "Let's go to the rooftop. Your safe space."
"Yes." He smiled, "Nyla?" He paused, his heart in his throat, "You are precious to me, no matter what happens."
Hey everyone :)
I might miss one update. I'm having surgery on Thursday 9/29, and on Friday 9/30 I'll have the chapter prepared and ready to post, and my amazing emythelemon will log on for me and hit the post button. The following Friday is a mystery. Anyway, I just wanted to share that i have a lot going on, and I'm not abandoning the muffins!
Don't forget to visit TurboOtaku on tumblr and look at my Zevla tag to see all the lovely selfies of my babies. 3