Hey beautiful
Amor
Nyla
Angel tits

Hey

A poem for you.

Zev. Babe. My guy. It's 3am.

… I know the time.
Our agreement we can text each other whenever, for any reason, still stands, no?

Hehe yes I just hoped you would be more selective in the wee hours of the morning.
Go on, show me.

Roses are red
Violets are blue
I am using my hand
While thinking of you

Are you really?

Well… earlier.

Heehehe! I love it. Magical. Let me try.
Roses are red.
Daisies are white.
I'm going to straddle you,
And ride you all night.

… amor. Your poem is better than my poem, except mine isn't a lie.

LOL UGH ZEVRAN STOP!
Are you just waking, or are you up late painting?

Just finished this piece.
Dancing tonight?
It is your 3 month anniversary of being Zevran's girlfriend.

Omg you're adorable. I'm so honored. Will you come get me at around seven?

At night?

Of course at night. Get some sleep, darling. I'm going back to bed.

"Is this… this is the club we met!" Nyla sat snug against him, an arm draped over her shoulder as the cab pulled up to the curb.

"Mmm hmm! That is where you shook my hand and went to pieces."

"I didn't go to pieces!" She spoke incredulously. "Not externally."

"You were sweating." He stepped out onto the sidewalk with her. "Licking your lips." Arms around her waist, he pulled her close and purred, "Undressing Zevran with your eyes. Yes, you externally went to pieces."

"Well, I stand corrected." Nyla smiled, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck. It really put things into perspective, standing on the sidewalk where they had their first conversation; it felt like so long ago. "What made you follow me outside, that night?"

"Hmm. Well, Nyla was walking toward Zevran, confident with a cocky smile, licking her lips and devouring him with big, dark eyes, bosom wavering with her footsteps. Then she bumped into someone, and ran from the building before I was done with her."

"So you were intrigued."

"Very! And then when I came outside you appeared to be hurting, and I wanted something else for you."

"You cared." Nyla held him closer. "Why did you care?"

Biting his lip in thought, "I am not sure. It touched me, somehow. Familiar."

"That makes sense to me, given what I know now. I'm glad you followed me."

"Okay, now share with me, Nyla's perspective."

"First off, I died, because you're the hottest man I have ever seen in my life. Then I discovered you have substance, and depth..." She chuckled, staring at lips that would never lose their appeal. "And then I was done for. Did you come to the restaurant to see me, or were you really there just for the endless coffee?"

"So many questions, amor."

"Are you afraid to answer that one?"

"Si." Zevran sighed, knowing the further they went into this inquiry, the more he would have to avoid telling her about his obsessive drawing which had never ceased. Zevran could stare at her forever; she was art. "May we speak of it later? I wish to see you dance."

"Alright, I'll let it go for now. Let's dance." Nyla held his hand and tugged on his arm. "Come on gorgeous, you're too slow! Oh, sorry. Excuse me." Nyla tried to walk around a woman who insisted on blocking her path to the door. "Er… hello. I kind of want to walk past you, and your behavior is inhibiting that movement."

"Haven't seen you around in a while." She smirked, staring past Nyla as if she wasn't there. "You haven't responded to my texts."

"I blocked your number, Ashley." Zevran spoke with shrug. "As you know, shaming has never been my thing. Please excuse us."

Former fuck buddy Ashley asked with subtle undertones of venom, "Is that her? Or is she a new one?"

Nyla glowered at Ashley, knowing the inquiry was more about making her feel shitty than fulfilling any curiosity. "It's none of your business, or mine. Move, before I move you."

Shrugging with a frustrated glare Ashley spoke, "Good luck with him." Walking away, she spoke over her shoulder, "There's a reason we just pass him around."

"What?" Nyla glared at the woman's back and spoke firmly, "Zevran is not a fucking object."

Ashley turned to walk backward, taunting her with a laugh. "Poor thing can't keep his dick in his pants, might as well use it while it's out."

Nyla saw red, her heart pounding. "I fucking will!"

"Nyla. Nyla." Zevran held her back, surprised. Was Nyla really going to physically assault this person? "Amor. Come on, ignore her." It seemed to bother Nyla significantly more than it bothered him. "If I knew she was this gross of a human, I never would have fucked her," Zevran chuckled.

"Don't…" Nyla yanked her arm from his hand, wide eyed, her heart clenching in her chest. "Why would you say that to me?"

"I am sorry, amor." He tilted his head at her, "I find myself overwhelmed by the combination of her verbal abuse and your anger. It was a failed jest, and… I just need my best friend with me right now."

Nyla shook her head and glared at the smug bitch who stopped at the end of the building and lit a cigarette. It doesn't help that she's hotter than me. Nyla took a calming breath. Take it easy, Nyla.

"It is not as if my history of promiscuity is some kind of secret, amor… I had no idea my saying that would hurt you like it did." Cringing at his own attempt at bringing levity, he felt sorry for his girlfriend, given the jealousy issues she contended with.

"I was angry on your behalf and then I got psycho-level jealous when you said that. I know I shouldn't."

Smiling and taking her hand, gently toying with her fingers, he let himself be comforted by familiar, dark eyes sparkling with care. "You are not psycho."

"I'm sorry she said those things to you." Nyla pulled him closer, wrapping an arm around his waist. I need my best friend with me. " I am with you. You are not an object."

"I am not so sure sometimes, Nyla." He pulled her into a hug, grateful for her care and her touch. "To others, apparently I am."

"They are wrong as fuck," she insisted with a smile. "What happened between you? Why is she so... pissed off?"

"I said no to her." Zevran shrugged, relieved his girlfriend had relaxed and invited him to talk about it. "She does not like it when people say no to her. When I told her exactly why I said no, that I am seeing you, she laughed at me, said 'good luck to her,' and it was fucking mean. So Zevran blocked her."

"Oh, shit, love. I'm sorry. Do you want to be here? Want to go to another club?"

"Your offer is sweet and well meaning, however, I like this place, and I am not inclined to let one person run me off. Dancing instead?"

"You going to dance with me?" Pulling from the hug, she took his hand.

He wanted to watch, but if she kept up that smile he would have no choice but to give her whatever she wanted. "Maybe I will dance."

"Oh, maybe Zevran will dance." She mimicked his accent. Biting her lip and walking backward, fingers laced with his, she pushed the door open with her shoulders, watching him follow her with his smouldering smirk. Hand-in-hand they walked to the bar, music loud and people dancing on the dance floor.

"The first time I tried to buy you a drink here, you said no." Zevran spoke close to her ear, resting an arm around her shoulders.

"I didn't know you and I didn't feel safe enough to get drunk with you. When you insisted, I felt even more wary."

"Ah! Yes! That is smart!" He nodded, following up with a cringe, "Although, that is not at all what Zevran had intended."

"I know that now." She kissed his cheek. "Tonight, I want Sex on the Beach."

"Then shall we go find a beach?" Zevran quirked an eyebrow and smirked at her.

With a giggle and snort she spoke, "Sex on the beach after I finish my Sex on the Beach?"

"So you are saying you want two… sexes on the… beaches..."

"Sexes on the beach?" Nyla shrugged with a chuckle.

"Sex on the beaches." Zevran spoke, just to see if it sounded more right.

Nyla reached for her purse to get out her phone. "We should text Anders, he knows words."

"He is out to dinner with Leli, let's ask later."

"Wait, what kind of dinner?" Nyla tilted her head at him with wide eyes.

"Oh, it is not a date or anything." He rolled his eyes and waved a dismissive hand, "But they looked quite nice."

"God damn them!" Nyla sighed. "Well, at least they're… they're…"

"Doing the same shit as always?"

"God damn them!"

Zevran laughed, "Yes! I know these feelings, amor, years of these feelings!" Taking their drinks to where Zevran often stood to do his people watching, they stood close together.

"Congratulations on finishing your painting." Nyla smiled, leaning on the tall table next to them. "I know you worked hard on it and had to start over."

"Thank you," he spoke with a nod and smile. Please don't ask about it… please don't ask-

"Are you going to tell me what it is? I am excited, you know. I feel a lot of joy when I see your creations. I hope you don't fear my judgement. It's not as if I have a trained eye and will seek out mistakes. Or would even feel inclined to point one out if I did."

"No… amor, no. This one is perfect. I would rather show you, than tell you. Just saying it doesn't feel right." He sighed and swallowed, clearing his throat and taking a drink. "Your eye makeup looks amazing tonight." He moved closer to her. "It does something, makes them look more almond shaped, clearer. You look lovely."

"Thank you." She blushed, looking away and biting her lip.

"But you always look beautiful."

She giggled shyly. "You don't have to add that every time you compliment me. Oh! I want to dance to this!" Nyla bounced on her heels, "Will Zevran dance?"

"Zevran will watch. Stop with the eyes," he teased with a smirk, "I promise next time Zevran will dance."

His answer pleased her and she backed away from him, biting her lip and smiling; she loved it when he watched her dance. Zevran delighted in her movement, her freedom… oh yes, this was just as fun as dancing with her; the way she moved those hips, those long legs, her pretty little muscular ass with its subtle jiggle, and generous bosom with not-so-subtle jiggle.

"Zevran!" A long time friend and former occasional lover approached him with a warm kiss on the cheek and a wide grin.

"Isabela!" He smiled, returning her kiss and following up with a playful nudge. "Move, you are blocking Zevran's view."

She stood next to him, an elbow on his shoulder. "Who have you got your eye on tonight, hmm?" She asked playfully, with a smile.

He pointed with his drink in hand. "There. Dark hair in a braid, black jeans. Nice little ass."

"Nice curves on that one. Great dancing. Sexy. Playful. You spoken to her yet?"

He chuckled with a wink, "Oh yes. Several times."

"Oh so, more than talking. Friend with benefits?"

"Hm." Zevran smiled and nodded. "Permanent friend with benefits."

"No shit!" Isabela chuckled. "What's her name? What's she like?"

"I love her dancing." Watching her for a few moments, entranced by her sexy, playful dancing, he looked up at Isabela. "Nyla."

"Hm. Interesting name."

"She is cool. You would like her very much. I have never known a woman so… shameless." He melted in imagining her. "Sweet, too. Anders and Leli love her."

"Ohh! Well, well. You took her home and she passed the roommate test."

"Yes!" He laughed, "And she is so cocky! Swears she is not small. Just doesn't see it. It is so funny."

"She looks about average." Isabela shrugged.

"Wait until she stands next to you." He leaned in close to her, "She let me tattoo her, freehand, without seeing a draft."

Isabela laughed, smiled broadly, leaned in to give him a tight hug. "You sound happy. I'm happy for you."

"Thank you!" He smiled, "You will meet her in a few minutes! You will like her. Everyone does."

"I never thought you would fall for a woman." She teased, leaning back with her arms around his neck. "A man, perhaps."

"I find her to be so… fucking…" he floundered, "Okay, listen. She has these big dark eyes that sparkle, and a long elegant neck. The shoulders! And this hip to waist ratio… Nyla also has this way she listens to people, it is… she is so human. The woman shares everything, virtually no internal monologue… it is contagious. And she has style!"

Isabela laughed, patting his cheek, "Yep, you're a goner."

He smiled, wiggling his eyebrows, "Also, Nyla is hyper-orgasmic, and the blowjobs are amazing."

"Now, I do like that in a woman." Isabela toyed idly with his hair, "Aren't you a lucky man! If you could see your own face right now."

Nyla spun around, showing off for her boyfriend from her place on the dance floor; the perfect spot where she had freedom to move and had a good view of his steamy gaze whenever she wanted. Looking up to flirt and indulge in his steamy gaze, she froze… he's not even watching… who the fuck is that… humiliation sunk into the pit of her stomach… I'm so stupid… the way he's looking at her... this new woman's arms draped over his shoulders, Zevran's hands rested on her hips.

Nyla stood stock still, watching his smile, his gaze on the beautiful, scantily clad woman in thigh high boots with dark hair and skin, curves in all the right places. Oh my god she's gorgeous. I knew it. I'm competing with the world. Tears welled in her eyes, and she stood tall despite the insurmountable weight that had suddenly landed on her shoulders; Nyla strode toward him teeming with shame and anger, fierce jealousy humming through her.

A special gift from the universe was then bestowed upon Nyla as she happened to glance to her left. Ashley stared at Nyla with a smug smile on her face and another wave of humiliation hit her; the bitch had been right, and she had also the pleasure of knowing it. Fuck her. Fuck this.

Nyla grabbed her jacket from the table.

"Nyla!" Lost in getting a chance to tell someone how amazing his girlfriend was, he forgot to watch her, and he backed away from Isabela in a wash of guilt. He tilted his head at his hurting girlfriend, imagining what she had seen, and from the pain in her stare, he knew he had fucked up royally. "Amor, this is-"

"I don't need to know. It's not my business." Pulling on her jacket she picked up her drink and considered, for only a brief moment, throwing it in his face. Instead, she gulped it down. "I have to go."

"Now kitten-" Isabela spoke softly.

"Don't you fucking dare 'now kitten' me. I don't share." Nyla glowered, her eyes glassy. "You can have him." She couldn't even look at him as she walked toward the door.

"Amor!" Zevran followed her, an apologetic nod directed at Isabela, who looked as distraught as he felt.

"Don't you 'amor' me!" Nyla growled, pushing the door open.

Zevran felt as though he had been slapped hard across the face; Nyla had never spoken this way to him. "Nyla, talk to me."

"So you can tell me a tale about how it's not what it looks like?" She stopped at the edge of the sidewalk and turned to face him. "Did you fuck her too?"

"Yes but-"

"Fuck!"

"Not just now! Jesus Christ, Nyla!"

"You clearly wanted to." She spat, looking at the street for an available taxi. "Couldn't even wait until I was gone. Any other surprises for me? Would it be easier to point out who you haven't had sex with in this building?"

"What the fuck?" He stared at her with wide eyes, "Nyla, you defended me, but at the first sign of another woman touching me you believe these things about me?"

"That other one wasn't swinging on you like a fucking jungle gym while I was shaking my ass for you!"

"It is just Isabela! She is… handsy!"

"She is handsy?" Nyla's tearful eyes went wide. "Don't you have boundaries? Were you at least vaguely aware of my boundaries? Do you have any idea what that was like for me? Dancing and showing off for you, just to catch you fawning over some other woman?"

"Amor- Nyla, you don't know what happened." He reached for her and thought better of it, pulling his hand away, not wanting to scare her into thinking he would ever harm her in his anger. "You know me better than this."

"I thought I did." The more Zevran displayed his care, the more confusing things became for Nyla. "I told you what I was available for from the beginning." She wiped beneath her eyes with her fingertips in an attempt to avoid eyeliner mishaps. "Is it so bad for me to want a man who only has eyes for me?" With a shaky sigh laced with tears she continued, "That's what I fucking want, Zevran, and apparently you can't offer it to me with any real conviction."

"And all I want is to be fucking trusted." He pursed his lips, afraid he would cry with her. "I am not getting it from you, and you do not see me insisting we end our relationship."

Maybe it was the abject pain in his stare, the tears that he blinked back, or the hard reminder of the essence of who he was, 'I happen to be a very loyal person!' Nyla's anger softened; this was about trust, and she was being crazy.

"Nyla, after all we shared, been through together, I cannot believe this misunderstanding has you speaking as if we are through." He slowed down and sighed. "It doesn't have to be over. We can work through whatever the fuck this is. At least trust me on that," he strained to be gentle, trying not to fight her although he was angry. "Please."

Staring, taking in how beautiful he looked, wisps of yellow hair stirring in the cool breeze, caressing his cheeks. How sweet, golden-brown eyes soft and familiar; unsafe. "I need time."

Two. Fucking. Hours.

Two hours ago his girlfriend walked away from him, and all he could do is sit on his bed in his pajamas, listen to sad songs and miss her. The thoughts looped over and over, I made a mistake, and now she doesn't trust me. Other painful thoughts intermittently chirped in. She is being fucking crazy! And his loudest experience was that he didn't care how, he just wanted her back. That is crazy, Zevran. You are being crazy. But she said she needed time, she didn't say how much and the mystery of it ached.

He had a sense of waiting for her, considered painting, drawing, anything to pass the time, but his last memory of her was a tearful and pained, accusatory stare that only brought him shame; a picture he didn't want in his mind, and didn't have the heart to transfer to paper. I lost my muse. It had only been two hours, but it didn't stop him from feeling as if it was truly the end. I was not done with you, mi amore. I didn't ever want to be done with you.

Picking up his phone, he looked in his photo gallery, dominated by her face since three months back. Has it really only been that long? So many pictures and short videos of her, of them together, all of them his favorite. Especially the one where she snuck off with his phone and took topless selfies, smooshing her breasts together with her elbows, a cocky smile on her lips, then a silly face, and one where she had clearly made herself laugh, another where she had lost her grip on the phone and had captured a blur of breasts and startled face as she caught it. Zevran smiled; the bosom was awesome, but that pretty face...

Wondering if he should check if she made it home ok, he thought better of it, not wanting to appear as needy as he felt. After all, he did watch her get in a cab and leave without looking back. Palming his face with a sigh, he continued through his picture gallery, choosing a video at random.

"Amor." He sat next to her on the bed, journal in her lap, pen in hand, an electronic cigarette between her teeth. "Amor." Zevran spoke again, "Amor. Amor. Amor." He poked her arm with a gentle finger. "Amooor."

"Hmm?" Her wide eyes shot toward him, a patient smile on her lips.

"Hi."

The sound of her giggling and the brightness of her smile made him ache through the final ten seconds of his video clip; this was his favorite. Watching her lose herself in writing and stare off at nothing was his favorite. The way she could lose herself in her art so completely and turn to him with full, loving attention was his favorite. And I ruined it. He rubbed his temples with his thumb and forefinger. She's being fucking crazy. Sighing deeply, he chose another video at random.

"Nyla. Nyla. Nyla."

"Hmmm?"

"I am Cat's favorite."

"It may appear that way, but you're just his bitch." Cat meowed, and Nyla stuck her fist out. "Pound it, kitty."

Zevran laughed hard as the cat smacked her fist with a soft 'PAF!'

The video still made him laugh, and it still blew his mind that she taught her cat to fist bump on command. "Fucking Cat," Zevran whispered with a smile, which faded quickly upon remembering how he ruined everything with a single mistake. Fuck, she's being crazy!

Reaching for his sketchbook, he opened it to his favorite drawing of her and let it lay flat open on his bed. So lovely, their first breakfast together, Nyla's cheeks stuffed with bacon and egg taco behind her closed mouth smile; she looked so very happy. I would rather have a happy and sexually charged breakfast with you, if you don't mind.

He jumped up from his bed, needing to move; so many painful words she had thrown at him. Words he would rather have never had said to him, worse that they came from her. Fuck. Brooding, he headed downstairs for a snack. Comfort food. Something sweet.

"Hey Zev." Anders spoke from his seat at the table with a deck of cards. "You alright?"

"No." He opened the cupboard and brought out a bag of cookies; white chocolate macadamia, a shared favorite of his and his potentially ex-girlfriend. Fuck! He dropped the bag on the table with force and plopped down in a chair. "I fucked up. She is being fucking crazy."

"Oh boy." Anders sighed. "That's pretty harsh. Did you break up or something?"

"I am not sure." Taking a bite of a cookie, it was sweet and delicious and he nearly wept in recalling all the times he split the last one with his girlfriend, and the many times they had talked each other into being adults and laying off the sweets only to eat them ten minutes later.

"You have been inseparable for like, months now, you were inseparable this morning. I'm sure you still are." Anders tried to comfort. "She'll be back."

"What do you mean, she'll be back?" Leliana walked in the kitchen and sat at the table. "What happened?"

"Today was three months anniversary, I took her to the place we met, and it was a disaster. Old friend with benefits verbally assaulted us, Isabela was being Isabela. Just… disaster." Scrubbing his face with his palms, he moved to stand. "Don't worry about it. I fucked up, she is being crazy. I do not know what is going to happen."

"No…" Leliana spoke gently. "Sit back down and tell the actual, whole story."

So he did.

"She's being crazy." Anders spoke plainly.

"She may have said some really horrible things, there is no excusing that, but she is rightfully upset!" Leliana argued with a pointed finger. "Zevran should have known better than to behave that way, especially knowing that she has jealousy issues. Hell, she speaks openly about her jealousy issues and she works hard to keep them in check. She needs better support than this!"

Anders countered, furrowing his brow at her. "How is Zevran supposed to know every little thing that's going to set her off? He's not psychic."

"Anders, what he did was a rookie mistake. Everyone knows that if you are involved with someone already, you don't find another beautiful woman and display physical affection towards her. Zevran not only did that in front of Nyla, he did that in front of her peers. Now other women know she's too stupid to choose a man that had actually chosen her."

"Excuse you, Leli!" Zevran quirked an eyebrow, deeply offended.

"Hold on, I'm making a point, don't take this personally." Leliana interrupted him. "I would bet money Nyla feels as if every woman in that club was fucking laughing at her and thinking about how stupid she is for even giving you a chance, given your reputation."

"Nyla has zero fucks." Anders spoke seriously. "She wouldn't give a damn about the others in the club."

"Bullshit!" Leliana fumed. "Do you not understand her at all yet? She gives so many fucks. She's in a fuckstorm, and the only thing a person can do when caught up in a fuckstorm is just be accepting of everything before it even happens." Looking at Zevran she spoke firmly, "She trusted you so fucking much, she had no means of defending against this thing she had never even considered a possibility."

"Ah." Zevran palmed his face; it made perfect sense, and he felt like an asshole. "Shit. Zevran has made a mistake."

"She should at least hear him out." Anders huffed. "Zevran has obviously chosen her."

"And we're on the outside, Anders. We don't know if Nyla gets the entire scope of his feelings." Leliana looked pointedly at Zevran, "Hell, do you even know the entire scope of your feelings?"

Zevran stared at the table and nodded.

"Of course he does, Leli, she's his sketchbook girl!"

"That means little to nothing to me." Leliana shrugged.

"Look. Nyla is his fucking sketchbook girl. " Anders sighed, meeting her eyes and leaning closer to her. "That one girl that captivates you and you can't seem to get away from. You're always drawn back to her, everyone else loses their appeal because for some reason, she just… she feels like, fucking perfect. She feels like home."

"You're making shit up." Leliana whispered, her cheeks heating.

"And god forbid you lose your sketchbook girl, or never get to have her." Anders looked away from Leliana. "Because after knowing her, the bar is set so fucking high, it makes finding someone else damn near impossible."

Zevran looked at the two of them as they avoided eye contact, wishing Nyla were there to witness it, and he felt the pang of her absence again.

"All I'm saying here," Anders sighed, running his hand through his hair, "Tell your sketchbook girl you fucking love her. And show her the damn sketches already."

"You're putting words in his mouth." Leliana rolled her eyes at Anders.

"I'm getting really fucking tired of waiting for him to admit it. Or at least show her the sketchbooks."

"Look! There is no purpose to showing her the sketches!" Zevran snapped at them, feeling the ache of losing her on top of facing everything he did wrong and all the things he should have said. "I can draw her all fucking day, and it won't make her fucking love me back."

"You do love her!" Leliana smiled broadly, pointing at him. "Oh my god, Zevran, tell her."

Anders slammed his fist on the table. "Tell her!"

"Tell her!" Leliana whined.

"No, if I tell her now she will believe I am trying to win her back with bullshit." Zevran sighed.

"Then show her the sketches." Anders added excitedly.

"Still no." Zevran sighed. "She'll think I am a creeper."

"Come on!" Anders insisted playfully, "We don't want to lose our friend and you know she won't come back if her ex is here."

"Not fucking funny, Anders. You can mourn the loss of your friend if you wish, but you are not losing what I have lost," he spoke angrily, refusing to cry. "She is in every fucking aspect of my life. My art, what I eat and drink, my fucking tattoo chair, my work! My fucking livelihood ." Standing he headed for his room. "You are losing simply a playmate."

"A really fucking good one!" Leliana rebutted. "And you feel like you're losing your life, Zevran, I get it. I really do get it. You have to tell her." Leliana stood and stepped toward him. "She loves you too."

"Shut up, Leli!" Zevran stormed toward his room, angry she would taunt him with what he desired most in the world. "God damn!"

A knock on the front door caught their attention.

"It's Nyla." Anders spoke. "That's totally Nyla."

"Of course it is." Leliana went for the door, glancing at Zevran who decided to creep back toward the bottom of the stairs. Swinging open the door, she spoke, "Come in. We've been filled in."

Nyla stood on his doorstep, her eyes red from crying, face clean of makeup, she was in her yoga pants and big sweatshirt. He wanted to run to her, squeeze her, that was, until she turned around and dragged a suitcase in the door.

Zevran's heart crumbled as he recognized the suitcase as his own, full of clothes he left at her place.

"Leliana and I are going out for icecream." Anders spoke softly. "We were just headed out."

Nyla couldn't look at them as they left, her eyes pointed at the floor; she felt the familiar caress of Anders' large hand on her shoulder, followed by a gentle squeeze. The silence of the room rung in her ears after the door closed behind them.

"I brought your things for you, so I could have an excuse to see you." Nyla spoke tearfully, her heart sore.

Standing in the doorway with Zevran's suitcase at her feet, she watched him apprehensively as she couldn't tell in the slightest what he was thinking. He simply stared at her, after all, she had said the last thing he had expected to hear; she had wanted to see him.

"Zev?" She bit her lip, unsure of what to say, where to begin. "I can go now, if you prefer-"

"No." He spoke automatically, shaking his head.

"You didn't answer my texts, so I figured…" She shrugged, her lip becoming sore from nervous nibbling. Her heart pounded. "When I said I needed time I just meant like a couple hours to cool off before I said more terrible things to you."

"Ah." Zevran's heart fluttered, and he offered a weak smile. "I left my phone in my room. I came down for a snack and got caught up in speaking with Lelianders." The closer she stepped toward him, the lighter he felt, the more he just wanted to hold her. "They offered insight into what a thoughtless asshole I had been."

"I'm the one that went crazy." Nyla spoke softly, standing a mere two feet from the man she had been so sure would never speak to her again. "I shouldn't have said those things, I didn't even mean most of it. I…" she bit her quivering lip. "I do have a history of... verbally abusing the men closest to me when things go south." Wiping a tear from her cheek she sniffled, "It's not okay for me to do that."

"I agree." Zevran whispered, his heart hurting in remembrance of the insults she slung at him. "Will you come upstairs? Sit and talk?"

Nodding, she followed him up the staircase she thought she would never be welcome to climb again, nearly crying again at memories of him chasing her to the top, pinching her ass and making her squeal.

"Don't do it, Zevran! I said don't! Stop!"

"Don't stop, amor said!"

"Punctuation! Oh my god! Punctuation!"

She sat on his drawing chair as she ached in the wake of her beautiful memory. He sat on his bed across from her, eyes soft and expectant.

"I'll start." Nyla spoke gently, pausing for thought. "Why were you being… physical... with that woman while I was dancing?"

"Isabela and I used to hook up, on occasion." He spoke frankly, noticing her subtle cringe as he said it. "She is no threat to our partnership. That being said, I admit, I should have been more conscientious. I was so engrossed in conversation, I was standing close to her as I used to before I had a girlfriend to think about. My physical contact with her is… habitual, as she is very handsy. This does not make it okay, I just want to help you understand."

"I see." Nyla sighed. "You were so engrossed in conversation, you forgot… that you… had a girlfriend?"

"No!" Zevran chuckled with a sigh. "No. I was… you twisted my words in such a way I do not know how to untwist them." Pausing for thought, he furrowed his brow. "So, Isabela came to me, she is a cheek kisser so we kissed cheeks. Then Zevran told her to move so he could see Nyla's dancing. She asked about you, I became overzealous in my explaining-"

"You were talking about me?" Nyla tilted her head at him. "The entire time?"

"Yes, and I was not paying attention to where whose hands were where, I forgot to watch your dancing…"

"I think I get it."

"I had not seen her in so long, so excited to tell her about my girlfriend, and that I even had one."

"The way you were looking at her..." Nyla let out a shuddering breath, relief washing over her heart, the soreness of betrayal replaced by remorse; her trembling fingers rested on her lips. "Oh my god."

"I was inconsiderate, and I did not mean to be." He added after a pregnant pause, "It is not okay for me to do that."

"I said so many rotten things to you." She wept a little, seeing him nod, his gaze downcast. "I'm sorry I stopped trusting you." Wiping her nose with her sleeve she spoke softly, "I lost my fucking mind, I'm so sorry. I don't know what to do... how to fix this."

"Can you handle the fact that I have been sexually involved with an undetermined number of people?"

"Most of the time." Nyla's face felt hot as she answered his very poignant question.

"Perhaps with time, when you see me not standing inappropriately close to women." He smiled with a shrug.

"That's a thought." She chuckled, taking a tissue from his outstretched arm and blowing her nose. "Does this mean you still want to be my partner?"

"Yes." He sighed, taking this to mean that they were still in their partnership together. "Of course, amor."

Meeting his eyes, she melted, smiled, and got up, moving toward him for the hug she had been desperate for all night. Zevran met her halfway, and when she was in his arms again, his world clicked back into place; so much relief.

"Amor," he crooned, "preciosa."

"I missed you." Nyla chuckled happily, "For that… entire four hour separation."

He laughed, squeezed her tighter, picked her up around her waist, and flopped them on the bed. "Yes. Cuddling." They curled up together, tangled limbs and warmth, the comforting and familiar scent of each other.

"Is that me?" Nyla spoke softly.

"Hmm?" He looked at her, looked behind himself, following where her eyes lay, and he felt utterly stunned; there was no backpedaling from this. "Yes."

"May I look at it closer?" She sat up, so much curiosity, finally getting a glimpse of one of his many sketchbooks. "I know how hard it is to share-"

"Here." Zevran reached behind himself, and handed it to her; she had given him an easy out, and he didn't want it. He needed to witness her trust in him, to trust that he wasn't a creeper. Sitting up, he sat next to her so he could look with her.

"Is this how you see me?" She smiled, caressing the page with her fingertips.

"This is what you look like!" Zevran chuckled. "Silly."

"I look so… happy." She sighed heavily, having forgotten to breathe for several seconds. "I guess you drew this from memory?"

"Mmm hmm." His heart beat hard in his chest, and the wind knocked from him; he sighed deeply and swallowed nervously.

"How…" She looked up at him, questioning, curious. "When is this from? What moment is this?"

"Our first breakfast. One of my favorite drawings." Well… here we go, he sighed again to catch his breath. "One of my favorite drawings of you." He reached over and flipped the sketchbook to page one.

Author's Note:

I commission a lot of art for this story, and this site doesn't allow me to share it. If you would like to see the art, find me on tumblr under TurboOtaku, I tag everything for my pairing as #Zevla.

Alternatively, you can follow me on Archive of Our Own under TurboNerd, where I embed the art in the chapters.