A/N - Wow, can't believe I've reached chapter 20 - a massive thanks to those who've stuck with me all the way here, and yep I know I do go on a bit but it means a lot to me! There's a little bit of sexy time in this chapter too, just to let you know. Don't worry, there are moments of fluff as well, so grab that hot coffee and make yourself comfortable :)
The strong and sound heartbeat under her ear slowly loosened the soft inviting tendrils of sleep from her mind and body, becoming more aware of the steady thrum as she finds herself laying sprawled over a thoroughly heated Fenris, his arms curled gently round her back - as if even in sleep all he wanted to do was comfort but yet be the protection she needed.
Lifting her head she sees that he is very much still deeply asleep, indeed his dreams seemed untroubled, he even had a small smile on his face.
Smiling herself in response as being a light enough sleeper, hadn't failed to notice the very little rest he'd been able to get when her injury had been at its worst. The morning sickness had since abated since then, but she'd been up during the night, morning and sometimes afternoons for weeks after.
Fenris had been by her side her all the way, had been with her for the various mood swings her sickness took her through. Despite needing rest himself, as he'd stepped in on many of the missions she would have taken on, he insisted on making sure she ate the little she could keep down, held her hair whilst she vomited uncontrollably, helped her drink water after, and comforted her whilst she wept.
Yes she really hadn't been a good patient, she had felt so weak for something out of her control, and yet he stayed when most men would have run for the hills. He had told her they were together now through the bad times and the good, he knew she didn't mean any of it.
When she realised her attitude had been just horrid, her demeanour had changed and had tried anything to make it up to her poor elf.
Usually at this point she would sneakily move down his body and wake him up in the very best of ways, knowing that he would welcome it, but she pauses and takes a lingering look upon him and sees that the lines of tension and worry his dear face had worn for so many weeks were absent, softened with the oblivion of slumber.
Deciding that despite how she would love to take him in her mouth and use her newly found skills to give some of the heady pleasure back to him that he had on many occasions given her, that he needed his rest more.
Besides feeling the heavy weight of guilt that she'd been the one to cause him worry stops further action, so instead rests her head once more over his heart, sighs in contentment and lets the waves of slumber roll over her, welcoming the familiar call of the fade.
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The rasp of claws on wood was very quickly starting to grate on his nerves as he lay sated and warm in the too small bed, his legs didn't even fit so his feet were hanging off the sides.
"Unurgh" Came the incoherent mumble from beneath the sheet draped over the both of them. Clearly the scratching had woken his - what? Partner? Other half? Light of his life? - unsure of what they were to each other, their developing relationship too new to even begin to label - he settles for lover - if only for this moment.
He caresses her shoulder and hears a sharp intake of breath. Maker! He didn't realise he affected her that much. Smirking to himself, he continues south and at her quickening pulse heads towards her perfect behind, palming one exquisite cheek he can't help but pinch.
At her resulting squeal, the scratching outside their room continues at an increasing pace - this time followed by incessant whining.
"Lovely as this is, I really don't think I could make love with your dog sitting outside our room." Alexia complains as still under cover, slowly crawls her way up Carvers body, delighting in the feel of his hard sinewy muscles and overheated skin, still sticky from sweat and their frenetic lovemaking throughout the night.
He laughs openly, she feels the deep resonance of his voice in her own body, sending her heart racing again. He could send her over the edge with just his voice.
"That dog is not mine so I in no way responsible for what he gets up to, besides I have no intention of letting him in, I've found I have a more interesting diversion than playing fetch with a mabari." He still has his hands on her bottom, and she pushes into them as he explores with his fingers.
"Ohhhh!" She bites her lip and moans loudly as he finds her centre, she's delightfully sore but not in a bad way. At last she comes up for air as she reaches the top of the blanket, hair all mussed and can't help but peruse his face for any indication of regret - finding only a gentle warmth which slowly turns into molten heat as Carver pushes several fingers into her, he sighs heavily as he finds her moist and warm.
Before she can arch into him and force his digits deeper into her, he suddenly pulls them out, not muttering a single word at her whimper of loss, drags her the rest of the way up to him and devours her mouth in an open mouthed kiss where she responds with equal fervour.
Deepening the kiss he pushes his tongue against hers and emits a groan at the taste of her, he doesn't believe that he could ever tire of it.
At her whimper he grabs her arms and breaks the kiss, muttering between short sharp kisses "I'd rather play help the warden find release..." However at this he pulls further back, looks down at her and sighs. "Um...Lex, we - we didn't really talk about that happened last night at the dinner, I think we were too caught up with us afterwards for that, but - I guess I need to tell you that you have nothing to worry about. Ah, Izzie is a...um...very open woman, but she has never been my type - nor will be."
Her reaction isn't one he envisioned as she visibly flinches and pulls ever further away.
"Seriously, we've just made love practically all night - I - I let - let you do things to me no one ever has and that's what you bring up in casual conversation the morning after!" Poking him in the chest with a finger to emphasise her ire.
She sits up, straddling him, the anger evident in the way her body has tightened and her previously soft eyes becoming stormy. "If I had cared what she'd done or who she is to you we'd have slept in separate rooms! Yes I admit I had been a little annoyed, who wouldn't be - you're mine, but you did nothing to suggest that you welcomed the come on. Andraste's flaming arse Carver - if the fact that I'm here with you doesn't scream I don't give a shit about your past then I've obviously fallen in love with an idiot! Great, so now you've killed the mood, I'm getting a wash!"
During her tirade she's moved closer to him, her breasts pushing up against his chest and with every angry breath he got that little bit distracted. The distraction evaporates immediately after one word breaks through the fog of arousal.
Love.
That single little word stops his heart for a second, before it gallops out of his chest. His blue gaze centres on hers - she hasn't realised the slip, not yet anyway so not wanting to ruin this one chance he breathes deep and to stop her from getting off him, takes her arms.
"Sorry - I really am sorry for being an arse yet again, clearly thinking sometimes isn't my forte, but as we were a little worse for wear last night I didn't want it hanging over our heads. I don't want to lose you. We've known each other a while now, mostly as friends or fighting alongside each other, how I didn't see what was in front of me this whole time I have no idea."
She softens as he speaks and relaxes in his hold, as the words he's wanted to say for a while flow freely from his mouth, his hands become gentler. "For me this is more than a fling. I've loved you as a friend but - more than that as well, but I've been a fool for letting the possibility of rejection stop me doing anything about it."
Carver's not the best at giving heartfelt speeches but when he finishes, Alexia's eyes are brimming with tears and as she blinks they slowly roll down her flushed cheeks. He moves to kiss them and she doesn't stop him - a positive sign he thinks.
Instead she cups his face and presses her own mouth against his in a feather light kiss, leaning back looks directly into his blue eyes, her voice thick with emotion.
"You're an idiot, but your my idiot. I truly didn't know. I love you, have done for a bit too I guess. I hadn't had to think about anyone like that in an age, the last guy I was involved with ended it to marry a girl his family thought was better suited. Turned out he had no back bone whatsoever. The final time I saw him he said we could keep seeing each other, I punched him in the head and kicked his balls, so I don't think that ended well. So we've both been stupid and idiotic not to pluck up the courage before now, I just didn't want to feel like that again, like I don't matter. Oh! Think of all this time we've missed, not being together!" She kisses him swiftly.
Her lips turn downwards at her next statement. "I also know about the Orders rules they have in place to try to prevent this from happening. You know we can't let them know we're involved, I'm not even sure they would allow us to stay in the same place after this..."
At the fear she shows, his eyes darken, his lips press together and after a second seems to make a decision and with a throaty growl lets out "Fuck the Order. We can apply for a double transfer, here or somewhere close. I only know that we will work it out."
Then as fast as lightening fuses his mouth to hers, he is beyond aroused, and whilst their tongues battle, lifts her up so she can slide down onto his length. They both still at her vocal hiss of satisfaction and he reaches to link their hands together, loving the feel of goose bumps on her arms as his fingers ghost downwards. "I'm not hurting you am I?"
The deep timber of his voice is husky with his own unspoken emotion, but Alexia cannot miss it shining from his fierce possessive gaze, leans forward and whispers "No, nothing like that at all, its just it feels so good with you inside me, I feel so very, very full."
He grins wickedly "I aim to please." Loosening his hold on her, he moves to grip her hips and pulls on them.
Without hurrying even though he wants to drive his aching body so hard back into her, lifts her up so he slowly eases out with a grunt. Her groan at the feel of him dragging against her soft walls makes him even harder if that could be possible, she can feel every single inch of him, hot and pulsing, and demands more with a cry and clenches around him.
With that he begins to move hard and fast.
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Tilting his brown head at the door before him, listening intently to the strange sounds coming from the locked room - the humans didn't sound as if they were in pain, Blaze backs away with a huff. There was only so much a dog could do to gain entry to a room, and he has his pride, so with that he pads towards his true masters bedroom, his claws clicking on the stone floor.
He whines loudly, fed up with all the closed doors and again starts scratching.
His keen canine hearing follows the light foot steps heading his way, not his master then but his step-master, but its progress and close enough, so he yelps in glee and wags his tail happily hearing the key in the lock.
Fenris peers down at the mabari with a smile asking "What brings you here Blaze?" and widens the gap in the open door so he can pass through.
Shutting the door, he walks over and sits on the bed, petting the hound along the way, which grants him a rather wet swipe of a tongue in reward. Blaze huffs and jumps on the bed too, sidling up to a snoozing Natalia.
She's only lightly dozing and snorts awake at finding a cold wet nose pressed against her bare neck, popping one eye open. "Urgh! Thank you dearly for that!" However she doesn't push him away but happily drags him closer nuzzling his head. "Hey, sorry for shutting you out for the dinner last night, but you did knock plate off tables and peed everywhere. You were just too excited I think to have everyone here, but it was for your own good. You seem to lose all control and become a pup again! Don't forget that I did ask Orana, Bodahn and Sandle to eat with us but they declined, and you love playing eh? So you had fun yes?" He whines again as if to say "yeah okay" but rolls over when she starts to rub his tummy, his stubby tail wiggling faster.
Fenris watching them snorts out his own bark of a laugh and leaning over her, runs his hand through her messed up bed hair, mindful not to snag any of his fingers. Stifling his chuckle he strokes her forehead with his fingers and thumb and her piercing blue gaze locks with his. "Well I can't stay mad at one of my boys can I?"
His roaming fingers still as he suddenly pictures a small boy-child with black hair and blue eyes so much like Natalia's and he cannot breathe from the joy he feels at such a vision.
Hawke sees the look wash over his face, she's seen it before - more so now, not as often in the early days of their romance he seemed not to know how or when to show his emotions. The more time spent together the more open he became with her, it wasn't hard to read his face now though.
This however was one feeling she could relate to, and she just knows there is nothing untoward but cannot help asking anyway. "What's wrong?"
He breaks out of his rapture and leans further into her, presses his mouth to hers with an almost reverent touch, to which she smiles. Moving his hands he peels down the blanket revealing her naked form beneath and despite her blushes, he keeps her gaze and skims her bump with his fingers.
Natalia knows her blush is ridiculous, as its only Fenris and her dog here, but can't prevent it creeping up her neck.
He asks in a low gravelly voice "What would you prefer, a boy or girl?" covering his hand, playing with his fingers, she smiles at him and replies. "I really don't mind. Anders did ask if I wanted to know - apparently there's a spell for that too for later on in the pregnancy, the wonders you discover when with child eh? I was curious, but I think its just so much more exciting - the not knowing. Just as long as he or she is happy and healthy - that's all that matters."
As she finishes speaking, Blaze tilts his head at her now displayed stomach and licks a spot near her belly button, snuffling round a bit further licks another spot on her ever expanding waistline. "Hey - that tickles!" Chuckling trying to move the hound away, at the same time pulls Fenris's hand to her cheek, kisses his palm and sighs. "You do realise when Archibald or Fustina is born, there won't be much time for cosy lie-ins such as this?"
He strokes her face once more and gracefully slides from the bed to stand again, turns to her with a not so serious look and with a "In no way is a child of mine being named either of those! Are there no books that Aveline or Isabela brought you that we not obtained from the least best-selling publications in all of Thedas? Besides I am sure we can come up with something better."
Giving a throaty chuckle at his reply, she sits up and covers herself with the blanket once more. "Hey, I'll have you know those books contain very insightful passages. For instance, did you know that if I were to shove moss in my breast band for three weeks before the birth the baby will have elf vision - that's for non elf babies of course, and that eating a corn-fed nug in your sixth month will make a son have the strength of a bull? Who wouldn't want that? And you've got to give Izzie credit, that one book she found for us certainly must have made it on your number one list?"
Grinning inanely at the blush sweeping over his face she holds her hand out flapping it in a truce, making the cover slip low again. "Okay okay - sorry, I just couldn't help it!" Giggling at him as he pokes his tongue out at her.
Deliberately husking up her voice "Later on you can show me other uses for that talented tongue of yours." The giggles die down after he shoots her a smouldering look in response and she gulps.
He stifles a groan himself as he sees her nipples pebble before his eyes, and with a smoky edge to his voice asks "Yes, that book is my number one Satinalia gift. Now we know you are well enough - if not back to full health, there are...um...certain possibilities for us, and if you are up to it later I definitely will show you an interesting find on page twenty seven."
Coughing he changes the subject, he has to physically stop himself from striding back to her and claiming her in every way he can, doing so at that moment would have denied his woman and child a hearty breakfast asks "...So...chocolate orange buns and tea for breakfast or do you wish for something else?" At the same time he motions for Blaze to leave with him, the hound huffing in compliance and scrambling off the bed trots towards to the door.
She throws the blanket fully off her finally, noticing his eyes following the bounce of her breasts, wishing fervently for him to come back to her and show her what he'd found out, but her stomach growls loudly and instead stops for a second to check for any lingering pain in her shoulder, finding nothing but a small ache and picks up the neatly folded night dress and pulls it over her head.
Scooting off the bed, stuffing her feet in the slippers Merrill kindly made her, she makes her way to the privy turns to Fenris with a "Oooh, yes please, I could eat ten of those things - well maybe not but I feel like it - thank you. Just going to the loo, I'll see you downstairs in a bit?"
As soon as she registers he's left the room, the door giving a soft click, she hurries over to their night stand and pulls the aforementioned book from the cupboard and swiftly flicks to the page in question. Her eyes roam the script and she can't help but stifle a moan - she thinks heatedly "Tonight really can't come quick enough".