By the time the group set up camp for the night at one of the Inquisition's outposts, Sera had fallen into a rare reflective mood. Tormenting Cassandra and Morrigan had ceased to become entertaining hours earlier, and her mind had wandered on to other things. Things like the tall, muscular woman who was currently crouched over the kindling, coaxing it to life with her hands. The evening shadows made Herah's grey skin seem darker than usual, but there was just enough light from the embers to show that she was smiling.
Sera liked to think that smile was for her. A grin of her own pulled at her lips, and as she thought back on the day's events, it spread even wider. If anyone had told her that being chased by demons and zapped by a cursed Fade artifact could result in anything good, she would have called them crazy. But now that the danger had passed, her first instinct wasn't to think of how frightened she had been, or how close she had come to dying. Instead, she remembered the way Herah had rushed to her rescue. How Herah had forgiven her, even though she had bolted at the first touch of dangerous magic. And when she had finally made up for her cowardice by placing her trust in Herah, that faith had not been misplaced.
There was something more than attraction between them. Something worth putting up with the waggly glowing fingers and the staves and the balls of fire that flew too close to her head for comfort whenever they fought together. Herah was a woman worth hanging on to, despite her eccentricities. A woman she could see herself falling in love with. Maybe she had even seen it before, and that potential was what had frightened her more than all the magic in Thedas. But she wasn't frightened now. Instead, she felt positively giddy as Herah let out a whoop of triumph and stepped back from the fire pit, excited about their newly expressed feelings for each other, and eager to see what they could build together.
Not to mention exploring the other good bits of being with someone, she thought as she admired the shapely swell of Herah's backside. Unfortunately, she didn't get to admire it for long as Herah turned around and headed for the log where Sera had perched herself. "Well, I did it. I built a fire without conjuring it. Be proud of me."
That explained why Herah looked so smug, but Sera still didn't understand what she had been trying to accomplish. "First off, fire's easy. Weren't you a mercenary before this? I thought all you pirate-y types could do things like set fires."
Herah wasn't offended. Instead, she laughed, and Sera felt herself grow warm even though the wind was blowing the smoke from the fire in the opposite direction. "Come on, Sera, I thought you'd appreciate the effort. Besides, I know you're funny about magic, but don't tell me you wouldn't snap your fingers and just make it appear if you could."
"Fair enough," she admitted. After a moment, she scooted aside and patted the empty space on the log beside her. "Whatchoo waiting for, then? A fancy invitation on gold Orlesian stationary? Plant your arse down here." Herah sat, and Sera leaned in, resting against the side of the Inquisitor's arm since she was too short to reach her shoulder. "I'm not funny about all magic, yeah?" she whispered after a moment. "I think your type's nice. Still don't want it near my face, because it's fire and all, but it's helped us. You've helped me."
Herah seemed to sense that the conversation had shifted to something more serious. A strong arm folded around Sera's shoulders, giving the rogue a more comfortable place to rest. "Not that I mind the compliments, but I think we've already had this conversation."
"Good." Sera shifted beneath the circle of the arm, turning so she had a good view of Herah's face. The fire filled out the hollow places beneath her high cheekbones, but despite the angular planes of her features, her eyes were dark and soft. "Then you won't mind this..."
Herah leaned down at the same time Sera tilted up. It took a moment for them to find each other, but when their lips met, both of them melted. Sera held still at first, clinging to that initial, powerful feeling, but her contentment didn't last long. Soon, they both began moving, her arms wrapping around Herah's body while the Inquisitor's hand cupped the back of her head, pulling her deeper into the embrace.
It was an intoxicating sensation. Though this wasn't their first kiss, it was one that was finally free of the hesitations and fears that had held Sera back before. She lost herself in it, drinking in the warmth of Herah's mouth. It felt as if that heat was traveling to every part of her body: her limbs, her chest, and most especially settling between her legs. When, at last, their lips slid mere inches apart, she suggested, "Maybe we should head for your tent then, yeah?"
Herah raised an eyebrow and lowered her voice to a sultry purr that made Sera's heart beat faster. "Good idea. After all, I think there's already been enough accidental voyeurism for one day."
Sera smirked at that before her humor gave way to enthusiasm. She practically yanked Herah to her feet, and the two women stumbled through the Inquisition camp, unwilling to entirely break their physical connection even in the interest of greater speed. Sera felt positively giddy, drunk on the thrilling prospect of something she had long fantasized about while fearing that it would never actually happen.
Pushing aside the flaps of the Inquisitor's large tent, Sera led them inside before searching out the lantern she knew Herah kept there. As she lit it, she offered up a smile. "Want to make sure to have a good view of this. 'Cause you, I mean…" Her words trailed off into a stew of lustful thoughts and she just repeated, "Really need to have a good view."
A light sprang into existence and in its flickering glow, Sera could see one of Herah's eyebrows rise. "A good view, huh? Of what, exactly?" She stripped as she spoke, undoing her leathers and breeches while keeping her eyes locked with Sera's. As more and more of her skin was unveiled, Sera had to check and make sure she wasn't actually drooling on herself. She'd spent far too much time imagining what Herah might look like naked, but this met even her inflated expectations.
The Inquisitor's body was tall, dark, and very, very delectable. Sera was hungry to run her tongue over every inch of it, to tease the firm tips of her breasts and kiss the grooves of muscle on her abdomen, but she made herself wait until Herah had bared everything before she pounced. She leapt into her arms, planting kisses on her lover's throat and collarbone while her hands ran along the powerful lines of her arms.
Herah let out a laugh at her enthusiasm, but when Sera's mouth reached her full breasts, the mirth turned into the first of what she hoped would be many moans. She lavished attention on the large, dark nipples, sucking on them until they were diamonds in her mouth, but her fun didn't last forever. Distracted as she was by what she was doing, she scarcely noticed Herah moving until she was flat on her back on the bedroll.
"I want a look too," Herah declared before getting to work on removing the rogue's clothes. She started with her shirt, but it wasn't long before she too got distracted. Instead of moving lower than Sera's waist, she started nibbling playfully her chest, and Sera tried to help out, yanking her own tights down off her ass. Somewhere around her ankles though, the feel of hot lips sliding over her breasts made her lose her coordination entirely.
The tease of Herah's tongue sent fire flickering through the rest of her body. Sera found her hips arching without conscious thought, and low noises vibrated in her throat as she struggled to sort through the intense sensations. Her hands refused to settle in one place, digging into the bedroll one moment and squeezing Herah's shoulders the next. Once they'd met naked skin though, she couldn't bear to give it up. Her palms roamed the broad, muscular expanse of Herah's back, learning the contours she had only felt beneath fabric before.
She tried speak, to give Herah a playful nudge downward, but the steady pressure of her lover's mouth was almost too good to give up. It was large enough to swallow most of her breast, but always seemed to find the most sensitive places. Sera's words died halfway to her lips, and all she could manage was a groan of desire and frustration. Part of her had imagined their first time would be playful, but even though Herah was taking the time to tease her, she felt the deliberate sincerity behind every touch.
It wasn't until those wide, dark eyes stared up at her with the glint of the lantern-light in them that she finally caught her breath. "Sera," the Inquisitor whispered, dragging a hand down along the twitching muscles of her stomach. Her calloused palm was broad enough to cover most of its surface, but exquisitely gentle all the same. "Could I..."
Sera didn't know whether to be frustrated or amused. "Inky," she groaned, the sound somewhere between a sigh and a laugh. The pet name made Herah smile, and Sera felt another sharp stab of desire between her legs. Those dark lips really were beautiful, and she suspected they were good for more than just kissing. "Get your pretty mouth down there now and show me what else you can do with it besides gab, yeah?"
Hera's grin grew even wider. She started a string of kisses, and Sera shivered as the winding trail led lower and lower. Soon, the ticklish pecks and wet nips were scattered across her thighs and she parted them instinctively, while her hands finally found a permanent home - clutching the curved horns on top of Herah's head. Knew there was a reason I liked 'em, she thought, reflecting back on some of the fantasies she had indulged in during quieter moments. Good for more than just show.
Then blissful warmth enveloped her, and her admiring thoughts splintered apart. Aside from her hot and cold flirting with Herah and several nights spent alone in her bunk, it had been a good while since her last sexual encounter. Her body wasn't prepared to process so much pleasure at once. She cried out, freezing and shivering since she couldn't decide whether to pull away or rock forward. The heat that slid between her lips and skimmed over the stiff bud of her clit was unexpectedly soft, but it threatened to undo her all the same. She clenched her teeth, choking back curses as that same heat folded around her and tugged, the rogue clutching even harder at Herah's horns.
Fortunately, Herah didn't seem to mind the pressure. When Sera glanced down to watch the show between her legs, she noticed that indeed, the Inquisitor seemed very pleased with herself. Her mouth was busy, but the rest of her face was smiling, especially her eyes. She seemed to glow every time a swirl of her tongue or the careful graze of her teeth drew out a reaction. Sera couldn't help but give them to her. Even if she'd wanted to, the sounds that slipped out every time Herah did something right wouldn't be stifled.
Fuck it. Let her be smug. She's bloody well earning it.
Herah finally grew tired of teasing, instead setting to work in earnest. Her tongue seemed to touch Sera everywhere, running through her folds and across the length of her clit all at once and when it slid inside, Sera gasped. It was so thick that it felt as if Herah was fucking her with it, dragging its length against her aching front wall before pressing down. Sera rocked her hips against Herah's face, desperate for everything she could get. Repeated thrusts of that marvelous tongue had her arousal spilling out over her lover's chin, but it wasn't enough by itself to push her over the edge.
It was still wonderful, though. Herah showed the same care as a lover that she always had as a friend, her affection clear even through the haze of Sera's lust. "Andraste's tits, Inky," she murmured. "'S-so good, don't… don't stop."
Rather than answer with words, Herah slid upward, drinking in a little more of Sera's arousal before returning to her clit. The hard ridge jumped as soon as she made contact with it. Every stroke was an electric thrill, and Sera could already feel her climax stirring in her core. Her hands tightened around Herah's horns, and when her lower body began to buck and thrash, her lover returned the favor, gripping her ass to better hold her in place.
Sera's thighs squeezed around Herah's head as the final threads of her restraint snapped. She locked onto her lover's eyes, those dark, soulful eyes that she adored, and the burning lust she saw there was the last straw. The charge in her clit spread out to every corner of her body, her slim frame tensing for long seconds and then relaxing into ripples of delight. Her arms slumped off of Herah's head, and she was unable to do anything but flop limply onto the bedroll, a string of mumbled endearments falling from her mouth while Herah's tongue coaxed out every last drop of her pleasure.
"So," Herah asked, traces of Sera's orgasm still glistening on her chin, "Was that worth all the waiting we did?"
"Mm, definitely." Sera's voice was still unsteady and her limbs felt like jelly, but the sight of the gorgeous, naked woman framed by lantern-light was enough to motivate her to try and find her composure. She brushed a few strands of hair away from her face before reaching a trembling hand up to Herah's thigh. The skin there was warm beneath her, and her lover's clear eagerness for more drew Sera upwards.
She fell into Herah's waiting arms, running her lips along the line of her collarbone. It wasn't easy for her to move the larger woman down to the bedroll, so she coaxed her there with her touch instead. The Inquisitor took the hint, flipping onto her back and spreading her legs. In spite of her size, she looked remarkably vulnerable laid out like that. Just then, Herah didn't seem appear as an Inquisitor or a mage, just an incredibly aroused woman whose body was begging for Sera's care.
It was a reassuring thought, as well as an arousing one, and Sera licked her lips in anticipation. She ran her hands over the firm expanse of Herah's skin, able to simply enjoy the silky feel of it under her fingertips without worrying about anything else. A low moan vibrated in Herah's throat, a sound that made Sera's own body hum in reply. She took a dark nipple between her lips, and the noise grew louder. Herah's hand gripped her head, and she groaned, "Please, Sera..."
She gave Herah's nipple a little tug with her teeth before lifting up her head. "Need a little more, then?"
"Oh, hell yes." Hunger dripped from every word Herah spoke, and Sera relished this new sense of control. She began kissing down the Inquisitor's body, lingering in the places that Sera dizzy with delight, and she teased until Herah lost patience. Those large, lovely hands that had brought her body pleasure earlier now pushed down on her head, relatively gentle, but still insistent. "Sera, come on, I need..."
"I know what you need," she hummed, letting a few giggles escape as she planted ticklish kisses in a circle around Herah's navel. She nipped a patch of skin there before draping her lover's muscled legs over her shoulders and sinking between them. She was relieved to discover that Herah didn't look too much different there than she did. Her outer lips were plumper, and her inner folds were a delightful shade of dark purple bordering on black, but the shape was similar. Her clit was already straining at attention, and every inch of her sex glistened.
Sera didn't hesitate. She wasn't going to waste any more time looking when she could touch and taste. Her fingertips ran back and forth between Herah's slick folds, exploring them before she finally lowered her head. The flavor that spread across her tongue was salty and sweet all at once, and heavy in a good way. She let her tongue swipe across the folds for a moment before sliding up to suck on the tempting bud waiting above Herah's entrance.
As soon as her lips made contact, Herah stiffened. Blunt fingers tangled in Sera's already disheveled hair, and even more wetness spilled into her mouth. The flood only increased her determination. She experimented, trying to find the pressure and stroke Herah would respond to best. Circles earned her low moans, while steady sucking with the seal of her lips made them rise in pitch. She congratulated herself whenever Herah's voice broke and every time she shivered. Sera had always liked being a generous lover, but these reactions enthralled her more than anything she could remember. She craved more, almost as much as she had craved her own pleasure, and so she added her fingers. The Inquisitor was surprisingly tight around her, and each stroke of Sera's hand earned her fresh wetness.
After a few minutes though, she realized that her explorations were driving Herah close to the point of no return. Her lover was a mess of sighs and shudders, and her hips rocked desperately in search of more whenever Sera drew her hand back or slowed down. She began a steady thrusting motion, hooking her fingers every time she pulled out, and she lashed her tongue at what she hoped was a good speed. As much as she loved Herah's pleasure, she really wanted to see the end result. She had spent far too many nights imagining what it would be like to make this woman come, and she was determined to experience the reality now.
It didn't take much more. One final push of her fingers and one more swirl of her tongue, and Herah shattered beneath her. The hands on the back of her head trembled, as if Herah was afraid of clutching too hard, but the rest of her muscles clenched tight. A powerful pulse rocked her entire body, and Sera's heart swelled as even more warmth ran over her chin. The stiff bud between her lips throbbed, and she lavished attention on the tip before dipping down to taste her well-earned reward.
Herah was even more delicious when she was coming. Sera removed her fingers and worked her tongue in as far as it would go, sighing with happiness. Bringing Herah over the edge had been even better than she had hoped. She savored the moment as long as she could, continuing until well after her lover's body had calmed and her contractions had diminished to soft flutters. Only then did Sera lift her head, running her tongue proudly over her glistening lips. Between her legs, her own clit was already aching once more, the sheer delight of tasting Herah enough to inflame her desire.
"Well?" she asked before the Inquisitor had even caught her breath. "... Again, yeah?"
Herah laughed at her enthusiasm, and a wide grin stretched across her face. She patted the space beside her on the bedroll, and Sera climbed up to cuddle happily against her side. "Definitely. Give me a minute to recover, and I'll be ready for round two."