Herah gasped as Sera dragged her down by the collar, bringing them face to face. Even though it wasn't a surprise, the passion and force behind the gesture took her breath away. Her lover was well over a head shorter, but that never stopped her from getting what she wanted. As soon as Sera's lips crashed against hers, Herah forgot the uncomfortable crick in her neck and the awkward angle. Indeed, Sera's kisses usually made her forget everything else in the world.

She didn't protest when Sera walked her back into the small, cluttered room she had claimed for her own. The messy piles lying about the floor almost sent Herah sprawling, but somehow, Sera managed to steer her through one of the only safe paths. Her calves hit the back of the window seat, and she slumped down onto it instinctively. As soon as she sat, Sera straddled her lap, cupping her cheek with one hand and gripping a horn with the other to continue the string of kisses.

So far, most of their sexual encounters had been very verbal. Sera's constant swearing extended to the bedroom, and she never hesitated to express her appreciation for a job well done. But this time, as frantic fingers fumbled with her clothes, trying to tug them over her head, Herah realized that things were unnaturally quiet. The only real sound was Sera's heavy breathing. Before they could get too carried away, she clasped Sera's hands in hers, staring up into her eyes. "Wait, slow down. Are you sure you want to—mmf!"

Sera's hot mouth had sealed over hers again, stalling her question. Need radiated from her every pore, and Herah realized that this wasn't just about making up. It was a way of reassuring each other, despite the urgent pace. Sera needed to believe that this moment was real, and nothing else mattered. Herah gave in, fisting the bottom of Sera's shirt in her hands and allowing the insistent tongue pressing against her lips to push inside.

The groan that vibrated between their mouths told her she had made the right decision. While Sera devoured her, she ran her hands along the elf's lean back, trying to work her fastenings open. It took a bit of effort, but at last, she managed. Her hands glided over warm, naked skin, and she felt a spike of satisfaction as Sera stiffened above her.

"Inky..." She looked up as Sera broke away from their kiss, surprised by the sound of her own name. Part of her hadn't expected her lover to speak at all. "Promise you're not going to let Coryphy-spit or some stupid magic well or anything else take you away." When she didn't answer soon enough, the muscles of Sera's face tightened with sadness, and her eyes swelled with tears. "Promise. I need to hear you say it."

Herah knew she might not be able to keep such a vow, but it was what Sera needed to hear. She wanted to give Sera whatever she needed, as many times as she needed it, until she felt safe and secure again. "I promise."

Sera's face spread in a smile, and her tears welled over. "I love you, you stupid tit," she said, swiping at her own messy face with her sleeve. "Even though you keep almost dying. So don't, or we won't be able to keep doing this..." She shrugged out of her shirt, tousling her hair in the process, and Herah's eyes zeroed in on her firm, high breasts. They were perfectly level with her face, and she leaned in, taking the pink point of Sera's nipple between her lips.

When her tongue flicked over the tip, Sera's back arched. Herah sucked eagerly, and at the pressure, Sera clutched onto her arms. The hard, black lengths didn't have sensation in themselves, but she could feel the force with which they were being gripped, letting her know just how desperately Sera needed contact. Trying to oblige, she took hold of the bare muscles of Sera's back, massaging them while her tongue kept working on the stiff point of her nipple.

"Sodding hell, that's good," Sera gasped out. "But need to feel you, too."

Small fingers tugged at the buttons of her armored coat, and Herah mumbled, "Mm, 'kay." Her mouth was too full of breast to be more coherent, but Sera seemed to get the idea. Once they pulled apart, the two of them went to work on her clothes. First her coat, then her bindings rapidly ended up joining the already considerable pile on the floor. Soon enough, she was bent back against the windowsill, with Sera's face buried in her breasts, kissing every inch of skin she could get her lips on.

"That's nice," she murmured as Sera's tongue flicked over her nipples. "Really, really nice…"

Her voice trailed off once Sera reached the flat plane of her abdomen. Her lover wasn't the only one who'd built up a load of tension that day, and she exhaled deeply, losing herself in what she was feeling. Sera's enthusiasm helped her to blank out everything else. The hot mouth on her stomach paused, and Sera's hands moved on to her pants, undoing the buttons and yanking them off with her smalls.

While Herah struggled to kick the last of her clothes away, Sera skipped right past the preliminaries. She dove right in, running her tongue along Herah's already slick folds before sliding it inside of her. Herah's inner walls rippled in response, and her hands clutched at whatever she could find, the windowsill and a cushion giving her something to hang onto as she spiraled out of control. Sera was relentless, fucking her with the point of her tongue while making sure to lap up the wetness flowing freely out of her.

It felt wonderful, but she wanted more. Wanted to be filled, taken, completely immersed in what she was feeling. "More," she pleaded, and a pair of fingers joined that wonderful, wet tongue, giving her body the stretch it craved. Once Sera had set up a solid rhythm with her hand, she moved her mouth upwards. At the first brush of her lips, Herah let out a low groan. This was what she wanted, and when a third finger joined the first two, it got even better. She clenched down hard, unwilling to relinquish what she'd been given.

As Herah's hips pushed forward in search of more, Sera looked up at her with burning eyes. "All mine," she stated, pressing her fingers against Herah's inner walls for emphasis. "All for me."

"Yes," she agreed desperately. "Just please, don't stop."

"Not gonna," Sera assured her before bringing her mouth back. A harsh suck had Herah seeing stars, and her eyes squeezed shut at the intensity of the sensations. Sera's fingers thrust as far into her as they could, and the tongue grazing her clit sped up. Under other circumstances, it might have been too much, but right then, it was exactly what she needed. What they both needed.

When her climax hit, she didn't try to hold back. She wasn't even sure if she could. It ripped through her body, leaving her a mess of shudders, and she screamed out something close to Sera's name as her muscles pulsed. She bucked, but somehow, Sera managed to follow her erratic movements, and the insistent tongue bringing her so much pleasure never stopped. Her clit twitched in the hot seal of Sera's lips, and she released in a rush of heat.

She kept shivering as her release spilled around Sera's fingers and into her palm. Her stomach muscles went rigid through most of the contractions, and colors burst inside her head. By the time she opened her eyes to watch what was happening between her legs, her vision was too fuzzy to make much sense of it. Sera's fingers were still thrusting, but the pressure of her mouth had eased a little, and the flicks of her tongue were lighter.

Herah groaned and fisted Sera's messy blonde hair, urging her to pull back. As much as she enjoyed the enthusiasm, her poor, over-stimulated body needed a break. Fortunately, Sera got the message. She removed her slick fingers and slid them into her mouth to clean them off. Meanwhile, Herah flopped sideways, unable to stand the windowsill digging into her spine any longer. An exhausted groan spilled from her lips, and she took several deep breaths, trying to summon enough willpower to pull Sera up onto the window-seat with her so that she could return the favor.

As it turned out, she didn't have to. Sera clambered back up on her own, looking much more cheerful than she had before. The confident gleam in her eyes had returned, and she seemed sufficiently convinced that neither of them were going to die in the immediate future. Herah smiled softly. As enjoyable as her orgasm had been, comforting her fearful lover was want she had wanted most. "Your turn?" she asked as Sera straddled her hips. It was a tight squeeze, mostly because of her large frame, but somehow, they both managed to fit.

Sera smirked and nodded. "You bet, Inky. Woof."

Herah was only a little surprised when Sera started wiggling further up. She was grateful for the offer, because it meant she wouldn't have to leave her comfy position. She did, however, conjure up enough energy to stroke her hands up along Sera's lean thighs. The pale skin felt incredibly soft under her palms, and desire stirred within her again.

Her heart tripped in her chest as she got a good look between Sera's legs. "Maker," she said, a little breathless from staring. Sera was already glistening with wetness, and her clit was swollen beneath its hood. "I'm surprised you didn't want to go first."

"I could wait," Sera said. "Y'know, once you made the whole not-dying promise and all. Break that, and we'll have a problem. Yeah?"

Herah grinned. "Don't worry, Sera. I'm not going anywhere."

"Right. Good. Then get to work, because since you shoved your bits in my face, I've got a problem that needs taking care of." Sera gave her hips a forward push to emphasize her point, putting herself on further display.

"That's not exactly how I remember it," Herah teased. "What I remember is you kissing your way down my body and—"

"Shut up. That mouth's done enough talking."

Herah did as she was told, pulling Sera up into her lap and putting her lips to better use.

Morrigan ran her hands through her hair, tugging hard enough that it brought a twinge of pain. She had managed to wrestle the voices of the Well under some sort of control, but her own head remained an uncomfortable place to be. Partly because of the wealth of knowledge and experience that she had only begun to plumb, but also because of her own feelings. In the years since Flemeth had sent her to travel by the Warden's side, she had come to believe that she knew both who she was and the way that the world worked. But now…

Much of what she had learned of the elves and their gods was not what she would have expected. It was humbling to realize that even after all of her studies, she had only scratched the surface of many of the ancient mysteries. The revelations about herself were even worse. She had felt genuine relief when she awoke to see Cassandra's face after absorbing the Well, and gratitude when the Seeker had helped her back to her quarters in Skyhold. And perhaps most damning of all, the look of betrayal in Cassandra's eyes after Morrigan had run off in pursuit of Abelas had hurt. Her guilt was ridiculous, and stupid, and unreasonable, but it was still there, and Morrigan wasn't going to get any peace until she dealt with it.

Sitting up in the bed that had failed to provide her with much sleep, Morrigan set herself to dressing. For the first part of her life, she had given little thought to what she wore. It was only her and Flemeth, after all, and her mother had no interest in anything so trivial as her choice of clothing. Her time at the Orlesian court, though, had given her a healthy respect for the effect that appearances could have on others. As she threw on her customary red top, she wondered if she shouldn't pick out something less revealing for this meeting.

No. I am uneasy enough with all of this. Let Cassandra feel the same way.

It was barely after sunrise when she left her quarters, but Morrigan was unsurprised to find the Seeker out in the practice yard, hacking away at one of those ridiculous dummies she was fond of hitting. As she approached, Cassandra either didn't see her or didn't bother acknowledging her presence, leaving Morrigan to begin the conversation. "Cassandra," she started, uncomfortably aware of her own hesitation as she used the Seeker's first name, "I hoped we might talk."

"A moment. I am not quite finished."

Cassandra resumed her exercises, and spite of how silly Morrigan usually found such displays of grunting and thrusting, she had to concede that the Seeker did look particularly striking. The lines of her muscles were clear beneath the tight white top she wore, and the sheen of sweat that glistened on her tanned skin in the early morning light was more appealing than Morrigan liked to admit.

With a final, powerful stroke, Cassandra crippled whatever phantom opponent she was fighting. She set down her sword and turned to Morrigan, wiping her brow clean.

"What was it that you wanted to discuss?" She sounded just as uncomfortable as Morrigan felt, even if she was trying to mask it beneath her gruffness.

"I thought I should explain what happened at the Temple of Mythal. 'Tis possible I did not make my intentions clear at the time. When I left in pursuit of Abelas, it was not my intention to abandon you. I simply wished to reach the Well before he had the chance to destroy something that we had need of."

"I see." Cassandra turned back away from her, clearly unhappy with her words. "Is that all?"

Damnation. Why must she be so difficult about this? Why must I care if she is?

"I am sorry. Is that what you want of me? To hear me admit that I should have consulted with the rest of you before I left? Well, I admit it."

Every word she spoke had to be forced out, but at least they had an effect. Cassandra turned back around, and when she did, her face had measurably softened. "It is a start," the Seeker sighed. "Morrigan, I am tired of fighting like this. There must be a better way for us to handle our interactions."

"I am relieved to hear you say that," Morrigan said, offering a hesitant smile. It was another act she wasn't accustomed to, at least not in situations like this, but she felt less tense afterward. "How do you suggest we begin? It might not always seem so, but I have a great deal of respect for your opinions. They have guided us well on many occasions."

Cassandra thought for a moment, her brow furrowing in concentration. It was a rather endearing expression, and Morrigan tried not to panic when she realized that she enjoyed seeing it. "First, I need to ask a question." She paused, and Morrigan nodded, indicating that she should continue. "Before you left to chase Abelas, you saved me from the Red Templars. You put yourself between me and a blow."

"You neglect to mention that I was a giant bear at the time," Morrigan pointed out. "In that form, I could take a blade more easily than you, sprawled on the ground without your shield."

"I know," Cassandra agreed, "and I am grateful. But why did you do it? Because you knew we needed to defeat the enemy to reach the Well and I would be of no use to you dead? Or because you didn't wish to see me harmed?"

Morrigan's heart sank with disappointment. She hadn't expected the question to be so piercing. "Was your opinion of me truly that low before, Cassandra? Of course I have no wish to see you harmed. Quite the opposite, in fact. Just because we have our occasional disagreements..." Cassandra let out an undignified snort, and instead of finding it annoying, Morrigan almost laughed. "Very well. Frequent disagreements," she amended. "But if you must hear me say it, I will. I saved you because I would never wish to see you harmed."

Cassandra remained quiet for some time, considering her words. Eventually, Morrigan could stand the awkward silence no longer. "Allow me to ask you a question in return. Why did you rush to help me after I drank from the Well? You seemed to care little for my wellbeing when the Inquisitor asked your opinion on who should drink."

The Seeker had the decency to look guilty. A blush touched her cheeks, and she reached behind her head to rub the back of her neck. The motion put her muscular arms in an even more appealing position. "I was angry," she said, and Morrigan was relieved to see that Cassandra was just as uncomfortable with apologies as she was. "You had abandoned us. Still, perhaps it was cruel of me to say that your life was of less value."

Morrigan dipped her head in acknowledgment. "You still have not answered my question. Why was yours the first face I saw when I opened my eyes? Why did you help me through the eluvian?"

"Because..." Cassandra let out a heavy sigh. "I do not make... friends... easily, but I think I would like to consider you one of mine. Despite everything."

Morrigan's eyebrow arched in surprised. "Everything? You mean my surly attitude, your astounding lack of social graces, and the extremely awkward encounter we shared in the Western Approach?"

"Yes," Cassandra gritted out. "That is what I was referring to."

It was Morrigan's turn to hesitate. She was not one for making friends either. More friends meant more opportunities to be hurt, and more chances to be disappointed. Her opinion of the world was too low to take the risk often. However, her time spent with the Warden had softened her, almost like a disease. Cassandra reminded her of the Warden in many ways, right down to her frustrating honesty, her obnoxious persistence, and her skill with a sword.

"I would like to consider you my friend as well," she admitted, a little grudgingly. "Perhaps we might not always be friendly with each other, but you have my trust and my respect. It is a gift I rarely bestow, human nature being what it is. Despite your more frustrating qualities, you are a rather exceptional person."

Cassandra looked away, clearly astonished by Morrigan's praise of her. When she had recovered her composure sufficiently, she extended a hand. "Friends, then?"

"So it would seem." Morrigan took Cassandra's hand, and as they shook, she felt a familiar charge run through her. It reminded her that she had not come down to the exercise yard simply to put an end to their bickering. Pulling back her hand, she asked, "And what of this other thing, this attraction between us? What shall we do about that?"

The Seeker bit at her lip, though she didn't look surprised by the question. "I have no idea," she confessed. "I have little enough experience with such things."

Morrigan gave what she hoped was a friendly smile, such things not exactly being her forte. "Probably no less than I. But I know enough to realize that these feelings are not going away."

"No, I suppose they are not," Cassandra admitted.

"You told me once that you couldn't pursue them. Do you still feel that way?"

Cassandra rubbed her forehead as she considered the question. Morrigan did not like how nervous waiting for a response made her. This vulnerability was exactly why she disliked emotional attachment, but she was not being given much say in the matter, not in her anxiety, nor in her relief when Cassandra said, "No."

"No?"

"No, I am not sure I still feel that way, given our new understanding. But if we're going to explore this further, I do not want it to be another squalid tryst on the floor of some ruin. We should do this properly, spend time together…"

Morrigan's eyes widened as she realized what was being suggested. "You want us to go on a date?"

Cassandra looked distinctly uncomfortable, but she still responded, "I suppose that I do. Is that thought really so terrible?"

It should have been. A part of Morrigan wanted it to be a stupid, dreadful idea that she could dismiss with a derisive snort and a wry insult. Instead, she just said, "Tomorrow evening perhaps?"

Cassandra nodded, and Morrigan was distressed to realize how much she would be looking forward to their "date".

I suppose that if there is nothing to be done, I might as well try and enjoy this.

I hope you enjoyed Morrigan and Cassandra finally trying to admit what they've been feeling. Awkward date ahoy. Please your thoughts in the reviews and thanks for reading.