#nelka's adventures in thedas

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ZevWarden Week

@zevranology

Day 1 - Massage

This got super long but I think I started writing and just remembered how much I love these two?  So here is what actually happened between Zevran and Warden Nelka Brosca when he offered to give her a massage.

“You just want to get in my pants,” Nelka said with a glare as Zevran made his proposition.  

“My dear, I do believe that I’ve made it quite clear that winding up in your pants would please me greatly,” he teased with a smirk.  He then cleared his throat and continued, somewhat more serious, “Despite that, I would never ask anything of you that you are not willing to give.  You are our fearless leader, and you appear so exhausted.  I have few skills beside murder, but massage is among them and I, as a friend, would like to help you relax, if only for the night.  Our pants can remain on.”

Both of them laughed, and Nelka fidgeted with her sleeve.  Damn, that was smooth.  

She sighed, then smiled.  “Alright.  A massage does sound nice, I’ll admit that.  And we’ll see where the night goes from there.”

To make sure he didn’t see the blush rising in her cheeks, Nelka stepped past Zevran and into his tent.  He followed shortly behind.   

The only massages Nelka had ever gotten were from her sister, Rica, after a long and stressful day, generally when Nelka was bruised and bloody from some Carta job.  Rica was gentle with her little sister, but the way Zevran’s hands moved across Nelka’s body… she shivered.  A good shiver.  

Nelka would’ve been lying if she said she wasn’t attracted to Zevran.  But she’d never had a real relationship, sexual or romantic, and he had been in so many of the former and didn’t seem particularly interested in the latter.  

She let out a heavy sigh.  

“Feeling relaxed?”  Zevran asked.

In truth, the massage had eliminated much of her worry regarding the Blight and Loghain and all of the other issues plaguing Ferelden.  Replacing that fear, though, came consternation regarding her feelings for Zevran.  

“Better,” she admitted.  

Her trepidation must have been obvious in her voice, as Zevran paused the massage.  “What is it?  You still sound worried.”

Though he’d stopped kneading her muscles, his hands still rested gently on her back, and Nelka was far too distracted by the warmth of his palms for a conversation like this.  

“I’m always worried.”

“Please, Nellie.  Try your best to relax.  When is the last time you slept?”

“Last night, obviously.”

He started massaging her back again.  She didn’t realize how sore her muscles were until the tension slowly faded away.  

“You know what I meant.  When is the last time you slept well?”

“I grew up in Dust Town.  I think the last time I slept well was when I was a baby and didn’t know better.”

Zevran chuckled.  “Alright, I can appreciate that.  The Crows hardly provide a relaxing lifestyle.  But I’ve learned to find moments of peace.  Often at the side of a lover, I’ll admit, but…”

Nelka was grateful for the darkness of the tent as she burrowed her face into a pillow.  Ugh, why did you have to fall for the hot assassin?  Why are you letting him give you a massage?  All alone in his tent?  C’mon, Nelka, what are you thinking?

Despite the thoughts that kept racing through her head, she didn’t move or make any attempt to leave.  The massage was doing her good and the fact that it was Zevran giving it absolutely contributed to that.  Realizing that the relaxation came from his presence more so than the movement of his fingers was more worrying than any fear she’d faced previously.

After clearing her head as best she could to focus only on the massage, Nelka was acutely aware when Zevran’s fingers accidentally slipped under the edge of her shirt and onto her bare skin.  

“Oh, I am sorry.  That was not my intent, you must know that.”

Nelka believed him.  But she also didn’t mind.

“I think… I think it’s okay, actually.”

“Are you sure?  I don’t want to push you toward anything.”

“You’re not.”  She leaned up and glanced back at him, giving him a sincere smile.

He returned the smile and obliged, letting his hands wander just underneath the seam of her shirt, careful, waiting for Nelka to say something and ask him to back off.

But she didn’t.  And Zevran responded by letting his fingers traverse more of her skin and kneading the muscles all the way up her bare back.

Oh no.  Oh no, that felt really good.  

A quiet moan escaped Nelka’s lips and she immediately cursed herself while Zevran chuckled.  

“Now that’s what I like to hear.”

“You’re really good at this,” she said truthfully, biting her lip.  

“I get that a lot too.”

Even though he couldn’t see her face, Zevran still knew that she was rolling her eyes at his comment.  

“I trust this is helping take your mind off of things?”

“It’s certainly putting my mind onto other things, that’s for sure.”  

Shut your damn mouth, Nelka.  What kind of comment is that?  What are you doing?

“Would you like me to continue?”  His hands waited carefully on her skin.  “Or… perhaps massage some other areas?”  Zevran moved his hands around her sides and his fingertips just barely brushed over the sides of her breasts.  It was clear he didn’t want to assume or take advantage of Nelka, simply testing the waters and showing her the options.

“I…” she mumbled, instinctively tensing back up.  

Zevran immediately moved his hands away and removed them from Nelka’s person entirely.  “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Nelka replied, rolling over and sitting up to face him.  “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

He inclined his head.  “I understand.  But, as I said, I will not push.  If you want me to continue with an innocent massage, you need only ask.  If you wish to leave now, I will neither blame you nor pursue you.”

“It’s not that.  I just…”  Nelka sighed.  It’s not as if he wasn’t just practically feeling her up in their campsite or if they hadn’t been flirting from the very moment they met, even with Zevran bleeding out on the ground after a botched assassination attempt.  “I don’t necessarily want you to stop.”

Zevran raised his eyes, genuinely surprised.  

“I’m really attracted to you,” she said, barely speaking louder than a whisper.  “I know better than to trust people.  We both do.  But I trust you, Zevran, for better or worse.  And I… I… I want…”  

This was super attractive, Nelka.  Stuttering and hugging your knees up to your chest, yeah, that’ll turn him on.  All of her confidence had melted away and she could barely meet his eyes.

Staring at her legs, Nelka was completely surprised when Zevran brushed her hair away from her face and cupped her cheek, gently brushing her skin and looking into her eyes.

“May I kiss you?”

Her eyes opened even wider.  “I… see!?  This is what I’m worried about!”  She cried.

“Worried about what?”  Zevran questioned.  

He was so close to her.  She could feel his breath.  Damn it, Nelka.  Look at the mess you’ve gotten into now.

“I’ve never kissed anyone before.  Or… or anything beyond that.  Flirting, sure, but nothing else.  And you, well, you’re experienced with just about everything in this area.  I tease and flirt and play with it all, but now that there’s a chance of it actually happening?  With someone who is incredibly attractive and can tell how freaked out I am just from a couple words?  I want to kiss you, sure, but I’m scared.”

“Scared of what?”  Zevran hadn’t moved away.  His eyes wandered over Nelka’s expression and he looked both invested and concerned as she spoke.

“That it’s going to be disappointing.  Not so much for me, but for you.”

“You needn’t worry about that.  Simply being in your presence is an honor and a pleasure.  Every moment beyond that simply exceeds expectation.  And besides, there is nothing to be ashamed of for never having kissed another person.  Everyone has to start somewhere, if they so wish.  In truth, I would be flattered if you wanted me to be your first kiss, since it means so much to you.  And be that tonight, or some other night down the road, that does not matter to me.”

For the way he spoke and behaved as the suave and flirty lover, Nelka didn’t expect this side of him, the compassionate and caring persona that sat before her.  

She didn’t consciously lean toward him, but soon enough her lips were mere millimeters from Zevran’s.  At that point, though, she realized what she was doing and hesitated.  

But thankfully, Zevran picked up the slack and pressed his lips to hers.  He was soft and tender as his fingers wound through her hair.  

“That was hardly disappointing,” he remarked as he broke away for a moment.  

Nelka smirked, her cheeks burning.  “Can we do that again?”

“It would be a pleasure.”  Zevran laughed as he kissed her again, this time pulling her closer with a hand around her waist.  

With a few kisses, all of Nelka’s stress and fear faded away with more efficacy than with the massage.  She leaned in closer and wrapped her hands around his neck, thinking of nothing other than the taste of his lips and the feeling of his body against hers.

“Now you’re getting the hang of it,” he teased.  

When they both needed to pause for air, they drew back from each other and it was all Nelka could do to stop from letting out an embarrassed giggle.  

“Thank you,” she said.  “Is that weird to say?”

Zevran laughed, but shook his head.  “As I said before, it was indeed a pleasure.  And should you ever wish for more, you know who to ask.”

As she blushed again, Nelka looked away, but Zevran used his hand to move her face back toward him.  

“You need not hide your face or be ashamed.  There is nothing wrong with it, with anything.”

“Do… do you think that I could sleep here tonight?  Just sleep, for now?”

“Of course.  These Ferelden nights do get exceedingly cold.”

Zevran rested backwards on his bedroll and gestured for Nelka to curl up beside him, and she eagerly obliged.  

“Thank you, Zevran.”

“Mm?  What for?”  He pressed his lips to her forehead.

“For showing me that it’s alright to trust someone.”

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ZevWarden Week #5

Day 5 - Character Development

@zevranology

I’m sorry this was a day late!  Life got in the way and I’m bad at keeping track of things *finger guns*

I think this will probably be the only serious thing I’ll write this week.  I’m usually one for snark in my writing, but I hope this works too!  

If you’d told Nelka she’d one day be living on the surface, she would have laughed in your face. She expected nothing more from life than to move her way up the Carta ranks until she died. Which, in Dust Town, wouldn’t have been very far off. If she made it another decade or two, she’d be a lucky one. 

If you’d told Zevran he’d one day be living free of the Crows, he likely would have just killed you. He expected nothing more from life to move his way up the assassin organization’s ranks until he died.  He hoped it would be a glamorous death, surrounded by beautiful people.

Both had considered taking their lives and being done with it, both with varying levels of dedication to such a deed. Neither would have expected life to hold such wonders ahead. 

Fighting the Blight seemed more than difficult enough, but to survive and emerge victorious? To face down the Crows and haughty nobles and the Taint and all other manner of evils? Those were surprising feats, indeed, but somehow they were not as surprising as the fact that they completed them together. 

Zevran never expected that he would fall in love again. Nelka never expected that love would be anything more than a risk and inconvenience.

But somehow, despite their closed off hearts, they found each other. 

It was all fun and games and flirty sex until neither wanted to leave the next morning, after swearing that their relationship was only physical. They were too eager to stay wrapped up in each other.  Once they started talking about the future after the Blight, they should have known it was too late, that their emotions had already won. 

And years later, hidden away in a quiet house on the sea, a home, they were still wrapped up in each other. To sleep peacefully used to be a risk, a chance to fall prey to an enemy. But now? There was nothing else but calm, soothing, sleepy breath and the warmth of their bodies, tangled up together. 

Neither Zevran nor Nelka would have expected to find love, least of all together.  But all of the losses and pain along the way were worth it for every moment they spent together and each kiss they shared. 

And one day, when their lights grew dimmer, they would wander together into the great beyond, to whatever adventure that exists after the grave.  Together. 

But that was still a ways off. For now, they had plenty of life, and plenty more memories to share.