Work-in-progress Wednesday
I have been slow on answering some tags of late, (by @pikapeppa @lechatrouge673 & @kemvee most recently) and probably a few farther away than that. So I am going to double up since I have been on a writing tear for the last few days and have made progress on both of my stories. (Note, they are unedited so please forgive the errors)
Here is some ansty fluff from Red Sky in the Morning (AO3) or here on Tumblr
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Kiaya’s steps were heavy as she made her way back to her tent. She had just seen Hawke’s party off. They were departing early to sneak into Adamant through a back way, while the army assaulted the gate. Kiaya was deep in emotional overload. The wall she had built in her head to keep her numb and functioning was starting to fail, of course, at the worst possible time.
The sight of Cullen sitting next to the fire outside her tent brought her to a stop. Just looking at him was a comfort, even with all the unspoken things between them. His eyes were closed, head nodding forward, and Kiaya took a moment to watch him. Her Papa’s voice drifted across her memory.
Don’t be fooled by tales, real love is both a blessing and a curse. Real love is hard, it is work. It causes pain and heartache and it will bring you joy like you have never dreamed. If it is real, you have to fight for it, and it’s worth every moment.
Kiaya finally understood what he had meant. Love had been elusive for her before now. Her few relationships had been brief, physical, convenient things, that all ended with a whimper or a bang. For the first time, she found herself desperate to stay with someone and offer them everything she had to give, the good and the bad.
“Cullen, you shouldn’t sleep like that,” Kiaya said gently, and placed her hand on Cullen’s shoulder.
“I’m not sleeping,” he replied, lifting his head and blinking at her.
“Of course not, you were just checking your eyelids for holes.” Kiaya smiled, brushing a curl back from his forehead. “Are you here officially?” Kiaya waited only long enough for him to shake his head. “Can we forget everything else for now and just go to bed.” Cullen blinked again and nodded.
Kiaya led the way into her tent.
—-
😁 And now from the yet unpublished From Earth to Sky a Varric and Cassandra love story, a little steam.
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They both stilled for a moment, Varric froze in shock at the brazenness of his hands, but Cassandra hummed quietly and then pressed herself into him. His hands began to massage her back, without much input from him. Her actions were direct, but there were so many questions that Varric’s fumbling mind grasped on the first thing he could.
“What are you worried about?”
Cassandra made a noise of pleasure when his fingers found a knot, and the sound made Varric’s blood surge. He was suddenly very grateful the woman was facing away from him. It took him a moment to focus on her answer.
“Kiaya, not surprising.” Cassandra sighed and Varric gritted his teeth. “She had more control over the mark then she has told us. It was disturbing to watch, not only in how deadly it was but also in the toll it took on her.”
Varric concentrated on breathing slowly through his nose for a moment, forgetting that meant smelling her hair which was now very near his face. Varric swallowed thickly before answering. “Smudges has a good head on her so she is unlikely to abuse it, and the answer to why she hid it might be in how difficult it is to use. Maybe it was a reaction. She’s done that before with her magic.”
Varric was proud of his coherent answer when he was feeling anything but. Lavender and steel floated through his senses. He leaned back to try and clear his head but that only succeeded in bringing his hands up to her neck and onto her skin. Varric groaned inwardly and he was done fighting. The heat of her skin against his fingertips was intoxicating and he leaned forward again, bending lower than before.
“Why did you stay? After everything was done?” He asked quietly. He felt her shiver under his hands and against his legs, reacting to his breathe against her neck and ear.
Her breathing was uneven, and she swallowed a few times before answering. “I wanted to stay. Her voice shook, “wi-“
The door banged open and the whirlwind that was Sera and Lyra burst into the room. Both were too drunk to notice anything and headed straight for the bottles in the cabinet on the far wall, but Blackwall who entered behind them certainly did.
Varric had snatched his hands back to himself like he was burned, and Cassandra was on her feet and out the door before the girls turned around. Varric wasn’t standing any time soon, so he picked up his papers and shifted in his seat, glaring at Blackwall as he took the seat opposite Varric and the others flopped down in front of the fire.
“Wait,” Lyra looked hazily around the room, “wasn’t there someone else here?”
Blackwell coughed, a poorly disguised laugh, and Varric answered before he could say anything. “You’re drunk Chimes. Must be seeing things.”
Lyra pouted. “I’m not that drunk yet.”
“Ooooh, lets,” Sera exclaimed and immediately swallowed half the contents of the bottle in her hand. The two dissolved into laughter and drinking.
Varric shook his head and shot Blackwell a dirty look. “If you’re encouraging this, you’re cleaning up after them.”
Blackwell did laugh this time. “What kind of man, do you think I am.”
Varric glared at him. “At the moment, I think you’re a smug bastard.”
—-
*giggles*
I hope you enjoyed. I will tag @thejeeperswife @kagetsukai @shannaraisles @rhetoricalrogue @inner-muse @thevikingwoman @queen-among-writers @john-cousland @lechatrouge673 @roguelioness @laraslandlockedblues @alittlestarling @a-shakespearean-in-paris @smuttine and anyone else who just wants to share.
I love you all you crazy kids! Comments and questions would brighten my day.
