Chapter Text
Back in the Diamond, there was a flurry of activity. Crows were bustling about, replenishing their supplies. Teia and the other Talons had been busy during his absence. He found the elf in her usual spot, bent over lists and maps. She looked up when she heard his footsteps.
“And?”, she asked, a certain tension in her voice. He gestured for her to follow him. She gathered the papers together and put them away before following him into his office. She closed the door behind her, and when he heard the lock click, he turned around and kissed her. It was a desperate pressing of lips, awkward, but necessary for him.
Gently, Teia placed her hands on his cheeks, just as Lee had held him before, and gently pushed him back.
“Vi…”, she whispered. She allowed him to rest his forehead against hers.
“I thought I’d never see her again.”, he admitted, allowing his voice to tremble. He had to pull himself together in front of Lilya. He had to be the voice of reason for her, yet he had been so incredibly relieved that he could have cried.
“Did they find her?”
“Yes, they did.”
“That’s great news!”, she said, relieved. She pulled him closer again, and the kiss that followed was so much better.
Her tongue in his mouth felt so good and so right. He let one hand wander down her upper body to her hip, while he slid his other hand into her thick, curly hair. When she broke the kiss again, he couldn’t suppress an unwilling grumble. Teia chuckled.
“Did she look fine?”, she asked, letting her thumbs glide over his cheekbone. Her eyes held his gaze captive.
“Yes, she looked as she always did: tired, exhausted, and desperate, but otherwise she seemed physically fine.”
“That’s good.”
“She’ll still have a lot to deal with when all of this is over.”, he said with a sigh. “Solas must have done something to her that she continued to see Varric. Besides, the death of Harding and the disappearance of Bellara have taken a toll on her. Still, I assume we can count on her.”
“Lee is tough and doesn’t leave any task unfinished. Speaking of which.”, she said, breaking free from the half-embrace. “Irelin and Isabela have brought their troops to Treviso. From here, we will travel together to Minrathous. The Veiljumpers know a way to sneak us in unseen.”
He raised a brow as she walked past him towards the sofa. She swayed her hips a little more than necessary, and when she threw him that certain look over her shoulder, he hurried to follow her.
“With the commotion outside, the Antaam got really nervous, but Noah and Neri made sure they couldn’t launch an attack. You know how these two are. Instead of resting, they’re going all out again.”
“Then maybe we should be good role models.”, he said jokingly.
“Ah, I think the two of us should really warm up before the fun starts. A certain Fifth Talon once told me that one should stretch properly to prevent unnecessary injuries.”
She grabbed him by his arm and, with a fluid motion, ensured he found himself on the sofa. With a crooked smiley, the elf sat on his lap and leaned forward. At the next words she whispered in his ear, a flush crept into his face. Yet nothing was further from his mind than to decline her suggestion.
The following morning would determine how the battle ended. Everything was fifty-fifty. The fate of the world and all their lives was at stake; how could he not try to spend this one last evening in the arms of the woman to whom he had lost his heart? The knowledge that the person closest to a sister was finally safe again allowed him to relax once more.