Archive of Our Own

Inadas dragged their pack into the dining hall and dropped it onto the table.

"What have I asked?" Lucanis demanded from the kitchen, gesturing with his paring knife. "No outdoor equipment on the table where we eat."

Inadas' brow flickered in irritation, but they dragged it off the edge and dumped it into a chair instead. "Better?"

"Ai. Good enough." He turned back to his preparations. Travel rations had greatly improved since his arrival.

A hand came around Inadas' waist -- Neve in the chair beside them, eyes on the first of a stack of Minrathous gossip rags, pen in her other hand. One hand rubbed Inadas' hip mindlessly, while the other underlined a sentence. She shook her head at the text.

Inadas tilted their head to get a better look at her. Still tired, still beautiful. Her hair sat neatly over her shoulder, leading their gaze right down her half-buttoned shirt.

"Shame I have to leave in a bit," Inadas murmured. "You look beautiful this morning."

"For the best," Neve answered. "Might be something interesting in these today."

"It's always half-lies."

"Which makes it half-true somewhere." Finally, the detective glanced up, a smile flickering across her face. "Who's going with you?"

"Just Harding. Rock stuff."

Neve let out a small laugh. "No time for one cup of coffee?"

"Afraid not." Their hand ran through her hair, feeling its softness. How did she get it so sleek all the time? Inadas' was long and straight but coarser in texture, prone to tangles. "But I'll be back soon."

Neve patted their hip one last time affectionately and released them. Reluctant, Inadas unwound their hand from her hair. Lucanis finished packing their food just as Harding came in to grab hers.

"What's in here?" she asked, peering into the container of food.

"None of your monstrosities," Lucanis answered curtly.

The dwarf stuck her tongue out. "You would never survive in Ferelden."

"Thank the Maker."

They grinned at each other.

"Come on, Inadas," Harding said, spinning on her heel to march out. "Bye, Neve!"

Eyes still on the papers, Neve tilted her head so Inadas could plant a kiss on her cheek.

Instead of a peck, she was rewarded with a flat-tongued lick, dog-like. Neve gave a scoff of disgust and shoved Inadas' face away while the elf laughed.

"I don't like half-assed goodbyes," Inadas said pointedly.

Neve rubbed her face with the back of her hand. "I'm not sure you deserve a whole-assed one!"

They opened an arm expectantly. "Just in case."

The detective puffed out a breath, shook her head, then stood and enveloped Inadas in a hug. "When you get back, we're going to have a talk," she said into their shoulder.

Inadas pulled back and kissed Neve gently on the lips. She caved immediately. Then they kissed her forehead. "Looking forward to it."

With one final smirk, Inadas shouldered their pack and followed Harding out of the dining hall.

Neve sighed and sat back down. Lucanis raised his brows. She only crossed one leg over her knee and resumed her reading.

The rage demon tore through the grass, leaving scorch marks in its trail, bits of fire dispersing from its molten skin. Inadas was quick, but not that quick; it bowled them over, head banging into the ground, bow skittering out of reach, and raised its claws to tear into them.

Desperate, they jabbed the arrow still clutched in their hand into it, but it did little except make it shriek louder. One claw came down, slashing them across the face.

Then suddenly, frost spread over the surface of its skin, spreading down from the top of its head to its amorphous legs, and hardened into ice. The ice spread up the shaft of the arrow. Inadas yanked their hand back before they were caught in it.

Neve stepped in their line of sight and swung her scepter hard into the demon's head, shattering it. A mess of frozen lava fell over Inadas.

Neve turned. She was wide-eyed, her cool momentarily disturbed, and she dropped to her knees beside Inadas. That she was getting her beautiful coat all dirtied up didn't seem to matter. She clasped her hands around their face, eyes slashing up and down to check their injuries.

"I'm alright," Inadas said, corner of their mouth flicking up. "What's that face for?"

She let out a sharp breath through her nose. "That wasn't your best work," she said. She was trying to sound like herself, casual, collected, but her voice was hoarse, as if she was trying to keep from crying.

Inadas pushed themself to sit upright and patted Neve's elbow. "Next time I'll ask the demon to slow down a bit."

Neve let out a strangled noise. "Not sure diplomacy suits you."

"It's a last resort."

Her voice dropped into a whisper. "Kiss me."

How could Inadas refuse? They leaned forward and kissed her despite the enormous cut on their lip lending an iron taste. It was long, but by the end of it, Neve seemed reassured.

"Miracle cure," Inadas said. They definitely still had a concussion but who was counting?

Neve sniffed and cleared her throat, and then stood. She held out her hand to haul Inadas up. Her own lips were bloodstained now. "Shall we?"

17. height difference kisses where one person has to bend down and the other is on their tippy toes