Work Text:
“We have to stop meeting like this, Divine.”
Ashur's eyebrow raised, though to Pandora it probably looked like it was lowered, given that she was currently upside down, hanging by the foot from a boat hook, her silk shirt riding halfway up. He crossed his own arms, half amused, half annoyed at his paramour. He stepped closer, then looked around at the empty warehouse as she swung there, finding them completely alone, save for the venatori bodies.
“Amatus…where is your team?”
“Around.”
“Pandora.”
Pandora reached up, her hand just not quite reaching her ankle. “What can I say, I wanted to get the job done sooner, knew they'd slow me down. Then I fell. Luckily the hook caught me. Get me down?” She grinned at him cheekily.
With a shake of his head, Ashur nimbly hopped onto the crate nearby and carefully unhooked Pandora's ankle, catching her and gathering her into his arms as she sounded off with a light-headed giggle.
“Oh, thank you. I was hanging there for…I don't know how long, I was starting to get dizzy.” She said as he slowly helped her stand. Ashur rolled his eyes slightly, but his next word was cut off by a soft press of lips to the skin next to his eye, right above where his mask ended. “Ashurrrr~” She purred. “Why did you come?”
“Call it a sixth sense.”
Pandora turned and walked away, leaning down to pick up the daggers on the floor nearby. “A sixth sense? Would that sixth sense happen to be named Neve Gallus? Or would it be Promei, that slippery bastard?” As she stood, she checked her blades for divots, her brow furrowing as she clicked her tongue.
Ashur bumped her shoulder. “Both. They were incredibly worried about you. You shouldn't wander off on your own.”
Pandora bristled at that, and produced a packet from her coat, waving it in his face with a laugh. “But I got the intel. We shall have that Venatori rat bastard soon.”
Ashur reached for the packet, but she pulled back, laughing more before handing it over. He took it, flipping it over in his hands. “Intel is not worth getting killed over.” He said tersely, tucking the folder into his own cover. “This is your third strike.”
“Strike?!” Pandora's indignation was biting. “I'm not a child, Ashur.”
“Then stop acting like one.” He hissed, grabbing her arm and pulling her to his chest. Partially so she would see how serious he was, and partially so he could feel her heart beat. She'd been incredibly reckless as of late, always seeking to prove herself. “The others aren't as forgiving as I am.”
She didn't need to prove herself. But he knew she thought she did, and for that, he was partially to blame.
‘The Viper's Girl.’
Pandora had started in the Shadows as a perfectly capable agent, and had risen to most challenges. It was what caught Ashur's eye, after all. But soon enough, she started receiving criticism amongst the agents. And he knew she hated it.
Though…not enough to hate him for it, apparently.
“I'm fine, Ashur. You needn't worry your pretty little noble head.” She booped his nose, though her honeyed words had the same amount of venom as an asp's bite. His little snake in the grass. He knew the hidden meaning underneath.
He pulled her closer. “I don't want you to be fine.” He almost growled, tucking a finger under the pendant she wore and using it to pull her upwards, towards him. With his other hand he lifted his mask. “I want you to be happy, without the needless danger.”
“And here I thought you'd liked danger, Vesperi–”
He cut her off by pressing his lips to hers, and she settled into a content hum, wrapping her arms around him. This was one way to silence the anxiety in his head, to assure she was actually there. Pandora always felt like incorporeal to him, in the way that she never felt like she belonged to the group, always seeming one step away from disappearing into the night, and it scared him sometimes.
When he pulled away, he cupped her face to prevent her from pulling back too quickly. “Neve and Promei weren't the only ones worried sick. You didn't check in.”
Pandora rubbed her hands up and down his arm, flattering the material but also seemingly seeking comfort. “I had to chase a lead, Ashur, I couldn't let it slip us by.”
Ashur took a deep breath and looked around them, hearing the sounds of the harbor. Thinking back, this is where he'd met Pandora, all those years ago. Not this building, but the area.
“Would it kill you to just stay still for once? I don't relish the idea of one day it being your corpse hanging from that hook.” Ashur took her hand, pressing it to his masked cheek. “This work suits you, it always has, but I worry.”
Pandora's expression softened, and she nuzzled into his hand, biting at the flesh at his wrist with her canines, sending shivers down his spine he fully expected to repay at the safehouse next chance he got.
“You're the only one who's allowed to say these things, Ashur.” She crooned, kissing his palm. “If anyone else worried about me this much I'd have to have them killed.”
“That's a longer list than you think.”
“Like you would know.”
“I know you better than you know yourself, it sometimes appears.”
She scoffed, finally attempting to pull away. He allowed her to, though he was still honestly annoyed at her recklessness. He was about to speak again, to ask her to come with him tonight, so he could make sure she was safe, when Pandora got that look. The one that meant she was about to pick a fight.
“I know you, Amatus. You came to whisk me away, did you not? Little Pan just can't handle herself. What did Tarquin say this time? That I can't be trusted? That you should give up on trying to, how did he put it? ‘Wrangle’ me?” She checked her nails nonchalantly as she sheathed her blades.
Ashur shook his head with a sigh. “Pan…I didn't come here to fight.”
Pandora huffed, but didn't quite have much to say to that. She turned and walked away, her hair swishing behind her. Ashur resisted the urge to follow. Being coddled wasn't the way to make her see that her actions had consequences beyond herself. He could only protect her so much.
_____________________
Hours later, the mage light began to dim in his office as it ran low on magic. He quickly recharged it, but as he did it brought back a small memory.
Pandora, sitting in his lap, kissing him fervently, trying to distract him from the papers that had included a story where she'd almost been caught when freeing slaves. It hadn't worked. But what had, was her quite innocently asking about the mage light. Pandora had always been interested in magic, it was honestly a shame she had no innate talent.
He chuckled softly to himself, his writing hand going slack. Then he realized Pandora hadn't set foot in the safehouse office for…Maker, how long? He glanced around. He used to be able to see traces of her around. A jacket she'd left behind, document reports she'd insisted on helping file. But now all he could see were memories. Sordid affairs and arguments past. He couldn't recall another fond one for several moments until his eyes landed on the window, and he recalled her sneaking him apples before they'd officially said anything to each other.
Ashur ran a hand over his face. Now that he was thinking about it, when was the last time he had a conversation with Pandora that hadn't started or ended in an argument?
A knock at the door resounded through the room. He almost expected it to be Pandora, but when the door opened, it was just a runner.
“Viper, ser. We have the report from Pandora.”
Ashur's shoulders slumped a bit. “She didn't come to file it herself?”
The Runner came closer, carefully tucking the report into the stack on his desk. “No ser, she looked tired. And she had a nosebleed, so Ser Tarquin didn't push.
He picked up the report, running his thumb over a blood droplet that had already dried on the corner of the parchment. Tarquin and Pandora didn't always get along, but he knew the two of them were friends. If Tarquin was actively letting her get away with something on the job, it was more serious than he thought.
“I know that look. I didn't push because she, for one, asked me not to.” Tarquin emerged from the doorway, Neve Gallus trailing behind him. “Neve's here with an update on the intel Pandora picked up.”
Looking at the detective, Ashur's eyebrows went up. “Already?”
“Well, when you get me the information faster, things tend to move faster in the detective business.” She drawled. “You two are somehow both too hard on her and not hard enough.”
“She's on your couch again, isn't she, little drama queen.” Tarquin chuckled and crossed his arms.
Neve also chuckled, but she elbowed Tarquin regardless. “For once, no. I met her in the hallway. She was talking to Pasiphus's team.”
“Pasiphus…he's leading that mission next month to that abandoned outskirts manor to look for that red lyrium artifact, right? Pandora trying to join him?” Tarquin seemed intrigued.
“That's what it looked like.”
Ashur's fists clenched and unclenched in his lap. This reckless behavior of hers had to stop! He understood why she felt like she needed to prove herself but he couldn't understand why she wouldn't take any help. Sure, not his, that would defeat the purpose. But Neve, Promei, Tarquin, hell, even Lorelai would probably help her if she asked. She had so many to rely on yet seemed to only try to rely on herself.
“You have to let her go, Ashur.” Neve said suddenly, and Ashur turned to look at her.
His face was incredulous. “She's never even dealt with Lyrium yet, Neve. Barely even been out of the city. I can't let her walk into something so dangerous.”
“That's exactly it. She's begun to feel like everything's a cage, and you know how a cornered mouse behaves. If you corner her, or let her corner herself, you will lose her. And not in life, but in spirit.”
Ashur's heart thudded. “She could–”
“Get hurt? Ashur I hate to side with both Neve and Pan, but that's kind of a hazard of our job. You can't keep her in your padded bubble forever.” Tarquin didn't hesitate to point out.
Burying his face in his hands, Ashur sighed and nodded. “Fine. I will approve it.”
Neve nodded sagely in return. “Good. You'll finally get to see what she can do when her wings aren't clipped. You should tell her the good news yourself, Ashur.
He didn't want to. But he knew that he should.
_______________________
“Pan…?”
A sleepy moan came from inside the room, which startled Ashur. There was no way she was asleep at this hour. Usually she'd be up drinking with the rest of the agents at this time, or practicing in the training hall. So when he'd gotten to the other safehouse and learned she was taking a nap in the storage closet, he hadn't believed Tarquin at first.
He pushed the door open, and found Pandora half asleep, rubbing her eyes while leaning against a pile of towels. “Ashur…” she said, looking up. “We can't keep meeting like this.”
Ashur knelt next to her, fondness in his eyes, and pulled her close. As much as he wanted to keep her by his side, Neve was right. She'd never fly if he kept her in the cage he'd created. He needed to let her fly.
“Amatus, I have good news for you.” He murmured into her collarbone.
Pandora stiffened for a moment before she melted into his arms. “Oh yea?”
“I have your next mission assignment.” He said, and he could physically feel her heart skip a beat in her chest. “ I want you to go with Pasiphus's team to extract the Red Lyrium artifact from Sevondale Manor.”
Pandora jerked awkwardly in his arms, then pulled back, looking at him with suspicion. “Why?”
Ashur brushed a blonde lock out of her face, and he had to watch her fight to stay angry in the face of his tenderness. “Because I've kept you in Minrathous too long. You deserve to see what's out there. You did get the Leonias intel after all. Neve already figured out our next move thanks to you.”
“Damn right…but…” She seemed to pause, then shrugged. “Nevermind. Not important.” Pandora moved to lock her arms around his neck, pulling him to her. Her lips found his, tenderly at first but quickly deepening. It was her way of kissing that Ashur had always loved. Like someone unsure they had what they wanted, but when they realized they did, they couldn't get enough. And it was true on both sides.
He pulled her even closer by the waist, and she giggled against his lips. “What?”
“Agressive, Ashur. I don't think the storage room is the right place for this.” Pandora responded with a nip, her eyes mischievous and salacious.
Ashur laughed. “You're right, Amatus. Luckily I'm not trying to get a bite out of you right now. Why were you sleeping in here?”
“I wasn't sleeping!”
“Pandora.”
“I wasn't!” Pandora rolled her eyes, her lips drawn together. “I was looking for towels and got light-headed.”
Ashur's eyebrow quirked. “Why?”
As if on cue, Pandora's nose began to drip with blood, and she sighed, leaning back. “Because of this. It's been doing this all afternoon since I got back.”
Ashur pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and pressed it to her nostril. “You need elfroot.”
“I don't like elfroot.”
“I know. I don't understand, but I know, love. Just go crush some and put it on your nose.” Ashur helped her stand to her feet, and he pressed a kiss to her cheek. “You know I'll be insufferable about the Sevondale job.”
“I expect you to.” Pandora stretched a bit, pressing his handkerchief to her nose herself. “I love you, Amatus.”
Ashur smiled, and put a hand on her cheek, rubbing it with his thumb. There would be time to fight later, and he had no doubts they would manage to have one before the mission. But for now, she was safe, happy, and wasn't putting herself or the other Dragons in danger.
This was enough.