“I hardly think that’s fair. You’ve been teasing for weeks.”
Who: Varric and Helen What: Discovering things When: Wednesday Where: Helen’s house Status: complete Rating: PG-13 for innuendos
It had been several days since Varric had last seen Helen, and he felt it was long over due. Wanting it to be a surprise, he made no call, and gave her no warning, instead pulling up to her place around five pm. He walked up to the door carrying a bottle of wine, and knocked.
They’d come to a sort of equilibrium in their relationship, where it was just comfortable the way it was, at least from his angle. With Helen, Varric liked to be the one who waited, ready to take any steps she needed, only when she needed them. He was easy going and laid back enough for that, naturally, but sometimes he pushed a little, or prodded. He’d been thinking of a short trip, just the two of them, and suspected that might take some convincing.
The first few weeks after she’d been attacked, Helen had scarcely had a moment to herself, but their hovering finally seemed to have eased. Mostly, she had been relieved to have things returned to normal. More recently, though, she was beginning to realize she missed the company. This was why she found herself sitting on the sofa, feet tucked underneath her as she lightly brushed her thumb along the edge of a half-finished sketch. While the cast had been taken off some days ago, her wrist was still weaker than she would have liked, and she wasn’t yet ready to finish the piece.
Having grown accustomed to seeing him often, his longer absences made her realize how much he had come to mean to her. She would never expect him to remain constantly at her side, but there was a distinct feeling something was missing whenever he left now. A feeling she had forgotten could be applied to someone other than her daughter. She didn’t get to finish that thought, interrupted by his knocking.
Her expression instantly softened when she saw him, giving her newest addition a reassuring pet before letting him in, failing to realize she had left her sketch pad open on the table.
Varric gave Evan a pat as well, before slipping an arm around Helen and kissing her. It was a long, fond kiss, with just a hint of passion burning underneat the surface. He was certainly as pleased to see her, as she was to see him.
"I trust I'm not interrupting anything," He said playfully. "I wanted to check up on how Evan is doing."
And Helen, of course, but by the way his eyes glinted he thought she'd get that.
She leaned into the kiss with an appreciative hum, hand resting lightly at his side. This was a greeting she could very easily get used to expecting.
“Even if you were, I believe I would welcome the distraction.” She smiled, not entirely pulling away. “We’re doing well.”
And she was doing much better now that he was here. She truly had missed him.
Resting his hands on her hips, Varric pressed his forehead to hers, "I'm glad to hear that."
One of his hands, anyway, the other still holding a bottle of wine. Whatever the occasion might be, he wasn't telling her. Not yet. Sometimes he liked to leave her guessing.
"I have every intention of being an overly irritating distraction."
She didn’t question the wine. It would wait. And she expected he would explain soon enough. For the moment, she was simply enjoying having him so close.
“I hope you don’t intend to leave me frustrated.”
Varric smirked at her. It was all too easy to joke around, take a comment a little into the gutter, and he was gradually opening up that part of him to her, "Only just frustrated enough, I think. Though that's in the eye of the beholder."
It said something that such turns in conversation no longer left her speechless or terrified, if they still often led to a great deal of blushing. She was comfortable with him and the current state of their relationship.
“I hardly think that’s fair. You’ve been teasing for weeks.”
Though, granted, that wasn’t difficult to do. He seemed to have that effect on her, particularly when he was reading.
The blushing was simply a bonus. He brought a hand to her cheek to stroke it, happy to have gotten them to redden. But really, most men in love liked to see a woman blush. Even the story tellers.
"I have no recollection of what you're talking about, sweet heart. Why ever would I do something so cruel as to tease an invalid?"
“Because she allowed it.” She was growing bolder, at least while they were alone, but the words were still softer than she had intended.
"Oh did she? I seem to recall numerous protestations," Varric countered, sliding a hand around to the small of Helen's back and stroking lightly.
"Though they mysteriously stopped when I got to the bodice ripper parts."
“I thought you’d forgotten,” she murmured, tone teasing, even as another blush colored her cheeks. “You have a way with words that I appreciate. Words of a certain nature, in particular.”
"You have a way of understanding words and of listening that I find to be a breath of fresh air." He gave her a saucy wink and pulled out of her embrace.
"And in this town, I think, fresh air is at a premium. Bottle it up, you'll make a fortune."
“You’re being kind.” It wasn’t a protest, though. Not really. Compliments were something else she was learning to accept, even in this form.
“Can I get you anything? A drink?” Her attention strayed to the bottle of wine. “A glass?”
“A glass would be good,” He replied, lifting the bottle and waggling it a bit in the air. It was a celebratory type bottle. He was planning to line up some book signings, and after that, well..he wanted to take her on a trip somewhere.
He hadn’t decided where yet.
“Or two.” But she didn’t move toward the kitchen, still watching him. She was getting rather curious. “Are we celebrating something?”
"Perhaps. I'm going to be lining up some book signings, especially for my latest book. Publicity is always good. But I was hoping you might have some free time, soon."
He flashed his best grin at her, "So I hope there's reason to celebrate."
That took her a minute to process. Was he asking her to accompany him? Her answer came slowly, a testament to her hesitance, but at least it wasn’t an outright refusal as it might have been a few months ago. She trusted him.
“I haven’t returned to work yet. Perhaps I could delay it a few more weeks.”
"I was thinking a short vacation. Three or four days, just the two of us," He replied, grinning. He didn't say where. He hadn't even decided yet, really. Most of the signings would be local. The trip would be just for them.
She had invited him into her home, into her bed. Sometimes it seemed he spent as many nights with her as he did in his own house. She should have had no reason to be nervous about spending a few days alone with him. Yet she was.
“A vacation to where?” He should have known she would ask. She was still shy of new things, and as difficult as it might have been to believe, romantic getaways were not something she’d had much experience with.
"I wanted to discuss that with you," He replied, resting a hand on her arm to reassure her. "I have a few ideas. I wasn't thinking out of the country. New York, we could take in some broadway shows. And I'll admit I've been watching too much food network lately, which is why I'm considering New Orleans as well."
Good food, good entertainment, fantastic company, what more could a man ask for?
“Indecisive?” The comment about watching too much Food Network earned him a smile, though.
Finally, she nodded. “We’ll discuss it.”
"Generally, yes." Varric paused, then added, I'm not in the mood so much as to go out of the country, or at least out of the continent or hemisphere." He could probably be convinced to go somewhere in North or South America, but he'd gotten Europe out of his system not that long ago.
"I'm negotiable."
The idea of an extended trip still made her anxious. This was all still too new. But for him, perhaps she could try. “We’ll discuss it,” she repeated, gently squeezing his arm as she pulled away again.
“Sit. I’ll get the glasses.”
Varric sat, his mind considering possibilities. While Helen went into the kitchen to get glasses, his attention was drawn to the open sketch book, and he picked it up to look.
"Huh..."
She hadn’t intended for him to see the sketch, hadn’t intended for anyone to see it. Her art, much like her music, was personal, something she rarely shared. But all thoughts of the still-open sketch pad had been banished by talk of their potential vacation. Until she walked back into the living room to find him holding it.
At first, she simply froze, eyes wide. She wanted to close the book, tuck it safely back in her bedroom, but when she tried to ask, the words stuck in her throat. She was usually so careful with that part of her life.
Trying not to look quite as shaken as she felt, she moved closer, setting the glasses on the table. “It isn’t finished.”
Closing the book so as not to get wine on the pages, Varic nodded his head, "It's wonderful work. You're quite talented."
Perceptively, he could see that Helen was shaken, and he reached for her hand, "I wasn't meant to see that, was I."
She let him take her hand, but her focus remained on the sketch pad. She closed her eyes, and for one brief, terrifying moment, she thought she might cry. Releasing a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, she shook her head, finally looking at him.
Varric squeezed her hand, "I'm sorry, I didn't know. I know what it's like to having something I'm not ready to share with the world, yet."
She shook her head again. “It isn’t your fault. You’ve no reason to apologize.” As much as she may have wanted to, she couldn’t blame him for her own carelessness.
Varric gave her a smile, "It's very well done, if that makes you feel better." He didn't know what to think about himself being the subject. He was genuinely flattered and touched.
"You have a good eye."
That did little to ease her mind, but he won a weak smile for his effort. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so exposed.
Sitting, she lightly tugged on his hand. “Sit with me.”
Varric shifted over, sitting next to her, then slid an arm around her waist. He was relieved to have gotten a smile out of her, even if she was being more Rabbit than Helen right now.
"Sit with you? It would be my pleasure."
She pressed closer, needing the comfort he could provide and secure in the knowledge he wouldn’t judge her for it. He might have been the catalyst for her current anxiety, but she didn’t hold him entirely responsible.
Silently, she sought his hand again.
“I might have shown you. Eventually.” But she hadn’t been ready. Not yet.
He let her take it, squeezing a bit. He sought to comfort her, in his own unique way, "Fortunately, you caught me before I had time to really study it. I will offer one critique."
Varric winked at her, "A little more chest hair."
She chuckled, a soft, anxious sound. But it was genuine, nevertheless.
“I said it wasn’t finished.” She tightened her hold on his hand, offering a small smile. “Though its accuracy is related to how often I see my subject.”
"Ah, is that a plea to have me stop by more often?" His smile was anything but small, "I was worried I was smothering you."
“I miss you,” she admitted quietly, suddenly very fascinated with their linked hands, absently tracing the lines of his fingers. She found the action soothing, and it kept her mind from drifting to other thoughts.
"I miss you too. But I'd also like for you to feel as though you have some time to yourself," He replied. Varric thought that that was something important, in any relationship. Some alone time to compliment the shared time.
“I’ve plenty of time to myself.” She brought his hand up, kissing his knuckles. “But I would never ask more of you.”
He was already far more than she deserved.
"You haven't yet." Varric stretched his fingers out to stroke Helen's lips, "I promise I'll let you know, if you do."
He pulled her over, a little closer, his eyes serious, "To tell you the truth, I never expected to be with someone on a long term basis. Until you."
It was a small reassurance, but it comforted her. She didn’t want him to think her needy. She was simply finding she no longer enjoyed being alone as she once had.
She adjusted easily as he pulled her closer, leaning into him slightly. “And I never expected to love someone after John. Perhaps we’ve both found our exceptions.”
Varric laughed, agreeing, "It's a lovely exception."
Helen filled a void that Varric had forgotten existed, one that tale or song or adventure had only buried. It wasn't a burning passion that consumed all it touched, but a slow, steady flame.
He found he was at the point in his life where he preferred that.
“I’m flattered you think so.”
She was still somewhat amazed he had chosen her, of all the people she was certain he could have loved. And she couldn’t imagine many of them would have turned him down. He was genuine, kind. More importantly, she was learning he was everything she hadn’t realized she needed. She was beginning to believe she loved him more than she had ever loved John.
“You’re nothing like him.”
"I suspect he has a height advantage," Varric countered. Then he patted his stomach, "But I've got girth."
There might be a dirty joke in there somewhere, one never knew with Varric. More seriously, he added, "Lets have some wine."
Regardless, it gained him another smile, and she shifted to let him pour the wine. She was almost feeling comfortable again.
Chuckling, Varric poured them each a glass, then lifted it in toast, "To new experiences."
She touched her glass to his, returning the toast softly. “To new experiences.”
Smiling, she settled back against him, cradling her glass in her lap as she lightly tapped the stem. “I imagine you’d like to discuss that trip, now.”
Varric smiled a little cheekily, "I was thinking we could talk about that trip a little later."
His mind had gone to other things, during the course of their conversation.
Her hand found his leg, her thumb lightly brushing across his thigh. “You have something else in mind?”
"Well, I was thinking we could take this conversation to the bedroom, so that I could explore your hillsides and valleys," Varric replied, keeping a completely straight face.
She took a sip of her wine, gently squeezing his leg before she answered. “An exploration I’ll gladly allow, assuming it’s slow and thorough.”
Varric got to his feet and held his hand out for her, "You have a deal."