Who: Helen and Nikola When: During the Christmas Wish plot Where: Helen’s place What: Morning Rating: Uh... headed in high directions, but mostly just fluff. Status: Complete
Helen had always been an early riser, often waking well before the first slivers of grey light seeped through the windows. And always, she had started her morning immediately after. Until she had shared her bed with Varric. And now, Nikola. Now, she preferred to spend those early morning hours watching her partner sleep. There was something about the vulnerability in such moments that spoke to her. It was her favorite time of the day. Just as warm light began to filter through her bedroom window, she shifted closer, kissing his neck as she hummed a soft, "Morning," against his skin.
Nikola hadn’t slept as well as he slept last night in years. The morning sunshine drifted in and started to rouse him, then he felt a gentle kiss against his neck and he opened his eyes. With a gentle blink and a sigh he remembered where he was and who he was with. He lifted his arms to wrap around her, cuddling close and trying to go back to sleep. “You’re going to make me lazy,” she admonished, though her voice held no real trace of irritation as she lightly trailed senseless patterns over what skin she could reach. “Did you sleep well?”
Nikola chuckled. “Best I’ve ever slept,” he whispered against her hair, holding her close. The fingers against his skin felt wonderful. He gave a great sigh. “I don’t think it’d be a problem to be lazy with you,” he said, sleep tugging at the corners of his mind.
“Mm. Except I have a practice to run,” she countered, arms sliding around him as she closed her eyes. “You’ll have to look after Alice.”
“What? No.” Nikola said, tightening his arms around her. “Can’t you call in sick? Leave things in the capable hands of that Sam kid.” He said, burying his nose in her neck again.
"As wonderful as this is, we can't remain in bed all day," she murmured gently. But she found she was rather reluctant to leave his arms.
“Why not? Give me one good reason.” His arms would have tightened around her even more, though he didn’t want to crush her.
“Because I need to work.” She didn’t sound especially convincing. “And because we have a little girl down the hall, expecting our attention.”
“Pssh. You don’t need to work,” he said, though he knew she was right. “....she can stay in her room for a half hour and play with her toys... or whatever it is she does in there.”
“Nikola, this is all new for her. Everything she knows has changed. I can’t simply ignore her.”
“Is she even awake?” He asked, giving a little sigh.
She fell silent, listening carefully before shaking her head. “No. She would have called for us.”
“So then there’s no need to worry.” Nikola said, wrapping his arms more tightly around her and holding her against him.
He should know better than to ask her not to worry. “She’ll be awake soon enough. She hasn’t been sleeping well.”
“We don’t want to wake her prematurely if she hasn’t been sleeping well.”
“She’ll wake on her own soon enough.”
“Then we’ll get her some breakfast, and get her dressed, and everything else that needs to be done. But until then...” He kissed her neck, her jaw, pulling her closer against him.
She tilted her head to the side, giving him easier access, sliding her arms around him as he pulled her closer, her fingers once again tracing meaningless patterns.
Nikola wanted so much more of her. His hands wandered up and down her body, hungrily, his mouth sought her neck, suckling and nibbling, then biting down on her flesh--but gently. He was aroused, and pressing his body against her only made things worse.
“Always so impatient,” she murmured, though there was no real protest as she arched into him slightly. Perhaps Alice would sleep a while longer.
“You can’t really blame me.” Nikola said, one of his hands reaching down to trail along her thigh, up over her hip, then down again, down her front.
Oh, she could. But not while he had her like this. Her hand slid over his chest, coming to rest at his neck. “You’re impossible.”
“I’m just hungry for you.” Nikola said. He gave a little smirk as his hand slipped between her legs. He leaned in to kiss her, more hungry now than before.
Any response she might have made dissolved in a low moan, her fingers sliding into his hair.
His mouth moved away from hers, kissing along her jaw toward her neck, his mouth hungry against her skin. He had to keep his teeth in check, reminding himself that even though he was a monster in his dreams, this was reality.