romdeau | a fishing date;

He drew her earlobe between his lips in a soft tug, kissed lower along the side of her throat. He could feel the thud of his heart against his sternum and shifted himself the better to face her. It was something of an awkward position in the bottom of the boat, pressing himself against her partially turned to the side.

Reaching his hand up again, he cupped the back of her head, stubble scratching lightly over her jaw. He found her lips yet again in an insistent kiss and the first light flick of tongue. He trusted she'd let him know if he went too far.

Oh, now that wasn't fair. That little maneuver earned him a sharp intake of breath, fingers curling against his chest. He was determined to keep surprising her tonight. Hawke turned as he shifted beside her and she slid an arm around his shoulders more securely, content to keep him there.

The next kiss gave her a better opportunity to reciprocate, her hand moving from his chest to cup his cheek. Her lips fastened around his lower one, nipping gently without teeth.

He made a little mental note of that, her reaction. That was worth coming back to later, if he could convince himself it was possible to get enough of the kissing. He half opened his eyes, wishing for the first time that night that it wasn't quite so dark. He wanted to see her close, the pale blue of her eyes he had found striking from their very first meeting, once he wasn't too distracted to take notice.

He flicked his tongue against the bow of her upper lip while she took his lower. The rise and fall of his chest was visible now, breath more audible on his inhales. He quickly tired of the half twisted position both of them were forced into by the shape of the boat and reached a hand down to the back of her thigh to encourage her to come more across his lap.

She hummed softly against his lips, not resisting the impulse to open her mouth to him just enough at the swipe of his tongue. If she had thought he would be lost here, new at this, she was pleasantly mistaken. She tilted her head to better grasp his lips in hers, her thumb stroking downward over the stubble of his jaw. The roughness was surprisingly pleasant, she found, almost ticklish if she held her head just so.

Carefully, and reluctantly, she disentangled herself from his lips to glance down at how they were sitting. "Just a second," she whispered, trying to see in the dark how this would work. She grasped his shoulders for purchase and half-stood, sliding over and positioning herself in his lap. It would be a slightly precarious situation but she was confident in her own balance. She tipped her head down once to kiss beside his mouth as she made herself comfortable, smirking at him.

His tongue slipped past her lips, a deepening of the kiss he lingered with for just a few moments, enough to feel soft inner lip and a teasing flick of tongue tips. He tilted into her touch, her fingers cool against his skin.

He blinked as she drew back then realized why, nodding. "Of course," he murmured. He held to her waist to help steady her with the back and forth roll of the skiff over the water and smiled faintly for the kiss. When she settled, it was far more comfortable and he was able to hold her without an awkward stretch.

"I don't think I thought all of this through," he said in amusement. "Next time I'll at least rent a flat bottomed boat."

She smiled, lips lingering close to his as she situated herself better. "You were expecting this?" she asked, a teasing lilt to her voice. She couldn't say she wasn't satisfied at the outcome, though.

Carefully gauging how much she could move or tilt herself without upsetting her position, she leaned her forehead against his. "Perhaps next time we won't be in a boat, though I wouldn't say no to this sort of trip again." All things considered, with the two of the inexperienced with boating, things were turning out very well.

From this angle, it was easier to press her lips again to his, this time latching onto his lower lip and tugging briefly just to prize open his mouth for her.

"No," he said, flashing a grin. "I mean...I thought I might try to kiss you tonight, but expecting it? No." He shook his head. "I hoped we'd have fun and that I wouldn't get us lost or run us aground." He chuckled. "So far so good on that front."

He pressed up into the lean. "We should probably spread the boating out. Cuts down on the chance of mishaps, not to mention the season is shifting. Soon enough the weather won't be cooperative." Which just meant they'd have to be more creative about their entertainment options.

He made a soft sound and parted his lips for her. His hands spread across her back with fingers in a warm press. He wasn't going to let her tip or spill.

Thought he might try. Hawke smiled right back. "If you weren't going to, then I was going to try before the night was over," she confessed. But that was how she operated, much to the surprise and sometimes chagrin of others.

She bumped noses with him as she shifted once, fingers tapping his shoulders idly in thought. "How many places in Kirkwall could we stow away to, though?" she murmured. She could think on the possibility later, when she wasn't so distracted by his presence and his mouth with that damnable smile, but it would be a concern if the weather would be changing soon.

Cullen was warm against her and she slid her arms around his shoulders, relaxing into his grip. It was all too satisfying to coax those small sounds out of him, to see him willingly participate in what she'd only thought of doing before. Her tongue flicked out against his, tip to tip, and she sighed into his mouth.

"It would be bad manners if I made you take all the initiative," he teased. Manners weren't exactly on his mind when he kissed her.

"I'm sure we can find a few suitable places. We're not hiding, after all, just being discreet." He thought that Lowtown and Hightown both were out for completely different reasons, but there were bordering districts that weren't quite parts of either, not to mention the Docks, where some of the taverns and inns were respectable enough and with the benefit of being low profile.

With her kiss, those thoughts retreated. There was something almost maddening in the gentle, half teasing back and forth. He invited her deeper with a stroke of his tongue and rocked upwards beneath her. One hand slipped back up into her hair for a tangle of fingers, his grip tighter than before.

Discreet was an understatement. Too many people could possibly recognize them in some fashion. She'd need to find all of those hideaway spots she used to have when she was working for the Red Iron, see which of them could be salvageable. With Meeran gone, it would be easier, but that might be taking too much of a risk for the both of them.

There was a thoughtful tilt to her lips which was quickly erased when they kissed, and she reached up to cup his face gingerly, relying on him to keep her steady for the moment. It was perhaps a little dangerous, what with his hand tangled in her hair, but no one ever said she didn't thrive on a little thrill now and again (and most of the time).

And she certainly had it here. His tongue, his hips against hers even so briefly. She inhaled quietly and tangled her tongue with his, deepening the kiss. She hummed against his lips.

It had been some time since he had been with anyone this way or wanted to. It was almost as though he forgot about this side of himself until someone came along to awaken it again, always a surprise. Already he knew he liked those little hums, his lips stretching briefly in the fleetest of smiles.

He still wasn't completely satisfied with the position. He wanted her to be able to relax against him, more contact. In between halfway losing himself to the deep, brandy tinged kiss, he thought of where else they might be able to sit and how. He answered the twine of tongue languidly, drew back, and gently nipped her lower lip.

"How about if I sit on the bench?" It would mean she had to straddle his lap, which she might find to be more than she wanted in the moment, he knew, but he felt bad that she was left fighting for balance while he sat more securely.

One of them, at least, was thinking about their position. She was focused on other things, like his breathing and the way he tasted, the feel of his tongue and how he responded to her if she did one thing or another. They were meticulous little things, half-lost in the sensations, but all of them were stowed away for future use. There was always something honest and open in the way people came together like this and it allowed her to see sides of him she wasn't aware of.

Little by little, she'd know more about him, why every lingering kiss seemed deeper each time, and how every nip or slide of tongue was more sensual than the last. A little like a thief, she'd prize them away. She was already more than pleased with how things were progressing, her tongue answering his without shying away.

There was some reluctance when he pulled away, Hawke nearly leaning right after as he worried at her lip just briefly. She raised her eyes to his and then glanced down at them, eventually nodding. A hint of a smirk was left on her lips as she scooted back and then stood. "That might be a better idea," she agreed.

He watched her, a shadowed form with starlight behind, taking in the grace and balance of her movements. It had him feeling a little cumbersome when he slowly worked his way up to a stand. The skiff felt untrustworthy beneath his feet as he came up from a squat. He shifted his pack to the side and sat on the bench, offering her both hands to guide her back to him.

"Definitely a flat bottomed boat next time," he said with a low chuckle. "I didn't realize how much the sides would be in your way. I think you'll find this much better." He knew he would. It would put them mostly flush, no straining for contact and feeling the boat roll at every little shift of balance.

A smile followed him as he found his place on the bench, and she waited until he was ready and seated before moving again. She took his hands and let him guide her back to him, into his lap and straddling his hips. The position was easier to maintain and it even gave her a few inches leverage, allowing her better access to him.

She chuckled with him. "It's all right. Besides, this is surprisingly more comfortable." It beat straining sideways or forcing one of them into awkward positions.

"I thought it might be." It had her just a little higher than him when they were face to face. He liked the angle, leaning in for a soft, almost playful kiss. He rested both hands at the sides of her waist, a warm squeeze.

"I was so flustered that day we first met, when I had to start talking about the investigation. I had no idea who you were, what you'd think about a Templar having to spend time in the Rose. I had the sense you were laughing at me just a bit." He smiled his amusement and kissed her again, a little more heatedly, a little longer. He left his lips parted against hers, a nuzzling not quite kiss before drawing up and back. The whiskers of his chin scraped lightly.

She tilted her face downwards for him and curled two fingers beneath his chin, returning the kiss. She stayed close even when they parted, eyes glittering with mirth. "That's me, butting my nose into things I shouldn't be," she joked. She remembered that mess.

"I was less concerned about two Templars in the Rose and more about how the Knight-Captain was drawing his sword on a recruit," she said against his lips, looking at his eyes. "At first. Had I been in the same situation, I might have done the same." Any gravity fell away from her words when she nearly laughed. "You keep doing that," she muttered, leaning in for a brush of a kiss, thumb pressing briefly against his jaw. His stubble almost tickled but it was welcome friction against her cheek.

"I believe I said as much at the time," he said with a nod. "It was fortunate I was focused on the matter at hand, or it might have gotten uglier." It would have been a different sort of ugly than a recruit possessed by a demon. At least with demonic violence, he never felt guilty about sending them back to the Void.

"Oh, yes, you took me to task very thoroughly, Sera." He tipped his head in curiosity, unable to prevent the laugh joining hers. "Doing what?" He leaned into the touch as well as the kiss, feeling the spill of her breath across his lips.

"You did. And you weren't the first. Won't be the last, either." She could lose count how many people thought that way about her on a daily basis. She didn't bother worrying about it these days, which probably wasn't very smart, considering. At least she wasn't as nosy as Varric.

She smirked, bumping noses with him. "Did I?" she asked, nudging him slightly. "Your stubble, that's what." She cupped his cheek gently. "It keeps tickling me," she murmured beneath her breath, almost embarrassed to admit that. "But I do like it."

"I'd be disappointed if I were the last. Part of the fun of knowing you is hearing the wild stories that circulate. I think my favorite one to date is your fist fight with a high dragon," he teased.

He laughed easily. "Is it any better if I say it's not on purpose?" Of course, he had to ruin that claim almost immediately afterwards, jutting his chin to rub it against hers lightly. It was quite possible that under all the armor and the polish a brat lurked.

Almost within the same breath, he closed his lips over hers, tongue sweeping a tracery of the upper curve. His jaw worked as he opened his mouth a little more, taking it deeper. Both hands slid up from her waist across her back to draw her in close against him. He silently marveled at the contrast between softness in the press and the sinuous strength he could feel beneath his hands.

"Maker, I knew that one was going to get everyone talking." She shook her head, unable to keep the smile off of her face. "That's going to follow me into the next life, see if it doesn't. I don't think I'll ever be able to top that story no matter what I do."

She grinned as he leaned in, biting down on most of her laughter. She reached over with a hand to tug at his ear lobe gently. "Until you did that, yes," was teased softly in his ear.

It was all to easy to lean into the press of his body and let his hands roam her back, her head tilted into the kiss and mouth slightly parted. Her arm draped around his shoulders and her hand came up to cradle the back of his head, hopefully allowing him some ease as he lifted his face for her. Her lips closed around his and tugged once, tongue flicking out briefly to trace his bottom lip.

"That one would be a very hard one to top, yes." It was one of Varric's best stories to date, popular with Kirkwall's masses and elite alike. He had to wonder how many accepted it at face value. Among some of the refugees, hers was a name much larger than life.

He shivered lightly for that whisper and touch, more than ticklishness at play. His inhale through his nostrils was audible and quick.

It was back to eyes closed, losing himself in sensation. All of the little back and forths were gaining momentum in him, a slow burn on the rise. He made a soft noise when her hand settled in his hair and met the flick of her tongue with the tip of his. His fingers curved against her back in a harder press, the dig of short nails blunted through cloth.

"He'll find a way to overly exaggerate something else eventually." And Maker help her when that happened. She only hoped he'd do it if she ever left Kirkwall, so she wouldn't have to face the rumors head on around the city.

A wicked smile curved its way across her lips at that little admission of quickened breath. Her fingers lingered just a moment on his ear but she eventually released him even as her mind worked through some other ideas. She settled the hand back against his cheek, rough stubble beneath her palm.

Her tongue stroked the underside of his own, encouraging him. A quiet sound escaped her, an exhale and no more, at the press of his fingers against her muscles. With one last brief nip at his lip, she broke the kiss and ducked her head lower to kiss his jaw and further back beneath his ear. He had already tilted his head enough for her lips; now she could exploit it, sliding her lips against the side of his neck.

He tipped his head back just a little more, lips still parted. Maker's breath, but she was getting to him now. He hissed a breath through his teeth when she reached the spot beneath his ear and gave another shiver.

He wasn't completely passive for the attention, hands in a slow knead over her mid back. One lifted higher, following the curve of the nape of her neck and into her hair. "You're hair is soft," he murmured, a little surprised to find himself saying it aloud. He buried his fingers in it and stroked downward, letting it fall back to rest against her neck.

There. That was the reaction she was looking for. She contained the smug expression she was almost certain she was wearing as she continued down his throat, tongue flicking out from between her lips once or twice in her progress.

Hawke paused only once when his hands tangled into her hair, leaning back into his touch. Her answer was a smile and a softer kiss at his throat, followed by an almost contradictory nip at his collar. "I don't hear that too often," she teased against warm skin, hands finding his shoulders and kneading fingers into the muscle there.

He didn't have the benefit of a cuirass to hide the rise and fall of his chest, not that he was overly intent on masking his reactions from her. The second time she flicked her tongue was close to his pulse point. His exhale contained a trace of voice then.

"No? Good." There was a smile in his voice, even if she couldn't see it from the way his head was tilted. He didn't have any silly notions about being the only one she wanted to see when this was only a second date, but it was nice to know that perhaps he wasn't one in a thick crowd of contenders for her attentions.

"I'd hate to bore you with something you hear all the time." He turned to brush his cheek against the side of her head. "Especially given the fact that when silver tongues were being handed out, I wasn't even in the line. I'm lucky not to stutter these days." Although at times he still did if he was overly flummoxed.

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