Friends to Lovers (Rated T)
The burning fire and candle light around the room gave off a warm romantic glow. The wine chilling on the table in front of the sofa had beads of condensation sliding down the bottle from the heat in the room. Josephine closed her eyes and leaned back sighing with relief of being back in her room, the formal meal had been a nightmare. Oisine was not willing to learn the ways of how a noble should act in social formal situations and ended up insulting two dukes and a duchess. Thankfully her skills of diplomacy managed to rescue the situation and there wasn’t much damage to contend with, it did require her thinking on her feet however and now she owed some favours. Josephine opened her eyes and looked over as the room door opened and Leliana walked in looking as drained and as stressed as she felt.
“Finally asleep?”
Leliana took a seat next to her and closed her own eyes “Yes”
Josephine leaned forward and retrieved the cooled wine from the table and filling the two empty glasses and handed one to Leliana and sipping on her own “I don’t know what to do with her Josie”
“It isn’t going to be easy that’s for sure, but you know I will help in any way I can”
“This is not your problem Josie and im sorry about tonight, it’s stress you don’t need right now with everything else you have to deal with for the Inquisition”
Josephine sighed and placed her glass back on the table, she had always been attracted to Leliana, from the moment they first met she was captivated by the red headed bard, she knew Leliana knew this and relentlessly flirted with her at every opportunity. Even now there would still be flirtatious comments and touches and through the years they had become very close and became best of friends but Josephine couldn’t deny she wanted more. She loved Leliana and knew Leliana loved her but the spy always refused to go beyond friendship. Nothing was ever said about it, was never discussed but both knew each other’s feelings. They each felt it though, in their gentle touches, their words and actions with each other, how relaxed and comfortable they were in each other’s company even if they were just sitting in silence working or sipping on tea in the sun.
“Leli, a problem shared is a problem halved, didn’t you always tell me that?” She turned slightly to the side and looked at the spy, using her hand to trail down the scar from her jaw to her neck, a new scar her friend received defending her from assassins that found their way into Skyhold after she tried to turn around her families trading status in Orlais “You don’t have to do this alone”
Leliana covered Josephine’s hand on her neck with her own and brought it to her lips and placed a soft kiss on the back “You need to walk away Josie”
“No, I don’t” Josephine disagreed “And I don’t want to, but you already know that”
“This won’t end well for us.”
“How do you know that? You can’t see the future.”
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
“That’s a risk in any relationship and it works both ways, I don’t want to hurt you either but don’t you think we should at least try? Wither this relationship works or not, you’re still my best friend, I’m always going to love you and I’m always going to need you in my life.”
Leliana knew how Josephine felt about her and she was pretty sure Josephine knew how she felt as well, they both made it obvious to each other, but she had very little true friends in her life, being so guarded as she was due to her job and Josephine was a friend she couldn’t live without. It scared her to lose that, and nothing really scared her but that did. Josephine was closer than anyone, knew all of her secrets, knew everything about her. She could be completely open with Josephine without fear of judgment, or abandonment and with Josephine in her life, she always had somewhere to turn when she needed it, when thigs got too much. Pursuing more of a relationship scared her because she needed Josephine in her life just like she needed air. She couldn’t lose her but she wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep her feelings in check either around the ambassador, especially when Josephine pressed for more. Leliana kept Josephine’s hand in her own and used her free hand to cup a soft cheek.
“If we try this, promise me we won’t lose what we have. Promise me we will always be in each other’s life’s.”
“Leliana, I promise, you will always have me in your life, even now and in the past we’ve had our differences and arguments, be on different sides but it never lasts too long, we find ways to get back on track and we always will. You need to promise as well.”
“I need you in my life like I need the air to breath Josie, I promise I’m never going to walk away from you. I’m always going to want to protect you, I will always support you and be here for you, whatever you need”
Leliana ran a thumb down her lips and leaned in, Josephine closed her eyes. She had thought of this moment for years and still couldn’t quite believe it was happening, she half expected a noise to wake her up from her pleasant dream as usually happened at this point, but she didn’t wake up. Instead, soft wet lips met with her own and she knew she was in fact awake and it was actually happening.
Josephine’s hands came up to run through red strands of hair, nails scraping along the scalp and drawing a low moan from her partner, the slight parting of her lips allowing the ambassador to run her tongue along them and inside to entangle with the hosts. Leliana eagerly responded and placed her hands on Josephine’s hips, pulling her closer.
It had been so long since Leliana had been intimate with another, many years in fact. She never really had the interest or time for even casual dalliances. The kiss was sparking a flame deep within her, the fluttering in her stomach. The nails running over her scalp igniting a heat further between her legs. Oh how she wanted to push for more but it had been so long, her body wasn’t the beauty it used to be, it was now littered with scars, physical wounds to match her internal ones. She wasn’t sure she was quite ready to expose those yet.
“leli?” Josephine asked pulling back slightly, but only enough to look her new lover in the eyes “What’s wrong?” she asked immediately notice the change.
Leliana slimed slightly and shook her head “It’s stupid, really”
Josephine placed a soft kiss on her lips “Tell me”
“It.. It’s been so long… I don’t think im ready to..”
Seeing her love struggling to get her words out but understanding what she was trying to say, Josephine interrupted her “We’ll take things slow.” She smiled and cuddled in close, tucking her head in the crook of her neck. Leliana kissed the top of her head and held her close. She felt safe and secure in the spymasters arms “How long can you stay?” Josephine asked closing her eyes and settling in her embrace.
“As long as you want.”
Josephine smiled against her neck “Be careful with how you answer my questions. With a response like that I might just not let you leave”
Leliana laughed holding her tighter “I’d be happy with that.”
Oisine paced around her room wiping at her tears, Leliana was her mother! How dare this woman come in and sweep her away, not after she just got her back after all these years. While she’s having nightmares alone in her room, this woman has stolen the one person that should be there to comfort her, the one person that normally hears her cries and is there to wake her. No, she wouldn’t allow it, something had to be done.
As the lightning from outside lit up her room she grabbed her covers from her bed and crawled underneath the bed taking them with her and placed herself under the covers and wrapped herself tight under them. This will have to do for now to keep her safe, nobody should find her tucked under the bed wrapped under her covers. She would at least be safe until morning. If the red men from haven came back they wouldn’t think of checking under the bed and if they did, all they would see is spare covers.
She was sure of it.