twoforsurprise | One Short Day In Antiva City

One Short Day In Antiva City

Davrin might have forgotten Lucanis' offer about the tailor, but he had not. Not all of their excursions were for fighting demons or cultists or darkspawn, and eventually Rook was going treasure hunting on the Rivani coast with Taash and Harding. And just them. Quite adamant that only Taash and Harding were needed, in fact.

Andraste preserve them, Rook was apparently becoming interested in matchmaking.

It worked out, though. The timing. Lucanis ever so casually mentions that Davrin promised to assist him in some errands in Antiva and Rook is just so happy they're not at each other's throats that they're told to not take however long they need. Lucanis makes a mental note to pick up something nice for Rook when they're in Antiva City.

Ah, Antiva City. A less beautiful Treviso, Lucanis used to say. That was before the Ossuary, before the occupation, before the blight. Now it's hard to not see everything that's been lost. He doesn't insult Davrin by assuming the man can't keep up with the Crow routes along the rooftops and across ziplines, so much faster than the weaving crowded streets up the hill the city is built on overlooking the harbor the few times they need to duck down to street level.

"Should be right around - ah, there it is," Lucanis declares once they're half way up the hill, the financial district of the city settled between the Palace at the top and the harbor and all the wealth the shipping industry brings. This time when he drops down to the street level it is where they'll stay for the time being, heading to an understated store front with a simple hanging sign that looks like an embroidered rose carved into the wood of it.

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"Oh, Spite can be so sneaky though-" no he couldn't. "-You should really stay much closer than that. In the bed, even. Just to be certain."

There was not just a spare house, either. The estate encompassed the main house, the gardens, the guest house, the opera house, and the bath house. That said... he didn't know how much the blight in the city had effected the Estate. It was still up and running, he knew, but whether some buildings were damaged or otherwise compromised...

There were other reasons to want the Warden there, too, perhaps. More sensible ones. Not just that the idea of a soft bed with feather pillows was more tolerable with someone else there with him, now.

Hm, perhaps he would bring some back with them to the Lighthouse after. Davrin's pillows were straw, it seemed. He deserved nice things.

"But you are a Warden. Noble hero. My virtue is clearly in no danger."

The last words spoken against Davrin's lips as he had to kiss that self-satisfied smirk off the other man's face.

"I'll make sure," he managed in bits and pieces around that kiss- that very effective at wiping just about everything else mind kiss, "to let her know. About your safe virtue."

His teeth accidentally clicked against Lucanis' as he grinned into the kiss, the whole idea too amusing, the knowledge Lucanis had the same ideas he did regarding sharing a room too blood warming- all of it, more than enough to make him grin a little too wide for comfortable kissing after the first few (wonderful) moments. Gods, he hadn't done that in ages, either. A blush formed at the awkwardness of the motion. The Crow truly was turning him back to a puppy eyed teen. In an effort to save some pride, he pressed the teasing a little further.

"Should probably inform your lieutenants while I'm at it."

Lucanis' own grin couldn't really be controlled either. When was the last time he was this happy? Had he ever been? Even with all the what-ifs that threatened to weigh him down, knowing Davrin would be there with him made them feel... lighter. More manageable.

Was Davrin blushing?

Another marvelous impossible thing.

"Teia will be heartbroken, I think she was already planning a wedding."

He was mildly worried that was a tease too far- but Teia seemed to really like Davrin, had assumed him and Lucanis were a thing before they truly were, and had turned Viago's opinion around. Caterina adored Teia - surely if Lucanis' feelings weren't enough to convince her, Teia could.

"Ah. We'd have to pick a religion for that. And my Gods are trying to destroy the world."

And the Chantry might be a lie as well, but that was far too serious for the moment. They were both men ready to die on any given mission, and they were on by far the most dangerous mission of either of their lives. There was nothing wrong with teasing about a future, indulging in the idea there would be one. If they actually survived, they could get into the harder conversations.

"I may have to reconsider how safe virtue can be around me."

Lucanis was not much for religion, himself, which seemed only helpful these days. When your response to the Chantry was simply paying lip service, whether or not any of it was real mattered distinctly less. While Bellara had been open about her faith and how this was shaking her, it occured to Lucanis only then that aside from the Dalish face tattoos he bore, Davrin talked little of his past and almost none about his own beliefs. A question for another time - when Davrin wasn't so tempting beneath him, especially that neck of his.

"Your self control is not absolute, noble hunter?"

Lucanis' voice was a warm tease, letting his hand trail down Davrin's neck, skating along his collarbone and his chest, lips following shortly after along cheek, jaw, neck - pausing there as he brought teeth into the kiss. Not so hard, not right away, waiting to see if Davrin enjoyed it as much as Lucanis did.

Davrin very much did, hand coming up around the back of his neck to hold him there for a moment, encouraging. It only seemed fair.

"I've got my weak points."

Which the other man was coming close to topping the list of, it seemed. He wouldn't push, not now, but the idea of a welcoming bed at the end of it all made the upcoming trip to Treviso, and what had to be done during it, take on a different flavor. Assuming Lucanis' brother hadn't killed their grandmother, that was. There would be no amount of skillful seduction that could salvage that night, even if Davrin were the kind of callous rake to focus on implied intimacy in the face of such devastation.

"Mmm, I'd love to hear more about those."

The words were half muffled against Davrin's neck, breath hot against skin. The hand not holding him up continued to trail down Davrin's chest, slipping to the side to caress his hip, only to grasp his thigh to bring up around Lucanis' hips right as he bit down harder on Davrin's neck with the next kiss.

There would be no hearing about anything as Davrin moaned at that, hips trying to press even closer as his back arched. Inexperienced Lucanis might be, sweet innocent virgin with a virtue to protect? Like hell. Not that he'd had any illusions about that, but this certainly banished even the most remote possibility.

"Who's-" he could breathe, he could, "virtue needs defending now?"

"I think yours might be in danger."

Lucanis prided himself on being a fast learner when he cared about a skill. He had worried a little bit that his surprise earlier had ruined the mood entirely, but how quickly the heat could be rekindled was a pleasing discovery. So was how Davrin sounded when he moaned. Lucanis shifted his grip on Davrin's thigh to move their hips together again with the next biting kiss. The salt sweat taste of Davrin's skin was better than anything else.

"Now that is a threat."

The breathless way that comes out completely undercuts any point he may have been trying to make, the elf more than willing to simply move in synch with Lucanis, following his lead. Like fighting on the field, two individuals moving towards one common goal. While Davrin undeniably enjoyed when roles were reversed (waking from memories of a bound and half-stripped Lucanis in his bed a not infrequent night time event), this...gods, this was good, too. Unexpected and perfect.

"Have mercy."

He had had some conviction their first time should be in a soft bed and warm blankets, not out in the woods like he was a fumbling, impatient teen back with his clan. But Lucanis was making remembering all the reasons for that somewhat foggy.

Lucanis was not immune to the memories of being tied up half-naked on Davrin's bed, either. Davrin's wonderful comfortable bed that smelled like him, that felt like safety. Probably a better spot than a blanket in the middle of the forest, but - Lucanis had no such memories of this kind of act to grasp at or feel self-conscious about. It was only this, it was only with Davrin. He could not get enough.

Still, the 'have mercy' had him slowing, one more sucking kiss to Davrin's throat. Hopefully one of those left a mark, and it only added to the fire in Lucanis remembering how open the other man wore his shirts, how it would be shown off.

"Truly?"

He could slow, he could behave, but Maker Davrin was addictive.

"I..."

He swallowed, trying to give full consideration to the question. Did he truly want to stop? No, no of course no. But giving him even a moment to think was enough to bring all his previous convictions back. He wasn't a true knight in shining armor, but he couldn't help having some of the romantic notions that came with it.

He gave a heavy sigh, reaching to cup Lucanis' face between both his hands and pull him in for a lingering kiss before holding him several inches away, enough to be able to focus on his eyes.

"Truly. I'll show off all your love bites at the Lighthouse, but this is a hunt, not an ambush. Let's take some time."

And not risk Assan landing on them in the middle of. A different kind of stress than worrying about his parents looking for him had been the last time he'd stolen time in the forest, but one probably no less embarrassing if it happened.

It didn't feel like rejection, Davrin was careful enough about it that. Lucanis was also willing to trust his experience enough to set the pace, even if all Lucanis really wanted right then was to run against Davrin until they were both panting and desperate and-

He ducked down to press another quick kiss to Davrin'a throat, this one soft, tender.

"Of course, amore mio."

He relaxed his grip on Davrin's thigh, pulling back a bit until he could lay next to the other man rather than on top of him. Slightly less temptation. Slightly.

"... even though I would have won had we continued, of course."

What was there to win? Didn't matter.

He closed his eyes, still breathing heavy and smiling both at the last comment and at nothing in particular as Lucanis settled in besides him. One hand groped blindly for the other man's, more than willing to be the sappy elf content with intertwining their fingers together rather than getting hot and heavy again. For now.

"This is a breather, not a tactical retreat. You're still in danger next time."

"Mmhmm. I think I am catching up with you very quickly."

Lucanis clearly did not mind being a sap either, tangling their fingers together and squeezing Davrin's hand. He had to calm his breathing, to try to still his blood, but he still looked at Davrin adoringly. This precious new thing between them. Lucanis never thought he'd have anything like it.

"Where'd be the fun otherwise?"

Neve had made fun of him once, for enjoying the hunt far more than the catch. And, truth be told, that mindset had been a problem in previous encounters. One off nights that never evolved into anything more because the interest died when the hunt was done. It was hard to imagine a life where the assassin besides him ever fully gave up the hunt- that one of them would ever win whatever romantic war game they'd found themselves in.

He broke Lucanis' gaze to toss his free arm over his face with a small groan, forearm blocking the light as his stomach and head, no longer pushed to the back of his mind with more enjoyable activities, started making themselves known.

"I'm going to be hungover in a few minutes, I think."

He was never drinking gingerwort again. Unless Spite really needed a talking to.

Lucanis had to laugh. He was starting to feel just as terrible, too. Yet he couldn't bring himself to mind too much given everything that had come from it. He chose to hide his own face from the light against Davrin's shoulder instead, just more excuses to touch him.

"Next time, I think I pick the drinks."

"Does your wine have its own house, too?"

This was good, more than. They'd lay and be miserable and together. Then go back to the Lighthouse and deal with the impossibly dangerous reality they lived in. Eventually.

"No, it's stored in the cellar, like wine should be."

Perfectly reasonable.

"Unfortunately the vinyards we own suffered with the Antaam invasion, but we've found alternative work and lodgings for the farmers in the meantime and are hopeful they're not lost completely by the time they're able to safely return."

Because of course they owned multiple fucking vinyards. All said with a completely straight face, though the very corner of his mouth was ever so slightly upturned. Okay, he knew it was a little much compared to the rest of the party...

"You're truly a man of the people."

He laughed even as it shook his head in a slightly unpleasant way. It was good they took care of their people- it was more than any noble would do for an alienage they oversaw. But the sheer wealth Lucanis had grown up in was still incomprehensible. Not enviable, not with how he'd been raised and the price Lucanis had paid for it all. So there's no jealousy, simply amusement at a world Davrin had never imagined.

"When I left, I thought being able to shop in a market rather than forage for food was the height of luxury. You'll have to give me a house map. Don't want to confuse a storage closet for the dining room when I visit."

For all that she was strict (to put it lightly) with her own grandchildren, Caterina had raised them both with the idea that you took care of the people under your command, under your pay. Of course, they could afford to be generous, so perhaps that was not so strange. Before the Antaam, the other investments could have kept the Dellamorte fortune going almost indefinitely with no additional work needed from the Crow side of the family business.

But someone always would be willing to pay for murder, and this kept the coffers full when other things stagnated.

"I'm not sure we have maps - I'll just have to stay by your side. Or you can find one of the staff if you need."

Now he was leaning into it, trying not to laugh, too. He needed to not laugh - it might make him sick if he did. That would really put a damper on this.

"The storage areas are very cleverly hidden in the same wing that the main dining room is in."

"If I get lost, just break out a window and find the nearest zipline. Got it."

The laugh turned into a soft groan, and he squeezed Lucanis' hand. Assan was still nearby, he could hear his squawks and chirps, so he wasn't too concerned about an ambush given how lightly both he and the Crow slept. Safer here, probably, than walking through the crossroads right now.

"Think Spite would let us nap? Would he even know what to do with nausea?"

He frowned a little at that last bit, his mouth going before his brain again. Spite had been there through torture. Of course the symptoms of a small hangover would be nothing to the demon. But the first part of the question, at least, could stand.

Lucanis winced slightly at the memory.

"It's nothing you want to see, I promise."

Getting rid of the nausea in the most direct way possible was how the demon decided to deal with that. Which meant very much puking until there was nothing left to puke up. It was ... messy. This was also one of the reasons why Lucanis very much did not want him to try eating anything strange while in control of his body.

"But I think he was pleased enough with today that we might get a nap in peace. Probably."

Spite gave a grumbling agreement off to the side, complaining about Lucanis being so picky about his problem solving methods.

'Nothing he wanted to see' could range from screaming on the ground in protest to going on a murderous rampage, but Davrin trusted Lucanis enough to leave that be. So he turned, slowly, on to his side. Pillowing his head on one folded arm arm, he wrapped the other around Lucanis waist and tugged lightly, trying to pull the other man closer and intertwine their legs. Just because they were sleeping off a hallucinogenic tea-induced hangover didn't mean they couldn't do it romantically. It was the first date, after all.

"Half an hour. That's all I ask."

Lucanis went easily to Davrin, already on his side. He felt like garbage and didn't regret a single moment of it.

He did desperately hope Davrin's ability to hear Spite was truly gone, given the demon asked if he should cause a fuss just so Davrin would tie them up again, 'like Lucanis liked'.

"No, just let us rest. Half an hour. Please."

The last word being more of a grumble. Spite huffed and growled but ultimately agreed.

"He agrees to half an hour."

One Short Day In Antiva City

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