Chapter Text
Treviso (Nightfall)
“Neve said she’ll meet us back at the market.”
Sneaking about Treviso was nothing new for Lucanis. Being an assassin meant he was familiar with the city like the back of his hand. If it weren't for Rook, this would've been his typical work.
The rumor mill was full of stories about Antaam bringing supplies in via the Venatori. From Minrathos to Treviso, Neve had followed the trail of a shipment. What they were smuggling was a mystery to her. The fact that it was the Antaam meant that it had to be terrible.
Infiltrating one of the sanctums was the intended goal. The Crows, namely Teia and Viago, had cautioned them to be silent about this matter while they continued to devise a plan to extract Antaam from Treviso. They hoped the Veil Guard would refrain from instigating further conflict between the Qunari. While Lucanis and Rook surveyed the cargo, Neve promised to look for any relevant information.
And so it was that Lucanis and Rook found themselves lost in the maze of Treviso alleyways.
Rook was a surprise he never expected. After more than a year in the Ossuary, her warm grin was a wonderful change for him. She expressed care for him, which he was unfamiliar with. She went out of her way to check on and care for him. He had a hard time feeling dislike for her. When she could have assisted her home, Minrathos, she instead helped Treviso defend against Ghilan'nain's blighted dragon. Neve was furious with her, yet he couldn't help but feel grateful.
For him, Rook was a beacon of light among the shadows. She could laugh easily, yet she could also keep her serious face when the occasion called for it. As time went on, Lucanis's feelings for her deepened. Through it all, her black eyes seemed to brim with vitality.
She walked ahead of him, her eyes fixed on the many majestic structures dispersed about. She wasn't wearing her usual mage robes, the Shadow Dragon colors were nowhere to be seen. Her outfit consisted of black, form-fitting pants and a figure-hugging blouse. Attached to her belt was her spellblade.
He was captivated by her body. The woman's layered robes were an indication of her mage class. The opportunity to examine her so closely was actually quite rare for him. She stood at a shorter height than he did. She claimed to have significantly more "meat" than average women.
“Lucanis?” Rook had stopped in her tracks, looking at him over her shoulder with a question in her eyes.
“Hm?” He hummed.
“Are you okay? Is something wrong? You’ve been awfully quiet…”
“Nothing is wrong. I was just thinking. We should be quiet, we do not want to draw attention.” She nods, turning back around to resume walking.
“You would not make a good assassin.” Lucanis said, meeting her pace.
“Well, I know. That’s why I’m a Shadow Dragon.” She snorted, sticking her nose in the air.
“Don’t Shadow Dragons have to be quiet and inconspicuous?” He pressed, his voice having a teasing tone to it.
“Who are you to make such a claim? I am stealthy and unassuming!” She responded while pretending to be offended.
“It never fails that you're on your way to see me. The sound of your footsteps is comparable to that of an ogre.” He teases, relishing in the fact that her face turns a bright crimson.
"I... " Her wide eyes meet his as she begins to speak. She swiftly averts her gaze, unable to muster a response. Like other elves, she has pointed ears, and the tips of hers are scarlet. If she would only allow him, nipping at them would be pleasant. “Damn, you win that one.” Without completely returning her gaze to him, she let out a laugh.
The sound of raucous laughter echoed down the alleyway just as he was about to respond. Both of them stood motionless.
“Antaam.” Lucanis hissed, turning to look at her.
“Shit, we need a diversion.” Rook cursed, looking around for any possible chance of escape. There weren't any ledges to clamber over; only perfectly smooth walls—and the following turn was too distant for them to find cover.
The only way out of this sticky position was to fight. Lucanis seized his rapier, bracing himself for combat. On the contrary, he was halted by a hand. “I’ve got an idea.” She blurted out.
“No time, come here.” Rook spouted, letting go of his hand once she had his attention.
As soon as Rook catches hold of his armor's leather collar, she pulls him along until he hears her back smash against the stonewall. Each of them exhaled a breath. Both of their gazes lock onto one another. Within their embrace, everything else fades away.
As long as she would allow him, he could spend eternity buried in her gaze. In the blink of an eye, the enchantment ends and Rook's face becomes unintelligible.
"Pardon me in advance." With her expression coming into sharp focus, Rook says.
“What–”
She swiftly silenced him by grabbing the nape of his neck and bringing her lips to his. Lucanis makes a startled sound. What a surprise—the kiss appears completely innocent. As the Antaam draws near, Rook looks over his shoulder with wide eyes. The look of astonishment must have lingered on his face.
“Play along. Just make it look like we’re making out.” Rook whispers. Of all the things she could’ve thought of as a diversion, it had to be that.
“Why don’t we just kill them?” Lucanis huffs quietly. Worst of all, he had often entertained the thought of kissing Rook, his colleague, and wished he could have done it. Kissing this woman wasn't as important as other, more pressing matters. Even though he had a sudden epiphany in his chamber, he restrained himself only inches from her full lips. They shimmered and looked incredibly inviting. Throughout the remainder of the day, Spite would not let him forget it.
The demon had grown to like Rook. Seems like "obsessed" would be a more accurate description. It didn't help that Lucanis had dirty thoughts about her to begin with. That revelation only served to fuel Spite's animosity. Lucanis felt he was being overly sexual, but Spite was able to take it to a whole new level.
Although she had a history of flirting with him, Rook was known to do it with anyone. He had no idea whether her feelings for him went beyond just friendship.
“Those are too many Antaam for me and you to handle. Plus, Teia said not to cause much ruckus.” Mierda, Teia did say that.
“We can avoid kissing if you don't want to. All we have to do is make it appear that way..” Rook said while being lost in thought.
“I don’t think…” He breathed.
“Do you have any better ideas?” Rook mumbles, cocking an eyebrow at him. Clearly, she wasn’t aware that what she was doing was causing him to quickly lose his composure.
He was alone with her; he was pressed up against her; their chests were squeezed together. All of his desires were in one spot, and he had no idea what to do. He was unable to flee, unlike the last time. He was in over his head.
“Pleasant aromas of cocoa and cedar... What does she taste like? I must know!” Spite roared in his ear.
“Not at the moment.” He uttered huskily. For a moment she didn’t reply, just stared at him. Once she seemed to accept his statement, she nodded, nudging her nose against his. The voices of the Antaam were getting louder. They rubbed their faces against each other, resembling the movements as if they were kissing. When his lips brushed hers, for one brief second, she let out a quiet sigh. From that action, an invisible string had snapped.
Lucanis was paralyzed. A perplexed expression spread across Rook's face as she drew back to meet his gaze.
“Luca–”Just as she was about to pronounce his name, he pressed his lips on hers. Although she only froze for an instant, Rook's tensionas he pressed his lips to hers. As she aided his endeavors, her eyelashes fluttered shut and she sighed with delight.
“Me pondría de rodillas por ti…” He whispers in her ear, his heated breath causing Rook to tighten her grip on his shoulders. He nips the edge of her ear with his teeth. This elicits a gasp from Rook, further intensifying his aggression. Lucanis sucks on her ear, eliciting another, even louder gasp from her. Unable to stop himself, Lucanis slid his tongue into her mouth.
Oh, he believed that he had experienced genuine pleasure at one point. Now, however, would supersede all those earlier instances. As her tongue danced around his, it was warm and inviting. A messy, needy kiss it was not. Their tongues moved in rapid rhythm, their movements harsh against each other's. While her slippery, moist tongue brushed against his, Lucanis's eyes rolled to the back of his skull. She resembled the alcoholic beverage she had consumed at the Lighthouse earlier—bitter at first, then sweet as it slid down her tongue. A state of pure bliss.
Rook reached behind him and grabbed the back of his head with one hand, making a little sound as she did so. She runs her fingers through his black locks, tugging at them. Like the rest of him, it caused his scalp to burn.
He really was possessed, although it seemed more like he was acting possessed. Arousal had wiped out any rational thought that had ever crossed Lucanis's mind.
“She has a flavor that I enjoy. Arousal is spreading through her. Her desire is for us to be within her. What do you want? More! Make Rook give us more!”
To his dismay, he found himself in agreement with Spite. He yearned to be within her... It was an act he had never done. He never had time to do it since he was too proper or preoccupied with his job. In addition, he had feelings for someone in the past, but they were turned down. At this moment, he was driven by pure, instinctual lust.
People, alas, need to breathe. After a brief moment of passionate kissing, he reluctantly pulls his lips away from hers, leaving a trail of saliva behind. He lowered himself to her bare neck, shutting his eyes in the process. As he leisurely traces his tongue along her neck, her flesh becomes hot to the touch. Her throat releases the most delightful sound—a resounding moan. Not only did he want to hear more, he needed to hear more. He pauses at a location just beneath her earlobe and presses his lips to the scorching flesh. She tightens her grip on his hair, and he begins to suck a mark into her smooth skin.
“Lucanis…” She moans, shifting under him. Immersed in this strange and exciting realm of pleasure, he pays her hardly any attention. Rook lets out a hiss as he nibbles on the area he was tending to. He licks the mark with his tongue again as an apology.
“Lucanis….They’re gone…” She mutters sounding more coherent, her voice laced over with arousal. She loosens her grip in his hair, slightly glancing down at the man that is still attending to her neck.
“Lucanis, we have to stop..” Rook mutters, her eyelids heavy with exhaustion. It had been a long time since she had a man who was quite passionate with her. Lucanis stops his ministrations, looking up at her with equally heavy eyelids.
“What..?” He says in a low voice. He appears to be wholly disoriented, unlike when Spite takes over. As she runs her fingers through his hair, he groans and tries to resume sucking on her neck. She pushes on his chest in protest, and he looks at her with a confused yet aroused look on his face.
“The Antaam are gone, and as much as I was enjoying this, we still have cargo to look through.” She says, combing his hair with her fingers.
“Hm…?” Lucanis replies, closing his eyes while leaning into her.
“You’re completely out of it, aren’t you?” She can’t help but smile. A full grown man completely melting to her touch was totally foreign to her.
“Out of it… what do you mean?” He looks up at her, his composure slowly coming back to his face.
“Was that Spite doing that? If it was, I’m going to go into the Fade and murder his ass.” She muttered. Rook hoped it wouldn't be a one-sided affair. If it were Spite, Lucanis would have no possibility of giving her consent, which would have been a major problem for Rook if he wasn't interested in doing that to her.
“Spite? No… He didn’t do anything. Why are you asking that question?” Lucanis hissed. With the euphoria gradually fading from his thoughts, he shakes his head.
“Were you controlling that makeout session then? Wow, I didn’t know you could be like that!” She teased, not being able to hold back the goofy grin on her face.
“I did–” He paused. With a look of sheer terror on his face, Lucanis glanced up at her in a flash. As he struggled to free himself from Rook and staggered away, his face appeared to have lost all color.
“¿Por qué hice eso?” He hissed at himself, covering his face with one of his hands. Rook tried to reach for him, but she stopped, letting her hand drop.
“You should’ve stopped me!” He turned on his heel and looked at her, exclaiming. Regret was evident on his face. Ouch, It couldn’t have been far more painful.
“Stopped you? Was Spite forcing you?” She expressed.
“Spite has nothing to do with this. Stop trying to involve him.”
“I am involving him! I want to know if you had consent in that situation. If you didn’t, I’m sorry for pushing him on!” She said.
“It was me, Rook.” He looked at her before looking down in defeat. “I don’t know what I’m doing…”
“Don’t know? You clearly knew what you were doing.” She giggled, letting her shoulders relax.
“I…” He paused, looking at her with intent. “Are you interested in me?” Oh my, she had never seen sadder puppy eyes on anyone’s face before.
“I am interested.” She stated, putting her hands behind her back and stepping towards him.
“Are you?” He retorted, his dark eyes glimmering with hope.
“Yes, Lucanis.” She played with a tassel that was hanging from his armor.
“We’ll talk about this at the Lighthouse later, okay?” After a little pause, he gave a mute nod.
She turned away from him and continued on the same path they had come. Lucanis heaved a deep breath. Though he is at a loss as to how to go with this woman, he held out hope that they would resume their moment at a later time.