Her nerves showed.

It was unusual for Cassandra to show much emotion beyond anger or disdain. A small smile was a rare thing that Herah Adaar treasured more than any gold. Nerves she didn't show at all. If she were ever nervous or frightened Cassandra used it – fought with it as she fought against it. So to see her like this worried Herah immensely, and pained her considerably.

Cassandra went to kiss her once more but Herah pulled away this time, causing a delightful pout on the seeker's face that the Inquisitor was never going to forget like the rare smiles and the quiet laugh.

"What is wrong Cassandra?" she asked softly, a reassuring hand on the woman's waist.

"Nothing – it's – I."

She made a noise, a frustrated grumble of sorts that Herah knew well.

"Talk to me."

Cassandra rolled onto her back on the blanket laid out on the grass and looked up at the stars. They'd spend most of the afternoon together in the little grove close to Skyhold, Herah had brought a picnic, and wine and poetry. After a little while they were kissing and it was fine until Herah had ran a hand beneath the woman's tunic to stroke at the skin beneath. Now she used the same motion to try and soothe rather than arouse, waiting for her to speak.

"It has been some time since I have been...intimate with another," she said finally, "and never with another woman."

Herah knew this of course, had worked through Cassandra's reservations, had never pushed or even pursued her despite her own desire. She had waited for the Seeker to come to her, in her own time, when she was ready to be courted by the other woman. She cared for her too much, loved her terribly. Not that she'd been able to Cassandra for fear of scaring her away.

For fear the woman would still reject her.

"We don't," she paused. "We don't have to do anything."

"Of this I am aware," Cassandra said, "you have been so kind and patient. I would like to repay you."

"Not with sex though Cassandra."

The seeker blushed, another adorable look that Herah loved to see, smiling at her.

"No," she replied, finally looking at her once more, smiling. "With trust."

Herah gasped, leaning down to kiss Cassandra hard, running a hand up to cup her cheek as she pressed her lips to hers and kissed her deeply, making them both a little dizzy. Cassandra groaned, responding by running her hands over Herah's broad back and pulling the woman closer to her.

She pulled her hand free from the seeker's light tunic, moving back a little so she could work on the buttons, then pausing and changing her mind.

"Herah?" Cassandra asked, watching as she paused, that nervous look back.

"Shush," the Inquisitor said, starting to undo her own buttons, quickly stripping off her tunic and breast-band. She sat back for a moment to let Cassandra see her body, carefully watching her bright eyes take her in and her cheeks flush red, her lips part ever so slightly and her hands reach for her. She smiled then, leaning back down to kiss her again, feeling the glory that was the seeker's callused hands running down her back.

"Cassandra," she mumbled against her lips, dropping kisses over her cheek and jaw, down to her neck. "I want to make you happy."

"You do," Cassandra gasped when she felt the Inquisitor's sharp teeth scrape over her neck. Herah smiled and did it again, filling away the reaction and moving lower, hands flicking open the buttons on her tunic and pulling it open.

She hesitated at her breast band, wanting nothing more than to rip if off her but didn't want to rush Cassandra. Cassandra who was beautiful and strong, vulnerable and unexpectedly brave, because she took one of Herah's hands and placed it on her breast. She took the hint and caressed her through the material, rubbing a gentle wide circle around her nipple and watching her eyes flutter shut at the teasing motion. She moved away and pulled the breast band away, throwing it to one side, her hand returning to her breast almost immediately. Cassandra gasped at the contact, arching her back into it and Herah smiled, bending her head to kiss her other breast.

Another gasp, then a soft moan as Herah's lips closed around her nipple.

She had expectations of this, she had dreamt of this and she could never decide if Cassandra would be loud or quiet when they made love. The woman could be so passionate one day and so reserved another that Herah could barely keep up with her and now as she sucked lightly on her nipple she was quiet but her hands clutched at her, held her close as she whimpered.

"Her – ah."

The Inquisitor laughed as the woman moaned her name, softly, so softly, and started to moved down her body. She dotted kisses on her olive skin and ran the tip of her tongue over scars she discovered on her abdomen – some new but most old and faded white. She was beautiful like this – the marks of her life bared to Herah with no shame nor embarrassment.

Herah fell even more in love.

"You're beautiful Cassandra," she said, sitting back between her legs, large grey hands cupping her waist. "So very beautiful."

Her cheeks flushed red again, and she looked at her, smiling.

"As are you Herah," she said, reaching for her, to pull her down for another kiss. Herah was tempted to resist but couldn't help moving to fit their bodies together, chests pressing together, skin on skin once more. She moaned into Cassandra's mouth as they kissed, her hips shifting as her arousal pulsed through her and Maker she needed this woman. Like air and water.

Herah ran a hand down Cassandra's side, in between their bodies and started to fumble with the laces of her breeches. She shifted back again, feeling a little dazed and seeing Cassandra looking the same and pulled the trousers open then down, slowly, ever so slowly, watching for any return of the nerves but there were none and she smoothed her hands up the seeker's legs, stopping at the top and urging her to spread them.

She didn't hesitate or resist, legs falling open and hips arching up slightly. She was slick at her centre and Herah moaned to herself. She bent her head and went to taste her, to kiss the soft skin of her thighs and perhaps scrape her teeth against them when she felt Cassandra tense, her body going rigid for a moment.

Herah sat up between her legs, stroking her hands over the seeker's thighs watching the hot red flush spreading over her cheeks and down to her chest, the other woman trying to control her breathing. Herself.

"Cassandra?" she asked.

"Continue, please," she said and Herah shook her head.

"Do you want me to stop? I will."

Cassandra shook her head, levelling her with that passionate look that made Herah want to kiss her silly and write her poetry and dance with her, as well as fuck her stupid.

"No, please," she said softly.

"Tell me. Talk to me."

"No one has ever...ever used their mouth on, on me before," Cassandra said, stammering and blushing.

"Oh."

Oh.

Herah smiled then, which probably didn't help with Cassandra's nerves she knew, but she couldn't help it. She leaned forward and gave her a quick peck on the lips.

"Are you sure?" Herah whispered.

"Yes," Cassandra said, voice hoarse and ran a hand through Herah's white locks, urging her back down between her thighs. The Inquisitor chuckled and settled down between her muscled thighs, shouldering them further apart before placing one single soft kiss on the slick lips of the woman's sex.

Cassandra gasped, hands moving to Herah's horns, holding fast as she licked a line through the hot arousal pooled there, listening to her moan and delighting in the way the woman hitched up her hips. She pressed her tongue deeper lapping at her entrance briefly before moving to the apex of her sex and flicking over her clit even more briefly. Cassandra whined, hips following the movement of Herah's mouth as she did the same again, lapping at the slick juices, flicking her clit, over and over again in a delicious rhythm. The seeker was tensing up again, hands gripping her horns tighter but she knew it was for different reasons this time, could feel the way her love had submitted to the pleasure coursing through her veins.

She moaned as Cassandra did, delving between her soft lips and pressing her tongue to her entrance once more, holding her legs hard to stop her from bucking up when she wrapped her lips around her clit and sucked.

"Herah," she cried out, pulling at her horns once more, and the Inquisitor chuckled against her sex, pulling back for a second to appreciate the way Cassandra looked. The way her eyes were squeezed shut and her mouth was wide open, the way her chest moved as she panted her breaths.

"Cassandra," she groaned. "Beautiful."

She bent down once more determined to make Cassandra cry out with pleasure, tongue pressing deeper into her hot body, thrusting in and out. She shuddered with the motion and Herah moved to suck on her clit once more, letting go of one leg to smooth a hand inside her thigh. She pressed a finger to her slick entrance and Cassandra whined when she paused, crying out finally when Herah pushed into her heat, never letting up on her clit, sucking and licking at the little bundle of nerves.

"More," she said, "Herah."

"Anything, Cassandra," she muttered in reply not entirely sure the seeker heard her.

She pressed another finger into her, slowly thrusting them in and out, feeling Cassandra respond to every slight movement, shaking slightly from holding back. Herah pushed harder, crooking her fingers and pressing into her until she cried out once more, and again, Herah's name and something in Nervarren she didn't catch.

Then she was coming, hard and she shook through her orgasm, hips bucking as Herah lapped her up until she settled back down on the soft blanket, panting and whimpering. She pulled her fingers slowly from inside her and sitting up to look at Cassandra.

She had never been so beautiful.

Flushed and breathing hard, her hair sticking up and her braid coming loose.

"Cassandra," she sighed. "Are you? Are you well?" she asked, suddenly nervous.

The seeker smiled.

"Yes, yes I am most..." she trailed off, unable to find the word and Herah chuckled, kissing her. "Satisfied," she tried, blushing.

"I love you Cassandra. I wanted, I want you to know that."

Cassandra looked at her, and Herah worried that she had said too much, that she had frightened her and she looked away, trying to control her breathing and her emotions, not wanting to cry but feeling it all the same.

Then Cassandra grabbed her and rolled them, kissing her hard and Herah moaned, happy and free all at once and she was saying it again and again as Cassandra kissed her.

"I love you too," she said, with a smile, wide and bright and Herah would never forget it. She made it her vow then and there to see that smile again, over and over.