Work Text:
Herah Adaar sighed quietly as she buttoned up her new, clean jacket, feeling relaxed and ecstatic. The idea of talking to someone she had been waiting to see ever since she had came back to Skyhold a few hours earlier was thrilling, but the fact that she was no longer covered in mud, darkspawn guts, and blood, also improved her mood significantly.
It was late, later than she had expected, but dealing with reports, as well as talking to Josephine and Leliana always took time. Herah also had to reassure herself once more that Cole, Cassandra, and Dorian were all truly alright. That was why when she was leaving the baths a lot of people were already getting back to their rooms, ready to go to sleep.
Even though getting there took Herah longer than she would have liked, soon she was finally standing in front of the room belonging to the one person she desperately wanted to see, the one she hadn’t seen in over two weeks.
As she knocked on the door, the mage hoped that she didn’t look as nervous as she felt.
Herah didn’t have to wait long before the door opened, revealing Bonny Sims, looking as gorgeous as ever. It was close to midnight, and yet Bonny was still wearing one of her usual, intricate gowns, even though in Herah’s opinion it was far too late to be wearing such clothing, didn’t matter how well the other woman looked in it. It was a part of her charm. The Leader of the Tradesmen wore her elaborate, multi-layer dresses like a knight would wear an armour, and it was something the mage had noticed as soon as the merchant had appeared in Skyhold.
“You said to visit you as soon as I get back,” Herah said, smiling at Bonny. “So, here I am. Have I caught you at a bad time?”
“Not at all,” Bonny stepped aside to let the mage in. “I’m always happy to see you, Inquisitor. I was just checking the list of deliveries for the next two weeks, to make sure everything Helisma and Elan had ordered would arrive on time.”
“You know I feel weird when you call me that,” Herah hovered awkwardly by Bonny’s desk, looking around the impeccably clean quarters, instantly spotting on the vanity the bottle of Nevarran perfume Herah had gifted her last month. It had taken the mage so long to pick a scent she had thought Bonny would like, and she had also consulted Josephine, Vivienne, and Dorian, before finally acquiring that particular bottle. It had been more nerve-wrecking than she had anticipated, but it had been worth it to see the bottle standing in Bonny’s quarters now.
“Indeed, I do, Inquisitor.” One corner of Bonny’s lips tilted upwards as she glanced at Herah, before closing the door. “Would you like some tea? I ordered a new fruit blend I thought you might enjoy.”
“Yes, please. Between desperately needing a bath, and talking to Leliana and the others, I didn’t really have the time to drink anything yet.”
As Bonny started preparing the tea, Herah took a place at the small table standing in the corner of the room, and allowed herself to observe the other woman puttering around. Bonny was a paragon of elegance even while doing something so ordinary, and Herah found it not only alluring but also enviable. Also, now that Bonny wasn’t wearing her usual ruffled collar and long-brimmed hat Herah found herself glancing at other woman’s neck, and when she realized just how much she wanted to pepper Bonny’s skin with kisses, she felt warmth spreading across her cheeks.
As soon as the other woman handed her a teacup and took a seat at the other side of the table, Herah started to sip her drink right away, because otherwise she would have certainly started babbling about everything that she was feeling right then, and that would not be ideal. Not that sitting in silence was a better option.
Thanks to Bonny, however, the silence didn’t last long. The merchant asked about places Herah had seen during her last trip, and the mage didn’t even realize how quickly the time passed as they chatted about all the places they had a chance to see in their lives.
Only when she yawned did Herah realize how late it must have been. The other woman probably wanted to go to sleep, and she couldn’t, which made the mage feel bad. Bonny worked a lot, usually from sunrise until late evening, but also never turned away anyone who wanted or needed to buy wares, even if her stall was already closed for the day. She definitely needed all the sleep she could get.
“I’m so sorry. Here I am, babbling about trips, while you probably want to go to sleep,” Herah winced as she stood up. She barely stopped herself from picking at the base of one of her horns, a nervous habit she had developed as a teenager, one that she tried to control more lately. “I didn't mean to take up so much of your time.”
“Nonsense,” Bonny interrupted her right away. “I’m not sure if you’re aware, Inquisitor, but I quite enjoy spending time with you, so your visits are not an imposition at all.”
Herah felt herself flush at the way Bonny smiled at her right then. When she realized she was staring at Bonny far longer than it would be considered proper, she decided to act instead. Taking one of the merchant’s hands in hers, she raised it to her lips and pressed a kiss to the knuckles, because a warm smile always appeared on Bonny’s face whenever Herah did that.
The other woman’s skin was soft against the mage’s lips, and Herah couldn’t help pressing one more kiss to the palm of Bonny’s hand. “Would you like to have breakfast with me tomorrow?”
“It would be my pleasure.”
Herah left the merchant’s quarters with a smile on her face, already planning to surprise Bonny with a luxurious breakfast consisting of some of Bonny’s favourite dishes, and gifting her a scarf she had found during her last trip to Val Royeaux. It was going to be the best breakfast of Bonny’s life, Herah would make sure of that.
