It was small--hardly weighed a thing--but Marian was all too aware of the glass vial hanging in a pouch on her belt. That it was poison was bad enough, but Isabela had identified it as Black Hand, a particularly deadly substance that could kill a man in two breaths. Even tucked securely away as it was, padded with scraps torn from the dead guards' clothes, she felt it shift with each step she took. All it would take was one stumble, one misstep, and the vial could shatter--and she wasn't completely confident that her layers of clothing would be enough to protect her from the poison's effects.
Which was why, when Isabela whirled to pin her against a dirty Lowtown wall, Marian's heart jumped into her throat for reasons that didn't necessarily have to do with the pirate's close proximity.
"Isabela," she gasped as her hand shot to cover the pouch protectively. "What are you doing?"
The answering look in Isabela's eyes was enough to send Marian's blood racing to decidedly lower parts of her anatomy. "You never took me up on my offer," Isabela murmured. A rough fingertip dragged along the collar of Marian's armor, raising goosebumps in its wake. Isabela's lips curved up knowingly at the edges. "I'm not new to being turned down, but it usually involves the word 'no' at some point."
Marian wanted to answer, to explain that she'd been busy, and that Isabela's brazen offer had caught her so off-guard that she hadn't had the first idea how to respond to it. That would all require her to breathe, however--and somewhere amidst the solid warmth of Isabela's body pressing against her, the heat of her words brushing across Marian's jaw, and the feather-light touch of finger to skin, she seemed to have forgotten how.
Not that it mattered much. Isabela took her lack of words as an answer in itself, drawing back just far enough to press her mouth firmly to Marian's.
The strangled whimper that sounded in Marian's throat was entirely undignified, but she couldn't find it in herself to care. Isabela's lips were soft and full, tongue hot and slick where it teased at the entrance to her mouth. Desire twisted in Marian's belly as sure hands drifted down to her hips, holding firmly as Isabela's breasts crushed against hers.
When Isabela slipped a knee between her legs, Marian's own hands shot up to the back of Isabela's head, tangling in thick dark hair as she moaned into Isabela's mouth. Her head spun with the intensity of it all.
Just as she was on the edge of throwing caution to the wind and letting Isabela take her up against this dirty, cracked wall where anyone could pass by and see them, she felt nimble fingers slipping around to her front. She didn't realize their intent at first; she assumed they were working their way to the button of her trousers, or the buckle of her belt, and she ground wantonly against Isabela's thigh to urge her on.
Isabela's fingers were focused on another task, however--one that didn't become apparent until they had liberated the vial of poison from the pouch at Marian's belt.
For all her distraction, Marian still managed to be quick enough to close her hand around Isabela's before the pirate could make off with her prize.
"Really?" Marian panted, quirking an eyebrow.
"Can't blame a girl for trying," Isabela replied with a smirk. She rolled her eyes as she let Marian reclaim the vial. "Let's get it back to Martin, then," she sighed, stepping back to give Marian room to walk away. "He'd never have missed it, you know."
Marian shook her head with a practiced grin, hoping her disappointment wasn't too obvious. She'd been a fool to think Isabela would want her.
Before she could get too deep into self-recrimination, a sudden warmth pressed against Marian's back. She kept her hand tight around the pouch containing the poison, and Isabela chuckled into her ear.
"Maybe once we're done with him," Isabela murmured, her breath hot against Marian's neck, "I can convince you to finish what we've started."
This time, the grin that pulled at Marian's mouth was genuine. "Play your cards right," she teased.
"Oh, sweet thing, I thought you'd have caught on by now." Isabela's hand dragged along the small of Marian's back as she moved around to continue the walk to the Hanged Man. She glanced back over her shoulder, mischief glinting in her eyes. "I cheat."
Marian bit her lip, watching the sway of Isabela's hips for a moment before she rushed to catch up. She couldn't be done with this poison business soon enough.
Isabela/f!Hawke, Ulterior Motives
Which was why, when Isabela whirled to pin her against a dirty Lowtown wall, Marian's heart jumped into her throat for reasons that didn't necessarily have to do with the pirate's close proximity.
"Isabela," she gasped as her hand shot to cover the pouch protectively. "What are you doing?"
The answering look in Isabela's eyes was enough to send Marian's blood racing to decidedly lower parts of her anatomy. "You never took me up on my offer," Isabela murmured. A rough fingertip dragged along the collar of Marian's armor, raising goosebumps in its wake. Isabela's lips curved up knowingly at the edges. "I'm not new to being turned down, but it usually involves the word 'no' at some point."
Marian wanted to answer, to explain that she'd been busy, and that Isabela's brazen offer had caught her so off-guard that she hadn't had the first idea how to respond to it. That would all require her to breathe, however--and somewhere amidst the solid warmth of Isabela's body pressing against her, the heat of her words brushing across Marian's jaw, and the feather-light touch of finger to skin, she seemed to have forgotten how.
Not that it mattered much. Isabela took her lack of words as an answer in itself, drawing back just far enough to press her mouth firmly to Marian's.
The strangled whimper that sounded in Marian's throat was entirely undignified, but she couldn't find it in herself to care. Isabela's lips were soft and full, tongue hot and slick where it teased at the entrance to her mouth. Desire twisted in Marian's belly as sure hands drifted down to her hips, holding firmly as Isabela's breasts crushed against hers.
When Isabela slipped a knee between her legs, Marian's own hands shot up to the back of Isabela's head, tangling in thick dark hair as she moaned into Isabela's mouth. Her head spun with the intensity of it all.
Just as she was on the edge of throwing caution to the wind and letting Isabela take her up against this dirty, cracked wall where anyone could pass by and see them, she felt nimble fingers slipping around to her front. She didn't realize their intent at first; she assumed they were working their way to the button of her trousers, or the buckle of her belt, and she ground wantonly against Isabela's thigh to urge her on.
Isabela's fingers were focused on another task, however--one that didn't become apparent until they had liberated the vial of poison from the pouch at Marian's belt.
For all her distraction, Marian still managed to be quick enough to close her hand around Isabela's before the pirate could make off with her prize.
"Really?" Marian panted, quirking an eyebrow.
"Can't blame a girl for trying," Isabela replied with a smirk. She rolled her eyes as she let Marian reclaim the vial. "Let's get it back to Martin, then," she sighed, stepping back to give Marian room to walk away. "He'd never have missed it, you know."
Marian shook her head with a practiced grin, hoping her disappointment wasn't too obvious. She'd been a fool to think Isabela would want her.
Before she could get too deep into self-recrimination, a sudden warmth pressed against Marian's back. She kept her hand tight around the pouch containing the poison, and Isabela chuckled into her ear.
"Maybe once we're done with him," Isabela murmured, her breath hot against Marian's neck, "I can convince you to finish what we've started."
This time, the grin that pulled at Marian's mouth was genuine. "Play your cards right," she teased.
"Oh, sweet thing, I thought you'd have caught on by now." Isabela's hand dragged along the small of Marian's back as she moved around to continue the walk to the Hanged Man. She glanced back over her shoulder, mischief glinting in her eyes. "I cheat."
Marian bit her lip, watching the sway of Isabela's hips for a moment before she rushed to catch up. She couldn't be done with this poison business soon enough.