The Drow Queen of Glaley [Very NSFW]

[Coquette Blacquin]

"...thought you'd run," she whimpers, her voice hoarse. "Why come for me?"

[Zevran]

"Because... because I could. Because I want to be the person that would help someone in your-- that would stop suffering like you were... subjected to." He scowls, shaking his head. "No, I am being a coward. The truer answer is that I am calling in love with you. That I care for you a great deal and you give me hope and remind me that good exists even where evil rules. Because I could not leave you behind."

[Coquette Blacquin]

"Don't," she whispers. "Don't you dare love me. You saw what happens if someone loves me."

[Zevran]

"I would be so lucky to d-- to have Bull's fate," Zevran whispers back. "I would rather die saving what I love than die decades later, alone and bitter."

[Coquette Blacquin]

"She tortured him," she whispers. "She tortured him almost to death, healed him, and started over, all to hurt me all the worse. Don't love me."

[Zevran]

Zevran laughs softly, eyes closed and lips twisted in a bittersweet smile. "The one master I have never been able to fight against is my own heart. I am what I am, I feel what I feel. I cannot stop myself from loving you or anyone else my heart chooses. If you wish to keep me safe, then... then we shall simply have to work together to make us both safe."

[Coquette Blacquin]

"I can't keep anyone safe," she whispers. "I just want to rest. Can I rest?"

[Zevran]

"Of course," Zevran says gently, slowly, carefully, warily, reaching out to stroke her cheek. "For now, that is all you need do. Rest. Become well again. Find your peace and be well again."

[Coquette Blacquin]

"I don't think I'll ever be well again," she whispers. "I'm so tired..."

[Zevran]

"Then sleep," Zevran coaxes her, continuing to rub her cheek. "Sleep and grow stronger. I will keep watch."

[Coquette Blacquin]

She lets out a long exhale, sagging against his cheek. He thinks for a moment she's fallen asleep, only to hear her voice once more, high and soft and slurred: "dankuu," she murmurs, barely audible. "Dankuu. Fo' savin' me. Fo' comin' back."

[Zevran]

"We saved each other," Zevran corrects her, easing himself back down alongside her. He tenses for a second but doesn't otherwise react when Justina decides to take advantage of this by leaping over and curling up inside the small space he'd left between himself and Coquette. She glares up at him balefully, as if blaming him for Coquette scaring her earlier and then promptly closes her eyes to nap. "Are saving each other," he then corrects himself a trifle ruefully.

[Coquette Blacquin]

Coquette gives a shy smile, but doesn't speak again as she fades back into sleep. 

[Coquette Blacquin]

Her fever doesn't break until the next morning, and she stays asleep after that, even when the healer does another physical exam and tries to force some potion down her throat ("better than than I examine her for wounds in places she doesn't want me seeing"). 

But eventually she does wake, yawning and sitting up as she looks around, sleepily. "Morning," she murmurs to Zevran, sounding almost cheerful. 

[Zevran]

For once, it turns out that his closed eyes were in fact due to sleep as opposed to his strange habbat. He bolts upright, hand tightening his grip on some weird object made of carved wooden rings and rods in preparation to fight. Then he winces as Justina hisses and pricks his thigh in reprimand. Blinking the sleep from his eyes and thoughts, he stares at Coquette. "You-- awake?"