Work Text:
The night Rook was pulled from the Veil by his friends was heavy with grief. Not only had they lost two of their inner circle, but Elgar'nan had continued his push for control of Thedas in Rook’s absence. The Veilguard’s final confrontation with him was drawing near, but Rook found himself drained and exhausted from his time in the fade. After catching up on the events he had missed with the remaining residents of the Lighthouse, he decided to call it early. It was too difficult to meet the eyes of his remaining friends, knowing he had left some behind.
He returned to the meditation room, which was ever filled with the glowing blue light of the fade fish spirits that lived there. They danced behind their thick wall of glass, completely unaware of the goings on in the rest of the Lighthouse. The candles on his side table had burned to low stubs, their wax pooling in irregular shapes, dripping to the floor, and creating small stalagmites on the worn stone. He was staring at these pools, lost in thought about Varric.
What would he say if he was here? Would he have been able to keep the others alive? Would he still think Rook was the right person to lead them all, even after all of this?
He was jolted from his thoughts by a soft knock on the door behind him.
“Darling, can I come in? I’ll only be a moment.” Emmrich’s voice echoed through the hollow room, tight with concern. The way it sounded, soft and worried, made Rook’s heartache all the more. He stood and crossed to the door, opening it so the necromancer stood before him.
“Of course, Emmrich. You’re always welcome.” Rook stepped aside, avoiding Emmrich’s eyes. There was a tightness in his chest he couldn’t quite explain. His visitor’s expression was soft. Worried. There was a furrow to his brow when Rook finally forced himself to look up at him.
“Dearest, have you been…” he trailed off, raising a hand to Rook’s face and brushing away a few stray tears that Rook hadn’t noticed were there. At his touch, Rook flinched, and then relaxed, leaning softly into the palm of his partner’s hand. As if taking the contact as permission, Emmrich stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Rook in a tight embrace, pulling him to his chest. Rook felt his chest heave and his breath hitch, but the warmth of Emmrich’s body against his had stopped the flow of tears. They stood like that for a moment, in the glow of the fade fish, holding one another in the silence of the Lighthouse.
Emmrich finally spoke, his voice a soft whisper. “Are you alright, darling?”
“I will be,” Rook sighed, straightening up and reluctantly pulling away. His knees had gone slightly weak, and he moved to sit on the chaise at the room’s center. “Eventually. But not tonight.”
Emmrich knelt before him, meeting Rook’s eyes and brushing the hair from his face. “I’m so sorry, dearest. Had I known about Varric. That you hadn’t gotten the proper chance to mourn… I would have done anything in my power to help you.”
Rook sighed, grateful for the light touch of Emmrich’s fingers in his hair. “There’s no way you could have known, Emmrich. Solas…he was doing something to my mind. I-... Maybe it was better. Not to know. If I hadn’t had Varric here, or the memory of him…Maybe we wouldn’t have come this far.”
“Perhaps,” Emmrich said. “Or perhaps that indomitable spirit of yours that I’ve grown to care for so deeply would have pulled through, nonetheless. It freed you from Solas’s prison, after all.” His face fell, and his hand moved to cradle Rook’s face again.
“The weeks you were gone, Rook,” he said softly. “I’d thought I’d lost you forever in the fade.”
Rook felt his heart drop to his stomach. “Weeks?” he asked. “I was gone for weeks? No…It was a few hours. Maybe a day at most.”
“Time works differently in the fade, darling. Any well-versed necromancer knows that. Wherever Solas had trapped you, it was tightly sealed. I spent every waking hour of those weeks searching for you, sending out wisps to far corners of the fade, combing the knowledge of the dead to see if they had seen or heard anything about the prison of the Dread Wolf. But none of those things are what finally pulled me to you. It was you. Your spirit. It couldn’t be caged by Solas’s prison of regret. Because you look forward. You do what must be done.”
Rook gave Emmrich a small smile. “That, or I had someone important to come back to. I’m sorry I….I never meant to make you worry.”
“Every ounce of worry was worth the moment I had you back in my arms,” Emmrich said, closing his eyes and touching his forehead to Rook’s. He took Rook’s hand in his and placed a light kiss on his fingers. “But I’m afraid now, you’ll never be rid of me. I won’t lose you a second time.”
“You won’t,” Rook assured him, dragging his thumb across the many rings that decorated Emmrich’s practiced hands. “Next time, we’ll take down Elgar’nan. And this time, we won’t lose anyone. I promise.”
“And I believe you. But for now, you must rest. We live to fight another day.” Emmrich stood as if to move towards the door. “Perhaps I’ll have Manfred make us some tea. A warm drink does wonders to calm the spirit. And it should help you sleep.” As he turned to go, Rook was filled with a sudden sense of urgency. The emptiness of the room around him suddenly felt too deep, too cold, without Emmrich’s hand in his. He reached out and grabbed the necromancer’s arm, stopping him in his tracks. Emmrich turned, his brow furrowed in surprise.
“Are you alright, darling?” he asked.
“Please Emmrich could you….would you stay here? With me? Sleep here?” Rook motioned to the chaise where he was seated. “Just for tonight. I don’t-...I’d rather not be alone.”
To Rook’s surprise, Emmrich’s ears turned a deep red, and the rose color spread softly onto his cheeks. “I…well Rook. Of course I would like to, dearest, but…”
Rook’s face fell. “...Are you still upset?” he asked, their argument before the battle still fresh in his memory. “Emmrich, I never meant to-”
“No, darling. It isn’t that at all,” Emmrich said with a wave of his had. The blush on his cheeks was noticeable, even in the room’s soft blue glow. “It’s just… I had wished that our first night together would be under happier circumstances…” but as he said it, his words trailed off into silence, and an unspoken truth hung in the air between them.
Perhaps there would be no happier circumstance. Perhaps this would be their last night together.
The silence lasted only a moment, but it was enough for Rook’s eyes to mist over again, a new set of tears threatening to fall. Emmrich was immediately at his side, pulling a handkerchief from a hidden pocket and wiping them away before they could spill. “Oh, please no tears, dearest. I only meant that… I was just surprised.”
“Surprised I would want to spend the night with you?” Rook asked. Emmrich’s handkerchief smelled of lilac, moss, and a hint of tree sap. It was a calm, earthy smell that reminded Rook of his years growing up in the Necropolis. He felt his body relax, releasing the tension he didn’t know he’d been holding in his neck and shoulders.
“Not precisely,” Emmrich said, moving to sit beside Rook, leaving his handkerchief in Rook’s hands. The necromancer turned his eyes to the dancing fade fish before them, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. “I’m surprised that even in all of this. With everything that’s happened. The idea that you would… The idea that I’m the man to capture the attention of our dashing hero.”
“Emmrich, we talked about this,” Rook cautioned. He still had the handkerchief pressed against his face. He was taking small draws of its smell, letting it wash over him. “You can’t keep questioning my feelings for you. I care for you. Deeply”
“It’s not that, my dear. I know you. You wouldn’t waste time with flattery. I’ve felt every part of my passion for you returned each time we’re together.” He turned and met Rook’s eyes. “But we both know immortality is no longer a possibility for me. Even in the best of circumstances-”
“With the type of things I get up to, Emmrich, I highly doubt my life expectancy is as long as you’re making it out to be,” Rook said, with a weak smirk, wiping away the last of his tears and doing his best to swallow the knot in his throat. “Besides. When I’m with you, I’m not sitting around counting the days until I won’t be. I’m just…with you. Where I want to be.” He took Emmrich’s hand, and gently guided the Necromancer to meet his eyes. “As far as I see it, even if we don’t have all the time in the world, we have today. We have now. And I am so thankful to have you.”
Several emotions flashed across Emmrich’s face. Surprise. Confusion. Happiness. Finally, after a beat, he cupped Rook’s hand in both of his, giving a light squeeze. “And I, you, my darling. And you are more than I could ever have wished for. Sometimes I simply need to be reminded that amidst the terrible nightmare of the last few months, I’ve found someone who feels so much like a dream.”
Rook felt his heart flutter, as it often did when he heard Emmrich’s honey-flavored words. He leaned forward, and gently met Emmrich’s lips with his. The necromancer smelled like his handkerchief, with added notes of fresh earth, leather, and amber. As the smell filled Rook’s nose, he felt a hot flash of desire burn through him. He pulled Emmrich closer, wrapping his arms around his neck and running his fingers through his neatly coiffed hair. He felt Emmrich lean into him, felt his hands wrap around Rook’s waist. Then he sharply pulled away, as if coming up for air.
“I won’t deny that this…” Emmrich’s eyes traveled up and down Rook, and it was Rook’s turn to blush. It felt as though Emmrich was seeing every inch of him in one slow glance. “This is what I want. Deeply. But I had hoped to make our first night together more romantic. I’d gathered flower petals from Hossenberg. Manfred has been learning the violin. He can get through at least half of “Once We Were!”
Rook laughed, and where the sound would have felt impossible to him only moments ago, now the feeling filled his heart with something that had felt foreign since their attack on Ghilan'nain. “Is Once We Were your idea of a romantic song?”
Emmrich shrugged “It… has a very simple melody line.” His voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. “Admittedly, he’s rather lacking when it comes to innate musical ability.”
“I’m sure Manfred’s musical talent is not to be missed,” Rook said with a chuckle. “If you’d like, we can hold off on…being intimate, tonight. We can just rest. Enjoy each other’s company.”
Emmrich scoffed. “Rook, I am in all things, a gentleman, but I am not bereft of the very human feelings of want and desire. Spending the night beside you in such close quarters…” He ran a hand through Rook’s hair, pausing at the back of his neck and pulling him close. His voice dropped low. “I don’t think myself capable of resisting the urge to have all of you at once, my dear.”
Rook’s heart skipped a beat, and he felt his body flush. The feeling seemed to push all reasonable thought out of his brain. “So, the feeling is mutual,” he said clearing his throat.
“So it is,” Emmrich said, holding Rook’s gaze. Rook’s heartbeat was so loud in his ears that he wondered if the Necromancer could hear it. His eyes traveled to Emmrich’s lips, which were slightly parted, as if offering an invitation. During their travels, they had only been this physically close a handful of times. Rook had been so grateful for those rare moments, even amidst the horror and loss. And suddenly, with Emmrich here, and the two of them alone together on the precipice of the end of the world, Rook found himself utterly consumed by an urgent, gnawing want.
“Then who are we to deny ourselves an indulgence,” he whispered. “Given the circumstances.” He moved to sit in Emmrich’s lap, facing him with his legs straddling the necromancer on either side. The shift was more graceful than Rook felt in the moment, his hands practically shaking with the need that was coursing through him. Emmrich’s face was a deep red, and he roughly cleared his throat as he wrapped his arms around Rook’s waist.
“Quite,” was all he managed to say, but Rook could feel that he was already excited by this simple touch.
“You’re nervous?” he said, a lilt of a tease in his voice. “What happened to the Senior Necromancer: Master of Anatomy?” A laugh escaped Emmrich’s lips, and it was the most beautiful sound Rook had ever heard.
“What was it you said, when we had first met?” he asked, stroking Rook’s hair again. “You appreciated a necromancer with “experience?””
Rook raised an eyebrow. “And what of it?”
“Hmph,” Emmrich said, playfully rolling his eyes. “Seemed like a clever way of calling me old.”
Rook snorted. “I would never! Well-versed, more like. Practiced!”
“We’ll, practice does make perfect,” Emmrich said, his voice dropping low as he slid one of his hands up Rook’s thigh. “And you know I appreciate any opportunity for recreational study.”
“Then please, Professor,” Rook said, bending to kiss Emmrich’s neck, his body thrumming at the feel of Emmrich’s sharp intake of breath. “Give me a lecture.” He kissed Emmrich’s neck again, and then softly bit his skin, making Emmrich gasp. But, ever the practiced instructor, the necromancer didn’t miss a beat.
“This is your iliotibial band,” he said, finding the muscle in Rook’s thigh and tracing it with his fingers, his pressure firm enough to make Rook sigh, but light enough as not to bruise. “Feel how it wraps up your thigh like this.” He dragged his hand slowly, ever closer to Rook’s belt. “And here is your sartorius. Wrapping up to where it meets your hip.” Again, a firm trace, his fingers digging into Rook’s muscles, making him bite down on the necromancer’s neck all the harder as they inhaled together. “And here is the inguinal ligament, starting at the hip.” Emmerich moved his hand there. “And traveling down until it meets…” his hand stopped at Rook’s belt, blocked by the tight leathers he often wore around the Lighthouse. There was a moment of hesitation.
“For the love of Andraste, just rip my clothes off,” Rook hissed, breathless.
As if that was all Emmrich needed to hear, Rook felt a flurry of warmth as his body was wrapped in magic. He could feel the buckles at his waist being open, fabric slowly sliding off his body until there was nothing but undergarments separating him and Emmrich, the warmth of their skin wrapped in each other. His inner thigh grazed Emmrich’s legs, and he felt his face flush.
“That was… very fast,” was all he managed to say when it was over, meeting Emmrich’s emerald eyes.
“The benefits of experience, I suppose,” Emmrich said with a light smirk. He was more built than Rook had expected, for a scholar. His shoulders, usually hidden by the stylized sleeves he wore, were square, and his chest was defined and slim. Of course, Rook thought, Emmrich would keep himself in good shape, desperate to dodge death as he was. Seeing him fully, for the first time, was enough to make Rook’s head spin. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from every part of the necromancer, anxious to absorb everything and memorize every soft curve and hard edge.
Now it was his turn to hesitate. “Have you…ever been with a trans person before?” he asked, his cheeks burning. Even with his arms wrapped around Emmrich, and his teeth marks fresh on the necromancer’s neck, the subject made him twinge with…something. Not shame or embarrassment at what he was. He would never feel that way about the body he had built for himself. It was a point of pride. But still, he felt a slight fear at someone else seeing him without the careful protection of clothing separating outsiders from the secret, unchanged parts of him he didn’t want known. At the question, Emmrich’s face fell.
“My dear, don’t choose now to be bashful,” he said, caressing Rook’s face again. “Though I haven’t had first-hand experience with anyone of your persuasion, I assure you that my feelings for you extend to all parts of you, physical or otherwise.”
“I just don’t often let people see…all of me,” Rook said with a shrug, “I don’t want you to think of me differently.”
“My dear, you are the greatest and most beautiful man I have ever known,” Emmrich said, leaning forward and placing a light kiss on Rook’s collarbone. Then on his neck. “Nothing will ever change that.”
Rook bent down to place another kiss on Emmrich’s lips, and as the two of them embraced, Rook felt the necromancer’s hand slide experimentally beyond the waistband of his undergarments. With a shaky breath, Rook slid his tongue lightly between Emmrich’s lips, just as he reached under the small remaining fabric and began to stroke Rook ever so softly, hitting the exact right spot as someone practicied in delicate anatomy might. The motion sent a shudder of delight through Rook’s body, and he felt himself grow wet at his lover’s touch. He let out an involuntary moan of pleasure, which seemed to inspire Emmrich to push further, delicately placing pressure on Rook as he moved his fingers back and forth, moving to slide one or two inside of him every so often, only deep enough to make Rook gasp, but not deep enough to satiate the desire thrumming in his pelvis.
He could feel Emmrich growing harder beneath him, pressed against Rook’s inner thigh as he was, still separated by undergarments. Rook’s hand traveled from where it was entangled in Emmrich’s hair and he licked his fingers lightly, coating them in a protective sheen of saliva, before moving down to dutifully stroke Emmrich and return the favor. Emmrich let out a soft sigh at his touch, leaning into Rook’s as his body curled involuntarily.
“It seems I’m not the only one with experience,” Emmrich muttered in Rook’s ear. Rook moved to laugh, but the sound was cut short as Emmrich expertly slid three fingers deep inside of him, grazing the soft tissue within Rook and causing his breath to hitch. He pressed against Rook’s deepest parts, making him grind his hips against Emmrich’s hand, desperate for more. The desire was too much for him. He needed to feel Emmrich wrapped in him, more than he had ever needed anything before. The free hand that was still tangled in Emmrich’s hair tightened, pulling the silver locks so that Emmrich was forced to meet his eyes.
“My turn,” he said. With a flash of fire, their undergarments were turned to ash as their bodies flooded with an intense heat that disappeared in an instant. Fully skin to skin now, Emmrich laughed.
“Points for showmanship, my dear,” he said, pulling Rook in for a kiss. As their lips touched, Rook guided Emmrich to him, and an involuntary moan rose in his throat as Emmrich entered. It began slowly, Rook savoring the feeling of his body wrapping around him, their collective warmth mixing in a symphony of heat and want. Emmrich reached down and continued to stroke Rook as he rode him, making both of them moan as Rook picked up his pace, grinding against Emmrich and reveling in the feeling of his body stretching around him. The necromancer was fairly large, and the tight fit made Rook’s body shudder as he accommodated him.
The fervor of Rook’s rise and fall began to pick up pace as the ride became slicker. Soon, sweat was beading on his forehead and their breaths were hot and ragged. Rooks's hands were tangled in Emmrich’s hair, knotting it between his knuckles, pulling and relaxing with every thrust. He’d found the perfect spot, and with every rise and fall of his hips, his breath hitched and he bit back involuntary sounds. Their lips met, and they moaned against each other, the sound echoing off the stone floors and glass walls around them. Rook knew he was only a few thrusts from his peak, and he slowed the rise and fall so he could savor the feeling of them intertwined a little longer. He was grinding himself against Emmrich, his eyes closed so he could drown himself in the feeling of the two of them wrapped up in one another.
Emmrich’s practiced hands did not cease, and suddenly Rook was struck with a jolt of surprise as a small tendril of magical electricity passed through the necromancer’s fingers, working its way up and through Rook’s entire body in a flash of purple sparks. With a gasp and an involuntary moan, he came, Emmrich buried deep inside of him. He collapsed forward onto him, all the muscles in his body turning to warm jelly as his mind became a puddle, too wrapped up in ecstasy for thought.
Without missing a beat, Rook still in the throws of his climax, Emmrich shifted their position, throwing Rook onto the chaise so he was laid out on his back, Emmrich was over him and already thrusting, the energy of their pairing renewed. Rook’s legs were raised to allow Emmrich to go deeper, his knees even with his chest. He was slow and methodical in a way that made Rook’s head spin, aching for more and more, deeper and deeper. He dragged his nails along Emmrich’s back, wanting to pull him as close as possible, eager to leave a mark and a memory of where his hands had been. Emmrich’s eyes met his, and the warmth in them made Rook’s heart and body ache.
“Darling,” Emmrich whispered, breathless, leaning forward so his lips grazed Rook’s ear. “You are utterly exquisite.”
“And utterly yours,” Rook responded, wrapping his legs around Emmrich and pulling him into him. Emmrich gasped and moaned softly, wrapping his arms around Rook. Rook could feel him finishing inside of him, his body filled with a soft warmth as he and Emmrich mixed. Emmrich was holding him close, the rise and fall of his chest matched by Rook’s own breathing as they inhaled and exhaled together, both reveling in the exhaustion of coupling.
After a long beat, Rook spoke. “That was-” but he was cut off as Emmrich’s lips met his again. It was a deep, passionate kiss that took Rook’s breath away. And then Emmrich was kissing his neck. Then his chest. He traveled downward, his lips trailing on Rook’s hips and along his thighs. Rook felt his body reacting anew, a sharp tingle traveling up his spine with every touch of Emmrich’s lips. He watched Emmrich’s movements until the necromancer looked up at him, a mischievous grin on his face.
Emmrich pursed his lips and lightly blew a rush of magical cool air, tinged with ice, on Rook’s waiting folds. The sensation made Rook gasp, gripping the leather of the chaise lounge beneath him with a clawed hand as a shock of goosebumps traveled across his entire body. The wind was knocked out of him, as if he had jumped into icy water, but before he could fully comprehend the feeling, Emmrich placed his mouth upon him and dragged his tongue across Rook in a slow, practiced circle. The abrupt shift from ice cold to intense heat made Rook moan. He collapsed onto the chaise, his eyes closed, savoring the feeling as all of the goosebumps on his body melted away and then came back again for entirely new reasons. Rooks hips raised and fell softly as Emmrich worked, wanting more and more. He reached down and curled his fingers in the necromancer’s hair again, desperate for something to hold on to as his body rose and fell with the crests of each wave of pleasure until finally, he felt as though he was on the edge of a peak. All at once, Emmrich slid his fingers deep into Rook, hooking them just so they grazed the exact right spot, and Rook moaned loud enough that his voice echoed off of the stone floors, finishing again as Emmrich caressed the most private parts of him with his fingers and tongue.
After Rook’s writhing had stopped, and he was sure he had finished, Emmrich rose from his spot and stretched out on the lounge, lying beside him. The chaise was slight, and there was barely room for both of them, but Rook was still hungry to feel as much of Emmrich’s skin as possible against his. He rolled over and placed his face against Emmrich’s chest, burying himself in the man’s smell and the warmth of his body. Emmrich wrapped his arms around Rook and buried his face in his hair. For a moment they lay there, listening to the soft silence where only moments ago the room had been filled with their sounds.
“My darling,” Emmrich whispered, stroking Rook’s hair again. “You are the most wonderful thing to have ever happened to me. I’ve not felt quite so entwined with anyone before.”
Rook buried his face harder in Emmrich’s chest and replied, but his words were too muffled to hear. Emmrich sat up on his elbow, turning so he could see Rook’s face.
“What was that, dearest?”
“I said I love you too,” Rook said, his cheeks burning. Emmrich’s eyes widened with shock, and then it was his turn to blush.
“Of course I love you, my darling Rook,” he said with a sigh, his face softening as he placed another long, slow kiss on Rook’s lips. He pulled back and cradled Rook’s face in his hand. “I’d only held back from saying so out of fear it wouldn’t be returned.”
“After you got me twice?” Rook said, raising an eyebrow. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
Emmrich snorted. “And here I thought I’d won you over with my charm and intellect,” he said with a roll of his eyes, collapsing back onto the chaise. Rook rolled over and gave him a peck on the nose.
“Oh trust, me, all of that definitely helped,” he said. “To be fair though, I loved you way before you tore off all my clothes. Way way before.”
“Oh?” Emmrich said, smirking and raising an eyebrow. “Whereabouts then, on our adventures, would you say you truly fell for me.”
“The mask you were wearing when we met was quite attractive,” Rook smirked.
“Ah, love at first sight then,” Emmrich said wrapping his arms around Rook again and kissing his forehead. “Understandable. I think I felt quite the same when a dashing adventurer stumbled into my study.”
“I have that effect on people,” Rook agreed, pulling Emmrich into a tight hug. As he pressed his ear to Emmrich’s chest, he could hear the necromancer’s heart beating, still aflutter from their activities. He paused for a moment, listening to its rhythm, and feeling his own match its pace.
“Thank you, Emmrich” he finally said with a soft sigh.
“Oh? For what, darling? For…what did you say…’getting you twice?’”
Rook snorted. “No. For…taking my mind off things. For reminding me…that there are important reasons to keep going.” He paused. “And for getting me twice,” he added for good measure.
“Of course, dearest,” Emmrich said. He reached beneath the chaise and drew out the threadbare blanket he knew Rook kept there and tossed it over the both of them, wrapping them in a tight cocoon just as the cool of the room had begun to set in. “The first of many of both, I hope.”
“You know,” Rook said as he comfortably snuggled into Emmrich and closed his eyes. “I really thought I was going to have to top.”
It was Emmrich’s turn to snort. “You were on top for most of it.”
“I don’t know,” Rook said with a sigh. “I’m feeling very topped right now.”
“We’ll have to keep that in mind for next time,” Emmrich said with a sigh, closing his eyes as well.
“You’re willing to switch then?”
“Darling, whatever your soul desires, I am here to provide,” Emmrich responded.
“...You can’t say something like that and just expect me to fall asleep,” Rook responded, his eyes snapping open as he sat up, ready to go all over again.
“Darling, if we use up all of our firsts in one night, what could we possibly have to look forward to,” Emmrich said with a laugh, opening one eye to give Rook a Cheshire grin.
“...Fair,” Rook said, laying back down and getting comfortable again. “...We really need to get this god-killing business over with. I’ve suddenly got a very long to-do list that needs my attention.”
“Your eagerness is most complimentary, darling. And I promise we’ll check everything off. I’ll have you until the end, my dearest Rook.”
Rook rested his head on Emmrich’s chest again, and even though the room was cold and the Lighthouse was quiet, he felt protected by the necromancer’s warmth, and comforted by the steady drum of his heart. In the pit of his stomach, the anxiety of what tomorrow would bring was still stirring like a tight ball of knotted twine. But as he listened to Emmrich’s breathing slow, and felt his own mind drift towards sleep, it was easy to push away the fears of tomorrow and melt into the comfort and safety of the moment. He knew, despite everything, his soul was wrapped up in Emmrich’s for good.