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Karlach has dreamt of this moment. A thousand nights spent lying awake in the hells had given her plenty of time to think up scenario after scenario for when she would finally be able to touch another living person.
She hadn’t exactly pictured it like this: standing in a makeshift forge in the middle of a shadow curse while the rest of her companions look on. Still, who is she to look a gift horse in the mouth?
The second piece of infernal machinery clicks into place in her steampunk heart.
“There. So, did it… work?” she asks tentatively, orange eyes flitting between Dammon and Wyll, who are standing closest to her.
“Only one way to find out,” Dammon replies.
There’s a breath in the air as Karlach looks at Wyll, who only wastes a second before pulling her into a hug. Karlach lets out the largest sigh of relief that’s ever left her body. She buries her nose in the crook of Wyll’s shoulder, where she smells his sweat and the subtle hint of a cologne he still bothers putting on. It’d be entirely too endearing if she didn’t know that he would sneak away to Astarion’s tent the second they got back to camp.
“Thank you,” Karlach breathes. The weight of it is evident in her voice.
She longs to pull him in closer. To feel the press of another body against hers until her limbs feel a little lighter, but she releases Wyll all the same. She hadn’t heard any cries of pain from him, but she knows it’s probably not the best idea to test the limits of her newfound freedom with someone who hadn’t signed up for such an experiment.
“I can’t believe it. Thank you, Dammon. Thank you so much.”
“It’s the least I could do,” Dammon replies. He proceeds to give her a few more warnings about the future of her engine, but Karlach barely registers them. Her eyes are fixed on her hands — how they had touched someone else without burning them. Even if her future is murky at best, there’s nothing in the world that could bring her down now.
As their group moves out of the forge, Karlach catches up with Wyll.
“You alright? Any pain?” she asks as he steps back.
Wyll shakes his head. “Fit as a fiddle. Looks like you can touch people again, Karlach.”
She can’t help the grin that consumes her face at the reminder. “Yes! It feels incredible! This is the best day!”
“So what will you do with your new freedom?” Shadowheart asks. She’d been tucked away in the darkness of the barn structure and only emerges now with the slightest hint of a smirk on her lips.
“Touch things! Touch everything! Take someone to bed and get out all the energy I’ve been saving up. If someone will have me, that is.”
Karlach’s eyes move first to Wyll, next to her, but she knows better than to let that thought blossom, so she looks at Astarion next. He winks at her even though they both know it’s all for show. Dammon has already packed up and gone inside, and Shadowheart—
By the time Karlach looks at their secretive cleric, the half-elf’s eyes are cast downward. She doesn’t look up.
“Ah well, Withers was giving me the old eye the other night. Then again, maybe it was just an old eye.”
The group moves on. Karlach lags a little ways behind so she won’t let the disappointment show on her face. She knows better than to set unfair expectations of her companions, but it still feels like a cruel trick to be able to touch and again and have no one to set her mitts on.
She kicks a rock, barely noticing the shadow creature it disturbs.
A beam of divine light hits it and the thing withers away as if it had never been solid, leaving behind only a small orb of shadow magic in its place.
“Woah,” Karlach says, glancing up to see Shadowheart drawing back from a battle stance. “That was quick, soldier! Nice going!”
Shadowheart gulps and nods, but doesn’t say anything else.
The group keeps going.
Karlach doesn’t pay attention to much for the majority of the time they explore around before finally heading back to their camp. She’s too excited; too on edge.
By the time they come trotting back into view of their tents, Gale has already finished making dinner and most everyone is ready to shuffle off to bed. Karlach blinks as a bowl of stew is shoved into her hands while the rest of her companions head to their respective corners of camp.
“Really?” she asks, tossing her head around in confusion. “Really really?”
No one hears her. Or, at least, no one is listening. It hurts more than she would have expected.
So Karlach finds herself alone, pacing the inside of her tent as she rubs her exceptionally normal temperature palms on her thighs. Another night alone, it would seem.
“What’s the point of all this if no one will— oh?”
Karlach turns as the flap of her tent is disturbed and she locks eyes with Shadowheart.
The tiefling cocks her head at her. “Shads? What’s up?”
“Sorry if you were busy, but I—” Shadowheart looks a little panicked, perhaps. The dim light from Karlach’s engine captures her features strangely. She’s seemed off since they entered the shadow-cursed lands, and even more so since they’d caught word of a Sharran temple somewhere tucked away. “I thought you might want some company tonight. To celebrate, and all.”
Karlach’s mouth hangs open for a minute as she searches for the words. Shadowheart is dressed in her usual camp outfit — cut low and hiding very little. Of course Karlach had noticed her, and of course the thought had crossed her mind, but there had previously been too many reasons not to act on such feelings. Now, she feels like her freshly tuned-up heart might burst.
“I, um—I mean, hells yes, Solider. But is ‘company’ supposed to mean what I hope it means? ‘Course, if you just wanna have a glass of wine and sit and chat, that’s fine with me too, but I—”
Shadowheart raises a hand. “It means what you think it means, I assume.”
Karlach lets out an eager breath and nods readily. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
Shadowheart manages to close the distance between them in a few short steps. Karlach reaches for her arms, pulling her in close as their lips collide in a mess of clacking teeth.
“Sorry,” Karlach laughs against Shadowheart’s lips, “it’s been a while since I kissed anybody.”
When their lips connect again, it’s with a bit more precision. Karlach gets the chance to feel just how pillowy and luscious Shadowheart’s are — better than she’d dreamed of on all her lonely nights. A groan leaves her throat as her tongue explores forward, dancing with Shadowheart’s as they acquaint themselves with one another.
Karlach is nearly content to lavish in this. This kiss; this moment. But then Shadowheart slots a leg between her thighs and she nearly sees stars.
“Gods, soldier, that’s good stuff,” she sighs, unable to stop herself from sliding her core along Shadowheart’s clothed leg.
“You deserve a good night, I think,” Shadowheart replies softly. Her hand traces the side of Karlach’s cheek before landing in the centre of her chest, drawing attention to how her flames have turned blue with her heat. Karlach would be embarrassed if she weren’t so turned on. “We’ll do whatever you want to do.”
“Hells, you don’t have to tell me twice.”
She lifts Shadowheart somewhat bodily and spins them around, guiding the half-elf toward the scorched bedroll. Shadowheart lies back, propping herself up on her elbows to watch as Karlach rummages through the items in her tent.
A red hand holds up the strap-on she’d stashed away from one of their more successful pillages of a blighted home. She’d managed to stow it in her pack before anyone else had seen it, thinking that maybe, just maybe, a moment exactly like this might arise. Karlach could kiss her past self.
“This okay?” she asks as she shoves her pants down and begins to work the leathers around her hips.
Shadowheart stares for a moment before nodding. “Definitely okay.”
It’s Karlach’s turn to watch, then, as Shadowheart pulls her top off first, revealing two of the most perfect breasts that the tiefling has ever seen. She doesn’t even try to stop herself as she leans forward, grabbing one tit in an eager grasp while using her tongue to worship its twin. Her teeth graze along Shadowheart’s peaked nipple, earning a moan from the cleric.
“Fuck me, Karlach,” Shadowheart whines, bucking her hips upward.
Karlach laughs against the swell of her tit. “I didn’t think you’d be the needy one.”
She’s not about to argue with that, though. She kicks her pants off completely and then turns toward the pair Shadowheart’s wearing. She has half a mind to rip them off with her teeth, but a steadying breath later gives her the patience to pull them down her hips, albeit a little roughly.
Then, Shadowheart is completely naked before her. Karlach shudders and feels her engine kick up a notch. The hand on her arm is grounding and welcome.
“We can take it slow, if you need to,” Shadowheart offers.
Karlach pauses and then shakes her head. “I think if I take this slow I might combust. Just— let me know if I hurt you at all, alright?”
Shadowheart nods and settles back against the pillows, spreading her legs a little wider.
Despite previous statements, Karlach takes her time.
She can’t help it. The sensation of touch; another body beneath her hands as she runs her fingers up and down the milky skin of Shadowheart’s thighs. It’s almost too much. She is teasing as she traces the lines of the half-elf’s body and comes ever so close to touching her where she clearly wants, but never actually going there.
Shadowheart’s hips lift, trying to draw Karlach’s attention to where she wants it. Karlach tuts her tongue, shaking her head as she pushes her back down with a gentle hand on her pelvic bone.
“Use your words, gorgeous,” she practically purrs.
Shadowheart bites her lip before replying, “touch me, please.”
Karlach’s all too ready to let the pad of her thumb rest gently against Shadowheart’s clit while two more of her fingers push into her gently. The moan that sounds between them comes from her own lips.
“Gods, you’re so much better than I imagined,” she gushes. She must be glowing bright blue by now. “I mean, hells, Shads, it’s been years since I touched anyone, but I can’t imagine anyone feels like you do. So wet for me.”
Shadowheart preens as she lets her head fall back against the pillows. “Gods, Karlach, harder, please!” She pushes against the tiefling’s fingers, trying to get a bit more pressure where she wants it.
But Karlach takes her hand away. She makes a show of licking some of the juices from her fingers before she uses what’s left on her skin to grease up the strap-on. Shadowheart watches in awe as Karlach then lowers herself, lining up with Shadowheart’s entrance.
“Is this what you want, beautiful?” Karlach asks.
Shadowheart nods eagerly, licking her bottom lip. “Please.”
Then, Karlach sinks in. They both groan as she settles into the hilt, allowing for Shadowheart to adjust to the intrusion. When her breathing steadies somewhat, Karlach plants a sloppy kiss on Shadowheart’s lips and begins to move her hips.
Shadowheart’s hands rest on Karlach’s cheeks, keeping her in place as their mouths move against one another, all passion and no precision while Karlach gently fucks her.
“Harder,” Shadowheart whispers, and Karlach obliges.
Sometimes it’s hard to monitor her own strength; to know when to cool down, especially after so many years of not being able to touch someone else like this. So perhaps she’s a little too rough as she fucks the cleric in earnest, chasing the friction of the strap on her clit as she goes. But all Shadowheart does it moan wantonly and bite hard enough on Karlach’s bottom lip to draw blood, so she doesn’t think to stop or slow down.
“I’m close!” Shadowheart cries, and Karlach shift a little to slide her hand between them. She clumsily finds Shadowheart’s clit once again and rubs hard against the slide of the strap pushing in and out of her.
That’s all she needs. Shadowheart writhes beneath her, crying out as her thighs shake and her pleasure overtakes her.
“That’s it,” Karlach coos. She caresses the side of Shadowheart’s cheek, fucking into her a few more times as she comes down from the high.
Shadowheart lies back against the pillows, boneless beneath Karlach’s energy and heat. Karlach sits back a little, intending to give her some space as she recovers, but is surprised as a hand meets her chest, pushing her onto her back.
“Woah, soldier, I—”
“Shh,” Shadowheart stops her, putting a finger to her mouth as she licks the taste of herself from the strap. Karlach groans at the sight.
Shadowheart’s deft fingers work the strap off of her, and then she settles onto her stomach between Karlach’s spread legs.
“I’ve wanted to taste you since the moment I saw you across that stream,” she admits, breathing hot against Karlach’s cunt. A fresh flood of moisture floods Karlach’s core at the thought.
“Hells,” she shudders, grasping at Shadowheart’s braid as she moves to suck on her clit, “that’s— OH HELLS!”
Karlach screams as Shadowheart’s lips make contact with her clit. It’s so completely unlike her own fingers or anything else she’s been able to use in the years since her engine was installed. It’s all she can do not to fall apart as Shadowheart licks and sucks at her, curling two fingers inside her at the same time. Karlach’s own hands push her bra up, teasing at her nipples as she arches her back.
Shadowheart barely touches her for a minute before Karlach comes apart. Tears roll down her cheeks as Karlach feels the waves of her orgasm come over her, intense and unrelenting as she moans the name of the half-elf who had so generously sought her out. She’s a babbling mess as she lies flat on her back and stares at those bright green eyes.
“Think you can go again?” Shadowheart asks after a few seconds.
Karlach barks a laugh, wiping an arm across her sweaty brow. “If you’re still on offer, definitely. Gotta make up for lost time.”
Shadowheart returns her grin. She seems a bit more open now; a bit less concerned with whatever had been haunting her for so long. She moves up and then flips around, straddling Karlach’s waist in a reverse position.
She turns to glance down at Karlach, who stares up at her wide-eyed.
“I want to ride your face,” she says matter-of-factly.
“Hells yes.”
Shadowheart lifts up her hips and settles down slightly. Karlach eagerly grabs her hips, pulling her low enough that she can get her mouth on her clit.
Then — Karlach gasps. She can’t see exactly how Shadowheart has twisted herself, but there’s a pair of lips on her cunt again and she has to remind herself that she has a job to do too.
Shadowheart is slightly less efficient this second time around. She kisses around Karlach’s clit but never on it, and licks some of the slick around her cunt. It’s not enough.
Karlach groans and pauses, which makes Shadowheart grind her hips into her — a reminder to keep going. Her fingers dig into Shadowheart’s soft hips and she gives her all once more, lavishing her tongue across her clit and into her dripping cunt.
The second orgasm that comes for Karlach is slower, but no less intense than the first. It builds and builds and builds as Shadowheart works her, until she cries out and shakes as the waves of it hit her hard enough to make her vision go white.
When she comes to a few seconds later, she has to remind herself why there’s something against her face and continue to suck on Shadowheart’s clit until she can feel her cunt contracting with another high.
Shadowheart slumps against her a second later, then slides off of Karlach to rest against her side. Karlach shivers as Shadowheart runs her fingers over the swell of her breast, leaving little patterns as her fingers move. She’d never imagined feeling cold again.
“Was that as good as you’d hoped?” Shadowheart asks gently. She mouths a kiss against Karlach’s collarbone as she continues to decorate her attention across the tiefling’s body.
“Yes,” Karlach says with a contented sigh. “Better, even. Gods, I don’t know how I went so long without that.”
Shadowheart moves like a cat — quick and lithe to straddle Karlach again. The tiefling’s hands hold her hips, kneading her fingers into the supple flesh of her. Gods, Shadowheart looks beautiful like this.
“Say the word and you don’t have to go another second without it. Not while I’m around, anyway.” The way Shadowheart offers is almost shy, despite how she sits nude on top of Karlach. There’s an edge of longing in her voice.
Karlach gives her a toothy grin. “You’re too good to me, fringe. And I think you might be underestimating my stamina.”
Shadowheart lets out a gasp as Karlach flips her onto her back and rolls on top of her, fingers dancing along the half-elf’s thighs again.
“I could go all night if you let me.”
“I think I’d like to put that to the test.”
“Thank the gods,” Karlach replies as she buries her head between Shadowheart’s legs once more.