The campfires crackled low under the stars as the companions settled for the night on the road to Baldur's Gate. Tav, a hardened veteran of many battles with scars mapping his arms from years in the field, sat sharpening his blade. Across the fire Karlach laughed loud and bright, her golden horns catching the light. She was no young recruit but a tiefling who had survived the Hells and the front lines as a soldier, her muscular frame marked by old wounds and the infernal engine that thrummed constantly in her chest. The others had already turned in, Shadowheart muttering prayers, Gale lost in a book, and Astarion sharpening his own blades with a smirk. Yet Tav could not tear his eyes from Karlach. Every shared watch, every fight where she charged ahead with that massive axe, had built something forbidden between them.
Karlach's engine made touch dangerous. One wrong brush and it could scorch flesh, yet the heat of it called to him like a challenge. She had been through decades of war, the same as him, both adults who knew the cost of desire on the battlefield. Their glances had lingered too long these past weeks. Forbidden because of that engine and because any spark could ignite more than passion. Still the attraction had built until neither could ignore it. Tav remembered the way her laughter warmed the cold nights, how she clapped him on the shoulder after a victory and left his skin tingling for hours.
Karlach approached after the others slept, her voice a low rumble that carried the weight of a veteran who had fought devils. "Tav, you and me, we keep dancing around this. My heart's on fire for you, literally. But I want you bad. Been thinking about it since that ambush near the river, watching you fight like a man who's seen too many winters but still stands tall." Tav stood, meeting her gaze. "I've wanted you since the first fight. Age and war taught me not to waste time. Your engine scares me, but not enough to stop." He reached out carefully, fingers brushing her arm where the heat was bearable, feeling the pulse of infernal machinery beneath her crimson skin.
She shivered despite the warmth radiating from her. They moved to the edge of camp behind a cluster of trees, the night air cool against their skin. The grass was damp with dew, the distant hoot of owls the only sound besides their breathing. Karlach pulled Tav close, her lips crashing against his in a kiss that tasted of smoke and need. Her hands, strong from swinging axes, roamed his back, tugging at his shirt until it fell away. Tav explored her curves, tracing the ridges of her infernal markings, feeling the engine pulse faster beneath her skin. The heat was intense, like standing too close to a forge, yet he craved more.
"Careful, soldier," she warned with a grin, but her tone was husky and laced with years of longing. "This engine might singe you, but damn if I don't want your hands everywhere." Tav answered by pressing kisses down her neck, then lower, unfastening her armor piece by piece. Leather straps loosened with soft creaks, revealing the powerful planes of her abdomen and the glowing vents of the engine between her breasts. Her breasts spilled free, heavy and warm, nipples already peaked from the cool night and her rising desire. He took one in his mouth, sucking gently while his hand slid between her thighs, finding her slick and ready despite the heat that made her inner walls feel like velvet fire.
Karlach moaned, the sound deep and unrestrained, echoing softly off the trees. She pushed him down onto the grass and straddled him, her powerful thighs bracketing his hips. "Gods, Tav, I've waited too long for this. Touch me here, feel how hot I burn just for you." Tav freed himself from his trousers, hard and aching, and she lowered slowly, taking him inch by inch. Her inner heat enveloped him like molten silk, the engine humming louder in rhythm with her heartbeat. They moved together in long, deliberate strokes, Karlach riding him with the strength of a barbarian who had charged into devils. Her hands pinned his shoulders as she ground down, her walls clenching and releasing with every thrust.
Sweat slicked their bodies as the pace quickened. Karlach leaned forward for another bruising kiss, her tongue tangling with his while her hips rolled in a steady rhythm that built tension like a drawn bow. Tav thrust up to meet her, gripping her ass, careful to avoid the hottest spots near the engine vents, yet feeling every flare of infernal energy that made her gasp and tighten around him. "Harder, soldier," she urged, her voice breaking with pleasure. "Show me what a war vet like you can do." He obliged, flipping them so he could drive deeper, her legs wrapping around his waist as the grass crushed beneath them. The sensory overload was overwhelming: the scent of her smoke-tinged skin, the wet sounds of their joining, the way her engine cast flickering light across their joined forms.
She came first with a shuddering cry, body arching as waves of pleasure rolled through her, engine flaring bright enough to illuminate the trees. The sight and feel pushed Tav over the edge; he spilled deep inside her with a groan, hips jerking in release. They stayed locked together, breathing hard, the afterglow wrapping them in warmth that had nothing to do with fire. Karlach stroked his hair, murmuring about future nights and the dangers they still faced together.
As they lay there tangled, a distant twig snapped beyond the firelight.