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Three times was too many.
The first time, it was cute. Tendra walked past Bull on her way to meet a couple of Fereldan delegates. The slap sent her off balance, nearly knocking her into the mud of Skyhold. She whipped around to glare up at him, but she was grinning a little too much to be convincing. The Fereldans raised their eyebrows, and Josie, ever the diplomat, shot Bull a warning look.
The second time, Bull goosed her just as she was giving a pep talk to a small horde of young recruits, making her squeak in a most unprofessional way in the middle of a sentence. She vowed he was gonna get it later, but one thing led to another, and she was the one tied up, as usual.
The third time, though, something had to be done. She stood self-consciously in front of a group of Orlesian dignitaries, their masks and plumed hats looming over her, and their haughty attitudes making it clear just what they thought of a dwarf being in charge of the Inquisition. Tendra smoothed the hem of her coat with one hand, and looked up at them, firmly refusing to think tall thoughts. Perhaps if she’d been less focused, the slap wouldn’t have sent her into the mud.
She failed to see Bull in her peripheral vision as he wandered past, very casually, and gave her ass a solid smack. She landed on one knee and one hand, utterly ruining her finest pair of pants. The Orlesians gasped, hands going to mouths, and began muttering amongst themselves.
As Tendra knelt, she felt a wicked smile spread across her face and a gleeful fury rise inside her. She turned her head to see Bull meandering away, whistling, clearly unaware of the damage his attentions had caused. She looked up at the Orlesians and put a finger to her lips. They looked shocked and confused behind their masks.
Slowly, she rose to her feet and turned around. Sizing up the distance between her and Bull, she braced herself, and slipped effortlessly into a silent sprint. Krem saw her from his position across the yard, but his half-laughed warning wasn’t quick enough. Using a nearby stone as a launching pad, Tendra leapt off the ground and aimed her right foot at the back of Bull’s right knee. Unprepared for hostilities, the hulking Qunari let out a grunt of surprise and buckled forwards. Tendra didn’t stop moving, using the strike on his leg to launch herself up Bull’s back and within reach of his horns. She wrapped both of her hands around one black point and twisted herself sideways through the air, sending Bull spinning. Letting go in time to avoid being dragged down by his weight, Tendra danced sideways and then immediately back again, kneeling on Bull’s chest just as he struck the ground with a mighty Oof! With one hand pinning a horn and the other holding a small knife to his throat, Tendra held him in place.
Bull blinked and looked at her, grinning. “Boss,” he said.
“That’s right,” she said.
Bull squirmed a little. “What’s uh, goin’ on, Boss?” In an actual fight Tendra would have slit her opponents throat by now, since he could easily throw her off at any time, weighing so much more than her. But Bull didn’t dare.
Tendra slipped the tiny dagger back into it’s sheath at her waist without breaking eye contact. “You ruined my outfit. And now you’re paying for it."
Bull glanced at her mud covered knee and gulped. “Just reminding you who’s in charge,” she said, and Bull nodded, managing to look mischievous and abashed at the same time. Before she stood, Tendra leaned a little closer and whispered, low enough that only Bull could hear, “You may get to tie me up in the bedroom, but out here, I’m in charge.” She grinned wider. “And tonight, there’ll be a lot of knots involved in making up for this."
Bull laughed and sat up, sending Tendra dancing away lithely before he could send her to the mud again.
“You got it, Boss,” he said.
She turned and walked back to the Orlesians without a backward glance.