Originally this was meant to be Human Female Inquisitor x Any Male... and it is still the goal, though there are some comments made by the Male character towards the end that narrow it a bit towards specific characters. Anyway, I still hope you enjoy! And as usual, I own nothing!
He wakes in a cold sweat, shooting straight up in bed and gasping. He rubs his palms against his face, trying to slow his racing heart as the last dregs of the nightmare slip away. He reminds himself he is in Skyhold, surrounded by stone walls that are under constant watch. With a groan he pushes from the bed, feet sliding into boots as he makes his way to the door, certain that sleep will not return any time soon. He steps outside, inhaling deeply, the briskness filling his lungs and perking him awake, nipping at his nose and ears. It is late, or very early, and most of Skyhold is a bed. It is peaceful, he thinks, in the stillness of the night. Hardly a noise breaks the silence; the occasional shuffle of a guard, the soft snorts from the stable, and once or twice the spymaster's birds can be heard. He leans against a wall, gaze sliding over the sparkling heavens, picking out familiar constellations.
The wild thoughts that tug at his mind are nearly calm and he is debating returning to bed when he hears it. It is faint, a lilting melody carried on the wind. He straightens and tilts his head, trying to hear more of it. Nights this cold carry sounds farther than normal and he moves forward quietly, following the tune.
He passes soldiers who do not seem to hear the music and pauses, wondering if perhaps he has finally lost it, his mind so far gone he hears music where there is none. His brow furrows and he glances in the direction he thinks the music is coming from.
"Pretty, innit?" a guard comments and he looks at her, one eyebrow arched. The guard jerks her head towards one of the towers in Skyhold. "She's up there most nights, singin' something or other. Nights this cold and clear carry the music. You c'n almost make out the words." He nods half in agreement and half in thanks and then sure steps carry him into the older tower. He easily hauls himself up two levels before he slowly creeps up the final ladder, climbing softly onto the roof.
She is standing across from him, leaning against the wall and staring unseeing out over the mountains. He does not recognize the tune she hums, but something about it pulls at him. It feels almost otherworldly, the two of them on the roof, Skyhold nearly silent below, and the soft music from her winding around them both. It is only moments later when she begins singing, beautiful words that seem to flow through him.
He sighs and it must be louder than he realizes because the words die and she pivots to stare at him with wide eyes. He opens his mouth and she holds up a hand. "Don't," she barks. He blinks at her, brows arched in surprise. "Don't call me whatever you were about to," she clarifies. "Not Inquisitor, Your Worship, Herald, Boss, none of them."
He tilts his head, studying her. "What should I call you then?"
She snorts, a small grin tugging at one corner of her mouth. "How about Evelyn? It is my name after all."
He nods. "I did not mean to interrupt, Evelyn," he says, dipping his head slightly.
She shrugs and turns back around. "It's fine," she replies. "I should really get to bed soon or Josephine will have my head."
"Why are you up?" he asks, curious about what keeps her awake at nights.
"Why are you?" she returns sharply and he blinks in surprise. She is nothing but polite and gentle most of the time, this is unusual.
"Nightmares," he replies simply with a shrug. "It is… difficult to return to sleep after. I stepped out for some fresh air and heard you. The guards pointed me your way."
Some of the defensiveness leaves her features and she nods, understanding written across her face. "Nightmares for me as well. The singing… it helps calm me, center me. Remind me of why I'm here. Why I'm doing this."
"That's some impressive singing," he quips and she snorts, casting him a half-grin.
"I don't always sing the same thing," she explains, leaning against the wall to stare out at the mountains again. "Usually it's something my mother used to sing to me and then when the younger ones came along and I helped raise them, I would sing to them. It reminds me that I still have them, somewhere, even if they are so far away." Her gaze turns wistful.
"I didn't realize you had a large family," he says.
She chuckles softly. "I try and keep that quiet," she says. "Josephine knows because she knows everything about the Nobles in the Free Marches. Leliana knows because she has a couple of agents keeping an eye on them. Nobody else does though. Family… family is something that can be used against you. I'll not have them dragged into this." She sighs. "It can make this life very lonely though."
He frowns and nudges her playfully. "I know we're alone up here, but we're definitely not alone. Not in a fort full of… I'm not even sure how many people now." He waves his arm to encompass Skyhold.
She laughs, the sound tinkling along the night air farther than her music did. "You can be in a crowd of a thousand people, and still be lonely," she points out.
He hums deep in his chest. "That is true," he muses. Something in her eyes is calling to him. He suspects the color on her cheeks is not only from the wind. "What about Josephine and Leliana?" She has mentioned them specifically and he knows she spent a lot of time with them when she was first declared Herald.
She shrugs, absently poking at the stone of the wall. "There are very few I have ever been able to call 'friend'. My father was… very controlling of my life. It's strange now." She shakes her head and her gaze drops. "I am finally free of his machinations and sometimes all I want is for somebody else to make the decisions for me."
"You have a lot of weight on your shoulders. A lot of people look up to you. To them, you are the Inquisitor. The Herald of Andraste. Their savior. Honestly I would be worried if you didn't feel a little overwhelmed. The trick is to not let those people see you when it happens," he says.
"You make it sound so easy," she says, sliding up to sit on the wall.
"It can be," he responds. She gives him a flat look and he grins. "Every good leader has a trusted group of friends where they can let their guard down some. Even the Divine had Leliana and Cassandra. Surely you have people like that."
She puffs out a breath of air. "You might have a point," she admits.
He grins. "I'm not just a pretty face. There is a brain in here." He taps the side of his head and she giggles.
He leans against the wall next to her, elbow on the stone and he looks up at her. She stares over Skyhold, watching as below the residents begin to stir. "Do you know why I was at the Conclave to begin with?" she asks. He shakes his head. "My father sent me. He had hopes that I would catch the eye of a nobleman with more power than the Trevelyns."
He snorts. "I'm sure you've caught the eyes of many powerful noblemen now," he mutters. He has seen them when they visit Skyhold. The way their eyes drag over her features, assessing her within moments. She ignores them all, seemingly more content to debate with Josephine, swap books with Cassandra, play pranks with Sera.
"As my father has pointed out to me in many letters," she agrees and he blinks, drawing out of his thoughts to look at her. "I have yet to tell him that none of them have caught my attention." She trails off and he can tell there is more to her statement. He waits patiently and is rewarded when she chuckles softly. "How do I tell him that the man I love is..." she lets out a sigh that catches in a sob. She struggles to keep her emotions in check and bites her lip, tilting her head forward so her hair falls around her face. "That he is amazing. A brilliant fighter. And noble in every way that counts except for the one way that will matter to my father."
"I think you tell him just like that," he says, burning to ask her who it is, not daring to hope it is him. "I do think you should probably tell the man first though. So he is prepared if your father shows up." Her head rises and she looks at him with a gaze so fierce he has to keep from stepping away from her.
"You're right," she says and slips off the wall. He straightens to face her. She studies him for a few moments and then moves so fast he barely has time to catch her body as she launches herself at him. Hands tight against his face, lips hot against his, breath mingling for a few precious moments. It is over as fast as it starts and she steps away from him, panting slightly. "That's your warning," she says. "My father will probably want to come meet you at least, kill you at worst. Be prepared."
He stares at her, still dazed after the kiss. "Okay," he mutters and she smirks, heading over to the ladder to slide down. His brain finally catches up and he blinks. "Evelyn! Wait, what?" he calls after her and she grins cheekily.
"Sorry, time to go be the boss again. We'll talk more tonight. My quarters for dinner?" she suggests. He nods dumbly and she winks at him. "Good. See you then."
He falls back against the wall, lips still warm from where they met hers and frowns. "I hope she wasn't serious when she said he might kill me," he mutters.