"Hey, come here for a moment."

Alistair dragged her off the road, stopping a short distance away from the rest of their group as they sat resting.

"Alistair?"

"Just, come here." He sighed, turning around to look down at her curious eyes. Her black eyes seemed to sparkle as usual, distracting him to no end. He shook his head slightly to clear his head, before checking to make sure their traveling companions couldn't overhear them.

"Is something wrong?"

"What? No. No, nothing's wrong. Just…" He sighed, wondering if he was really going to do this. "I just wanted to show you something."

"Oh, okay. Sure, what is it?" She grinned up at him, her searching eyes dazzling him so easily.

"Here, do you know what this is?" He pulled the rose out of his pack, unwrapping the cloth to reveal the deep red petals.

"It's a… flower? I'm not sure what kind though." Solona peered at it curiously, her brows scrunching up. "I don't think I've studied this type in the Circle. What kind of herb is it?"

Alistair almost groaned out loud. He sometimes forgot that she was from the Circle. Stupid of him, he knew, but sometimes she looked so normal that he forgot she's been locked up in a tower for most of her life.

"It's a rose, Sol. This type of flowers are called roses. And you haven't studied them because they don't have any poisonous or medicinal properties."

"Oh." She paused, studying the soft petals and its spiky thorns. "It's pretty." She smiled, her expression softening with the motion. Her smile seemed to somehow warm his heart a little, enough to make it melt.

"I picked it in Lothering. I remember thinking, 'how could something so beautiful exist in a place with so much despair and ugliness?' I probably should have left it alone, but I couldn't. The darkspawn would come and their taint would just destroy it. So I've had it ever since." He shrugged, handing the flower over to her. Her eyes clouded for a moment.

"That's a nice sentiment, Alistair. I'm glad. It would have been a waste to let a flower this pretty get tainted by the Blight." Her voice lingered, as if she wanted to say something more. Perhaps she meant to say something along the lines of 'like us'. Like the Grey Wardens.

He shook his head, swiftly pulling his thoughts away from that dark place.

"I thought that I might… give it to you, actually. In a lot of ways, I think the same thing when I look at you." He murmured quietly, watching her sniff the flower curiously.

"Feeling a little thorny, are we?" Her eyes glinted mischievously as she glanced up at him, the rose still held between her fingers.

He chuckled, surprised. He'd actually missed that pun. Though he wasn't going to admit it. "Wow. 'She'll never see through that,' I told myself. Boy was I wrong."

"Thank you Alistair. It's a lovely thought." She smiled up to him, her long lashes fluttering as she blinked. He took in a sharp breath as her brilliant grin halted his thoughts in place, and it took him a moment to fumble for words again.

"I'm… I'm glad you like it." He smiled, brushing his hand over her cheek. Her skin was soft to the touch, velvety. He liked how she felt to his touch.

"I was just thinking… here I am doing all this complaining, and you haven't exactly been having a good time of it yourself." He admitted. Truthfully, he'd been an ass. He was older than her, though not by much. He'd also been a Grey Warden longer. And yet he'd wallowed in misery, forcing all the responsibilities onto her small shoulders, a little girl who'd been released from the Circle for the first time in her life.

"You've had none of the good experience of being a Grey Warden since your Joining, not a word of thanks or congratulations. It's all been death and fighting and tragedy." He swallowed nervously, wondering if he should continue talking. She wasn't stopping him though, her eyes wide and shimmering, so he blundered on.

"I thought maybe I could say something. Tell you what a rare and wonderful thing you are to find amidst all this… darkness. I'm glad I've had a chance to meet you Sol."

He looked into her eyes, his fingers gently rubbing her soft cheek. She leaned into his hand slightly, letting out a quiet, contented sigh. And then, they blinked and an impish look seeped into her gaze.

"So… are we married now?" Her lips quirked up into an easy grin, making him bark out a quick laugh. He loved her quick wit, her jovial sense of humor. She often laughed at his cheesy jokes, and he loved how she tried to respond in kind.

"Ha!" he laughed, and bent over low to kiss her quickly, gentle on her lips. "You won't land me that easily, woman! I know I'm quite the prize, after all! But uh, I guess it was, uh, just a stupid impulse. I don't know, was it the wrong one?"

"Maybe not. It's cute." She smiled cheekily, and he grasped at his heart.

"Cute? Cute? Owwww, you could just… stab me in the face first before you say something like that." He groaned, and she giggled. He loved to make her laugh, loved to hear her giggle. Her melodic voice was lovely when she laughed.

Lately he didn't hear her laugh too often. It was as if the Blight coursing through her veins stole her smile, the disaster they saw every day stiffening her lips into a frown. Alistair silently vowed he'd never let her completely lose her smiles. Even if he had to become a professional joker. Jester? Jester, yes. Screw the darkspawn, she was skilled enough at killing monsters for the both of them. He would be her private jester if need be.

"I'm glad you like it. Now… if we could move right on past this awkward, embarrassing stage and get right to the steamy bits, I'd appreciate it." He moved closer to embrace her, laying another kiss on her lips. As intended, her face softened into a smile at his bluff.

"Sounds good! Off with the armor then!"

He laughed, holding her tighter. So they both knew it was a bluff. "Bluff called! Damn! She saw right through me!"

"Why does it have to be a bluff?" She looked up to him, still holding the rose close to her.

She was more beautiful than the rose, he thought. The rose paled in comparison to her.

"Well, it doesn't have to be a bluff. Maybe when we're back at camp some night. You know, in a tent?" He mused.

"Who needs a tent?" She giggled, her flippant words bringing red to her cheeks and betraying her own bluff. She looked lovely, he thought.

"But what if some monster comes along, while we're…? How embarrassing. Or maybe I'm just a big coward. Who, umm, needs a tent. For stuff. I'll be…" he cleared his throat, laughing nervously. "I'll be standing over there. Until the blushing stops. Just to be, uh, safe. You know how it is, Sol."

"Of course." She stood on her tip toes, rising and placing a quick kiss on his lips before dropping back down to her usual height.

"Thank you Alistair, I really do appreciate this." She winked, before walking back to the rest of the group.

Maybe, he thought, he didn't need a tent after all. He stood there, watching her laugh and working the magic on the rose he gave her with Wynne and Morrigan. He waited until his ears stopped burning with the heat, watching Sol somehow magicking the rose onto her staff. And then he waited some more until his yearning softened down in his trousers.