Stay by his side
"Don't go"
Alistair couldn't help but turn round when he felt the young Warden's hand clasping around his wrist, it was late at night and Alistair knew that they needed some rest, so he came in here to check on Yuven before he himself retired to his own tent.
"I'm only going to be in the tent across from you, so I won't be far" he replied, Yuven's eyes narrowed like he was pouting. The Templar smiled thinking that in moments like this the young Mage could look so adorably cute.
"But…" Alistair knew the reason why Yuven didn't want to be on his own tonight, who could blame him? They were fighting another group of Loghain's men today, they fought them head one.
One of Loghain's men taunted Yuven, saying they heard from a knight from the Mage Tower how does it feel to know that your good friend practiced in blood magic and then went on to say how long it'll take Yuven until he starts using blood magic?
Alistair knew this, the others did too, Yuven was afraid of blood magic, absolutely despised it and the sight of blood altogether.
So when he, his leader, Leliana and Sten arrived at the castle to save the Arl did they meet Jowan.
He remembered seeing the look on Yuven's face when the two old friends reunited. Jowan told Yuven of how he came to be in there and explained that he was not the cause for whatever was happening within the castle.
That Conner, the Arl's son was responsible…
And when discussing how to save Conner from the demon, Jowan suggested Blood Magic to do a ritual.
Of course Yuven refused…
"But I have Blood Magic" Jowan said.
All colour in Yuven's face drained as he walked to Jowan and snapped "No Jowan! Blood magic is not an option!"
But when The Arl's wife wanted to listen to Jowan to see where that option will lead them, he explains that in order for him to perform the ritual that a human sacrifice will be needed. Alistair didn't like what Jowan was proposing and Yuven didn't like it either.
"No, there has to be another way!" Yuven snapped, his shoulders trembled like he was about to be brought to tears "I'm not going to let someone die!"
Even when Isolde agreed to be the sacrifice, Yuven was having none of it.
It was only when Alistair suggested the Tower of Magi did Yuven have a plan "But the Tower of Magi isn't that far from here"
And even when they went into the Tower to help the Mages and returned with an extra mage, Wynne, A Woman that helped into training Yuven when he was younger and thought of him as her own child decided to help the young Mage on his quest to save fereldin.
When they were in the tower, they realized that more people using blood magic and when they fought against a woman, Yuven lost it while they fought, he threatened the girl who decided to use a forbidden art and almost sent her into Oblivion if it wasn't for Wynne snapping him out of it.
Once he was back from freeing Connor from within the fade, Yuven was very quiet, his eyes wide open and Alistair could tell that something was bothering the elf, when they were staying over at the castle for the night, Alistair confronted Yuven.
"Is something troubling you?" Alistair asked as he sat on Yuven's bed, the young mage pulling the covers of his blanket over his head, like he was hiding himself from the world's gaze.
"Kind of." the red head replied softly
"Want to talk about it?" he remembered asking the young one, there was silence for a while until Yuven revealed himself from under his blanket shield and sat up, his eyes not once meeting Alistair's. "I'm not going to force you, you know." The Templar could see the fear and uncertainty in his eyes, whatever happened in there it must've been awful.
"There was…" Yuven began until he furrowed his brow, still uncertain about telling his comrade about what happened. "A Desire demon possessing Connor, when I caught up with it, it started to talk to me, tried to bribe me to spare its life"
Desire demons, such a nuisance, ones that would trap mortals into their spells and make them walk the path that they mostly desire. He saw what happened to another Templar back in the tower before facing Sloth, it was just so frightening.
"It told me that it can give me the power of Blood Magic"
Alistair gasped, he wasn't much of a fan of blood magic either, he seen what it could do but Yuven probably seen more than his fair share of blood magic.
"You didn't-"
Yuven felt sudden fright as he jumped off his bed and snapped "Of course I didn't! I hate Blood Magic! I seen what Jowan did to those men back at the tower, the mere thought of me using such a thing is-"
Alistair rose to his feet and walked over to the young mage, holding his shoulders gently to calm the mage down "Calm down" he understood, Alistair understood, he was told by Duncan what happened to Yuven before he left for battle.
"I wasn't accusing you; I'm just worried that's all, was that why you've been acting so strangely?"
Yuven looked at Alistair, his eyes wide until they softened, resting his head against Alistair's chest "I don't want" he began to whimpered his eyes began to water "I don't want to be an abomination" Yuven's sobbed pierced through Alistair's mind "I, I saw what happened to Jowan and those mages back in the t-tower…"
'Yuven'
"Jowan, I don't hate him or anything, H-he was like my own older brother so when I realized he was a Blood Mage…" he felt Yuven's grip tighten in despair as his heart fell into pieces before Alistair's eyes. "I felt betrayal at first, then hate until it all subsided because I still see him as a good friend and an older brother, that sounds stupid doesn't it?" he said, choking out a laugh through strangled sobs
"Of course not, he was your family" Alistair said, his arms wrapped around the young mage as he made sobbing hiccups. "Once you start loving them you won't stop"
There was nothing but silence for a while, Yuven continued to cry, to whimper his heart out until Alistair closed his eyes and placed a hand on to Yuven's head, stroking his red locks through his hand.
"You won't become an abomination" Yuven gasped as he slowly directed his gaze up at the templar "I promise that if you lose your way then I'll bring you back"
"P-Promise me" Yuven asked, narrowing his eyes "Promise me if I ever-"
"You won't"
Deep in his heart, Alistair knew that Yuven won't become an abomination, he was too pure for that…
"But I don't want-" Alistair sighed, turning back taking off some of his armor until he was in his undergarments and motioned himself into Yuven's bed.
"Will this be alright then?" Yuven blushed before he nodded and snuggled his head into the pillow staring at Alistair's face, his eyes especially.
"Yes" he whispered softly "Thank you, I hope I'm not acting like a child or being a bother…" Alistair placed a finger onto the Mage's lips, they were a nice shade.
"Yuven, you're the only person I'd do this for…" Alistair moved his finger away from Yuven's lips and replaced them with his own, giving the other Grey Warden a gentle peck on the lips. The young elf found him self blushing in the deepest of crimson and Alistair chuckled at the cute reaction he got from the mage.
"Alistair" Yuven whispered in surprise
"You may not be a woman but your cute" Alistair saw the shock in his friend's eyes, he wondered if he disturbed the young Warden? "If you want me to go-"
"No" Alistair found himself speechless for a while until he smiled softly and found Yuven's hand holding onto his under the covers. "Please stay" Yuven begged, snuggling his head into the crook of the Templar's neck.
"Alright" He'll stay because he was asked too, he stayed because it was just Yuven Surana.
"I'll stay beside you for as long as you want me too, Yuven"
End
Authors Note
I just wanted to do a sweet fic with Yuven and Alistair for a change, I want to vary the pairings a bit instead of just leaving it with Yuven and Zevran, I love Zevran but Alistiar needs some loving.