**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Hello everybody! This is my first fanfic that I made so I'm sorry if my fanfic is not that good enough for the standards of others. Please R&R so that I may know what I need to improve in my writing skills. ENJOY!^^

The camp is the same as always. Leilana checks the things she bought earlier in the market while Sten is still as stoic as ever looking at the night sky. Morrigan is in her secluded camp sleeping, Zevran & Ogren drinks ale sharing some stories to each other and Shale takes a walk in the forest by herself while Wynne is cooking their dinner for this evening.

Meanwhile in the campfire, Alistair stares irritably at Potchi who is the mabari pet of his fellow warden Neria. He wants to change position with the mabari because the whole day of their expedition for the Urn of Sacred Ashes, the two (Neria and Potchi) is somewhat sweet to each other. He can't explain why he thinks that why to those two but when he saw Neria being sweet to Potchi, he starts to think that way to them and become somewhat jealous to the dog. It's normal for the master & pet to be close to each other, it's just that he wants to be close to Neria too. Alistair likes Neria for a long time now. He just doesn't know what kind of approach to do to tell his feelings for the elven mage.

While his head is full of thoughts on how to confess, the fellow warden sits beside him and said,

"My, my busy thinking of something?"

"Oh it's nothing really"

"Really?"

"Really"

"… Your no fun at all Alistair" she said with a pout on her face.

"What do you think of me Neria, an entertainer?"

"Yes! Aren't you? You're the only one in our party who looks like an entertainer rather than a templar. Don't you want that?" she said while smiling o him.

"FORMER Templar and I'm sorry I don't want to be an entertainer." He said seriously

"Oh I'm sorry Ser FORMER Templar. Too bad it suites you!" she then laughs at him.

"(sigh)"

"Umm… Sorry. It was a joke. I didn't mean it like that Alistair. Don't be mad." She said.

(Damn she is so cute when she said something like that!)

"No, its ok, I'm not mad."

"If you're not mad then why don't you tell me what's on your mind? It looks like you are having a hard time so I thought I might help you. Besides, a serious look on your face doesn't suites you Alistair. I rather see you smile like always." She said while smiling at him.

(ARRRGGHHH…! I can't take it anymore! I want to hug her, to kiss her and to make lov-, oh Maker! Make me strong not to do this perverted thing to her!)

As he is going to say something, someone interrupted their wonderful conversation.

"Woof, woof." barked by Potchi.

"Oh my! Your already hungry Potchi?"

"Woof, woof!" he barked happily.

Neria stands up besides Alitair and said,

"Why don't we continue our conversation Alistair? Potchi wants to eat now and –"

"Sure it's ok. Go ahead. He may even try to eat me if I object."

"Oh. Ok."

Neria smiled at him and leave him by the campfire to get some bone for the mabari.

(AAARRRGGGHHHH! Damn that dog! I already had a nice moment with her and then he shows up destroying the atmosphere and wanting some bone because his stomach says so? I so want to strangle that dog!)

Again his head is full of frustrations that he didn't notice the Neria sat beside him again and stares at his angry look on his face.

"Alistair?"

"Huh, oh it's you again Neria." He said nervously.

"Umm… Are you really ok?" she said worryingly.

"Oh yes I'm ok! Donn't worry about me."

They become silent for a minute and then,

"Neria, may I ask of you something?" he said nervously. (OK! This is it! I need to say it to her now! RIGHT NOW! Before that mabari shows up again)

"Sure, what is it?"

He inhales deeply, Concentrating his mind and thinking the right words to say his feelings.

"I…"

"I?"

(Oh Andraste sake! I'm so nervous! Wait. I can do it! I can do it!) He closes his eyes and said,

"I love you Neria, do you love me too?"

~Silence~

"Huh, what did you just said Alistair?"

Alistair opens his eyes and saw Potchi besides Neria.

"Why is Potchi besides you again?" he asked irritably.

"Oh, he wants me to pat him on his head so I didn't notice you were starting to talk already. Sorry, so what do you wanted to ask me Alistair?"

Alistair was dumbfounded. He put his feelings to say those words and yet the woman he confesses with didn't heard what he just said because of that stupid dog. He felt that Potchi is much more important than him in terms of Neria. He then stands up and said,

"Oh its nothing. I just want to ask who is the one cooking for our dinner this evening."

"Wynne, did you forgot?"

"Ahahaha… Sorry, bad memory. Anyway, I'm going to take stroll in the river. I'll be back in a minute."

"Ok."

Alistair then went on his way, disappointed at the things happened to him this night.

Neria watch him walking away from her with a gloomy aura surrounding him. She already knows his feeling for her and she has the same feelings for him too. It's just that she wants to know what kind of approach he will use to confess to her, so she plays along with him. She felt bad knowing that what happened earlier was like she ignored him because of Potchi. Because of this, she runs to the direction he went to to tell him her feelings for him.

Meanwhile, Alistair sat near the river, watching it flowing freely. He then heard someone's coming. He stands up and holds his position, ready to fight if it's an enemy. He then saw Neria running towards him gasping for breath.

"Wha-at happen? Is there a trouble in the camp?" he asked suddenly.

"No… The camp is fine."

"Whew. I thought there's something good happened like you kick out Zevran and Morrigan to our party or something like that." He joked.

"Hahahahaha… You know I can't do that. Those two helps us in some ways."

"Oh yeah? Like bullying and making fun of me?"

"Yeah, something like that."

"They stare to each other and then laugh their heads out. When they got back from laughing, Neria starts to talk.

"I'm sorry"

"Huh? About what?"

"About earlier"

"It's Potchi who need to say sorry to me, not you."

"Hahahahaha… what the hell did Potchi did to you that you are so angry about Alistair?" she said while smiling.

"Well, every time we were together he always butts in and gets you attention."

"Oh, so you want me to have your attention only?"

"Yes."

"So you're jealous?"

"Yes- I mean No! Why would I? Because of Potchi? Ahahaha, no way." He said nervously.

Neria glare at Alistair, narrowing her eyes. She knew he was lying to her. And then a sweat drop from Alistair's cheek.

"You're lying."

"No I'm not!"

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not!"

"Yes you are."

"No I am not Neria!"

"Why so defensive Alistair?"

"No I am not defensive!"

"…"

"…"

"Ok you win Alistair. If you don't want to tell me the truth suite yourself." She was planning to leave when Alistair grab her wrist and said,

"Wait."

"What?"

"(sigh) Your right Neria. I am jealous with Potchi. Do you know why? Because that damn dog is so lucky to be with you always! You walk together, play together, eat together and even sleep together!" he confess to her.

"So you want to sleep beside me?" she asked while smiling at him.

"Yes-I-I mean no, wait maybe, I don't know…! Arrrgghh!"

She smiled from what he just said to her. So he really has feelings for her. She then went close to him and kiss him on his lips. He felt tense first from the sudden kiss but then he kiss back and encircled his hands on her hips. She then placed her hands on his chest, feeling his heart beating fast just like hers. After a while they broke their kiss and stared to each other while blushing.

"Umm… I didn't expect that coming from you Neria."

"Well… You still don't know me fully yet Alistair." She said smiling at him.

Then they heard a barked coming from the direction to their camp. Alistair not feeling annoyed anymore to the one who barked said,

"It looks like someone is worried about you my lady."

"Oh it's nothing; he just said that it's time to go to bath."

"What? You bath together? With Potchi?" he said in an irritable tone again.

"(This guy is so gullible) Maybe"

"Oh no no no no. I am not allowing that dog to bath with you anymore. I won't allow it. Never!"

"It's your choice, not mine." she said playfully.

Then they went back to the camp while holding hands.

END

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