I was replaying the game last night so I'd have my facts straight for Why Can't I Meet a Sane Mage? when I ran across this line again, in the Gallows. I had to run with it. Same Hawke, same Orsino, but a different method of getting them together. Maker, but he's sexy. R&R welcome!

"So I shouldn't slit my wrists and dance naked under the moonlight just to fit in?"

First Enchanter Orsino raised an eyebrow, laughing; he'd known Elisebeth Hawke for years, since long before she became Champion of Kirkwall, and her sense of humour had always been like this.

Did that mean he didn't wish it was true? He certainly did, but wanting and having are two different things, and he was old enough to know the difference.

"Well, if that's what you intend, then perhaps I should join you after all." He smiled.

She didn't return the smile, and his own faltered.

Lise bit her lip, her green eyes shadowing in a way he'd only ever imagined in dreams. "What if... that was my intention?" Her voice had grown husky and it triggered an unusually primal urge to pin her against the wall, which he strongly resisted.

She'd kill him. He didn't know what was going through her head, but there was no way she felt the same way about him... but she was still looking at him with that look, and biting her lip in a very un-Champion-like way. Maker.

He cleared a suddenly-dry throat. Best to be safe – he was a mage, she was the Champion, and as close as they were it wasn't worth risking that for some risqué talk. He liked his heart – and bones – unbroken. "The, uh – the rumours I've heard say that the meeting will be tomorrow night, in Hightown..."

She blushed, fiercely, and the look in her eyes changed abruptly to one of mortification and – sadness? "I- of course, First Enchanter. You know I will go."

With that, she turned and fled out of his office, and he sat down, amazed and completely confused. Had he – did she – what had just happened? He shook his head, but the little voice in the back of his mind wouldn't be quiet. " What if she's been in love with you for as long as you have with her?"

To banish it, he turned to his paperwork. Lots of it. Every movement his mages made had to be documented now, and he refused to delegate – it had always kept him busy enough not to dwell on Meredith, Lise, or the sorry state of Kirkwall.

At least, it had kept him busy enough until today. He couldn't concentrate, with the look in her eyes still lingering in his mind. After the third time having to rewrite a request for a fire rod – which shouldn't be so bloody difficult – he shoved his papers aside and began to pace the study.

Lise managed to slow her steps before she got out into the courtyard – the last thing she needed right now was to draw more attention to herself when her face was the colour of her Champion's tunic and there were tears in her eyes.

Damn it. What had possessed her to say that? Of course he was going to reject it! No, not reject – Orsino had always been too kind, too polite for that. Even when he didn't feel the same way, he just changed the subject, as he should do. What did she expect – that he would ignore the fact that he was a mage, she was a noble, and pin her to the wall then and there? With Meredith across the hall?

Of course, it would have been nice if he had and... shit, shit, shit. She could only hope that her chagrin would fade – a little – by the time it came to report to him...

Shit. She'd just send Varric.

The moon had risen – Orsino had been right about a it being full the day after, but it was so close tonight that it illuminated her garden quite well. Which was perfect, because Lise was still not ready to go inside, go to bed. That would involve tossing and turning all night, trying to forget about a particularly alluring pair of green eyes and a form-fitting black and gold mage's robe.

The garden was a strange and beautiful place at night. The spring breeze made everything rustle and when it eddied around her, it brought the heady scents of herbs, fresh soil, jasmine and cherry, lilac and hyacinth, and above all, roses. She breathed in, deeply, watching the shifting shadows cast by the moonlight.

She froze when she realized that she wasn't alone. Her hand crept to her trowel – a poor weapon, but she was the Champion, and she'd make it work, and-

Maker. It was Orsino, standing in the shadows beneath the weeping willow. Watching her. As she tried to silence her suddenly-hammering heart, she walked slowly towards him.

"Orsino?" She should be embarrassed, but instead she was just confused. Why was he out of the Gallows? He knew that if Meredith caught him, it would be a death sentence.

He put a finger to his lips and beckoned to her, and when she'd come close enough, he caught her hand and pulled her into the shadows. Lise only had a moment to see the look in his eyes – hungry and fierce – before he pulled her body against his and kissed her.

It was a kiss such as she'd only dreamed about, achingly sweet, and when his tongue touched hers she swore she could taste fire. His hands continued to hold her against him, slowly running up and down her back, but they were as gentle as they were insistent. Lise whimpered softly, sliding her own arms around his neck, and after a moment Orsino pulled back, breathing heavily.

He rested his forehead against hers, trying to catch his breath. "Hey," she said, softly. Happily, but with a note of hesitancy. "What was that?"

The mage brought one hand up to gently touch her cheek, smiling sadly. "I was a fool this afternoon. What you said – it was what I've wanted, for years. I've loved you for so long – but I knew that it was hopeless. The Champion and the First Enchanter... it would never work. But then, the look in your eyes... Lise, I hurt you so badly, and that was worse than anything."

She held him close. "Don't-"

He shook his head, putting a finger on her lips. "Let me finish. It may be ridiculous, but we'll make it work anyway. With the craziness in Kirkwall, the end could come at any time... and I don't want to have missed out on a chance to dance naked in the moonlight with you."

She exhaled sharply, the promise in his voice causing the coil of nerves in her stomach to turn suddenly into a limpid pool of heat. Slowly, she nodded, then opened her lips to lick the finger that he still held against them.

His eyes closed and he shuddered, and she found herself pinned to the willow, his lips on hers again, and it was everything she'd dreamed of and more. His lips found her earlobe, then her jaw and her throat and she only just had the presence of mind while he sucked on her neck to realize that the pond was a little more open than they wanted.

She pushed him away, gently, but before he could ask she took his hand and led him deeper into the garden. She had a nook amongst the roses – enough space for her to read, undisturbed and unseen – but it would be plenty of room for them.

He nodded to her, then took off his cloak, laying it on the grass. She hadn't even realized he wasn't in his mage robes – a shame, since she'd love to see them peel off – but then he was kneeling, pulling her down beside him.

She'd thought she was going to take charge – she was the Champion, the slayer of dragons and Qunari, and he'd always been quiet and circumspect. She realized she was wrong as he pushed her down onto his cloak, then captured her lips again, biting them gently, his hands roaming. He slid one up under her tunic – she'd put on an old shirt and pants to work in the garden as dresses were so awkward – and his long, lithe fingers stroked her ribs as his lips moved to her throat again. She whimpered as he found just the right spot where her neck met her shoulder and sucked on it.

He sat up for a moment, and she blinked up at him. Her heavily-lidded look, lips swollen from his kisses, caused him to bite his own lip as he took the hem of her tunic and tugged. She sat up to help him remove it, and then without waiting she reached for the edge of her breast-band and unwound it. There was just enough moonlight in their small clearing that he could see the soft curves, glowing like ivory; he leaned over to take a nipple in his mouth and as he tugged on it, she moaned. When she writhed beneath him, he was lost.

After that, it was hands on skin, lips on skin, soft whimpers and moans. He surprised her several times with tingling hands, sliding fingers laced with just the slightest hint of magic down her sides. She managed to get his shirt off, running her hands over his trim torso; he unfastened the ties to her trews and pushed one hand down, brushing the soft, wet curls, then a finger slid along her slick warmth. She jerked – twitched – and then gave a muffled cry into his shoulder as he found her nub and stroked it. He groaned at her reaction, then kissed her fiercely, capturing her hands above her head and pulling her pants down so that he could slide one, two, three long, light-tipped fingers into her. She arched her back as he probed, feeling the magic sink into her core.

Pulling away from his kiss, she turned her head so that she could whisper into his ear, "There's moonlight, but you're not naked enough." He gave a throaty chuckle, which turned into a whimper as she sucked on the tip of his ear.

"Your wish is my command, vhenan'ara." He shakily sat up and removed his pants. She smiled, propping herself up on one elbow, and then reached out to stroke his shaft. As she ran a finger along the underside of it, he groaned again and slid his body over hers, pinning her back to the ground. She angled her hips beneath him, gasping as the head pushed into her tightness, and he sheathed himself within her, whispering in her ear. "Mine."

She shuddered, wrapping her legs around his hips, and after a moment of holding her – just feeling her closeness, beneath and around him – he began to move. Her hips met his with each thrust, and both of her hands tangled in his hair as she brought his lips back to hers with a deep, probing kiss. Every time he hilted himself inside her, she felt sparks echo throughout her body, and his hand on her shoulder that crushed her to him was warm, even hot.

Lise couldn't hold out for long. His body, claiming hers, pushed her inexorably towards the peak and suddenly the world exploded and she fell, down, down into light and warmth and ecstasy. She went rigid in his arms, clenching around him, and he lost himself with a last, deep thrust. "Ma emma lath, emma s'lath, emma vhenan," he whispered, raggedly.

They clung together, trembling, for a few moments and then she collapsed, bonelessly, against his cloak. He leaned over her, resting his forehead against her stomach for a moment, then reluctantly reached for his clothes. "I must go, before Meredith decides to look for me," he said, his voice still a bit hoarse.

Together they dressed, quickly and quietly, but before he turned to leave Orsino pulled her to him for one last, long kiss. "I love you, Lise."

She smiled. "I love you, too, Orsino." Laying a hand along his cheek, she shook her head. "If there is no future for us, we will make one."

He gave her one last look, and then was gone, fading into the shadows with a spell of concealment.

"Orsino? Orsino!" Meredith stalked the hallway before his bedroom door and was about to force it open when she heard his irritated voice behind her as he left his study.

"What do you want, Knight-Commander? It's three in the morning, for fade's sake."

She crossed her arms, giving him a long look. "What are you doing awake? Dressed like that?"

He looked down at his wrinkled tunic and pants. "I was trying to sleep, but couldn't, so I went into my study to do some work." Silently, he praised anyone who would listen that he hadn't gotten any grass stains on his knees.

She narrowed her eyes, but nodded. "In my study, now. I've had reports concerning those escaped mages that need your answers, and now. If we don't move quickly, we won't find them."

He sighed, and followed her. Back to business, back to the hideousness that was life in the Gallows... but over his shoulder through the window he saw the nearly-full moon, and smiled.

Somehow, things would change.

vhenan'ara (VEY-nahn-AHR-ah): heart's desire

ma emma lath (ma EHM-mah lath): you are my love

emma sa'lath (EHM-mah sah-lath): my one love

emma vhenan (EHM-ma VEY-nahn): my heart

As always, the characters belong to Bioware, I just play with them. Some, more than others.