This is probably one of the fluffiest fics I've ever written. Takes place when the warden returns from her mission. Enjoy!

Kick.

Toss.

Kick. Kick.

Turn.

Kick kick kick kick kick—

"Eugh!" Elissa rolled onto her back in defeat, the outline of her swollen belly made visible by the moonlight shining in through the silk summer curtains. Every night for the past week it was like this. The entire pregnancy had had the baby calling the shots—when to eat, what to eat, when to vomit what it had just before insisted on eating—and finally, at eight months along, when to sleep. Which, evidently, was never, if the current rate of repeated hard kicks to the abdomen every night between the hours of ten p.m. and two a.m. kept up.

Elissa sighed wearily, placing her hands over her protruding belly. "Please, I'm so tired," she whispered. "Just… stop kicking me. Give me one night's rest, you can kick me all you want in the morning. Please."

Silence. Elissa let her hands fall to her sides, letting out a breath. Waiting… waiting…

KICK!

"No," she groaned.

Previously lying with his back to Elissa, her husband chose that moment to roll around and face his wife. Alistair let out a lazy yawn as he propped his head up on his arm, looking at her.

"You know, it's pretty hard to get any sleep with you tossing and turning like that all night."

"You don't like it, you can sleep on the couch," Elissa snapped.

Alistair placed his hand over the swell, rubbing in gentle circles. "That bad, huh?"

"Worse. Last night the kicking lasted for one hour, tonight it's been two. I can't take this sleep deprivation for much longer, Alistair."

"Fortunate it won't have to be very much longer then," he said with a smile, catching her hand in his.

Kick.

His eyebrows shot up. "Wow! That was a big one! Are we even sure that's a human baby in there? Feels more like a Qunari. In which case, we need to talk."

Elissa scowled. "You think this is funny."

He shrugged, a boyish grin alighting his face. "We're having a baby, love."

"We may be having a baby, but I'm the one who has to endure all these sleepless nights."

They both lay quiet for a moment, him holding her hand against her belly, Alistair and Elissa both feeling the fluttering of tiny feet and hands beating against her womb.

Alistair sat up suddenly. "I just remembered something," he said, eyes alight with the beginnings of an idea, "Maker's breath, how could I have forgotten? I was chatting with the Orlesian ambassador today after our meeting, talking about the baby and the constant kicking bothering you at night and all that, and he said when they're this far along they can hear you talking to them. Isn't that amazing?"

"I'm not sure I believe that."

"Maybe. I don't know. I just thought that… well, maybe I could try talking to it. Maybe hearing my voice will… calm it or something. Or throw it into a violent rage. Who knows."

"Why your voice? Why not mine?"

"I have a very—" Alistair cleared his throat, "—I have a very soothing voice, or so I'm told by all the ladies," he said, dropping his voice down an octave.

Elissa rolled her eyes, but nodded her consent. "If you think it may help, it's worth a shot. I'll try anything at this point."

Alistair dropped her hand, sliding down to the middle of the bed, pulling the sheets down. Gingerly, he lifted Elissa's sleep shirt, exposing her belly. He lied down, resting his head against the middle and placing his hand across the top, softly stroking the skin there.

"Uhm… Hello…erm… baby," he started, a bit awkward. "Just 'baby' because you don't have a name yet because we don't know if you're a boy or girl. Not that it matters, or anything, I'll love you the same either way. I mean we've got names picked out, that discussion took place months ago, believe me, but I'm just going to keep calling you 'baby' for now. It's just easier, you know. Don't want to start calling you one thing and have you come out of there and be a totally different thing. That would just be confusing for you and me."

"Alistair."

"Yes, love?"

"I'm sure the baby doesn't care about his or her lack of a name right now."

"Uh. Right." Alistair smiled apologetically. "Anyway. I suppose I should…introduce myself, I guess. I'm Alistair, your father. Daddy. Whatever. Maker's breath," he said, running a shaky hand through his hair. "Every time I say that it hits me, like a punch in the chest. Well, not a punch, something a lot happier than a punch… more like being tackled by a mabari. A very friendly mabari who just wants to lick your face, not eat you."

Elissa chuckled.

"And the woman in whose body you currently reside is your mother, Elissa," Alistair continued.

"Hello, baby," Elissa supplied quietly.

Alistair smiled up at her before turning his head to kiss the bump. "Anyway, your beautiful mother is a bit exhausted, and she's worked very hard the past several months to keep you warm and safe in there, so I'd really appreciate it if you calmed down a bit and let her sleep."

He went quiet, his forehead pressed against Elissa's belly for a minute before he continued. "And… I just want you to know that I can't wait to meet you for the first time. You're not even born yet, and I already love you. Just a few more weeks, and you'll be here, and—"

"Alistair, the kicking's stopped. It worked." Elissa smiled, relieved, running her fingers through her husband's hair. Alistair placed another kiss to her belly and climbed back up to lie beside his wife. He gripped her hand, bringing it to his lips. Elissa pulled her shirt back down over her belly and brought the sheets up.

"Huh. We should do this every night. Good daddy and baby bonding time," Alistair mused.

"If we do this every night you won't be getting enough sleep either, and I doubt your advisors will relish explaining to the court why their king is falling asleep on the throne."

"Screw court. You and our child come first."

Our child. How could just one little phrase make Elissa's breath catch in her throat and her heart beat a bit faster?

"Do you think you can sleep now?" Alistair whispered.

"Yes. Thank you."

Alistair brushed his lips over her knuckles, turning to lie on his side, bringing his hand and hers to rest simultaneously over the swell of her belly. Within minutes, his breathing fell heavy. Elissa settled into the mattress, content to finally be able to get some rest. And for the first time in over a week, she fell into a deep sleep, dreaming of her child resting below her heart.