Written for the weekly promptfest over at dragon_age on livejournal as a response to the prompt "Anders's crush on Karl. Pre-canon. Possible minor spoilers if you don't know who Karl is.
Wynne notices him before Karl does. She nudges her companion's knee with hers, flicks her gaze at the library door, and says with no small amount of amusement: "Seems you've got a shadow, Thekla."
When Karl looks up a blond head disappears around the door frame. An explosion of giggles and snickers and indignant squawking follows.
"The new apprentice. An older boy from one of the small border villages," Wynne explains. A sort of sadness passes through her eyes, gone before it can settle. "I've had a few lessons with him."
"I see," Karl says, clearly not seeing or caring at all. He watches the door a bit longer, but while the childish chatter continues the boy doesn't make another appearance. He turns back to his book. "I'd think it would be you he's spying on."
Wynne laughs then, a warm sound full of honest good humor. "I doubt it. You know just yesterday that child called me a, what was it? 'A pushy old biddy,' if I recall correctly. No, no. It's most certainly you." A smile blooms on her face. She folds her hands on the table before her and leans forward until she's close enough that her feathered bangs barely brush against Karl's forehead. She waits until he rolls his eyes to look up her through heavy brown eyelashes. "Understandable, of course."
"Is that what you think?"
"Mhmm. Still, these little crushes can be tricky—Maker knows the trouble I had with Amell. I hope you'll let him down gently."
"I'll do my best." Karl chuckles, brushes the hair from Wynne's eyes, and leans in. "But I'm not too concerned. He'll grow out of it; they usually do."