The sweet autumn breeze softly teased his short hair as he warmed his chilled hands by the campfire. It was far too late for him to still be awake, honestly, but his restless mind buzzed overwhelmingly with thoughts of her. He thought of the way she smelled like spice and honey, the way she played with her hair when she felt bashful, the way her delicate fingers felt whenever she clutched his hands.
He obviously knew what was coursing through his veins with every beat of his tender heart. It was love, unassuming and pure, and he relished in the intensity of the emotion. He was lucky, and he knew it, to have the love declaredly reciprocated. She told him in every free moment they shared together, after every battle, after every kiss.
Glancing over his shoulder and at her tent, he observed the light of her candle still glowing from within. He assumed she was nose-deep in one of the books she had picked up from their recent trip to Denerim, eyes narrowed with concentration and eyebrows furrowed with excitement.
Turning away from her tent and back to the radiance of the fire, he felt desire pulse through his limbs in a sudden rush. It was in these moments that he wanted more than anything to prove his love and to thank her for loving him in return.
The thought made his stomach flutter furiously with exhilaration. Could I really…? Shaking his head to steel himself, he felt the adrenaline pulse through his body as he prepared to take action. In an anticipating haze, he got himself to his feet and wandered towards her tent.
"Avalynn?" he whispered once he got close enough for her to hear. "Are you awake?"
He heard shuffling inside before she poked her head out through the tent's opening. "Hey, Alistair," she murmured with recognition, a smile immediately etching on her face. "Do you need something?"
"Not exactly," he said breathlessly. "I… do you mind if I come inside?"
Surprise flickered across her face briefly as she processed his request. "Alright," she answered softly, moving out of his way so he could duck inside.
Once he had settled across from her in the cramped space, he took one of her hands into one of his own. He made a point of memorizing the way she looked in this moment – honeyed hair faintly ruffled, lips slightly parted in anticipation, pupils dilated in the pale light. She was beautiful, to say the least, and never failed to leave him breathless.
"Alistair?" she breathed, cheeks flushing under his intense gaze. "Is everything alright?"
"Yes, yes," he muttered, feeling like a fool. "I just wanted to tell you something."
"Okay," she said, perplexed.
Grinning at her to ease her confused thoughts, he reached up to touch her cheek, running his thumb along the faded scar he found there. "I love you," he said simply as he searched for the right words to say.
Her smile widened at his words, and she leaned over to connect their lips briefly. Moving her hand up to trace his jaw with her fingers, she murmured, "I love you, too."
Laughing quietly with elation, he pulled her in for another short, playful kiss. "I'm glad," he said lamely. "I… I was wondering if…"
"Yes?" she asked, confusion returning to her features.
"Listen," he started again, closing his eyes with frustration. "I love you, and I want to spend the night with you," he explained, faltering slightly as her eyes widened. "I don't know if this is the right time to be asking you this, but will there ever be a right time? I'm not sure. But I am sure about us, about you and me, right now."
Panic flooded through his system as soon as he saw the tears fall down her face. "I'm sorry," he murmured, unsure of what to do. "I didn't mean to upset you," he tried to amend.
"I'm not upset," she breathed, her voice choked with emotion. "I just… I love you so much," she said smiling through the tears and moving to grasp his face. Her lips were instantly on his own again, wanting and needing.
Together, they were slow and explorative and precise as they learned each other's bodies. A certain gravity formed between them with every touch - she pushed, he pulled – and it kept him grounded when he feared he would float away.
And then he was sinking in her, blissfully and deliberately, and it felt like coming home. He moved with her, within her, in a primal dance that only they would ever know. He reveled in the sounds she made and the expressions on her face as they climbed to a daunting precipice. They succumbed completely to ecstasy and fell together, oblivion having never been this sweet.
And as he bathed in the afterglow, with her lips still touching her neck, he felt her murmur, "I love you."
Overcome with emotion and rapture, he could barely speak the words in return. He let the silence settle between them as he continued to soak in happiness. After a few moments, she shifted and sat up, leaning over him and placing her hands on his chest.
"I… Alistair," she began, still breathless but unexpectedly determined. "I don't know if I have any family left," she said, her eyebrows furrowing with recollected pain. "My parents are dead, and for all I know, my brother could be, too."
"Ava…" he murmured, hating the way her lips grimaced in remembrance.
"It's alright," she whispered, smiling slightly despite the hurt in her eyes. "I've accepted that my family… the Couslands are gone," she explained as her fingers stroked the skin on his chest.
"I'm sorry," was all he could think to say.
"Don't be," she said, shaking her head slightly. Before he could respond, she turned away from him and rummaged through her bag. When she moved back to face him, she held something small between her clasped hands. "This was my father's," she explained, opening her hands and revealing an intricate golden ring. "I want you to have it."
Eyes widening with surprise, he sat up next to her and immediately shook his head. "I can't take this, Avalynn," he countered, taking her hands in his own and closing them back over the ring. "It should stay in your family."
She grinned at him then, eyes shining with a sentiment he could not decipher. "You are my family," she said softly, her voice stifled with emotion. "I know you've never really had one," she continued, "so I want you to be part of mine. You and I… we can be our own family."
He pursed his lips to stem the overwhelming feelings washing over him. Unable to form a coherent sentence, he moved his hand to caress her cheek tenderly, hoping the touch would convey how much her words meant.
"Will you take it?" she asked, her hands trembling slightly.
"Yes," he choked out. "If you're sure."
"I am," she answered confidently. "It doesn't fit any of my fingers, anyway," she teased, winking at him to ease the heavy atmosphere.
He chuckled lightly and held out his hand. When she placed the ring in his palm, he brought it up to his face to examine the tiny details. Noting the small engraving of what he recognized as the Cousland crest on the top of the band, the significance of her gesture fell heavily upon him.
"What are you waiting for?" she said, breaking his trance. "Put it on," she demanded playfully.
Laughing carelessly and sliding the band onto the ring finger of his right hand, he observed, "It's a perfect fit."
Beaming, she moved over to kiss him again, her hands trailing upwards to tangle in his hair. He was humbled, overcome, overwhelmed by the love she showed him, and he vowed to live the rest of his life loving her in the way she deserved.
I am yours, you are mine.