A/N: Just a short little writing exercise. Go, Alistair, go!
Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Age. I just play it.
Day In Day Out
Sara sighed leaned back in her oaken chair with the report detailing how the Gray Wardens were expanding in Ferelden in her hand and instead looking to the barren gray-stoned walls of her office. This report just didn't want to end, how long could someone write about things that were going smoothly and as planned, anyway? She couldn't believe she was actually missing the simple days where all she had to worry about was forming treaties and killing enemies. At least that didn't make her want to fall asleep, even if it did make her fear for her life. If she had known that there would be this much work involved she never would have accepted the promotion. Well, that may not have been true, her duty as a Gray Warden would make her feel obliged to do something but she would definitely have at least thought it over. But why did it have to feel the same day in, day out? Even Alistair's lame jokes couldn't cheer her up here. He was in Denerim.
She pressed her fingers to the bridge of her nose and looked out of her office window to see the dark of the night. She frowned. Just when had the sun set? Damn this job. No, still gotta work, she thought as she shook her head and brought her eyes back to the report. The Gray Wardens here aren't going to rebuild themselves. This was her plan to enlist members, and it seemed as though it were working, at least somewhat but her mind just wasn't in it anymore. She decided to rest her head on the desk, at least for a little while, it couldn't hurt to rest for a little while and she felt the hard wood against her forehead and no thoughts of the work or reports.
"Guess who?" came a sing-song voice and she heard a door swing open and hit the wall with a very loud thud. She brought herself up with a jolt.
"Wha-what the hell?" she said as her heart pounded in her chest before saw Alistair in the simple doorframe. She slumped forward in relief. "Oh, it's just you."
"Well that's a nice welcome," Alistair said with his teasing voice as he walked across the gray-cobbled floors towards her. Her heart began to beat steadily again and she felt a smile tinge her thin lips, feeling instantly glad to see him, now that she wasn't having a heart attack. "I come all the way from Denerim and all I get is: 'Oh, it's just you'," he made a bad attempt at mimicking her voice and she couldn't help but smile. "And here I was expecting you to throw yourself in my arms where we make love on your desk. It's good to know that your feelings of passion for me haven't left you."
"Yeah, right," she said as she got up from her desk and brought her arms above her head as she moved her stiff legs. "I think I lost my passion for you somewhere in between all these reports."
"Now that is a problem. Wouldn't want those nasty little reports replacing me, now would we?" he asked through a light tone and she saw him now in front of her, with his movements stilled and she smiled up at him, bring her hands to her hips.
"That could never happen," she said lightly, feeling the overwork haze her mind was through lift just a bit. Of course he could do that to her. She really did miss him. He may have taken over those all-too important decisions that a king would have that he seemed to hate before and was dressed the part when before all he cared about functionality, but despite that he was still the same old Alistair.
"What are you looking at?" he asked, with that same twinkle in his brown eyes. Twinkle? What a cliché word. Damn those reports… "Oh I know, my amazing manly physique."
"No, it's not that," she said and her smile grew as she shook her head and walked closer to him. "But it's close."
"Oh, is it?" he said, and she knew there was curiosity in his tone as she felt warm arms about her waist. "Then what, dear lady, were you thinking about? You're leaving me dying in suspense."
She laughed. "I'm sure I am," she said and brought arms of her own about him. "Don't change, you hear?"
"Hmm, that seems an impossible request, even from such a beautiful lady such as yourself. Need I remind you then when we met I wasn't king? Who knows what'll happen next, perhaps I'll be usurped and become court jester."
Sara laughed. "That's a job you'd be pretty good at, actually."
"I agree," he flashed her a grin. "Perhaps I should audition for it."
"You have to audition for court jester?"
"I think so," he said, before he frowned slightly. "Now, I think I distracted you from answering my question."
"Yeah, you tend to do that. A major distraction for anyone that wants to stay on-task."
"Hey," he said in a tone that feigned offence. "Now you're the one that's keeping everyone off task."
"Who's everyone?" she asked and looked about the barren room, then settled to see him again. "It's just us here."
"Ha ha, very funny," he said with a smile. "Seriously, what were you thinking about?"
"Nothing much, just how awesome you are. You can always make me feel better, even after hours and hours of that stupid paperwork," she flashed him a grateful smile, and saw that familiar look that met his eyes. "Don't change, you hear?"
"I think that's something that I can arrange," he said with a smile and moved so that his lips were brushing against hers. "But under one condition."
"Oh?" she said, feeling the warmth of his breath against her lips. "So you plan to change if I don't agree?"
"You're a sharp one," he said with his voice tinged with his usual sarcasm. "Don't you want to hear my condition?"
"Of course I do."
"I won't change if you don't," Sara felt a slight pang of surprise at that. "You think I don't hate all that stupid work I have to do as king? It's worth it if I get a couple days a month with you, the you I love."
"Just me?" she asked against her better judgement. "What about Ferelden?"
"My dear lady, I was trying to be romantic," he said with a smile. "You're killing the mood."
"Then the mood is dead. I was never good at this romantic stuff," she said and felt her heart speed up, but this time not in surprise. "It is good to know that you feel the same way."
"I know, isn't it?" he said through a tone that was soft and excited all at once and she felt the warm pressure of his lips against her own that sent small thrills through her body. It was short-lived as she brought her lips away.
"If you're only here for a couple days, why not do something fun," she said and brought her arms away from him. "Let's make these days count. Screw work."
He smiled a big grin that broke across his entire face and sent his brown eyes twinkling in joy. Again with the twinkling… "Now that is the best thing I've heard in days."