"The scarlets and yellows…they make your eyes shine almost silver!"

"You're too kind," said Zevran, waggling his eyebrows as he smiled. He had to agree that the clothes Maiti had ordered for him did fit rather splendidly. It never hurt to have someone cheer you on the way Maiti did. Before his big lug of a Warden had come along, most of his encouragement had come from himself.

He patted Maiti on the chest. His own outfit was entirely red, an absolutely terrible color for the red-headed Dalish elf, and it looked like it had come a size too small. Perhaps when the seamstress had heard it was for an elf she had refused to believe that the sizing was correct. Either way, Maiti was fit to bursting in his outfit, every muscle outlined and defined. Zevran rather liked the effect.

"Silver, though?" said Zevran, thinking about what Maiti had said as they walked from their little room into the hall. They'd been invited to a ball- or rather, Zevran had, as head of the Crows. Zevran had a dagger hidden on both legs and one visible, just to show that he was prepared. Maiti was unarmed. The big elf couldn't bring his huge sword with him, and besides, he didn't need a weapon to be dangerous.

"That's what I thought in the moment," said Maiti, rubbing his neck.

"My eyes are brown," said Zevran.

"I know that," said Maiti, voice rising in defense. "They're beautiful."

"Yes," said Zevran. "Beautiful but brown."

"They looked silver right then," said Maiti, biting his lip. Zevran glanced over and realized that he'd been pointlessly arguing semantics. How silly of him, to make his Warden feel bad.

"I'm sure they did," he said, reaching up to pat Maiti's cheek.

Maiti sighed slightly. "You don't sound like you believe me, but okay. Whatever color your eyes are, you're here."

Zevran swallowed hard. They'd been separated for several months as Zevran quelled resistance to his takeover and smoked out the last Guildmaster. He hadn't wanted to put Maiti in danger. As silly as that sound, Maiti would get himself killed to protect Zevran, and he didn't always know when Zevran was faking an injury mid battle.

"Silver, brown," he said, pulling Maiti's head over to kiss his cheek. "In that moment I bet that's exactly what it was."

He softly added, before Maiti could say anything, "I'm glad you're here."

Maiti's hand wrapped around his waist, holding him close, and that said all it needed to.