Sleeping Arrangements
Chapter 14
"life after the Blight"
Why would I have expected anything different?
The weather had been mild by Fereldan standards. It was cold, but not unbearable, and the entire party appreciated what was deemed the Maker's gift for those fighting the Blight. However, tonight proved to be a different story. The snow fell heavily and the wind raged. No matter what way you looked you were doomed to a face full of flurries and frozen ears and fingers. Elissa pushed herself further against Alistair's chest, longing for warmth amidst the winter storm. They had emptied every article of clothing from their packs and either put them on or wrapped them around their close bodies alongside their blankets, but it still didn't seem to be enough.
"The coldest night in Redcliffe," Alistair remembered, Elissa's hair brushing against his chin. "Where I slept was far from a fireplace and I shivered in the night until a servant came and beckoned me to follow her. Eventually I was allowed to sleep in the library, which had a roaring fire. I laid my head against a book about spirits or the Fade or something like that. It was the best sleep I'd had in a while."
Elissa's heart ached. "I can't beat that," she said quietly, mourning for the hard life Alistair had led.
"Try," he encouraged and squeezed her tightly, always interested to learn about her past.
"I guess..." she responded, "It was when I was 7. The whole castle was cold, even the rooms that normally made you sweat. I wandered into my parents' room, searching for warmth, and Fergus was already there. So I jumped right in with them all. I remember falling asleep between my mother and brother, as happy as I'd ever been. All of us in one place." She sighed. "I know it's nothing compared to your story."
He chuckled. "You're right, it was much better."
"But I know what you've lived through…"
"Exactly," he answered assuredly and kissed her ear. "Your life was much better than mine. I'm not jealous. I imagine I turned out just fine. And I'm glad to hear about your great childhood. I know you were raised right."
She turned slightly, half facing him. "I didn't want to make you sad."
"It doesn't. It makes me happy to think that someday that could be us; nuzzled in a bed with our children, warding off the cold."
She was shocked at this statement, but incredibly happy nonetheless. She had the same image emerge in her mind often as she fell asleep, but she never took it seriously. Who knew what would happen during the Blight? They didn't have the luxury of imagining their future. But knowing Alistair had these same images made her smile.
"Our children?" she asked, embarrassed herself, but needing to know more of his mind.
He blushed deeply. "Y… yes. I mean, if that's the sort of thing…" He stammered off into incoherently.
"It is," she answered, squeezing the forearms that were pressed against her stomach. "And it's not the first time I've considered it."
He smiled beneath his red face. "It's stupid, I know. I don't even know if Wardens can have children. Besides, we've the whole Blight to deal with…"
"There will be life after the Blight," she argued determinedly. "Sometimes it's the only that keeps me going, but it will happen."
He smiled and nodded. "Of course, but for now it's not worth it to consider these things."
She didn't argue, but nestled into him smiling. He thought about their future, and, in their future, they had children that they lovingly shielded from the cold. She wondered what those children looked like. Then she wondered where they'd all live. Had they actually retired to that small town she found so appealing? Did they assume her father's title in Highever? Or even yet, were they in the Denerim palace, ruling a country and raising a herd of princes and princesses? All the options made her tingle with excitement.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
The cold did not subside throughout the night, and Elissa and Alistair's cuddles for warmth gradually emerged into something more. They each enjoyed the heat from their encounter, playfully tousling each other's hair and biting each other's lips. The warmth inside them spread and the winter's chill didn't seem to bother them as long as they were this close together. Alistair leaned forward, rolling Elissa onto her back. He tasted like stew, the last thing had that night, but Elissa enjoyed every second of it. She grabbed his shoulder and more of his large body wound up atop her. She enjoyed the feeling of his weight above her, his kisses planted across her face.
He found a particularly sensitive bit of her neck and a small moan escaped her lips. Zevran's giggle cut through the night air and the pair stopped and stared at each other wide-eyed, learning that their friends were apparently just as awake as they were. Alistair moved off of Elissa and laid on his back, exhaling heavily. Suddenly the cold felt good as their sweat immediately dried. They looked at each other, still embarrassed that others were aware of their intimate encounter, but accepting that it was now over. They always ended like this, abrupt and with lust still hanging in the air.
Alistiar sighed. The Chantry really had done a number on him and he hated it, especially in moments like these. He was fairly certain he was the only man in Thedas who could sleep beside a woman as beautiful as Elissa and never do anything about it. Even now, with thoughts racing through his head, he kept inches of distance between them. She was silent, seeming to understand, but he sighed again in frustration.