Hawke stared at the letter in front of her. Her head hurt, and the words seem to swirl together, making her eyes burn. She had been trying to read it for the last half-hour, but she hadn't made it past the first paragraph. She only knew who it was from, because the lord it was from had written his name on the envelope. She thought she was hallucinating when she heard someone calling her name from outside her room. She only realized that she wasn't when it was followed by a soft knock.

She stood, pausing to stretch her back and legs. She almost tripped when her leg went numb from suddenly using it, but she made it to the door without issue. She opened it, and saw Sebastian standing there. His expression became softer when he saw her like it always did. How she had never noticed until he had confessed how he felt was beyond her.

"There you are. I got a little worried when you didn't meet me in the chantry courtyard. Are you alright?" he asked.

She groaned, "That was today? I'm so sorry, I got caught up with these letters."

"It's alright. We can always have a picnic some other time."

She looked at the letters, and looked back at him, "No. Lord Whoever complaining about some inane, insignificant thing can wait. You're more important."

"Are you sure? I could just help you instead."
"No, I need a break. I might take you up on that offer, though."

"And I'd be happy to follow through, so long as I'm with you."

She chuckled, and rolled her eyes, "Alright, lover boy, let me change, and I'll meet you downstairs."

He leaned down, and placed a kiss on her forehead, "As you wish."

She stood once he had left, and closed the door behind him. She quickly changed into her outerwear, and threw her hair up into a bun to keep it out of her face. She grabbed her daggers before she left.

She saw Sebastian holding a basket as he stood waiting for her at the foot of the stairs. Bodahn most likely gave it to him, because he of course would never forget something like this, unlike Hawke. A bright smile popped onto Sebastian's face when he saw her come out of her room.

"Ready?" he asked, adjusting his bow that he had slung over his shoulder.

"Finally, yes."

Together, they left the estate. It took Hawke's eyes a moment to adjust to the light outside. It was a bright, clear day. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was on the brisk side, and there was the slightest breeze. It felt like heaven on her skin.

A few people waved hellos to them as they walked, but for once no one stopped them, which Hawke was grateful for. They talked about nonsense things. Sebastian told her about a ridiculously tiny dog he saw some noble holding while he had been waiting for her. She told him about a letter from a lord all the way in South Reach begging her to clear out a nug infestation in one of his meaderys. That drew a chuckle from him.

The sun still hung in the sky by the time they got to the edge of the Wounded Coast. The smell of sea air replaced the smoke and smaug of the city. The chatter of people turned into the noises of animals and crashing waves. Hawke already felt some of her stress melt away.

Sebastian led her to a relatively secluded spot that was close to the water, but not enough to get them wet. It had enough cover to keep them hidden on the off chance some idiot decided to ambush them. Sebastian handed her the basket, and pulled out the blanket Bodahn had packed for them. He laid it out, before helping her sit down. Together they dug out all the food, and plates, and started eating.

The food was as lovely as ever, if not better than usual. Sebastian asked Hawke to remind him to send Orana his thanks, as if he ever forgot to do that in the first place. Hawke asked him in turn to remind her to give Orana another raise.

They ended up eating through all of the food faster than they had anticipated. Hawke had made a joke about wanting to at least savor the desert, but the little cakes that had been packed hadn't stood a chance.

Once they had finished eating, Sebastian had managed to coax her into laying her head on his shoulder for a while. It was a little uncomfortable, but they were both willing to put up with it. She was still getting used to the fact that he initiated most physical affection. He was probably making up for lost time.

"If it weren't so dangerous, I would've taken you here at night," he said after a while, staring up at the sky.

"So romantic," she laughed.

"For you, I try to be."

"You're doing more than trying."

"I'll take that as a compliment," he smiled down at her.
"Good, because it is."

He leaned forward, and pressed a kiss to her forehead, "I'm always here for you, you know."

"I know. I wouldn't know where I'd be without you."