Char: Dorian & Noah

Notes: I update on AO3 more frequently than I do on FFNET.

Summary: Dorian revels in his memories about his elven lover. Solas comes to a shocking realization about their inquisitor.

Word: Butterfly

Rating: T

Word Count: 2,080

30 Days of Noah

Day 15- Flutter

(noun)

a state or sensation of tremendous excitement; a group of butterflies.

His smile was bright rays of sunshine on a beautiful day, beaming from an equally enthralling visage. His laugh was a melodic song that lifted spirits, inflicting on those around him a calm quiet that had been lost since the gaping maw of hell ripped across the sky. His eyes were smoldering gems of green peridot, striking fear in all he laid his fiery, cold gaze upon. His passion burned brighter and hotter than the fiercest fire archmagicks; the very flames of hell themselves quivered in his wake.

When he spoke, he spoke with purpose. When he walked, shoulders squared, his gait overflowed with confidence. He was the epitome of strength, passion, and loyalty.

Dorian's eyes fluttered as chapped, petal-thin lips brushed against the skin behind his ear. Thin, strong fingers clutched desperately at his shoulder.

"Dorian…" His voice cracked, oozing with an emotion Dorian didn't believe quite fit him. "Dorian." The body above him quivered, breath becoming heavy pants. "Dorian…Dorian…Dorian…"

His name, coming from his lover, never ceased to be music to his ears. Almost a chant - a praise - a song; sung so beautifully by his dark haired angel.

"Dorian, please…" His angel's voice quivered and cracked, his breathing quickening. What he wouldn't give to gaze upon his dark haired angel, but he knew what awaited his eyes would shatter the images that played in his mind.

"Dorian…ma lath…please…"

It wasn't frequent that his lover slipped up and spoke in Elven instead of the common tongue. He found those infrequent moments endearing as they were usually when his lover was feeling strongly about something - usually confusion but there were times when it was because he was angry, though it happened more when they made love.

"No," Dorian finally spoke. His voice was as hoarse as his lover's. The air by his ear was displaced as Noah moved away. It was cold now. Dorian gritted his teeth as he heard a grinding noise. He felt liquid drip on his face. Was his angel crying? No, don't be stupid. He thought to himself. His angel wasn't crying for his angel never cried. He knew what it was.

"Dorian…move…" His angel's voice was faint. The sound was accompanied by a low grunt.

"No."

"Don't…be an ass…" His angel was struggling to speak. He let out another low grunt, more grinding sounds following it. "Move."

"I won't." His arms were numb, outstretched in front of him. They hurt, stung, burned. He couldn't place just how long they had been in their current position. Dorian on his back with Noah sprawled on top of him, legs on either side of Dorian's thighs. In any other situation, Dorian would take great pleasure in their position. Now, though, he couldn't as the large piece of stone bearing down over them stopped him from feeling much of anything.

"…leave me…"

"I can't."

"…rian…" He felt more liquid drip on his face. He opened his eyes just in time to see dull peridot eyes, brimming with unshed tears, close. Dorian's heart skipped a beat as Noah's head dropped limply against his neck.

"Noah?" Dorian shifted his shoulder upwards but Noah didn't respond.

Dorian sat at the edge of the bed, staring down at his elven lover. They'd failed their mission but at least they left with their lives…somewhat. Noah had lost a lot of blood. His skin took on a deathly, pallor color, revealing his veins. His thin lips took on a hue of blue. The elf had lost consciousness…3 months ago. He still had yet to wake up. And Dorian had yet to leave his side.

There were no signs that he would ever wake up. It didn't even look like he was alive. They wouldn't have known he was alive if it weren't for Solas. He said that his consciousness had got tangled in the fade and was trapped there. He said it was somewhat similar to that of the eternal sleep that immortal elves that tire of living would do, except this was not voluntary. Instead, he called it a coma. They could do nothing about it but wait and hope he was able to get out on his own.

Dorian slipped behind Noah on the bed. They had to be careful. They had to watch Noah's static body closely. Even though he wasn't a mage, being an elf made his connection with the fade almost as strong as any other mage. Since he was alive but not alive, it was very easy for any spirit in the fade to possess his body. That was not something anyone wanted.

Dorian started when he felt a weight settle on his chest. His eyes snapped open, not even aware that he had closed them, and looked down. Noah had moved to lie against him. Noah's leg was kicked over Dorian's, his arm draped over Dorian's abdomen and his head lying against his chest, right above his heart.

"N-Noah?" Dorian asked. Dorian's heart fluttered as Noah shifted on his chest. Dorian couldn't believe it. His amatus had finally awakened. "Amatus?"

Noah slowly pulled his head up, eyes still closed. He made a noise that sounded to be a cross between a moan and grunt. Dorian placed a hand on Noah's head and pressed him back down. He said nothing as Noah nuzzled against his neck before stilling.

He knew he should get up and alert the healers but he was too happy that his lover had awakened. Dorian started again when he felt something cold and wet lapping at his neck. Is he licking me?

Noah had, indeed, been licking him. Noah pulled away from his neck, breathing in deeply before he pulled himself up to straddle Dorian's hips. He opened his eyes finally to stare down into shocked grey orbs.

Dorian felt his heart stop as Noah's eyes opened. Instead of the gleaming, peridot green orbs he was so in love with, sharp ceruleans stared back at him. "Noah?" Dorian asked sharply, attempting to sit up. His attempts were thwarted as the being, because it was definitely not Noah, sitting on him roughly pushed him back down by his chest. A slow malicious grin spread across Noah's face.

"Ir n ehn mala elgar him-ma, shemlen."

"W-What? Noah?!" Dorian's panic increased tenfold when the elf's grin widened even more, revealing razor sharp teeth.

"Ma emma harel, shemlen." He chuckled. "El elgar him-mala. Ma tel'harel ar."

"Who are you?"

"Emma Paimael la ma tel din'an, shemlen. "

Before Dorian could even try to process what was said to him, the elf had leaned forward and sunk his teeth into his neck. Dorian's vision was suddenly thrust into darkness.

Dorian gasped, eyes shooting open. He felt his heart thumping hard against his chest as his eyes darted around the room. "Dorian?" Dorian's eyes shot to Noah. The elf was laying on him but had sat up. His eyes were wide - their normal peridot green. He was pretty pale but not looking like death like he remembered him to look a bit earlier. "You're awake!" Noah jumped up out of the bed but Dorian caught his wrist.

"What do you mean?" Dorian asked hoarsely. It felt as if he hadn't spoken in months…well he hadn't, he'd been cooped up in the room waiting for Noah to wake up. But the feeling of his limbs were similar, which he didn't understand at all. Why did it feel like he hadn't used his arms in a while?

"You've been asleep for almost 3 months," Noah said, settling back on the bed. He grasped Dorian's face in both hands. "Solas said you were in Uthenera. I didn't understand how that was possible because you're human!" Noah smiled. "But now you're awake…I was so afraid you would never wake up again…" Noah's smile melted away as tears sprung to his eyes. "I've never been so afraid for another being before…"

Noah was suddenly laying on him again, nuzzling against his neck. "Don't ever scare me like that again, you bastard." Noah breathed against Dorian's ear.

"What? But…" Dorian was at a lost for words. What he had believed was him waiting for Noah to wake up had been Noah waiting for him to wake up. Was that environment created by the Fade? "Noah…"

"I need to get Solas," Noah said, pulling away from Dorian. "He told me to come get him when you woke up." Noah was smiling again. "I'll be right back, ma vhenan."

Dorian watched the elf hurry away. When Noah had returned again, Solas was trailing behind him. "How are you feeling, Dorian?" Solas asked.

"Confused…" Dorian frowned. He sat up with help from Noah.

"Oh?" Solas raised an eyebrow and crossed his arm. "Do explain. Maybe we can help you with that."

Dorian was silent as Noah settled back on the bed next to him, this time opting to sit next to his legs instead of cuddled up next to him. Dorian was a little disappointed at that but focused back on Solas and his request.

"For one, I thought it was Noah who was in the coma, not I. Then I wake up to him saying I was." Dorian frowned. "I thought he lost a lot of blood."

"I did lose a lot of blood," Noah said with a frown. "What is a coma?" Noah looked to Solas for clarification.

"It is essentially the same thing as Uthenera but it is involuntary," Solas said. He frowned. "I told you this already, didn't I?"

"If you did, I only half listened," Noah grumbled. Dorian smirked at that but then turned his attention to Solas.

"Why was I in the coma?"

"You hit your head pretty hard on the stone," Noah said.

"You also used up all your magic to keep Noah alive and breathing. If it weren't for you, he would have bled out completely," Solas explained. Dorian turned his gaze to Noah. The elf was looking down at his balled fists resting in his lap. "I see you remember some of the events that happened. You said you thought Noah was in the coma? This must have been a dream environment created by the fade. Do you remember everything that happened?"

"I spent the whole time staring at Noah's motionless body…" Dorian mumbled. Noah looked up at him with a frown. "I had finally decided to lay down beside him when he woke up. But…" Dorian looked at Noah. "It was your body but it wasn't you…Paimael. This stuck out to me. What does Ema Paimael mean?" Dorian asked. Noah stiffened noticeably.

"How do you know that name?" Noah asked.

"A name? That is what you said. Ema Paimael," Dorian said with a frown.

"Ema…Do you mean Emma?I am Paimael? Who is Paimael?" Solas asked. He looked at Noah. The elf was looking away from them with narrowed eyes and his mouth in a thin line. "Do you remember anything else he said?"

"Something him mala," Dorian mumbled. "Elelgah himmalah?"

"El elgar him-mala,"Solas said. "Our spirit is yours."

"Matelarelar?" Dorian frowned.

"Matelarel….ma tel'harel ar?"Solas asked. "You do not fear me." Solas and Dorian looked at Noah who had stood up. "Who is Paimael, Noah?"

"No one of importance," Noah said with a frown.

"He bit me," Dorian said, almost as an afterthought. Solas raised an eyebrow.

"He bit you?" Solas asked.

"Yes…he said something like mateldinin. And then he bit me and I woke up," Dorian said.

"Mateldinin? Ma tel din'an? You cannot die?" Solas frowned. "Noah-" Solas turned to regard the elf but he wasn't there.

"Do you think it was this Paimael person that woke me from my coma or was it a coincidence?" Dorian asked.

"I do not believe this was mere coincidence. There is was always something about Noah that we knew he was hiding." Solas said. He looked at Dorian. "This…this may just be glimpse of what it is."

The irony of it all. Solas thought to himself. "I will alert the healers of your conscious state," Solas said. Dorian looked up at him. "I will speak to Noah on your behalf."

"Thank you."

It just may be our inquisitor has an even larger secret than I do.Solas thought as he descended the stairs to leave the room.

Translations:

Ir nehn mala elgar him-ma, shemlen = I will enjoy your spirit becoming mine. (I will take possession of you/I will posses you)

Ma emma harel, shemlen = You should fear me, human.

El elgar him-mala. Ma tel'harel ar = Our spirit is yours. You do not fear me.

Emma Paimael la ma tel din'an, shemlen = I am Paimael and you cannot die, human.

I will probably continue this.