((Chapter heading is taken from Orff's Carmina Burana. It means something like Like the brightness of lightning.)),


Chapter 7
Sicut splendor fulguris

Somehow, when Fenris had talked about fighting Corypheus, even when facing him, he'd spoken with cold detachment. That had led Dorian to think that despite everything, Fenris just wanted to be done and that if he could, he'd gladly pass his mark to someone else. Not that that was ever possible. But now, after defeating his dragon, the two were facing each other, and Fenris did what he always did when a fight got personal: He thrust his hand into the old Darkspawn's chest. His face was a mask of rage, and if Dorian hadn't known him so well, he'd have been scared senseless. 'You don't even have a heart I can rip out,' he spat at him. 'But I can do that.' Green bloomed from the creature, a rift opened up right inside him, consuming him rapidly and violently. Dorian watched, his arms folded, how the monstrosity that had held their attention for so long perished. Slowly the adrenalin rush was leaving him and he started to feel his injuries.

'Okay, that was creepy,' Varric said.

'Also Corypheus was pretty ugly up close. No sense for fashion.'

'Yes. All that red was too intense, really.'

Dorian approached the elf who stood immobile after Corypheus was gone. 'Fenris, are you all right?'

The warrior looked at him and grinned. 'Just waiting how irreverent the two of you will get if I let you.' He made a dismissive gesture. 'Let's go home.'

Ϡ

Dorian noticed rather late that Fenris had abandoned his own party. Solas had given them all the slip after some sort of wooden ball had broken, but the rest were getting increasingly drunk in the hall. To Dorian's annoyance, they were also discussing who was going to get to marry Fenris. Considering that, it was small wonder the elf had fled.

Trying to get away unseen, Dorian approached the door that led off to Fenris's quarters. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Varric winking at him. He winked back and hoped the dwarf wouldn't tell anyone where they'd gone. He entered the room without knocking. At some point since that first night together, Dorian's presence had become a fact of life to Fenris. Still, they hadn't made concrete plans.

Fenris was sitting on the banister of the balcony, his position there more precarious than Dorian liked. The green eyes settled on him as he approached, his face hard to read. 'So. When are you leaving?' he asked when Dorian reached him.

Whatever he had wanted to say got lost on the way from Dorian's mind to his mouth. 'What? You want me to go? I … of course.'

'Wait.' Dorian halted, already on his way, closed his eyes and counted to ten. It didn't help. He turned and faced the elf again, knowing full well that his pain was all over his face. 'That's not how I meant it. I … the last time we talked about your plans after this was over, you said you'd go home. So. How much borrowed time with you do I have left?'

'Fenris.' Everything he felt for the other man went into that one word, enough to let some of the tension leave the warrior's body. He walked back towards him, smiling a bit more the closer he got until he reached out with both hands and cupped his face. 'I have no plans whatsoever to leave you. Certainly not in the foreseeable future.'

'I don't know if that's enough for me. Not anymore.' Fenris turned away and started pacing. 'I have no right to ask you to stay with me, but …'

'Hang on. I tried to get a similar answer from you a while ago. I haven't changed my mind, I want a future with you, now that we have one. We may not have spelt it out, but we both know that what we have … that this isn't casual, and I don't think it ever was. I'm not trying to wriggle out of a commitment, Fenris. I've learnt that I can't take anything for granted. But as long as you'll have me and as long as I can, I will stay with you.'

Fenris halted abruptly and glared at Dorian. 'Damn. Why do I trust you?'

Dorian let out a short laugh. 'Probably may great looks. Or maybe because I haven't let you down so far.' Again, he reached for the elf, pulling him close this time. 'I'm not going to start now. I can promise you that.'