Alistair was waist deep in the lake, scrubbing his mangy socks together with a little soap. He was looking out at the trees, trying not to think about Emma naked.

He looked up into the newly appearing stars in the midnight blue sky. He sighed as he tried to distract himself. "The Grey Warden oath. That's not sexual at all," he said aloud to himself. He looked down at what he was doing, reciting the oath to try and move his mind away from thoughts of her. "In life, vigilance. In war, victory. In death, sacrifice..." he repeated over and over again.

Emma pushed out through the brush and saw Alistair vigorously washing his socks. He was shirtless. Emma gulped.

The taint in Emma was still developing, and Alistair still had a little trouble separating her presence with the presence of a darkspawn. But his relief was replaced with fear as he looked up to see her breaking the brush from the forest.

Why did she come? Did she want to talk to him about what had happened? He scoffed to himself mentally, 'No, she probably wants to yell at you... and punch you in the face,' he feared to himself.

"Alistair?" Emma called out to him. "Food is ready," she crossed her arms over her chest to shield herself from a light breeze that chilled her. She shivered and realized he was half naked and wondered if he was cold. "Aren't you cold?"

He felt his socks were clean enough and turned to walk back to shore. "I'm alright. Did you say food was done?" his stomach lurched excitedly as he plodded through the water.

"Yes," she nodded as she watched him walk over to his clothes to put them back on, and to grab his other socks. He'd worn his leathers into the water, which were of course completely soaked. He had to be cold, she convinced herself despite his declination of her inquiry.

"Fantastic," he smiled. "I am starrrrrving."

"Me too," she smiled.

Emma found herself looking intently at the muscles of his chest and arms as he pulled his shirt on over them. He was toned, athletic. And his skin was sun-tanned from all of their walking here and there. She felt a fluttering in her stomach at the sight of him before her.

"Wynne made stew, didn't she?" he smiled as he remembered. Alistair pulled his boots on sloppily as to not keep Emma and the food waiting. "Alright, let's go." He looked to her as he headed up the shore. Each step towards her filled him with intense anxiety...

"Actually... could we talk for a moment?" Emma held up a hand to stop him. "Please?"

Alistair froze. He felt a fear he'd never felt before rise up into his throat. "Oh. Of course," he nodded, halting before her and waiting for her to speak.

He prayed to the Maker she couldn't see his light tremble.

Alistair wanted to blurt out how sorry he was about what had happened earlier. He also wanted to blurt out how much he wanted to be with her, to hold her and kiss her and feel her skin against his and how much he really didn't regret seeing her naked being she was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on...

Emma drew in a breath and looked into his eyes. He had deep, blue eyes. The way he always seemingly looked into her made her feel happy and at peace. She felt him give her the courage to speak the words she wanted to speak.

"Alistair... I, I think I am falling in love with you," she said bluntly.

Alistair felt as though she had punched him in the gut. He looked down into her eyes and immediately began convincing himself he'd heard her wrong. There was no way she had just said what he heard her just say.

'You've just been thinking about her non-stop since forever ago and you're making things up,' he told himself.

But at his bewildered silence she continued, shaking his doubts away like leaves from a branch.

"You make me feel like I can do anything," she nervously rubbed her arms in the chilly night air that was creeping up on them. "Whenever I look at you... you make my heart flip inside my chest. Your smile, your voice... how I've never been treated with such respect, and kindness..."

She felt her confidence grow as Alistair began to smile. "You've stood by me and never faltered in your stance to help me defend our country, our home. And I know you are always honest with me. I see it in your eyes. And I trust you implicitly because I know I can be honest with you as well," she stepped closer to him and felt the heat of his body inviting her in.

He could see that all the feeling's he'd been afraid have for her were hers as well. She felt the same about him.

"And I-" Emma began again but was cut off by Alistair's lips on hers.

'Oh Maker what are you doing you don't know what you're doing...' Alistair frantically thought to himself. He didn't even realize he'd moved in to kiss her...

She froze, as did he. But the feel of his lips on hers... Emma melted into him and wrapped her arms around his neck as she kissed him back.

Alistair let the soap and his socks fall to the ground to wrap his arms around her waist. He lifted her off the ground as he kissed her over and over again. Emma pulled herself up on him and wrapped her legs around his waist, their kiss turning fiercely passionate. It was rough and sloppy, and everything either had wanted for months.

Alistair adjusted his arms to get a better grip on her, squeezing a little to hard...

"OW!" Emma yelped, jumping away from him instinctively to clutch the healing wound at her side.

Alistair's face went white. "Andraste's blood! Are you alright? I'm so sorry!" he looked to her, eyes wide with the horror of hurting her. He reached out and held her arms with gentle concern.

Emma nodded as she looked up at him. "I'm fine," she smiled at the horrified look on his face. "It just jolted me a bit when you squeezed me..." The feel of his hands on her arms filled her with the desire and the need to jump back into his arms and kiss him again, kiss him forever...

"I'm sorry... I, we just..." he tried to apologize, his hands waving about as he spoke.

Emma smiled at his bumbling words and frantic gestures. It gave her the confidence to boldly place a finger on his lips to shoosh him, and to tip-toe up to his lips and kiss them.

He smiled under her kiss and placed a hand on her cheek as he kissed her back. They shared a few more moments of that kiss, making it last for as long as they could.

Alistair pulled away slowly and looked down at her, smoothing some of her hair behind her ear. "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life."

"You flatter me," she blushed a bright crimson. His bold compliment made her look away shyly and feel light as air.

As he looked at her, he came to remember he'd never kissed anyone before. His nerves rose as the thought filled his mind.

"Emma?" he asked.

She looked up at him adoringly, "Yes?"

"Um.. this is, really embarrassing... but... I've never kissed anyone before," he admitted. He waited for laughter, heckling, whatever you got when you'd had your first kiss at such a late age. But it didn't come.

Emma laid her hands on his chest and ran them up to his shoulders. She smiled into his eyes. "Alistair... really?"

He saw the disbelief in her eyes and couldn't hide his pride. "You don't believe me?" he asked, half smiling.

She saw the honesty in his face and blinked, lightly surprised. "Oh. I thought you were having me on," she admitted.

Alistair was immensely proud of himself. 'If she couldn't tell, then.. I'm better than I thought, heh,' he congratulated himself.

He chuckled. "Well. I fooled you then, did I?" he smirked. He leaned in closer, still smiling. "Good to know." He placed his lips on top of hers once more, softly and lovingly.

Emma closed her eyes and let him further his experience in kissing for a few more moments.

Alistair pulled away, and the two just looked back at the other. They were seeing something they had never expected to find on the long, crazy journey they were on. Love.

"Um... Wynne and Leliana are probably wondering why this is taking so long..." Emma stepped back, reluctantly, and smiled at Alistair, "but I suppose your socks were quite rank with filth."

Alistair watched as Emma picked up the soap and his socks for him. She held them out for him to take. He looked to see that they were actually still quite dirty. "Well I only have four pairs. And we walk a lot," he defended as he took them from her.

"I've five pairs, and they're still a little white," she teased.

Alistair huffed playfully. "Well... I'm just a mangy animal then aren't I?" he pouted as he stormed off towards the forest.

"Aw. I... Alistair," Emma stood, a smile on her face as she watched him stomp away. His shirt was un-tucked and lightly billowed in the breeze, his trousers soaked from the lake and his boot straps flopping as he walked. "It's alright that you're dirty. You're a boy," she called to him as she followed.

"A boy?" he looked back to her, "Well that's just sexist, Emma."

Emma laughed. "Oh my. I never thought I'd see the day where "I" was sexist," she followed him with a happy grin.

Wynne looked up from the fire to see the two of them bustling back into camp, looking happy and joking with one another. She smiled and continued to scoop some stew into a bowl for Leliana.

Emma and Alistair reached the same stride, catching the alluring aroma of stew. Their attention immediately swung to the cauldron hanging over the fire. Wynne grabbed another bowl to fill, noticing the two changing their course from their tents directly to her. To the food.

Alistair and Emma both took seats calmly next to one another. Their eyes were fixed upon Wynne scooping stew into the bowl she had in hand.

Emma united her vest as she leaned forward a bit. "Is that one for me?" she asked.

Wynne nodded as she handed it to Emma, "Yes."

Emma took the bowl and immediately tipped it to her lips to taste it. "Ohhhhhhh by the Maker," a contented smile spread across her lips as she blew on the hot stew and sipped more.

Alistair laid his socks and the soap down next to him on the ground and pouted. "Wynne, don't I get any?"

"Hush now. I am serving you some," she shooshed him as she filled another bowl with the hot stew. She handed it to him and saw that they both were drinking straight from their bowls. "Andraste's blood, you're both heathens!" Wynne scolded. She pulled spoons from her pack and handed each of them one. "Grown and still wild like animals..." she shook her head.

Leliana delicately slurped her soup from her spoon and smiled at the two and how they ravaged their dinner. "They're hungry Wynne," she giggled in their defense.

"They're always hungry," Wynne stated. "Eating salted meat all day, bothering poor Bodahn for bread and drink as we travel," Wynne served herself and sat back.

"You know, we're right here," Alistair pulled the spoon from his mouth for a moment to comment. It was then immediately filled with stew and replaced back into his mouth.

"And obviously no matter what I say you still act like a pack of starving wolves," Wynne well mannered-ly tasted the fruit of her labors. She nodded to herself with approval and took another sip.

Emma tilted the bowl up to finish what was in it. "Ahhh," she sighed happily. She looked to Wynne, who was looking at back at her.

"You're done?" Wynne asked, trying to hide the astonishment in her voice.

"Yes. May I have some more?" Emma asked politely.

"Here can you get me some too Emma, please?" Alistair hurriedly finished his and held his bowl out to Emma.

Wynne nodded as she sighed and continued to eat. "Leave some for Bodahn and Sandal."

"We will," Emma stated. She grabbed the ladle and served Alistair first.

He warmed inside at Emma serving him before her. "Thank you, Emma," Alistair sounded rather proper as he took his bowl back from her.

"You're very welcome Alistair," they thanked one another, a tad obnoxiously to tease Wynne and prove they indeed did have manners.

The mage just rolled her eyes. "Children..." she grumbled to herself.

Emma and Alistair smiled to one another, triumphant in their task to annoy Wynne. They then focused their concentration on the bowls in their hands and emptying them as soon as possible.