The rolling dunes were quiet; no steel clashing, no screams or battle cries. The fight at Adamant had been waged and won; leaving nothing but corpses and blood in its wake. The sand was thick with it. Clumped, metallic, reeking of death. The stench would only intensify once the Sun's rays bore down in the morning.

Dane shifted his legs, stretching out in front of the campfire. The fortress loomed in the distance; deep black shadows against the full moon. He had been eager to set away from the ruins and all it had involved. From this spot, he could see the Wardens milling around in the dark. They were aimless, having first lost Clarel, and now Stroud. One of the few Wardens that had remained good. Honourable. The Inquisitor grimaced, the events of earlier looping in his head.

Hawke had made to run at the Nightmare back in the Fade; shoving Trevelyan and Stroud aside – willing to sacrifice herself so they could escape. The massive demon had chattered in delight, welcoming the tasty snack that came sprinting to its maw.

Stroud had been faster. He had rushed to the nearest spindly limb, and slashed through it with one mighty blow. The distraction worked. The arachnid howled in pain when greenish blood spurted from its torn leg; knocking Hawke aside as it turned to face the bold attacker.

Trevelyan had to act out of instinct. He bolted to Hawke's wheezing form, wrenched her from the ground and shuffled over to the rift. She fought against him every step, demanding to be let go, not to sacrifice the Warden. Not to leave him to die.

By the time the Inquisitor had managed to push her through the Veil, it was too late. The Nightmare had Stroud pinned to the ground, cruel tenterhooks sunk into his skin. The Warden had met Dane's terrified gaze from across the platform. He grimaced, then used his free hand to drive his silver sword into the dripping pincers that bore down. One last act of defiance.

The last thing Trevelyan heard before falling back through the rift was a scream, cutting off into a sickening gurgle.

Cassandra lay staring at the roof of her tent. She focused on the sound of the fire crackling, and the way Trevelyan's shadow flickered on the canvas. If she was troubled, it was a miracle he wasn't a gibbering mess. His reappearance through the rift had relieved her more than anything, but the cost had been great. They had returned one man short, and with memories that had plagued the Inquisitor's thoughts since the Divine had revealed them.

Trevelyan had not spoken to anyone, save Hawke, after the battle was over. The Champion and the Inquisitor had worn matching looks of guilt and pain. Varric had dragged Hawke away from the ruins, and she had accepted willingly, relying on the dwarf's shoulder as they disappeared into the night. The Herald had no-one to offer the same comfort, except her, and she had been too much of a mess herself at the time. Cassandra doubted he would hold that against her, but it pained her nonetheless.

Cassandra leant up on her elbows as she saw the shadow move. Trevelyan had stood, and now lingered just outside. The Seeker bit her lip, wondering if she should get up.

Dane traced the rough fabric of the tent. He wasn't sure if Cassandra was even awake, or how she might react if he were to just waltz in there. He desired nothing more than to settle next to her, have her comforting presence. It was selfish of him, he knew, as she had gone through the Fade with him; seen all the horrors first hand. It didn't stop him from wanting her.

He froze as he heard a rustle of fabric.

"Trevelyan?" Cassandra whispered, sitting up amongst her blankets.

Dane knelt in the cool sand in front of her tent, pushing aside the entrance flap. He peeked in at her, a sheepish look on his face.

"Hey." He murmured.

"Are you alright?"

"No," Trevelyan replied, rubbing a hand over his jaw. "Are you?"

Cassandra shook her head. They stared at eachother for a long moment. Despite everything he had seen that day; Dane couldn't focus past how beautiful she looked. Her hair was mussed from tossing and turning and the gentle curve of her shoulders were exposed from the way her thin tunic had bunched.

He crawled forward into the tent. The canvas fluttered shut behind him. She watched as he closed the space between them, sitting beside her and staring down at his hands.

Cassandra was unsure how to react. On one hand, her heartbeat pounded behind her ribs. He was close, and she could feel the warmth radiating from his skin. It would be easy, too easy to lean into him, draw his mouth down to her own. 'This is hardly the time.' She chastised herself. On the other, she wondered why he had come to her. Did he simply need the support of a friend? To not be alone? Her thoughts trailed off as she felt his hand brush her jaw.

Dane traced his thumb over the exquisite sculpture of her cheekbones, using the slightest pressure to turn her face to his. He leaned forward, their shallow breaths melding. He felt Cassandra's hand press against his chest.

"I could have lost you today." He mumbled, resting his forehead against hers.

"You didn't." She replied, shifting so their noses brushed together.

"Exactly."

He closed the last bit of space between them. The kiss was hesitant; her lips as soft as velvet as he brushed them with his own. Cassandra's hand drifted up his neck and curled into his hair. Dane paused, pulling away to look into her eyes. Her hand stilled, and she met his gaze; confused, but pleased. Trevelyan smiled, leaning forward to capture her lips again. His mind swam at the realisation that he was actually kissing Cassandra.

She leaned back into the warmth of her bedroll, pulling him with her as she did so. He braced himself over her, moving his lips from her mouth and to her neck. He was tender, kissing her skin as gently as if he might bruise her with his touch. Her hands wandered of their own accord, following the muscles of his back as he caressed her. He trailed feather-light kisses from the column of her neck, down to her collarbone, and stopping once he reached the end of her shoulders.

"May I stay here tonight?" He asked, leaning up so he could meet her eyes.

Cassandra nodded, rolling onto her side. She watched as he straightened, removing his boots and placing them just outside of the tent. He crawled back over to her, giving her a soft smile as he pulled his worn tunic over his head, tossing it into the corner before lying down next to her.

He shifted closer, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her into him. Cassandra didn't fight it. She sighed in content as he drew the blanket over them both, cuddling against his chest as he pressed sweet kisses into her hair.

For now, this was enough.

The first thing Cassandra noticed upon waking was how warm and how rested she felt. She cracked open her eyes, squinting against the dawn sunlight shining through the canvas. A smile pulled at her lips as she felt Dane move behind her. A fearful part of her had expected it to be a dream. That she would wake, and find the tent empty. Alone, as usual. But she wasn't. He was there, as much of a comforting presence to her, as she was to him.

They had shifted during the night. His face was now buried in the crook of her neck and his arm was slung over her stomach, keeping her body flush against his. She could feel his chest rise and fall against her back. His breathing was deep and steady. He was still asleep.

Her mind drifted to the night before. 'Everyone will know..' She realised with a jolt. The problem when travelling with such a tight-knit group was that every action was seen by someone. It didn't matter that what they thought had not happened, but Cassandra knew they would not believe it. She pulled out of Trevelyan's grasp, sliding the blanket off him to cover her bare legs.

Dane grumbled at the loss of her warmth, reaching blindly with his hand. When he grasped nothing but air, he sat up, rubbing the tiredness from his eyes with a yawn. The Seeker watched him as he stretched his arms over his head, and then collapsed back into the bedroll.

"Good morning." He said. His voice was thick with sleep; low and gravelly. A shiver tumbled down her spine.

"Morning." She murmured, her fingers playing with the blanket.

Trevelyan looked at her, reading the uncertainty painted across her features.

"Are we okay?" He asked.

"I- are you sure last night was not a mistake?" Cassandra blurted. She had never been good at biting her tongue when it came to questions. "Adamant.. was terrible and I know the Fade was-"

Dane stopped her before she could finish. He sat up, reached for Cassandra and pulled her into a kiss. It was deeper than the ones from the night before, full of answers to her questions, or maybe avoidance. She was taken aback at first, but soon sunk into the feel of his mouth locked against hers. He traced his tongue across her lower lip; asking for permission. She granted it to him.

Trevelyan enveloped her in his arms, lifting her close so she rested in his lap. She skimmed her hands over the strong muscles of his shoulders. He dipped his hands underneath her nightshirt, splaying his calloused fingers along her lower back. He kissed her hungrily all the while, breathing hard when they finally parted for breath.

"Trevelyan," She whispered into his ear, making goosebumps erupt along his bare skin. He mumbled indistinctly, turning his attention to her neck. She sighed as she felt his teeth graze the sensitive skin there, but forced herself to focus. "The others.."

Dane paused, drawing back from her so he could listen. He heard the bustle of people putting armour on, someone sparking flint to relight the fire, pots and pans being arranged for breakfast. He groaned quietly, earning an amused smirk from Cassandra.

"Do we have to?" He asked, giving her his best puppy-dog look.

"Mhmm." Cassandra hummed, not yet moving from where he held her in his lap.

The Inquisitor gave her a long-suffering sigh, drawing his hands from the soft skin of her back with a pout. She smiled, shifting off of him and reaching for her armour. It was arranged in a neat pile in the corner of the tent.

He watched as she proceeded to dress, blushing intensely when she pulled at the hem of her nightshirt. He glanced away, staring at the blank canvas until he was sure she was decent. She tossed him his discarded tunic from the night before, rolling her eyes when he jumped.

They finished dressing soon enough, though Dane wanted nothing more than to undo all her armour and pull her back into bed. He followed her hands as she reached into her pack, retrieving a small ivory container and a brush. She opened the lid, took a pinch of the matte powder and brought her slender hands to her face.

"What is that?" He asked, hypnotised as she used the brush to make deft, dark strokes around her eyes.

"Kohl."

"Coal?" He repeated, confused. Cassandra laughed, handing him the small container so he could see for himself.

"Kohl."

Dane examined the powder with a wary gaze, scared it might be poison. He gave it a tentative sniff, then drew back, surprised.

"It smells nice."

"Would you like some?"

"Ha ha." Trevelyan huffed, closing the container with a snap.

He waited until she finished lining her eyes. They looked perfect, even without her using a mirror. Cassandra raised an eyebrow, realising he was staring at her with that goofy smile.

"Yes?"

"You are the most gorgeous creature I've ever seen."

"Flatterer." She sighed, placing the brush back in her pack. Dane didn't miss the blush that lit up her cheeks.

"It's not flattery if it's true." He teased, taking her free hand and pressing his lips to her knuckles.

She didn't answer, smiling as he leaned up expectantly. She let him come within an inch of recapturing her lips, then moved away at the last second, plonking his boots down in front of him.

"Get dressed." She said, crossing her arms.

"As you command, Princess Cassandra." Dane knelt before her in worship, clearly prepared to give as much as he got.

The Seeker sighed in disgust, backing out of the tent and into the blazing sunlight of the desert. Trevelyan grinned to himself as he laced up his boots, missing a few of the holes in his rush to follow her out.

[A.N] Short chapter, but I couldn't find a way to continue it on without ruining the fluff. Hope you all enjoy! And of course, a huge thank you to all that read, favourite, follow and review! [/A.N]