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Interlocking

Chapter Thirty Five: Easier

"Her whole body is light. Wavering. Lingering in hesitance. He smiles at her and she swallows back that aching throb of unease." - Krem and Harding find each other in a world torn apart. A story told in brief glimpses.

"Fancy meeting you here."

Krem glances up at Harding's familiar voice to find her standing at the edge of the snow-filled camp, hands on her hips, heavy fur-lined hood almost drowning her small face.

His smile is brilliant and instant. He moves from the rest of the Chargers entering the Tower Camp of Emprise du Lion and impatiently trudges through the snow to her.

She chuckles and reaches for him just as he leans down to move his arms around her. They hug for several moments, her wide smile buried in the crook of his arm, his sigh against the top of her head.

Behind them, Iron Bull and the Chargers are clasping arms with the Inquisitor and trading information.

Krem pulls from Harding and looks at her. "Maker, I missed you."

She raises a brow. "It's only been a few days."

"That's too long."

She laughs again, pulling her coat closer around her, her face pink in the chill air, eyes bright.

Krem moves his hands to either side of her thick hood and pulls it close to her cheeks, smiling. "You're adorable, you know?"

She narrows her eyes dangerously at him.

"In the most cut-throat way, I promise," he tacks on, releasing her hood and straightening.

She rolls her eyes and grabs for his hand. "Come on. Inquisitor wants you guys for the keep."

"It's always business with you, Harding," he drawls as he lets her drag him across the camp.

"'Cut-throat', remember?" She smirks as she pulls him along.

Krem doesn't argue.

Krem adjusts the holster for his maul on his back as the Chargers and the Inquisitor's party ready for their advance on Suledin Keep.

"Desire demon, huh?" he asks as he looks down to Harding.

"Shouldn't be much trouble for you though," Harding answers, handing off a map to Stitches beside her. The rogue thanks her and makes his way to Iron Bull and the Inquisitor as they begin talking over the map. Harding tries to swallow back that hesitant whisper of worry. Reminds herself what they had promised each other, what they had each sworn to bear.

The rest of the Chargers are gathering the last of their gear as Vivienne, Solas and Cole make their way to the Inquisitor. Harding hands a missive to one of her scouts, a dark-haired dwarf who salutes her and then heads through the camp to the ravens.

She turns back to Krem and he leans down to kiss her, his fingers light along her cheek. She smiles into the kiss and then he is leaning back, a short puff of air falling from his lips in the chill. "Here's hoping we don't freeze before we get there."

Harding leans her weight to one hip, crossing her arms as she smirks up to him. "Don't worry. I'll be here to warm you when you get back," she whispers devilishly.

Krem stops, his hands stilling as they tighten the strap to his shoulder guard.

Harding's smirk only widens.

Krem lets out a breath and laughs. "Well, I'm certainly not lacking incentive now."

"Good. Then get going," she laughs, pushing him off toward the Chargers.

"Alright, alright." He swats her hands away and makes his way up the snowy hill as the rest of the group begins moving.

Harding watches him walking away for a moment, smiling shakily. That hidden tremble of fear lighting within her.

Harding blows into her hands, trying to warm them, as she sits on a crate in one of the camp's tents. She has maps and recent missives laid out on the crate in front of her, two candles giving off limited light in the small tent. The night is howling around the camp. She can hear her scouts changing guard shifts just outside. She sighs, running her hands through her loose hair. She grabs a quill and tries to finish her latest report to Leliana.

There is noise outside her tent.

Harding stops, laying the quill back down, and grabs her coat from beside her. She brushes the flap of the tent open and stands in the snow, eyes adjusting to the dark after the warm orange light of her tent. She can see the Inquisitor coming over the slight hill, and then Skinner and Rocky laughing about something just behind. Slowly, the rest of the Inquisitor's party and the Chargers make their way into the night-filled camp. She finds Krem coming up beside Bull, slapping him along his shoulder as the hulking Qunari lets off a bellowing laugh. Krem is smiling.

His eyes find hers instantly.

Harding sighs. A flood of shakiness rooting her in the snow. Her whole body is light. Wavering. Lingering in hesitance.

He smiles at her and she swallows back that aching throb of unease.

She doesn't think she's ever going to stop feeling this. Doesn't think she's ever going to greet him with anything less than breathless relief. Doesn't think she's ever going to stop frantically looking for him.

But when he looks for her too.

When his eyes instinctively and heatedly look for hers.

This.

This is what makes it possible to see him away in dark and danger.

Krem steps up to her and reaches his hand toward hers.

She is breathless and nodding, her smile shaky, fingers curling tight around his.

The fear will never leave them.

But when he looks at her, it becomes easier to bear.