This I've had a few requests/suggestions for this one, but my favourite was hotrod 333's idea of M!Cousland and Leliana. I've made it as an any-background M!Warden, for ease of others readers. Also, I've used the Broadway version – I saw the show not so long ago, and loved how this drew the song to a close. AND, the male/female roles have been reversed; I found the reversed lines fitted the characters better. Enjoy :)

Can You Feel The Love Tonight? (The Lion King) – M! Warden & Leliana

A deep voice, and a girlish giggle from beyond the tents. Alistair sighed heavily, and poked the fire morosely. The Warden's Mabari padded over to him and sat down, equally as heavily. Alistair rubbed the space between the dog's ears with his knuckles, and it leaned into him. They got on surprisingly well, now. It was always Alistair, Dog, and Warden. Easy.

Or, it used to be.

It was his fellow Warden's turn to stay on watch that evening. Of course, the Orlesian had jumped at the chance. Alistair was a bit suspicious of Orlesians. He wasn't sure whether that was his father coming out in him, or Isolde's influence. And he especially didn't like the way the bard was fluttering her eyelashes at his friend.

"I can see what's happening," he grumbled, not caring that he was unloading his troubles to a dog.

The Mabari cocked his head and whined, curiously.

"And they don't have a clue."

The dog yapped, as if to say 'Who's that?'

"They'll fall in love," explained Alistair, wearily, "and here's the bottom line: our trio's down to two."

The dog whimpered.

"The sweet caress of twilight," he acted out, mimicking Leliana's fruity, Orlesian tones. "There's magic everywhere! And with all this romantic atmosphere…Disaster's in the air!"

Out of the camp, by the tent, bard and warden were gazing at each other. The trees and plants themselves almost seemed to whisper to themselves.

If you could have heard them, they'd have been singing sweetly about the two at their feet. "Can you feel the love tonight?" they asked each other, tenderly. "The peace the evening brings? The world at once in perfect harmony with all its living things."

Down on the ground, Leliana was twisting a scarlet braid around a slim finger. She so wanted to be with him. To tell him everything. He had understood everything she had told him so far – her beliefs about the Maker, her dream, her need for escape…. "So many things to tell him," she thought, desperately, as an uncommon, though not uncomfortable, silence fell between them. "But how to make him see? The truth about my past? Impossible… He'd turn away from me!"

The Warden gazed at the beautiful woman next to him. She was full of light and laughter, and smiles and stories. But she was also full of lies and secrets. It didn't hurt him, or anger him – everyone had deep, dark secrets, he believed, and had a right to them – but he wished that she trusted him enough to tell him. He trusted her with everything. Maybe a little too much. "She's holding back, she's hiding," he thought, sadly. "But what, I can't decide.
Why can't she be the bard I know she is, the bard I see inside?"

"Can you feel the love tonight?" the air seemed to whisper around them, as they smiled tentatively at each other. "The peace the evening brings? The world at once in perfect harmony with all its living things."

The Warden's fingers gently brushed over Leliana's hand. She looked up, light eyes wide, and he smiled at her. The bard blushed, and clasped her free hand around his.

"Can you feel the love tonight?" came the voice of the trees and the crickets. "You needn't look too far. Stealing through the night's uncertainties, love is where they are…"

If the treetops would have looked down – and perhaps they were – they would have seen a red head buried in a dark shoulder, and hands entwined around each other. There were few words between the two. There was no need for them.

"And if she feels the love tonight," thought the Warden, pensively, and he stroked Leliana's red gold hair, "in the same way I do –"

"Then it's enough for this restless wanderer -" replied Leliana, bashfully, and he realised with some chagrin that he had spoken out loud.

But one look down at her face, at her knowing, trusting smile, chased the embarrassment away.

"Just to be with you," they finished, together. He drew his arms tighter around her, and planted a gentle kiss on the crown of her head.

They would tell each other everything, eventually. Just, maybe not now.

-0-0-0-0-

I apologise if this wasn't great. I'm not very good with fluff.

And also, the whole hippy-talking-trees bit is a part of the Broadway show. Maybe it's tree spirits, or something. Witherfang?

Up next: The Warden Commander gets down to business with his inept recruits.