44: What the Eyes Can't See (Part XIV)
"What the body might guess,
what the hand requests,
what language assumes
becomes amulet"
-"Scene" by Maxine Chernoff
"We beat a retreat, but by then the Venatori had flooded the shore and attacked the dreadnaught. We had no way to cross back. We tried to get aid from the camp, but it had been trounced. Blackwall and Varric narrowly escaped the onslaught when they were sent off for aid before we reached them. It was a mess—at one point Gatts and Bull tried to locate survivors and that's when they were ambushed—Seeker Pentaghast and the Inquisitor couldn't find them. I think we were all walking in circles around each other for a couple days there," Krem told Almira as they climbed up the stairwell together.
"Why did you send for a healer?" she puzzled.
"The healer was mostly for Rocky," he explained, waiting at the landing and watching her lug one of his smaller packs up the flight of stairs. "Nasty gash from a fall—from his hip down his thigh. Was getting infected. They had a mage who knew some healing spells at the camp we ended up at, but that doesn't do much for dwarves."
"Will he be all right?" she ask, concerned, setting the pack down before his door.
"The fever broke this morning thanks to the healer the Inquisitor sent to the camp, and now that he's back here, I'm sure he will recover just fine."
"Baba's unguents are the best!" she reminded him.
"That, they are!" he laughed, reaching into his pocket for the key.
"And what happened to the rendez-vous point? Why didn't you meet there"
"Oh, that…" Krem pressed his lips. "We are firing Grim as Communications Officer. It was funny when it was just us, Chargers, but not so amusing now that we have to deal with the Inquisition…"
"What?"
"Let's just say that when you have three different locations named Westham, Westdam, and Westsham, you need to be able to articulate the intended one clearly," he sighed, stepping into the fairly orderly room. "I don't know what I want more right now: a bath, food, or some sleep!"
"Everything!" she told him. "Go take a bath and I will get you food!" she declared eagerly.
"I was jo—"
"Here!" she handed him his wash bucket. "What do you want to eat? I'll fetch it for you while you bathe!" she announced. "Anything you'd like!"
He chuckled, taking the bucket and reaching for a fresh towel. He could tell, from her determined expression that she meant business.
"Whatever is for dinner at the mess hall— something hot. Maybe some meat. If there's a roast…or even some stew."
"Yes, Lieutenant!" she saluted him goofily as he flung the towel over his shoulder and stepped out into the hallway.
He was still rubbing the towel over his damp hair when he breezed back into the room. He immediately paused at the entrance, noting that there was no food whatsoever awaiting him and that his so-called helpful helper was, instead, sleeping soundly in his bed. He snorted and shook his head, tossing his dirty clothes in a basket in the corner after placing his little wooden turtle safely on the bookshelf.
"Almira," he said loudly, "Where's my food?" he teased.
She mumbled something unintelligible and curled under the covers, squeezing his pillow tighter.
He had to admit he liked the sight of her in his bed.
I'll just wake her up when I get back, he decided, stepping out of the room and shutting the door behind him carefully.
"Feels good to be back," Krem said, rubbing his hands before the crock of stew. "Where's everyone else?" he asked, looking around the empty table ordinarily surrounded with Chargers.
"Where else? Exhausted. Grim's down for the count, as are Jasper and Slim. Skinner said no one should go looking for her until tomorrow night because she would be unconscious," Dalish snickered.
"Aren't you tired? Isn't it time for you to go to bed?" Stitches bugged her, resting his chin over his fist watching her eat. "Let's GO!" he urged her impatiently.
Dalish gave Krem a sigh of resignation before plunging her spoon into her stew.
"Anyone check on Rocky?" he asked them, laying a napkin over his lap.
"I did earlier— checked on his bandages. Chief popped in just a little while ago—said he looked like shit," Stitches told him.
"Which he then followed up by saying that it was a good thing, because that's what Rocky normally looks like," Dalish added with a smirk.
He listened to their banter throughout the meal, noticing that despite the name-calling and teasing, Stitches and Dalish clasped each other's hand beneath the table the whole time.
"Almira," Krem whispered, leaning over her, shaking her shoulder lightly. "Almira, wake up. I have to get you home."
Her eyes fluttered open for a moment and tried to focus on his face. She offered him a sleepy smile and flung her arms around his neck, pulling him into the bed. He toppled over her awkwardly.
He pushed himself up.
"Come on, lazy bones—your father is waiting."
She rolled towards him.
"Not tonight—he's at the infirmary supporting post-surgery recovery through tomorrow afternoon," she said in a soft voice, stretching lazily.
"Let's go," he insisted, clapping his hands together.
He watched her rebel by settling down further beneath the covers.
"Can't I stay?…I'm so tired," she yawned. "I think this is the first time I've actually slept for more than an hour or two in days," she whined.
"I can't help it if you party so hard—" he began teasing her.
"What party?" she retorted as she furrowed her brow. "I was out of my mind with worry. Stitches and I waited at the gates the whole time for news. First, the Inquisitor went missing, then no one knew what happened to the Chargers, then a letter arrived asking for a healer immediately. The worst days of my life!" she huffed, turning away and hunkering down with the pillow.
"What do you mean, you waited at the gates?"
"Six days—" she began, peering over her shoulder, but then paused. "No—five. Today I was on the ramparts."
"So you went and waited for news of us in the cold after working all day?" he asked incredulously.
She hesitated.
"No," she said, wincing guiltily. "I missed work because I couldn't take the chance of not being there if any news arrived…I need to find a new job again," she sighed. "But the good news is we can sleep in tomorrow!"
Krem felt slightly lightheaded.
"Almira," he censured her gently, sitting beside her on the bed. "You waited out at the gates for news all those days?" he marveled, not removing his eyes from her.
"Of course…I was waiting. For you," she corrected him.
He contemplated her with surging affection.
"You crazy girl," he whispered. "Sitting out in the cold like that…" He brushed his hand over her cheek.
"I was so scared, Krem," she seized his hand. "It's all because of that stupid dream!" she growled, sitting up agitatedly. "Teeth kept falling and Baba said something bad was going to happen to someone close to me, because, you know, my Nuna Salandris was Eran'ghilan, and I couldn't even finish my breakfast— and they were breakfast cakes, too—with sprinkled elfroot seeds in the batter, makes it taste crunchy—so you know I was upset if I couldn't eat them, and he was going to ask Master Adan to check him, and then when you were departing I thought: did I curse Krem? And I said, you have to make it better Almira, so I made you promise to bring back—"
He couldn't stand it any longer and hugged her. He had no idea what she was going on about, babbling on and on about falling teeth, and someone called Nuna, and breakfast cakes…it was a heck of a story, he was sure, but she'd have to tell it to him properly tomorrow.
"Almira…It's all right," he told her, his hand patting her head soothingly. "I'm here. I'm fine. It's all over," he reassured her.
He settled into the bed, pulling the covers over his legs as Almira moved over to make room.
"Come on—let's get some rest, you loon."
She snuggled close to him, alluringly warm and soft, smelling so good— a hint of vandal aria wafted from her hair.
"Good night," she whispered.
He grinned and kissed her gingerly on the forehead.
"Good night," he replied.
She giggled and returned the kiss, also on his forehead.
"Good night," she said in a deep voice.
"You are a brat," he tickled her.
He felt his pulse quicken as she wiggled and squealed, her enticing bosom brushing against him.
"Now… go to sleep!" he said somewhat distractedly.
Well…maybe just one more little kiss, he thought, giving her a light peck on the cheek. Upon touching her skin, he felt a jolt of desire course through him. He lingered longer than intended.
"Good night!" he said a bit too loudly, moving towards his side of the bed.
She grasped his arm.
"Wait."
She planted a kiss on his cheek, tantalizing and feathery. "Good night," she murmured sultrily.
"Good night," he said again, lightly kissing her lips.
"Good night," she agreed, kissing his lips slowly, once… twice…
It wasn't until she had straddled him and his hands were halfway up her skirt that Krem realized that they could very well be headed for disaster.
"Almira," he called to her breathlessly. "Are you sure?" he asked.
"Oh, yes!" she sighed, smiling.
He was having difficulty forming any coherent thoughts.
"Remember what I told you about myself," he insisted. "Are you all right with it? Are you certain?—I don't want you to regret this," he said.
I couldn't bear it. I just want there to be an "us," in any way possible, he thought.
She opened her large green eyes and peered at him.
"Well, I have to admit, this is all a bit new to me," she said pensively. "You know, since I've never done this with—"
He braced himself for the one thing he didn't want to hear that moment, feeling a twinge of sadness.
She doesn't mean it in a cruel way, he thought. I know that.
"—the man I love," she completed.
He blinked a few times, completely flabbergasted.
She had wanted to bed him on their first date, had asked him about their children on the second…and now she said she loved him. He embraced her again, holding her firmly, rocking her back and forth gently.
"Almira, you crazy, crazy girl," he repeated, laughing lightly. "You make me so happy. I don't think I could be happier right now," he admitted to her.
Almira arched an eyebrow and raised a finger at him as she pushed herself back up. She crossed her arms over her blouse and slipped it off. She swept her red locks behind her shoulders. She wore no binding.
"Maker…Almira…" he managed to stammer reverently. "I stand corrected," he smiled, pulling her to him.
"Hey," he said quietly. "Is everything all right?" he wondered, grazing his lips over her hair.
She raised her head from his shoulder.
"Our wedding is going to be so beautiful," she whispered dreamily.
He glanced at her in surprise.
She began to laugh.
"Almira! I can only handle so much at once," he rubbed his palm over his forehead.
"I'm just kidding," she grinned, rolling over him. He grinned back at her languidly, savoring the feel of her bare skin over his. "Or am I?" she cackled.
He slapped her backside playfully.
"I love you," she said, nuzzling his cheek.
"I love you," he murmured, clasping her to him and kissing her tenderly.
A/N: There's still a little epilogue because these two-and you, too- deserve it, after everything.