Dragon Age One Shots

Comfort (Alistair)

This is a semi-followup to The Return, but can be read separately!

Water ran down Alistair's face, hair dripping. The warmth of the water coaxed his stressed form into relaxation, sinking into his skin, his muscles and all the way to his bones.

It had been a few days since her return from Amaranthine and the nobles were far more intense than before. Teagan had returned to Redcliffe and Eamon was doing everything he could to aid the stressed King whilst the Queen recovered from her injuries. Properly. Much to her dismay.
I'm recovered, stop fussing. She murmured whilst healers were dealing with reopened wounds. I've handled worse! Five arrows on three days rest!

Of course, those injuries had never healed properly. And now pain would resurface every so often.

It was almost endearing to Alistair how his wife wanted to sink her teeth into the Nobles and deal with the problems at hand.  He was grateful for her enthusiasm, but he knew that if she did she would never recover. Not really.

With a sigh, Alistair tilted his head back, arms draped over the side of the bath. He was glad she was back. More than glad. Words couldn't quite describe the feeling of waking up every morning and seeing Adelaide curled up to him, feeling her gentle breaths graze his skin, eyes of topaz weary for a moment before lighting up as she smiled.

"Do you always smile when you're bathing, my dear?" He jumped, breath catching in his throat in shock, and Adelaide laughed. "I'm sorry. I thought you heard the door."

Alistair turned his head to look at her. She was in her night robe, feet bare. Fine silk of lavender clinging to her form so elegantly she appeared ethereal - a goddess who fell for his stupidity. Whatever made her love him piqued his curiosity, but it didn't matter. He was the luckiest man alive.

"I was... lost in thought."

"Oh?" He felt her presence behind him. "Is something troubling you?"

"Troubling me? Apart from stuffy nobles, nothing's troubling me." His grin was hard to hide. "Nope. Just thinking about you, my dear."

"What about, specifically?"

"You really want to know?" Divulging in moments he held dear made him flustered at the best of times.

"I'm curious." Adelaide's fingers worked they're way through his hair. It was comforting to him and helped him when he couldn't sleep. She had well-practised hands and he was told it helped to comfort her nephew when he was troubled and without his parents. It also helped her.

Alistair sighed through a smile and closed his eyes. "Alright. I'll tell you before you start making those puppy eyes Aelfric makes." A playful smack, although it was more like a pat than anything, to his cheek made him chuckle. "A couple of things. Trivial things but magical. Like when I'm awake before you and you're fast asleep. "

"I'm not drooling am I?" Alistair turned to look at her, slightly confused at the question. Even if she did it wouldn't change anything. He slept with dogs afterall. No thanks to Isolde. "Fergus joked I drooled on his lap when I fell asleep on him. I was small but I... it's in the back of my mind sometimes."
 

He shook his head. "If you do, I've never noticed or cared. But you do have this really quiet snore. It's so cute. Not like those obnoxious ones that keep you up at night."

"My snoring's... cute?"

"Y-up!" He popped the 'p' and turned to look at Adelaide fully, arms crossed in front of him and his chin resting on his arms. "You are also very cute: cuddling up to me and at peace. And if the sun is shining through the window? Ethereal. Opening your eyes for the first time in the morning and looking at me?" His smile was gentle and full of affection. "My heart stutters just thinking about it."