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Entry tags:
Announcement; Flashfic
Two things. First, because I've seen a couple of people wondering about it, the Dragon Age Kiss Battle is definitely a go this year -- I'll be hosting it in my journal again (as well as co-modding the Final Fantasy Kiss Battle; guess I know what I'm doing the first two weeks of February). So watch this space!
Second, and I meant to say something about this earlier and failed, but yesterday was More Joy Day, and what I decided would bring joy to me, and hopefully to others, was some Alistair/Anora fluff. So, have some Alistair/Anora fluff, a day late but who doesn't need some more joy on a Friday?
Title: Expecting
Fandom: Dragon Age: Origins
Rating: General
Wordcount: ~700
Characters: Alistair/Anora
Notes: Post-game. May cause cavities. Fits in with the Fidelity continuity. Crossposted to Tumblr.
The healer had barely left Anora's rooms before Alistair charged inside, eyes wide, face flushed. He stood in the door and gripped the handle, his knuckles turning white. "Well?" He bit his lip and looked her up and down. "Is there-- news? Are you all right?"
"Close the door," Anora said. Alistair complied, and as he turned away she took the moment of privacy to sit up straighter, straighten her robe, and pat her hair back into place. By the time she finished, Alistair had knelt by the side of the bed and gathered her left hand up in both of his. Anora squeezed back, in hopes of smoothing the furrow in his brow. "I'm fine," she said. "All is well. Very well."
He swallowed hard, his throat bobbing. "It-- does that mean-- are you--?"
Anora considered keeping him in suspense for a little bit longer, but she couldn't do it. Not when hope warred with fear in his eyes, his emotions bubbling so close to the surface. He knew what was at stake today, why she had called in a healer after three straight days of nausea and missing her courses for the second time. "Yes," she said, and placed their joined hands on her slightly-rounded belly. "I am."
Alistair breathed out and his eyes fluttered closed. "Praise the Maker," he murmured. He sunk down, letting go of her hands to cup either side of her womb, and rested his cheek there. "You're here," he breathed. "You're really here."
Anora leaned back, tensing beneath his touch. Reduced to a broodmare yet again, although at least this time it was by the presence of a child, not the lack of one. But then he sat up and focused on her eyes, his own brimming with tears. "Thank you," he murmured, laying a palm against either cheek. He leaned in and touched their lips together, tender and full with joy. She closed her eyes and kissed him back. "Thank you," he repeated between gentle kisses: her nose, her forehead, her lips again. "My queen, my wife, mother of my child. I owe you everything."
She smiled into his mouth. "Don't thank me yet," she said. "Many things could go wrong in the next seven months."
Alistair shook his head and leaned back, still framing her face with his hands, still beaming like the sun after a summer storm. "I'm not thinking about that today," he said. "Today is for happy thoughts. All right?"
She had to laugh; his happiness was infectious, bubbling into her own relief. "All right."
He stroked her cheek, ran his hand down her neck and her arm. "How is it if-- may I join you?"
In answer, she scooted to the side; he fluffed the pillows behind her back, then slid onto the bed next to her, wrapping an arm over her shoulders. She leaned against him, resting her cheek on his chest, and he dropped a kiss into her hair. "You're sure you feel all right?"
"Fine." She covered his hand with hers. "The nausea always passes within an hour of waking. All perfectly normal, according to the healer."
"Good." He sighed and snuggled closer to her. "I just-- I can't believe it. It's like I'm in a dream." She turned and looked up at him, noted that his eyes were damp again. "You know, this was all I ever wanted? Just this. A family of my own. And now, because of you, because of us, I'll finally have one."
Anora shook her head with a wry chuckle. "And because of Avernus."
"And because of Avernus," Alistair agreed. "I'll have to send him a fruit basket or something." She rolled her eyes, and he grinned, stroking the underside of her chin. "I never did ask what was in those potions. Probably because I didn't want to know."
"I expect it's better that way." Anora sighed and leaned closer to him. "I'm glad, too. And not just because of the pressure having an heir will take off both of us."
"Good." He kissed her temple; she turned her face to his and kissed him back: her husband, her king, father of her child.
Second, and I meant to say something about this earlier and failed, but yesterday was More Joy Day, and what I decided would bring joy to me, and hopefully to others, was some Alistair/Anora fluff. So, have some Alistair/Anora fluff, a day late but who doesn't need some more joy on a Friday?
Title: Expecting
Fandom: Dragon Age: Origins
Rating: General
Wordcount: ~700
Characters: Alistair/Anora
Notes: Post-game. May cause cavities. Fits in with the Fidelity continuity. Crossposted to Tumblr.
The healer had barely left Anora's rooms before Alistair charged inside, eyes wide, face flushed. He stood in the door and gripped the handle, his knuckles turning white. "Well?" He bit his lip and looked her up and down. "Is there-- news? Are you all right?"
"Close the door," Anora said. Alistair complied, and as he turned away she took the moment of privacy to sit up straighter, straighten her robe, and pat her hair back into place. By the time she finished, Alistair had knelt by the side of the bed and gathered her left hand up in both of his. Anora squeezed back, in hopes of smoothing the furrow in his brow. "I'm fine," she said. "All is well. Very well."
He swallowed hard, his throat bobbing. "It-- does that mean-- are you--?"
Anora considered keeping him in suspense for a little bit longer, but she couldn't do it. Not when hope warred with fear in his eyes, his emotions bubbling so close to the surface. He knew what was at stake today, why she had called in a healer after three straight days of nausea and missing her courses for the second time. "Yes," she said, and placed their joined hands on her slightly-rounded belly. "I am."
Alistair breathed out and his eyes fluttered closed. "Praise the Maker," he murmured. He sunk down, letting go of her hands to cup either side of her womb, and rested his cheek there. "You're here," he breathed. "You're really here."
Anora leaned back, tensing beneath his touch. Reduced to a broodmare yet again, although at least this time it was by the presence of a child, not the lack of one. But then he sat up and focused on her eyes, his own brimming with tears. "Thank you," he murmured, laying a palm against either cheek. He leaned in and touched their lips together, tender and full with joy. She closed her eyes and kissed him back. "Thank you," he repeated between gentle kisses: her nose, her forehead, her lips again. "My queen, my wife, mother of my child. I owe you everything."
She smiled into his mouth. "Don't thank me yet," she said. "Many things could go wrong in the next seven months."
Alistair shook his head and leaned back, still framing her face with his hands, still beaming like the sun after a summer storm. "I'm not thinking about that today," he said. "Today is for happy thoughts. All right?"
She had to laugh; his happiness was infectious, bubbling into her own relief. "All right."
He stroked her cheek, ran his hand down her neck and her arm. "How is it if-- may I join you?"
In answer, she scooted to the side; he fluffed the pillows behind her back, then slid onto the bed next to her, wrapping an arm over her shoulders. She leaned against him, resting her cheek on his chest, and he dropped a kiss into her hair. "You're sure you feel all right?"
"Fine." She covered his hand with hers. "The nausea always passes within an hour of waking. All perfectly normal, according to the healer."
"Good." He sighed and snuggled closer to her. "I just-- I can't believe it. It's like I'm in a dream." She turned and looked up at him, noted that his eyes were damp again. "You know, this was all I ever wanted? Just this. A family of my own. And now, because of you, because of us, I'll finally have one."
Anora shook her head with a wry chuckle. "And because of Avernus."
"And because of Avernus," Alistair agreed. "I'll have to send him a fruit basket or something." She rolled her eyes, and he grinned, stroking the underside of her chin. "I never did ask what was in those potions. Probably because I didn't want to know."
"I expect it's better that way." Anora sighed and leaned closer to him. "I'm glad, too. And not just because of the pressure having an heir will take off both of us."
"Good." He kissed her temple; she turned her face to his and kissed him back: her husband, her king, father of her child.
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and yay for kiss battle! I will signal boost when it runs.
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And wow, a signal boost would be great, thank you! :D Most years I open the battle up on or near February 1st. I might start it a little earlier this year to give folks the full weekend, I'll have to see what my schedule looks like. But I'll have more details at least a few days in advance.
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"Alistair complied, and as he turned away she took the moment of privacy to sit up straighter, straighten her robe, and pat her hair back into place."
That had such a wonderful poignancy to it - suggesting that privacy, for Anora, is *not* had *with* Alistair, that there is still a distance between them even as husband and wife, that she still needs to play the game with him.
Love it. :)
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