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“I’m gonna miss you, Varric. And thank you, for everything.”
It’s thinner here!
“Go on, kid” the dwarf says with a warm smile. “They’re waiting”
There! A light!
With a determined sigh, Rook shoves the overwhelming emotional whiplash of the last few hours down, turns toward the light, and leaps.
HEAVE!
————-
Rook comes to on the floor of the light house, her senses blurred and out of focus. She forces her sore and stiff body into more of a sitting position, willing her eyes and ears into focus. Feels the world spin as her vision swims. Dimly registers cool hands bracing her by the small of her back and shoulder as she gains her bearings in the physical realm. Instinctually knows Neve is behind her.
“ -her some space, we know not how much time has passed in the fade or the events that transpired there”
Emmerick- she hadn’t see him since handing the dagger off to their resident assassin . Her heartbeat spikes recalling seeing his lifeless form flicker between the antivian crow and Varric, still unsure what was reality or conjurations of the fade.
A smooth accent caresses the room, tugging her attention, “Rook? What happened?”
Speak of the devil (or demon, she guesses). Takes a moment to scan the room left to right. Emmrich- slender, jeweled hands grasping Manfred’s shoulders, trying to calm both himself and his apprentice. Lucanis, an ever present cup of coffee in hand, staring as if trying to assess what happened from body language alone. Taash, sitting next to Harding, the qunari’s sculpted arm draped protectively over the scouts shoulders
Rook sits up fully now, panic and adrenaline coming back in nauseating waves.
“Bellara?” Looks frantically around the room. “Davrin? Assan? Did we get to them in time to save?” Her heart is racing out of her chest. She can feel it sinking in her stomach as her team breaks away from her gaze. Sees Harding lean forward, brow furrowed.
“Rook… I’m sorry. We looked for Davrin and Assan. Whatever happened, there was no trace left. Bellara is still missing. What happened after you removed Solas’ dagger?”
Oh gods… she’s going to throw up. Don’t think, don’t think, there could still be time, she just needs to get up, move, be faster-
“Still missing? It’s barely been a few hours, we can still get to her! Come on we need to move.” The rogue attempts to stand up on battle weary legs, somehow in worse shape than before being sucked into fade jail.
“Rook, as you are aware time can pass quite differently in the fade. I’m afraid it’s not been hours, but 5 days.” The necromancer delivers the blow as gently as possible, but it hits Rook harder than a reaver all the same.
Her shakey legs buckle as her vision starts to swim. “I -days? What-“ suddenly she can’t get enough air. Loses her fight against gravity to stay upright as strong arms catch her by the waist. Vaguely registers words being curtly delivered and a crowd dispersing through the thunder of blood pumping in her ears.
“-ouble. Trouble. Rook, Hey. Your safe. It’s just me.” A cool hand kisses the skin of her cheek, the other, firmly on her waist. “Breathe. You’re alright.” The elf lets herself be embraced by the woman who holds her very heart. The detective rubs soothing circles into her back as Rook lets her familiar scent calm her, head tucked protectively against the teal scarf. “Come on, trouble, let’s get you cleaned up”. Let’s Neve lead her.
——————
Neve works her hands though Rooks hair, delicately unweaving her braids to free the unruly locks. Neve sits on the edge of the natural (or, as natural as things get in the fade) hot spring bathing pools they enjoy in the lighthouse. Her very heart is breaking. She kept it together as best she could while the tiny leader explained what happened in the fade, feeling herself dissociate into a detective listening to a case. Not as a girlfriend listening to the love the something of her life falling to pieces in her arms.
An effective strategy, until the mage herself began explaining the last few days in this side of reality. Now? Now it’s all she can do to try to be an anchor for their tiny fighter. Just like Rook had been for each of them. She just had no idea it was going to be this hard.
Rook has her small frame curled up, knees hugged to her chest, mouth underwater as she lets the mage work through her tangles. The hot water has soothed the angry blue and red bruising blooming across her back and shoulders, but done little to quell the persistent shake enveloping the elf since escaping the fade.
The mage gives a breathless sigh and looks away. You can’t fall apart now. Just be here for her. Squeezes her eyes shut and wills the tears away. Starts working soap though troubles hair. Neither have spoken since talking about what was happening in Minrathous. Her city. Their city. Her heart gives another painful squeeze as she rinses clean water over brown tresses, pointed ears sticking out.
Neve nearly drops the vase as Rook, still as a statue until now, turns around and looks at Neve with her sad amber eyes, red from crying.
“Neve, are you… are you alright?” Rooks voice breaks on the last syllable.
Neve gives her all at a signature ‘ are you kidding me? ’ smirk, but all that comes out is a half swallowed sob as she finally crumples under reality. Their reality.
“I didn’t think you were coming back.” Doesn’t bother trying to blink back tears at this point. “Finding you was a lost cause, but I found myself waiting. And- and you-“
“Hey, I’m here” Rook’s voice is a balm to her broken heart, and she can’t help the flutter in her stomach as Rook stands up to gingerly cup her face in her hands and bring their foreheads together. “I’m here, Neve.”
The half laugh half cry the comes out of the mages mouth is so forgein to her own ears that she’s almost embarrassed.
“Here and very naked.” She raises a sculpted eyebrow at the trouble in question, praying to whatever god will listen that Rook doesn’t smirk and flirt.
And, as if mocking her very thoughts, Rook gives a smirk for the first time since stumbling out of the fade. “I have been told it’s one of my finer qualities”
Oh gods how can she be such a sexy dork in the middle of a breakdown. Don’t flirt back Gallus. You are here as support. Mentally facepalms as the rogue winks at her.
Neve stands and grabs the towels she placed alongside the pile of clean clothes she grabbed for Rook. Flings one over her head. Suppresses a giggle as she sees a long ear twitch out the side of the mess of hair and cloth. Can’t help but sigh a breath of relief at the atmosphere lightening even for a moment.
“Oh you’re enough trouble with clothes on, let’s get you out of there before I prematurely learn what you look like with wrinkles-“ her eyes shoot wide open at the implication she just gave. Suddenly has the urge to remove her prosthesis and shove the whole foot in her mouth.
She musters up the courage to brave a glance at Rook, wishing she hadn’t when she sees amber eyes meet hers and sadly drift down and to the side, no doubt remembering their conversation during the eclipse.
“ I can’t think about you and after”
“Rook I-“
“No it’s okay. There’s a lot going on.” A smirk twitches and dies at the corner of full lips. She watches Rook turn around to towel off and change into clean clothes. Turns around herself to give them both a moment.
Neve closes her eyes and steels herself. Venhedis. She came back. You’re out of excuses, Gallus. And gods, if her head isn’t trying to convince her heart that she could lose her again. But her heart, that she once thought encased so throughly in ice she would not let it be hurt again, yearned for and loved this woman so deeply the only thing that would hurt more than losing her again would be not telling her how she felt. Rook had been so painfully honest with her feelings, Neve owed it to her to do the same. Especially now, at the end of the world, knowing full well if the conversation they had during the eclipse were their last, she never would have forgiven herself.
As she heard the object of her affection move behind her, Neve took a breath and strode up to face Trouble.
“Neve-“
“I love you. I was so scared of losing you before I couldn’t bear to say it let alone admit it. To you or myself.” She lifts a hand, previously folded at her waist, to cover her mouth, an attempt to stem the flood of emotion that threatens to overwhelm her. The shorter woman takes a step forward to gently wipe a stray tear from dark ringed eyes. Neve is grateful the elf leaves a hand on her face, lets it ground her. She needs to say everything this time. In case- in case-
“You were gone. And I was… a mess. And shows what I know about feelings, because all I could think about was how much I wanted an ‘after’ with you. And never told you.”
And oh does she hurt saying it out loud. But the look in Rook’s eyes… just a bit a light returning to them, looking at her like she’s the reason half of Arlathan floats, it makes it more than worth it. And then she’s being kissed, so gently. Feels herself melt into the touch she’d craved since she last felt it.
When they part for breath, Rook looks up with soft, smiling eyes, filled with so much love she feels like she’s breaking all over again.
“I still can’t count on tomorrow. But I’m not going to live like we aren’t getting one”
“Are you going sweet on me, Neve Gallus?” Gold eyes beam at her and she feels her lips pull into a smile at the sight of Rook giving a real smile for the first time today.
“Turns out I’ve got a soft side” she smirks and flirts back.
“I love you too.” Rook felt the breath of her last word die on Neve’s tongue, the sheer ferocity with which she is kissed and pushed back into the wall by the lithe woman yet another of the infinite delights she’s found in her.