A short bit of bittersweet fluff for Solas x Lavellan. Now, excuse me while I go cry. Obviously foreshadowing with spoilerish bits. I plan on making this part of my pairing for my sequel to Why Can't I Meet a Sane Mage (Solas - Cullen) but given that I'm sure there's more to Solas's story, I just don't know yet. I welcome reviews, especially as I'm still working on the main story!

Solas paced the confines of his room, restlessly. There had been an overabundance of snowfall over the past night or two, and while the interior courtyards of Skyhold had already been cleared, it meant that passage to and from the fortress was less than optimal. They were still following up leads from Varric's friend Hawke, so this was not wasted time, but it did mean that they hadn't been out of the grounds in almost a week, and he was feeling out-of-sorts. Normally, that would be the call for him to curl up in his chair and go to sleep, but this time, he had a different idea. I wonder what Adhwen is up to?

He looked down at the Fade treatise on his desk, flipping the pages for a moment – knowing full well that spending too much time with the Inquisitor was in neither of their best interests – but it just didn't catch him.

It's not as if I don't know what I'm doing, he reminded himself, irritably. Colleagues and friends, yes? I need to stop borrowing trouble, I have enough as it is. He pushed the tome aside, heading out to see if she was in the great hall, or perhaps the war room.

She was in neither location; finally, he found her out in the wooded corner past the stables. He normally would have checked there first, given how fond she was of the few trees in the fortress, but with the brisk air, still cold from the snow piled deeply against the outer walls, he'd thought she might decide against it. Still, she was Dalish, and no stranger to outdoor living even in semi-extreme temperatures, and she'd found a spot of sunlight to curl up in with the reports Cullen had given her that morning. She wasn't reading, however; she'd fallen asleep, and he smiled at this, crouching next to her.

In all of his travels and all of his interactions with those not of the Fade, Adhwen was unique – a treasure, although he'd never say so much aloud. As a proud Dalish elf – indeed, as First of her clan – he'd expected her to be the embodiment of wounded pride, idolizing her people, certain that for all that had been lost, they alone were closest to the true glory of the past. From the first time she opened her mouth, however, he was stymied, finding her to be thoughtful, questioning, and willing to learn. Not that she didn't have her own flaws – unflagging optimism and belief of certainty in her people and what she'd been taught, amongst them – but when faced by something that challenged those certainties, she was always willing to listen, to consider. He'd never met her like before.

As he thought this, she mumbled something in her sleep, shifting a bit, and a strand of ebon hair fell across her face, a contrast to the blue of her vallaslin – markings that he had to keep himself from frowning over each time they spoke. Still, he smiled as he tucked the hair back behind her ear, taking a seat beside her as he wrapped the thick robe he'd taken to wearing outside around the both of them. Settling back against the tree, he closed his eyes, letting the sunshine send him to sleep.

He opened his eyes in a forest of emerald, with thick moss underfoot that was so deep it could – and often did – serve as bedding for the clans who traversed it. He expected as much, knowing how much she loved the woods, and missed them, and he looked around. It was early fall, although none of the evergreens overhead showed this; there were beech and oak trees amongst the pine giants, however, that were gold and crimson, and late-afternoon sun filtered through the leaves. He took a deep breath, relaxing a bit; the birdsong and the breeze were enough to drive away – at least a little – the confined feeling he had from being in the keep so much.

After a few moments, he stopped and concentrated. It wasn't hard to navigate a dream, once you knew how to control it – something he'd been teaching her to do, along with Rift magic – and he set out to find her, which he did in a very short time. She was leaning against a fallen tree, at the top of a ridge overlooking a waterfall and very lovely pool in which fallen leaves danced with the ripples. Stepping up behind her – silent, as always – he smiled. "Hello."

She turned, a lazy look of contentment on her face, but it brightened as her eyes focused on his face. "Solas!" Her smile was a gem, clear and happy, and he shook his head mentally. How she balances such optimism and hope with the events of the world and the knowledge her nature brings her, I'll never know.

That didn't stop him from smiling as he looked down at her. They stood like that for a moment, breeze playing quietly through the trees, nearly inaudible over the falling water; her smile crooked a bit, quizzically, as she touched his hand. "All is well? I'm glad to see you."

Her acceptance smote him, for all that he hid it. He knew how she felt – it was easy enough to see in her eyes, her mien – and he knew how he shouldn't feel, but for all that she cared she asked nothing of him, accepting his silence and his moods without question, and this alone made the guilt run deep. Yet moments like this, like their first sojourn into the Fade together, brought a strange quietude to his thoughts that he could not deny. For a time, his conscience was silent, for whatever good or ill that provided, and he slipped an arm around her waist.

"All is well," he said, gently, pulling her close as he smiled, running his fingers lightly along her cheek. "You've been busy, lately."

She frowned. "I know, Solas, I'm so sorry. I keep meaning to come and find you, but-"

A laugh as he shook his head. "But Josephine always has another request from our allies, or Cullen has another report." She nodded, still looking guilty. "Don't stress about it, vhenan. I understand, and you're the Inquisitor, now. How would it look for you to shirk your duties just to run off to dream with an apostate? You have the will and the grace of the people, and we cannot let them think that you're turning away from them."

She gave a heavy sigh. "I know, Solas, but I hate being so busy. I miss you, and I-"

This was dangerous territory, though he could not bring himself to do more than place a finger over her lips. "I know, vhenan. It's all right, though. We've all got plenty that needs doing." He knew it would make her happier to hear "We'll have time after," but that much he could not do, even as he played with heartbreak now.

He was about to pull away, change the subject to something intellectual that they'd both enjoy, when she smiled, just a bit, and kissed his finger. He blinked at this, looking surprised; that feeling of quietude smothered him and he took his hand away, leaning down to kiss her, wrapping both arms around her to hold her close. The warmth he felt as she responded, melting into his arms with her hand on the back of his neck, carried away all responsibility for the moment even as the waterfall below washed away the leaves, and he tightened his embrace.

The beauty of dreams is that time stands still even as it moves ahead, and it was some while later when he finally pulled away, his eyes closed even as his heart wrenched. Opening them, he looked down at her, his hand still on her cheek as he ran his thumb over the markings that marred her skin. "We should get back," he murmured, his voice low to hide its hoarseness.

She gave a frustrated groan, thinking about her duties, and he had to smile just a little. She wrapped her arms more tightly around his waist, burying her face in his chest. "Just a few more minutes," she begged. "We never get enough time."

His eyes shadowed even as he nodded, resting his chin gently on her head.

"No," he said, quietly. "Never enough time."

All characters belong to BioWare and EA with the exception of Adhwen Lavellan's personality.