Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Age or any of its related characters. This is just for my own enjoyment and the potential enjoyment of other fans like me, and no monetary gain was expected or received.

Rating: T+

Spoilers: Spoilers for Origins only.

A/N: deviantart dot com / art/ El-Condor-Pasa-377490603 ! Beautiful Return-art from Taliessyn! Whoop!

The Morning After That Never Happened

He knew it would be bad, getting caught leaving the Warden's tent in the morning. He certainly didn't want to create any more friction than his mere presence already caused, and he particularly didn't wish to damage Elilia's reputation. But it was difficult to leave her. In the earliest hours when he ought to have been sneaking away to preserve her integrity they were instead engaged in a long, leisurely exploration of each others' bodies. He thought he might be more than half in love with her already. It was a strange turn from where they had been to where they were now. Before this night it had scarcely registered with him that Elilia was female, and now he couldn't remember ever having seen a more beautiful woman in his life.

He knew, long before he crawled out of the tent, that they'd lingered too long. The campfire was lit, and multiple shadows stood around it. Confrontation was inevitable. He was unsurprised to see the mage, Wynne, and the Bard, Leliana, standing in front of the tent with their arms folded across their chests. The Marsh Witch, Morrigan, also stood off at a distance, her arms likewise folded. Oghren the drunk crouched in front of his tent with hands dangling between his knees, and Zevran the assassin looked on with clear interest from in front of his own tent. Even the dog was watching, though he alone seemed happy enough to see Loghain exit his mistress' tent. The only one minding his own business was the Qunari, and the set of his shoulders registered disapproval in spite of the fact his back was turned. Loghain stood up straight, crossed his own arms over his chest, and stared back at his detractors with his fiercest scowl.

Elilia crawled out of the tent right behind him. She stood up and faced down the disapproving glares herself.

"Warden. I think we need to talk," Wynne said.

"No. We don't," Elilia said.

"Warden."

"Wynne," Elilia said. "It's none of your business."

"When your judgment is questionable, Warden, it is very much my business."

"Who died and made you my commanding officer?" Elilia said. "I don't think you've got the slightest right to question my judgment. It's not like anybody has stepped up before now to make the least decision regarding what we had to do or how we had to do it. I've been on my own since day one. If you think I made a mistake bringing Loghain in to assist me then you're quite welcome to run off and join Alistair, and that goes for anyone else who doesn't like it."

"Bringing him in to assist is quite different from bringing him into your bed," Leliana said.

"And you, who have worked very much as a whore when the job demanded it of you, have no right to make any judgment on who I choose to spend my nights with, or why," Elilia said.

Leliana sighed. "I don't care who you sleep with, Warden, but I do care about you. Are you certain you can trust him so much?"

"I proved my strength, and he submitted. I trust him completely. He's the one person I know to whom I have nothing left to prove."

"Have you forgotten what he has done?" Wynne said.

"No, I haven't. Unfortunately for you, Wynne, I don't rate what he has done as half so dreadful as you seem to rate it. The only thing he did I that I find reprehensible was selling Denerim's elves into slavery, and if I needed money and the offer was brought to me, I probably would have crossed that line, too. I know for damned sure I would have left your beloved King Cailan to die. Sorry to burst your bubble."

Wynne bridled. "Well. It seems I have seriously misjudged you, Warden."

"It seems you have. Deal with it or leave."

Wynne stalked back to her tent and disappeared inside of it.

"Does anybody else want to stand around arguing with me, or can we get moving?" Elilia asked to the camp in general.

"To argue? No. Cara mia, you have stood in dire need of a lover these many months. There is no better cure for the tensions and anxieties that have so plagued you," Zevran said. "I am afraid your choice of lover will rather increase your tensions and anxieties, though. Still, I personally am quite happy that you at last have found someone with whom you may share yourself."

Elilia looked at Oghren. "You?" she demanded.

"I don't give a damn who you wanna knock boots with, Warden," Oghren said.

"Good. Let's break camp and get moving, shall we?"

"A word, Warden, if I may," Morrigan said.

"No. This discussion is over," Elilia said.

"This is not about who you want to sleep with. In truth, I'm only happy to see your taste runs to better than the last Warden you palled with. This is, however, a brief word of warning: You are not infertile yet."

"What?"

"You have not yet been a Warden long enough to be completely incapable of conception. Your fertility is lessened, and more so than his, for you have been a Warden longer, but you are not incapable of becoming pregnant. Any child you conceived, with two Wardens for parents, however, would surely be Tainted. Ask yourself: is that the sort of life to which you would sentence an innocent child? I have herbs in my bag that will keep you from conception. I suggest you put them to good use."

"I…thank you, Morrigan. I appreciate that."

"I will get some for you. Steep them in a cup of tea. They don't taste all that bad, actually. I will lay in a good stock of them next time I find a patch of them growing."

"Thank you."

Morrigan returned to her own campsite and Elilia turned to break down her tent. Loghain grabbed her arm and held her up momentarily.

"What?" she said.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I should have left before dawn."

She tossed her hair. "I don't give a damn about anyone else's opinion of me, or of you."

"Nevertheless. I ought to have been more considerate."

She tossed her hair again. "I was just thinking that the camp outfit would be easier to pack out with one less tent."

He bent to look directly into her eyes at close range. "Are you sure?"

"I'd prefer it. If you want to."

He captured her mouth with his own. "You're going to make it very difficult not to fall in love with you," he said, when he broke the kiss.

"That's the idea," she said, and kissed him.