#sebastrid

"You're the only one I see, love, and that's the one thing that won't change."

---

(Fade || Astrid/Sebastian || 522) ---

It took four years for Sebastian's worst fears to come true.

He was starting to forget.

Not what she looked like; there were several royal portraits to haunt him, and of course Eilidh was nearly the spitting image of her mother. But the sound of her laughter, the mischievous twinkle in her green eyes when she shoved cold toes against him for warmth, the particular hum to her magic. These were starting to slip away. And between raising a daughter and running a city-state it wasn't as if he had time to sit alone for hours, focused on remembering his wife's quirks.

He did dream about her, though.

Fingers softly stroking his hair, giggling kisses, the way she always smelled of mint and strawberries, even when none were to be found. Sebastian knew it was merely scraps pulled from his memory, not really her. He was no mage, after all, Even if she had survived her final battle to wander the Fade, he could no more physically visit to find her than he could fly.

But he missed her so deeply it ached, even now. So he would take the dream-phantoms, whether dozing at his desk or properly asleep. He would cradle her face and kiss her freckles. He would remain wary of demons, but he would enjoy whatever faint memory the Fade could give him of her as he dreamt.

Tonight it's a happy memory from their first week after she joined him in Starkhaven; sprawled in one of the palace gardens stargazing, her head on his shoulder and his cheek pressed to her hair.

'I wish every night could be like this,' she murmurs, gaze on the clear night sky.

'As do I', he replies, gaze on their intertwined fingers and a melancholy in his chest. 'But you know things will only get busier th' longer we're here, aye?'

'Mm,' she hums, squeezing his hand as she snuggles closer. 'But I think, together, we're enough to handle it.'

'We do make quite the team,' Sebastian agrees, the melancholy burning deeper as he kisses the top of her head.

She tips her head up, kisses him in earnest, and it's deep and sweet but hollow and he doesn't want to dwell on why.

But she doesn't give him the bliss of even temporary ignorance. 'I'm sorry I had to leave it so soon.'

'Astrid-' he begs, and her name is a lance through his chest. 'don't, love. Let me have this, please.'

She shakes her head sadly. 'I can't. Because you can't. You will always have me here' --she presses one hand to his chest and it's weightless as wind--'even when I'm gone from here.' Her hand rests at his temple, before tracing along his brow and down his cheek.

He shakes his head fiercely. 'I'd not lose you from either so easily,' he insists, and kisses her again, deep and desperate and tinged with salt, before she can reply. (He doesn't want to wonder which of them is crying.)

(Battlefield || Astrid/Sebastian || 650)

All of life was a fight.

It was a basic truth Astrid had learned early. For survival, safety, comfort, to protect and keep the people you cared about. It was just the field of battle that changed. Public opinion, literal monsters, religious zealots, those too desperate to care who they hurt, she'd fought them all. She could handle or weather them as needed.

But politics were an insidious beast and she was happy to leave that fight to Sebastian. It was far more fun to watch him than wade in herself, anyway. For all he'd never been meant to assume the position--and agonized over claiming it--Prince of Starkhaven fit him like his well-tailored doublet. The weapon might be words rather than his bow, a swift retort more valuable than deft fingers, but it was still impressive to watch.

It was good she had the steps to this dance memorized.

She could move through them by rote as her attention was more fully consumed with the feel of her husband’s hand around her as they danced. Bowstring calluses roughing his skin, the gentle strength of his fingers holding hers, the minute shifts as they spun and turned.

“Y’ seem distracted, darlin’,” his voice murmured smooth and low in her ear.

Astrid hummed a quiet laugh. “Oh, yes, you all done up in your princely finery, I’ve no idea what could possibly distract me about that.”

Sebastian chuckled, his hand on her hip curling against the silk of her gown.  “Then imagine what you’re doin’ t’ me,” he whispered, breath a warm rumble on the shell of her ear.

Astrid bit her lip and squeezed his shoulder, fingers pressing into the plush jacket. Should have known better to contend with him in this. She tipped her head back to meet his gaze, found his eyes twinkling with mischief. “Then  I suppose it’s a shame it would be rude of us to leave just yet.”

“Aye, unspeakably,” Sebastian agreed lightly, his grip on her hand shifting to spin her out and back in as they pivoted.

Her fingers splayed over his chest for balance, their feet moving in perfect step despite their distraction. She could feel his heart pounding.

“They’d likely talk about it for months,” she murmured, curling her fingers around the side of his hand.

“At the least,” he said, a knowing grin curving his lips.

Astrid smirked back, a rare boldness filling her to see how far this could be pushed. “Do you think the throne could weather such a scandal, Prince Sebastian?”

Sebastian bent and brushed a tease of a kiss to the corner of her jaw. “I suppose there’s only one way t’ find out, Princess.”

He barely waited for the song to finish before sweeping her off down a hallway for a private dance of their own. 

Have some SebHawke family fluff on this lovely Sunday morning.

—

“Is he here yet?”

“Not yet, sweetheart.”

Barely a minute passed before hopeful green eyes were looking up at her again. “Now?”

Astrid smiled and reached out to stroke her daughter’s tousled black hair. “No, not yet.”

Eilidh ducked away from her touch to instead darted to haul herself up on the window ledge, struggling to see out. “How much yongeeerrrr?” she whined, nose pressed to the glass. “I want Da!”

You and me both, Astrid thought wryly, but maintained a calming smile. “Eilidh, whining is not how we get what we want, is it?”

Tagged for another around of Picrew pairings by @undyingembers and @starsandskies so this time around

Silver/Coso(SWtOR)

Tel/custom!Elara(SWtOR)

Sigi/Fenris(DA2)

Astrid/Sebastian(DA2)

Oh, that would be Never Stop(Wedding Version) by SafetySuit. :)

And with this love song to you//It’s not a momentary phaseYou are my life, I don’t deserve you//But you love me just the sameAnd as the mirror says we’re older//I will not look the other wayYou are my life, my love, my only//And that’s the one thing that won’t change