#AND THATS THE BACKSTORY DONE WOOO

[selenelavellan]

Lyrium

Concert AU

previous installment

tagging @feynites for reasons.

TW for Prostitution, Past Mentions of Rape, Alcohol, Drugs, Verbal Abuse, Fire, Guns, Violence

Des finds living in a city to be much more suitable to his tastes.

He sells his bow, first. Even manages to get a bit more for it than it's really worth because it's 'authentic'. More likely to be sold to a collector than anyone around here who would actually use it anyways, he supposes. Suits him fine, he's got no use for anything from his time in the clan.

Selene stays pointedly silent about the single arrow he keeps on the top shelf of their closet.

Their first apartment is a sty. It's old, and it's got mold instead of molding, but it's big enough for the both of them to fit into its one bedroom and cram together on a twin size mattress while they try to figure out what to do with their lives now.

'Endless possibilities' are more daunting than he thought they would be.

Selene gets into the local university, gets a scholarship to get her through her classes, and decides after her first semester that she'd like to be a teacher, preferably for mathematics.

Which is great, for her.

Des still doesn't know quite what he'd like to do himself.

Selene asks him to go to school with her, but he's seen the workload and the stress and the schedule she's required to take with that, and being forced into another niche just feels like making the same mistake over again. So he declines, as politely as he can, and looks for work himself.

When he comes home with three months of his share of rent in his pocket one night, Selene freaks.

“Did you rob a bank?” she squeaks as she holds them up to the light.

“Oh please, like I'd need to.” Des scoffs back.

“Where did you-how did you get this much money?”

“Turns out people will pay really well for a good blowjob in this town.”

Selene immediately drops the bills in her hand to the floor as though they had burned her.

“Des...” she says, very slowly “That's prostitution.”

“I'm familiar with the term, yes.”

“That's illegal.” she hisses.

“That's why it pays in cash,” he shoots back. “No taxes. Smart, right?”

“No. No, it's not. You need to find another line of work.”

“But look at this! If I keep this up, you won't even have to work anymore, you can just focus on school-”

“I don't mind working, Des,” She assures him. “I'd feel better if you did a job that was less...dangerous.”

“There's nothing inherently dangerous about sex, Selene-”

“You don't even have a doctor yet,” She lectures. “How are you going to get tested? How will you stay healthy? What if you get forced into doing something you don't want to do by a pushy customer? What if you get arrested and sent to the templars, and I can't help you?”

“What if I get murdered by a client and left in a ditch somewhere-” he drawls.

“Well, I wasn't going to say it, but...Yeah!” she exclaims, throwing her arms up in the air.

“You're being paranoid.”

“I'm being realistic.”

“So I'll be careful about who I take on, then!”

“And how will you know who the dangerous ones are?”

“I'm good with people, Selene, you know that! I'll be able to tell, just trust me.”

“I trust you, Des, it's other people that we can't trust. You never know what they're capable of-”

“I will know, I've got a sense about these things-”

“You didn't know with Haleir!” she finally yells, shoulders high and tight with her face red as she takes heavy breaths.

Des is silent, his own shoulders dropping as he runs a hand through his hair. “Shit...I didn't...I'm not gonna..”

“I didn't think I would either. No one does, until it happens,” she whispers. She lets out a heavy sigh and drags her hand down her face. “If you're really...if this is really what you want to do Des...I'll support you in your decision. But you have to be smart about it. Get a doctor. Stock up on condoms and whatever else you might need. Don't use your real name, old or new. We'll...we'll do some research, somehow, alright? But give it...” she looks at the pile of money “Give it two months, ok? Try to find something else, see if there's anything else that might work for you, or interest you. If in two months you still really think this is what you want to do, we'll find a way to make it work. Just...don't dive straight into it this early, ok? For me?”

“...I don't know if I can do anything else, Selene.” he admits.

She steps forward, hand gentle on the back of his head as she places a soft kiss to his forehead. “You can do anything you set your mind on Des. It's ok if it takes a little time to get there.”

He breathes.

Closes his eyes and wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him and so, so thankful to not be doing this alone.

“Two months.” he agrees.

“Thank you,” she smiles. He smiles back, nuzzling his face into her neck affectionately. Selenes eyes turn back to the pile of bills on the table. “...just how many blowjobs did you give today?”

“Mm...like...seven, I think?”

She pats him twice on the back before taking a step away. “Right. Go brush your teeth. Use the mouthwash, please. Twice maybe, for good measure.”

“Awww, but Seleeeeeene!” he teases, puckering up his lips.

“Do not!” she warns, snagging a cushion off the couch and holding it between them as he tries to close the gap. He laughs, arms out and fingers wiggling, revealing his plan to tickle her until she succumbs. She yelps and laughs and runs around the couch until he manages to pin her, tickling her up and down her sides until she accidentally kicks him, hard, off of her.

“Ok, ok! I surrender!” He laughs, hands held up while she remains crouched behind the cushion, poised to run again like a cornered animal.

“Go on then.” she says skeptically, watching as he makes his way into the bathroom and brushes his teeth, gargling twice as she asked.

When he steps back into the living room, she's let her hair down from its usual ponytail, relaxed out on the couch with one of her textbooks in her lap. He plops down in its spot, giving just enough time for her to lift the book out of his way as he settles between her legs.

“Comfortable?” She asks with a raised eyebrow.

“Best spot in the house.” He grins back, even as she shakes her head and goes back to her studies.

He supposes he should start looking for another line of work.

Tomorrow.

–

Des tries working at the grocer down the street, first. They don't need any experience, and the customers like his conversations while he's bagging their purchases. The pay is decent, but he's bored.

A manager catches him napping in the back while he's supposed to be helping with inventory, and he ends up fired after only two weeks.

Selenes not thrilled with the news, but doesn't begrudge him for it.

“We knew it would be temporary,” she shrugs “It's not the end of the world.”

He tries a bookstore, next. That one only lasts a few days, his personality apparently far too 'loud' for the environment.

“That's alright,” she says “I'm sure we'll find you someplace else to fit in.”

The florist, the baker, the diner down the street. Something goes wrong at all of them, over the course of his two months given time limit. Selene doesn't say anything when their stated deadline comes and goes.

Des doesn't go back to sex work, anyways.

He does stop in for a drink at a bar near the car shop he just got rejected from, though. Flips through the menus on his prepaid cell phone, until he finds the internet browser and checks the job list site for new postings.

Nothing.

He lets out a groan, and bangs his head once on the counter.

“Something bothering you pal?” Asks a raspy voice from the other side.

Des glances up, and makes eye contact with an older dwarven woman. Dark hair, an amber complexion and a wonderfully pronounced nose sitting on her face.

She looks particularly unimpressed with his own appearance.

That's fair though he thinks, he hadn't worn one of his better outfits for fear of getting grease on it today.

“I'm having trouble making an 'honest living'.” he admits, with air quotes.

“You and half the people in this town,” she notes. “How long you been looking?”

“A little over two months now.”

“That's not too bad. You have to support anyone else?”

“Nah, my roommates got her stuff all sorted. I'm just the mess holding her back.”

“Oh, now there's a winners attitude,” she snorts. “You got a skill set?”

“I'm good with people, taking leadership in a situation, and following instructions.” he lists off mechanically.

“Any of those true?”

“I am good with people.”

She nods. “Can you mix drinks?”

“Sure.”

“Interested in learning how to do it right?”

Des blinks.

Blinks again.

And his face splits into a grin as he rights himself and tries his best to be charming. “I'm always interested in doing it right,” he winks.

She rolls her eyes. “Don't make me regret this. I could use an extra hand around here so I can focus on a personal project. Come around the side of the bar, and we'll see what you can do.”

Des hops up from his chair and happily swings around to stand beside the dwarven woman. He reaches over to finish his drink, and she smacks the back of his hand with a coaster.

“First rule,” she lectures. “No drinking on the job.”

Des pouts, but doesn't argue.

He could really use the work.

–

The bar job ends up sticking. Carina even trusts Des to bartend on his own after a week or so, for a couple hours at a time during the day.

Selene stops in one day when class lets out early, to check in. Des eagerly waves her over to one of the bar stools.

“What'll you have, cutie?” he grins at her.

“Just a water, thanks.”

Des rolls his eyes, and pours her some water over ice, sticking a lime wedge on the edge of her glass just because he can.

“It's nice,” Selene comments as she looks around. “Nicer than I thought it'd be.”

“Thanks, I try to keep a clean house,” Carina pipes up as she walks out of her office, striding towards the pair. “You must be Selene. Des never shuts up about you.”

“Ah...yeah,” Selene stammers, quickly rising from the bar stool and holding out her hand. “I'm-I'm Selene. That's me. Yesseree.”

“Carina,” she introduces as she shakes Selenes hand. “It's a pleasure to finally meet you.”

“You are also a pleasure! I mean-that's not-I mean I'm sure you are, but I wasn't-..I didn't mean like...” Selene groans. “It's...it's nice to meet you, I'll just... be heading on out then.”

“It's fine, it's fine!” Carina laughs. “It's cute. You're more than welcome to stay, if you want.”

“I...” Selene hesitates and looks over at Des. He gives her a knowing grin, and nods in approval. “I'd love to. Thank you.” She finally manages.

Des just smiles and pours each of them a cranberry vodka.

Ah, matchmaking.

It's so nice when things work out.

–

Carina and Selenes relationship continues to develop, with dates and dinners and weird math and science talk that Des can't quite keep up with, but they're both happy so it doesn't bother him.

After Selenes first year of school, she and he move into another apartment complex. One closer to school for her, and walking distance of the bar, for him. No mold this time, and they can even fit a dresser into the bedroom with their bed.

Des is quietly glad that Carina doesn't seem to mind the vague relationship going on between himself and Selene. They're not quite a thing. He's still sleeping with other people (just for fun instead of for money), and she's still dating Carina afterall. When he has company Selene usually crashes at her place or on the couch, and when Selene is at Carinas and he doesn't have company, he just goes out and finds some.

It's not a problem. He just has trouble sleeping alone in a bed, is all.

It's still a little jarring the first time Selene refers to Carina as her girlfriend.

“You're banging my boss,” Des sighs, trying to joke it away “My innocent little elven friend, all grown up.”

“I'm not 'banging' Carina,” Selene argues as she places her mug down on their makeshift coffee table “Get your mind out of the gutter.”

Des blinks. “Seriously? It's been almost a year.”

“We're taking it slow.”

“Like a glacier.”

“We kiss!”

“We kiss,” Des points out. “Seriously? Poor Carina.”

Selene pouts, then slouches back into the couch beside him. “Am I a bad girlfriend?”

“Probably not. If you're not comfortable with her though, you owe it to her to be honest.”

“I am comfortable with her though. I want to have sex with her, I'm just...nervous, maybe?”

Des nods in understanding, turning on the couch to face her and shifting until his legs are crossed in front of him. “Does she know?”

Selene hesitates. “I haven't told her. I think she's figured out that something happened, though. She's brilliant, and she usually knows when I want to stop before I do.”

“You gotta have the talk,” he advises. When Selene just gives him a blank look in return, he continues. “You know, 'the talk'? You two bare your souls, decide where you want to go with the relationship, and potentially declare your love for each other, etcetera, etcetera.”

“You watch way too many rom-coms.”

“I have a lot of free time.” he shrugs.

Selene just shakes her head.

Shakes it some more.

Then lets out a breath and begins to slowly nods.

“You're right,” she admits. “You're right, I've just got to-to own up to it. It's fine! It'll probably go well. Or she'll abandon me forever, and I'll regret this for the rest of my life, but, you know.”

“She's not going to abandon you,” Des assures her. “Carinas crazy for you. Trust me.”

Selene bites down on her bottom lip, and nods. “Ok. Ok. Ok, alright, I can do this.”

“Yes you can.” Des repeats, planting a quick kiss on Selenes cheek. “Go get her girl.”

Selene nods, determinedly rising from the couch and snagging her coat from the back of the couch before heading out of the apartment.

Des stretches out on the couch.

It's good Selene is moving forward, he thinks.

Now if he could just...catch up.

–

Des is right, of course. Carina doesn't abandon Selene after they have the talk, and their relationship gets more serious and they end up having sex for their one year anniversary.

And then Selene finds out what Des has known for years, and sex can be fantastic, and ends up spending more nights at Carinas than in their own shared apartment.

He'd hesitate to call himself 'lonely', since he's got no end of suitors or bed mates. But he misses her. Carina's better at helping her study, so she's barely even home to do that anymore.

He'd hesitate to call himself lonely.

But he can't seem to find a better term for what he's going through, either.

He's pouring an ale for one of the bars regulars one night. A slower night than usual, only one or two patrons in the whole place.

“Hey,” the dwarf sniffs “You got any hobbies?”

Des raises an eyebrow “What sort of hobbies?”

A small, sealed bag is slid across the counter top, towards Des.

He knows what it is as soon as his fingers touch the plastic around the crushed blue mineral. His body knows it, his magic knows it, thrumming beneath his skin.

“First ones free. I like you, kid. You don't water down the drinks here. We appreciate it.”

Des hesitates.

Then he carefully pockets the bag, and tops off the dwarves glass. “And we're always glad to have your patronage.”

He doesn't touch it again until he gets home and empties the tips out of his pockets. The bag falls unceremoniously onto the breakfast bar, and he stares at it for a moment. Tries to talk himself out of it.

Lyrium is dangerous. It's addictive. He hasn't even opened the bag, and his bodies already reacting to the stuff.

It's a bad idea all around.

He leaves it on top of the bar and steps away. Watches a movie, waits for Selene to get home.

Around 3:15am, he gets a text.

Staying at Carinas, sorry. See you tomorrow?

He stares at his phone for a moment, drumming his recently manicured nails against his thigh. His eyes dart up to the blue substance still sitting in its bag.

Waiting.

For him.

K.

It's all he sends, before he stands, and pours the substance out on the counter.

–

Lyrium is a rush.

His skin tingles with his magic, and Des feels like he could float right out of his body. Purple flames lick at his skin, hot and heavy as he grins, and he's happy he feels so happy, he's never felt quite this happy before. This is marvelous, he thinks. It's incredible, why hasn't he done this before? Really, his body feels lit up, and everything feels so sensational and that ache in his shoulder from pulling on a bow so often is finally gone and orgasms are somehow even more intense than usual.

Why isn't everyone doing this?

–

The next morning is awful.

Des discovers that coming down from a Lyrium high is much, much worse than coming down from Elfroot. Less floating to the ground, and more plummeting off of a building.

But he liked the high.

Oh, he liked it a lot.

The next time that dwarf shows up, Des asks him about more.

“Sure pal,” the dwarf grins. “But only the first one's free.”

“Yeah yeah,” Des dismisses “How much is the second?”

He balks at the price.

“I'm a bartender, what makes you think I have that sort of money lying around?” he hisses.

The dwarf rubs at the bottom of his chin. “Alright, alright, I understand. Maybe you're just not cut out for this kinda thing, not everyone can handle it-”

“I can handle it, I just can't afford it.” Des corrects.

The dwarfs face splits into a smile, and Des notices the missing teeth for the first time. “I'm sure we can work somethin' out.”

–

Drug trafficking is probably not on Selenes list of 'honest work', Des knows.

But she's also only home once a week now, so she really doesn't get as much of a say in how he lives his life anymore.

She left him.

It means he doesn't have to pay much for the Lyrium at all, and he always has some on hand. Which is great for him.

Well.

It's great for his addictions, he supposes. It means anytime he gets a craving, there's always something lying around.

He knows he's doing carta work. He knows it's not something he should be involved in, not something anyone would be proud of him for doing. Knows Carina would fire him instantly, if she knew.

But fuck them, right?

–

It gets worse, as time goes on. Selene graduates, gets her bachelors, gets a teaching job and she and Des move into a bigger apartment again. Nicer. Two bedroom, even.

Des hates having a second bedroom, he finds. More space between them. They hardly even cuddle anymore.

At least it gives him privacy for his hobbies.

It takes another year and a half before Selene barges in without knocking.

“Des, d'you mind if I-” she stops, mid-step and mid-sentence in the doorway.

Looks at the used Templar kit spread out on his bed.

“I...have gotten really into the Chant of Light lately?” he tries.

“What the fuck, Des?” she hisses, slamming the door closed behind her. Carinas over, again, because she practically lives here now too.

“It's fine,” he tries to assure her “It's not a big deal.”

“You're doing Lyrium, Des! You're a mage, this could kill you.”

“If it were going to kill me, it would've done so already,” he says, rolling his eyes.

“How-how long have you been doing this?”

“Like 5 years now, Selene.”

“How did-how did I not know?!”

“You've been busy,” he shrugs. “I needed a hobby.”

“This isn't a hobby, Des. It's an addiction.”

“Oh please.”

“How often?”

“What?”

“How often are you using it?”

Des hesitates.

“Just...like, twice a day, that's-”

“Are you kidding me right now?!”

“What do you care?!” he yells. What right does she have to come in, now, and try to tell him he's wrong? She found happiness without him, he can find his own, too. She's the one who left, it's her fault!

Selenes face fills with guilt, and Des realizes too late that he was speaking aloud.

“I...” she swallows. “I'm sorry, Des. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. We can...Ok. Ok, we can fix this, we'll just... You have to stop, you know that, right?”

“So I can go back to being lonely?”

“No. No, I won't forget you again. I didn't mean to leave you alone, Des. I'm sorry. I'll do better.”

Des takes a deep breath, and tries to clear his head.

It's not really her fault.

He probably should have tried to have a talk with her, a long time ago.

“I...” he looks down at the kit on his bed. “I'll try to get better.”

Selene closes the space between them, hugging him tight to her. Instinctively, he returns the embrace. Holds her to him, relaxes into her grip, and lets out tension he didn't realize he had.

“I won't let you go, so don't leave me, ok?” Selene murmurs.

Des nods into her shoulder.

–

Recovery is a bumpy road.

If that bumpy road were full of sinkholes and glass shards and other things constantly trying to kill you.

The first twenty four hours are the worst. Selene sends Carina home as soon as she leaves Des's room. Says he's sick, and she has to attend to him. Carina knows about Selenes background as a healer, and doesn't push the subject, just says to call if she needs anything.

Des ignores the lump in Carinas coat pocket the size of a ring box as she walks past him.

Selene does too, to her credit.

She puts on the TV for background noise, and brews him a fresh cup of tea in the morning after they sleep through the night in her bed. Some detoxifying thing to help him clear out his body. Des feels fine, though. He tells her that, tells her that 'see? Not a big deal.'

But Selene just hums and makes room for him on the couch.

The sweating comes first. He's leaning into Selene, beneath a blanket they picked up at a swap meet years ago, and kicks it off more violently than he means to. He apologizes, but Selene just tells him its ok, and asks if he wants her to turn up the AC.

She does anyways, and it doesn't help.

It actually makes it worse, when an hour later he starts getting cold flashes. Nothing seems to help, not a coat or a sweater, or bundling back up in the blanket. Not even curling up against Selenes whole, unnaturally warm, body.

Nausea hits him next, with dizziness. Selene asks if he needs help, and he snaps at her. Yells that he's not a child, he doesn't need help, and this is all her fault anyways, why'd she have to go and be successful just to prove that he's not, and a whole slew of verbal abuse that he knows she doesn't deserve, but he just can't seem to stop.

Selene just sits there and takes it, and it only makes him angrier. Stop sitting there, stop saying 'its alright', we ran away so you could get away from shit like this and I'm just as bad as they were apparently, and oh god I am a monster, Selene, I'm a demon after all, what have I done, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it, please forgive me, please, please, please don't leave.

And she doesn't.

When he's back in his right mind later, he still won't understand why.

But she stays with him. Holds up a barrier around him when his magic starts to loose, keeps his flames contained in a bubble and brings him bottle after bottle of water each time he settles down. Sings to him, tells him stories he's heard a thousand times, and a few that are new. Reminds him of adventures they had as teens, of how much he means to her, of how proud of him she is that he's doing this.

How strong he is for going through with it.

He certainly doesn't feel strong.

After forty eight hours, Selene lets him go to the bathroom alone. She's already flushed the product he told her about while he was sleeping, and he checked and it's definitely gone. Even the bit under his mattress he hadn't mentioned.

The carta isn't going to be thrilled about that. But now's not the time to worry about that, he thinks.

A week later, and Selene lets Des go back to work, under the condition that Carina's there too.

Carina still doesn't ask questions, but agrees to keep an eye on him during his shift just the same.

When the dwarf enters, Des barely spares him a glance.

“Where's the product?” the dwarf grumbles without pre-amble.

“I'm not permitted to serve you anymore.” Des avoids.

“That was a lot of product to have disappear,” the dwarf warns “I can't just let that slide, kid.”

“I can't get it back, so you'll have to let it.” Des shrugs, still not looking up.

The dwarf shakes his head, and snaps his fingers. Two more dwarves come out of the bathrooms, and make their way over. “I liked you kid, I really hate to do this.”

“Do what, precisely?” Carina asks as she steps out of her office, staring down the trio of dwarves.

The dwarf turns to her, presumably to tell her to turn around, but Carinas already got a gun in hand, finger on the trigger. “I don't want any trouble,” she says “So you and yours, go on and get out of here. Consider yourselves banned from this establishment.”

The man sneers, mustache riding up so high Des is surprised it doesn't disappear entirely up his nose, and mutters out “Ale tasted like piss anyways,” he turns to Des, and points a finger as he makes his way out the door “The Carta gets whats theirs. Always.”

Three beats pass as the door swings shut behind them.

Carina sighs, and re-holsters her gun. “What did you go and get mixed up in?”

“Trouble.” Des admits.

Carina nods in a 'yeah, that happens' sort of way. “Try to keep Selene out of it for me, alright?”

“I'll do my best.”

–

Another week passes, and Des is feeling pretty good. Most of his cravings have died down, his body temperature has stabilized, and he feels like he's gotten over a bad flu, for the most part.

He and Selene are looking through some brochures she's gathered for rehabilitation clinics in the area together. She says its better to have the help and not need it, than for him to relapse because they didn't bother.

He's done arguing with her about things for a while, after some of the things he's said and done, so he agrees straightaway.

Then someone knocks at their door.

They both go on edge; Carina has a key, so she wouldn't knock. And they don't really know anyone else.

Selene's the one who answers it, when they knock again.

A dwarven man with a mustache that blends into his beard and missing teeth greets her.

“Hey. Your roommate home?”

“No.” she responds, and immediately tries to close the door. One of the women behind him sticks her steel-plated-boot in between the door and the frame.

Selene tries to close it anyways.

The trio of dwarves push their way into the house, and the man waves to Des as though they were friends.

“Hey kid. Just here to collect.”

“I don't have it,” Des repeats again. “It's gone.”

“Listen kid. I like you, really. I don't want to have to kill you to make an example like the bosses want. Just give me the Lyrium, and we'll be on our way.”

“It's gone,” Selene declares from where she is still holding the door. “I flushed it. You want it back? Go check the sewers and get the hell out of our home.”

The dwarven man seems to consider this a moment. Then he shrugs.

And snaps his fingers.

One of the women swings on Selene, landing a punch directly to the face before she can react. Selene slams into the floor, and Des dashes forward, snagging a knife from the kitchen.

Selene staggers back to her feet, while the dwarven man gives an overly dramatic sigh “I guess two dead bodies'll be better, anyways. Do what you gotta do, right?”

Selene throws a fireball towards the woman who punched her and ducks down low to avoid the next hit. She slams her hand up into the bottom of the dwarfs rib cage, lifting the shorter woman off the ground and uses her magic to force burst her up into the ceiling. She sticks for a moment, before falling into a heap back onto the tile floor.

Des strikes for the dwarven man, but gets blocked by the other woman, nicking her face instead of his throat. She twists his arm, and he lets out a yowl of pain as his knife clatters to the floor. Selene takes advantage of the distraction, and lights a flame sigil beneath the two dwarves. Their rubber soles begin to melt, making it almost impossible for them to move.

Unfortunately, she miscalculated just how many fire codes the owners of this building fudged in the paperwork.

The fire spreads, quickly out of control. Selene and Des exchange a look of silent panic and make a run for it, locking their door on the way out and pulling the fire alarm to warn the other tenants.

“Shit, shit, shit,” Des mutters under his breath as they dart down the stairs, other tenants filing out of their rooms as they go. “I didn't mean to do all this, Selene.”

“I know, Des. Let's just-focus on getting out of here, ok?”

Des nods, and they exit the building, watching as the smoke pours out of their apartments window. Families and neighbors stream out of the building, and Selenes anxiety rises. She snags Des's hand in hers, and pulls him back and out of the crowd.

“We have to leave.”

“Where do you want to go, Carinas?”

“No, I mean we need to leave. Start over again. The carta's not going to leave you alone after all this, we need to find a city that isn't theirs, and fast.”

Des nods, and follows Selene as she makes a casually brisk walk down the street, towards the direction of the docks.

Then something strikes him.

“What about Carina?”

“She's handled The Carta before, they can't hurt her.” She assures him.

“What about you and Carina?”

Selene bites down on her bottom lip, and he sees a flash of regret in her eyes. “It's just...not meant to be. She'll find someone else.”

“She was going to ask you to marry her.” Des says. He's seen the ring, heard her mumbling about proposal speeches during his shift.

“...I know.”

And that's the last time Selene talks to him about it.

She buys them tickets for the ship. Finds out after that it's headed someplace in Fereldan. That's fine though, she assures Des. The Carta doesn't own all of Fereldan.

The boat leaves the dock, and he watches her stare at her cell phone screen, before sending off one final text before chucking it overboard.

He doesn't bother asking who it's for.

Instead he laces his fingers through hers, and places a kiss to the side of her neck.

“I'm sorry.” he whispers.

“I forgive you,” She smiles.

“You and me against the world?” he grins.

She laughs, and neither one of them mention the tears falling down her face. “Yeah. You and me, Des. Always.”