Chapter Text
9:31 Dragon, Autumn
"Mi amor, we are running out of money," Zevran said and despite his best efforts his voice wobbled on the word "money". Not very much, hardly at all in truth, but it froze Falon in his tracks nonetheless.
The other elf turned from the empty road ahead of them to gather Zevran, who had lagged a step or two behind, into his arms.
Zevran considered and discarded the idea of burying his discomfort, a big change from past habits, as he pressed willingly into the safety of Falon's arms.
They had said painful farewells to Charan three days past before he departed by ship from Amaranthine to continue his studies in Seheron. Now it was just Falon and Zevran on the road headed North, back to Antiva.
Buying Charan's passage had eaten away the bulk of their coin and supplies for the road North had taken the rest. The lightness of his coinpurse had been a nagging nonweight since they'd left the city and Zevran couldn't let the worry burrow any deeper under his skin.
"Tell me why that worries you, vhenan," Falon said softly as he cupped Zevran's face in his hands. He'd learned well that Zevran disliked feeling vulnerable and had a very good mask to hide behind.
Falon's silver eyes caught the way that Zevran grappled with himself and the promise they'd made to be truthful with one another. The struggle showed in the gritting of Zevran's teeth, the angle of his pointed ears and the stiff way he stood even with Falon near.
Seeing the struggle Falon stayed silent and patient, letting Zevran work through the tangle by himself.
"We ought to purchase horses," Zevran finally said through a displeased expression that Falon knew was for himself. For his inability to share the true problem, though Falon would never fault him for it.
Falon leaned forward until their foreheads knocked gently together and maintained his silence with a raised eyebrow.
Zevran turned his face ever so slightly away, into Falon's hand to hide, and his hands went tight on Falon's waist.
"...we need to buy food," the blond whispered after another short struggle with the words.
Falon smiled and he brought Zev's head down a bit to press a kiss to his forehead. He knew to reward any show of vulnerability meant the next would come easier.
"We don't need shem coin to be well fed, vhenan. I am Dalish, keeper of the lost lore, walker of the lonely path and you will never go hungry when you're with me. I will hunt and keep you fed, I will find water and you may drink your fill. This I promise you, vhenan, my heart," Falon declared softly as he ran his thumbs soothingly along the sweep of Zevran's cheekbones.
Zevran felt the tangled thorns in his throat ease their grip in the face of promises he knew Falon would move mountains to keep. That's just the kind of person he was.
Such promises were unheard of among the Crows.
"Have I ever broken a promise to you?" Falon asked teasingly as he turned away from Zevran and the well packed road before them to venture into the woods to the side of it.
"Not a one," Zevran croaked as he followed, never more than a step or two behind Falon.
Falon's way with words always managed to catch him off guard, no matter how many times he'd seen the Silvertongue work.
"Come along then and I'll show you how to set snares to catch our dinner," Falon said with a playful toss of his long black ponytail.
9:35 Dragon, Spring
Zevran pushed the door of one of the nicer taverns in Antiva City open with a sigh. His hood was pulled as far forward as it could be to shadow his face and his leathers were a worn but sturdy black. He felt tiredness all the way down to his bones and knew he'd be a fairly easy mark at the moment.
He'd spent the better part of a month on the trail of a clever Guildmaster and tonight had been one more disappointment in a long string of them.
He ignored the din of the slightly rowdy crowd as he turned, from pure habit, for the corner of the bar hidden behind the door.
His teeth flashed white in the shadows of his hood when he found Falon seated with his back to the corner. As expected.
His husband watched the crowd with the stillness and calm of a hunting cat, hooded silver eyes hypnotic in the flickering firelight. Zev could see the slightest flush to his brown skin, which meant Falon had done something today that warranted a celebratory drink.
Silver eyes caught on his still form as the door thudded closed and Zev felt his heart skip a beat and start to race when a delighted smile spread across his Warden's handsome face.
Watching his husband turn from predator on the prowl to playful adoration would never grow old.
Zevran let his hood fall back as he crossed the short distance between them with quick strides. He slid into the chair beside Falon and leaned over to indulge himself in a long, sweet kiss as a reward for a hard days work. Even if nothing had come of it.
Falon's smile had shifted to something vaguely smug when Zevran pulled back to sit properly in his chair and the dark haired elf reached up to pat Zev's cheek.
"Aneth ara, I have a surprise for you," Falon said and Zevran didn't resist the urge to kiss him again.
As he leaned back once more Zev's eye caught a flash of gold in Falon's ear through the waterfall of his black hair and he felt himself melt inside. His stress and concerns fluttered away because his beloved was near and still wearing his favour.
Falon gave him a knowing look as he tucked black hair back behind his pointed ear to show Zev his earrings with an indulgent air. One jeweled gold earring stood out from the silverite piercings around it.
Falon pulled a small book from a breast pocket and tapped Zevran lightly on the nose with it.
"Focus, amor, your birthday present for the year," Falon chided him with a laugh.
Zevran took the book with a raised eyebrow and ran his thumb across the cover. It was of fine make, good quality paper and a well sewn cover. It's wine coloured face had no identifying marks but Zevran knew it to be a book issued by one of the major Antivan banks.
A Talon bank by the colour. The First Talon's bank based on the seal inked on the first page.
He flipped to the next page and was met, as expected, with a chequebook with a handful of recorded deposits. A few smaller ones and then one significant one recorded just that morning.
More money than Zev had ever had when the bulk of his pay went back to House Arainai.
His eyes trailed over the details of the account and he gasped like he'd been struck when he saw that the name of the account holder was Zevran Mahariel.
He nearly dropped the book as he stared at Falon, struck speechless.
Falon's smile became a self satisfied smirk as Zev continued to stare at him.
"I promised to take care of you, and I always will, but now you don't need it," Falon said, soft enough that it was almost lost under the noise of the crowd.
It was true, the deposit was for a few thousand that if managed carefully would sustain Zevran for a long time.
The idea that Falon had gone through all the trouble of doing this just to ease Zev's fears brought tears to the Crow's eyes.
He was nearly overcome with the desperate, overflowing amount of devotion that surged through him for this crazy Warden, who had done so much for him.
"Thank you, mi amor," Zevran said once he could get his voice to work again. He tucked the book into his own breast pocket and laid a careful hand over top it. A tangible offer of devotion to match the earring Falon never took off.
"How did you get the last deposit?" Zevran asked with a puzzled look after a moment of thought.
Falon threw his head back and cackled. When he looked at Zev again his smile was mean and fanged.
"Dress in black, act a little menacing and any civilian will believe you're a Crow," Falon said with a flip of his hand, like any sane person would dare to impersonate a Crow.
"Said I was from House Arainai and I'd only take payment in coin. The target was easy. I've hunted smarter deer that were harder to shoot," Falon continued blithely as he laid a comforting hand on Zevran's thigh below the table and patted it absently.
"The Crows won't like that," Zev said with a wrinkle of his nose.
Falon's smile stayed firmly in place and he cocked an eyebrow at the blond elf like he was inviting Zev in on the joke.
It took barely a moment longer for Zev to catch on and he threw back his head with a delighted cackle when he did.
"So they will come for us and we need not hunt them," Zev said with still shaking shoulders.
"You need only lay the proper bait to lure a predator from it's lair," Falon agreed with a shrug.
"Until then we can cut their purse strings, so to speak," Zevran said with another snort of laughter.
"Exactly,"