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She sees him before he sees her, in the courtyard, entertaining the children they rescued from the Gallows. They're playing a game of hide and seek and Ana is tempted to slip behind a pillar to surprise him. She knows it's foolish, with the darkspawn taint coursing through their veins, he would spot her before she could even make it halfway through the courtyard (and perhaps he already did sense her presence), but the idea is alluring.
Neriah, her sweet daughter, is the first to notice her. Maker, how she's missed her. The eleven-year-old charges towards her like an overexcited mabari and jumps into her arms despite already being a few inches taller than her mother. The other kids soon follow her example, albeit with a little more restraint (save perhaps for little Stevie who, at the top of his five years, hasn't learned restraint yet).
“Did you bring anything back from Orlais?” Riah asks excitedly.
“Cheese! Lots of gross stinky cheeses!” She punctuates her answer with a few tickles directed at the nearest child.
Carver stays in the background, waiting patiently for the excitement to settle down. As the children make a little room for him, he finally walks up to her and wraps his arms around her with a smile.
“What about me? Did you get me anything?”
Standing on the tip of her toes, Ana plants a soft kiss on his plush lips, which Carver is quick to deepen. The rise of a few ewws from the younger kids and a couple of "get a room, you two” from the older ones is enough to bring them back to reality. Carver chuckles, but he keeps his arms firmly set around her waist and it isn't long before the children start dispersing again. Ana pulls him into a strong hug. Maker, she missed him so much.
“Actually, I did get something special just for you,” she purrs.
“Is it more cheese?” he teases her.
“It's a little something I can't show in front of the children.”
It takes a moment for the innuendo to sink in. Then, a smile stretches wide across his face, his blue eyes shining with desire. Maker, it shouldn't be allowed to be this handsome.
“Well, someone else can take care of the kids. My brother must have awakened from his nap by now.”
Lifting an eyebrow, Ana is about to protest (she's got things to do and people to see, after all) when Carver slides a hand behind her legs and sweeps her off her feet. She giggles as he kisses her again before carrying her back to their bedroom.