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Ever since quitting football, Alistair likes Fridays. There are no games to stress about, he usually has plans with friends over the weekend, and Tabris doesn't have work after school on Fridays so sometimes she runs errands. That last one doesn't sound exciting, but Tabris has an open invitation out to friends to come with her on errands, and Alistair is perhaps too enthusiastic about spending time with her.
This particular Friday, however, has Alistair so miserable and anxious that he feels a little bit sick. Tabris was weird and distant yesterday, but today she's been ignoring him completely all morning, talking in whispered voices with Leliana and stopping immediately whenever Alistair tries to talk to either of them. Zevran refuses to explain, and by lunch, Alistair is sure he's done something horribly wrong. Everything was going too well, apparently. He isn't meant to have friends, especially not friends he's completely in love with.
He's just settled down at their usual lunch table to contemplate everything he's done in the past two weeks to figure out what he might have done to upset Tabris when she comes up behind him and taps him on the shoulder.
“Alistair? Can I talk to you?” She asks, something tight and uncomfortable in her tone. Alistair's stomach turns over. Tabris never requests his attention, she just sits down next to him and starts talking. He's totally done something wrong.
Still, he nods and stands up, fully intending to beg forgiveness the second they're out of earshot of the rest of the cafeteria. Hell, he'd do it here if she wanted him to. The idea of Tabris being angry with him is quite literally nauseating.
She takes them around a corner when they get out of the cafeteria, and then turns to look at him. There's grim determination in her expression and Alistair finds himself talking without really thinking about what to say.
“Whatever I did, I'm really sorry,” He blurts out. Tabris' facial expression shifts to one of genuine confusion, followed by understanding. Then she actually winces.
“Shit. You think I'm mad at you. Ali, I'm not mad at you,” She explains, running a hand through her hair. It's out of it's ponytail today. Alistair would usually be admiring it, but he's busy freaking out.
“You... aren't? Then why have you been ignoring me?” He asks, immediately wanting to beat his head into the wall. That sounded like he was accusing her.
“Because I have something important to tell you and I was being chickenshit about it,” She says, and when Alistair opens his mouth to reply, she holds up a hand to stop him. “No, let me say it now before this gets any more out of hand.”
Tabris straightens her spine, takes a deep breath, and looks Alistair straight in the eye.
“I like you. In a more-than-friends way.”
For a moment, Alistair's head is filled with white noise. He's too shocked to even process this information.
“I-- Really?” He manages, and it's only once the words are out in the air that he realizes he sounds properly amazed. Tabris breaks eye contact, staring instead at the floor, her hands curled into tight fists. She nods.
“Ever since the stupid fucking vending machine thing,” She explains.
“The whistle!” Alistair blurts out, and Tabris is startled into looking at him again.
“Huh?”
“I've been crazy about you since you stole the gym teacher's whistle,” He mumbles, managing a shy smile.
And Tabris lights up. Alistair doesn't think he's ever seen her smile that brightly, and even her ears perk up. She looks beautiful.
He gives in and leans down to kiss her. Tabris responds with incredible enthusiasm, throwing her arms around his shoulders and pressing herself in bodily to get closer to him. Alistair hugs her, and in his excitement, actually picks her up without breaking the kiss. Tabris is the one who breaks it, giggling madly.
Alistair finds himself with an armful of laughing, beaming elven woman and doesn't even feel bad about it. He must be blushing like a madman, but Tabris is looking at him with so much affection that his heart feels like it might burst.
“That wasn't too soon, was it?” Alistair breathes, and Tabris only laughs harder.
“Shut up, you dork. Be my boyfriend?” She asks. Alistair kisses her again.
And this is when they get caught by the security guard.