Work Text:
They were lying in bed, furs and pillows around them, when the little boy asked, glancing up from the colorful book on his lap, eyes big with wonder:
“Where do babies come from?”
Solas and Scarlet exchanged a look that meant “the time has come”, but also “shit”, and tried to find the best way to face that topic. Their son was young, but clever and curious, and he would have noticed any hesitation in their answer. He needed an innocent, but truthful explanation, not a clear description, but a honest illustration of what love could create. A metaphor was the best approach.
Solas was perfect for that, Scarlet thought as she looked at her husband with a bright smile filled with admiration. She was eager to hear his velvety voice explain stuff to their son: it was always a domestic and heartwarming experience; she could listen to him for hours, just like at Skyhold so many years ago, when there was still the Inquisition, the world was less magic, and the Elves had not been restored yet.
Solas returned the smile, adoration in his eyes. Scarlet was perfect for that, he thought. Her soft voice, kind heart, and her innocent experience born from motherhood could help their boy understand better the delicate way a life could be put in the world.
So they kept looking at each other, expectantly, until the child frowned and repeated, staring at them both in turn: “Where do babies come from?”
Scarlet raised an eyebrow; Solas raised both, his smile fading, replaced by surprise; she furrowed her brow, confused as well, then nodded at their boy.
Horror appeared on her husband’s face and he shook his head; she sighed, with an expression that this time meant: “Really, vhenan?”
“Really”, Solas’ face seemed to say and he cleared his throat. His ears were red, his freckles even more visible on his flushed cheeks, and the sight was so cute, Scarlet couldn’t stop the laughter bubbling up in her throat.
Seeing the mighty Dread Wolf so embarrassed for something so innocent and simple was incredibly endearing and she decided to play a little, wishing to see his face grow hot and his eyes widen.
“You don’t know?” the child gasped, almost appalled. His parents always had answers for him, they always explained with patience and tenderness what he couldn’t understand or wanted to know more. They were full of knowledge and wisdom, so witnessing that sudden silence was shocking to him and he looked into the distance with something akin to despair, probably wondering who he could ask that question to now.
Scarlet intervened before he could jump out of bed and call Uncle Dorian through the crystal; she could already imagine her friend’s spluttering and curses upon hearing what the child wanted to know.
“It’s easy, da’vhenan.” she said, her smile warm, bright, with a hint of amusement and playfulness in it. She heard Solas let out a relieved sigh and continued: “When two people love each other very much, a baby appears.”
The boy smiled back at her, but then another question came in his mind and he hummed thoughtfully, a hand under his chin, just like Solas tended to do when he was deeply immersed in his thoughts or studies.
“But Mamae…” the child said slowly. “Where does it appear, exactly?”
Solas shifted awkwardly, his face half-hidden behind his own book, and Scarlet had to use all her inner strength not to burst out into a fit of giggles right there and then.
“In the mother’s belly.” she replied, patting her stomach with her right hand. She didn’t wear her mechanical left one in bed.
“But how does it appear?” the boy reached out and gently rested his tiny hand on his mother’s belly. “Who puts it here?”
Scarlet’s grin was so big her face almost split in half.
“A wolf, of course!”
She couldn’t see Solas’ horrified expression, but she felt him turn his head so quickly to stare at her that his neck made a painful creaking sound.
“A wolf?” the boy beamed up at her. “Like the ones that always visit us and want to play?”
“Yes. When a couple is ready to have a child, a wolf appears and puts a baby in the mom’s belly.”
“How?”
Scarlet raised her chin high, her face serious, but not really.
“Magic.” she said solemnly and the boy nodded slowly, understanding perfectly how important and effective a simple spell could be. Then she grinned again and ruffled his hair, making him giggle.
“And also lots of kisses!” she added, pecking his forehead. Solas made a small, chocking sound, his face now fully hidden behind the tome.
“Which wolf came to you, Mamae? Revas, the gray one that always sits next to you?”
Solas scoffed and mumbled something that sounded very much like a bad word; Scarlet was sure he had just rolled his eyes.
The poor Revas was a cute, affectionate wolf that seemed to adore Scarlet and always did his best to follow her around and lie down at her side… despite Solas’ heated glares and attempts to (gently, but firmly) drag him away from her.
Her husband’s jealousy was so silly and sweet Scarlet didn’t even know how to react to it, except with fond sighs and reassuring kisses for him.
“No, da’fen. It was not Revas.” she smiled at her husband, two red dots on her cheeks. “It was your father, of course! Did you forget he can turn into a wolf?”
She thought Solas’ face couldn’t become redder, but she was wrong. He opened his mouth, eyes big and full of horror, but no sound came out; his grip on the book was so strong, his knuckles had turned white.
She giggled and he spluttered something unintelligible, while their son bounced on the bed, looking back and forth at them.
“Really?? That’s great!” he tugged at his father’s sleeve, continuing: “So you put me into Mamae’s belly, Papae?”
Solas looked like he had just drunk an entire teapot of the strongest tea. His smile was shaky and he didn’t trust his voice, so he merely nodded. Fortunately the little boy didn’t notice his embarrassment and gasped in awe.
“Was the magic hard?”
“Oh, extremely hard.” Scarlet said, almost in a whisper. The child let out an admired ‘oooh’ and sat back against the pillow, now silent, pondering over what he had just learned.
“So you had to kiss her a lot, right? But you always kiss each other. Why hasn’t a little brother or sister come yet?”
Scarlet blinked, surprised, and Solas forgot part of his embarrassment to reply gently: “Because I don’t always use that kind of… magic” a glance to his wife, “when I kiss Mamae.” He tilted his head and caressed the child’s hair: “Would you like to have a sister or brother, da’fen?”
Scarlet held her breath and her blush spread to her neck, this time caused by different, stronger emotions: hope and anticipation. Solas’ expression didn’t show what he was feeling or thinking, but she knew that light in his eyes. He shared her sentiments and waited for their son’s opinion with hope just like her.
Fenor hummed, tracing the carved cover of his book with his fingertips. Then he smiled and answered, his tone warm: “Yes, I think it would be nice.”
He looked at his parents, thanked them for the explanation, and went back to his story.
- - - -
That night, as soon as they were alone in their room, Solas slowly approached Scarlet from behind and wrapped his arms around her waist, leaning down to kiss her neck. She giggled and raised her right hand to stroke his cheek.
“You are dreadful, my wife.” he mumbled into her skin.
“I am sorry, I had to!” she giggled again, turning into his arms to face him. “Your face was priceless!”
She pursed her lips and Solas snorted: he kissed her, fully and deeply, playfully biting her lower lip too.
“He will spend the next years thinking wolves bring children to lovers.” he said when they pulled apart. “I cannot wait to see his reaction once he learns it is all wrong.”
“Well, it’s true that you put him inside my belly. Using your magic. Your hard magic. Your beautiful, big, thick, hard and…”
He interrupted her with another kiss and they both laughed into each other’s mouth. When they stopped to regain breath, Solas’ expression softened and Scarlet’s turned timid.
“He said he would like to have a sister or brother.” she murmured.
“He did.”
Scarlet raised her eyes and saw Solas smiling tenderly down at her, his eyes soft and loving. She smiled back, cheeks flushed, and they stared at each other, a silent agreement forming between them.
Then Solas swept her into his arms and together, laughing and joyous, they went to their bed.