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The Grand Necropolis of Neverra was breathtaking…if not slightly unnerving. Emmrich had taken the time to show him around the Memorial Gardens and Gareth could almost understand the beauty of the place, until a spirit or two suddenly appeared and drifted past him causing his hair to stand on end. Until coming to Tevinter, his experience with magic and spirits had been limited to what he saw from Merrill and Anders, neither of which gave him a particularly positive outlook on such matters, and the Imperium was even worse.
So as Gareth walked around the quiet cobblestone paths of the Memorial Gardens this time, there was an anxious bounce in his step and his eyes darted around constantly, watching for any signs that a spirit might manifest around him. Several paces ahead of him, Neve strolled casually with Manfred, arms tucked behind her back as the skeleton hissed excitedly at something nearby. He threw his arms into the air and trotted off along a side path as Neve turned back to glance at Gareth, an easy smile on her lips.
“Doing alright back there, Trouble?” Neve called, raising an eyebrow at him. Gareth tried to play it cool, running a hand through his silver-white hair, but as he pushed the hair from his face something cold to his left caught his attention as an incorporeal form wafted past him and he nearly jumped out of his skin.
“ Kaffas! ” He blurted, the smirk he had tried to flash quickly pulled into a grimace as he tensed. “Can we put a fucking bell or something on these things?!”
Neve’s gentle laugh filled the air as she began to walk towards him, one hand landing playfully on her hip.
“They’re harmless.” She says reassuringly, gesturing to the gardens around them. He can feel his features set in the hard line he knows makes him the spitting image of his father and she places a hand on his shoulder, her brown eyes sparkling. “Really.”
“ Hrmph .” Is all Gareth manages to grunt as he crosses his arms. Neve steps closer, pressing herself against his chest and he feels himself begin to relax ever so slightly.
“Maybe this will help put you at ease.” She leans forward, her hand brushing against his jawline and sliding around the back of his neck as their lips meet. He leans forward, sliding his hands down and around her waist and lifts just enough that her feet leave the ground. Her arms snake around his neck as he braces herself and he grins into their kiss, letting his head fall back slightly to adjust to the new angle.
He keeps her there, letting her ground him and drive away his anxieties the only way she can, until his arms begin to protest and he gently slides her back to the ground. His hands glide from her waist up to cup the sides of her face and he leans forward to place a gentle kiss on the tip of her nose. Neve laughs sweetly, a faint blush creeping across her cheeks as she bites back a smile.
“Better?” She asks, carefully scanning his features for any lingering discomfort.
“Much.” He affirms, wrapping her into a tight hug. “Thank you.”
Their fingers intertwine and they begin to stroll further into the Gardens, where Emmrich and Manfred are tending to a few of the graves. The professor offers them a pleasant wave as Manfred scurries around after a spectral butterfly lazily making its way across a bed of flowers.
“Wanna stay for dinner?” Neve asks, glancing up at the elf with a smirk.
“Oh, absolutely not.” Gareth says quickly and Neve laughs.
“Fair enough.” She squeezes his hand once as they make their way over to Emmrich. The pair say their goodbyes to their companion, waving over to Manfred who offers his own excited hiss in return, before heading back to their little corner of the Fade they have come to call home.