Work Text:
“Can I borrow this?” Liinnae said as she snatched the paintbrush from Solas’ hand. Without waiting for an answer she rushed out the door.
She was back again moments later looking for mauve paint, she had to have mauve paint. He retrieved it from the chest near the window, earning him a hasty kiss of thanks before she darted off again.
She made her way through the garden, for the sixth time that day. People had stopped staring at the dark-haired elf–covered from head to toe in paint and smudged soil–bouncing through the garden after her third time through.
Forgetting the flowerpot meant another run through the garden because it had to be that flowerpot. Evie would like that flowerpot more than she would like any of the others, Liinnae decided.
She ignored her graveyard of half-painted, half-potted flower pots from her previous attempts, and the trails of spilled soil, and the splotches of dribbled paint in her corner of the greenhouse and set to work. Her tongue stuck out in concentration as she painted the most magnificent owls one would ever see painted on a flowerpot. Ever.
Liinnae stood back and inspected the pair of magnificent owls. Those were indeed the best owls she had ever seen painted on a flower pot before. She giggled excitedly.
“And what is it that has had you running in every direction for the past day and a half?” She heard Solas say from behind her.
She looked up and saw him smiling at her from the doorway. Or smiling at her mess–she wascovered from head to toe in paint and soil and bits of vegetation after all.
“Painting!” She dragged him over and proudly showed him what she created.
He studied the owl portrait: her use of colors, her brush strokes, the owls’ expressions.“Those aremagnificent owls.”
Satisfied, she dried the paint with a wave of her hand lest she smudge it while potting the flowers.
“It’s for Evie! I don’t think she’s been feeling like herself lately which means that she needs a miniature garden.” Everyone needed a miniature garden when they were feeling down, especially when they were feeling down.
But, what if Evie didn’t like owls? she thought, panic and self-doubt stirred in the pit of her stomach.
“Do you think she’ll like the owls? Everyone likes the owls, yes? But what if she doesn’t? What if she hates owls and it makes her feel worse instead of better and she hates me forever? Should I paint something else? Butterflies, maybe?” She bit her lip.
“Butterflies?” He raised an eyebrow.
Liinnae scrunched her nose in disbelief at his butterfly confusion. “Butterflies … you know, flying things with pretty wings?” She picked up the brush, ready to turn her magnificent owls into magnificent butterflies, but Solas plucked the brush from her hand before she could even dip it in the paint.
“Yes, I know what butterflies are,” he said patiently, “and I’m sure owls are fine.” He reassured her. He eyed the half-painted and discarded flowerpots littering the ground then moved the brushes and paint out of her immediate reach.
“But, ‘fine’ isn’t good enough!” she stuck her lip out and pouted knowing full well that Solas could never resist …
… he grabbed her by the waist, pulling her roughly to him. He nibbled that pouty lip of hers, and claimed her mouth in a scorching kiss that left her panting.
“She’ll love whatever you decide on,” he lightly kissed her forehead and left her to finish her work.
At the end of the day, the magnificent owl flower pot was overflowing with Evie’s favorite flowers in every color Liinnae could find. Since she couldn't’ stop thinking of those cute flying things with pretty wings, she bribed the blacksmith with a smile to make her four, each one on a stick that she could push into the soil.
With the butterflies in place, she was finally finished..
Liinnae was far too excited about giving Evie the miniature garden that she couldn’t sleep that night–despite the warm bath Solas made her take to scrub away the paint and soil–and made Solas tell her stories to pass the time. Which he never minded doing as she always listened with rapt attention.
At the first light of dawn, before the sun even peeked over the horizon, Liinnae was dressed and out the door to retrieve Evie’s miniature garden.