Circumstances of Summer Heat | Sera/Leliana

read at AO3

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It’s hot. Dreadful. The nights cool down deceptively, leave one shivering for blankets just before sunrise, but the heat sweeps in again quickly once day breaks. By lunchtime, the sun bakes all of Skyhold into a woozy haze, sending residents scattering for shade or some semblance of a breeze.

The rookery is pleasant enough in the morning, cooled overnight and shaded for half the day, until the late afternoon, when it becomes unbearable. Judging by the angle sun of the sun above in the courtyard, it is about that time. Leliana considers going back, but the thought alone makes her feel faint. Others have all but abandoned work for the day.

“How are you wearing that?” It’s Sera’s voice she recognizes behind her, Sera’s hand pressed to her upper arm as if testing the leather, judging the weight of it—but lingering, affectionate. She all but scowls, screws her eyebrows up at the sight of Leliana, still wearing her typical armor and cowl. Sera is flushed. Her bangs cling to her forehead haphazardly; she looks far too warm even though she is wearing considerably less than Leliana.

“It’s… tolerable.” Leliana’s eyes flit away from Sera’s gaze, a tell-tale sign that tolerable couldn’t be farther from the truth. She huffs out a short breath at the reminder of her discomfort, and reaches to push back the hood that lays heavy against her hair, squints at the way the sun glints off of the chainmail covering her chest. Her gloves are gone, far too much for the heat, so she reaches a hand up to the nape of her neck, tries to brush back the hairs that lay damp with sweat against her skin. It’s useless.

“Right.” Sera snorts, clearly disbelieving. “Listen, I have an idea, if you’re not busy. Want to go somewhere? You and me, a way to cool off. Sounds grand, yeah?”

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