[sandbox]

[bringspeopletogether]

Herald's Rest gets as crowded as any respectable small-town tavern come nightfall. Considering Skyhold's a village unto itself nowadays, that's no surprise.

Maryden's holding her usual court over near the fire, her song weaving in and out of the noise: voices, laughter, shouts, clattering. Bull's there, towering over half the crowd even while seated, deep in enthusiastic conversation with Krem, but the rest of the Chargers don't seem to be anywhere near. When Alistair stands still, he's pretty sure he can hear about five different languages in a ten-foot radius.

He's nothing strange or remarkable in here. It's...nice.

And there's alcohol. Even nicer.

Comments

[howtoactfereldan]

"But it did show up. It keeps showing up."

Cullen lets his eyes close for a moment.

"Because you came back."

[bringspeopletogether]

"Yes."

He fought as long as he could, and it was enough to get the Inquisitor and Hawke to safety; it was even enough to free himself. All he may have wanted by then was to rest -- but that rest would've been total if a desire demon granted it. No nightmares. No bursts of panic, or rage. Corypheus already defeated; Thedas at peace.

Not the imperfect world they've got at Skyhold, where things are all right, but not fine.

"I'm here."

[howtoactfereldan]

Without thinking about it he brings his other arm around Alistair, as though to affirm his presence (or perhaps to reassure himself).

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair turns into the embrace with a quiet sigh, and doesn't say anything else right away.





"Still wouldn't mind if you had cheese hiding in your coat though," he mumbles.

[howtoactfereldan]

"I have enough problems without attracting mice directly onto my person," Cullen informs him, not moving.

[bringspeopletogether]

"You could adopt a cat and keep it as a mouser," suggests Alistair.

Innocently.

[howtoactfereldan]

Absent, without rancor: "Or you could carry your own damn cheese."

[bringspeopletogether]

"But what if -- "

He taps Cullen's arm a couple times for emphasis.

"What if Corypheus's -- " (Alistair can't quite get his mouth around Corypheus's name anymore. It's a rather impressive mangling that he promptly pretends didn't happen.) "What if his only weakness is finely aged cheddar. And you go into battle without any. I can't let that happen as Double Commander."

[howtoactfereldan]

"Then in all fairness," Cullen says, "it ought to be the Inquisitor carrying it. Not me."

[bringspeopletogether]

"Excellent point." Alistair grins. "I'll inform her of the change in strategy immediately."

[howtoactfereldan]

"And my coat lives to see another day."

[bringspeopletogether]

He snickers. "Until I spill another beer on it."

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen heaves a heavy sigh, chest rising and falling under Alistair's head. "I don't know what I've done to make you despise me."

[bringspeopletogether]

"You didn't let me taste your beer, that's what."

[howtoactfereldan]

"If Cabot won't help you, I don't know what I could have done."

[bringspeopletogether]

"I'll have to bribe him next time." He tries to stifle a yawn, with little success. "Or sneak in when there's nobody else around."

Beat.

"Or just keep drinking whatever he gave me. Did the job nicely, didn't it."

Which, to Alistair, is the really important bit.

[howtoactfereldan]

He rests his chin on Alistair's head, and huffs out a breath.

This is, apparently, Cullen's answer.

[bringspeopletogether]

As far as Alistair's concerned, it's a perfectly satisfactory one.

His eyes drift closed again. Everything's warm, hazy, kind of wobbly. The noise two floors down creates a pleasant wash of sound: lots of people, lots of life. And Cullen's around. He's real.

This is real.

[howtoactfereldan]

"Let me know when I ought to get you a cup of tea and pack you off to bed," Cullen murmurs.

[bringspeopletogether]

"Probably soon," he admits, not much louder than Cullen, without opening his eyes. "...Probably going to need help getting to my quarters."

Climbing that ladder in Cullen's office when he's this inebriated? Not happening.

"Unless the chaise is free. And you don't mind my snoring being the first thing the guards hear in the morning."

[howtoactfereldan]

He laughs, low.

"I don't mind. But I wager your bed's more comfortable."

[bringspeopletogether]

"I could stretch out my legs in an actual bed." Thoughtful.

(But...Cullen's not going to be around. And Alistair probably shouldn't ask if he can stay.)

He opens one eye, peers up at Cullen. "I promise next time I'll pick something more fun. I don't want you to be miserable."

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen lifts his head, raises an eyebrow, ruffles Alistair's hair.

"Miserable's overstating it."

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair pulls a face, but doesn't make any move to resist the hair-ruffling.

"All right," he says, "but I stand by the 'more fun' bit. Or pleasant. Relaxing. Something like that. Not making you hide up here so you don't run into anybody."

[howtoactfereldan]

"You're not making me hide up here. I want to hide up here." Light. "It's all right, Alistair."