[sandbox]

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair surprises himself: he adapts to the Basin a lot quicker than he expected.

The camps feel -- snug, he decides. In a good way. Trees overhead, a limited number of egress points, a vantage point so high it puts every night by the ladder to shame: they're not the stone walls of Skyhold, but maybe they're the next best thing. After an initial restless night or two, he sleeps soundly.

(Knowing he's surrounded by lots of people with sharp, pointy weapons? Also helpful.)

Joining the patrol rotations seems like a decent next step. No point in being in the field, especially after all that training with Bull, if he's just going to twiddle his thumbs all day.

Comments

[bringspeopletogether]

He wrinkles his nose. (It's a good-natured enough gesture.)

"I'll sprawl at your feet the whole time," he warns. "And as soon as I think of something decent to do, I'll drag you away."

[howtoactfereldan]

"So... just like usual, then?"

[bringspeopletogether]

Without missing a beat, "Exactly like usual, yes."

[howtoactfereldan]

"Good, you make an excellent footstool."

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair snorts, and leans up just enough to kiss Cullen.

[howtoactfereldan]

"And you're all right at that, I suppose."

[bringspeopletogether]

"What, being a footstool or kissing you?"

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen makes a show of considering this.

"Both, come to think of it."

[bringspeopletogether]

"Oh, good."

He reaches up, gives one of Cullen's more unruly curls a light tug.

"I like to make sure I'm a well-rounded individual."

[howtoactfereldan]

Very gently, he pokes Alistair's belly, and smirks.

[bringspeopletogether]

"Hey."

He grabs Cullen's hand.

"Is there something you're trying to imply, Commander?"

[howtoactfereldan]

"I was agreeing with you," he says, cheerful.

[bringspeopletogether]

Deadpan: "I see."

He kisses Cullen's fingertips.

"No insinuations about how I make a better pillow than footstool, then?"

[howtoactfereldan]

"You have many talents."

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair rolls his eyes, folds his hands around Cullen's, and nestles close again.

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen tightens his arms accordingly.









Quiet:

"I wrote a letter to my sister today."

[bringspeopletogether]

"Oh?"

To his credit, Alistair injects some surprise into his voice. Enough to give some plausible deniability to his five seconds of snooping, anyway.

Hopefully.

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen's mother raised no fools. (Except Branson.) If every other paper is put away, and one paper is left front and center, the latter will draw the eye.

"Yes. I told her -- well."

He reaches behind him for the letter and holds it out.




Dear Mia,

Still alive.

Since you have not stopped prying, I have elected to remove myself from the field of battle. Yes, Alistair is someone important to me. (You're Fereldan. You ought to recognize his name.) Yes, it's what you think it is. And no, I'm not going to give you any further detail.

He is.

Alistair, being good at everything I'm not, will write you. I encourage you both to strike up a lively correspondence. You both have my permission to share mortifying stories at my expense, though under the likely misguided belief in your affection for me I beg at least some mercy.

You also did not respond to my suggestion of chess by letter. I must therefore conclude you are afraid of crushing defeat at my hands.

Be safe.

-Cullen

[bringspeopletogether]

As he reads, Alistair's eyes widen.

He presses his hand to his mouth. When he reaches the bottom of the letter, he reads it again, as if another pass might reveal some other letter Cullen's written in its place. Something closer to his usual correspondence with Mia. Not -- not this.

He looks up at Cullen, stunned to speechlessness.

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen looks -- nervous.

"You don't have to." Quiet. "That's why I'm showing you, before I send it. I just thought -- she's nicer than Goldanna, I can promise you that. Nosy, but -- she means no harm."

[bringspeopletogether]

Wondering:

"You're really all right with me doing this."

[howtoactfereldan]

"Only if you want to," he hastens to say. "I just thought -- you're not going anywhere, so... why not?"

[bringspeopletogether]

He looks back down at the letter. Alistair's holding it with much greater care all of a sudden, like it's plated in gold leaf.

She's nicer than Goldanna, Cullen said. Like Mia could be his sister instead, if he wanted.

"You're really -- " He stops there, overwhelmed. (Not that he was going to say much beyond a dazed repetition of his earlier half-question.) Suddenly aware he hasn't answered Cullen: "I want to. Yes. I'd love to."

[howtoactfereldan]

There's more relief in his smile than he's aware. "All right. Good. I thought you might, but I -- wasn't sure."

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair nods. He turns a wobbly smile toward Cullen.

And then -- still taking care with the letter -- he drags him into a fierce hug.