[sandbox]

[bringspeopletogether]

Back to Skyhold. Back to work.

Alistair resumes training with the Chargers a few days after his and Cullen's return; the company got back from Halamshiral just before the Basin group showed up, Bull explains, so he was giving them a rest before picking up exercises again. Krem fills Alistair in on all the details as they're exchanging blows. Some of it is just Orlesian Worst Game Ever nonsense, but since it ends with a whole lot of shamefaced nobles with no mercenaries to their names, Alistair's pretty damn pleased.

(Maybe he can get the new mercenaries in on his plan to dress up the training dummies in Orlesian garb. Hmmmmmm.)

Cullen's in a war room meeting by the time Alistair's done. He throws some water on his face and heads for the kitchens -- maybe he can split a small meal with Kieran before Morrigan's return.

Comments

[howtoactfereldan]

"I should sleep. Get it over with." He doesn't mean it to sound bitter. "So I can put that face back on."

[bringspeopletogether]

"All right."

Alistair raises himself higher so he can press a light kiss to Cullen's forehead.

"Just remember," soft, "you don't have to keep the face on around me, if you need to put it down."

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen lets out a disbelieving harrumph.

He pulls Alistair closer, over along the side of the chair, so he can lean his head against Alistair's middle.

"I keep thinking -- how many more calamities can one man manage to live through?"

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair lets himself be pulled, willingly, and wraps his arms around Cullen once they're both settled.

"If we're lucky," he sighs, "this'll be the last for a while."

(Or forever.)

"It isn't fair. And even if nothing in life is fair, that doesn't change the lack-of-fairness bit at all."

[howtoactfereldan]

A beat.

"I meant more," wry, "that more calamities are inevitable, and the likelihood of living through them is diminishing by the moment."

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair huffs a self-deprecating laugh. "There's also that, yes."

One hand finds its way to Cullen's hair; he strokes his thumb along his temple, absently.

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen sighs a little, relaxing under Alistair's hands. He closes his eyes.






"I'm going to guess," softly, "you'd prefer I kept it together around Kieran. That's certainly my own preference."

To be clear: this is what Cullen regards as 'not keeping it together.'

[bringspeopletogether]

"Yes."

His thumb continues to move, slowly, slowly.

"He's...better, today. I think. He didn't attach himself to my side like yesterday, anyway. But he's quite worried about Morrigan. There were tears; more than once."

A beat.

Quieter, "I don't know what he could see, or do, before that -- thing with the eluvian. But I'm fairly certain whatever it was would've helped him now. And he doesn't have it anymore. He's blinded, or...whatever, on top of everything."

[howtoactfereldan]

"Mm."





"Given how well-adjusted he was before that episode... if that's an Old God, Corypheus certainly gives Dumat a bad name."

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair sputters out a laugh, in spite of himself, and bends to press his face to Cullen's hair.

[howtoactfereldan]

In response, Cullen brings his arms around Alistair, at last.

...the back of Alistair's legs, considering the angle, but still.

[bringspeopletogether]

Good enough for Alistair.

He kisses the top of Cullen's head. "I love you," he whispers.

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen murmurs it back in response.

Then:

"Don't think I haven't noticed you become far more affectionate after I make a horrible joke."

[bringspeopletogether]

Comfortably:

"I like to think that in a tumultuous world, I'm one of your few points of predictability."

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen's snort is nowhere near dignified.

That said: he doesn't deny it.

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair grins, and ruffles Cullen's hair.

"To bed?"

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen nods.

Reluctantly.

"I suppose."

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair drops one more kiss on Cullen's forehead, tightens his hold briefly, then -- with some reluctance of his own -- lets go.

Only long enough to take Cullen's hand, though.

[howtoactfereldan]

This time Cullen links their fingers together.

"If we're enterprising," he says, thoughtful, "we can avoid the hall."

[bringspeopletogether]

"And I'm certainly in an enterprising mood." He squeezes Cullen's hand. "Come on."

They wind their way through the cellars; through the back halls; up and down stairs that eventually send them to the battlements. The gathering in the hall sounds as if it's gotten more raucous since their departure. All the way back to the tower, it's possible to pick up the melody of every song Leliana plays.

Including the opening strains of "Andraste's Mabari," which makes Alistair groan and throw a betrayed look over his shoulder toward the hall.

[howtoactfereldan]

"You probably weren't there for the beginning, when she picked up the lute to begin with. She tried it on me." Darkly.

[bringspeopletogether]

"Fiend," he mutters. (With all due fondness.) "Too bad Corypheus isn't Fereldan. She could've just played that, waited until he burst into tears, and offed him before he recovered."

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen gives Alistair a sidelong look.

"I'm trying to decide whether it's a very bad idea to make sure you know the history of your ancestors. Ferelden wasn't around back then."

[bringspeopletogether]

"Didn't I just say he's not Fereldan?" Lofty. "Never mind that no one was Fereldan back then."

[howtoactfereldan]

"The Alamarri weren't around back then."