[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]

"Changed your mind?" he inquires, innocent.

[bringspeopletogether]

"For now." Cheerfully content. "You did say something about wanting peace and quiet."

[howtoactfereldan]

"And I appreciate it." Cullen pats his hand. "Now shh."

[bringspeopletogether]

"Yes, ser."

Grinning, he gives Cullen a light squeeze.

"Love you. Rest well."

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen settles back against him with a quiet sigh.

"I love you." Low.

[bringspeopletogether]

It's only the promise to maintain peace and quiet that stops Alistair from saying something terribly mushy. (Nothing Cullen hasn't heard before, really.)

Instead, he drops one last kiss on the nape of Cullen's neck, smiling, and closes his eyes.

[howtoactfereldan]

He can, he supposes, feel safe, now. Corypheus is gone, Lavellan is coming home, and the sky won't swallow them whole.

And Alistair is keeping watch.

Cullen slides into sleep faster than he'd expected.

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair dozes alongside, slipping in and out of sleep like an idle summer's nap. No nightmares. No panic. Just relaxation, and contentment, and Cullen nearby whenever he stirs.

After a few hours, he's roused by a faint creak from the ladder. He lifts his head just as Kieran appears over its top; shaping a tiny smile, Alistair whispers, "Hello."

"Hello," Kieran whispers back.

"Everything all right?"

Kieran nods. "I forgot one of my books, is all."

Alistair manages to keep his smile from growing too much, and his voice from being anything but casual. "How's Samantha?"

"She's all right," Kieran says. Turns out that when his son starts to blush, his ears go red at the tips just like Alistair's; Alistair will never, ever say a word about that.

(At least not until Morrigan's back.)

Book successfully retrieved, Kieran wanders off again. Alistair laughs, near-silently, and resettles himself alongside Cullen.

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen doesn't stir then.





He does later, face flinching, fingers flexing. He curls in on himself, as though to ward off blows.

(It can't be real, that they won. Surely everything's going to crack open soon.)

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair surfaces: slowly, at first, and then far more rapidly when he realizes what woke him. He takes one of Cullen's hands, twining their fingers fast together.

"Cullen." Low. "Wake up."

[howtoactfereldan]

He's shaking his head, breath rasping in the back of his throat; whether it's because he hears Alistair, or because of whatever it is he's seeing, is unclear.

(He's seen the depictions of red lyrium growing in Crestwood, the Hinterlands, the Emprise; he saw the glow, at Haven. Now they're in Skyhold's cellars.)

[bringspeopletogether]

A bit louder: "Cullen."

His free hand goes to the crown of Cullen's head.

"It's all right. You're safe. Breathe. Wake up."

[howtoactfereldan]

With a gasp, Cullen opens his eyes. Whether he's seeing anything in front of him is debatable.

"In the cellars," he manages.

[bringspeopletogether]

Calm, and steady: "What is?"

He doesn't let go of Cullen's fingers; his other hand smooths over his hair.

[howtoactfereldan]

"Red lyrium. I have to go -- "

[bringspeopletogether]

The last thing he wants to do, when Cullen is in this state, is prevent him from going somewhere. But --

Alistair takes a breath, releases it.

Still calm, he says, "I haven't heard about any red lyrium in the cellars. Here -- look at me a moment?"

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen flinches.

He turns toward Alistair, but doesn't -- can't -- meet his eyes.

[bringspeopletogether]

"It's all right."

Quiet. His hand moves lower to cradle Cullen's cheek.

"If you want to go look, I'll come with you."

[howtoactfereldan]

No, he almost says, because they're celebrating.

Why are they celebrating? he wonders.

And then --

It clicks.





Cullen leans into Alistair's touch; he might also be trying to hide his face.

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair's all right with that. He strokes his thumb along Cullen's cheek; kisses his hair, after a moment.

He doesn't say anything else yet.

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen doesn't particularly want to say anything.

He indulges himself for another moment, and then mutters, "Sometimes I wish you weren't so kind to me."

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair's mouth quirks.

Gentle, and without recrimination, he murmurs, "It's one of my failings, I know."

[howtoactfereldan]

I don't deserve it, he nearly says -- but he knows how that will go over.

Instead he pulls away, sitting up, hands dangling between his knees. He lowers his head, eyes half-lidded.

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair sits up as well.

He doesn't scoot closer, but, after a pause, he touches Cullen's back, resting a hand between his shoulder blades.

(He's trying not to look too worried, and...he's pretty much failing.)

[howtoactfereldan]

"I'm fine," he says, almost immediately. "Go back to sleep."