[sandbox]

[bringspeopletogether]

Skyhold gets quieter and quieter as the days move on. It's not a complete stand-down; there's cleanup to do, stragglers to round up, the same sort of business Alistair remembers from the months after the Blight. The Thaw, as Wardens call it. Thedas is thawing again, but the fortress only grows colder for it.

He won't lie: he'd feel warmer if Kieran and Morrigan were still there.

When Cullen suggests a vacation, Alistair lights up, only to deflate slightly when he realizes they'll be "vacationing" in Orlais. There's business to attend in Val Royeaux -- not the sort of business that'll keep Cullen occupied from sunup to sundown, but enough to require an in-person visit for a week or so. On the one hand: Orlais. On the other: he can't argue that time away from Skyhold, especially in Cullen's company, will help.

...So will the cheese, probably.

(Look, as Alistair has said many a time, he is a very predictable man.)

They room at a small place in the university quarter that's downright plain for Val Royeaux. Libraries for Cullen, a cafe around the corner for both of them, limited contact with people trilling about whatever stupid, petty scandal's hit the court this week -- it could be far worse. Alistair takes to writing his letters at the cafe, usually accompanied by some flaky pastry or another.

Today, they're cheese-filled. It's hard to descend too far into a personal funk when you've got a cheese-filled pastry.

Comments

[bringspeopletogether]

"And they seem to have attached themselves to you as well." Solemn, as he rests his head on Cullen's shoulder. "Extremely frightening."

[howtoactfereldan]

"Ah, well."

Cullen closes his eyes.

"It was a good run."

[bringspeopletogether]

"I promise," says Alistair loyally, "I will always love you no matter how many lumpy you might get."

[howtoactfereldan]

"Can't do this any more once they take over," he points out.

[bringspeopletogether]

"Don't doubt my perseverance."

Light, smiling, as he presses a kiss to Cullen's shoulder.

"I'd find a way."

[howtoactfereldan]

"I'm still cutting you off if you go over." Peaceful.

[bringspeopletogether]

"Ugh."

Contrary to the noise he makes, however, Alistair snuggles closer.

"Fine. A burden I'll have to bear for the sake of my delicious, dairy-filled future, I suppose."

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen carefully pats Alistair's hair.

[bringspeopletogether]

To which Alistair wrinkles his nose, but doesn't protest.

Protesting too strenuously, after all, would involve moving.

[howtoactfereldan]

"Now go to sleep," he murmurs. "Or pretend."

[bringspeopletogether]

He huffs a tiny laugh.

(His only tell: his arm tightens around Cullen, a little.)

"Too much talking?" Amused.

[howtoactfereldan]

"...yes."

It comes out a little plaintive.

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair muffles another laugh against Cullen's shoulder. "All right."

He closes his eyes.

"Less talking, more resting. Love you."

[howtoactfereldan]

"You too. Now shh."

He plans to lie awake and think. Difficult to do when Alistair is droning on about cheese. Some droning is fine. But Cullen, though he's a ashamed of it, has his limits.

[bringspeopletogether]

Just be glad he didn't start listing the wares of every cheesemonger in a two-mile radius, ranked alphabetically and then best to worst.

(The vacation is still young. It could happen.)

Soon enough, Alistair falls into a light doze.




Perhaps half an hour later, he twitches hard enough to knee Cullen in the leg. His eyes snap open.

Within moments, he's worked free of Cullen and put a foot of space between them; sitting up, he puts his elbows on his knees and digs his hands into his hair.

[howtoactfereldan]

It's early yet for nightmares. They usually come closer to morning -- coming out of the depths of slumber.

So Cullen doesn't move at all. And doesn't say anything, just yet. If it's different, it -- bears watching, first.

[bringspeopletogether]

He can't breathe. Why can't he --

There's water by the basin, he remembers. (There's a basin. He's -- not somewhere safe, but somewhere with water.)

Alistair pushes himself out of bed, unsteadily. He pours water from the pitcher into one cupped palm, sucking it down like he's spent a week in the Hissing Wastes. Another palmful to splash on his face; another for the back of his neck, up into his hair.

He scrubs his face more than necessary once that's done.

(Cullen didn't move. Maybe Alistair got lucky and didn't wake him up -- ?)

[howtoactfereldan]

It's not that he's sick. That's good.

Now Cullen sits up, shoving the covers down, sitting crosslegged.

Quietly, he says, "Can I help with that?"

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair flinches; puts his back to the wall without thinking as he whirls toward the voice.

Cullen. Right.

He has to breathe, damn it.

Hoarse: "With what?"

[howtoactfereldan]

"The water." He doesn't move yet. "If you'd like some more."

[bringspeopletogether]

Oh.

All right, that -- that does sound helpful.

Alistair nods, carefully. Other than that, he doesn't move either.

[howtoactfereldan]

"You weren't asleep for very long," Cullen says, edging toward standing. "It's not late. Would you rather come with me to the kitchen? If not, I can bring more water back here."

[bringspeopletogether]

Stay or go, stay or go -- he has to shut his eyes so he can try to focus. To think.

"Kitchen," he decides, after a few too many seconds.

Being left alone sounds like a worse proposition than moving somewhere else. He thinks. Maybe.

[howtoactfereldan]

"All right." He keeps his voice low, and is the first to move to the door. It means turning his back on Alistair; it hasn't escaped Cullen that the first thing Alistair did when Cullen spoke was position himself for defense.

As he pads down the hall: "I could use a nice cup of tea myself."

[bringspeopletogether]

If he follows Cullen down the hallway, he won't be able to see anything behind them. Something could attack in a matter of seconds. There's no escape.

He stands, rooted to the floor, struggling to breathe. When Cullen is nearly to the kitchen, Alistair follows, quickly.