[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

[howtoactfereldan]

"And how did you celebrate your promotion?"

[bringspeopletogether]

"By cooing, 'Whoosa good boy?!' at least six times an hour," he says. "And getting a lapful of dog half the time I sat down."

A blissful sigh.

"It was the best three days of the whole Blight."

[howtoactfereldan]

"...low bar to clear."

[bringspeopletogether]

"Very," he agrees without hesitating, and moves a little lower down Cullen's back. "Still, though. You take the moments as you can."

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen lets out a long, shaky sigh, and nods a little. Then he turns his eyes right into his forearm. Easier not to see, somehow.

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair's hand moves up to Cullen's hair again. He cards his fingers through, brief and affectionate, before resuming his work on Cullen's back.

He's kneading more slowly now.

[howtoactfereldan]

"I know this isn't what you had in mind." One more try.

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair smooths his hands over Cullen's shoulders and rests them there.

Soft: "Do you want me to stop?"

[howtoactfereldan]

Immediately he stiffens.

"I -- "

No. No he doesn't.

"I want you to do what you want."

[bringspeopletogether]

"You're allowed to want things for yourself as well."

He doesn't move his hands away.

"Remember?"

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen's breath hitches.






Barely audible:

"Don't stop, then. And keep them away from me."

[bringspeopletogether]

"All right," he whispers. "I will."

He's -- relieved. It's progress. Something like it. (He's also working very hard to keep that relief out of his voice.)

Slowly, Alistair resumes, leaning his palms into the newly-tense areas

[howtoactfereldan]

Gradually Cullen relaxes again.

"This is real," he mumbles. "I know that much."

[bringspeopletogether]

He feels it when the tension starts to ease off; breathes another soundless sigh of relief.

"Yes." A faint smile. "Also outside this room, Orlais, sadly, does continue to exist. But let's focus on the good parts: you, me, and this."

He traces a circle on Cullen's back with his palm.

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen finds himself smiling. Just a little.

"A circle?"

[bringspeopletogether]

"There could also be some lines." Cheerful. "Like so."

The pattern on Cullen's back changes: two parallel lines up Cullen's back, ending at his shoulders.

"Might throw a diamond in there if we want to get really crazy."

[howtoactfereldan]

"I trust you." It comes out on another sigh -- a much easier one; he's finally letting himself relax. "Whatever you pick."

[bringspeopletogether]

"And if it's accompanied by me listing all the strange things Ruff dragged back to camp for us?"

Both hands at the base of Cullen's neck now; smoothed out and down to the bottom of his ribs; together again near the base of his spine.

[howtoactfereldan]

He breathes, in and out. Again.

"The price of safety is often steep."

[bringspeopletogether]

"On occasion," he murmurs, and bends to kiss the back of Cullen's neck. "Not right now, though."

And with that -- wonder of wonders -- Alistair lets the room fall into quiet. (He's having plenty of fun sketching out new, inventive shapes on Cullen's back, anyway.)

[howtoactfereldan]

Whether it's the quiet, Alistair's touch, or some combination, it's not long before Cullen falls asleep.

Peacefully.

[bringspeopletogether]

For several moments after Cullen dozes off, Alistair keeps running his hands along his back: slower, again, tapering off to a light touch at the small of his back. As he lays down beside Cullen, he slips his arm around his waist.

"Love you," he whispers.

And soon enough, he's joined him in sleep.

[howtoactfereldan]

When Cullen wakes, it's dark outside, he's shoved himself up against Alistair, and he's ravenous.

For one brief, giddy moment, he contemplates what might happen if he bit Alistair, in what's clearly a universal signal for 'let me go, I'm hungry.'

Then he thinks better of it, and winkles his arms tight around Alistair instead.

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair makes a small, questioning noise in his sleep -- someone's close, but it's a nice sort of close -- and leans his head against Cullen's.

A few seconds later, he mumbles something that sounds like s'not my birthday though.

[howtoactfereldan]

An opportunity has presented itself.

"Yes it is," Cullen whispers back.