[sandbox]

[bringspeopletogether]

No Orlesian nobles pounded down their door to demand their hound back, so when Alistair and Cullen left Halamshiral, the newly-dubbed Gruyere happily trotted alongside their horses.

A few weeks after -- which included some quiet conversation, a few orders placed with a few merchants, and almost an entire extra pack of gifts slung over one of their mounts -- Gru just as happily trotted along as they turned for South Reach.

Years of correspondence led Alistair to build an elaborate image of Cullen's family in his mind; Mia, perhaps, more fully realized than the others, but everyone with a name and a voice to match their letters. They're...not wholly inaccurate? But Mia's definitely shorter than he expected, and one or two of the children a little louder.

(Mia's voice, however, adopts exactly the pitch he imagined it would when Alistair brings up the whole I'm-your-brother-in-law-now thing.)

It's a nice place. Just the right kind of rambunctious, with all the kids running around; just the right kind of homey.

If only Cullen weren't -- well, reacting more or less precisely how Alistair worried he'd react to the reunion.

Comments

[bringspeopletogether]

"Right then." Sheepish, but cheerful.

Without a moment's hesitation, Alistair straddles Cullen more comfortably and strips off his husband's shirt.

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen does his best to wriggle helpfully.

"You mentioned something about rope, once," he remarks, idle.

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair's mind whites out very pleasantly, his fingers stuttering at the laces of Cullen's trousers.

"So I did." A touch weakly. As he returns to himself, he smirks down at Cullen. "Might have to get out of bed to find some."

[howtoactfereldan]

"If you want," Cullen says, doing it best to make it clear that he is actively trying to be a shithead.

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair snorts.

"Terrible," he informs Cullen, and punctuates it with another thorough kiss. (And another light scratch just below Cullen's navel.) Reluctantly scooting off of him: "I won't be long."

There ought to be an extra bundle of rope in his pack somewhere.

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen shivers, and does his best to hide it.

He pushes himself up, leaning back on his palms. "I, ah -- might have been... listening to Bull talk about this sort of thing."

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair looks up from his pack, eyebrows nearly to his hairline. "Really."

No hope of hiding his smirk now.

"Did he offer any suggestions?"

[howtoactfereldan]

"Not... directly." Cullen is decidedly pink. "Let's just not cut off the bloodflow to my hands, please?"

[bringspeopletogether]

The smirk softens. "Of course," he agrees. "No need to worry about that."

Ah-hah! There it is. Rope in hand, Alistair sauinters back to the bed, looking rather like a cat stalking its prey.

"I'd be interested in...anything else Bull might have said about it."

[howtoactfereldan]

I will not look nervous, Cullen thinks, and tilts his head to the side.

"You could ask him yourself," he says, not even trying to sound anything other than bratty.

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair stifles another laugh. He kneels on the bed, straddling Cullen again.

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather tell me yourself?" he inquires, politely, as he begins unwinding the rope.

[howtoactfereldan]

"Something about how good Dorian looked bound and leashed." Dry. "If you wanted to discuss another man, we should talk about that first."

[bringspeopletogether]

...Yeah, Alistair can't contain the laughter this time.

"No," he manages. "No need for that. You bound and leashed, on the other hand..."

He stretches the rope to its full length.

"That might look nice."

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen's blush extends all the way down to his chest. Yet he continues, doggedly, "And what would you do with me then, exactly?"

[bringspeopletogether]

Bound, leashed, and blushing. Yes, Alistair decides, that would look quite nice indeed.

"Mm. Well." He catches one of Cullen's hands; carefully begins to wind the rope around his wrist. "Right now I expect I'lll take you in my mouth a while. Make sure you're nice and hard before I fuck you properly, just in case I decide I'd rather ride you for a bit instead. Damned shame if I wanted to switch and you weren't ready, after all."

The corner of his mouth curls again.

"Unless you're wondering what I'd do with you outside our bed?"

[howtoactfereldan]

Well. That's certainly enough to get Cullen to spring to attention. Alistair had better not delay in getting his trousers off.

He nudges up against Alistair to make sure he gets the message. Higher-pitched than he'd like: "That's good too."

[bringspeopletogether]

Perfect.

Unfortunately, because Alistair is history's greatest monster, he merely rocks his hips against Cullen's, smirk broadening, before tightening the rope around his wrist. (Not too tight.)

"What if," he says, low, "I led you through town like this? Your hands bound; me holding the rope. Like you were my pet. I'd command you to follow behind me to show them how well you behaved."

The headboard has a loose slat near the top. Alistair threads the rope through it, pulling Cullen's arm above his head.

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen's still got an arm free; he lightly touches Alistair's elbow.

Quiet, a little (only a little) regretful, he says, "Back to the other thing would be better. I'm -- just for you."

It's -- it's the shame. It would be one thing if they were admiring him, praising Alistair. But the shame --

[bringspeopletogether]

Ah.

Alistair's demeanor softens; he catches Cullen's hand, giving it an apologetic squeeze. "All right," he murmurs.

He follows that with a gentle kiss.

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen cradles Alistair's cheek as best he can with his one hand, leaning into it. I'm still in this, he wants to say. I'm still here.

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair breaks the kiss with a soft sigh -- and a soft smile as he regards Cullen. He smooths a hand over his hair.

And then, gently but firmly, he grasps Cullen's free wrist to bring his other arm over his head as well.

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen would do -- well. A lot. He'd do a lot to have Alistair look at him like that.

He bites his lower lip as Alistair works, holding still. Being obedient. His heart might be pounding loud enough for Alistair to hear it; that's what it feels like, anyway

[bringspeopletogether]

"There we are," he murmurs once Cullen's other wrist is bound to the headboard. He sits back a moment, admiring his work -- admiring how Cullen looks, half-naked, arms trussed above his head. "Good man."

He'd definitely look better full-naked, Alistair decides.

So finally -- mercifully -- he finishes undoing the laces of Cullen's trousers, working them (and Cullen) free.

[howtoactfereldan]

A small sigh of relief. He runs his tongue briefly over his lip, where his teeth had purchase -- and laughs, softly. (A little self-consciously.)

"Well, Theirin?" Low. Throaty.

[bringspeopletogether]

"Mm."

With a wicked smile, he eases further down the bed, taking Cullen in hand...and then, as promised, in his mouth, licking a long stripe from base to tip.