[sandbox]

[bringspeopletogether]

The letter he finally sends is maybe a little more impolitic than it ought to be, but if he doesn't send something now, he'll still be writing when his Calling arrives.



Fiona,

Ivette Cousland is looking for you. The name might ring a bell. Hero of Ferelden? Slayed the Archdemon some years ago?

Anyway. She's not having any luck, so I thought I'd try my hand at getting in touch.

Cousland's been searching for a cure for the Calling these past five years or so; she even retired as Warden-Commander of Vigil's Keep so she could pursue her research better. She knows your leaving the Wardens wasn't like mine. You didn't just walk away from Weisshaupt: you managed to un-Join somehow, with no ill effects. You're our last, best lead on the matter, so you can understand why she's rather eager to speak to you. It's very likely she doesn't have much time left, what with it being almost a decade and a half since her Joining and living through a Blight.

Frankly, I don't expect I have much time left, either.

Cullen and I are in South Reach these days. I'll always know where to find Cousland, if you'd rather speak with her directly. For all our sakes, I hope you'll be in touch.

--Alistair





Two weeks later, a raven knocks its beak against their window frame.

This is a matter best discussed in person, says the note attached to its leg. I can be to South Reach by the end of the month.

It's signed only with the letter F. Alistair spends the next few hours talking up a nervous storm, hands digging in his hair, half anxious, half furious. (This is exactly what he didn't want: for her to read this as an overture. For her to think she could have any claim to Alistair's time, Alistair's space, outside of giving him and Cousland the information they needed.)

Then he writes a letter to Cousland and sends the raven on its way.

Comments

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair nods.

With Cullen's penchant for math treatises and Alistair's penchant for doodling, a quill and a scrap of paper are never hard to find. Going back to bed, he writes, and hesitates. Some quip about this being the sort of morning that requires returning to bed well before midday is...it feels like he should include it, but he can't shape the joke properly.

Thank you for your help, he writes instead. Steal all the snacks from the larder that you'd like.

He leaves it in prominent view on the kitchen table and slumps toward the bedroom.

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen looks up from his seat on the edge of the bed, shirtsleeves rolled up.

Geoffrey sits — lounges — atop Alistair’s pillow as though he owns the place.

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair aims a tired smile at Cullen...and then he spots Geoffrey.




Slowly dissolving into laughter, he sinks next to his husband and lets his head list onto his shoulder.

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen slips an arm about his shoulders

“You’ll have to move him,” he murmurs. “I’m terrified of his wrath, you know.”

[bringspeopletogether]

"Oh yes," he giggles. "I can tell."

He can't say why Geoffrey sitting there on his pillow is the funniest thing in the world to him right now. He's just -- it's been a long couple of weeks, planning all this, thinking of few things but the Calling, then being around Fiona (even if she wasn't awful) and learning there's a chance he might survive beyond the next few years after all --

It's been a lot. And Cullen loves him enough to do silly things like buy him a stuffed golem and claim he's terrified of it. Right after the living reminder of Alistair being abandoned as a child gets up, bids them all good day, and heads out the door.

It's a lot, and he's so relieved, beyond articulation, to be here in this room with Cullen.

[howtoactfereldan]

“Quaking in my boots,” he agrees, rubbing Alistair’s back. “Quaked right out of them, in fact.”

With his free hand he points to where said boots are neatly lined up together.

[bringspeopletogether]

"I'll -- " Snicker. "I'll protect you, love, don't worry."

He wraps an arm around Cullen's middle. (Clinging a bit, in contrast to the laughter.)

"I'm sure Geoffrey's very proud of himself for striking such fear in your heart."

[howtoactfereldan]

“Very accomplished for such a small golem,” Cullen agrees, squeezing Alistair.

[bringspeopletogether]

It takes a little effort to stretch toward his pillow without breaking their embrace, but Alistair manages it: he snags Geoffrey and tucks him under his free arm.

"Well done," he informs the toy. "Now, stay there a moment."

How tightly did he lace up his boots this morning? Hopefully not so tightly that he can't toe them off without letting go of Cullen or Geoffrey. Time to find out!

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen watches this process, amused.

“You know,” he murmurs into Alistair’s ear, “neither one of us is going anywhere. You could let go. It would be much faster.”

[bringspeopletogether]

With his heel stuck firmly in the ankle of one boot, Alistair pauses. The tips of his ears go red.

"Well," he says, lightly, "you've always been a brilliant tactician. I suppose I'll give it a try."

He eases away from Cullen just enough to pick the laces of his boots free.

[howtoactfereldan]

“You know what makes me truly brilliant?”

Now that he’s a little more free, Cullen eases off the bed and kneels in front of Alistair, taking the heel of his boot in hand.

“Let me do this while you protect me from that fearsome creature. I’d rather you concentrated on that.”

[bringspeopletogether]

A soft exhalation of laughter. "If you insist."

He settles back, Geoffrey restrained against him lest he make a leap for freedom (this looks remarkably like tucking Geoffrey back under one arm), and watches Cullen work.

After a moment, still quiet: "Thank you for looking after me."

[howtoactfereldan]

It would be easy to be flip. Easier to be gruff.

(It hasn’t escaped Cullen, not at all, that for all Alistair’s pushing Cullen toward his family... Alistair isn’t willing to give Fiona a chance at a civil conversation. Telling Alistair I think later you might regret not speaking with her is as far as Cullen plans to go, but he’s also not good or kind enough to refrain from thinking, Not so easy, is it.)

Instead, Cullen pulls off Alistair’s left boot and begins to pick at the laces on his right. He pauses long enough to look up.

No louder: “You deserve it.”

[bringspeopletogether]

That earns Cullen a small, sweet smile.

Gently, Alistair rests a hand on Cullen's head, absently brushing aside a few of his curls.

[howtoactfereldan]

Just a moment’s pause — long enough to lean into Alistair’s touch — before Cullen slowly eases off the right boot, placing it next to the left.

“All right.” Softly. “Let’s have a good lie-in.”

[bringspeopletogether]

"Another brilliant plan, executed with perfect timing."

He sets Geoffrey on the nightstand to keep watch; offers a hand to Cullen to pull him up onto the bed.

[howtoactfereldan]

He hauls himself up with Alistair’s aid, and flicks a very deliberate and obvious glance at Geoffrey.

Then, Cullen very pointedly circles the bed — away from Geoffrey — and flops down on his back.

(Grinning, a little.)

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair breaks into soft laughter again.

"Ridiculous, wonderful man," he murmurs, nestling close to drape an arm across Cullen's chest. "I love you. So much."

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen brings his arms around Alistair. Peaceful: “I haven’t the slightest idea what you’re talking about, Theirin. Nothing about me is ridiculous.”

[bringspeopletogether]

"Right. Of course not."

He tips his head enough to kiss the edge of Cullen's jaw.

"How could I have forgotten. It's my job to be the ridiculous one."

[howtoactfereldan]

“Too right,” Cullen agrees, and threads his fingers through Alistair’s hair. “All I do are the minor feats of domestic engineering. And those are far from ridiculous.”

[bringspeopletogether]

"True," he sighs, molding himself against Cullen. "Quite the opposite, really. That water pump has become one of the best features of the house."

Beat.

"Not counting your arse, of course."

[howtoactfereldan]

“Of course,” Cullen agrees. “Now, one might argue that my arse isn’t a feature of the house, so much as it is a feature of me.”

[bringspeopletogether]

"And a lovely feature at that." Serene. "It's always a feature of you, but could you argue that it's also a feature of the house whenever you're indoors?"