I've written another piece of smutty fan-fiction taking place in the Dragon Age realm. A small note: Typically I stick to canon sexualities, but these two characters developed such a deep emotional bond, that it turned into a love they found they felt for each other.
This piece was written as a gift for Chantelle, as part of the rewards for the Dragon Age Day Tiltify donations.
The excerpt is safe for work, and the short story is password protected for those who wish to venture forth into reading this piece of smut.
Alistair and Cullen begin to regard each other in a way they never thought possible
when they develop a deep emotional bond.
Alistair walked beneath the raised portcullis of the Inquisition’s fortress, following Hawke and the Inquisitor. He looked around, noting how impressive Skyhold was up close.
‘Ah, you’ve returned,’ a familiar voice said.
Alistair perked up, feeling a wave of joy as Cullen approached their group. He waited for Cullen to finish updating Inquisitor Areoelle, then Cullen turned to him and smiled.
‘Alistair Theirin.’
‘Cullen Rutherford. I hear it’s Commander now. Well done, my friend.’
The two clasped hands and clapped each other’s backs.
‘We have to stop meeting like this,’ said Alistair.
‘First Kinloch Hold, then Kirkwall, now here,’ said Cullen. ‘And demons just keep popping out of nowhere.’
‘First in the Circle Tower, then in the city, and now right out of the sky,’ said Alistair.
‘Makes you wonder if we’re ever going to quell demons long enough to keep them from popping up again,’ said Hawke.
‘That’s why you’re all here,’ said Areoelle. ‘If we can find a way to stop Corypheus, we will.’
‘Come, come. We have much to discuss.’ Cullen led the way up the steps, as the Inquisitor put him up to speed on their discoveries. ‘I’m sure you have much to discuss on the matter amongst yourselves. I’ll leave you to it. Let me know if you need anything from me, Inquisitor.’ He turned to Hawke and nodded. ‘A pleasure as always.’ He looked towards Alistair. ‘Come find me later; we’ll catch up.’
He turned and headed towards one of Skyhold’s towers. Alistair found himself feeling somewhat wistful. He shrugged it off, focusing on the matter at hand.
* * *
There was a knock at the door.
‘Come in.’ Cullen stopped pacing and looked up from his parchment. ‘Alistair!’ He was pleased the former Templar had taken him up on his offer for a catch-up. ‘It’s always good to see you.’ Cullen placed the parchment on his desk.
‘We seem to have odd jobs that somehow always bring us to the same place, at some point.’ Alistair had a smile on his face, but Cullen knew with what was happening at the moment, he must be having a difficult time of it.
‘How are you, truly?’ he asked, sobering.
‘Honestly? Sometimes I just want to bash my head into a wall,’ replied Alistair.
‘That bad?’
‘The echoing voices aren’t the worst part of it,’ said Alistair. ‘It’s the dreams. And it’s not even a real Calling.’
‘I’m sorry.’ He walked over to where Alistair stood and leaned back on his desk. ‘We knew Corypheus was dangerous, but this…’ He shook his head. The warden gave him a wan smile. Cullen reached for a bottle on one of the bookshelves behind him. ‘Brandy?’
‘Yes, please!’ Alistair chuckled. He inclined his head and Cullen followed his gaze to the broken shards of a lyrium bottle. He met his gaze.
‘I’ve stopped.’ Cullen was resolute in his decision and no longer wavering. Alistair’s eyes widened momentarily. ‘I wanted to break all ties to that past.’
Cullen uncorked the bottle of brandy and poured some into two glasses.
‘Then I suppose it’s my turn to ask you how you’re doing,’ said Alistair.
Cullen handed him one of the glasses. ‘I feel like ramming my entire body into a wall.’ Cullen tried to suppress a smile, but couldn’t help but feel relieved he could share openly with his fellow former Templar.
‘To bashing heads and ramming walls,’ said Alistair, raising his glass. Cullen echoed the toast, chuckling. ‘And to dashing gentlemen.’
‘That we are.’ Cullen smiled.
The two sipped in silence for a moment. The brandy was warm in Cullen’s throat, coating it thickly, unlike lyrium, though stinging on the tongue just enough to help let the craving pass.
Cullen opened his mouth to speak, and the two began talking at once. They stopped, laughing. Cullen took another sip, letting the other man speak. Even with all that was going on, Alistair was enthusiastic, much as Cullen remembered him from earlier encounters. It wasn’t that they had become friends as it were, but life always seemed to put them in each other’s paths. Cullen did appreciate the warden’s company, and couldn’t help notice that Alistair’s smile reassured him.
* * *
The night air was crisp as the wind hit Alistair’s cheeks. Leaning over the parapet, Alistair closed his eyes, breathing in the fresh scent of the Frostbacks. Afar, he heard someone shouting.
Alistair craned his neck, listening.
‘Get off me, you demon!’
‘That’s Cullen!’ Alistair gasped. Unsheathing his sword, he ran to the commander’s office; Cullen kept shouting in distress. Alistair kicked open the door, brandishing his sword, but only found Cullen in the room. He was sitting in his chair, his head had lolled back, and his body kept tensing as he mumbled and shouted.
Letting out the breath he realised he’d been holding in, Alistair sheathed his sword and walked to Cullen’s side. He placed a hand on the man’s shoulder to steady him.
‘Cullen. Cullen! Wake up.’
‘No, I won’t let you torture me, you fiend!’
‘It’s me, it’s Alistair. Cullen!’ Alistair gently shook Cullen.
Jerking awake, Cullen shouted out, sitting upright. ‘Unhand me!’ He lifted his arm, his hand in a fist, then his eyes widened.
‘It’s all right, Cullen. You’re all right.’ Alistair soothed.
‘Alistair!’ Cullen let out a shaky breath. Sweat dripped down the side of his face. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘I heard you shouting,’ said Alistair. ‘Gave me a right fright, you did. Came ready to rescue you, you poor damsel.’
‘I, uh…heh. Thanks.’ Cullen shifted, leaning his elbows on his desk. ‘I was having a nightmare.’
‘Yes, I think I heard something about demons.’ Alistair elongated the word humorously, trying to make light of the situation. Cullen deflated. Alistair pulled up a chair and sat next to him. He placed a hand on Cullen’s shoulder. ‘You want to talk about it?’
Cullen’s eyes deceived a yearning Alistair had never seen in him before. ‘I have never been able to speak of the horrors I saw at the Circle or in Kirkwall.’ He looked down at his hands. Gritting his teeth, Cullen balled his hands into fists. ‘What the mages did to me, what I had to do to them… Everything that Mederith commanded me to do that I blindly obeyed because I thought it was the right thing to do.’ Cullen looked at Alistair. ‘I was wrong. What happened was wrong; what I did was wrong. It haunts me every day.’
‘These things tend to,’ said Alistair. ‘But you’re not alone.’
Cullen’s lips slowly curled into a warm smile. Alistair felt a tingle in his stomach, and he stared back at the man until the two let out a short laugh, turning away.
‘Did you really come to my rescue?’ asked Cullen, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms.
‘Would you have preferred I left you to fend off demons on your own?’ Alistair returned the amused smile.
‘You don’t think that I, Cullen Stanton Rutherford, Commander of the Inquisition, can defeat a horde of demons?’
‘I think that I, Alistair Theirin, bastard son of the late King Maric Theirin and Grey Warden, can defeat a larger horde of demons.’
‘Oh-ho!’ laughed Cullen. He chuckled and playfully shoved Alistair.
‘There, all better?’
Cullen beamed at Alistair, his eyes tender. ‘Yes. All better.’
Again, the two men glanced fondly at each other for a long moment before turning away.
‘I should probably get back to reading reports,’ said Cullen, scratching the back of his neck.
‘They must be boring if you fell asleep on them,’ replied Alistair. He stood and walked to the door. ‘I’m just down the walkway if you need me.’
‘Thank you.’
Alistair left Cullen’s office, shutting the door behind him. He took a few steps forward before looking back at the door. He smiled. Then he returned to the tower where he was staying, feeling light in his step.
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