smol lion

In the mean time, however, he was just standing near the entrance of the building - looking around and shifting awkwardly from foot to foot not entirely sure what to do with himself. He’d love to reach out, find someone to help him or guide him. But instead there he was, looking around nervously.

Dorian laughs, certainly satisfied with getting a rise out of the Commander.

          ❝ Oh! No, we’re not old friends. I meant              old friend in reference to your age, Commander.              And you can’t lie to me. I know              you were avoiding me like the Blight. ❞

          ❝ My, my! Is someone self absorbed today.              It has nothing to do with the chess              match you so pointedly avoided, don’t              think I didn’t notice. Can’t a man              greet an old friend? ❞

          ❝ Oh, my. You can’t push all your              problems onto others, Commander!              I simply was remarking on your sunny              disposition! I did nothing to affect it in              anyway, I assure you. ❞

          ❝ Commander!! I detest the idea that              I could cause a sour mood at all.              I’m practically a breath of fresh air. ❞

@cullenisms ♥’d for a starter!

          ❝ You know, Commander, people are going to think              you’re actually a nice person if you keep grinning so much. ❞

“This is... a joke, right?”

     ❝ it is a bit late, nothing to worry yourself with, ❞ though he was surprised a warrior like cullen was able to sleep until the sun was high on the sky, especially one plagued by nightmares. but that wasn’t his problem, and he didn’t want to embarrass him by pointing any more of it out. ❝ you work hard, it’s admirable, but remember to take care of yourself. we need a commander who’s capable and well rested, not a nervous man with a lack of sleep. let me cover for you, i’ll tell the other advisers you had business to tend to and you can get your face washed and your armor properly on. ❞ 

     there were many ways he could make a good excuse for him, but he actually planned on behaving, giving cullen the time he needed to adjust to the late morning, then stepped closer to him.  ❝ how’s it going, keeping off lyrium? tell me if it gets too bad, i’ll try to find something to ease it – or to make you sleep better. ❞ he’d never been much of a herbalist, but a sleeping potion would be easy, and if anyone deserved some sleep without disturbance it was cullen. he did enough already. 

      ❝ if it’s nightmares i can give you a dreamless sleep as well, just say the word and i’ll bring it here, more discreet than any of leliana’s spies could ever manage. ❞ and with that he stepped away again, walked towards the door, only turning as his hand was at the door hinge, wondering if cullen really was alright. he’d yet to hear about a templar going off lyrium without any trouble, and he had no idea of what the other was going through, just that he could help him a little. 

“Ah... well, thank you for the thought. But I’m fine,” he said softly, raking a hand through his hair to help continually straighten it. “I’ll uh... let you know if I change my mind,” he said, looking to the side and at the floor. “But I appreciate the thought, really.”

     “as much as that is true i wasn’t the one aiming for the floor,” he said and slipped an arm around cullen again, keeping him from walking much further without help, and he smiled a little at him. he was stupid drunk, but still had fine control of his wit, which he honestly admired. “who says i’m not a gentleman? i know how to behave, and isn’t all a gentleman means, that you do your best to make everyone around you feel at ease? but i do not like tits, not even the word.” 

     not because it’s vulgar, simply because he has no need of them. and he’s far from attracted to them, but he just has to keep the commander talkative, then walk him from the tavern and to his bed. “come on, if you behave i’ll behave,” he said as he walked them towards the door. “wouldn’t want your men to see you like this i’m sure.” and the fresh air would hopefully do him good, so he pushed the door open with his free hand, the other around cullen’s waist, keeping him close to keep him steady as they walked outside. the stars were bright, and he smiled to himself. had the other not been plastered he would have commented on it, but his top priority was to get cullen to bed. 

Cullen unintentionally started leaning against Dorian, a simple side effect of being tipsy combined with having taken a fall. Also, as soon as they got outside it was noticeably colder, of which being closer to the mage helped to counteract. All of this was, of course, subconscious. Walking and speaking at the same time was taking most of Cullen’s faculties at the moment.

☊: Our muses discuss their love lives while very drunk.