Kuranas fingertips felt dry as they scraped the stone walls. From the battlements, she could see rivers of white splashing against jagged mountain tops. She backed away, slowly. She only noticed she was shaking after she had been stopped by the other side. Her heart throbbed and stomach turned as she looked over that side as well. Almost having a fit of anxiety, she sat down. The sun-roasted stone warmed her and made her feel safe. She had just let out a sigh of relief when Cullen finally made it to their meeting.
Kurana laughed, the sweat made her deep, red hair stick to her pale face, made paler by the sight of the valley below the fortress. "I'm afraid you caught me lounging, Commander." She wiped the sweat from her brow. Despite her finding it terribly cold here, she was always somewhat sweaty.
He offered her a hand up but she denied. His blonde brows furrowed at first but soon he just chuckled and sat beside her. "A secret weakness, my dear?," he asked. His curls ruffled in the wind. "Was Haven less daunting?"
"Don't tell anyone," she pleaded weakly. She rested her head on the furry shawl that always adorned his broad shoulders.
He held her sweaty, delicate hand in his own callused hand. It felt strange and somewhat awkward to him, seeing as she lacked her smallest finger. He attempted to ignore it. He promised, "I won't. However, he might have heard already."
Kurana huffed. "Would you lay off him? He can't help it." She shifted uncomfortably, as if it physically pained her to argue with him. "It feels like everyone's yelling at him." She winced.
"I didn't mean…," Cullen stammered, the way he so often did in her presence. He always wished last moment to take back things he said. "I just wanted to talk to you. About Haven."
She nodded, welcoming the talk but also dreading it. The familiar fear returned. "What do you want to know?" She was exhilarated. She wanted to tell someone.
"I just…," he began, but his face grew stern. For a few moments he mimicked the very stone they sat upon. "…want to make sure you never give your life up like that again."
Her muscles relaxed from their nervous tension. He continued, "You got out alive, yes, but if you hadn't… Your life is precious."
"Any more precious than the life of a son, a sister?," she grunted as she stood. "A father?"
He stood as well, looking out at the world. He took a moment to appreciate the view she could not. "You are what holds us up. You are the strength and initiative that binds us. You walked alone through the blistering winds of the mountain pass after facing Corypheus and an archdemon. It's almost inhuman." He blinked as he searched for words. Finally, his brown eyes settled on her blue eyes. He gently grasped both her shoulders. "Your life is what gives them hope. It is what keeps them sturdy. It means so much to everyone." His gaze hovered at her lips. "To me." He pulled her into a kiss. She relaxed and caressed her jaw. She could sense his trust even greater than his passion.
She slipped away without a word, hurrying along the steps. 'Keep it in,' she urged herself. Cassandra gave pause upon seeing her, which only made her walk faster. Her lungs were about to burst when she entered the Inquisitor's Hall. She ignored Varrics call over and rushed to her quarters.
Once safe in her bedroom she slammed the door shut behind her and leaned upon it, heaving with sobs. A sudden poof of smoke made her jump. "Massive glass column, crumbling, cracking, creaking, but everyone thinks it's made of iron." He twiddled his thumbs at the sight of her red, puffy eyes. "Like an ancient building, barely braving bold, breaking winds. Ancient but still so young." He grew more uncomfortable the longer she stared silently, tears still pouring from her eyes. "I could hear the fear, daunting heights, and I listened. Then Cullen made it better, then worse. You were very fast hard to fol-"
"What do you want, Cole?," she demanded through grit teeth. He stepped closer.
"I want to help. You have so much fear. I can make it better. I can try." He looked from under the brim of his hat. "Impossible deeds. Just dumb luck. Make it up as I go. Burning, bleeding, breaking away." He took both her shoulders and looked in her eyes. He made his voice deep and recited, "'It means so much to everyone. To me.'" Kurana had half a second before she knew where this was going. He kissed her, only to be pushed away and slapped across his gaunt cheek.
"Cole! Why would you do that?"
"It made you happy when Cullen did it. Made the pain go away," he explained and rubbed his cheek, which was reddening from the impact. "Perhaps he did it better. Let me try again." He raised his hand to make her forget, but she grasped his wrist. He lowered it slowly. "All right."
She backed up into the door and slid down it. "Cole, a kiss is something you share with someone you… Never mind."
"Weak knees. Weak ankles. Can't stand for too long. No savior but a sick, sad, shaking sister. Nerves gnawing at my knees." Cole nodded decidedly and stated, "I can help." He knelt down to face her and continued to recite her thoughts. "My military man, mage-hunter, mister scratchy face, like a cat's tongue."
Kurana yawned weakly and protested, "Don't tell Cullen my thoughts please." Her eyelids shut for a few seconds and when she opened them again, her arm was over his thin shoulders. He was steadily but surely walking up the steps.
"He thinks about you a lot too. Sometimes bare. But I don't think he'd like me telling you that." By the time they reached the top of the steps, she was fast asleep.
