Time was a monster he could not defeat. It stood fast against him at every turn no matter how hard he fought. Cullen could do nothing but endure its onslaught as it tried to crush him under its weight. Time would not not relent but neither could he.
Every moment was perfect agony as he felt time drag its blades across his heart. Each pass cut him deeper and he was sure the next would be the one to finish him. He felt bloody and torn, but he continued on. He'd do it for her.
A thousand prayers fell from his lips as he gazed beyond Skyhold towards the Breach. He prayed that he would see her come through the gate with victory in her wake. He prayed that he wouldn't instead watch her body being carried back to him. That hope and those fears traded blows within as the horizon stayed empty.
The torture, the pain and the suffering he had known in his life paled in comparison to the idea of a life without her. Her laughter in his ears, her kisses on his lips, her body close to his, her heart beating in time with his own, and all of it gone from him forever. That was torture. That was pain. That was suffering. He had never felt it so keenly in his life until she was beyond his reach.
It was all too much for one man to bear. He felt the tension start to break when he heard the cry go up in the yard below. His heart slammed to a halt. Someone was coming to the gate. Time held its breath.
He moved in as if in a dream as the portcullis opened excruciatingly slow. He walked down the stairs as figures walked into Skyhold. Every thought, hope, and fear hung in the air before shattering against the cry of victory.
The world began to turn and time finally bowed in defeat. There at the head of the beaten, battered group she stood, alive and whole.
Maker's breath, she was alive. She had come back to him.
The look in her eyes burned away every doubt, every fear, every ounce of pain he had carried since she left. All that that remained was the deep, unyielding love he had for her. His name was on her lips. He gave up every pretense of dignity and ran to her.
He swept her up into his arms and held her as if she were the only thing keeping him tethered to this world. His face was in her hair, her neck as he breathed her in. She smelled of sweat, leather, blood and tears, but it was her. It was her.
Her name dropped from his lips like fervent prayers. He held on tight as her arms snaked around his neck. Maker knew he wasn't going to ever let her go again. She had returned to him and nothing was going to get between them any longer.
Her eyes were bright with unshed tears. He brushed them away with a shaking thumb. His lips pressed to hers as the agonizing wait that had separated them fell away into dust. The weight was gone from his heart and for the first time there were shadows over them.
A chasm was left where time had stood still. On one side there was the uncertainty they had faced and the battles they had fought. On the other was limitless potential that awaited their hand to shape it. It felt like a new age had dawned in as the Elder One fell. He had no idea what it might hold, but all that mattered was that they would be together for it. That was all he needed.
She smiled up at him and brushed a hand over his cheek, bringing his thoughts back to the present and the woman he loved. Looking into her eyes he finally found just the right words to start this new age with her.
"Welcome home."