Cullen circled the training yard, watching carefully as Gwyn wielded a sword in her hands uncomfortably. Her stance was awkward- her feet not far enough apart, her shoulders too tense. He stood across from her, shaking his head at her form.

"You've got loosen up or you're just asking for someone to pummel you," he sighed, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. Gwyn's face fell in mock surprise.
"How positively rude, Commander. I'm absolutely shocked you would say such a thing in the presence of the almighty Herald!" Gwyn's laughter was short-lived as Cullen executed an unexpected push with his shield. The force knocked Gwyn on her back, causing him to smirk.

"Well, the almighty Herald will only continue to embarrass herself with a sword in hand until she takes me seriously," Cullen instructed, a small smile playing on his lips.
"Fair enough," Gwyn grinned, wiping the snow from her breeches. "Help me up." He held a hand out only to whisk it away with a grin. Gwyn rolled her eyes,
"Oh, piss off, Cullen. Just help me," she groaned.
"You're perfectly capable…" Before he could finish his sentence she was already bringing herself to her feet, still gripping her sword tightly. She readied her stance, a newfound confidence in the way she was carrying herself.
"'Allow Commander Cullen to assist you in practicing your swordplay,' Cass told me. 'He's tough, but really is a gentlemen,' she told me." Gwyn rolled her eyes as she braced herself to strike. Cullen evaded the move only for him to raise an eyebrow.
"A gentlemen?"
"Yeah, still waiting on more proof," Gwyn sighed, wiping sweat from her brow. Her long brown hair was coming loose from its usual ponytail, Cullen noticed. Whisps framed her face in a way that Cullen thought suited her. He hadn't considered that he might have been cold towards her. He paused, standing up straight as he loosened his grip on his sword.
"I…forgive me," he frowned, avoiding the way her eyes darted with curiosity. "I hope I have not made you uncomfortable."

She was smiling now, the small gap in between her front teeth exposed.
"It's not every day a mage becomes the Herald of Andraste. I know I haven't been the easiest person to get along with." She leaned against the edge of the fence, resting her sword next to her. "What I mean to say is, there's a lot of personality in the Inquisition. I don't expect everyone to get along famously," she laughed. It was a musical sound that Cullen did not expect. He certainly didn't expect the feeling in his stomach that it has stirred to life. She was stunning in a way that crept up on him. The way she sat on the snow, one leg under the other. He loved how the blue of her eyes matched the sky, how she did not avoid his gaze like other women had in the past. The way she stood at the war table, her arms crossed as a hand rubbed her temple until she asked in mild frustration, "Where is that again?"

Despite the times he had butted heads with her, he liked how she had considered his advice. She didn't dismiss his opinion simply because he had been a Templar. She wrote silly notes attached to her reports, explaining "THEY HAD COOKED HAM FOR US, CULLEN. HAM. I can't remember the last time I had a decent cut of ham. Hopefully you can't either & I've made you envious." Originally, he'd complained to Cassandra about how the notes were childish and unprofessional. But when Gwyn had stopped, he felt a pang of disappointment.

He liked how she said his name, the way the corners of her lips tugged upwards as they formed the words. His favorite had become what he was currently witnessing: her whole body rocking with laughter as she recalled her first lesson in sword-play with Cassandra and how it had failed miserably.

"You have to admit I'm getting better with a sword, though," she grinned, wrapping her coat around her. He stared, lost in his train of thought. Her hands were small, her fingers surprisingly dainty. He wondered if they were soft to the touch, or if she had overworked them like he had his.
"I get it. I probably shouldn't wield a sword in battle any time soon," she winked. "Don't worry. I'll stick to what I know best." In an instant, she blew onto her hands and they seemed to redden slightly. Her smile fell when she saw him flinch in response to her casual use of magic.
"Sorry, I forget that you-that others aren't used…" she frowned and stood, placing the sword back on a weapon stand. Eventually she turned to face him, her hands fidgeting as she offered a small smile, "Cul- Commander, would you care to join me and the rest of the squad for dinner?"

Yes. The word was dancing behind his lips, waiting to be spoken. Yet, he was tugged another direction.
"No, I'm afraid I've got some training to oversee. Another time, perhaps?" She gave a small nod, one that made his gut twist in slight guilt. There was a trace of a smile as she took a step backwards. She understood- the Breach, the Inquisition. There wasn't time.
"Thank you…for the lesson." She bit her lip, giving a wave in his direction before turning away to head into Haven's gates. His hand twitched around the hilt of his sword as he watched her hug herself in order to generate a modicum of warmth.

"You are, Herald," he almost shouted, wanting to see more of her. She looked over her shoulder, a confused expression growing on her face. "Getting better with a sword, I mean. You're getting better."

A smile grew on her face, the gap exposed to him once more as her ears slightly reddened at his compliment.
"Thank you," she touched her hair, maneuvering it to cover the tips of her ears. He gave her a warm smile, his heart almost flipping at how she was staring at him. Him. He hadn't wanted a woman's attention in so long, it almost seemed childish.
"Maybe a few more lessons and I'll be pummeling Cassandra into the ground," she laughed. That sound, that glorious sound was quickly becoming a favorite of his. She stared at him, the quiet settling between them until she began to walk backwards.

"I'll bring you some food later since you're missing dinner, how does that sound?"
"Oh, that's not necessary-"
"I heard we have an excess of ram, if you're not impartial," she smiled.
"I really have far too much-"
"I won't take no for an answer." He smiled back at her, trying to commit to memory the way she was looking at him.
"Ram is fine," he breathed, causing the freckles on her face to wrinkle slightly as she grinned in response.
"I'll be back," she called, moving past the gates with another wave.

A part of him was rolling his eyes, chastising himself for being foolish in entertaining the thought of her in this way. There were far too many things to worry about. A silly infatuation was the last thing the Inquisition needed. And, yet…he couldn't help but imagine a world where he could feel the texture of her hands, to imagine how her lips might feel against his, how her hair might feel tangled in the grasps of his fingers. He pushed the smile that seemed plastered on his face away, shoved the feelings down where they belonged. Yet, an hour later when she returned with a small plate of food and a wide grin on her face, he couldn't help but feel like that world that swam around in the back of his mind could be so easily accessible if given the chance.

A/N: Hi guys! I know I haven't posting much on here and I sincerely apologize. I've been really preoccupied with my college courses, but have been writing short oneshots and prompt on tumblr. I'm currently working on a wedding fic for Cullen x Gwyn and it's been going a lot slower than I'd hoped, but it's happening. I promise! I love hearing back from you guys, so please feel free to leave comments. Thanks for the wonderful comments and the message's I've gotten about my writing as well as concerns about this dryspell I've been kind of forced into. 3 -A.