Summary:

Alistair has a one night stand with the hot bartender / musician when he first moves to town.
Once things settle, he finds out that his one night fling is actually Kieran's teacher.
ooops?!

Notes: Black Emporium treat for Earl Greyer's prompt.

REQUEST: Alistair/Cullen Rutherford | Fanfiction

PROMPT:
One night stand with someone who turns out to be that person's boss or professor at a new job/university, or better yet, their kid's teacher.

Hot For Teacher

"Ali, don't worry about it. Kieran's going to be fine with Leliana while we go run errands. We need to pick up a few more things for your apartment so you can get settled. It'll be easier if he's not with us. Besides, I want to pick up a little something for him from his Aunties; something to let him know how happy we are that you both have finally moved closer to us."

"You don't have to do that, Lyna. It's enough that you're letting us stay with you while our apartment is being finished. You guys have done too much for us all ready."

"And you're going to let us do a little more. It's not every day that my best friend moves to town where I can keep a better eye on him."

"I'm sorry we had to move away in the first place, but I'm happy to be back. I loved my job in Weishaupt, but Denerim will always be my home."

Lyna smiled softly. "It was nice of your boss to let you telecommute to work so you could move closer to us."

"Yeah, Duncan's a good guy, he was there through everything with Morrigan, so he gets it. He helped me cope with her initial diagnosis and through her steady decline before she passed. If it weren't for him and his husband, Riordan, I don't know what I would have done these last few years. I really do owe them so much, but I needed a change of scenery."

"I know, hun. It was time." She pat his arm comfortingly. "The fact that you have a job that lets you travel helps. Being a food critic for a nationally renowned culinary magazine has its perks, huh?"

"Well, there were only so many restaurants that I could critique over there. I'll have a whole new pool of restaurants to make or break here," he finished with a wink.

In truth, Alistair was one of the kindest food critics out there. Not only was he generous with his praise, his criticisms always came constructively; with suggestions on how the business could improve. Unless the restaurant was positively ghastly to him in the first place, he always gave them a second chance; praising all of the improvements in his second review.

"Well, after we shop till we drop, I want to take you to a new restaurant called, The Herald's Rest. It opened around the corner from my work about three months ago. It's a Orlais-Fereldan fusion, but I think you'll like it."

Alistair wrinkled his nose. "You know I hate that fancy Orlesian crap, Lyna. And besides, I'm off the clock until Monday."

She grinned knowingly. "Yes you are. But even you can't turn down a personal cheese fountain at your table."

"Now you're just playing dirty, Lyna. You know I can't resist a good cheese."

"I know, Ali-bear," she said fondly. "And since you just moved to town, it'll be my treat. It might be my last chance to spoil you for awhile. You move into your apartment this weekend, and Kieran starts school on Monday. So tonight will be about you and I: shopping, food, and maybe we'll even find someone to catch your eye again."

He sighed sadly. "I highly doubt that last part, but I'm game for all the rest. I'm not sure I'm ready to move on yet, and what would Kieran think? It's been so hard for him since his mother died."

Lyna placed her hand on Alistair's arm, "Sweetheart, it's been three years. Are you sure it's Kieran that you're worried about? Or is it you?"

Alistair's face fell, then he pulled Lyna into a tight hug. "It's me. I know it's me. I've been trying. She was my everything, she gave me Kieran who is so amazingly smart and then she was taken from us."

"I know, hun. But this is a new beginning for you; for you both. It's time to move on. She wanted you to move on."

"You're right, of course." Alistair looked over at Leliana and Kieran playing Mario Kart together and smiled softly at their playful ribbings. "She really is good with him. When are you two going to start a family of your own, huh?"

"Oh, no you don't, Alistair Theirin. No changing the subject! C'mon, they're fine. Grab your coat. We'll finish off your shopping, get some dinner, then maybe go grab a drink or two. You need a night off."

Alistair walked over and knelt next to Kieran just as he finished the race.

"Did you see that, Dad? I kicked her butt!"

"That you did." He laughed at the look of playful indignation on Leliana's face. "Hey buddy, will you be ok here with Auntie Leliana for awhile? Aunt Lyna and I are going to go get a few last minute things for our new apartment so we'll be all ready to move in on Saturday"

Kieran wrinkled his nose and said overdramatically, "Thank the Maker! Shopping is sooo boring! Besides, I'd rather stay here with Auntie anyway." He leaned in closer and whispered conspiratorially, "I may even let her win."

Alistair laughed then ruffled Kieran's hair. "You be good and I'll see you tonight. Okay? Love you."

Kieran set down his controller and wrapped his arms around Alistair's neck. "I love you too, Daddy. Have fun with Aunt Lyna. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too, bud." Alistair squeezed him tighter at the rarely used term. His little boy was growing up so fast. He would be eleven in just a couple months and had already been through more than any ten year old should have to endure. But here he was: smiling, playing, enjoying life again, just like his mother asked him too before she passed. Maybe he should take a page out of his son's book and do what she asked him to do as well. He might not be ready to jump into a long-term, serious relationship yet, but with Morrigan's illness and the three years since her passing, it'd been a very long time since Alistair had been intimate with anyone.

Shopping was uneventful, they'd packed everything into the trunk of Lyna's little Prius before heading to the restaurant. Alistair was actually impressed with the service and the food was delightful. He was a little miffed when Lyna wouldn't let him dip his chocolate covered strawberries in the cheese fountain, but he supposed even he had to show some restraint.

Once they finished dinner, they moved to the other side of the establishment where they decided to sit at the bar and have a couple of drinks. When the bartender approached to take their order, Alistair-for the first time in his life-was at a loss for words. He was looking into the eyes of an actual adonis: six feet tall, at least; blonde curly hair with a closely trimmed beard to match; and a body that you could bounce quarters off of.

Or drizzle melted cheese onto it so I can lick it off again.

Alistair's brain was being ever-so helpful this evening as his eyes drifted over the form fitting t-shirt hugging the bartender's well toned body; leaving nothing to the imagination.

There was a sharp jab at his side, bringing him back to the present.

"Alistair, do you want your usual tonight? Or do you want something stronger." Lana smirked at him as he brought his focus back to her.

The double-entendre wasn't lost on him, "Something stronger." Alistair cleared his throat, while trying really hard not to ogle the help. "I definitelyneed something stronger." Trying not to be too creepy, he asked plainly, "I'd like a whiskey, neat. Do you have a good recommendation?"

The returning smile was breathtaking. Like, literally breathtaking; Alistair had to remind himself to breathe, it was so gorgeous. "I'd like to think I might have something to suit your… tastes." He winked before wandering off to get their drinks.

"Uh… Lyna?" He looked at her with wide-eyed wonder.

"Yes, Ali-bear?" she said sweetly with amusement dancing in her eyes.

He leaned closer to whisper, "Was he… flirting with me? Maker's breath, that was flirting, wasn't it."

She laughed openly. "Yes, Alistair. That was flirting, and by the flush to your cheeks and all that tongue-tied staring you were doing, I'd say he's caught your attention too. You should totally hit that."

Alistair groaned audibly. "Really, Lyna? Really?!"

He was saved by the arrival of his drink which wasn't delivered by the same bartender. His disappointment was short lived, when the new server laid down an extra napkin, with a hastily scribbled note on it.

This one's on me, I hope you like it. Johnny Walker Blue is my favorite. I don't usually do this, but my set lasts an hour and I'd like to buy you another one after.

If you're not interested, I'll understand, please still enjoy this one on the house.

-Cullen

Alistair handed the note to Lyna with a perplexed frown when the lights in the bar suddenly dimmed and the lights over the stage lit up. Sitting on a stool, in front of a microphone, holding a well loved acoustic guitar, was the bartender...Cullen. Beautiful as ever, and smiling a self assured, if slightly embarrassed, smile.

"Good evening, folks. I hope you're all enjoying yourselves tonight…" Cullen's voice was as smooth as the whiskey in Alistair's glass. He talked and joked about how he was up there because he'd lost a bet with the Herald's Rest's owner, Varric, and his performance tonight was in payment of that wager. As he propped one leg on the rung of his stool, and got his guitar into position, Cullen's eyes met Alistair's and he began to sing.

Alistair was mesmerized. He sipped slowly from his drink as Cullen sang song after song. His voice was like liquid sex. Alistair wanted to bottle it and take it home to rub on his most private bits when he was alone. By the third song, he knew he was going to stay and accept that drink offer. After the fifth song, Lyna reassured him that Kieran would be ok for one night without him; that he should enjoy himself, if the opportunity present itself, as long as he stayed safe and made good choices. Before the hour was up, he bid her good night and promised he would get a cab home-either later that night, or in the morning-but not to wait up.

Alistair tried to sneak in a little before five the next morning. There was a goofy grin on his face and his hair was a mess when he walked into the kitchen to two knowing smirks.

"Well, well, well, Alistair. It's been awhile since I've seen you do the walk of shame. By the looks of things, you had a really good night." Leliana's grin was teasing, but kind.

This morning, Alistair didn't care. She was right, he really needed last night and it was good. Amazing even. He sat with Cullen for another hour, drinking and getting to know each other. They talked about how he just moved to town with his son and the fact that Cullen was only filling in at the bar for the night as a favor to a friend.

The performance, Alistair learned, was a long time coming. The owner, Varric, had been trying to get Cullen to perform publicly for years, but he was usually too shy and reserved for such a public setting. He usually only played and sang for family, friends, and the small groups of students he taught music to locally.

By the time they hit Cullen's apartment, all discussions were discarded with the rest of their clothes. The sex… well, the sex was better than anything Alistair could ever remember having. Granted, it'd been a really long time. But Maker, the things Cullen did to him. He felt renewed, rejuvenated, and like he could accomplish anything.

He'd left early, after lazy kisses and hastily exchanged phone numbers. He had an amazing evening, but with all the new changes in Alistair's life, he wasn't sure that he'd ever get to see Cullen again. It sounded like he was pretty busy, though they never actually got around to discussing their actual professions, with standing in at the bar and music lessons, Alistair was convinced that Cullen most likely had better things to do than call him back.

He was ok with that. Though he wasn't really a one night stand kind of guy, Alistair realized that since he and Kieran were still settling in, it probably wasn't the best time to be starting anything heavy anyway. He'd take the memories of that night with him, probably add them to his list of things to fantasize about again later, and continue on with his life. So with a smile on his face, spring in his step, and a slightly lighter heart, Alistair went about doing just that.

"C'mon, Kieran. You're going to be late for school."

"Ok, Dad. Keep your pants on!"

Alistair chuckled, he knew exactly where his son got his snark and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it, short of changing his own personality. The first week of school went very well. Kieran liked his new teacher, and was quickly making friends with his classmates. He was even showing interest in after school activities, which is how they got to where they were today.

"Are you sure you don't need to bring anything to today's music lesson?"

"No, Mr. Rutherford teaches lots of instruments. He said I can come to the first few meetings and try out different ones until I find out what I want to play."

"Is there one in particular that you're interested in?"

Kieran grinned, "I like it when he plays guitar. That's the one I'm going to try out first. Mr. R says once I pick my instrument, then he can talk with you about finding the right one for me." Kieran looked down at his fingers as he fidgeted with his backpack straps. "Um, Dad?"

"Um, Kieran?" Alistair parroted.

With the telltale roll of his eyes and his patented pre-teen sigh, Kieran forged ahead, "I was actually hoping you could come in today to talk with him. He says he likes to meet all of his student's parents, to make sure everyone is on the same page. I really want to fit into this group, and Mr. R is honestly the best teacher I've ever had. I don't want to disappoint him."

Softening his smile, Alistair pulled Kieran into a hug. "Of course. Just let me know where I'm going and I'll be there just a little before five. Okay?"

"Thanks, Dad."

At a quarter to five, Alistair parked his car and tucked his button-down shirt into his jeans. He wasn't there to impress anyone, but if this was important to Kieran, then he was going to do his best to not embarrass him… too much.

Checking his phone to make sure he was heading in the right direction, Alistair made his way to room 112. Hearing various musical instruments and laughter behind the door, he knew he was in the right place.

Knocking twice, Alistair poked his head into the room and found Kieran sitting on a desk plucking away at an old, beaten up, acoustic guitar. Making his way toward his son, he was mesmerized by the smile that graced Kieran's face. He loved seeing him so happy, so relaxed, and in his element. There truly wasn't anything he wouldn't do for him.

"Hey, Dad. Look! Mr. R taught me a couple chords to practice with." With his tongue sticking out the side of his mouth, Kieran strummed awkwardly, pausing between transitions as he made sure he had the right fingers on the right strings.

"You're learning quick! Nice work. I bet if you ask really nicely, Auntie Leliana will let you borrow her guitar until we can get you one of your own." Alistair ruffled Kieran's already unruly hair. "Where's your teacher?"

"He ran down to the teacher's lounge real quick to get us a snack. He said since we've been working so hard today that we deserved it."

"That was nice of him." Looking around the room, Alistair noticed that there were only about six other children in the room who were all pretty focused on their tasks.

The door to the room suddenly opened and in came the last person that Alistair expected to see. "Hey guys, we're in luck. Mrs. Lavellan just dropped off some donuts for you and I found a case of wat-"

Alistair's surprise was replaced with an amused smirk as Cullen stopped dead in his tracks. "I uh… didn't realize we had a visitor. My apologies." Setting down the water and box of sweetbreads, Cullen indicated for the students to help themselves as he approached Alistair and Kieran with a shy smile and a slight flush to his cheeks. "Hello, Alistair. It's uh… nice to see you again."

"Dad?" Kieran tugged at his sleeve. "You didn't tell me that you knew Mr. R?"

Eyes still locked with Cullen's, Alistair answered, "I honestly didn't know your Mr. R. was the same person I saw playing at the restaurant, the night that Aunt Lyna took me out to dinner."

"So you've seen him perform? I told you he was good and now I don't need to introduce you!" Kieran beamed as he scampered off to join his friends around the donut box.

Alistair laughed and winked surreptitiously at Cullen. Stepping closer, he whispered, "I have indeed, and you were very good."

Cullen coughed uncomfortably, trying to hide his blush as he rubbed the back of his neck, "Yes well, I could say the same for your… performance. I'm um… sorry, I didn't call. I wasn't sure you'd want to see me again."

"I'll admit, I wasn't sure I was ready for more either, but now… I dunno." Alistair shrugged noncommittally. "I did have a really good time the other night."

"I did too. So it doesn't bother you?"

"What's that?"

"Knowing that I'm just a teacher? My life isn't as exciting as you got to witness with me up on stage." Cullen ducked his head. "I was actually embarrassed to have you learn that this is what I do for a living."

"Are you kidding? After hearing Kieran's hero worship over you all week? Knowing that he was actually talking about you. " Alistair leaned closer and whispered, "That's even more hot than seeing you on stage." Leaning back again, Alistair admitted ruefully, "Honestly speaking, I come with my own history and a son who will always come first for me. I'm a middle-aged, single parent-there's not a lot of people who would find this packaged deal acceptable."

"Well, I'll be the first to admit, that I usually draw the line at dating my student's parent's, though I suppose since we did meet up before Kieran was actually my student, I could make an exception in this case." Cullen's smile was hopeful but still guarded. "I'd really like to get to know you better, Alistair, and Kieran too. Do you think he'll be ok with this?" He indicated vaguely between them.

"Only one way to find out." Alistair grinned then beckoned Kieran over.

"What's up?" Kieran looked questioningly between them.

Alistair wrapped an arm around Kieran's shoulder and asked softly, "I was just wondering what you would think if we invited Mr. R here over for dinner this weekend."

Kieran's eyes got big. "Really?"

"Yes, really. I thought you and I could make him our specialty. But I'll only invite him if it's ok with you."

"Heck yeah!" Kieran shouted, then quieted his tone, but his grin still permeated his face. "I mean, that would be awesome, Dad. I'd like that." He wrapped his arms around Alistair's neck and whispered quietly in his ear, "I think mom would like that too. She wouldn't like you being alone for so long."

Alistair hugged him tighter at the sentiment. "I know, Kieran. And thank you, you have no idea how much that means to me." Pulling back, he grinned, "When did you get to be so observant and smart huh?"

"Maybe it's all the time you call me your little smart, a-"

"Ok, ok - enough of that."

Kieran grinned then looked at Cullen hopefully. "I hope you like mac and cheese, Mr. R. because ours is the best; it's loaded with bacon, peppers, and whatever else we decide to throw in it."

Cullen laughed. "It sounds amazing. So is that an invitation then?"

Kieran and Alistair shared matching grins then turned back to Cullen together. "Definitely!"

End Notes:

This was supposed to be a short treat, but it started to take on a life of its own.
btw - this is only lightly edited (please forgive me)