Iron Bull could tell something was wrong. Dorian was usually very flashy and showy with his magic and generally complained a lot whenever they were traversing anywhere cold.

Today though, he was very quiet. Well, more quiet than usually. And he didn't know much about magic, but the way Dorian was spell-casting or whatever just seemed... off. Not very polished and much more toned down than what he was used to seeing. But the mage didn't say anything about it and neither did the Inquisitor or Blackwall, so he kept quiet.

Bull knew he wasn't just imaging anything though, so he kept his eye on him while they continued walking.

Still, he didn't expect the man to collapse to the ground after they finished killing off some Vints. The man had gripped his staff tightly, pressing it firmly to the ground to keep himself balanced. But his legs soon gave out and he fell, his staff slipping down beside him as his hands dung into the grass. He didn't even seem to care that his outfit was getting dirty.

Something was definitely wrong and honestly, it had scared the shit out of him a little bit.

"Dorian!"

The Inquisitor ran to him, kneeling down next to him and gently seizing his face to get a better look at him. He looked rather pale, despite having red cheeks. And he was panting hard, as if he were out of breath. And even though he tried to push the Inquisitor away, he didn't seem to have any strength to do so. Physical or mental.

"I-I'm fine-!"

She clearly wasn't buying it, putting a hand to her head while keeping the other pressed against his forehead. Her eyes widened. "Sweet Maker, why didn't you say you had a fever?!"

Bull should have figured that was what was wrong. He didn't get sick often, but he knew how a fever could bring anyone down if it was high enough. And by the looks of it, Dorian's was probably too high for him to be walking around in the cold like this fighting off demons and Venatori.

"We got to get you back to the camp," Blackwall noted, moving to help the Inquisitor slowly lift him up. It would be a slow walk back, but Dorian couldn't be out here for long. Not unless he wanted to get pneumonia. "Get some rest and recover a bit."

"Dorian, I swear..." Lyra said, clearly upset that she had brought her friend out here when he was as sick as this. "You should have said you weren't feeling well!"

Dorian actually found the strength to give a soft laugh. "And deprive you of my company? Perish the thought..."

Bull let out a breath he didn't even realize he had been holding. Well, at least he knew Dorian was going to be all right. He was a good guy and a damn good fighter. Besides, going out due to a cold wouldn't suit him. And he had a strong feeling the mage would agree. "Not enough style" or something like that.

"Boss."

Lyra stopped and looked up at the Qunari, who had stepped over to them.

"I got him. You and Blackwall go on ahead, check out anything else you need to do. I'll take him back."

"You sure?"

He nodded.

Lyra was a bit surprised. Bull was usually the one who enjoyed going out and killing things. And he was damn good at it too, which was why she brought him along as often as she did. Then again, she did know Bull and Dorian were messing around, though she wasn't exactly sure how serious it was... A conversation with Dorian had implied it was just a weird spiral of sex and other weird feelings. She hadn't really talked to Bull about it yet.

Well, it was none of her business. If the Qunari wanted to take care of his little mage lover, she certainly wasn't about to stop him.

Quite easily, Bull lifted the mage up into his chest and held him snugly in his arms. Blackwall and Lyra looked just as caught off guard as Dorian, who looked normal for a second as he just stared at the other. But then he started to carry the other away, leaving Lyra and Blackwall behind while Dorian was still trying to make sense of what was happening.

One moment, Blackwall and Lyra were supporting his weight. The next, Bull was carrying him bridal style and holding him tightly against his body. Which was a lot warmer and more comfortable than he realized. It must have been because he was sick... but he wasn't a weak child. His legs worked just fine.

"Bull, I'm fine, put me-"

"Come on, you nearly passed out back there. Besides, it's faster to carry you. Not like you weigh much."

That same embarrassed look he normally would get whenever Bull flirted with him in public suddenly graced his face and he looked away. "I'm more than capable of walking-"

"Hey, don't pout," he said, giving a small smirk. Dorian was much more defenseless when he was sick than he had anticipated. "Besides, this way you can get nice and comfortable. Maybe even take a little nap."

"While you use it as an opportunity to grope me?"

"Shockingly, I don't really have a thing for the sick and helpless."

"Sick, yes. Helpless?" The Tevinter scoffed and shook his head. Not a chance."

"I don't know..." Another smile came to the Qunari's face, this one bigger than the first. "The other night, you were looking pretty helpless in bed-"

"I'm sick, but I can still use magic, Bull."

"All right, point taken."

They didn't say anything else after that, but Bull knew he didn't need to. He could feel Dorian relax in his grip and even lean into his chest, clearly more comfortable now than he had been a little bit ago. Good; he was glad that the other would finally let himself have a chance to recover a bit.

Though he wanted to get Dorian back to camp quickly, he didn't want to make the walk too jarring. If he did, the mage would no doubt complain about it the whole time and insult him. And while it was normally cute to get him riled up, Dorian was sick. Bull wasn't about to make his fever any worse.

He glanced down at the other after he hadn't said anything for a bit. To his surprise, he had actually fallen asleep, his head pressed up against his heart.

Bull smiled again, albeit it much more gently this time. And when he shivered from the wind that started to pick up, Bull pulled him closer to shield his smaller body it. Dorian actually snuggled a bit against him, his fingers brushing against his skin.

"Don't worry, Kadan…" he murmured softly. "I've got you."