The Best Satinalia Gift
Skyhold could breathe again... or at least Cullen could. Satinalia was finally here and with that the preparations for the party were over and done with and the party had finally commenced. At least all he had to do was stand there and look pretty, as Leliana had said once when they were preparing to go to Halamshiral. He had, of course, taken outrage at that and had gone and personally received all the coming visitors along with Josephine and the Nightningale. Though, from the looks Leliana had given him – that little smirk of hers – he had been expertly manipulated into doing exactly what the spymaster wanted in the first place.
It could never be said that Cullen liked any form of the life high society led. He was happiest writing reports on his troops, training with said troops, reading books and learning new things, training (though everyone else said he was just playing) with his mabari, and best of all – spending time with his wife. Mrs Stanton Rutherford. Even after all these years he was still in awe and disbelief that a woman such as his wife would even look at him, much less fall in love with him and decide to spend the rest of her life with him.
Life couldn't get much better.
Unless he had to attend another party such as this.
He still had nightmares about the party he had to attend at the Winter Palace all those years ago. He could still remember the moment when a man had decided to grab his-
Even the memory of what had happened made Cullen flush and nervously drag his right hand through his hair.
The only bright point of that eve was just how exquisite the Inquisitor had looked. She looked resplendent in the deep red dress she was wearing. It didn't conform to any of the fashion trends in Orlais, and yet she had outshone each and every one of the puffed up women there that night. He could still remember how his breath left him when he saw her for the first time as she moved between the people, heading towards him. Her ivory skin contrasted perfectly with the deep red of her dress and her black tresses which were put up for the occasion, left her long and slender neck in full view. Her lips were painted with the same colour as her dress and her eyes had kohl smudged on the lids and eyelashes, creating a dramatic look, making her clear blue eyes stand out all the better.
He could remember his heart trying to leap out his chest at the perfection in front of him.
Just as it was trying to do now, even years later. He still felt like he was just discovering how much he loved the woman in front of him. It felt like he found something new to love about her every single day.
Tonight, she was dressed in a dark blue dress, her black hair gently curling down to the middle of her back and her lips painted a light pink. A pink so light that it looked almost as if her lips were the same colour as her pale skin. Her blue eyes were once again adorned with a smudge of kohl. It made her look beautiful.
In the candlelight it almost looked as if she glowed.
He felt his lips stretch into a smile, almost as if he couldn't stop himself, when he caught her gaze. Her face lit up, like it always did whenever she saw him, made butterflies appear in his stomach.
Cullen stood up straighter when the Inquisitor changed her stride to walk to him. Her glowing face was all he could see at the moment. Forgetting about everything and everyone around them he reached for her with his hands, settling them on her waist as he pulled her to him and gave her a soft kiss on her lips. He wasn't much for public displays of affections, but when she looked this resplendent, he couldn't help himself.
Cullen's lips smiled against her lips as he moved his hand up her waist and to the back of her head, knowing that it was a very sensitive spot for her. A soft mewl against his lips. He almost laughed – she always made that sound whenever he touched that spot of hers.
"Meanie," she murmured against his lips, knowing that he was teasing her. Knowing that she couldn't just grab him, drag him away from the party and have his way with him. Knowing that he knew that she knew.
She never failed to bring a smile to his face, even when his mood was at his worst. All she had to do was be herself.
Although, his mind reminded him of his worries for her, lately she had been feeling a bit sick and didn't have her usual energy. Pulling away from her for a bit, he murmured a worried question,
"Are you feeling better?"
She had been the sickest only this morning and had spent most of the morning in the bed, feeling tired. It was also the morning that he insisted she go to Vivienne and let her check up on her to see what was wrong. After only a few minutes of pouting on her side, she finally agreed. He hadn't seen her since, having been busy doing some last minute things for that eve's party.
"About that," she said, her eyes starting to twinkle. If her eyes were twinkling, then Vivienne must have found out what was wrong with her.
"Yeees?" he drawled into the silence as she just grinned at him foolishly. She rolled her eyes at him and replied,
"I'm probably going to stop feeling sick like this soon, since Vivienne said that the first three months are the worst."
She stopped talking then, grinning like a fool again, waiting for him to figure it out.
It took him only moments.
He could feel his breath leave his body as he gathered her into his arms.
"You're-?" he couldn't finish the question.
"Yes," she replied, her smile stretched up to her ears, eyes sparkling like the most beautiful diamond.
"We're-?" he tried to ask.
"Yes," she replied, soft giggles leaving her lips at his coherency.
"I'm-?" his lips trembled.
"Yeeees," she drawled out, now outright laughing at him.
Her laughter was immediatelly muffled as he claimed her lips again, his hands on her waist as he lifted her up into the air and twirled her around, completely clueless as to what he was doing. All he could think of was her and the little life that was currently growing inside her. A life that was half him and half her.
She was pregnant.
They were going to be parents.
He was going to be a dad.
This had to be the best Satinalia gift he had ever received.