Title: Curiosity
Author: Daisy
Fandom: Dragon Age
Setting: Skyhold
Pairing: Cole/Dorian Pavus
Characters: Cole, Dorian Pavus, Illeah Lavellan
Genre: Romance/Humor
Rating: M
Chapters: ½
Word Count: 1297
Type of Work: Two-shot
Status: Incomplete
Warnings: Fluff, PWP, Anal, Oral, Gay/Slash/Yaoi, Cherry Picking, Not-So-Blushing Virgin
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except Illeah.
Summary: Cole wants to ask questions that Dorian isn't quite prepared to answer. When he does, however, it's something that shocks them both.
AN: So, this started off as a one-shot, but I decided to cut it into two parts, so that those who would rather read the fluff can read the first chapter, and those who want the smut can read all of it. ^^ The second part isn't already written, but it should come any day now.
Part One: Innocent Questions ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"I thought you said I could ask questions." Cole sounded both hurt and in awe.
"I did." Dorian, on the other hand, was curt and flushed darkly, "Though I don't believe I ever said you were allowed to ask such personal things."
"You never specified." Came the innocent reply, and the mage knew it wasn't feigned, like it would have been with just about anyone else.
"Well, I hardly think you should ask a man about his… Indiscretions." That beautiful rose traveled up his cheeks, to his ear, and down his neck.
"Indiscretions? I thought Bull said that you were just having fu-"
"Indiscretions, Cole, often imply a lack of proper judgement. As it stands, Bull and I are… Simply catering to needs that we feel mutually. To answer your question, no, we will not be doing more than what we have thus far. Perhaps, we will still… Meet, in the night, but between your prodding and his blatant pride at having bedded me on multiple occasions, I cannot say that I am willing for it to happen again. I have always kept my affairs private, and nobody in Skyhold seems to understand my need for it."
"Illeah is worried about you." Cole interjected, as though that was all he was trying to get at, "As your friend, she wants you to be able to do whatever and… Whoever? You want. She wants you to know Skyhold is a safe place for you."
A beat of silence passed between them, and Dorian looked back to the shelves he'd been purusing to try and find something less full of doom and gloom. He had plenty of that in his life right now. It was Cole's next question that made him jump slightly out of his skin, not so much at the suddenness of it, but at the content.
"Do you find Bull attractive?" This was quickly complimented with a heavy, "Do you find Solas attractive?"
"Whatever are you on about, dear boy?" Trying to chuckle it away, smooth the awkward questions away, he shook his head. "Of course I find Bull attractive. I wouldn't be sleeping with him if I didn't. As for Solas… Not particularly, no. He has this… Constant look on his face as though his eyes are getting used to the light. He'll have wrinkles before he hits forty, and after that, he'll look like an old man for the rest of his life." As though mere wrinkles were enough to draw him away, "Other than that, his personality is drab and he's ultimately a downer… I honestly believe he's invested more in the Fade than in any real connections he could make outside of it." A sensible answer…
"But he's a man." Though Dorian wasn't drinking anything, he was sure he felt something leave his lips as he sputtered.
"Cole, just because I am attracted to men doesn't mean I am attracted to every man." He almost sounded horrified at the thought.
"Oh." The reply sounded thoughtful, and the spirit-turned-human shuffled a little, as though he were still expecting himself to disappear if he just willed it hard enough. After another small silence in which nervous hands plucked a few books from the shelf, only to sigh and return them, Cole seemed intent on watching the mage's every move.
Whether it was practiced or not, Dorian's movements were all so… Graceful. He didn't seem to do a single thing he didn't want to, and all of his movements were rather carefully calculated. He chose to use his mostly bare arm, stretching it out and seeking things with it, as though to entice. He noticed it around Iron Bull, and now, that they were alone, he noticed the other did it for him. It was hard to read, to see if this was something he did on purpose, but he knew that, when around others, he wasn't so willing to use that arm for everything. In fact, it was almost like he didn't believe it existed, unless he was doing something requiring both hands.
"Are you attracted to me?" This question rather floored the man before him, making him drop a book on his toes and a hiss left his lips. He did an odd little dance that the rogue didn't quite understand, making sure his foot flailed in the air for a bit before finally turning wide eyes on him. If he had sputtered again, Cole hadn't caught it between his hissing and dancing, and the blonde simply tilted his head.
"Cole… Attraction is a…" Oh, how did he put it? "It's… All about preference, really. It's obvious, by my… Excursions with Bull that I like large, bulky men that can rip my clothes off, throw me down and…" This was going a little too quickly for him, "Make me so excited I set the curtains on fire." He finally ended, licking his lips. Really, how could he explain this? Scratching his head, he squeezed his eyes tight, and Cole started off on one of his too-true ramblings.
"Heart racing, thoughts impossible to sort… How do I tell him? Attraction is…" And then those pale eyelids slid up and he regarded the other, "Impossible to explain."
"It truly is. What people prefer is hard to explain. Sometimes you don't even know why you like something, you just… Do." Dorian supplied, his eyes flitting over titles once more.
"You didn't answer my question, Dorian." Cole finally piped up, "Are you attracted to me?" The blonde watched the mage freeze once more, before fidgetting a moment. He wouldn't turn and look at the younger man, and he could sense a bit of discomfort settling into the elder man.
"Well, Cole…" He sighed, standing stock still in front of the bookcase, "YOu certainly are a handsome man. Not necessarily my usual type, sure, but I do find myself drawn to you."
"Drawn?" Head tipping, he regarded the other as he finally faced him.
"I feel the need to protect you."
"Protect me? From what?"
"...Anyone who would want to hurt you. Magisters that would taint you, dragons that would turn you into a snack, Sera pranking you… Anyone that would use you, I want to…" Trailing off, he went silent, and for a moment it seemed like Cole was lost in thought.
"You want to…?" He pressed, those large eyes appearing shinier than usual, and deeper than the universe. Gulping, Dorian continued.
"I want… I want to be your first. I want to show you love. I don't want anyone to take that privilege from me." He admitted, finding a spot on the wall that looked so interesting. Cole glanced at it, finding nothing that could draw the other's attention.
"You do?" Those impossibly wide, blue eyes focused fully on the mage once more, making him shift uncomfortably.
"II… Do, yes, but I probably shouldn't have said that. Don't-"
"I think I would… Like that. I find you to… Be very handsome Dorian. I like you." Cole interrupted, sitting forward on his perch.
"Oh-ho, is that so?" A smirk settled between finely groomed hair as he stepped closer, pressing his lips to the spirit's softly. The tickle of his moustach made the blonde giggle slightly as he let those incredibly soft lips massage against his own. When warm, wet curves pulled lightly at them, his lips couldn't part fast enough in a softly hissed moan, and when a questing tongue slithered in, he whined, nearly hurtling forward. The clack of teeth and metallic flavor of blood on his tongue had Dorian pulling back, panting slightly.
"Would you like to find a quiet, private place to continue?"
"Yes." He whispered, and took Dorian's hand as they descended the stairs together.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ AN:
