The first thing Dorian became aware of was the pounding in his head. With a soft groan, he brought his hand up to massage his temples, cursing quietly in Tevene when that just made everything worse. Letting his hand drop down again, he felt it land on something, a lump beneath the blanket that wasn't him, and he frowned. His hand shifted, grasping whatever lay beneath the cloth, but only managed to elicit a muffled groan before the lump moved away. A puzzle, and one his mind wasn't quite ready to handle.
Maker. What happened last night?
His hand stole back to his own body, cautiously feeling down his torso. No shirt, but pants still firmly in place. That, and the way his body felt, let him know that whatever had happened, sex had not been involved. Pity. Brows furrowing together, he finally dragged his eyes open and turned his head, wincing as the sunlight hit his eyes.
Sunlight? There's no window near my bed.
He started and pushed himself up into a sitting position, looking around wildly. "Kaffas." It was the only way he could react as he looked up at the gaping hole in the roof above the bed he was in, then down - and down - to the floor far beneath that. He knew this place, and it certainly wasn't a place he'd expected to find himself short of a Maker be-damned miracle.
I certainly don't feel miraculous.
Slowly he turned his head, wincing internally in anticipation as he began to pick out the details of the other occupant of the bed. Tall, blond, and, oh, also half-naked of course. Naturally. And likely he was just as willing as I. Again Dorian swore softly, then abruptly clutched his head as pain made it pound, a muffled groan escaping his lips. He froze when the man next to him stirred.
No, no, no, I didn't want it this way!
Slowly Cullen opened his eyes, which widened even further when they saw who sat next to him in bed. "Dorian?"
"Commander," Dorian said politely, trying for dignity despite his semi-clothed state.
"Should I ask what you're doing in my quarters?" He frowned. "In my bed?"
"I assure you, once I have put together the pieces of the puzzle, Commander, I shall-" Suddenly Dorian paused, and the frown returned in full force. "Bull."
"Pardon?" Cullen asked as he slowly sat up. "Maker's breath, did someone hit my head with a maul last night?"
"I wouldn't put it past him," Dorian muttered darkly.
Cullen gave him a confused look. "Put what past whom?"
"As I said before, Commander," Dorian said as he turned in the bed and dangled his feet in preparation for leaving it, "it has to be Iron Buaaahhh!"
The last rather undignified sound was made when his questing feet sought, but didn't find, a floor to land upon. He felt a strong arm hook around his shoulder and haul him back up onto the bed, and for a moment he simply lay there, panting as the adrenaline shock rushed through him at how close he'd come to plummeting twenty feet straight down.
"Did he actually move my bed to the edge?" Cullen demanded.
Sharply reminded of the man's presence outside the near disaster of falling to certain pain, Dorian paused as he realized two things. One, Cullen was making no move to separate them, and two… well, two was that this close, it was very obvious that Cullen wore full armor every day. Dorian chanced a peek at the arm that had pulled him back from the precipice, admiring the sight of chiseled, taut muscle while he had the chance. "It…" His voice cracked slightly, and Dorian frowned. Wonderful impression. Clearing his throat, he said, "It would appear he did. I will also bet you five gold that your ladder is mysteriously missing."
Cullen's face drew into a fierce scowl. Heaving Dorian further up onto the bed, he finally let go of the mage and crawled to the foot of the bed to peer down. "I owe you five gold," he said dourly.
"Yes, of course," Dorian muttered, a bit distracted by the view Cullen was presenting. Whatever one could say of warriors, Dorian had to admit that all that armor did wonders for shaping perfect backsides.
"Someone could have been hurt," Cullen continued, turning back to Dorian, whose gaze snapped up quickly. "And how are we supposed to get down?"
"It's not an impossible distance. Surely a broken leg or two won't put too much of a crimp in your daily schedule, Commander," Dorian offered with a winsome smile.
Cullen gave him an odd look before simply shaking his head, then winced and rubbed his face. "So… we wake up with hangovers, in my bed, with no means to get down, and no memory of how we got here. I can't think this is accidental."
Dorian's face darkened again. "I think I know where this all began."
"Do you? Enlighten me, please," Cullen said. Pointing to the door, he said, "I need to be out there, not stuck up here with you. No offense."
"None taken, Commander." Dorian sighed and fell back onto the bed. "Especially since I think this might all be my fault. Well, and Bull's."
"Naturally," Cullen said in a resigned tone. "Well, don't leave it there. Explain what you mean."
Dorian cleared his throat. "It began with an argument."
"Veshante kaffas!" Dorian exclaimed, rubbing his face. "I asked you politely to move out of the way. Honestly, a lummox like you shouldn't even be in the library."
Iron Bull laughed, his pectorals alternating as they flexed for Dorian's attention. "I'm just waiting for you to rub yourself up against me using that pretense of wanting a different book," he said with a grin. "C'mon, admit it, you haven't been able to take your eyes off me ever since I came up here."
"Mostly because I'm astonished you know how to read," Dorian said acidly. "Now if you would please just-"
"Nah, that's not it," Iron Bull insisted. "You like watching the pec pop of love."
Making a disgusted noise, Dorian buried his face in his hand. "I assure you that is the farthest thing from my mind." When he looked up, he started back a bit as he found that Iron Bull had moved closer. "Honestly, you-"
"I," Iron Bull said, voice getting lower as he edged into Dorian's very personal space, "know exactly what you need."
Clearing his throat, Dorian managed to say, "It is certainly not you."
Iron Bull's lips spread into a slow smile, but before he could respond, an impatient voice said, "Could you please get out of my way, Bull? I need to speak with Leliana."
Both men blinked and turned to where Cullen stood, arms crossed and foot tapping impatiently. Iron Bull stepped back with a nod, and they watched Cullen walk past with a roll of his eyes and a shake of his head. Dorian didn't turn his attention back to Iron Bull after Cullen had passed, at least, not until Iron Bull muttered, "Damn."
"What is it, you Seheron oaf?" Dorian asked, irritation in his voice.
"I really do know exactly what you need," Iron Bull said, then turned to look just as Cullen disappeared up the stairwell, a speculative look in his eye.
