Usual Disclaimer: I don't Dragon Age: Origins, Bioware does, etc.

Slash Alert: This story contains a M/M pairing, so if it's not your kind of thing, look away now.

Pairing: Aedan Cousland / Alistair

Notes: This was a fill response to a prompt on DAkink on LJ, and my first one to boot, X-posted here. This is also my first DA: O fanfic, written after a long drought of not writing fics.


Sharing Warmth

PART I


Heading to Orzammar in winter was definitely a bad idea. Aedan Cousland thought to himself as he and his companions trudged through the thin layer of snow that already covered the high roads of the Frostback Mountains. It was only a few hours after noon and the skies were already darkening. It also didn't help that it was once again grey and overcast either, as that pretty much signified more snow, and colder temperatures to come.

Sighing, he turned to his companions, and signaled for them to look for a place to stop again and set up camp.

"I-I'll go g-get the firewood." Alistair spoke immediately once they had found a suitable spot in a small clearing partly sheltered by some large boulders, and Aedan couldn't help but smile in sympathy at the other man's eagerness, as the ex-templar had not brought enough warm clothes and was now shivering rather uncontrollably every time they stopped for camp.


"M-Maker's breath! It's getting r-really cold." Alistair was muttering, even as he stood by the campfire that Morrigan had – for once – helpfully lit.

"Truly" Aedan agreed. The temperatures had plummeted even further as night fell, and even he, wrapped up as he was in additional layers of padding under his armour, was starting to feel the chill of the air. Alistair must be freezing, if I'm feeling this cold.

"Maybe we should have stayed in Redcliffe Castle with the others, and waited for spring to come together." He quipped wryly. Aedan had only brought Alistair, Morrigan and Leliana for the trip to Orzammar, having decided that they would go on ahead to look into the situation while the others waited for the worst of winter to blow over. "We would still be nice and warm, with hot baths and hot food to enjoy."

Alistair laughed. "And h-here we are instead, f-freezing our faces off. What was I thinking?"

Aedan looked over at the blond man, noticing that he was indeed turning a little blue with the cold, and quickly considered his options –

Both the ladies (well, if you could call Morrigan a lady) had brought far more clothing than the two men had, so they were much better off, already snug and warm in their own tents. Alistair, on the other hand, didn't have sufficient clothes, and looked like he was about to be frozen solid, while he himself was doing only slightly better. Coming to a decision, the darker-haired Cousland stood, and moved closer to the campfire, where Alistair was trying his best to get warm.

"Hey Alistair," He asked.

"Yeah? W-what can I do for y-you?"

"Would you like to join me in my tent?"

"W-What!" Alistair's eyes widened at the request, and he flushed slightly.

Aedan looked confused by the other man's reaction for a moment, and then it dawned on him that his question wasn't the most innocent of things to ask of another man.

"Oh! No, no, I don't mean it that way." He laughed. "I was thinking that we could share a tent to maximize the use of our blankets and our body heat to keep warm through the night, seeing that you're already almost frozen."

"Oh. I m-mean, yes I knew that. There's nothing else to it. Hah. " The ex-templar laughed nervously, flushing further still, "I suppose it is best that we share. I am really, r-really cold."

Moving quickly, as only two almost frozen men could, they shifted Alistair's pack and blankets into the other tent, and prepared to settle in for the night.


"I'll sleep on this side" Alistair told his companion, who just shrugged as he concentrated on taking off his armour and other clothes.

The blond Warden looked on for a moment, then he started, realizing that he was staring at another man undressing, and quickly looked away, concentrating on removing his own clothes instead.

Aedan, having caught Alistair looking at him at the corner of his eye, grinned privately to himself as he put away his clothes and settled into the bedroll under the blankets.

While he had desired the other man very much since he had first laid eyes on the handsome blond Warden in Ostagar, Alistair's innocence in the matters of relationships had stopped Aedan from trying to do anything with him, as he was afraid of being too forward and frightening the man. As the days passed and their journey through Ferelden grew longer, however, Aedan found himself falling more and more for his companion and friend. The last two Grey Wardens had definitely grown closer in camaraderie and brotherhood, but Alistair hadn't shown much signs of deeper desires and feelings. Up till now, that is.

Perhaps there can be a chance after all. Aedan thought to himself, as the other man blew out the candle and settled in under the covers next to him, leaving just a small amount of space between them.


Aedan woke early the next morning to the feel of another arm half-wrapping around his chest, and of something prodding gently at his back. What in the Maker- He tensed for a moment, before he remembered his offer to Alistair the night before.

Well, now. A slight smile came to his face then, as Aedan fully registered how his fellow Warden had ended up almost completely hugging him in his sleep. Who'd know that Alistair was so into hugging things.

As he shifted a little in that loose embrace, the something prodded him in his back again, and Aedan's grin grew, even as a slight blush came to his face as he felt a familiar stirring in his groin. Felling mischievous, and more than just a little horny, he shifted further back against Alistair, and felt the other man's erection twitch in response. Then unexpectedly, the other man tightened his embrace, and started humping a little against his back.

"Maker…" Alistair moaned in his sleep as the humping continued, and Aedan fought back a moan of his own as his own erection strained against his smallclothes. He didn't dare move his hands to himself, however, as he was afraid of waking Alistair, and of the reaction that he would receive when he sees his fellow Warden masturbating right in his embrace. All he could do was to lie there and fantasize about how it could end.

However, before the situation could develop any further, there was a loud clattering outside in the camp, and Liliana's muffled voice swearing away as she picked up whatever stuff she had dropped.

Aedan felt Alistair stiffen as he was rudely woken from his dreams by the loud noise. For a breathless moment, the other man seemed to not have registered where he was or the position that he had been around his fellow Warden. Then –

"Maker!" Aedan felt himself being suddenly let go, and Alistair scuttling away from him – well, as far as he could in the confines of the tent, anyway. "I-I'm so sorry!"

The younger warrior turned around to face the blond Warden, who was now at the far side of the tent, blushing furiously. He was also still hard.

"It's alright, Alistair." Aedan murmured as his eyes were unconsciously drawn to the large erection that was straining against the other man's smallclothes.

"I- I- , Um, Aedan?"

"Um," Aedan blushed, having been caught, well, staring, and quickly shifted his eyes and looked at Alistair's face. "Well, um, nothing was going on, so, um, yeah, it's alright."

"Um, yeah, right. I should go and get changed. " Alistair nodded quickly, turning to get his clothes and armour.

"Yeah, um, me too. Breakfast's waiting!" Aedan agreed just as quickly. Maker! He thought to himself as he got dressed. I can't believe I'm stammering like a village maiden.


The day passed uneventfully as the party continued through the Frostbacks, and except for several embarrassed glances at each other, neither Alistair nor Aedan spoke much at all.

They set up camp early once more, as the freezing weather continued and more snow began to fall. Seeing Alistair starting to set up his own tent, Aedan went over to him.

"Hey," He started, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder, "perhaps we should share a tent again? You don't have enough blankets, and I'm afraid that you'll freeze."

Alistair looked up, looking a little flushed, "Um, a-are you sure we s-should, Aedan?"

"Yes, absolutely," the darker-haired Warden replied, "Look – you're shivering again."

"Come on," Aedan added gently, as the blond Warden hesitated, "Won't do you or me any good if I wake up tomorrow to find you frozen in your tent, you know."

Alistair smiled at that – though he was still blushing a little – as he moved to pick up his pack. "A-Alright, alright, I get the point."

The two men set up their sleeping positions as they had the night before, moving their things and undressing as normal, though there was a rather awkward silence between them. As they lay down however, Aedan felt a little better when he realized that Alistair had not moved his spot any further from him.


TBC


Notes: Decided to split the entire thing into two parts for easier reading...

Add. Notes: Reviews are more than welcome! Flamers aren't however, and will be fed to the darkspawn.