Title: A Week to Remember

Part 2 of 3

Author: PhoenixDove1

Game: Post Dragonage 2

Relationship Pairing: fHawke, Cullen

Disclaimer: Bioware owns everything

*This was supposed to be a quick one shot but I think it's a bit longer. This is set after the events of DA 2 and before whatever happens in DA 3. Between Marian Hawke and (hopefully soon to be romanceable) Cullen*

Cullen

He'd purposely attended the celebration at the Hanged Man knowing Marian would be there. The bar had been unusually crowded, bodies packed everywhere, but he'd spotted her immediately. At first he thought he was dreaming. She was wearing a tight light purple dress that hung off her shoulders. A white corset cinched her waste from hip to just below her breasts. She was wearing her hair loose around her shoulders, flowing to the middle of her back.

He knew it wasn't a dream when she turned and punched Varric in the shoulder only a few seconds after his arrival. It was a friendly punch. Her sapphire eyes were sparkling with amusement but from where he was standing it seemed hard enough to be a warning about whatever Varric had just told her.

The aggravation that he'd felt in knowing the political families thought he was honoring them by 'personally assuring the safety of their representatives' vanished as she slowly moved all her hair over to one shoulder, giving him an enticing view of her bare shoulder, back, and neck. He was itching to run his fingers through the wavy brown locks to see if they were as soft and silky as they looked.

He took his Templar spot on the wall and watched. Her every curve was on display for him. When she bent over he got a tantalizing view of either her cleavage or her delectable posterior, depending on which way she was facing. In his mind, he pretended she was doing it to tease him. It was a special kind of torture that caused his manhood to swell. Fortunately, his armor hid his reaction, one of the few times he was glad he had to wear it, but it was damned uncomfortable!

He'd long since gotten over the fact that she was a mage, his old prejudice rejected as she'd proven herself over and over again. Every time he had to work with her she had conducted herself with integrity and honor, more so than some of the Templars he had to work with. She made her team fall in line as well. It was like she'd always said to him, it was the man that made the gifts, he was not controlled by them.

Marian reminded him of another mage he knew; Solona Amell the Hero of Fereldon. It felt like a lifetime ago when he'd first met her in the Circle in Ferelden. It was his first job fresh out of Templar training to guard the mages there. He thought they could become friends, but when Uldred, a mage teacher, went mad and unleashed the evil that only mages could bring, it showed him Templars and mages could never mix.

The cruel things he'd said to Solona after she saved him that day haunted him for a long time. Several years later they had bumped into each other at her wedding. He had thanked the Maker that she actually let him talk to her, and he was finally able to apologize for his behavior that day. They had even parted ways on good terms. She and Marian were so similar, but his feelings for Marian were far more carnal in nature than friendly.

Not long after Marian lost what she thought was her last family member, her mother, he'd found out that Marian and Solona were cousins. Cullen had felt the need to comfort her, to tell her she wasn't alone, that she still had family, but they were acquaintances at best so he did the only thing he could think of. During a monthly security meeting between the Templars and the city guards, he had casually let slip to Aveline, the head of the city guard and Marians closest friend, that the Hero of Fereldon was an Amell and rumor had it she recently married Alistair, the King of Fereldon.

Aveline looked only mildly interested, but she must have told Marian because a few months later, watching invisibly from the sidelines in the way that only Templars can, he was able to confirm his news had reached Marian and she and Solona had been in communication. Seeing Marian act like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders had been the real reward.

Ever since then he'd been trying to figure out how to talk to her. He didn't want to be invisible to her any longer, but whenever she caught him looking at her she would awkwardly look away and slowly move out of his field of vision if she could. The few times they'd actually come into contact was work-related, not an appropriate time to discuss his feelings for her. It didn't seem she was interested, and he was never good at talking to women. He wouldn't have known what to say to her if he had gotten a few moments with her.

He had seen her slip out of the Hanged Man. His only intention had been to make sure she got home safely. At least it sounded like a plausible excuse at the time. When she turned into Darktown, it became more about figuring out what she was up to. In his eagerness, he hadn't been as careful as he normally would have been when following people. He'd gotten too close and she'd felt him.

Lyrium, not innate ability, was the source of magic for a Templar, but it still ran through their veins giving them an aura, like mages, that could be used to pull energy for spells. She'd turned around so quickly he almost hadn't had a chance to duck around the corner. He thought she'd shrugged it off but instead she'd set an ambush for him and now he was busted.

What to say? He had no justifiable reason for being there. The head Templar following the mage that had saved the city to make sure she was safe was a pretty weak excuse. Of course nothing would happen to her. She'd taken down more challenging opponents than any that could be found in Darktown. He couldn't really think when he was so close to her, close enough to touch her, her light vanilla scent surrounding him. It was… distracting.

He was taken aback by the harshness of her voice as she told him how low her opinion of him really was. Her assumption as to why he was there couldn't be farther from the truth. It would shock some fellow Templars, and apparently Marian, to learn he never wanted her in that Circle. Ever.

When she stopped talking he watched her try not to fidget in the cold quietness of the cellar. His eyes were drawn to the rise and fall of her breasts. All he had to do to see heaven would be to pull the strings to her top. Making a decision, he took a step toward her. He couldn't, wouldn't, keep his distance from her anymore. It was time to show her who he really was, what he really felt. No more standing in the background. It was now or never.

"Marian..." He didn't try to hide his desire for her when he said her name.

She was so beautiful, the fire from the torches illuminating her face with a golden glow, deepening the blue in her eyes. Her cheeks flushed as he hungrily gazed at her. He tried to think of what to say to make her understand the strength of his feelings for her without frightening her away. Telling her that he'd fallen in love with her would definitely do that.

When she told him to 'Get out', it lacked conviction. He looked in her eyes to see the truth, or lack thereof, inherent in the statement, but her staunch avoidance of his eyes gave him hope. She was normally so direct. Maybe she didn't want him to leave. Maybe she felt the same electricity that he felt whenever they were around each other.

His heart was pounding as he took another tentative step towards her, forcing her to the wall.

"No" he replied.

That got her attention. Those beautiful blue eyes were back on him.

"Marian, there are some things that I need to say and I need you to just listen." She looked at him, confused, but slowly nodded her head and kept silent. He took another step forward, purposely crowding her now that she couldn't move farther away from him.

"Marian, I am not here to take you in. I assumed you knew by now but apparently you don't. I would never allow that happen, let alone be the one to do it." He paused a moment to let that sink in and then continued.

"I came here tonight because" he took a deep breath. "I came here tonight at first to make sure you got home safe."

She moved her mouth to say something but he cut her off.

"I know that sounds stupid because of who you are." He gestured at her, "The strongest woman I know. Anyone would have to be crazy to try and attack you, but it's the truth. At least that's how it started."

Her jaw dropped in surprise.

"When I saw you go through the door I'm ashamed to say I got curious, and against my better judgment followed you in."

She didn't say anything, just looked at him. Her lips looked so inviting… he wanted to taste her. This close, in the privacy of this cellar, he couldn't deny himself the chance to touch her anymore.

"And I'm not sorry. I will admit… some part of me wanted to catch you alone, to have a moment alone with you."

"Why?" She asked breathless.

He took his gloves off and put them on the wine barrel next to them as he watched her pink tongue flick across her lips.

"To do this." He cupped her face with his hands and when she didn't pull away he slowly lowered his lips to hers and kissed her.

Marian

She held her breath as he gently cupped her face with his rough hands, looking at her so intently she dared not move. He leaned forward and captured her mouth in a tender kiss. It quickly turned passionate as he invaded her mouth with his tongue. She melted into him and answered with her own needy exploration. The feel of his hands sliding through her hair caused a ripple of sensations to shoot through her and she snaked her arms around his neck as they tried to press their bodies closer together. She cursed his damn Templar armor for keeping her from feeling him.

That was a sobering thought, his Templar armor. She tried to push him away but it took a moment for her body to react to her mind because as he started to kiss a trail from her jaw down her neck.

"Wait… Cullen." She tried to catch her breath and think past the fog he was building in her brain. Her body was screaming at her to let him continue, but she had to be sure that she was ready, that being with a Templar, even Cullen, wouldn't be a mistake.

When he backed off he was breathing heavily. She forced back the delight she felt in knowing that she had that effect on him, but the way he was looking at her made it difficult.

"Cullen, I… had no idea…" She struggled for the right words but just kept looking at the cold steel Templar armor under her hands, trying to reconcile what it represented against what Cullen was saying.

He got the hint.

"Marian," he reached for her hand, turning it and bringing it up to his firm lips to place a gentle kiss on her palm that had her clenching her thighs together, "you're all I ever think about." He gestured to his armor. "This does not control me the way you think it does. It's like what you always told me… the gifts don't control the man. My eyes, Marian, are wide open."

He laced his fingers through hers. "My only regret would be leaving right now without telling you that."

His eyes and mannerisms spoke the truth. She was seeing through to the real man. No matter what happened tomorrow, having this night with him would never be a mistake and she might not ever get another chance.

She ran her fingers through his soft curly hair. "I was hoping you'd say that. I'm sorry I was so callous, my imagination just ran wild and my attitude was uncalled for."

She looked at their hands, fingers intertwined. "I really didn't know what to expect, you're a hard man to read. But what I wanted I didn't think was possible, until now." She smiled up at him.

He smiled, a real genuine smile, the first she may have ever seen from him. He wrapped her in his arms and kissed her again.

When they broke apart she ran her thumb across his bottom lip. "You, Knight-Commander, should smile more often."

He blinded her with his smile again. "I'll work on it."

"Would you like to come upstairs?" She asked timidly.

"I thought you'd never ask."