Varric spent days in bed crying, writing letters, and crying more. Varric wasn't sure how much time had passed but eventually Dorian entered his room. "Varric, I know, you don't want me here. Thank you, I love you, too," he said. "But you can save it. Because my best friend just died too and we can't both be sobbing messes because we collectively make up 45% of the Inquisition's beauty, wit, charm, and humor. And the ball at the Winter Palace is coming up so we have to be on our best feet."
Varric buried his face in his pillow.
"Very mature." Dorian went to Varric's closet. "Good Maker, man, do you have anything that isn't a lamb's wool blend?"
He finally pulled out the two articles of clothing he found most suitable, a deep red tunic made of lustrous cotton and a pair of pants made of nug's skin. "You can change or I will change you myself and we both know I'm not kidding so I would start undressing." Dorian went to Varric's chest of drawers and pulled out clean small clothes and added them to the growing pile of clothing, along with a belt and the only pair of shoes Varric owned.
"I appreciate what you are doing but-" Varric was cut off by Dorian ripping his shirt up over his head. "For fuck's sake, fine." Varric said pushing Dorian off of him and dressing himself.
Dorian nodded to himself when Varric finished. "Come on then," he offered his elbow to Varric who took it reluctantly, muttering something under his breath.
They arrived in Val Royeaux.
"I know you won't find this exactly therapeutic but I do. We'll worry about you later. Right now you just need to feel what the outside world feels like again." Dorian said this as he lead Varric into a clothing and armor shop. Varric was on his elbow again but let go as they entered allowing Dorian to pile clothes in his arms.
"His name was Felix," Dorian started.
"He was this sickly thing," he said adding to the pile of clothes in Varric's arms. "I mean he looked like a perfectly healthy boy, but my Maker was he sick. So his death was an inevitability. I mean aren't ours all? But his was going to be premature. We all knew.
"I was an apprentice to his father. When I was studying late at night Felix would bring me snacks. I kept saying "Your father will find out'. He always did like danger," Dorian smiled fondly. "Anyway, he was my best friend. People always thought we were lovers after the news about me broke. But it wasn't like that. I mean sure, we kissed here and now, and there was some fondling in moments of weakness. But that wasn't what our relationship was. That was just intimacy, you know? Just a nice reminder that we weren't alone.
"It never got weird, we had our expectations on straight. Whenever his father found a new young woman to court we would stop until she was frightened off or Felix realized he really couldn't force himself to pretend to love her." Dorian paused. "But after we got out of our adolescence it pretty much stopped all together. Whenever people ask if we were lovers I always find it funny but then you just sort of have to remember, well yes I suppose I did have his dick in my mouth at one point, but it wasn't for the reason you're thinking of." Dorian looked at Varric expecting him to laugh, but he did not.
Dorian shook his head. "I suppose we're done here."
He paid for the clothes and then made Varric take up his elbow again.
After dropping Dorian's shopping off at Skyhold and arming themselves Dorian found Varric again, "Let's go kill something and you can tell me about this 'Hawke'." Dorian smiled and Varric frowned but begrudgingly agreed.