Summary:

Alistair and Cullen go back to the bar after escorting Dania and Connie
Some history discussed and banter between friends.
And y'know - maybe a little bit of fluff.

Notes:

Trigger Warning: No major warnings in this chapter. Mentions of slavery and sex-trafficking, but no details or specifics.

All recognizable content belongs to Bioware/EA Games
All twisted perversions therein,
Are all on me ~ You're welcome!

Cocktails & Cheese

Cullen and Alistair - A Modern Day AU

Chapter 25

Broken Bottle Part 3

After watching Dania and Connie drive away, Cullen and Alistair began to make their way back to the bar.

Alistair sighed, "Two years. I can't believe I broke my streak of two years! All because your friend said I was 'fucking hot'!"

Cullen laughed, "Bull certainly has a way with words doesn't he?" Stopping on the sidewalk, he pulled Alistair into his arms and smiled, "And he's not wrong. Though, I am a bit disappointed, I wasn't even allowed to bid on you."

"Eight hundred sovereigns! Who pays eight hundred sovereigns for a kiss?"

"I would have." Cullen leaned in, brushing his nose against Alistair's before kissing him tenderly. Finding the remnants of fruity chapstick, he pulled back and laughed while licking his lips. "Hmm, not a flavor I'm used to tasting when I kiss you… cherry?"

Alistair blushed as he wiped the residue from both of their lips before trying again. "Better?"

"Every kiss from you is better than the last. I will never tire of this..." Cullen whispered before claiming them again.

Reluctantly parting, Alistair sighed, "We should probably go back in and join the others. Can I buy you a drink?"

"I would like that." Cullen threaded their fingers together as they finished their walk toward the pub.

They entered the bar amidst happy banter and good music. The energy in the room was more subdued from what it usually was on a Friday or Saturday night; the music a little quieter, making it easier to talk over. As they walked toward the bar, the clapping started: first one set of hands, then more, until finally the whole room was cheering and whistling at Alistair and Cullen.

Once they recovered from their initial surprise, they both bowed their heads in acknowledgement. Cullen and Alistair smiled graciously as one by one people approached to pat them on the back or shake their hands, offering their appreciation and gratitude for all they did for those girls.

There were a few whispers of Alistair's lineage, but for the most part, that little revelation was largely ignored. He was just Alistair, pub owner, and that's how he prefered it.

When the crowd finally dispersed, they found their friends sitting at a table that was tucked into the far back corner of the room. Dorian was absentmindedly stroking his hands over Bull's shoulders as they watched everyone begin to settle into their own groups once again. Leliana and Lana were behind the bar helping Zevran fill the free drink orders that Alistair offered up after the confrontation with Nick.

Seeing the crowd still surrounding the bar, Alistair leaned in to Cullen, "I'm sorry, sweetheart, I should probably get back to work. This is supposed to be the girls' night off. I promise to come visit with our guests as soon as the crowd dies down again."

Wrapping his arm around Alistair's waist, Cullen pulled him tightly to his chest, "Never apologize for having to do your job, my love. It is still a Wild Weekend after all, and we both know what your adoring fans come here to see," Cullen suggestively stroked his hands over Alistair's hips and ass. "I'll happily sit over here and fantasize about what I'm planning on doing to you later-when I have you all to myself." He winked deviously before adding, "Try not to drop anymore bottles though, I think we've had enough excitement in the bar for the night."

Alistair leaned in for quick kiss before reassuring him with a smile, "I think I can handle that. I much prefer your kisses anyway."

Back behind the bar, the crowd cheered as Zevran tossed the first of many bottles toward Alistair.

True to his word, he didn't drop a one.

As the crowd died down and the evening wore on; Alistair rejoined his friends at the table.

Dorian chuckled, "Well, this has been a most bracing evening and celebration." He looked pointedly at Cullen. "It's been far too long since I've seen you in full Commander mode. You are certainly an intimidating force when you want to be." He looked at Bull and winked, "Remind me to never get on his bad side."

Cullen took a sip from his glass to hide his blush. "Well, someone had to step in, and I wasn't about to let you break a nail. We'd be listening to you fuss about it for the rest of your visit."

Bull burst out laughing which turned into coughing as he choked on his drink.

Dorian twacked him hard on the back until he was breathing normally again. "That's what you get, you big lummox! Teach you to laugh at your husband; I'll be adding that to your list of punishments later."

Bull growled excitedly and pulled Dorian from his own seat into his lap, kissing him soundly.

Lana tossed a bar towel at them. "Hey-hey, get a room, you two! You are in public!"

"Oooh, I'm told we have a very nice room waiting for us. But sadly, we are at the mercy of Cullen and Alistair. They're holding our key hostage while we celebrate here first." Dorian placed a chaste kiss on Bull's lips before turning toward Alistair. "Thank you, by the way. Cullen said you pulled some strings to get us our room. We may be a little uninhibited, but we are grateful and looking forward to the other surprises that await us." Dorian's eyes twinkled with excitement.

Alistair smiled, "You are most welcome! As I understand it, congratulations are in order!" He looked from Dorian to Bull then back again. "How long have the two of you been married anyway?"

Bull rubbed his hand in a small circle on Dorian's back while gazing at him lovingly, "Today marks thirteen years of wedded bliss, though we've been together for a lot longer." He looked back at Alistair and continued, "When we first found each other, Tevinter was at war with Par Vollen-yet again-so our joining was readily frowned upon and needed to be hidden. Forbidden fruit is that much sweeter, isn't it, Kadan?" He grinned at Dorian, earning him a kiss.

Leliana chuckled, "They are almost as bad, if not worse, than our dear Alistair and Cullen, no? I fear cavities from the amount of sweetness we're surrounded by." She leaned in and kissed Lana sweetly.

"Says the bard who still can't keep her hands off her wife." Alistair chuckled, "Ten years and I still have nightmares from listening to you two back in your tent. None of us got any sleep! It's a wonder we are still alive after fighting so sleep deprived."

They all laughed good naturedly at the comfortable banter then Bull turned to Dorian, "You know, my love, we've been talking about getting a second apartment here in Denerim. Maybe now might be a good time to do that." A devious glint was shining in his eye.

Dorian rolled his own overdramatically, "That wouldn't happen to have anything to do with the fact that we are sitting between two redheads now would it?"

Bull deadpanned, "I have no idea what you're talking about." He then grinned at Alistair and Leliana before looking pointedly back at his husband, "I don't see any redheads around here. Only you, my sweet, delectable, milk-chocolate treat." He finished by wrapping his arms around Dorian's waist and nibbling at his neck.

Dorian didn't resist the affections but chuckled at his husband's obvious attempt at being nonchalant. "You keep telling me that, Amatus, and I'll let you think I believe it."

Alistair and Cullen shared a conspiratorial look, which made Lana suddenly gasp then start giggling, earning her a quick wink and a large grin from Alistair. In an attempt to cover and regain her composure, she stood up quickly and excused herself to go give Zevran a hand behind the bar.

Leliana looked pointedly at Alistair and Cullen, wondering what it was those two were up to that had Lana losing her composure. They both grinned with mischief, but it was Alistair who said with a wink, "you can ask her about it later."

Bull looked around the table warily. "Something tells me I should be worried. Normally I wouldn't-when it comes to Cullen here-but it appears that there are more devious influences in his life these days. It's almost as if he's a completely new man. Isn't it amazing what really good sex can do for you?" He grinned approvingly, raising his glass in a silent toast to this new Cullen before taking a drink.

Returning Bull's grin, Cullen raised his own glass in answer. "I can't argue with that. I can honestly say, I have never been happier." He leaned over to place a light kiss on Alistair's ear, who closed his eyes and shuddered with pleasure. Smiling, he then turned back to Bull, "I wouldn't worry about what's waiting for you back at the hotel, though. You may even thank us later." He finished with a smirk toward Alistair who was grinning deviously.

The conversation died down as the couples lost themselves in each other. After a few minutes of companionable silence, Dorian remembered something from earlier, "So tell me, what was all of that earlier regarding the Theirin and Mac Tir families having a history together? I've known they didn't get along, but I just assumed there was a lover's spat in there somewhere that got their panties in a twist."

Alistair chuckled at the analogy, "That would certainly make for a more interesting story. The Theirins and Mac Tirs separated by jealousy and angst! To be reunited-against all odds-rekindling the heat of their passions under the full moon light; making both families whole once again!"

Cullen sputtered, "Hey that's pretty good! Maybe I should tell Varric about it and see where he takes it." He chuckled before explaining to the others, "Varric Tethras works for me as my media liaison. He also moonlights as a romance author. I think he said his most recent serial was titled, Swords and Shields."

Leliana giggled, causing Cullen to quirk an eyebrow at her, "Oh, you've heard of it, I see?" He teased.

"Heard of it? Oui! Lana and I take turns reading chapters to each other before bed. It can be… quite stimulating!" She winked for emphasis, "I did not realize he worked for you, however. Perhaps I shall volunteer for one of your Monday deliveries so I can meet him myself? Do you think he would sign a copy for us?" She giggled at the prospect, blushing lightly.

"I can arrange an introduction if you'd like; I'm sure he would be happy to sign however many copies you have. There are several in the series I understand?" Bringing the conversation back to the original question, Cullen looked at Alistair, "You were saying about the Theirin and Mac Tir conflict?"

"It's really not a very exciting story. I'd be interested to see how the story I heard corroborates your own interactions with Loghain." Alistair then addressed Dorian, "Basically, the Theirins built Denerim as we know it today. Riding the wake of their rise to power was the Mac Tirs. The two families used to be very close, supporting each other from generation to generation. What my family didn't realize, was that the Mac Tirs were also building a secret little empire of their own." He took a drink to wash down his obvious disdain, "They bandied around the name 'Theirin', using the weight it held to further their own gains as they ran their own protection racket. They extorted money from people so the 'family' wouldn't come after them."

Taking another drink from his glass, he continued as his audience sat in attentive silence. "If the families couldn't pay, their children were taken from them; to work off their debt, as it were. Stories vary, but forced slavery and sexual servitude seems to be a reoccurring theme. The Mac Tirs wielded their power using fear and intimidation, all behind the scenes of the Theirin empire being built around them." Alistair shook his head in disgust.

"Once my ancestors learned of the underhanded scheming and using the Theirin name to gain influence, they publicly denounced the Mac Tirs, bringing all of their dirty little secrets into the limelight. You can imagine that the revelation wasn't taken lightly. They tried to say it was the Theirins that were giving the orders, but they were never able to prove anything. My family was pardoned of all involvement and the Mac Tir name was ruined. Though it appears that some things never change." He looked at Cullen and inquired, "You said you've had dealings with Loghain Mac Tir, I can't imagine any of it to have been good."

Cullen shook his head, "Gambling, prostitution, drug trafficking, theft, there's not much that I haven't arrested him for. I've yet to be able to nail him for murder, however, and I haven't managed to keep him locked up for long either. That's a very slippery family. I've tried to keep them under twenty four hour surveillance, but they tend to find ways to evade all my best efforts."

"You said something about the Mac Tirs not being allowed on Theirin property; how'd that happen and how is that reinforced? The Theirins own a lot of Denerim I understand." Bull asked curiously.

Alistair looked at Cullen before addressing Dorian and Bull again, "The first part of that is actually kind of interesting, if a bit tragic. About a hundred years ago or so, a young Mac Tir lad fell in love with the Theirin's daughter. They were very determined to be together, regardless of the family feud. They were planning on eloping, but their families found out about it and each locked their child away, for their own good . Somehow the young Mac Tir boy escaped and fled to the Theirin estate. He managed to scale the wall leading up to his beloved's bedroom. They found a rope and tied it off so she could climb down and they could be together. But as they descended, the rope broke and they both plummeted to their deaths."

Cullen laid his hand on Alistair's knee. He took a drink before continuing, "When the bodies were found the next morning, the Theirins blamed the Mac Tirs for their daughter's death and banished them forever from any of their lands. As time wore on, the unwritten rule became a law. The way I understand it, the Mac Tirs must request written permission to be granted for them to enter onto Theirin property, to this day."

Smiling at Alistair, Cullen added, "The Theirins don't own all of Denerim, like they once did, but they own enough of it that we still see those written requests come through the precinct from time to time. Most of them are eventually approved, however, when a Mac Tir commits a crime on Theirin land, the penalty is twice as bad because of the law. It generally keeps them away from Theirin property-or at the very least-on their best behavior. Other than Alistair's, the rest of their properties generally have the Theirin name posted prominently somewhere on them, to avoid… accidents ."

Cullen furrowed his brow for a moment in thought. "Y'know, I may actually have to look that up. Since this place doesn't have the usual Theirin plaque outside, I wonder where it falls under that law. Would it even be able to stand up in court? Hmmm." Cullen mused to himself.

"Well my name's written plainly all over the ownership papers, so that has to stand for something."

"I guess it would just depend on how the law is actually written. I'll look into it just in case little Nicky decides to come back." Cullen added with a sneer of contempt.

Alistair grinned cheekily, "Well, you can forget about me posting the Theirin plaque outside, that's not going to happen. I quite enjoy being the anonymous family bastard, thank you very much."

Cullen chuckled as he tipped his drink back, draining the last of its contents. He set the glass down as the band started playing one of Alistair's favorite songs. Enjoying the number of times he'd been able to surprise his friends already this visit, Cullen grinned at Dorian before standing with his hand out to his lover. Alistair's face lit up as he took the proffered hand and the duo made their way to the dancefloor, effectively ending the conversation.

Dorian watched in disbelief. He'd never before seen Cullen so relaxed-carefree-and he absentmindedly wondered when he had learned to dance so well? This Cullen, seemed like a wholly different person than the broken Templar he'd met all those years ago. He was very proud of the improvements Cullen made over the years, but there were so many firsts just within the past year that it made him tear up with how happy he was for his traditionally sullen friend.

Dorian looked at him now, with his arms around the man he'd completely fallen for-swaying in time to the music-foreheads touching in perfectly content adoration. Timed with certain parts of the song, Cullen would spin Alistair out then back into his arms again as they smiled into each other's eyes and hearts.

Leliana noticed Dorian staring. "They move very well together, no? As if the Maker himself designed them as two parts of the same whole." She smiled affectionately at the two of them swaying to the music and chuckled, "You should have seen the first time Alistair asked Cullen to dance. The look of fear on his sweet face would have been comical if it wasn't so painful. He's never actually been bad at dancing, he is very coordinated, after all. He was just lacking in… confidence. Now the two move so beautifully together, it sometimes takes my breath away."

"And here I thought I was the only one to have that honor, my sweet nightingale." Lana approached just then and offered her hand to her wife. "It's not often that I get the pleasure of having you off-stage. Would you like to dance, my love?"

"But of course, chéri. Nothing would bring me more pleasure." Leliana positively purred as they joined those already dancing in the middle of the room.

As the song ended and another slow song began, Bull watched the two couples as they continued to dance, wrapped up in one another. Looking into his husband's eyes, he whispered, "Here's to thirteen wonderful years, my love, and to many, many more."

Pulling Dorian closer, Bull enjoyed the quiet moment of just the two of them together.

End Notes:

Please keep an eye out this week for a follow up, one-shot. It's short, silly, and has the perfect amount of 'cheese' to round out these last three chapters.
The Cocktails & Cheese One-Shots can be found here:
/works/10911609/chapters/24262392

Btw - there is one more chapter for this story arc. Does anyone have a guess as to what the surprise is waiting for Dorian and Bull back at their hotel?

There are several dear souls to whom I want to give special love for helping me along my path:
The Keystrokes - My muses and sources of inspiration during my daily writing sprints.
Connie Flint - My first guide and conscience. Before I knew I wanted to post my stories, you were there to encourage me!
Ponticle - My own personal trainer-keeping me on task and helping me improve my form every step of the way!
Lola Auditore/Lola Vega - My last minute reader, polisher, and all around supportive cheerleader!

I am beyond grateful to have so much wonderful support-but for the record, I do go back over my work once my beta's have had their way with it (and occasionally change shit anyway), so any and all mistakes within are all my own! Please don't blame them, I don't pay them nearly what they're worth to me!

This story is cross posted on both fanfiction as well as AO3 and the feedback I've gotten from both families has been amazing! I am Aurlyn on Tumblr. Thank you all so much!