Tori sat in her room, having changed out of her sparring attire into a pair of tight leggings and a loose fitting long sleeve tunic. She had rolled up the sleeves and wore a pair of wool socks to keep her feet warm as she sat on her bed reviewing the dozens of requisition reports she had been ignoring the last few days while she dealt with the merchants and the nobles. She had barely gotten through half of them by the time it was dark out and Ayle came to check on her.

"Do you need anything before I turn in for the night?"

Tori looked up from her reports, happy to see her. "Oh, yes please, just one thing?" She blushed as her stomach growled.

"Would you like me to fetch you something from the tavern kitchens?"

Tori nodded, putting her hands together and begged. "Please, please, please, please? I haven't eaten since brunch with the nobles and the training today took a lot out of me.

Ayle giggled. "Let me guess, you got too busy with your reports again that you forgot to eat?"

Tori nodded. "You know me so well!" She joked.

Ayle smiled. "I'll be back soon with some food and drink for you."

"Thank you, Ayle, you're amazing!"

Ayle left quickly to fetch food and drink for Tori, leaving her to return to her reports.

Tori sat on her bed, finishing one stack of reports and setting them off to the side before moving on to the next. She was so focused on the reports that she didn't hear Cullen come down the hall and open his door.

"Herald?"

Tori barely glanced up. "Hmm?" She continued reading the reports.

"Tori."

"What?" She looked up. "Oh, hi Cullen."

"Are you still working?"

She nodded. "I put off the requisition reports because of the merchants and the nobles, but now I need to get through them and I didn't realize how many there were."

"Would you like any help?"

Tori looked at how much she had left and put her hands together like she had done with Ayle. "Please? Otherwise I'll be up all night again."

Cullen chuckled, grabbing the chair from her desk. "Where do you want me to start?"

Tori sorted through the reports and handed him a small stack. "Here, these still need to be looked through. Just set them over there with the ones that are finished when you're done going through them." She said, pointing to the finished pile.

Cullen sat in the chair and looked through the reports, noticing that many of them were requisitions for upgrades to their equipment or provisions and herbs and such. There were a lot, many of them coming from the outer laying camps throughout the Hinterlands that they had set up.

After awhile, Ayle returned, knocking on the open door. "Excuse me, Lady Herald."

Tori looked up at the scent of fresh and hot food. "Ayle, you're back! Thank the Maker, you just about saved me from starvation!"

Ayle giggled. "Where do you want this?"

Tori made a space at the foot of her bed. "Put it here, please."

"I passed the Commander on my way to the tavern, so I grabbed some extra food for him as well." She looked at Cullen. "You looked nearly as famished as the Herald did, ser. I hope you don't mind?"

"Not at all, Ayle, thank you. That was incredibly thoughtful of you." Cullen replied with a smile.

"Milady, will that be all?"

Tori had already started digging in, munching on a chunk of bread. When Ayle spoke, she swallowed quickly and shook her head. "No, Ayle, that's all. Thank you. Have a good rest of your night."

Ayle bowed. "And you as well, Lady Herald. Commander."

Cullen watched as Ayle left, closing the door slightly behind her, then turned to Tori who was chewing on another chunk of bread. "Ayle is quite the sweet girl."

"I'm lucky to have her helping me out." Tori said, grabbing another report to review as she swallowed. "I'd lose my mind half the time if she weren't around."

Cullen chuckled, then grabbed the other half of the loaf Ayle had brought them. Taking a bite, he chewed as he finished reviewing the report in his hand and made to grab another, his hand grazing Tori's as she reached for another as well.

"Sorry..." Tori said, blushing as she took her hand away. "Go ahead, I'll grab the next one."

Cullen blushed a bit in return and grabbed the next report, handing it to her. "Here, I'll be right back." He stood and set the bread on the tray.

"What, you finally decided to get out of that stinky dingy armor?" Tori teased, sticking her tongue out when Cullen rolled his eyes and nodded, going across the hall. She chuckled to herself and grabbed a piece of turkey. After a few minutes, she finished a report and happened to look up as she reached for another. Her cheeks burned when she saw Cullen standing in his room shirtless, the candle light in his room dancing along the contours of his muscles. He was very well built and just looking at him was enough to verify that he was strong. When he grabbed a tunic and turned back towards the door, Tori tore her gaze from him and buried her nose in the report she was holding, taking another piece of turkey to try and keep her mind off the image of his naked chest.

Cullen came back into Tori's room and sat back down, grabbing a chunk of bread then one of the apples. He grabbed a report and leaned back, his arm resting casually along the back of the chair. When Tori glanced up despite herself, she felt blush deepen when she realized how sexy he looked. She reached for one of the mugs Ayle had brought and took a sip, smiling when she tasted the sweet and bitterness of the spiced ale. The alcohol in her system was already relaxing her a bit, so she took another swig and set the mug to the side before grabbing another piece of turkey and chunk of bread. 'Maker, help me...'


An hour or so went by and the stack of unreviewed reports had dwindled down to just a dozen or so more. Tori and Cullen had finished the food and were nursing the mugs of spice ale as they continued working. Tori stood and stretched, taking the tray and putting it on her desk.

"I need a break, Cullen. Would you like to join me for a walk? I need to stretch my legs."

Cullen stood. "Sure."

Tori led the way out of her room and Cullen followed, noticing that she hadn't put any boots on.

"I hope you aren't planning on going outside without any boots?" Cullen asked, walking next to her.

Tori shook her head. "No, I just wanted to walk through the Chantry a bit."

"Good, otherwise I'd have to carry you back to your room before your feet froze."

Tori stuck out her tongue. "These are wool socks, thank you. My feet would be fine outside without boots."

"Maybe for a few minutes, but that's it. I wouldn't even dream of going outside without a cloak or something warm. The wind alone is enough to chill to the bone."

Tori stopped and looked at him, smirking. "Sounds to me like you're just being a big baby about it."

Cullen smirked and lunged for her, earning him a squeal as Tori dodged and skipped ahead a bit. "Come back here, Bunny."

Tori grimaced at the name and stuck out her tongue. "No one but Varric gets to call me that and he's a special case."

"Come back here."

Tori shook her head and grinned, taking a few more steps back. "You'll just have to catch me."

Cullen rolled his eyes as Tori turned and hurried off, making her way to the lower level of the Chantry. He followed her down a set of stairs into an empty chamber lined with pillars and tapestries along the wall.

"Tori, this isn't a game. Come out and face your punishment like a good girl."

Tori stood behind one of the pillars and giggled. "If I was such a good girl I wouldn't need to be punished now would I?"

Cullen smirked and moved towards the sound of her voice, trying to keep his footsteps quiet.

Tori stood perfectly still and peeked around the pillar she hid behind, but she couldn't see him. She stepped out a bit further to try and find him, but when she didn't see him still, she turned back to her hiding spot only to have Cullen grab her. Squealing, she quickly got out of his grasp and tried to run off, but Cullen grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him, pinning her hands above her head against the wall.

"I've got you now, Herald. You can't escape me." He said, looking down at her coyly.

Tori blushed and her breathing began to get heavier as her heart pounded against her chest. "I suppose you did..." She chuckled a bit. "What are you going to do to me now, Commander? What shall my punishment for teasing you be?"

Cullen looked at her, suddenly seeing her in a different light. She was vulnerable, completely at his mercy, and she knew it. Yet there was a sense of playfulness at the same time, something he never seen in her before. He wasn't sure if it was the alcohol in his system or something else, but he felt a rising desire for her. "Maker, you're so beautiful..." He said, reaching up to tuck her bangs behind her ear, then let his hand rest on her cheek.

"Cullen..?" Tori asked, her voice shaky. She wasn't sure what was going on, but she liked seeing this dominating side to him for some reason. Perhaps it was because she had never seen him like this before, or perhaps it was because she saw him shirtless and thought of how sexy he was or maybe it was because he had called her beautiful or maybe even it was just the alcohol. Whatever it was, she felt her body burning as he stepped closer to her and leaned in, beginning to close the gap between them. "Cullen, what are you..." She trailed off as he pressed his forehead to hers and released her hands, the hand that held hers trailing down to her hip.

"Tori..." He wanted to say something, but he couldn't think. He wanted her, in whatever way she'd let him in that very moment.

Tori searched his eyes as her hands rested against his chest. She felt his heart was racing just as much as hers. She tilted her head up to say something, anything, but Cullen gently claimed her lips with his own. Her eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat, but when Cullen pulled back and she couldn't find the words, she saw a brief moment of regret in his eyes.

"Maker, Tori... I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-" Cullen started, but he was cut off as Tori said, "Fuck it..." and returned his kiss with a little more urgency. Though he was surprised, he leaned into her kiss, his body pressing against hers.

Tori's body burned hotter at Cullen's touch, a sudden aching all over her beginning to take hold. She moved her hands from his chest up to his shoulders, then wrapped her arms around his neck as his arms encircled her waist. Cullen pressed her against the wall, his hands finding their way to her hips as he deepened their kiss. When Tori broke away for a breath of air, Cullen quickly reclaimed her lips and the sudden increase of urgency was beginning to overwhelm them both. But before things got any further, Cullen pulled away and stepped back, panting.

"Tori... I'm so sorry... I shouldn't have..." He said, running his fingers through his slightly dishevelled hair as he tried to catch his breath and recompose himself.

Tori sagged against the wall, panting, and looked at him. "Then why..?" She tried to say, but she couldn't and tore her gaze from him. She pushed herself upright, using the wall for support, and bowed her head as she turned to leave. "Good night... Commander..."

Cullen watched Tori hurried away, assuming back to her room, and he silently cursed himself. He didn't want things to go this far, there was too much at stake to even think about intimate relationships. And yet, he was unable to contain himself and lost himself in the moment. He just hoped Tori could forgive him.

As Cullen paced in the chamber, trying to regain his composure, Tori shut the door to her room and stood by the window, thinking over what had just happened. Cullen been the one to kiss her first, but she had kissed him back. They nearly lost themselves to their desire and temptation, but Cullen had pulled away before they did something they'd regret. 'But would I regret being with Cullen?' Tori wondered. He was chivalrous, kind hearted, well respected, handsome- well damn sexy if Tori were honest with herself- and he had always been there for her ever since she'd known him. She wanted to move and find someone to be happy with, but then again she couldn't risk starting a relationship with someone knowing that she may never survive this war. She sighed and went back to her reports, trying to finish them to keep her mind off things. Some time in the night, though, she had fallen asleep, her reports scattered on the bed as she sat back against the headboard. When morning came and Ayle came to wake her, the young servant girl stood there looking at the state of Tori's room and Tori herself.

"Maker, Lady Herald, what am I to do with you?"